The Mighty Hunter

Look what someone got yesterday!  George shot this doe at Paw Paw's house--his first deer of the season.  I'm so thankful that God has provided us with meat to get through the winter, and that Daddy and George were able to go harvest it.

Looking forward to meatloaf,
Joy

Bible Bee Recap--Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

The last three days of the Bible Bee were busy as we tried to pack everything in.  Although we were sad that we didn't advance, it was nice not to be nervous. :)

Sibling rivalry, anyone? :)  No, they just happened to go at the same time.

We spent a lot of time in the Family Fun Room. The boys liked the bouncy things (although I couldn't convince them to bungee jump) and the rock climbing wall. 



At the top!

 

George braved the climbing wall, even after his bad experience with the BB's climbing wall in 2011, and made it all the way.  Congratulations, George!

 

George, Daddy, Thomas, and Samuel exploding coming out of the waterslide

We also went to the hotel's indoor waterpark, the largest one in Tennessee.  Although there were some things only for the older ones, even the little boys had fun--so much so that James still talks about the about how "the bell went 'dong, dong, dong', and then all the water fell down".

 

Under the "Starting Line"

Another fun thing we did at the Bee was their annual square dance.  We had heard people talk about how great it was in previous years, but I still wasn't sure about it.  However, so many people we knew seemed to enjoy it, so we went just to watch.  And we ended up dancing.  And it really was fun!  There was no romantic-type stuff; it felt more like a sport.   And dancing with literally hundreds of people was a really neat experience.

 

"Anna, in one of your 224 memory passages, what six words come before 'may (or let) integrity and uprightness preserve me...'?"  She got it right!

We also went to the Senior and Junior semi-final and final challenge rounds.  The Senior finals were my favorite part because I had met three of the five finalists and I knew the verses.  The girls and I were able to talk with Anna F. and her sister Heidi and we were very excited when Anna placed fifth in the nation.  Congratulations, Anna!

 

***

 

And that concludes my Bible Bee-related posts--at least until April, when I will start encouraging you to sign up for summer 2014. :)  I'm not going to post pictures of the going home trip for two reasons.  (1)  You really don't want to see any pictures of Daddy and Samuel with the stomach bug, of everyone else completely exhausted from being up late the night before, or of me driving down an unfamiliar piece of interstate and (2) I don't have any pictures because of aforesaid driving--for some reason I don't think my family would be completely thrilled by my multitasking.

 

In spite of all that, we still like the Bible Bee, so much so that we still talk constantly about this year and next.  And we're not the only family who has been bitten by the "Bible Bee bug".  Watch this video by the A. family, fellow Bible Bee nuts--You Know You're in Bible Bee When...--to see what I mean.  Disclaimer: unless you're in the Bible Bee you aren't going to get any of it; if you've been to Nationals you're going to laugh all the way through.

 

Like certain family members did.  I'm not naming names, but one of them started with a J and ended with an OY.

 

I wonder who that is...



Bible Bee Recap--Thursday

Thursday was the big day of the test.  We had studied and memorized and meditated until our very dreams were full of the Bible Bee (ask me about Genesis 17 and the interstate).  However, Nationals still didn't feel like a competition.  Everyone realizes that--even though all will not receive monetary awards--we have all been blessed by our study of God's Word. 

 

I don't have much to say about the actual test.  The written test was easy (compared to the brutal local one), but the oral test on my memory verses was much more difficult.  I got to recite one of my favorite Nationals passages (Genesis 48:14-16), but I also had to say Proverbs 31:1-8, which is always awkward at best.  Delie and Anna also had to say an unusual one--Proverbs 30:1-4.  Afterward, Anna told me that she had started giggling when she got to the "surely I am too stupid to be a man" part.  It's hard to blame her!  After the oral test we waited in "the jail", otherwise known as the Family Fun Room, until we were released.  Since I was a Senior, this wasn't until around three o'clock, so we spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing and visiting with Mamie and Big George (my grandparents) who came up for the night. 

