Where The Orange Blossoms Grow...

New Blog.......

2010-01-01T18:18:00.000-05:00

ANNOUNCEMENT.......
We have started a new blog. This is where we will be posting now, so.........
Come on over!!!
Here it is.....
www.thestricklenfamilyblog.blogspot.com

More Trip Pictures

2009-12-04T21:57:00.002-05:00

Finally, here are some more pictures of our trip to Ark/Mo.

Sorry it's taken me so long, our computer has been having problems:/ Someday I'll start posting something more recent. Boy am I behind.....Anyways, here they are--Hope y'all enjoy them:)
"But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness."

I Timothy 6:11

We all hopped on a 4-wheeler or the Polaris and took a ride up to the top of the mountain to look at the property.

Uncle Jay and Deeda

There really is a lovely view from the top

Callie and Vanna

I love this yellow tree, it looks like its glowing:)
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The Millers came over to the property and we spent a lovely day with them

Hehe:) something must have been funny:)

A little goofy girl

Aha! Caught in the act of stealing chips!:):)

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There were thousands of these little Asian Beetles all over the RV and the house

Meet Uncle Jays little (or not so little) pet, "Harry" They found him on the property

Deeda and Vanna had alot of fun together

Seizing the opportunity to go outside without shoes while it was still relatively warm, I grabbed a camera and Deeda and I took a walk down the driveway and on down to the creek.

(No, I couldn't resist...)

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The creek was nice and clear.......

.........and absolutely freezing I might add. Next time I'll think twice before doing this--I couldn't feel my feet for a while.....:)

Deeda looking for neat-looking rocks:)

Hmmm...A jacket and no shoes? That makes sense. No, she couldn't be from anywhere but Florida.....

Callie Susie

Deeda, our faithful dessert maker:)

Savannah loves big bubbles:):):)

Rachel stayed the night up at the property, so we enjoyed her company for a few days:)

The creek almost came up over the bridges after it rained one of the days

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Granddaddy started up the Polaris and we hopped on and headed down to see the cemetery

The path going up to the cemetery

Trying to take a few pictures before it started pouring on us:/

"Tut! Tut! It looks like rain!!"

(In case anyone wondered, we didn't escape the rain.We got home quite drenched and cold....)

There was a warm fire burning in the fireplace when we got home much to our delight and relief:)

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We all loaded up and headed down to the Miller's house after enjoying a week at the property with Uncle Jay, Aunt Ashley and Savannah. We couldn't wait to get there and see our "favorite-cousin-named-Joey":):)

Our lovely hostess

RG.... ummm......enthusiastically telling a story.....:)

Matt listening intently

My "Favorite-cousin-named-Sammy" enjoying his meal:):)

Matthew telling us a story

Wow, it must have been funny.....:)

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Joey and I took a walk up to the RV to get the camera.....Obviously, Joe has the camera:)

Rachel and Margaret picked us some greens to have for supper from Aunt Katie's lovely garden. Rachel would be in this picture, but she strongly objected to having her picture taken, so.....here is Deeda picking greens:)

Uncle Robert frying some really, really good chicken wings:D

Rachel and Margaret made some delicious sugar cookies for us:)

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We played and sang some music together for a while

RG in his "I'm acting like I'm a grump and don't want my picture taken" pose

My lovely Grandmother

Matthew and I challenged each other to a game of "Fireseat" and everyone else joined in. Wow! Is it ever painful!!:):)

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Time to hop into the RV and head back over to the property to plant some trees and say our final goodbyes

Lovely Arkansas wildflowers

Getting ready to put a whole bunch of trees in the ground

Grandmother overseeing the operation:)

A lovely autumn day

The freshly hayed field

Man's best friend..... Hehehe:)

No, I couldn't possibly go anywhere with nice, clear water and pretty scenery without having a photo shoot........

Callie Susie

Howdy, friend!

Yours Truly

Mmmm....cool water!

Speedy Gonzalez (aka Matthew)

Finally, to say our last goodbyes, we all ate lunch at a BBQ restaurant

Sweet cousins

Aunt Katie and Savannah

...And goodbyes were said all-round

...And thus ended a wonderful, blessed, fun-filled trip!!! Thank you Granddaddy and Grandmama!!

