The Nelson Family

2011-01-26T08:54:00.007-05:00

{Spencer Josiah...January 23, 2011. See a few more pictures here!}

Helloooo. I won't even tell you how many, many times I've tried to log on here to give you all an update on our family {you'd be impressed, I know.} Blogger and I...have a love/hate relationship. It doesn't help either that the email address under this account is ancient {being about 10 years old...} and since this summer Blogger has only let me log on a very, very few times {remember? I tried...I really did!}, telling me that all that special info I've been using for 4+ years is now, somehow, invalid. But then sometimes {like today!} it works. Soooo...

I created a new one. A new blog. With a new-er email address. {Maybe I should have boycotted Blogger though for putting me through all that extra trouble??} So this is the last post ever on Nelson Eleven. Besides, we're not merely eleven anymore anyway...

Our new blog is nelsonthirteen.blogspot.com Fitting, right? ;D So you'll have to head there to catch any future updates!

Friends and Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T18:52:00.004-05:00

This week we enjoyed having our dear friends, the Ferraros, with us for a couple of days! That's right. 22 people in one little house. But it was soooo much fun, we wished that they could have stayed with us ever-so-much longer! {And because we know that you'll read this, Ferraros...you absolutely must come and visit us again very, very soon.}

Anna F. and Sophia

Stef, Sarah F. and Grace F.

Silas also turned six years old this week, so we celebrated his birthday while our friends were here! We'll have to dig up some baby-to-six-years pictures of Silas this week while we write about the other five birthdays we're celebrating! November is definitely our "month of feasting." :D

Sara Katie being her ever-adorable self on Thanksgiving day. ;D

All of us kids...minus Spencer Josiah {Baby now has a name!!}

Josh, Suzi, and kiddos

And the whole family! Taken by our amazing photographer-aunt Beth. This year we celebrated Thanksgiving with our entire extended Nelson family--65 people in all. Every year our family grows! :D

It's...a....

2010-09-25T07:02:00.002-04:00

So for today's exciting announcement... No, no one is getting married yet ;D... but we did find out something pretty exciting!

Nelson baby # 11 is a BOY! That's right, and we're really, really excited. Of course, we'd be excited either way...boy or girl...but now that we know, we can't wait to meet him this winter!

Shiloh is two!

2010-09-24T13:22:00.008-04:00

The first of all ten of us kids to blow out his own candles on his 2nd birthday. ;D

We can't believe how big our baby boy is. Wasn't he just born yesterday!? Here Shiloh is with his "new" tractor and trailer (an amazing Indy thrift store find in perfect condition!). He loves it!! Of course, so do the rest of the children so he's learning to share. ;D

Stay tuned because tomorrow we'll be announcing another piece of VERY exciting news..... Oh the anticipation!...

Happy Birthday, Shiloh Elijah!

2010-09-23T16:55:00.000-04:00

Josh, Suzi, and kiddos

2010-09-18T12:02:00.000-04:00

2010-07-01T11:46:00.003-04:00

Yes, well, it's been a little while, hasn't it? We've all been really, really busy, and I'd love to give an update...post lots of pictures...etc., but that's not happening yet, sorry! =) Our summer is going well; I in Indy, the rest of the family in Pennsylvania... Here are a couple of pictures I borrowed from Suzi's FB...precious. =)

Sara Kate is getting sooooo big! I miss her!

Ben doesn't look very happy in this picture... ;)

2010-05-14T18:51:00.004-04:00

Rural Pennsylvania landscape in the Springtime... isn't it lovely?

Becca Joy

Shiloh!

Skyler, Sam, and Seth heading out for an overnight camping trip

Seth and our little puppies...Lilly and Eponine.

Ben...our cute, little, bald-head baby is almost two. And as you can see, his hair is finally starting to grow! ;)

The little girls...they love to play together and can be quite silly. :)

Sara Kate

2010-05-14T18:45:00.003-04:00

Smilin' brown eyes

Seven weeks old already!

Mommy kisses :)

The two Saras...I don't think we look much alike. ;)

What we've been up to!

2010-05-10T14:09:00.003-04:00

We’ve long thought it was about time for another update and a few pictures =)...wouldn't you agree? But finding the time to DO just such a thing has been next to impossible! Finally though, here it is, and I think we've made it long enough to make it worth your while. =) We are doing well in Pennsylvania and can see so clearly the Lord’s hand continuing His work in our family -- God has been so very good to us! We’ve had a very mild Spring so far with little rain, but enough to keep the lawnmower going. =) We’ve loved watching the many flowers bloom around our “little white house,” and we have yet to run out of fresh flowers from the yard to make bouquets with (when we do, we‘ll have plenty of dandelions to spare)! We also love living in the country again where the cows graze across the road from our house and we hear the familiar “whirr” of Amish buggies traveling along the road.

A little update on the family… The Lord has provided Dad with consistent construction work so far--something that we praise Him for each day as an answer to our earnest prayers. The Lord has opened up the door for us to buy a house... Our grandparents were looking for another smaller home to purchase and offered to sell their house to us--the home where both my grandpa and dad grew up! We're excited about this opportunity and are continuing to seek the Lord about it...but it's almost a certainty that we'll be moving again by the end of the summer. ;)

Shiloh is almost as tall as the twins now (he definitely weighs more!), he talks a lot, and he doesn’t walk--he runs…everywhere. Since he’s not quite two yet, you can imagine that makes for lots of bumps and bruises (and a few pretty deep cuts too) for the little guy. =) Our blonde, curly-haired, blue-eyed baby absolutely LOVES to be outside and is never happier than when he’s allowed to roam the yard away from the confines of the front porch!

Savannah and Sophia are so glad to live next door to Anna and Becca, whom they play with every possible day. Their favorite thing to do is play in the sandbox together! And they love to go “camping” in our travel trailer, even if it is right beside our house. =) They have such servants’ hearts and like to help me with whatever I’m doing, whether it’s hoeing the garden, baking bread, making cookies, or cleaning the bathroom…they like to be right there helping in any way they can!

Silas, ever mischievous, likes to help Josh haul pigs and play with Anna…Everyday after his schoolwork and chores are finished he seeks out Anna and they go off on their adventures together. Of course, he always takes his little stuffed puppy with him wherever he goes--you should hear the stories Silas tells about his little puppy ;)…one moment his puppy’s been carried off by the giant dog, Abby; the next he’s been swimming in the toilet (seriously!) or buried under a mountain of sand. =)

Seth loves to “hunt” with his bb gun, catch wild birds (like the robin he literally picked up out of the yard and set in a cage in our garage, feeding it worms for days =), ride his bike everywhere, experiment with different ways to start a fire (not always outside either!), explore the surrounding fields and woods, and do small work projects for others to earn some money. =) Last I heard he was saving up to buy himself a laptop. ;)

Sam helps Dad and Josh a lot with various work projects, and he’s become our official lawnmower because he loves riding the lawn tractor so much! It’s no chore to him at all. =) He helped a lot with the maple syrup-making this past winter and splitting nearly nine cords of firewood to sell. Sam helped Seth and Silas build a fort on the other side of our garage and they all love to play there together! All of the boys LOVE to fish, and a farmer down the road gave them permission to fish on his pond whenever they’d like, so they’re always asking to be able to go and do some fishing. =)

Skyler seems to be the busiest of us all, yet always makes time for fun and encourages the rest of us to do the same. He made a volleyball net for us to tie up across our driveway…we usually only play with just us children and Josh and Suzi, but sometimes we invite friends over to play with us as well and we have lots of fun! Skyler’s Spring has been filled with rock-picking fields (the soil around here is filled with stones and every year the fields have to be picked over before the farmers can plow them), splitting firewood, helping Dad with construction jobs, finishing up his final year of home schooling, and trapping and hunting animals. ;) He’s planning a wilderness camping trip this summer too, of course. =)

Stefanie keeps Suzi and I accountable with our Biggest Loser fitness program that we do together every morning (yes, Mrs. Rodgers, can you believe we’ve stuck with it for five weeks now!?) and is a huge help with home schooling younger siblings. Ever an avid reader, Stef often goes to the library and checks out huge piles of books…and somehow manages to read them all in a week or two!

