Hellwig Family Blog!

Gabrielle is turning Vintage!

2012-01-17T06:31:00.004-05:00

posted by Mommy

Twenty years ago today, I was awaiting the birth of my first child, in our little rented townhouse in Sunnyvale, CA.
It was a cool rainy day, but full of bright hope for this first-time mother.
At 11:19 p.m., the Lord brought her forth, and we named her Gabrielle Kara:

Gabrielle : "God is my strength"
Kara : "dear one"

From a tiny 5 lb. 15 oz. babe with a swath of jet black hair and large dark knowing eyes, she has grown to be such a lovely woman of God, filled with grace, ever growing, working with her hands in delight, organizing, managing, and creating within her family sphere.

Happy 20th Birthday, my precious daughter! I love you more than my feeble words can convey. How blessed I am to have such a precious arrow in my home.

Family Christmas Pictures 2011

2012-01-10T20:12:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

The Hellwig Family

Daddy, Mommy, Gabrielle (19), Timothy (18), Arianne (17), Christianna (15), Elliot (12), Jedidiah (9), Tobias (7), and Benaiah (4)

Visit with Grandpa and Grandma Way!

2012-01-02T14:48:00.000-05:00

by Gabrielle

Opa and Oma's visit was not our only visit from our grandparents this past year! We were thrilled that in the middle of October, our adopted Grandparents, Grandpa and Grandma Way, also from California, came out to visit. We drove out 2 hours to meet them at their townhouse on the coast and spend the day with them. I'll let the pictures below tell the story...mostly!

Studying maps and deciding where to go for lunch...

We decided on Southern Barbeque...yummy!

Most of us at lunch

Back at the house, looking at pictures of old time friends

We had homemade date bars and three flavors of ice cream for dessert...it was all delicious, and made even sweeter by the sweet fellowship!

And of course, a family picture on the back porch overlooking the pond

The beautiful sunset on the way home that evening

Thank you for taking the time to spend a day with us, Grandpa and Grandma Way! I so enjoyed talking with you both and getting to know you better. We'll remember this time fondly for many years!

Visit with Opa and Oma!

2012-01-02T14:33:00.000-05:00

by Gabrielle

As promised at the end of the last catch-up post, we re-decorated the living room in one evening because...
We had Opa and Oma flying in from CA to visit the next morning! This was a very exciting visit as we had not seen Opa in many, many years, and the little boys had never met him. For the week they stayed (late September-early October) we had lovely North Carolina weather and a wonderful time.

Timothy, Oma, Mommy, and Daddy, talking in the kitchen

Benaiah being silly!

On October 2nd, we celebrated Arianne's 17th birthday with both sets of grandparents!

Talking and picking out the wax from the candles

Opening presents with Opa and Jedidiah looking on

Of course, before Opa left, family pictures were in order. Surprisingly, we got a good group picture on the first try.

We took some of the grandchildren with Opa as well!

Oma stayed on for a little longer to visit, and one of the days she was here was so beautiful, that we decided it was time for a morning at the park.

Benaiah, yours truly, Jedidiah, Tobias, and Christianna on plastic 'rock' archway, with picture taken by Elliot

Jedidiah, having fun

Benaiah, 'just hanging out'!

Thank you for visiting, Opa and Oma! We'll have fond memories of this time for many, many years to come!

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

2011-12-23T18:39:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

"O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!"

"Joy to the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And heav'n and nature sing,

And heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing."

"Come, Thou long expected Jesus,

Born to set Thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us;

Let us find our rest in Thee."

"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus,

for He will save His people from their sins." ~Matthew 1: 21

"O little town of Bethlehem,

How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight."

"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." ~Luke 2: 10-11

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." ~Matthew 2: 10

"I heard the bells on Christmas day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Merry Christmas!

A Sneak Peak of our Christmas Portraits

2011-12-17T08:48:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Yesterday morning was warm and cloudy and perfect outside for pictures, so we all dressed up and headed out to the backyard for Christmas pictures. Some like last year, were a little reluctant to smile at first, but some new funny songs we recently listened to did the trick.

Enjoy! The official pictures coming soon...

The Guys

The Gals

Someone was reluctant to smile at first...

Mommy told him to open his eyes nice and wide, and this is what I got!

One of my beautiful, and oh so very photogenic sisters

I Love My Brothers - Part 1!

2011-12-15T16:45:00.000-05:00

by Gabrielle

And Now We're Turning Yellow!

2011-11-10T06:48:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

You may remember that recently I posted how we had gone green. Well, that wasn't the end of the story. After returning home from Tennessee, we decided it was time for another color: Yellow! And this time, it's the Living Room!

Before:

As with the rest of the house, the Living room before was painted in a flat contractor off-white. Not very attractive, especially when it's dirty and can't be washed.

The "during" pictures were taken by Elliot with my camera, for yours truly was painting! Here, I'm mixing up a new can of paint.

Here, I'm using both the rollers, one in each hand. It was a fantastic experience, but I wouldn't recommend trying it yourself.

Getting ready to finish the last part over the mantel - nearly done!

A high-five and a handshake over a job well done!

Tobias, Benaiah, and Christianna examining the freshly-painted and taped-off room.

After:

The walls cured and the room decorated (pardon the laundry on the floor and on chairs...at least you can get an idea of what our living room usually looks like!)

Ah...much better. Lovely, isn't it? We actually hung all the frames and finished the decorating in one evening because...well, you'll just have to wait till the next post!

A Weekend Trip to Tennessee

2011-11-04T16:40:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Back in September, (yes, I have quite a bit of catching up to do!), we took a weekend off and went on a lovely little weekend trip to Tennessee. We spent a delightful two days and an evening fellowshiping with friends and enjoying the wonderful rural Tennessee sights. Here are a few pictures from our weekend!

Day 1:

Yours truly, caught in the act of taking pictures at one of our rest stops

My beautiful sister Christianna

Benaiah, 'calling' Timothy at home

Jedidiah

Jedidiah and Tobias, 'hanging out' at another rest stop, earlier in the morning. It really was a little chilly!

I love my brother Elliot - he never ceases to keep us amused!

The Hellwig van, and one of its merry occupants!

Christianna reading stories with Anna C. that evening

Thank you Courters for the wonderful dinner and evening of fellowship!

Day 2:

Christianna baking brownies with Anna

2-month-old Nathan - such a sweetie!

After lunch, our friends took us to visit one of their neighbors who are part of the plain clothes people. They are not Amish, but they lived a lot like the Amish, complete with solar power and an outhouse! I wouldn't want to live that way, but it was interesting learning about it. With all the ~~little boys~~ young men together, they naturally took to feats of daring do on the swing.

And the little boys enjoyed the river and mud bank while the adults talked

Yep, a good farmer always has his hat and his gun with him!

Day 3:

Tobias (left), Anna C., and Benaiah, with some other young friends at church, investigating a salamander in a hole.

Thank you Courter family for your hospitality and a wonderful weekend!

The Hellwigs Have Gone Green!

2011-09-26T18:40:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

And no, we haven't found any more particularly economical ways to do things, but we have gone green with...paint! Last November, we painted the dining room, and the kitchen has needed it badly too, so, a couple weeks ago, while Timothy was on our church's Civil War history tour, we painted the kitchen in three days.

This is the kitchen before,

and the breakfast nook before. Pretty plain, isn't it?

Painting Day 1

Yours truly, taping the ceiling. Actually, being up on the ladder was my favorite part beside the actual painting.

Tobias, a happy helper

The kitchen and breakfast nook after the first coat of paint

After the second coat of paint and removal of the tape. The shade of green varies with the lighting at any given time.

Christianna's Creative Creations - a tape ball with the tape removed from the walls and ceiling

And...

This may be how the Hellwigs decorate for parties, but it's also a clue to our next big event...more coming soon!

Someone Turned 4!

2011-09-10T13:19:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

On July 20th, Benaiah turned 4! Per his request, we had a big birthday dinner, complete with his chosen menu of croissants, meatballs, fruit salad, pie, and lots more!

Someone is ready for dinner!

Being silly with Timothy

Earlier, he had stated that "this time, he would not cry." That didn't last long!

We tried again, and this time, we got a handsome smile!

And his favorite present was...

His tri-cornered hat! He wears it everywhere (even out to farmer's market this morning!)

Happy Birthday Benaiah!!!

It's here...

2011-08-27T10:14:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

"It's really here!...the wind is so strong - it's whipping branches around!"

"Mommy, can I go outside and watch the hurricane come?"

"It's fun outside, Mommy!"

These are the words I heard excitedly exclaimed by Jedidiah,Tobias, and Benaiah before heading outside to get thoroughly soaked in the rain.

Right now, we are in the midst of Hurricane Irene which is sweeping up the east coast, and we're seeing God's majestic power even over the storm.

