Wednesday, October 24, 2007

The wall is finished! And by now even the scaffolding and the wheelbarrow are out of the way. The screens are in the windows and the door is locked. Exciting! As no one comments on my wall update posts, I assume no one is interested, but this will be the last wall post for a while. At least until we begin painting. Donations are now being accepted, so if you would like to give just leave a comment on here with your credit card number. Of course it's secure.... do you think I'm a crook?

We are doing a stay-awake-a-thon next month, after we get back from Florida (educator's convention). If you've never done a stay-awake-a-thon, you should think about it. It's an easy way to raise a lot of money. They've never done one down here, so hopefully it will be a huge success and millions of dollars will be raised.

I'm rambling so I will now stop. I think my medicine is catching up to me... or perhaps the lack thereof.

Blessings,
Adam

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Here is Brady. This shot was taken through his classroom window, thus the haziness. He is a junior high student, so he suffers daily under the tutelage of my mother. He is taking some sort of a test on the computer... I was walking by the classroom and saw him so I took the chance to get a pic. Brady is great - all the way around. He's a lot of fun to be around and is extremely bright. Any of you who come down here will have to get to know him.

Last night at Plugged In (our Wednesday night youth Bible study), the topic was Jesus as Servant. We thought of ways we could serve using things such as a vacuum cleaner, windex, paper towels, etc. They were eager to voice ideas... but then I put all of the ideas in a basket and each row of students pulled one idea out. It was then time to complete the act of service - in the high school classroom and in the computer room. Brady was by far the most vocal participant. He vehemently (with a big grin on his face) refused to help, as his row pulled vacuuming. After some coercing, he ended up vacuuming for all of 2 minutes. It was great!

Here is a picture of the wall of the new youth building. They got the windows installed yesterday, and are finishing up around the windows today. I'm not sure what all they're planning on doing today, but hopefully the job will be done by the weekend. Or at least by next week. I thought it was interesting to view the method of putting in windows. I don't know much about this type of thing... I've replaced windows but have never built a concrete wall and then fixed the openings to fit windows. It's quite a process... it took them all day yesterday to get the windows in and they are still working around the windows on the inside today.

Anyways, I just found these things interesting. By the way, the board across the top of the window will be taken off, and the hole inbetween the windows is for the 13,800btu air conditioner (thank the Lord!). God is good.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Another baby...soon!

This is my older sister, Stephanie (just incase you didn't know...). She is 8 years older than I am, is married and has 3 children and one that will be here very soon. Nathaniel Ryan was born November 19, 1999. He has strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes. He is a great kid. He is in 3rd grade this year. Evan Matthew was born January 23, 2001. He has brown hair and brown eyes. This year he is in 1st grade. Both boys seem to be doing very well with their grades...Uncle Adam promised $1 for every 100% on tests. :) Kaitlynn Ann was born on March 15, 2004. She is getting so big and I'm sure has become a great help to her mother this year! Baby #4 is due on November 20. Stephanie is currently 35 weeks along. We are all very excited about the coming of this child! What in the world will it look like?? What color of eyes and hair will it have?? All 3 mentioned above have different color hair and eyes, so it make me curious to see what this one will look like! I guess I am just an anxious aunt, anxiously awating the birth of yet another Burley baby!!! Congratulations, Stephanie, Greg and kids. We love you all.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Hello, our faithful readers. I have no real reason to post, except that we haven't posted in a week. I don't want any of you to get bored or disinterested in our blog, so I will post about nothing in particular.

This week has been, as usual, a crazy week. Things are busy, and I can't believe we are already in week 9 and are half-way through October! Unbelievable...

Bro. & Sis. Case are returning to the island this week, Friday I believe. They have been through so much these past two weeks... I am looking forward to their return, but realize that they are coming back changed people. Life does that to us sometimes, doesn't it? In an instant, we as people can change. We are the product of our experiences, and when we experience something life-altering such as this, it changes who we are. Please pray much for them and the extended family as they pick up and carry on living the lives to which God has called them. Their ministry at this church and school has been incredible over the years, and I know that God is not yet finished with them here.

The new youth building is almost ready to begin moving into, with the wall almost finished. It appears that the guys will finish it today (this coming from my completely untrained eye). After some wham-bam fundraisers, hopefully it will be a sweet place to gather together. I will definitely post pics as the progress progresses.

Until next time...

Blessings on you,
Adam

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

What A Difference A Year Makes...






Always room for one more?



Must be a preacher thing... :)

Pics of my dear Kaitlynn Ann



Notice she's wearing one of her brother's boots...backwards!

This is no doubt my favorite picture of Evan and Kaitlynn. I have it in a frame on my bookcase in my living room!

Playing "ppbbbtttt" with mama

There...I think that's just perfect! I'm such a decorator. :)

More of Katie Sue.... :)

Notice the frown...she didn't want me to go home...this was last fall...

I love this picture...so innocent!

Making the face that Uncle Adam taught her...

Don't you just love the little wisp of hair in the back?!

More of 'that' face...this was actually right when she was learning it!

Two of my favorite girls!

I just got this pic today from Stephanie's cell phone. I love it! Notice Kaitlynn's sweater...I bought it for her last year when we were at JCPenney outlet in Columbus during Teacher's Convention. When Stephanie first got it out for her to wear, she said, "I don't want to wear it. It is a granny sweater." She wore it anyway (to school) and once all of us told her it was cute she must have felt better. :)

The new wall!

Our wall destruction/construction began yesterday! Thanks to Bro. Helbert, these two guys pictured arrived around 7:15 yesterday morning to begin removing the old wall. By the end of the day, they had the old wall completely removed. Today they are beginning to build the new wall. I will post pics as soon as I get them. This is the new youth building - once the wall is up we will move in and have a place all of our own.
You can keep up with the youth group more closely here: http://whchighvoltage.com/
Blessings,
Adam

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Down Memories Lane #2


Remember this - mom and Steph???

Fun times at the park.

Down Memories Lane...

Awww...so little and such long hair!

Oh so sweet :)



This isn't a good pic of any of us, but I love everyone's individual looks! Especially Kaitlynn... :)



Evan a few years ago...





This is such a good picture of Ryan...I love the bright colors!




Promised pics of my classroom

Math Builder & Readmaster

Yes, during the day my desk is usually this messy...too many papers for that small place! I really love it though.

Maybe I should stop taking pictures and.....:)

Hangin' out in the cafeteria waiting on rides home...

More promised pictures of my classroom...






Iguana...

Kaleb (see below) and I were walking home after school one day when he looked over and saw this iguana. We stopped and I took some pictures...notice how long that tail is... These are the animals that you see down here as often as you see squirrels in the states...

ABCDEFG...

This is Kaleb. I started tutoring him last Monday. He is a very sweet young guy that is in Reading Center (Kindergarten) this year.

More pics of LCA

Camera shy Nyssa...yeah right!

Alison memorizing her Scripture

Nicholas, Alison, Abigail and Nyssa

Briela, Jabari, Rachel and Sky

Wednesday Night Youth

This past Wednesday night, we had youth at our house. Adam needed to have dirty dishes for an object lesson he was going to use along with his little message, so he thought I could make cookies and we could have it there. We did, and it was a very nice time. Here are some pictures.

Yes, you are seeing correctly...Jamesette is putting ketchup on her oatmeal raisin cookie.


Part of the object lesson...

Some of the cookies...I baked from the time I got home from school around 3:00 until 7:15 I think it was. I made somewhere around 90 cookies. Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter. They are still yummy!

Adam sharing...

2 of our youth...Jeffrey and Jamesette