Summer Happenings...in September - Part I

Yes, "Summer in September"!  That's a new one, huh? =) Well, that's what happens when  too much time slips by and we get behind on the blog. =)  We have to post what happened in the summer in September. =) We thought this would be kind of fun too though; a fun variety of happenings at the Adams' abode.  We find it a blessing that the good Lord has blessed us with a busy life though.  I wouldn't want it any other way.  If it changes one day, I may be at your house, if you're having more fun than me. ha

I guess the best place to start is at the beginning - the end of May...Gray-man and I finished his 7th grade school just days before the Advanced Training Institute yearly home school conference.  We love that yearly trek to Nashville, TN for deep spiritual enrichment, growth and lots of fun.

Before the conference we visited the Reckner family in KY though.  It was alot of fun for all of us and it was the first time Nick and Madelyn could visit.

   

   

Here are some pics from the ATI Conference

This is probably difficult to see but, this is a former missionary, Otto Koning.  The girls loved working with him briefly while on staff and going to the Northwoods with him.  His personal life lessons of relinquishing all to God are humerous and life changing.  He was just one of the amazing speakers that challenged us to live this Christian life with vigor and genuineness.  

Sweet friends and beautiful singing!

 

 These are the Alert cadets.  If you look real close you'll see Gray! ha ha =)  That's all my camera would zoom, sorry. =/  He is up there though.  He just loves all the physical challenges and spiritual lessons.  All the singing is fun too.

These are the three best children (ahem, two are adults) in the world!  We love having a closeness within our family that only God can create.  He is our glue and the center of our worlds and it is through Him that we have the blessings of going through difficult and joyous times together! =)

Me and my soulmate and best friend...Nicky =)

This is Abigail and alot of her NoteWorthy buds from NoteWorthy August 2012.

They had a great "reunion" singing together

The following are precious friendships that are the sweet fellowship we look forward to year after year. =)  We definitely did not get pics of everyone we wanted to.

You know where this was taken - the red room!

Having fun at the Grand Ol' Opry outlet mall...

 

 

On our last night in Nashville we had an amazing time with very special friends, the Pinkerton's.  We stayed at the Grand Ol' Opry Hotel!  The hotel rooms face inside of the "glass-topped city".  It is filled with lucious foliage of all kinds, meandering brick walkways with bridges, and quaint shops.  Thanks Dan, Katherine & family for everything!!

  This is the view from our hotel room balcony!

On our way back we stopped to see one of my best friends, Melissa.  She and her family are like my own family.  When I lived in the Chattanooga, TN area to go to college she and I were roommates.  With me living 12 hours from home during college the Lord sent me her and her family to stand in the gap.  They are still precious to me, and now to my family.  This is a picture of us at 20 or 21 years old.  This is us in our bridesmaids dresses for our  roommate Beth's wedding.  The idea was the higher the hair, the closer you were to Heaven. =)  If that were only true I would've glided right in, huh? =)  Praise the Lord it is the free gift of the shedding of His precious blood and my belief and acceptance of that grace that affords me Heaven as my home one day!   

Abigail left the ATI conference with the Reckner family to teach at the SUMMIT camp at the Higher Ground Ministry in KY.  (She'll be sharing about that in another post soon.)  So, this is the rest of the Adams' kiddos before church one Sunday morning.  

The Augusta minor league baseball team is called the Green Jackets.  Here we are taking in a game against the team from KY (the name of their team has left me, sorry....it's not the first thing that's left my mind!).  "Green Jackets" came from the green jacket that is a donned when a professional golfer wins the Masters, along with fame, the title and all the money!

The Green Jacket's Mascot

We ran into one of Gray's little friends from church.  He was proud to hold Gray's #1 foam finger!

Nick & Gray double dug their garden this year.  That was a very old process where they only used shovels to till the garden!  It's back breaking work but, good exercise and super daddy - son time! =)  They also used a different process this year from this website here.  It will be well worth your time to watch the video "Back to Eden".  An avid gardener searched God's Scripture and sought God as to why there was so much toil in growing and tending to his garden when the plants and trees in the unkempt forest flourished .  Watch and see what the Lord revealed to him.  It is quite a ministry for him and it was a fun new way of doing things this year for the guys.

Due to the approximately 46 inches of rain our area got this summer the garden didn't produce as much as we had hoped.  It was still a fun process and enjoyable project.  It reminds us that it is the Father that brings forth the fruit in the Christian walk and life, not us.  We may see areas that we work and strive in and we may think that it should have more results, different results, or results at all.  It is God who decides and produces and His ways are not ours for a very good reason!  He knows what is coming next in our lives - we do not.  He knows what we need - we truly do not.  He knows what He is working and weaving to get results He knows what is important to yield - we do not.

  "Lord, have mercy on us when we work in our own ways, even doing good works, expecting what we should leave to You!"  

"And, thank you Lord that you produce the fruit, not us, help us to remember that we are merely the branches!" 

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."  John 15:5     

A fresh summer garden meal - yummy!  (A few things on the plate weren't from their garden.) 

 Happy Father's Day!!

Yes, that's right!  He gets breakfast in bed!  He deserved that and much more too!  It was a fun way to start off his special day.  It's an honor to honor this man.  He has protected, sacrificed, loved, encouraged, listened, directed, corrected, and just plain ol' worked hard for these children (me too!)!  I can't imagine parenting without him.  I truly would be at a loss.  They really love and admire their daddy. =)  Thank you Nick for being all that and more and for being the father to our children that I'd always prayed and dreamed for!  You're an answer to over 35 years of prayer, literally!

 Next Gray and I and his friend Broughton went to the Atlanta Aquarium.  It is the largest aquarium in the world!  It was our first time and quite a treat!

 
We tailgated our lunch!

 

 Ok, so I'm not the most tech savvy gal in the world.  Here we are in line for the 3-D movie sporting our oh- so-cool glasses trying to get a self pic....as you can see, it didn't go so well. =/  I had a really old phone too though, does that count? =)  I think the point is to get everyone in the pic, right?!
Attempt #1

 Attempt #2

Attempt #3

This is where we just laughed so hard at not being able to do it that we just settled for part of poor Broughton in every pic! =)  We figured we got alot of good pics of him elsewhere. =)