Hagen Homestead

For me?

2012-01-23T22:13:00.000-05:00

How sweet! My friend Keni, over at Keni's Kranium, gave me this award. Thanks dearie!

So to earn this award I have to:

1) Link back to the person who gave you the award

2) Complete the form below

3) Award other blogs, and let them know in a comment/email that they have been awarded

4) Share seven random things about yourself

So here goes:

FORM
1) Name your favorite song:

Hmm...That's a tough one, it changes all the time. But my favorite instrumental song is probably "The Truth Will Set You Free" from the Mysterious Islands soundtrack.
2) Name your favorite dessert:

And I though the first one was tough! Well I love anything with mint. For my birthday last year I made a cake with layers of Giridelli brownie and mint ice cream, and then topped it with melted chocolate mints. Heavenly. (Yes, I do make my own birthday cake... so I can make sure I get to lick the bowl! I'm kinda selfish that way)

3) What makes you angry:

The absolute cluelessness of all the people out there who think that they can just do whatever they want to do, regardless of how it affects others. Course I do this too, so then I get really angry. Oh! and smacking, that one really gets me.;)
4) When you're upset:

I cry my eyes out. Why? Because I'm a sappy, emotional person and I just can't help myself. Oh but then I do feel sooo much better.

5) What's your favorite pet?

Well we have a cat, and I do really like cats, but... I kinda always thought a fish would be pretty cool. They just swim around in the bowl and you throw food to them right? Probably not that simple. I wouldn't know, I've never had one.
6) Black or white?

Well if we're talking about clothes I don't look good in either. But I would probably choose white. My dream is to go for a walk on the beach in a white dress, I always thought that looked so...beachy. *sigh*

7) Biggest fear?

No idea. Probably cars. I know that sounds lame; and don't get me wrong, I am very thankful for them. I just don't like driving them.
8) Everyday attitude?

Some dear friends of mine nick-named me 'Birdie', a name which makes everyone laugh and question me "why do they call you that?". But Mom got to thinking about it, and she said it apptly describes my 'everyday attitude'. In her words I "flitter around the house leaving a whirl of feathers behind me".
9) What is perfection?

Christ! Son of the living, perfect, God.

And maybe chocolate...kidding!

10) Guilty pleasure?

No question there: Sweet tea! I am from the South, you know. Movies would probably be next, I am a sucker for a cozy blanket and a good movie.

Now for seven random things about me:

1) I LOVE flowers! I love to wear them, pick them, take pictures of them, and just stand there looking at them. What an awesome Creator we have, to have made them all so different.

2) I love cuddling babies, they are so precious! And to think that there are people out there who knowingly murder them everyday (of course we don't call it that, we just call it abortion because that's the correct thing to say).

3) I really do make my own birthday meal and cake...to me that's the fun part!

4) I am 5'11". Not proud of it, but it is what it is... I just don't wear heels very often.

5) I love airplanes! I have had the opportunity to fly as the co-pilot a couple of times, which was pretty cool.

6) I love dancing! 'Tis one of my favorite things to do.

7) Okay, I'm running out of things here, didn't realize what a boring person I really am. I'm from Florida, and I'm proud of it! Actually my brother and I are the eighth generation (on my mom's side of the family) that was born in Florida. How cool is that!

Last but not least I get to tag someone (or someones). Ha, this could be kind of dangerous.

So I am going to tag Sarah at knudsonfun.blogspot.com and Lauren at acornerpillar.com.

Thanks Keni for thinking of me, I rather enjoyed this.

Until next time my friends.

Haawi ke aloha,

Angelita

Mom and Dad on the road...

2012-01-22T20:24:00.004-05:00

Mom and I are on the road...I had a meeting in Clearwater, and then we moved across the bay to Tampa. Today we visited an organic market farm that does a CSA. Here is the beautiful lady in the garden:
At the market, we picked up some fresh lettuce for a salad, and we had stopped earlier at the store and bought some charcoal and steaks to have a picnic cookout. Here is the lovely lady with the fabulous lunch that we enjoyed:

After lunch, we took a brief swing on the swingset in the park where we were having our quiet little picnic:

Then it was back to the hotel, where...if you can believe it...we went for a swim...in JANUARY!!!

posted by Mr. Larry

The Twelve Days of Homeschool...

2011-12-15T21:55:00.001-05:00

A Celebration

2011-12-11T00:11:00.004-05:00

...in honor of one of my favorite people: my mom. She is the most wonderful, beautiful, awesome, incredible, amazing (and so on and so forth), mother in the whole world! Well, at least that's my opinion. ;) So cheers to you Mom, I love you so much.

Anyhoo, we all know that birthdays are really all about food, and since I am somewhat grown up (at least I think I am), and can take charge of the kitchen, I wanted to do something really special.

To start off her special day I made orange and cinnamon cream cheese rolls. I love experimenting with different kinds of rolls, using my basic bread recipe and rolling it out with different toppings. I think these are my favorite so far!

The special lady with aforementioned rolls

I wanted to go all out with the decorating:

Totally the classic winter look

Dearest Mom

.....

The Menu

Garlic Parmesan Rolls with homemade Butter

Fresh Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette

Steak Gorgonzola with Spinach and dried Tomatoes

Pasta Alfredo

.....

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
.....

I carved the butter in the shape of a rose

Everyone doing their best to smile at me despite the fact that I made them dress up for the occasion... No pajamas at this party.

My awesome parents

My brother and I.

T.J. here, is sporting the deer-in-the-headlights look; and as for me *gasp* can it be? Is she really wearing a Black Dress. Yes, I really am.

I think I hear sirens in the distance... could it be the FASHION POLICE. Only one thing comes to mind in a situation like this...

RUN.
OK, I'm back y'all. And for those of you who are wondering what planet I'm from, let me explain. Back in June, the dear Mortons hosted a Style Show and my mom taught a session on what colors are best for you. I am a Spring and so therefore am not supposed to wear black. Mom however, is a Winter so black is one of her best colors. So I was wearing it for her. Really.
Okay, back to the party

Ambiance

OhYah! How's that for a caption. As I was taking this picture T.J. said sort of quizzically, "your taking a picture of the candle?" To which Mom promptly replied "it's 'Art'...at least that's how it will end up on the blog ".

My dad is getting ready to open his online specialty wrapping business. Contact him for more information at Larry@WrapnRap.com. He charges more for the hand-drawn curly bow.

Oh! and as for the cow in the picture, that's my cousin LeAnn's cow. His name is Bo.

In case you were wondering.

White chocolate raspberry cheesecake

And I really didn't intend for it to look like a target. It just sort of happened.

Now this is definitely 'Art'

All kidding aside, I had so much fun making a special party for Mom.

My mother is a wonderful example of a Proverbs 31 woman, and I would like to take this opportunity to do what the children of a virtuous woman are supposed to do:

Bless you Mom, for all that you do and all that you are.

I love you,

Angela Marie

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies... Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also and he praises her. Many women do noble things but you surpass them all... Give her the reward she has earned, and let her own works praise her in the city gates.

Proverbs 31:10,28,29,&31

Check out this great video...

