Family Economics Conference: what a blessing!!!

As I think back on the Conference of last week, I am just overwhelmed by how much God blessed us every day with the inspiring messages, fellowship and all! 

I don't know about you other attendees, but our family is still happily talking about the Conference; sharing which sessions we went to, what we learned, who we talked with, etc etc!!!

I do remind everyone what was continuously in my mind throughout the last days of the Conference:

...For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:48)

May we put into practice the truths which we have learned!

 May we not only enjoy being with our wonderful friends, 

but may we grow from their godly examples! (a thought that has been impressing me for a while)

May our lives be lived for the glory of the LORD!!!

To help relive the memories.... 

(yes: memories can be relived only a week after the event! :))

Pictures! (taken by myself. Sam's pictures will come later!)

Kevin Swanson opening up the conference with a visionary message!

Mr. Botkin giving more inspirational words

Soon after the opening of the conference, what seemed to be all the ladies in attendance proceeded to attempt to fit into one very small room to hear sisters Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin talk about...brothers! I was very excited to hear this talk, and came away quite blessed. The Botkin sisters are very humble and sweet!

Standing room only! Dozens of ladies listening to Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin. I stood at the back, juggling my camera and notebook and pen.

Elizabeth and Anna Sofia Botkin 2013

beautiful! I love their regal style.

we like this shot....all the lovely locks with the Botkin ladies in the background

How delighted we were that the Brookshires with Noble Rose Press returned to this conference again! SUCH a sweet family! We're so glad we got to meet them last year and see them again this year.

I again enjoyed listening to Mr. Dan Ford share about...history! Specifically the mindset and vision of the founding fathers, versus that of the English king....anyway it was very very good, and I just delight in seeing original documents such as Mr. Ford shares with the audience!

Historian Dan Ford

Friends talking: Allison, +Abriana Price , Carise and Renee Litmann

Friends: Sarah Serven, Hannah Zes and Lydia

Tessa talking with my sister Nikola

Traditional aerial view of friends- I have to take at least one each year. :)

Josh Brabo and sister Bethany

Hannah 

Friends: Leah M, Meg and my sister Jessie

my sister Elodie sharing the benefits of make-up...at least for the Mona Lisa! 

friends Emily Rose, Breezy and Elizabeth Botkin talking

Lovely sisters!!!

Sisters! I was trying to copy Laura-Lise...but I see I was a couple of expressions late!

Laura-Lise and Marjolaine

my younger sister Jessie

my older sister Nikola

That evening was a fun time of dancing, this time with an International theme!

Micaiah Thomas, Josh Brabo, Marscel Thomas and Daniel Swanson talking before the Ball.

funny wee Katia (my youngest sister)

waiting for the ball to begin

before the ball: +Elizabeth McDevitt , +Michelle McDevitt, Hannah Valeu

The front of the room with our dance caller and some of his family....

Tim Jones talking with Matthew Thomas and Joel Suermann

                                                 Well...that's all for now, friends! 

I will be sharing more pictures...soon! :) Our family had a lot of fun looking through all the pictures we captured over those 4 1/2 splendid days! It will be good to share them with you other attendees and friends, as well as those of you who weren't able to come!

March Memories blog video!

I quickly did this video with what we filmed throughout March 2013! Enjoy! :) 

We love family videos; hope you do too.

Full version of dancing video here:

Our March 2013....Art Festival, parties, dancing, etc.

I have plenty to share about April 2013....PLENTY!!! (In case you hadn't heard, we were in Canada from the 10th-21st! It was WONDERFUL!)

HOWEVER, March longs to be posted about, and April is not yet prepared....so here goes! :)

 DO enjoy! We had such a pleasant March including the homeschool Art Festival we and some friends are in charge of setting up (we don't do the judging, I assure you as we all enter artwork!), the first family birthday of 2013, a fun party, painting of our dining room, etc! :) Here is a glimpse through pictures....

Each month I look back and I am amazed at God's goodness....His mercy...His lovingkindness.

James 1:17 ESV

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

The evening of the Art Festival: some of the sweetest siblings in the world!

My friend Sara and sister Nikola provide pleasant music for the Art Festival evening

+Bethany E, +Michelle McDevitt and friends talking about mutual and favourite friends. ;)

+Elizabeth McDevitt meeting a friend's new baby!
 So beautiful! It was hard to share such a bundle of sweetness; I can't believe I lasted the last couple years without holding an infant! 

Preciousness

The attendees. By the way, this is held annually at the Larimore House Plantation, only a couple minutes from our home!
Actually, in March, closer to the end of the month, I began working at this very location as a server for weddings! It's really fun. I haven't done it more than twice yet, but it's going well!

This year I entered two drawings which I had so much fun whipping up the couple evenings before the Art Festival!!! It had been a few years since I participated; I'm SO glad I did, although I just did it for fun- competing with my older (artist) sister Nikola! To my shock, I actually placed first above her....
As for the family's display of artwork, here goes: 

Laura-Lise's- age 10

My 10-year old sister's

By my 12-year old brother

By Elodie- age 14

By Elodie. Sorry this picture is a fuzzy one! The drawing is amazing.

