Christmas Pictures

Here are a few Christmas pictures of decorating outside, our Christmas tree and Advent calendar.

The End of Another Year

I cannot believe that it is December already....where has this year gone. My time recently has been taken up with MWAS, UACH, RCW & Homeschooling the kids (MWAS-our bread & butter, UACH-homeschool group on which I am a Leadership Team member and RCW-our church in which K's the Childrens/Youth Pastor and I serve in alot of areas). I'm thinking.....I'm way too busy....not sure what I'm gonna do about it but anyways.....

September brought friends to us, sickness to us and a much needed get away for Kevin and I. November brought a lengthy virus for my hubby- in which I took the liberty to find a few more appraisers to help with the workload. We now have 7 appraisers that work for MWAS and we do appraisals in Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Dayton ~ and we are still looking to hire on more. We are thankful for the extra good hands that the Lord has provided to help us with this overflow of orders~ He is Our Provider!
November also took us to Kokomo for Thanksgiving. Seeing lots of family on my mom's side where my kids have 3 great-grandparents! Shopped all day Friday with my mom~ a day I look forward to all year ~ My mom and shopping~ It's really a perfect day (except for the getting up at 3:30am). Thankfully we were able to fit all my new Christmas treasures in the van to bring home...it was tight, but we did it!

December now brings us into the Christmas mode around here. The tree, decorations and lights are up. The temperatures have finally started dropping. Christmas music is being played on the I-pods, MP3's and radio's. Pictures are being taken so that cards can be ordered. Lines and songs are being memorized for a church Christmas Play (A King is Coming to Town). Parties, get togethers and singing in the nursing home, as well as gifts for the homeless are all events on the calendar.

Zach recently wrote an article for the Homeschool newsletter about ways to keep Christ in Christmas. His number one way to keep Christ in Christmas was to invite Jesus into our everyday lives and purposely find ways to show His love to others. This Christmas I am committing to do just this ~ ON PURPOSE!
We are also excited to start "Adorenaments" by FamilyLife. We are going to spread it out over the 12 days leading up to Christmas Day.

Looking forward to sharing His love on purpose ~ slowing down just a bit to celebrate and adore Christ the Lord!

November 4th,2009

Off to a great start with school back in mid-Sept., by mid-October we were ready for our first big break. The Hutsells were coming back for a week, the Becks were going to visit, family pictures, kids going to Kokomo, and Kev and I having a weekend getaway. So after a 2 week "vacation" from school we are back into full swing. Did I mention that during this "vacation" we all had fevers and coughs that we lovingly shared with our company?

The kids are still sleeping in after 2 nights back in their beds. After a week of company and sickness, then a week at Nana and Pappy's with a sleepover at Uncle Matt's and Aunt Liz's they are just tired out.

Rachel and Abby have a new found love for cheerleading and cheerleading outfits....we have watched many "shows" recently and they have spent the better part of the past 2 days in cheerleading outfits.

Zach is busy doing school and catching up on a book that he needs to read for a book report. The DVD class is going to start writing their report during tomorrow's lesson. He has a crossword to finish putting together for our homeschool group newsletter. He also loves to play those facebook games.....drives me crazy, but he had time to read 2 chapters of the Boxcar Children to his sisters last night before watching The Biggest Loser (another one of his addictions- he's a funny kid).

Jord is working hard on her Spanish and American History classes for homeschool group as well as reading Heidi - her Nana gave her the book on this last visit. She is preparing for her first book report.....it will be a much longer process than Zach's.

Rachel is trying to memorize all of those special phonics sounds.....1st grade is a BIG phonics year with alot of exceptions to the "rules". Lots to memorize. Adding/Subtracting and Reading. She pulled out a book to read at my mom and dad's and I thought that she wouldn't be able to read it, but she did and she did it well!

Abby is Abby......she colors, cuts and glues. Lovingly tortures the bunny and keeps us laughing. ABC's are now becoming interesting to her....been waiting for this. Just the other day she told Rachel how to spell her name - didn't know that she knew that!

We have lots of work to do before the next break @ Thanksgiving.......

Other updates:

• Kids are working on a Christmas play for church. Z and J both have bigger parts and J sings a song by herself
• MWAS is back on an upswing....have put an add out there to hire on appraisers again.
• I think it's great that my kids ASK to go see Uncle Jim in the nursing home....went today and they always say that they have a good time when they visit him. (Rach and Abby do not go anymore since a couple ladies like to follow them around and try to get their hands on them while making crazy sounds, but Zach and Jord still ask to go)

Looks like it's going to be a nice, sunny weekend.....and there is nothing on the schedule!

Just Had to See the Folks!

