Easter!

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

~Matthew 28:1-8

[bold mine]

He is risen indeed!!

:)

~~~

Our day in pictures...








then an extra one thrown in for good measure ;)

Tree Felling

On Saturday, unbeknownst to myself until the last minute, it was decided to take down our pine tree beside the house. The weather wasn't the best of help: rain was in the forecast, and, not only that, tornado watches as well...but, we did it anyway. :D So you can imagine the state we were in at the time. The tree leaned repeatedly toward the house, scaring everyone. Neighbors and friends watched the scene from across the street, and Mom fervently prayed for safety while she cooked our dinner. We tied around 3-4 ropes to the poor thing, hoping it wouldn't threaten the house anymore--though it didn't ease Mum's fears much. Ropes break. :P In fact, I found that out the hard way because I accelerated a leetle too much with the truck. Oh yes, we definitely had the truck helping. Without a truck the tree would have hit our house regardless of 3-4 ropes. (as a side note to give better perspective, the tree was around 55 feet tall)

So coming to the tree falling (with the help of our across-the-street-next-door neighbor). It must be noted that the ropes were tied to the truck. I was told to go ahead and start bringing the tree down. We all heard the distinctive sound of a tree falling: those certain cracking noises. And when I looked in my side mirror, and saw that tree falling, in my head I told myself: "AHHHHH!! THE TREE IS FALLING ON ME!!! I NEED TO GO!!!" Down went the accelerator, the speedometer thing went up suddenly, and I went flying into...our garage. Thankfully, though, Mom suggested that we take all the vehicles out, or else we might have ended up with a dent the size of Haley's comet in the back end of the van. Hehe, I could see something happening on Sunday along these lines,

"Good morning! Um, what happened to your van?!"
"The van? Oh, Ashton freaked out when the tree fell down and flew right into the garage with the truck."
"What?!"

Then later on when everything was cleared out of the way, around eleven or so feet of the tree was left of the trunk. So Dad cut around the base, hooked a rope around the top, and I played some bungee jumping between the tree and truck. If the tree didn't fall down, the truck came jolting back. Fun stuff... :D

Pictures, pictures, pictures...





And on Sunday, here's something we did at the Evans' house... :D

Gas Pricing

So here we were driving home from helping the Evans' with their remodeling, and a sign came into view for our local RoadRanger that stated the following:

Unleaded Gas:

$5.47

One word: wow. Of course, after the shock passed, we all just laughed because it had to be a typo...

...right?

Taggedness

I hath been tagged by Jessica to...

Tag rules: ...list two things people do that you like, and two things they do that you don't like. You may tag no more than five others:

That I do like:
1. When people have the ability to converse easily with others.
2. Those who don't protest to their picture being taken. ;-)

That I do not like:
1. The way people slouch down while driving, just to be "cool," per say--it drives me crazy. :P
2. Those who own or buy a Windows computer!! ...just kidding. :D

Hummm....now to tag.

1. Jake Turnbull
2. Melissa McDonald
3. Erin Lester
4. Dan Middleton

Kid Antics

The other day while Mom and the girls were grocery shopping, they came upon a young mother and her child. Now, the two of them were deciding whether or not to buy some meat (I believe chuck roast or something), so the child, a boy of 5-6 years of age, picked some up and held it in his hands. (he was the most adorable kid you've seen in your life! ~ Grace)

Mother: Would you like it?
Boy: (he just looked up at her)
Mother: Would you eat it?
Boy: (just looks up at her)
Mother: Do you want to try it?

And the boy proceeded to lick the packaging.

Mother: No no no...not now!

Liberty Day, etc.

The Post of Many Pictures


Mr. Erber

Bill Potter

Doug Phillips

the Erberauntey Singers singing Revolutionary Tea...awesome song, btw ;-)

the reenactment of the 2nd Virginia Convention



~~~

my sister Grace

Virginia Grace and my second sister, Naomi

I couldn't believe this pic when I saw it...5 of us Bandys in one picture! *everyone gasps*

third sister, Ruth

the men lining up for battle

then Abigail and I dancing :-D

We also enjoyed quite the snowstorm on the way home from Liberty Day: 3 inches of freezing rain and snow. However, the trip wasn't as extended compared to our St. Louis expedition--only about half an hour more than usual. (first St. Louis, next Chicago, after that... ???)

