We had driven past a nearby garbage disposal in TN (one which we’ll be frequenting in our new home), when we saw this;
We couldn’t believe it was real! “Yep,” we said, “We’re definitely in Tennessee.” 
-Kasie
For Laughs
April 17th, 2008
Protected: The Pick-up Truck Man
April 15th, 2008Housing Progress
April 14th, 2008Several days ago we received a call from our salesman (for our manufactured house) “Buddy,” saying that our double-wide was finished and on the lot, ready for us to come see it and give the ‘okay’!
We were pleasantly surprised at how quickly it was finished – only three weeks! But needless to say, we packed our cameras and a few snacks and headed down to Tennessee the next morning to check out our new house!
We were, to say in the least, ‘exceedingly pleased with it on the whole…‘ Actually, we loved it! In the words of our friend Buddy, “it is HUGE!” 2000 sq. ft. sure is a nice amount of space to have on one floor! There’s a half fire place in the sunken den, double decker ovens in the large kitchen, three bathrooms, four bedrooms, and a big attic upstairs.
Other than a few minor details that have yet to be finished, everything was perfect, just the way we had ordered it. And so a few sheets of legal paperwork were read over and passed around, a fat check was signed, and the Willi left Tennessee that day the proud owners of two halves of a house.
When the weather cleared a few days later, all was ready for our house to be trucked in and set on our property. Not wanting to miss out on all the action, we once again packed our bags, snacks, and cameras, and traveled down to Tennessee to watch the excitement!
![Nate and I playing on the "swinging tree"](http://blog.thewilli.com/wp-content/gallery/house-being-trucked-in/fh000092.jpg "Nate and I playing on the "swinging tree"")
A few days after that, we journeyed down once more to see our nearly finished house (roof and all!), and spend the afternoon working the land some more.
God bless your day!
-Kasie
Wisdom From the Past
April 12th, 2008
It had been happy for me if I could have lived a private life in peace and plenty, enjoying all the happiness that results from a well-tempered society founded on mutual esteem. But the injury done my country, and the chains of slavery forging for all posterity, calls me forth to defend our common rights, and repel the bold invaders of the sons of freedom.
“The Land Tells a Story”
April 11th, 2008There are many things that make me smile. Little things, big things. Mostly it is when somebody says something so out of the ordinary.
We were just about to leave our property in TN, after a meeting with a contractor, when a rusty blue pick-up truck chugged up and parked. A battered hat poked out of the window. “Howdy!” A thick Southern accent greeted from within.
We all stepped forward and smiled politely. The elderly man limped down and toward us, as if he was used to doing it all his life. He was wearing a pair of over-alls, a plaid shirt, and a bandanna round a scraggly head. We did the usual North-Eastern “Hi!”
The stranger proved to be a retiree who lived “down the road a piece”. He might have mentioned his name, but if he did I couldn’t discern it through his thick drawl, neither could anybody else. He shook each of our hands, and inquired who we were, and where we came from. When we told him we were the new owners of the land beyond the fence, he slapped his knee.
“Aint thet sumthin?! I was a’wondering when some body’d scoop that one up! Purty piece of land that is! You knows…land is a special thing to have, you young’ns remember that. Very ‘portant. The good Lord done good given all y’alls thet land.” He scanned our property with a thoughtful eye. “I can tell it’s a’fixen right now to tell ya a story.”
I guess our puzzled thoughts showed too plainly on our faces. The old man slapped his knee again. “Don’t ya knows it? Don’t you know all land gotta story to tell? But…” here he gestured for us to bend closer until our heads almost touched. “All land gotta story to tell,” he whispered and looked us each in the eye, “iffen y’all listen.”
We smiled, and watched as the stranger spryly limped back to his jaloppy truck then waved out the window. “Now don’t you ev’r forgit thet, ya hear?!”
Happy Birthday Angie!
April 11th, 2008
17
Years
Old
Years
Old
20 Years!
April 9th, 2008Happy anniversary Mom and Dad! We love you!
“Whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 18:22
The Vintage Family Ball
April 8th, 2008I was so thankful that we had this opportunity to go to a “real ball”! God is so good in blessing us this way!
We received an invitation a couple weeks ago to a “Vintage Family Ball”, held and taught by home schoolers in Bedford. Since our friend E.M. from church wanted to attend as well, she got to come over as we finished last minute preparations! Kasie and I had finished our gowns a week or so before, but I had forgotten about Walter’s cravat, and was cutting it out the day of the ball! Walter dressed as half Mr. Bingley, and half Captain John Smith, but everyone thought he was the coolest looking gentleman of them all. I quite agree 
.
I wish we took some video of the ball to show y’all! Alas, we had were too busy talking and dancing to really think about that . The fellowship was so amazing!
As far as the dances went, I was expecting more of the slow Pride and Prejudice dances (English Country Dancing) that we’re familiar with, but Kasie and I were both surprised. Most everyone was dressed in Antebellum style, (hoop skirts and all) and the dancing was very aerobic, faster than most square dancing. (Though not as crazy as this dance that we did once). Kasie and I were thankful for our lady-like fans, and we employed them vigorously!
There were simple dances such as Virginia Reel and the Grand March, and rather funny ones like the Polka and the Broomstick Waltz. In the Broomstick Waltz, there is one extra gentleman on the floor who begins dancing with a broom. As soon as the music stopped, all the gentlemen had to switch partners as fast as they could, so they wouldn’t end up dancing with a broom!
Also I liked “Strip the Willow” and “The Snowball Reel” which included lots of weaving arm turns, twirling, sashaying and arching! All the dances were delightful, and so much fun to sway my skirt to! Thankfully I didn’t trip on my dress, but I did sympathize with Cinderella when I lost my shoes! I was twirling and skipping round so fast, that they were flying off. Eventually, I decided to join everybody else and dance barefoot . The ball reluctantly ended at 11:00, yet we were all happy to rest in the car and sleep like logs when we came home!
“Oh I do love a ball!” – Lydia Bennet
As usual, I have written far to much! It’s so nice to easily blog again (Past couple weeks have difficult, with our mouse malfunctioning). Enjoy the pictures!
P.S. Sorry they came out blurry…. Our built in flash was just not doing the job, so we had to resort to longer exposure times.
![Our "party".jpg](http://blog.thewilli.com/wp-content/gallery/vintage-family-ball/p1100852.jpg "Our "party".jpg")
Happy Birthday Nate!
April 8th, 2008
14
Years
Old
Years
Old
Some Tech Issues
April 7th, 2008Hey folks, it appears we’re having (or had, rather) some technical issues regarding the blog. If you are having any trouble accessing TheWilli.com, or had trouble earlier, please let me know in the comments or via an email.
I think the problem is resolved, but we might not be “out of the woods yet”! Thank you for your patience and understanding.
- The Admin (aka Walter)
UPDATE: It seems that my older brother (the “super admin”) has added another layer of security to his server. This security software was erroneously flagging many of our readers as “bad guys”, and then banning their IP addresses completely.
We hope that this issue is now resolved – but we’re not completely sure. So if you are continuing to have any problems, please let me know! Thanks.
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