Tag Archives: Family

Song Highlight: Our Blessed Redeemer

With the first mix sent back for the next round of post-production edits, we are getting more and more excited about the pending relesase of our new family album. The texts for the songs contained on the album have been written by the Lord’s people in many different times and situations. One in particular, “Our Blessed Redeemer,” was adapted from Fanny Crosby’s classic gospel song, “Praise Him! Praise Him!” Truly, the Lord is our Great Shepherd, our Blessed Redeemer, and the One Who rules forever.

This arrangement features a lovely SAT trio offset by children’s choir, all supported and enhanced by a dual-piano accompaniment. We can’t wait to share it with you!

New Release | I’ll Be With You Sheet Music

New release — sheet music for a song by Amanda M. N. Wilkes. This lovely song was written in honor of Mrs. Darlene Deibler Rose, and taken from her book, Evidence Not Seen. This song is available for download on for our first recording, A Mirror of His Grace.

Arranged for SATB and piano (click for audio sample). Available for purchase here.

New Release | In Quietness and Confidence Sheet Music

New release — sheet music for a song by Amanda M. N. Wilkes. This lovely arrangement was written as a result of a difficult trial we walked through as a family. This song is available for download on for our first recording, A Mirror of His Grace.

Arranged for SATB and piano (click for audio sample). Available for purchase here.

9 people….and 9 dogs

As a photographer whose heart is in family photography, I love taking pictures of people. Yes, large groups of people present it’s challenges (and make me all the more thankful for editing programs), but I still enjoy it. But when you have a large group of people, and a large group of dogs, it makes for an even more exciting picture time! Thankfully, we didn’t have to use the self timer or remote, because Mom took the pictures for us. With gnats abounding, puppies squirming, sunshine streaming, and laughter sounding, we’re thankful for fast shutter speeds to optimize the prospects of getting a picture with everyone’s eyes open and all the puppies in the proper position! Fun times, indeed.

It’s been quite the family project to raise these little animals (that aren’t staying so little very long). The Creator has beautifully made each of His creations to glorify Him. The instincts and natural processes of a mother dog with her litter is no exception, and they are marvelous to behold.

We, too, have been created for a specific purpose: to glorify the Lord, and to enjoy Him for ever. How will you choose to embrace the day He’s given to you, with the responsibilities and challenges He ordains? May we be faithful, even in the little, seemingly mundane tasks of each day, for the purpose of glorifying our Creator.

“Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.” – Psalm 150:6

[There are still a few puppies available. Contact us for more info!}

German Shepherd Puppies–Update

Thought all of our readers would enjoy a German Shepherd puppy update, since the little four-legged critters are growing in size and personality every day. Their playful antics make us laugh as they chase each other around, playing games of hide-n-seek, and discover new toys.

Some excited owners have made their selection, but there are still a few German Shepherd puppies left who are eagerly awaiting their time to be chosen. For more information on these beautiful dogs, click here or contact us.

A Day at the Biltmore House & Gardens

During the HEAV Convention in June, we were blessed to vend right beside a dear lady named Kat representing the Biltmore House in Ashville, NC. Before leaving the convention, she surprised us all and gave us free one-day passes to tour the house and gardens!

As a special birthday celebration later in July, we had an open Saturday and decided to go – and because of Kat’s generosity, we were even able to include Mom’s sister and her family in the fun! What a delightful day! The Lord gave us beautiful weather, sweet fellowship, and precious memories as we learned more about the history of this intriguing mansion and marveled at the beauty of our Creator’s handiwork.

2015 HEAV Convention

Yet another journey in June was to Richmond for the HEAV (Home Educator’s Association of Virginia) Convention. With the days packed to bursting with busyness, fellowship, opportunities to serve and minister to many precious people, and much more, we all came away truly blessed and uplifted.

One of the numerous blessings of the weekend was seeing the standard of righteousness that the HEAV has set. Throughout the convention, frequent and unashamed acknowledgement of the LORD and His Word was clearly evident, and for that we were immensely grateful.

Convention activities… Smile

** Jessica was privileged to join our friend James (with Lenspiration) in leading a team of photographers for the convention.

