StaddonFamily.com

posted by Donald on 01/15/10

As time goes by, the web site has grown into a kind of album. Since there were so many pictures from our trip that still didn’t make it into our posts we decided to devote one more post to pictures! We hope you will share in our joy both for what the Lord has done in our families and for the promise of what He has yet to do this year developing the character of Jesus Christ in us.

5 Comments » | posted in The Bright Side

posted by Daniel on 01/4/10

I don’t think our family has ever had a more exciting New Years celebration! Nearing the end of our Florida trip, December 31 found us at the Neely household – experienced hosts indeed! You should have been there. We fit everything you can think of into that all-too-short two-night stay: Dutch Blitz, Settlers of Catan, Kings and Peasants, Occupations, pruning trees, transplanting blueberries, jumping on the trampoline, singing and making music together, and taking the infamous ride down their front hill in the “Red Mule.” Even Duck Duck Goose! We also had a great time laughing around their dinner table, sharing life’s most embarrassing moments , and enjoying their constant supply of delectable food.

Perhaps the most memorable event of all was blowing up their gingerbread house. Wild? Maybe. But a blast none the less! The pyrotechnicians in the family had discovered that you could create quite an explosion by combining balls  of foil with a special cleaning agent in a plastic bottle. All we had to do was take the experiment one step farther – why not place the bottle inside the gingerbread house! (It was no longer edible anyway. Otherwise it probably would have met a different fate… ) I personally was rather skeptical, thinking it would probably give a little pop and roll over. No way! It shot gingerbread, icing, and candy over 10 feet away!

Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our visit. Thank you Neely Team for opening up your home and taking the time out of your full schedule to  encourage us with your gracious southern hospitality! You launched 2010 off to a thrilling beginning!

10 Comments » | posted in The Bright Side

posted by Daniel on 12/28/09

You know something’s wrong when everyone walking to the beach has their hands in their pockets wishing they had umbrellas. It was also a little disconcerting when we suddenly realized we were the only ones headed TO the beach – everyone else was going the opposite way! (We passed one lady wearing shorts, a  t-shirt, and a scarf!) But determined we were. Finally we got to the almost-vacant beach, only to find out a Nurse Shark (the kind that bite and suck) had been spotted just a few feet out from the shore! After a good laugh at ourselves, Dad suggested trying a different beach.

Later we saw how God was working it all out for good. Because we began swimming after it had started to sprinkle, we had the beach pretty much to ourselves. Then the sun came out, we had a blast riding the waves, and we were ready to head home just as all the crowds started pouring onto the  beach. And now we can all say we went swimming—on Christmas Day!

4 Comments » | posted in The Bright Side

posted by Jonathan on 12/14/09

What fun we had decorating this year! But one thing we are learning is that it isn’t the end of the world to break old traditions. Since we will be traveling to Florida for Christmas, there are many things we decided to do differently this year.

For instance, we usually we spread out our lights all over the house, inside and out. This year we decided to put all 2000 of them in the living room! Usually we go to Grandma and Grandpa Brannon’s for cookies and a gift exchange on Christmas Eve. This year we will be taking our gifts with us in the car! Usually we have family and friends visit us around Christmas. This year we will be visiting them!

But most importantly, usually we think that if we ever did it any differently it would lose a lot of the fun. This year we found out that isn’t true! The spirit of Christmas is not based on traditions! It is the relationships with God and others that make Christmas what it is. Circumstances may be different, but the historical facts and spiritual meaning behind the traditions still make Christmas (whether at our house or not) the best time of year!

Check back soon for the Christmas Cookie Contest!

3 Comments » | posted in The Bright Side

posted by Donald on 10/7/09

Over the past few weeks my Scripture memory has centered around Matthew 6:33, using the birds and the lilies as examples of God’s care for his creation and, much more, for us. Then came an opportunity one morning to “behold the fowls of the air” in our own yard. As busy as ever it took a good deal of twittering to get my attention. Two groups of birds, passing through the woods, merged for a brief time and created a birder’s paradise. It reminded me of mornings in Manassas where a good birding day was hard not to notice from our second-story kitchen window. If you’re a birder too you’ll know what I mean when I say that some days are just better than others. I hadn’t been birding in the fall often however and for warblers it can be a difficult time for identification. Nonetheless there was one new identification: the famous Blackburnian Warbler. Probably a male, it appeared as the female in the picture above, due to the season. Then today, not far from the porch, came the  sighting of Chipping Sparrows, back to West Virginia wintering grounds. They didn’t mind the cold a bit. Though more common than the warbler, it made for quite an encouraging sight and I’m thinking I’ll have to keep on the alert this autumn more than I have before.

3 Comments » | posted in The Bright Side