The Waltman Family

William Morris Weston

2011-05-06T20:40:00.005-05:00

Named William after his Daddy's Dad, and Morris after his Mommy's Grandpa...

William--Strong Defender

Morris--Brave Warrior

"Fight the good fight of faith..." (I Tim. 6:12).

Little Will is Here!!

2011-05-03T23:31:00.002-05:00

We are so happy that Kevin and Darleen's little baby, William Morris Weston, is finally here! He was born at 5:56 p.m. May 1st, and weighed 7lbs 15oz. Thank the Lord for such a beautiful baby, a safe delivery, and a very happy family!

Pictures coming soon...

A Post From Colly

2011-03-24T20:16:00.005-05:00

The other day I got a camera for my birthday so I've really been excited! Here is a picture I took of one of my tulips...

Bryce took this one

I didn't take this one, but this was when we had like six inches of snow and made an igloo (Byron even tried to sleep in it, but I think he changed his mind after a few hours!)

I got this picture the other day of a rainbow.

~Colly~

Family news and goings-on...

2010-12-18T09:49:00.010-06:00

Howdy to y’all from all of us! We Hope you’ve had a wonderful year and that this next year is full of the richness of God and the best of His blessings! We have been blessed so much this past year and are thankful for how God has been with us…

Darrell
Loves having a little Granddaughter around to kiss and cuddle!
Has been teaching the Commands of Christ for Sunday school at church
Was very excited about the Saints becoming the Super Bowl Champions and is looking forward to seeing how the Horned Frogs do in the Rose Bowl
Has had some challenging situations at work this year, but handled them all very well

Kim
-Is also loving her new role as “grammy” and is looking forward to 2 more grandbabies on the way!
-Has been keeping busy with all sorts of odds and ends of things that have to be done but you never seem to be done with
-Loves spending time talking with us kids and helping us see the “big picture” again when we’re discouraged

Stephen and Kayleen Easley
-Got Married April 24th
-Are expecting a Baby in June 2011
-Recently closed on an Incredibly low
priced Fixer-upper about half an hour
away, and are going to be kept very
busy with trying to get it all fixed up

Kevin and Darleen Weston
-Are expecting their 2nd Baby in May 2011
-Will be going to Ireland for a short-term Missions trip January 17th
-Are very excitedly looking forward to Kevin’s family coming for Christmas!
Addie
-has 6 teeth
-Can stand by herself
-Loves to eat, especially Sweet Potatoes and Grapes!
-Loves to play with her aunts and uncles
-Tries to keep up with Benji and Bryce and laugh at all their antics!

Joleen
-Spent the Summer helping out as a cabin counselor in MT
-Will be taking two semesters of classes through a local
Community College, mostly online
-Hopes to continue doing “Thursday National Siblings Day”
activities with the younger ones, and likes to try and get
them to play games instead of movies or computer games...
-Came up with this new idea about a business making
Rain Skirts, Is still hoping to train Duddy to ride, and is wondering how she can fit it all in!

Byron
-Is trying to finish up his school before March
-Has been doing lots of PT and Memorizing (II Peter)
to be ready for going to ALERT in March
-Likes to get Brandon and Jo to go hiking with him with
his loaded pack on (he says he want to work up to 30
seventeen-minute miles--but I don’t think Brandy and Jo like that idea too well!)
-Got a fox with his crossbow while hunting with Dad

Brandon
-Has been working hard on his Algebra--and doesn’t think he likes it too well!
-Loves learning all sorts of medieval history facts, listening to BBN radio and
old hymns and medieval-type tunes, and helping Stephen/Kevin with odd jobs
-Is working on tanning some goat hides and plans to make some reenactment-type stuff with them

Colleen
-Has been working a lot on training her German Shepherd Truly Scrumptious
-Is getting very good at Drawing and playing Piano
-Loves to cook, sew, do craft projects, do things with Jo,
or help Kay or Darleen with their project Ideas
-Is working on writing a book about a Leviathan
as well as several other project ideas

Benjamin
-Is learning to do all sorts of jobs like dishes and putting away clean clothes
-Loves playing with Colly and Bryce, getting
Stephen to jump on the trampoline with him,
and getting Addie to laugh, or anyone else, for that matter!
-Is good at most anything, if you can get him to put his mind to it!

Bryce
-Likes to do most anything Benji’s doing
-Has started working on school and reading
-Loves to go to town with Dad, and give mommy hugs and kisses
-Is quite the little helper on putting away clothes
-One of his favorite words to use is “basically“, he’s a very factual little fellow!

**********

Engagement Shower and Portraits

2010-03-30T19:22:00.006-05:00

On Saturday, Rebecca Barringer, Stephen's sister, put on an engagement party for Stephen and Kay, heres a couple of random photos (Darleen took some of these from the party).

She loved the balloons, she's looking up at them here

sweeping up together

Addie

Later on, I went out to the fort with Kay and Stephen to take some engagement portraits.

What's that old saying, "behind every good man is a virtuous woman..."

Work, and Play, and Bryce's B-day!

2010-02-09T21:46:00.007-06:00

Helping Kevin stock up his woodpile before the baby came

Our naughty goats out...again...

Waiting...to see the Baby

Aunt Collyflower

Now lets see, from left to right: Jane Calamity (aka. Calamity Jane), Bill Calamity (aka. Billy the Kid), and James Calamity (aka. Jesse James). I think Colly came up with that...

Happy birthday to Uncle Bryce!

Cute little Addie!

Playing with Bryce's new "hero helmet"

(A glimpse into the true personality of Brandon :-)

Bryce is Five years old!

cute, cute...

... and cute!

waiting patiently for cake and ice cream

Some of us are gifted with the ability of expressing our deepest passions without saying a word!

Adios 'till next time...

And Now Announcing...

2010-01-13T18:20:00.009-06:00

We are so happy to announce the birth of Adelaide Marie Weston at 10:45 this morning the thirteenth of January! She weighs 8lbs 12oz. We are overjoyed at the blessings of God, and his miraculous works, and are so happy for our first grandbaby!

We know that little Addy will continue to bring joy into the lives of those around her, as God pours joy into her little growing heart...She is a such a blesssing from God!

"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee" (Ps. 139:13+15-18).

2010-01-12T23:37:00.001-06:00

Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas!

2010-01-06T19:43:00.002-06:00

Or as Dad would put it, "Have a Darleen Holly Christmas" Speaking of which, we were glad Kevin and Darleen came over for our traditional Christmas Eve family time.

doesn't Benji make a good little Joseph?

