For those who would like to see the Russian Missian Trip: http://hollybrian.blogspot.com/

Hello World,

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I am writing from Head Quarters of the new home. 

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There is so much going on. Fun stuff. Only two weeks to do my taxes ... agghh!!! 

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I gotta run.

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As Always, 

Love in Christ Jesus,

Michael & Rebekah Thomas

Webmasters

Michael's gone let's use his camera shots

A tea party

A Gerber thing

Bekah's art

Random house shots

Farewell my beloved Green Machine

Things we do (or maybe things I do ...)

Grammie's visit

Regal beauty

Guests

In which Chris and Mark fall victim to the distinction of being our first non-family guests

Worship an' folk ... yea baby

"We three kings of orient are ..."

Campaign II

http://www.40daysforlife.com/

Beauties for life

Art

Building friendships

Portrait

Trios for life

"I want to live in a house like that where love wears out our welcome mat" - Donovan Chapman

Yeah, I'm STILL unpacking

Stuff

My gallant wife tackling Quick Books. I'm impressed!

Ah ... tis the season

Things start to come together

Money stuff

Does doing your finances every make you feel like a lowly dungeon keeper?

The keeper in peril

What?

A Sunday Afternoon

My summary of Mark Itterman's message on Philipians 2

Companion of destiny

Following their recent trip to Russia, Josh & Matthew come back laden with gifts, chocolate and stories of God's work in that tired land.

A captive audience (amazing how a couple pieces of chocolate can boost audience attentiveness)

Very attentive!

Gifts

Matthew unlocks my passion. One of the few "junk food" things I'll eat. BUT, if it's any less then 75% cocoa ... it's TOO sweet. 

The eyes ... definitely the eyes.

The stinging reality of brotherly affection 

A blessed birch broach (ok, ok a necklace to be sure, but since necklace starts with N, I'd 'ave had to of said something like a Nifty Nerdy Necklace and that just isn't working for me)

"You should put this on your dresser so that you don't lose it" -  Wisdom from a 4 year old

Sharing from their diaries

Artistic attentiveness

A duly blotted entry

Fantastic Footage for the Fanatic (after 3 hours, I ceased to be a fanatic and fixed Marscel's airsoft gun with him) - In all seriousness, their trip blessed them as much or more then those they went to bless. They were challenged. I think the biggest challenge they all faced was, as good and necessary as this trip was, what needs are HERE? Are we missing the opportunity's at the tip of our own noses.

Well folks, that's all for now, y'all come again, ya hear?

Hello Folks,

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I hope all is well in the great wide world. 

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I am enjoying unpacking. There is still so much to do.  Today, we started to learn about how we will do our finances. Isn't money fun to deal with? Well, maybe if Quickbooks is thing. Which is good since I like Quickbooks. 

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Please do keep us in prayer! I don't think I've ever thought about so many things at once.

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As always,

Love In Christ Jesus,

Michael  &  Rebekah Thomas

Webmasters

Why didn't I think of that?

An amazing science project. Teens capture amazing pictures using camera and baloon. 

St. Patrick's Day

Hey Cutie

What is more Irish the Corned Beef & Cabbage. Wow! It was amazing.

Preparation

Happy St. Patrick's  Day

Deep in an ancient wooden chest, we find a faded photo of our great-great-great-great-great grandparents celebrating St. Pattey's day in style

Irish Festivity

A great family

Trying to maintin self control with a meal that is simply tantalizing

Seeing how the Florida crew is doing

"Yes mom, I love you too!"

The remains of the great feast

Cheers!

Random house shots

Time to get back in shape ...

Getting ready for the ball ...

Preparing the appetizers

The amazing jalapeno/cream cheese wrap. 

Yowzer!

Our first married ball ...

With no other girls in the house, it becomes my duty to assist my wife ...

Budding blog competitions

They say the larger the bow tie, the more you have to watch for the slick salesman.

"I'd like to welcome you all ..."

As an ice breaker, they randomly paired up two families. Each family pair was given six minutes to get to know the other family. Then, each pair had to get up in front of everyone and introduce the other. Here the slick salesman introduces the Kaisers

Tim then introduces the Hubaczfamily

Do you ever just stop and think

Ladies and gentleman, welcome to What's my Line

Interrogation

Will she break?

