Natural Bridge

Only a handful of days after Olustee, our family and the beloved Hs decided that we just hadn't gotten our fill of reenactment delights, so we zipped over to Tallahassee to enjoy the quaint, simple, and breathtakingly beautiful Natural Bridge.

The main hub-bub with the suttlers and camps is close to the entrance of the park; however, just trot a few yards around a bend in the road, and you'll come to this serene North Florida beauty.

Plenty of strong, healthy oak trees about for little ones to scramble up.

And this little bridge hosted a game of Pooh Sticks last year, but this year the current was slow (read: non-existent). That didn't stop a few of us dropping twigs, hoping it would emerge on the other side.

Naturally with the gorgeous backdrop the Lord provided for us, the cameras remained out and flashing.

I'm afraid they were often met with somewhat less-than-enthusiastic models.

The boy(s) especially did not attend merely for pictures and walks. Their long awaited moment finally came: the battle. We were able to view and participate in the first reenactment of Natural Bridge fought on the original battle site.

We ladies watched in anxious anticipation. Only one of our boys was wounded (not pictured below), but he seemed to smile mischievously the whole time, so our worries were eased considerably.

There's nothing like cannon boom and smoke!

And, finally, my favorite picture from the event, Emmy Xiang and I admire the beautiful memorial but even more the bravery of the men in whose memory it was erected.

Olustee 2011

Dad's birthday weekend found our family (plus Bee, affectionately known as Katie's appendage) and some dear friends stepping back a decade and a half to the Battle of Olustee, FL. Unfortunately, we didn't take many groups shots, but various visitors and newspapers took care of that for us! *wink*

One of the major highlights of the weekend (for the girls, at least) was the ball. After counting the votes, we found that Uncle Buddy and Mr. Harrison were by far the best and most amiable partners of the evening!

And we cannot remember the excuse for the reenactment and all its joys: the battle itself. Few times do I feel more awe than when I watch such an excellent representation of history, such a clear picture of the cost of freedom.

*sigh* What a lovely weekend!

The Last Picture

After his surgery, our sweet puppy had a seizure that was just too much for his worn-out body. Our evening was darkened by his missing presence. Now, even months later, we still expect to see him when we walk into the house, look for the water he dripped on the floor, and listen for his heavy breathing as he sprawled on the floor.

We love you, dear Hank. Love, love, love you!

Surgery? Again?

For the third time in a year our someone is getting surgery. "Who this time?" you're asking yourself. Let me give you a few hints. Big, black, furry. Yup, our dear, darling Puppy is having surgery. Most of you know that Hank has a big fatty tumor on his chest. He went to the vet on Friday and he said that there is no way that it is a fatty tumor. All they know is that it is NOT a fatty tumor. He said that the tumor is growing too fast to be one. If it does not go it will kill Hank. Today at noon he is having it removed. He was not allowed to eat after 6 PM and will not be able to drink after 11 AM. Please pray that it will go smoothly and he will do better.

This is What Happens...

when you let a few of us loose at a library book sale: 100+ books for $75. That's what I'm talkin' bout.

Of course, it's exhausting work -- even for Hank. Actually they're worn out from a Cross Country meet early that morning, but who's to know? :)

Vacation: Chapter 2

A Day in the Life of the Vacationers

Wake up in the morning and have some hot chocolate/tea/coffee...

...while listening to the sound of sizzling bacon...

...and enjoying this view from the kitchen window.

By 10:00 or so in the morning, all three families would gather up to throw a few snowballs...

...perhaps make a snowman or two (or three)...

...then go over the day's plans for hiking.

Before long, we had hit the trails, and if feeling adventurous, we sometimes even would go exploring, "making our own trails."

If anyone ever became thirsty, there were two remedies: 1) fill up your water bottle at the nearest stream/river/waterfall (no kidding-- this is by far the best tasting water on the earth!), or 2) do as the below photo depicts

Both are great options.

Laurel Falls

Dad at Laurel Falls

Katie and Katrina playing with huge icicles from the waterfalls along the hiking trails

Popsicle, anyone?

We all had a blast climbing all over lots of huge rock formations like the one above. There aren't rocks anything like this in FL, so we all tok much delight in exploring them on our hikes!

Each evening we'd choose a different family's cabin in which to have supper. Following the meal and clean up, we'd father around the cozy fire to sing songs which praised God for the birth of our Savior, then we'd pull out the pillows and blankets for a movie and popcorn.

Lastly, we'd all say good night... and then wake up the next morning, eager to do it all over again!

Vacation: Chapter One

The morning after Christmas found our family on the road with our dear friends heading to our vacation destination, Desoto State Park, in Ft. Payne, Alabama. Originally, only one family had planned to join us, but on Christmas day the Js packed their bags in a flurry, and decided to come along. It was a lovely last-minute surprise!

We've been anticipating this vacation for a couple of months now, so when the time finally came, we couldn't wait to enjoy a week of almost nothing but hiking-- all day, every day! And that's a basic summary of what we did!

We Floridians were thrilled to be greeted by "lots" of snow upon arriving at our cozy little cabins. It melted a tiny bit each day, but we were able to enjoy it almost the entire duration of our stay.

Jane Ellen and Mom

All the girls

On Sunday night we had a great time playing around in the falling snow. Some of us had a big snowball fight...

...while others just tried to stay warm.

Stay tuned for Chapter 2: A Day in the Life of the Vacationers