…Nate gets a hold of my notes at a Hunter’s Safety Course… (I can see through your guise, brother)

…and when I (Kasie)  seize the opportunity to add some flavor to a picture. See how much it’s improved?

-Kasie

Not really. But we did go on a small hiking trip with our friends, Jason and Melissa this Tuesday. We took advantage of the gorgeous weather, Melissa’s being home for a few days, and Walter’s wheels (it’s so wonderful having another licensed driver in the family!) to go hiking together! I love being outdoors, especially in the woods. To see where we went, check out the pictures!

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I sure hope Spring is here to stay!

-Kasie

I went horseback riding on my own horse (Sully – isn’t he just so cute?) around our house and on the roads! The weather was beautiful and perfect.

“monkey see, monkey do”. Me and Sully with Nikki and Sweet Pea. Nikki’s been kind enough to help me with training Sully, and today we took him riding on the roads for the first time. We ended up riding about two miles, and Sully did pretty well! It sure helps to have an experienced horse nearby (thank you Nikki and Sweet Pea!).

*sigh* I’m really happy right now.

-Kasie

It was suppose to be a surprise get together for the boys (not my boys – their boys), but suspicions were aroused throughout the week, and our friends knew something was up. They found out they were right when we came knocking on their door that afternoon – ah well! The surprise wasn’t a great one, but our time together was. We took advantage of the beautiful weather and hiked outside, played some games inside, and stayed late enough into the night (or shall I say, “morning”) to wish our young friend a happy birthday.

Here are the pictures I took. Enjoy!

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In closing, I thought you might be amused by this picture of Nate, taken while playing a game of cards:

He seems to have one of my knitting needles stuck in his hair! Poor fellow.

Have a great day! I hope you’re experiencing sunny weather like we are!

-Kasie

See? I’m even taller than Nate!

-Kasie

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

~Romans 1:16~

Amen!

-Kasie

Isn’t it beautiful? None of us knew Dad could paint!

~his John Hancock

Wow Dad! What other talents do you have that we don’t know about?

-Kasie

- Walter

Curse the silence! Says the the Devil.
That time of stilled heart and mind
Will be my end, and all my schemes
Shall come to naught by its hand.
Men in silence do contemplate
The weighty things of this life
That go beyond the day to day -
They see eternity’s light

Curse the silence! Rising from bed
To peaceful meditation,
Moments of quiet in the night
For prayer and introspection.
I will give them Entertainment
To blur what they think and see,
Things of fun and things of pleasure
To keep them always busy.

Fill the humans’ lives with noise
And they’ll never hear God through the static.

These words are so true in my own life. It is my tendency to fill my day with idleness instead of silence, entertainment instead of joy, and stuff instead of meaningful work. And then it is during those few minutes before bed, when everyone else in the house is asleep that I discover how full of “static” my life was that day.

May we quiet our souls, and draw near to our God.

“It’s HERE!!”

Oh yeah! Unwrap that bad boy.

Sweet!

The old piano is set aside… (still a very good instrument! we’ll probably get it fixed, then use it only for gigs so it stays in better condition. I mean, we’ve banged on that thing for years!)

…and the new one takes its place.

We also bought a case for easier transportation. I love that thing!

Everyone gathers around to try it out. We’ll get to use it for our upcoming concert!

And there she stands today. Isn’t it beautiful? It was a huge expense, but I think it’s worth it.

-Kasie

Adding essential oils…

Testing the consistency…

Angie’s artistic touch to the scene…

Preparing the lavender scented batch…

The tubes and trays, ready to be poured into…

I don’t have an “after” picture, but our first attempt at making chapstick turned out pretty well! Many thanks to our teacher – we couldn’t have done it without you!

I just love chapstick! And now I have four new, homemade flavors to use at liberty. Oh joy!

-Kasie