Walking in a Winter Wonderland and other tales

I'll get to the Ice in a minute. First a word from . . . well, some other stuff.

While I was at a meeting last Friday, the Daddy took all the children to our homeschool group's Valentine party. He was the only Daddy there and stayed with the little boys to help them. 

Last Thursday, the children and I took paper products and whatnot to the A New Walk, a homeless center in Gainesville. Homeless in Gainsville
They had posted a need on Facebook and we felt lead to go meet a little of it. They were open all weekend and will probably be opened all week as a warming shelter for homeless. They aren't a shelter but the city allows them to shelter people when it gets really cold. They feed them and love them and share God's Word with them. 
This little church is makeing a BIG, eternal difference in their community. Many of their friends now attend church regularly and are beginning a New Walk in their lives.

I didn't get any pictures. 
I'm not bragging. 
Just hope to show how easy it was to give. 
It was a blessing!

We had just learned that week that when David heard Goliath speak he got a little passionate that someone would defy the God of Israel. How dare they!!!
When it got time to fight the giant, David went out, as a shepherd, with his staff and sling - the equipment he was familiar with. That big fella got up, amused at this twerp with a stick coming to fight him and lumbered toward the battle line. 

David RAN.

He ran toward the battle line. He ran toward the giant. He ran at the enemy. He ran with the intent to kill the one who defied the Lord of Host. 
He RAN.
He didn't stop to pray about what God would have him do. It was apparent to him that itt is not God's will that evil prevail. 
He boldly volunteered to get the job done. 
He knew that if the Lord could save him from pesky lions and bears (oh my!) He could certainly save him from this beastly man.

"David ran quickly toward the battle line"

1 Samuel 17:48b

So, we took what God had blessed us with and ran to throw our little rock at the giant of homelessness.

Sometimes war is fought on our knees, and sometimes its fought in motion.

Now for the icy part.

Weatherman should feel blessed that they aren't stoned for falsely predicting the weather - or continuously changing their mind. 

We knew a storm was a'comin!

It it rained ice Monday afternoon and most of the night. And when we got up it was lovely except for the tree that split in twain and fell down in two directions (East and West).

Most winters when it snows (or we get the crunchy white stuff) I make the children line up near "the tree" to take a picture before they go play in the wetness (aka "frozen mud")

Top: The Downed Tree - fluffy
Bottom: the part the fell West fell on the phone line - we still have phone service.
It knocked a board off the house where the phone line connected.
The downed boards.

 The Daddy and some kids cleaned up the tree and fixed the boards.

I tried unsuccessfully to keep a fire going and write on this blog (well, that last part's success is objective).

After assessing the damage (minimal) we walked in our winter wonderland

Nature in Ice

We took a walk through the woods - the still stinking dogs went too.
(the dogs got Skunked on Sunday afternoon - it's too cold to bathe them outside and Gene doesn't want them in the house - so when he goes back to work, they will get a warm bath. Shhhhh..... I really am a good wife - mildly opinionated - this isn't the best example of submission. Let's move on.)

cold can be pretty - but warm is prettier

And now, just for fun. Tales from Jacob and Josiah.

Josiah's Train - turn your head to the Left

Jacob's Racetrack -
I don't think it matters which way you turn your head.

And last but not least - those baby weirdos! (aka "Gene's kids")

Yes, Josiah is wearing a grocery bag.
No, there is no good reason. Just part of being a boy.

So Far This Summer . . .

So far this Summer we are having a splendid time. Slower pace. 

Enjoying a somewhat empty calendar - at least as compared to the Spring we just had. 

July is already upon us!

So, let's catch up...

In May we celebrated the marriage of my practice baby. The
little baby my aunt entrusted to the teenage me, the baby I hauled around (then called our Granny because I had no idea what I was doing), that baby is now a grown-up, married women. And I'm so tickled for her.

She is precious and has found a sweet, manly, God-fearing, young man to spend the rest of her life with. (Heart swelling).

And my own dearly beloved, darling, preacher, handsome, fun, sweet, loving, manly-man was the dude who hitched them together. He's pretty impressed with them too! 
I was the preacher's wife, the "go-fer", the general "what'd'ya'need-er." And HAPPY.
  
The little girls were flower girls (or fairies or hobbits). 

The big girls greeted people, and had them sign the book and pointed them in the right direction (the wedding was outside - in the woods). 
The big boys were in charge of the last minute handling of our video camera (they need more practice - if anybody would like low-budget cost friendly filming they are available). 

And the little boys, well, they stayed out of trouble (as far as we know).

The whole shebang was just perfectly lovely.

Another baby cousin, a rare site, made a surprise entrance!

Top left, Seth waiting to surprise Sarah; right OH YOUR HERE!; bottom left Trying Not to Cry

 And the mother and father of the bride carry lighter pocketbooks now but are really holding up nicely (and still have all the hair they started with). I remember when they came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior and they have been such a wonderful example to me in so many ways. 
Recently, after the wedding-dust had cleared a little, the children and I spent the day with my aunt and little cousin (the brother of the bride). Can't wait to do it again.

And some more sweets for you eyeballs . . .

The Brown Girls

Uncle Doug and Daniel

Those Dunagan Children
Larry, Joyce, Audrey, Juanita
Melba & Carolyn

Skipping down the barefoot trail
(they finally got to go EAT!)

Baby Sarah's wedding day

The day after the wedding we celebrated our 7th Familiversary!
Left over cake at the park with family. 

Part of the clan: Jagdeep, Cindy, Carolyn, Erin (me), Kathy, Audrey, Joyce (my mama), Mike, Melba, Kelly

Leftover wedding cake to celebrate!

My Alex, Cindy's Sean, Audrey's Daniel
Can you tell they are cousins?

Melody, Lora, Jacob, Josiah, Tara, Joyce (aka Grandmother, aka MOAJ)
Caitlyn, Jorja, Lizzy, Aunt Carolyn

Sweet Music - Ava, Kyla, Autumn

 Then a trip to a museum and eating at the Cracker-barrel. 

Those Brown Children get schooled 1900's style.

We snuck in a little swimming that weekend too.

Jacob

Josiah & Lora

Gene and our posse

We continue to minister at the nursing home in Royston every Friday night. And June 1st we began having church at Victoria Bryant State Park in Franklin Springs. We've had campers come every week and some weeks a friend will show up. 

We have enjoyed meeting believers we may never see again this side of heaven. And the services are just wonderful.  
 Gene made a YouTube channel this week and plans to post his sermons there.

During Vacation Bible School at Poplar Springs
I taught the tiny-chillins (18 months-3 years old) and Autumn helped. Ava helped in the 4-5 year old room (so she had Jacob and Josiah with her).
We all had a great time being "Secret Agents" for the week.


In Other News:

The boys raided my cardboard and made armor.

Gene bought us (me) a dulcimer. 

Elijah and Alex went to a half-day football camp. 

Elijah wants to play more, Alex, not so much.

While switching places with our new driver 

something happened to my NEW phone . . .

A picture's worth a thousand words.

We went to the Shriner's Parade in Helen

and saw our very own Shriner.

Papa & some baby-Shriners

Lora got pink boots for her birthday and when I cleaned my room 

(I CLEANED MY ROOM - it's a really big deal and Gene is giving me a hard time about telling everybody - 2 sweet friends, one of whom has had a tour and told me how proud she is - it's that big a deal - I even cleaned the closets and hung curtains - Gene's is "thankful" and happier - but since I don't want to make a liar of him I'm telling EVERYONE - at least 3 more sweet people who read this blog - Hi Mama!) I found another pair of pink boots for Jorja. 

We've seen LOTS of snakes, turtles and lizards. 

Here is a small sample - if you get creeped-out easily scroll down faster now..

The tiny turtle we are "studying"

Note to self: if you find lizard eggs just leave them alone.

Another King Snake - whose tail was
going up the back of Alex's shirt and made him
wiggle after this picture.

One more!

That's all folks!