Other than staying busy with the usual home-keeping (cooking, cleaning, laundry, baking, changing diapers, etc. =), I (Sara) have been giving sewing lessons, volunteering at Miracle Mountain Ranch and a local Mennonite church (helping with community service projects), landscaping around our yard and over at Suzi’s, and doing lots of organic gardening--Spring to me means gardening and I look forward to it all winter long! I can hardly wait for enough fresh produce to spare for smoothies and juices…my favorite!

Anna, Becca, and Ben come over often to our house, and we love having them around! They’re growing so big so fast and they all just dote on their baby sister Sara. =) Sara Kate Heagy was born on March 25th, and she’s just the cutest little thing in the world! I love having a little namesake, and it’s neat that she not only shares my name, but I was there to assist the midwife with her birth and we all think that she looks the most like I did when I was a baby. =) She's growing bigger (and chubbier!) every day...

And we have the wonderful addition of two little puppies now too! They're Papillons, sisters, and the cutest, craziest, little things. The family's puppy's name is Lilly, and mine is Eponine (the little ones call her "Epie")... Our family has always had a dog or two (we had five once upon a time!), so we're so happy to have some again. The little ones love on them all day long, and the puppies like to return the favor too. =)

As much as we’re all greatly enjoying this Spring, we’re really anticipating Summertime…picking fresh berries and fruit, spending days at the peninsula on Lake Erie, family cook-outs, camping adventures…we can hardly wait! I (Sara) will be heading to Indianapolis at the beginning of June and will be there until the middle of August or so, and the rest of the family will join me at the ITC the last week of July to help with the Indy Regional ATI Conference--we’re looking forward so much to serving there and seeing so many dear friends once again!

At Home in Pennsylvania!

2010-03-08T11:10:00.004-05:00

Most of you are already aware that we have moved back home to Pennsylvania...but we just wanted to give a quick update and let you know that we're settling in and doing well--although most of us have been pretty sick the last couple of weeks and we don't have internet access. ;)

We have pictures and lots more to say, but it'll have to wait! We're so grateful for your help and prayers during the last few weeks. God has blessed us with the most incredible friends!

At the moment we're tapping maple trees for syrup and anticipating the arrival of Heagy baby #4 any day now (Philip or Sara Kate, which will it be?)...

More to come later! The Lord bless you all.

2010-01-25T08:49:00.006-05:00

We're still here and doing well, in case you all were wondering or anything! Twenty-ten has just flown by for us so far...we're barely keeping up. ;D In family news, we celebrated Stefanie's 20th birthday on the 14th, and little Becca turned three years old last Friday! One of Becca's birthday gifts was a new puppy, affectionately named Abby. =D Becca's not so sure about her yet though!

Becca and her new puppy.

More like, Anna's new puppy for Becca's birthday! ;D

Last week we hosted our dear friend Hannah from Oklahoma for a couple of days. She was with us on her birthday, so we were able to celebrate that with her too! It was so nice to have her be a part of our family for a short time.

And this week promises to be especially busy for us as we prepare for the IBLP Dad's Conference beginning on Thursday! A number of people are coming to help us with the conference, and we're especially looking forward to having the dear Ferraro family from Illinois join us this week to help--hopefully we'll get to have some extra time to spend with them! There will be over 350 people here for four days, so it's definitely going to be an exciting week for us!

2009-12-31T18:52:00.001-05:00

Right now we're in Pennsylvania enjoying the company of our entire family! We're so grateful for the goodness of the Lord, the hope that we have in HIM, and the incredible peace that has filled this season. This past year has been a year of adjustment for our family--adjusting to a new home in Indy, new work with the IBLP ministry, and a new "ITC" schedule particularly. And although we anticipate more change in the coming year, one thing we've learned: the Lord is here. With us. He's unfailing, unchanging, trustworthy, and FAITHFUL. And that gives us tremendous hope for the future, wherever we are, whatever we're doing!

May the Lord bless each of you with the unfathomable riches of His grace this year. With continued hope, and peace that is truly above our understanding. Happy New Year!

Christmas Conference!

2009-12-17T09:59:00.007-05:00

Each year the ITC spends countless days (weeks?) planning, cleaning, decorating, practicing, and preparing for the IBLP staff Christmas Conference—a retreat much looked forward to by so many people from all across the States! This year’s Conference was amazing (even if I didn’t happen to attend a single session, help with any of the usual chores, go ice-skating, or well, do pretty much anything other than work the entire weekend!). Being able to see, spend time with, and enjoy the fellowship of much-loved friends for an entire weekend was pretty much close to perfect. =)

Every Christmas Conference tends to be different, but for our family, this Christmas Conference was especially unique. Not only were we privileged to have Josh and Suzi stay with us for the weekend (!!) and be able to enjoy their company, but the responsibilities of some in our family have changed rather dramatically since last year’s Conference, lending to different areas of work and not so much flexibility as an entire family. But even if we never happened to be all together even for one moment this weekend, some (if not all) of us were able to participate in all of the traditional Christmas Conference festivities!

Altogether, this year’s Conference was said by many to be the very best one yet! Andy Andrews happened to be the key-note speaker for the weekend--you can imagine my family’s excitement when we found out that he was coming! Months ago we had purchased a few of Mr. Andrew’s books, The Noticer, The Traveler’s Gift, and Mastering The Seven Decisions, and simply devoured them! So to hear him speak first-hand so enthusiastically to the staff here was an awesome and memorable experience. And I’m hoping I’ll not live too long in renown in Mr. Andrew’s memory as the Sara “who spells her name the proper way and let me borrow her bright red hairdryer for the weekend.” ;)

The blessing of the Lord was very evident at the Conference. Our family was so grateful to be a small part of it, and we're especially thankful for all of the extra help the ITC received in preparation and clean-up before and after the weekend—we couldn’t have done it without the faithfulness and willing service of so many others!

And now…our family is back in the swing of work here, attempting to recover from the weekend, and finishing preparations for Christmas as a family! Then, Lord willing, we’ll be traveling to Pennsylvania for a few days of respite with family and friends. We’re looking forward to seeing many of you again soon!

