The Broken Leg

Happy 13th Birthday Susannah

Susannah was treated to a special lunch by the Westfall Grandparents on her birthday, September 1st. Tim, Abby, and I tagged along to celebrate.

The wait staff serenaded her and brought her a hot fudge sundae with candle aflame on top.

How hard it is to believe that she is 13 already!

Happy Birthday Susannah!

Grandma's Attic

Out of all the sights we saw in Tallahassee this was the kid's favorite. This was part of the Florida History Museum, which was a wonderful place to visit so we could tie up all of those Florida history loose ends we had dangling. This room was filled with antiques and vintage clothes to dress up in. Just the place to let off steam and have fun pretending to live back in the days of switchboards and wash boards.

Tallahassee

The old capital building in front of the new capital building. It is hard to imagine that people had to protest the tearing down of this lovely old building as the "powers that be" had intended on making it a giant courtyard in front of that ugly tower in the background.

The kids called it the candy cane building because of the red and white striped awnings. So cheerful, clean, and welcoming.

Wakulla Springs

Earlier this month we dropped Hannah off for S.E.E.K. at this picturesque lodge in Wakulla Springs State Park. It was built in the twenties and was filled with antiques and decorated with old pictures. The ceiling was carved wood with beautiful paintings on the panels. Hannah said each room was uniquely decorated and were very large. Not at all like bunking down in the dorms at the University of Florida last summer.

The middle kids and I spent 4 days exploring Tallahassee and studying Florida history together. We were blessed in so many ways by the lovely people we encountered. From the visitor center to the Mission San Luis, we were treated like royalty. The people took their time to teach us everything they could and were so patient with the less than enthusiastic one when they got no response to their inquiries. At the Museum of Florida History the director loaded us down with books, c.d.s, maps, and many educational items when he found out we were homeschoolers. I have never learned so much or met such lovely people on a field trip as we met during our visit.

We enjoyed driving around the city and learned our way around by getting lost numerous times. This is my way of finding all the treasured spots and it is a fun adventure, although it is a bit stressful at times. The old brick buildings and meticulous landscaping kept my head turning and my camera clicking. We walked until our feet hurt and then walked some more. One child begged to take elevators just to get a break from all the steps we walked up and down.

The simple candle inside a friar's cell at Mission San Luis.

Although this is a reproduction of what the Mission looked like, the people who worked here made history come alive. They were in character the whole time and we felt we were a part of the life they lived so long ago.

The bell would be rung for prayer. There was chanting in the church and many reproductions of religious art. An altar, crucifix, candles, and baptistery made you feel you were walking on holy ground. The fact that Florida had it's own Camino Real, just like California's, made me go back to my youth when I studied the missions. So many fond memories of the holy moments in my childhood.

I will post more when I've had a chance to go through the multitude of pictures.

This is our family page that will be included in our homeschool group's year book. One page is not near large enough for pictures of our family. So many of the "kids" did not get into the picture. Sigh....

Most of the photos were taken at Noah and Tiffany's wedding and the reception afterward.

One of the things I would love to do someday would be to publish our own yearbook and give out copies as Christmas gifts to our family. I should put the kids in charge of that one or it will never get done!

A Horrible Kind of Scare

Our normal afternoon/evening: Tim and several children go to the soccer field for the various practices. Tonight he has a meeting so I go to pick up children and come home to feed them dinner. When I left Beka was taking Coal (dog) for a walk. Upon my return I find Coal resting on the porch, leash still attached to collar. Come in the house; "Beka!" No answer. She must be reading, showering, something. Give bath orders, go to make an online appointment, wait for the internet connection, then get that sickest kind of feeling in my gut. Where is Beka? Not in the house. Not in the shower. Not in her car. Phone is in her room. No way to get in touch with her. My worst nightmare is startiing to unfold. I jump into my car, not really knowing what to do or where to go, and head down the road in search of that lost child, totally panicked and imagining the worst! Around the corner, down the road, there is someone in the road, in the dark. It is Beka! "What are you doing? I have been worried sick, looking for you!" "I am looking for my earring from Germany!" She lost it while walking the dog. I won't go into anymore of the conversation but I was filled with both relief and anxiety. In todays world people disappear every day and are never found. That has always been one of my worst fears and my kids know it. Things could have been much different and I am so thankful that they were not but I will never shake that feeling of thinking my child has been kidnapped, or much worse. One's mind can run down all kinds of thorny paths when in a moment of crisis. I pray that we never have to do down that route again.

So I will say, "Thanks be to God for His mightly protection and His most gracious mercy towards us!"



Well, I am thankful for the safe return of the lost daughter and I pray that we will all be a little more careful when we are out on our walks!!