Our little shepherd with his "sheep"

Joleen, on special request, was anointed and given a special blessing by Dad.

Bryce fell asleep cuddled next to Stephen, his new-found buddy

And here's Kevin with his precious stuff

Hey Cowboy!

And Kevin's real precious(es) (I think Baby is almost here!!!)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...

Now that's the way to do it, work it off while you put it on! yeah!

And Christmas day at K&D's...

We hope you had a Jolly Christmas, too!

a-caroling we go...

2010-01-05T18:57:00.002-06:00

here we are in all our "getup." Stephen Easley came over and helped us out. We really needed another tenor in there...

Darleen invited the younger ones over for a baking day

Pulling the taffy

finished!!

And...that evening we had a Christmas recital featuring our three little musicians

I guess Junior D volunteered to be Byron's pillow

Doing a duet...Colleen's getting very good (better than me, I think...)

Darleen with her students

We went to a Christmas production in Knoxville called the "Living Christmas Tree"

They even had camels for the wise Men

This was supposed to be in Heaven. For those of you who are familiar with ATI, this is where they had the conferences in the old days.

And...that's it. As you can see, we been up to lots of stuff.

Thanksgiving and snow

2009-12-29T11:53:00.008-06:00

The Indiana Waltmans came down to celebrate Thanksgiving with us this year! Company of course means...skeet shooting!!!

Brandon

Uncle John

Watching the goings-on...

Bryce loved helping get the skeet out to give to the person launching them.

Ian

shooting Kevin's rifles (Kevin did come with us, just I didn't get any pictures before he left)

Colleen, Allison, and Lauren

We thought this would make an interesting picture...
(this is someone's finger sticking through a hole in the board, just in case you're wondering : )

Yes, we Waltmans are a wild bunch. (but isn't that the best kind??)

The first week of December brought snow with it, though it only lasted a couple days. Jo and Byron hiked up to K&D's place and played around with the camera (and the snow).

The road going up there

"I'm just a poor wayfarin' stranger..."

a branch in the snow

Our hardworking, handy fellow

this was supposed to be a "don't mess with texas" face, or something...?

Mussolini (K&D's male goat,I think the name was Kevin's Idea) and Jericho "duddy"

Boot tracks

Holly

coming soon: Christmas pictures

house remodeling--before pictures

2009-11-14T13:33:00.005-06:00

Here's some pictures of the house. We got it for about the value of the land (2+ acres). Dad and Mom have always enjoyed buying fix-up houses then eventually selling for a profit, we've done that with every place we ever got as far as I know. This one was in pretty good condition to start with. These pictures are before we had much done.

The front room

this looks like it's supposed to be a bunk house or something

The Kitchen

a back room

view from the porch

side of the house

back of tool shed/animal shelter

Byron working on roofing

Brandon

Well, that's all for now...

The Weston Clan!

2009-08-27T20:29:00.004-05:00

The Westons came for a visit all the way out from the great state of California! ;-)
(It was great fun and we had a real blast!)

We went to Chattanooga one day and went up to lookout mountain near the Chickamauga battlefield, and on a boat down the Little Tennessee River...

on the boat

Of Course, when Darleen has the Camera there has to be some pictures of Kevin and her!

Later on in the week, we went to the lake with the Ceausu family...and their boat :-)

Benji

Stephen

I really like this one of Emily

These two of Dad are my favorites...the one below is so Dad, if you know him, this is his "cool look!" (I really like it...)

(oh, and by the way, me, Jo, took these...just thought you'd like to know. Oh, am I bragging again? or maybe not :)

Emily took this evening one

Bryce was filling up the water bottle and pouring it on Colleen, I think...Emily took this one, too.

All the Westons

Just a sidenote: If you ever need entertainment, just look at Benji in a group shot :-)

Wow! A group shot with me in it!!!! That is amazing, I always have a way of keeping out of the pictures with "everyone" in em! :-)

Well, that's all for a long time folks!! God bless you today!

Unedited Photo Contest

2009-08-01T21:28:00.005-05:00

Isn't it nice that you can take a decent picture and edit it to look pretty good, it's a bit harder getting everything right in the first place...None of these photos have been edited except the second bird one was cropped, the third one was lightened a tad, and the frog one was cropped, you can take that into account when judging.

which do you think is the best photo?
(see poll on the side to vote)

A little bit of alot

2009-08-01T20:25:00.008-05:00

Heres what we've been up to this summer...

Our neighbor brought us this little cottontail whose mom had got run over, we named him Peter. (unfortunately, our cat later ate him)
feeding him milk through a dropper

We've been able to have both Grandmas visit us recently, here's Grandmom Waltman with Dad

Benji and Bryce were helping us move tons of rocks to the flower bed
little mighty men!

We had to tear out a wall (and some flooring) in the big room where water had been seeping in and mildewing...there were thousands of roaches in there!

For the 4th we went on a picnic to Ft. Loudon with the Ceausus and went tubing!

Sorry there's no group pictures on here (obviously the photographer was overly fond of the zoom :)

having fun, Colly?!!

Benji with a frog he found

Colleen has been doing some cooking projects. So far she's made her own cake recipe, and some "make-do stew" on the fire-pit

It was really good!

Benji found this little bird

And summertime is full of birthdays for us, but I won't put 'em all on here

(I thought this one of Mom is so cute!)

Byron on his 17th b-day

(I love these photos Darleen took of the fireworks!)

Well, bye Y'all!

Kevin and Darleen--Weston!!!

2009-04-28T14:24:00.005-05:00

For those of you who have been wanting to see pictures from the wedding...

This was neat in that they weren't alowed to see each other, but were still together in the picture...I think they were getting tempted to peek around the door!

This picture has a story behind it. You can't see it, but right behind Kevin there is a bullethole in the glass. Years ago, Kevin was standing somewhere near this spot when someone shot a bullet through the window, missing him by not too much. Now it is a reminder to Him of the Faithfulness and protection of God!

go to Kevin and Darleens new site to see tons more pictures!

Around the place...

2009-04-11T11:37:00.010-05:00

To update on the everyday happenings of the the Waltman household...

Several months back we had some snow...

How do you like him?

We have a new show-off around the place, he crows for all he's worth! We've honorably dubbed him frank.

Warm weather? Time for a picnic!!!

Some cold weather...

(Benjamin took this one)

Colly, Benji, and Bryce in their hideout

We had a cookout for Kevin's B-day, and a campfire with his new fire-pit!

And some more cold weather...

