On our trip...First stop the Creation Museum

My favorite thing about the creation museum was the garden outside.

It was very well kept and designed. I really like the oriental flavor that it had. With the bridges, waterfalls and pond creating a very peaceful atmosfear.

Sorry we didn't get any pictures of inside the museum. It too was very well done, and everyone working there was very nice.

mammoth cave

From the Creation Museum, we headed off to Mammoth cave where we spent for wonderful days hiking and caving soaking in the Gods glory both above and below the ground.

eating lunch in the cave

Most of the writing in the cave was smoke writing. They did it by holding the candle up against the rock and smoking it on. Most of it would put our writing with a pen or pencil to shame, it was so nicely written.

"Bottomless pit" aahh don't look down. I think they said the bottom was 130 feet down

our favorite tour guide Rick. Somehow we got him on two of our tours :o)

Grant hugging a very large tree lol

We took a picture of this tree because we thought it kinda looked like Treebeard

there was a lot of beautiful sights at the park. I enjoyed walking on the trails

Father and Daughter

the Cpc

After Mammoth cave it was off to Tennessee for the annual gathering of the cpc. This year it was held at camp. And we had a very good time catching up with old friends and meeting new ones.



One of the funnest thing we did was stay up late, chat while passing around popcorn and oreos. And reminding each other to be sssshhhh because the little ones where in bed :O)

smile

chattin'

Maggie and her best friend that she sees once a year Gabbie.

They both came from the same orphanage in Liberia. But Gabbie was adopted before Maggie got there.

cousins :O)

On the way home from Tennessee I was dropped off in Illinois at my cousin's house to spend the week with them and my grandmother (Granny). I had a wonderful time getting to know them on a deeper level, as we discussed world view, marriage, family life and theology...and of coarse had a blast :D

Jo, Bekah and I, trying to look serious (but it didn't work)

bekah

The three o' us

Ok so not the whole time where we discussing deep things. (and yes we are hanging off the bed upside down:)

Jojo (aka Joanna)

jo and i

Stonewall Jackson's Maexims on "Politeness and Good Behavior"

Good breading or true politeness is the art of showing men by external signs the internal regard we have for them.
It arises from good sense improved by good company. It must be acquired by practice and not books.
Be kind, condescending, and affable.
Anyone who has any thing to say to a fellow human being to say it with a kind and sincere desire to please and this when ever it is done will atone for much awkwardness in the manner of expression.
Good breeding is opposed to selfishness, vanity, or pride. Endeavor to please without it hardly allowing it to be perceived.

Maxims of Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson

Guidelines for good behavior

- through life your principle object be the discharge of duty: if anything conflicts with it, adhere to the former and sacrifice the latter.

-Endeavor to be at peace with all men. Never speak disrespectfully of anyone without a cause.

-Endeavor to do well every thing which you undertake through preference

-Sacrifice your life rather than your word.

-Let your conduct towards men have some uniformity.

-Temperance, eat not to dullness, drink not to elevation

-Silence, Speak not but what may benefit others.

-Order, Let all things have their place. Let each part of your business have its time.

-Resolution, Resolve to preform what you ought, preform without fail what you resolve

-Frugality, Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself. i.e. waste nothing

-Industry, Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut unnecessary actions.

-Sincerity, Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and if you speak, speak accordingly.

-Justice, Wrong none by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

-Moderation, Avoid extremes, forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

-Cleanliness, Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloths, or habitation.

-Tranquility, Be not disturbed at trifles nor at accidents common or unavoidable.

Fan Kata

I thought this was neat. I'm going to be looking into it more. Maybe get my own tessen (fans)

Florida

Last week my mom and I went to Florida where we spent the week learning a modality of therapy. It was very interesting and insightful. God is truly amazing and so is what He has created (proving once more intelligent design).
Although we had some rain on most days it usually gave way to sun at some point, and we where able to walk to lunch on a few of the days.

on on one day we went to the little park in the center of town, where my mom fed a squirrel a mint (the one in the picture above:) afterwards it did not stop following us till we left.

there was a few evening where we went on a walk near our hotel.

The rest of the pictures are from one of those evenings

Oh how important it is for us to protect such a sweet thing as Liberty

“Is life so dear and peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains an slavery? Forbid it Almighty God! I know not what coarse others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death.” Patrick Henry

“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people there is Liberty.” Thomas Jefferson


“Anyone who trades liberty for security, deserves nether liberty or security." Benjamin Franklin

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

The late Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931 – 2005

the monkey commercial

here is Maggie's favorite commercial...and where she got the idea of Pinkie

the test

About two weeks ago we had another test in karate.

~Group picture
here is a picture of almost everybody at the dojo


~Erik doing Kesa gatame, to one of his buddies

~Everyone in their claimed corner getting ready for the test

~the kids class testing

~the adult class testing

pastors camp

Last Saturday Papa had the opportunity to go to a pastors camp in Tennessee. He said that he had a very nice time.
~ Papa and Pinkie at the pastors camp
Maggie has a favorite commercial of a father going on a business trip and his little girl wanted him to take a little stuffed monkey along and take pictures of it. So now Maggie's pink pig, Pinkie, goes with Papa on all his trips and gets it's picture taken at different spots along the way, and we get the pictures emailed back to us :o)

~the guys sitting around talking

~The road leading up to the camp

I love this picture it just looks so peaceful

our tower of cans...

...my artistic abilities

back at the beginning of February when my parents the most of the other couples from our church went away to a couples camp, we (the Strand kids) decided to start saving all of the cans we used to see how big of a can tower we could make before the got back. And yes it does look like a lot of cans but split it up between 7 (8 'cuz tom d. came over one night) it really isn't ")