Showing posts with label Adventures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adventures. Show all posts

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Our {Soon to Be} New Home

On July 4th, we traveled up to S.E. Oklahoma (where we'll be moving in a few weeks) to look at rent house.  The realtor, a lady who attends the church where Dad will be serving, told us that she thought this house would fit all our needs.  Well, indeed it did - lots of yard (the front yard is huge), 2+ bathrooms, 3+ bedrooms, a big living area and within our budget.  This was a blessing send from God.  So, after inspecting the house, Mom and Dad signed the lease agreement, and secured the home for us to move into in less than three weeks! 

For all of our family and friends who are interested in seeing what the house looks like, here are several photos we took.  Pardon the bad lighting (and poor focus on some of them, I wasn't being very careful when taking some of them).   Please keep our family in your prayers as we transition our lives to Oklahoma.   Thank you!

Mom and Dad sign the lease agreement, with Ms. Debra (the realtor).

This is right after you enter through the side/back door.  To the right through the double doors is the kitchen and eating area.
Through the double doors (the back/side door is on the right side of this photo.)
And now into the kitchen, standing where the dining table is supposed to go.
Another kitchen shot - there's lots of cabinet space!
Oh, and two sinks, with lots of counter space, too! 
Through the doors at the back of the kitchen is the laundry room.
The laundry room is huge!  Just what we have always wanted - enough space to fold laundry, etc.  Perfect!
More storage space. (Still in the laundry room.)
Looking into the living room from the dining/end of kitchen area.  (The doorway on the right is into the master bedroom.)
Looking into the living room to the left.  You can see the front door and entry way on the left side of the picture.
The (gas) fireplace.
Front door and entry way.
The living room from the entry way.  (Sorry for it being out of focus.)
The master bedroom.  If you turn to the right almost 180 degrees, you go into the master bathroom.
The master bathroom sinks.  (Through the doorway on the right side of the photo is the master bedroom.)
Master bathroom - it has a nice big bathtub, and a shower.
Down the hall way, to the main bath and the other two bedrooms.  (If you turned 90 degrees to your right, you would be looking toward the front door, in the entry way.)
Through the first doorway in the picture above is the main bathroom, which will be us kid's bathroom. 
It has a large bathtub/shower and plenty of cabinets and counter space.
Kid's bath - if you turn to your right about 45 degrees you'll be looking through a doorway into what will be the girl's room.  The door way on the far left side of this photo goes into the hallway. 
The girl's room, through the doorway off the hall.  It has a chalkboard wall section!!
The girl's room has lots of windows (as does the whole house), and the room is large (14' x 11' approx.).
   I don't have any good photos of what will be Jaden's room, but it is located directly across the doorway from the girl's room.  The doorway that is located on the left side of the picture above goes into the hallway, and then right across from that is Jaden's room.

This is to the left off of the back/side door - an extra room (with another room behind it), which can be used for an office / school room / library.  The door way pictured on the right leads into a large storage room, pictured below.  
The storage room, looking to the right after entering.  Unfortunately the only way to enter is through that one doorway.
To the left, with the door in the picture on the left side of the photo.
And this is the small room behind the extra room I just showed you.  We may use it as a guest room.
And now to the outside part of the house. 

The front.  It has a HUGE yard, with two large trees (lots of shade!), and a large front porch. 
To the right.
The front porch.  There should be enough room for a porch swing!  :)

After looking around the house, and signing the lease agreement, we were hungry.  So, we ate some lunch out on the front porch.  :)
You can see one of the two large trees in this photo.
Looking into the backyard from the patio area.
The backyard to the right.  In need of some definite trimming, but there's plenty of room for a garden! 
Looking back into the patio, and covered area right outside the other back door that comes into the backyard.
This was Abby's response to us securing the house. 

We were ecstatic!  (Can you tell?!)  To say the least, there was lots of shouting and jumping, and excitement.  All we can do is praise the Lord for the goodness He's shown to us!
 Very soon we will be officially Oklahomans.   Well, not for entirely, because Texas will always be home - but our heart is definitely with the folks at our new home church in OK.  Praise be to our gracious God!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Uncle Jim & Aunt Naomi's Visit - A Trip to ICR

Friday, March 22nd, we were honored to be able to tour the Institute for Creation Research facilities again.  They're located just a few miles away from where we live, so it's a convenient drive, and a neat field trip.  This time we went to allow our Uncle Jim and Aunt Naomi a chance to experience the tour themselves.  We were all blessed and encouraged by our visit!  Thank God for ICR! 


Sign out front

As you walk in the door

Uncle Jim shakes hands with Mr. Bear (I think) skeleton

Visiting in the lobby.

Dr. Frank Sherwin was our 'tour guide' this time.  He such a fascinating man, and has a great sense of humor!

We honored he took so much time out of his busy schedule to interact with us. 

In the first hallway, the walls are lined with portraits of well-known and not-so-well-known scientists of the past who believe in God and were creationists.

They also have a large collection of butterflies. 

Absolutely fascinating and beautiful!


A large sea creature's head (I can't recall the name of it right now). 

Dr. Sherwin describes the stunning photograph of the Grand Canyon. 

Fossil fish.  The detail on these are amazing. 

Abby inspects them.
One fish on top of another.
Different types of animals buried together.

Once Dr. Sherwin finished the tour of the first building, Mr. Mark M. graciously took us around to the two other buildings.  We had the opportunity to meet several of the speakers and/or scientists. 

Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson, a molecular and cell biologist, took a few minutes and explained to us what the graphics on the wall were, and what they meant. 

It has to do with DNA, cells and the similarities (or lack thereof) between different animals.  
Dr. Jeanson put these graphics together to kind of visualize his research. 
Quite fascinating and most of it over my head!!
 
After our conversation with Dr. Jeanson, we visited with Dr. James Johnson.  Dr. Johnson is a speaker for ICR (as is Dr. Jeanson), and is an expert on Hebrew and Greek, among many other things. 

Dr. Johnson is pictured here on the left. 

As we were visiting with Dr. Johnson, Mary Ruth [Morris]Smith came into the room and chatted with us for a few minutes.  Mrs. Smith is one of the daughters of Henry Morris Jr. and a sister of Dr. John Morris.  She is quite the lady as well, as she was the main person who typed up all of her Dad's (Dr. Henry Morris Jr.) books and materials.  

A photograph of the late Dr. Henry Morris, Jr.

We also got a chance to meet and visit with Henry Morris IV.  He is the grand son of Dr. Henry Morris, Jr.  Pretty cool! 

Some of the fantastic art work displayed throughout their facilities. 

One of the office cubicles.  Lots of rocks, fossils, geodes and petrified wood.  :)



Abby talked more extensively with Ms. Mary.  I think she learned more about the Morris family.  A fascinating and amazing family!

One of the many informative posters posted in various places.  I didn't realize until reading this that human hands are designed according to the Fibonacci number series.  Another sign of Supernatural design and genius!

After our stop at Henry Morris IV's office, we headed over to their new shipping warehouse.  It's quite a bit larger than their old one, with more space to expand, too. 

We study the intriguing and intricate wall map of earth history.  So amazing to see it all with your eyes at one time!
Uncle Jim decided to see if this fossil bit. ...
Apparently he got his hand too close...
 You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.
Revelation 4:11