(To see more about Kevin's B-day go to: http://kevinanddarleen.blogspot.com/2009/04/kevins-25th-birthday-party.html )

G'day to y'all!

Brandon's first Buck!

2008-12-13T13:12:00.003-06:00

Brandon with his spike (2-point) buck

Indiana--The Hoosier State

2008-10-17T11:21:00.004-05:00

Last month Kay, Colly, and Jo went up to Indiana to help out Grandmom Waltman after a knee surgery. They got to visit with Uncle John and his family while up there.

Waltman Cousins!

(Allison, Ian, Lauren, Jo, Colly, Kay)

If you look closely, you can see Kody in the background waiting impatiently for the throw. He will catch anything from a frisbee to a pear, he loves pears! (The BAC on the frisbee stands for blood alcohol content, what a great reminder!! : )

Spirit, with Bella behind him.

Love Stories

2008-07-07T15:50:00.003-05:00

Love stories are beautiful, and we would like to share with you the love that's in the air: Kevin and Darleen are courting!

It's a Zoo Day

2008-06-01T10:05:00.004-05:00

Memorial day weekend, we all headed to the Knoxville Zoo! Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely!

Look at our matching shirts! :) Yup - we're proud Americans!

Brandon Keith--Secure light Bearer

2008-05-27T11:11:00.006-05:00

May 10 was Brandon's 13th Birthday! Brandon was presented with a special sword (Yes, it's real!) representing the privileges, duties, and responsibilities that are all part of being a man.

Dad, Pastor Steen, and Mr. Ceausu praying a blessing for Brandon

Here is a section from Dad's lettter to Brandon:

...today is a passage for you from childhood to manhood...not that you are now a fully developed man with all the responsibilities attached, such as marriage, earning a living, and going out on your own, but that you are now beginning the process of maturation into responsible manhood.
The first 13 years of your life have been a wonderful blessing to me, Brandon. I look forward to many more wonderful years with you my son. With much love...Happy B-day! Dad

Gideon, from Judges, is one of Brandon's heros (by the way, the sword is a Scottish Claymore)

2008-05-26T08:25:00.003-05:00

Dad took Byron, Brandon, and Colleen trout fishing recently...Benji and Bryce wanted to help display the catch!

Colleen caught the biggest!

2008-05-26T08:13:00.003-05:00

--photos of Kay by Jo, photos of Jo by Kay

Fun with Puppies!

2008-05-08T13:16:00.004-05:00

Colleen and I decided to give the puppies a bath today, and had to take pictures for the occasion!

Gus

Sugar

--Pictures by Jo

Byron's 15th Birthday!

2007-07-11T15:28:00.000-05:00

Wow; what a godly young man Byron is becoming!

He has showed some amazing character qualities this past year.
He has demonstrated...
* ...humility to the Lord and others!
* ... self control.
* ... initiative in house repairs.
* ... great enthusiasm for wood work.
* ... diligence in Scripture memory and reading.

...the list goes on...

May God bless you to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might!

Independence Day

2007-07-05T15:22:00.000-05:00

What a blessing to be able to celebrate the Independence of our country!

Here are some pictures from our day of celebrating:

Happy 25th Anniversary Dad & Mom!

2007-07-02T15:12:00.000-05:00

DollyWood

2007-06-30T15:19:00.000-05:00

Lowes Distribution Center hosted an outing for all Lowes' employees on June 30th to go to Dollywood!

It was great fun, and very exhausting!

Fun Stuff

2007-05-24T20:49:00.002-05:00

We went to the "Wildcat" hiking trail nearby, here's some people having fun! (Jo is very proud of this photo she took :-)

Benjamin on his 6th B-day!

For Brandon's B-day, we surprised him and took him to Fort Loudoun. It is a fort from the French/Indian War, which has been rebuilt on the original spot.

There are also some great hiking trails (We've seen 12 deer-and counting!)

2007-05-24T19:25:00.000-05:00

Summer is here in TN, and with it---Berries!

We found a bunch of wild strawberries in our brambly bushes, and had lots of fun picking (and photographing) them

Wild Strawberries are smaller & tangier than others

Yum....We enjoyed the tarts made from these fine berries!

Construction under way!

2007-05-18T20:22:00.000-05:00

One of the very first projects on our list was...painting the house!

It is now tan with dark red trim

Dad and the boys built this shed...

The boys cleaned out the pool and painted the deck (we got three big bullfrogs out!)

...and we have put in a garden! (Brandon, our new-found gardener, has definitely decided to plant a banana-peel tree!)

We've Moved!!!

2007-05-17T10:12:00.000-05:00

The Waltman Clan has now moved from Texas to Tennessee! We hope to add an update shortly!

Please keep in touch y'all!

Waltman Family

1 down, 15 million to go...

2007-03-27T20:47:00.000-05:00

Now anouncing the first snake of the year! Ok, we don't usually post 'em, but I wanted to have a little fun with this one. Hope you will, too!

Here's a couple of fun shots!

Byron, the snake killer

What kind of snake do you think it is?

pictures taken by Joleen, posted by Jo :-)

Wow; A Red-headed Bundle of Joy

2007-03-15T10:55:00.000-05:00

A day we all will remember clearly in our minds is the day we received our bundle of joy! It was a Thursday evening when a special little one arrived into our home and our lives!

March 12th, 1998, was the first day we spent with Colleen!

Colleen continues to give us joy even at age 9! She very cheerfully does her chores; she loves spending time helping her younger siblings; she loves to read her Bible and hear Bible stories; and, most of all, she loves the Lord! Click here to see a short story by Colleen.

We thank God for giving us such a joyful, red-headed, daughter/sister as Colleen! Wish her a happy birthday!

The United States Army Field Band & Soldiers' Chorus

2007-03-15T08:48:00.000-05:00

10th March 2007:
The United States Army Field Band & Soldiers' Chorus did a fantastic job giving a program to honor America's men and women in uniform as well as our veterans and their families! What a privilege to enjoy the wonderful music of the musical ambassadors of the Army!
To learn more about the Army Field Band click here.

9th March 2007:

The boys were able to demonstrate their skills in planning, building campfires, setting up camp, cooking breakfast, and "leaving the campsite cleaner than it was before," which they did a 'bravo' job of! Hopefully, they will be able to go pioneer camping soon (maybe in the Great Smoky Mountains!).

Fun with the Vande Hei's!

2007-02-03T19:47:00.000-06:00

We had a great time of fellowship and fun with the Vande Hei family this last weekend! I don't have time to write much, but, you know what they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Let's see if it's true...

