The Gammons Fam

Molly Pearl

2012-02-13T11:35:00.000-06:00

There are some people in the world that seem to have two very distinct personalities. There is the private and the public. Molly is one of these. At home, she is a complete chatter box. She is funny, vivacious and creative. Invite some people over or bring her out in public, and the transformation happens. She becomes shy and introverted.

To proved this to all of you who only know the public Molly, I shot the video below. Molly has been composing some of her own music. It's hilarious. It's mostly on the topic of God and the cross. Very interesting. Lately Ben has taken to accompanying her while she improvises. Enjoy.

Downton Abbey

2012-02-09T11:04:00.001-06:00

Amanda and I have gotten way into the PBS show Downton Abbey. How far have we gotten into it? We watched all of Season 1 last weekend and have caught up in Season 2 this week. Needless to say, it's really good. It is the story of a noble family in England during the early 1900's and of their house staff. The stories are very intriguing and it keeps you watching from episode to episode.

We've watched all of Season 1 for free on Amazon through our Amazon Prime membership. You can find all of the Season 2 episodes at PBS. You'll have to work fast to catch up because the next episode comes out on PBS this Sunday.

Run for the border

2012-02-07T13:09:00.000-06:00

We had Taco Bell tacos for lunch today. We bought the big party packs. Every time we do that, I tell the kids this story. Growing up in Alpena, we didn't have Taco Bell. So every time we would take a youth group trip "down state", we would stop there for one of our meals. Jeff Cutler and Jason Rensberry would order a 10 pack of tacos for themselves and sit down and plow through them. They were two dudes who were both about 6' 4" and 150 lbs. soaking wet. We were all amazed at the food they could put away.

My kids love that story. As I began to tell it today, Matthew started his guttural giggle and said, "I know this story!"

This is gonna be scary!

2012-02-01T13:30:00.000-06:00

Sometimes Amanda sends me snap shots from moments throughout her days. I got these today from their adventures in the car wash.

Lucy wasn't real excited.

When I was home for lunch, Lucy said to me. "Car got bath . . . SCAWEY!"

Cognitive dissonance at age 8 and 9

2012-01-18T10:26:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted on the books that we are reading. This one has been so good that I had to write about it.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor is a difficult, beautiful, sad and wonderful novel. Set in pre-civil rights era Mississippi, it follows the story of a black family as they navigate the waters of second class citizenry. The Logan family is different from many of the share cropping families around them. They own the property that their family farms. This fact gives them the strength to question the atrocities of everyday life. Cassie, the narrator and only girl of the family, struggles to reconcile the things that her mother tells her about who she is and what the whites in her community tell her.

Reading this with the boys has been great. It has opened their minds to a terrible world of which they know nothing. It has given me so many opportunities to tell them about the fallenness of the world that we live in. We have also spoken of the privilege that we have simply because we are white. Pastor John spoke on racial reconciliation on Sunday (as he does every MLK weekend) and it was another good chance to come back to these topics with the kids. When the the "N" word came up for the first time in the book, I stopped and had to tell the boys about this terrible word. This is why we homeschool. I want to be the one to walk my kids into the darkness of our world. I want to be next to them the first time that they see things that make them cry and make them angry and make them question. I won't always be there, but it is a wonderful thing to be with them at first.

If you're looking for a book to read to expose your kids to issues of racism, segregation and a past that was not so long ago and that has huge modern ramifications, then I highly recommend this novel.

If you've ever been a grade school boy . . .

2012-01-10T17:45:00.000-06:00

then you've spent a few evenings like this.

The boys have been hoopin' it up in their room a lot lately. Joe and I passed lots of time on our Nerf hoop in our bedroom. The technology has advanced bedroom basketball ages. No more orange spongy ball with a cardboard basketball. The hoop the boys just got is plexiglass with a blown up ball and everything.

BONUS POINTS:
Can you name the sound track?

A new year

2012-01-10T17:18:00.000-06:00

There have been many changes for us in this new year. One of those is that Shirley is all moved in next door. The picture above is proof. One of the benefits of having her close is her ability to help Amanda in the kitchen. Tonight they made America's Test Kitchen's chicken and dumplings. It was delicious. We're looking forward to what the coming year will bring to Providence Farm.

8

2011-12-29T08:33:00.000-06:00

Caleb Joseph Gammons has been a part of our lives for 8 years. He has been his own unique person right from the very start. I'm not sure if it is just that he is the second born, but he is so much like my brother Joe. Regularly, after Caleb has said something or done something Amanda and I look at each other and just say, "Joe." I love my brother (whose birthday was two days ago), so it is fun to have a miniature version of him around.

Caleb and I went for our normal breakfast this morning. He is so sweet and special to be with one on one. I asked him a number of questions. He said that the job that he would like to have some day would be a scientist or a veterinarian. One of Caleb's favorite presents from Christmas was a book about frogs, toads and salamanders. He would make a great vet or wildlife biologist. He's our frogman in the summer, spending hours down at the pond.

We love you CalJo. Happy Birthday! May God bless you and grow the fruits of his spirit in your life this year as you seek to know him more.

Little Lucy Ruth

2011-12-28T11:51:00.001-06:00

Lucy Ruth turns 2 years old today. Like a fine wine she has improved with age. She is talking a mile a minute and loves to be able to communicate her many ideas. She is so sweet and makes our life even more of an adventure. She is Mommy's helper ("no Daddy's helper"). She loves to be outside and doesn't have a lot of sit still in her. We pray that God will continue to lead her along the straight path as she seeks his kingdom.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LULU!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T14:21:00.001-06:00

Benjamin (9), Lucy (almost 2), Andy, Matthew (6), Burley, Amanda, Molly (4) and Caleb (almost 8)

It's been a very busy fall and winter at the Gammons home. Shirley is almost moved in next door. The kids have been busy at church and with schooling. Amanda is keeping the house together, schooling the three boys, working with the girls and welcoming a new puppy. I have loved the new adventures that the farm has brought. We have experienced so many of God's blessings this year: a new home, closeness with friends, continued joy at church and always marveling at God's goodness to us in our family. These are only the gifts. More than anything this year I am thankful for my God. In him is true, eternal and everlasting joy. May your family be grateful for the blessings and truly treasure the one from whom all blessing flow.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:14 ESV)

Wintery Night

2011-12-20T13:53:00.000-06:00

I flooded the pond last night. It was so pretty out, I wanted to take these pictures. We finally got the lights on our fence working. Next step is mending the fence. That may have to wait for Spring.

First Skate at Providence Pond

2011-12-20T13:51:00.000-06:00

The boys tried out the pond for the first time last weekend. We are excited for what the winter will bring.

