A little update.......

We still have no computer.  We got word that it is completely dead, but a huge answer to prayer is that everything is able to be saved off of it, so all our thousands (and I do mean thousands) of pictures are able to be saved.  I'm SO thankful for that!!!!!

Keith was able to borrow a computer to bring home today so I could do a little blog update for those that like to follow our blog. :)

We have been quite busy the last couple of months.  I could write an entire post on each picture I'm putting on here. :)  This time of year is especially busy for our family as we travel to different churches for the school.  But it's been good this year I can't complain and the great deal is that March is just around the corner!!!!!!

So here are a few pictures of our last couple of months.

 Owen was very happy that he and daddy got to help someone clear out a field - he felt very important.

 I never know where I'll find this little lady!

 Enjoying some of the warmer days of winter. :)

Owen had his sixth birthday on the 13th of February.  He is growing up so fast.  For our deputation services, he is saying the ABC's, but quoting Bible verses for them ("A" A faithful man shall abound with blessings...."B" Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved....etc)   He goes through the entire alphabet with verses that he has learned at school.

He does great with them, hardly ever missing one and we are so proud of him!!

I had told him that I had a surprise for him after we got home from church the day before his birthday.  He thought for sure it was going to be a present, or something.   After we got home, I told him to go to the living room that I had his surprise on the couch.......







 He was so surprised to see Grandma and Grandpa sitting there singing "Happy Birthday" to him!

 My dad wanted to come up and help Keith build our pantry - it's all done and they did a fabulous job! 

THANK YOU, DAD, FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK!!!!!!

 Owen wanted a race track cake with Monster trucks on it. :)

The day after his birthday on Valentines Day, they had a Valentine box contest for the smaller kids at school.

 Owen got first place and Kristyn got third place. (Thanks, Mom, for helping us make the boxes.)

The pantry turned out to be a great play area for a little while - until it got painted and filled. :)

 Ashlyn loves to play "peek-a-boo" with our curtains! She just giggles and giggles at herself. :D

 I don't think I have ever seen a child that loves to read as much as Kristyn does.  She LOVES to read.....looks like little sister is following right behind her. :)

 We've enjoyed the beautiful kite-flying weather we've had lately.

Of course, the farm is always a favorite.....

 Owen with his buddy on the farm.

 Since we don't have our computer, I can't edit any of these pictures - I would love to crop this one.  We've gotten to enjoy the eagles again - they are beautiful. (I have so many more pictures, but there's only so many hours in the day to share pictures.) :)

 One day, I told the boys that it was their turn for bathroom clean up - I checked on them later and this is how Jeren was scrubbing bath tub.  Wow, I did't realize how dirty it was, I guess. :D

This week, we got a surprise visit from Grandma and Papa....

 Thanks for coming and I hope you can stay longer next time. ;)

 Currently, we have a little man fighing off pneumonia. :(  He's a trooper though and does his breathing treatments by himself!

This morning, Megans decided to have a hair shop and combed her and Ashlyn's hair. :)

Thanks for stopping by to check on us.  I've missed posting on here and there is so much more I could say and more pictures I could put on here, but I'll just leave with my heart feeling this morning, GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!!!!! :)

Have a lovely week!



Been kinda quiet lately?

Just incase some of you have missed "seeing" us, I thought I'd let you know that a couple of weeks ago, our computer decided to take a leave of absense from our family. :(  So we are computer-less for a few more weeks probably.

Thanks for all the comments on our last posts - we enjoy hearing from our friends and family so very much!

So until our computer decides that our family reallys isn't that bad and comes back to us, I guess things might be kind of quiet on our blog.  (I'll make that clear that it is ONLY on our blog, because our house is rarely quiet, unless it's between the hours of 8pm and 6am)  :)

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I thought I'd add a funny from this week.
We often buy bulk things from the Amish, so we had our run this week and Megan pipes up from the back seat,

 "I love that little boys horse."

Owen immediately chimes in, "Megan stop! Don't say that! You're coveting!"

To which she replied, "No, I'm not, if he lived close enough, I'd share the horse with him."



Have a blessed Sunday and a great week!!!!

:D

We're Still Here......

We have been having a great month so far.  We've been getting things accomplished and hopefully starting the year off right.