Abbi, Colly, and Debbie loved riding on the go-kart together!

Darleen and Phoebie

Row, row, row your boat...Naomi took this photo. Great shot, Phoebie!

2007-02-03T19:30:00.000-06:00

Bryce turned two years old on Sunday! Happy Birthday, Bryce!!!

All the Ultimate Frisbee players, plus and minus a few...

January Alert Cadet meeting

2007-01-20T12:31:00.000-06:00

Dad, Byron and Brandon each recieved the Novice Handbook ribbon, Good Conduct ribbon, and Phase Scripture Memory ribbon. Oo-rah, y'all!!

More Photos from Jan. Alert Cadet Meeting

2007-01-19T21:11:00.000-06:00

a few more...

2007-01-19T14:35:00.000-06:00

The New YEAR

2007-01-11T16:44:00.000-06:00

Hello all our dear friends!

God is so good and we praise Him for guiding our family together in deeper love and harmony last year of 2006! What a blessing to work together and share the gospel to those we come in contact with!

I would like to direct you to Joleen's site to see the latest news on a family trip to Arkansas for trout fishing. Everyone wasn't able to go on the fishing trip, and we don't have any pictures. (Darleen had the camera up in WI "shooting" a wedding. Click here to see some wedding pictures.)

God bless you in this New YEAR!

Waltman Family

Family Christmas

2006-12-26T20:50:00.000-06:00

I love Christmas time—the music, the smell of Christmas baking, and the tuned hearts toward God! The reason for the season is Jesus Christ! Is He your Savior?

The story of Jesus is amazing to recount. He was born to die! He was born to take away the sins of the world. If you haven't accepted Christ in your heart, I urge you today to make Him your Savior. Pick up your Bible and start reading the book of John, where you'll find the most precious baby become your King!

"Christmas Time is coming..."

2006-12-04T22:09:00.000-06:00

Howdy all our dear friends!

Christmas is our favorite times of year... It is a time to celebrate the New Born King--Jesus Christ!

Saturday we enjoyed our family devotions singings some great Christmas hymns, plus we all decorated our Christmas tree with our collection of ornaments.

Thanksgiving!

2006-12-04T22:01:00.000-06:00

Photo Journal of our Thanksgiving!
Not only did we count our blessings with our immediate family, but we were able to count our blessings with the Torres family and the Wearp family. Also, Mrs. Wearp's father was here from Austria. This was his very first Thanksgiving celebration!

ALERT CADETS

2006-10-22T18:10:00.000-05:00

Byron, Brandon, and Dad completed the Basic Training Manual to officially become part of the Alert Cadets! Basic Training included significant Scripture Memory, Character Projects, and Physical Fitness. The Waltman's belong to the Texas 6th Bravo unit under the command of 1st Lieutenant Randy McDonald.

Byron, Brandon, and I will now begin Phase One of the Novice Handbook. I really am excited about the Scripture Memory and the Journaling. This gives me a tool as a father to reward and recognize my boys for the qualities that I want them to develop. I am also excited about the rewards of Scripture memorization for me personally! The unique thing about the Alert Cadet program is that the Father is an integral part of the program.

October 7 we participated in the PT test along with the unit. Byron and Brandon came very close to qualifying for the PT excellence award, and with a little more training, I believe they will attain the ribbon. We are currently working toward improving our run times, along with our push ups and curl ups.

Each phase focuses on Scripture Memory, a specific skill, character quality, service projects, and physical training.

Even little Benjamin is involved with us. Even though he cannot become an official cadet until he is 8, we include him in the unit meetings along with his older brothers. He looks forward to the day when he will be in uniform like his brothers!

Photos

2006-10-20T20:18:00.000-05:00

Byron and Nathan coming down the big tower
Lew Sterret
Bryce loved the miniture horse rides
Dad's true smile is hard to capture... I got it!
And the clowns!

Family Round-Up!

2006-10-16T20:27:00.000-05:00

It seems our posts on this blog seem to be few and far between, but stay with us... We are still alive, but life's busyness seem to keep us from informing you of our happenings.

This time of year we always plan for our family vacation. As you know the weather in Texas can be quite sporadic giving us cold and hot temperatures all in one day. This vacation the Waltman family went to the 2006 Family Camp Round-up held in Big Sandy, Texas! Yes, that would be camping all week. In the course of a week we had temperatures in the high 90's and mid-30's.

There is nothin' like tent camping when it is raining. On Tuesday we had a "cats and dogs" down pour. We managed to get our sleeping bags, clothes dry for the remainder of the week's beautiful skies!

What a treat to visit with so many like-minded Christians during Family Camp this year!

Bible reading each morning by Dad!

More pictures to come.......

And They are Off...

2006-09-08T20:28:00.000-05:00

...to San Antonio! We hold down the fort here... what's left of it.

For myself, I've never been on a "real" train before. Yes, I've been on those kiddy ones in the amusement parks, but that doesn't officially count, right? Mom, Kay, and even Bryce got to be the adventurous ones and ride for their first time on an Amtrak train! Of course, nothing has been boring around here this week. Trying to juggle my first week back into the fall school semester has made me dependent on Joleen and Byron to take care of the house work and chores. They have passed with flying colors, except for the day we had unexpected guests and the house was a wreck, but we won't hold that against them!

Having impromptu guest when our house wasn't up to the occasion reminded me of a vital aspect of our Christian walk. "...BE READY always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (I Peter 3:15).

"The reason why many fail in battle is because they wait until the hour of battle. The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle came...Anticipate your battles; fight them on your knees before temptation comes, and you will always have victory.” --R.A. Torrey

Must report back to my post!
In His Service,

Darleen

It's a Zoo Day!

2006-09-05T20:11:00.000-05:00

Saturday:

We spent the whole day doing "Family Fun"! Our traditional picnic outside the Tyler Zoo was delicious. There was an incredible tree for the adventurous ones to climb as well as provide shade for our lunch. I think the weather was ordered in advance, because we had a wonderful breeze the entire time we were exploring the zoo.

Our Gram

2006-08-26T14:30:00.000-05:00

Mom, Kayleen, Darleen, Byron, and Brandon went to San Antonio to help Grandma (Mom's Mom) move into her new home! It was a JOB packing, stuffing, etc., but it was all worth while!

Following our three days of work, we finally were able to visit with our Great-Grandmother, lovingly called Gram! Now that she is 100 years old, we treasure each time we see her.
She is such a great encouragement to her family and is considered our Prayer Warrior!

