Campfire Entertainment

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."

~ Isaiah 41:10, 13 ~

Monday, we officially purchased the strip of land to the back of our property and had the tiles delivered for the driveway. It doesn't sound like much, but that is a BIG step! Now there will be progress! We've been tied up in red tape for so long, it's hard to grasp the reality that it's time to move forward!

There's never a dull moment.....even when camping! Soooooooo here are some campfire pastimes we all enjoy. : )

Playing the string bass
Not quite the most advanced specimen in this field....... : )

Chopping, chopping, chopping...



...and chopping

After a while, in order to keep sanity, we have to invent new entertainment, and as those grow to be categorized as mundane, the daring and adventurous become inviting.

So what is the outcome? A burnt hole in the seat of the pants if the jester is not careful! : )

Yes....

Jack may be nimble.....

and Jack may be quick.....

but here is a pic

of Ray's new trick!

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We're just glad it wasn't like our last trip down......
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We had heard of a "controlled burn", but we didn't know we would get to witness one.

The sign that greeted us

The day we were leaving, Keisha was making her way up to the bathhouse and hollered back to the rest of us at the camper that there was a fire in a site right across the road. It wasn't alarming, but we thought surely the rangers would have the presence of mind to move the picnic table before setting fire. Ray thought we were crazy because, after all, it was a control burn and the rangers would know about it ~ there was no need to alert them. Keisha called and the ranger said he was on his way to get water...all the while thanking her for calling. The "janitor" just happened to be driving around the circle in his Gator, saw the smoke, cut through the circle, and took off back the way he had come...definitely in a frenzy about something! It wasn't but a minute when they both arrived on the scene. Huh...it's funny how they respond so quickly to a fire that's supposed to be there! ; )

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Hmmmmm.......we'd have liked to have seen Ray jump this one!

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Let's pack up and go home!.......Something like the Beverly Hillbillies, but whether it looks so or not, it is organized! : )

"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God."

~ Psalm 90:2 ~

Family Fun

Al, Angie, Amanda, and Abby blessed us with a visit while they were in town for Thanksgiving. We had SUCH a good time just spending time!

Abby enjoyed her spoon...

...but NOT the broccoli! It sent shivers down her spine just to hold it!

Sweet Mandy

Will Smile for Grandpa

Daddy, Angie, and Keisha enjoying...

...watching this. : )

There's always lots of smiles, hugs, and talking with Mandy around. : )

Much better than broccoli!

There's a big question as to whether it's more fun to play the Wii...

or watch other people play the Wii. : )

Go, Sis! (as Mandy tries to "catch" the big one)

She did it!

Sisters, daughters, neices, granddaughters......two very special bundles of joy!

I love turkeys

and telephones!
(Yup! She's a girl!) : )

Fishin'
Look! I caught a big un'!

SEE YOU SOON!

Thanksgiving Blessings

The greatest blessing the Lord ever blessed us with was

~SALVATION~

.....in mercy ~ not giving us what we deserve.....

.....in grace ~ giving us what we don't deserve......

We deserved to go to Hell for all eternity, but in God's mercy He saved us from that awful penalty. Not only that, but by His grace He provided a Way of salvation....that if we but turn to Him in simple faith and in repentance, He cleanses us from all unrighteousness and gives us a home in Heaven! He has changed our lives from being empty and hopeless to lives full of purpose and direction. He guides us, sustains us, provides for us, comforts us, and meets every need ~ physical, mental, emotional, spiritual ~ and loves us beyond measure. We have so much to be thankful for!

And the next greatest blessing is

~FAMILY~

This year, our Thanksgiving feast was at Aunt Crystal's house in Conover, NC. Aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, cousins, grandparents, great-grandparents, in-laws, out-laws.....everyone bringing their "specialty" to go along with the unfortunate bird that was deemed an appropriate centerpiece for our meal.

With a family as extensive as ours, it is difficult to gather in one room, so we were spread throughout the house. Some in the dining room, some in the living room,.....

.....and the smart ones in the dessert room. : ) (There were others in here, but they exited when the camera entered.) : 0

Abby decided it was time for a nap.......isn't she sooooooo sweet!!!

Angie and Amanda made these......SO CUTE! This one has been half plucked already! : )
(hey, Amanda......do you remember whose this one was???)
: )

The youngest generation had a good time playing together. Their energy probably tripled that of all the adults put together. : )

They found the little nook behind the chair....neat little place all to themselves.

Abby literally smiles with her whole body! Pictures just can't do it justice!

Would you care for some dessert? There's just about any kind you could care for. And if you can't find it here, how about the counter just a few steps away? There really was THAT MUCH dessert!

Cayden decided it was his turn to read the book.

Madelyn and her hat

Pa Paw and Ma Maw

Us Kidz

Daddy, Al, and Gerald
Speaking of the centerpiece....... : ) : )

Just gotta love the expressions on their faces!

I'm all eyes!

Cayden, Mandy, and Madelyn decided to play train

Does it taste good????
Abby was taste-testing the edge of her blanket. By the looks of her face, it's questionable.....

She was enamored with Ray's bald spot.....ahem! highlights.....on the back of his head. So much so that it was difficult to get this picture of her looking up. We thought maybe she was seeing her reflection. : )

It was a wonderful day with the family ~ just being able to sit back and reflect on how good God is!

;) ~ Siblings......all seven ~ (:

GOD IS SOOOOO GOOD!!!!!