Ebenezer Forest Farm

Birthday Costume Party Part 1

2012-02-04T22:57:00.000-08:00

It's been while since we had a really big blog post with lots of pictures... today, I am going to fix that problem!

Here's why...

We went to a Birthday Costume Party in honor of our dear friend Yvonne S. We had tons of fun fellowshipping with everyone and took tons of pictures! We are going to have to do two posts to fit everything in! :)

Costumes galore!

Daddy and Mommy dressed up as Captain Caleb Holt and Katharine Holt from the movie "Fireproof"!

No, these three did not dress up as party favors, but they were just too cute to pass up a picture!

Jordan: Eric Liddel, me: Mrs. Harriet Oleson, Eden: Buttercup, Shiloh: Mrs. Anna Jackson.

In our "true" characters! :)

The two Buttercups.

Imagine our surprise (or maybe it wasn't too surprising!) when we found that Elanee S. dressed up as Buttercup too! Hmmm... :)

Fellowshipping...

After guessing every one's costumes, we all split up into groups and played a game of Bible Charades. As you can imagine, it was pretty funny to see someone dressed up in a totally different costume than what they should have been in!

Group 1 acts out the story of "The Rich Man and Lazarus".

Lazarus!

Group 2 doing the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den.

(I had a bit of a problem getting my camera to work so by the time I took a picture, they were half done!)

Group 3 preparing their cast!

Me as King Ahasuerus with Haman (Jenna S.) as my right hand man.

"Bring in Vashit!!!"

Vashti (Shiloh) did not come so the order goes out that a new queen will be found!

And Jillian H. is chosen as Queen Esther!

Group 4 starts out with the prophets worshipping Baal!

Elijah (Jordan) shows them that "his God is God"!

Group 5 with Abraham and Isaac going up the mountain to sacrifice...

...Isaac!

The Knight in Shinning Armor with the piñata.

Enjoying the festivities!

Eden's expression is priceless!

Judah shows us how he can balance candy wrappers on his nose! Quite the talent!

Havin' way too much fun with Katherine H.!

Happy Birthday Yvonne!

This was a blessed evening of fellowshipping with other like-minded families to celebrate Yvonne's Birthday! You can't get much better than that!

Posted By:

~Bethany

A Visit to the Apple Store...

2012-01-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

...To get a Mac laptop! We are so excited for God's blessing in providing us this equipment for Virtuous Women Magazine!

Here we are checking out Siri with the iPhone 4S!

Great way to spend the day!

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow!"

Posted By:

~Bethany

Sneak Peek!

2012-01-22T16:17:00.000-08:00

For a friends Birthday Party I am dressing up as... well can you guess!? :)

Hmmmmm! What do you think?

Posted By:

~Bethany

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

2012-01-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

Longfellow in 1868 by Julia Margaret Cameron

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in 1807 in Portland Maine (back then part of Massachusetts) and died in 1864 at 75 years old. He was an American poet and educator who's works included: "Paul Revere's Ride", "The Song of Hiawatha", "The Courtship of Miles Standish", "Evangeline", and many other titles.

His very first major poems were collected together in 1839 and printed in "Voices of the Night" and once again in 1841, "Ballads and Other Poems".

Longfellow was a very popular poet in his day and wrote mostly lyric poems which are known for their legend and musicality.

Today, you can still read Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poetry~ such as "Paul Revere's Ride" or "The Courtship of Miles Standish".

Posted By: Shiloh

A Music Blessing Night

2012-01-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

Megan on the violin

This is a post that should have been posted looooooooooooong ago, but better late then never so here it is! In honor of Bethany's 18th birthday we invited several friends over for a shared meal and Music Blessing Night.

Mahala C.

Eating & Talking

After dinner everyone headed out to the incredibly cold barn for the official Music Night where everyone had something to share!

Bethany & Kathrina on the violins

Durmaz children singing their ABC Scripture Songs

Bethany Janzen on the harp

Graham Desmond on the piano

Brie Ella singing and playing the piano

Maddie Desmond on the violin, playing her incredible classical piece!

Evan & Elanee Smythe~ piano duet

Noah C. on the piano playing his own hymn arrangements

Yvonne Smythe playing a lovely Christmas piece

Jordan on the piano

A song & hymn sung by: Eden, Mikell Desmond, & Mahala C.

Watching and keeping warm~ or trying to keep warm. :)

Sarah, Kathrina, & Noah Bisceglia with some jigs on the piano, violin, & guitar

"A Mighty Fortress" with Eden on the piano & myself on the harp. I look very dramatic here, but in reality~ I'm only changing the note by lifting the lever. :)

The final hymn with nearly everyone (that could fit) on stage.
Piano: Noah & Jordan
Violins: Kathina, Bethany, & Maddie
Singing: Eden, Shiloh, & Mikell

Well, a hope you've enjoyed this "long over due" post. :)

Posted By: Shiloh

What Was the "Bay Psalm Book"?

2012-01-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

Picture From Wikipedia

Also known as the "Psalter", the "Bay Psalm Book" was the first book to be printed in North America and was first translated from Hebrew and then in 1640, published in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The title page of the first edition of 1640:

The Whole Booke of Psalmes
Faithfully
TRANSLATED into ENGLISH
Metre.
Whereunto is prefixed a discourse
declaring not only the lawfullnes, but also
the necessity of the heavenly Ordinance
of singing Scripture Psalmes in
the Churches of God.
Cambridge, Mass. Stephen Day
Imprinted, 1640--
For over a century "The Bay Psalm Book" was used by families as well as churches. Today you can still purchase America's very first book.

-
Posted By: Shiloh

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

Wow! This has been a crazy but blessed year. God has added to our family, provided for us, guided us through difficult parts, and blessed us beyond belief. Each one of us has had challenges; they were difficult and trying, but God saw us through! Praise the Lord!

Us four older ones getting the Christmas tree.

If you remember this post, then you probably know that is coming. This is our 3rd annual post dedicated to begging all our blog readers to comment! Tell us who you are and how you found our blog. We love hearing from people that we didn't even know existed no less looked at our blog! :) If you lurk on our blog and never have left a comment, please do! Even if we already know you or you have commented in the past, we'd love to hear from you just the same!

Thanks!

On another note, Shiloh entered the "Scottevest: Trip of your Life Contest" with an essay... while Eden and I entered with a video!

It is a movie from "The Vik & Nes Show"... a silly show that we do when we have extra time on our hands (which doesn't happen that often!). I am Vikki (Vik) and Eden is Vanessa (Nes).

Here is our video:

Please "like" it and share it with your friends!

Thank you all for making our blog possible. Without anyone viewing it, it wouldn't be here today!

"To God be the glory, great things he has done!"

Posted By:

~Bethany

SCOTTEVEST Essay Contest

2011-12-31T22:34:00.001-08:00

Always On Time With SCOTTEVEST

By: Shiloh Strang

The goal is to have everyone up- big kids at 6:30 am, little kids at 7:30 am, morning routines done- 8:00 am, breakfast done- 8:30 am, teeth and hair brushed- 8:45 am, shoes and jackets on- 8:55 am, and in the van at 9:00 am sharp. The problem is that with seven kids, nine travel bags, and three still in car seats we’re habitually in the car, settled down, and buckled up 15 minutes late… Next time we’ll make it… maybe.