On schedule for this weekend--

another debate tourney! But this time in Louisville...and with two additional speeches: impromptu and persuasive. What is the subject for the persuasive, you might ask? Mac vs. Windows, in favor of the Macintosh (of course!). And after much deliberation, we finally decided upon where we're staying:

an unknown place.

(Background: torn between staying at a hotel and host housing [FREE!], we decided yesterday upon the latter option)

So begins another busy week for the Bandys...

Living on the Prairie, Part 2

Living on the Prairie

Well folks, the snow is here. It started up last night, around 9 o'clock or so, and has continued incessantly since then until about 10-15 minutes ago. The downfall began quickly, in fact, my brother and I thought that thunder or a snow plow sounded outside. In the morning, this is what it looked like in our backyard:



Yep, the white stuff. During the day, white-out conditions occured off and on and less than 5 vehicles passed our house. On the news this evening (one of those once-in-a-lifetime TV watchings we have), it was said that officials even quit plowing the county roads for reasons of receiving drifts as soon as they move on. Those are the roads we use to go anywhere. :-P Aye, we've got a blizzard on our hands. Dad and I had to stay home from our respective trips--his for work and mine for debate. There's 8 foot snow drifts near our area, and 2-4 foot drifts in our own yard. And while the snow stopped earlier for a brief time, 2-3 more inches are in the forecast.

Welcome to Illinois weather. :-D

Daily Dialogue

Two of our convos from today--gotta love Bandy conversations. ;-)

Emil calls me from the other room while I'm playing guitar...

"Shut the door!"
Me: "What?"
Him: "Please shut the door!"
Me: "What did you say?"
Him: "Shut the door!"
Me: "Shut what?"
Him: "The door!"
Me: "What about it?!"
Him: "Shut it!"
Me: "Oh! Ok..."

I couldn't hear him very well... *halo*

Then another one:

Grace shows Naomi the letter "p"...

Grace: "Naomi, what's that letter?"
Naomi: "But don't you know what it is?"
Grace: "Of course I do! I know all 24 letters of the alphabet!"

An iTunes Review

This thing was too good to be true...

Here's a review I found for the Polar Express soundtrack...apparently the movie is quite entertaining if you enjoy hot chocolate. ;-)

...entitled "HOT CHOCOLATE INDEED!"

"As a fancier of all hot beverages (specificly [sic] that delectibly delicious hot chocolate), My collegues and I went to our nearest cineplex to watch the moving picture of "The Polar Express" after hearing from those at the Hot Holiday Beverage Mususem [sic] of Hollywood, FL that there is a song (sung by the Academy Award Winning Tom Hanks) about hot chocolate! The $12 ticket was worth that one song! From this song, we really get a sense of how deliciously tempting, scrumptious, and tasty hot chocolate is! The song is sung at an energizing and fast pace, with the crew of the polar express singing a "milky" and "chocolatey" ;-) background melody to Tom Hanks' melodious and poingent voice. From the memorable lyrics (ere, we've only got one rule/Never ever let it cool!/Keep it cookin in the pot,/You've got-/Hot choc-o-lat!) the audience gets a real sense of just how excited the train is to recieve this milky warm treat! Hot chocolate is truely [sic] a song for Christmas and family. My...wife Mimi and I renewed our vows last november (11/12/05) to this "creamy" song. The hot chocolate community, as well as those who enjoy delectibly delicious hot beverages, would like to thank the makers of the box-office hit, "The Polar Express", for finally bringing the delights, tears, and happiness of hot chocolate to the big screen and "sippers" everywhere.
(P.S I saw the movie on an IMAX screen and , I must say, the hot chocolate looked large and scrumptious!!!)"