2009-11-25T11:41:00.002-05:00

Yes, I "stole" this from my sister's Facebook, but it's SO cute, I couldn't resist sharing it with all of you! Aren't those kiddos just about the cutest you've ever seen? Thanks for sharing, Suzi...we LOVE your family's pictures. ;)

2009-11-25T11:24:00.003-05:00

Skyler, Micah, Eddie, Patrick, and Hans...

Saying goodbye isn't very easy for us to do, but God certainly gives us an abundance of opportunities to learn how. Earlier this week we had to say goodbye to our friend Patrick. We've spent quite a bit of time with him these past couple of months, and will so miss him--especially the little boys, who've decided that wrestling with Patrick is the greatest thing in the world!

Beginning to look a li'l bit like Christmas...

2009-11-24T14:13:00.003-05:00

Christmas decorating at the ITC is nearly finished! We can hardly believe it, but after too many hours to count, the end is in sight! We're continually amazed how the Lord faithfully provides for ALL of our needs, even down to the little details of giving us extra energy to endure sleepless nights when we had all-night decorating to do. And it looks so lovely. These pictures obviously don't do it justice, but for those of you coming to the Christmas Conference, you'll be able to see it then. =)

Growing Up...

2009-11-14T16:01:00.001-05:00

One down...four more to go!

2009-11-14T15:49:00.004-05:00

Stefanie setting up on the 13th floor...

Ruth arranging desserts in the kitchen...

More of the faithful culinary team...

The servers...taking pictures while waiting. =)

A Special Day

2009-11-12T10:29:00.004-05:00

November is birthday month for our family, and today we're celebrating our dear mother's! We're so grateful to the Lord for blessing us with a mother who loves the Lord, her husband, and her children. I decided I would post something that I wrote about my mom a few years back, because these are all reasons why I still love her--I've thought of quite a few more to add to this list too (I guess those would be included in the "million more things"), but for sake of somewhat-brevity, I'll just leave it the way I first wrote it!

What I Love About My Mom...
I love that she looks younger than she really is
I love her beautiful, long hair that’s only just beginning to turn gray
I love that she’s always been there for me, no matter what
I love her passion for her family
I love her desire for the blessing of children
I love that she wishes she could have 9 more children
I love her patience with me
I love that she forgives me when I’ve broken her heart
I love that she encourages me to be feminine
I love that she absolutely loves ice cream
I love that she puts pepper on everything but her ice cream
I love that she collects books that I love to read
I love that she always smells beautiful
I love that she is particular about bathing babies
I love that she taught me to be particular too
I love that she has embraced a vision for biblical, beautiful womanhood
I love that she always encourages me to pursue excellence in everything
I love that she praises me, even when I fail
I love her fondness for coffee lattes and Krispy Kreme donuts
I love that she taught me to cook when I was young
I love that she can still cook everything better than me
I love her taste in decorating, even if my own taste is different
I love that she can style my hair better than anyone
I love her courage and willingness to learn something new
I love her courage and willingness to teach me something new
I love that she says I will never marry until all of my unfinished projects are completed
I love her hospitality and gracious, quiet spirit
I love that she lets me borrow her clothes
I love her way of making me smile when I don’t feel much like smiling
I love her for glorying in who God made her to be
I love that she still kisses me goodnight
I love her because of a million more things
I love her just because…

Happy Birthday, dear Mother!

November Update

2009-11-10T11:42:00.002-05:00

Hi there! Remember us? We're the Nelsons, and this is our blog...just in case you may have forgotten.

Since we're making a great effort to post once a month [ahem], we thought we better get a move on it before November is over. ;) Actually, life for our family has been very busy, very full, and very...well, challenging lately. So we have some pretty good excuses for not blogging (we always do, you know!).

Finishing up the last large event at the ITC left the staff here worn pretty thin. Our family somehow managed to avoid the flu that kept numerous people here in their beds for days, so we thought that we would have somewhat of a respite for a few days before jumping headlong into more work and event preparation! But then we received news of the death of our dear Great-Grandfather and made sudden, unexpected plans to head to Pennsylvania for a few days to attend the funeral and be with Josh, Suzi, and our extended family... We all (except for Stef and Sara, who stayed behind because of work responsiblities) greatly enjoyed being away and visiting those we love best back home!

And then this last weekend we had the delightful privilege of visiting our dear friends in Chicago! We were almost not going to go--as exhausted as we all were, trying our very hardest to keep our bodies from getting sick, and having just traveled so far!--but we're so grateful that we did! It was a very restful, encouraging time for our family...we are always so blessed by the friendship and hospitality of the Paine family!

Some pictures of the Heagy Homestead and the happy little children who live there...how we all miss them!

"Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are toward us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered... Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love they salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified." Ps. 40:5, 16

Revival Conference

2009-10-17T08:38:00.005-04:00

It was such a joy to serve our guests during the Revival Conference this past week! It had been seven months since our last conference, so we were all eagerly anticipating this event for quite some time. So many people expressed their gratefulness for our service in providing what they called a "sanctuary" for them during such a time, and we know that's most certainly the work of the Lord!

Our family's responsibilities were greatly varied this week, but they included over 15 hours of washing dishes, 60 hours of front desk work, 20 hours of dining room preparation, and...the list goes on! Although it was a lot of work for our small staff, we witnessed firsthand the Lord's compassionate faithfulness in sending so many dear friends to help during the conference and cleaning up afterwards, making it an almost-stress-free event for some of us. =) We're learning that when God plans events for us, He sufficiently provides for all of our needs! You can view some pictures of the Revival Conference here.

Yesterday we turned over nearly 80 rooms (I've never seen so many rooms cleaned in a single day!) in preparation for the National FFA Convention begining on Sunday. That means that directly after one event of 280 people, we're about to begin another event of 510! So we'll be just a little busy this weekend and the coming week. ;) We'll let you know how it goes!

God bless you all...

"...Showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He has done. That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments." Ps. 78:4,7

[We didn't want to forget to mention how grateful we are for our dear mother who, although not able to assist on the "front lines" during the conference because of other responsibilities, made it entirely possible for the rest of us to do so. And no one else could have provided such a place of rest for us after all of our long hours like our mother does in our home. Thank you Mommy.]

2009-09-25T09:12:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy, busy week for our family! With two large banquets to prepare for and serve this week, we've spent a lot of time folding napkins, moving and setting tables, refilling pitchers, washing dishes, and so much more in between! Enough to rouse us from our sleep earlier than usual and keep us up way too late during the evenings. =D But that's what we find so fun about living and working here--being able to serve others, especially when it involves large banquets and conferences! And I might add that it certainly adds to the adventure when we work with people who have never done anything like this before...and we're still learning how to do it ourselves. =D

But anyway, if you're wondering why we've been so negligent in blogging about life, it's because we've been too busy living it. We do have some more pictures coming soon...but we're heading to Chicago this afternoon, then to Wisconsin for our dear friends' wedding, then Skyler heads up to the Northwoods for a week and I (Sara) will be going to Pennsylvania for 10 days....so it might be a little while again. Just in case you were wondering. =)

Have a happy Friday and a delightful weekend! We certainly will...

