Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Simon & Tim's Visit!

My cousins, Simon and Tim, came home for a visit the 2nd weekend in August. Simon, spent this past year with his wife in Japan, teaching English. He's on his way to Nicaragua for 27 months with the Peace Corps! Tim is transferring from the Post Office in Nebraska to California. He's looking forward to returning to school, taking some upper level Physics courses. (He's the "brain" in the family!)
Simon was playing with his new underwater Olympus camera. It takes some really good pictures! If you can't recognize him, this is Dylan in our pool.
We went to meet up with Tim on the Eastern Shore. He was driving from N.Y. (visiting his friend), to MD thru Delaware. We were planning to meet for a quick boat ride, but we hit major traffic both east and west on US-50.
The cause of the traffic was an accident on the east bound bridge. A tractor trailer, hauling frozen chicken, swerved to miss an accident on the bridge at 4:00 am that morning! It actually went off the bridge, so they only had the west bound side open. The traffic was backed up for miles and miles. Even with taking all the short cuts we knew, it still took us 2 1/2 hours to get to Kent Island! Amazingly, Tim only had about a 10 min. wait for us, after sitting in traffic traveling west for hours.
It was nice to get out, eat, and walk around the marina.
We only had time for a quick cruise to get some ice cream.
Tim (and I) were a little nervous dodging isolated thunder storms! The Lord took good care of us, and we missed the rain & lightening!
The captain and I, enjoying the visit.
Late that night we got into a grueling game of Monopoly. Things are back to normal (see Summer Vacation 2008 - McClard visit). Shawn was back to his usual money/property hungry self. Simon and Tim united and gave him a fight. I was taken by Tim after he bargained for Boardwalk and built hotels. One hit and I was gone! O well, at least the world is back on its axis again!
Monday, they enjoyed visiting with my parents, Aunt Grace and Grandmom.
They went for a walk around the farm. (Their old stomping grounds!)
Then, Monday night they headed back to N.Y. The visit was short, but very sweet. We are hoping to have dinner with Simon and Kara in D.C. while they're doing their training, before heading to Nicaragua in Sept.

Congratulations Brian & Tiffany!

Shawn's cousin, Brian, got married to Tiffany on August 7th at Kent Manor Inn in Stevensville, MD. It was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I've ever attended.

The ceremony opened with adorable Candice, the flower girl (Brian's niece). She was quite hesitant & decided to just dump the petal basket along the way!
Tiffany, escorted by her Father, to her soon to be husband.
The proud groom, awaiting his beautiful bride.
The marriage vows...
Exchange of rings...
A beautiful song...
And... the happy couple!
Brian's Mom, Aunt Linda, with her sister, (Shawn's Mom) Audrey.
Audrey with her Aunt Daisy, and Cousin Mark.
Cousin Hannah and Ashley
Cousin Ben
Shawn and I
Jack and Audrey
The bride and groom, making their entrance.
The flower girl, Candice.
Brian and Tiffany
The "Best Man" speech!
The food was incredible! Our choice of crab and steak or chicken and fish!
Brian and Tiffany
Aunt Linda and Brian
The parents of the Bride.
My dear, darling, daughter & me!
Cutting of the wedding cake.
Good luck with that, Brian!
Awww....
And, surprisingly, we are now related, by marriage, to Steve and Mikey (Tiffany's cousins!) They've spent some time at our church, and worked for Shawn a couple years ago.

Bambi's Visit

On August 5th, Bambi and his sibling, came for a visit. They enjoyed some peaches and blueberries from the yard.
We don't know where their parents were, but we suspect they were eating in "corn heaven," up the driveway!

Teen Mission's Trip

I am sooo behind with my posts! We've been so crazy this last month! The last week in July, Ashley went to Roxbury, New York (North of Catskills Park) for a missions helps trip with some teens from our church youth group.
Our youth Pastor, Josh, along with his wife, Becky, and their daughter, Anna.
Our teens, along with some from Faith Baptist in N.J. (Pastor Simeon's church), and Lighthouse Baptist, helped out a new church with their Vacation Bible School program.
The trailer where the girls slept, and the church.
The teens did a lot of sanding and painting of pews.
All the painting started to get to them after a while... or rather, started to get ON them!
In the evenings, the teens played...
and played...
played some more...
and played still more!
Ashley with her new friend Christy.
Ashley had opportunity to share Jesus, and led 2 souls to Christ that week! There were 4 total professions of faith! We're praising the Lord for His goodness, and praying for continual growth & fruit for this church!
The Teen Missions Helps group, 2008!

Ephesians 3:14-19

"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen."