Hello, Saint Louis!

"We made it!" says an overjoyed Jaelynn, who was delighted to be out of her carseat. After two days of driving, we finally drove into Saint Louis. Walking into the beautiful hotel where the 2006 National United Church and Home Conference was to be held, we marveled at the graceful interior. We had decided to attend this conference during our trip, and were looking forward to it! It was the last event before flying back home to California. Bedragled from travel, we entered our room to find the most inviting beds we had seen the entire trip. Kendra and I flew into them, turned on the relaxation CD that was provided and I felt like I was sleeping on an enormous, billowy cloud. Lovely!

The main conference room . . . the "Crystal Ballroom" What I would've given for a twirl in there! :-)


After a few hours of needed downtime, we all received our nifty binders and nametags and headed down for some supper. While in the resturant, which, by the way, was named after Max, ;-) we met some fellow conference goers. Stopping by the registration booth, we had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Zes,
Serven, and Erber ladies. Our anticipated weekend had begun!



Taking a break for some helicopter rides. :-)



Conference notes

The Klaty's were also on a "Round the USA" trip, and had decided to attend the conference also. They made the conference extra special for us. We hadn't seen them for a while, and it was great to catch up, and fellowship with our 'family'. :-) We love you Klaty's!
Here is a close-up of Mr. Chase Klaty.


Takin' a stroll out and about Saint Louis.

After the last session of the conference, we headed out to the town to find a place to fill our hungry tummys. On the way, we met up with the family of a young lady I had just met a few minutes before in the Crystal Ballroom, the Thomas family. We continued on to have supper at a Mexican resturant, who was overwhelmed by our numbers. ;-) After our meal, we all trooped back to the hotel, chatting a hundred miles an hour! We had a blast getting to know the Thomas family, and talked with them into the wee hours of the morning. :-)

The Mom's enjoyed some chattin' time.

The conference finished up with an intense, life changing message from Doug Phillips. Onward Christian soldiers!!!

On The Road Again

As we entered Pennsylvania, we headed for the home of the Lundquist family. It was so special to get better aquainted with each one of these sweet children and their parents for an evening. Mrs. Lundquist had just given birth to their newest blessing, little Stephen, and we were privilaged to meet him. Their hospitality was amazing, and Christ's love shone in their household. Thank-you for the sweet fellowship Lundquists!

Dad and Daniel plan out our route to our next destination . . . Indianapolis!


On the road again

The next night we spent with Brent and Kezia Beardslee. Our late night conversation about . . . well, everything (!) was great, and their fellowship was encouraging and uplifting. It was so special to spend time with our brothers and sisters in Christ all over the nation! Thank-you for your hospitality and love, Beardslees, it means so much.

As we traveled from Indianapolis, we passed under a sign which captured our attention. :-) Even though we seem to be miles away, dear friends always are closer than they appear. We missed you Hubers!

Here we are Saint Louis!!

Over the river and through the woods to the conference we shall go . . . ta tiddily dee, ta tiddily doo, de dum, de dum, dee dee.

The Shenandoah Valley~ Breathtaking!

On our way through the eastern states, we had the awesome experience of driving through the Shenandoah valley. Wow . . . what an incredible, jaw-droppingly beautiful sight! We Californians could not get enough of the richly vibrant colors, crisp in their autumn beauty. Our version of the fall spectacle is a scattered "here and there" scarlet tree, and a few orchard's that turn orange for a couple weeks.







As we drove through the valley, we would come up over a hill sometimes and enter quaint little villiages with the prettiest little churches; their pointed steeples rising into the blue sky. Some of the peaceful settings we came upon looked as if they came straight from "Country" magazine. From the people rocking on their front porch swings of their white farmhouses to the sleepy little towns, the evidence revealed a slower paced but perhaps greater savored existence.


Daniel and Max on their phones once again! They both were receiving frequent calls from their workmen who had questions or urgently needed their rapt attention in some matter. ;-) No vacation for the working man I suppose. The interesting thing about it was, they both seemed to get their calls at the SAME time! How does that work I wonder?

Diapers

What? Diapers??


Yes...today was one of those events that ought to be recorded in history. Can you guess?


