Andrew Alpaugh Blast From the Past

Teen dating, courtship - your thoughts, plans, experience? On Facebook, when it comes to noting your relationship status, there's an option that says "It's complicated" That's how I feel when moms ask me to comment on Tripp's and my views on teenage dating and courtship. Ten years ago, it wasn't complicated. My answer as an evangelical homeschooling mom would have been swift and sure: courtship was the only way. Courtship as defined in the strictest homeschool sense - forbidding any special relationships with the opposite sex until our children were of marriageable age. I was convinced that by bringing our kids up with this ethic we could expect them to fulfill our vision of how things should be. Today I am more humble. My guess is that there are many moms out there just as convinced as I was 10 years ago that I could forge the blissful reality I planned for my kids. My guess is that most - no matter how many children they have - have not yet been b...

We didn't set out to make a night of inflatable bouncers but after Emily fell and hit her head on the ice and her friend Anna got a blister on her ankle after only about 5 minutes on the ice rink we decided to let them go play in the big room with all the inflatables. It worked out really well since it was something that Bryson could enjoy as well. Despite not having his nap today he had a blast. Emily was fine after just a few minutes but really scared us. Her and her friend Anna also had a great time. Click HERE to see the pictures!!

This is TOO cute! Right before we got to the pavilion, Bryson started nodding off to sleep and just couldn't keep those big blue eyes of his open. He didn't get his nap today!

I love to watch my baby sleeping. It's the sweetest thing. I snapped this a couple of nights ago after going in to check on him. What an angel..... at-least while he is sleeping! :o)

Andrew's words- Bryson potty training is about like us on a diet. LOL

The time has arrived! My how things have changed in the potty department since Emily and Tyler were little. Such cool potty chairs that play music and cheers when they go potty. Even though this particular potty didn't have the greatest reviews, (we always read reviews before purchasing) we decided on this one when Bryson's face lit up and he said "snowman" with a big grin on his face when he saw it. I guess to him it looked like a snowman! And oh such cute undies- just like daddy's. These were definitely not around when Tyler was little. I can't wait to see him in them. Well- we'll keep you posted on his progress. Wish us luck! This is one stubborn child!! :o)

You'll be rolling in the floor laughing by the end of this! Hilarious!!

This is Tyler dressed up as Abraham Lincoln 4 years ago for his famous American oral report. He also did a great job!

Our little Indian girl. Here are a few pictures of Emily dressed up as Sacajawea for her famous American oral report. She did an AWESOME job and we are very proud of her. We will also upload her speech to you tube and post it. You'll have to turn up the volume as she is "unusually" quiet (LOL) when speaking in front of people.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother...

May God have mercy on us if we do not stop this violence.

Red envelope campaign - send Obama an abortion reminder! March 31 is the day to mail your red envelopes. This symbolic protest is a good exercise to do with children - a concrete reminder that we need to "speak the truth to power" - a phrase The Left has loved to throw around, but now that we are the disenfranchised, is ours to use: Red Envelopes Represent Abortion Deaths 'Maybe it will change the heart of the president.' What began as one box of red envelopes has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon. Christ Otto has been involved in the pro-life movement for nearly 20 years. As the pro-abortion Barack Obama took office, Otto was rightly concerned and rightly praying about the situation. "I believe God gave me an interesting idea," he says. Enter the box of red envelopes. Otto, 37, wants Obama to receive hundreds, thousands, millions, of empty red envelopes, symbolizing the moral outrage of abortion. "I wish we could send 50 million red env...

Ha-Ha! Not really.

Thursday was our nephew Hunter's 6th Birthday. After picking him up from school on Friday I asked him what he wanted for his birthday and his reply was , "I don't know." Soooooooo, after walking around in Wal-Mart for probably about 20 to 30 minutes looking at toys, games etc. Mr. Frog was the big pick, and I mean BIG! :o) Happy 6th Birthday Hunter!

Pastor Page's message from today~ Click HERE if you would like to read.

The crowd says follow us. The Cross says follow ME. The crowd says rely on yourself. The Cross says rely on ME. The crowd says earn your worth. The Cross says I AM your worth. The crowd says bear your burdens. The Cross says nail them to ME. The crowd says be happy. The Cross says be HOLY. The crowd says if it feels good, do it. The Cross says for loves' sake ENDURE it. The crowd says honor yourself. The Cross says HUMBLE yourself. The crowd says do. The Cross says DONE. Too many times we get caught up in what the world tells us to do. We are constantly bombarded with words and images that drive us away from our eternal perspective. It's easy to ignore the soft whisper of Christ's words when the world is telling us to do what feels good or what feels right. The world tells us do, do, do. If the gospel of Jesus Christs were summed up to one word, it would be DONE. So what will it be The crowd...or The Cross?