Bible Quiz Nationals - Rochester, NY

The theme for the week:  Pursue

As you know, every year we travel with the Vincennes FM Bible Quiz Team to Nationals every year.  This year nationals took place at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY.  We had a great week at nationals this year, watched lots of quizzing, played lots of scum (a card game...so fun), and even ate a garbage plate!


It is always encouraging to see and hear so many youth memorizing the Bible!  I know not all of them are making the best decisions, but the Word of God is in them, and no one can take that from them!

Hannah, Me, Amanda ready to play SCUM!

One of the things I love most about nationals is the time we get to spend with our friends and David's family!  This year, Amanda came too! (she is Jonathan's girlfriend) AND this is the first nationals that the Swanks have been married!  I LOVE having the girls around!  Before last year, I was the only older girl (besides the actual adults)!  These girls are such a great added blessing to my week!

Amanda and I at Lake Erie 2013

We also snuck away one evening to get a Garbage Plate!  Oh my!  I will post about this later!  YUM!


On the way to Rochester, we stopped at Lake Erie!  The Great Lakes are named appropriately, because they are HUGE!  It is so crazy to not be able to see the other side of a lake!

Niagara Falls 2013

On the way home from Rochester, we stopped at Niagara Falls.  I have now been there 3 times. (Once, I stayed in Canada with my sister and brother-in-law...and now twice with the Bible Quiz Group)  We did the Cave of the Winds the last two times that we have visited.  I like it WAY better than the Maid of the Mist!

Overall, it was a great week...exhausting, but still great!

David and I wearing our OCU shirts, as usual!

4th of July FUN!

I know I'm late with this post, but I wanted to share some pictures of our 4th of July fun! 

Depoister/Hose Picture

This year we watched the Vincennes Parade with the Depoisters and even got to sit with my sister and her family!  Unfortunately we sat close to the end of the parade so the kids didn't get much candy, but it was still fun to sit and relax with some friends and family. 



Courtney, Addie, and I enjoying
the Vincennes parade!

A not-so-pleasant surprise was that a rotten egg fell from the building and splattered all over the sidewalk right in front of some of our group...oh my word!  It smelled SO bad.  Yuck!  (It was definitely a smell we will all remember!)  Jason (my bro-in-law) sprayed some Lysol on the sidewalk where the egg was, and that helped tremendously!  Yay!  Jason, our hero!

David and the Swanks waiting for the
Vincennes fireworks to begin!

Next, we went to a new pizza place in Vincennes and met up with our friends, the Swanks!  This was the first time we have gotten together with the Depoisters and the Swanks!  It was so nice to hang out with both sets of friends at the same time!  Isn't it great that God sends us so many good friendships in life.  I am super thankful for the time David and I get to spend with friends.  I think it is important for young married couples to have good friends.

David and his little buddy, enjoying
the fireworks...she kept saying, "wow!"

After supper we all went to the river-front to watch the fireworks!  David's family met us there so we could all watch the fireworks together, like we try to do every year!  It was so nice getting to hang out with so many people this 4th of July!

I know it doesn't sound like our day was very glamorous, but we really enjoyed the day (minus the stinky egg) with our friends and family!