ITS A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

One of the wonderful blessings of homeschooling is the instant support group/church family/friends network that exists among fellow homeschooler. Adam drove to Portland to join a group of other HSA members
(Home School Alumni http://www.homeschoolalumni.org/)
who were hiking in Oregon. He spent Friday night with some friends he had met at a previous HSA Reunion, and enjoyed hiking to Ramona Falls on Saturday.

A very High Tech Hike: multiple cameras, video, walkie talkies, etc.
I think this is Brian Plett and Nathan Becker, and a nice person's back.

Views on the Hike.

Adam drove back to Washington Saturday evening and went to church Sunday morning.
He has also really enjoyed the congregation he has been attending in Seattle http://www.pilgrimbible.org/
He was able to link up with other similar families through the homeschool network.

The Falls look beautiful. Wow!

Today Adam was introduced to a new intern at Boeing. This intern was Chad Burns, of the Burns family in Illinois, and Burns Family Studio Filmmakers. Their family are dear people and have visited with us in our home. What a coincidence that now Adam and Chad are two cubicles apart in Seattle.

TEAM EPIC HEADS FOR HOME

Team EPIC enters (or leaves) Washington State.

A good flat spot for a Team meeting, or card game?

Fantasticly magnificent photos of Glacier National Park. Thanks Mark.

I would love to see this in person. I'm so glad the Team got to. They are in South Dakota tonight and plan on being back in Rolla Sunday evening.

THE BLUEBERRY TRADITION CONTINUES

This year marks the 20th anniversary of our first blueberry picking experience. We've picked berries at Brandywine Farm every year since then that they've had berries. Our family record is 120 lbs of berries picked in one morning.

Today, several of our pickers we absent, being instead in Washington (or Oregon), Montana, Pennsylvania, and at home in bed. We missed you guys. I also miss my 50mm lens. I think I need to buy another, as this lens takes lousy pictures.

It was a lovely morning, and the berries were wonderful. We generally eat at least 20 lbs of berries while we're there.

Joy is "in the shrubbery" (now I know what is meant when that phrase is mentioned in Pride and Prejudice.)

I love my floppy hat.
It works great for canoeing and haying as well, and if the kids sit on it, it's O.K.
It can also go in the washing machine, which after much haying is a good thing!

THE EPIC PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS

Best Photo on a Log
(Team Epic on a Mission)

Best Photo to Scare Your Mom
(Need I say more)

Best Really Super Hilarious Photo
(Ian relaxing with his cool footwear)

Best Nature Photo Taken With a 50 mm Lens
(A Gray Jay)

Continue to visit
The Few, The Proud, The Epic (click here)
to read more of Team EPIC's amazing adventures.

ROLLA TOWN BAND--FREE SUMMER OUTDOOR CONCERTS

You are once again invited to join the Rolla Town Band for their free outdoor summer concerts.
The schedule is as follows:
Thursday, July 2nd 7:00pm Castleman Hall
Thursday, July 9th 7:00pm Location TBA
Thursday, July 16 7:00pm Location TBA
Thursday, July 23 7:00pm Location TBA

The concerts will be either at Castleman Hall or the Bandshell down by the Railroad Tracks (near City Hall)
Several of our homeschool friends are participating in the Rolla Town Band, including some Browns, Hickles, and a Light (not to mention a few Nisbetts).

I LOVE GRANNYWARE

These are some cups that I found a couple years ago at a flea market. I would love to have some more. They hang on hooks in the kitchen and everyone has their own hook, so that I don't have to wash 27 cups a day. I hope to discover more of these wonderful cups someday.

LIFE WAS A BOWL OF CHERRIES . . .

While the kids were on their camping trip, Keith and I had the house all to ourselves. Although Keith had to work, and we had Rolla Town Band and a Bible study in the evenings, we still managed to have a delightful time. I jokingly posted on Facebook that we could eat all the ice cream we wanted, we actually ate cherries. I love bing cherries!! My dad loved bing cherries, but they were expensive, so we (the kids) didn't ever get any. They're still expensive, so we wait until the kids leave. We also took a canoe trip on the Courtois River (the Meremac was too flooded for any one to put in there). Taking a float trip during flood stage is the best way to ensure that the river isn't crowded. We had a magnificent day, a perfect experience. Enjoying my husband and the beauty of Creation, while playing in the water and eating cherries -- Wow! (We also discovered that it IS possible to canoe without Pringles, Nutty Bars, and Lemonade, which the kids probably won't believe.)

THE EPIC CONTINUES

TEAM EPIC HITS THE OPEN ROAD

Team EPIC, a quintet comprised of these 5 delightful young men, has embarked on a road trip, destination: Oregon.
Carl Eldredge needed to deliver a load of custom cabinets for Cohen Architectural Woodworking, a local business owned by friends. For some reason, it became necessary for Joel, Ian Nail, and Mark and Nathan Hickle to accompany him.

As they travel the open road, they are posting their adventures on a blog devoted to the trip:
The Few, the Proud, the Epic, click here to visit
It includes examples of Mark's great photography and the distinctive bizarre humor of the entire group.

SEEING THE COUNTRY, ONE STATE AT A TIME

Team EPIC was constrained by Joel's Cousins' Camping Trip to wait until Friday night to leave. They need to be in Oregon by Sunday evening. They are passing through states at a rapid pace (hopefully not over the speed limit though).

BOB THE BUILDER AND BUSY BETTY

These are the latest pictures of the twins that my sister Kelly sent.
Luke is obviously readyand eager to help with finishing the addition when they come in July .

And I think Willa will fit right in with kitchen duty, salting everything with enthusiasm.
We're all looking forward to the two weeks they will spend with us.

COUSIN'S CAMPING TRIP 2009

Every year the Nisbett cousins are treated to a Cousin's Camping Trip by their Amazing Aunts: Donna, Margie, and Rhonda.
They left this Tuesday for Ohio, and are in the Cinncinati area. Joel sent me these quick photos from his iphone this morning of them about to enter the Kings Island amusement park. Yesterday they went canoeing and played laser tag.

Glory says "All systems go" for a fun day.

BATHROOM HUMOR, POTTY POETRY, OR DUELING LIMERICKS

Found in our bathroom:

There once was a girl in the loo,
Who found she had nothing to do,
So she wrote as she mused
On a tube that was used
But she quit before even half through.


Your limericks may be just great.
They could be considered first-rate.
But you must take your time
To be sure of the rhyme
And you can't leave the rhythm to fate.


An important note: The first limerick was written in two parts. The first two lines were written by one author and the last three were added later by a second author. Also, I think there may be a missing limerick that was written in between those found here.
(Added by Adam)

Seattle trip update - Flying to Atlanta

This week I'll be in Atlanta for a Neural Networks conference. Here's
a photo from the plane taken a few minutes ago and posted live thanks
to in-flight wifi!

A BLESSED SUNDAY AFTERNOON

It is always convicting to hear the message from Pastor Abraham from India, and this Sunday was no exception.
First, Abraham shared about this year's extreme persecution in the state of Orissa, where Christian were massacred and villages burned. Twenty-five of the churches that Abraham had established were destroyed. It was a sobering account, however, Abraham gave first hand testimony of the unwavering faith of the Orissa believers in the face of continued pressure from the militant Hindus to convert or be attacked. He then blessed us with one of his excellent lessons from John's account of the Samaritan Woman at the Well. It was an edifying afternoon.


We then "gathered at the river" to share a joyful experience, the baptism of Seth Nail.

I was very honored to be there when Seth was born, and even more honored that I was able to witness his "rebirth".