2011-10-13T21:29:00.000-04:00

Courageous

2011-10-01T00:13:00.015-04:00

Hi Everyone,
I'm back! Yeah, yeah I know, long time no post. Sorry 'bout that.
But any-hoo, we had the most wonderful time this evening! (or should I say last evening as it is now just after midnight!) The last few weeks have been busy, emotional, and just a leeettle bit stressful. So it felt so nice to just kick back and take it easy. Most of our CSA customers are out of town, so we had a pretty easy delivery day which was a blessing. Dad has been in Tampa this week, but when he got home he was so sweet (of course he always is) and took us out to eat (Chick-fil-A, YUM) and then to see Sherwood's newest film Courageous. When we walked into the theater we saw the Davis family just going in; at least most of the Davis family (we missed you Auntie Laura).
If you haven't seen Courageous yet you need to! It was a very powerful film about fathers turning their hearts to their families and families turning their hearts to the father (both earthly and heavenly). I think one of my favorite parts in the movie is when one of the fathers gives his daughter a purity ring after she gives him her heart. You don't see this talked about much today, even in the Church. I remember the first time I ever heard of keeping your heart pure, I didn't know quite what to think! I wish that someone had told me about this when I was much younger, but fortunately I am blessed with a very gracious and understanding father who cherishes my heart. ~I love you Dad!~ But anyway, back to the movie. As Mom always says, "I laughed, I cried, it moved me, Bob." It was so funny! I think it was the best Sherwood film yet, though they are all good. Oh, and did I mention that Dad took us to Marble Slab Creamery for dessert? Can life get any better than this?! And just think, eternal life is uncomprehendingly better!

Love, a totally happy daughter of the risen King!

Also daughter of a courageous father, and wonderful and beautiful mother...

oh and did I mention I have a pretty awesome brother too?!

Just in case you didn't get it, I am totally blessed, and I am,

Angela

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9VT_NBIVfs

Corny Times

2011-08-01T14:40:00.004-04:00

Okay so if cheesy wasn't bad enough wait until you read corny!

Sorry folks, we just couldn't resist.

For those of you (like myself) that don't understand this because it was before your time, this is from the movie Casablanca.

Ear's lookin' at you kid

~Countryblanket

Yeah I know, worse than cheesy, but that's just how we think 'round here.

Y'all come back now (if you can stand anymore)!

~Angelita

So cheesy...

2011-06-21T19:35:00.005-04:00

...but I just couldn't resist!

Warning #1 This is a very cheesy post, so if you don't like cheesy stop here.
Warning #2 If you have never had the privilege of seeing "Finding Nemo" you probably will not get this.

So we have this really neat variety of squash in our garden that goes by a lot of different names around here: patty-pan squash, scalloped squash, flower squash, flying-saucer squash, and my grandparents just call it "that strange squash". But to me it looks kinda like a jelly fish, without the tentacles of course! And then it came to me....

"You will be my squashy, and I will name you squashy. Here squashy, here squashy-squashy."

I know, I know, so cheesy...But after all, they really do taste best with cheese sauce. :)

Over n' out,
Angelita

Our new secretary

2011-06-18T17:51:00.002-04:00

Life

2011-04-18T16:23:00.005-04:00

Hello all,
I hope everyone is having a great day. I am! It is a gorgeous sunny day here(rather hot though). Everyone is busy; Mom, T.J., and Zach and Benjamin K. are outside planting sweet potatoes (yum), poor Dad is struggling with computer problems, and I am here, of course, blogging. Lunch is simmering in the crock pot (pizza fondue), and my bread is rising in the oven, as soft piano music fills the house. This picture aptly describes how I feel right now...

Peaceful
The knowledge that we serve an awesome God who watches over and takes care of us should always fill me with peace, but sometimes I forget. But God is faithful no matter what. We all had a fresh reminder of this a couple weeks ago when a tornado came through our area. A big oak tree in our back yard fell right next to my Dad's office, on top of the lean-to and one of our green houses. If it had fallen a few more feet to the left it would have smashed right through Dad's office. The storm did not do too much damage to the house and we are so thankful to the Lord for protecting us and our animals and crops. So anyways, what follows is a collage of pictures of the cleanup!

This is the corner of Dad's office and of course the tree. Uncle Monroe came out one day (or rather two days) to take the tree down.

My wonderful parents found a good spot to observe

Uncle Monroe brought his family with him to help! Michelle here, is laughing at her son who was so facinated with the cows.

The roots stickin' up. There was a big 'fox hole' back there, and Joel thought it was supposed to be his new play house.

No, we are not child-abusers, the fence really is off. Joel was so cute though. They thought that the fence was on and so they told him not to touch because it was hot and so he started to blow on it to "cool" it off. LOL.

Uncle Monroe and Marcus takin' down the tree.

Joel loved Scrappy

If life gives you a tree, make firewood.

Literally

A totally over-used caption, but still apropriate...ART.

On Saturday some friends of ours came over to help with the clean-up. Thank y'all so much Deckers and Knudsons for all the work y'all did.

Dad, Dakota, and T.J. with the chipper.

It was such a gorgeous day outside! Keni and I took a walk around the lake before lunch.

Keni. You are awesome! I had so much fun with you and Sarah.

"Sniff" You may now view the remains. (Isn't that such a tragic word)

The impaled smoker lid

More firewood

Our most faithful servant...or what's left of it.

What's left of the greenhouse

Only the corner of Dad's office was damaged, but there was no damage done to the inside. God is so good!

Our poor grill, every time Dad would try to move it out of the way something else would fall off.

Any-hoo that's what has been going on around here. Sorry I havn't posted in a while, guess I'm not much good at this bloggn' thing.

I'll be back,

Angela

Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. ~Isaiah 40:31

Biblical Economics

2011-02-22T10:51:00.003-05:00

We have just started working through this new curriculum on Biblical Economics from Vision Forum. It is a really great resource, and something I would highly recommend to everyone who wants to understand all that the Bible says about economic principles. Click here to find out more about it. ~ Mr. Larry

Really cute video of the story of Jonah

2011-02-09T19:55:00.003-05:00

(scroll down to the bottom and pause the music first)

Trip to Goodwater

2010-11-13T13:16:00.005-05:00

We had a great time visiting with our friends, the S. family in Goodwater, AL.

Here are the girls hanging around talking and visiting:

The guys spent a lot of time playing chess. Wesley M. was the chess master:
Some serious chess action going down here...

We also had a great time playing music. Here's Joey on the drums:

We also spent a lot of time practicing dancing for the ball...
More dancing:

Here is Angela doing the Cotton Eyed Joe:

Edgar also had the Cotton Eyed Joe down pat:

Cotton Eyed Joe

2010-11-13T13:00:00.002-05:00

After watching all of the young folks doing the Cotton Eyed Joe over and over and over and over and over and over again, I was reminded of "the song that never ends...it just goes on and on my friends..." Anyhow, I decided that the Cotton Eyed Joe was just way too aerobic for me. I have therefore come up with a few verses to add to the song:

(verse 32 - after about the first 20 minutes of the song)
I’ve been dancin’ the Cotton Eyed Joe
started dancin’ a long time ago
why did we start this? I’ll never know
why did we start the Cotton Eyed Joe

If I keep dancin’ the Cotton Eyed Joe
I will soon be down on the flo’
my heartbeat racin’ oh don’t you know
I’m havin’ a heart attack Cotton Eyed Joe

I was dancin’ the Cotton Eyed Joe
my heart is pounding mo’ and mo’
not lookin’ to good here oh don’t you know
better call 9-1-1 Cotton Eyed Joe

I was dancin’ the Cotton Eyed Joe
now I find me down on the flo’
let those paramedics in through the do’
outta the way now Cotton Eyed Joe

I was dancin’ the Cotton Eyed Joe
now I am still down on the flo’
my heart now flat-line oh don’t you know
you better start CPR Cotton Eyed Joe

(verse 284,568 - five days later)
They’re still dancin’ the Cotton Eyed Joe
I was buried a long time ago
why did I do it? I’ll never know
met my maker doin’ Cotton Eyed Joe

~Mr. Larry

Home Alone

2010-09-29T15:44:00.007-04:00

Hello one, Hello all!

I hope ya'll are all having a good day. Dad and Mum are out of town for a few days, so T.J. and I are holding down the fort...and yes, the fort is still in one piece. We tried not to get tooo rowdy, but you know what ice cream can do to a person. LOL.

Today we had to make produce deliveries to Nashville, so we had lunch out, made a couple other stops and just had a jolly time! I thought I would share a couple pictures with you.