I, for my part, am staying in the warm indoors, sewing doll dresses for the shop, working on some new crochet designs, and doing some tidying and organization. Others are reading or baking. On stormy days, these are a few of our favorite things...

Blue Ridge Mountains Trip - Day 3

2011-08-27T10:07:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3 of our trip was mostly driving, but, before heading home, we stopped off to spend some time at the Moses Cone Manor which we had visited on our previous trip as well.

Sadly, they didn't have the rocking chairs on the front porch anymore, but we did enjoy watching a potter for a little while before exploring the small shops inside.

The little boys enjoyed watching and asking questions

The views from the front porch are stunning! You can see for miles and miles over the treetops!

And yes, we did get a family picture on the front porch! This was the best one, and at least everyone looks happy.

We ate our picnic lunch on the lawn before 'hitting the road' for the four-hour drive home

This is how we all felt by the end of the trip. It was a wonderful time, nonetheless!

Blue Ridge Mountains Trip - Day 2

2011-08-17T18:45:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Day 1

Day 2 of our mountains camping trip back in June had two main highlights - lots of driving and lots of hiking! I don't know about you, but I just can't get enough of the breathtaking mountain scenery.

This one reminds me a little of the part in the beginning of the Sound of Music where Maria is up on the mountains singing.

The Viaduct

Looking out at an overlook - a very, very elevated overlook!

Our first stop of the day was at Linn Falls. This was a waterfall we had wanted to hike to last time, but couldn't because of rain. We were blessed with a beautiful day for a lovely hike this time!

On the way, we passed a hollow stump and the boys could not resist!

The Falls

Timothy

And yes, we even got a family picture at the Falls!

After this, most of the family was ready to rest, but a few of us did some more hiking on nearby trails. As the photographer, I couldn't resist accompanying them. We hiked up to an overlook, and this picture is of the same Falls, viewed from many hundreds of feet above.

Enjoying the view

After hiking up to view the falls from above, we hiked back down to the actual base of the Falls where we could wade among the rocks.

My beautiful sister Christianna

Jedidiah and Benaiah having fun at the park again that evening

As we were leaving the park, we captured the way the rays of the setting sun lit up the clouds. The picture doesn't do it justice.

Day 3 coming soon!

Doctor, Doctor...

2011-08-17T18:00:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

The other day, while I was folding laundry in the living room, the boys were playing nearby. Elliot and Tobias were doctors and Benaiah was the patient. The following are some alarming snippets of conversation I overheard:

"...Alright, I put in a new eye and put on a bandage."
"Here is the bullet wound. Take out the bullet and clean it out with dishwashing soap."
"Oops, I broke his leg lifting him onto the table!"

I certainly wouldn't want these doctors to attend to me, would you? :)

Some catching up to do!

2011-07-28T18:19:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Yes, I did the unthinkable. I lost track of a birthday! With many apologies to Elliot, I announce that at the end of April, he turned 12! As usual, the birthday celebration was filled with many sweets and goodies, and much laughter.

Happy Birthday, Elliot!

He is the family ham; can you tell? We're never tired of his entertainment!

Blue Ridge Mountains Trip - Day 1

2011-06-24T20:02:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Early Monday morning, June 6th, we started out for a three-day camping trip in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This was our second trip to the area and we prepared with much anticipation.

Our happy little camper, complete with his lamb, Zadok, and a beloved animal cracker.

A new use for rest-stop picnic benches - pushups!

Our campsite by the lake

A view of the lake from our campsite

Christianna enjoying the quiet beauty of the lake

Timothy and Elliot, with Jedidiah standing by, setting up the tents

Mommy, Benaiah, and Elliot enjoying the lake

Ambushed by guerilla fighters!

Benaiah climbing trees and enjoying the view

After setting up camp, and it being late afternoon with not a lot to do there, we headed down to the beautiful little park in the nearby town of Blowing Rock. It's a quaint little town with it's streets lined with small shops where people walk to their shopping instead of driving, but they have the funnest park, as we discovered last time.

Blowing Rock, the quaint little mountain town we stayed at.

The little gazebo on the pond

Watching the ducks and fish in the pond

The fountain

First, there was just one duck

Then, we noticed three others on the opposite shore who soon took to the water like...

well...ducks! :)

Elliot, Christianna, Timothy, and Jedidiah playing horseshoes

And we all played tennis!

Jedidiah and

Tobias enjoyed the bars!

And I think Benaiah enjoyed having the sandbox to himself

Resting and Talking

Day 2 coming soon...

Baking day....

2011-06-15T13:35:00.023-04:00

Posted by Arianne

Yesterday I got inspired to do some baking. I made a loaf of whole wheat oatmeal bread. I had tried it once before at a friend's house, but it didn't rise. So I was very pleased to see that it rose this time.

While I was waiting for my bread to rise I made cinnamon rolls. I had never tried them before so it was all new to me. But it was a lot of fun! I did a chocolate frosting on top instead of the usual sugar frosting. They turned out quite nicely considering it was my first try. Here is another picture of the scrumptious frosting dripping down the side...Yum!

A Sign of the Times

2011-05-25T17:59:00.002-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

We have a plump little bunny living around our house. We're not sure exactly where he lives, but he loves hiding out in the bushes and nibbling greens and dandelion stalks around our yard.

This evening, several family members were discussing around the dinner table whether this bunny is male or female, and some were rather opinionated.

Benaiah chimed in with his own vote. "I think it's 'email'!"

It is definitely a sign of the times when the word email is part of a three-year-old's vocabulary!

Thou Great I AM

2011-05-13T16:00:00.008-04:00

by Mama H.

... from "The Valley of Vision" .... Choices:

.... Thou hast done for me all things well,
hast remembered, distinguished, indulged me.
All my desires have not been gratified,
but thy love denied them to me
when fulfillment of my wishes would have proved my ruin
or injury.
My trials have been fewer than my sins,
and when I have kissed the rod it has fallen from thy hands.
Thou has often wiped away my tears,
restored peace to my mourning heart,
chastened me for my profit.
All thy work for me is perfect, and I praise thee.

Natural Plant Sprays

2011-05-09T08:08:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

I was researching inexpensive, natural plant sprays for this summer, especially for my tomatoes that seem to get attacked by tomato horn-worms and came across the following advice which I think some of our readers may find amusing as well:

1) Combine one teaspoon of hot pepper or Tabasco sauce, 4 cloves of garlic and a quart of water. Blend well in a blender and strain, with cheesecloth or nylon mesh before placing in your sprayer. This will repel many insects including whiteflies, aphids, spidermites and caterpillars.

2) Mix 1/8-1/4 cup of hydrated lime with one quart of water. This creates an effective spray against many insects, especially spidermites. Add a drop of non-detergent soap to act as a sticking agent and insecticide. Lime can cause serious harm to plants if you use too much, so always spray a test plant first and watch it for a few days, to check for any adverse effects on plants.

3) Take one ounce of tomato leaves and add to one quart of water and blend thoroughly. Strain the resulting liquid and use to repel insects. This works well on white cabbage butterflies too.

4) Take a copious amount (as many as you can collect) of the insect you wish to repel and grind their corpses up into a powder. Mix the resulting powder with one quart of water and, spray as a repellent for the insect that you ground up for the powder.

Painting day

2011-04-30T16:20:00.015-04:00

by Mama H.
It was a picture perfect day in NC today, and to take a break from chores and lessons, Christianna, Elliot, Jedidiah, Tobais and Benaiah decided to do some painting. While Gabrielle, Timothy and Arianne participated in our local Walk for Life event this morning, we brought out the water colors and "hair pencils" (as Benaiah likes to call them.... he's been reading about Benjamin West!) and set to it.

Benaiah and Tobias comparing notes (strokes?)
(Mama Grinch likes painting outside. )
The whole group
Mixing colors....

Benaiah contemplating his work....

Christianna concentrating.....

Elliot and Jedidiah both bent over their creations...

" Oooops! I have green fingers!"

And the results :

Jedidiah and his "For Rent Sign House, at night, with Chimney Smoke"; and "The Tornado."

Tobias : "Angus and Toasty" and "Tornado in the Cactus" (hmmm, I detect a theme, here!)

Christianna : "The Treed Cat"

Elliot : " Walk for Life"

Benaiah : "A Three-year-old paint Sampler" (I've seen "modern art" that hardly rivals this one for action and color!)
It's so much fun to paint. Perhaps we'll have another paint day soon.

Birthday Adventures

2011-04-29T12:45:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

A couple weekends ago, we celebrated Timothy's 18th birthday! Most birthdays in our family have been fairly uneventful, but this was one birthday which will be long remembered.

On the afternoon of April 16th, a tornado passed through our area with high winds and pouring buckets of rain. Shortly before we were to put the birthday dinner in the oven around 4:00, the power went out and did not come back on until shortly after 8.

Seeing that birthday dinner was already out on the counter, and parts of it were in the oven, we decided to go ahead and have a "midnight feast".

