Family

Well, here we are. Can't live with them, can't live without them--that's family!

Actually, we usually get along pretty well. And last month our Women's Ministries was doing a fund raiser at church and had a professional photographer come in to take pictures. Women's Ministries benefited from the number of people who came, and we got some nice photos of us!

And one of the nicest things of all, was my parents went in with me to purchase the copyrights of the pictures the photographer took of us, so now these photos belong to my parents and us--and I can therefore post them here. :)

So, since I CAN, I thought I WOULD. At least, here are the pictures I like the very best.

Hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend with YOUR family. Happy Sabbath everyone!




Here is our engine and caboose. Eleven years between the two of them, but Alison is getting older as fast as she can to try and catch up with big brother!

















This is probably my favorite shot the photographer took. My little princess--but lest you think she always sits around the house looking calm and quiet, you usually can hardly find her staying still for one second!
















My absolute favorite teen-ager in the whole world. Yup. If you are going to have a teen, this is definately the one to have!
















And my sweetie! Guess the kids haven't worn us out too badly yet. But I still think a nap sounds good zzzzzzzzz....!




















Ah......so sweet and innocent! They would NEVER dream up any trouble for their mother, right????? But I wouldn't trade them for anything! (Not even a nap!)

In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue!

This past week, we had a few days off for Fall Break. Sooo, it seemed a perfect time for FIELD TRIPS! I had read in the newspaper that replicas of the Nina and Pinta were sailing into the town near us, and that they would be open for tours. How can a homeschooler resist that? So we had to go take a look. The Nina was built completely by hand and without the use of power tools. Our tour guide told us that the family who made her have been making this type of ship in Brazil for over 500 years! Much information is known about the Nina because Columbus later sold this ship, and had to describe in detail what the ship was like in the bill of sale. The Pinta replica was more recently built in Brazil, and is a 50% larger version than the real Pinta, built so to be able to accomidate larger groups for private parties, etc.

This photo here shows the Pinta replica.

An anchor that was aboard the Nina replica. This anchor is actually a real antique anchor--found by divers and donated to this sailing museum. Cool! We learned that the ships would carry many anchors. Sometimes they simply got stuck on something, and the sailors would have to take an ax to the rope and just cut it free. So it stands to reason that divers might find a few of them out there!

Alison and dad examining the life raft. Or actually the small "go to shore" boat, as there was no way all the crew would be able to fit into this small boat in time of emergency! Typical crew would consist of 27 men and boys. If you were a seven year old boy, you would be old enough to work on a ship.

I was surprised to see how small the cannons were, having been used to seeing much larger ones at forts. The cannons would be shot off every time the ship came to a new port. They still carry on this tradition today, but instead of shooting off cannons and taking the risk of hitting some house or building several miles away, they instead shoot off hamburger buns. I bet the ducks like them! :)

This looks like a photographer's dream! Or maybe he thinks his parents just dragged him along.......nnnnaw!

Lots and lots of lines!

And sails! These ships are built so authentic that they can sail under their own power, just like the original ones could have. But due to coast guard regulations, each ship must be outfitted with navagation devices and an engine, just in case of emergency. But whenever possible, they will sail and navagate using only the equipment that Columbus and crew would have had.

The tiller of the boat. I didn't realize that they didn't have steering wheels--those didn't come along for another 100 years or so. So all the directional changes the boat was making were made from the very back of the boat--and with the sails down, the person steering could not even SEE the front of the boat, due to the sails blocking their view! So they had at all times someone posted at the front of the boat, someone steering at the back, and a runner going inbetween each of those two!

The tiller comes out the back of the boat, and goes way down into the water. Our tour guide told us that he can change the tiller just one foot, and the boat will start to change directions! That's pretty responsive!

Happy field trippers!

Pine tar, used to coat everything to help preserve the wood. In Columbus' day, it would have been straight pine tar and would have always remained a little sticky--yuck! Now a days, on these replicas, they coat them with pine tar but have included a drying agent into the formula--much nicer!

Austin getting a try at winding the windlass--used for bringing up the 400 feet of anchor line. Three turns of the windlass brought the anchor up how much? One foot! So to draw up the whole anchor would take the better part of a whole day! This is why if there was any sort of trouble brewing, be it storm or natives, if the ship had to get away in a hurry, they would simply ax the anchors. No time to draw them in!

Heave Ho!

Ah, this is MUCH better than staying home and doing workbook pages! Throw the workbooks overboard! Make them walk the plank! (Just kidding, just kidding, I really do love books, even--gasp!--some workbooks.)

The Nina's small "run to shore" boat. By the way, this boat was built by the Brazilian family's 14 year old son. I was VERY impressed! Don't know if they are homeschoolers or not, but if not they should be--that looks like a GREAT homeschool project to me!

Maybe Alison would like to be the tiller for the Nina? Nope! She still wants to be an astronaut!

Quick hop back over onto the Pinta, for one more look before we go home.

Good-by Nina! It was great seeing you and learning more about Columbus!

Good-by Pinta! Maybe you will sail to our town again some day!

Sometimes Miracles have Fur

Once upon a time, there was a young boy who was born with a handicap. Due to a stroke that occurred before birth, he couldn't run or play like other children. While thankful that he could walk, he would still often trip over uneven ground, mats at store doors, threshholds, etc. He tired easily. When other children played games, he stood out and watched. He wore a brace on his hand and another brace on his foot, and was asked all the time why he had those "things" on him. He grew so that he didn't want to play outside in the sunshine and fresh air, because he fell so easily.

One day, his mother was told about a wonderful organization that trained Best Friends. Very Best Friends. The kind that wouldn't laugh at you if you fell, or tease you because you may look different than other kids. Friends who would help you pick up things and keep you from falling. Friends who would listen to you and stay by your side when others were off playing games that you couldn't.

This family filled out a very long application for one of these wonderful Best Friends. One of their friends started praying immediately for the Best Friend who wasn't even born yet--that God would create the perfect Best Friend for this boy. And given time, after waiting around two years, this boy was finally matched with his new Best Friend--a beautiful, sweet, and sensitive Golden Retriever named Lauren.

When Lauren wore her cape, her boy had a handle to hang on to and didn't trip and fall over so many things. When other kids left the boy as they went to play, Lauren stayed with him. When they were home in their own back yard, Lauren enticed her boy to run and play in the fresh air and sunshine, and if he fell she covered him with kisses. No longer was he the boy with funny things on his hand and leg--he was now the boy with the very cool dog who got to go everywhere with him.

Eleven years flew by in a flash, with boy and dog facing each new challenge together. The boy grew taller and more confident. His Best Friend grew a bit white in the face. But still, they were a team. And they were together.

And then--one day, his Best Friend woke up sick. She could not eat. She could not stand. And when the sun went down that day, his Best Friend was not with him any more. She would now sleep in the grave, awaiting the Lifegiver to come and wake her up again. And then the boy and his Best Friend will be together again--never more to part. A team. Always.

Sometimes, miracles have fur.
Canine Companions for Independance
www.cci.org

Lauren--November 26, 1997-October 8, 2010