Have you ever played on a flat piano? It is about three feet long and only 1/2 inch thick. It is flexible and will roll up into a little bag! I think it would an excellent instrument for any place it would be hard to take your regular size piano!

Our departing photograph!

Independence Celebration!

2006-07-12T14:48:00.000-05:00

4th of July at the Texas Rangers game! We enjoyed the company of our dear friends, the Swaffords, for the entire 4th of July week.

Following the game, we all enjoyed a fabulous firework show!

Angel and Darleen watching the game!

Top News

2006-06-29T21:10:00.000-05:00

Dad graduated with honors and obtained a Master of Christian Education degree from Freedom Bible College & Seminary in Rogers, Arkansas. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and in the president honor roll.

The graduation ceremony was June 23rd, in Rogers, but Dad was unable to attend due to a prior work engagement in North Carolina.

We congratulate Dad for his hard work and diligence! Go Dad!

INTELLIGENT DESIGN

2006-06-29T20:51:00.000-05:00

Published Friday, May 26, 2006 in the Sulphur Springs News-Telegram

Editor, The News-Telegram:

Do we share an ancestry with apes or were we designed and created in the image of God? The human being exemplifies the fact that the theory of intelligent design has strong scientific evidence proving that it is true. The question, "are we advanced apes, or are we distinct and unique?" can be answered as we look at the human’s existence, speech, and brain.

Is the human’s existence a miracle or an evolvement from apes? Lewontin, a Harvard scholar, says, "No hominid [ape] can be established as an ancestor." Chief science writer Henry Gee gives further explanation as he states, "The intervals of time that separate fossils are so huge that we cannot say anything definite about their possible connection through ancestry and descent." Humans are the most distinctive entity on the face of the Earth, and "should be dignified as such instead of being adulterated with every large-brained hominid fossil that happened to come along," says Ian Tattersall. With the evidence that humans are not evolved from apes, it is apparent that our existence is a miracle.

Speech makes a distinction between man from all types of apes and hominids. Humans have the ability to speak while hominids never have. The human ability to conceptualize explains the development of art, literature, and mathematics. Conversely, apes and hominids lack this ability. They can only communicate with giving and receiving signals. The evolutionists seem to have no explanation as to why we are the only creatures able to speak.

The brain’s complexity reveals that it was made by intelligent design. The brain is actually the holding place of 12 billion neuron cells intertwined with 100 trillion connectors. These connectors are the organized network of the brain exceeding all communication networks on the entire planet. Stephen Hawking compares the brain with present-day computers to show its superiority, "In comparison with most computers which have one central processing unit, the brain has millions of processing units … all working at the same time." The brain’s complexity is actually a mystery that reveals that there was a designer involved.

Lord Calvin, who formulated the first two laws of thermodynamics said, "Overwhelming strong proofs of intelligent design lie all around us." If the evolutionary theory cannot explain the uniqueness of humanity, then there is strong scientific evidence that there is something or someone beyond ourselves—something to say we were created with intelligent design.

DARLEEN WALTMAN

Sulphur Springs

Our Family

2006-06-17T19:20:00.000-05:00

Our Family Photograph- by Darleen

South of the Border missionary report!

2006-05-14T13:43:00.000-05:00

Darleen is now on a "Great Expedition" which involves outreach ministry in the cities of Monterrey and Guadalajara way down south of the border of Mexico. This is a great opportunity for her to make an impact for Christ. On May 9, the Great Expedition team reached Monterrey and spent two days ministering to orphans and working with civic leaders before a grueling 12 hour trip to their ultimate destination of the second largest city in Mexico,Guadalajara, where they arrived late on May 11. Darleen will be ministering to children both in an orphanage and on outreaches into the community. She also will be helping paint and remodel the orphanage that was turned over to the Institute for ministry to the orphans in Guadalajara.

Please pray for Darleen to be a special blessing to the children in this very impoverished city in Mexico. Darleen has had a special burden for spanish speaking peoples and she is now getting an opportunity to utilize her spanish and her ministry gifts to be a blessing to many very needy children.

Darleen is scheduled to return home on June 3. We miss her alot, but have joyfully loaned her out for this missionary work, and believe that God will bless her efforts with the souls of many young children. We are already planning a big homecoming celebration when she returns.

Posted by Dad

An Afternoon of Tea

2006-04-30T19:22:00.000-05:00

What a lovely afternoon we, Waltman ladies, had with the McKee ladies!

What a privilege to know them and count them among our friends.

Overcomer,or Survivor?

2006-04-18T13:16:00.000-05:00

Are you experiencing freedom in Christ?

Jesus has paid the price for our freedom. He gave us freedom from sin when He gave His life on the cross. But, what we often don’t fully understand is that He wanted us to have freedom not only from sin, but also from bitterness, guilt, generational curses, and all those other things which bind us under Satan’s power. God has given us the power to be free, but do we use it?

Jesus said that His “yoke is easy” and His “burden is light”. Why then does this “yoke” seem so heavy? Because we have all kinds of extra “baggage” weighing us down. Why don’t we just let Jesus carry it? In some cases the answer to that would have to be pride. “A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit” (Prov. 29:23). God commands us to “lay aside every weight”, or in other words, to “get rid of that extra baggage”.

Many Christians go through life never knowing the freedom that Christ has been holding out for them to claim all along “So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free” (Gal. 4:31). God will give us the strength to overcome, but to overcome we must fight. God will give us the power to stand strong, but first we must tear down the strongholds by which Satan gains power in our lives. If we want to have total freedom in our lives we must use the power of God’s Word to overcome the adversary. Are you experiencing total freedom in Christ? Are you an overcomer, or just a survivor?

-Joleen Waltman

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”
(Ephes. 6:10-17)

The Man in the Hat

2006-04-13T22:03:00.000-05:00

He runs from morning to night,
giving to others delight!

His smile shares to others his joy,
when he happens to have his favorite toy...

Okay, this is the best I can do on poetry.

Bryce does give us much delight, and he has so much joy with which he gives freely to all those around him.

--Darleen

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." --Psalm 127:3

Freeze-tag, Hide & Seek, & Sardines

2006-04-13T21:37:00.000-05:00

A week-end in March, Uncle John (Dad's brother) and Ian came for a visit! They may not have been able to stay for a long time, but we sure made up for it.

Biking, swimming, hiking, shooting, were many of the activities of our week. Freeze-tag, Hide and Seek, & Sardines were games played at the Sulphur Springs Park. Ice-cream was definitely on the menu!