2009-09-17T13:02:00.001-04:00

ITC friends =)

2009-09-16T09:03:00.002-04:00

At times one can't help but wonder what this little guy is thinking...

He's always so serious! Perhaps he's philosophizing at an early age... =)

But then there's his oh-so-adorable look with his oh-so-chubby cheeks...

And whether serious or not, we think he's a pretty cute baby (nevermind the wet chin =D).

Savannah

2009-09-15T08:51:00.001-04:00

Sophia

2009-09-14T20:45:00.000-04:00

2009-09-12T12:37:00.005-04:00

Well, now that someone found her keys and flash drive that she's been missing for over a week...I can post some newer pictures! I think finding one's keys in the office supply closet is nearly as embarrasing as having one's cellphone found in one of the kitchen cupboards on the 13th floor (remember that, Tabi?). I leave my things--usually the important stuff--in the randomest places sometimes!

And because I have the tendency to post ALL pictures at once and leave you in mournful silence for weeks at a time...I'll space out the pictures this time, how's that?

'Cause Silas can be as random as his sister...but we think that's ok. =)

What we're up to...

2009-09-03T10:00:00.004-04:00

Well, we haven’t been doing too good about letting you all see what we’re up to, have we? We don’t really have any good excuses this time either. So, before another month goes by, here’s just a li’l update about what we’re all doing as we head into the autumn season…

Shiloh will turn one year old in just a couple of weeks—wasn’t he born only a few days ago?—and he’s almost walking now! We can hardly believe it! He’s just as chubby as ever, and he’s by far the most talkative one in the family. =) And he has the cutest little grin you can imagine…

Savannah and Sophia are becoming more outgoing, energetic, and curious than ever before. And for two year olds, they’re pretty smart. They can count to twenty, say their ABCs, sing about a dozen songs that they’ve learned, quote Scripture, and read! Ok, so they can’t actually read, but if you didn’t know what the stories of Tom Kitten and The Flopsy Bunnies really said, you’d think that they were reading them. =) The Beatrix Potter stories are their favorite—“It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is soporific. I have never felt sleepy after eating lettuce, but then, I am not a rabbit.”

All of the boys have started school again in full swing. Since the ITC is super close to a community college our parking lot is used for student parking during the school year. We don’t mind it too much, but that means that there isn’t much to do outside anymore with vehicles covering every empty space, including our volleyball and basketball “courts.” So the boys have been trying to find productive things to amuse themselves with indoors. Like sparring—the newest craze among the guys here. =)

Stef has been busy with working in the ITC laundry room each day in addition to keeping up with responsibilities in the dining room. Within the next couple of weeks she’ll be working on creating a new dining room layout—from the current 39 tables to a much more practical 23 tables. Doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it is to us, and we’re excited for the change! =)

And I (Sara) continue to work as front desk manager/receptionist about 45-50 hours a week. That’s pretty much my life right now. =) I also volunteer at a local detention center once a week where a friend and I teach anger resolution classes. And if anyone at all cares to read my thoughts, you can do that here.

Dad has been busy with never-ending maintenance projects and teaches English as a second language to Hispanic students on Friday evenings. And Mom continues to do what moms do best, only mothers themselves can really relate to, and we can never be grateful enough for—the countless things that keep our family functioning, our home orderly, and our hearts encouraged.

In August Anna turned four, Suzi turned twenty-four, and Samuel turned eleven. That leaves only nine more birthdays yet to go this year! We thought it might be nice to leave for the last 2 ½ weeks of November and save everyone the trouble of birthday nights for six of us Nelsons. =)

Ok, I feel like I just typed out our Christmas newsletter, but there’s a little bit about what we’ve been up to anyway. =)

Zinnias

2009-08-20T14:12:00.004-04:00

2009-08-13T09:18:00.002-04:00

How Our Urban Garden Grows...

2009-08-10T11:07:00.002-04:00

Our vegetable garden! It just looks like an over-abundance of GREEN in this picture, but we really did get some vegetables...Tomatos, beans, zucchini, peppers, cucumbers, and summer squash, to be exact. ;)

2009-08-09T18:24:00.001-04:00

At the Zoo Again

2009-08-05T12:29:00.003-04:00

Pennsylvania Again

2009-07-28T10:32:00.008-04:00

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Savannah and Sophia at the Farm

2009-07-27T10:06:00.009-04:00

Things we learned about the twins this weekend: They HATE dirt, and they're terrified of cats--even kittens. City girls. ;)

Our Blue-Eyed Baby

2009-07-27T09:57:00.002-04:00

What's dirt if you can't play in it?

2009-07-27T09:07:00.003-04:00

Josh and Suzi's giant "snow pile" last winter melted into something even more fun to play on... =)

Silas enjoyed playing until he realized he was wetter and muddier than he really wanted to be...

But undaunted, after a warm bath and thorough scrubbing, he was back in the dirt again--along with Anna, of course!

A Bridal Shower

2009-07-24T22:47:00.000-04:00

This week us girls were so blessed to be able to help host and attend a bridal shower for a very dear friend, Naomi, who will begin a new covenant of marriage in just under two months--we look forward to celebrating this joyeous event with Matt and Naomi! Just a couple of pictures...

Craftiness =)

2009-07-22T09:59:00.017-04:00

I love, love, love to sew. Heirloom sewing, historical costuming, drafting patterns, altering, sewing for myself, teaching others how to sew... I especially love creating unique things that would cost me a fortune to buy elsewhere. Stef and I adored these handbags on Etsy, but not wanting to spend quite so much in purchasing them, I searched for a similar pattern to make some ourselves! At less than 1/2 the price and a little less than 4 1/2 hours of sewing later, this is how they turned out...

You can tell what my favorite colors are, can't you? =)

The buttons on this bag are adorable floral shells from the Philippines

And these buttons were carved from coconut shells

It was a little hard to snap a picture of someone wearing the handbag on their shoulder when I was the only one around to both model and take the picture =)

Viola. These turned out to be super easier to make than I though they'd be! And they're the perfect size for my "survival pack," right Skyler? ; )

Things I might try differently next time: larger buttons, longer or adjustable straps, magnetic fasteners, pleats instead of gathers, something other than florals and stripes.~

2009-07-22T09:55:00.000-04:00

Dishcloths! Something us girls have been working on crocheting recently.

2009-07-20T13:37:00.007-04:00

Some pictures that I found floating on one of our cameras the other day...

Happy--chubby--just learned to crawl--finally has hair--Shiloh!

I think that all children love to play with cameras, and Savannah is no exception! She just barely captured Silas playing in the tree (one of the boys' favorite pastimes!), but I thought I'd post this picture anyway!

Another of Savannah's pictures--not too bad actually! Our home almost looks small from this perspective. =)

Arkansas!

2009-07-12T13:55:00.008-04:00

"...The house of the righteous will stand." Pr. 12:7
Our family had the wonderful opportunity to spend the 4th of July weekend down in Arkansas with the dearest Query family. Only Dad and Skyler had ever met them before, so it was quite the adventure for nearly our entire family to journey down there and spend five days with them! But we sure had fun and we were blessed and encouraged in the Lord by the fellowship of like-minded believers in Christ. We were also able to spend some time with other new and old Arkansas friends while we were down there--the Carsons, Duggars, and Courvilles.

