Homeschoolers Sledding Day

Well, we shut the books, grabbed our sleds and loaded the kids up to Oxbow Park for a few hours of sledding. It is great to be able in the late morning take a break from school!

A Friend's Shower

My dear friend Kathy, has a daughter that is getting married next month. Sarah will be marrying a wonderful man from the Domincan Republic, where they will get married and live. This is a great picture of mom & daughter at a bridal shower at church. Congrats Sarah and fiancee Sadrac!!

Build-A-Bear

The kids had a great time building their new furry friends at Build-A-Bear Workshop. They had gift certificates from Christmas and they were sooooo anxious to spend them. Jonny made a monkey and Hope made a dog. This adds to their on going collection of furry friends.

Tubing at Wilson Park

Indiana is cold in the winter. The best way to deal with it, is to get some friends, tubes, and a big hill and go tubing! We had a blast fitting 13 of us on one big tractor tire tube and flying down the hill at Wilson Park. Fun Times!

Happy Birthday Hope!

Hope requested a Dairy Queen ice cream cake for her birthday celebration with us at home. It was a very good choice, girl. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is the bomb! Dinner at Chili's, ice cream cake, gifts....it doesn't get much better than that at 9! You are such a blessing to us, Hope! Your love for the Lord and for people, tender heart, and sweet smile are just a few of the many things that make you so beautiful!! We love you!!

Birthday Sleepover!

Hope turned 9 years old on the 14th of January. It was hard to believe, we are now crossing over into the days of sleepovers. She had 3 friends come over to watch movies, eat popcorn & pizza, sleepover and get their toenails painted. Of course there was a little bit of singing and dancing too. She has some very special friends. Happy Birthday, Hopie! We love you and are so very proud of you!

Christmas Day

We had a nice quiet day at home on Christmas Day. My parents and sister came over in the afternoon. Hope sang to everyone using her new Karoake machine. She is quite the entertainer! Jonathan was thrilled to have a day with no school work and to play games at home. They enjoyed spending time with Meme & Poppy and Aunt Gay.

Christmas with Family

We spent the afternoon on Christmas Eve at my sister's house. We celebrated Christmas with her family, our parents, and sister. My niece had just had her first baby at the beginning of the month so it was sweet to see and hold him.

Christmas with the Cripes

We celebrated Christmas with Greg's family on December 22. We have such a great time being together and talking. We praise the Lord for family and what it means celebrate the real meaning of Christmas together. This was our silly picture, we did take a serious one but it isn't as cute!

Chicago December 20-22

We spent a few days in downtown Chicago over my birthday. We met up with my dear, dear friend Veronica. Veronica was in the U.S and we needed to get together and do some planning. You see, Vero, is getting married in April and Hope & I are in the wedding. We needed to shop for dresses and catch up. We hit the jackpot and found some beautiful bridesmaid dresses. Vero had already bought Hope's and we wanted to make sure it was going to fit before we traveled for the wedding! The wedding will be in Costa Rica, where she lives and serves as a missionary. This picture is of us and her adopted mama, Joanna. We are so excited for her and her fiancee, Salvador. Hope is especially anxious to travel to her first foreign country. I am excited to share this with her and to be a part of this exciting time for Veronica! She is so very dear to my heart. She is truly like my sister.

It was absolutely freezing in Chicago! The wind chill was -20 degrees. We braved walking the Magnificent Mile. We had to visit the American Girl store for Hope and get her doll's ears pierced to match hers! We visited the Lego Store, Macy's, Disney Store, ate at the Rainforest Cafe, and tried to stay warm. We spent time doing what our kids love...swimming in the indoor pool at the Hotel! We watched some movies and just relaxed! Greg still wasn't feeling the greatest so it was nice to just hang out together. Our month has been so busy and it isn't even Christmas yet! We praise the Lord for strength and energy and most definately for warmth!!

December was a blurrrrrr!