Wet Dog

2011-12-14T13:27:00.000-06:00

It's raining in Minnesota. After he got all dirty the other night, Burley got a bath. I had to share these two photos.

Gammons Christmas Party

2011-12-14T13:20:00.004-06:00

When Amanda and I were first married and we lived in Grand Rapids, we had a number of very memorable Christmas parties. My brother and his wife and my sister all lived in town and it was great fun. We haven't had a Christmas party since then. Last weekend though, we renewed the tradition with some friends from church. We had a blast. As usual the kids outnumber the adults two to one.

Highlights for me were the scavenger hunt, singing carols and watching the kids make memories. We are already looking forward to next year's party. You can see all the pictures at the link below.

December

A Motley Crew

2011-12-08T10:48:00.000-06:00

We spent the Thanksgiving holiday with my mom and Tricia's family in Northern Michigan. It was a good time had by all.

New skis

2011-12-06T09:54:00.000-06:00

When my mom was here this fall, she got cross country skis for all the boys. Today was our first day out. It was great. We are so thankful to live in a place where we can do this just outside our door. The boys started on the driveway and once they got that down they headed into the back to break some trail. When I watch the boys in situations like this, their personalities all stand out so prominently. Matthew is our natural athlete. He looked as if he had been skiing all his life, very fluid and effortless. Caleb is quiet and determined. He put his nose to the grindstone and got to work. Ben started out complaining about the cold until he made it into a race with the other two. Then his competitive side came out and he was off. Molly, our sweet little girl, came out and stuck right next to Matthew. They are best friends and it's fun to see how much she loves him.

We look forward to many more days of skiing at Providence Farm. Thanks, Mom, for the skis.

The race is on.


And Ben is the winner.

See all the skiing photos here.

December

Burley update

2011-12-06T09:41:00.001-06:00

Burley is doing really well. As long as we are minding him, he stays out of trouble. Just like a puppy though, as soon as we turn out backs, he's either chewing or using the bathroom inside. We've figured out that we can't turn our backs. Like anything that has long term payoffs, the front end work is a bit daunting. We're already beginning to see the results though. When I have liver treats in my pockets, he'll do whatever I want him to do. He loves to sit on our laps in the evening and be close. We are sure thankful for this new adventure.

Christmas tears and joy

2011-11-30T16:27:00.000-06:00

Have you ever hurt around Christmas time? It seems that especially in this time of joy, tears are only just behind. Our pastor had a tradition for a long time of writing advent poems. They were often fictional narratives with Biblical figures and situations. I read and listened to this one today. I highly recommend you do the same. It is an amazing picture of the compassion of our savior.

Burley

2011-11-28T10:52:00.001-06:00

We welcomed Burley into our home this weekend. He is a goldendoodle--half golden retriever, half poodle. We named him after Burley Coulter one of our favorite characters in Wendell Berry's Port William novels. The breeder said that he was the best puppy she'd ever had. So far we would agree. He is doing the potty thing very well. No accidents in the first twenty-four hours. He's sleeping well and has been great to have around.

Lucy Update

2011-11-14T08:50:00.002-06:00

Weekend Farm Adventures

2011-11-13T18:50:00.000-06:00

Sorry I don't have pictures of these adventures. You'll have to use your imagination.

Friday:
Cutting wood, I got my saw blade wedged in a log. Pried so hard I loosened the nuts on the saw. I tightened one, but while I was cutting the whole saw crumbled to pieces. After hunting all over we finally found the nuts and got the saw going again.

On the way back from the woods, I decided to drive through the dried up pond. It wasn't dry enough. The Rhino got stuck in the mud. I went and got the neighbor. Itch another neighbor's come-along, and after I put it in neutral, I pulled the Rhino out.

Today:
The boys went out to feed the cats and Ben said he saw something furry behind the door. I got the .22 and headed out. A few minutes later I was disposing of a dead possum. It brought to my mind the following Tom Waits quote that hangs at trout farm in Alpena.

"There's always some killin' you got to do around the farm."

Road Trip

2011-11-01T13:19:00.000-05:00

We just got back from an amazing road trip through 5 states. I had a conference in Colorado Springs, so the whole family decided to come along. We had a great time. The weather was great and the sights were better. I was amazed by the vastness of the western landscape. The kids did well in the car. Breaking the trip up into 8 hour days really helped. The first day we drove up Pike's Peak. It was bitter cold and windy, so we didn't stay long. While I was conferencing, the kids went to the Garden of the Gods, Focus on the Family and of course Chic-fil-a. On the way home we hit the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Wall Drug. We're already planning our next road trip. It was a great time. You can see all the photos here.

Bad parent

2011-11-01T12:33:00.000-05:00

I've been very negligent in my posting of family photos. Here are a bunch from the boys birthdays and Mom's trip here last month. Enjoy.

September

Lucy and the mule deer

2011-10-26T17:05:00.001-05:00

Check out the mule deer. Lucy loved it. She wanted to get a little too close.

Snowy Colorado

2011-10-26T14:56:00.001-05:00

"The Assassination of Lincoln" by the Gammons Players

2011-10-11T16:37:00.000-05:00

This is the kind of stuff you do when you're educated at home. The boys were studying Lincoln's assassination. Amanda sent me these photos of the kids' subsequent production. I especially love the performance of the actress portraying Mary Todd Lincoln.

A great weekend camping

2011-10-03T08:26:00.001-05:00

Aside from the heater running out of propane at 1:30 in the morning and my having to drive to get a new tank, we had an amazing weekend. What could be better than fall camping with friends in beautiful southern Minnesota? Thanks to Teresa for the photos.

Tender Hearts

2011-09-27T15:57:00.001-05:00

There have been tender hearts lately at our house. The tender hearts are mostly in the men of our home. When Ben had his birthday, I took him out for breakfast and when I was telling him all of the things that I loved about him and my hopes for who he would become, out came his tender heart. Red eyes. Little tears.

His tender heart came out later when we gave him his gifts. He loved the little camera we gave him. He said to me, "Dad, thanks for my camera. It was my best gift." Then red eyes, little tears, "Actually, my best gift . . . was you." I hugged him hard, real hard.

Matthew's tender heart comes out all the time lately: when we were at breakfast together, when he told Gigi thank you for his 6 trip, when I thanked God for him at the dinner table, and many other times.

Caleb's heart is different. His tender heart is out more when he's happy. It looks like kissing me, telling me he loves me, and sitting close on the couch. He longs for control, so it usually doesn't get too far down the tears road.