Christianna read to the little boys while Mommy and we older ones prepared dinner

The sumptuous birthday fare spread and ready to be eaten

And guess what? Dinner was done in less than an hour and the microwave clock read 8:52 pm as we sat down to dinner.

18 candles and a wonderful smile!

Little Brother's Lofty Ambitions

2011-04-29T12:27:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

My little brothers have very lofty ambitions in life as was evidenced in a conversation Mommy overheard between Benaiah and Christianna this morning.

C: How old will you be this year, Benaiah?

B: Hmm...I'll be 4!

C: Yes, then how old will you be next year?

B: 5!

C: That's right. And then how old?

< long pause... >

Six...teen!

What I've Been Busy With Lately...

2011-04-19T11:39:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

I do have a number of posts in the works and I shall be trying to blog more consistently, but in the meantime, do check out the latest post on my blog to see what I've been busy with lately!

See you there!

Cowboy turned Colonial Gentleman

2011-04-12T11:02:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

For his 3rd birthday last year, Benaiah was given a handsome cowboy hat. He loves hats, especially this one and his 'workerman hat.'

It seems that after our recent trip to Colonial Williamsburg, Benaiah was smitten with the tri-cornered hats as he wasted no time in asking a sibling to bend his cowboy hat into a tri-cornered hat!

~pictures by Arianne~

The Newest Addition to our Family Assets!

2011-03-29T11:51:00.001-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

You may remember that a little while back we made a loving farewell to our Dodge van and have been a one-car family since. Our several-year-old Ford 15-passenger van has been a trusty vehicle, but we decided it was time for a second car and the Lord faithfully provided the funds to welcome our...

2010 Mercury Grand Marquis! It's been a long time since we've had anything other than two 15-passenger vans!

It is definitely a change having a four-door sedan again!

A Plague in the Land

2011-03-25T13:19:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Friends and Family,

Over the years, abortion has continued to rise in our nation.
Millions of innocent unborn babies have been murdered since Margaret Sanger created planned parenthood.
In the year 2009, over 7,000 babies in Wake County alone were murdered under "pro choice".

We have been convicted of our apathy when, throughout the nation, women are being brainwashed into murdering their unborn babies under the guise of "choice." Records have shown a steady rise in abortions, with over 7,000 unborn babies murdered in Wake County, NC only. Rising as a beacon of light in this dark world is the Pregnancy Support Services of Wake Forest, an organization which truly understands the sanctity of life and seeks to encourage women who find themselves pregnant to keep their babies, and they provide moral, spiritual, and physical support for them. In order to do this, they need help. We are seeking, during this fundraiser, to provide them adequate funds to help them continue this ministry. And our question to you is this: Would you consider joining with us in prayer and possibly financial support as the Lord leads?
Timothy, Arianne, and I have put together a team fundraiser page which you can visit HERE.

Flowers from the Garden Market at...

2011-03-24T19:49:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Colonial Williamsburg!

We recently returned from a wonderful three-day trip to Colonial Williamsburg with friends. Here are a sampling of the gorgeous flowers at the garden market.

irises...

pansies...

I'm not sure exactly what this one was, but I think it's a columbine...any corrections?

daffodils...

Tobias is 7!!!

2011-02-28T17:27:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

On February 16th (Yay, I'm finally posting fairly on time! :), Tobias turned 7 years old! Tobias, you have grown up so fast! I remember the day you were born and that I was the first of all your older siblings to hold you. I pray God will raise you up to be a mighty warrior for Him.

Seven candles and a happy birthday boy!

His biggest, and one of his favorite, gifts!

Umm...who's birthday is it? :)

(and yes, that lovely wrapping was my work of art - Trader Joe's bags to the rescue!)

Wordless Wednesday: Little Boys learning about Breadmaking

2011-02-23T18:39:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

(and some in their pajamas, no less!)

Happy Birthday, to Gabrielle.... a bit late!

2011-02-21T18:36:00.010-05:00

posted by Mama H.

Well, we've managed to do it again. Another birthday long past and not a timely post in sight... until now.

My dear Gabrielle turned 19 on January 17th, and the requisite celebratory spirit was in high gear.

.....................................Smile!!!

Well, that was easy! We've opted for number candles, rather than submit to a porcupine-peach tart!

Comparing cameras, and a rare photo of Timothy round out this post. It was a sweet evening, with Pepe and Meme to share it with us.
I'm so thankful for my sweet daughter..... may the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you, Gabrielle ("God is my strength") Kara ("dear one"), and may you be used by Him to bring honor to His name. May your rest and confidence be in Christ.

A Couple Home-Decorating Projects

2011-02-19T16:55:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

My apologies for this very belated post. These two projects were actually done back in October and November respectively. I've been falling behind on a number of tasks these past couple months, including blogging, so I'll be catching up!

Mommy's wonderful re-upholstery job!

We have four chairs to this set, and all were in this deplorable condition. This needed to be done years ago! So, last October, Mommy undertook the reupholstering of these four chairs.

Jedidiah was a very able and willing helper - sorting staples...

and unscrewing chair seats.

And the result! These chairs are now very comfy with their new foam and a much more pleasing compliment to the rooms of our house which they now grace. The pictures aren't very good, but the fabric is a thick upholstery fabric with yellow, blue, and green stripes.

Painting the dining room!

Painted in November, just before Thanksgiving, the dining room was actually the second room of our house we painted. Earlier in the year, we painted our half-bath for practice. If you've ever been in one of those, imagine those bright blue gas station restrooms. That's how we painted it. Some members of our family are a little skeptical about it, but others are not so eager to repaint.

In this picture, you can see the walls 'before.' Our house is fairly new, so it was all spray painted in contractor white and contractor gray - very drab and, well, gray. :)

And our dining room 'after.' Isn't it a lovely sight to see?!

Visit with the Uncles

2011-02-07T13:52:00.001-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Please accept my sincerest apologies for the long silence on the Hellwig Family Blog. I have been rather preoccupied of late and my blog will explain!
Shortly before Christmas, after arriving home from the NCFIC Love the Church Conference, which I will blog about soon, we enjoyed a visit from Tonton Carlo and cousin Emma, whom we had not seen for several years. One of the many treats enjoyed was a trip to a local Chinese buffet; thank you, Tonton Carlo!!!

Tonton Carlo with:

Arianne,

Elliot,

Jedidiah,

and Tobias!

Emma, Benaiah, Mommy, and Tonton Carlo

The girl cousins ~ Yours truly, Emma, Arianne, and Christianna

Being silly...

Sister and Brother

A Three-Year-Old's Perception of Lip Balm

2011-01-26T12:25:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

I was putting on my lip balm before bed the other evening, and didn't realize it, but apparently Benaiah was watching me, because a little later, as Mommy was tucking him in for bed, he asked if he could have some "glue for his mouth too." :)
I'll teach him about the difference between lip balm and glue...And that our craft glue sticks are not something he should be applying to his mouth...

Jedidiah turns 9!!!

2011-01-09T19:51:00.002-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Friday evening, we celebrated Jedidiah's ninth birthday! Yes, he really did turn nine on December 27th, but all of us were sick with colds and such, and it's no fun to celebrate a birthday then. So, we waited until we were better, and we're pretty much there!

Nine candles! Where has the time gone? Jedidiah, I remember when you were born. I pray you'll grow up to be a mighty man for God!

Mother and daughter waiting for present opening

I apologize for my lack of posts lately. I've been very busy with a number of things, but I've also gotten back into crocheting and have a number of new creations I'll be sharing on my crafting blog soon!

An update to the Christmas post

2011-01-08T13:46:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Seeing as my post about Christmas elicited several inquiries as to what I received for Christmas, I've retrieved pictures off a sibling's camera and have added to the post. So, check it out here to see what I received for Christmas! :)

I've realized it really is winter here, seeing we have a slight dusting of snow on the ground that fell over the past hour or so! Maybe there will be more!

Wordless Wednesday: Sleeping Cutie

2011-01-05T17:17:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T18:25:00.001-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

~the Hellwig family-November 2010~

Happy New Year from the Hellwig Family!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T13:36:00.001-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Here are some pictures from Christmas! For the most part, I'll let the pictures speak about the wonderful family day we enjoyed!

The tree with all the presents underneath waiting to be opened

Daddy's sport watch from Timothy

Mommy's long-admired heart pincushions from yours truly

(picture by Arianne)

I received a book from Christianna that I've been wanting for some time but couldn't justify buying new for myself - Joyfully at Home, by Jasmine Baucham. Although I have quite a reading stack waiting to be finished, I've already started it! :)

Timothy's Walking with God from Elliot

Arianne's snowman oven mitt for her hope chest from Christianna

A couple of Christianna's new books from Daddy and Mommy

Elliot's long-desired Last of the Mohicans from yours truly

Jedidiah's ceramic painted bear ornament from yours truly

Tobias' cowboy hat from Christianna

Benaiah enjoying his new airplane from Daddy and Mommy (and wearing his 'worker man' hat from Timothy)

And, the Hellwig family, grandparents and an aunt and uncle gathered around the table for Christmas dinner!

