The Fergs

Florida Slideshow

2010-07-08T14:52:00.001-04:00

Make a digital slideshow

Graduation!!

2010-06-11T21:44:00.008-04:00

I graduated from high school on May 29, 2010!! Here are some pics from the big day:

Senior Slideshow

2010-05-27T15:29:00.000-04:00

A free scrapbooking design by Smilebox

Emily's Piano Rectial

2010-05-24T09:06:00.003-04:00

Here is a video taken of Emily's piano rectial!! The recital was yesterday, Sunday May 23rd, at Rich Fork Baptist Church. Emily played a piece called "Georgiana" and she did an amazing job!

Lindsay's Senior Pictures- Happy 17th Birthday!!

2010-05-06T16:08:00.010-04:00

Today is Lindsay's 17th birthday!!!! How appropriate, then, to celebrate by unveiling some of her senior pictures right here on my blog?!?

Happy Birthday Sis!!

PROM 10

2010-04-22T18:58:00.008-04:00

I know I'm a little late in posting this, but here are some pictures of us this year for CCHE's homeschool prom!

Spring Has Sprung!

2010-04-05T18:27:00.012-04:00

It's finally warm again! Here are some pics from our Easter [*cough* Resurrection] weekend:

Mom and I decorated some adorable little chicks and bunnies to take to our church's Easter egg hunt!

Dad [yes, that's him in the hot dog costume!] and the Easter bunny waving at people on Lexington Ave.!

We each got a new dress to wear to church. This is the first time we've all had dresses for Easter since we were very small!

We posed blowing bubbles:

Jumping rope:

And in the grass:

Happy Easter!!!!!!!!!!

ONE Day without Shoes

2010-03-31T13:17:00.002-04:00

This year, I am going to participate in an event called "One Day Without Shoes". This event is held by TOMS shoes, an organization with a motto of One For One. For every pair of TOMS shoes you buy, they give a pair to a child in need of shoes. Pretty cool, right? One Day Without Shoes is an event created by TOMS to raise awareness for children who need shoes.

What's the big deal about shoes, you may ask? Well, many children in developing countries cannot attend school because of a lack of shoes, a huge health problem in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases which can be prevented with shoes, and obviously, wearing shoes prevents cuts and sores on the feet which, if infected, can lead to serious medical trouble. So, shoes are a pretty big deal. Everyday life could be pretty miserable without them.

Knowing all this, why go without shoes? Because we, in America and other wealthy nations, have a choice whether or not to wear shoes. Many of us, myself included, have a dozen or more pairs from which to choose. I am choosing to go barefoot on Thursday April 8 because I want to walk a mile [figuratively and literally] in those people's shoeless state. I want to feel their pain, discomfort, embarrassment, and whatever else may come. The thing is, I'm only doing this for one day, one 24-hour period. Countless others around the world go without shoes every single day. Those people suffer without shoes. On Friday, I'll go back to my flip-flops and Converse and be protected again, those people don't have that luxury. That's right, shoes are a luxury, we should be grateful to God that we can afford them and can afford to help others who go without.

The underlying reason why I'm participating in this event is not to raise awareness for a great cause, to be a rebel, or to scrape up my feet. The real reason I'm participating is to bring glory to God through the day. As Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, "I tell you the truth, whatever you do for the least of these brothers of Mine, you also do for Me." I will go without next Thursday for Christ. I am really doing all this for Christ, nothing else matters. He is the reason I'm blessed with all that I have, I am only returning a minute portion of His gifts to me by serving him through this day of humility.

So, the question is, will you join me? Will you forgo shoes for just ONE day? Can you do that much for Christ? Do you care enough to obey His call to obedience? If your answer is yes, please visit the One Day Without Shoes website by clicking on the banner on my sidebar. After you sign up, please comment here or email me and let me know! Happy Barefooting!

SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL

2010-03-12T12:25:00.002-05:00

Guess what tonight is?? Opening night of Lexington Youth Theatre's production of Seussical the Musical!! Lindsay and I both play Whos [as in Horton Hears a Who] and we're super excited for this weekend. If you live in the Lexington area, you should come see the show!! Show are tonight {Friday the 12th} at 7pm, Saturday the 13th at 2 and 7pm, and Sunday the 14th at 2pm. Tickets are $10 at the door, and Lexington Youth Theatre asks that you bring a can of food to donate to local charities. Please come and bring your friends for a night of fun with 15 of Dr. Seuss's most beloved stories!!

18th Birthday Dinner

2010-02-07T14:38:00.011-05:00

Sorry it took so long, but here are the pictures from my birthday dinner!! Can you guess where we ate?

my BIG present

2010-01-30T11:35:00.003-05:00

Once I finish editing my birthday pictures, I'll post them. For now, watch this video of my surprise when I opened my BIG present:

Busy, Busy, Dreadfully Busy!!

2010-01-17T16:57:00.002-05:00

I know I said not too long ago that I'd post once a week and that, obviously, hasn't quite happened. I've made a lot of changes to the look of this blog, but not posted much on it. My [kinda good] excuse? Since the new year started, we've been unbelievably busy!!

We started the month out with a visit from our good friends the Crofts, who stayed with us for a few days. We had a blast with them!! After that, we hit school full force and haven't let up since! I guess when you've got a 7th grader, a junior, and a senior you've got to keep on things. My amazing mother has been gently, but firmly, guided us into this second semester.

On January 6, Lindsay and I auditioned for Lexington Youth Theatre's production of Seussical the Musical! We were both cast as Whos [as in Whoville] and we started rehearsals last week. [Just so you know, the shows are March 12-14, contact me if you want tickets!] The closer we get to the show, the busier we'll get!

Emily continues to do well at her piano lessons and has begun to take a sewing class!! You can learn more at her blog.

The whole family starts rehearsals this week for our church's Easter pageant, the Witness!! We are all going to be involved in some capacity in the pageant, and we hope it will be an outreach to our community.

Those are just the extra things in addition to Dad's job, my job, babysitting, church, youth activities,cleaning, and so much more. Hopefully, this post gave you a little window into our busy, fun lives and allows you to forgive me for being a lazy blogger. Have an amazing week!!

Christmas Part 2

2010-01-04T20:43:00.009-05:00

We spent the Monday-Thursday after Christmas with Mamaw and Papaw! Here are some pictures of the present-opening frenzy:

Christmas Part 1

2009-12-30T16:34:00.008-05:00

We had grandparents come back to back this year for Christmas! Here are some pics from Christmas #1 with Granny and Papaw!

Here's our tree! Pre-Christmas obviously.

Mom's tree, also pre-Christmas.

Emily thinks she's really funny.

Yay for Christmas Eve pajamas!

Papaw Joe was really surprised by his gift!

Our dear friends, The Bowers, came over for Christmas morning breakfast. Daddy tried to show Sonia how to properly match clothes on her magnetic doll. She listened, but did not have much luck in matching.

I'll post part two soon!!

Snow!!

2009-12-30T16:28:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, we were hit with a little snow!! Here's a few pics:

College Choices

2009-12-21T15:57:00.004-05:00

Since I'm a senior this year, I have been applying to colleges and for scholarships like crazy. I applied to four colleges: Lenoir-Rhyne University, North Greenville University, Liberty University, and Regent University. I just got a phone call and I have been accepted to three of my four choices!! [ I have decided that Liberty is not my school, so it is now out of the running.] Now comes the hardest part, the decision. Lenoir-Rhyne, North Greenville, or Regent? I have no idea! In case you're interested, I'll give you my pros and cons for each one.
Lenoir Rhyne
Pros:

Closest to home [45 minutes or so]
Best communication in the application process
Fastest decision time
Great English program

Cons:

Most expensive
Not prevalent theatre program
Small amount of academic scholarships

North Greenville University

Pros:

Beautiful, small-town campus
Perfect distance from home [2 hours]
Great English program
Nice dorms
New theatre complex

Cons:

Few departmental scholarships
Not much info received upon acceptance
Unhelpful website

Regent University

Pros:

Near the beach
Vast amount of scholarships
Good communication
Great programs for English and Theatre

Cons:

Furthest away from home [4.5 hours]
Longest application process

This is just a sample of all the things that have rolled around in my brain the past few months. This is one of the most important decisions of my academic career and it is indeed stress-filled! Please pray for me and my family as we make this decision that will forever change my life. [And feel free to comment and give me your opinion on which college you think sounds best!]