I just read Molly Piper's post about still missing her dead daughter Felicity four years after she was stillborn. Tears welled. I am glad when my tender heart peaks out. It helps me know I'm still struggling. When my heart becomes hard and there's no emotion, I know I need to get back in the fight for my soul. I pray that each of my kid's heart remains tender. It is a tilled soil that is ready for the gospel of Christ. God promises to remove our hearts of stone and give us a heart of flesh. A friend used to ask "When was the last time you cried?" He used it as a measuring stick for how we were living. I know tears come easier for some of us than others. My grandma used to cry over Hallmark commercials. I'm not sure I ever remember my dad crying. More than the tears, I hope for the tender heart. There are things in our world that should hurt us and things that should overcome us with gratitude. I'm thankful for both and the tender heart that responds to each.

Matt's 6 Trip

2011-09-26T14:58:00.000-05:00

My mom has made a special tradition of taking each of her grandkids on a special trip when they turn 6-years-old. For Matt's 6 Trip, they went to the local water park hotel and then to the Vikings game. They had a great time and memories were made . . . even if the Vikings lost.

A Celebration!

2011-09-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last night we celebrated Mom's birthday with an amazing dinner out at the Corner Table restaurant in Minneapolis. It is a small room in a very simple neighborhood, but the food and service were exceptional. We arrived and Dan our server seated us a table right near the window. We looked at the very small one page menu and decided to do a tasting menu. This is where you leave the food up to the whims of the chef. Each course was delicious, paired wonderfully with a wine taste as well. We don't get to do fun things like this very often so it was a great treat. Mom, thanks for getting older and giving us this chance to treat you. Shube, thanks for coming along. D&J, thanks for watching the kids.

If you're looking for a place for fresh, local food in Minneapolis, definitely give the Corner Table a try. Here's a pic of our main course, lamb ragu. MMMmmmmm.

My Girls

2011-09-15T09:52:00.000-05:00

I posted about what I have been thinking about the boys and their futures last week. Last night we were reading our latest read aloud "Caddie Woodlawn" by Carol R. Brink. It is the story of a pioneer girl in Wisconsin. She is allowed, mostly by her father, to run and play and romp with her brothers. Her mother would like her to be more of a "lady." As she gets a little older she begins to struggle with the tension of who she is and who she wants to be and who others want her to be.

In the passage we read last night, she gets in big trouble with her mother because she and her brothers play a practical joke on their cousin from Boston. She is sent to her room without any supper. After everyone else is asleep, her father comes up to her room and sits on her bed. He puts her warm hand in his cool hand and says to her the following.

It’s a strange thing, but somehow we expect more of girls than of boys. It is the sisters and wives and mothers, you know, Caddie, who keep the world sweet and beautiful. What a rough world it would be if there were only men and boys in it, doing things in their rough way! A woman’s task is to teach them gentleness and courtesy and love and kindness. It’s a big task, too, Caddie—harder than cutting trees or building mills or damming rivers. It takes nerve and courage and patience, but good women have those things. They have them just as much as the men who build bridges and carve roads through the wilderness. A woman’s work is something fine and noble to grow up to, and it is just as important as a man’s. But no man could ever do it so well. I don’t want you to be the silly, affected person with fine clothes and manners whom folks sometimes call a lady. No, that is not what I want for you, my little girl. I want you to be a woman with a wise and understanding heart, healthy in body and honest in mind.

I love this quote. The spirit of it is what I want for my girls. I want them to do the work that God has for them in a strong way like their mother and their grandmothers and their great-grandmothers before them.

Country Living: The Rhino

2011-09-15T08:18:00.000-05:00

It's no problem for the Rhino! In one of his first trips out to the farm Amanda's dad said, "We've got to get the Rhino out here." So last weekend they went to their place in Michigan and brought it back. It has since been endless fun for the Gammons family. We have raced around our property and broken new trails. Last night Lucy, Ben and Matthew and I spent the evening clearing a few remaining trails. In my mind you just can't beat and evening that includes a chainsaw, the Rhino, work and my kids.

Fun with friends

2011-09-12T10:58:00.000-05:00

What do you get when you add nine kids, a picnic, a great playground, water, conversation with friends and a beautiful night? Good times.

Country Living: Grant Tractor Parade

2011-09-12T10:55:00.000-05:00

This weekend we attended the Grant Tractor Parade near our house. It was so much fun. Anyone who wanted to be in it could just show up and many did. Most of them drove antique tractors but there were old cars and even some riding lawn mowers that joined in. It last about twenty minutes. The kids got a ton of candy and we all left happy. My best parade in a long time. We already are looking forward to next year.

My Hope For My Boys

2011-08-30T16:45:00.002-05:00

I have been very limited over the last year or more in my times of uninterrupted thought, times when I have energy to vision for myself and my family, to hope and ponder what God has for our future. With life beginning to settle down, I am once again finding this gift.

Lately, I have been doing a lot of thinking about my boys and what I hope for their growing up years to be. Ben is about to turn 9-years-old. There's no turning back. We're about to get in the thick of it. Ben will remember everything from here on out. Amanda is reading a book that my mom sent entitled Boys Should Be Boys by Meg Meeker. I pulled the following from Amazon which said it was on the back cover.

* Why the most important factor in shaping your son's behavior isn't "peer pressure" (it's you)
* How to preserve your son's innocence (and why it's essential to help him grow up)
* Why boys need less, not more--whether it's computer games, organized sports, or lessons
* How to talk to your son--the pitfalls that moms and dads face
* Why it's not normal for teenage boys to be moody and rebellious
* Why teaching your son about virtue isn't an option, it's a necessity

Pretty much the gist of it is (from what Amanda has told me) that what boys need most is their fathers and to be pushed to be adventurous and given the time and freedom to take those risks.

I was talking with a good friend last week about this topic and about how when I was younger I had many fun and memorable experiences. Many of them were us getting into trouble. For instance, we used to drive around town with one of us on the roof of my parents Olds 88. They would lay across the roof and hold on. Anyone of us could have fallen off there and died. Probably not the best idea, but it was a great story to tell afterwards. I told my friend last week that I hoped that my boys would live lives that would lead to great stories that would also honor and glorify God.

I think one thing that has happened in the last four or so decades is a shift from fathers being the primary early influences on boys to mothers be that influence. Mothers naturally are more worried about the personal safety of the boys. How many of us have heard mothers (and even fathers now) say to their kids at a playground, "Johnny, careful or you're going to get hurt."? I want my boys to be put into situations where the worst thing that could happen to them is that they might get hurt or die. I think that boys are put and putting themselves into situation where the worst thing that could happen is for them to lose their souls.

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

Mark 8:36

If your boy is downstairs on his computer all day, he's probably not going to get hurt. But there's a good chance he could lose his soul.

One of my new favorite artists is Andrew Peterson. The song below talks about boys living lives where there is a tale to tell. This is the kind of life I hope for my boys. This is why we moved to the farm. This is why I push them to work. This is why I push them to read amazing stories. This is why I pray for them. "The joy in the journey is enough to make a grown man cry." Ben, Caleb, Matthew, I look forward to your telling the tales.

