Sunday, September 30, 2012

Tour Day 19 9-23-12

(Written by Hannah)

Today we slept in! Yay!

We reorganized the van again and drove four hours from International Falls, Minnesota to Steinbach, Manitoba.

At our hotel there was an awesome pool with a water slide. We got our load of books and repacked them, then went to a family's house. They fed us dinner, which was awesome. After that we talked for a bit, then I went outside and played around with the people who weren't busy; Josiah, Chloe, and Kaitlyn.

Dad signed Tracey's books and we headed back to our hotel where Mom finished inventory and we had devotions and everyone but me went to bed. Here are some pictures. Not many, but we didn't have a busy day.





 Merely one of the results of four-hour boredom. It wasn't a long trip, but for some reason I got bored more quickly than normal. By the way, that's my earphone cords braided.



 My awesome shoes and my awesome socks. :D


 Cow, cow, horsey, horsey, cow cow, cow.


 We passed a few fields where there were these big piles of rocks in random places with no apparent reason for them, so I took a picture.


Our dinner host family with Mom, Dad, and Amanda


Family with Mom, Dad, and me.


Dad signing books.

Okay, goodnight.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Updated Counht

An updated count of my book signings and such. :)

 Number of Speaking Events Total: 130
  Number of Signings: 26
  Number of Interviews : 19

Places Spoken In:

Florida
Kansas
Texas
New Mexico
California
Washington
British Columbia
Montana
Colorado
Nebraska
Missouri
Indiana
Wisconsin
Michigan
Illinois
Georgia
North Carolina
Maryland
New York
New Jersey
Virginia
Ohio
Ontario
Manitoba
Alberta

Places signed in:


Georgia
Texas
New Mexico
Oregon
Washington
British Columbia
Colorado
Nebraska
Wisconsin
Michigan
Florida
Maryland
 Ohio
Ontario
Alberta

Tour Day 18 9-22-12

Hannah wrote this one, too



Today we awoke a little later than usual (I woke up past seven and don't know when everyone else did, but I know it was later than we have been) and scavenged through the hotel breakfast. It was actually pretty nice. I liked their oatmeal and hot chocolate.

After rearranging the car we soon got underway with a few delays like stopping at Wal-Mart for groceries, then the post office to mail stuff. We drove about 10 hours from Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, across the upper peninsula, the top of Wisconsin, and into Minnesota.

We stopped at an Old Country Buffet for dinner (yummeh) and finished two more hours of driving to International Falls, Minnesota. In Michigan we stopped to look at Lake Superior. Having an affinity for wandering off and climbing random rocks near the shore, I got soaked with some seriously cold water.


 It wasn't funny. Actually, it was hilarious. Both my shirts got wet, the front of my jeans were wet, my shoes were too, but my socks were dry. Yippee! It was a bit awkward to change completely in the car, but I managed.


Now we've made it to our hotel and we're all tired again. Here are some pictures.




 This cute little guy came up to our car while we snapped a few pictures of Lake Soopy.



 So for some reason we fed them



And gulls come in droves when feeding is available. It was kind of scary. :P




 Lake Soopy's white caps




 Lady being cutesy and Dad.




 Me, Mom, and Dad. Yes, their feet got wet. I tried to warn them, but all I could think to say was, "Your feet! Your feet!" Soo...I failed.




It twas cold and windy. VERY windy.




 Amanda and Mom being spontaneously cute




Me being a bit stupid. Yes, this is where I got soaked, because I just *had* to get closer to the water. I was wet and cold. v.v

Friday, September 28, 2012

Day 17 - 9/21/12

(Written by Hannah)

Day 17


Today we went back to Timothy Christian School, where Dad and Amanda did their talks and sat in the library to sell books until 2 pm.

 I did more school and Mom did inventory once again. Before Dad's second talk I went into the room where he had done his first speech and fiddled around on the piano. Unfortunately the second class started coming in before I was on the fourth page of six of the piece I had memorized. So I improvised, cutting off one and a half pages and playing the fifth and sixth. They clapped for me. Huzzah.

 Afterward we drove down the road to a bookstore where we left our inventory to be shipped back to where they came from. An eight hour drive put us at our next hotel in the Yoopy (<< How I say UP) of Michigan at 10:34 pm. We're all stomped now. *in the process of falling asleep*




 The drawer pulls at our hotel this morning




 First class (I didn't get a picture of the second)




 A kid who had Dad sign his Gators hat. (He likes the Gators because of Tim Tebow)




One of the boys holding the sword with Dad.




 I was excited to see these books in the store we stopped at. Wayne Batson and Scott Appleton



 Scott Appleton


 Jenny Cote

Christopher and Allan Miller

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Tour Day 16

(Written by Hannah)

Day 16


Today we went to four different schools to sell books, then drove to Barrie, Ontario, where we participated in a book fair. I hung out on the play ground for most of it.




 The results of me hanging around on a play ground...Upside - down.




Right side up version.




 I was hanging by my legs from this thing.



Having fun balancing and taking pictures.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Canadian Travels

We've been in Canada for almost three weeks now, I believe.

 I'm pretty terrible at keeping track of days and dates and such, so that's just a guess.


We've really enjoyed it so far, the schools are nice, the weather's been nice, and so have all the people!   The only thing that isn't nice is the prices for everything - $2 - $3 more per item, sometimes even more than that, plus a 13% sales tax on everything. Ouch.


We've driven many, many miles, and a lot of it looks like this to me.


Feet propped up in the window tucked snuggly under my blanket. Yes, it has ducks on it.

And my laptop is on my lap because I'm trying to write 1,000 words every day on CCB3. Some days it hasn't been going so well, I really need to kick it into gear.

Tour Day 15 9-19-12

Written and posted by Hannah - I haven't had time to update my blogs yet, so I'm copying the tour blog. :)


Okay, so this morning I get up around 6:30. Everyone's milling around getting ready. After a bit we're all packed up and about to get in the car when Dad needs to call someone about our hotel reservations getting mixed up. Mom, Amanda, and I chill (literally) out in the car for awhile, commenting about the seagulls and a bird that could possibly be a kittiwake. 
When I told Mom what I thought about the bird she said, "Kittiwinks! AAw, that's ADORABLE!" Amanda corrected her. Mom insisted that kittiwinks would be a much cuter name, and that's what they were called now. 
After sitting around for a few minutes I noticed something on top of a telephone pole. Turns out it was a black squirrel just slumped over, asleep. I snapped a picture (but it's not very clear).


He's that little black blip just over the middle of the tree line.

Eventually Dad got free and came on out. We drove to Niagara Falls for a quick glimpse of lots of water before running off to our first school.




Pretty cool, even with the small view we got.




 Mist from the falls.




A boat I saw while we were crossing a river.

First we went to Calvary Christian School, the one we were at yesterday, to sell books, since lots of kids forgot their money the day before. I wasn't doing too well, so I sat out in the car for that one. After that we drove about an hour and a half to our hotel and checked in.

 Our hotel is *right* next to the fire house. We were excited to see a group of fire fighters doing a training drill with the Jaws of Life and a four car crash scenario. Mom, Amanda, and I watched from the fence while they pried two doors off a car.

Mom decided that if she left some guys might come over and talk to us. Funny enough, after she went to help Dad unload the car, the supervisor came over and chatted.




The supervisor told us they were currently training on how to keep a crashed car steady. (note the supports)

We learned that the Jaws of Life used to be called The Hersh, after the company that produced them, but when people heard: We can't get them out, go get the Hersh! they thought someone had said the hearse. So they renamed it something a little more reassuring: The Jaws of Life. It was quite amusing.



 Using the Jaws.


Prying off the door.




The supervisor called lunch break a little after we left.

When we did leave most of the guys waved to us. :)

Off we went to Immanuel Christian School. I was squirreled away into an empty class room to do my Switched-On Schoolhouse Health Class (the kids were on an Extreme Wilderness Hike). I sat in the 7th and 8th grader's room for about 2 hours, and managed to completed 8 lessons, their short open-book tests, and two quizzes.

 I had no idea how much time had passed (even though I had a watch), so after that I packed up and found Mom and Dad in the 5th and 6th grader's room. Dad was finishing up. The kids in this class room were really excited and even asked Mom and I for our autographs. I got about 4 kids wanting my autograph. Needless to say, I was a bit flattered. We packed up and went to our hotel.



The kids gathered around the book table

 Dad talking with his sword.




Amanda signing paper slips for a little girl named Bell. And Dad's face there in the corner.


 


There was this nifty tree right outside the building (that I *really* wanted to climb but wasn't allowed) that Mom and I decided was an elm tree.




 I decided to randomly play around with the leaves. This is a sprig on top of our car hood.




 Holding it in front of the side walk and messing around with the focus.




I thought this one was kind of cool, playing with light and focus.




Now this one was definitely nifty. I set the camera on action and tossed a rock into a puddle, achieving the desired effect. The dry rock in the middle of the water wall is the one I tossed.

Now then. Lots of pictures, eh? ;) I hope it made up for yesterday.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Tour Day 14 9-18-12

(Written by my sister Hannah - copied from the tour blog)

We left our hotel this morning at about 11:05 am for hot chocolate at Tim Horton's. It was delicious. Again. Unfortunately I didn't snap any pictures til later, when we got back to our hotel after 10 pm. Sorry. My fault entirely for being neglectful. I can't do that again. -.- 
Anyways, at our first school, Calvary Christian, in St. Catherine's, Ontario, from 11:45 to 3:45 Dad and Amanda did their talk and Dad did a short writing workshop. We sold a pretty fair amount of books and packed up in a hurry to get to the Heritage Christian Bookstore a few blocks down. We stayed 15 minutes later than we were supposed to due to some kids not having money and they needed their parents to pay when they picked them up after school. 
At the bookstore Dad and Amanda signed books from 3:50 to 5, then we took a break for dinner. From 7 to 9 Dad spoke to a group of librarians for the store and signed books. The bookstore owner was awesomely generous. He gave me the book I'd been reading and wanting to buy and a Kerusso shirt I'd been eyeing and asked how much it was. Now we're at our hotel redoing inventory of the boxes we used today.

 Inventory!


My Lady doing inventory


 The ledger the Lady's made



 Scotch tape. Everyone loves Scotch tape.




Some postcards I picked up and my new book. ^-^




Me in my new shirt with my new book, looking a bit tired and pensive