Setting aside hurried teeth brushing, bags to be put in the back of the car, little ones to buckle up, and the rushing to and fro….. We still love traveling as a family and probably wouldn’t change anything…. that is until today when our mother stumbled across some friends’ promo video on Facebook for SCOTTEVEST. Why! That’s just what we need. Imagine seven simple vests on seven kids… compared to the seven bags (plus) stuffed to the ceiling in the back of the car on a road trip! Quite the contrast… and perhaps with SCOTTEVESTS we could finally overcome the “unlucky” 15 minutes… with a breeze.

SCOTTEVEST is having a contest to enter to win $10,000- for the trip of your life and $1,000 worth of SCOTTEVEST to wear! Where would my family go if we won this contest?

First we’d be singing “California, here I come…”[1] as we’d enter the golden gates to visit relatives, friends, and even attend a wedding of dear ones who finally decided to tie the knot!

Next we’d head over to the Evergreen State (Washington) for a great convention that was voted unanimously as a “Family Favorite” last year and is by all means a must to attend.

After that we’d head down to the Lone Star State in our spiffy SCOTTEVESTS, visit the Alamo, watch out for large bugs and armadillos, take some pictures in front of the Riverwalk and watch our little brothers shoot their six-shooters just like Davey Crocket.

Then up to Tennessee where great monuments of Andrew Jackson stand… singing all the way, “I do not know of another state where I had rather be… than this great state…”[2]. Visiting all of our friends with SCOTTEVESTS on (no baggage!) and looking over the old battle fields of yesteryear where men gave their lives for what they believed was pure and true.

Soon we’d all be off to “the far and mighty West where the crimson sun seeks rest...”[3]-- Wyoming, ho! To see Old Faithful the cone geyser in Yellowstone National Park which still blows faithfully and on time~ a lesson which we hope we’ll learn someday… someday soon.

Eventually, we’d trek back to “Oregon, My Oregon” and lay aside our SCOTTEVESTS for the next road trip.

These are the places my family would travel if we had $10,000 to spend on the “Trip of a Life Time”... and with SCOTTEVEST we’d (for sure) always be on time.

[1] “California Here I Come”, by: Buddy DeSylva & Joseph Myer

[2] “Tennessee”, by: Vivian Rorie

[3] “Wyoming”, by C.E. Winter

Music, Witnessing, & Singing

2011-12-29T14:39:00.000-08:00

Recently we were asked to sing and play our instruments during an SDA's dinner...
After some instrumentals, we started with our "Christmas Bells" & "Angels We Have Heard on High"~ both are lovely arrangements complete with different parts. Through practicing our younger sibling have learned both pieces so they joined in.

Later we did our newly arranged "We Three Kings" where each sibling sings a verse and the rest play they're instrument during the verse.

"We Three Queens" sing "We Three Kings". :)

Bethany was able to play a few selections with her violin student...

Judah then made a special appearance on his very own Bodhran~ Irish drum!! It was the perfect addition to "The Little Drummer Boy" with the harp, piano, and Bethany and Eden singing. :)

Towards the end, Jordan gave a Gospel presentation which we hope convicted many people there to look at their lives and wonder about the day when they will stand on their own before the Lord. We were able to give out quite a few Million Dollar tracts from livingwaters.com and Jordan was very excited to use "Giant Money" as an attention grabber~ it sure worked!

We ended with "Joy to the World" ~ another favorite our ours.

Posted By: Shiloh

Last Minuet Christmas Shopping...

2011-12-24T17:30:00.000-08:00

...Was a blast!

We had way too much fun getting that last gift at the Antique Malls (on Christmas Eve!).

Here are some pictures:

Getting ready to go!

Riding a moose!

The fun begins!!!

Where does it stop with us?!

We were having way too much fun trying on goofy hats! :)

Jordan boards a train...

Siblings on the train tracks.

"I'll be home for Christmas..."

On the way home I snapped this gorgeous shot.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. "

~Isaiah 9:6

Stay tuned for a few more updates that we have been getting behind on. They will be up soon--I promise! :)

Posted By:

~Bethany

All God's Creatures Got A Place In The Choir!

2011-12-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

Here is our latest, greatest song! It was sung at Bethany's 18 birthday party...

Enjoy and stay tuned for pictures!

The Wonders the Gospel Will Accomplish~

2011-12-16T23:30:00.000-08:00

"Oh, the wonders [the gospel] will accomplish! It wipes guilt from the conscience, rolls the world out of the heart, and darkness from the mind...It will put honey into the bitterest cup, and health into the most diseased soul. It will give hope to the heart, health to the face, oil to the head, light to the eye, strength to the hand, and swiftness to the foot. It will make life pleasant, labour sweet, and death triumphant. It gives faith to the fearful, courage to the timid, and strength to the weak. It robs the grave of its terrors and death of its sting. It subdues sin, severs from self, makes faith strong, love active, hope lively, and zeal invincible. It gives sonship for slavery, robes for rags, makes the Cross light and reproach pleasant; it will transform a dungeon into a palace, and make the fires of martyrdom as refreshing as the cool breeze of summer. It snaps legal bonds, loosens the soul, clarifies the mind, purifies the affections, and often lifts the saint to the very gates Heaven. No man can deserve it; money cannot buy it, or good deeds procure it; grace reigns here!"
~ W. Poole Balfern - 1858

Posted By: ~Shiloh~

John Winthrop's City upon a Hill, 1630

2011-12-13T15:57:00.000-08:00

Engraving showing Winthrop's arrival at Salem

Now the onely way to avoyde this shipwracke and to provide for our posterity is to followe the Counsell of Micah, to doe Justly, to love mercy, to walke humbly with our God, for this end, wee must be knitt together in this worke as one man, wee must entertaine each other in brotherly Affeccion, wee must be willing to abridge our selves of our superfluities, for the supply of others necessities, wee must uphold a familiar Commerce together in all meekenes, gentlenes, patience and liberallity, wee must delight in eache other, make others Condicions our owne rejoyce together, mourne together, labour, and suffer together, allwayes haveing before our eyes our Commission and Community in the worke, our Community as members of the same body, soe shall wee keepe the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace, the Lord will be our God and delight to dwell among us, as his owne people and will commaund a blessing upon us in all our wayes, soe that wee shall see much more of his wisdome power goodnes and truthe then formerly wee have beene acquainted with, wee shall finde that the God of Israell is among us, when tenn of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies, when hee shall make us a prayse and glory, that men shall say of succeeding plantacions: the lord make it like that of New England: for wee must Consider that wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us; soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our god in this worke wee have undertaken and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us, wee shall be made a story and a byword through the world, wee shall open the mouthes of enemies to speake evill of the wayes of god and all professours for Gods sake; wee shall shame the faces of many of gods worthy servants, and cause theire prayers to be turned into Cursses upon us till wee be consumed out of the good land whether wee are going: And to shutt upp this discourse with that exhortacion of Moses that faithfull servant of the Lord in his last farewell to Israell Deut. 30. Beloved there is now sett before us life, and good, deathe and evill in that wee are Commaunded this day to love the Lord our God, and to love one another to walke in his wayes and to keepe his Commaundements and his Ordinance, and his lawes, and the Articles of our Covenant with him that wee may live and be multiplyed, and that the Lord our God may blesse us in the land whether wee goe to possesse it: But if our heartes shall turne away soe that wee will not obey, but shall be seduced and worshipp other Gods our pleasures, and proffitts, and serve them, it is propounded unto us this day, wee shall surely perishe out of the good Land whether wee passe over this vast Sea to possesse it;

Therefore lett us choose life,

that wee, and our Seede,

may live; by obeyeing his

voyce, and cleaveing to him,

for hee is our life, and

our prosperity.