Praise the Lord for such a wonderful brother, who puts up with all of my weird moods (and even chauffeurs me around town).

YUM!

Need I say more?

Of course, hot chocolate would have been a better choice, it was so cold! It has been rather dreary outside today, a cold, rainy kind of dreary. But it was a rather refreshing change from the blazing dry heat we have been having. And the rain is a blessing for our garden, so I can't complain (and it did give me an excuse to drag out a long sleeve shirt and some fuzzy socks ;).

I noticed this rose earlier this morning, as I was clipping herbs. I just couldn't resist taking a picture:

I will send you rain in it's season, and the ground will yield it's crops

and the trees of the field their fruit.

~ Leviticus 26:4

You O God, did send a plentiful rain; you did restore and confirm

your heritage when it languished and was weary.

~Psalm 68:9

Haawi ke aloha,

Angela

The Beach!!!

2010-09-02T21:10:00.001-04:00

Hello all!
Sorry for the lack of postings lately. Life's been busy, and, as they say, "time flies when your having fun"! :) Well anyway, waaaaay back in July (can you believe July and August are gone already?!) we went to St. Augustine Beach to spend some time with Dad's mom. We made two seperate trips down there because we are not able to leave the farm for any length of time. The first time Mum stayed home to look after things around the farm while the rest of us went down there. :( We missed her a lot, but it made the second trip seem more special because we were all able to go! Papa offered to watch the farm so that we could all go together. But alas! We had so much fun just being together and relaxing that I didn't take very many pictures. But here they be, few though they are.

Trip #1

Both of Dad's brothers and their families were there when we arrived that afternoon, so we had a big crowd at lunch. Everyone left sometime that afternoon, so it eventually dwindled down to just us and Grandma. We went for a swim and then just had a relaxing evening curled up on the couch with cookies and ice cream.

Sunset

"Now my dear, you must remember to always point your pinkie when you drink...What? I don't care if it's not tea, you should point it anyway!"

No, I know what your thinking, this is really not the same picture.

My family and me were once wild an free, but now we ain't doin' so great. We used to go down and stay at the beach, but now we're all on the couch by eight.
LOL. Interducing Grandma to Tim Hawkins. I wonder what she thinks of us now?

I can see it! We're almost there! I have been waiting for this moment for a whole YEAR!

Ah, the beach.

Nautical painting "The Shrimp Boat"

Playing frisbee in the water

Dive!!

One point for you!

Now you see me...

now you don't!

We always love watching the pelicans fly over the water

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." Genisis 1:20

Father and son

We found this really cool jelly fish, I had never seen one quite like that before!

Just me an' my bro

Trip #2

It was so nice to be all together at the beach! We did a little more exploring around town when Mom was with us, there are a lot of quiant little shops that are fun to visit.

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:11

Da Vue

Mom found this awsome shell washed up on the shore. :)

T.J.'s birthday is in July, so Grandma always gets an ice cream cake to celebrete!

(:It really doesn't look big, but it really does seem bigger when your eating it:)

BEHOLD, our high-tech movie theater.

"Welcome to Surf Flics. May I have your ticket please."

And I shall leave you with a picture of St. Augustine's fort, Castille de san Marcos.

I snaped this picture as we were leaving so it is kinda blurry.

Adios, mi amigos!

Angela

Sunrise...

2010-07-07T18:59:00.003-04:00

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

- Psalm 19:1

I took this photo last week as the sun was rising over St. Augustine Beach. - LH

Mother

2010-05-08T21:50:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there! Mothers are such a blessing, and we do not seem to appreciate them as much as we ought to. Just think, if there were no mothers the world would end, there would be no future generations born!

So here's to all the mothers out there. Thank you for being what God designed you to be, and for being an example to us younger girls so that one day we too can fulfil that wonderful role: Mother.

And here she is, mine own wonderful mother. Proverbs 31 in the flesh! What a wonderful example and encouragement she has been to me.

These words I dedicate to her:

And suddenly theories and speculations ended, and she knew. She knew that faithful self-forgetting service and the love that spends itself over and over, only to be renewed again and again, are the secret to happiness. For another world, perhaps leisure and beauty and luxury- but in this one, "Whosoever loses his life shall gain it." Margaret knew now that her mother was not only the truest, the finest, the most generous woman she had ever known, but the happiest as well...

All her old castles in the air seemed cheap and tinseled tonight beside these tender dreams that had their roots in the real truths of life. Travel and position, gowns and motor-cars, yachts and country houses, these things were to be bought in all their perfection by the highest bidder, and always would be. But love and character and service, home and the wonderful charge of little lives- the "pure religion breathing household laws" that guided and perfected the whole- these were not to be bought; they were only to be prayed for, worked for, bravely won.

-Excerpt from Kathleen Norris' book "Mother"

I love you Mom!
Angela

2010-03-31T15:10:00.012-04:00

No the map really wasn't that entertaining.

Across the river

Daddy

So much beauty

Ditto! (Dad's caption additions are in blue)

We visited the horticulture center next. Daddy and I had

never been in there before, it was so neat! The flowers and cacti

were so beautiful.

Yours truly - also very beautiful!

Blossoms

Isn't she beautiful?

Through the waterfall

I thought these lilies were so pretty and unusually large,

but when we went to the store the other day I saw some

that were just as big!... I think I need to get out more.

my wonderful daughter!

"There's a church in the valley by the wildwood..."

I love the stained glass windows at the chapel! All the

stained glass windows had flowers etched on the glass which

I found so unique and pretty.

We went to a Mexican restaurant with the Deckers Saturday night;

I think about a fourth of the people at the F&D retreat had the same idea!

Friends a few tables down

We stopped at a local convenience store and to get some ice cream for dessert.

Due to the lack of an ice cream scoop I had to use Dad's pocket knife to serve

the ice cream. Talk about primitive conditions!

Hear ye, hear ye! For the first time in F&D retreat history Mr. Phillips and
his daughters had to play the infamous "help your daddy get ready for work" game.
Little Virginia was such a cutie. Though she was the one that volunteered, she mostly just stood there scratching her head in wonderment as Jubilee did all the work! LOL.

Her audience.

When Virginia jumped on the stage Saturday night, a lot of the little girls that were still

there plopped down on the floor with cameras. After babbling on for a little while she

looked down at her little audience and said, "now I'm going to sing a song for you." LOL

Father - Daughter Retreat 2010

2010-03-27T06:24:00.002-04:00

Here are a few pictures from the Father Daughter Retreat:

Angela displays very good form in "Correction Croquet:"

Joel and Kennedy D. display extreme expertise at the three-legged race; the reason there is no one else in the picture is that they were leaving everyone else in their dust - they were the best team out there!

Here, Angela and I try our hand (or should I say leg?) at the three-legged race. We did pretty well, but were nowhere as good as the D.'s.

SNOW!!!!

2010-02-12T19:14:00.014-05:00

Whoo-hoo!! It started snowing here about an hour ago! I just went outside and the snowflakes were an inch or more in diameter. Way Cool! Standing out the back door, we could hear my 10-year-old cousin Matthew, who lives just up the hill, yelling at the top of his lungs, "THIS IS SO COOL!" LOL.

"For he saith to the snow, fall thou on the earth.."

-Job 37:5

(Can you find my shoes?)

White has never looked so beautiful!

Thank you LORD for this beautiful snow!!

We were so excited, it was quite a happy change from all the rain. Even the cat wanted to go outside. He has been inside all afternoon because of the rain, but as soon as he saw the snow out the door he went. He is pure white so I guess he figured that this was the only time he would ever be camouflaged!

Farewell, until next time,

Angela

Porporate Progeny

2010-02-07T07:11:00.002-05:00

Here is a positively perfectly posed picture of my porporate progeny:

One thing you will find hanging around the Hagen Homestead:

an absolutely amazing amount of alliteration abounds around our abode.

~ Mr. Larry

I'm not smart enough to know it can't be done!

