Projects with Dad

My Mom & Dad picked up these little "Catapult" projects from Lowes with the kids. They brought them home and thought it would be fun to put together with Daddy. The master carpenter in this house had no problems showing the kids how to assemble and hammer these little jobbies! They love making stuff with Dad. They will have another project to do next weekend which they are anxious for!

May 20th~Our 16th Anniversary!

Where has the time gone! It is hard to believe Greg & I celebrated our 16th Anniversay! I love these flowers Greg gave me.The colors are so bright and cheery! We were treated to a night at the Hyatt (thanks to points on our credit card), dinner at our favorite Chinese resturant, a movie (which we never do!!), and a fantastic trip to "Indulgence" where I had this delicious Chocolate mousse. Greg said his Lemon Meringue was fantastic! Quite the treat for us! We are praising the Lord for His graciousness to us and the way He has blessed our marriage! I am so thankful for a husband who desperately loves the Lord Jesus and loves me. I love growing older with this man! He's my very best friend, biggest encourager, and love of my life. And he keeps me laughing! I love you, Greg, forever and always!

40/40 Power~The kids' musical at church

The kids' sang in our church's spring kids musical called "40/40 Power". Hope sang a solo in one of the songs and played the character of "Beta Believe" in the drama. Jonny sang with his choir a couple of cute songs. Sorry for the blurriness. My camera didn't want to cooperate.

~The Hole in Our Gospel~

I just finished what I would say was the most life altering book of my life other than my Bible. I would super-highly recommend this book to anyone who wants their world turned upside down! Seriously, don't read it if you want to live just the way you have been. Greg's cousin recommended this book to me and warned me of its effect. Boy, he was right! It will make you examine the way we, as so called Christians, live and what God truly expects of us. Read it only if you want it to change your thinking and your life as you know it.

"Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God."- prayer by Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision and now my prayer.

Baseball in full swing!!

Yes, that number 12, is Jonathan! Baseball season has begun! Jonathan's team is Richmond's Feed Service. They won their first game last night! We are so proud of our little guy. He is really developing into a good ball player! He is playing 2nd base and had some great hits!!

Nephew

Our nephew Jacob came home from a year at Appalachian Bible College. He was home for just a few short days before heading out West on a wheat harvest for several months. While he was home we were able to celebrate as a family, his 19th birthday. Happy Birthday Jake!!

"Actions Speak Louder Than Words"~May 7, 2010

Hope played the role of "Nellie" in a production entitled "Actions Speak Louder Than Words". This was a play that was put on by her homeschooling History Co-op group, lead by my dear friend Kathy. The girls did a fantastic job in memorizing their lines, acting their parts, and having a great time doing it. It was alot of hard work for all involved and it was spectacular! The story was based on the "Samantha" books by American Girl. The girls performed at our church following a carry-in dinner for their families.

Morel Mushrooms!!

Greg loves to go mushroom hunting! This is a sample of what he & Hope found on an outing!

Fair Oaks Dairy Farm

Our homeschooling group took a field trip down to Fair Oaks Dairy Farm. It was a two hour drive to get to this LARGE (30,000 cows) farm. We were able to see them milk, feed, and give birth. We were fortunate to see 3 calves being born while we were there. It was amazing to see how much goes into the running of this big business. They have a 3-D theater that goes thru the milking process and the making of the products that they produce. Very informative and fun! We hope to return again some time soon.

Tree sling

Our front tree is the forever haven of my very industrious kids. They decided it would be fun to put a sling for them to lay in, right there, on the branch. Who could say no!

Easter 2010~March 4, 2010

I love when my family gets all dressed up! This one is Easter morning, kids with their new Bibles, ready to hear our dear friend, Pastor Yoder, give a great message at his church. A family picture taken with the handy-dandy timer. The next few are of the kids Easter Egg hunting at Grandma's house. The kids received these great punching balloons that could be worn as hats as one of their treats from Grandma.

Yikes! Blogging has taken a backseat!

I am sitting in very sunny southwest Florida, enjoying the peace and quiet of a moment. (a rarity) I have not blogged since Hope's birthday! I have a lot of pictures to share of all the happenings of February and March but they are in Indiana so I am out of luck today.