 

Thursday night we gathered again for the opening ceremony, a time of celebration and thanksgiving.  I love this part of nationals because, although the semi-finalists are announced, the emphasis is not on the competition but on the Lord and His goodness and grace.

 

After lining up with our age divisions, each contestant...

 

Anna waiting in line

 walked down the aisle...

 

Delie and Mr. W.

  received a medal...

 

Joy with the Senior Division (I'm second to the end)

...and stood with their division.

 

Then we all went back to our families and enjoyed a Scripture presentation from Mr. Tim McKenzie and music from the Wissmans.  I was having so much fun,  I forgot the climax of the of the evening--the announcing of the top fifteen in each division.  These semi-finalists got to compete again on Friday, this time on stage.  Delie, Anna, and I did not advance, but we knew many people who did, and the next best part to being a semi-finalist is cheering on your friends who are!

 

Exhausted and exhilarated--I know that those two words don't go together, but that's just how I would sum up Nationals--we returned to our hotel room to enjoy the vacation aspect of the Bible Bee.

 

Joy 

Bible Bee Recap--Wednesday

Okay, now that I am no longer studying or staying up until midnight visiting with family and friends (why is the Bible Bee such a late night place?) here are some long overdue pictures from the National Bible Bee.

We only got a few honks on the way, but we got plenty of stares!  Big-green-van-packed-with-people-and-luggage  plus writing-on-all-three-sides equals long-long-looks.

We hit the road early Wednesday morning--and we only had to turn around once for forgotten baggage.  Pretty impressive, huh?  Actually, we probably would have gone back at least one more time, but Daddy had to be at work by eight.  He taught a class, and then we, bolstered by donuts and jerky (brain food!), officially left for Sevierville.

 

 

We girls studied a lot along the way, and our wonderful brothers tested us on our memory verses--when they weren't asleep.  Thomas  anonymous sibling, you know who you are. 

 

Delie and Anna receiving their welcome packets

We rolled into Sevierville around three thirty that afternoon.  We knew we were at the Bible Bee when we saw the row of passenger vans in the parking lot.  Just kidding--sort of.   After unloading our passenger van, we left Mommy and the boys in our spacious suite and headed across the road to the convention center. 

 

Just like last year, registration was an amazing experience.  All of the volunteers--many of them former contestants--were so encouraging and supportive.  The Bible Bee felt like a reunion of sorts as we caught up with old friends and met new ones.   

We were very excited and nervous as we headed back to our room for the last night before the test for which we had been studying for months...

 

More pictures to come, Lord willing.

Joy

P.S.  You can see our registration pictures on the Bible Bee website (click here).  We were given a copy of our "family" portrait, but I've mislaid it, so I won't be able to share it here (obviously ;D).

Winter Wonder

It's good to be home.  The Bible Bee was a wonderful experience--pictures to come, Lord willing--but "east, west, home's best".  Here is a small piece of what we've been up to this December.

 

 

We had our first snowfall last Friday!  (Northern friends take note: that white stuff on our roof is snow, not frost.  Hey, it was so serious that Daddy missed a day of work and the grocery store was sold out of milk, bread, and spinach dip mix.  You've got to love the South ;D.)



It's that time of year.  The mint-oreo-dipped-in-white-chocolate-with-peppermints-on-top time of year.  And we are loving it.  Peanut butter balls, pretzel with hugs, and cake balls are on the forecast.  Don't you wish you were here?

 

And as the grand finale--John Philip Moss, the most precious sight of the season.  He is absolutely adorable, and cute to boot.  And do you see the pacifier?!  I never thought I would see the day when a Moss would actually enjoy sucking on those things, but he seems to like it.

 

John's first smile for a camera!

But he's also pretty happy without it.   He has wrapped all ten of us around his tiny fingers, and we love him almost to pieces. 

 

We love him, and we are so glad that God has blessed our family with our little John.

 

Joy