2009-12-17T21:16:00.002-05:00

When my dad and his brothers were growing up my grandpa used to tell them this all the time, "I am like a bumble bee, I'm not smart enough to know it can't be done!" Grandpa even had it framed with a drawing of a bumble bee and it used to hang in his office. Why a bee? Because bee's, according to scientists, are not smart enough to know they can't fly! According to all that is known about flight, the lift created by their wings is totally incapable of supporting their weight off the ground. Our Creator really does use the simple things, like bees, to confound the wise. Even the scientists.

Greetings all! I know, I know, the title of this post really should be "I'm not smart enough to know I can't blog"! I'm sorry I have been absent from 'bloggerland' for so long. It has been a busy past few months.

My dear grandfather, R. Ronald Hagen, passed away on November 4th, completely unexpected to us. We really appreciate all of y'all's prayers. Our church fellowship was such a blessing to us during this time. We love y'all! We had a celebration of life a few days later and Dad was able to share a few words with everyone. My grandparents live in a fly-in community, so some of their neighbors did a 'missing man formation' fly-over. It was such an incredible sight! Our dear friends, the Davis', came down to be with us that day, which meant so much to our family. I am so thankful to the Lord for the time I got to spend with Grandpa, and I am especially thankful for the wonderful son that he raised: my Dad.

The next weekend we had a wonderful weekend retreat at Calathora. It was a refreshing time of fellowship and a chance to worship the Lord together with friends far and near. It also gave us a chance to have a little impromptu shower for baby Esther.

Before we knew it Thanksgiving was upon us. What a blessing to be with family, and to remember those that came before us. The pilgrims suffered so much the first years after they came to America. But when God blessed them they remembered to give thanks. In this day and age sometimes we forget the hard times our forefathers had, in comparison to the relatively easy times we now live in. Listening to Dad pray over our Thanksgiving feast reminded me of how much I have to be thankful for, and how easy it is to forget to thank God for all things, big and little. "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1Thesselonians 5:18

Christmas decorating at our house and our 'neighbors' (grandparents) house is always a party. It is so much fun to be with family and celebrate the birth of Christ! Though we know Christ truly was not born on December 25, this celebration gives us a chance to be with family and to share with them God's greatest gift to the world, Jesus Christ.

Well that pretty much sums it up for now! Christmas with Dad's family is next to come, as soon as I have pictures.LOL. But meanwhile I will leave you with a collage of pictures to enjoy!

2009-12-17T21:00:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving

Unfortunatly the only picture I got at Granny's on Thanksgiving! Guess we were to busy eating to take pictures. LOL.

My beautiful Mother, as close to Proverbs 31 as is humanly possible.

Table #1

Table #2

Table #3
(I guess these people actually like photographers, I got some REAL smiles!)

Yours truly
Alternative caption: 'What happens when Dad gets the camera.'

Dad' cousin, G.I. Joe, hiding behind a chair...
Oh, and other family members too, but you probably didn't notice them. LOL.

Grandma, Aunt Dot, and Uncle Joe

Uncle Rob's art

Dad and Mum

Uncle Rod, Dad's brother.

I don't suppose you could tell.

Dad's cousin Matt and his wife, Cindy.

Chattin'

Day after Thanksgiving

John shot a buck!! Hooray for John!

We decorated our house for Christmas, I couldn't resist posting this picture of the fire.

Christmas decorating at Papa and Granny's house

We took lots of family pictures that night too.

Papa and Granny

Family Picture #1

Family picture #2

(actually it was probably number 5.)

Uncle Johnny and Family

Father and daughter

Grandfather and granddaughter

Sister and brother

Three Generations

Three generations

John Jr., John III, and John IV

With the grandyoung'ns

Papa and Granny with children and in-laws

Kayla-bug

Trying to straighten out the whole tree decorating situation

Sista's

Thomas and Mattew.

9 years makes a big difference in height!

Za tree...Oh, and me.

Kay' and her deer

Each of us grandkids has a speacial ornament with our name on it.

Left to right, oldest to youngest, and used to be tallest to shortest (John is now taller than I am,whoohoo!) :

Thomas, 19, Angela, 16, John, 16, Kayla, 15, Matthew, 10, and LeAnn, 7.

Our Masterpiece...

from floor-point view

Weirdness runs in our family.

I shall leave you with one of my favorites titled "a sunset with no sun"!

The sun had not shined that day at all! It was one of those all-too-common wet winter days, but God blessed us with a beautiful sunset to remind us that he is faithful, even on the dreary days.

God bless you all.

Haawii ke aloha,

Angela

Amazing Grace

2009-12-07T17:18:00.001-05:00

In case you missed this video last Christmas season, click here to see it. You will have to pause the background music in the player at the bottom, and then turn your speakers up real loud!

Thought for Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T06:34:00.000-05:00

We should spend as much time in thanking God for his benefits as we do in asking him for them. —Vincent De Paul (French clergyman)

"What were they thinking..."

2009-11-24T10:36:00.011-05:00

"what were they drinking?"
-The Widows Might

Found:

New Ice cream flavor

Hot Cocoa

???

LOL.

-Angela

Awareness Test

2009-09-25T12:47:00.002-04:00

How aware are you of the things going on right in front of you? Watch this video:

This is a reminder to look out for cyclists and other things we may not see when we drive, but it also is a good reminder to look out for the things we cannot always see spiritually. While we are focused on some of the things going on in our lives, there are often other things going on right in front of us that we frequently miss.

The Barn!!

2009-09-04T13:32:00.017-04:00

Greetings all,
Sorry it's been so long since I posted anything. I know I say that every time but we really have been busy! Between my grandparents and Mum going back and forth to the hospital, Daddy traveling in Florida, a new milk cow and 150 new chickens, I haven't had much time to take pictures, much less blog! Thanks so much everyone for all your prayers for my grandfather, he is feeling somewhat better and is able to get out more.

But any way, as the title states very plainly we are in the process of building a barn!..That is, the Mortons are in the process of building us a barn. LOL. I had lots of grand intentions in regards to blogging this momentous event, holding Abby S. in the light of blog-heroine, but alas, it was not to be *sigh*. But considering it only took them about three days to build up the frame work, I guess there would not have been much to post about everyday.

Sorry I don't have more pictures of the actual building process, I just never made it out there to take some.

They started on Monday morning, this picture was taken Tuesday morning before they got here. It was really foggy outside and I thought it looked pretty neat. The big white thing in front is the chicken pen.

The workman's roller coaster

Progress as of Tuesday night.

It rained all morning on Wednesday, so they had to wait until Thursday to finish up.

Art

Daddy and Mum admiring the barn

She really didn't seem all that impressed with the idea of getting a new milking stall. But I am.

Necessity

As my Dad said, "This is one of those pictures that most blogers would lable 'art'".
So just to be different I'm going to lable it 'nails'.

I don't know what to lable this one, unless I call it 'more art'.

Wesley cutting some boards

My favorite picture of the day.

Almost done!

Our lovely pond.

The day after they finished Daddy let me climb up and write some scriptures on the rafters.

Hi!

Once the tin comes in it will be complete! No more milking in the rain! LOL.
(It wasn't that bad though, kinda kept the flies away;)

Haawi ke aloha,
Angela

What's new on the Hagen Homestead

2009-08-31T06:55:00.004-04:00

Sorry that we have been a little busy to post many updates. The month of August has been a little crazy. Mrs. Christine's dad spent much of the month in the hospital, but thanks be to God he is doing much better now. But just to keep you updated, here are a few things that have recently happened here on the Homestead: We have added to our flock of chickens...125 new chicks to be exact. We hope to have more layers layin' by the end of the year. These little fuzz balls are just sooo cute!

Also, we have added a second milk cow, Sunflower. She is a sweet cow, just still trying to get used to us and getting used to things here on the Homestead.