A Conversation with Benaiah

2010-12-29T11:20:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Benaiah and I had an interesting conversation this morning while I was finishing a crocheted baby hat. It's a baby girl hat with pink and white stripes and a matching flower accent. I'll be posting more about it on my blog once I get pictures as I'm working on perfecting the pattern so I can make them to sell.

Benaiah: *peeking curiously at my work* "Is that for Zadok?" (his very-loved stuffed lamb)
Me: "No, it's pink. Besides, I already made one for Zadok." (A bad first try in blue, brown, and white that came out too small)
Benaiah: *pausing for a moment* "Yes, you have it in your tray. Will you get it for me?"
Me: "Yes, I'll get it for you later."
Benaiah: *after a moment of contemplation* "Will you put a flower on it?"

I had to explain to a very distracted three-year-old why we do not put flowers on boy's hats (and on boy lamb's hats :)

A Three-Year-Old's Logic

2010-12-28T17:22:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

While at our church's "Love the Church" Conference a few weeks ago (which I still need to post about), we learned a new song called "I Love the Church". Since then, we have been singing it at church and around the home.

Here is the first verse and refrain:

I love the church, the flock bought with Christ's blood -
Sheep gone astray He found and brought to God.
Guarded and fed by shepherds He provides,
We follow Christ, secure and satisfied.

May Christ be praised: "Preeminent! Adored!"
I love the church because I love her Lord!

Last night, a member of our family overheard Benaiah singing:

I love the church because I love the church!

He needs an elementary logic class! :)

Wordless Wednesday: Someone's Brilliant Idea

2010-12-22T10:21:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Our Mortal Flesh

2010-12-21T20:46:00.004-05:00

posted by Lisa



 I've been reminded recently of this hymn, often sung

at this time of year and neglected the other 11 months.

How often my mortal flesh needs to keep silence,

to be still, and even in the midst of whirlwind,

to listen, ponder the Word, consider my latter end,

and bless the God Who descended from the realms of

endless day to give me endless joy in His presence.

He has given us Himself.  The enormity of this is

staggering.  There are no words left to tell,

but His Word.  If men do not hear His Word,

there is nothing else.



Pray with me, that men may hear the Word, 

and with fear and trembling stand before Him, 

full of His unearthly joy, entering into eternal rest.



            Let all mortal flesh keep silence,

        and with fear and trembling stand;

        ponder nothing earthly-minded,

        for with blessing in his hand,

        Christ our God to earth descendeth,

        our full homage to demand.

        King of kings, yet born of Mary,

        as of old on earth he stood,

        Lord of lords, in human vesture,

        in the body and the blood;

        he will give to all the faithful

        his own self for heavenly food.

        Rank on rank the host of heaven

        spreads its vanguard on the way,

        as the Light of light descendeth

        from the realms of endless day,

        that the powers of hell may vanish

        as the darkness clears away.

        At his feet the six-winged seraph,

        cherubim, with sleepless eye,

        veil their faces to the presence,

        as with ceaseless voice they cry:

        Alleluia, Alleluia,

                Alleluia, Lord Most High!





May you cry also to Him, "Alleluia, Lord Most High!"

Christmas Tidings

2010-12-20T17:11:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

I have so many things to be thankful for this Christmas season. May the season indeed be one bearing tidings of comfort and joy for you as we celebrate God's incredible love for us.

~A lighted tree, light in the darkness~

~Presents already piling up under the tree~

~The greatest Gift ever, God's Son~

~Sweet treats for friends and neighbors~

~The 'Smoky Mountain Christmas' cd album~

~Flowers-a birthday present today for Mommy~

~Ripe Pears-a surprise Christmas gift in the mail today from a friend~

~Tiger, who napped in his car seat while we made Mommy's birthday dinner~

~The greatest act of love, the birth of Jesus Christ~

May you have a blessed advent season!

NCFIC Love the Church Conference

2010-12-06T11:30:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

On Thursday morning, the Hellwig family will be leaving on a pleasant, four-hour drive to Asheville for the NCFIC Love the Church Conference during the rest of the week. We are looking forward to this incredible learning opportunity and the chance to meet so many new people. I will be back to blogging next week with lots of pictures and stories from the trip.

Blessings till then,
Gabrielle

We Have Snow!

2010-12-06T11:14:00.001-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Or at least we had snow! On Saturday evening, the snow began to fall gently, and in a couple hours, we had about a half-inch or so of snowfall. I hear this is very unusual for North Carolina in December. Of course, I had to take some pictures of the younger children outside!

This is when the snow first began to fall, taken in the backyard next door.

The boys actually built a cute little snowman, but he didn't manage to stick around for long. :)

Benaiah enjoying the snow.

As of today, Monday morning, it's pretty much all melted except for some of the areas that don't get much sun.

Tobias, Benaiah, and Baby Tiger

2010-12-04T15:54:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Lately, we've begun babysitting a neighbor's baby. He's the cutest little four-month-old and his name is Tiger. His parents are Chinese and named him Tiger because he was born in the year of the tiger. :) Benaiah, who prays many evenings for a baby sister, is thoroughly charmed with baby Tiger, and he and Tobias often ask to hold him. As a mark of being "Hellwig-ated", Tiger even has a number of nicknames! Here are a few pictures!

Tobias and Tiger

Benaiah and Tiger. Little Prince is a little worried.

Ah, that's better!

Tobias, Benaiah, and Tiger

Something's funny!

Tiger never fails to garner an adoring audience as he plays.

Little Papoose napping.

A couple belated birthdays

2010-12-02T11:02:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

...very belated birthdays! In October, we celebrated Arianne's 16th birthday with Pepe, Meme, and Oma, and Christianna's 14th birthday with Pepe and Meme. Happy Birthday, dear sisters!

16 candles!!!

Probably Arianne's favorite present from Oma - chocolates!!! :)

14 candles!!!

Cleaning the candle wax off the tart

I Love my Little Brothers who Keep us Laughing!

2010-11-23T10:46:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

It appears Benaiah is listening as Daddy reads C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy to us in the evenings because as we were discussing the other day who we should have over for Thanksgiving, he pipes up, "Let's have the Sorns for Thanksgiving!" We think he meant the Horns, a family at our church, but we all enjoy a good laugh whenever it is mentioned.

On Etsy, the online shop community which I sell on, the guidelines for classifying vintage is that the item must be 20 years old or older. Elliot, with this in mind, remarked to me yesterday, "In two more years, you'll be vintage!" :) Hmm...yes, time definitely has flown, but I didn't realize it had gone that fast!

Benaiah's Christmas Wish-List

2010-11-20T17:00:00.001-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Last night, at the dinner table, Benaiah solemnly declared what he would like for Christmas and why. :)

Benaiah: "Maybe for Christmas we will all get calculators from Mommy and Daddy."

Mommy: "And what would you do with a calculator?"

Benaiah: "I will put some paper in it and write on it and write a letter to Lise." (His new friend he made on the Washington Tour and met again at the wedding.)

I think we'd be better off getting him a pad of drawing paper and a new box of crayons, don't you think? :)

Pictures from the Wedding

2010-11-15T20:06:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

A couple weeks ago, we were privileged to witness the wedding of Taylor and Blair, a young couple at our church. It will be exciting to see how God works through them for His kingdom. Here are a few pictures!

Taylor and Blair, the sweet newlyweds, at the reception

Mommy and Benaiah before the ceremony

Benaiah and his beloved Lise. He first met her on the Washington Tour and talked for days before the wedding about meeting her again. Here they are looking at a book together.

Showering the new couple with rice as they leave!

Family Portraits

2010-11-15T10:23:00.001-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Last Friday, we met at the Brown's Barn with one of my sweet friends, Anna-Rebekah O. for our annual family portraits. We gave her an opportunity to practice her amazing photography skills and all had a wonderful time together. Below is a sneak peak of the group and individual portraits we too. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

A Picnic Lunch

2010-11-13T17:13:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Today was a beautiful, sunny day and, since Daddy was away during lunch, we decided to have a picnic, something we have not done for several years. In fact, Benaiah has never enjoyed a picnic.

It could not have been called hot at all, but two protested the sun beating down upon their heads. They donned parasols and cheerfully resumed their eating.

Benaiah enjoying his muffin

Elliot, finally deciding that an umbrella did not work, donned a shopping bag...

That is until it grew too stifling for him and he wore it as a backpack and was tickled with a weed.

Arianne, however, enjoyed her parasol with no complaints.

Frick and Frack

Timothy spent time awing Elliot by his ability to lean back in the chair resting on its back two legs (this is him departing when I pointed the camera at him). It was only because he had legs long enough to remain firm on the ground while the chair's were in the air.