Reporters

A new panel (my wife beat me by the way. I guess if anyone knows Austen, she would)

A quick conference

Art

Art2

Time to teach. I have to give it to this crowd. They were the BEST and fastest learning group EVER.

Calling my first songs ever. What a challenge! My brain wasn't ever so challenged before.

Well, I guess they like it

Art

The journey in to the great Fuller's Dam

The wonders of modern technology

The ultimate cell phone battery chargeer

Little legs begin to weaken

Art

"Girls run and hide, brave men shiver. Hark it's Laddie, king of the river" Nothing worse then a sopping wet dog.

Whistle lessons

Why the joviality? (note: I MISS YOU MELANIE!)

Jeff giving what was, for the most part, a fruitless lesson on the unsanitary two finger whistle (I think Micaiah was the only one that got it)

The journey continues

That perfect time of the year when it's warm enough to doff the coat but cool enough that a hoodie feels awsome

"Yes. Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime. For example: You're walking along, minding your own business. You're looking neither to the left, nor to the right, when all of a sudden you run smack into a pretty face. Woo-woo! You begin to get weak in the knees. Your head's in a whirl. And then you feel light as a feather, and before you know it, you're walking on air. And then you know what? You're knocked for a loop, and you completely lose your head!" Bambi

Explorers

Hey! Amanda's tires

The well marked trail. 

A sister's bond

Ever forward

Art

Micaiah's great find

Inevitably, no matter how exiting the walk, their comes a time when the little legs refuse to carry their masters.

The little masters line the road like battle weary victims

Of course, some of us take solace in the fact that even if our legs are tired, the pictures shall live on.

Well folks, that's all for now. Y'all come again, ya hear?

Ok ... Ok ... I'm not usually one to use my blog as a platform, BUT!!!! I couldn't help it when I saw this great article on NPR's website of the Widow's Mite ...

The Story of the Widow's Mite.

Hello World,

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Life, as amazing as this may seem, moves on. After the emotions of the engagement, the full schedule leading up to the wedding, and then the calm of the honeymoon ... life begins to settle in. There is so much to do! So many people to see! So many causes to join! So many ... but I remind myself, that Rome was not built in a day. Patience is, after all, still a virtue and I am enjoying the ride.

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I am continually amazed at all of the blessings in life! This world isn't perfect, but it is such a blessing to be alive. What does God have around the corner?

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Well, I must be off to sleep!

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As always,

Love in Christ Jesus,

Michael & Rebekah Thomas

Webmasters

Welcome home part

Shortly after we got back, we had both families over to open the wedding gifts and just to SEE them! 

Watching the wedding film .... 

Lost in the moment

Opening gifts 

... it's a .... it's a ... hmm, words fail me! 

Techno baby

Art

A fine time

A fine mess

Settling in ...

Art

Art

Putting our amazing Ikea butcher block together

Pre Brita Filter

Pre landline

Setting up the kitchen ... let me tell you ... SHE CAN COOK!

Signs of Spring

People going for a Sunday Walk

Art

People mobbing the local ice cream joint

... and flowers. FINALLY!

A very special birthday

Happy Birthday to the cutest girl in America! (no! I don't want 100 emails from the other families who think that, in FACT, THEY have the cutest little girl in America .... although, if you REALLY think you know the cutest girl in America, surprise me. )

Just can't keep the camera off you babe!

The ever present paparazzi being ever present. Poor girl, she probably will grow up better able to relate to a camera then a person.

Singing her own song

Art

In honor of Josh's last day at Target, we have cute little Target dogs ... Just think, work for Target long enough and YOU TOO could have cute little Target dogs.

Art

The return of the world famous (thanks to this here blog) Monohand brothers from Ireland

Hi Nana Flynn! The Lord's blessing and a full recovery for your leg!

Nothin' like camping ...

Campin' out at our new apartment ... chewin' the breeze, discussing the unity of the bretheren ...

The course is set ...

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Hmm ... sometimes being big takes the challenge out of life ....

Oh well.

Peace pipe

Peaceful girls

The art of peace

I see in her eyes a passion, a FIRE! 