This is part of the "The Arbella Covenant" that I was studying today. It is a sermon by: John Winthrop titled, "A Model of Christian Charity", but more commonly known as "City Upon a Hill".

Read the entire sermon here.

Posted By: ~Shiloh~

Birthday and Bowling!

2011-12-02T22:24:00.000-08:00

We were delighted to spend time this past week with the Smythe family to celebrate Mr. Smythe's birthday!

It was a very fun day full of big surprises...

We started out by having lunch together, then went Bowling, and finished off the day with a big bowl of Cold Stone ice cream! What a day!

Enjoy these pictures that we took! Oh, and special thanks to Evan for some of the shots.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Getting our groups set up with balls, lanes, and special shoes! :)

Yvonne set to work signing everyone up to play.

I love this picture!!!

Daddy preparing his arm-swing.

Shiloh lets the ball fly!

Were we having way too much fun or what?!

Mr. Smythe's strike!

Trying to hit at least one pin...

I actually got one strike! :)

Yvonne was the one who had all the tips on choosing the right ball, how to throw with smooth movements, and where to line up on the lines!

Mommy with the ball that she shared with Mrs. Smythe.

Evan gets ready!

Jordan goes through a few practice swings...

Eden surprised us all with her bowling abilities!

(Okay, she is using bumpers in this picture!)

Elanne's turn to make a strike!

Here is the happy group after a good game!

Oh, and the ice cream was delicious!

We had a wonderful evening of fun and fellowship with our friends! We hope to do it again--soon!

Posted By:

~Bethany

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T21:40:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving we had a wonderful time of fellowship with the D. Family.

We spent the evening giving thanks to God for His blessings to us, talking, singing, and of course eating delicious turkey!

See for yourself what our day looked like!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We dressed up in honor of the First Thanksgiving.

The cutest little Pilgrim boy ever!

He was joined by his sister...

...Who was also a Pilgrim with her baby!

Awwww!

And Ben was just hilarious as an Indian!

He was so excited to dress up!

I even pulled out my Indian costume from two years ago...

Shiloh and I made a dessert that was an old recipe from our tribe.

It had a Germanic influence and tasted remarkably like German Chocolate Cake!

"How!"

The parents talking before the meal.

The feasting begins!

The other table.

The father talking.

After the meal we sang some hymns and shared some other fun music together.

Singing our latest, greatest song called, "All God's Creatures Got a Place in the Choir!"

The D. children blessed us all with their original A to Z Bible verse songs. They were wonderful songs and the singers were so cute! :)

The happy bunch of onlookers!

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."

~Psalm 100:4-5

Posted By:

~Bethany

National Adoption Day

2011-11-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

In honour of November 19th, which is National Adoption Day, we hosted a showing of the new documentary "Rescued". It was a wonderful film about adoption and we really enjoyed it!

We had a wonderful day of fellowship with our friends the D. family.

Here are the pictures!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We started out the evening with our famous Bible game!

When ever another family comes over, Daddy puts together a Bible trivia game before we eat. We divide into teams--Boys against Girls!--and put our heads together. The team who wins gets to go through the food line first... and sometimes they even get an extra helping of ice cream, but I think that is more of a saying than actually true!

Oh, and Daddy put the game together like "Jeopardy!"

The Girls Team!

(Go Girls!)

The Boy Team!

Daddy giving out a question...

Us Girls thinking, thinking, thinking...

And we won!!!

For the record... we only lost once! :)

(Sorry Boys!)

After dinner, Shiloh introduced us to the movie. She was our movie host, you know!

The little ones...

And the whole group!

In case you are wondering who took the picture... I set up my camera for a "self-picture"! We were quite pleased with the results and amazed that we got everyone in the shot! :)

It was a wonderful evening!

The official movie trailer.

Posted By:

~Bethany

For My 18th Birthday...

2011-11-18T17:33:00.000-08:00

...I had a wonderful day with my parents and siblings!

The two most wonderful parents in the world! I love you both!

We (my parents and I) went out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner.

Here I am ordering Chinese food in a Chinese restaurant in Chinese! :) I had fun putting my Chinese language skills to the test! I was even able to communicate with a Chinese lady who had barely spoken one year of English while I have not even spoken one year of Chinese! She actually understood me when I asked her how long she had spoken English for (okay, I did say it with "bad Chinese"... but it still worked!). :)

It was a wonderful day!

Posted By:

~Bethany

Enjoying Fall...

2011-11-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

...The colors, the beauty, and the Creator of it all!

"Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit."

~Leviticus 26:4

Posted By:

~Bethany

The Perfect Fit

2011-10-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a post that I did on our End of the Matter Sisters blog.

Enjoy!
-------------------------------
Hello! It's Bethany here...

I just finished sewing a new skirt!
The pattern was just what I wanted and I was delighted with the color so I set to work.

When the last threads were clipped from the machine, I couldn't wait to try it on! But what a disappointment when I found that skirt was too tight... I wasn't sure what I should do, so I went on a diet.

I've been only eating broccoli and brussel-sprouts and drinking lots of water and tomato juice. I also have been doing a lot of biking, push-ups, sit-ups, and running... It's been long and hard! But today it all paid off when I tried on the skirt and--can you believe it!?--it fit! So now the skirt fits me (or I fit the skirt) and I'm happy!

Well, not really!

Actually, a friend gave me some advice:

Take out the side seams and then sew it up again with less seam allowance than 5/8th".

That worked.

Now I can't wait to wear my new skirt!

If a problem like this comes your way, I would strongly recommend trying out the advice of my friend... however, if you do insist... you can always try the diet!!! :)

Posted By:

~Bethany

Soap Class 2011

2011-10-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we hosted our 3rd annual Soap Class!

This year we had a large group of mothers and daughters learning to make soap together. Yvonne Symthe was our amazing instructor who guided everyone in the soap making process. It was a safe, fun, and enjoyable class with plenty of fellowshipping afterwards!

Enjoy the pictures!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One side of the table getting prepared to work!

The other side of the table, hard at work.

Mrs. H. and her adorable daughter working together on their batch.

So why are we melting soap over the stove? Well, since there were about twelve crock-pots and five burners... we kept throwing the switch and loosing electricity!

I had the special job of crawling under tables to fix the problem... only to end up back there about four more times!!!

The best part is putting the scents to colors. So much fun!

"Maddie! What are you doing?!"

Some very special friends...

Hmmmmmm...

Words cannot describe this picture... but I think Mikell's face can! :)

Enjoying the food and fellowship.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Symthe family made a day out of it and even brought us dinner! They are so kind!

After dinner, we watched "National Treasure... 2"! (With... you!)

(Will there ever be a "National Treasure Threeeee"?!)

After the movie... we went into our "late night humor" mood! Can you tell that everyone looks a little crazy? It was 11:38 pm at this point! :)

We enjoyed this wonderful day!