Wedding Celebration!

2006-03-27T20:22:00.000-06:00

Darren (our nephew/cousin) and Ashley Smith were united together March 4th, 2006. What a joy to witness a miracle of God's provision for both Darren and Ashley. It was such a special time to celebrate this occasion together!

Homemade bread, anyone?

2006-02-20T19:25:00.000-06:00

I had quite an interesting experience today when I tried to make bread. I accidentally put in six cups of gluten instead of flour! For those of you (such as myself) who don't much about cooking, gluten is a "substance" similar to yeast. As you can see, the dough was - well, very interesting. So much for surprising Dad with some fresh-baked whole-wheat bread!

Joleen

The Little Man

2006-02-13T07:52:00.000-06:00

We now have a little man in our house. He's only 2-feet high and as cute as ever! Can you guess who he is? Of course you can!

January 28th, we celebrated Bryce's 1st birthday!

The Roman Road to Salvation

2006-01-30T17:03:00.000-06:00

The Romans mastered the art of road design and construction. At its peak, the Roman road system spanned 53,000 miles across the Roman Empire. These were well built roads typically excavated 15 feet below the surface. Augustus made it a matter of policy to utilize soldiers for road construction during peace time. This labor improved their strength and stamina, kept them out of trouble, and rendered them almost unbeatable. The legions sought involuntary assistance for their hardest labor. They utilized slaves, prisoners of war, and convicted criminals to do the most difficult tasks of quarrying and transporting stone. These ancient roman roads were designed so efficiently that most lasted over a millenia and some are still in use today. One roman road that has been traveled on for almost two thousand years is the road of salvation found in the New Testament Book of Romans. Even though it was not a road constructed of concrete, gravel, and stone, it has been durable through the centuries. It is the Roman Highway to a relationship with God. It leads its travelers down a road to eternal life. It is an old path, tried and true, and that is perhaps why it is personally my favorite way to explain the plan of Salvation to the lost. It is a simple, yet very powerful way that explains why we need salvation, how God provided it, how we can recieve it, and its results. I traveled down this road one day and became a Christian 27 years ago. It led me to Christ after many wasted years of traveling down a very popular yet poorly built road. Those who passed by on that road told me that I was a "Christian" simply because I went to Church and was a "good person". Let's take a journey down this old, enduring, well marked road to biblical salvation. Ancient roman roads were clearly marked by milestones and way stations. The road markers are very clear on this road as well!

I. We are all Sinners

Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God".

This is the first milestone of the Roman Road and it shows us our condition and why we need salvation. Many have been mis-informed that they are "good". A sound scriptural orientation teaches us that none of us are good. Psalm 14: 2-3 says "The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." You and I are sinners in need of a savior.

II. Sin will be punished

Romans 6:23a, " For the wages of Sin is death..."

The second milestone predicts the sinner's doom. It is another reason we need salvation. We don't want to suffer eternal death. Eternal death is the penalty of sin, and since all of us are sinners, we all are guilty and deserve to go to Hell. This is a sobering thought to those who are lost.

III. God offers a free Gift of Salvation

Romans 6:23b, "...but the gift of God is eteral life through Jesus Christ our Lord".

The third milestone on this road gives us good news, EXTRA GOOD NEWS! This shows us how God provided salvation. We can have the gift of eternal life instead of the wages of eternal death. Moreover, God's gift of Salvation cannot be earned, it can only be received by faith. We cannot earn our salvation by going to church or doing good deeds. Romans 5:8 states, " but God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us". God provided your salvation through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ!

IV. Instructions on how to be saved

Romans 10: 9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved".

The fourth milestone on his roman road shows how we can receive this wonderful gift of Salvation. This involves a sincere faith from the heart that results in a public confession of your faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. This is available to everyone according to Romans 10:13 which states, " For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved".

V. The result of Salvation

Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,..."

This is the final destination of the Roman Road. The result of salvation is that because of Jesus' substitutionary work on the cross on our behalf, we will never be condemned for our Sins. We no longer have to worry about going to hell. We have been saved from the wages of death which we had earned, and given the free gift of salvation which we didn't deserve.

If you haven't traveled this Roman Road to salvation, I encourage you to do so today. There are many well traveled roads to hell, but only one road to heaven. Proverbs 16:25 declares, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death". This Roman Road will never erode and if you follow it you will be eternally grateful that you did!

Darrell Waltman

Fellowship + Food = Family Fun

2006-01-29T15:32:00.000-06:00

They say a laugh is good medicine. We had our share of "good medicine" last Sunday evening with the Landry Family. We all enjoyed each other's company as we ate Southern Red Beans and Rice, played games, and talked!

We thank them for the invite and the good food and Christian fellowship! The overall evening was rated Family Fun!

Guess what we're playing!

Laura and Noah

A Game of "Pretty Kitty"

The Natural State Vacation

2006-01-26T09:48:00.000-06:00

January 7th-8th, we all went trout fishing on the Little Missouri River in Arkansas. We soaked up God's beauty as we hiked and explored the river. (We also soaked our shoes trying to cross the river by jumping from one rock to another!) Our mini-vacation was very restful and we came home with ten trout--one for each of us.

We also stopped by to visit the Cheif Ka-doo-ha!

2006-01-26T09:07:00.000-06:00

More pictures from the Natural State...

Our patient fisherman...most of the time.

He's almost walkin'!

The gals had to" say good-bye" to Cheif Ka-doo-ha.

Little Cheif

Family Christmas

2005-12-31T12:15:00.000-06:00

Christmas with family is the best of all! A couple days after December 25th, we all spent the day with Mom's sister and family.

Opening gifts!

Amy is now 2!

Several people took a turn shooting Byron's .22

Our Christmas!

2005-12-27T14:08:00.000-06:00

Bryce's First Christmas! We are so thankful for the Lord's blessings of this little guy.

Home-made ice-cream in December! What a treat!
Our Christmas dinner!

We had a special time together on Christmas Eve. It's our family tradition to share the Christmas story, give gifts, tell each other of the "gift" we will give Jesus this next year, and eat delicious home-made goodies. Here are a few pictures of our family time together.

It was also a treat to spend our Christmas morning with our dear church family and then come home for a wonderful Christmas dinner!

Here we go a caroling...

2005-12-22T21:20:00.000-06:00

Singing!

