Possum and New Cello

A few interesting things have happened in the past week.

Over the past year (probably closer to two), we have banished our cat Pooky from the house because he kept spraying inside (despite being neutered). So, on a table on the front porch we have two beds (one is covered and is used more in cold weather), a bowl of water, and a bowl of food set out for him. Sometimes intruders have proceeded to steal Pooky's food, and last week we had a nighttime visitor do it. Mom and I were watching something on netflix when, for some reason, we looked out on the front porch. Pooky was sitting in his bed, and a nasty-looking possum was eating from his food bowl. The possum really seemed to be enjoying the food, and Mom and I watched with interest (and laughter) as we saw him picking up food with his paws and eating it almost like a human would. And the whole time, Pooky was sitting there with a look of "what is this thing doing on my table? Owners, get him out of here." The possum licked the bowl clean and then proceeded to walk around the table in an attempt to find a way down (which caused Pooky to hiss at him, so the beast did not move his way again). The possum eventually found his way down, and we cleaned out Pooky's bowls and filled them for him again. It was a rather humorous incident.

Today, Mandy got a new cello. She discovered that her current one (sometimes known as "Jasper") was not of very good quality and went to her music store for an upgrade. With her cello teacher's approval, Mandy now has a performance cello. It was a beautiful instrument, and it is very loud and has a good sound in comparison to "Jasper." Mandy has been completely stoked (maybe ecstatic is a better word) all day, and she spent over an hour playing various hymns on her new instrument, which sounds amazing.

Preparations for the wedding are still going on. All of the bridesmaids and groomsmen have agreed to be part of the party, and all of the little cousins have been asked to join us. We have visited a potential location for the wedding and reception, but we are also formulating plans for other locations, one of which will require quite a bit of logistical planning but may be worth it than choosing another location. At the moment, a bridesmaid dress has been picked out, but we are waiting on one of the maids of honor (Bethany G) to order it so Mandy can decide if she likes the color or not and to figure out what the groomsmen will wear. We have decided that the wedding will be on a Friday night (for various factors), and at the moment it looks like the wedding will be towards the end of September (because of the availability of two of the musicians). Slowly but surely, we are getting a better idea of what this wedding will look like.

Yes!

Big, big news on the Cunningham front. Lord willing, we will be having a wedding coming up later this year! Ben took Mandy out to dinner last week for her birthday, and he proposed. She said "yes," and so now we have the first Cunningham grandchild who is engaged.

For now, we are aiming for the wedding to take place sometime in September (though it could be earlier, depending on several different factors). At the moment, we are getting advice about planning and deciding on a few details. Like the colors; Mandy is deciding what her bridesmaids and the groomsmen will wear. Or the location of the wedding and the reception afterwards (we're aiming for two different locations, but it depends on other factors that will hopefully be solidified sometime next week). Mandy is also trying to get all her cousins to play some part in the wedding (except for the baby coming in June), and we will soon know for certain how many will be involved.

It is a very exciting time for us, especially for Mandy and Ben. We have enjoyed watching their relationship blossom, and they have been an encouragement to me as I watch their various interactions. We look forward to this next upcoming stage of their relationship, and we pray that it would be pleasing to the Lord.

Of Music

A few notes on the musical front (pun not intended) and a glimpse into crazy Georgia weather.

First, Seth's double bass is on its way to becoming a permanent addition to the church musicians' section. A few Sundays ago, Seth had his audition to see if he could join the musicians on Sunday night (Sunday nights are usually when some of the newer, younger musicians play so they can get used to playing with the more experienced musicians and in front of a crowd). He passed, and so last week he joined the musicians on Sunday night. He and Mandy played bass together, and, my, it sounded beautiful. That double bass is a loud, deep instrument, and we could hear Seth very clearly on the songs that he was able to play (he can't do songs with a lot of sharps or flats yet, and Mandy herself is learning to do that). Seth got many compliments afterwards, and we are very proud of him.

Second, Mandy is now something of a cello teacher. A few weeks ago, she began teaching a boy from our church who has been interested in the instrument. Mandy is enjoying teaching him, and her pupil is enjoying the lessons; apparently, he plays his cello all the time, which reminds us of Mandy when she first started out.

Georgia weather is rather bizarre, especially in the wintertime. This winter has been colder than last year, which will be good for the bugs, but we still have a few days where we don't need jackets and where we can wear sandals. Yesterday, we had our first big storm of the year. There was concern that we would get tornadoes and strong, damaging winds, but most of that was further north; God was good to our friends and acquaintances who were in the direct path of the storm. Thankfully, we only got some large downpours and some strong winds, and now today is bright and sunny, like it wasn't storming yesterday.

