Halloween 09

Halloween evening we went to Jamie Huddleston's house, Trinity Church with Eric and Christy Allerkamp and kids, and then back to our neighborhood for door to door trick or treating. The Allerkamps, Northrups, Paynes, and Vaughts went around the block with us too!

Jones was a "fancy" pink princess, Georgia was a "plain-o" pink princess, and Annie was a "cute" princess!

New Toe Pics

Sea World Halloween Style

Jones and Georgia are intrigued with taking photos. Here is their work on me and the other sister. Thank goodness for digital cameras and delete buttons :) .

Fishing Partners

I spent a lot of time at the lake this week with a variety of fishing partners. Lots of people say they’d like to go fishing and I invite people to go with me all the time, but very few ever actually take me up on it. This post is not only an account of my fishing trips over the last week, but also of my fishing partners. They were a definitely a mixed bag.

I went to the lake by myself last Saturday, but found a few fishing partners after I got there. I put out a few jug lines and then went to the back of a creek. Just as I got my lines in the water a couple of guys who were camping nearby came to fish on the bank. Soon after they got there I hooked my first fish, a 3 lb channel cat. They were more exited than I was. Shortly after that I hooked another, and while I was getting that one in I hooked one on my other line. My audience on the bank was shouting encouragement and cheering me on. They were fishing the same water I was and weren’t catching anything, but one of the guys said, “I don’t care if I don’t catch anything all day. It’s just fun to sit here and watch someone catching something.” After an hour or so of fishing and visiting with those guys I was running low on shad and left to go check my jugs.
I had taken several fish off of the jug lines, and had found all but one of them. As I was looking around for the last one I noticed a bunch of kids across the way waving at me and pointing. I thought I had heard them whistling as I passed them earlier, but hadn’t paid them any attention. They were pointing to my missing jug which was by this time about 200 yards from where I thought it should be and was still on the move. I motored over to it and they cheered as they watched me pull in my biggest fish of the day. I went over and told them thanks for pointing it out to me and they told me how they had watched it from the time the fish bit and had followed its progress across the lake. (the picture in my previous post is from that day)
After church on Sunday, Dr. Lurry Leavelle, a retired gynecologist, asked me if the fish were biting. I said, “Yes, they are.” and asked if he wanted to go. He said “Yes, I do.” and we made plans to meet that afternoon. It was raining at the time, but the weatherman said that it was supposed to stop that afternoon. I got to the lake first and caught some bait and started fishing. I had already caught a couple of nice ones when Dr. Leavelle called and told me he was almost there so I went to pick him up at the ramp. We started fishing and it started raining. The fish stopped biting. The weatherman was wrong and it kept raining. We didn’t catch much of anything but a wet chill, but we had a good time.
Wednesday morning I took Jones to the lake with me. We didn’t catch anything but bait. Thursday I took Georgia. Another day of catching nothing. I’ve learned to call it “going to the lake” rather than “going fishing” when I take the girls with me. Helps me to keep a better attitude and enjoy the time with my kids. They like riding in the boat, eating snacks, watching for turtles, deer, and gators, but they really don’t care whether we catch anything or not. They just like spending time with their daddy and I like spending time with them.
Yesterday I got to go fishing solo. Just me and the radio talk show hosts. Rush Limbaugh , whether he’s aware of it or not, is one of my most frequent fishing partners. After two days of “going to the lake” and catching nothing I was glad to be out “fishing” by myself. A cold front had pushed through Thursday night and there was still a north wind blowing with temperatures in the upper 50’s. I went to a place I hadn’t fished in a while, but that I thought might be productive given the weather conditions. It was. I caught this big bluecat.

I didn’t have a scale but I’m sure it was over 20 lbs. I also caught several others that weren’t picture worthy, but will taste just fine.

My Husband Rocks*Balance

Justin and I are a good combo package. For the times I am irrational and explosive of female hormones, he is the stable, the grounded, the level headed guy. For the times he is insensitive and bold, I think I am the sensitive, softening, caring and emotional sided female. I have been known to occassionally be at the lake with him and he has occassionally been to the mall with me. Balance. It's a give and a take. We balance each other. We complement each other. I am glad we have each other to lean on throughout this life on earth. And it's a great thing that we balance our lives around Christ. I love you , Justin!

The Northrup house

Ordinarily when we are over at Kirsten's house, we keep all the doors closed and we (try to) visit in the kitchen while the kiddos play in M's bedroom or the living room.
But, Georgia can open doors... and if Jones isn't around to tell us what Georgia's up to, then...
... We just might find Georgia in heels, M. trying to get herself on the potty (while wearing a diaper) and Annie playing with bathtub crayons and soap.


We had also found Georgia "changing" M's diaper.
AND Annie can now open the doors in our house! She's getting so tall.

Good Times

Got to go fishing for a couple of hours this afternoon. Catfish were biting.

Thanks you MiMi.

The Gloryland Way

For as long as I can remember I have always loved songs that spoke of heaven in terms of crossing the Jordan and reaching the Canaan land. I remember W.A Turner, the patriarch of the family of the best singers in our church when I was a kid, leading the congregation in singing songs like “Just Over in the Gloryland”, “Home of the Soul”, and “The Paradise Valley.”

These songs were written by and are most popular with the generations who lived through the last days of Reconstruction, both World Wars, the Dust Bowl, and the Great Depression. Then they saw their kids and grandkids go off to Vietnam or to off the big city where they seemed to reject the way they were raised and the God of their fathers.
Songs like these weren’t written as direct praise to God, but they were songs written to encourage each other, to remind themselves that though this life is hard we have a new life in Jesus, and that when we cross over Jordan there won’t be any more valley of the shadow of death, but only those green pastures.

Some people (some TOTP readers) are glad that those songs have faded in popularity and are just gathering dust in the old songbooks. That’s fine. I understand that most people today can’t relate to them, that many aren’t “missional”, the music is too hillbilly, and that some of them are theologically flawed. I’m glad that churches are embracing new music and that folks like Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, and Mark Hall are writing relevant and singable songs of praise for the church of today.
But there are days in my life when I need those old songs and I often lean on them to get me through those days. They remind me of my heritage of faith and that the day may be difficult, but “I’m Camping Toward Canaan Land” “Where the Soul Never Dies” and “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow.”

Below is Ralph Stanley singing “Gloryland”. Give it a listen. I hope it encourages you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7yEb-yC4zY

My Husband Rocks Friday

Justin rocks this week because he loves God's scenery. He's an outdoors man. He is in his element when he is at the lake, when he's fishing, or hunting, or even just out in the garage or yard. I like how he uses what God has made for an opportunity for him to grow closer to God. I appreciate that Justin teaches the girls( by taking them with him) that God is not only in church or in our home, but that He truly is everywhere and all knowing. Thank you Justin for taking the time to renew yourself with God so that you will bless and lead our family to heaven. I love you.