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You are here: Home / Archives for NZ Filbruns

NZ Filbruns

New Babies!

January 9, 2017 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

Our cat disappeared a few weeks after the earthquake, so we decided to try again. Some friends of ours had new kittens, so we requested two of them. They had the mother spayed when the kittens were five weeks old, and the kittens learned to eat dry food then. We picked them up a few days later, on Christmas Day. We are sure enjoying having kittens again! They were tiny when we got them, but now, about two weeks later, have grown a lot. They are also changing fast in behavior. They have learned how to play much better, and are getting friendlier all the time, especially the little boy kitten. The girl has always been friendly. She’s a fighter, though, and unless she’s sleepy she’s playing—which often means chewing on the person she has chosen to bestow her favor on at that moment! We named the black girl Princess and the gray boy Bandit. These first two pictures are on the way home. Those poor traumatized kittens! They were terrified.

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They fell asleep on a chair as soon as we got home, and slept for several hours.

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Later that evening, they woke up and played some.

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Once, early on, Princess fell asleep on my hand. She’s too big to fit like that now!

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Filed Under: Activities at Home Tagged With: cats, Kittens

First Trip to Kaikoura Since the Earthquake

January 7, 2017 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

It’s already been three weeks since Mr. Inventor went to Kaikoura with a couple of men from Cheviot. They took a load of food that had been donated. At that time, the only way into Kaikoura was the Inland Route from Waiau, and you could only go in convoy. A convoy departed from Waiau at 8:00 am to go to Kaikoura, and another left Kaikoura at 3:00 pm to go back. You had to sign up online a day or two ahead, and then wait for a text message late the evening before going, to confirm that the road would be open in the morning. Only a few days later, all restrictions on that road ended and it was open for two-way traffic. A week after Mr. Inventor’s trip, Highway One, the coastal route, was opened for daytime traffic. These pictures are from Mr. Inventor’s trip on the 15th of December, on the Inland Road in convoy.

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There were a lot of spectacular slips into the Conway River.

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Unloading the food in Kaikoura.

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A Navy ship was anchored offshore in Kaikoura.

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The banks of Lyell Creek sank; apparently all houses along it have been red-stickered, meaning they are not to be used. Thankfully, our friend who lives along this lane is just far enough away that her house is fine.

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Lots of twisted guard rails.

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Cracks across the hillside.

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The convoy forming to leave Kaikoura in the afternoon. Mr. Inventor rode in the truck at the back of the line.

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It’s hard to tell from the picture, but the bridge on the left is twisted one direction at one end and the other direction at the other end. The bridge to the right is a new one built since the quake to allow traffic to go through.

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This is a bridge just south of Kaikoura. Again, it’s hard to tell in the picture, but the road drops six or eight inches coming off the bridge.

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Another view of the twisted bridge with a temporary bridge beside it.

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Filed Under: Away From Home Tagged With: Earthquake, Kaikoura

Early December 2016 Pictures

January 5, 2017 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

There will be another post soon (I hope) with more pictures from December, but one of the children borrowed my camera today so I don’t have my memory card. These are the pictures I do have today, when I have time to post!

I was amused one day, when I looked out the door, to see Little Miss walking very carefully around and around the tree in the middle of the roundabout in our driveway. She kept it up for quite a few minutes.

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I was not quite so amused the morning I looked out to see Mr. Inventor’s flock of 35-40 ducklings going across my yard! Thankfully, ducks are very easy to herd and he got them back in the paddock before too long.

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The hills are drying out again. I don’t remember ever seeing it quite like this before, half green and half brown. Maybe we’ve just never gone south at the right time before. This picture shows so clearly how the hot, dry northwest winds suck the moisture out of the grass here in North Canterbury.

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I’ve been puzzling over this field since May or June, when it was planted. It looked like they sowed rocks thickly in the rows, then didn’t cover them up. I couldn’t imagine what those things were. When the plants came up, I decided they must be elephant garlic, but now we can tell what they are. Apparently, someone is raising onions for seed! (Mom, this is the field we were discussing one day when we went past while you were here—probably the day you arrived.)

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I’m not sure what the blue/purple is on those hills across the Hurunui River, but it was beautiful! I’m guessing it’s a noxious weed, though.

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Coming home to Cheviot one afternoon, I was struck anew by the beauty of the mountains to the north of us. I love seeing the ranges, one behind the other!

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Filed Under: Activities at Home, Away From Home Tagged With: Canterbury, Cheviot, Miller Street house, Random Photos

Painting the Sleepout

January 3, 2017 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

I have a son who is at his best when he has a big project underway. He thrives on working toward a goal, day after day. Right now, he’s building a moveable chicken pen out of lumber someone gave the boys. He’s been at it for several days, and has several more days of work on it. He can’t stand to be at loose ends.

While Esther was gone to America for two weeks, Mr. Diligence had a different project. He had actually wanted to do it last year while she was gone for six weeks, but didn’t get at it then. He’s now 11 years old, though, and able to do even more than he was last year. He set himself the goal of scraping and painting her entire sleepout before she got home this year! He didn’t quite meet the goal; the scraping turned out to be a lot harder than he thought. He got two walls done, though! Then, he ran out of paint. It’s going to be very hard to match those walls with what he finds at the dump for free, but at least those two look good.

