The Big Bass

The fish we purchased this spring to stock our ponds have grown! We recently caught two good size bass from our recreational pond! They sure have grown from their three inch size when we placed them in the pond this spring!

University of Illinois Homemaker's Extension

We sang for the U of I Homemaker's Extension today. They were a very attentive audience and made our time enjoyable by a crowd full of smiles! The building had acoustics similar to Cave-in-Rock: very resounding. We were invited to stay for dinner which was delicious, before heading back home for music lessons this afternoon.

Hayride time!

Sunday evening, we were enjoying a time of fun, fellowship, and food! The animals enjoyed the evening as much as everyone else- the attention given them was soaked in! :) It turned out to be a chilly night, but everyone bundled up for the hayride and enjoyed it none-the-less. Thank you, Richard for whittling the sassafras sticks to perfection!The tractor pulled two wagon loads of people along parts of the Old Goshen Road and to a site which was an old Jesse James hide-out. Jealous of the attention the barnyard animals were getting, the animals in the field decided they wanted to come for an unexpected visit! We had a lot of fun that evening visiting with good friends and enjoying the warm campfire.

Dale Christian church Revival

What powerful messages were brought to us by Chuck Belcher all nights of revival. He delivered the Word of God through his sermons and we were strengthened! We were blessed by the wonderful fellowship with Chuck and his lovely wife Becky! Keep on keeping on in the faith!

The food and fellowship was great on Homecoming Sunday. This was Dale Christian church's 44th homecoming, although it has been in existence for 121 years! Our family provided the concert that afternoon, before retiring to home to prepare for the hayride at our house that evening. What a great week of spiritual enrichment!

Lancaster Church of Christ Homecoming

We joined Lancaster Church of Christ Sunday, October 19, to celebrate with them 166 years of serving Christ! We awoke early that morning to prepare for the hour and a half trip ahead of us. Upon arriving, we had enough time to set up our sound system and prepare for morning worship. We provided the music for the morning worship and listened to brother Phil Young deliver a sermon. We were invited to partake in a wonderful meal, but trying to sing after eating can be difficult, so we all ate light! That afternoon, we listened to some more preaching and then provided the concert. The crowd was wonderful and it was good to see some familiar faces within it. Afterward, we enjoyed visiting with some good friends before it was time to make our trek back home. A big thank you Lancaster Church of Christ for your hospitality!

Birthday Wishes!

Can you guess who's birthday it is?

Happy Birthday!

Two Centennial Homecomings

It was a joy to be able to sing for the Plainview congregation on October 5. There were many in attendance to celebrate 100 years of the church serving the Lord! We left there to join the McLeansboro Methodist church for their centennial celebration as well. There were many familiar smiling faces in the crowd!

We were glad that our voices held out for the two engagements we had that day!

Eldorado Christian church Community Cook-out

The individuals who play music at Dale Christian church gathered at their sister church in Eldorado to entertain those who came for the free community meal. There were several hundred served, and we enjoyed ourselves playing and singing for the Lord!

Enfield Mule Day's Gospel Night

We were honored to be able to sing for the people of Enfield at the Mule Days festival. It turned off to be quite a chilly night! Nevertheless, we had great fun praising the Lord in song!

DCC Family Camp

Nice weather, fellowship, fun, and learning. . . that's what we found at this year's Family Camp! We began the weekend with a little worship music, Followed by an inspiring workshop by Mark and Chris. Mark discussed how children are like arrows while Chris demonstrated with his bow and his knowledge thereof. Very convicting!

The exciting apple bobbing competition followed. One "contestant" bobbed against another until there was only one competitor left. Finally, Bill bobbed against Amanda (last year's champion) and defeated her. Congratulations Bill! Our new 2008 champion!

Next came the marshmallow stuff. Gary unseated Jerry (last year's winner). Everyone's mouths must be getting bigger! :)

After a good night's rest, the next day commenced with a prayer walk, followed by a delicious breakfast.

After our morning worship service, we had lunch and then the annual treasure hunt.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." ~Matthew 13:43-45

Clues from the Bible were hidden, each one leading to the next, finally directing us to the hidden treasure, and reminding one and all of our real Treasure in Christ Jesus.

Jerry and Lisa provided us with fun and games that afternoon. A bubble-blowing contest, feeding your team-mate chocolate pudding-blindfolded, egg toss, water balloon toss, dizzy bats, and more fun! We rested and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon before our evening worship service. What a great weekend! We're looking forward to next year!

Norris City Dairy Days

It was a short trip to travel to Norris City to sing for gospel night at Dairy Days. It turned out to be a chilly night, and our long sleeves felt quite good! What a wonderful time singing for Gospel Night at Dairy Days!

All Tangled Up!

What a surprise we found on the night of September 8, 2008! A baby donkey! She was born in the field and when we found her, she was tangled in our electric netting fence. Trey led Molly (the proud momma) down the path through the woods, while Rachel drove the baby down in our Suburban. On the way down the baby got tangled in the seat belt! Molly was a little nervous and unsure about what was going on, but by the time we went to bed, she was letting her baby nurse on her own. The next morning, we awoke to find the baby jenny tangled in a fly tape. The name just seemed to fit her like a glove! Tangle!!Tangle it was, and what an adorable thing she is too! She is the offspring of a standard size jenny and a miniature jack! Who knows the size she will end up once she matures! She is quite a character with her long ears and expressive face! She is now 3 weeks old and full of energy. She loves people as much as her mommy does. We our proud of our little tangled up Tangle!

Happy October!!

Brrrr!!! It was cold this morning! At five o'clock, the temperature was only in the high forties. I guess it is time to bring in our houseplants as it won't be long before the first frost arrives. October brings with it such beautiful weather and such wonderful smells. Everything is crisp, and harvest is in the air. The farmers begin to bring in their bounty, and apples and pumpkins are being canned for winter. You might even find yourself eating a slice of pumpkin pie or a caramel apple. God has blessed each of us with a bounty, whether it is in a field or within your life. Where has God blessed you?