Summer Camp - Rock Mountain

For those of you who care you can find Alinea & Jacob in this video at these place:

.47 - Jake's Bed in his tepee
1.46 - Alinea's back - putting clothes pins on counselor's shirt - right corner
2:15 - Jacob
3:51 - Jacob playing soccer (he's the white shirt w/ the ball)
4:04 - Jacob
4:11 - Jacob - yellow shirt
4:21 - Jacob - rocket launch - yellow shirt
4:30 - Alinea's next to the person launching the ball
5:48 - Alinea's knee in the pretty skirt
6:00 - Jacob reading his bible
6:13 - Alinea's hair in the back row
6:39 - Jake serves himself some bacon

It was an amazing first camp experience for both of them and it's so wonderful to have these memories captured for them here.

Happy New Year!

2007!

What a year of opportunity!

Can't wait to see what unfolds. Pray you had a wonderful holiday celebration! We sure did!

My Christmas Traditions by Alinea

My Christmas traditions go like this...

1. On Christmas Eve I open 1 present. I open pajamas or an ornament. No toys! The best for last I guess, or the best for Christmas morning.

2. On Christmas morning I wake up (I'm an early riser) probably no one is awake yet! If no one is awake I have to wait and wait and wait. Staring at the presents does not make it easier to wait!

3. Finally someone wakes up! It is my brother Jake. Then my parents wake up! Time to open presents.

4. After that my parents go to get the camera to take pictures of our faces when we see our gifts. I stick my hand in my stocking and usually there is candy, small activity books or small gifts.

5. After presents we eat breakfast and light the last candle on the Advent Wreath. My Christmas is probably not the same as yours but it is Christmas.

(Red)emption & World Aids Day

Today is World Aids Day. Does it matter? How does it affect our families?

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1:27

One of the ways we can help is to give to a project called (Red)emption that a good friend of mine is putting together.

You can read more about it here:

(Red)emption

Alinea, Jacob, Keith & I all feel that this is God's heart for the nations. Please contribute if you are able. It's only $10.00, but together we can change the world.

We are the people we've been waiting for!

Happy Halloween!

MMMMMMM Minti!

I have found a wonderful family site full of advice, interaction and fun. Just for families. You can get and give advice, get to know other families in your area and really create an online community of support. And don't we know we can all use a bit of support!

You can find it here:

Minti.com

Alinea

When I was pregnant with our daughter Keith and I had many disagreements about what we should name her. During our eigth month of pregnancy I was reading the Dragon King series by Stephen Lawhead and came across his beautiful, noble queen with the long red hair named Alinea - I fell in love with it immediately. It suits her beautifully and the other day she asked me what it meant. I had forgotten so today I searched for the answer again.

I had written Stephen Lawhead years ago asking if he had the meaning of her name and this was the answer from his website:

Q: We named our daugher after Queen Alinea. Can you give me a meaning to the name, or any history you may have on it?

Q: I am now pregnant and knew from the first time I read the name 'Queen Alinea' this would be the name of my daughter. I am hoping you can tell me what Alinea means, as it will mean very much to me and my daughter when one day she is able to read the series.

A: Most of the names in the DRAGON KING books are medieval names, or older forms of common modern names. The name "Alinea" is a very old name of Germanic origin derived from the popular 12th Century "Adeline," which derives in turn from the old word "athal" which means: noble. It was a name given not only to women of royal birth, but women of sterling character.