Well...today was the first time in...say...13 years that I was "invited" to change a...uh...diaper. And I survived to write about it.


ScOtT

Powered by God's Creation

POWERED BY GOD’S CREATION


Hello! It’s me Simon. I know I’ve been pretty quit on this blog, I have been requested to write something, so I’ll tell you about a little hobby I’ve picked up thru the past summer, “sailing”!


A few years ago, our “older” neighbors gave us a little 12' sailboat that they hadn’t the time nor the energy to use.


Since I wasn’t in to sailing It took some time (reading books about sailing etc) and repairs to really get in to the sport and out on the water. Fortunately we have an excellent sailing lake (Huntington lake) fairly close to us.


Huntington is known for it’s predictable winds in the summer mouths, and is the best lake for sailing in California.


Here I am sailing singlehanded (solo), usually someone is in the boat controlling the jib, (fore sail)


I love sailing because it gives you something to do, and to think about, while enjoying being carried about by God’s awesome creation, “wind”.

"Bleep di bloop, di bleep . . . Hello?"

Technology clashes with neo-classical architecture.

Monticello "The Little Mountain"

The day we began the car trek to Saint Louis, MI and the United Church and Family conference, we stopped for one more sight-seeing adventure. Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's "Little Mountain" is yet another place I would enjoy returning some day. With limited time, we were able to tour the house and some of the grounds but not the magnificent gardens. We saw they were magnificent because Mom and I ran to the entrance in a few spare moments and stood gazing in until the urgent calls of the men disturbed our wonder. :-)

Special mother/daughter time.

Monticello~Designed and enjoyed by Thomas Jefferson. When I toured this beautiful plantation, I was inspired to learn more about this fascinating man who decorated his home with his interests and inventions. When we stepped inside the door, we were at once struck with a variety of indian paintings, leather, animal bones, hides, and heads, dino bones and curious inventions of Thomas Jefferson. These indian treasures were brought back from the adventures of Lewis and Clark, and he arrayed his home with their discoveries.

With a finish carpenter who studies historical buildings and detail, and an architect/history buff in our group, Monticello was especially fascinating to Dad and Daniel. They had an eye for design and beauty, dicussing details that I didn't notice at all!


Architectural design . . .

A 1770's outdoor clock, above the original glass in the windows!

Tuesday was October 2. A very special day because it was Mom and Dad's anniversary! They enjoyed themselves together at Monticello, and celebrated by spending the night in their OWN hotel room . . . quite a privilage on that trip!

With our eyes full of beauty, we're ready to get back in the car again! I suppose . . . ;-)

Time for Reflection

Will You Jump?

You find yourself standing on a one thousand foot tower
Over the edge you see the world, its allurements and its power
The effect is like that of a double exposure photograph
The first, a wreathing lake of fire, of which you can’t see the half
But the second image superimposed, and now starting to hide the flame
Is altogether a different one and seems the fire to quench and tame
Your eye’s feast on all life’s pleasures you’ve wanted to indulge in
Like someone’s seen inside your heart, the selfish passions and secret sin
And spread out beneath you all that would consummate those desires
Gratification beckons and say’s "look, there’s no more fire!"
You look more closely and sure enough the fire is disappearing
Imagination clouds your vision and passion your heart is stirring
With only a fleeting thought of the disaster that awaits
You step over the edge and plummet down, eager to face your fate
Your direction is set, the magnetic force of sin pulls you down
It seems impossible to stop, even if you wanted to turn around
Then your journey comes to a sudden halt as you hit something very firm
You lift your eyes above the world to see why events have turned
Now you find that you are sitting on someone’s giant hand
"The hand feels softer now," you think, as you lift yourself up to stand
You raise your eyes even higher now, to find out this hand’s origin
Up the wrist, up the arm, then it disappears, into heaven
Your passion still burns within, and pleas for consummation
Yet as you look to heaven, you see you you were heading for damnation
Yet that second image is still there and calls with satisfaction’s voice
"You can revel in all these things, if for me you make your choice."
And now decision knocks quite loud, remember, your life is at stake
Every man and women must make this choice, what route to take
Will you bend your knee and cry to God that He will lift you higher?
Or close your heart to heaven’s call, and jump into the lake of fire!
–Max Parish 2004

Old Friends

After visiting the Plantation and having lunch with Janet Carter, we had the opportunity to visit some old friends. The oldest daughter in the Spicer family, Ivy, (second from left) was my dearest friend when I was three and four years old. We started writing a few years ago, and it was fun to finally meet again! They are missing the youngest child in this picture, their son Addison.