Live blog the Minnesota State Fair

2011-08-25T11:13:00.002-05:00

Mark Seeley and Gary Eichten doing a live broadcast at the MPR booth. It's fun to see the people who you listen to on the radio.

Matthew checking out a newborn calf at the Miracle of Birth center. Matthew LOVES the animals.

This is my new tractor. I WISH!

Grace

2011-08-24T09:31:00.001-05:00

Over at Justin Taylor's blog, he had a couple of great posts about grace. First, enjoy the Blind Boys of Alabama's version of "Amazing Grace" set to the tune of "The House of the Rising Sun." I love the guttural tones and the idea that God has changed the song for those of us who have escaped the brothel (The House of the Rising Sun) to sing about his amazing grace.

Second, watch this scene from the 1998 film Les Miserables. I love what the bishop says in the very last seconds. I am Jean Valjean.

Fighter Verse Songs Blog

2011-08-23T11:40:00.000-05:00

Our church uses a program called Fighter Verses to memorize scripture. One of our good friends is part of a group that writes songs to help facilitate the memorization of these verses. They have a blog as well that talks about application of the week's verse. I have been doing a little writing there for the past few weeks. If you'd like, go on over and take a look. You can also hear this weeks corresponding song. Fight Verse Songs blog.

Weekend Project

2011-08-23T11:06:00.000-05:00

Our pond had been looking pretty rough. It was so full of algae that Gregg commented that it looked like you could walk across it. We had wanted to get some sort of aeration system for a while. We had someone out from Dulcet Fountains in Minneapolis. They recommended a few products and we went with a floating aerating fountain. After some pretty simple assembly on Friday night, Saturday morning I jumped in the pond, staked it out and we were in business. It's already gotten rid of almost all the algae and it's pretty too.

Country Living: Overalls

2011-08-23T10:58:00.000-05:00

When I posted about the kids selling our excess produce, my sales consultant suggested that they purchase some overalls. What do you think? Could you pass up buying some cukes from this sales team?

The Waning of Summer

2011-08-17T11:56:00.001-05:00

It seems as if summer is begin to give up the ghost. Amanda has been daily trying to take advantage of the limited amount of free days with the kids. Sooner than later they will begin school and their days will be packed with math, reading, history and handwriting. We are still looking forward to the state fair which will officially end our summer.

Today Amanda took the kids up to one of the local state parks to climb the bluffs along the St. Croix River. It's a great place and the kids love it. I wish I could have been there. Amanda sends me photos like this throughout the day to keep me involved. Happy end of summer everyone.

Future Entrepreneurs

2011-08-08T10:08:00.000-05:00

Fresh cucumbers, 25 cents. That's what the sign said on Saturday morning in front of our house. We've been getting a bumper crop of cukes out of our garden so we told the kids to set up shop at the end or our driveway. It was a ton of fun to watch them all out there. At first they didn't do a great job of customer service. After my brief lesson though, they were off and running. They sold through their stock and made almost $8.00. My favorite quotes from the morning were when Caleb said to a woman, "If you see us out here again, be sure to stop." Then the next day Caleb asked Amanda, "Can we only sell cucumbers on Saturday?" I think he may have the itch.

Caleb

2011-08-02T17:14:00.001-05:00

As we were all taking family photos at my mom this week, Caleb decided to have a little fun. I pulled three photos to give you an example of his antics. He was like this in most of them though. I would love to get into his mind and see what he was thinking during all of this. I love this kid. He's a barrel of laughs.

If you don't know Caleb very well, he doesn't really have a lazy eye. Compare to the family pictures below.

Gammons Family Reunion

2011-08-02T17:04:00.000-05:00

We had a nice time with my family in Alpena and were able to get some pictures of our ever expanding family. Thanks to everyone for making the long trip up.

Farming

2011-08-01T10:48:00.001-05:00

We're growing things at our house. We came home yesterday to see that our garden did great over the week we were gone. Two bags full of cucumbers, corn as tall as me, tons of tomatoes on the vines and the watermelon pictured below.

July Update

2011-08-01T09:28:00.000-05:00

I read a while back that a blog is updated at least every day or two. If you don't update that often, then you're just a website. Amanda suggested that due to my lack of updating, I pull down this website. I don't think I'm ready to do that yet. I actually have quite a few posts ready to get up. Look for those early this week.

To get started, here's a quick July update.

We celebrated the 4th of July with a great party and a mess of friends at our house.

We celebrated Molly's fourth birthday. I loved go out for breakfast with her. The cousins all got together to celebrate at Micky D's.

Lucy's hair got long enough to put into pig tails.

We spent the last week in Michigan at my mom's house with my siblings and their families. There will be more to come on that, but here's a teaser.

We look forward to continuing to share our lives with you in this way. Thanks for checking back. Thanks for reading.

Cousins

2011-07-18T15:53:00.001-05:00

Since Tricia is posting about our upcoming time together with my family, I thought I would post these pictures of Molly and her cousin Davy. Davy is the topic of almost daily discussion. She can't wait to get to Gigi's to play with Davy. As Tricia wrote in her email to us, here's to many more years of these pictures.

4 years of Molly Pearl

2011-07-13T08:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we celebrated Molly's fourth birthday. It consisted of fun things like our normal breakfast with dad, lunch with cousins at McDonald's, and ended with a slumber party where Amanda joined Molly in her bed. The last part was by special request. She loves her mommy. At about 9:00, I came in and Molly was "braiding" Amanda's hair. We have treasured every moment of the last four years with Molly. She is a precious addition to our family. My prayer for her is that God continues to shape her into the girl and woman he wants her to be and that he draws her to himself and gives her the gift of salvation. Happy Birthday, Moll Doll.

Read Aloud--Where the Red Fern Grows: UPDATE

2011-07-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

We finished Where the Red Fern Grows last night at about 10:00. When we got close to the end we just had to keep going. There was not a dry eye in the room. When I finished, I prayed and thanked God that he truly did have a plan and that nothing that happened in our lives was outside of his plan, that all things happen for a reason.

Again, if you haven't read this book before, do it this weekend. My boss is a huge dog person. I brought the book this morning for her to read. I'm sure she'll love it.

11 years . . . and counting

2011-06-24T09:37:00.000-05:00

One of the things that Amanda and I have done a lot of in the past few months is work along side each other. You learn a lot about a person when you work shoulder to shoulder. There is no one else in the world that I would rather have at my right hand. In her, God has truly given me a fitting help mate. I am thankful, so very thankful, for the 11 years of marriage that we've shared together. I'm looking forward to the next 11, Lord willing. Happy Anniversary, Amanda.

