4. Great "C" Food

The 4th Best Thing About the Barnette Family Vacation This Year...

Great "C" Food!

2 POUNDS OF STEAMED CRAB (for me)...

 The COMBINATION PLATTER (for Tim: fried shrimp and fish)...

 and the CALABASH CREAMERY... (the kids' favorite)

I love this sign at the Calabash Creamery.  Makes me smile.  :)

3. Finding Cool Stuff At the Inlet

Cherry Grove Beach is the Northern-most beach in South Carolina.  At the tip of the beach is an inlet, and across the inlet is Sunset Beach, North Carolina.  Once every day while we're on vacation, we walk to the end of the beach - nets in tow - and go treasure-hunting at low tide to see what we can find.  

In the below pictures, we are standing in South Carolina, the water behind us is the inlet, and the beach seen in the background is North Carolina.  It's a pretty cool place to be.

We're never disappointed in what we find.  Here were some of our treasures last week. (Live things were thrown back.)

A Sand Dollar:

 A Sea Urchin and a Shark's Tooth:

  A Blue Crab:

Star Fish: 

 Lots of Little Hermit Crabs and Shells:

Skates and Sting Rays:

(Tim turns back into a biologist when he's at the beach. :D)

Birds:

2. Exploring Ft. Fisher Beach

The rocky terrain of Ft. Fisher Beach just can't be passed-up.  At least not by my family, who are always looking for our next adventure.  We set our clocks to arrive there at low tide for the best chance to find some nautical treasure.  Unfortunately, we came home empty handed.  But the rocks themselves served as a great playground for us to climb and play and laugh upon....

It's NEVER a bad time to show-off your guns.  Never.  :)

No one enjoys a good adventure like John.  Look at that smile.

Family Vacation 2013

Every year after vacation, we always say, "Wow, we needed that."  But this year, that was especially true.

• On January 16th, we first heard from our Search Committee at Oakdale.  
• From then through April 14th, we were candidates there.  
• On April 15th, we started packing and saying goodbye to everything and everyone in Cincinnati.  
• On May 28th, we made the 9-hour move.  We began unpacking, settling-in, learning names, finding our way around, and diving into the work that God sent us to do at our new church. 
•  And on August 19th, I started homeschooling my three children.  

Whew.  That's quite a year.  We've been tired.

So what a blessing it has been for the five of us to get to spend a few days away...together.  It has been great to do a whole lot of talking to Jesus, and listening to Him, too.  And remembering who and what are really important.

So now I'm embarking on a
Top 10 List of the Best Things 
About Our Family Vacation This Year.  

1.  BEAUTIFUL  SUNSETS

This...my friends...is why Sunset Beach, NC is called 
SUNSET BEACH...

I enjoyed watching a couple getting their wedding pictures taken on the beach as the sun set. Their guests looked on from nearby.  I sure would have loved to have seen how beautiful those pictures turned-out!

 From the Heritage Shores Nature Preserve in Cherry Grove: 

From Cherry Grove Beach: 

And after the sun went to bed, a full moon woke-up....

Thank you, Jesus.  

You did an amazing job on Your Creation.  :)

Oakdale Baptist Church Homecoming 2013

On Sunday, I was able to experience my very first ever HOMECOMING!  

What a great time we had... 

We started with an exciting worship service where I was able to meet some folks who were new to me but known to the church.  Tim and I were especially pleased to meet Pastor Royce, who served as the interim at Oakdale before we came.  

Included in the service was the baptism of one child and the addition of 4 new members.  Tim preached a sermon titled "The Race of Faith" based on Hebrews 12:1-3.

Mrs. Linda, Church Historian, did a great job of overviewing some of the highlights in the church's 70-year history.  Since Oakdale constituted as a church in June of 1943 it has victoriously overcome a lot, including its facilities being burnt-down and rebuilt.  Matthew 16:18 says, "...and on this rock I will build My church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it."

Carry on, Oakdale Baptist Church!

The choir sang an awesome rendition of You Were There:

AND THEN CAME THE FOOD!

In my years as a preacher's wife, I've been to a whole lot of church dinners.  But I have NEVER seen this much food at one time!  Everything was absolutely divine.  These people can cook some food!!!

And yes, they managed to keep both the preacher and the preacher's wife happy.  There were pans of  fried chicken for Tim, and a pig pickin' for me.  :)  

With this being my first ever North Carolina potluck, I discovered that my Tarheels really love two things: butter beans and deviled eggs!

How honored were we to find our family's picture included on the 70th Anniversary table!

One of my favorite parts of the day had to be meeting Mrs. Riggs, a former pastor's wife at Oakdale!  I've had such a wonderful time getting to know Mrs. Riggs' two delightful daughters over the last few months, both whom are members.  

Homecoming is certainly a happy Sunday!