** At any convention, the Neely Team always loves the vendor hall… so being able to operate a booth ourselves and walk the floor many times visiting others was certainly a highlight.

** Participating in music, both in the HEAV High School Graduation ceremony and in the lobby background music, was such a joy! Matthew & Amanda joined us at the convention on the day of the graduation, so having Amanda in the ranks again to sing/play brought many smiles.

{O} Family Pictures

To be given the opportunity to take pictures for a family is a privilege, But to be given this opportunity four years in a row is an honor.

Such is the case with the {O} family. Our family has know these precious people for over 15 years, and it’s been a joy to watch their family grow over the years. They bring such joy to our lives! We look forward to next time we get to work with them.

It’s good to have fun while taking pictures!

“As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” ~ Psalm 127:4-5

Delicious Use for Old Cookies: “Peanut Butter Mountains”

Who likes to eat stale cookies?

At our house, fresh-baked cookies (and even the un-baked ones, for that matter Smile ) have a tendency to disappear quite rapidly. But alas! For the poor neglected old ones… those that have been sitting on the counter for days… those that dried out because someone accidently forgot to seal the container after an afternoon snitch… those that weren’t really the favorite recipe (or didn’t contain enough chocolate Winking smile )…

Recently we had a bag of stale peanut butter cookies on our counter. Not wanting to waste them, and also desiring to concoct a special dessert to have together on Dad and Mom’s date night, Victoria and I had a little fun making up “Peanut Butter Mountains.”

These can be done with any kind of cookie.

We spread them with a layer of peanut butter (and, next time we’ll be more generous with it) and put a scoop of ice cream on top (chocolate/vanilla in this case, but almost any flavor would be great).

Then we put them in the freezer for about 45 minutes. This kept the ice cream hard while we continued working on dinner, and allowed the cookie/peanut butter to get cold.

Before serving, we topped it all off with chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Smile

You should try them! They were a definite hit with all of the kiddos, everyone unanimously agreeing that the layer of peanut butter was the touch of amazingness. Smile

Other ideas:

For those that are peanut intolerant, try a layer of almond butter. Or better yet, use Nutella (chocolate hazelnut) spread.
Sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips, finely chopped nuts, or colored candy sprinkles after the whipped cream.
Add some banana slices between the peanut butter/ice cream layers.

Ribbons & Hair Bows Galore | Visit Us on Udemy.com!

Ribbons & Hair Bows Galore – a step-by-step video course designed for anyone who would love to create stylish personal accessories and who wants step-by-step guidance in starting out!

Join us on Udemy.com, as we explore several different ideas to get you started on your own hair bows and hair accessories, ranging from casual “play day” bows to ones suitable to adorn a darling little flower girl at your next family wedding. (Also included is the practical hair bow organizer — sure to be Mom’s favorite!) Each lecture provides step by step instruction, and clear video footage, so that even the most hesitant beginner can learn with ease. My goal is to equip you — no matter what your past experience or skill may be — with the knowledge you need to create accessories for your own families, for gifts, or for an on-the-side entrepreneurial venture.

Hair bows and accessories can be quickly and easily made at home for a fraction of the retail cost, and the projects themselves are so much fun that it may just serve to satisfy and “arts and crafts” craving that overwhelms you at times. So, grab your ribbon, scissors, and creativity, and prepare to have a blast! Let’s get started!

Course description:

Over 10 lectures and 1.5 hours of content
By the end of the course, you will be equipped to confidently create feminine, fashionable hair accessories to use for your own families, for gifts, or for an on-the-side entrepreneurial venture.
Make 4 different hairbows, ranging from ones appropriate for a “run around at the park” kind of day, to ones fancily formal and the perfect, stunning addition to a mass of curls at the next wedding or music recital!
Make a wild hair tie to hold those flyaway ponytails!
Make a hair band/bow set, perfect for busy mornings when Mom doesn’t have time to style the hair. Just comb it out, slip it in, and run!
Make the classic hair bow organizer — Mom’s favorite! No more mess in the bathroom or on the dresser — simply hang the organizer on the back of the door and clip the bows to it! Viola!! — you have a far more tidy room and it will be a simple job to select the bow you want for the day.

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