Read Aloud--Where the Red Fern Grows

2011-06-22T09:34:00.003-05:00

Where were you when you read . . .? There are few books that have this kind of impact. I can distinctly remember reading the last few chapters of Where the Red Fern Grows together on our way to a Detroit Symphony Orchestra rehearsal when I was a little boy. My mom had to pull over because she was crying. So this has always been a book that I looked forward to reading to my kids.

It's the story of Billy, a boy growing up in the Ozark hills and swamps, and his case of "puppy love", his desire to have a couple of coon hounds. Old Dan and Little Ann are the answer to his prayer. They go on to become the two best coon hounds in the country. We haven't finished the book yet, but I look forward to every night and love when the boys all ask for "one more chapter." This is also one of the first books that Molly intently listens to and follows. It's fun to have her with us and enjoying it too. I am afraid that after we read this book it will be difficult not to rush out and get a hound of our own. I want my boys to, like Billy, long a little for that dog though. It's such a great story of the sweet taste of delayed gratification.

If you read one book this summer, whether you have kids or not, I recommend that you read this one. Be careful though. If you don't have a dog and aren't in the market for one, this is a dangerous piece of literature. Reader beware.

Somebody's got some new jeggings

2011-06-22T09:24:00.000-05:00

Molly

2011-06-08T13:18:00.003-05:00

Nagel Generations

2011-06-08T13:16:00.001-05:00

Amanda's grandparents joined us for lunch today. We don't get to see them very often, but it's always great when we do.

Country Livin': Pond fishin'

2011-06-03T15:40:00.001-05:00

Country Livin': Kitty Cats

2011-05-29T08:06:00.001-05:00

Beautiful Day

2011-05-26T12:47:00.001-05:00

Gigi's flight was canceled, we fried the battery in our van and had to have it towed, but it's a beautiful day out.

Little bit, little bit

2011-05-26T09:01:00.001-05:00

The boys call Lucy, "Little bit, little bit." They sure think she's special. I do too.

Country Livin' 2

2011-05-18T20:46:00.009-05:00

I got my trailer hooked up to the lawn tractor today. The kids hopped in for a little tractor ride.

Country Livin'

2011-05-10T11:43:00.000-05:00

Amanda just sent me this picture. This is the good life.

Moved

2011-05-10T10:53:00.000-05:00

We're all moved in. Now the real work starts. The kids are loving life on the farm. We so appreciate the work of our friends in helping us get in. We couldn't have done it without you. We can't wait to share our new space with many of you.

Quotes: Rights

2011-05-05T21:19:00.001-05:00

This just transpired.

Ben comes up stairs.
"Can we have a snack?"

Amanda replied, "No. "

Ben, "We got rights!"

The proletariat revolt.

Providence Farm

2011-04-29T20:58:00.001-05:00

We're really starting to get excited. One week countdown to moving day.

Sign of the times

2011-04-25T13:25:00.001-05:00

The picture below is about how I feel. Everyone looks so nice, but I'm just a little bit off. I guess that's what moving will do to you. I should have checked the picture after we took it.

I love this one of the boys.

Not the best one of Lucy, but she didn't smile in any of them. The girls looked great.

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T13:07:00.000-05:00

Compare this picture to last year's picture on the right of the blog. The kids are all growing like weeds. We hope you all enjoyed the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord.

New fun

2011-04-20T10:07:00.002-05:00

This weekend my friend Jason came over and we pulled apart a tin roof that had collapsed on one of the out buildings. We threw around the sledge hammer and the boys stacked all the wood into piles. Then we needed to pull down a large branch that had fallen (about 14" diameter) and was leaning against a tree. We weren't going to be able to pull it down by ourselves so we tied a rope around it and tied the rope to his little Saturn car. We got it down, but the limb got the better of the Saturn. It just wouldn't pull it.

I got my new chainsaw yesterday and limbed and bucked the limb. It was so great. I then pulled all the limbs over to our fire pit and stacked them to burn. This is the kind of work that I've been looking forward to since we got the farm. Anyone want to come over and play with my new toys?

UPDATE:
I'm with Bill and my mom. I think I do need a new John Deere tractor. What my research, the JD 2305 would be a good choice. Click on this link to see what one of these runs you. I should put a donate button on the side. Then watch the videos below to see this thing at work. Looks like fun.

SOLD!

2011-04-18T08:48:00.002-05:00

We were shocked, amazed and thankful when our house sold after being on the market for only two weeks. God worked this out simply and wonderfully for our good. We've finished the major parts of painting the inside of the new house and are getting ready to move.

Farm Sounds

2011-04-10T07:46:00.002-05:00

We have been out at the farm a lot lately, painting like fools. We haven't had a chance to really stop and enjoy it much yet. Last night though on my way out I stopped. The frogs were croaking in the pond, the crickets were chirping: farm sounds. I took the recording below. If you live in the city and haven't been in open spaces lately, have a listen and enjoy. The audio is kind of soft, so you'll have to turn up your volume.

What is God doing?

2011-04-06T12:19:00.000-05:00

Sometimes life hurts. Sometimes we question what God is doing in the midst of this hurt. I just listened to this excerpt from a sermon from when our pastor had cancer. I love the truths here presented.

[8] For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. [9] Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
(2 Corinthians 1:8-9 ESV)

Hymn of the Week--Barocha

2011-04-05T14:46:00.001-05:00

Every night when I put Molly to bed I pray a benediction over her. This is the same prayer that our pastor prays almost every Sunday. It's the same prayer that Moses prayed over the nation of Israel thousands of years ago and that Jewish people have been praying since. I love the longitudinal connections.

I heard Michael Card's version of this and loved it. We sang it at the end of dinner for a couple of weeks.

Hymn of the Week

Barocha

Music by Michael Card

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make his face shine upon you
and give you peace
and give you peace
and give you peace forever

the Lord be gracious to you
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace
and give you peace
and give you peace forever

the Lord bless you and keep you
the Lord make his face shine upon you
and give you peace
and give you peace
and give you peace forever

and give you peace
and give you peace
and give you peace forever

Ankle Update 2

2011-03-17T14:53:00.000-05:00

My first day out of my boot at work. I am so thankful to God for how he has healed my ankle. This was a terrible time to have an injury like this. I needed to be able to help around the house and pitch in. In God's perfect time he has worked it all out. Last weekend when all of the work on the Sandra house needed to be done, the doctor told me I was able to ditch the crutches. This weekend when work will slowly begin on the farm, God has allowed me to have both of my feet back.

I just heard this song on my Slacker station--Much of You. In my thankfulness, I want to make much of my heavenly father and thank him for the many gifts that he has recently given me. Healing my ankle seems like a small thing to me. It isn't though. He made my body to heal in just the right way, at just the right time. He protected me from a much worse injury. Thank you Father for this, my new home, my family, the daily bread that you give me, and most of all for the redemption that I find in your son.