And this is Elodie herself, some years ago! I had so much fun drawing from a photo taken when Elodie was 4.
This isn't my first place picture though.

Oh- here's Alexandre's other entry!

Drumroll.....Jessica, age 17 invented this out of her brilliant head! :) 

Jessica copied this off of a photograph

The photography entries, before they were judged. 

My 6-year old sister's entry

Here are both my entries. The one on the left was SO fun to do! Drawing from photographs that our family has snapped is my favourite. I can't believe how much I enjoyed doing these!
I'll share better closeups of these later.

The older levels of art and all the photography entries

My 19-year old brother's amazing entry

This is Sam's other entry, which won above his other one. We love both!

So, as always, the Art Festival was a great time with friends....here are some more pictures

And on I go to another event, which happens to be the monthly evening of dancing!!! Yay! :) This was another grand one...

Some of the boys talking during a break

Elodie, and Jessie with a friend

The afore-mentioned bundle of joy was again very popular!

Sam, looking....suspicious?

The '''Scottish'' (Gie Gordons) always looks lovely in pictures and videos! I enjoy watching it as well as dancing!

with +J. Andrew Wong 

After dancing, comes time for sports!

In the middle of March, came the first Belley birthday of the year! This is always exciting for us, since we have 3 long months of winter without birthdays! Now that we've begun, we have at least one birthday in every month besides April! :) Yay! For +Valerie Belley 's 27th birthday, we were in the middle of re-doing our dining room floor, but we temporarily fixed it up so that even we couldn't notice that! :) Here is how my amazing Mum and sisters decorated: (I was making food in the kitchen most of the time! :) )

SPRING BIRTHDAY! :) 

Isn't this idea ingenious? Flattened 'antique' spoons as placecards!
 I wish we were the ones to invent the idea....But at least we did it. 

The birthday table set-up....oooh! And a sneak-peak for you of our new walls! :)

I LOVE candles!

This, folks....is how we ate for the entire month of March while we re-did our dining room! It was fun...at first. :) And of course we enjoyed ourselves on the birthday!
note: large golden dog not mandatory.

 The same day as Valerie's birthday, we went to a wonderful party which some great friends hosted! What a good time we had! :) I wish I had more pictures....

My friend +Katelyn Whittington and her family-to-be playing a game

More friends and my brother playing one of our family's favourite game, Nerts! (oho! you should see us playing all at once on a tiny area....)

+J. Andrew Wong and more friends playing Monopoly

Mrs. Zes, Mrs. Wong and Kate Gamel talking

One of the best parts of the evening was playing Capture the flag outdoors....Of course I didn't take too many pictures. But it was fun. And I learned to never trust prisoners. They are tricky.

Valerie's birthday cake

An unusually WARM Sunday afternoon! We donned the most summer-y clothing currently available and soaked up sunshine while reading our Bibles and other good books together all afternoon.

Another event in March was the annual Ladies Tea which we Belley ladies always decorate for....
But the best part was playing on the playground after setting up, wasn't it Bailey? :) 

Tessa! 

Of course...I would like to complain to the district that their wonderful new playground is sadly lacking in things for humans above 3 feet to accomplish... I mean: they didn't even have a real bar to flip over! Undefeated, the Mazzou sought and found a suitable substitute....

Jessie looks on in disbelief....or perhaps admiration? :)
BTW, I don't think I'm that amazing. I wasn't a great distance from the ground.
 If it had been amazing, I don't think I would show pictures, but let another man praise me and not me myself. :) I'm not that proud. (said humbly)

Laura-Lise leaps off the flying saucer

Sisters and friends on the flying saucer!

Friends....Laura-Lise changed her tights before the Tea began, I assure you. :) 

Lovely!

This picture is crazy. :) Nikola and Sara on the flying saucer

We decorated for the Tea quite simply this year...but you can't go wrong with Violets!

There was an abundance of gentlemen servers! 

''Elodie, take my picture....like so!''
(how many times have I said that since I found that Elodie likes taking pictures?)

Yay! Another Victorian picture of meself to add to my collection! :)
After following the Thomases blog for a couple years, I have a desire to get and take such lovely artistic portraits as they take!

Do you like the first one, or this one better?

Friends listening

sweet sisters: +Hannah Ritter and Lailee

Back at our home...this is how we existed for the first part of the month! But then we took down this, our dining room table and had a little more room for...moving about!

Before the art festival: artwork and school.....

A sign of what was going on with our dining room! Such fun!
Nikola did most of the work....but we all helped!

See? I did help! :) 

Someday I promise I will post ''after'' pictures of our dining room!!! :) It was a brilliant project. I thought of the floor idea, and the walls just ''happened''....Do be patient! I have plenty of pictures to rummage through before posting about....APRIL and CANADA! :)