However, when Elliot tried it, he time and time again, good-naturedly found short legs to his disadvantage. :)

My New Blog!

2010-11-11T11:32:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

For some time now, I've been wanting to post more about my sewing and crafting and what I've been up to in those realms, and yes, while it is definitely related to the family, posts like that just didn't seem to belong on our family blog.

So, I've started a new blog for my sewing or whatever crafting I happen to be doing. I also plan on linking it with my etsy shop to host giveaways and ramble on about my latest projects. :)

Timothy and I are still ironing out a few technical kinks, but it is 'post-able' and readable now, so if you have a moment, please do stop by and visit Legend of a Seamstress! I'd love to have you drop a comment or follow the blog! And if you, as my readers, have any suggestions for posts you'd love to see, or how the look and feel of the blog can be improved, please do drop me a note in the comments. I'd love to hear from you!

And yes, I will still be blogging here at Hellwig Family Blog! That, at least, will not change! :)

Blessings on your day!
Gabrielle

We Know Summer is Past...

2010-11-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gabrielle

When we wake up to frost on the ground...

and on the cars!

We're enjoying the beautiful autumn colors right now, so I'll post some pictures soon!

We Said Farewell...

2010-11-02T11:28:00.001-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

To our faithful Dodge van of nine years this morning. It has served us faithfully for nine years, but it has been rusting out and has had a number of major problems that would be very expensive to fix. This was even the van I first learned to drive. Though it was sad to see it go, it was time. At least it is going to a salvage yard where its seats, fuel pump and computer can be sold for another Dodge van. For now, we'll be living with one van and waiting to see what else the Lord will give us.

Vinegar Pie

2010-10-30T17:28:00.002-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Looks a lot like pumpkin pie, doesn't it? :) Over four years ago, I first made this for a colonial/frontier day that a family at our church was hosting, making it several times in advance to perfect it. And then several years went by and I nearly forgot its existence. This past week, Christianna requested it as part of her birthday dinner tomorrow evening.

So this morning, with much trepidation, I opened the book, still with the bookmark in place, and made a lovely pie with none of the sweat and tears I expected. :) One indispensable change I made this time was adding guar gum to the filling; it thickened the unusually runny filling sufficiently so it could bake the normal time and not burn the crust trying to get the filling to solidify. It smells truly scrumptious and I can't wait to try it tomorrow evening. I hope everyone else likes it.

My Funny Little Brothers

2010-10-29T16:52:00.001-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

In honor of the fact - well, no, not in honor but in great shame that I've posted so little about the family in general lately, I've decided to give you a number of pictures I took of the little boys yesterday. For the most part, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Maybe once you reach the end of the post, you'll agree I have the cutest and funniest little brothers EVER! :)

Tobias and Benaiah were trying to be "scary", but I think they came out more cute than scary. :)

So, what do you think? Don't I have the cutest and funniest little brothers ever?

Life of Washington Tour -Day 6

2010-10-29T13:54:00.002-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Our sixth and final day of the Washington Tour began at Historic Yorktown and the Yorktown Battlefield.

Entering historic Yorktown, we were greeted by this beautifully decorated sign

Tobias and friend Nathan spend time discussing the canons in the Yorktown Battlefield Museum

After a whirlwind tour through the museum, we marched out to the actual battlefield. After Mr. Horn gave a talk on the actual events of the battle at Yorktown, Mr. Vestal led the boys in a reenactment of the charge on the Yorktown battlefield.

The boys learning how to stand in a soldierly position

Benaiah and his friend Lise. Did I mention already that Benaiah made a new friend on the trip? Now, he talks about her often and is looking forward to seeing her again sometime soon!

Charge!

The meeting of the troops on Yorktown Battlefield. Thankfully, no soldiers were injured in the clash! :)

Our next stop was Surrender Battlefield. The buses dropped us off at the wrong place, so we had a long walk to the battlefield. We were very glad that someone went to get them and bring them to pick us up again at the right place. :)

Walking up to Surrender Battlefield

At Surrender Battlefield, Mr. Horn gave a short talk on the military genius of Washington and the character traits that made him able to accomplish what he did.

George Washington is also known as America's Favius. He adopted the strategy of Favius, a famous Roman general, and used his army to control the position of the other army without bringing on an open engagement.
Washington was an aggressive general, but he was also willing to admit when he may have been wrong and let the circumstances dictate what he should do. He was ready to take risks when he could not predict what would happen.
Washington was persevering. Yes, he lost battle after battle, but none of them stopped him from pressing on. The ones who persevere through adversity are the ones who are successful.
Washington was an orderly man. He was a Christian with an orderly spiritual life. This enabled him to lead an orderly physical life and lead an orderly army. We see his orderliness in three specific places in his spiritual life: his personal holiness, his holiness in prayer, and in his private and family worship.

Surrender Battlefield was a bittersweet final stop as it concluded our amazing week. With two bus-loads of hungry people, we concluded the trip with lunch at the Golden Corral and the prize-giving for the winners of the treasure hunt. All week we had been working on decoding coded clues in a treasure hunt.

Benaiah happy to be tickled. :)

Timothy, who led Arianne and me who were on his team, won first place! The prize was an amazing collection of pewter medals.

Life of Washington Tour - Day 5

2010-10-19T11:25:00.002-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

On the fifth day of the Washington Tour, we visited two important sites - the Washington Monument, and Mount Vernon. It was a wonderful day!

Our first stop: the Washington Monument. It was enjoyable finally to be able to see it up close and take pictures instead of snapping crazy shots as we zoom past as was the case in our Massachusetts trip at the end of May. :)

The entrance to the Monument. There were strict security rules, so I brought nothing but my camera, obviously. :) Thankfully, we were warned to leave all knives and any similar weapons on the bus and there were no problems getting in. We rode the elevator to the top of the tower and were able to look down on Washington D.C. from all angles. It was breathtaking to realize how far up we were. I'm very thankful for a wonderful optical zoom on my camera and was able to capture great pictures of many of the famous buildings in D.C. including...

the White House!

The next stop of the day was at Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate. There was so much to see that, in the few hours we were there, we were not able to see everything.

Mount Vernon

Some of the smaller outbuildings

Unfortunately, I did not get on the tour of Mount Vernon as I ended up with the last group from our buses and we ran out of time. In spite of that, I enjoyed observing an amusing dialogue between Mr. Brown and a couple of reenactors - Washington's surgeon, Dr. James Craik who was with him during the war, and his granddaughter, Nelly Parke Custis.

Mr. Brown asked them a number of questions, including what year it was, about their life with Washington, how engagement and marriage worked in their society, and more.

One of the highlights of the conversation was when Mr. Brown asked Dr. Craik what year it was. He replied, completely seriously, "The year is 1797. What year do you think it is, son." Mrs. Brown whispered in an aside to me, "Don't tell him; he'll take your temperature." You couldn't have told them it's 2010 after that. :)

Washington's surgeon, Dr. James Craik. He had a very dry sense of humor which kept us laughing.

Nelly Parke Custis, Washington's granddaughter, who explained her engagement to us and how young men and ladies interacted in that society.

Overlooking the river and lush lawns of Mount Vernon

After most of the group had finished the tour of Mount Vernon, both Mr. Brown and Mr. Horn gave talks on Washington's character and life here at Mount Vernon, and about his Presidency.

Mr. Brown gave a short talk on Washington's character, and outlined three traits for young men to follow: His clarity, his vision, and his dominion. Washington was a determined man who knew who he was and what he was called to do, and he did it. He was a man of clarity and vision; he plotted out his future and lived his life that way. He practiced "incremental dominion", taking control of what was put into his power and doing it with all his might.

After the talks, we were given fifteen minutes to see more at Mount Vernon and get back to the buses. Of course, we couldn't see everything in that time, so several of us opted to walk down to see the graves of George and Martha Washington.

The fields and gardens of Mount Vernon, snapped on the way back to the bus.

We were running late, especially since we had to get to the church and then to our new hotel for the last night of the trip. We ended up having a pizza dinner in the park across the street from the church.

St. John's Episcopal church. This was where a group of professional reenactors enacted the famous Virginian convention for us where Patrick Henry gave his famous speech ending in "Give me liberty or give me death!"
We were not allowed to take pictures during the skit, but there was enough to watch and listen to without. :)

Timothy talking with George Washington afterward. Sorry for the quality of the picture; my camera didn't like the lighting in the building and there's some things even a little photo touch-up can't fix. :)

Thomas Jefferson

Several other girls and I went on a tour of the graveyard with Delegate Richard Henry Lee (directly to the right of the girl in front).

Of the graves he showed us was that of the poet Edgar Allen Poe's mother, Elizabeth Arnold Poe.

We arrived at our new hotel for the last night of the trip rather late after another exciting day.