Evening found us in the home of Irving and Sandra West and their children. Brandon and Brittney, (married now, so we didn't see her) were playmates of Max and Daniel in the "good old days" and their youngest son Barry was my age. They are old friends also, and have been out to see us in California several times. It was great to share a meal with them, and spend the evening catching up. :-)

New Market Plantation

Just beyond the field of golden soybeans stands a very special house. Or perhaps it isn't the house itself that is special but the memories that saturate it. Monday was spent in much thought, walking and talking over memories, and soaking in the beauty of the plantation where Simon and I were born. The place where a three and four year old Max and Daniel spent many happy days growing and playing till they were exhausted with the effort. Where stood the old, creaky, fixer-uper plantation house which had housed three generations of "Sally's" before yours truly. Where grew a circle of ancient oak tree's planted in the eighteenth century. These were the woods that heard the cries and chatter of two little imaginative boys as they swung from the vines, exploring and having adventures of the sort rarely experienced today. The thick forest, ancient outbuildings, and superb climbing tree's on the plantation were easily transformed into whatever the fancy of a child could dream up.


Here stands the chicken house which was home to the most robust and unkillable roosters I have ever come in contact with. This was also the favorite resturant of Virginia's enormous black snakes, with eggs as the special every day. :-) Ah, the memories!

"The Fields of Home." New Market Plantation was a racetrack for horses in the eighteenth century, so was once dotted with horse barns and outbuildings of all kinds.

The old oaks were still standing! Thirteen of them were planted hundreds of years ago by the plantation owners, the Baylor family, to represent the thirteen colonies. George Washington, who was good friends with the Baylors, enjoyed the refreshment these tree's provided. Only eight remain standing, stretching their mighty branches out toward each other over the grave stone standing in the middle of the circle. The grave stone memorializes the members of the famous Baylor family who are buried there.

The memorial stone~


Okay, so maybe I am a tree hugger, but if you had a chance to hug something which was centurys old, would you?

Thinking back over twelve years . . .

Sittin' on the front porch.


If you look closely you can see the figures of four boys in what was the best climbing tree around.

Taking a stroll down Memory Lane

One of the highlights of our visit to New Market Plantation was seeing our dear friend Janet Carter. The Carters, ending with Janet and her late husband Jim, have been caretakers of the Plantation for generations. Janet, who is a real Southern Belle, is a member of the Daughters of the Confederacy. She would call us all out to the flag-pole when we lived there and string up the confederate flag to sing southern songs around. Once Mom gained her friendship, they would sit sipping tea on her front porch and talk about all sorts of things. Janet was like a Grandma to us kids and we were all excited to see her again.

Riding around the Plantation with Janet. :-)

This is the tabacco rods in an old tabacco barn that still stands on the plantation. The tabacco leaves were drapped over these rods to dry after harvest.

The boys had a blast visiting their old haunts and remembering their boyhood days here. We kids were all struck with the beauty of the place and dreamed of what it would be like to live on a Plantation like this as a family again.

Jaelynn, enjoying the grass. :-) She was such a little trooper the entire trip. Such a precious trip

A Cracker from the Barrel

Conversation buzzed merrily when we rocked in the surperb accomodations of Cracker Barrel after touring Williamsburg on Sunday night. Although we had never visited this magical giftshop/family resturant before, we spent a pleasant evening there. One of the highlights of the giftshop was a toy parrot who would mimic anything you told it in a high squeaky voice. We laughed until we felt like crying over the way it would respond to movie lines and other things. Laughter truly is the best medicine isn't it? :-)

Since our party was large, we rarely sat at one big table together in any of the resturants we visited. We had to rent two cars as well, so it was a normal occurance for each table/car to chafe at the inability to share in conversation with the other party. :-)