December

It's been a busy December for us. We've spent it baking cookies, doing Christmas shopping, and celebrating Christmas in a few different ways.

Our first real "Christmas" celebration was about two weeks before Christmas. One of the leading musicians at church had suggested a private Christmas music recital, and Mandy, of course, was invited to participate for a few different songs. About a week or so beforehand, it was suggested that Seth join in for a song at least, so he and Mandy spent some time practicing via duets. It was Seth's first public performance, and people loved it; several people asked when he will be joining the rest of the musicians on Sunday morning, but that won't happen for a while yet. Mandy also did very well on the pieces she did with the others. You can find a few of the videos on my facebook page.

On the Saturday before Christmas, we had our annual family get-together with Grandpa Mike. Our group was smaller this year because several members of Uncle Josh's family were sick. We enjoyed some lunch and talked. Mom and I had to leave early because we had to clean the church, but Dad, Seth, Mandy, and Ben stayed for a few more hours.

On Christmas Eve, we got together with Grandma Linda. Again, some of Uncle Josh's family was not present, though a few members did come. We enjoyed some dinner and then opened gifts. Then we played a new game, where you had to think of a word and then get people to guess what word it is based on what it rhymes with; some of the younger cousins proved to be very smart at this game. Afterwards, we drove home in a rather dense fog and, as is our Christmas Eve tradition, we were allowed to open one gift. Then we (which included Ben) sat down and watched a movie.

As is Mandy's tendency, she woke me up at 8:30 to open presents. Ben also came over, and there were gifts for him as well. We all got new clothes (my favorite are the various scarfs I got and also my arm warmers), and I also got three books (two of which are about Medieval culture, and I'm almost finished with the longer one). Other gifts included a new wallet, a game for the Wii, and some other practical stuff that we needed. After presents, then we had breakfast. We had our annual quiche, but this year we also added muffins (which included gluten-free ones since I could only eat half of the quiche- I'll explain why in a minute), bacon, and sausage. Then we spent the rest of the day chilling out, reading from our new books, playing Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit, and watching a movie.

The last real part of our break happened today (December 31st). I spent part of the day at the movie theater and then with some friends for a late lunch. Later in the afternoon, we (which again includes Ben) hung out with Uncle Josh's fam (they're finally feeling better) and had dinner. And now we're back at home enjoying a relaxing New Year's Eve. Tomorrow will be the last day of the break, and then it's back to our normal schedules.

Now, about the gluten-free thing. For about a month now, I've been avoiding foods with wheat and gluten with them because I am seeing if it has anything to do with my long-term sinus issues. Ever since July or so, I have had several issues like headaches, migraines, ear pain, and sinus pain. After three trips to three different doctors with no results, my mom suggested that I ignore wheat. Ever since then, I have been feeling a lot better; most of my symptoms have disappeared, and I've felt more energetic, among other things. So, ever since then, I have done my best to avoid wheat/ gluten. This, of course, is not always the easiest thing to do. Especially when we go out to eat because very few places sell good salads or even grilled chicken. Potlucks and eating at other people's houses has also been tricky, especially when I can largely only eat meat, vegetables, and fruit. Still, the results are worth it for me.

So, it's been a good year for us, and we've seen a lot of changes. We've seen Dad and Seth adjust to working for NCR. We've seen Mandy graduate high school and start courting Ben. We've seen quite a few people start courting (and in a few cases, get engaged). We've watched our family grow (and it will continue to do so next year). We've seen a lot of work done to the house (which we're still working on). We've seen Mandy get her first job and Seth being accepted back to NCR. I wonder what will happen next year.

November

November has been a very hectic month for us. Every single weekend (i.e. Friday and Saturday) we have had something going on. The first weekend was the church's annual ladies' retreat, which Mom, Mandy, and I attended; we enjoyed ourselves there, as we always do. The next weekend was another church wedding; I raise my glass to Mom because she was on her feet for sixteen hours that day, helping prep and doing things in the kitchen, not to mention the cheesecakes she decorated and helped serve at the reception, and then because she and I cleaned up the disaster- zone of a church afterwards; she did an amazing job. Then the next weekend was the church's annual Thanksgiving dinner; I made a batch of delicious rolls, Mom did potatoes and stuffing, and Mandy made a cake; it was another lovely event that we all enjoyed, especially hearing the testimonies of other people on how good the Lord has been to them this year.

