Oh, the Saga!! ... Getting Started

On July 10, our family was scheduled to leave for the Defending Your Faith family conference sponsored by Vision Forum and Answers in Genesis in Branson, Missouri. The Dischers, who had won an audition to perform in NC for the national conference of county agricultural agents, left as scheduled, heading first to visit family in Charlotte. Danny had decided this was the time to show his old Beaver RV (now affectionately known as the "Beavasaurus") was still "the top of the line" -- after all, he got a great deal on it, and in its day (1987), it really was top of the line.

He had done some preliminary preparations on it, checking out the engine and other mechanical parts and even having it nicely cleaned and waxed. I was my usual skeptical self (or maybe worry-wart self), since it feels top-heavy to me, and I worry that it will topple over on every turn. But I knew I had to trust the Lord and be willing to give it a try. Well, now Danny says he feels like the Bible story of Balaam applies to him -- and he is Balaam. Mechanical genious son-in-law Chris and Danny spent 2 - 1/2 days working on the old dinosaur, causing our departure to be delayed and me to stew and fret.

We actually went and looked at some new models, assuming that the gas crunch had made dealers desperate to get rid of guzzlers -- they weren't all that desperate. Chris kept working, and an RV shop even proclaimed the RV road worthy, but every time we thought we were ready to go, something new went wrong. Finally, Danny gave up and stopped beating the poor donkey. We went up the road to an RV dealer not far from us, and looked again. This time, there was a nice, 2006 model, just the right size and a good price (really) that was pretty much prepped and ready to go.

The Stricklen grandchildren and adopted granddaughter Amanda (family friend) eagerly switched stuff from the ole Beavasaurus to the new "Sun Seeker", and off we went! What fun! We knew we would not have all the cushion time we had planned to visit at daughter Katie's home in Arkansas, but we were on the way! Oh, as Chris was bringing the old RV to the dealer for trade-in, it started smoking and the transmission totally blew! Thank you, Lord, for saving us from ourselves and a stay on the side of the road somewhere in Mississippi!

CJ and Willie in the "Chipmunk's Nest" above the cab of the new RV. What a ball we had taking turns riding with Grandmother and Granddaddy!Danny in the captain's seat -- this RV is a pleasure to drive and ride in. Amanda being her usual jolly self! We so enjoyed having her along -- and I know the granddaughters did. She was our cheerful Miss Suzie Homemaker in keeping the RV tidy and functional.

On the Road Again!

Me, my sweet Mother, my sister Sue, overshadowed by my brother "Sonny", on the Fourth of July. What a nice day we had!!

Tomorrow morning, we hit the road again, the Lord willing. We are heading out to Branson MO for the Defending Your Faith family conference, sponsored by Vision Forum and Answers in Genesis, with most of our family. The Dischers head to NC first -- they won a video audition with 4-H to play for the national convention of county extension agents. They will be blessed by an expense-paid trip and an opportunity to see elderly relatives and make new friends along the way. Then they will swiftly make their way out to Branson to join everyone else.

Daughter-in-law Ashley and little Savannah were going along with us in the old "Beaver" (RV dinosaur) but the thought of being away from Daddy (Jason) for 2 weeks just got to all 3 of them! We don't blame y'all at all, but we will miss you. The Stricklens will meet us out there, and the Millers are already in Arkansas, so what a blessing it will be to have a little family reunion in Branson! And the granddaughters' friend, Amanda, will be an honorary granddaughter for the trip! We love you, Amanda, and are glad you are going with us!

Please pray for traveling mercies for all families and for our family to uphold our motto: "To show the world what the Lord can do through one family committed to His ways and to each other". Oh! The new CD's came! We will be taking some along on the trip, and hopefully blessing many people along the way. Actually, they are not new, just remastered and professionally packaged. Let me know if you want one, and we will find a way to get them to you. Beth figures we need $10 each, but if you can't do that, I'll find a way to get you one!

I hope to be able to post along the way, as I am proud of my old dinosaur self getting my phone to work again as a modem! I didn't need any whippersnapper help (well, I guess the sweet young lady at ATT counts as a whippersnapper -- but I did wait an hour on hold! So that counts for something!) Anyway, thank you, Lord, for Your help with techie problems! More later . . .

. . . another milestone . . .