Art

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Well Folks,

That's all for now. Y'all come again, ya hear?

Well Folks,

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We are back and in action. The apartment is stock full of all the amazing goodies people have given us. To see the generosity of so many is astounding. Rebekah and I are truly blown away and so blessed.

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The honeymoon was everything I ever dreamed of. Snowmobiling, snowboarding, ice skating, so much more ... and ALL with the love of my life.

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I've gotta run!

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As always,

Love in Christ Jesus,

Michael & Rebekah Thomas

Webmaster for the Grand Adventure III

The honeymoon begins ...

Art

In which we unpack at our new home for the next week and a half

Unpacking ...

A view of our place

A view outside of our room

Art

Art

Art

Something you may never see again

A time for the artsy stuff

Art

Red against white

Hey babe!

A couple's love

Ooops!

Success

Art

Standing portrait

My jewel

My heart

My shoe

Portrait

Portrait art 2

Portrait art 2b

Overexposed art

Overexposed art2

"Let me see me in your eyes" 

Art

My favorite shot of the day

A glorious day

A glorious girl

Swaggerin' Art

Behind us is where we went snowboarding

What a day!

Out to eat

Thank's to the splendiferous generosity of some friends, we went out eat at one of those restaurants that epitomized the saying, "the more you pay for a meal, the less you get for it". HOWEVER! You just can't beat the flavor and presentation.

The mysterious envelope

Midnight romantic walks

Hittin' the slops

Rebekah's AMAZING instructor!

The best runs I've ever had

Lunch break

My secret agent wife

Wait a minute! If Rebekah is going down the mountain, AND we have a picture of it, that can mean only one thing. The $2,000 camera is in MY hands ... WHILE I'm snowboarding. Cool, huh?

Down the blue run

Art

At the Trapp Family Lodge

Art - Also known as "Ice dams waiting to happen"

Welcome!

Inside the lodge, their were flowers EVERYWHERE!

Since our sleigh ride was late, we got to tour the greenhouse

A rose among the flowers

Art

Dried Beauty

At last it was our time.

The sun has set

With our cheeks nipped by the cold and our fingers burning, we head in for some hot spiced cider

The family tree

A Sunday Drive

Firin' up some Voddie on our Sunday drive (www.voddiebaucham.org/)

Yes! We stopped before I shot this ... I learned my lesson ;-)

Ready to roll 

" Yes, your "Never-never country" -- yes, your "edge of cultivation"

   And "no sense in going further" -- till I crossed the range to see.  God forgive me! No, I didn't. It's God's present to our nation.   Anybody might have found it, but -- His Whisper came to Me!" Kipling

And WHAT did we find?

ICE!

The forbidden gorge ...

Why ... it's me! Who would of thought?

Leonessa

Art

Stand Fast!

Come up. Come UP and "know me better man!" Dickens

A time for reflection

Art

Art

Art

It was probably about 20F here. Once you are in ... the water's fine.

My babe!

Dairy Day

On voyage to partake of Vermont's famed dairy delicacies

An amazing smorsborg of flavors. Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Super Sharp Cheddar, Basil Tomato Cheddar, Tuscan Cheddar, Jalapeno Cheddar ..... 

Good by wooden cheese barrels .... this is the 21st century. Shrink wrap and cardboard is the NEW way of aging the amazing cheddar 

The ultimate in comfort food

How can one pick? "I could no sooner choose a favorite star in the heavens."

Our cheery chipper tour guide

'cause we be sweet

Chico! You've GROWN!!!

Time to go home ...

It's been one amazing trip ... but as with every trip, there comes a time to go home. 

A time for mess, a time for clean up

One of the highlights of the trip ... snowmobiling for the afternoon on the way home. After searching high and low for a snowmobile rental, I finally found a place. It was AMAZING!

Home Sweet Home

After the lengthy drive, and one amazing experience at Whole Foods, we made it home to discover heart shaped stickers ALL over the house with messages from many loved ones at the wedding. 

Like ALL over the house

.... BEKAH! More in the piano.

Guest book art

Well folks, that's all for now. Y'all come again! Ya hear?

No internet at home ... AGGGHGHGHGHGHG!

Will post soon.