June 2010

June 2011

I've gotten a lot of books in a span of twelve months. I need to stay away from the thrift stores.

I captured some precious moments in photos this lazy afternoon.

My sister gave us a few blank notebooks on one of our visits to South Carolina. I knew we'd be able to put them all to use, I just wasn't sure how we'd use them all at that time. I turned one of them into a "sketch book" on one of the long drives home (when Norah's Nintendo DS was out of a charge and she and I both were desperate to find her something to do). This kept her occupied for at least a few hours and even since we've been home, I will often catch her drawing in it while she has free time. She will draw with markers, crayons and colored pencils elsewhere, but she never uses anything but a pencil in this book. She seems to enjoy the fact that this book is set aside for simple drawings that are just supposed to capture the ideas in her mind. Here are a few of the pictures inside.

"And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the LORD has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”
-2 Samuel 5:24

I swear I heard the sound of marching above my head at least three times throughout the night last night. The first time it was slow, like an army advancing measure by measure with their shields linked. But the very last time, it was like a mighty army was running forward in perfect sync. I even felt the weight of their steps shaking my house and though it terrified me, it also made me smile in my sleep. But each time I woke up and listened, sure I would hear it this time... I couldn't hear it anymore.

I've thought about it and I live in a house on the top of one of the tallest hills in Waterbury. Praise God. I think they were headed past my house on their way into the valley.

It's also about time that I start posting pictures of my kids again. I took this one this morning. Love you, Dad.

I've only read the first chapter and I can already tell this is going to be a great book. Heyerdahl has a great sense of humor. I might have liked to be friends with he and his wife. They seem like the kind of people you wouldn't mind being stuck on a raft in the middle of the ocean with. To catch up on my Bible reading, I not only stopped blogging, but I also stopped reading any other books. So, I'll start reading a book a month again and this will be my book for the month of June, officially.

I found another rabbit trail to follow on my visit to the Timexpo. They have an exhibit about Thor Heyerdahl and his theories on the origins of the people on the Polynesian islands. He thinks people came across the ocean on the currents from the west, rather than from the east.

The exhibit mentioned an Oscar winning documentary which I found and watched online here. The documentary shows how Hyerdahl and a group of other men sailed from South America to the Polynesian islands on a simple, ancient-style raft. My friend also suggested I read the book Kon Tiki. I found it at the library and plan to go get it tomorrow.

According to the internet, most scientists totally dismiss his claims and have even gone on to prove him wrong, but that doesn't matter to me. His story is pretty interesting. I like the way he expresses himself. I think the book is going to be great fun.