Over our Christmas break we were gone for 10 days and traveled MANY miles.  We had a wonderful time with our families and a great Christmas season.

Now we're settling in to the new year and exciting things are happening!  The first being that Owen pulled his first tooth this month!

 What a big boy he is!!!

 We've been enjoying spurts of nice weather here and there.....

 jumping hay bales out at the farm.

 We've gotten our first snow and we all enjoyed playing in it!

 Now we're enjoying warmer weather again, but I hear tomorrow it's supposed to be cold again....it just can't make up it's mind, I guess.

Thanks for stopping by to check on us - we're still here and doing good.

Have  a lovely week!!!

:)

Our CHRISTmas..

We have had a wonderful Christmas season this year.  

Last month, Keith and I got to go out on a date (THANK YOU, ELISE) and we were talking about how the Christmas season is so much about all the gifts and parties and such and we would like to change that for our family..... 

So after a little looking around, we decided to do our own Jesse Tree.  

The version we chose was written by Ann Voskamp.  It has been SUCH a blessing to Keith and I - the kids think it's pretty cool, too.

It starts out with the whole world being lost and there being no hope.  The first reading is from

Isaiah 11:1-2

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

2. The Spirit of the LORD rest on him-

the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and of might,

the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD"

Her devotional for that night talked about how when Eve took that first bite our hope all came crashing down.  

All earth was living like a stump - cut off from God.  BUT God promised to send a singe, fragile shoot  - it would be the only Hope we would have.  That shoot would come from the son of Jesse, the tender branch would grow into a crown of thorns....a rugged cross....our ladder back to God.

Then it goes through the Bible starting with creation all the way through Jesus' birth. There are 27 days in all, I think.

Like I said, it has been such a blessing to our family this season.

So here is our Jesse Tree!

 

Ann Voskamp has picture cards that you can print off and hang, but we wanted a more kid-friendly option, so we made all the ornaments out of felt and laminated them.  The kids LOVE them and enjoyed helping with them!

Here is our shoot out of the stump.  

Kristyn made our world!

Here is Noah's ark.

If your family has not tried something like this, I would recommend it. :)

Last night we had our family Christmas, as we will be leaving for KS/OK before Christmas.  We had a fun evening!  Full of smiles and giggles!!!!

 This kids have been SO cute this year.  As soon as we put up the tree, they rushed around the house grabbing "gifts" for everyone and wrapped them and stuck them under the tree.  This was Owen's gift to Keith.  I love their expressions.  Owen had gotten Keith's leather gloves and wrapped them.  Keith thanked Owen greatly for his gift because, "I was sure needing some leather gloves and mine got lost somewhere."  Owen was all smiles as you can see. :)

 We got all three of the girls a gift together.  I wanted to get them a doll house, but they were SO expensive at the store and then the furniture for each room was around $20.  WOW.  So I looked on Craigslist and saw the exact doll house I had seen in the store for less than half of the price in the store, plus it was FULLY furnished with furniture!!!!!!!!!  Hundreds of dollars and God gave it to us for $60.   He is SO good to us!!!

 Do you think she liked it?  (It takes a while for things to sink in to Megan. )  :D

 The first house guest was a Wise Man from the nativity!  :)

Another gift that I was very excited about was Owen's treasure box that I found at the thrift store.  See that little scrap on the top there?  That's what the whole box looked like.  But when I saw it, I immediately knew Owen would really like it to put his treasures in. 

So I bought some spray paint and painted it green first....then searched you tube. :)

Then I got brave and painted it camo - I think he liked it - A LOT!!!!!!

In all, we had a wonderful Christmas!  Not because we got special gifts, but because God blessed us once again with His love and presence that we are so undeserving of!

My heart is overflowing today with Thanksgiving!!!

I'd love to hear about your Christmas.......

Around the House...

Here's a little peak around our house!

 Keith found me this old window some time ago and I usually have a wreath in the center of it, but decided to change it up for Christmas - I love it!

 

 Notice the date on the star on the above ornament?  :)  It's old!

 Ashlyn and Jeren have loved having this nativity at their level

These little guys belonged to my Grandmother.  I love having them out every year.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tis the Season....

Hope your days are filled with JOY!!!