Last weekend was Thanksgiving, which we celebrated at Uncle Josh's house. This year was more special because we had Ben and his mom and then Sarah (Gabe's girlfriend) join us for the festivities. Ben, as I have said before, fits right in with the Cunninghams, and his mom seemed to really enjoy herself in our company; Sarah also fit in very well too. We enjoyed plates of delicious turkey, ham, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, different varieties of rolls, green bean casserole, and then various desserts. We stayed there for several hours. Mandy left to spend the night with Sarah, and Mom left in the late afternoon; so Dad, Uncle Josh, Ben, and I sat outside around the fire and talked for a little before the cold (and hunger) drove us back inside the house. It was a good Thanksgiving, and I have uploaded pictures from it on facebook.

We have exciting news about Seth. A few weeks ago, he learned that NCR was willing to bring him back on to work in another division at the same location where he had worked, so he went up there for an interview. They said they would hire him back on as a full-time employee with all the benefits, but for weeks they did not say anything. This week, they called Seth back and asked him to start next week, which is very good news.

As for renovating the house, I have yet to get pictures because we are not fully done. We have painted half of the living room and dining room a dark green (a color of which Mandy approves- she is our color stylist who tells us what color would look good), and Dad and Seth spent several long, painful hours on their hands and knees tearing up our old beige carpet and putting down pergo (it's sort of like hard wood, but it's not real wood). The pergo has been laid down, but we are still working on putting up the new baseboards and staining them. Next up, Dad has plans to re-do the floors of both the utility room and the kitchen (both of which will require some logistical maneuvering), but we probably won't do those until the spring or summer.

I have been looking into other options for either further schooling or certification. I have a couple of ideas, but I still need to discuss them and figure out which one would be best for me. Two weeks ago, Mandy and I went to a church family's home; while she looked after two of the kids while the mom and her oldest were out running errands, I helped tutor one of the children in her schoolwork. I have only done this once because of Thanksgiving and other things, but I am hoping to start back up again next week because I found myself enjoying it.

The Arrival of Fall

Fall has now officially arrived in Georgia. The leaves are changing color, and several of them have already fallen. The temps have cooled down, but this week they have been cooler than usual.

For the past few days, Georgia has been undergoing some strong winds (thanks to Hurricane Sandy). This has made it very cold outside, and it is making our trees shake like crazy. Even though we have been getting a ton of dead branches on the roof and all over the yard, we thankfully have not had any other damage. We are grateful for this, especially as yesterday we learned that there was a young boy in the Atlanta area who got hit by a fallen tree and is currently at the hospital in not-so-good shape.

While the winds have been gusting around us, we (and by that I mean largely Dad, Mom, and Seth though Mandy and I have helped when we could) have been busy on a major house project. It is not finished yet and likely will not be until the end of the week, but I have been taking pictures and do plan on posting them when it is all said and done. Want a clue to the big project? New floors and paint :D

Otherwise, nothing much else has been going on. We had a church dance a few weekends ago, but, because my computer is as good as dead and Mom's is on its way to the grave, I have not been able to make any compilation videos of either that dance or the one we had over the summer. Ever since late September, we have been busy each weekend with church gatherings, get-togethers with friends or family, or even short trips. Dad is continuing with work, Mom continues with making cheesecakes for either various church events or for friends and teaching her students, Seth is still working on getting his certification and doing some work around the house, and I am still doing house work and looking for something better to keep me busy. College is looking less like a viable option due to decreased financial aid and increased tuition and fees, but recently I may have had a door elsewhere open. Mandy has also been busy with work, her times with friends, and, of course, Ben. The two are still courting, and they make an adorable couple; last weekend, they went out with two friends (who are also courting) and took some pictures, one of which is Mandy's profile picture on facebook. Today, Mandy also has a chance to use her mad cello skills; she and a few friends from church are performing background music for a benefit dinner in Atlanta. Even though she is still nervous about performing in front of people, it has been encouraging over the past year to see Mandy be able to use her musical talents for wedding reception music, an eagle scout ceremony, and other events.

That is just about it. I will try to post pictures of the house after we finish our big project.

A Week at the Beach

For the past several years, the clan has wanted to go on a vacation together. However, ever since our last trip in 2005, we have been unable to for a variety of reasons. This year was different, and the Lord was gracious enough to allow us to go to Cape San Blas. Unfortunately, we were short a few people, as Noah and Gabe were too busy with work and school and Ben was unable to take time off from teaching to go with us. Nonetheless, our rather large group rented two houses (one of which was the one we five stayed in during our vacation last year, and the other was on the same extended driveway).

