December Update

Hello and Merry Christmas to everyone. We have had an eventful and full 2009 in our family. For Brian it has been a packed and academically stretching year, taking more classes than he ever has, but being done almost 5 months early. Brian took a full semester’s worth of classes over the summer by participating in a Study Tour to England & Scotland, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Then he attempted to take 5 classes in the fall to graduate in December. However, the amount of work was too much and he dropped out of one class in September. However, he finished the semester well and has already begun the reading and assignments for his class in January that will complete his degree requirements. He will officially graduate in May even though he will be completely done with his degree in mid-January.

Brian spent the first half of 2009 as the acting interim pastor at our church here in Louisville, since then he has been very active in the transition and ministry support of the new full time pastor. The transition has gone well and the church is moving in the right direction again, we thank God for his mercy and blessing on our church.

Along with the full semester this fall, Brian has been submitting his resume and looking for a full time church position. As of right now, we do not have any positions he is interviewing for, though we have had some requests for sermons and some possibilities exist. We are looking toward churches in South Carolina, as we believe that is where the Lord wants us to return after Brian finishes in January. So you can be in prayer for the Lord’s direction and open door for where He wants us to be.

In August, Amy’s parents came to live with us for some health reasons. All is well after two outpatient surgeries and numerous visits to numerous doctors. It was a joy to have so much time with her parents. They are now 1.5 miles away for a respite stay at an assisted living resort still enjoying several visits from grandchildren every week.

As for the children, all the boys got eyeglasses a few weeks ago, Ferris just got new ones as he has worn them fulltime for several years. It was the first time for Joshua and Daniel, who wear them for reading and school work. They have been enjoying them, although the newness has worn off now. They are now in the throes of Upward basketball practice. One jammed finger already!

Grace has developed into quite the creative writer. Our homeschool group in Louisville put on a writers contest for the homeschoolers and Grace submitted a fictional drama story entitled, “A Walk By the Cliffs.” It was the story of a young girl who came to serve as a servant girl in an English home by the ocean overlooking some cliffs. After her arrival another girl in the home becomes jealous and plots to murder our young heroine. It was a very good read and she received one of three honorable mentions, the contest had a winner and honorable mentions only, among the High School level contestants. After copyright issues are settled with her publisher, we will try to post the story online for everyone to read.

If you want to follow us between emails we both are on Facebook, and Brian is on Twitter. Brian’s contacts are Facebook.com/fbriansmith twitter.com/fbrian

For Amy on Facebook search for “Amy Counts Smith.”

To God be the Glory,

Thankful for you all,

Brian, Amy, Grace, Ferris, Daniel & Joshua

Grace Rectial Video

We the some new software I have been able to make some of our home videos into web video files. We want to share some of them with everyone over time, don't worry the really embarrasing ones will never leave my harddrive.

Our first video is Grace's recital from May of last year.

Daniel's First Touchdown

Daniel started flag football this year and today was the first game of the season. Daniel scored his first touchdown and the first of the season. In honor of Daniel's achievement we are sharing the video with all our friends.

The Youtube version can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/v/EWPn8k6jDc4

Because of Daniel scoring the first touchdown of the season and his excellent sportsmanship his coach awarded Daniel the game medal!

Look! No training wheels!

We now have no training wheels on our bikes. Joshua has learned to ride a two wheeler bike! Well, no one really taught him. Joshua came downstairs, with Ferris, all dressed in safety bike equipment: helmet, wrist guards, knee pads and elbow pads. Ferris said, “Joshua is ready to ride a two wheeler bike!” Dad, Mom and I were like, “Wow, that’s nice.” They went outside and we thought nothing about it. Then a few minutes later Ferris yelled through the open window, “Joshua is doing it! He’s riding his bike! I took off the training wheels!” We all rushed outside and Joshua was smiling so big and riding his bike like he was doing something normal, like sleeping or eating. Ferris said that he just hopped on the bike when Ferris took the training wheels off and started riding like a natural. It was truly amazing. Here are a few pictures.

Lincoln's Birthplace Field Trip

This morning I got my parents up at 5 am. Last night, I had agreed to set my alarm and wake them up when it went off. (Their alarm sometimes doesn’t work properly.) We were going to Abraham Lincoln’s birth site in Hodgenville, KY, and then to spend the afternoon with Mom’s aunt in Campbellsville, KY. We left at 7:15 and got to the site at 8:30. We went to the Visitors Center first.