Why I Am Not Going To Be Politically Correct

2009-08-23T05:38:00.001-04:00

You can check out Mr. Larry's essay on political correctness by clicking here.

Homeschoolers are Smarter!

2009-08-11T22:11:00.003-04:00

Check out the report of this study that shows how homeschool students just blow away public school students on standardized tests. Click here to see the report.

To see the results of the present public education system and what happens if you DON'T homeschool, click here to see a funny video...

However, that is not the main reason to homeschool. For a real good lesson on why to homeschool, click here.

Don't let the U.N. run (or ruin) your family!

2009-07-09T05:42:00.002-04:00

The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child is a serious threat to the rights and responsibilities of parents to "train up a child in the way they should go". It also is a serious threat to U.S. sovereignty. Click here for more information. We cannot sit idly by and let this happen to us.

Channel 23

2009-07-01T20:45:00.002-04:00

This little gem is taken from No Greater Joy - Volume 1:

The TV is my shepherd, I shall not want anything else. It maketh me to lie down on the sofa. It leadeth me away from the Scripture. It destroys my soul. It leadeth me in the paths of sex and violence for the sponsor's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will enjoy the evil, for blood and sex they excite me. Its cable and remote, they comfort me. It prepares a commercial before me in the presence of my children. It anoints my head with humanism. My coveting runneth over. Surely laziness and ignorance shall follow my family all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in the house watching TV forever.

Meet Charlie the Chicken!

2009-06-18T05:58:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, TJ and I were butchering our roosters; we had 23 that were ready for the freezer. TJ would randomly grab a rooster from the pen (the first one he could catch) and then we would go through the process. We finally got down to the last rooster, and this is what we found: this rooster has a horribly disfigured leg and foot. The chicken's left leg is bent outwards, and he walks on the back of the top of his left foot.

Notice the left leg bent out crooked

Close up view of the left foot

We don't know if it was a genetic defect, or if it was injured at some time by either the other chickens in the pen or injured one day when we moved their pen (we move their pen daily to provide them fresh pasture). In any event, as we got to this last rooster, it got away from TJ and we spent over an hour trying to chase him down (we had others that had gotten loose as TJ was randomly pulling them from the pen, but he was always able to quickly recapture them). In this case though, it took all of us to track him down and finally catch him.

One thing that I deduced through this adventure is that this chicken single-handedly (or should I say single-legedly?) dispelled the "survival of the fittest." For he was the last chicken that TJ could catch in the pen: he was able to avoid capture longer than his able-legged brothers against TJ's random removal. Additionally, when he got away from TJ, he was able to out-run TJ and I and was able to survive where the others could not. Clearly, with his disfigured leg he was certainly not "the fittest." But again, he was able to survive where his brothers could not. And certainly not even the most ardent Darwinist could claim that this was a beneficial mutation, for other chickens certainly by now would have acquired this trait if it was beneficial to their survival.

Since this chicken completely shattered the "survival of the fittest" theory, I have thus dubbed him "Charlie the Chicken" in dubious honor of Charles Darwin. After we had spent all that time in chasing him, I also decided to grant Charlie the Chicken a stay of execution, and so Charlie the Chicken lives on in his pen on the Hagen Homestead.

~Posted by Mr. Larry

The beauty of God's creation

2009-05-27T20:51:00.012-04:00

Greetings all,
Forgive me for being so lax about posting, I hope to be more consistent in the future.

As I was washing dishes after supper tonight, I was listening to the thunder and rain. All of the sudden I was almost blinded by a bright light shining right in my eyes. I looked outside and saw this:

The sun was just setting as it peeked through the clouds, so I rushed outside with the camera to snap a picture before it started raining again. Beautiful isn't it? How marvelous are the works of the LORD!

"Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God,the earth also, with all that therein is." ~Deuteronomy 10:14

In Christ,
Angela

Freedom Is NOT Free!

2009-05-26T20:36:00.002-04:00

For Memorial Day, we watched the outstanding movie "The League of Grateful Sons" to remind us of the sacrifices that have been made so that we may enjoy the freedoms that we so often take for granted in this country. The liberties that we continue to enjoy were purchased with the lives of many brave young men and women.

Be blessed and be a blessing!
~ Mr. Larry

Hot Chocolate

2009-05-09T05:19:00.002-04:00

Click here for a really cute presentation on hot chocolate...

Remember...be blessed and be a blessing!

~ posted by Mr. Larry

Creation Science Videos

2009-05-08T05:36:00.006-04:00

I found this great website for some really cool creation science short videos. It is called Creation Minute, as the videos are 60 seconds each. Creation Minute is an exciting series hosted by Eric Hovind that explores the creation worldview using cutting-edge visual effects and digital technology. Each episode challenges the evolution theory and gives evidence of the Bible's historical and scientific accuracy. Click on the link to check it out. It is even better than "Science Lessons with Larry."

And by clicking on the link above, you are helping me to possibly win a cool ipod with lots of creation videos loaded. Whoever links the most people to the site wins. So tell all your friends and neighbors to stop by the Hagen Homestead blog and click on the link here for the creation videos.

Thank you for your help!
~posted by Mr. Larry

"Dirt Roads"

2009-05-05T20:07:00.011-04:00

My older brother Rob sent this to me and it really blessed me because it is all too true:

What's mainly wrong with society today is that too many Dirt Roads have been paved. There's not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency that wouldn't be remedied, if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character. People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy ride. That it can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes, but it's worth it, if at the end is home ... a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.

We wouldn't have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along. There was less crime in our streets before they were paved. Criminals didn't walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they knew they'd be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun. And, there were no drive by shootings. Our values were better when our roads were worse! People didn't worship their cars more than their kids, and motorists were more courteous, they didn't tailgate by riding the bumper or the guy in front would choke you with dust and bust your windshield with rocks. Dirt roads brought patience.

Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly; you didn't hop in your car for a quart of milk, you walked to the barn for your milk. For your mail, you walked to the mailbox. What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family time, roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and pony rode on Daddy's shoulders and learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody.

At the end of Dirt Roads, you soon learned that bad words tasted like soap. Most paved roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole. At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn't some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini. At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, from when city dudes would get stuck, you'd have to hitch up a team and pull them out. Usually you got a dollar ... always you got a new friend ... at the end of a Dirt Road!

~ by Paul Harvey

P.S. Watch out for Mr. Rick and the zucchini...

Baby Geese!

2009-05-03T05:00:00.004-04:00

One of the great things about life here on the Hagen Homestead is the numerous ways that we can enjoy the beauty and wonder of our incredible Creator's creation. The geese that abide with us on the farm recently hatched their next generation. That is them in the photo swimming between mom and dad. They are very camera shy, and that is why you see them swimming away from us in the photo.

Little Tate

2009-05-01T07:50:00.000-04:00

There is a very heart-warming story about a little boy named Little Tate on Doug Phillip's blog. This young family is asking for fellow Christians to donate to help them so that they do not have to go on the government dole. This is the church being the church. I would urge you to join me and prayerfully consider contributing to this worthy cause. To read the story, click here.

The Widow's Might

2009-04-06T16:42:00.010-04:00

We recently purchased and watched "The Widow's Might," a great film produced by a couple of homeschooling families. The film was selected as the Jubilee Winner at the 2009 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival.

This is a great film that your family will enjoy! I cannot recommend it highly enough! ~ Mr. Larry

I laughed, I cried...it moved me, Bob. ~ Mrs. Larry

Two Thumbs Up! ~ Mr. T.J. Hagen

Awesome! The music is absolutly wonderful. ~ Angela

Click here to order the movie!

Homestead Blessings

2009-03-23T08:03:00.006-04:00

I know I said that I was not going to have more Vision Forum ads here (my family was saying that our blog was looking like one continuous ad), but this I could not resist: they have just released a new series of videos called Homestead Blessings. It seemed like a good fit for the Hagen Homestead blog. The three-DVD set covers bread making, soap making, and candle making. Click here for more information.

