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Hey Everybody! I've been pretty busy lately and I haven't really felt like blogging lately. Where to start... Since August I have been from Virginia to Tennessee (for the Assembly) then through Georgia to Florida (where I stayed with the Cox family for a good long while) then back to Georgia for 1 night and day (visiting Sis. Betsy's parents) then on to South Carolina for a few days then through North Carolina going back home and now I'm getting ready to head back through North Carolina to South Carolina to help my cousin out with her kids while she's in the hospital on bed rest with a high risk pregnancy. (Don't you love my really long run on sentences?) But first things first, back to the Assembly. The Assembly was wonderful. The Lord was there in a mighty way. I thoroughly enjoyed it. We had a good time in the Lord and a good time of fellowship too. You can't help but have a good time when you join together in worship or fellowship with God's people. It seems so sad to just leave such a wonderful Assembly and all those great stories with just that so I'll share two stories and then move on. One night during service Abby had a really wet diaper and she was fussing about it so I took her to the bathroom to change her diaper. I sat her on the changing table and put the diaper next to her. A lady comes in with a little boy and lays him down next to Abby. I'm struggling with Abby's bloomers trying to get them off and I kid you not the lady is talking away and proceeds to take Abby's diaper and put it on her son and walk away leaving me with no diaper. So I put Abby's old diaper back on her (she was not happy with that!) and go back in to our seats and get another diaper from Sister Betsy, go back to the bathroom and put it on her. It was during the healing service and when I went through the line I saw the lady and she came up to me and told me she was sorry. She said she didn't even think about it till she got back to her seat and was fixing her little boys pants when she realized that he wasn't wearing one of his diapers. Then she was like Oh no I took that lady's diaper! That was story number 1 story 2 is shorter and is a Tonya story. One evening after the Assembly Tonya, Steele, TJ, Sis. Gayle, and Bro. Tony invited Zach, Daniel, Micah, Bethany, Josh, Nate, Mike, John, Beau, and I to join them at Steak and Shake. Justin Lott and another guy from GA went also. So anyway Justin finds out that we are all staying at the same place and asks Tonya where it is. So Tonya looks right at the hotel turns around and looks at the Home Depot or whatever it is across the street and says right there and points at the Home Depot! She really did. Steele was like I don't remember picking you up from there, what do you do wait till after I leave and sneak over there? Everyone was laughing including Tonya. Anyway there were no tearful goodbyes this time at least not on my part. I went back to Florida with the Cox's and Beau went home with my family. I helped out with the kids and potty trained (to a certain extent) Abby. I had a good time with the kids. They had me wound around their little fingers. We survived the Tropical storm that came that direction without even a power outage. We all watched the Republican Convention and were really kept up with politics. So it was no surprise that some of the kids formed their own opinions about the presidential candidates. Noah was saying he wanted to vote for Obama and Caleb and Nathan straightened him out. Then a few days later we were talking about the presidential race when Caleb piped up and said I wouldn't ever vote for that Obama guy. Sis. Betsy wanting to hear his reasons asked him why not. He replied "because he wants to kill all the babies, and he wants to take away all the money from the soldiers, and this one is kind of funny but it's one of my main reasons, he said he wants to put lipstick on all the pigs and I don't think that would taste very good." How's that for a 10 year olds take on politics? He came up with that himself from listening to the news and debates. We went to the beach a couple of times while I was there one time with just all of us and one time with Danielle and Sis. Deel. We had a good time both times. We all got completely soaked both times. Josh, Nate, and I like to go out deeper in the water and jump the breakers. The kids like to go digging in the sand. Caleb found a little sea animal and brought it back to the house. Unfortunately, someone dumped the salt water out and put fresh water in there and the next morning the little thing was dead. Caleb was showing it to his dad and Ruthanne when Ruthie exclaimed, "Look it's a girl one cause it's got it's mouth open!" Bro. Jerry said, "that's right Ruthanne and look it's pointed toward the shopping mall too! t was pretty funny. Oh one night Noah w hatas moderating share time during the VLB service and Nathan played "Softly and Tenderly" on his lap steel when he finished Noah got up and said when I first heard that song I thought, "that's some good sleeping music." That got a real good laugh. One day we all went into Jacksonville to get some school stuff. We went to Sam's Club and got some pizza while we were there. Anyway, Sis. Betsy ran to the bathroom and I was sitting at a table with ruthie and Francie on either side of me and Abby on my lap. The boys were sitting at the table right next to us and Noah had just come over and asked me if we were going to get a drink. I told him yes look there's your dad getting them right now. Then he went back to his seat. As soon as he left this lady comes up behind me and leans over and says to me you have such a lovely family. I was stunned for a moment and before I could say anything she was gone. Josh came over and was laughing at me then he realized that she meant he was my son too and he didn't like it too much. Anyway I've been home almost a month now and Friday I will be heading back out. Youth retreat starts Friday evening and ends on Sunday afternoon. I will be leaving from youth retreat and heading down to Vanessa and Jacob's where I will be taking care of the kids and helping Vanessa out with the new baby.