Give the song a listen. It's a good one.

RIP Nate Dogg!

2011-03-16T15:34:00.000-05:00

To all you black and red Blazer lovers and leather Bulls hats wearers and stripes in your hair flaunters: Regulators, mount up!

Say what up to 2Pac for me!

The Farm

2011-03-12T07:06:00.000-06:00

Last year on my birthday Amanda and I were driving together out in the country near our house. We drove past a beautiful farmhouse that was newly for sale. We went home and looked it up online. We were just dreaming. A month or so later they made a huge price drop. Another month, another price drop. We told Shube. We started the process.

We have been talking about the possibility of buying a place with Amanda's mom or for years. We've even been close to getting a place before. The time and the place were not ever right, until now. This week, we closed on our new farm. The house is an old one, built in 1914. There's plenty of work to keep three boys and a grown man busy for years to come. There will be plenty of work for our girls as well. The work is exciting though. The work is one of the main reasons we hoped for a place like this. Work is a tool to train children in character. My parents employed this tool all through my growing up. We have employed this tool already and look forward to its furthering.

We also look forward to the joy that will be shared in a new space. We hope to welcome many of you in the coming months. We are thankful to God for leading us in his providence to this point. We have felt his guidance indisputably through what has been a long and at times somewhat stressful process.

Ankle Update

2011-03-01T08:14:00.000-06:00

I had an MRI on Friday. The doctor called yesterday to tell me that the tears I had in the ligaments were minor and therefor I would not need surgery. I have put the big boot back on and have begun to put some weight on it. There's still quite a bit of pain, but it seems like I am at least moving in the right direction. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us. I am thankful to God for this news.

Go Gophers!

2011-02-26T16:15:00.000-06:00

For Christmas, my mom got the boys and me tickets to the Vikings. Unfortunately, the Metrodome collapsed and they moved the game to Detroit. With the refunded money my mom got us tickets to a University of Minnesota men's basketball game versus the University of Michigan. The game is going on right now. I'm home with my ankle. Amanda took the boys and as you can see from the picture below, it looks like they're having a GREAT time.

Ice: 2. Andy: 0.

2011-02-22T13:59:00.000-06:00

You may remember my battle last year with the ice when I fell skating and took an ambulance ride to the hospital. Ice: 1. Andy: 0.

Well yesterday after we got back from our trip to Chicago, I went out to snow blow the driveway. On my way over to the neighbors to get the machine, I hit some snow covered ice, went down, my ankle doubled under me and I began to bellow. The neighbor lady ran over, offered to call 911, and then helped me into the house. Long story short, after a trip to the urgicare for an x-ray, I was told that I broke my fibula. Thankfully, the doctor said it was a clean break, so he doesn't think I'll need surgery. I see a orthopedist on Friday though to make sure. Now I'm laid up with one of those sweet boots. It hurts a lot but the pain meds help there. Amanda is taking amazing care of me and the kids are helping out too. I'll keep you posted. In the mean time, watch your step. Ice: 2. Andy: 0.

Bing Maps

2011-02-18T09:55:00.002-06:00

I have been using this tool for a while and it is absolutely amazing. When I've recently asked a few people (even one of my techie friends) if they knew about it, they said no. Bing Maps is a lot like the more popular Google Maps, with one exception--Bird's Eye view.

I use this tool all the time to look at real estate especially. It's a great way to see what the whole neighborhood is like. Go to Bing Maps, enter an address, switch to bird's eye view and then zoom in. The view defaults to "Road". That's where you'll change it. Once you're there, you can rotate it and see a view from each cardinal direction. It doesn't have bird's eye for everywhere, i.e. Wabash, IN. But if you live in a metropolitan area, you're probably covered. Next time you want to see where something's at in detail, give it a try.

Big Girl

2011-02-17T18:02:00.000-06:00

Not yet walking, but beginning to stand by herself. Before too long, she'll be cruising around even more closely after her big brothers and sister.

CELEBRATE!

2011-02-10T17:52:00.000-06:00

Welcome Eden Rose Falder into the world. Congratulations to the whole Falder clan. We love you all. Thank you God for a safe arrival for baby and for protecting Tricia (my sister). Click over to their blog to see more pics.

Read Aloud--Paddle To The Sea

2011-02-09T13:49:00.000-06:00

Paddle to the Sea by Holling C. Holling is a great book, especially if you grew up on the shores of one of the Great Lakes like I did. Our kids have spent enough time in Michigan and on the lakes to enjoy it as well. It is the story of what happens when a young Indian boy in Canada carves a canoe and an Indian paddler. Paddle to the Sea, as he is named, then makes his way from the small brooks of his home, through all of the various Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way he meets loggers, ore boatsmen, children, and people playing in the various lakes. Each time they pick him up and read his hull that says, "I am Paddle to the Sea. Please put me back in the water." The illustrations are all really great. They have small drawings in the margins about the place that Paddle is visiting.

Apparently there is an old school film about the book. I found it on Youtube. I think the kids would love to see this. We'll have to carve out some time some weekend soon.

The Cross and the Jukebox

2011-02-07T09:34:00.000-06:00

I'm always interested when I see someone talking about common grace in music. I get even more interested when someone is talking about good country music. Rusell Moore recently started a weekly podcast entitled The Cross and the Jukebox. He talks about the intersections of religion and country music. So far it has been very interesting. He references many times the "Jesus haunted South": the idea that everyone in the southern US has some idea of Jesus and Christianity in the recesses of their past. If you've got an extra half hour each week, I'd recommend giving it a try. Here are the songs that he's talked about so far.

I Saw the Light--Hank Williams, Sr.

Ring of Fire--Johnny Cash

Me and Jesus--Tom T. Hal

Read Aloud--Carry on, Mr. Bowditch

2011-02-01T17:38:00.000-06:00

We've now passed through the Revolutionary War and have move on to the early years of the United States of America in our read alouds. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham is a great story that traces the life of Nathaniel Bowditch, an early American mathematician and navigator. Nat Bowditch was a smart boy who would have been able to go to Harvard, but after his mother died, the family couldn't afford it. He was indentured to a ship tackle store. Because he was "good with figures" he soon picked up astronomy, navigation and many other scholarly pursuits. He went on to become a ship's navigator and eventually a captain.

The boys all really liked this one. I liked that it focused on a boy who became successful because of his brains. The book was filled with navigation, shipping and boat jargon, some of which the author explained and some not. Ben said today that he was going to "turn in all standing." That's when the shipmen went to bed in their clothes because they knew they would be up again soon to fight a storm. It's fun when some thing like that from a book comes up again later in our conversations. The only criticism that Ben had of it was that everyone died. Nat's mom, grandma, sister, wife, brothers, and a lot of other people in the book died. I told him though that people didn't live as long then as they do now. And shipping was a very dangerous industry. I liked that about the book. It made it more authentic.