The ever-gracious and hospitable Query Family...We are grateful for you!

Enjoying the volleyball game (or was it the water fight?) from the sidelines at the 4th of July picnic

Silas and his battle wound...the result of little boys taking dominion over fireworks. ;)

Would you believe that the timid, quiet, little girls were neither timid nor quiet the entire time? =)

Deuteronomy 28:1 & 2

2009-07-04T10:54:00.002-04:00

A Week Away...

2009-06-28T13:21:00.012-04:00

I was blessed this last week to spend some time with my sister and her family in Pennsylvania... Their farm is situated deep in the country, near the edge of a large Amish community, so I took great delight this week in doing things I loved but couldn't do in the city. =) Going barefoot all day long and laying down in the grass with an ice cream cone after spending a couple of hours hoeing my sister's garden were probably my favorite! And Anna kept telling me that she wanted me to stay "forever and ever..." It was a great week--even with the lack of sleep and all the rain!--thanks for letting me come and stay with you, Josh and Suzi!

Little Becca being her silly self at the Lake.

Anna and one of her precious kittens--she's very responsible in taking care of them! She'll often be heard saying, "Mommy, my kitties need me! I have to help them!" =)

Oldfields Gardens

2009-06-15T19:00:00.006-04:00

"I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever...

"I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. [I will] abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness...

"They shall speak of the glory of [his]kingdom, and talk of [his] power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom...

"The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfieth the desire of every living thing...

"The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them...

"My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever." Psalm 145

In the afternoon...

2009-06-13T19:25:00.002-04:00

2009-06-13T09:09:00.008-04:00

"...[Lord] I am continually with You: You have held me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel...Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is no one on earth that I desire beside You. My flesh and my heart fails: but You are the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever...It is good for me to draw near to You, my God: I have put my trust in You, that I may declare all Your works." Psalm 73:23-28

. . . . .

I like change. At least when I'm the one doing the changing. =) I love to visit new places, make new things, rearrange furniture (I used to do this ALL the time!) and redecorate rooms, wear my sisters' clothes, fix my hair curly or straight, and be random every once in a while--all just for something different. And this morning I felt like doing something a little different, thus a few modifications. So now you may all comment as often as you'd like! ;-) Happy Saturday!

Silas

2009-06-11T14:11:00.001-04:00

Wednesday

2009-06-10T20:23:00.003-04:00

"Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified." Psalm 70:4

O-Kun-De-Kun Falls: An Adventure

2009-06-08T22:33:00.008-04:00

The middle of May found Skyler with a few other young men from ITC up in Northern Michigan on a backpacking adventure--the reward of a challenge designed to motivate each involved to seek the Lord and endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. The guys enjoyed themselves immensely! Pictures are obviously a li'l late in coming, but better late than never...here are a few that captured their time in the North quite well.

Exhausted already now that they finally have their packs on. ;-)

Enjoying a lunch of MREs.

Not exactly a difficult feat, but after hiking eight miles with a 50-lb pack, anything makes you feel victorious.

The camp site.

Preparing breakfast--pancakes, bacon and eggs.

No camping experience is ever complete or thoroughly enjoyed without coffee. Ask Patrick.

The snapping turtle Skyler found while hiking and ended up carrying it nearly 10 miles just so Micah could take a picture of it!

After their hike back, the Conference Center was a welcome sight!

Kayaking on Wolf Lake at the Northwoods.

Sunset off the lake.

Fishing Fascination

2009-06-05T19:21:00.002-04:00

Hopefully before long we'll have pictures of some of the things we've been doing this week...such as a Ladies' Tea Party for the ITC staff ladies and a couple of trips to Eagle Creek Park...One in the rain with dear friends, and another just yesterday with all of the staff.

This picture was taken yesterday by Mr. Ritchie--it captured the little boys' afternoon of fishing quite well! They even caught a tiny catfish and were rather pleased with themselves. ;-)

Playing with Friends

2009-06-01T08:57:00.003-04:00

A Delightful Ending

2009-05-31T15:35:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I failed to take pictures of normal life as I promised to do...But here are some pictures of last Saturday's Hispanic Ministry--the last class until September. The children (and some of the adults too) had fun attempting to break this huge pinata. It weighed nearly 30 lbs!

Samaria

Monett, Tabi, Margie, and Alicia

Poor Ximena had her back to the pinata the entire time...she was mostly swinging at tree branches and people. ;-)

Muncie

Abby is Savannah's "favorite" =)

Monett

I'm surprised they got Daddy to take a turn ;-)

The pinata, finally beginning to break apart!

A mad rush for the candy

The little ones were a little frightened to take part of the "rush," but we were prepared for that and had bags of candy already made up to give to them. I think they ate it all that afternoon!

2009-05-16T14:51:00.003-04:00

Our days are not empty. We somehow manage to fill them to the brim everyday with activities, work responsibilities and ministries--school work, stretching carpets, washing dishes, cleaning doors, laundry, teaching English, playing with children, setting tables, riding bikes, working at the front desk, cleaning bathrooms, baking cheesecakes, teaching crochet, reading books, shopping for groceries, talking with friends, assisting others with their work projects, playing volleyball (or attempting to play, for some of us), writing letters, playing games, eating ice cream, seeking the Lord... And those are just some of the things we've done as a family this week. ;-)

We've decided that we must either be an unusually boring family (Nate says we're not...thanks Nate =), or we just somehow fail to capture the "beauty and sweetness of everyday life" on camera. With six+ cameras in the home you would think someone would take pictures more often, but not so! We don't exactly like to rely on friends to take all of our pictures for us either (although we sincerely appreciate their willingness and skilled efforts). So we've planned a mission: we're going to see just how many normal, everyday moments we can capture of our work and daily life as a family at ITC...and then maybe we'll have a few worthy enough of sharing with you. ;-)

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the GOODNESS of the LORD in the land of the living." Ps. 27:13
"Oh how great is thy GOODNESS, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!" Ps. 31:19

2009-05-10T13:43:00.000-04:00

"Her children arise up and call her BLESSED..." Proverbs 31:28

2009-05-03T15:08:00.004-04:00

A few pictures I forgot to post from the zoo excursion--nothing like penguins, a blue sky, and umm...photoshop. They look like perfect paintings, do they not?

An Afternoon at the Zoo

2009-04-24T22:05:00.002-04:00

This afternoon my family journeyed to the Indy Zoo with some friends. Dad and I stayed behind because of work responsibilities, but the rest of the family enjoyed themselves tremendously! Now, we're no family of photographers, but I would say it was a great day to capture some amazing color contrast. ;-)

Ha! He really looks like he's smiling at us, doesn't he?

ALERT Cadets =)

Contemplating

Trying to get a better view?

Watching

Grinning...or something like that

Stopping to smell the flowers

The goats were cute, but's it's the door I'm in love with ;-)

Again with the green door

Eating

No, we don't like llamas, but we thought the red flattered her very well.

