Happy Birthday, Joel Tom Tate!

ENY/NE Kid's Camp, Life is a Highway 2009

Elisabeth's group and counselors. The two girls (Kerrigan & Sophie) on either side of Elisabeth are both from our church.

This past week we have been at our district's Kid's Camp. Christine was the director this year, Joel a counselor, the girls were campers, and Obie was the camp mascot. Here are a few pictures of our family at camp. If you would like to look at more pics of our camp go to http://www.enynekidscamp.blogspot.com/ Altogether, we had 66 campers and 40 volunteers. There were several folks from our church who attended and volunteered. We had an amazing week and God was glorified!

Elisabeth and Obie. The girls in the background are part of Elisabeth's group. She was in one of the groups for the older girls. It was a bit weird having an "older camper."

Joel and Luke. Luke attends our church. We love him!

Christine cooling off on the water slide.

Joel and his campers.

Lucy, when she was princess for the day. She was in the youngest group (which consistent mainly of staff kids) and had a great time

Grace, playing handgames while waiting for snack.

Pirate Joel! He wore this gettup when he had dishwasher duty.

Elisabeth, clowning around on carnival day.

Joel & Obie waiting in line for snowcones.

The campers dressed their counselors up like clowns for carnival day.

To say Joel was a good sport is an understatement.

Pics from the photographer at the ordination.

Obie is asleep in the nursery.

I love this boy!

Haircuts

Grace's Birthday Party

Waiting to open up the gifts.

Everyone crowding on the couch to see what the birthday girl got.

Big man on a little stool.

It was an exciting thing that Uncle John could be there.

9 years old!

Obadiah fell asleep before we got out of Benson.

Uncle Job had to work and couldn't be at Grace's party but he gave her this snorkel-mask-flipper set for her birthday, a couple days later. She loves it!

This is our neighbor's pool.

Swerving Into Genius

The girls and I just watched a recent video from our favorite West African super group, Bisso na Bisso. The content of the video intrigued us enough to send us looking for the meaning of the words.
The following is just one of the many verses as translated from the French into English by a computer working for Google. I dare someone to reference this verse in a sermon with apparent sincerity (I'm looking at you, John)

The angels are on strike, my dreams become nightmares
A new brief from the front, the sap flows of evil, the end of the truce.
It's like a jungle in slalom between guns and came,
The man die because qu'Eve had a weakness for apples.
I looked up, and lift myself up to the heavens.
God bless my soul, preserve the blade of
Envious of drama and fire, it Crame, I rhyme,
Train between the crime and the tears, the flowers fade, faith bonus
Lino on mission for the lord.

John, if you do mention in a sermon that "As Bisso na Bisso says, the angels are on strike," you know what you'll receive? That's right. Faith bonus.


Joel Tom on mission for the Lord.