We Have a Four-Year-Old!

Posted by Gabrielle

Yes, we have a four year old in our house now! On February 16th, Tobias(always called Toby around here) turned four years old. Four years already! I still remember clearly the day he was born. It's been a grand two years since we've had a four year old!Smile for the pictures! This birthday was quite a change from his last one where he started out crying but wound up with a smile.

Blowing out his four candles! He took that job very seriously, making sure that they were all out.

An Afternoon Outside

Posted by Gabrielle

This past Sunday afternoon was such a beautiful day. At church we spent the time following the service and lunch playing outside with our numerous young friends and when we came home it was impossible resist the call of balmy afternoon by staying indoors. So most of us repaired to our backyard and after experimenting with different forms of amusement we settled upon the following and what ensued was a fun-filled remainder of the afternoon spiced with much laughter.

What can you do with a tall stump and a thick, sturdy branch? Why a see-saw of course! Albeit a tipsy one. (Left to Right: Timothy, Jedidiah, Tobias and Christianna) Tobias and Christianna are still learning to keep their balance.
Wheee! What a ride for Timothy! Actually Elliot took this picture so Christianna, Jedidiah, Tobias and I were the weights on the other end. And yes, the house in the top right corner is the back of our house.
Left to Right: me(Gabrielle), Christianna, Tobias, Jedidiah and Timothy. Timothy was able to lift up the rest of us, because he was farther away from the stump than we were.(the good old lever arm effect!)
We're looking forward to many more fun afternoons outside as spring approaches!

60th Anniversary

Posted by Timothy

On Friday, February 1, 2008 in the year of our Lord, our dear friends: Bill and Mary Brown 'Gan and Granmary', celebrated their 60th year of marriage!
We were privileged to be invited to attend, as were many others. Actually, Gan and Granmary were also invited! How could that be? Simple: their son(Scott) and his family planned and hosted the party. Gan and Granmary were the guests of honor! What a blessing it is, to see this blessed couple honored in such a way by their children and grandchildren! It brings to mind several verses, including: Proverbs 20:7 "A righteous man that walketh in his integrity, Blessed are his children after him." Proverbs 31:28 "Her children rise up, and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praiseth her, saying: Many daughters have done worthily, But thou excellest them all."
The Party started with
Gan and Granmary
cutting the cake.













Followed by a rush to the desert table.

Well, ok, not a rush, just a patiently waiting, really long, line.

The event was concluded with several short speeches given by various attendants.
Here is one of Gan's close friends. It is not known who shot Gan down in WWII (Gan was a fighter pilot) but he is among those whom it is considered possibly shot Gan down!
And now he is a very close friend to him!

Below you can see Gan with two of his friends.

Now, where do you think this party was held?
You can probably tell from the pictures it wasn't in a church.
Neither was it held in another rented building.
You couldn't guess, so I'll tell you: Their children opened up their house to over 200 people!
That's not all though, no ordinary house would comfortably hold that many people.





Their house is a large house, modeled after a barn!






If you look closely at the picture to the right you might see something incredible. Not only will you see a imitation antler chandelier, but you will see this:











and this:

Yes! You saw correctly, saddles, and a stuffed cow head!

You might wonder: "What makes their children so desire to honor their parents by doing this? Many children today want little to do with their parents." The key lies in Psalm 34:11 which Gan and Granmary faithfully followed from the time of their children's youth. Psalm 34:11 "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of Jehovah."
What an amazing verse! And yet how many of us do that today?