2009-12-15T15:14:00.001-05:00

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2009-12-15T14:55:00.001-05:00

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My Senior Pictures!!

2009-12-11T23:04:00.015-05:00

While we were in KY, a family friend, Cara Croft, took my senior pictures. Here are some of the pictures she took:

You can check out more of Cara's photography at her family's blog, www.thecroftfam.blogspot.com !

HP Touch Smart Computer Giveaway!!!

2009-12-09T17:49:00.004-05:00

This computer is drool-inducing for any tech savvy person or really anyone who just loves computers. This is the new HP touch smart computer!! Yes I said TOUCH SMART meaning you can touch it with your finger in lieu of a mouse!! [You can still use a mouse if you like, just a cool wireless one] The keyboard that comes with this is also wireless up to thirty feet! How amazingly cool is that??? I would LOVE to have this computer, so my mom entered a giveaway at MckMama's blog, http://mckgiveaways.blogspot.com/2009/12/hp-touchsmart-giveaway.html. I am posting this to gain her another entry into the contest since I am too young to enter. [ Only 50 days until I can enter these types of contests for myself!!] So go check out MckMama's blog at the above link and enter to win this amazing computer as well!!

Thanksgiving in Kentucky

2009-12-07T17:17:00.008-05:00

I am so incredibly sorry for my lack of blogging!! Believe me, I do enjoy updating the blog for all my [dozen or so] readers, but I have been extremely busy lately! It will only get busier from now on, considering Christmas is only 19 days away. However, I vow to post at least once a week from this point on! So for this week's first post: Thanksgiving!

Lindsay and I watching movies en route to KY!

The "younger" family members playing games on Thanksgiving Day at Papaw and Granny's

Papaw Joe and my little cousing Talon enjoying dessert

Dad checking out some Black Friday deals at Mamaw and Papaw's

Emily and Aunt Cathie

We spent time with friends as well as family while in KY. Unfortunately, we were having too much fun to remember to take pictures. Thankfully, Emily never leaves the house without her camera, so she got a few shots of us at the Crofts'.

Emily and Isabelle being silly!

Claire and Lindsay watching a movie, I think.

BBQ Festival 2009

2009-10-26T14:14:00.009-04:00

You may remember my post from last year's BBQ Festival, you may not. Well, we ventured out in the rain this past Saturday to perform again with the rest of the cast of "Cinderella".

The three of us in our matching shirts, ready to perform!

It's kind of hard to see, but these balloons were soaking wet from all the rain!

The whole cast on the flooded stage!

If you look closely, you can see Emily!!

We had to get a picture of the sand sculpture in between showers.

Here's our performance of "A Lovely Night"!!

Milestone Birthdays and Crazy Costumes

2009-10-24T16:24:00.009-04:00

In the past weeks we've had two major birthdays in our family: Dad's 40th and Emily's 13th!

First up, Dad!! This was the food table for Dad's 40th "Over the Hill" birthday party!!

The birthday boy in front of the picture collage Lindsay and I put together!!

Next up, Emily!! Emily turned 13 on October 1st!!! She wanted to take her friends bowling, but as you can see, putt putt was a good alternative to a crowded bowling alley.

Mom made this amazing rainbow cake for Emily's party!! It was huge and delicious!!

Lindsay and I went to our friends sweet sixteen costume party a few weeks ago and had a great time!!

Lindsay went as the cutest cowgirl in the West.

I went as Cruella DeVil and I dyed my hair half-black and half-white!!

As you can see, we've been busy lately and it's only going to get busier from here!!!

Good and Bad Sightseeing

2009-10-08T20:55:00.001-04:00

I am very tired tonight. We went to many of the important cites in Old Jerusalem. The Garden of Gethsemane was my favorite place because I could imagine Jesus praying there the night before His crucifiction. My least favorite was the Church of the Holy Sepulchure. This is the tradional place where Christ was buried and rose from the grave. Sadly, it is filled with idols. The people kissed the suppossed slab that Christ was laid on to recieve a blessing. They bowed before the tomb and worshipped it. I cannot explain the anger that filled my heart. Here are people who recognized Jesus as Messiah,yet they are worshipping idols. I understand that we all struggle with types of idolatry but I cannot believe that people would bow and kiss a stone. I felt a holy anger and had to leave the place. I have never felt like that before. I can't explain it but I felt defiled when I left. Pray for those who know Jesus as the Messiah yet do not worship Him. We are not to worship idols made with human hands but we are to worship the risen Christ because He alone is worthy of our worship.
Mike

Days 5 and 6

2009-10-08T09:48:00.001-04:00

We arrived in Jerusalem and it is unbelievable. We went to the place they think Jesus was crucified and resurrected. It was a powerful place. We also went to the Western Wall. This was an emotional experience for me. Here I stood with my hand on the wall while 1000 of Orthodox Jews were praying for the Messiah to come. The Holy Spirit reminded me of Hebrews 10 which says we have a prepetual High Preist who is greater than any temple. Pray for them to see Jesus as the Messiah.
Mike

Day 4

2009-10-06T22:18:00.002-04:00

Today was a good day. We went to Cesarea, the place of Cornelia the first Gentile Christian. We had a good night witnessing. I spent an hour with Mordecai who is very knowlegable of the Bible but rejected Jesus as Messiah. Pray for God to open his eyes. We are moving to Jerusalem tomorrow.
Mike

Day 3

2009-10-05T19:17:00.008-04:00

Wow what a day! We saw Meggido, the Mount of the Beatitudes, Nazareth, Hokan Heights, the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. It was surreal to walk in the footsteps of yashua (Jesus). It has changed the way I look at the stories of the bible.
Tonight we went back to the Akkad Festival. Our group was harassed by the orthodox and the police. One of the guys in my foursome was grabbed by two cops and they tried to take him in. Our leader intervened and stopped them but they took 400 of our new testaments and made us leave. I had a couple of orthodox circling me, but they only stared. When all the commotion began David (a team member) and I were separated from the group and stuck near the orthodox booth. I was a little nervous, but we made it out okay. John lost his backpack, but praised the Lord to be counted worthy to suffer a little for the Lord. Pray for us to be bold and effective witnesses for Christ. I love and miss you all.

Day2

2009-10-04T08:48:00.003-04:00

We went to Mt Carmel today to the place [legend says] Elijah called down fire from heaven on the prophets of Baal. We could see Bethlehem from the top.
We are getting ready to go to the missionary's house for dinner. I am sure we will eat more lamb. Tonight we are going to a huge outdoor festival to pass out more bibles. I have to admit that it is scary trying to witness to people who do not speak English.
Pray that God would give me boldness.
Mike

First day

2009-10-03T17:40:00.003-04:00

Hello from Mt Carmel. It was a long trip but we finally made it. We got in our rooms about 5:20 and went straight to eat. We ate at an outside cafe and I had a lamb falafel sp? It was good. Then we went to an outdoor festival and passed out bibles. Many said no, but some stopped and talked to us about God. It was pretty cool. Pray for a good night sleep.
Pastor Mike

New Blog Series!!! My Favorite Things- Books

2009-09-16T09:05:00.011-04:00

I've been wracking my brain lately for a way to update this blog more often. I used to update it when we did something photo-worthy, such as a vacation, holiday, or trip to the zoo. Since school started, however, we really haven't done anything I consider blog-worthy! So, I came up with an idea to do a new blog series called "My Favorite Things", inspired by the song from the Sound of Music. I created a new button for this blog series[at the beginning of this post] that I will post at the beginning of each new post.

