A Camp Out and the Shut Ins

October 10, 2015 - We went on a camping trip with friends over the weekend, and after a great evening spent talking and singing around the campfire, we woke up the next morning.  

Well, actually I'm not sure if I ever woke up, but that's beside the point.

Wow, look at these three happy people!  Looks like they slept well.

After some breakfast and talk around the campfire we headed to Johnson Shut Ins:

So, what is a "shut in?" 

I'm so glad that you asked.

shut-in

The term "shut-in" refers to a place where the river's breadth is limited by hard rock that is resistant to erosion. In these shut-ins, the river cascades in many rivulets over and around igneous rocks worn smooth over time.

Thanks, wikipedia.

I always want to make sure that you learn something from these blog posts. 

From the meaning of "spurious" to why people would want to wear a kilt to the difference between inertia and centrifugal force, you're mental horizons will always be challenged to broaden here at GTC. ;)

Okay, you know what a shut-in is, and I'll shut-↑ and we'll continue...

Where's Waldo?

(it may be easier to find him in the full size image)

Those days went you get stuck between a rock and a hard place

Those are some pretty epic surroundings

Ah, so Matthew's pointing again

These little guys were quite the climbers - you really don't want to know how high up this rock was!

Trudging back to the car sopping wet

Shh...I totally stole this group photo from the Niednagels

New Year's Ball

January 2, 2015 -  I can’t believe that 2015 is finally here!  What better way to inaugurate this year’s blog posts than photos from the New Year’s Ball?
A quick word about 2014:
2014 has come and gone and the year brought forth a lot of change and growth within the dynamics of our family.  God has been incredibly gracious to us this year.  I was so thankful that we were able to able to celebrate and bring in the new year together.  That said, I am very excited to see where the Lord leads us in 2015 as we continue to grow and mature!
Okay, I could go on and on reflecting over the past year, but let’s get this party started!  It’s time to celebrate the new year with one of the biggest social events of the season…the New Year’s Ball!

I always have to throw in some still-life shots. ;)

This enchanting passageway led to the beautifully decorated dancing floor:

I always love the sense of “space” that lights strung overhead create and how their dim light adds to the ambience of the room.

This one photo captures the many forms of socialization that occurs at these dances.

Little gatherings of people engaged in conversation, hugs with friends, and photos being taken – in my case, while standing on a chair.

Larissa, Emma, Daniele

Sara, Brittany, Marjo

(Same as above + Larissa’s outstretched hand)

Marscel and I

The Regency outfits were absolutely stunning!

Josiah and I

Alexa

Alexa and Meghan

Micah & Larissa

Danielle and Mr. Martin

Hannah, Melanie, Rebecca, Sarah, Mrs. Thomas

DANCING

“There were more Dancers than the Room could conveniently hold, which is enough to constitute a good Ball at any time.” – Jane Austen, 1799

We danced many of the favorites from the Regency time period

Watching a dance demonstration

The evening ended with an encore dance, “The Scottish Polka.”

Driving home

Belleville’s decorated main street looks like it came from a story book

Thank you for your continued interest in our family and our blog over the past year – I look forward to sharing future posts in the coming year!
– Andrew Wong