Posted by Mary Noelle

Trip to "Arkasouri"

2009-11-14T20:41:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, Granddaddy and Grandmother graciously let Callie, Margaret and I hitch a ride with them to "Arkasouri." We visited the Millers, saw the property, and had a great time with Uncle Jay, Aunt Ashley, and Savannah! I figured I'd better post this trip before I have so many other things to post about that I don't ever put this one up:) I hope y'all enjoy the pictures! (I should warn you that a vast majority of them are boring scenic pictures that I just "had" to take, so bear with me and I'll try not to bore you to tears!):):)

The trip begins, and Margaret diligently starts on her schoolwork:)

A good book is always appreciated on a long trip:)

Our faithful chauffeur, once again accompanied by an RV full of girls!

We're gettin close, y'all!

Lovely trees!!!

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Starting to see some lovely fall colors, something you don't find in sunny FL!

We're almost there!!!

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Scenery........What did I tell you.......?

Scenery.......

........and more scenery! But it's lovely, is it not??

Scenery......(About to enter the property.....)

We finally made it, and were warmly greeted by Uncle Jay, Aunt Ashley, and especially a very excited Savannah!! She is so cute:)

Andrew was staying the night with U. Jay and A. Ashley, so we got to spend a few days with him!

Margaret and Savannah were best buddies while we were up there. Savannah calls Margaret "Marga-let":)

A few remaining wildflowers

Margaret and Andrew had alot of fun together:)

She loves her kitty, "Mittens," or "M&M's," which ever she decides at the moment:):)

Well, I'll put some more pictures up later......I have a plenty of em!!! Thank y'all for stopping by!

~Mary Noelle~

It's a ...........

2009-11-03T20:58:00.001-05:00

BOY

Yes, another boy or so the sonogram technician says! I guess we won't know for sure until he (or she) is born! We are just so thrilled that the baby appears to be
healthy and everything is as it should be.
We have dedicated this child to the Lord and want nothing more
than for his life to please our Lord.
Great picture, huh? Yes, it looks like every other baby in a sonogram! But none the less, it is his first portrait and we are very proud of it! He looks like an angel to his Mama!
The due date is March 16, 2010, which the sonogram measurements agreed with.
We are thanking and praising the Lord for this precious blessing!

Chris, Molly and children

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While we are so happy and full of rejoicing after our sonogram, we can't help but think of the family who had the sono before us. They found out their baby was not alive and they were quite far along in the pregnancy. They had even brought their 3 children with them to see. The grief and sorrow on their faces is something I will never forget. Please pray for this family - God knows who they are. Thank you.

Great Peaches! May 2009

2009-11-01T20:32:00.004-05:00

This was our last picking of the season. We had been enjoying all the fresh peaches we could eat for most of April and all of May. We had to get the last of the peaches off the tree as they were ripening so fast and just falling off and being wasted. We made lots of peach jam, put bags in the freezer and canned peaches for cobblers, etc.

We now have 3 peach trees producing peaches. We planted this tree about 4 years ago and I think it is a "Tropic Snow". The other 2 we planted about a year ago are "Tropic Beauty" and the "U.F. Sun" (which we got a few peaches from last year.) My Daddy was able to get some peach trees recently and gave me 6 of them! So we will get them planted and start tending to them and really have LOADS of peaches to look forward to before we know it!

Well, we never posted these pictures and we don't have much going on right now, so we decided to put these up. We look forward to our peaches again in about a half a year or so!

God bless you all!
The Stricklens

Fishing at Granddaddy's

2009-10-22T20:25:00.001-04:00

I am so thankful for the wonderful times our children have had with my parents over the years.

It is such a blessing that they LOVE to spend time with their grandchildren. Whether it

is my Mother teaching something to the girls in the kitchen or at the sewing machine,

or perhaps telling a story to CJ and Wills, or my Father taking the time to fish with them at their

pond or taking them out to feed the chickens, the memories they are making for the

children are irreplaceable.

My father has always loved to fish

Nice boat, Pete!