Every family has some Holiday traditions, fourth of July fireworks, Thanksgiving turkey, or “bringing in the New Year” with pots and pans. Well, this year we decided to start a “new” Christmas tradition: caroling! So, with Christmas Eve three days off, we bundled up and set off on our “journey”. Getting all ten of us in dad’s crew-cab truck (with Byron, Brandon, and Joleen in the back) we began to go from house-to-house singing our selection of Christmas carols: Joy to the World, Silent Night, Jingle Bells (using handbells), Away in a Manger, and We wish you a Merry Christmas. Colleen (age 7) quickly decided that she liked caroling so much that she wanted to do it “all night long”!
It was a wonderful opportunity to visit our neighbors and share together the true meaning of Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

The Waltman Family

Bundle of joy all bundled for the cold!

Like our microphones?

Like minded, Texans...

2005-12-18T10:01:00.000-06:00

... in other words, our dear friends. (We were missing a few of the Cooper guys and Jenny.)

Last week we had our impromptu guests! Yeehaw!!! Yes, we always get together with real southern hospitality. I'm sorry, y'all, we were a little dressed down and didn't have our authentic western wear on. That is soon to come!

Gloria and her Texas broach

A up-close look at the cocklebur Texas broach

Colleen loves these little cocklebur, especsially, making some "nice" jewelry out of 'em.

The True Meaning of Christmas

2005-12-11T20:58:00.000-06:00

C is for the Christ child who was born nearly 2,000 years ago in a manger in Bethlehem.
"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS." Luke 1:31
H is for the HOPE that Jesus brings to all who believe in Him and trust Him with their salvation.
"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:2
I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to give you hope and a future.Jeremiah 29:11
R is for resurrection of Jesus Christ who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was both man and God, died on the cross for all of our sins, and then was raised from the dead (resurrected) and is now sitting at the right hand of God in heaven.
"For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
I is for Israel who God chose to bring forth the promised saviour of the world.
"Of this man's seed hath God according to [his] promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:" Acts 13:23
S is for the salvation that Jesus offers to all who are willing to confess their sin, believe in Him, and confess their belief in Jesus with their mouth.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
T is for the empty tomb on Easter morning.
" He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you." Matthew 28:6,7
M is for the mercy God has shown the world by sending His only Son to suffer for our sins and bridge the gap between man and God.
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16
A is for our AWESOME GOD who loves us all unconditionally.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13
S is for the shining light that Jesus broughtto the world!
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12

http://www.homeschooled-kids.com/christinchristmas.html

Fall Festival at Rehoboth Ranch

2005-11-19T10:23:00.000-06:00

November 12th:

The Hutchins Family invited famlies over for a day FALL FUN! It was a great time to fellowship and "just have fun".

We will let the pictures tell the rest of the story! :o)

THREE, FOUR, and FIVE LEGGED RACES!

(Thanks to Amy Smith for the race photos)

Pie EATing Contest

2005-11-19T10:19:00.000-06:00

Each person had his or her own 4-inch slice of pie for this event. Each participant had to eat this slice of pie with their hands behind their back and as fast as they could. Things got pretty nasty, as you can imagine.

Guys Play... or should I say, WORK!

2005-11-19T10:00:00.000-06:00

Hauling feed bags in a relay race is what I call country fun and work at the same time!

"GO DAD!"

A team work effort.

Baking Contest and Chili cook-off

The Fall baking contest revealed some wonderful cooks we have in our church fellowship. We were able to enjoy everyone's breads, pies, chili, etc., for dinner after the judging took place. For the Chili Cook Off, Kayleen's chili came in 3rd place. It was quite delicious! We can post the recipe later :o)

The Magnificent Seven

2005-11-02T14:18:00.000-06:00

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me…” (Psalms 23:4)

In the year of 1918 during World War 1, a Finnish officer by the name Nordenberg led his troops in besieging an enemy town. When the town was finally overrun, many were taken as prisoners. Seven of the men were separated and were to be shot by a firing squad the following Monday.
On the dawning of the day of death, as they were being taken out to be shot, one of the seven began to sing “Safe in the Arms of Jesus.” Only weeks earlier, he had heard it from an officer in the Salvation Army. A new sense of peace and assurance flooded over them. The impression these men made on the Finnish officer that day was so deep that he received Jesus Christ as his Savior in the same hour! The courage and faith of these seven men will forever be a testimony of the greatness of God, and they will be called Faithful Men.

--Posted by Joleen

Joleen, the third blessing in the Waltman Family, has the desire to deepen her love for the Lord and for her family by serving. She enjoys working with animals, photography, music, being outdoors, and helping her younger siblings with school.

Races...

2005-10-17T19:18:00.000-05:00

Racing Partners: Brandon Waltman & Benjamin Aprile
Jedidiah Beeman and Mr. Eric Wesson

Mrs. Cecilia Money

The Hunter Canoe

Patrick and Aaron Money

Byron and Jonathan Fitzgerald

Stick Horse Rodeo

2005-10-17T18:57:00.000-05:00

The horse obeys his "Master" without sight

Benjamin had his horse saddled and ready to go!

Mitchell and Timothy Money ready for the rodeo

The cow milking race

Color Guard

Suzanne coming around the barrel

Living History Day!

2005-10-17T17:35:00.000-05:00

A day in History...

...wearing an Indian head dress,

...riding ponies,

...throwing tomahawks, and so much more!!!

Sermon on the Mount

2005-10-16T20:36:00.000-05:00

2005-10-16T20:28:00.000-05:00

Rapelling Wall

Byron

Dad

Brandon

2005-10-16T20:06:00.000-05:00

Learning from the horses (with Lew Sterret).

Camp food?!

Cowboy to Cowboy

Family Camp 2005

2005-10-16T20:02:00.000-05:00

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew22:37-40)

Family Camp 2005 hosted by the International ALERT Academy--What a joyous vacation for our whole family!!

Saturday, October 8th, started early in the morning as we prepared, packed the vehicles, and prepared our home for a week without us. We arrived in Big Sandy at noon and made our way to the camp grounds. We found the perfect spot and set up camp. Dr. Larry Guthrie shared his story of Gideon's Pot that evening. His story explained that our value is not made up of our beauty, abilities, intelligence, success, or accomplishments, but it is based on our usefulness to God and our value to Him!

Sunday morning and evening we enjoyed Dr. Guthrie teaching JosephÂs life and character and how Jesus is illustrated through him. Sunday afternoon, was full of relaxation and fellowship with believers!