Oh, my, what a milestone! Oldest granddaughter, Kitty, graduated from high school this past Sunday afternoon -- and we were blessed to host the event at our home. She requested a simple ceremony, and it is just as well! If you know our family, you know events like this are just asking for nostalgic tears and sighs. This time was no exception! Two of Kitty's sisters, Sarah and Grace, brother Peter, and cousins Callie and Mary graced the occasion with a stately all-string rendition of Vaughn's "For All the Saints". It was quite grand -- Peter even bowed the upright bass (as opposed to the usual bluegrass plucked bass).

Kitty's father expressed his joy and pride in her hard work and character growth, and he acknowledged her sweet spirit and compassion. Then Kitty took a short moment to thank her parents and others who have guided her along these years. She thanked the Lord for His hand upon her, taking her through the hard subjects and helping her to polish her gifts in her more favorable subjects, such as writing and history.

Her granddaddy spoke of his gratitude to her parents for "touching her palate" (Proverbs 22:6) with excellent things and carefully shepherding her to become the wonderful, God-honoring young woman she is today. Then he presented the diploma to her, and the festivities began. Family and friends shared in a lovely luncheon reception, with much joy and fellowship all around.

Her mother, Beth, had produced a memory DVD, which played in a loop in the family room and brought many "Oh, remember when . . .??" comments. It was played to the accompaniment of the Country Cousins music, which made it all the more poignant. Here is a picture which, to me, epitomizes Kitty's personality and spirit: spunky . . . full of life . . . curious . . . compassionate and protective of her family . . . Kitty, where did the years go? We love and and are so proud of you. We can hardly wait to see where the Lord leads you next! What a wonderful life ahead! God bless you, Sweetheart!

Kitty (in blue) with her mama and sisters Sarah (in pink) and Baby Gracie.

One More Time .. .

The lovely "Ladies' Table" at the Stricklen's anniversary party. It may seem funny to have the men and ladies split up, but Molly and the girls didn't know how to organize the seating so that those not at the "guests of honor" table didn't feel slighted. So this was their solution. And it went very well. There was plenty of interaction after the meal, so couples didn't spend a lot of time apart! The girls did a wonderful job of setting beautiful tables (please ignore that folding chair right in the forefront of this picture -- it was a beautiful setting!)

The "Men's Table" -- vintage linens and eclectic dishes made a pleasant setting.

The sweet father of my children and patriarch of our family indulges me with a fresh flower. Happy Fathers' Day, Danny!

The precious Pittman children blessed us today with their enthusiastic singing to the glory of God! "Here Am I, Lord, Send Me!"

Asking your indulgence and patience with my pityful blogging talents! Just take what comes up and enjoy the thrill and challenge of trying to put it in some sort of cohesive order!

What I meant by "Two Special Days" was 1) Chris and Molly's anniversary and 2) Father's Day. We had a wonderful time cooking out after church with the dads and fellowshipping with our home church and family. The older children took some of the younger ones to the woods and picked wild blackberries again. Then Abby and Markie made a delightful berry crisp to top off the hamburgers and hot dogs. Our visiting missionaries, the Pittmans, gave us a stirring report on Malaysia and their vision for serving God in this Muslim land. Fellowship with God's people over a good meal together, after worship, is a wonderful way to round out the Lord's day and be refreshed for a new week.

Two Special Days

Twenty years growing together in love and faithfulness for the glory of God -- Chris and Molly
Mementos of the special day.
Abby serving friends and family.

Molly and Chris celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary this week, and their sweet girls planned a gala dinner party for them. It was adults only (except of course baby William), and the girls and cousins did all the preparation and serving. What a lovely evening celebrating the Lord's blessing on a godly and fruitful marriage!

More Trip Pictures

All of us at the Marine Corps museum in Quantico Va. This is a wonderful place to find out more about the corps. My daddy served his country for three years of his youth in the Second World War. He entered at age 15 and was a veteran of major Pacific campaigns at age 18. Mother was especially touched by the museum.
Mother and I took a taxi to the WWII monument on the National Mall. This isn't bad for a cell phone camera! I was surprised it came out this well. RG had the camera at the Witherspoon school that day, so I resorted to what was available. This, too, is an impressive monument.
DADDY'S HERE!! Chris greets his boys in the Metro tunnel. He flew up from FL to drive his family home. What a wonderful feeling of relief Molly had when he took over the wheel of the Excursion for her in Washington traffic! Daddies make a difference!
Four country girls having lunch in one of Washington's mega-multi-story malls. Mary used the metaphor of the blurry folks rushing by to make some "deep" comments on their blog (here)
http://www.thestricklenfamily.blogspot.com/