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small

2009-10-15T22:53:00.007-04:00

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,

Each little bird that sings,

He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountain,

The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one;

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows for our play,
The rushes by the water,
To gather every day;

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.

This is our Chicken Hawk--Even he is amazing!

One of Granddaddy's cows, and her calf

Our lovely, almost ripe bananas!

Banana blossoms are so neat!

We found him crawling across our property

Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.

Psalm 148:5

Brand new Redbud leaves

Spider webs are unbelievable! It's absolutely amazing how God created that little spider with absolutely zero intelligence to form such an intricate, delicate, perfectly symmetrical web! (Oh, it was all just an accident, ya know!)

I love this pink sky :)

The sun on a very foggy morning

Even the weeds are creatively and intricately designed!

Seedlings ready to go into the ground

I love rhinoceros beetles!
They're so slow and methodical. They take their time and just get where they need to go!

Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these [things], that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that [he is] strong in power; not one faileth.

Isaiah 40:26

Morning Glory trees are soooo pretty in the morning,
before the sun wilts all the flowers

Aren't they beautiful??

And they smell SO good!

Green bean blossoms

This year's tomatoes :)

Little cucumber plants just getting established

Just grabbing hold of the trellis

Good night! I hope y'all enjoyed!
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I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

Psalm 7:17

Try and Figure This Out.....

2009-10-08T21:39:00.000-04:00

OK--Is all you need is a measuring tape, a table, and two cans of coke, or any aluminum can (Like the ones in the picture)

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First, stand one of the cans upright on the floor, and put the other one on its side on the table, like you see in the picture.

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Now, measure from the top of the can standing on the floor, to the top of the one on its side on the table.

Remember your measurement. Ours was about 32"

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Alright, now turn the one on the table that is on its side upright like the one on the floor, and turn the one on the floor on its side. In other words, switch their positions. Now measure it the same way as you did before--from the top of the one on its side to the top of the one that is upright. Remember this measurement, and compare it to the other one. They should be the same, right?? Guess again. You'll probably do this about 60 times unless you have someone REALLY smart who figures it out immediately.

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Comment and tell us if y'all figured it out immediately, if it took you a while, or if you are just plain stumped. (I would still be stumped, but Peter, with his ingenious mind figured it out:)

Come on, now try it--you know you want to.....

Mary Noelle

Lakeland T.E.A. Party 9-12-09

2009-09-26T19:39:00.001-04:00

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The Lakeland TEA Party

There were tons of great speakers!

I took pictures of as many signs as I could--There were alot of really good ones.

There were plenty of people--I think around 2500.

"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

Thomas Jefferson

Conversing and waiting to hear the speakers

Mama and Deeda

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."

Ronald Reagan

Uncle Sam insisted on helping the ladies out!:);)

Haha!!:):)

"Does the government fear us, or do we fear the government? When the people fear the government, tyranny has found victory. The federal government is our servant, not our master!"

Thomas Jefferson

Ariana an Christi

"Man! Is it ever gonna stop raining???"

Mama and Mrs. Pollock:)

Deeda and Mary enjoyed their time together

I liked this one!:D:D:D

May the Lord bless you and keep you!
Mary

Helping Grandmama and Grandaddy

2009-09-15T22:06:00.001-04:00

Here are some pictures of recent happenings, and also pictures that I finally downloaded

from Mama's phone(Which by the way are not the highest quality)
Anyways, hope y'all enjoy!

It's always nice to go over and help Granddaddy and Grandmama in their yard.

We thought it would be nice for Grandmama to have a garden that she could have easy access to, so Granddaddy hopped on board , and we made some raised beds for her right beside the house.

Farmer Dan:):)

Deeda proclaimed proudly that her friend beetles squeaked.They actually did! She was quite proud of them:):)

Digging a hole......obviously

I planted a gardenia here for Grandmama

I would say "Art" if I didn't detest that term :D

Helping Granddaddy!

CJ helping Grandmama plant flowers

Cutting boards from Granddaddy's trees

Mama and her Daddy:)

Deeda cheerfully picking up weeds

It's coming along....
We then proceeded to fill them with cow manure
collected from their property

Callie and Grandmama made a lovely supper for everyone

A more recent picture of the Texas Cream Peas and Okra that we planted that day
They said they enjoyed the harvest!