Monday and Tuesday morning Lew Sterret taught from the Sermon on the Mount! We all enjoyed the practical applications he demonstrated through the training of his horses and how it applied to our relationship with others and the Lord. During the afternoons, the Dad, Byron, and Brandon took the challenge of rappelling down the new tower. As a family, we built our confidence with the Confidence Course or low-ropes course(it wasn’t so easy). The other activities consisted of archery, swimming, canoeing, fishing, and biking!

Wednesday was Living History Day- There was a general story that sold Dime candy, caramel apples, and served free sarsaparilla and lemonade. (yummy) The Daniel Boone cabin was quite the center of attention. Marshmallows seemed to fly from nowhere on this day. The tomahawk throwing was challenging, the chuck wagon stew was a treat, the pony ride for the youngsters was a thrill, the stream where we floated our homemade rafts was exciting, and, of course, just spending time with family and friends was the joy of all!

As you might know, Thursday was the Stick Horse Rodeo! All children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and friends love this event. See photos for details! That evening, Sermon on the Mount was opened to the public. Aunt Brenda and Uncle Eddie came for the sermon and for a camp fire get-together! What a joy that they were able to come and visit!

The Canoe Races on Friday has always been the highlight of the week for most families. Byron and Brandon participated in this year's race and did very well! This year seemed to be the record of canoe flips!!! For some reason, we all enjoyed that! (grin) The Finalie of the week was the McKim Families' musical and our camp fire sing-along with several campers.

Saturday consisted of packing up and cleaning up the camp-site. We said our goodbyes to our old and new camp friends and pray we will see them next year! The whole week was an enjoyable one deepening our love for the Lord and for others.

More Photos!

2005-10-03T07:39:00.000-05:00

A picture from Darleen's party!

A "High-high" for Bryce!

Note: You can view more pictures from our trip to the zoo by clicking the title of this post.

It's a Zoo Day!

2005-10-02T18:57:00.000-05:00

The Caldwell Zoo was a real treat for our family as we spent some quality fellowship time together. Everyone enjoyed all the different animals. We were able to see the otter diving for his meal, the alligator grinnin' his sharp teeth our way, the elephants eating banana boxes (the "keeper of the elephants" said they will eat anything from bricks to shovels to anything), and the giraffe sticking her long tongue out for the photo!

We spent Saturday afternoon exploring the zoo and, of course, taking photos. Following our trip to the zoo, we then came home to celebrate Darleen's 21st birthday. To hear Darleen's account on this, please visit http://www.darleensphotos.blogspot.com.

Hope you enjoy these picture!

Lend a Hand

2005-09-08T13:25:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, everyone, except Dad, was able to go help the Cooper family move into their new home they built! It was hard work, but we were glad to lend a hand/back. :o)

After our work was finished, we ate a wonderful meal Mrs. Lisa Cooper and Kayleen prepared, had some time of visiting, and, those who still had energy to spare, played a game of football and Frisbee.

Darleen and Gloria

Rosie and Bryce enjoying sometime together!

Part of our working crew: (left to right: Joy, Byron, Brandon, Joleen, Marshall, Colleen, Gloria, and David.)

Resting!! (Left to right: Marshall, Darleen, Gloria, and Kayleen... and Brandon minus his head.)

(Left to right: Byron, Joleen, Brandon, Colleen, Marshall, and Benjamin.)

At the Louisiana/Texas Border

2005-08-31T21:03:00.000-05:00

Our family tradition: to stop at the Louisiana/Texas border to get Louisiana's "cup of Joe!

Bryce was all smiles even with our five- hour-trip to Grandpa's.

Visit to Louisiana

2005-08-30T09:20:00.000-05:00

10 Things TO DO

2005-08-30T09:05:00.000-05:00

1. Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
2. Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.
3. Never spend your money before you have it.
4. Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap; it will be dear to you.
5. Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst, and cold.
6. We have never repented of having eaten too little.
7. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievement of the future.
8. Wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
9. Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
10. Be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit troubles. -Thomas Jefferson

Handsome Fella'

2005-08-18T21:04:00.000-05:00

FUN Time, and even more fun!

2005-08-13T14:36:00.000-05:00

When the Northern Waltman's came down from the Hoosier State, it became FUN Time at the Southern Waltman's Home. First off, being the faithful southerner's we are, we had to watch Gods and Generals and some other war movies. Since the ladies seemed to be getting left out, we watched Love comes Softly and Love's Enduring Promise!

We also did some other exciting things with the Northernmost part of our clan. John and Beth and Kim and Darrell went to the White Oak Buffet, a local all you can eat Catfish restaurant, to enjoy some of the famous East Texas cuisine.

John's lovely daughters could not get enough of our Go-Kart. Lauren, Allison, and Colleen rode and rode all day and into the night, just having a gay old time. Allison had a heavy foot. I wonder if she got that from her Mom or Dad.

Ian, John and Beth's firstborn, and Byron and Brandon really hit it off playing ball, swimming, and playing on the slip and slide.

Kayleen and Joleen kept busy by cooking and entertaining the lil kids. Darleen was not with us this week due to her being in an ICBC course at Big Sandy. She did, however, join us for some fun on Friday night before the Waltman's went back north on Saturday Morning.

We all had a wonderful time and hated that the week had to end. The Northern Waltmans are invited to visit anytime!

UNO Attack!!

2005-08-09T19:29:00.000-05:00

First night with cousins!!

Northern Waltmans :o)

2005-08-09T19:22:00.000-05:00

It was such a joy to have Uncle John & Aunt Beth, Ian, Lauren, and Allison with us last week... We'll write more of our exciting week later.

The Pyramid of the Waltman Cousins

2005-08-09T18:55:00.000-05:00

We had fun setting this shot up...
p.s. We are missing Bryce in this one. :o(

Kay's B-day

2005-07-27T19:26:00.000-05:00

My dear friend, and her loving smile.

When work needs to be done, she goes the extra mile.

A Godly example is my friend, that helps her run 'till the end.

She comes a helping hand to lend;

She "sews" my broken heart to mend.

To my dear friend, and her loving smile,

You have made it all worth while.

by Darleen, to my sister Kay

Hard Work!

2005-07-22T23:30:00.000-05:00

Home Improvement Tip of the Week:
Good Ol' Fashioned HARD WORK!

By the way, make sure to put toeboards if you're roofing a two-story house!

P.S. Dad and Byron have been re-roofing the house this past week!

Like Father, Like Son

2005-07-22T22:50:00.000-05:00

2005-07-22T22:40:00.000-05:00

Climbing up to the roof

2005-07-22T19:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, we know there are more photos on this blog than words.... Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words!

2005-07-22T18:55:00.000-05:00

The friendship of brothers!