May your homestead be blessed and be a blessing...

~ by Mr. Larry

The Hagen Homestead will be a Nielsen Family!

2009-02-27T05:07:00.003-05:00

This is kind of funny - we, who watch virtually zero broadcast television, have been chosen to be one of the households who participates in the Nielsen ratings. In a couple weeks, we will be asked to keep track of all of our television viewing and then send in the information so that it can be compiled for the national Nielsen ratings. Don't be too surprised if in a few weeks you see an article in the newspaper about a sharp decline in TV viewership.

~ posted by Mr. Larry

The Hagen Homestead Store is Now Online!

2009-02-26T11:53:00.003-05:00

The Hagen Homestead Online Storefront is now up and running! Just go to http://www.hagenhomestead.com/ and check out the things in the secure online store. We are constantly adding new stuff, so make sure you check back often.

Economic Survival Guide

2009-02-23T18:34:00.005-05:00

Check out some great wisdom from Chuck Norris' mother on how to survive these tough economic times. This is some really good advice we could all use. Click here to read the article.

The Ballad of Sir Ger...

2009-02-18T16:42:00.012-05:00

..the Tuesday Knight of the Quilting Table.

The fearless Sir Ger was set to face the vicious French seams,

who were known for being difficult so it seemed.

He cut them and sliced them with the aid of a friends' hands,

and simultaneously bound them tightly in a cord of three strands

(being familiar with Ecclesiastes 4:12, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.").

And thus it was, when evening came,

Sir Ger had restored peace and order to the realm once again.

And sew ends the tail of Sir Ger, the Tuesday Knight of the Quilting Table,

and may we all learn a lesson from this fable.

~Composed by the most high minstrel and patriarch of the Hagen family

God bless,
Angela

The Organic Lawnmower

2009-02-17T11:17:00.004-05:00

Here is a picture of T.J. operating the Hagen Homestead Organic Lawnmower. This deluxe model also features a built-in fertilizer attachment as well....

Holy cow!! A visitor to my office...

2009-01-28T11:21:00.006-05:00

It is exceedingly rare that I get a visitor to my office. Usually, my office is a great place for me to retreat for some quiet time to get things done. However, I did have a visitor today that stopped by to say hello...

- posted by Mr. Larry

We are now a Vision Forum Affiliate!

2009-01-27T19:07:00.004-05:00

We are excited to announce that the Hagen Homestead is now a Vision Forum Affiliate. What does that mean? It means that if you click on the Vision Forum Affiliate button at the bottom of the page or one of these other Vision Forum hot links here, it takes you to the Vision Forum site, and you can browse around like always. But since you came from our site, we earn a commission on any sales. It costs you absolutely nothing more, but is just something that Vision Forum has recently launched to allow entrepreneurs to participate in their ministry. So when you feel like doing some shopping at the Vision Forum, just stop by the Hagen Homestead and click on the button at the bottom of the page.

If you would be interested in also becoming a Vision Forum Affiliate and adding their links and banners to your website or blog, just go to the Vision Forum (using one of these links), and click on the "Affiliate Program" link on the left side of their website. Signing up to be an affiliate does not cost anything, and it is quick and easy. Besides, it is a great way to help them in their mission to rebuild the Christian family.

We also have just become a distributor for Michael Pearl's ministry, No Greater Joy. This is a different setup, since we have to purchase the inventory from them and then sell it ourselves, but this also is a great way to help rebuild the Christian family. If you want to purchase any of the titles from No Greater Joy, just contact us. We will be glad to help you out. We will have our web store up and running in a few days, and then you will be able to go right to our site and make your secure purchases online.

The Shower for Carlos...

2009-01-24T16:30:00.007-05:00

...during which nobody got wet! LOL!

Monday afternoon we celebrated the arrival of baby Carlos! It was a delightful afternoon filled with laughter, chit-chat, food, and most importantly, adorable babies! Many thanks to the FrRoberts, Hiers, and Rachie for hosting the event.

Mrs. Hiers adorable decorations.

The guests of honor, Kress and Carlos.

Adeline and baby Owen.

Master Joe-Joe

A most wonderful older sister. Miss Amanda and her

two little sisters, and Daisy.

Conversation

Dee

Abbi, It was so great to see ya'll!

Opening gifts.

Snatcher of the pins. LOL.

Martha with her nephew Joesph.

Here we observe Pepper the dog trying to devise a way back in, after he was unceremoniously shown the door during the festivities.

Camera wars.

The world-famous Kress expression.

And I will leave you with a picture of the man of the hour.

God bless you Michael, Kressant, Mikey, and baby Carlos.

We love ya'll

Be blessed,

Angela

It's a boy!!

2009-01-24T16:01:00.005-05:00

Just so nobody gets too excited I'll clarify! LOL. Our milk cow, Poppy, had her baby calf about two weeks ago. We named him Poppyseed, isn't that cute?

Here he is! (sorry it's kinda blurry)

There's just something about our pond that just calls for pictures.

City folks have "hello kitty," us country folks have "hay kitty." LOL.

Now that Poppy's had her calf we can have raw milk again. Whoohoo!

God bless,

Angela

Tagged...AGAIN!

2008-12-21T22:35:00.009-05:00

Well, we've been tagged again!! This time by the Bessinger family. We are supposed to find ten books and post the fifth sentence on page fifty-six...without posting the title! Your job: to figure out what the ten books are! LOL. On a comforting note we are to supply five hints to help you out!

So here goes.

1) The materials for the raft were scanty and weak, and when Captain Francis with three companions got fairly out of the bay the raft sank so deeply in the water that they were completely standing in the sea.

2) Their dress was very smart, their manners very civil, they were delighted with the house and in raptures with the furniture, and they happened to be so dotingly fond of children that Lady Middleton's good opinion was engaged before they had an been hour at the park.

3) He ate in silence, busily filling the big emptiness inside him, while Father and Mother talked.

4) Most of the time I spend on my knees I am either stupid; feeling nothing at all, or else my head is full of what I was doing before I began to pray, or what I am going to do as soon as I get through.

5) "I am Queen, 'tis true but I begin to be tired of it, I think I would like to be pope next."

6)"I suppose so," Mrs. Paget went on with her bread cutting.

7) Here and there, on elevated platforms, or even on the top of a pile of tubs, were friars occupied in haranguing the soldiers, and in inspiring them with enthusiasm for the cause upon which they were embarked.

8) For truth is in this proverb, and no lie, men say well thus: it's always he that's well nigh.

9) Yet if he could have helped, he would not have done it; but he had not the discretion either to stop his ears nor to know from whence those blasphemies came.

10) Yatsar describes the action of a potter forming a vessel for a particular purpose.

Hints:
1) All those who participated in the commands study should reconize one of these!

2) The acronym of our beloved state should give you a hint of one of the authors.

3) Think 'Austen' girls!

4) Dig into your libraries. A few of these books were written quite a while ago.

5) Famous pioneers!

Well that's all folks!! Now here's who I'm tagging:

The Smiths

The Antonians

The Sanders

The Parishs

God bless,
Angela

A white Christmas after all!

2008-12-15T21:33:00.001-05:00

Daddy had this great idea last year for the perfect Christmas picture for us in South Georgia. Unfortunately, we did not get it done last year before they picked all the "snow," but we got it this year:

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

God bless,
Angela

Tagged!! :)

2008-12-08T19:18:00.000-05:00

Hello folks! Well, we have been tagged by the Morton clan. The requirements: to post 7 interesting facts about our family.

So here goes:

1) Everyday speech around the Hagen house includes alliterations, TLA’s (three-letter-acronyms), and rhymes. We are always immensely amused at ourselves, often laughing so hard that we start choking. T.J., the only serious person in our family, tries to hide the fact that he is amused by pulling at his mustache so as to hide his mouth. Unfortunately, this only makes us all laugh harder. –BTW using TLA’s is a hereditary condition passed down from my grandfather, so we do have some excuse for our sometimes undignified hilarity. LOL.