"Thank you, Smythe Family, for coming over and making our day so much fun!!!"

"He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."

~Psalm 24:4-5

Posted By:

~Bethany

The Winton's in Concert

2011-10-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

If you remember this post, then you probably have been waiting for this moment!

This week we hosted the Winton's in our barn for a house concert. We had so much fun preparing everything, putting our heads together to come up with new ideas, and planning all the logistics. The concert was a huge success! We had about 70 people sitting on hay bales and enjoying the wonderful music. The Wintons were so much fun to be with and we felt like we already knew them from the common bond of like-minded Christianity. It was a delightful evening of music, food, fellowship, and fun... all with Jesus Christ as the center!

---------------------------

Doesn't the barn look like a Concert Hall?!

We were so pleased about how it turned out with the Christmas lights, stage, halogen lights, etc.

Daddy opening the concert with some words of wisdom.

Jesse, Mr. Winton, and Cody playing away!

Cody on the banjo...

...And Dobro.

Jesse on the mandolin.

Singing one of the foot-stompin' gospel songs!

The S. family listening to the musicians.

What a crowd!

A big thanks to everyone who came out and made the evening so fun and special!

Some of the many delicious treats!

Here is the last 30 seconds of a variation on "Dueling Banjos". These are some bumpy moments, but I couldn't help it with a bouncing and clapping Judah on my lap!

Thank you, Winton's, for coming out here! We look forward to visiting with you all again!"

Posted By:

~Bethany

Photo credit (2,3,4,5, & 6) to Mr. C.

The Lord is Faithful!

2011-10-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

This is one of the hymns that we sang in church today.

The Lord is so faithful and everyday we see His new mercies!

Great is His faithfulness!

The Umqua River

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain

Posted By: Shiloh

Putting together the magazine~

2011-10-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again.....

Where we go to Kinkos to print Virtuous Women Magazine! I've always considered writing an article on what goes into publishing a magazine and then putting together, but I usually forget the idea when printing comes along again or forget to bring my camera along!

This time we were able to use the handy-dandy Mac with photo booth to act as a camera (since my camera has once again taken ill... ;)).

Enjoy the pictures!

Laying out all the pages in the correct order....

I soon found that doing five at a time helped greatly speed up the process!

Here's a view of mostly everything~ except the papers on the chair! I had paper literally everywhere- making it quite confusing. :)

Ta-da! The complete issue! Complete with a sneak-peek of the cover. :)

Contact us here to find out how to get a copy!

Posted By: Shiloh

Sneak Peek!

2011-10-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a little sneak peek to the preparation that is going into our barn for the Winton House Concert!

We will be hosting it here:

It is looking great!

I think that this is pretty "Winton Worthy"! :)

From off the loft.

Some of the crew hard at work!

We can't wait!

Posted By:
~Bethany

Courageous!

2011-10-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

Our family went with friends to see the outstanding film "Courageous". It was probably the best feature film made this year! This movie had it all: moments of suspense, times when you couldn't stop laughing because it was so funny, and parts where everyone around you was crying from a heart-wrenching tragedy. The message of Fatherhood was the main theme of the film, but everyone could glean the many wonderful lessons as well.

We would definitely encourage other families to watch this film.

We need more Godly films like these to be shown in theaters to further God's Kingdom!

Arriving at the theater. We couldn't wait!

Shiloh is ready to watch!

And it's over. :(

We kept saying how we wished we could just watch it all over again!

After the movie! Like I said, it was excellent!

Afterwards, we went out to dinner.

Here is one side of the table...

...And here is the other side!

The parents taking.

Secret Agent Yvonne S. even joined us for dinner! We felt very safe with her around...

After a wonderful evening!

What are you waiting for? It's time to watch "Courageous"!

Posted By:

~Bethany

Focusing

2011-09-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

I'm learning how to stay more focused on my school work without letting my mind wander when the subject is plainly boring. :)

Today, my coach and I discussed different ways to help someone stay focused. Here are some of the things that we came up with:

1) Read your information out-loud (this is something that especially could help with boring information).

2) Take notes or make flashcards

3) Set short-term goals for yourself and then have a reward to go with the accomplishment (for example: "after reading this entire chapter make, I think I'll have a cup of coffee" - although I don't drink coffee. :)).

4) Picture the information in your head (like described in Dynamic Memory~ excellent course by the way!! I highly recommend it!!) or use hand motions to help remember the information.

5) Try using headphones or earplugs to screen out the noise. You could listen to something quiet, like Mozart, or just use them to screen out all noise and get some silence. Whatever works better for you.

Extra Tips:

~Start with Prayer

~Make a Schedule.

~Dream big, but make your goals achievable.

~Be reasonable.

~Have fun!

What are some things that help you stay focused?

Goals by: Shiloh & Elizabeth

Photo Credit: Google

Fellowshipping With Friends...

2011-09-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

...In honor of Jordan's 16th Birthday!

We had an amazing time celebrating it by spending time with some wonderful friends! The very gracious C. family had us over with three other families. They had all the great activities including Capture The Flag, Zip Lining, Tree Swinging, worship, and Catch-Phrase! We took a lot of pictures..........

So enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Preparing for an excellent Bible study that Mr. C. put together.

Can you tell that the guys are ready for Capture the Flag?!

It was nice catching up with the friends that we haven't seen for a while.

The Dads deep in conversation.

Ben and Judah up in the playhouse!

Jordan and Evan getting ready to Tree Swing!

Let me tell you, this was definitely a highlight! Even though it was difficult at first, we all got the hang of it and were Tree Swinging like pros before we knew it! And... it was well worth the big bruises! :)

The zip line was a blast! Can you see Mikell D. and I hovering over earth?

Eden ready to go... and Maddie D. having second thoughts....

Daddy and I tried it out together:

Get ready...

Get set...

Go!

We went so fast that time!

Havilah gave it a try too.

Yvonne S. and Shiloh showed us a thing or two about fashionable zip lining... :)

Off they go!

Back in the house we settled down for a very special time of spontaneous music and hymns.

Jordan entertaining his friends! :)

I asked Shiloh and Elanne S. to entertain us with this "duet"!

Daddy and the little guys enjoying themselves!

Noah C. on the guitar.

The two harpists (now doing a different duet!).

And now I come to the most depressing part...

...The time to say goodbye!

Last minute conversation that sometimes end up being longer than that!

We had a wonderful time and we are very thankful to the C. family for their hospitality!

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

~Psalm 133:1

Special Thanks to Evan S. for some of the pictures! :)

Elanee S. and I took a wild ride down the zip line with our cameras... thankfully we mad it back with them still in one piece! :)

Here is the video:

Posted By:

~Bethany

Jordan's 16th Birthday!

2011-09-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Yep! Our dear brother turned 16 today!

The LORD surely blessed us when he gave Jordan for a son for our mother and father and a brother for the rest of us. He's the best big brother to me (and my favorite!), and one of the best little, (but taller!) brothers!

In honor of our dear brother's birthday, we have posted some pictures of Jordan growing up for you to view! Also...please don't forget to comment and wish him a very Happy Birthday!

---

Jordan was born on September 25th, 1995 and since then, he has been a blessing in everything!

He is the best big brother, and he aways is such fun!

Before....