Like I said, we are in Florida enjoying the sunshine and the warmth. Since we have been here we have had a car accident (PTL~Greg & Jonny were fine but our car was not!), seen lots of alligators, walked the beach, swam in the pool, visited with old friends, hunted for jobs, and have had our fair share of shrimp. We needed some time to take a deep breath and get a new, fresh outlook on life. We are opening the next chapter of our lives in hopes that it will bring another opportunity for us to better serve our Lord and Savior. Could it be in southwest Florida? Could it be in Northern Indiana? Could it be in a foreign country? Your guess is just as good as ours. We are praying. We are seeking. We are knocking. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness and love. Both of which, are ever visible.

"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12

1/14/2010~~Happy 10th Birthday Hope!!

I can hardly believe it! Hope Elizabeth turned 10 years old! She is such a blessing to our family. She celebrated her special day with a day off of school, lunch out, and a "Walton's" marathon of season 2, at home with her family. We had a special candlelight dinner and a white cake with chocolate frosting!! There are so many things that I treasure about Hope. Every year I am reminded of how God gave us "Hope" after we lost "Faith". She is truly a reflection of His love and mercy to us. I treasure the way she can make a room light up with her beautiful smile, her gentle honesty, her thoughtfulness of others' feelings, her tender heart~ especially towards animals and the way she encourages me in my walk with the Lord. For being only 10 years old, she has a profound way of being very insightful. In my book, she is way beyond her years with her passion for the lost, the poor, and the orphaned. I am so proud of her. She is my little ray of sunshine on a gloomy day, my little, big bucket of water in a desert, my sweet little peach.

Hope~we love you so much! You are truly a gift from God! We are so blessed to call you "Hopie". You enrich our lives, touch our hearts, and keep us smiling! I pray that you will continue to walk with the Lord Jesus all the days of your life. Your "hope" is found only in Him. We treasure you and count it a pure privilege to be your family! Happy Birthday Peach!! We love you!

Buddies~even under the weather! 1/10/10

Hope was battling a fever and some general aching when her faithful companion decided to keep her close company. A faithful dog makes everything feel better!

Sledding Fun!!

This is a real hum-dinger of a picture of Greg & Joe being pushed down the sledding hill by Jenny. What a fun time it was though!

Here is a little video clip of us sledding down a hill at Bittersweet Elementary School. Come along for the ride with us!

New Year's Eve~~

On New Year's Eve. we went to our dear friends house for a night of food, games and fun. Dressed in our party hats and noise makers, we rang in 2010 watching Dick Clark and the ball in NY drop. The adults played a game of charades and we are all pretty competitive. Each team tried to doop the other with strange and outrageous words or phrases. It was a wonderful way to spend ringing in 2010 with our friends! May 2010 bring you into a deeper relationship with Jesus and may you be blessed!

Snowman with Dad

December 31st meant snowfall and winter weather which lead to building a snowman. As I looked out the window, I discovered Greg & the kids making dear old "Frosty". They were finishing up the head when I grabbed a carrot out of the frig. and an old scarf and hat from the tote of winter clothes. They found rocks for the eyes, mouth and buttons. He is quite handsome for a snowman. His little arms are made from cut off branches from the front tree. As I write this, he is one week old already. He has lost his hat & scarf but still stands guard in the front yard.

No teeth!!

Jonny lost both of his front teeth in the same day. The first one was a dangler. He had messed with it off and on for sometime. It finally was just a dreadful mess to look at. So he yanked it out. He then noticed that the other one was pretty loose. What I mean by pretty loose, is that it had quite a ways to go. We are talking weeks to go yet. But knowing teeth equals cash, meant he was determined to get this one out too. He worked on it hard, all day long. By evening, he had tortured it relentlessly and it too gave up it's residency.

More Christmas.....

We have lots of family get togethers over the holidays. We spent a little bit of time with my Mom & Dad before they headed back to Florida for the winter. We celebrated Christmas, after Christmas with some of our other family members. We are so thankful that our times together are filled with joy and laughter. Lots of laughter in some instances. Blessings to you and your family over the holidays!

Christmas 2009

We were truly blessed this year at Christmas! We love watching our kids appreciate the great generousity of others. We celebrate something far greater than the next new thing, but the birth of our very own Savior Jesus Christ!