Our Smoky Mountain Trip - Day 2

Posted by Gabrielle

Here's a picture post of our second day!

Benaiah - our 'happy camper'!

Christianna, Benaiah and Arianne around the pole at our campsite before breakfast.

After breakfast we went on a short nature trail hike at our campground. We passed over two log bridges about a foot wide with a handrail on one side that spanned rapidly running streams. ;) Here is Elliot on the bridge.

The beatiful stream!

We spent the morning at a replica plantation of the early mountain settlers, complete with everything, house, barn, fields and all the small shops that they needed to live the independent way they did.

Daddy by the cornfields.

Mommy, Toby, Timothy, Benaiah and Jedidiah looking over the corn-husking machine.

The barn was full of original tools, harness, carts, etc... Here is Elliot with a wheelbarrow...

and being goofy for the camera in the maze of the sorghum field!

The calm and contented chickens, before...

the boys started the 'fashionable' sport of chicken-chasing. Here Tobias starts the game...

and he, Timothy and Benaiah continue it. Of course, there's the principle there of "If you don't run, they can't chase you"! ;)

Jedidiah and Tobias in the...well...ah...woodshed!

They had a pair of lovely pigs there too. It was very interesting, and eye-opening to watch the manners and habits of the swine, and realizing how much we really do act like them sometimes, especially when at table.

Benaiah had fun watching the pigs.

The Hellwig family in the orchard.

Benaiah by the beehives.

Here is the Hellwig-mobile and some of the family at one of the mountain overlooks we stopped at. Most had gone on a short hike while the rest of us discovered a wild peach tree and enjoyed ourselves immensely!

The twisting mountain roads are so scenic!

Some of us set out to climb Clingman's Dome, but by the time we got to the top it was so foggy we couldn't see much.

Another lady up there was so kind to take a family picture for us!

What we could see from the top of the tower!

Jedidiah and Christianna enjoying the 'view'

Our Smoky Mountain Trip - Day 1

Posted by Gabrielle

Many apologies for the delay in posting this, but I am finally getting around to posting about our four-day camping trip in the Smoky Mountains last week. It was a great time!
This was at the rest area where we stopped for lunch. Benaiah was enamored with the little pump, although it didn't work. ;) Timothy showing him how to properly operate a water pump.

Our happy camper! ;)

Along the way to our campground, we stopped at several mountain overlooks. The scenery was breathtaking and all the pictures I took don't do it justice. It was amazing to watch the panorama literally unfold beneath us. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Mommy and Benaiah at one of our stops.

Jedidiah, Arianne and Tobias.

More to come later!

Timothy teaches Benaiah chess

Posted by Gabrielle

It was the other day that Timothy was teaching Benaiah the basics of chess.

Timothy: "What piece is this?"

Benaiah: "It goes right here."

Timothy: "Which pawn are we looking for?"

Benaiah: "It goes right here?"

Timothy: "No, over here."

Visit with the Courters

Posted by Gabrielle

We recently enjoyed a wonderful evening with Daddy's employers, the Courter family! It was great to meet them and get to know this sweet family better! Thank you for visiting, Courters!

Volleyball!

Monkey-in-the-Middle in the middle of the street! ;)

Jedidiah and some of the younger Courter boys!

Tobias, Anna and Lincoln

Anna and Tobias - when two work together!

Sweet Anna!

Just for fun: our recent origami project

Posted by Gabrielle

Well, this isn't just origami, it's our first try at golden venture origami, constructed in one and a half days...

and 420 little, folded paper triangles later. ;)

Actually, Timothy constructed it; the rest of us just helped with folding the paper! ;)

Another view of our swan.

The Hellwig Cowboy Brothers

Posted by Gabrielle

Our two cowboys enjoying a banana bread break!

Too cute!

I'm so thankful for all my cute little brothers!

The Four Hellwig Ladies at the Mother-Daughter Tea

Posted by Gabrielle

We recently had the pleasure of attending a Mother-Daughter tea at our church, complete with talks on becoming a Proverbs 31 woman, a delicious afternoon tea, and lots of fellowship! It was a great time! And, it was not complete without pictures:

Arianne, Christianna, Mommy and yours truly! ;)

Benaiah is 2!

Posted by Gabrielle

Yes, that's right! On July 20th Benaiah turned two! Where have the years gone?

Poor 'Buddy boy'!

We were hoping that we had gotten him acquainted with birthdays. Oh well...maybe next year.

But, he soon began to enjoy it...and in fact,

smiled for his pictures and enjoyed blowing out his candles!

Though his favorite part was definitely the peach tart!

We thank God for you, Benaiah, and pray that you'll grow up to be a great mighty man in His army!

A Promise for All Times

Posted by Gabrielle

"For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine." Psalm 50: 10-11
"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." Matthew 10: 29-31

"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these." Matthew 6: 26-29

Our 4th of July

Posted by Gabrielle

My apologies for not posting sooner. A busy schedule has made life rather hectic. But here is a picture post of our fourth.

We recently watched the Moody Science video "City of the Bees" and remembered the part talking about giving a bee honey or sugar water to help it fly again when it becomes exhausted. So, that morning, we were delighted (well, not for the sake of the bee ;)) to actually find a bee in such a state on my zinnia flowers. So we gave it a spoon of honey. It drank the whole thing and flew away a half hour later.

Introducing: Moby Melon! Mommy made a much anticipated watermelon carving for us; a certain act which she has not done for many years. So this was new for all the younger children.

Here she is, with Jedidiah watching, drawing the face.

Very cute!

He likes it!

Here are some pictures of the Rolesville fireworks. They don't last for long, only about ten minutes, but worth seeing nonetheless.
The next four are in black and white due to a slight oversight on the part of a Hellwig videographer(who shall remain unnamed ;)) who last took a video in black and white and forgot to put it back, but they are a sampling of some of our favorite ones, still!

Part of the grand finale!