One of our family's favorite things is books. Everyone in our family loves to read any and all types of books. I interviewed each family member [and Emily interviewed me] about the book they're currently reading.

DAD
Book: Testimonies of Jews Who Believe in Jesus by Ruth Rosen

Q#1- What made you decide to pick up this book?

A- It was recommended to me by the missionary I'm going to work with in Israel.

Q#2- What do you like about this book?

A-It helps me identify with Jewish Christians because I'm going to Israel soon.

Q#3- Would you recommend this book to other readers?

A- Yep!

MOM

Book: Womanly Dominion by Mark Chanski

Q#1- What made you pick up this book?

A-I saw it on the Girl Talk blog.

Q#2- What do you like about this book?

A- The practical information that it gives.

Q#3- Would you recommend this book to other readers?

A- Yes, definitely!

LINDSAY

Book: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Q#1- What made you decide to pick up this book?

A-I really liked the movie[with Gregory Peck] and wanted to see if the book was as good.

Q#2-What do you like about this book?

A- It's very engaging.

Q#3- Would you recommend this book to other readers?

A-Yes, but only to teens and adults because of some more mature themes.

EMILY

Book: Audrey Hepburn Treasures by Ellen Erwin and Jessica Z. Diamond

Q#1- What made you decide to pick up this book?

A-It looked interesting and I like to read biographies.

Q#2- What do you like about this book?

A-Hmmm. . . hard question! It's very entertaining and I love Audrey Hepburn so it's fun to read about her!

Q#3- Would you recommend this book to other readers?

A- Absolutely! Anyone who's a fan of Audrey Hepburn will love it!

CHELSEA [interviewed by Emily]

Book:The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams

Q#1- What made you decide to pick up this book?

A-It's the second in a six-part series and I loved the first one!

Q#2- What do you like about this book?

A-It's really funny in sarcastic way.

Q#3- Would you recommend this book to other readers?

A-I would recommend it to those who like sci-fi type books or just those who like a good laugh!

Where the Wild Things Are. . . The Zoo!!

2009-09-07T13:04:00.013-04:00

This past Saturday our family decided to visit the NC zoo! We had a great time seeing animals and spending time together.

We found out that the African Safari entrance is WAY better than the North America entrance, who knew?

We visited the new Acacia feeding station, but we didn't get to feed any giraffes. We did, however, get some good pictures of them!

The zebra got pretty close to where we were standing!

The three of us on the "rhino".

Dad and the elephants.

The elephants were throwing mud on themselves to keep cool.

The lions were out and awake, a very rare sight at the zoo!

The beautiful wrought iron gate at the exit.

Fripp Trip 2009 Highlights

2009-08-25T18:31:00.019-04:00

Our family spent a wonderful, relaxing week at Fripp Island, SC. We had a great time getting away from everything and spending time with each other and the whole [awesome!] Bowers family. Here are some pics of the week:

Our HUGE beach house! The size was perfect for the fourteen, yes fourteen, of us who stayed there. We were probably the loudest house on the island, but we were also the most fun!

Did I mention the house came with its own salt-water pool? It was great!!

The beautiful beach!

Jonathan enjoyed playing in the water, despite the jellyfishes.

Dad and Michael B. enjoyed several heated games of bocce ball.

In lieu of sandcastles, we created interesting-looking [and easier to make] mounds of sand.

The sunsets were just lovely on the beach.

Back at the house, we played guitar hero. . .

Sang karaoke. . .

And made a giant pyramid out of red plastic cups.

To surprise Nana and Pawpy [Michael B.'s parents who allow us to join them on vacation] our family had these shirts made for the whole group!

Nana and Pawpy LOVED seeing all of us in matching shirts. We had a great week with these wonderful folks, thanks so much for letting us tag-along!!

35 Reasons NOT to Sin

2009-08-10T10:10:00.002-04:00

I thought I'd take a break from posting family stuff to post something serious. I faithfully read The Rebelution's blog [ www.therebelution.com ] . Every single post is challenging and good to read. Their most recent post is entitled "35 Reasons Not to Sin". I have copied the list here for you to view. Please read them all and think on them.
35 REASONS NOT TO SIN

Because a little sin leads to more sin.
Because my sin invites the discipline of God.
Because the time spent in sin is forever wasted.
Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.
Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.
Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.
Because I am doing what I do not have to do.
Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.
Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.
Because my sin saddens the godly.
Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.
Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.
Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.
Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.
Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.
Because sin is a very brief pleasure for an eternal loss.
Because my sin may influence others to sin.
Because my sin may keep others from knowing Christ.
Because sin makes light of the cross, upon which Christ died for the very purpose of taking away my sin.
Because it is impossible to sin and follow the Spirit at the same time.
Because God chooses not to respect the prayers of those who cherish their sin.
Because sin steals my reputation and robs me of my testimony.
Because others once more earnest than I have been destroyed by just such sins.
Because the inhabitants of heaven and hell would all testify to the foolishness of this sin.
Because sin and guilt may harm both mind and body.
Because sins mixed with service make the things of God tasteless.
Because suffering for sin has no joy or reward, though suffering for righteousness has both.
Because my sin is adultery with the world.
Because, though forgiven, I will review this very sin at the Judgment Seat where loss and gain of eternal rewards are applied.
Because I can never really know ahead of time just how severe the discipline for my sin might be.
Because my sin may be an indication of a lost condition.
Because to sin is not to love Christ.
Because my unwillingness to reject this sin now grants it an authority over me greater than I wish to believe.
Because sin glorifies God only in His judgment of it and His turning of it to good use, never because it is worth anything on it’s own.
Because I promised God he would be Lord of my life.

High Rock Lake

2009-07-25T16:21:00.012-04:00

Last weekend, a friend offered us the use of their lake house for the day! We took them up on their offer and spent the day swimming, jumping off the dock, and just relaxing.

A few pictures of the beautiful landscaping around the house:

Some action shots:

Group shots [of the kids at least]

In the lake.

Swimming to the other side.

Getting ready to jump in.

Jump!

The aftermath.

STORM!!

2009-07-18T10:45:00.008-04:00

We experienced a terrible storm last Sunday night into early Monday morning. There was lots of lightning and thunder and some damage was done to our house. Thankfully, none of us got hurt!! Here are some pics of the morning-after:

The giant tree that fell on the carport from the side.

From the front of the house.

The telephone pole by our mailbox fell down as well and left the transformer and lots of wires in the yard.

Duke power guys to the rescue!

The auger next to the worker for a little perspective.

This was taken from the church parking lot to show just how low the power lines were.

We ended up going without power for almost 15 hours! We did eventually get power again, the power lines were fixed, and the tree is almost gone from the side yard. Thankfully, we all came out unscathed!

Pool Party!!

2009-07-16T09:50:00.013-04:00

Our church hosted a pool party last Sunday night after church, we had an awesome time!!

Getting out of the pool.

Cannonball!!!

Dad dunking kids into the water.

Hanging out in the pool.

Emily got hold of the water squirter! VERY dangerous.

Sloan and I decided to get it from her. . .

Almost got it. . .

VICTORY!!!

We then squirted her! Justice is served.

Dad splashed two guys who wanted to stay dry!

Sorry it took so long. . .

