On Monday evenings during the summer, I (Greg) normally play in a church softball league and this year is no different. So before today’s game the church we worship with, decided that we as a church would have a church picnic before the teams played.

Well, a few days ago Merriann and I went to the mall to do our year eye exam. I finished my exam first so while Merriann was in her exam.  The littles and I decided that we would walk around to kill some time. There we discovered that a national sporting goods sport was going out of business. Let’s say the sales where at the 70 % level, so I decide to buy a few kites that were on sale.

So fast forward to today, I forgot the kites were in the back of the van, were I left them. So since we were at the park early and it was pretty windy day, what better time to pull them out.

Our other kids were running around all crazy but Charlotte was staying close so I thought I would snap a few pictures. Anyway I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as she enjoyed the kite.

Hey folks,

If anyone is still around it has been a while since we have put anything on our family blog but here is a quick up date….. We are still around and the family is getting bigger. We are now up to 6 Kids, Little Ella being the youngest.

We are doing well and just enjoying life as God gives..

Here are some new pictures from today. We went to our small town celebration called Everson Days…..

Hey all,

After watching a super hero movie, Oliver and I wanted to make a very short video together and here is it. We hope you enjoy.

This is a short video of footage taken from our trip to the Oregon Coast. I used video from my Gopro, Phantom Drone with a few shots with a canon camera.  With this short video I was practicing a new editing technique. Please let me know what you think of the video.  I hope you enjoy!

Hey Folks,

It have been a long time, since our last blog entry.  We have been quite busy this summer. Now with the end of summer it is time to get you guys all caught up and our adventures.  Our last trip of the summer was to Tillamook, Oregon.  It was a very fun trip. Here are a few of our favorite photos from our trip.

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I have been asked a few times, “Why do you blog?” and “How do you find the time?”  Well, friend…. Greg would tell you he just wanted us to try something new back in October 2007.  He wanted to try this blogging thing out, just to see what all the fuss was all about.  Plus we were already  following a few blogs like Little Earthling Blog, and The Pioneer Women in addition to some personal friends sites like Blessed By Five, Squaw Creek Ranch and many others.

We also thought it would be a great way to share with our families which are spread out all over the entire country and world for that fact.  So we started this blogging adventure.  At first yes, we were more dedicated to logging our adventures but as our family grew and other responsibilities also grew we have to admit we blogged less.  But when we decided we would do something like crazy like Remodel our Travel Trailer, or  Convert a Bus into a motorhome or other fun things we wanted to share what we learned with others and started blogging those adventures again.  Hey, we even found a name for our problem Binge Blogging.

I have to also admit we are trying to keep the most important thing the most important thing, and blogging was not even close to being the most important thing for us.  So we took some time off from blogging, to ensure that we were focusing on the right thing. So, in our time off we added a few links about what the main thing is (By the way, HINT… HINT… It’s Jesus Christ). But throughout the years we have continued to blog.  A little at a time, and enough to keep our family in distant lands somewhat up to date on what we are doing.

A few months ago we had something that has forever changed the way we look at our blog.  It was a complete and total break down of our computer system.  Our Laptop died and took with it our external hard drive with MOST of our pictures….. Pictures of our kids growing up, trips we had taken, pictures of friends that were no longer with us, etc.  And yes Greg being a old school computer nerd did have some backup (CDs) of the pictures, but the last copies he had where from back in 2008 when we he started working shift work again.  So all the pictures from May 2008 until November 2014 where gone, so it is safe to say that those were some sad days around the Thames home.

However we did have this little malnourished, little-used blog in which we had uploaded some of our favorite pictures to share with our family and friends.  And it was not lost.  What a true blessing!  So now for us the reason we blog is primarily still to share with our family and friends the comings and going-ons in the Thames home, and to share that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life but also to ensure that at least some of our most treasure memories are in the Internet Cloud for us to fall back on.

And the first month is almost over!  Well, I had high hopes of actually finishing our travels to Utah last year but I seem to have been sabotaged.  Our external hard drive decided to fail.  Yep, the external hard drive with ALL of our pictures stored.  Years of pictures.  I know, I know, “didn’t you back them up anywhere else?”  Nope.  So, after finally getting over it. I’m back.  We have been able to find some pictures that were stored in various other places but the bulk of them are gone.  If I find anymore I’ll be sure to do a little update.  If nothing else THIS will act as another backup.  (and yes, our storing methods are changing)   So, as I was sorting through pictures I came across these! See us way back there?  Back in the fall, my friend finally talked me into doing a cross fit inspired workout program with her.  6-weeks to fab.  I am happy to report that we actually finished the whole program!  This is a huge success in and of itself.  What’s better?  I feel so much better and I shrunk!  More than a whole pant size!  We liked it so much we have started it over this new year and even drug a few others with us.) 🙂 So, here’s a few more pictures of us running our first 5K.  (Thanks to Greg for the pictures!  He said it would have been weird for him to run with us but apparently following us on a bike to take pictures was totally normal)

I have often been asked why we choose to do a road trip with our kids. And since we are currently on one right now I thought I would share why. Since we are all sitting here.

I truly believe that we as parents are call by The God of the Universe, and his son Jesus the Christ to teach our children in all phases of their lives. And one of the way we have chosen to do so is to take our kids into the world to teach. I am not saying that you couldn’t do this from the comforts of your home, but I am saying that we have been blessed with the passion, time and money to do so and have seen this experience to be the best teacher for our kids.

Yes, there are hard times, like yesterday we were on a bus tour of zion national park when there was a flash flood warning for the park area and with a full bus load of people trying to escape the down pour and get back to their shelters. Our youngest, Charlotte started to scream almost uncontrollably. It was a very uncomfortable to say the least but our children got to show the love of Christ to the on lookers, as they gave us “that” look. It was pretty awesome to see. And they got to see water falls that are rarely seen in the park, since Utah is the 2nd driest state in the union. The rain bought a new way to look at Noah’s flood. When we could see these waterfalls and pools start from now where. When was the last time or the first time you got to see a waterfall start?

We also use our trips as a teaching tool for the rest of the year, drawing our little students minds back to a trip, hike, hardship, joys or triumph to teach a subject or concept. For example, this year Zoe is going to learn about power and wonder of water. So to see the rain shape the land in real time, I believe this trips memories will last a life time, and you can’t get that from your kitchen table.

So I would like to ask why not take your kids on a “homeschool” trip! Yes, it has a cost but the reward far out weights to it. So with a little planning anyone can do it.