Randomness...=)

Hello Friends! 
The life of Bailey O'Brien has been a little busy lately, and I realize that you haven't really heard from me in a while. I have posted some articles, and pictures,and videos, however, this post is a little more about me and what's been going on in my life. =)

(just a quick side note: please excuse all improper grammar and punctuation. I'm kinda' on a roll, writing wise, and once I get started I tend to forget grammar and punctuation and all that good stuff. :P)

Where to start? *thinking* Well, for the most part my life has been pretty normal....school....hanging with the family (which I love dearly)....school....seeing friends...enjoying spring....etc. Oh and with spring comes sapping season!  At the christian retreat center that I live at we collect sap (from our trees) to turn into syrup.  We have about 750 buckets in our woods that we have to collect from about every other day...so that's been taking up some of my time (and you'll see some pics later in the post).

On the spiritual side of things....Jesus has been continuing to draw my heart closer to Him! I love Him so much!! One thing that He has been using in my life to encourage and challenge me in my walk with Him, is "A Place of Quiet Rest," a devotional book by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  I continued to be awed by the wisdom and insights that God has given to this great woman of faith! I would highly recommend it to anyone in search of a deeper walk with Christ!

And now....PICTURES!!!!! (but not quite yet :P) (I LOVE pictures, for those of you who don't know.)

On Saturday we were planning to collect sap later in the afternoon, and we wanted to call some friends to come and help us with our work, (cause it's always kinda' fun with friends) and we couldn't really think of anybody that lived close enough to call, and the ones we could think of lived two hours away.  Well....after some hemming-and-hawing we called those friends that lived two hours away, and much to our great surprise they came!!  After saying all our "hi's" and catching up for a minute, we all donned our mud boots and marched out to the woods!

Steps involved in the sapping process:
1) Take the tin bucket off of the tree
2) dump the sap into you five-gallon pail

3) carry your buckets to the bobcat and dump!

Go Mike!

Zach and Charlie are best buds!

Anna and Tabby = Friends Forever!

The whole sappin' bunch!
"Show your braces!"  (inside joke)

We had an awesome time with our buddies, the Ottersons! They are a bluegrass family (for those of you not into bluegrass, it means they sing/play bluegrass/gospel music as a family) so after working for a couple hours we jammed for a couple hours! (to jam: to play your instruments with your friends. Bailey's definition )
After cooking six pizzas and scarfing them down our throats, we packed up our instruments and got into our two conversion vans, and drove over to a nearby church where they were having a bluegrass-jam/concert.

It was an amazingly fun night!  We watched other bands play.....my brother and I played with our band, Crossed Paths...and then us kids, (Shane, Levi, Hannah and I) played a couple songs (which was really fun!!), and after us, the Otterson family played a few songs (they were a hit! everyone LOVED them!!).  Then, us kids played again, and Anna, Tabby and Zach played with us this time too!

Shane, Levi, Hannah and me performing "Blackberry Blossom" and the next one is "Salt Creek."

  Anna and Tabby joined us for one of our old favorites: "Whoa Mule,Whoa!"

After playing, eating, listening and playing some more, we got into a circle with our instruments and some friends and did some more jamming!!  It was a totally, awesomely, fun night!!  My "Otter friends" stayed the night, and we hung out yesterday.....the eventually left, which was sad, but I'm doing my best to survive!  

So....that's just a lil' preview about what's been going on. It's been a great 2011 so far, with all the ups and downs but, God has continued to show Himself faithful! "Oh what a Jesus!"

Love and hugs,
Bailey =)