2009-07-09T16:23:00.003-04:00

I realize that I haven't posted on the blog in some time, I apologize. I have been meaning to put up a post since we got back from camp, but I have simply not had the time! I will, in the very near future, put up a more detailed post about camp, but enjoy the picture slide show I put together to show in church. {The music playing in the background is from the SWO9 worship CD}

Rockin' Pastors

2009-06-26T11:28:00.002-04:00

Watch the entire video, it gets better as it goes along!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F384uQFpkSg

Beachy Highlights

2009-06-04T21:58:00.012-04:00

We have been on vacation this week in Sanibel Island, FL. It's been a lovely, relaxing trip! Here are some of our trip highlights:

The beach!!

My wipe out on day 1, which left a HUGE bruise.

Swimming, or floating, in the pool.

Dad ate the one-pound burger at Cheeburger Cheeburger and got his picture on the wall of fame.

The big white chair at the Sanibel Scoop.

We celebrated Mom and Granny's birthdays!!

One day we had perfect beach weather and clear water.

Outside our favorite restaurant on the island, the Island Cow.

We all, not just Lindsay, tried our hands at tennis!

All in all, we had a great vacation. . . when can we go again?

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T17:04:00.002-04:00

Today is Mother's Day!! I have the most wonderful mother a girl could ever ask for: she's patient, kind, loving , amazing, godly, understanding, a great cook, a great teacher, and an all-around wonderful person. I love her more than I could ever say and appreciate everything she does for us. I thank God for giving me such an awesome mother!!

Mom and Granny at P.F.Changs

All the Ferguson girls.

Lindsay's Partay!!!

2009-05-10T16:38:00.009-04:00

I just posted about Lindsay's actual birthday a few days ago, but she had her party last night. Here are some pictures from the evening:

A place setting.

Getting food.

The best part of any birthday party, dessert!

Friends at the party

Lindsay and Daddy

Mom and some other guests watching Lindsay opening presents

Lindsay opening presents.

Lindsay's party was tons of fun! We had a great time and lots of good food!! :)

Lindsay is 16!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-07T08:51:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was Lindsay's 16th Birthday!!! I can't believe she's so old. It seems like just yesterday we were little kids and now we're finishing up high school. Lindsay is growing into a lovely young lady with a compassionate heart for all. She is daily growing in godliness and maturity. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful sister as Lindsay. I love you and can't wait to see the big plans God has for your future!!

PROM

2009-04-30T19:12:00.013-04:00

Lindsay and I experienced a milestone of sorts this past weekend, we went to our first highschool prom! We got all dressed up, had our hair and makeup done [thank you Mrs. Tammy!], went to eat with lots of friends, and danced for hours! We had a great time, here are some picture from the evening:

We went to the CCHE homeschool prom with two of our best friends, Jenna and Zac!

Jenna and Zac with one of our kittens, how precious is that?

What Dad did while we took pictures.

Zac, Jenna, Me, Lindsay, and Michael took pictures at the fountaion [which, unfortunately, was not turned on] in downtown Thomasville.

The sun was extremely bright!

Sisters.

The entire group eating at Chili's before prom.

The sign.

Zac, Jenna, Lindsay, Me, Lauren, and Noelle.

The entire group outside the Civic Center.

Easter 2009

2009-04-14T16:37:00.006-04:00

We had a wonderful Easter Weekend!

Here are some pictures from the Egg Hunt we had at church:

Our Easter Sunday clothes.

KITTENS!!!!!!!

2009-04-08T11:20:00.005-04:00

Our cat, Princess, had four adorable little kittens last night in the closet of our storage room! They are very cute and already making lots of noise.

Princess, Quadromom.

She had four big kittens, way to go Princess!

I love how they all sleep on top of one another.

Such cute little faces!

Weekend in the Mountains

2009-04-06T18:05:00.016-04:00

Our family took a weekend off and went to the mountains of Hillsville, VA. We had a great, very relaxing weekend!

Our quaint cabin.

The pond in our front yard.

My self-portait looks photoshopped, but it is real, I promise!

Lindsay and Emily sitting in the yard by the pond.

We visited the Mabry Mill State Park, behind us is the Mabry Mill.

In the skeleton of a wagon.

Sitting on actual millstones, gives a whole new meaning to Matthew 18:6.

We look so small!

Close up in front of the mountains.

We took the yellow trail.

Sitting in a big rock on our hiking trail.

Watch Out!!

Taking a little rest while fishing.

HSM2 Picture Slideshow

2009-04-03T14:29:00.004-04:00

I promised backstage pictures, and here they are! I took entirely too many to post them on here one by one, so I made a slideshow with music, enjoy!!

Tech Week/Opening Night

2009-03-26T09:34:00.003-04:00

This week has been very busy! Mom is cooking up a storm for various events, we all know Dad's work never ends, and Lindsay and I have rehearsal or performance every night!!

In the world of HSM2, this has been {Since Saturday} tech week. For those who don't know, tech week is the week when we move into our performance venue and work with mics, sets, props, costumes, lights, and a whole lot more. Every night we've had rehearsal for about six hours, last night was our final dress rehearsal. The rehearsals have gone very well, and it's a good thing because tonight is opening night!! I'm very excited, but equally nervous! We have five shows this time around, Thursday March 26- Sunday March 29. The show times are 7:00pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 3:00pm Saturday, and 2:00pm Sunday. Tickets are $8 plus a can of food for local charities. As of last night, we still have tickets available for each night, so if you're near come see us!!

Now that I'm done with my LYT plug, I promise I'll take backstage photos and cast party pictures and post them here for all to enjoy!!

My Class Ring

2009-03-17T19:28:00.005-04:00

I know it's hard for some to believe, but I am almost finished with my junior year of highschool!! Thus, I got my class ring a few weeks ago. It was a birthday present and it is gorgeous!! {I found out that jewlery doesn't photograph well, sorry the pictures are blurry.}

Zip Line

2009-03-10T14:45:00.003-04:00

Lindsay and I went on a weekend retreat with our youth groupin February. We stayed at Snowbird Camp,about five hours from us. It was a cool place, with lots of fun things to do. Both of us went down their zip line and here are the pictures to prove it!

HSM 2 Promotional Video

2009-03-03T13:08:00.003-05:00

I posted when we had auditions for LYT's production of HSM2 back in January. It's quickly approaching show time and we filmed a promotional video a few weeks ago, which I posted below. We're very excited about the show!!! If you or anyone you know would like tickets, please let me know before March 19th.

Gorgeous Snow Pictures

2009-03-02T10:37:00.012-05:00

We finally had some real snow, almost four inches!!!

Family Yoga

2009-02-27T22:54:00.008-05:00

ELIZA subscription giveaway

2009-02-15T20:23:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite blogs, http://blog.christa-taylor.com, is holding a contest to giveaway a subscription to the awesome fashion magazine, ELIZA!! {www.elizamagazine.com}. If you'd like to enter the contest, visit Christa's blog and leave a comment by Thursday February 19th. Have a great week!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!

2009-02-14T13:32:00.005-05:00

Today is Valentine's Day! My parents are going out on a date tonight and we girls are having a movie night! What better way to celebrate love than homemade cards??

My wonderful mother was thoughtful enough to make us cards. I hope, no matter what your plans are, that you have a very Happy Valentine's Day!!

Greensleeves

2009-02-03T13:14:00.002-05:00

We learned about Henry VIII in history not too long ago and thought this video was hilarious!{For those of you who haven't seen this before, the historical figures in the car are: Henry VIII, a Viking, Julius Caesar, a Pilgrim, and a Hawaiian prince.}

My 17th Birthday

2009-01-31T15:21:00.013-05:00

I turned 17 this past Wednesday, January 28th! I had a great birthday on Wednesday: Mom bought me breakfast, Dad took me to lunch, Lindsay had the entire cast of the play we're in {HSM2} sing to me, Mom made me a special dinner, Emily decorated the table for me, and I got a cake at youth group!! {Yes, I am extremely spoiled by my wonderful family and friends :) } Yesterday I had six friends over to eat and play games, it was so much fun! I can't believe I'm 17 already, I'll get my license soon {as in the next couple of weeks!!}, and next year I'll be an adult! How scary is that?? I am so thankful for my amazing family and friends who made my birthday extra-special!