Life of Washington Tour - Day 4

2010-10-19T08:56:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

The fourth day of the Washington Tour was a very full day, but enjoyable nonetheless. Our first stop was at Brandywine battlefield. This was the site of another of Washington's numerous defeats. In his talk here, Joshua Horn outlined three reasons why Washington was defeated here:

Washington did not adequately study the grounds.
He did not have enough cavalry.
He did not use the cavalry the way he should have.

Even though this was only one of Washington's numerous defeats, he didn't give up, and ended up winning the war. What an inspiring role model for us!

Part of the group at the officer's headquarters building at Chad's Ford on the Brandywine

The Brandywine Battlefield

The bridge over the Brandywine

Mr. Horn talking at the Brandywine Battlefield Monument. He climbed up to read the writing on the side.

Elliot and friends listening to the talk. From left to right: Matthew, Elliot, Armando, and Ethan

The building in which the British barricaded themselves. It looked like a beautiful old building from the outside and I'm still regretting we were not able to go in.

Joshua Horn gave a short talk here on what happened in this short battle and the implications. This battle was also called the Battle of the Clouds (if I'm deciphering my scrawled notes correctly). The British regiment that had sheltered in the building was the same 140th regiment that had barricaded themselves in Nasa Hall in the Battle of Princeton. Col. Henry Knox, Washington's fellow strategist, opted to attack the house as doing otherwise would be seen as unmilitary-like. Washington, with Generals Sterling and Sullivan led the attack against the house with two brigades after an unsuccessful truce.

In spite of their seeming advantage, the Continentals were forced to retreat and flee, for several possible reasons:

They were confused from the fight
Disordered from the fog
They were running out of ammunition

Following the retreat, the Continental troops went into winter quarters at Valley Forge.

Our next stop was lunch stop! During the lunch break, a number of boys made several attempts at a human ladder up the side of one of the huge trees growing in the park. They provided entertainment and much laughing.

Our next stop of the day was Valley Forge, where the Continental troops wintered after the Battle of Germantown. Touring Valley Forge occupied the rest of the day. We definitely did a lot of walking and were very grateful for the bus ride back to the hotel!

The beautiful meadows and hills in the distance...so lovely and relaxing!

Our first stop at Valley Forge was at the replication huts that the soldiers would have lived in during the winter.

Jedidiah...

and Tobias enjoyed the bunks!

Personally, they don't look that comfortable! :)

From there, we walked to the monument that the Masons built in honor of George Washington, and here, Mr. Horn gave a short talk on the history of the Masons and how Washington was involved.

Washington was a Mason at some point and time in his life. Even though members were required to profess Christ, this does not mean that the masons were a Christian organization. We have mixed views regarding Washington being a mason. While it seems out of his character that he would join them, he did refuse to pose for a picture in his mason's uniform which seems to intimate he did not wish to be known as a mason. Now,the new-age masons are trying to claim Washington as one of their members.

Tobias showing off a bird's nest he found

Our next stop was at the "Mad" Anthony Wayne Statue. Unfortunately, I did not get any notes at this talk because I was frantically trying to fix my camera which had stopped working, so I have just the highlights that I remember.

Anthony Wayne was one of Washington's trusted Brigadier Generals and he earned the title "Mad" Anthony Wayne from the interesting and often eccentric ideas and strategies he proposed.

From the Anthony Wayne statue, we spent the rest of the day touring the rest of Valley Forge on foot and visiting a few other highlights as time permitted, including Washington's Headquarters, the Baron Von Steuban statue, Redoubts 3 and 4, and the Artillery Park.

Arianne (left) and friends Anastasia and Merisa at the Artillery Park

Wordless Wednesday: Does This Scare You?

2010-10-13T11:01:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Pictures with Oma

2010-10-05T20:01:00.001-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

This morning, Oma left after a week-long visit of fun and great memories. I have pictures and lots to write about, but no time right now to do it in, so I shall leave you with a few of the many pictures from her visit.

Of course, not to be forgotten: our family picture with Oma!!!

We three girls after our trip to the mall to purchase boots as late and early birthday gifts. :)

Meme, Oma, and Timothy waiting to begin the gift-giving festivities at Arianne's 16th birthday party

Someone goofing around while preparing for pictures with Oma

Our happy little boy at the restaurant!

What Happened when Little Boys...

2010-10-02T14:22:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Asked me to take pictures of them! A couple evenings ago, the little boys asked me to take pictures of them, and then started hamming up for the camera. How could I resist?! :) I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

I will set My bow in the cloud

2010-10-01T17:29:00.001-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

After enjoying the rainy day all day yesterday, I was called outside to see this magnificent double rainbow. It lasted only a few minutes.

"I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be fore a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." Genesis 9:13-16

What a sweet promise this is that allows us to enjoy the rainstorms and know He will always keep His word!

Life of Washington Tour - Day 3

2010-09-30T18:56:00.000-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Our first stop on Day 3 of the Washington Tour was Washington's Crossing.

This was where Washington crossed in the middle of the night to attack the Hessians camped at Trenton before they could attack him. The troops crossed the Delaware River with Henry Knox in charge of the crossing and successfully surprised the Hessians as they were not expecting him to attack. This was the victory that the young officer Washington needed to establish his military renown.

Washington's Crossing

Young men at one of the canons at Washington's Crossing

Our next stop of the day was at Trenton Battlefield, the site of the attack on the Hessians after Washington crossed the Delaware. We had lunch at the monument.

Examining more closely the entrance to the monument

It was a long ways up!!!

Our next stop was Princeton Battlefield.

This was a crucial battle in the war; one, which if Washington had not fought it, we would not have won the war.

Mr. Horn brought out several crucial points that Washington accomplished in winning this battle:

The British were not allowed to capture Philadelphia. In spite of this, they later captured it in 1777.
The ragtag continental army gained more experience and prowess in fighting.
This improved Washington's military reputation as he had won three battles by now.
This improved the general morale of the soldiers and made them more willing to fight.

Playing frisbee on Princeton Battlefield

From Princeton Battlefield, we went on to Princeton University where Mr. Horn gave a talk about how this college was founded.

Princeton University was a split from Christ Presbyterian Church during the Great Awakening. At this point, pastors who did not have a degree, namely pastors of the Great Awakening called New Lights, such as George Whitefield, were not allowed to preach in the pulpit. Princeton University, which had a predecessor called Low College, was founded as a conservative university to give New Light pastors a degree so they could preach from the pulpit again.

Timothy reading the plaque before one of the two great lions guarding the entrance to the university hall.

From Princeton University, we walked to Princeton Chapel and visited two highlights:

A statue of John Witherspoon in the chapel courtyard, and

The Princeton chapel. It had gorgeous stained glass windows on all three walls as you walked in. The dimly-lighted interior enhanced the solemnly majestic effect as the organ-player played.

Some of the quaint shops along the streets of Princeton

From Princeton Chapel, we walked to Princeton Cemetery where Mr. Brown gave a brief talk on the Jonathan and Sarah Edwards, whose graves we stopped at.

As our last stop of the day, we headed to the Spaghetti Warehouse in Philadelphia. There, we enjoyed a delicious dinner and time of singing and reading the Declaration of Independence with Charlie Zahm.

They're Here!!!

2010-09-18T17:48:00.004-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

After much anticipation and preparation, Pepe and Meme arrived home in North Carolina this afternoon. They are adjusting to life here right now, but we hope things will soon even out. Here are some pictures of the house I took this morning as we cleaned and arranged for their arrival.

A picture on the fridge, drawn by their grandchildren, to make it feel more like home. ;)

Life of Washington Tour - Day 2

2010-09-16T16:08:00.006-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

The second day of the Washington tour was a full day, but not as full as the first. The buses dropped us off at the one stop in our area and we walked from place to place that day.

Incidentally, it happened we were dropped off right across from the United States Mint.

Walking along the cobble-stoned streets of Philadelphia to Christ Church

The steeple of Christ Church. This is the church that many of our country's founding fathers attended, and George Washington visited. Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush, contemporaries of Washington, are buried in Christ Church Burying Ground which we visited afterward.

At the Christ Church Burying Ground, Mr. Horn gave a short talk on Benjamin Franklin's life and how he impacted us today, although he was what we would call a secular puritan. Surprisingly, I also learned that he was raised a calvanist and most likely died an unbeliever.
Franklin was responsible for:

First battery
Almanac
Founding the first fire station, library and philosophical society
Mile Markers
Weekly Postal Delivery
Franklin Stove
Lightning Rod

Though he was not a believer, we can still learn from his character and life. Franklin was a successful writer and a successful printer because he printed his own writings. Being successful and following our calling in God go hand in hand.

Our next stop was Carpenter's Hall, the location of the first Continental Congress. Washington was a delegate at this convention.

Before we toured the building, Mr. Horn gave a short talk on Washington as a Politician.

(Thank you, Bekah, for the picture!)