Especially when it came to pillow fights between me and him. (we still do them, by the way!)

After

See?

Without Jordan, us siblings would not be complete! After all, who would talk to us the way Jordan does?!

Yes....he surely was a "cutie pie!"

Something was missing though....

....and that was a little brother! Being the only boy in three girls for 11 years, Jordan did not just want a brother, he REALLY wanted one! And he set to praying...he prayed for 11 years and finally....

God sent us Judah!

As Jordan got older, we realized that he was turning from a "cute little angle boy" to....

...a very handsome fellow!

Yes.....if you haven't figured it out by now, Jordan is a wonderful big brother!

I praise the LORD for placing Jordan in my family!

Jordan: I love you dearly! Happy 16th Birthday!

May you grow in the LORD from this day forth!

Thank you for being such a great and wonderful big brother!

Don't forget to check our Jordan's Blog at: www.jordanstrang.blogspot.com to see the CD that he made!

Psalm 146:1: "Praise ye the LORD . Praise the LORD, O my soul"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JORDAN!

We love you!

Love,

Daddy

Mommy

Shiloh

Bethany

Eden

Judah

Havilah

and

Benjamin

Posted by:

Eden

Ready for Winter!

2011-09-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

Today, we finished the last bit of stacking. Here's the finished result. We've got about 6 1/2 stacks and a stack of kindling. :)

Judah's 5th Birthday!

2011-09-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

It's true. The cute-pie actually turned 5 years old today! What a blessing Judah has been to our family! What in the world would we do without him?!

We love him so much!

Judah at birth.

Awww! Can't get much cuter than that!!!

Well... maybe you can!

Judah loves music!

Hey! There's three Judah's!

The "Threesome".

Evan is one of Judah's best friends!

The family would not be complete without Judah!

Go Judah!

He practiced running for...

...The Highland games!

Cooling off in the Summer.

God has truly blessed our family by adding every child in his perfect time!

"Happy Birthday Judah!!! We love you!"

And a special video in honor of Judah's Birthday!

Enjoy!

Posted By:

~Bethany

Just For Fun! :)

2011-09-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

We were having way too much fun at our friends house a couple weeks ago! They had an enormous kilted skirt that didn't fit them and practically went around me twice!

I had a great idea... Eden and I should try it on at the same time. It worked!

We laughed so hard! Hope you find it as funny as we did! :)

We actually (by coincidence) were wearing matching shirts!

TA-DA!

Showing off a new fashion.

We look like twins in this picture!

My favorite!

Posted By:

~Bethany

A Visit With Royalty...

2011-09-08T22:41:00.000-07:00

...Or the Royal Family! :)

Remember our first Timberdoodle movie? Two years ago when the Royal Family first watched it, they always wanted to somehow meet up with our family. Shortly after, they got in contact with our family and we have gotten to know them over email. Well, in August, they ended up at Ebenezer Forest Farm! They even got to spend the night with us! We all had a wonderful time getting to know each other and fellowshipping with their family. Next time they just have to stay longer... :)

Enjoy these pictures we took!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The little children playing... the more the merrier!

The weather was so nice and we enjoyed spending the majority of the time outside.

We played outside until it was dark and then went inside to...

...Dance! Hardly anyone can leave our house without forced (well maybe that's a little harsh!) to do at least a few jigs!

Kathlyn, Edwin, and Alida did a great job during the dances!

The guys part.

(This is a very important part and the girls are expected to clap!)

Laurissa and Eden getting ready for breakfast.

Daddy made a very special breakfast! It was so delicious!

Judah and Laurissa waiting patiently for their food.

Love the sunglasses! Too cute! :)

Kathlyn and I.

Thomas and Winston enjoying the meal.

And now is the sad part... our dear friends actually had to leave us!

Having last minute conversations that last about an hour!

Right before hitting the road, both our families serenaded each other.

Group shot!

"Thank you, Royal Family, for the wonderful time of fellowship! Come visit us again! (Soon!)"

Isn't it amazing how God can bring families together from across the United States!?

Posted By:
~Bethany

Divided.............

2011-09-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

~Daddy & Mommy~

2011-08-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

Happy 30th Anniversary, Mommy and Daddy!!!!!!!!!!

We Love You!

Shiloh - Bethany - Jordan - Eden - Judah - Havilah - Benjamin

The Highland Games

2011-08-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

Last month, our family attend the Scottish Highland Games! Not only did we go as viewers, but Daddy, Jordan, and I went as competitors as well. Jordan and Daddy ran the Kilted Mile (a mile long race that is run in a--you guessed it! A kilt!) and I did the Scottish Fiddle Competition.

We so enjoyed the games! Not only did we get to do and see some really fun things, but we also spent the day with two other families!

Enjoy the pictures!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Games.

Our very early morning started off with a fiddle workshop I did and then the competition.

Getting into the mood of Scottish Fiddle!

After the competition I jammed with this boy.

When we were done with the fiddle, we raced off to see the kilted mile!

We got there just in the nick of time!

And they're off!

Jordan coming around the bend! He held the lead for three laps!

And Daddy running down the Home Stretch.

Daddy and Jordan did a wonderful job in the race.

Daddy won 1st place in his category; Jordan came in a very close 4th place!

Scottish Camera wars at our base camp!

The cutest Scottish guy you'll ever meet!

Shiloh did an amazing job on Judah and Benjamin's kilts. You can read about them HERE.

After the competitions, it was time to relax and go exploring.

Yvonne S. and I show off our sun glasses and authentic Scottish wear!

We found our Tartan! We are from the Lindsay Clan.

If you know us, then you know that we love to dance!

We could not resist the opportunity to try our feet at Scottish Country Dancing!

Although Irish Ceili Dancing is still our favorite, we had a lot of fun doing the Scottish Dancing!

Jordan danced in his kilt! A very Scottish thing to do! :)

We really enjoyed seeing the Pipe Bands perform. Bagpipes are amazing instruments!

Sitting on the grass ready to watch the...

...Caber toss! This was by far the craziest thing we have ever seen!

At the end of the games, we saw the Mass Pipe Bands play "Amazing Grace". It was very moving.

Before we left, we did a "mini mile" race with our friends!

Jordan, Evan S. me, Yvonne S. Eden, Joy D. Elanne S. Sumi D. and Shiloh all running down the track!!!

Whew! Recovering from the race!

Although no one really knows who won that, we still had fun!

All the Lassies.

All the Laddies.

"Alba Gu Bra!!!"

Meaning: Scotland Forever!

Posted By:

~Bethany

Havilah turns 5!!

2011-08-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

Havilah in Ethiopia | 2010

Today, is the 5th birthday of a very special little girl whom the

Lord brought into our family in early March 2011...

Daddy & Havilah in Ethiopia | December 2011

Havilah & her new baby doll safely Home! | March 2011

Benjamin, Havilah, & Judah | July 2011

Havilah & Shiloh at the Coast | July 2011

We were very blessed to welcome Havilah into our family~
as she became 4th Sister in our growing 'popluation of girls'. ;)

Girls have fun!

We love being sisters and are blessed to have each other!!

Eden, Havilah, Shiloh, & Bethany | June 2011

Havilah with brothers: Judah & Benjamin | August 2011

Havilah Tirfe | July 2011

Havilah on a 'water day' | August 2011

We praise the Lord for the additions

He has given to our family~

Living up to the meaning of her middle name (Tirfe), Havilah truly is our profit!!