On my actual birthday this is what the table looked like.

When I had my birthday party, mom made me my own little banana pudding, yummy!

The food at my party, makes me hungry just looking at it!

Friends eating on the floor in the den.

Lauren and Sloan

Jenna and Zac, the sweetest two people alive!

My adopted brother, Daniel, and {part of} Zac.

I tried, with some success, to teach Daniel, Justin {my twin} , and Sloan, the cup game. {This is the only picture I have with Justin in it and it's blurry, uggh!}

Opening Presents

Blowing out the candles, what a great party!

NEVER SILENCE LIFE

2009-01-22T11:14:00.003-05:00

Today is the day of silent protest, also know as, Never Silence Life. This day, January 22, is the anniversary of the day when Abortion was legalized in the United States. Our country has been allowing the abomination that is abortion for 36 years. All over the country today, people will gather in a silent protest against abortion. What exactly is a silent protest? There's no shouting, no chanting, no rude behavior, no homemade signs. Protesters will place a piece of tape over their mouths with "LIFE" written across it. They will stand in front of schools, court buildings, on street corners, anywhere they can to show that words don't win the battle, words aren't necessary to make a statement for the over 1 million babies killed each year through a "choice".

I myself will not have a chance to protest this year, but I'm praying. I'm also wearing a shirt from www.abort73.com, a website that educates students about abortion. Please visit the Never Silence Life website, http://neversilencelife.com/index.html , pray, protest, do whatever you can to be a voice for the voiceless.

Do You Know What Today Is?

2009-01-21T12:43:00.003-05:00

Well, Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, yesterday was the Inauguration of Barak Obama, what could today possibly be? Today, January 21st, is . . . . . . NATIONAL HUG DAY! Yes, you read that right, there is indeed a day dedicated to hugging. How to celebrate such a momentous occasion? By giving hugs , of course! Hug all of your family and friends to show you love them today and tell them to pass it on! Some brave souls stand out on the street and give "free hugs" to strangers to brighten their day. The "free hugs" movement is growing, why not join today? http://www.freehugscampaign.org/

Happy Hugging!!!

SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-01-20T10:33:00.009-05:00

Yes, we have snow today in NC! Here are some pictures to prove it:

We made a weather report just for you

Scientific Theories

2009-01-13T13:12:00.003-05:00

Today we talked about a very intelligent man, Nicolaus Copernicus, and his heliocentric theory. We made a video demonstrating it and it's pretty funny!

Christmas Morning

2008-12-31T11:02:00.013-05:00

We took a LOT of pictures of Christmas Morning, so here are several , Enjoy!

Christmas 08 #2 ~ Christmas Eve

2008-12-28T16:30:00.005-05:00

We opened another Christmas Eve gift. . .

Waiting to open. . .

SURPRISE!! It's pajamas!! For those of you who don't know, my family has had the Christmas Eve pajama tradition for several years. The reason? We look good in our Christmas morning pictures, coming to the blog soon!

Christmas 08 #1~ Early Christmas Present

2008-12-27T21:13:00.007-05:00

Sorry it's taken me so long to update ,but I've been extremely busy! Anyway, my dad caved and let us open one HUGE Christmas present early. What was it you may ask?

GUITAR HERO WORLD TOUR!!! Complete with guitar, drums, and mic!!! We were so excited, our screams could probably be heard where you are now.

The Bowers came over on Christmas Eve, so we, of course, played Guitar Hero!

William was a great drummer, Jonathan and I just watched in awe.

Michael B. played the drums.

The most promising rock star duo? Lindsay and Jonathan by a long shot! This was everyone at our house's favorite present by far! Come on over and try to beat me :)

Finding The Christmas Star

2008-12-19T19:11:00.002-05:00

Our church children's choir [plus three youth] performed the musical "Finding The Christmas Star" on Wednesday. The play went great, everyone at church loved it!! Here is the cast:

Family Christmas Pictures

2008-12-13T09:21:00.006-05:00

We had a photo shoot of sorts at church last week for our Christmas card picture. Here are some of the results:

The theme, by the way, was argyle. All my idea! This is a good far-away shot.

A pretty good close-up shot. My head's kind of weird in this one.

A cute one of us girls.

This is my favorite shot of the three of us! So which one became the official card picture? You'll have to wait until you get yours to see. . . or you can leave a comment and guess!

Merry Christmas!!!

Behind On Posting

2008-12-12T13:49:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't posted in awhile! We've been so busy and I forget to take pictures every time! I came across this fill-in thing, Enjoy!
1. Where is your cell phone? Dresser
2. Where is your significant other? Unknown
3. Your hair? Frizzy
4. Your mother? Working
5. Your father? Sitting
6. Your favorite thing? Contacts
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your dreams/goals? Journalist
9. The room you're in? Christmasy
10. Your hobby? Reading
11. You fear? Failure
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Married
13. Where were you last night? Here
14. What you're not? Shy
15. What you're doing? Sitting
16. One of your wish list items? Clothes
17. Where you grew up? Louisville
18. The last thing you did? Facebook
19. What are you wearing? Pink
20. Your TV? On
21. Your pet? Kyle
22. Your computer? Slow
23. Your life? Crazy
24. Your mood? alright
25. Missing someone? Yes
26. Your car? Dad's
27. Something you're not wearing? Watch
28. Favorite store?Cato
29. Your summer? Lovely
30. Love someone? Many
31. Your favorite color? Purple
32. When is the last time you laughed? Art
33. Last time you cried?Monday

You Might Be A Redneck If. . .

2008-12-05T18:12:00.002-05:00

This is how you get your Christmas tree home!

My Family of Elves

2008-12-04T09:39:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

A KY Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T21:42:00.017-05:00

I am finally back to posting! We went to Kentucky last week to visit family and friends for Thanksgiving. We had a great time! Here are some trip highlights :

We got some awesome new DVD players for the van!!!

Our first stop in Kentucky: White Castle of course!

We got to go to the Creation Museum again and it was even better the second time!

I finally got to hang out with Stephen, Carli, and Jenna! It was so much fun catching up.

Papaw Joe treated us to pedicures and we LOVED it! Thanks again Papaw Joe :)

The "young" people at Granny's house on Thanksgiving. That was so yummy, I'm getting hungry thinking about it. . .

Last but not least we got to see our friends the Says! The parents went out and we stayed with the five crazy cute boys. They are so cute that they deserve more than one picture and a video:

Emily and Lindsay reading to Maddox and Lincoln.

Lindsay and Lincoln, adorable!!

I am in love with Maddox!!

Here's a video I made of the boys, they really wanted me to film them. I'm really not sure what the fascination was with execution and the presidency. Sorry it's a little hard to see!

All in all, we had a great Thanksgiving and are currently decorating for Christmas, so. . . Happy Christmas!!

LYT ~ Backstage Pics

2008-11-17T21:42:00.008-05:00

Well, it's over and we survived! Yesterday afternoon we did our final performance of "A Christmas Carol: The Musical". It was so much fun, but sad too. We made so many friends through this play that we hope to keep up with for a long time! Here are some backstage photos:

The three of us pointing to the sign above The Civic Center!

Lindsay and Emily before the show!

Lindsay had to go to places for Act 2 and Emily was in her dressing room while these pictures were taken:

My adorable little caroler Kayla [in her elf costume] and me [in my Mr. Hawkins costume] in the conference room.

