CEC Barn Blast 2008

I haven't had the opportunity yet to share how much we appreciate the Christian Educational Consortium where Haley and Bekah go part time, but I will go ahead and share about the fantastic fall party they put on. This year it was held at a new location, but they didn't miss a beat. The food was plentiful. Activities were everywhere including a bonfire, hayride, square dancing, corn hole, hilbilly golf, and bobbing for apples. It was wonderful to see the families of teens get together and have such a great time. In the top picture is Bekah with the blue sweater and white bow in her hair. Haley is in line for food with a gray sweatshirt and braids.

Getting Caught Up

I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated. I guess that's what happens when you start school. That has kept us quite busy. It may take a while to go back and pick everything up, so I'll start at the present and occasionally go back to a few things. I hope you enjoy.

Star Wars at midnight

Tim, Hunter, and some friends of ours went out at midnight last night to see the first showing of the animated Star Wars movie. Hunter thought it was the greatest thing. He got up rattling off about how good it was (in the eyes of a nine year old). Tim says he doesn't remember much of it. He was quite tired, but enjoyed the father / son time together. We girls opted to stay up and watch women's gymnastics.

Creation Museum

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge that I will have readers that will disagree with me. That's okay. I do encourage you to read on though. We made our long awaited visit to the Creation Museum in Northern Kentucky last week. I must say, it was well worth our time. While we have heard much criticism about it, we've also heard how wonderful it is. We agree with the latter. The Creation Museum walks its visitors through a series of state of the art exhibits scientifically proving that "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth." (Genesis 1:1) That goes against what we were taught in the public schools as a child. I remember learning "billions of years ago," and how we were evolved from an amoeba then a monkey, and so on. Looking at the solid scientific evidence they presented at the museum, it made me wonder, "so why don't others believe this?" I mean after all, if you take a pile of lumber and blow it up with dynamite (the big bang theory) you don't get a house! Everyone knows that. It all comes down to whether or not one believes that the Bible, preserved for many years, is true. It also depends on whether or not one believes in the one True God. While some may say they do believe in the Bible and God, they don't want to believe the account of creation and accept the responsibility that comes with it. So does it matter that we know how old the Earth is or how it got its start? Sure! What we think about the past decides what we think about the future. If one believes the words of the Bible including the account of creation, then they will most likely believe in an afterlife and how one will spend it in Heaven or Hell. Personally, I want to believe what the Bible has to say about creation. Would you rather believe that you were evolved from a monkey or "fearfully and wonderfully made? (Psalm 139:14)" The criticism that the Creation Museum receives reminds me of our trip to the Grand Canyon a few years ago. All over the park you hear "billions of years ago the Colorado River carved out this canyon." There was no one that would even come close to supporting the idea of it being the result of a world wide flood. August is the rainy season at the canyon. We wanted so much to see a sunrise or a sunset. That didn't happen for us. Instead we heard something different. We camped in the park - great experience. One night a thunderstorm was coming through. When it thunders, the sound goes on for several minutes. There's nothing like it. It reminds me of the scripture in Luke 19 when the Pharisees ask Jesus to silence his disciples that were praising Him. His response was "if they keep quiet the stones will cry out." The stones cried out that night for sure! I highly encourage everyone to visit the museum, whether you agree or not. You can then decide for yourself.

Kings Island

We were looking for an affordable thing to do that was somewhat close to home and realized that Kings Island fit the ticket. Our childhood stomping ground still provides happy days to our children, just like it did for us. This year even Holly was tall enough to ride most every ride (she couldn't get on Firehawk or The Crypt). As a family we went from the Fairly Odd Coaster (Scooby Doo, Beastie, among other names) to the Rugrats Runaway Reptar, The Beast, The Backlot Coaster, and The Vortex. Tim, Bekah, and Hunter rode the Firehawk and gave it great reviews. Haley stayed back to give Holly someone to ride with on the smaller rides during that time. We decided the Racers just weren't as fun as they used to be with bigger thrill rides in competition. I chose not to ride the Delirium. I mean, someone had to take their picture, right? It was then off to Son of Beast and Flight Deck (one of my favorites). We couldn't go without having LaRosa's Pizza - yum! Of course there were the water rides (I don't like walking around in wet clothes, and again, someone had to take the pictures!). One of Haley favorites is the White Water Canyon. As we strolled through the park we talked of how things have changed since we were kids: the rides, the names, the scenery. I told Tim one thing has not changed - how I enjoy walking through the park holding his hand. We spent many of our high school summers together there. Something else hasn't changed too since its opening in 1979. As the sun was beginning to set, we told them there was enough time for one more ride. Their vote? the Beast - hands down! What we forgot to tell them was how it speeds up at night. That makes it the best.

Embassy Suites

It's so hard to believe that summer is coming to a close. We've been so busy that we forgot about summer "vacation." While Tim has completed his course and our basement is almost finished we prepare to start school without a getaway - until last week. We decided that since we were going to a couple of venues in Cincinnati that we'd spend some time in a hotel. For a family of 6, that would be the Embassy Suites. They comfortably sleep 6 people, they have a pool, and everyone loves breakfast. There's always a big variety of eggs, meats, fruit, french toast, cereal, and pastries. Our favorites include the made to order omelettes. Tim & Hunter got their meats, onions, and cheese. Me, well, it's always a veggie lover's dream come true: tomatoes, onions, spinach, mushrooms, and cheese. At least everyone went into Kings Island with a full stomach.

Mini Vacation Time

Our blogs will stop for a couple of days and we took off for a little family time. Check back and we'll let you know about our adventures at Kings Island and the Creation Museum. I'll get back on the school thoughts as well.