Everything is doing well
Cherry Tomatoes and Eggplant as well!

Me :)

Will in the Sunshine :)

Nothing like $1 sweet tea:):)

A goofy little boy

Our blessed home

:D:D

Couldn't help but take a picture of this.:):)

Abby made a lovely pound cake and strawberries a few evenings ago
for us and Grandmama and Granddaddy!

A handsome boy enjoying his lovely dessert

"Why thank you!"

Granddaddy was singing a song to her:)

Deeda feeding pears to her donkey, Lefty
We will start work on a pasture for him soon

Wills holding a Speckled Sussex

Well, thanks for stopping by!

Mary Noelle

2009-09-04T18:16:00.000-04:00

Here are some random pictures of what has been going on around here. Hope y'all enjoy!!!

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Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider

how great [things] he hath done for you.

I Samuel 12:24

Everyone loves fresh bread (especially me:):)

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good.......

Genesis 1:31

My little friend:):)

"CJ Smell-Good"
(He objects strongly to being called "Stinky," thus this name given to him by his loving cousin Grace)

Summer showers.......or thunderstorms:):)

:):)

And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that [is] upon the earth.

Genesis 9:16

Sunflowers make perfect pictures, don't you agree???

A lovely young lady:)

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~ICE CREAM~

(Mmmm...)

Ingredients....

Separating the eggs.......

........

...........

Sweetness:)

Milk

Cream

The flavors today will be Chocolate and Mint-Chocolate Chip

Ahhh, fresh mint:)

:):):)

Ice--Essential for Ice Cream making........

........As is an Ice Cream maker

Ready for the freezer!

Have some Ice Cream:)

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Mama takes us girls out to a tea room and antique shopping on our birthdays. Deeda and Mama went to

"The Barn Antiques" and the "Back Porch" Restaurant.

Feeding the fish, turtles and alligators

Deeda got a beginner's sewing machine from Mama:) She LOVES sewing!

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Due to an over-abundance of hungry, chicken-eating hawks, for a while, while the chickens were still relatively small, we had to be on our guard.............

.......So, CJ served as "chicken shepherd"

The poor, stupid potential victims of a cruel death by hawk-eating:)

After a long day of chicken-shepherding! Haha;)

Caption, anyone???

Cleaning blinds and windows is always fun;)

I think this one speaks for itself!:):)

Mama's Morning Glory trees bloom every day. They're SO pretty:)

The Garden:D

Our pear trees are finally starting to consistently bear fruit:)

We had alot more Okra than this--But who can have too much Okra??? Right, Grandmama?

Okrahenge??? :-D

We have lots of homegrown Sweet Potatoes

Will offers his pitiful amount of green beans....

Hey, I worked hard picking all these!!!

Two very long green beans!

It's the latest style, you know?

Homegrown Tomatoes!!!!

What's this I see?? Black helicopters, Amanda!!!! It must be them......

Water is a wonderful thing

Cotton Blossom.....

........Cotton Blossom.......

Cotton!

A lovely sky

Yes, I like sunflowers........

Well, I hope y'all enjoyed! God Bless!

Mary Noelle

William Recites Ephesians 6:1

2009-08-29T09:44:00.001-04:00

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

William learned his first Bible verse:):)

Happy Birthday Deeda!

2009-08-27T18:50:00.001-04:00

Deeda Turned 10 Today!

Happy Birthday!!!

Posted by Mary

Trip To The Beach

2009-08-25T21:27:00.001-04:00

~OUR TRIP TO THE BEACH~

Our humble abode:):)

Searching for shells

CJ's crab

He claims that he's Roy Rogers:)

My Florida snowman:) He even has hair! Haha

Abby made a castle with tile floors made of shells

The water was so pretty:)

Me:)

Willie was constantly washing off, and then rolling around in the sand, and washing off again......and so on:):)

Welcome to our beach house:)

There is a lovely view from here

An Osprey, I think.....(Abby??A little help???)

Notice the approaching storm

The seagrapes make nice shade

"Let's go fly a kite....."

Skip-bo, anyone???? I used to love playing this with Grandmama when I went with her and Granddaddy on jobs:)

Salad??

A willing helper

"Move over, CJ! You're squishing me!!!

Callie taking advantage of her internet access:):)

I love taking pictures of the sunset over the ocean!

Fishing

CJ proudly showing the camera his fish:)

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Well, thank y'all for stopping by!!!!

~Posted by Mary~

Reformation 500 Part 5

2009-08-17T16:56:00.001-04:00

~Day 3 at the Reformation 500~

An adorable little boy having fun at the Reformation 500!

On the evening of Day 3, Charlie Zahm and Tad Marks sing and play "Blacksmith of Brandywine," "Wabash Cannonball," "Dixie," and alot of others.

Mr. Phillips is quite talented on the harmonica!

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And now.....(drum rolls, please........) The Boxing Match of The Millennium!

With John Calvin......... versus........

Charles Darwin!

It was really great! Definitely a well thought-out program. We enjoyed it immensely, and learned a huge amount!

~ July 4th and The Children's Parade~

The parade is about to begin!

Little Scottish Covanentors:)

This little Scottish Covanentor couldn't keep up with the parade:)

I love this hat--I almost made one like it for myself:)

Lots of people!

Lots of lovely young ladies!

And lots of great costumes and reenactors!

We had to cross the street in downtown Boston, so.....

...They stopped the traffic so that we could all cross:)

After we made it back in the hotel.......

We got our picture taken with Charlie Zahm:)

C.J. treasured the sword that someone graciously let him use!

The McIntire brothers

Finally, the ringing of the Liberty Bell in commemoration of Independence Day!

Me, Abby, and Callie with Emily Case and Lauren Hope

Mama and Mrs.Case

This was the saddest thing ever.....Cleaning up after everyone was gone. GONE??? How could this be???? No,this can't be happening! Already, the Reformation 500 OVER??? After we waited SO long for it to come, it was all over just like that! Nevertheless,we are so incredibly grateful that we were able to attend, as short as it seemed, we learned so much, were strengthened in our faith, and greatly encouraged! It's always the most exciting thing meeting other people that are so much like you--You just don't want to leave!

But--leaving time came, and why not take it with a good attitude??

Lunchtime!

Wills had a very good lunch!

Very, very good:D

So did we.......

.....And so did they:)........

................

......And everyone else!

Time to hit the sidewalk--Down to the Boston Commons to see the fireworks display and hear the Boston Pops play!

I about jumped off of the sidewalk when I turned the corner and saw this thing coming at me! It was a monster--I'd love to have one of these protecting our house! I doubt any thieves would be feeling very courageous after taking one look:)

An interesting plaque on a church

The Charles River

Trying to converse with the sun in my eyes.

Eventually, I figured out that if I turned sideways, that would fix my problem:):)

"Here's my business card":):)

Willie passed the time by.....um, picking the grass and sprinkling it on himself.....??

Adorable:)

Abby and Lauren Axberg

Finally, after many hours of waiting, the Boston Pops played, and we saw the fireworks display!

This wasn't actually the view we had during the concert, they got this picture as they were leaving. (I left early, because this Florida girl was FREEZING!!! I can handle any amount of heat, but not cold!!!)

~My very lovely parents~

The fireworks were amazing! The biggest I've ever seen, and the loudest! I watched them from the top floor of the hotel, and the windows were shaking cause it was so loud. They sounded like bombs going off!

Well, folks, I believe that is the last of our pictures from the Reformation 500! I hope y'all have enjoyed them!

~Plymouth Rock~

We stopped by Plymouth Rock before heading home

"This monument marks the first burying ground in Plymouth of the passengers of the Mayflower"

Plymouth Rock Monument

Though I am aware of the great historical significance of Plymouth Rock, I must admit that as Mr. Serven said, "It is a very "underwhelming" experience:)

The Three Amigos in front of a replica of the Mayflower

Well, that is definitely all, folks! We didn't even take any pictures on the way home!

God Bless!