Marisa[already in her gravedigger outfit but still with Mrs. Fezziwig hair!] and me. I love her, she is so sweet and such a great singer!!

Daniel [in his young Marley outfit] and me hanging out because we had a while to wait before our cue! He played the ghost of Marley and young Marley, I was his understudy. He did a great job and is such a nice guy!

There are more pictures to come! I'll post some cast party pics tomorrow!

Opening Night!!

2008-11-13T08:39:00.003-05:00

Tonight is the night!!! All of our hard work has all come down to this, opening night! Tonight is the opening night for LYT'S production of "A Christmas Carol: The Musical". The whole cast and crew have worked very hard to be able to put this show together and we're so excited that it's finally here! For our family this play has meant a lot of trips to the community college for practice, and several late nights at The Civic Center during tech week, but we've loved every minute of it!

So you want to come? Here's some last minute show and ticket info for anyone interested:
Show Time and Dates:
Thursday November 13 ~ 7:00pm
Friday November 14 ~ 7:00pm
Saturday November 15~ 7:00pm
Sunday November 16 ~ 2:00pm

The doors open an hour early for each show, get there early to get a good seat! The show will run at the Edward C. Smith Civic Center in downtown Lexington, NC. Ticket are $8 plus a can of food for local charities. Tickets can be purchase here: http://www.piedmontcommunities.us/servlet/go_ProcServ/dbpage=page&GID=01316001151034863582283193&PG=01419001151191045675047879, at this number:336-313-6159 or at the Civic Center on show night. If you do decide to come and I haven't personally sold you a ticket, please comment, email, call, do something to let me know you're coming. This is going to be a good show and I can't wait for tonight!

What We Do With Our Best Friends On A Friday Night

2008-11-07T21:11:00.003-05:00

LYT at the BBQ Festival

2008-11-03T19:35:00.012-05:00

I am over a week late with this post, but I've just now had time to catch my breath! Here are some pictures from our street performance at Lexington , NC's Annual BBQ Festival:

This year was the 25th anniversary of the BBQ Festival.

This HUGE sand sculpture was in front of the Art Building where we take our home school art classes.

Lindsay, Emily, and I in our Christmas Carol shirts, ready to perform!

Lined up to perform.

I could see Mom from my spot.

Most of Lindsay and part of Emily.

All of Emily, some of Lindsay, and most of [our friend] Zach!

Here is a short video of the whole group singing:

Movie Review: HSM 3 Senior Year [G]

2008-10-31T22:33:00.002-04:00

Alright, I know what you're thinking. You seriously PAID to see that movie, come on , sequels are bad enough, but a third? In general, I would agree with you. Most sequels are bad, not to mention a third. However, that is not the case with the High School Musical franchise. The first High School Musical was a made-for-Disney Channel movie that was a huge surprise hit. Disney jumped on it with school supplies, clothing, posters, an ice show, and a concert tour. Then came HSM[ shorthand for High School Musical that I'll use from here on out] 2, a movie about how the gang spent their summer. Honestly, the songs were really catchy, but HSM 2 was not good. The plot at least kept my attention during the first movie, I really struggled during the second one!

Given the track record of most movie series, I was not expecting a whole lot from HSM 3. I couldn't really think of much else to sing about that was different in the senior year. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I am a sucker for a good musical number and this movie was full of them. The third movie had 10 brand new songs, all of them catchy. The acting is not nearly as bad as I thought, though some lines from Gabriella [my least favorite HSM character, played by Vanessa Hudgens] made me cringe because they were so sappy. I love Sharpay, played by Ashley Tisdale, she's so evil, but she's so good at it! Troy, played by Zac Efron, faces some very real choices for a young man about to brave the world on his own.

Ultimately, I really liked HSM 3. I would definitely recommend it if you loved the first one, are a girl of any age, or love musicals. If you're looking for a clean, cute, fun movie that you won't feel guilty for seeing, HSM 3 won't disappoint.

I've Been Tagged

2008-10-29T12:35:00.005-04:00

My friend Emily Gould[link to her blog on my sidebar] tagged me, so I am going to give six random facts about myself.

1. I actually LOVE school, unlike most teenagers.

2. I do not have a boyfriend, nor am I looking for one.

3. I like acting in community theatre, A Christmas Carol anyone?

4. I really do like High School Musicals 1 and 3, 2 was not so great.

5. I talk to myself all the time.

6. I have a little bit of a Facebook obsession.

So here are the rules if I tag you..

1. Mention the person who tagged you at the top and link to their blog.

2. Post the rules on the blog.

3. Write six random facts about yourself.

4. Tag six people at the end of your post.

5. Let each person know they have been tagged.

6. Let the taggers know when your entry is up.I am tagging...

Cara, Lindsay, Lauren, Emily and Bailey, Emily B, and Michael B.

Honduras Slideshow

2008-10-25T19:41:00.002-04:00

My Little [Honduran] Girl

2008-10-21T21:09:00.002-04:00

The above picture is my new profile picture. It's of me [duh] and my little friend, Keyla[ pronounced like Kayla]. Keyla is six and is number four of five children.

The second day we were at the work site, she came up to me and talked to me in Spanish, but she knew my name. How cute is that? I played with her and her sister that morning, they are absolutely beautiful. When we got back to the missionary house that day, I learned that Keyla and her siblings live in a single-parent home. This home, however, is very different, these kids' mother left them. That is extremely rare, especially in Central American countries. Their father, Tino, is raising five children aged 12, 10, 8, 6, and 5. Three of them are girls, two boys. This news absolutely broke my heart. I don't have children of my own, but I do babysit quite a bit. How could a mother leave five gorgeous children that came from her womb? It made me angry and sad at the same time. What was she thinking??

The next day, we arrived at the work site two hours before VBS, which gave those of us involved in it a lot of free time. All of Tino's precious children were at the church when we arrived, shouting our names as the van doors opened. Keyla found me and wanted me to pick her up, which, of course, I did. I held her for two hours, no matter what I was doing. All I could think of during those hours was what she was missing in her life. She never has her mother to go to, to pick her up when she falls, to hold her when she cries, to care for her just whenever she needs it. Don't get me wrong, her father does a fantastic job raising his children, but he has five kids, a job, and cleans the church throughout the week. My guess is that they don't get a lot of individual attention, how could they?

God hit me with something that night when I went to bed that night. My dad had challenged the team at the beginning of the week to figure of what our purpose was on this trip. The ultimate purpose for everyone is to glorify God, but how specifically did we do that? I felt like God was telling me that Keyla was my purpose. Giving that little girl love is why I went to Honduras. Oh, I know that I did lots of other things while I was there, but nothing touched me more than Keyla. I feel so bad for her, yet I know that God has blessed her with lots of siblings and a godly father who is teaching her Scripture and the love of God. I love you, Keyla, and I am praying for you every day!

We are Finally Home!!!

2008-10-20T15:17:00.002-04:00

From my previous post, it could easily be assumed that I've been home all weekend, but that's not the case! We were supposed to fly our Thursday afternoon at 12:23 to head home. A storm came in and blocked the mountains, so it was not safe to fly out. Everyone who was planning to fly out couldn't, so we had to take the next available flight. Plan A was flying out of a different city[San Pedro Sula] four hours away on Monday morning. None of us were happy, but we had no choice. Plans changed, however, on Friday we found out that four of us could get out of the city we were in on Sunday, and the rest on Monday from the closest airport[10 minutes instead of 4 hours]. Somehow Dad and I got elected to be part of the four. We left Tegucigalpa at 12:20 and got into Charlotte at 10:20pm. This past weekend was very frustrating, but a learning experience.

