Followin'

"'If any man would come after me, let him deny himself.' The disciple must say to himself the same words Peter said of Christ when he denied Him: 'I know not this man.' Self-denial is never just a series of isolated acts of mortification or asceticism. It is not suicide, for there is an element of self-will even in that. To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only Him who goes before and no more the road which is too hard for us. Once more, all that self-denial can say is: 'He leads the way, keep close to Him.'"

 

--Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Texas: Wedding!

 So I only had time for a few family pictures during my cousin's wedding, but these people are so special to me!

Aunt Michelle and Uncle Will

 My cousin Andrew and his "short and sweet" fiance, Laura :)

 Cousin Danny and his sweet wife, Kelli

 Cousin Will and his new wife Andrea!

Had such a fun time re-connecting with so much family on this trip! Good times. 

Family twice over: by blood and by the Spirit. :) A blessing I don't take for granted!

And so ends the Texas adventure. On to the next one!

Spying

It's an overcast Saturday morning.

Rope boundaries are laid out.

Teams are chosen.

Walkie-Talkies adjusted.

There's running,

screaming,

high-fives,

wails,

and shouts of

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"SAVE IRELAND!!!!"

 ?????

 

I think it was some version of capture the flag.

Definitely amusing to watch from my attic room window. 

:)

It got even better when they started trying out the Irish brogue...which then morphed into some kind of British accent. 

I love my siblings. 

:D

Winter Wonderland--at LAST!

 Friday: 70 degrees, muggy, thunderstorms and tornado outbreaks

Saturday: 50s, clear and windy

Sunday: 30s

Monday: 6 inches of snow!!

Crazy Kentucky. 

:)

Haven't seen this much snow in a while!

 Boots? check!

 Hats? check!

 Gloves? of course!

 Even Mr. Snowman doesn't know what's up with this March weather. But he'll take it as it comes, I reckon.

 Did we forget someone?

 Selah!!!

 First time to really get to play in a good snowfall...gotta try everything!

 

And...it's time for the photographer to come inside.

Tea.

Need. Tea.

Some shots from my tramp through the woods to follow.

Peer pressure

The Consequences of Sin

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Museum of the Appalachia

 Wonderful stop on the way home!

The Museum of the Appalachia in Tennessee.

Checking out the one-room cabin of a feller who only needed his bed, his fiddle, and his bean pot.

 Oh yes...chickens.

 Mom and I could've spent HOURS in this building...

my little siblings and ever-patient father could not.

 Now THAT could hold some CHILI!!

 The pea-cows, as Selah called them.

 I can't remember who's cabin this was...but can you imagine living there in the winter? You can see right through it!!!

 Trying out the schoolhouse benches.

 Hilltop Christian Academy quite filled up the Big Tater Valley School House.

 Makes one kind of nostalgic, even if one doesn't have long-term roots in TN or KY...or the USA for that matter! Interesting how that happens. :) When a lot of this history was happening in our country (e.g. the Civil War)...our family wasn't even IN the country yet!! But I suppose it sort of becomes an adopted history! And I sure am proud of those tough pioneers who braved the hardships of life on the Appalachian frontiers (and beyond!) They were definitely a huge part in what made the United States what it would become!

 And that's the end.

The Smokies V

 Just a few more pictures from our trip last month. :)

 Lovin' that Selah face (below.)

:D

My dear and precious family. 

:)