A life of sacrifice

Fall Recital

North Carolina Family Economics Conference

In March our family traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina for a Family Economics Conference.
Here we are in Pheonix, Arizona. We flew 'stand by' which makes for a very exciting trip. You never know when or *if* you will reach your destination. We spent about 6 hours in the Pheonix Airport because the plane going to Raleigh was full. There was no other flight leaving that day to NC, so we had to think creatively. We found a flight going to Baltimore Maryland that had enough seats to accomodate our family. We began looking up maps online to see if we could just get to the east coast and then drive down to NC.



On the flight from Arizona to Maryland. Fia reading Little House on the Prairie. Big brother taking pictures from the coveted window seat. This was a treat as we 3 were able to sit together. We had some MAJOR turbulance as we neared Baltimore.


Finally on solid ground (after turbulant flight) and in a new and unknown city at 11:30pm. Papa began his plan with his blackberry.


Off to leave the airport and find the car rental building.






The boys were getting a rental car while us girls rested. This was about midnight. We ended up renting a car with GPS (Praise the Lord for GPS). We drove through the night, passed many landmarks that tortured us because we couldn't stop. We saw the White House, the Washington Monument, crossed the Pottomac River, passed NASA, NSA and numerous Civil War historical sites and battlefields. We arrived at our hotel at 6am, had some yummy continental breakfast, went up to our room and went to bed for a few hours.


I had plenty of good knitting time during our day of travel, almost finished here with a sweater for Fia.


We met up with a wonderful friend from high school who lives in North Carolina. He brought his guitar so the boys could play.




Still reading...




Walking him out...


Family Economics conference, day one, session two. See Papa coming down the hall?


Some interesting trees.



Sunday morning going to church on the campus of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
A beautiful North Carolina morning.



Gorgeous architecture.




The inside was impressive and massive to say the least. It was amazing to go to church in such a beautiful building.






Scott Brown, Kevin Swansen and Doug Phillips were among the congregation that day.





Hurry back to the airport.


We must get the necessary equipment before boarding the plane.


Back home about 11pm Sunday.


A short but life-changing few days.

So long, little friend

King Cann wasn't acting right the last few days. He was just standing alone outside. We brought him inside and put him in a box by the woodstove. He didn't try to get out of the box which was a sign things weren't right. We bought some medicine from the feedstore and tried to doctor him best we could. I held him often, he just sat in my arm like this...my sweet little hamster. I figured he was going to die but I wanted him to be warm and comfortable if he did, not weak and picked on by Edward, the BIG rooster. He did die. Mrs. Cann is lonely now. We find her up on the door step. Our daughter feeds her from her hand. She told me, "We have to take care of her now that she has no husband." So we do.