2) Mumsie’s family, that is, the Beville family, can trace their family line all the way back to the time of William the conqueror, approx. 1066 A.D. The Beville family came to Virginia in the early 1670’s and settled near Jamestown. Their descendents still own the original land granted to them at that time. Essex, Virginia is named after Essex Beville.

3) Our family is descended on Daddy’s side from the Norwegian Vikings, hence the preposterous height and size of almost every male member of our family. To state it more plainly: don’t mess with us!! :)

4) We REALLY do say ‘Woohoo’ everyday before family worship.
For those of ya’ll that have never been to church at our house this statement would obviously leave you in the dark. I will enlighten you.

Every morning Daddy says:
“This is the day that the LORD has made”
and the proper response is:
“Let us rejoice and be glad in it, WOOHOO!! (really, really, REALLY loud)

5) We love chocolate!! (Woohoo!)

6) As a family we have traveled to several states like Oregon, Nevada, Texas, and Arizona. We had a lot of fun traveling together. And trust me, there is nothing like tent camping in the snow with your family in the middle of nowhere. Nothing.

7) We are probably the only people who ever answered the phone to hear: “Oh, ya’ll weren’t supposed to be home!"

For those of ya’ll who has never heard (or heard of) one of our answering machine messages, I’ll have to explain. Usually, Daddy will take a song and, keeping the tune, change all the words to fit our family, and then records it on the phone. Complete strangers have called us because somebody we know told them about it!!
Here’s an old one:
Properly sung in a very low, bluesy voice.

The phone, the phone,
can’t come to the phone.
Can’t take your call ‘cause there’s nobody home.
There’s nobody here to talk to you now,
so leave us a message, make it silly somehow!
Just leave us your message when you hear the beep,
we’ll call you right back, and that’s a promise we’ll keep.
The phone, the phone,
can’t come to the phone.
Can’t take your callallallalll…’cause theirs nobody hooooooommmee.

Well that’s all for now folks. Sorry Adeline, I couldn’t come up with 7 other people to tag. But here’s a few.

Campana family

Frost family

Parish family

Slaughter family

And anyone else who wants to join in the fun!! :)

Rules are as follows:

1) Link the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2) List 7 interesting facts about you/your family.
3) Tag 7 other people and include links to their blogs.
4) Let each person know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Ya’ll come back now.
God bless,
Angela

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T15:36:00.000-05:00

We all have so much to be thankful to God for. I was reading this morning in Deuteronomy 8 where the Lord reminded the Israelites to remember Him. It is so easy when everything is going our way and when everything is good to forget the Lord and think that we could do it ourselves. As it says, "when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God." Remember to thank God, the Creator of all things, for all of the things that He has blessed you with.

And for a little Thanksgiving fun, click here.

This Thanksgiving, be blessed and be a blessing!
-by Mr. Larry

Amazing Grace...

2008-11-25T13:11:00.000-05:00

How would you like to live next to this house?

Check out this cool video a friend sent me: Be sure to turn on and turn up your speakers.

- Mr. Larry

Is Obama Qualified?

2008-11-03T18:46:00.000-05:00

Today is Election Day. Here is something very, very important you need to know about before you go to the polling place. You may be voting for an unqualified canidate for President. My Dad read an e-mail he got Sunday night that there is a case that has been brought to the U.S. Supreme Court that Democratic Presidental Canidate Barak Hussein Obama is not qualified to be President. A Democratic lawyer has been speculating that Obama has not shown his birth certificate. He is maintaining that Obama was not born in the U.S. One of the qualifications to be President as stated in the Constitution: Article II-Section I:

"No one except a natural born Citizen, ...shall be eligible for President;"

This hasn't been reported by the media because the media is pulling for Obama for one thing. The Democrat Party, especially Hillary Clinton, has been silent on this issue for another.

If the Court decides that Obama is not qualified and wins the election, this could lead to an ugly situation that may affect every U.S. Citizen.

- by T.J.

Cat-astrophe

2008-10-25T13:14:00.000-04:00

Mrs. Christine was going to be doing some work on the computer yesterday. I came inside from my office outside and she was sitting on the couch looking a little down. I said "what's wrong?" She said that she couldn't do what she needed to do on the computer because something was going on with the printer. I asked if there was an error message or something. She said "there is something on the printer, you need to go see about it..."

El Gato Blanco decided that the printer was a great place for a nap on a rainy day.

- by Mr. Larry

Tribute to a hero...

2008-10-20T18:50:00.000-04:00

Last night, my dear Uncle Mickey went home to meet his Creator. He is one of my biggest heroes. Uncle Mickey was a distinguished gentleman and a wonderful example of a loving husband to his wife, my dear Aunt Amy. Here is Uncle Mickey holding his grandson Michael Paul several years ago. Just a few days before leaving this world, Uncle Mickey's second great-grandson would be born to Michael Paul's wife.

Uncle Mickey was one of those World War II veterans who landed on Omaha Beach and marched across Europe to liberate it from the Nazis. When he published his memoirs in 1999, he held a small party at his house for us in his family. He showed some of the artifacts and memorabilia he has from his tours of Europe and Korea. One of my favorite was a Nazi flag that they took down from Beethoven's house as they marched across Europe.

A few years ago, they had to amputate one of his legs. When they did, they found that there was shrapnel in his leg from WWII. All of these years, he had been carrying around with him shrapnel from the war. There were some that told him he should make a fuss about it and he could be greatly compensated by the government. He didn't want any part of that. He was a career Army man and a proud patriot. He was a Purple Heart recipient, and had many other combat decorations and awards including the Silver Star and the Bronze Star. Like most of the veterans of his generation, he was a humble man who saw it simply as doing his duty. This nation needs more men like Uncle Mickey.

More photos from the mountains...

2008-10-16T21:00:00.001-04:00

Here we are getting ready to board the Smoky Mountain Railroad in Bryson City, NC. It was a fun and wonderful scenic ride.

Here is my beautiful bride (a.k.a. Gorgeous) on the train.
Here is another picture of some gorgeous scenery with a gorgeous lady:

The trees are in the early stages of changing into their fall colors. It is something that we don't get too much of in South Georgia.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out how any rational, thinking, human being could honestly believe that all of this beauty and the rich and intricately balanced systems that work to produce it could be the result of a bunch of random accidents over billions of years. The beauty of creation shouts the glory of the Creator!

Here, Gorgeous stops to dip her feet in a cool mountain stream. The water temperature was about 46 degrees.

This is a sign at one of the peaks in Smoky Mountain National Park. It is kind of sad to see that we now have designated spots where you may exercise your constitutionally-protected rights. I guess this means that in the rest of the park, your First Amendment rights don't apply...
Here is a picture of Gorgeous in the gorge (Tallulah Gorge in Northern Georgia):

Retreat to the mountains...

2008-10-16T06:41:00.000-04:00

This week, Gorgeous and I went off for a few days to the Smoky Mountains. The trees are starting to put on their fall colors, and it was a wonderful and beautiful time.

And speaking of beautiful...here's Gorgeous:

Here is a picture of the full moon coming up over the mountains. I did the best that I could with the photo, you really had to be there to see how beautiful it was. One of the most striking things was all of the beauty and diversity of God's wonderful creation. God surely put on an awesome display of His handiwork for us!

- Mr. Larry

The Practice of the Presence of God

2008-08-28T09:42:00.000-04:00

Years ago, I read a short little book called "the Practice of the Presence of God." It was written over 300 years ago by a humble monk named Brother Lawrence. I was looking through it once again last night as I so desperately needed to feel His peace and presence. When T.J. asked me what I was reading, I told him the title of the book and that it was written by Brother Lawrence. He asked "you mean you wrote it?" No, I did not. But here is a link to it online for your enjoyment.