One of the rangers offered the boys and I booklets to fill to become a junior ranger. It was our first time doing that. And let me tell you, that was a hard little booklet to fill! We spent a long time on those! When we turned them in, they checked them, and signed a certificate for us. Then they gave us little badges like the real rangers wear; and shook our hands.

Outside the Visitors Center, we went to a replica of The Lincoln Memorial. Inside, it had a replica of the cabin Abe Lincoln was born in. The Memorial even had fifty-six steps just like the real one! Then, we went to a spring called “Sinking Spring”. Abe Lincoln was born on Sinking Spring Farm. The spring was on the land that the Lincolns owned, so it was called “Sinking Spring Farm”. It was called Sinking Spring because it was a spring running in a sinkhole.

When I saw the cabin that Abe grew up in, it was almost like going back in time. I could just see the Lincoln family eating supper, or doing chores. The Sinking Spring was so quiet and peaceful. It was very refreshing, even though we didn’t get to drink from it.

Overall, it was a very cool field trip.

Grace's Birthday - Advent of A Teenager

Yesterday was Grace's birthday, her 13th birthday. Yes, I am the mother of a teenager! I keep waiting for the bomb to drop, but so far we are safe. Maybe I will blog again after the hormones create havoc on our family life! It is kind of surreal. Grace is quiet girl who enjoys reading, writing plays and stories, playing the piano, dressing up and role playing with her friends and brothers.

God was so kind! The day before, we were making preparations for an outdoor water party and it was cold. The day after, today, it is cold. But for Grace’s birthday it was so warm and pleasant. God provided superb weather!

We celebrated by having a party in our backyard. She invited all girls--one from church, one from our neighborhood and seven from our home school co-op. So there were 12 including her three brothers enjoying two slip n slides, water balloons, octopus tag, blob tag and a piñata, not to mention cake, ice cream and presents. A good time was had by all. When asked to compare her last birthday (which she spent an entire day at her request with just her mom and dad—playing racquetball, basketball, eating out and going to a movie) with this one, she said she liked this one better!

After her party was over we attended another party for a couple folks from our church graduating from the seminary. While there, our pastor suggested we sing Happy Birthday to Grace. I wish I had a picture of her face during that song. She was smiling so wide and couldn’t have looked happier. She enjoyed the fuss and didn’t look embarrassed by it at all.

I am glad to have Grace, the teenager, in our family. And I am proud to be Grace’s Mom! I always thought Jesus would come back before Grace became teenager. Now, Lord, you have two years before Ferris turns the big 1 - 3 !

The Garland of Roses for the Derby Winner

Living in Louisville doesn't make it any easier to go to the Kentucky Derby than when we lived in Charleston. The Derby has become an event where the Upper crust of Society, the rich, politically connected and celebrities have purchased tickets for years in advance. Very few people who live in Louisville actually go.

However, we are not completely left out of opportunities to participate in the "Run for the Roses." As many people know the Kentucky Derby is also called the Run for the Roses because roses are all in bloom around Churchill Downs during the Derby and the winning horse has a garland of roses placed over its shoulders in the winners circle.

Tonight we all went to the Kroger Grocery store in Middletown to watch the garland of roses sewed together. It was more beautiful than it looks on TV. On TV all you can really see is the roses. However the garland is much more sophisticated than it looks. A satin cloth lines the inside, which lays against the horses skin. On each end of the satin cloth is embroided, one end has the twin spires of Churchill Downs and the other has the state seal of Kentucky. Over 400 "Freedom" roses are sewed into the satin cloth. It is ringed around the outside with a combination of boxwood, and camellia leaves. The top of the garland which rest of the top of the horses shoulders is called the "Crown." The Crown has one rose for each horse running in the Derby. When it is finished the garland is 2 1/2 yards and weighs 40 pounds.

The Freedom roses are very large. I have seen a lot of large roses at different places when I was Horticulture agent in Charleston with Clemson, but I don't recall seeing any as large as these. They were still closed tightly, but I could tell if they were full opened they would be as large as my hand.

So tomorrow we will all be watching the 134 running of the Kentucky Derby on TV just like the rest of our friends and relatives. If you watch it on TV and then see the garland of roses placed upon the winning horse, know that it is a beautiful work of art.