Nearing Twilight

A puddle gathered out on the road. Wind came from the south, creating ripples across its surface. Yesterday's rain secured many a puddle on the city's streets. Some considered that rain a torrential downpour, for not in a while had their locality received so much accumulation. A few people crossed the road, cars screeching to a stop. A mother and her son flew by, not wanting to be a nuisance. However, the son noticed the puddle and an image therein.

"Mommy, what's that thing?" he asked.

His mother stopped and peered at what her son had noticed. A man sat in a chair, hovering above the traffic. The wind increased in fury around them. Her head tilted up, looking for the object. Not finding anything, she looked back down. The chair rocked, and the man fell fast. She let out a scream, frantically looking around for someone injured. A man tripped on the sidewalk and fell as well. He glanced towards them, but turned away, seemingly uninterested in the matter.

Realizing cars around them were honking, the pair walked on. Clothes shopping was their goal for the day--school started in a week, and the young man lacked appropriate attire. They weaved in and out of separate stores along the road, buying the articles of clothing they needed. In the back of her mind, she thought someone followed them throughout the day, but searching proved to no avail. If a someone actually was following them, he wouldn't want to be found, anyway. So the pair walked on.

The time nearing sunset, they both decided a meal sounded great to top the day off. A restaurant located near where they were shopping was popular among the locals and greatly recommended by those of which they inquired. After being ushered in by a waitress, both took their seats and waited.

The Welcoming

The images shifted before his eyes. From the height at which he was situated, one could easily see for miles. But upon what he stood, he knew not. Looking down meant disappointment. His head swiveled back and forth--one landscape for a brief second, followed by another. In the far distance, water splashed against the sand, wave overlapping wave. To the right, people mulled about the streets of a village. A choice few ran to and fro from house to house. Beyond these instances his sight would not reach. His brain waves suddenly spiked, realizing the importance of this situation. The comfort of an easy chair slipped beneath him. His knees crooked, and he felt himself seated. Light descended upon the chair as the sun peeked out from behind a few hovering clouds. He blinked. The light disappeared. He moved a finger up, then back down. The water rose beyond the sand and crashed against land, creating numerous rivulets everywhere as it retreated back into the sea. His brow furrowed deep. Consternation etched across his face.

Slaves toiled in a field nearby. Noticing the sudden lack of light, someone looked up from below and called the attention of a few friends to the skies. More migrated to his position and stared into the heavens. They peered closely at the figure up above, attempting to figure out the situation. An elderly personage sitting upon the porch cried out a name. Some heard him, some didn't. They continued staring, as if waiting for something. But in the city, one other noticed the same thing as those in the field and instantly knew what was happening. Pain stabbed his heart, and he fell. Those standing alongside him saw his plight and rushed to aid him. However, he only pointed weakly toward the sky, then uttered a name. His cohorts looked, and all cried out in astonishment and rage.

The chair rocked to the side, and he plummeted towards the ground.

Debatering

Ahh, the tourney went great yesterday! My partner and I went 3-1 overall. (thank you Lord!) The first round was rather interesting: the neg team ran a counterplan. And in a novice debate, to boot. And for our very first round in an official debate tournament. Needless to say, Jared and I were quite caught off our guard, but thankfully we recovered quickly. Second round we ran up against a case that abolished Article V of the treaty, then the third and fourth (aff and neg, respectively, for us), the cases brought forth were practically the same thing: no more NATO expansion.

Our one loss? ...the counterplan round. So during the break, Zach Sanderson taught a few of us the basics of parametrics, and with visual effects! (go plastic bags and water bottle caps!)

And what tournament would be complete without pictures?


L-R: Jared, Amanda, Mrs. Turner, Katie


Zach, um, eating dinner


Jared and JulieAnne


Jonathan


Jordan...who also got 4th place speaker!