Wow, December was very busy. We had birthdays, Christmas Productions, and major health issues with Greg! He was in bed practically the whole month. He was such a trooper going ahead with the production when he felt horrible, celebrating with friends and family and making a little surprise for me for my birthday. He gathered together our friends, the Yoders & the Scott's, and surprised me with dinner at my favorite resaturant, "Yesterdays". WE laughed so hard that night. I think my sides still hurt! Thank you, Sweetie! You are the love of my life, this side of heaven.

Happy Birthday Kimlee!!

Our dear friend, Kimlee, turned 40 this December!! We had a little photo shoot since in years gone by, she was a model from the Bronx! No, we usually don't dress like this in public, but had a great time with lots of friends celebrating with her and reminiscing about years long behind us. 40 & Fabulous, right girl?

Merry Christmas Soldier!

Our church put on a big Christmas production this year for three nights, entitled, "Merry Christmas Soldier". Greg & I and both kids were blessed to be involved in it. Greg played the main role of a Soldier serving in Iraq. The kids and I were his family, stateside. We both were celebrating Christmas apart from each other. While in Iraq, Greg's character heard the simple salvation message of Jesus Christ from his Chaplain. In response to the message he confesses his sin and receives Jesus as his personal Savior. It was such a priviledge for our family to be involved in such a great production. We praise the Lord for the many lives that were changed for the Kingdom of God due to the message presented. Our orchestra and choir did a fantastic job!! We are so blessed to have so many talented people within our church using their gifts and talents for God's glory!!

Happy 6th Birthday Jonathan David!!

December was a full month for us!! Jonathan turned 6 years old!! Unfortunately we celebrated in the hospital. Greg had an emergency gall bladder surgery that early afternoon. So, Jonathan opened his gifts in the hospital room with Greg. The kids and I then left for Taco Bell & birthday cake. We are so thrilled to have such an active little guy. He is truly a delight to be around! His laughter is so contagious! His smile just melts you and his personality is so comical! Jonathan had received Jesus Christ as his Savior this year. So this birthday was even more special to him and to us. We all rejoice in his salvation and his growing love for the Lord. We love you, Jonny!! Happy 6th Birthday!

Buddies!!

Right before Jon's birthday, our great friends the Yoder's, went out of town for a ND game in California. Their 4th son, Owen, stayed with us while they were gone. Jonathan and Owen are great buddies! They even look alot alike! The boys had a great time together! Jon's wish for his birthday was to have his buddy "O" come to our house for a sleep-over. Wish granted buddy!

Thanksgiving 2008

My sister, Gay, came to our house for Thanksgiving. And Greg wasn't feeling very well so we went over to our friends the Jones' house for a great feast. We had initially planned on them coming to spend the day at our place but decided since Greg was under the weather, to hang out at their place and play games. We had a ball! My friend Kimlee is always the gracious hostess. We celebrated her daughter, Kylr's, birthday. Gay had a great time playing games. It was a wonderful reminder that friends and family are one in the same. We are so thankful for all the ways the Lord has blessed us.

Christmas before Thanksgiving

Greg's mom and her husband were in Indiana for our Christmas get-together in November. We celebrated with them and his step-brother & his family, his brothers and their families, along with Grandpa & Grandma. Merry Christmas! We had such a fun night together.

Hope's Baptism

On November 15, 2008 Hope chose to be Baptized at our church. Our dear friend and children's Pastor, Scott Yoder, baptized Hope. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. Hope had trusted Jesus Christ as her Savior at the age of 4 and felt it was time to tell others that she is a follower of Him. We were so proud of her decision to make a public proclaimation of her faith. She now has the accountability of many other followers of Christ.

Look out Wright Brothers

The kids decided to make a contraption in the front yard, it resembled a flying wagon!!

November 4, 2008

We celebrated my sister, Gay's 47th Birthday with a great time of laughter and food at Hacienda! She loves her age and isn't afraid to tell anyone how old she is. Happy Birthday, sis! We love you.