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Filed Under: Activities at Home Tagged With: Boys, Canterbury, Cheviot, Miller Street house

Videos of Little Miss

January 1, 2017 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

Little Miss learned how to turn “round and round” a few weeks ago. She had great fun practicing her new skill!

I love watching Little Miss run and jump! She rarely moves slowly; this is her normal pace of life. She’s a very busy little girl!

Filed Under: Activities at Home Tagged With: Canterbury, Cheviot, Little Miss, Miller Street house, Video

Book Review—New Year’s Revolutions

December 30, 2016 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

Chautona Havig has written yet another book this year! After writing Christmas Stalkings, she wanted to tell Neal Kirkpatrick’s story—he’s sort of the villain in it. New Year’s  Revolutions, therefore, is both a prequel and a sequel to Christmas Stalkings (see my review here).

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Christmas Stalkings is told mainly from Wendy’s point of view, as she prepares for Christmas with her seven cats and deals with someone entering her house and moving things around. New Year’s Revolutions tells the story from her neighbor Neal’s point of view—but starts earlier and goes on a long ways after the first story ends.

For the rest of my review, you’ll have to visit Esther’s website! Read it here.

To buy the book, just click on the title. I used Esther’s affiliate links, so if you buy a book through them, she will get a little money to put toward maintaining her website and it won’t cost you any more.

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, Chautona Havig

Book Review—Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day

December 26, 2016 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

We have finally finished our science course for the year. It was very hard to get in time for science this year, with the crazy schedules we had all year, and a lot of time off school for one reason or another. Toward the end of the year, after several of the boys finished some subjects and I had more time, we were able to do lessons more often. I have thoroughly enjoyed our study this year, of Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day. I am greatly enjoying getting an in-depth look at various topics from a strongly Christian, Creationist point of view. Jeannie K. Fulbright has done an excellent job with this book, as with the other books we’ve used that she wrote.

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Because this review has now been published on Esther’s website, I’ve removed the rest of it. Read my full review here.

 

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, Homeschooling, Science

More of Little Miss

December 24, 2016 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

If you get tired of seeing pictures of our little girl, just skip this. We think she’s someone pretty special, and more fun all the time. She is really developing her own personality. This presents some major hurdles at times, because she is so independent, but fun at the same time. A few days ago, we were having family worship in the kitchen. Most of the family was sitting around the table, and I was on my rocking chair in the corner, holding her. She said, “Mommy, please help me.” I asked what she needed help with. She answered something about “the persons.” I asked if she wanted to be at the table with the others—yes, that was what she wanted! This evening, she came to the kitchen with Mr. Imagination’s shoes on. She announced, “Three, four shoes! Seven, eight, ten shoes!” One evening, she fell asleep early, so I laid her on the couch. She ended up putting her feet up on the arm of the couch!

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She is determined to help in any way she can. A favorite job is rinsing dishes. Here, she is helping Mr. Inventor.

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Think Little Miss and Mr. Imagination enjoyed their blackberry muffins?

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She was thrilled to get a new coat!

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I ordered some preschool books for Esther to bring home from America for Mr. Imagination. As soon as she unpacked her suitcase, he started coloring in the coloring book from the set. Little Miss grabbed another book and started coloring in it! That wasn’t very popular, so I quickly grabbed an old school book for her. She’s been diligently coloring pictures every day since. One morning I came in from milking and she said, “Mommy, see me picture!” She carefully scribbles over every little picture on a page, and on some of the words that are by themselves. She also likes to draw a picture during family worship; Mr. Intellectual and Mr. Sweetie draw pictures most days while we read, to illustrate a verse from our chapter. After we finish reading, they show us their picture and explain what they drew. The last couple of days, Little Miss has stood up to show off her picture, too! The most important part, to her, is her name, which she asks us to write on the page over and over. She loves her name.

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This kitty shirt was in a bag of clothes that was given to us. I wasn’t going to keep it, but she found it and asked her daddy to put it on her. She was so happy I let her have it. She ran outside to jump on the trampoline as soon as she had the shirt on!

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She’s very happy to have Esther home from America. For several days, she seemed to be afraid Esther would disappear again, and the first day Esther went back to work, when Little Miss went out to her room and found her gone, she was quite upset. She didn’t want to let go of Esther after she returned. These two pictures show what she was doing at one point, hugging Esther’s legs tightly. I like the way her dress swishes in the bottom picture—this is one little girl who doesn’t hold still! She moves at top speed most of the time! This dress, by the way, was another item she found in the bag of donated clothes. She loves red dresses, so I let her keep it.

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Filed Under: Activities at Home Tagged With: Canterbury, Cheviot, Little Miss, Miller Street house

History 15—Part 3

December 17, 2016 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

I thought surely I had done at least a third post in this series! Life got pretty crazy in October, and we haven’t done much of our history reading. Right now, Esther is on her way home from America, and I’m a couple of chapters ahead of her. Time to do a bit of serious reading, Esther! I’ll share my notes up to where she has read. For the first two installments of notes on Unwrapping the Pharoahs, go here and here.