Kissing

Smiling

Resting

Posing

Trying

Almost

Perfect

Jumping

Competing

Tagging along

The Theme of My Life

2009-04-23T14:31:00.007-04:00

On Tuesday evening I had the remarkable honor of sharing a testimony with the Hair Design girls. I'm afraid that my life is very, well...normal, so I wasn't sure that any testimony of my life would be at all meaningful. But I agreed to share anyway. As I gathered my thoughts together beforehand, the Lord very clearly revealed to me a common theme threading throughout my entire life. Surrender. Isn't this what He asks of all of us? The Lord has asked me to surrender many things throughout my life (I shared about eight of the hardest of them with the girls), from homeschooling, friends and clothing to my vision for hospitality, home and marriage and just about everything in between! It amazes me how real something becomes in my own life when I simply share it with others.

A few thoughts that came to mind when preparing to speak to the girls....
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” John 12:24

“Castles in the air take a vast deal to keep up.” I have found this to be true in my own life, and no matter how long or precisely I’ve labored to build those precious castles of mine, the Lord has always asked me to surrender every one of them—to experience the “death” of all vision. There is nothing so hard to do than surrender what is precious to us, is there? But just like the seed that dies to bring forth life, so every good dream and desire must die to bear fruit. When we surrender our wills and allow our dreams to die God is glorified, because death yields fruit, and fruit brings glory (John 15:8).

God's desire is that we be wholly and willingly surrendered to Him, His life flowing through us as we empty ourselves of self (2 Timothy 2:20, 21), and allow ourselves to be filled with Him.

Brokenness is having no will of our own. When we allow God to bring us to the place where He is the only thing we ask for, the only thing we desire in life, where we no longer seek our own will but His alone, only then can we truly hope to be filled with Him as He dwells in us. The way to the heart of Jesus Christ is not by striving and working on our own, but by surrender and submission, by faith rather than by self. No one can perfectly surrender anything to the Lord, but if we’re willing to surrender, Jesus Christ can do for us what we can never do for ourselves, and that’s what He desires—a willingness in our hearts to give up ALL things that we might take hold of ONE thing—Jesus Christ.

A Day of Happy Remembrance

2009-04-20T15:06:00.002-04:00

Twenty-four years ago today our father and mother were united together in the covenant of marriage. They may not have understood the implications of covenant faithfulness at that moment, but over the years our parents have painted a portrait for us of love that endures, for better or for worse. We’re so grateful that the Lord, in His perfect sovereignty, brought our parents together to be our parents, and His sovereignty becomes even more meaningful to us as we’ve learned to trust Him to provide husbands and wives for each of us children in His perfect time.
We are so blessed by our parents’ example of love and commitment. Just as they have modeled for us the faithfulness of Christ, we children pray that we also will be faithful examples of Jesus Christ to many future generations!

Sshhh...

2009-04-19T21:06:00.007-04:00

April 20th is a special day for our family... Tomorrow marks exactly twenty four years of married life for Mom and Dad! So we children have a few things planned, but since tomorrow is a rather busy day for us, we're going to spread the celebration throughout the week....pictures forthcoming! =)

We go together like....

2009-04-19T21:03:00.002-04:00

a wink and a smile.

Momma, 1985

Daddy, 1983

One of very few wedding pictures! 1985

Dad, Mom, Suzi, and Sara--1987

Anniversary 2000

Of death defeated and life without end...

2009-04-12T20:56:00.001-04:00

A debtor to mercy alone, of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear, with Thy righteousness on, my person and off’ring to bring.
The terrors of law and of God with me can have nothing to do;
My Savior’s obedience and blood hide all my transgressions from view.

Praising the Lord for life everlasting through His ultimate sacrifice on our behalf!

It's a family tradition to have the children's picture taken on Resurrection Sunday...even if they don't really want their picture taken. =)

Our lovely family meal table. We had the Carson ladies over for dinner after church, with all the traditional food, of course. It's so nice to be able to fit our entire family--plus additional guests--around our new dining room table!

Holliday Park

2009-03-31T21:27:00.008-04:00

Earlier this week our family spent the afternoon at a local park, enjoying the opportunity to just be together away from the normal daily routine, get some fresh air, and let the children play on something other than concrete! ;-)

Enjoying the playground...

The White River

Climbing "the ropes"

The twins loved crawling through the tunnel in the playground!

Holding hands...=)

Of Saturdays...

2009-03-31T21:15:00.003-04:00

A portion of my Saturday Hispanic Childrens character and Bible class. I love these children (especially the blonde!), and love being with them on Saturday afternoons.

The Little Boys

2009-03-29T20:37:00.004-04:00

A few pictures of the little boys and what they like to do outside...you can view some more here!

They say little boys are 90% mischief and 10% dirt...I think they might be right!

One of Sam, Seth, and Silas' favorite things to do is ride their bikes outside with their other friends at the Training Center

Shiloh's getting so big...he's learning how to sit up on his own now

Thanks for the pictures, Chad!

Us!

2009-03-11T20:01:00.003-04:00

Just an updated picture of us...a li'l fuzzy and we're not all even looking at the camera, let alone smiling! But since we're so terrible about family pictures, we thought we may as well post one since we have one! =)

2009 Leadership Summit

2009-03-07T18:50:00.011-05:00

We just wrapped up an amazing conference--the 2009 Leadership Summit. With speakers Doug Phillips, Voddie Bauchum, Chris Klicka, Kevin Swanson, and Brian Ray, the purpose of the conference was to define a vision for the future of Christian Home Education in America. Crucial, timely, and not just any vision, but a mutigenerational one.

With over 450 men in attendance, there were many long hours of work for the staff--until 2am at times...well, all night for some! But I believe that we were all encouraged through the conference--whether listening to sessions, conversing with the attendees (I think our family knew more of the men who attended than anyone else here! Must be because it wasn't an ATI conference!), or just knowing that we were somehow playing a very important part in a very historical moment for the leaders and heroes of homeschooling... I believe that the presence and blessing of the Lord was here this weekend and I pray that He will cause revival and reformation in the heart of each father who took the time to come, diligently seeking the Lord, to cast a vision for future generations!

Deuteronomy 4:29-- "But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul."

Jeremiah 29:13 "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

2009-03-05T15:34:00.000-05:00

There's just something about flowers on one's windowsill...

Sunshine and Stars

2009-03-02T20:32:00.000-05:00

THE MOUNTAINTOP
Some may walk on mountains, and drink that mountain air,
But others are not suited to stay for long up there.
It seems I've seen more valleys lately, in my pilgrim way.
The sun is often hiding, and the clouds are often gray.

Oh, I've not seen the sunset from the mountaintop in years,
And I've not seen the stars shine from up where it's bright and clear.
But I have never lost my faith in sunshine and in stars.
I know that mountaintop cannot be far.

So keep on climbin', pilgrim, and don't give way to fear.
In the mountain or the valley, the Lord is always near.
And He knows every step you take--He'll never lose your way.
The path He puts your feet upon leads to the cloudless day!

Sometimes we see the journey, and so forget the end,
But if we keep on holding to the hand of God our friend,
One day the clouds will break apart, and suddenly we'll see,
The mountaintop is right beneath our feet!

