All of us: Through the ages pt. 1

Friends,
While pouring through the family photo archive in search of suitable images for the world famous Through the Ages series, I came across a lot of group shots that I just couldn't pass up. Please enjoy the first installment from that wonderful collection.

Upon looking at this delightful image, you are probably saying to yourself; "What a sweet and wonderful family the Hectors are"!


Beware one and all, just below the surface there lies a nefarious side to this scurrilous bunch!

Reprehensible conduct! Villainy!

Outright rebellion!

Even the horse is contrary!

Well, OK, that isn't all that bad. Our kids hear no evil, see no... you get the point.

We are a close knit bunch, even in the days when there was only five of us.

The perils of Death Valley cannot divide us.

Ben and Thomas have a life-long habit of working together.

The addition of the Six (as we sometimes call them) mixed things up a bit, but we are and will always be a family united.

Red eye reduction is a wonderful thing, but there is something so entertaining about ruby red eyes that I just can't resist.

Anthony and Nick used to be smaller than they are now.

This was our first (and only) sailing lesson, taken on Oakland's Lake Merritt.

We've got a lot of haircut shots, but I'm not sure what it is that keeps me pulling the camera out.

Not everything we do can be easily explained.

Soccer has been a big attraction in our family since the Six arrived.

Sometimes, an apron just isn't enough.

If you are going to throw a tea party, always invite a baby chicken to liven things up. This was the very first time the Six visited their new home. They were scared, we were clueless. Things are much better now. The terms they and we have been replaced with us.

When in doubt, wear weird clothing. Name tags are always in style.

The carnival comes to town once a year.

Easter comes once a year, but it's a bigger deal than the carnival.

Nick is holding down the floor.

Ben is holding up Sara.

The time has come to walk away...

...and wave goodbye. I have at least two more installments ready to go. Does anybody want to see more??

be safe,
Hec @ 19

Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest...

Certain people have often wondered where we live. While it is possible to look on a map, even to the point of getting satellite pictures that nearly allow you to count the number of tiles on our roof, it still lacks the personal touch, and hides great deal of what our "home" looks like, rather than simply our "house". With that in mind, I have assembled a few photographs, depicting all of the rooms in our house, and making up our home; with appropriate commentary, of course. So, sit back relax, and enjoy a free tour of the Hector family abode....


First off, this is our living room. Honestly, the room we spend the most time in as a family. Devotions, reading, talking and quite a bit of playing are done here, especially during the winter, when the woodstove adds a special glowing allure to the room!


Just behind the living room is the "studio". All of our houses have had one room christened by this name, since the days when my mom ran her own graphic design business out of the very first Hector home. It has just stuck.


Also off the living room is our dining room. Meals here are always a loud and enjoyable affair. It took a great deal of time to find a table big enough to fit all of us, and at the same time fit with all of the design requirements (width was an important one).


Through the door in the dining room is the kitchen. Perhaps the most important room in the house! We recently painted all of the cabinets white, and it looks a whole lot brighter and cheerier since then!


Care to take a guess how much laundry passes through here in a week?


No one should have to see our garage!


We added on to the house about six years ago, this is one of the rooms that was added, called the "Great Room". Plenty of space to clear for dances!


"Stairway to Heaven". Actually, it just goes upstairs, nice pictures, though...


At the top of the stairs in the master bath, with plants in it! Who has plants in their bathroom? It is just weird!



A room with a view, the master bedroom. Any guesses as to who sleeps here? Hint: It is not Sara.


View with a room! See there is green.....


Our much beloved oasis. All it needs are some palm trees....


Our back yard is where we eat many summer dinners, lots of bbq! (More green!)


Here is the hallway, down to the West Wing. Our front door is just off the camera, to the right, but no one ever uses that door. We come in the back way, like family.


What a funny place to keep coats...


Girl's room, with GIRLS!


The girl's bathroom is decorated with "original" Winnie the Pooh motif. Even the shower curtain.


This shot was taken to show the old master bedroom, aka. boys room, at it's best angle, and the one that didn't show the large pile of stuff in the lower right....


Nic's room is the old master bedroom closet, which was HUGE. As you can see, he likes his little hideaway.


Boy's bathroom, big, isn't it? Now, picture this filled with six guys, all trying to get ready for church at 6:45am. Small, isn't it?


Back deck, a peaceful place to repose under the spreading of the mighty oaks.


Here is the bunkhouse, where Thomas and Ben sleep.


Ok, there isn't a big stone fireplace, rolling ladders, or a spiral staircase, but it is still a pretty cool library, because it is FULL of books. The rest can come later.


Lastly, Thomas and Ben's bedroom. This was painted by our whole family a few years ago, since the plain white walls did not fit the refined "flair" that was being looked for. Yes, the flag clashes with the wall color, but it still adds to the room's flavor.


So, that is our home. If y'all are ever in the area, give us a shout, and we'd be more than happy to put you up for the night!

Now, I'm off to go take a dip in the Oasis! Later.....

Videos from a half full lake

Yahoo!!! Videos from the boat trip!! Please enjoy.



be safe,
Hec @ 19

Two days on the Lake

Our family has been trying to get together for a lake trip all summer long. We keep telling ourselves that things will slow down and an opportunity will come along, but it never seems to happen that way. We finally picked two days that we thought would work, but Ben had a conflict. He told us to go anyhow, because he didn't think he would have any mid-week freedom for a long time. So we did. Here is what happened.

This inflatable was Ben and Thomas' Christmas present. You saw it in action in Illinois, but this was the first time that we tried it with the motor.

The sailboat was there, of course. This was Mrs. H's second ever ride on it. Matthew is an old hand by now, being the veteran of several trips.

We tried towing the sailboat with the inflatable, just to see what would happen. It worked!!

Becky had a great time. She looks good in yellow too!

Sarah went for a swim. There is a ladder on the back of the boat just for that purpose.

All the boys tried their hand at piloting the inflatable. They had a blast!! You'll get your turn, Ben.

We have had several dry winters in a row. The water should be all the way up to those trees. I think that's Laura in the water.

At the end of the day I beached the boat on a small island in the middle of the lake. That saved me from having to haul it out for the night, and it kept the boat safe from shore-bound pirates. I spent the night on board, just to be on the safe side. Nick, Anthony and Jonathan slept in the RV at a campsite next to Pastor Dave and his family. The rest of our crew went home to take care of the animals and sleep in the comfort of their own beds. Thomas had to work the next day for our neighbor Bob, or he would have stayed with us.

After riding in the inflatable to get back to the continental United States from the island, we had a lovely meal prepared by Mrs. H, then we enjoyed the fellowship of Pastor Dave and his family around a campfire. When it was time to retire, I returned to the island on a very dark night in an inflatable boat with no lights. If there had been no moon, I'd still be out there looking for the island.
If you ever have the pleasure of meeting Pastor Dave, get him to tell you the story of Joe, the gold mining dog.

The next morning, Pastor Dave pulled all of the Hector boys around the lake on an oversized inflatable chair thingy. They had a blast (again)!!

Pastor Dave's daughter is an expert wake boarder. My boys tried their hand at it, with disastrous results.

We shot some great video over the course of the two days, but I will need Ben's help to get that uploaded. In the meantime, I leave you with this curious photo. If you were at Clinton Lake, you know what this is all about.

be safe (especially when you are on the water),
Hec @ 19