When we bought ‘Curry Farm’, we made friends with the owners – an older couple who could no longer keep up with the demands of the house and acreage on their own.  We were so blessed to get this place, but we grieved with them because we knew it was very hard and sad for them to leave.  Anyhow, today they are coming over to celebrate 2nd Thanksgiving with us.  While we were in Michigan surrounded with people we love (and who love us), we found out that our friends spent 1st Thanksgiving all alone.  This will be a really special day because I also missed my sister on 1st Thanksgiving (she was partying with our friends, the Austins); her whole crew will be here, too.  I will not have to miss out on her famous Green Bean Casserole this year after all!  I’m excited.  It will be a great afternoon of neat fellowship.

On another note, I forgot how much I like Colossians.  Chapter 3 is magnificent.  Today this struck me:

Col 3:12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

This list should reflect the actions of those who claim Christ.  Compassion and kindness are not attributes that I have spent a lot of time practicing lately.  It is easy to grow cynical and cold.  I think the church in America is wounded (if not dying).  It is very easy to claim Christ, but it seems like there is not much of an expectation for believers to live Christ.  While I examine the sorry state of the ‘American Church’ I also examine myself. 

We are called to recognize (and expose) bad doctrine and/or false leaders (1 Timothy 4:6; 1st Cor 5; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; Romans 16:17; 1 Timothy 1:3) — but that can be of no use personally if it is purely an intellectual exercise. 

We’re told in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 to also ‘test and examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith’.  If we are in Christ our actions will testify to that.  In other words, good fruit will be growing as we search His Word for truth.  We'll be loving God and loving others.

This article also hugely blessed me, if you have the chance I hope you take the time to read it.

 Happy 2^nd Thanksgiving!

November 30th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

Here is what Dippy and James are sharing for Christmas (except theirs won't be pink). Is that cool, or what?

Wow, what a week.  I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving.  I can’t believe how busy things are.  We are finally back in TN – I cannot understand for the life of me why anybody in the world would want to live in Michigan (no offense, Spunky).  Anyhow, It was nice spending time with family, and my girls and I had a nice time getting together with Spunky and her daughters.  Spunky is a neat lady and a real encouragement to me.  I'm blessed to have very good friends.

So what are your plans for December?  I have a feeling that December is going to be just as busy as November was, which is sort of a drag.  I'd like to slow down a little bit. And hopefully me and Geoff will be able to get away for a day or so and do something special.  We had our 13th anniversary last Monday at his parents house. We went to Kohls to return a sweater.  How's that for romantic?  

Is it just me, or are boys totally harder to contain than girls?

Now that we're home, we're going to practice being a 'quieter' family.  Over the last week, Geoff and I realized that we've dropped the ball with the younger ones.  When the older kids were little we spent a dedicated amount of time each week practicing being quiet and calm (sitting in a chair with a doll or a book) — this way they knew how to act when we were at church, at a doctor's office, etc.  But as the younger boys came and the girls got older we started to slack off.  We are sort of a loud and hyper family — which is fun, and fine at the proper place and time — but it can prove to be a difficulty (and annoying) when we're out and about and not staying in our own home. So anyhow, back to the drawing board.  The new Igs will be calmer, neater, gentler Igs.  I'll keep you updated on how that goes. 

November 27th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

We don’t have a Cabellas in TN.  We have Bass Pro Shop which is pretty much its equivalent, except Cabellas seems to have a larger assortment of dead animals to gawk at and spar with.  From the pictures below you can see how shy BoBo gets whenever we go into public.  Poor homeschoolers.  They’re such introverts.

Your wallet or your life

He got me

Now I know what my son does while I'm not looking; unbeknownst to me I was about to lose my head.

Is it unethical or politically incorrect to shoot a stuffed dog?  I probably would have told him to knock that off if I'd have seen him, but I was in the clothing section with Coie.

Are you gonna let him take that thing in the car?

Hi, my name is Dippy Crockett of the wild frontier. Do you like my hat?

20 points (200 points according to *somebody’s* pinochle rules) for Gramma Sally for picking out the best idea ever to bring the kids on a Sunday afternoon.

Speaking of pinochle, my in-laws murdered us in the first championship game.  Yet we shall overcome.  I'm just warming up. Have a super Thanksgiving!  I am thankful for a family that I love and for never having to be bored.  How about you?

November 21st, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

Things continue to be crazy hectic.  Which is fine by me. I’d rather be busy than bored *any* day.  This Thursday we drive up to Michigan, where I’ll get to hang out with the swanky-cool Madame Spunk.  She is a neat lady and I really enjoy her company (plus she is fun to shop with). 

I have also been invited by Walden Media to attend a pre-screening event of the soon to be released movie, Amazing Grace (opens in theaters Feb 23, 07) It is based on the life of William Wilberforce.  Our friends from Walden media were kind enough to supply us with enough tickets so that Coie can also join me and Geoff the Great for the screening.  In all honesty, most movies make me puke.  I know that Walden has been making a concentrated effort to put out family friendly movies like Charlottes Web, Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, etc… but my feelings are still mixed about the whole concept of ‘marketing to Christians’.  Especially when the production company is by no means a ‘Christian entity’.  I don’t know; I’ll have to give it more thought, but at any rate, I will let you know what we think of Amazing Grace after we see it this weekend.  And for the record, I did enjoy the Lord of the Rings movies.