Took the kids on a last minute trip to Kokomo on Friday, then came home on Saturday. Had not seen them since July 11th. Too long! Friday night we went to dinner then spent some time just playing around the house with Nana and Pappy, Uncle Matt and "almost" Aunt Liz. Saturday morning was lazy and slow getting ready to leave. I wanted to take a quick trip to their Kohl's and so my dad volunteered to take me and we had a great couple hours together. He shopped with me for a little while then found a "demo" massaging chair to keep him company until I was finished. We then headed to Culver's for lunch and ice cream. Can't remember the last time that I spent a few hours with my dad alone.....it was a wonderful time.....love my dad!

So October starts out with a trip to Indiana.....the rest of the month is going to be busy. No slow down yet. We are busy doing as much school as possible, even working weekends. We have birthdays to celebrate this month (Great Grandpa Hall -99 and Papaw Brown - 70) ,the Hutsells are coming back around October 20th and then the kids are going to my parents for a long weekend starting on the 28th, while Kevin and I go to a weekend retreat. We will miss quite a few days of school over the last 2 weeks of October so we are really pacing ourselves now to get as much done as possible!

Can't stay on here too long....lots to do. Love the Fall season, love my family, love my friends, love getting away with my husband.....and this month will be filled with all those things!

Apple Picking

Went apple picking today at Lynd's Apple Farm with the homeschool group. A delicious apple pie is in the oven as I am writing this.....making the whole house smell good.

Brutsells

This is the name we have given when our 2 families combine....we are "the Brutsells"!

Zach spent a week in Arkansas with them and then they headed this way and spent a week with us here. During the big kids wrote, directed and edited a movie, being sure to include all younger siblings. There were a few tears and hurt feelings, but the movie prevailed! The kids played video games, rode bikes, went to our subdivision park, jumped on the tramp, played in the playhouse and camper. We even had a great kick-ball game that Kevin got involved in.

The Finzers and the Becks joined us at different times throughout the week and the total of kids here on Kellerman would be 15! We went through lots of food, good laughs and lots of fun memories.

Now it's time to get serious about school and get lives back to a schedule (sorta). Zach is getting up @ 7am and taking Kylo for a jog (although the dog is NOT liking it), showering, doing his chores and getting started on his school day. The girls are also getting into a routine for their school day. Rachel is able to finish up right around lunch and Jord is finishing up around 2pm or so, depending on how distracted she gets with R & A.

Enjoy the pictures!

Finally

Finally, here is a blog update. Summer has been busier than expected and fall is lining up to be busy as well. How do we get involved in so many things? The business that had slowed down, but has now picked back up, the church, where we serving in lots of ways, the homeschool group, in which I serve as a Leadership Team member and a list of house chores that had to be finished before company arrived Monday.

Most of you may know of our neighbors (who moved in 2005 to Arkansas) here on Kellerman Ct. that remain dear friends of ours....the Hutsells. Back on the 27th of August Keith Hutsell flew into town to pick up a 15 passenger van. We went to dinner with him (Skyline of course) and had joked about sending Zach home with him for the week since they had already made plans to come to Cincy and Columbus over the Labor Day holiday. Well, our thoughts turned serious after speaking with Melissa and agreeing that an opportunity like this may never come up again. So, we packed Zach up and he left Friday morning with Mr. Hutsell and headed to Arkansas to spend the week with his best friends ever.....that was a long week for us. We missed him around here ALOT! He helps me do so many things around the house and helps with the girls when we go places and he helps me load and unload the car (like on homeschool group days or grocery trips). We missed his singing and carrying on about the latest Tim Hawkins video and even his silliness and teasing with the girls. Jord and Rach took turns sleeping in his bed and Jord cried everytime she spoke with him on the phone. The Hutsells headed back this way on Friday the 4th and we headed to Cincinnati to meet them. We stopped in Jeffersonville for an inspection and the outlet malls (found some great deals) then on to our hotel. They arrived around 11pm and we had our boy back. The Hutsells went on to visit family in Cincy for the weekend and we headed home on Sat. We spent the weekend sprucing up the yard and house getting ready for the Hutsells to descend up on us Monday evening. They are spending the week with us and we are enjoying every loud and crazy minute of it.

I've spent the past 3 weeks or so going thru every room in the house....taking everything out, rearranging and getting rid of lots and lots of "STUFF" I am happy to say that every nook and cranny of this house has been cleaned! Now we can settle down and start school.....after the Hutsells leave of course. I don't think I have ever started this late. Although we did go into the 3rd week of June before we stopped for the summer.

Other updates:

• Rachel lost her first tooth.....it was very dramatic!
• We still haven't bought a new vehicle....still saving up the cash!
• Homeschool group has started:
• Z - World Missions & Journalism/Writing
• J - Spanish & American History
• R - Choir & Earth Science
• A- 2's & 3's class: butterflies, astronauts, post office and lots of crafts and games
• This year we are doing 7th grade, 4th grade, 1st grade and some Pre-K.

The fall holds lots of activities, fun and work. So glad to be serving Him while serving this family, my church and homeschool group. May the Lord just grant a little more "down time" in the next coming months and bless us as we start school.

Oh and Happy Birthday to my dad......Love you dad!