~Mary Noelle~

The Reformation 500 Part 4

2009-08-09T23:53:00.003-04:00

Here, finally, is the last post on the Reformation 500. Sorry it's taken us so incredibly long to get it up! Our computer has been having major issues, thus making it quite difficult to post. ("Yeah!" you're probably thinking, "That's what they all say!;) Anyways, here is the last post from our wonderful, blessed trip to Boston! We were so blessed to be able to be there to celebrate the birthday of John Calvin, a man who influenced the founding of America so greatly through his dedication to the Lord, and to the spreading of the Gospel. Praise the Lord for men like Mr. Calvin who were...."not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ...."

~Mary Noelle~

We finally made it to Boston! This is an exact replica of the Liberty Bell
It was in the lobby of the hotel courtesy of Vision Forum

All ready for Day 1 of our great Boston adventure!

This little cowboy is ready to go!

A sweet big brother:):)

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The Boston Public Gardens

Oooohhh, I just HAVE to touch one!!!

My adorable little siblings

We obviously thought these flowers were really cute!

Here we all are except Grandmother who was at the hotel

She did make it over here to the gardens later, though.

It was uncommonly pretty for being stuck right smack in the middle of downtown Boston!

A lovely lady

And my lovely parents:):)

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The Castle

Later, Granddaddy took us to "The Castle" in downtown Boston, and we had a peek inside:)

"I could have danced all night........"

Granddaddy enjoyed looking at the architecture of the building. We went to the basement, and all the way to the top balcony! Fun, fun!!:)

It looked really neat from the top balcony!

These winding stairs were pretty neat:)

^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^

This is too funny:):)
Our little country boy goes to the big city!

Daddy was so faithful in getting us around Boston without getting lost!

The grand hallway leading to our room

These pics are courtesy of Gma Sue who had a camera at the time that we were trying to get ready. It was quite humorous, I have to say--Everyone frantically trying to get ready so that we weren't late. I am usually the designated hair-fixer, and all around "Does this look alright?" inspector, so when everybody was walking out the door, I found that I hadn't finished fixing my hair, or even finished getting dressed. It was pretty funny:):)

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We finally made it to
BOSTON in Costume!!!

In front of the "Liberty Bell"

We must have looked pretty funny tromping around downtown Boston all decked out like this:)

Quite lovely in the fancy, old fashioned Boston Park Plaza Hotel!

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We had such a fun time with Grandmama!

Ok, everyone look here for a picture!

Come on, open your eyes, silly!

Thanks, y'all!

I love the chandeliers!

All of the costumes were lovely

Getting "Idelette Calvin's" autograph

Oohh.....It's a little scottish angel:)
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We were privileged to hear some WONDERFUL speakers.

All of these men of God are on fire for the Lord. We were incredibly blessed to be there to learn from them about great men of God like John Knox, John Calvin, Martin Luther, and many, many others who so greatly influenced Christianity, and sparked the Reformation across the world. These men were also very instrumental in the Christian founding of our country and our Biblically-based system of government. Our Founding Fathers were influenced greatly by the Reformer's writings and the legacy they left behind them.

"George Washington" made his appearance at the Reformation 500. He was wonderful, and all of his speeches were amazing. George Washington truly was a great man used of God!

We were privileged to hear Charlie Zahm sing and play almost every night. Later, Tad Marx, an amazing fiddle player joined him.

Mr. Joe Morecraft is one of my absolute favorite speakers. He is a great speaker, and is so knowledgeable! He sure does challenge you to know your history!

We were so glad Grandma Sue came along!!!

Personally, I think this picture is pretty neat, but Mama thinks it looks like a funeral home. I guess you can decide for yourself;)

The Boston Park Plaza Hotel was quite exquisite.

Here they are setting tables for the afternoon high tea

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We went on a Faith and Freedom Tour with Mr. Serven on day 2. We visited paul Revere's Statue, the Old North Church, and Copp's Hill. Boston is just jam packed with history!

A faithful Patriarch

In front of the Old North Church

A bust of George Washington inside the Old North Church.

Marquis de Lafayette said that this was the closest likeness to him that he had ever seen! If youv'e ever wondered what what George washington looked like, I guess this is as close as you're gonna get:)

Copp's Hill

We thought this butcher's shop was interesting. Not something you see very often

Lots of interesting buildings

(Not that cigars are interesting or anything, but just cause it's an old building:)

After a long day,we relaxed a while in Granddaddy and Grandmama's hotel room........