Havilah has a sweet heart for Jesus. In this coming year we pray that she will learn and grow closer to Him and seek to obey the Lord in all that she does!

Thank you, Jesus for Havilah Tirfe!!

Happy Birthday, Havilah!

Daddy ~ Mommy ~ Shiloh ~ Bethany ~ Jordan ~ Eden ~ Judah ~ Benjamin

The Three-some in the Sun!

2011-08-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

Today, I needed to get some post placement adoption shots for our upcoming 6 month post placement visit~ so I ended up getting a picture of each of the three "littles". Enjoy!

Judah Philip

Havilah Tirfe

Benjamin Abezu

Havilah, Benjamin, & Judah

Posted By: Shiloh!

The Three-some!

2011-08-18T18:12:00.001-07:00

We headed outside today to get some special photos for a very wonderful event....... Here are a few of my favorite "three-some" shots. Stay tuned to EFF for that upcoming event!

Posted By: Shiloh!

The Confetti Bomb!

2011-08-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, Shiloh just turned a whopping 20 years old!!! We knew that an age like this needed a big surprise... so, Jordan, Eden, and I put together the perfect plan!

We decided that Shiloh would need to dress up as a princess with some funny "jewelry" we got at the store. Next, when Daddy and Mommy took her out to eat, we would call the restaurant to tell them that someone very special would be coming to have dinner. While they were away, we would decorate the house with... well, I'll let you see that part for yourself!

Enjoy the pictures from the day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shiloh closes her eyes while Eden gets the surprise ready!

The Princess! Oh wait. She's not quite done yet....

And there's the finished product!

A favorite remark from Shiloh: "I'm keeping this wand. It means I rule!"

Unfortunately, it wasn't all play for Her Majesty.... she did have to practice harp! :)

Daddy, Shiloh, and Mommy getting ready to head off to the restaurant!

While they were gone, us three got to work.

Eden and I put up a banner.

Then we covered up the door with wrapping paper!

"What?! Are they here yet?"

Doing the finishing touches...

...And we're done! We even put in a cellophane window!

(Click to enlarge)

Now, to see the out come of this contraption... you will have to scroll down to watch the video.

All the girls.

Shiloh with the cookies that they gave her at the restaurant.

Happy Birthday Shiloh!

And here is the Confetti Bomb!

Posted By :
~Bethany

Shiloh Hits 20!

2011-08-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

WOW!!!

Is Shiloh actually 20 years old today?! It seems liked yesterday when Shiloh went through babyhood and childhood with flying colors... and now she just past teenage-hood, embarking on a big 20!

This very special day will be celebrated with a very special post.

I had so much fun digging through old photos looking for the perfect ones for today! Such fond memories! We have truly been blessed by having Shiloh in our family!

Shiloh was someone who could always (and still!) find something creative to do...

...Or dress up as!

She always was leading us in little skits that we would do.

She started out as a piano student (playing with some siblings on harmonica!)...

...And now she is a piano teacher...

...And a harp student!

Shiloh is usually the one to get us hooked on a great song... and she can get us to sing it too!

A long time ago, there was just the four of us.

But God made us grow,

And grow into seven!

And Shiloh has grown into a wonderful young lady!

Shiloh has done a wonderful job raising turkeys and selling them.

And as far as cute kittens go, she's in!

Oh, and she also does a great job as Tess Timony! :)

There is something very special about the joy of sisters.

I have always looked up to Shiloh!

But we can't forget Eden!

Who is also a very special sister...

Oh but wait... there is Havilah too!

That is four in all!

We are so blessed and thankful to have Shiloh in our family.

We loved her then!

And we love her now!

"Happy 20th Birthday Shiloh! We love you!"

Please comment to Shiloh and wish her a happy birthday!

Posted By:

~Bethany

Auntie Kaggy Comes to Town!

2011-08-03T22:18:00.000-07:00

When Auntie Kaggy comes for a visit, we know that we are in for the time of our lives!!! She is a dear family friend that we have known since... well, before any of us children were born! This time she brought a friend with her... Mr. Holdeman. As the saying goes, "The more the merrier", and it sure is right! We had a wonderful time with these two very special people.

Enjoy the pictures!

(We took a lot!!!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mr. Holdeman and Auntie Kaggy.

Our first stop was at the coast.

Daddy rented a 15 passenger van that we all piled into with (believe it not!) extra room for everyone!

All seven of us in a "cave" that we found.

We all went swimming... even the little guys! They got cold real fast!

Ben thinking twice about the next run into the waves....

Back at the base camp.

Here I am under a mini waterfall... it was a nice seat in an uncomfortable surrounding.

Something is really strange about this picture...

(And no, I'm not that short in real life!)

The next day we went up to Timberline Lodge...

...With a car full...

...Of sleepy people!

Daddy explaining how the ski lift works.

Enjoying the Lodge, from below...

...And above.

Jordan was able to play the piano they had there... here we are listening.

Trying out a game of Ping-Pong.

This was a massive door that we just had to take a picture of it!

For two of our little ones, this was the first time they got to see snow!

They really weren't sure what to think about it!

Uh oh! Run Havilah! Bethany is going to get you!

We finished up the day by going to our favorite pizza restaurant for dinner.

That night some of us stayed up until 12:00 am singing hymns... it was a very special time!

And now I come to the most difficult part. The day that Auntie Kaggy and Mr. Holdeman had to leave. :,-(

Well, we had a good start to the day by eating chocolate--right out of the jar!

This picture is too funny for words!

Chocolate lovers!

Eden, Jordan, and I with Mr. Holdeman and Auntie Kaggy.

Mommy and her dear friend.

The latest family picture.

The goodbyes were so sad!!!

Finally after many tears, Auntie Kaggy turned to Mr. Holdeman and said, "Let's get out of here!"

We were SO sad to see them go!

This was a wonderful and blessed weekend spent with these two friends. There was so many memories made that will last a lifetime. The long talks; the stories and laughter we shared; playing "Capture The Flag" (definitely a highlight!); singing songs; and so much more!!!

"We love you both! Thanks for making such a wonderful weekend. And... we miss you lots!"

Posted By:

~Bethany

"Fright Be Gone"

2011-08-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here is our short, comedy called "Fright Be Gone"!

It is entered into the 2011 Plants and Pillars film festival.

Any thoughts and comments are appreciated!

Posted By:

~WCP

Happy Birthday to Our Dear Mother!

2011-07-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

Today is our dear mother's birthday. In the past 2+4 (4+6-1y)-1+x-2+10 years Mommy has been a blessing to her family, has been married for 30 years, in 20 years has given birth to eight children (six biologically and two through adoption), and we love her very much!

Mommy | Graduation

Mommy with Shiloh in Texas | July 2010

Mommy with Daddy at Lost Lake | August 2010

Mommy with Mrs. D. at the Games | July 2011

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

We Love You!

Shiloh - Bethany - Jordan - Eden - Judah - Havilah - Benjamin

The Trailer

2011-07-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

Posted By: WCP
Related Posts

Another Picture Update~

2011-07-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

Ann

Ida

"Extras"

Ida

Related Posts: Post Production
Posted By: WCP

Post Production~

2011-07-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

You knew we'd be making another movie soon-- didn't you????