Read Aloud--Toliver's Secret

2011-02-01T17:23:00.000-06:00

After reading Johnny Tremain, Toliver's Secret by Esther Wood Brady just didn't compare. While it's an interesting story a young girl in colonial America, the characters were not very well developed. The young girl even had to dress up like a boy to have her adventure. Weren't girls having adventures as girls in colonial America? Maybe not. If you're looking for a great book about this time period stick with Johnny Tremain. It was a pretty quick read though. I do appreciate how our curriculum does try to teach history through these read alouds. I think the boys have all gotten a pretty good picture for this period in our country's history.

Quotes: Why didn't they sing?

2011-01-26T08:21:00.000-06:00

Last night we were lying in bed watching the president do his State of the Union address. Molly was in between Amanda and me. When the president had made his way to the podium and began speaking, Molly said,

"Why didn't they sing?"

Amanda's reply was, "because this isn't church."

Molly shot back, "Then what is it?"

Huffington Post/AP

Caleb is 7 and Lucy is 1

2011-01-21T15:44:00.001-06:00

This is what happens when your birthday is right after Christmas. We fight against it all the time and try to make their birthdays special, but it's difficult. Joe, you understand.

We celebrated Caleb's and Lucy's birthdays in Alpena. When I was growing up, you were really cool if you had a birthday party at the Holiday Inn. So that's what we did. We all had a great time swimming and celebrating. It's always fun to celebrate Caleb because he responds so genuinely. Lucy was a sweetie too. A one-year-old birthday is always a bit sketchy. She loved the cupcake though. Check out the photos below for proof. Oh, and for you long time blog readers, that is a new watch that Caleb is sporting.

Christmas Update

2011-01-21T15:37:00.000-06:00

I know, I know. I'm a bad parent and a terrible blogger. We celebrated Christmas at home with just our family and then did some time with Amanda's family. Then we were off to Michigan. We were in Alpena for a wonderful Christmas with my mom and Tricia's family. It was a great time. Mom was AMAZING with the food and acting as our hostess. The kids had a great time with their cousins and we enjoyed the wonderful north woods. Here are a few photo highlights from our time.

You can view all of the photos here.

Hymn of the Week--To God Be the Glory

2011-01-19T08:09:00.000-06:00

This weekend in church we sang the hymn To God Be the Glory. Whenever we sing this hymn, I am reminded of how blessed I am and how much I owe. One of my earliest memories of church is singing this hymn at Waterford Community Church. At the end of the Sunday night service, the congregation would sing a hymn as the pastor and his wife, who sat in the front row, would file out. This hymn was also the theme song to a Bible study to which my mom listened. I am so thankful to God for my parents and especially my mom and how she taught us that God was an important part of her life and should be in our lives.

I love the verses. They talk about all that God has done for us. Then the chorus is pure doxology. When we really understand what God has done on our behalf, that's where we have to go.

Hymn of the Week

To God be the Glory

Words by Fanny Crosby

Music by JW. Howard Doane

To God be the glory, great things He has done;

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,

Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,

And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Refrain

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

Let the earth hear His voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

Let the people rejoice!

O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,

And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

Thanking God and celebrating with Colberts

2011-01-11T15:21:00.000-06:00

For the past two plus years we have been praying for the Colbert family and especially Abbey as they all struggle through leukemia. Today Abbey took her last chemo treatment. I am officially taking their banner of the blog and celebrating God's amazing grace and faithfulness to them. I have loved to watch how in the most difficult times they have pointed to God and the strength that he has given them. We have been drawn closer to Christ and have had many opportunities to hallow his name through their lives and watching this situation, even from so far away. We will continue to watch for more opportunities to praise God in Abbey's life and in her family. Jim and Shelley will be able to replay the last two years for their family over and over again and use it as Moses did for the nation of Israel to point to God's faithfulness. We will do the same. Thank you God, for sparing Abbey, for upholding her and Jim, Shelley, Jacob, Caleb and Micah, and for making your name great in all of it.

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.

Deuteronomy 7:9

New Cooking Adventures

2011-01-11T15:09:00.000-06:00

Gregg and Allison got us The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. America's Test Kitchen is one of our favorite PBS shows and the companion cookbook as not disappointed. We have made a number of different recipes from it already. The shtick behind the show is that they try all the different ways to make a recipe and then come up with the best techniques and ingredients of all of them. We like the cook book because it mostly contains dishes that you would actually like to eat and for which you actually have the ingredients. All of the recipes that we've made so far have turned out great.

Chicken Enchiladas
Peanut Butter Cookies--really, really good
Slow Cooker chili
Slow Cooker beef stew--a great beefy recipe
Corn chowder (on the docket for Friday)

If you're looking for a good family cookbook, I'd certainly recommend this one. Very helpful and doesn't assume a ton of cooking prowess.

Fun Friday

2011-01-07T11:28:00.001-06:00

The kids are all at the Mall of America for a quick stop at the new Lego store and then heading over to the airport to greet our friends the DeRouchies as they return from their trip to Ethiopia with their new son Ezra. I have loved walking with them electronically over their time in Ethiopia. I can't wait to see Ezra in person and welcome him.

Read Alouds--Johnny Tremain

2011-01-04T10:16:00.000-06:00

As I've stated before, this year's read alouds are mostly historical fiction centered around American history. I have really enjoyed the vast majority of the ones we've done so far. We have made it to the period of the American revolution.

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes, takes place in Boston at the very beginning of the war. Johnny is a young boy who through many circumstances comes on the side of patriots like Paul Revere, Sam Adams, John Adams and others. The story follows Johnny as he assists the secret rebellion of the colonists, climaxing at the battle of Lexington and Concord. This was a long book, but everyone enjoyed it. Johnny is an interesting character and Forbes develops him well. When we first meet him, he is a selfish and prideful teenager. At the end, he has become a young man who is ready to give his life for his friends and his country. I would definitely recommend this one.

When we were reading this, it made me think of the School House Rock song, "Shot Heard Round the World." We listened to it this morning and the boys thought it was great.

Read Alouds--The Witch of Blackbird Pond

2011-01-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

I'm a little behind on my read aloud reviews. We finished The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare back in the fall. She is the same author as our previous read The Sign of the Beaver. As in that book, Speare takes a rather critical view of the people of a particular period in history. This time her aim is at the rigid Puritans. When Kit joins her aunt and her family in New England from Barbados, cultures clash. Kit is a free loving, literary type from the warm shores of a Caribbean island. Her aunt and her two daughters live in the cold world of New England puritanism, under the reign of a patriarchal father. Kit's only solace is found in the home of a Quaker woman who man in the town suspect of being a witch.