Be blessed and be a blessing! - Larry

On the beach

2008-07-31T21:12:00.001-04:00

The Beach

"Ahh...what are rocks and mountains compared to waves and sand..."

We had a delightful trip to the beach a few weeks ago, (notice weeks, sorry ya'll I'm a little behind on posting) though without Mamma on the second trip it wasn't quite the same. Anyway here are some pictures from round two at the beach, I will try to get round one up soon (ever heard of putting the cart before the horse?)!

"The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes."

Psalm 118:23

Here is Angela Marie and Lola Marie enjoying a walk on the beach:

Lively bunch ain't we?

Angela is showing me (Larry) the perfect picture that she wants to take, with the wet sand, the dry sand, and the water foreground and background:

And here is Angela's perfect picture:

Beauty

Ahh...Ya'll I had the sheer delight of riding my Grandma's bike down the beach on this trip. Oh girls, if you've never done this...well, lets just say 'next time' and leave it at that. Just imagine for a moment: the waves splashing up under the wheels, the wind wipping through your hair, and ruffleing your white skirt (well, formerly white, now rather brown with sand), and...well you get the point.

It was just after T.J. 18th Birthday when we went, so it really was almost a late birthday trip. Happy Birthday dear Brother, we love you!

The Man himself I presume.

We also had a wonderful visit from my Dad's Aunt Dot, during which she gave me some lessons in swing danceing! Bring on the Glen Miller!!

Clapping ensues...

I'll try to post round 1 ASAP. Wishing everyone a wonderful week,

Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,

Daddy and Angela

Blessings for T.J.

2008-07-31T19:45:00.000-04:00

We celebrated a wonderful blessing ceremony for T.J.'s 18th birthday. We began with words of wisdom including things that I had learned from my father and my grandmother.

I then also read and played an audio of blessings from other men that have had a significant impact on T.J.'s life as he was growing from a boy into a man.

Here is Dad speaking a blessing over his son:

Then the dear brothers of our fellowship all added their own blessings and words of encouragement for T.J.:

Here, T.J.'s grandfather (from CountryMama's side of the family) blesses T.J.:

After the blessings and communion, we had a great time of feasting and fellowship:

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-03T06:24:00.000-04:00

As I enter this post, I pause to thank God that we do still live in a land where we can worship the Lord as we please (for the most part). We do enjoy freedoms here in this country that others in the world can only dream of.

We were watching a Moody Science video last night entitled "Empty Cities." The video highlighted several ancient civilizations that collapsed on themselves once they turned from moral living and embraced pagan things like child sacrifice and the pursuit of immoral self-pleasures. Surely, in this land where we now sacrifice children on the altar of "choice" and where we are told we have to be tolerant of "alternative lifestyles," we are not too far behind. Hopefully, as a nation, we will turn our hearts back to the God of the Bible, and repent of our sinfulness.

A good friend forwarded me this video that I have posted for your enjoyment. Yes, there still is hope for our nation. As a nation, we do tend to turn back to God in times of need. With cities now underwater as a result of flooding, and fires consuming large chunks of land out west, hopefully we will heed the wake-up call.

Home With a Range

2008-06-03T19:21:00.000-04:00

by Mr. Larry...

Oh give me a home

where the chickens do roam,

and my dear,

and my children do play,

where often is heard, an encouraging word,
and the skies are not cloudy all day

(here comes the chorus, everybody sing along...)

Home, home with a range

where my dear and my children do play,

where often is heard, an encouraging word (whoo-hoo)

and the skies are not cloudy all day (although we could sure use the rain)!

The Dangers of Fresh Organic Salad - Part II

2008-05-28T06:07:00.001-04:00

T.J. and I travelled to Tampa this week. The lovely and wonderful Mrs. Christine picked some fresh lettuce and stuff from the garden and packed us a bunch of food to take with us on the trip. When we sat down to dinner last night, T.J. found a little suprise in his salad...yes, another little green worm! This guy was packed into the bucket at around 7:30 am, and placed in a cooler all day as we journeyed in the morning, and then worked in the afternoon. Eleven hours later, when we were enjoying dinner, he was still alive and doing well. We set him free in a vacant lot next to the hotel.

Larry

Fun, Food, and Fellowship

2008-05-26T21:48:00.000-04:00

Hey Ya'll,

We've had a delightfully busy week, Daddy was down in Orlando during the first part of the week and it was quite quiet, but once he got home the fun began! On Thursday the Hicks Family invited us over for supper. We had such a grand time, talking and laughing, tossing jokes and bags of corn back and forth. The Hicks showed us the wonderous art of Corn Holeing. Who would ever have thought that throwing socks filled with corn into holes in plywood would be so facinating! Unfortunately I have no pictures of this event, Boo hoo (as opposed to Whoo hoo). Thanks Hicks Family for your wonderful hospitality.

On Saturday night the Morton Clan invited us over for supper. With good food (fabulous Darth), great and encouraging conversation, and even a cute baby, who could possibly ask for more? I even got a chance to ride the infamous see-saw that Wesley built out of a light pole, fun fun fun. Thanks Morton Clan, we had a jolly good time I tell ya.

Silhouettes

"...twould be better if conversation..."

A gathering place of friends and a center of excitement: the computer!

Wesley, Rachel, and little Joseph came for supper too. Is'nt he just precious, he's gained a whole pound since he was born!

Mama, Baby, and Adoring Anties. Oh he's so cute you could just eat him with a spoon!

Adeline Grace

Dancing to Glen Miller music

More dancing . (I don't know how Dorothy does it, I'm sweating, and my face looks like a very ripe tomato, but as usual, she looks lovely.)

The Window

Dorthy was so fasinated and excited to discover that our feet look very similar. Can you guess who's is whose?

1 2 3 BYE!! To which we of course responded with 1 2 3 WHOO HOO!! (which they thought was hilarious)

Well that's all for now, tune in next time to see the International Tornament for Corn Holers, have you got the ITCH? (just kidding, I don't have pictures)

So blessings to all, and to all a good night,

Angela

The Dangers of Fresh Organic Salad

2008-05-13T22:45:00.000-04:00

The other night we enjoyed a lovely dinner on the front porch catching the cool breeze, after which we just sat for a little while talking. I happened to glance down at my salad bowl, and lo and behold; crawling on the edge of my bowl was a little green worm!

"...It's been many years since I've had such an..exemplary vegetable."

Well, due to mysterious computer happenings, I can't post any more pictures. So, farewell until we write again.
Angela

Mother's Day!

2008-05-13T21:00:00.000-04:00

We celebrated the wonderful and beautiful Mrs. Christine this past Sunday. Here she is with her expertly wrapped present:

Underneath the cow feed and chicken feed bags is a new hammock. We just hope and pray that she will take time to enjoy it sometime soon...

For more on motherhood, Doug Phillips has some wonderful thoughts and insights on his blog. Click here to go there.

Strange animal happenings...

2008-05-12T20:47:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we had some strange animal happenings around the Hagen homestead. I had never seen two lizards fight for dominance before. These two lizards were going at it for quite a while on the back porch while I was cooking on the grill. They would dance around, and then one would get a head lock on the other; by getting the other guy's head in his mouth!

The guy on the right had the upper hand here, but earlier, his head was in the other guy's mouth which is why it is discolored like it is. It was amazing to watch these two go at it.

Also this weekend, the beautiful and wonderful Mrs. Christine observed a black snake in the yard being picked at and tormented by a couple of blue jays. They were apparently very upset with the snake for some reason.

I also observed a couple of mockingbirds having some kind of tussle with a squirrel in a tree. I had never seen anything quite like this either. I think I will have to check to see if wierd animal things are a sign of the end times...

Here we are ya'll!

2008-05-06T21:44:00.000-04:00

We have finally got our blog started, after talking about it for over a year now.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalms 19:1