I'm so glad to be home!!! Other than the flight delay, our trip was great. I had a blast working with the kids and was sad to leave the work site. Dad and I will be putting together a picture slide show soon, which I'll post on the blog to save blogging about 330 individual pictures. I will, however, blog some on the experiences I've had in the days to come. I'll blog soon about the little girl who touched my heart. . . until then pray for my fellow team members, they won't get home until 10:20 this evening!

Off We Go Again!

2008-10-07T13:07:00.003-04:00

As most of my readers know, my dad and I are leaving for Honduras tomorrow morning[our plane leaves at 6:30!!] We're very excited. I can't wait to get there and get started. While we were packing, we found the cat in the spot pictured at left. He HATES it when we get out the suitcases, so I guess this was his way of telling us he'll miss us! We won't be back until October 16th, so please keep us in your prayers.

Happy Birthday Emily!

2008-10-01T16:19:00.007-04:00

Today Emily Grace turns 12! Here are some pictures of her birthday celebrations:

We celebrated Dad's, Emily's, and Papaw Joe's birthdays while we were in the Outer Banks.

Emily at home surrounded by birthday gifts! Notice that there are more clothes than toys, our little girl is growing up!

I used my [limited] artistic ability to shout to the world , via the driveway, that Emily's birthday is today!

To commemorate Emily's birthday, we ate dinner by candlelight. Happy Birthday Emily, I love you and I can't imagine life without you!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

2008-09-28T14:15:00.002-04:00

Today is my Dad's 39th birthday! What better way to celebrate than going to Penn Station? [The Office t-shirt is also a nice touch.] He's still smiling despite all of his health problems of late and he's finally on the mend. I love you Dad, Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!

The Big [If you can call it that] Red Chair

2008-09-27T15:48:00.007-04:00

We here in Thomasville take pride in our chair because it is the BIGGEST chair in the world. Now these people at the Outer Banks thought they had a big chair, but our Thomasville chair could have eaten it for breakfast!!

Sitting on the edge of the supposed "Big" red chair.

Woops, we slid back in this HUGE chair.

Since it was not much good for anything else, we decided to use it as a prop for our model pose.

Sorry Outer Banks, but the Thomasville chair leaves yours in the dust!

OBX ~ The Ferry

2008-09-22T15:17:00.010-04:00

We went to the Outer Banks last week for a family getaway. How did we get a place to stay? We attended an auction for our friends Chris and Lindy Thompson, who were moving to Nairobi to be missionaries. We bid on a house at the Outer Banks and won! Chris and Lindy are now in Nairobi, so check out what's going on with them at http://www.onlyservants.blogspot.com/ .

We took a ferry twice to Oacracoke Island to eat and shop, the ferry ride was forty minutes one-way, so we took some pictures in our ferry-induced boredom.

We were directed to the back of the ferry, this was our view from the car.

Our beach house. . . NOT!

The ferry.

Dad and us girls on the ferry.

Sitting in the van on the ferry.

Emily and Daddy in the van.

Dad and the girls in the van.

One Is Just Never Enough

2008-09-17T10:41:00.004-04:00

My dad has never been satisfied with simple things, and his ailments are no different. Whilst recovering from heart surgery, my dad was diagnosed with clinical gout in his left foot. The gout is a result of his surgery, a side effect of sorts. Here are some pictures of the old man:

Before visiting the doctor on the island with ice on his bad foot.

Outside of the Hatteras medical center. Please click on the picture to enlarge it and see the High School Musical sticker they gave him! All jokes aside, please keep my dad in your prayers as he recovers.

Update On Dad

2008-09-11T09:42:00.002-04:00

Dad is finally home! Yesterday I wrote from the hospital room, today from our living room. On to the story: Dad was discharged at 3pm yesterday from the hospital. We took him home and he took it easy last night. He was[still is] in a lot of pain from surgery, but the doctor said that was normal. He got his prescriptions last night, they're helping a lot with the pain. He was not in a good place last night, but is in higher spirits after a good night's sleep last night. On behalf of our entire family, I'd like to thank everyone for your prayer, calls, and meals, we really appreciate it!

Live Hospital Blog 2

2008-09-10T10:45:00.002-04:00

I know I promised to post more yesterday, but the time started to get away from me after my last post. Dad finally got out of surgery about 3pm yesterday afternoon. He had a few setbacks with medications, but by the time I saw him after play rehearsal ,last night at about 7:45pm, and he was doing much better than he had been fresh out of surgery. He spent last night in the hospital and we came back up this morning to see him.

I am, right at this moment, 10:50 am on my watch, sitting in a very comfy chair in my dad's hospital room. He is in room 762 in the Ardmore[not sure if I spelled that right] Tower. That means nothing to our out-of-state friends and family, but I thought you might like to know anyway.

As I type this I can see out the window onto the rooftops of buildings in Winston-Salem. And while I know it's not really an ideal landscape, I still think its beautiful. It's not every day that I can see from so high up, the seventh floor to be exact, and I am quite enjoying the view. However, it's not just the view that's beautiful, I can see God's beautiful handiwork in this. No, not in the tops of buildings, but in this stressful chapter of my family's life. God guided the doctor's hands through a successful surgery and kept mom and I from losing our minds while we waited. He calmed our fears and gave us the patience to get through eight hours in the hospital waiting room. Even when he had a reaction to the medicine, God was faithful. He got Dad through it and has healed him so much since then. He has been faithful in providing for us through friends and family that have helped by carting us girls around, sitting with us in the hospital, and through their many prayers.

He has also been faithful to me throughout this experience. Lindsay and Emily, thank the Lord, had places to stay while mom and I were at the hospital, but I was here. Even when things got frustrating or hard to bear, God has been my Rock. I would have broken down and gotten angry a long time ago if it wasn't for Him. He was faithful yesterday by getting me away from the hospital for awhile, thank You God for play rehearsal! He was also faithful by giving me friends to get me through this, by emailing, calling, and their earnest prayers. This surgery was ultimately for my Dad's benefit, but I am glad that I've had this experience to grow closer to Him.

Live Hospital Blogging 1

2008-09-09T09:31:00.004-04:00

I'm sitting in the surgical waiting room at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC while my dad is having surgery. First of all this hospital is HUGE!!!! We are in some type of tower, I really don't know exactly where I am in this place. You wouldn't believe at 9:00am on a Tuesday morning how many people are in surgical waiting. On to my dad. . . he is having a heart ablation, this surgery will take 6-8 hours!! In my opinion, they can take as long as they need to do a good job. They are keeping him overnight to monitor potential blood clots and such, but he should get to come home tomorrow. His surgery began at 8:00 am this morning so we will not get an in-surgery update until 10:00 am. I will try my best to update when we know how surgery is going. As for mom and I, we're doing really well, a little bored but nothing we can't handle! Please keep dad in your prayers over the next few days, we really appreciate it!

Love146

2008-09-05T21:56:00.002-04:00

I finished a book this past week called Generation Change: Roll Up Your Sleeves and Change the World by 16 year old Zach Hunter. The book's main focus is to get teenagers involved in projects and with organizations that are out to change the world. One that caught my particular attention was Love 146, an organization that works to end child trafficking and exploitation worldwide. Click on this link to see a video on how the organization got started: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IJiWCHpFRs. Click here to watch a testimonial/informational video that will rip your heart out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uun92FyJ95Q&feature=user. These videos aren't for kids, they deal with mature subjects, but adults and teens, please watch and think about getting involved with this awesome organization.

Lexington Youth Theater

2008-09-03T11:23:00.001-04:00

As many of you know, all three of us girls auditioned for the Lexington Youth Theater's production of A Christmas Carol the Musical. Well, all three of us got parts! Go check out the cast list at :http://www.piedmontcommunities.us/servlet/go_ProcServ/dbpage=page&mode=display&gid=01316001151034863582283193
We'll see you at the show!! :)

The Vegetable Tongue Twister:The Pink-Eyed Purple Pod Pea

2008-08-30T18:20:00.010-04:00

Today I learned about a new veggie, the pink-eyed purple pod pea. Some good friends of ours brought us a big bucket of them along with a HUGE pumpkin. The peas closely resemble a black-eyed pea, and they're supposed to taste better. I haven't ventured to taste them yet, but I'll be sure to let you know how they taste!

