Flag Raising Ceremony at Relay for Life, June 21, 2013

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A Great Concert by the Navy Sea Chanters Chorus

Last night the Prairie Family enjoyed a fantastic concert put on by the United States Navy Sea Chanters Chorus.  The kids have been interested in singing and music in general, so when opportunities to go to these types of things come our way, we try to take advantage of them.  I knew this group would be good, but I had no idea what a treat we were going to enjoy!

Dan and I both agree that this is one of the top shows that we have ever attended.  The song selections varied from opera, to patriotic, to show tunes, to Gospel.  There was definitely something for everyone.  Of course, I noticed how amazing their pianist was.  She was all over that keyboard and didn’t miss a note! Until we arrived at the auditorium, we weren’t aware of the fact that this particular concert was the last of their current tour, and that made it even more special.  I guess they were originally going to have several more stops that were even printed on the programs, but because of the current budget problems in Washington, the tour was cut short, and our town’s was the last show.  A long-time (20 year) leader of the group was retiring, and this was to be her last performance, so there was some special moments in honor of her.

I’m thankful for opportunities like this.  It gives the kids exposure to and appreciation for different types of musical experiences.  These particular men and women are tremendous musicians, and their performance was amazing.  I would encourage anyone who has an opportunity to hear them in the future to make the effort.  It is well worth it!

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American Heritage Girls Level Awards

 

 

It’s hard to believe that we are nearing the end of our third year as Trailblazers with American Heritage Girls!  It has been a very good experience for all of us, and, Lord willing, we are looking forward to many more years to come.

Kara and Cosette are both ready to advance a level in AHG.  Cosette is finishing up her Explorer level award, and Kara is finishing up her Tenderheart level award.  There are a variety of requirements for these achievements, but mostly it has to do with finishing merit badges, completing service hours, and participating in special events.  The girls have completed everything except the last part which is a board of review with a group of ladies who will discuss what they have been doing and learning in AHG.  We have that set up for the first week of March, so pretty soon that will be checked off too!

As we have been preparing for these boards of review, we have been looking back at some of the things that we have done during the past three years, and it is kind of surprising to see just how much the girls have done!  Both of the girls have completed these merit badges at their respective levels:  7 C’s of History, Stick Shifts and Safety Belts, Music Performance, Fishing, Bible Basics, Sign Language, Computer Fun, and Internet Adventure.  They will soon be completing World Heritage and Photography.  We’ve participated in many special events.  Some of our favorites have been going to a Chinese Acrobatic show, joining the Norton AHG troop for a Princess Party sleep-over, and going with a local Boy Scout troop on a day trip to some museums and historical sites. Kara has completed nearly 60 hours of service projects, and Cosette has completed 112 hours.  These projects have ranged from helping with VBS to volunteering at the Genesis Food Bank to assembling Operation Christmas Child boxes.

All of these activities together have been helping the girls to fulfill the AHG mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country.  I sincerely appreciate AHG’s strong moral and biblical stands and pray that God will continue to use them to guide another generation of women into positions of service.

One of the requirements for Kara’s rank advancement was to make a poster about AHG to display in a public place.  She worked very hard on her poster (shown in this entry’s picture), and I think it came out very nicely.  It highlighted the mission of AHG and featured some pictures of the girls doing activities that related to each segment of the mission.  Kara wanted to have a slideshow version of her poster to put on this blog, so here it is:

A photo album by Smilebox

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The Texas Tenors–This Post is for Brock! :)

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Veteran’s Day 2012

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Let Freedom Ring–Jesus is King!

Deep within the heart has always known that there was freedom
Somehow breathed into the very soul of life.
The prisoner, the powerless, the slave have always known it
There’s something that keeps reaching for the sky

Even life begins because a baby fights for freedom
And songs we love to sing have freedom’s theme
Some have walked through fire and flood to find a place of freedom
And some faced hell itself for freedom’s dream

Let freedom ring wherever minds know what it means to be in chains
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
We can be free and we can sing — let freedom ring

God built freedom into every fiber of creation
And He meant for us to all be free and whole
When my Lord bought freedom with the blood of His redemption
His cross stamped pardon on my very soul

I’ll sing it out with every breath, I’ll let the whole world hear it
This hallelujah anthem of the free
That iron bars and heavy chains can never hold us captive
The Son has made us free and free indeed

Let freedom ring down through the ages from a hill called Calvary
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring
You can be free and you can sing — let freedom ring — let freedom ring

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Veteran’s Day 2011

This year my American Heritage Girls joined the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts in the Veteran’s Day parade.  It was a good way to pause and be grateful for the sacrifices made for our freedom.  We can never be reminded too often.

Picture collage customized with Smilebox

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Herman Cain Shares His Faith in Song

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Fourth of July “Blast!”

Wow, we had a wonderful Fourth of July!  The weather was perfect and the day was fun–what more can you ask for??

The kids had a big water fight in the back yard to start off their holiday on July 3.  By the time they were done, they were all completely soaked and happy!

The girls did some July 4 crafts in the afternoon while I made the Prairie Family’s Fireworks-Watching-Traditional-Treat of “Pillow Cookies.”  (i.e. big chocolate chip cookies with brownies in the middle)  Later, my parents and my brother’s family joined us for grilled hamburgers for supper.

After supper, we took the kids to a nearby park where we launched some of our Estes model rockets.  We had made these rockets earlier this summer to use at the Cub Scout Day Camp, but we didn’t end up needing them all, so for most of these rockets, it was their maiden voyage!  The kids all had fun launching and retrieving the rockets, and they all agreed that they were as much fun as shooting off our own fireworks.  (Besides, these are much safer and can be used again!)

We went to our town’s fireworks display after dark, and it was nice.  We learned several years ago that the best place to view the fireworks is from the grounds of the office where Dan works.  So, it has become our tradition to go out there, eat cookies, drink pop, enjoy fellowship, and watch the display.

This truly was a great holiday, and I am thankful that God gave us such a special time!

This picture slideshow made with Smilebox

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Have a Great Fourth of July!

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