Oh, I've not seen the sunset from the mountaintop in years,
And I've not seen the stars shine from up where it's bright and clear.
But I have never lost my faith in sunshine and in stars.
I know that mountaintop cannot be far.

The Girls...

2009-02-28T21:30:00.000-05:00

Mr. Gergeni's Birthday

2009-02-26T19:45:00.000-05:00

Our great day of celebration! After hours upon hours of planning and preparing, the time had come to honor Mr. Gergeni for the man that he is before God and others. The theme of the party was 1 Thessalonians 5--Mr. Gergeni's life chapter of the Bible. We wanted him to know, beyond any doubt, that we could all clearly see the many qualities listed in that chapter as being consistently demonstrated in his personal life.

The girls sang "The Steps of a Good Man"

We played a game (I'm not sure if it ever had an "official" name...) where we had to answer questions about our guest of honor, and as the questions were answered correctly, the game pieces came off the board (took a long time at first!), revealing a picture of the 1 Thess. 5 qualities...I was surprised that I knew the answer to most of the questions--must be because of all of Mrs. Gergeni's stories during our housekeeping meetings in the morning!

Discussing which piece to guess on the game board

Mr. and Mrs. Gergeni

Some of the dads praying over and blessing Mr. Gergeni--a very precious time

The young men singing "Faithful Men"

A Special Italian Valentine's Day

2009-02-18T20:08:00.000-05:00

Adorable in red...'nough said

The lovely menus handcrafted by Monett

ANOTHER family picture--I had forgotten that this one was taken!

You wouldn't believe how long it took to set up this display! =)

Beloved parents...oh, and Shiloh (he's loved too)

Our enthusiastic waiter for the evening...disappeared with the baby for half the evening! ;-)

The faithful platers...spent their time serving while we enjoyed our delicious meal

Live performances were scheduled throughout the evening

And a couple of games for the couples

"Love is a Fallacy"

I had no idea how awful that fedora looked on me...

I don't know that I'd ever do something like this again...but I think everyone enjoyed it =)

2009-02-18T20:00:00.000-05:00

The "Danceless Ball"

2009-01-26T17:51:00.000-05:00

To celebrate birthdays of a couple of dear friends at the Training Center, we were invited to a formal "danceless ball" (or as the young men referred to it--the "guy-less prom"). We loved being able to dress up for an event...usually any formal event around here finds us donned in black and white or an apron and a hairnet. =)

Shiloh was the only young man present...he received lots of attention. ;-)

The Nelson ladies...and Shiloh =)

Sara, Hannah, Sophia, Alyse, and Tabitha

Mrs. Paine, Shiloh, Momma, and Savannah
Photos courtesy of Lydia Heagy

2009-01-26T16:29:00.000-05:00

Kathryn, Hannah, and Lydia

Tabitha and Jessica...matching =)

At one point we divided all of the girls into different teams to act out a skit using random words and items given to us...

Rescuing the maiden-in-distress, Tamarah

Becca turns two!

2009-01-24T19:22:00.000-05:00

Becca LOVES wearing her "birthday crown"...

Excited about birthday cards

Anna and Becca and their snowman ;-)

Lovely weather for a sled ride...

2009-01-12T21:43:00.004-05:00

An adventure on Mount Everest...well, almost

Almost at the peak...

2009-01-12T21:36:00.003-05:00

We were invited to a friend's birthday party while in PA...we'll let you guess the theme. Let's just say that this is probably the only time you'd ever see any of us dressed this way. ;-)

Hannah, Lydia, and Kate--holding Lena

Samuel and Seth

Suzi and Ben

Sara, Faith, and Stef--holding Savannah, Shiloh, and Sophia

The day the relatives came...

2009-01-12T21:22:00.004-05:00

An impromtu family picture...gotta love Anna's expression! ;-)

Some of the little ones...they enjoyed playing with each other once again!

Anna

Savannah

Becca...she *loves* stickers...even on her face!

At a young friend's birthday party

Savannah...thought we'd throw this picture in here because this was about the only day that she ate anything...she was sick for the rest of the week, poor thing!

Sophia and her zetetic expression

The Heagy Girls

2009-01-01T17:15:00.001-05:00

Strength for Today

2008-12-28T22:44:00.002-05:00

This evening, after a fun time of fellowship and games (Sardines...a training center favorite!)on the thirteenth floor with the Kraft family, our family enjoyed a delightful time of Christmas caroling and then an impromptu hymn-sing and ice-cream social in the lobby until nearly midnight... Random imformation, but it was the most fun we've all had in a long time and we all decided to do it again as soon as possible... It's beautiful how fellowship with the saints strengthens and edifies, isn't it?

Shiloh at Three Months

2008-12-28T14:05:00.001-05:00

Still Dreaming of White

2008-12-25T20:22:00.003-05:00

Christmas is our family's favorite time of the year! Nothing makes our family happier than reliving every year our memories and traditions of spending days shopping for "just the right" gift for each other, baking all sorts of sumptious candy, pies, truffles, and cookies (we always make special family favorites and then try several new recipes every year), making and mailing cards, getting together with friends for games and caroling, gingerbread house-making contests, reading books and listening to Christmas radio-drama theater in the evenings, and of course, spending our days laughing and singing--all the while dreaming of a very white Christmas...

This Christmas has been a little different for us. We still made sure to spend plenty of time shopping for each of our own special gifts, baking desserts (although the amount certainly decreased this year), making cards, playing games, and reading together..oh, and making gingerbread houses...or training centers =) But it was all very different, nonetheless. The Lord has been showing me that although family traditions and memories of our own eccentricities of times past are good and beautiful, the focus still is--and always has been--our Redeemer and King, Christ Jesus. God still so loved the world that He gave His Son--the unspeakable gift--that we might live and triumph in Him. And no amount of change in circumstances and traditions can ever change that.

So even though our Christmas was different here in Indy (and it most definitely didn't snow!), it was wonderfully jolly and I wouldn't trade it for any other! Nothing compares to the sweet fellowship and moments of joy in friendship with brothers and sisters in Christ, be it friends or family...The Lord knew what our family needed and we are so grateful for His perfect sovereignty! May the goodness of God continually bless you and cause you to rest in His covenant faithfulness and rejoice in the hope of His glory this coming year.

Merry Christmas!
The Nelson Clan

2008-12-25T10:22:00.002-05:00

The breakfast tables, complete with fruit and checkered napkins for an authentic Christmas brunch!

Setting up the tables for our special Christmas dinner.

The beautifully decorated tables in the back of the dining room!

Ready to eat.... =)
photos courtesy of Anna Kraft

2008-12-22T21:10:00.002-05:00

2008-12-22T09:05:00.000-05:00

Anna, Rebekah, and Benjamin Heagy

What we do for fun when no one is around...

2008-12-21T22:02:00.001-05:00

photos courtesy of Anna Kraft

Craft Day with the Krafts

2008-12-17T21:21:00.000-05:00

The gingerbread ITC

Preparing to make chocolate-covered pretzels with Mrs. Paine

Explaining how to make glittered ornaments

Making candy ropes

Abby and Sophia

Hannah and Abby helping the twins decorate cookies

Nate helping Silas

2008-12-14T16:50:00.000-05:00

Adorable Shiloh at South Campus during the Christmas Conference.