The Central Illinois Born Again Defenders (CIBAD)

Various Pictures...

...from church this past Sunday.


dp


Samuel Evans


The famed "Telephone Charade On-Lookers"


then of course two of the charaders...Jessica McDonald and Josiah Candler with Jessica doing....something....along the lines of a chicken, I believe

Ah yes, and a very inspirational post can be found here. Multi-generational thinking, no?

Points of Hereunto and Utterly Sensible Matters

This morning while browsing for a suitable secondary lens for my D50, I came across this one...a rather nice lens at an affordable price and it seemed like most current owners are satisfied with its abilities. However, "an affordable price" for some could mean "out of price range" for others. The latter example would be myself. I also have a habit of creating tons of tabs (multiple windows within a main window) within Safari. So...leaving the tab up for the lens, I moved on to other things.

(2 hours later...)

(minimizing windows is an awesome technique, by the way)

I went back to Safari, planning to do some more camera research. After going through different websites comparing prices, reading reviews, things like that, I decided to refresh the original page. The thing was almost 15 dollars cheaper!!

It's always nice to see stuff like that happen.

Hmmmm, pictures should be posted sometime, methinks.

Thou Preparest a Table

The camera flashed, just after everyone began singing. Another year had passed, making birthday parties inevitable. All who gathered were in a circle around him - tenors, sopranos, and some altos mixed in as well.

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you...

A blaze of nine candles lit before him waved to and fro, almost in a mesmerizing manner. The camera flashed again. The singing continued. But not all with the same fervor.

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you...

Then a voice whispered inside, "you have to make a wish!" A wish came before his thoughts, and he started. "Whoa...where'd that one come from?" He realized the singing had finished, and he mentally shook his head, coming back to reality.

A few puffs left his lips. The flames flickered, then were quenched.

Happy Birthday...

...to me. :-D

Go Tell It On the Mountain

The urge to tell everyone grew in him. He couldn't resist, the pressure was too strong. But the fifth commandment held him, reminding him of a request. Awhile back they made sure he wouldn't tell, he wouldn't reveal the secret. And if he did give in, the results could prove disastrous. Mayhem would reign, chaos would rule over all. Nothing would stop the river of gossip, nothing. A few were told over the course of one week, but just those who would keep their secret. Those people understood, though maybe a stray thought or two entered their minds as to why the decision was made. And this decision was like no other decision the family had made in many years. Only one other time could the young man remember a decision of this magnitude impacting his family so much. But, on the surface, the daily routine ran on, just like any other day, albeit preparing for a public announcement. Little things here and there, making a phone call or scheduling a meeting.

The clock ticked away the days, the hours, the minutes until the time came when it would be shown to the world.

An unknown time, however.

No one knew, only Him. Not even their friends and family, not even the children, not even the parents.

Only Him.

He Restoreth My Soul

He scribbled down his thoughts on a piece of paper, attempting to sorting them out. The confused rabble permeated his mind - it needed an outlet. Then a soothing spirit washed over him, bringing comfort in this time of need. Suddenly his thoughts mattered no longer.

When peace like a river
Attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot,
Thou hast taught me to say

It is well
It is well
With my soul.

He laid his burden before the Savior, leaving it to His care, knowing that whatever might be done...

The situation was in His hands.

Broken and poured out
For the love of His creation,
God paid a debt
That He didn't owe.
Bearing my pain,
When not one was His equal
And wearing my shame
So that I could know Him.

He gave us all
He had to give
So that we could truly live

So let's give all
We have to Him
So that we can be

Completely free.

~ Completey Free by Big Daddy Weave

Another Year Passed

Happy New Year!! 2007 is upon us.

Or at least in 8 minutes, CST... ;-) Make that...7 minutes. Ah, nevermind, 6 minutes...

Hum dee dum.

5.

(might as well wait it out)

Four.

*looks up the Spanish spelling for three*

...

Trois? Hmmm...anyways.

2.

One.

30 seconds...

15 seconds.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!