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Happy Hunters

Josh’s first hunt ever, yielded a seven-point buck.

This was not Jordan’s first hunt, but it was his first buck – an eight-point.

Josh got his buck shortly after 9:30 this morning.

 Jordan shot his about 5:00 this evening.

Father and Son – Jere shot a doe yesterday.  Cerwin, Jere, and Josh were in Tioga County.

Jordan, his dad, Jeff, and brother, Nate, were hunting in York County.

Both buck have large bodies – Cerwin thought about 160 to 170 pounds – but Jordan’s eight-point has the widest spread.  Josh’s spread was 14-1/4″.

I told the guys – If the economy continues to go bad, we will at least have venison in our freezers this year.  The butcher shop is becoming quite familiar with our family.    The count is now up to seven deer:  Cerwin – two, Jeff – one, Jere – two, Jordan – one, Josh – one.  I guess that makes up for the years they hunted with less success. 

Happy 12th Birthday

To Our Favorite Lydia

You know what that means – you get to spend next summer with us! 

God doesn’t come and go.

God lasts.

He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.

Isaiah 40:28 (The Message)

Weather & The Sky

It was an interesting day – weatherwise.

With the sunrise came a beautiful, scattered fog.

There was light rain, some sunshine, then about the middle of the afternoon we had a short period of driving rain as a new weather front entered our area.

The sky went from dark to sunny – creating a pretty rainbow. 

On the way home from my once-a-month-deep-tissue-body-massage-by-Carla ~~ I saw this.

During part of my short drive home, the sunset was in my rearview mirror.

The rain puddles created beautiful reflections.

 By the time I got home, the sun was almost set.

Did you see this in the sky tonight?

I heard on the morning news that those south of the equator would see a smiley face in the sky tonight – especially those in Australia – while those of us north of the equator would see the mirrored, upside down effect – a frowny face.

From the Internet:

Australians are getting a big hello from the heavens as Venus, Jupiter, and a waxing crescent moon combine to create a celestial smiley face. Unfortunately, because North Americans are on the other side of the equator, they’ll view the phenomenon upside down — as a mono-browed frown over a pair of eyes.

I was pleased to see it so clearly – just after sunset.

Take your everyday, ordinary life

your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life

and place it before God as an offering.

Romans 12:1 (The Message)

Vows of Baptism

This photo gives you an idea of the kind of day we had for baptizing – which followed morning worship at our church.  However, the photo gives you no clue as to how miserable and cold (38 degrees) it really was outside – or how happy and warm the hearts were of the parents, grandparents, relatives, and friends of those who had recently invited Christ into their hearts.

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The three young girls were first – Brianna, Emily, and Kayleen.

~~~

 Dave (one of our ministers) had the honor of baptizing these thirteen young people.

 I expect baptizing his daughter was a highlight of Dave’s day.

~~~

The ten boys were next – Andre, Hans, Alexander, Matthew, Anthony, Andrew, Michael, Jared, Jordan, and Brandon.

~~~

 Do you believe that Jesus Christ…

is the Son of God…

 and that He brought from Heaven a saving Gospel?

Do you willingly renounce Satan…

with all his pernicious ways…

 and all the sinful pleasures of this world?

Do you covenant with God…

in Christ Jesus…

  to be faithful unto death?

Can anything be more joyful to a family and church family than this?

~~~

Our family celebrated by going to Pizza Hut for lunch – minus the three who left for a short hunting trip following baptism.  Cerwin, Jere, and Josh plan to spend the next two days in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.  Jeff and his boys will be hunting locally.

 Jeff, Mary Jane (Jeff & Chris’ good friend and neighbor), and Chris.  Chris’ mother, Lois, is hidden behind Jeff. 

Our grandchildren, Nate, Abigail, Jesse, Gloria, Diana, Ian, and Jared.  After looking at my pictures, I realized that I didn’t have a picture of Jordan (whose baptism we were celebrating), but I did get a photo of his Pepsi (bottom right). 

 Warm cinnamon sticks.

 Jesse nibbled on bread sticks and played with a straw.

Abigail at the salad bar

 Kristen, Jesse, Jenna, and Ian

 Diana enjoying a cinnamon stick

 Jared

 I think it is time to go home for an afternoon nap.

Grow in grace

and understanding of our Master and Savior,

Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:18 (The Message)

West Virginia Hunting

Photographed by our son Jere and told to me by Cerwin

The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) is the reason the guys cannot use cell phones at the hunting lodge.

Some interesting information from the Internet: 

The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) is the most technically advanced single-dish radio telescope in the world. Its 110-meter by 100-meter dish boasts more than two acres of area for collecting faint radio waves from the Universe. Weighing 17 million pounds, the GBT is also one of the world’s largest moving structures on land. And since it is located within the National Radio Quiet Zone, the GBT’s sensitive receiving system is well protected from radio frequency interference.

The hunters – Left to right:  Cerwin, Jere (our youngest son), Jeff (our oldest son), Marlin (our brother-in-law), Gene (TFC and trucker friend), Dennis (our neighbor), Terry (friend of Gene).

Methinks if Gene put his hat on straight, he could shoot a deer. 

Denny was in charge of grocery shopping.

Some of their breakfast and snack items – they went to a restaurant for the evening meal.

Gene preparing to sample a donut.

Watching a hunting video.

Dave (lodge owner) enjoyed listening to their hunting stories each evening.

There was a good ground cover of snow, which the guys like for hunting.

This buck rub is the sign of a big buck.

Jere had the ground prepared around this tree so his movements wouldn’t cause unnecessary sound.

A self-portrait by Jere.

Photo of Jere by Jeff

When Jeff came to help him drag the deer to the suburban, Jere learned that Cerwin had also gotten a buck. 

The ravine where Cerwin shot his deer.

Cerwin and Jeff dragging out Cerwin’s deer.

Cerwin with his three-point.

They were glad when both deer were loaded on the suburban.

The four successful hunters – Cerwin, Jere, Marlin, and Denny.

The entire group, just before heading home.

Travel scenery

The guys enjoyed seeing deer along the road.

Beautiful scenery

Traveling doesn’t get much prettier than this.

Make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted

in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations

that you lose track of the time and doze off,

oblivious to God. 

Romans 13:11 (The Message)

A-Busy-Not-So-Quiet-Day

This morning Jere and Cerwin took the deer to the butcher shop.  Jared, Ian, and Gloria watching the process of loading them on the carrier rack.

Jared was fascinated by the antlers.

For some reason, I did not get a new picture of Diana today – so I used one from last night.  She went with the men and little boys.

Jenna was here while her dad and mom went to a local auction.  She loves the opportunity to update addresses on my database. 

Gloria was also here while her parents enjoyed the auction.  When she saw Jenna working, she asked if I had work for her.  I gave her a box of envelopes that needed an updated address.  She enjoys putting labels over the old address.

I also asked her to remove newsletters from the printer on occasion – so the stack wouldn’t get too high.

Nate and Josh in the guest room watching a silly video on my laptop.

Cerwin and Jordan discussing the economy and stock market.  They have a mutual interest in those subjects.

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When they went home today, there was one chocolate chip cookie left – from the batch of forty I baked on Thursday – so I ate it.