Chapter 15 talks about Thutmosis I. He was an extremely rich, powerful king. It is likely that he is the Pharoah whose daughter Solomon married, and the father of Hatshepsut. One bit of supporting evidence is that none of his records mention invading the hill country of Israel, although he did invade Syria. He erected the first obelisks.

Chapter 16 is about Hatshepsut. She became regent for her stepson Thutmosis III at the age of 15 when her husband died. Seven years later, she proclaimed herself Pharoah, at age 22, and ruled for 22 years. She was likely the Queen of Sheba who visited Solomon. She left inscriptions describing a trip to the “Land of Punt”. Egyptian inscriptions refer to the Land of Punt as being in Palestine. Jesus mentions the Queen of the South coming to visit Solomon, and Daniel refers to the king of the South being from Egypt. She would have been going to visit her sister, who married Solomon.

Chapter 17. Thutmosis III conquered many cities, making them tributaries. He is more than likely the “Shishak” who looted Jerusalem in Rehoboam’s day. He seems to have been friendly toward Hatshepsut, who usurped his rule at first, until late in his reign when he destroyed all her inscriptions.

Chapter 18. Amenhotep II, son of Thutmosis III, wanted to imitate his father’s victories. He took immense amounts of booty and prisoners in his second campaign, but a subsequent one was different. They went no farther than south/central Palestine and only 2 horses, 1 chariot, and some bows and arrows returned. Was this the battle in which God miraculously defeated the “Ethiopians” for Asa?

Chapter 19. Thutmosis IV became Pharoah even though he had 2 older brothers. He claimed that the Sphinx told him that if he removed the sand covering it he would become the next Pharoah. He died young of a wasting disease.

Chapter 20. Amenhotep III had over a thousand wives. His favorite was the daughter of commoners. He had many statues made of himself. His 38-year reign was peaceful. His huge statues were made of layers of stone rather than one huge one, so they weren’t repurposed for other uses.

Chapter 21. Akhenaten tried to change the worship in Egypt to the sun disc Aten rather than the sun god Amun. By the revised chronology, he was contemporary with Ahab king of Samaria, meaning that neither Moses nor David could have copied him, as they are accused of doing. His wife Nefertiti was a beautiful woman, and they had six daughters.

Chapter 22. Tutankhamen was insignificant as a Pharoah; he is only famous because his tomb was left intact. He married his sister (who had been married to their father); she had 2 stillborn children.

Chapter 23. Soon after Tutankhamen’s death, the 18th Dynasty ended. Rameses I became Pharoah, but only for a year. His son Sethi I accomplished a lot, including an invasion of Syria and Palestine.

(The link in this post is an affiliate link for Esther’s website, and if you purchase the book through this link it will help her website. I would have linked directly to the review on her site, but the website is down right now and will be till Esther gets home to work on it.)

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, History 15

Memories of Seth

December 15, 2016 by NZ Filbruns 4 Comments

Yesterday was Seth’s birthday. He would have been 17. Naturally, I was thinking about him a lot through the day, and decided to share some pictures from when he was little.

The day Seth was born was a day I’ll never forget. He was due the middle of January, so we had Gayle’s family’s Christmas gathering early. We were going to go home on Monday. Our car needed new shocks, so Gayle and his dad worked on that first. We finally left his parent’s place around 3:00 in the afternoon and headed home (they lived in Ohio, we lived a 6- or 7-hour drive away, in Michigan). After an uneventful drive home, uncomfortable for me because of constant Braxton-Hicks contractions, we walked into our house at 10:00 at night to find it “peopled” with mannequins! My sisters, who didn’t get to decorate our car at our wedding two years before because we hid it, had gotten revenge by decorating our house while we were away. (I was going to insert a picture of it, but apparently one of our photo albums is missing.) We spent a couple of hours tidying up, then went to bed at midnight. I woke up at 6:00 Tuesday morning in labor—a month early! We called the midwife, and she came as soon as she could. She allowed us to stay home to have the baby. Around 4:00 in the afternoon, I started to bleed. The midwife started really praying. About two hours later, around 6:15, Seth made his appearance. He was very blue, but started breathing and pinked up within a minute. We were thrilled to have our first boy! Esther wasn’t sure about him the first day, and was mad at me, but she soon learned to love him. She was only 16 1/2 months old when he was born, but she was determined to pick him up and carry him around. One time, I had left him asleep on a chair in the living room and went into the bedroom. She picked him up and carried him to me, dropping him at my feet. Thankfully, we had a thick, soft carpet, and he never even woke up!

Two weeks old

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Nine months old

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Five years old

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Eight or nine years old

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Ten years old

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Memories

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The Family:


Dad and Mom (Gayle and Emma)

Girl #1, Esther, my right hand

Boy #1, Seth (Mr. Handyman)

Boy #2, Simon (Mr. Inventor)

Boy #3, Mr. Intellectual

Boy #4, Mr. Diligence

Boy #5, Mr. Sweetie

Boy #6, Mr. Imagination

Girl #2, Little Miss

Girl #3, Miss Joy

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