2008-12-14T16:48:00.002-05:00

A random picture...Savannah crying as Mr. Gothard hands her a Christmas gift during the Christmas Conference. She must have been frightened or something! ;-)

Praising God from Whom all blessings flow

2008-11-28T22:28:00.000-05:00

Josh and Suzi

Stef and Suzi...

With Savannah and Becky

Uncle and nephew--Shiloh and Ben

Happy smiles!

We Gather Together

2008-11-28T14:45:00.002-05:00

So very much has taken place over the past month at the ITC--I hardly know where to begin writing... Conferences and banquets, decorating for Christmas, preparing my family's li'l apartment for their upcoming arrival, daily chores and housekeeping, Bible studies, quilting classes, and the list goes on and on! It's so much fun to serve here, but sometimes I get so caught up in the daily routine of work that I lose focus of the service that is most important of all... So I've been trying to take time each day to do something special for others--such as spending time making paper snowflakes with a delightful roommate, encouraging someone with a verse of Scripture, organizing everything in the Resource Center, or replacing lights on Christmas trees =)...

I hadn't anticipated spending yet another Thanksgiving away from my family (I had really looked forward to all being together this year...), but even though we were many miles from each other, the Lord graciously gave both my family and myself a wonderfully refreshing, delightful Thanksgiving Day with friends and family. The Lord has surely given me so much to be grateful for... But He's been challenging me to not look upon this day simply as a day set apart to give thanks for His unmerited goodness, because He wants me to be doing this every day--rather, to look on this day as a day of remembrance for His unmerited goodness in my life, the lives of others, and His wonderful works in times past.

"O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face forevermore. Remember his marvelous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth..." [Psalm 105:1-5]

An experiment with hats...

2008-11-07T12:13:00.008-05:00

A Vote Not Lost

2008-11-05T16:10:00.004-05:00

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." -- John Quincy Adams

In light of yesterday’s Democratic win for office, I’m so thankful that my family did not shrink to compromise and vote the Republican ticket this election. We didn’t want to see either Obama or McCain in office, so we’re grateful that we had a better choice…those in my family who were eligible to vote all cast our votes for Chuck Baldwin of the Constitutionalist party--the only Biblically qualified candidate for office. In supporting Baldwin, many have told us that we were wasting our vote, but that is not at all so… With the understanding that we will be held accountable for every vote we cast, we voted in obedience to the Lord, knowing that our pronouncement revealed the essence of our faith in Him. We are called to live out the principles of God’s law--yes, even in the area of politics--so we shouldn’t be afraid of voting on principle…we should be afraid to vote any other way.

We do not fear the future. We firmly believe that even when Obama is President, that God will still be on the throne, He will still be the one who sets up and brings down our authorities, the principles of Scripture will still be our standard of action, and God will still work everything together for the good of His people. As Americans we are not in need of a "perfect" leader...what we need is to realize our absolute dependance upon God, kneel in brokenness before Him, cry out to Him and seek His face with all of our hearts. May the name of the Lord be recognized and blessed!

Embracing a New Moment

2008-10-14T18:11:00.004-04:00

As of tomorrow we will all be here at the Indy Training Center. The entire family (11 of us anyway)...for a time at least! And why will we be here? We'll be here, simply, to serve. And not so simply, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Ephesians 4:12. We'll be here to pursue with a passion the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. Of course, that was our purpose back in our lil' home in Pennsylvania too, but the Lord has directed us elsewhere...for a time at least!

I asked the Lord for a rhema to hold to as my family prepared their hearts for the new challenges and excitement of living and serving at the ITC, and He gave me Jeremiah 32:37-41,

Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them...and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.

Of course, this was intended as a promise of the Lord for the children of Israel, but I know that the Lord is going to gather my family together, give us one heart and vision, do us good, and plant us in this land with all of the love and passion of His heart and His soul. That is so beautiful to meditate on--when the Lord does something with ALL of His heart we can be absolutely certain that it will be incredible and beyond anything that we can imagine!

And so we're embracing a new moment and living to the hilt this situation that we believe to be the will of God for our family...

2008-09-27T19:50:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pictures of Shiloh... yep, he looks like the rest of us! =)

2008-09-27T19:46:00.002-04:00

The Heagy children. Adorable!

Rebecca Joy...she looks so big now compared to her lil' brother!

Benjamin Joshua-- 2 months old already!

Anna Elizabeth

O Sing a Sweet Song of Coffee

2008-09-27T18:51:00.005-04:00

Lately the debate over coffee and everything that word implies has sprung up again at the ITC... Only this time the discussion has been somewhat more, well, poetical than in times past! For your amusement, here's a slice of what's been penned thus far:

"The Coffee Song That Never Ends"
You are the song we love to sing!
Coffee your are our EVERYTHING!
Though Matt will try to wizen us,
We know it will not do--
Because you are the one we love,
To you we will be true... Repeat forever!

"I Must Have Coffee" (Written by FDiP, to the tune of "I Must Have Jesus)
Oh how my brain is starting to wander;
See how my eyes are starting to close!
I hear the sand-man coming to claim me;
I need some caffeine before I am gone!
Chorus:
I need some coffee, I need some coffee!
Can't you see my eyes starting to close?
I must have coffee, I must have coffee!
Caffeine can help me, Caffeine alone!

Mr. Stewart's response--In memoriam of coffee's many casualties
"The Fix" (to the tune of "Higher Ground")
My alarm clock rings, it's time to rise,
I open my bleary, crusty eyes;
But still I struggle to get out of bed,
Legally I could be called dead.

Chorus:
Coffee, lift me up to face these days,,
And I will ever sing your praise.
No matter what Matt may inflict,
I blissfully choose to be an addict.

There's only one reason to get myself up,
And that's for a steaming, stinking cup.
My vision is blurry, I'm starting to shake,
It's time for my ritual intake.
(Chorus)
So I rise up, against all odds,
Drawn to this sweet nectar of the gods;
At the first sip, my taste buds sing,
Coffee, you are my EVERYTHING.
(Chorus)
After the first cup, the world slows down,
At troubles I'll laugh, my sorrows I'll drown;;
I now rejoice in every deed,
My system just hit hyper-speed.
(Chorus)
In a short time, the buzz is gone,
This drug had used me as its pawn;
I gnash my teeth, mourn, wail, and weep,
It's 3 a.m. and I can't sleep.
(Chorus)

Lil' Shiloh

2008-09-24T18:21:00.003-04:00

"And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." -- Isaiah 58:12

Bringer of Peace

The Lord is My God
Champion

Introducing Shiloh Elijah Nelson, the newest member of the Nelson Clan, born on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008. He is quite the big boy, weighing 9 lbs. 3oz. at birth, and measuring about 22in. in length! There are so many eager hands to hold him, and mine are as eager as everyone else's...Unfortunately mine will have to wait a few more weeks to be able to do that! God's faithfulness is amazing and overwhelming... Only by the grace and goodness of God is lil' Shiloh here and healthy and absolutely perfect! To Him be the glory.