Timothy and Benaiah outside Independence Hall

After touring Independence Hall, we visited the Liberty Bell

After visiting the Liberty Bell, we walked to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington's Court.

Joshua Horn gave a talk on the hardships that the soldiers endured during the Revolutionary War. It made me appreciate even more the simpler of our luxuries here.

We got back to the hotel around eight and were able to get to bed on time and rest for the next day.

Life of Washington Tour - Day 1

2010-09-14T17:04:00.008-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Here is the first of my posts about the Washington Tour! It's great review about what I learned just putting these posts together! :)

Our first stop was in Winchester, Virginia, at Washington's Office from which he worked as a young Colonel in the Militia.

This Marker from outside the office reads: While constructing Fort Loudoun, George Washington used the center room of this building as an office from the fall of 1755 until he moved into the fort in Dec. 1756. He was a Colonel in the Virginia Militia and responsible for protecting Virginia's 300 mile frontier from the French and Indians.

The statue of George Washington in front of the building. The marker reads: In March of 1748, George Washington, at age sixteen, arrived in Winchester, then called Frederick Town. During the next four years, he worked as a surveyor throughout the colonial Virginia frontier.

Mr. Horn giving a talk on Washington's early years. Specifically, he encouraged young men to follow in Washington's footsteps and spend their early years wisely by learning skills and character, not idling the years away.
He gave several points of character that Washington had as a young man that helped him to mature. Though directed towards young men, they are equally applicable for young ladies.

God uses hardships to prepare us for greater things. Washington's early years were full of hardships.
Cowardice is not fulfilling the Great Commission. To mature, boys must be in positions of danger, as was Washington on more than one occasion.
Leisure is wasting our time and Scripture says that time matters. Washington worked diligently to make himself presentable in the society to which he aspired. He was ambitious and faithful in every job he was given.

You can see a video of the office here.
And you can watch part of the talk here.

Jedidiah taking notes :)

Our next stop of the day was at Jumonville Glen in Pennsylvania.

This was where Washington began the French and Indian War by attacking a party of French "ambassadors" camped there. He was only 21 at this time.
I loved the glen enclosed by towering rock walls and could almost imagine what happened there.

Our last stop of the day was the site of Washington's first battle, first defeat, and only surrender:

Fort Necessity.

In his talk, Mr. Horn pointed out a couple mistakes of Washington's which caused him to be defeated. Still, we can learn from his example. Even though he was defeated, he continued the war and ended up winning it. If he had not fought this battle, we would have lost the war.

Washington should have waited for more reinforcements before attacking, and,
He should not have built this fort in a valley.

See a video of the fort here.

Mr. Horn talking at Fort Necessity

Elliot and a friend comparing notes

On the way back to the buses, we made a short stop in the Fort Necessity Visitor's Center Park...You look beautiful, Christianna! :)

We arrived at our hotel in Philadelphia after midnight, so it was a very long first day.

You Know It's Autumn When...

2010-09-13T11:37:00.005-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

You come home to this!!!

Here in North Carolina, the weather has become crisper and the leaves are beginning to turn colors and fall.

We're finally home from a wonderful tour of the life of George Washington. I have a lot of stories and pictures to share and will try to do so over the next few weeks, due to a busy schedule.

For now, we are well occupied getting the house next door ready for Pepe and Meme to move down on Saturday. It has come so fast, and our life will change having them next door, but I'm sure it will be a wonderful and sanctifying change.

Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all!

Where the Hellwigs will be this next week...

2010-09-03T10:54:00.005-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

(Washington Monument ~ taken on our trip up to MA in May)

Early Monday morning, we are leaving with a number of families from our church for a tour of the life of George Washington, focusing mainly on the last year of the Revolutionary War. We'll be traveling through Virginia, up to Philadelphia, and many places in between, in two large touring buses.

Some of the places we'll be visiting are:

Christ Church and Burying Ground
Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell
Washington's Crossing
Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Yorktown, and Germantown Battlefields
Washington Monument
Mount Vernon
Fort Necessity

I will not be taking my computer, so this blog and everything else we participate in will be silent for a week. But we'll be back with lots of stories and pictures! So, stay tuned...!

Blessings on your week!
Gabrielle

More Tree-Felling

2010-09-01T15:52:00.002-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

The other day, Daddy finished chopping down a leaning tree in our woods that he and Timothy had started on. Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of the felling.

My Current 'Artsy' Projects

2010-08-28T13:13:00.005-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Here are some miscellaneous pictures of some of the projects I have been busy with these past few weeks.

Photography ~ the flowers of the crepe myrtle next door

Cardmaking ~ a birthday card for Mrs. Clayton

Scrapbooking ~ a decorated notebook for the tour of the Life of George Washington which we will be attending with our church in a week. More on that to come.

Sewing ~ my current recreational sewing project, my medieval gown

Drawing ~ the bluebird I am currently working on to join the framed cardinal drawing in our living room

To Him be the glory forever.

2010-08-27T06:56:00.004-04:00

posted by Mommy H.

From my reading this morning:

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
To Him be the glory forever. Amen."

Romans 11:33-36

May these truths be foremost in our hearts, and drive us into His loving everlasting arms.

A Surprise Birthday Party

2010-08-25T16:03:00.005-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Last week, we threw a surprise birthday party for a dear family friend of ours, Mrs. Clayton. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. :)

(as a note, this is a singing candle: you light the candle and turn the base to have it sing 'Happy Birthday. It didn't sing when we needed it to because we had 'tested' it too much that morning :)

(Mrs. Clayton was the one who had given it to us, so she always gets a laugh when we use it again for her :)

ever-hungry little brothers

As to my lack of posts these last couple weeks, my sincere apologies. I shall try to update with what has been keeping us so busy soon.

Tree-Felling Excitement

2010-08-14T13:04:00.002-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Remember the tree struck by lightning a few weeks ago? We finally decided it was time for it to come down. The little boys had a blast watching the men work.

That was amazing! Not too many people can do that.

And this was ingenious! With the danger of breaking the nearby fence and bushes by falling limbs, they simply attached each with a rope on a ring to the cable. The climber then cut the branch and it slid down the cable to the ground.

Chipping the branches into the woods.

And finally, last but not least, the felling of the remaining tree. Not the best shot, as my camera went off a couple seconds too soon, but you get the picture!

The little boys love these adventures, and now their games are revolving around trees and chain saws! :)

Christianna's Creations

2010-08-12T08:20:00.005-04:00

posted by Mommy H.

The other day, my dear daughter made some wonderful treats for us....
besides her usual Tuesday batch of pita bread, she decided, on a whim, to try her hand at English muffins.

And the pita was delicious, as well:

Nice job, Christianna!

An Amazing Answer to Prayer!

2010-08-04T08:21:00.003-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

On Monday, we received an amazing answer to prayer that I have to share (rhyme intended).

Meme and Pepe did indeed put their house on the market shortly after our trip up there, and received an offer from a cash buyer not long after. So, after about a week of waiting to hear what they would do, we received word on Monday that they accepted! The house is closing October 1st, and they will hopefully be down here soon after!!! So, life will start getting busy for us, but in a good sort of way. :) Thank you for your prayers. It means a lot to us as we have been watching God working His sovereign will these past few months.

Blessings,
Gabrielle for the Hellwig family

My New Etsy Shop!

2010-07-31T15:46:00.008-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

My newest endeavor (and one of the reasons this blog has been rather silent lately) has been an Etsy shop to sell vintage finds and handmade crafts as a side hobby and source of extra income. I've spent the past few days getting the shop "up and running" and a few of my several bags and boxes of sale items listed, and now I'd love to see what all our readers think about it! Do let me know!

(click on picture to visit shop)

P.S. I do have a banner up at the top of the shop homepage, but it's only showing up sometimes for me, so don't worry if you don't see it... :)

Why I Have Been Absent From the World of Blogging

2010-07-31T11:54:00.006-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Real life has been catching up to me! Surprise! Real life isn't all about blogging, though blogging should be a part of real life. ;) In other words, real life has been dictating that I take a break off blogging to get some other endeavors "off the ground" as it were. Between school (yes, I am working a full school schedule this summer), learning to drive our great blue behemoth (though even driving lessons have been suspended for lack of time these past couple weeks), sewing, helping out with the upkeep of the still empty house next door, writing for Daddy's insurance website, and beginning my etsy shop, I've been too busy to blog!

I will try, in these next two weeks or so, to write a little more about what we've been busy with lately, with pictures. In the meantime, do check out Jasmine Baucham's latest post on the Newly Joyfully at Home! I found it very thought-provoking and convicting...What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday: How We Sleep

2010-07-28T16:49:00.001-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Shucking Corn

2010-07-27T15:34:00.005-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

I can't believe that these are month-old pictures that I forgot on one of my three camera cards. I've never done that before! Further reflection revealed that there is a first time for everything, even forgetting pictures. ;)

Thank you, Wards, for the delicious bucket of corn!!!