We left on September 8th. The day before that was rather hectic. We had to run several errands, and then Mom and I had to clean the church (Mandy previously had that job, but I've more or less inherited it when she got her current job) and go shopping. Then I went home and made rosemary potatoes, as we three kids spent the rest of the evening hanging out with some friends. It was a fun time, as we enjoyed some homemade barbecue, got involved in a water balloon fight that also included a hose, and sitting around a campfire and just talking. We wanted to stay longer, but eventually we had to leave because we had to get up the next morning.

On Saturday morning, we woke up around 6:30 and began helping Dad pack up the car as well as packing some last-minute items. The clan was supposed to meet around 7:30, but several members were late, meaning that we did not get on the road until after 8 AM. We made a few stops for breakfast, lunch, and gas, but we made good time and got to the beach houses in the mid-afternoon after a seven hour drive. We then unpacked and had pizza for dinner.

The days all sort of blended together, so I will just point out some highlights of the trip.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous. It was stormy on Saturday and Sunday, but the weather cleared up and grew calmer. As the weather grew calmer, so did the ocean; on one of the days, the water was almost crystal clear and was so calm that it was more like a lake than an ocean.

We five had a nice house. Nicknamed "The Treehouse," it had a nice set of spiral stairs. Some of the younger cousins had fun throwing some toy stuffed dragons down the stairs and seeing how far they could go. Because only we five were in the house, it was quieter than the other house. On a few occasions, some of the older cousins came over in the afternoons to do some schoolwork without the chaos of the younger cousins.

Our days were pretty relaxing. We would wake up the mornings, enjoy some breakfast, go down to the beach for a few hours, go back to the houses for lunch, relax in the houses during the afternoons, get together for dinner, go down to the beach for a walk or for some brief swimming, and then hang out for the evening before going to bed. We did venture out a few times during the week. On Tuesday afternoon, we went to Applachicola; we did a bit of casual shopping, had dinner at a local restaurant, and then got ice cream at a local tourist stop. On Thursday, we had dinner at another local restaurant and then went back to the house to have Key Lime pie for dessert. Also on Thursday, we went out in an attempt to do some shelling; however, one place only had smaller shells while the other place was undergoing high tide and thus had no beach.

This year, we saw quite a lot of wildlife wherever we went. There were jumping fish (Uncle Josh said they were whiting), and we even saw some other fish while we were swimming. We saw dolphins several times, especially when the fish were doing their acrobatics. We even saw a few sting rays; one of those times, we saw one jumping out of the water, and Uncle Jason caught a video of another one swimming near the shore while we were out shelling on Thursday. On Thursday, we saw a pelican on shore while we were shelling; the fellow had a rather large fish in front of him and was trying to eat it, though we think the fish may have been too big to fit into his mouth. Still, it was an entertaining scene. Our other wildlife, unfortunately, also included black flies; these flies were horrendous, flocking to us when we were doused in bug spray and sitting on the beach or when we were standing in the water, and nothing seemed to keep them at bay; they were one of the reasons that some days we had return to the houses early. Other wildlife included a few frogs, some rather loud locusts who nearly made us go deaf, sand fleas, ants, and a mysterious big cat (i.e. bigger than a house cat) that was hanging around the garbage cans.

On Thursday evening, there was some debate on whether or not some people would return home on Friday. The next day, Uncle Jason and his family decided to leave a day early so that they could get home and be able to get ready for church on Sunday; Mom, Mandy, and I also decided to go home early with Grandpa Mike and Marsha so that we would be able to get the church cleaned early. It seemed to be a long drive home on Friday evening, and Mandy was antsy, especially as we grew closer to Atlanta. Ben, who had kept an eye on the house and the cats for us, waited for us three, and Mandy was extremely ecstatic to see him; the two stayed up until 2 AM that night talking as, there was not a good cell phone signal down in Florida to allow them to talk on the phone. Three of us coming home early proved to be good, as we were able to get a good night sleep and then devote Saturday to cleaning the house and cleaning the church. By the time Dad and Seth came home on Saturday afternoon, we were ready for Sunday.

It was a good trip this year. It was nice to relax and to be able to spend time with the clan, as nowadays it seems difficult due to everyone's schedules and due to several of us growing up and being semi-independent. I took some pictures, but unfortunately my camera went kaput on Tuesday, so I only have pictures from before that point; Mandy also took some too, and we both have uploaded some on facebook for your viewing pleasure.

And so, now it is back to our normal schedules. Dad and Mandy are back to work, Seth is doing his part-time job and his on-line certification, Mom is back to teaching her students, and I am back to doing housework and looking into colleges. For myself, Nanowrimo is coming up in a little over a month, and I am getting ready for it; I've got a couple different story ideas, but I probably won't decide on a story until the last minute.