One non-average, cold Thursday morning, we get the Einwechter's van loaded - and that is something worth noting.
The Farewell Crew
Sometimes it seems like there's an awful lot of road ahead of us, but... You guessed it! There's a light at the end of the tunnel. We'll get there sometime.
No speed limits are always helpful.
Oh I get it... The SOS conference - the Singing of Songs conference.
Two fingers seem to be popular.
See, I know what I'm talking about.
To those people who say that each day of creation actually represents thousands of years and use the verse "One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" to "prove" it, Mr. Ham says...
I don't think so. :)
"If you buy all these, we give you a free cardboard box." - Ken Ham Commercial
Back in the vendor hall, someone checks out the free cardboard box.
Scott, if nobody's interested, you have to interest them.
On my turn, I practice what I preach. I try to interest Philip in buying his dad's books. I used arguments such as family loyalty and a son's duty to his father. Since it was a Sufficiency of Scripture Conference, I even pulled out some Bible verses like "My son, hear the instruction of thy father..." and "Honour your father..." etc. And when he still didn't bite, I...
...well, I didn't know what to do. So I turned the stand over to Karen.
At least somebody was excited about our products.
Some people were just as excited about our competitions' products.
No wonder. They've got some ingratiating sales tactics...
...plus some eye-catching displays.
They even get the little children to come unto them and forbid them not.
At least we're not alone. Here's another vendor reduced to reading his own literature.
I meet up with a familiar face. He had a question for me. And it was a pretty tough one. How DO you get a closeup of John Moore with a Canon Powershot without his seeing you? I told him that, to be a photographer, you cannot be shy. I ought to know; I used to use a Powershot.
He settled for the do-it-behind-his-back method.
What? More stealth photography?
Scripture puts in an appearance - not really surprising.
"And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently...
...unto thy children...
...and shalt talk of them when thou sittest...
...and when thou risest up."
There were a lot of visionary young people there - the kind who stare out the window and dream as big as...
...skyscrapers.
Standing at the feet of a great teacher.
Looking up to someone - literally and figuratively.
The Stoltzfuses invited me out to eat with them Friday night. Thanks, all of you. I enjoyed it.
And, Bobby, I apologize for ruining your eating out experience. You were doing more hiding out (from the camera) than eating out, I'm afraid.
Vanilla - no. Chocolate - no. Mixed? - yes. That will bring him out of hiding.
Friday evening's keynote by Paul Washer - Unquestionably one of the most powerful sermons I have heard in my life.
At that conference, the deaf heard. And I pray the blind saw.
The street we lived on for a few days.
And the Marriott we stayed in the same number of days. It's claim to fame? The world's largest indoor gazebo. Google it if you don't believe me.
Glass elevators are great. You can see who is getting an earlier start to their day than you are. You can sometimes spot people (who you know aren't staying in your hotel) taking joyrides on the elevators whose fame has spread throughout the whole conference. Then there's always the great game of "How many big, homeschooling families can we stack into one elevator?"
We had heard so much about the fifteenth floor, we just had to go. Then... after we came back down, they told us there was a sixteenth - one that was infinitely more interesting.
We did our best to make sure the housekeeping service had a reason to exist.
And getting down to the smallest details... Last but not least, here's the iron. Talk about something important! I called ahead just to make sure our room had one, even though everyone told me it would. Of course, everyone was right. Even me. I thought it would to, but better safe than sorry you know. :)
Back to the lectures and the heart-wrenching task of picking one out of five.
Sometimes the decision wasn't hard and one name would just jump out.
Sorry, but this is just pretty typical.
I'm going to have my children take notes at this age too.
During the child-training session, I had fun watching this little fellow roam the aisle. ;-)
Jasmine Baucham takes a publicity shot with Mrs. Hoffman. ;-)
Elsie
I'd say today homeschooling has some pretty fine graduates.