The big pumpkin I was telling you about!

The Pink-Eyed Purple Pod Peas in their pods.

A few of the peas out of their pods.

Dad showed Lindsay and Emily how to properly remove the pods.

We got the job of peeling the whole bucket!

It's hard to see, but our hands were very purple when we were done!

Wet 'n Wild ~ Runaway Rapids and The Daredevil Drop

2008-08-20T16:54:00.006-04:00

Here are some more water park pics! The group favorite was the Runaway Rapids slide:

Lindsay, Emily, and William had a blast!

Dad, Kailey, and I got really wet!

The biggest ride at Wet 'N Wild was the Daredevil Drop, a 75 foot tall slide! I was the only one in my family to go down. I kind of blend in, so click on the picture to make it bigger and see me on the slide!

Wet 'N Wild~ The Edge and Double Barrel Blast

2008-08-19T18:24:00.011-04:00

Last Thursday, we went to the Wet 'N Wild water park in Greensboro. The day was perfect, and we had a great time!

This is the first water slide we went on, The Edge! You get in an inner tube and fling yourself down from the blue canopy on the top right. It was so much fun! The Following are some pics of us on "the edge":

Me on the way down.

Emily coming down from the other side!

Dad sliding down.

Next we went on the Double Barrel Blast:

Michael B sliding down and Jonathan is already fully submerged.

Emily Grace and Bailey.

Dad sliding alone!

Emily wanted to go again, so I went with her!

Adventures in Babysitting

2008-08-12T15:53:00.012-04:00

I've had a summer job babysitting Kailey and this week is my last week, Lindsay's had a little girl, Rebekah, to watch for three days this week as well. We decided to document our day with photos:

What better way to begin the day than with a Bible story?

Kailey and Rebekah engage in a vicious game of Mancala.

Since it was a nice morning, we decided to go out side for awhile. I taught the girls how to play Medieval Times, shown here.

We also decided to play Army,Navy . One of the commands in this game is "seasick", Rebekah and I are demonstrating it here.

Lindsay, Rebekah, and I are demonstrating "man overboard" from Amy, Navy.

Next, on to crafts! We painted by rolling marbles around in a metal pan over a sheet of white paper. It's really fun, just ask the Croft kids![Love you guys!]

Our high-tech drying system for our marble paintings.

All our finished artwork.

Table top dodge ball, played on the floor, is a good way to end the day!

Movie Review: The Dark Knight[PG-13]

2008-08-08T17:22:00.004-04:00

I may incur some nasty comments for this, but I'm going to say it anyway: I don't particularly care for the old Batman movies. There is one major reason for this, the villains. None of them seemed very frightening to me, I was confident that Batman would save the day without much trouble. The movies were entertaining for sure, but there was no surprise at the end. Batman always came out victorious, no one expected, or wanted, anything different. Now I'm all for good triumphing over evil, but it all seemed too easy, no real tension. Maybe that's why I enjoyed[yes, I said enjoyed] The Dark Knight so much. I went in not expecting it to be much different from the old Batman movies. Even in The Dark Knight's predecessor, Batman Begins, there is no question about it, we know Batman will win.
Let me begin my analysis of this movie by making a disclaimer, this movie is not for the faint of heart. The movie begins and ends with violence and death, this is not your parent's Batman. The story begins with a bank robbery[with a half dozen deaths]spear-headed by the Joker. The Joker is wreaking havoc on the city in broad daylight, but not much goes on in the criminal world at night. The reason? Batman flies at night. "The Mob" is afraid of Batman and tries to avoid running into him. They are trying to figure out what to do next when the Joker pops into their meeting and proposes a seemingly simple solution: Kill Batman. While the mob laughs at this suggestion, the Joker stabs one of the members with a pencil to make his point. The only problem? No one knows Batman's true identity. Enter Harvey Dent, the new DA of Gotham. He has been almost single-handedly sending mob members to jail and ,in effect, cleaning up the city. The mob suspects this do-gooder to be the Batman, but they are, of course, wrong. We know the secret, billionaire Bruce Wayne is Batman. Trouble is, Harvey Dent is doing so much good for Gotham that Batman is seriously considering quitting in support of Harvey Dent. The Joker is not about to allow Harvey Dent to clean up Gotham. He succeeds in tearing him down by *SPOILER WARNING* blowing off half of his face and killing his girlfriend. Harvey Dent then becomes Two-Face, bent on getting revenge for Rachel's death. Throughout all of this, the Joker is happily shooting people, leaving the death toll for this movie very high. Once Harvey becomes corrupted, Batman wonders if there really is any good in Gotham, or if even he is good. Is it like Harvey Dent said early on :"You either die the hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."? It was true of Mr. Dent, but what about Bruce Wayne?
This movie's star is not Batman, though Christian Bale does a fantastic job playing him. This movie's star is the Joker. From the very first scene his twisted sense of humor is put on display. The Joker enjoys killing anyone and everyone for no apparent reason. That is one of the most puzzling things about this movie, the Joker has no motivation for his evil deeds, he just does it for laughs. WORLD magazine explains Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker very well:The film's early reviews have been gently quizzical about the late, lamented Heath Ledger's magnetic performance as the Joker. It's obvious that he's doing a superb job, but nobody seems to know what he's doing. Let me clear things up: He's playing Satan. Ledger flicks his tongue like a snake, tempts people to kill one another, and is gleefully sloppy with bullets, bombs, and knives. Everyone else plays gangland archetypes; Ledger's Joker has escaped to the movies from Milton, or C.S. Lewis' Perelandra. That hits the nail on the head, the Joker is Satan. That being said, this movie is a lot to take in. Yes, it is two and a half hours long, but I wanted more explained, I needed more time. This is NOT a kids movie. It's very disturbing and extremely violent. Don't take your kids to see this movie, they will be scared[and probably bored in parts] out of their minds. However, I do encourage mature teens and adults to see it, if you can handle the Joker.

Funny Stuff

2008-08-07T20:43:00.001-04:00

Our great friend, Michael B, posted a hilarious list of highlights of our Fripp vacation, go check it out : http://mdbowers.blogspot.com/2008/07/vacation-is-over.html

Fripp Island Part 5 David's Hole

2008-08-04T12:58:00.011-04:00

On our last day at Fripp Island, we went to the beach. David, one of the Bowers' cousins, went with us and decided to see how deep of a hole he could dig in the sand. It was quite impressive, and a fun way to spend our last morning on the beach!

This is how we found David, totally in the digging zone.

A better look at the hole.

C'mon kids, let's all watch David dig! I'm sure he won't mind.

Hip-Deep in his hole.

Put your back into it!

It's chest-deep, but its not done yet. . .

The finished product! By the way, David's sitting Indian-style down in that hole. For all wondering, I did not get in the hole, my claustrophobia would have been kicked into high gear. This is the last post of our trip to Fripp, we had over 300 pictures and I tried to condense as much as possible. I hope you enjoyed seeing our vacation, expect to see a few movie reviews soon!

Fripp Island Part 4 Around The Island

2008-08-04T09:27:00.010-04:00

Fripp Island is beautiful, so I thought I'd post some pictures we took around the island.

Tyler wrote in the sand to commemorate our trip.

Oh, Dad, did you have to?

We are so bad!

It's just a golf cart, why must I have a license?

Posing by a sign at the playground.

There were lots of ponds on the island, some with an alligator!