Well, actually, it's down quite a ways, so I will just quote Mary:

"Observe the the whiz of people in the background. The people in Washington DC move unnaturally fast, for no apparent reason--It's a plague that its residents catch after living there for more than a month. They MUST make that exact metro ride, or the whole world will stop in its tracks, even if there's another metro 3 minutes later going to the same place. Watch out, or you might get trampled.
Just a Thought--Mary"

But you will enjoy their blog, so visit anyway! I am so thankful for the opportunity to go with my sweet family to the capital. Mother had never been and had always wanted to go, and now she is ready for another trip there (when we all recuperate!) I cannot say enough about the impact the Witherspoon School had on my husband and grandson. Thank God for men of strength and integrity He has raised up for such a time as this. We, families and the church, have always needed men to be our leaders, but I am convinced we will need them more than ever in the upcoming days. Thank you, Lord, for men of vision to follow Your Word and Your ways.

Pictures!

We left home on Sunday afternoon, May 25, heading to Fredericksburg VA so that Danny and RG could attend the Witherspoon School of Law and Public Policy, sponsored by Vision Forum.

Danny told me, "come on and go with us!" So I did! My dear mother heard me talking about it and said she had always wanted to go to Washington and never had the opportunity. So I said, "come on and go with us!" So she did! Then daugher Molly said she and her children wanted to go, too, and her husband would fly up and join us for the trip home. So we said, "come on and go with us!" And they did!



What a great (though exhausting) trip it has been. Of course, Danny and RG have been in classes the whole time, and we have met up only a couple times a day to sneak a hug. But they say it has been a tremendous event, impacting them greatly for the near and far future. This has been our prayer, and the Lord is answering it.



Meanwhile, we girls (with CJ and William) have been ridin' the rails (Metro) and hiking (or hobbling) around Washington big-time. Here are some random pictures (hopefully in chronological order!) of the trip so far. We will leave for home tomorrow afternoon, the Lord willing, after the "graduation" from the "school".



Faithful RG, Aunt Molly's substitute driver when she had to take care of Wills. I think he prefers driving anyway!
Granddaddy and RG walking the streets of Richmond, looking at Confederate monuments.

Sweet Grandmother Harris and sweet Molly in front of the battle flag at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond. What a wonderful place to get a little different perspective on history!

Everyone at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond. Even CJ and Margaret Anne were impressed by the history they learned.

Here we are waiting for the Metro. We got pretty good at playing "mole people" -- underground tunneling, with no hope of ever seeing the sun again! Reminded me of the old song about Charlie and the MTA -- "He never returned, no he never returned, and his fate is still unlearned. He may ride forever neath the streets of Boston, he's the man who never returned!" -- and all because of the lack of one more nickel! (Hang onto those day passes, children!)

William "The Scowler" Stricklen, disgruntled Metro rider. "Hey, get that camera away from me! I have been looking cute and smiling at strangers all day long, and I have had it!"

Always touching and impressive -- the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns

Everyone at the front of the Lee-Custis house at Arlington. The view is amazing. It looks out over Arlington Cemetary and across the Potomac to Washington. You can see most of the monuments from here (see the Washington Monument over Abby's shoulder.) R to L: Abby, Mary, Callie, CJ, Grandmother (me), Margaret Anne, Grandmother Harris, Molly holding little Wills.

The story of how the United States came to own the Arlington property is sad and enlightening. The property had been in the Lee-Custis family for generations when the War between the States began. The law at the time stated that property owners must appear in person to pay property taxes. Of course, Robert E. Lee was behind enemy lines at the time. His wife was crippled with arthritis and tried to send a proxy with approximately $90 to pay the taxes. The money was rejected, and by default the US government took possession.

Later, a bureaucrat, whose son fought and died on the Union side, was assigned the task of finding more burial space. He immediately remembered the Lee-Custis land, and his spite motivated him to assure that the Lees would never return. The sad story of its origin is fitting for the somber nature of the Arlington Cemetary. What a good place for reflection and respect!

Mother at the Iwo Jima Monument near Arlington. What an impressive memorial! As you can see from the size of people nearby, it is huge and imposing. It is a strong visual reminder of the place where my father received major injuries that sent him home from the war. The story, as he told it from his perspective, has always inspired our family. Tales of such sacrifice and honor must be passed on to each succeeding generation. How thankful we are that someone felt strongly enough to honor those who gave so much with this reminder. More coming . . .