"Frick" and "Frack" shucking corn

Surprisingly, little brothers did not want to squish worms, so they were brought to me to be disposed of. :)

Christianna and her 'picture-perfect' corn

Benaiah was not so sure about this

Happy 3rd Birthday, Benaiah!!!

2010-07-21T16:42:00.005-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

It's birthday season again in the Hellwig Household, beginning with Benaiah!!!

I can't believe our baby is three!!!
This year, as he declared himself, he smiled for his pictures instead of crying.

In fact, he even cackled for pictures!

Blowing out his candles.

We love you, Benaiah, and pray you'll grow up to be a mighty man for the Lord!

Our Little Octopus

2010-07-20T15:26:00.005-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

The other day, Benaiah was playing with his blanket on his head, and suddenly announced:

"Mommy, I'm an octopus!"
Three-year-old's have the funniest ideas! :)

Our little octopus hugging Mommy

"The Voice of the Lord Breaks the Cedars"

2010-07-17T14:02:00.008-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Last night, shortly after 9:00, when most of us were in bed, and the sky had been darkening with a storm for some time with faint rumblings of thunder in the distance, that a terrific crash of thunder woke most of us from dozing, but we didn't experience a power outage and it wasn't until this morning that we discovered what had happened.

Lightning had struck a tree in the backyard of Meme and Pepe's house next door, about 15 yards from that house and 30 from ours. We are very thankful there is no one living there right now.
It's not exactly a cedar. It's a sweet-gum tree, but, you get the picture. :) It was quite an experience.

Examining the striped tree. We're finding bark from the tree scattered over our yard, some from amazing distances.

Some closeup shots

Cute little brothers finding pieces of the bark almost as big as themselves. :)

"...The God of glory thunders, The Lord is over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful, The voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; Yes, the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; ...And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everything says, "Glory!" " Psalm 29: 3-5 + 8a-9

We Have a New Background!

2010-07-15T14:53:00.004-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

With the coming of summer, we thought it was time we change our blog background which we have had up since October.
We have also made a few small changes, such as adding the date to each post.

So, if you follow our blog with Google reader and usually don't see our background, please do check it out and let us know how you like our new 'look and feel'. We'd love to hear from you!

Gabrielle
for the Hellwigs

Blueberries

2010-07-13T13:37:00.003-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

A sweet neighbor of ours has been inviting us over to pick blueberries while the bushes are producing, so we have been enjoying some delicious little treats lately.

Dead On the Day of Great Enterprises

2010-07-02T12:01:00.013-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Thursday was one of those days you don't forget for a long time; the day our Dodge van decided it was time for a break while it was on duty.

It was shopping day and we were five miles or so out from home (too far to walk back but just close enough to make it really frustrating) when the van died, due to a failed fuel pump. After having called AAA, we spent about two hours sitting on the side of the road, waiting for the tow truck.

Lo and behold, who came by but a man from our church who gave Daddy a ride back home to get the other van! While they were gone, the tow truck came and the little boys enjoyed watching the man getting a 15-passenger van up onto a truck almost as big as itself.

So, about two hours late, we were back on the road, headed for grocery shopping, thankfully with the remainder of the day incident free.

Yesterday, to make a long story short, our sewer pump failed as we were preparing to have guests for dinner, and we are currently awaiting a new one.

As these "trials" come upon us, we remember just how much we have to be thankful for!

Cool weather. These past few days have been unusually cool for the beginning of July in North Carolina, so waiting around outside for a while on Thursday morning was far from unpleasant weather-wise.

Laughter. Some people (we'll mention no names ;) had some time on their hands while waiting for the tow truck. Ever heard the acronym Found On the Road Dead for Ford? Unfortunately, since it was our Dodge van that died, not our Ford van, we had to think of something else. Enter Dead On the Day of Great Enterprises for Dodge! ;)

For fellow brethren in Christ who will see a brother in need and stop to help.

Friends at church who have experience with plumbing and will come out at a call.

Flowers, God's marvelous works of nature!

Flowers

2010-06-26T17:19:00.004-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

A very kind lady at farmer's market this morning gave us some extra flowers she couldn't sell. They are so beautiful!

Wordless Wednesday: Three-year-old cuteness

2010-06-23T12:33:00.003-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

A Morning at Mrs. Claytons'

2010-06-21T16:12:00.007-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Last Friday, Mrs. Clayton invited us over for the morning, so we spent a wonderful few hours with her! Thank you so much, Mrs. Clayton!

Seeing as she can't reach to dust her chandeliers, Timothy - a.k.a Tall Man - dusted them for her! :)

We walked down to the park to give the little boys some exercise time.

Have you ever waited at the bottom of those long, twisty tube slides and snapped pictures as your subjects came twirling down? I had fun with that. Some were expecting it and some weren't, but that makes it all the funner. Here's my results:

Timothy and Benaiah playing in the sand

Tobias got a slight touch of sun... :)

Mrs. Clayton and Mommy talking

And I'm Feeling...

2010-06-17T08:15:00.004-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Like driving a 15-passenger van at last!

Yesterday morning, with a couple hours notice before we left, I took the test for a learner's permit and passed!!! All references to peacocks aside and meant in the utmost humility, I had to remark that I still feel like I am strutting in the glory of a new learner's permit. ;) I'm sure that will all pass as I realize that actual driving is not as easy as it looks. :)
So, if the blog is a little quieter than usual now, you know what I'm up to!

Wordless Wednesday: Two year old push-ups

2010-06-16T14:29:00.002-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

More Pictures from the Trip

2010-06-14T09:12:00.009-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

We just received more pictures and I thought I'd share. Thank you, Mrs. Collyer!

Reunion! (L.to R. Mrs. Collyer, Mrs. Bennett, Mommy, and Mrs. Windle)

The three little boys on the steps of the library

talking...

Unposted Pictures from the Trip

2010-06-08T08:28:00.009-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Here are a few more pictures from the trip:

An interesting monument we saw in the Washington D.C. area.

The Capitol building...

and the Jefferson Memorial.

A beautiful, old building in Cambridge, the Sanders Theater.

Some more detail of its roof - the one to the left. The building in front is actually the fire station - lovely cupola for a fire station!

The house where our great aunt -who passed away three years ago, used to live, just down the street from our grandparents

Detail of the beautiful roses from Meme and Pepe's front porch

Most of these were taken while careening through the streets and highways in the van.

Our Last Day of Cleanup in Massachusetts

2010-06-05T10:29:00.004-04:00

Posted by Gabriellle

On our last day in Massachusetts, Pepe and Meme took us out to a nearby Chinese buffet for lunch. It was delicious!

Benaiah waiting eagerly for his lunch

The Hellwig/Kaufman knights of the Round Table

In the afternoon, one of our dear friends came for a short visit with her granddaughter and Benaiah enjoyed treating Rachael to a good game of 'playing in the mud'. :)

Now that we are home and fairly settled back into our routine, I'll try to post some more pictures I took around Cambridge and during our travels.

What We Did for Memorial Day

2010-05-31T20:44:00.006-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

So, we did miss our church's annual Memorial Day picnic as we spent the day cleaning out Meme and Pepe's house, but it wasn't all work and no play... ;)

We had fun with our grandparents...

took pictures in the roses...

played the piano(which will be moving down to NC)...

played Monopoly

and Stratego...

and cleaned!(Yes, the bag was heavy :)

More posts to come after we get cleaned up from the trip and settled back into the routine of life.

Sunday with our Church Family in NH

2010-05-31T08:19:00.005-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

We were able to spend Sunday driving up to NH to spend the day in fellowship with our dear church family up there. Unfortunately, due to sickness, we were not able to do as much as we had hoped or take as many pictures as I would have liked, but it was wonderful nonetheless.
Here are the few pictures I did have time to take.

These are the beautiful, tree-lined highways that mark New England

Part of the afternoon we spent with our dear friends, the Sohmers! Thank you so much for your hospitality! It was such a refreshing visit!

Sadly, I was too involved with the younger children's play and completely forgot to take any pictures, but this cute kitty spent a good part of the afternoon being chased by a swarm of 5-8 year-olds. :)

Mommy and Mrs. Sohmer talking

And Daddy and Mr. Sohmer

Highlights of our Second Day 'On the Job'

2010-05-29T08:27:00.004-04:00

Posted by Gabrielle

Yesterday afternoon, after a full and successful morning of cleaning, three of Mommy's friends from her school days and which she still keeps in touch with came for a visit! We talked for a bit inside and then most of us went for a walk out to the library and walked the grounds for a bit.

Left to right: Mommy, Mrs. Windle, Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Collyer

Jedidiah, Tobias and Benaiah had fine climbing the huge stone steps of the old library building

My beautiful sister Christianna. :)

Behind the library, there was construction going on and the little boys had fun watching the excavators for a bit.

The old wing of the library had these marvelous domed ceilings and paintings on the walls.