........Well, Margaret and CJ cut out doors and windows in a cardboard box and made themselves a "fort".......

.......Abby read the funny pages.....

.....Callie sat in a corner and smiled.........

.......And yes, I hate to admit it, but I rode around the room in Grandmama's wheelchair.(Hey, I'm not the only one--The wheelchair is the prized seat by all Frodge grandchildren:)

I guess if you think about it, Granddaddy and Will are the only ones who actually relaxed!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

On our way to the food court to have lunch after hearing some more great speakers on Day 3!

After lunch conversation

Later on Day 3, we went on a Faith and Freedom Tour with Dr. Marshall Foster to the USS Constitution.

Dr. Marshall Foster

Us with the Olsen Girls at the USS Constitution

The USS Constitution

There was also another ship, a modern one, that we got to tour

This is the only place around there where there was actually grass growing:)

I thought this was pretty funny:)

Alright y'all--I am about to fall asleep sitting right where I am, so I think you'll have to forgive me for saying this is "The last post." Later (I can't exactly promise when) I will Lord willing finish this post!

~Mary~

Wisdom Shared

2009-07-28T14:43:00.000-04:00

We are so very blessed to have my parents eat dinner with us on a regular basis and along with enjoying our meal together, we are blessed with invigorating conversation and invaluable wisdom that is passed down to us.

We realize how truly fortunate we are to have this abundance of wisdom at our disposal and we cherish these times more than words can express.

"The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness."

Proverbs 16:31

Referring to the Word

Good conversation

Anyone for a cup of tea?

Working together

Margaret has been taking piano lessons from Mama, so they

finished up a lesson while they were here

They have been working on a duet "I Love you, Lord" by Ron Hamilton

We love you, Mama and Daddy!

Thank you so much for your leadership and humility in sharing your wisdom.

The Trip Part 3!

2009-07-24T12:34:00.001-04:00

Have y'all noticed that with every post the title gets shorter and less explanitory? (Reformation 500 Celebration Part 1~Preparations..... Reformation 500 Trip Part 2..... and now just-The Trip Part 3). I just noticed this, but I guess it probably didn't do any good to bring it to everyone's attention. Anyway.............. Sorry it's taken so long for me to post again. Our internet wasn't working for about a week, until Uncle Eddie, our computer hero, straightened it all out for us . Here are more (I didn't say "the rest of") pictures from the trip, the Statue of Liberty, and.....finally I will post THE CONFERENCE!!! It takes a looong time to drive from Florida to Massachusetts, and what do you do when you take a loooong trip??? You take LOTS of pictures.... you understand :) Hope y'all enjoy the many, many pictures!

Here we are in NY City!

New York City!
(This is as close as I ever wish to get to it:)

Bound for the Statue of Liberty!

Walking....

walking....

We got on the Ferry

They were quite amazed :)

Ellis Island

More of Ellis Island.....

and more of Ellis Island

Wow, y'all! This is fun!

Neat, huh?

Us:)

(There I go again, stating the obvious--I'm bad about that :)

The guy we asked to take this picture insisted on laying on the ground in order to get all of the Statue in the picture.

Approaching Lady Liberty

A lovely couple in front of not so lovely NYC

"Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom."

John Adams

"...and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof...."

Leviticus 25:10

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

II Corinthians 3:17

This was our attempt at getting a picture in front of the Statue of Liberty, since no one in our party was willing to lay on the ground--especially since there would have been a great risk of being squashed under the feet of the ten zillion people that were there at the time.

Cute little boys

Well, that was fun!

Y'all ready to get back on the road???

(I think CJ must be lacking minerals or something, since he finds it necessary to chew on his shoestring while I try to take his picture)

Ick! I don't have any desire to ever see this sign again!

Interesting. Probably something we won't see again, very soon at least.

A reminder that God always keeps his promises!

Well, I don't want to bore my readers to tears, so here I will stop. (Feel free to stop, take a deep breath, and say, "Phew!")

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