We have a lunch date planned directly afterward with one of the ‘Walden people’ — they want to learn more about the homeschool community.  Let me know if you have any questions or concerns that you’d like me to pass along.  I’m looking forward to the event/meeting, it will definitely be interesting.

Completely unrelated….this is for Lynan (who has promised to take a scroungy mutts off our hands).  Which one do you want, Lynan?

 Actually… these are the only ones that are really up for grabs:

Gross.  I told you they were ugy.  But it's TOO late.  You already promised to take one.  Are you sure you don't want two or three?? Who else wants one of these possum hybrids?  Put your order in now and you can have it before Christmas.

November 14th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

My bossy know-it-all dictator hitler sister is demanding that I force any of you who happen to swing by here to enter the contest she's having.  At first I was going to refuse (and reinforce my independence by lining her toilet seat with Saran Wrap) but after I saw the contest I decided to comply, for it is quite funny to me.  Every once in a great while my sister is struck with an uncommon stroke of wit, and today is one of those rare days. (forgive my ranting, i'm a little peeved at her because she is thinking about buying a house an hour and a half away from me… we've never been that far apart ever.  The villianous monkey has gone purely mad).

Anyways, I am amending her contest.  You can either do what she says, OR, write an even worse query letter than she did.  And then let me know about it because I could use a good laugh this week.  Howevery, hopefully at least one or two of you will write a real query letter because she's gonna want to use it for the class she's teaching this weekend.  If you still have no idea what i'm talking about, click here 

November 10th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

Last night our pipes decided to shut down and yield water no more.  It’s amazing how used we get to water on demand.  No doubt Geoff the Great will figure it out in no-time and the water will once more flow, our toilets once more will flush, and I can take care of my nasty dishes in the sink (that man can figure out and fix ANYTHING).  In the meantime it’s sort of neat watching my oldest son, Bo.  We have a hand drawn well behind the house (it was one of the reasons that made us really want this place) and ever since I woke up, he’s been hauling these five gallon buckets back and forth to the house.  Matter of fact, he’s just announced that I may now flush my toilet, but only if it’s absolutely necessary.  Heh heh.  That boy is an absolute treasure.

So, how do you feel about the elections? 

Last night me and geoff watched this documentary on the Greek civilization; it was fascinating.  Athens grew out of the dust — against all odds– into this thriving prosperous nation because of valor, bravery and a people who dreamed big dreams.  Then within a couple hundred years, on account of in-fighting and over-indulged arrogant citizens who seemed to think it was there right to prosper and flourish, this magnificent place went down to a humiliated ruin.   It was a little disturbing to watch.  It sorta seemed eerily similar to another place that I am familiar with.

November 9th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

Insert “My Fair Lady” song here….

The Barn Dance was truly fabulistic, I will post pictures soon.  I'm still trying to recover.  Our very excellent friends, The Gonzales Familly, had come to our house early on Saturday (with our other excellent friends, The Estabrook family) and we ate pizza and then drove up to VA together.  It took about an hour and a half to get there from my house.  And then afterwards the Gonzales family followed us home (we got home at 2 am) and  they spent the night.  They have nine kids, and we all fit perfectly.  It was the most fun we've probably ever had.  The fund raiser managed to raise a total of two thousand dollars for the Black family, which will go straight to missionary work in Ethiopia.

I am ashamed to admit that Laurie Bluedorn skunked us.  Her group was able to raise eight thousand dollars for their fund raiser.  But a highlight was that Gena totally made Laurie cry.  Seriously, Laurie was bawling her eyes out after one bite of Gena's special homemade Hotsy Totsy salsa and guacamole.  Poor Laurie, I don't think she's ever experienced real Mexican food like *that* before. 

Back to the dance, though, I was truly jealous — you should have SEEN some of the dresses there. I promise I will post pics within the week. And I just gots to get me one of them back then dresses.  Lucky for me, Coie has decided to start making 'back then' dresses for our whole family.

At the inspiration of the barn dance, we are planning a big birthday bash in Feb because Coie is turning 18 and Ryann is turning 13.  Check this out, Coie found (thru a link from Sense & Sensibility Patterns ) … a group that had a Pride and Prejudice party:

I love Mr. Collins, that is too funny.  But isn't that a fun idea?  I will blog more later.  I kid you not, this weekend wiped me out!

November 6th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

At the compelling of Jay from Cleveland, Methinks I shalt tarry no longer in my derelict blog duties.  Whilst I should fully rather add one anon, I would hardly slight that gallant sir and thus I have taken to the keys with complyishness intent.

I’ve been reading Ivanhoe.  I started reading it so I could sound smart when I brought it up on occassion of seemingly un-planned casual conversation. 

"Oh, is that a new dress?  I’m reading Ivanhoe" 

"Where do you keep the primer paint? Is it Ivan-hover there?".  What I did *not* expect, was that I would enjoy it –much less understand it– in which both cases, I do.  major total bummer. Now I’m going to feel self-obligated to read all the classics lest I have to live with the knowledge that I’m missing out on something.  As if I have time for that.

It all started when I read The Hidden Hand by Eden Southworth, which was entirely Coie’s fault.  I would have never attempted such an old work of literature (with such big words) on my own accord; I only did it so she’d stop badgering me to read the blasted thing.  That’ll teach me to give into family-peer-pressure.

November 2nd, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments