Connor just returned from his last ever Boy Scout trip last evening. Because he'll turn eighteen next month, he'll age out of enrollment for the program. While it's bittersweet, I'm very glad for his opportunity to participate in many adventures and volunteer efforts. It's been a rewarding experience.

This last week, Connor and his troop camped out at the Buffalo Trails Scout Resort in Midland, Texas. It's about twelve hours away from home. While there, he earned Merit Badges for Repelling, Archery, Mile Swim and Basketry. He also performed a service project with other Scouts and welded an iron enclosure for their recyclable paper products. Here are some photos from the week. Enjoy!!

Group Photo

Overview of Camp Site

Tents

More Tents

A camp site only a boy could love....!

85ft mountain .... you can see Scouts above and below preparing to repel

Connor beginning his descent

Connor repelling face first....!  Probally something I would have done,
but I'm still glad I was not there to watch!!!

Scout Service Project

They welded this structure from steel and built the gate too.

The Camp Site will use it to hold their recyclable material.

Connor's Basket ... upside down in this photo, but still cool!

We're in the process of transforming our garage into an art studio. Yay! One step in making the plan a reality has been to create some storage space for our regular 'garage type stuff', and I enlisted Connor along with his best friend, Jimmy, to do the job. I gave them a loose idea of what I wanted, and how I wanted to use the units. Here's a quick video of what they did. I'm so proud!

The cabinet on the far left is a bit shorter in this clip, because they had not yet added the caster wheels I asked for. They're on now, and that particular shelf is even with the others and home to my Miter saw.  It houses other types of saws below too. It can roll freely and be locked in to place.  At one point, Jimmy locked it into place across from one of the other shelving units to create a type of sawhorse. Loved that idea!! Very cool.  There is also one other cabinet on the far right, more of a large bin, which holds/hides a lot of our lawn equipment.

I hadn't seen their progress in the garage for a little while before they finished.  So, when Connor came to get me for the 'big reveal' he said it was like an episode of 'Extreme Makeover - Home Edition'.  There's no doubt that I was every bit excited as someone from their show.  Way too much fun!!!

Their work has enabled me to get this space highly organized, and create more of a studio/classroom environment.  I have a pottery wheel and kiln which we'll get back into action soon too!  And, when we're not using the ping-pong table for ping-pong, it doubles for a great art table.  Perfect!

Thank you so much guys!!  Love you both.  ;-)

Happy New Year ...!

I hope you all are doing wonderfully, and greatly blessed.  I want to thank everyone SO MUCH for praying for my family and me over the last two months, especially.  We went through, and are still overcoming, a very difficult period of family woes ... mostly due to our blended bunch.  But, through prayer, YOUR prayers, we are seeing the victory in Christ.  And, I can't help but profusely thank you for pouring into our lives in such a great and mighty way.  Thank you, truly, for your time and commitment to bring us before the Throne of Glory.  We are grateful.

I wanted to share a few things with you.  One of which is this amazing book that I'm currently reading entitled, Do Hard Things, by Alex and Brett Harris.  It is a wonderful read, and while specifically aimed at teenagers, I can't think of any people group who would not benefit from this duo's godly wisdom.  As the title suggests, it's about doing hard things, turning our mindsets and heart sets to God, and fully surrendering to the difficult but rewarding things He'd have us do.   One of the things they write about is the Myth of Adolescence, in which they discuss the fact that there is no biblical reference to teenagers.  You are either a child or an adult.  God has given us a natural desire to transition from youth to adult, without teenage pause, to accomplish great things in His name.  It wasn't until the early 1900's that teenagers were even invented, and thus ushering in generations of 'kidults' who dream big, but have either too few skills or too little ambition to accomplish big things.  I too, unfortunately, can see myself in these pages ... rising to low expectations and then never soaring beyond.  I fully intend to break through this barrier, and to never allow such a foothold to exist in my own children's lives.  I can't encourage you enough to check this book out.  You'll be enlightened, encouraged, and changed for the better!

Also, I recently came across this site: YouVersion.com.  It's a site dedicated to reading through the Bible in a set amount of time.  You can choose to read cover to cover, chronologically, biographically or with a set purpose in mind, such as outreach.  There are support systems, accountability groups, and tracking tools to measure your progress.  Sam and I have committed to a 90 day reading plan.  I'm currently on Day Six and have read 6.7% in cover-to-cover order.  Already, I feel my spirit being renewed and am thankful for God's washing my mind with His Word.  I can think of no better way to spend my time!

Hoping you'll give it a go!  ;-)

Our friends, David and Tina Chapek, gave our family this calendar.  Elijah took hold of it and scheduled play dates for himself with his brother and several of his friends.  Check this out!  Is this not the cutest thing ever?  Another keeper, for sure.  ;-)

Thank you guys!!

Connor's Christmas - 2009 from Monica Chadwell on Vimeo.

Though Christmas is still four days away we celebrated a bit early at the Chadwell House to present Connor with an early, and very special, Christmas present!  He left for Missouri this afternoon to spend the holiday with his grandparents, on his Daddy's side.  It's hard to believe that his Daddy passed away almost five years ago.  That being the case, I know that they especially savor these special moments with his only son.

I hope you'll enjoy sharing this sweet memory with us.  ;-)

Elijah just drew his picture of Jesus on the cross.  He did this all on his own and out of the blue.

It makes my heart sing that our Savior is on his mind during this Christmas season.  We talked about his art afterward, and he said he drew Jesus because he IS the reason for this Christmas holiday.  I don't know how to articulate the joy this brings me.  Knowing that my children are walking in the truth is incomparable to any other happiness.  Bliss!!

Elijah drew this for me today.  It is SO cute, and such a keeper.  This one is going in a frame!!!  It's a portrait of he and I.  He's in blue, and I'm in pink ... with blue cowboy pants.  Go figure, on that one!  I have never owned a set of cowboy pants, but his imagination blessed me beyond words.  I love my sweet boy!