Enjoy the pictures and check back for more updates!

Terry and Petra

Tess and Bob

Posted By: WCP

Eden Turns 13!

2011-07-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Is it really true?!?! Is The Bobcat really growing up?!?! It's true! Today is Eden' very special day. Why? Because it's her Birthday! Happy 13th Birthday Eden!

Now I think there is a story to be told. This story is a tale of a very special sister who, for a very long time, was the baby of the family.

Oh, and she was very cute too!

This little girl was at the end of three older siblings.

They loved her dearly!

But... you must remember that she is a Bobcat at heart!

Well, one day we noticed that this little girl...

...Was growing up!

And my! She wasn't so little anymore!

In fact, she was a big sister too! Oh--but she still was the "Baby Girl of the Family!"

And she still gets teased by Bethany!

As Eden got bigger and better...

...So did the entertainment she provided for us!

And together we all had a great time!

Shiloh captured the Bobcat!!! :)

Sometimes Eden can be found jigging on a log with Jordan...

...Or staring in the infamous "Vik & Nes Show" with Bethany! (Eden as Vanessa, Bethany as Vikki)

(Click to enlarge)

Soon God blessed us all by enlarging our family!

Eden is such a great help with Benjamin and Havilah.

When does the fun stop when Eden is around?!

It is truly a blessing from the Lord to see how these three sisters...

...Have become four!

What a blessing Eden is to our family!!!

"We love you Eden! Happy 13th Birthday!!!"

Please comment to wish Eden a very Happy Birthday!

Indepedence Day: The Real Post!

2011-07-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

Our Independence Day Celebration was one amazing day! We watched it grow from unsure about what we would do... to a full party complete with ice cream, fun, and one very late night!

This will be a 2 Part post, so stayed tuned! Shiloh will be posting some of her pictures later... right now, you get the "Bethany Perspective!"

Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Too many cooks spoil the broth!

The girls preparing the food.

While the guys went shooting, us girls took a trip down to the creek.

For a little wading,

A little swimming,

And a little rock hunting.

Josiah D. on the log!

A very ambitious Liberty!

"But what if I get wet!?"

Getting ready to have some fun with Elanee S.!

Setting out on a plan...

Facing off!!!

And Eden and Yvonne ganged up on me to try to push me in the creek! It's two against one... and I'm barefoot... but whew! They didn't succeed! That time, at least...

Coming up with another "bright" idea?!

At some point, every turned out to be wet, so we headed back home.

Eden and Elanee entertaining us with some dramatic "performances"!

And line up, everyone, for a Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest!!!

(Attention bystanders: Never cross in front of a competitor; the results could be disastrous!)

On your mark! Aim! Fire!

And it looks like...

...Yvonne won!

Actually no, Mrs. S. beat her daughters record and came in first place in the competition!

Congratulations Mrs. S!

After dinner, we made a huge bonfire (okay, it wasn't as big as it looks!) and roasted...

Marshmallows!

As the marshmallows quickly began to disappear, we noticed a change in the atmosphere...

...We all were on a sugar high! :)

One and a half bags of marshmallows later, we all migrated inside for:

...Ice cream and pie!

Well, don't worry... we had to eat all that to keep us awake for the movie that we would be watching until 3:00 in the morning!

"Thank you, D. and S. for celebrating such a wonderful holiday with us! We can't wait till next time! :)"

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Posted By:

~Bethany

Independence Day Celebration: Sneak Peek

2011-07-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

While the men were off shooting....

Can you guess what the Ladies did?

Victoria, Havilah, Shiloh, Bethany, Elanee, Eden, Joy, Yvonne, & Mrs. S.

Think.... Target Practice, Good Aim, Boundaries,..... etc.

Happy Indepence Day!

2011-07-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

"I instantly felt the impulse to write a patriotic hymn of my own, adapted to the tune. Picking up a scrap of waste paper which lay near me, I wrote at once, probably within half an hour, the hymn ‘America’ as it is now known everywhere. The whole hymn stands today as it stood on the bit of waste paper." -Samuel F. Smith | 1831

My Country ‘Tis of Thee

My country, ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims’ pride,
From every mountainside,
Let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills,
Like that above.

No more shall tyrants here
With haughty steps appear,
And soldier bands;
No more shall tyrants tread
Above the patriot dead—
No more our blood be shed
By alien hands.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees,
Sweet freedom’s song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our fathers’ God, to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our king.

Staying Creative

2011-07-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting video that I found on the CollegePlus! Blog.

I love the first two steps- which tell you to write lists and carry a notebook everywhere! I love making lists and carry my notebook (which often is a calender) along with me when on the go! :)

I found that I already do a lot of the things mentioned in this video-- what about you? Do you have any tips on how to stay creative?

Posted By: Shiloh

Science Lessons 101

2011-06-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

I caught a lizard today (yes, I actually went out and caught one-- surprise!!). This was simply a homeschooling moment that couldn't be wasted whether I dislike lizards or not...

Anyhow, Havilah, Judah, and Benjamin were delighted to look at this "lovely" little specimen.... And thus began their very first science lesson of the season.

Finally, after looking at the "cute" little guy--it was time to say goodbye and let him go-

Judah had the honors of dumping him out of the bag-

And everyone watched him creep away...

Remarks made by the children~

In response to the question of what color he was, Havilah answered, "....Green...."
After studying the lizard for a moment, Judah declared, "He's looking at me!"
When the lizard seemed somewhat close to Benjamin he responded, "Eeeeeh!!!!"

Stay tuned for future Science Updates.... Perhaps next time it will be a snake....

Posted By: Shiloh

OCEANetwork Conference 2011

2011-06-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we enjoyed the 2011 OCEANetwork Homeschool Convention!

We had a wonderful time. Well, who wouldn't?! Conferences are great places to fellowship with old friends, meet new ones, hear great speakers, and to enjoy a very fun weekend.

Of course I will be document this event with the following pictures! ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Empty seats waiting for the conference to start!

Our family settling down for the first session.

Dr. Voddie Bachum was one of the keynote speakers... and let me tell you, he was phenomenal!

Getting ready for the next move to make...

...Which was visiting the Exhibitors Hall! One of our favorite things to do at a conference.

Shiloh and I were able to help Yvonne Smythe at her booth of handmade soaps.

The next day we enjoyed lunch with the cuties...

Judah...

Benjamin...

Havilah...

...and the Bisceglia Ladies!

Havilah playing outside...

...And after the conference, we enjoyed getting some exercise (or making escalator get the exercise!) with friends!

Afterwards we went to dinner with the Smythe family. They showed us their family's Newest Addition!

Eden and I take the car for a spin!

Actually, Jordan was the "lucky" one! :)

Camera wars here we come!!!!!!

And little Judah... catching up on some much needed sleep after such a busy weekend!

If any of you attended this conference, please comment and let us know! We'd love to hear from you!

Posted By:

~Bethany

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day...

2011-06-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

...To the most wonderful Father in the world!

"We love you, Daddy!"

Shiloh, Bethany, Jordan, Eden, Judah, Havilah, & Benjamin

"I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father."

~2 John 1:4

A First Recital

2011-06-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

Troy and Ava A. are both hard working piano students. Recently we decided that they were both ready for a piano recital! We decided that the best place to do it was at a rest-home near our house. That created a relaxed, calm, and pleasant atmosphere that was used to give glory to God!