The book is well written and it is always good for us to have a story where the protagonist is a girl. It helps pull Molly into what we're reading more. It's a good story, but sometimes I do get a little tired of the whole, critical view looking back. Certainly there were Puritans that were too rigid, just as it was a tragedy how the white men treated the Native Americans when they came. It is important for us to look back at those times and learn from the mistakes that were made, but it is also important to do so with grace and understanding. Would we have made similar decisions had we lived in the same period?

Fun with Gigi's new computer

2010-12-30T13:48:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas from the Gammons Fam

2010-12-22T11:36:00.000-06:00

An Early Christmas Highlight

2010-12-20T09:06:00.002-06:00

Yesterday in our 4th Grade Sunday School class we had a small Christmas celebration. The week before during the singing time K, one of our special needs girls said, "We're supposed to sing Christmas carols," so we decided to have a time of Christmas carol requests. Shube came in to play the piano and we were rollin'. During the first song, K made her way to the front to do some signing to the songs. She was right next to me. At one point, she leaned close to me and said with a huge smile on her face, "We're both wearing red today." All the kids were having fun, but K especially so. As I looked into the class of about 40 4th graders and 7 or 8 adults, the smiles were huge and we all enjoyed K enjoying herself. She requested Jingle Bells and we all dove right in. We sang lots of traditional carols: Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, etc. We finished with a roaring rendition of Rudolph, requested by K! The teachers in the back sang out all of the "like Monoply" and "like George Washington" tags.

I prayed at the end of our singing, thanking God for the gift of Christmas and the gift of songs that worship him and allow us to enjoy each other. Is there anything that makes someone enjoy themselves more than seeing someone having a great time? That was the gift that K gave us yesterday (and has given us often.) This is the body of Christ. God has created all kinds of people to give us joy and to bring him glory. K certainly did both yesterday. She gave all of us an early Christmas highlight.

2010 Gammons Christmas Letter

2010-12-16T14:44:00.000-06:00

In the spirit of the Great Recession, we hope that you'll accept our Christmas letter in this very informal, yet frugal electronic media.

If it's difficult to read, click to enlarge.

Lark Rise to Candleford

2010-12-16T11:09:00.001-06:00

Amanda and I (and at times, just Amanda) have been enjoying the BBC series Lark Rise to Candleford. We have borrowed Season1 on DVD and only have a few episodes left. It is the story of two small towns in England in the late 19th century. Lark Rise is the lower class hamlet, while Candleford is the larger, wealthier town. The main character, Laura, has moved from Lark Rise to Candleford to work with her mother's cousin, Miss Lane the Postmistress. Laura struggles between the new joys of Candleford while seeking to stay true to her home in Lark Rise. The stories focus around issues of class, politics and romance.

It is a show that we can watch and enjoy by ourselves, but don't feel like we need to shield the eyes and hearts of our children from. If you're interested, check it out from your library or try and find it on Netflix. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Catch a little glimpse of what it's all about with this fan made trailer.

Does it get any better than this?

2010-12-13T09:22:00.010-06:00

I posted about this after Thanksgiving and you can read Gregg's post here, but I wanted to revisit it. In my mind there are not too many things that I enjoy more than being outside next to a fire. Winter, spring, summer or fall, a fire is an amazing thing. I have enjoyed many memorable camp fires.

Camp fires at our church summer camp growing up: Once the kids were all in their tents, the counselors would come out and have a camp fire. We'd sing, pray and chat. This is where I learned to love "the church". I got to know people who were older and found out that they struggled with problems just like I did.
Fire at the new house on Lake Huron: When I was in college, I brought a few of my guy friends up to Alpena. It was early April. We went out to the house that we had just bought on Lake Huron. They were in the process of remodeling it. All of us took off our clothes and swam in the lake. When we got out, there was a huge fire of scrap wood by which to warm up.
Guys' Weekend fires: I get together with some friends from college every year. Each year we debate what to do. The top priority on the list is always a fire. There is something about a fire that loosens our tongues to share what's going on in our lives. It is the time at which we catch up on what has happened during our year apart.
Fires in our backyard: Now we have fires regularly in our backyard. Matthew is usually the one who sticks closest to me during this. It's a great place to hang out with the kids. Ben and Caleb are usually playing football or baseball. Molly has just begun to join us. I look forward to many more.

Do you like a fire? Do you have memories of some of your best ones? Share them in the comments.

Sick as dogs, snow up to our arm pits and no Vikings game

2010-12-13T08:53:00.003-06:00

Sick as dogs

For the second or third time (depends on how you count) in the last couple of months everyone at the Gammons house was sick this past week. First Lucy, then Matthew and Molly, then Ben and Caleb, then Amanda and on Saturday it was me. It involved various combinations of vomit, diarrhea, fever and headache. Thanks be to God, we are all now fairly healthy.

Snow up to our arm pits

This weekend we got dumped on. Saturday while I was laid up, Amanda was out shoveling the drive. She was able to keep up with half of the driveway so that we could at least get out. For some reason we decided to get Papa John's on Saturday night. As soon as I left our driveway, I knew it was a bad idea. They hadn't even plowed our street. Thankfully, I grew up in Alpena and have driven in that kind of mess a time or two. The main rule is whatever you do, DON'T STOP. When you stop, you get stuck.

I was feeling better by Sunday morning so Ben and I finished the other side of the driveway and the end where the plows dumped the whole street. Our neighbor waited to do anything until Sunday and it took him hours to go through all of it, even with his snowblower.

No Vikings game

Mom gave us tickets to the Vikings vs. Giants game for Christmas. We prayed on Saturday night that I would feel better so that we could all go to the game. Then the Giants got stranded in Kansas City on their way to MSP. They postponed the game until Monday night. No problem! That actually was great. Then on Sunday morning the roof of the Metrodome collapsed. If you haven't seen the video, watch it.

They moved the game to Detroit. I called Mom to see if she wanted to meet us there. It's a twelve hour trip for us, but she said it was really bad weather there. It would have been a fun road trip, but not if we had to drive into what we just had. We are supposed to get a refund for our tickets so we'll see how that goes.

Small Delights

2010-12-06T08:33:00.002-06:00

Our friend Teresa, just recently posted of how a cup of tea is a small delight for her. It got me thinking of the many small delights in my day.

Matthew saying "Bub-bye Daddy," every morning as I leave for work.
A hot cup of coffee at work.
Cozying down under our down comforter when the house is cooling off.
A fire in the back yard.

These are the mundane, everyday blessings that are often overlooked. How about you? What are the small delights in your day?