We actually ended up doing a full program for everyone including piano solos, harp, violin, ensemble, singing, and even a spur of the moment dance! Unfortunately, we didn't get pictures of the dancing!

Enjoy these pictures!

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Eden and Havilah getting ready!

The little guys and just too cute!

Ava's pretty hair that her mother did.

Can't get any cuter than Mr. Ben!

Troy, Shiloh's piano student, playing "Light and Blue".

Ava doing a little curtsy before her piece!

My student doing a remarkable job!

Jordan playing with his bandaged up knee... that was from training for the Highland Games!

I played two fiddle pieces also known as reels. :)

Shiloh playing her harp piece.

Shiloh, Jordan, and I all joined in on an ensemble of a Irish tune. Jordan wore his special Irish hat! :)

Everyone at the end.

Congratulations to Troy and Ava! Good job you two!

Posted By:

~Bethany

Friends Come to Call...

2011-06-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

As we get ready to kick-off Summer, what could be better than having our friends, the Bisceglia Family, over for a very fun evening of fellowship, singing, music, oh... and dancing!? :)

Unfortunately, we were having so much fun that we didn't get that many pictures! However... I'm sure you'll enjoy what we have!

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The little ones all ready to go!

Havilah and Benjamin playing with Janna.

Krista giving instructions for Auto harp Level 1!

Kathrina made some delicious chocolate mousse...

...Everyone enjoyed it!

Of course we had to do some dancing!!!

Getting ready to dance, which means talking, talking, talking until someone suggests a dance! ;)

And the girls circle up!

And the evening ended just perfectly because we all finished by singing some hymns together.

It was very fun to have six musicians... but it did kind of overwhelm the singers!

Kathrina and her very fun mandolin!

The harps were the only same instruments! Very different!

And singing the last song... no, we did not want the evening to end!

"Thanks Bisceglias for coming over for such a great day!"

Posted by:

~Bethany

Knee Injuries... Not for the Faint of Heart!!!

2011-06-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I began training for the "Kilted Mile Race" of the Scottish Highland Games! I started training... unfortunately, after a half mile, I fell... really fell!!! So now I am postponing the training... I really can't run right now... as you can probably tell from the picture!

So today, I am starting to feel the pain... a lot of pain!

Oh yes, a big thank you to my mother for scrubbing it out with the toothbrush!

~Jordan

Happy Birthday, Little Guy...

2011-06-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

Benjamin in Ethiopia | December 2010

Benjamin safely home | June 2011

Happy 3rd Birthday, Baby Brother!

Giveaway Time!

2011-06-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7!!

2011-05-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

Rejoicing in the Lord!

Jordan's CD Release Concert!!!

2011-05-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

After many focused, fun, and sometimes frantic rehearsals... and after many long hours of work, planning, organizing, prayer, and more, we were well ready for Jordan's CD Release Concert!

By God's grace, the event was wonderful! God truly blessed the endeavour and work that not only Jordan, but our entire family, put together.

Although you might have already seen Jordan's blog post, I still am going to post because I have some more pictures. Shiloh will also be doing a Part 2.

Here are the pictures!

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Empty seats just waiting to be filled... or maybe we were the ones who were just waiting to have them filled!

While we were setting up, the little guys got some fresh air with Daddy.

This is by far, our favorite picture!

Havilah.

The room is starting to fill, and the excitement is beginning to amount!

Mr. Michael (Jordan's recording engineer) and Mrs. Lynn Attwood, two of the funnest people you'll ever meet!

Judah with one of his "favorites", Kathrina Bisceglia.

Daddy announces the concert!

And it's show time!

Jordan taking about the piece he played.

Right before intermission, Jordan and I played both the "Theme From Schindler's List" and "Czardas".

Listening to Jordan play the hauntingly beautiful intro to "Schindler's List".
This was our "schmaltzy piece". :)

I tell you, Jordan is the best accompaniment! We have so much fun together! :)

And flying through the flashy parts of "Czardas"!

"Czardas" was our "spicy" piece! :)

Two big takers and one little microphone! I'll let you guess what that equals!

During intermission.

Jordan and Shiloh getting ready to play the lovely Irish lullaby, "The Castle Dromore".

Shiloh on the harp!

Enjoying the music from "backstage".

Jordan tells everyone that he can only do harp glissando's!

Closing concert remarks.

Eden was such a BIG help to everyone! She made the most sales on the CD's too!

Yes, the CD's...

Having way too much fun with Kathrina while selling CD's!

Our whole family!

This was a wonderful evening and we were truly blessed by it all!

Special thanks to:

Mr. & Mrs. Attwood

The Bisceglia Family

All the families who so graciously brought goodies!

And Evan Smythe for the pictures

Stay tuned for videos and a Part 2 by Shiloh!

Posted By:

~Bethany

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!!!

2011-05-25T18:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my CD release concert! We had a great time! I know that many of our readers wanted to view pictures from the event and you can now do that!!! Please visit the link below:

www.jordanstrang.blogspot.com

Just to give a little teaser!

~Jordan

CH 2011: Part 2

2011-05-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

My sister mentioned a few posts ago that I would be posting a part two to her part one of the Christian Heritage Homeschool Conference. So, without further adieu, here is "CH: Part 2"!! :)

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On the way up we followed the sweet D. Family. That was fun!

If you remember from two years ago, we made some cookies to bring along! This year we had three different kinds: Oatmeal Cookie Bars (wheat-free), Macaroons (gluten-free), and Coffee Cookies (gluten-free)!

The hotel served an extremely light dinner.... Thankfully, though, they brought out more food when they saw all 14 of us!

I loved this handy organizer in the hotel room closet! It worked great for organizing all of the younger children's clothing. Judah is on the top, Benjamin next, and Havilah on the bottom. I really enjoyed putting together all their clothing and packing it!

The essential sign for a family... Without the announcement we might never get out on time! Thankfully, we were quite prompt, but we always remind ourselves that it's "fashionable" to be a little late. :)

On the last night we had dinner in our hotel room with the D. Family. One funny thing was that two years ago this was our friends' hotel room and we had dinner with them! Isn't that funny!?

I enjoyed holding little Miss Christanna... isn't she cute?

Havilah all ready for church on Sunday! It was her first church service outside the home too!

And everyone: Judah, Benjamin, and Havilah:

On the way home we drove through a scenic route. I believe this was the Puget Sound or something like that!

The veiw was lovely!

I will close with this lovely picture:

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It was such a blessing to attend this conference and we enjoyed seeing many old friends as while as meeting new ones.

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To see more pictures :)

Read Bethany's post: here

Look through the CH Facebook pictures (we are in many of the chorale pictures): here

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Posted By:

Shiloh

This Saturday...

2011-05-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

You are invited to Classic Pianos for a free concert given by Jordan.

For more information, visit: www.jordanstrang.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there!

Location:

Classic Pianos

3003 SE Milwaukie Ave.

Portland, OR 97202

Date:

Saturday, May 21, 7:00 PM (Doors open at 6:30)

The concert features music from my new CD, "Nothing But The Blood". Also included is Chopin's Ballade in G-minor, as well as works by Rachmaninoff and Liszt. A reception immediately follows the concert.