Pumpkin Farm Field Trip

I Hope preschool field trips and last month I was able to go on my 8th trip to a pumpkin farm. It was so much fun and a perfect day with my little guy!

Pumpkin Wrestling

Now that's a Big Wheel!

Friends

Fun day with Mom and Asher!

Found the perfect one!

Soccer Tournament Fun!

It was a beautiful night for soccer last night in more ways than one. . .

After 80 minutes of play - Kings 1 Fairfield 0

Caroline plays for her HS team and has played for the JV team mst of the year. About three weeks ago she was asked to play with the varsity due to injuries. She has made the most of it and had some good playing minutes. So we have played two tournament games and they are onto the sectional finals coming this Tuesday night were they will play the #1 team in the COUNTRY that happens to be not only in our city but in our bracket of the tournament.

Celebrating our big win at Chick-a-fila!

Fun to watch #23 to be announced before the game!

Something Missing???

We've decided that God is telling us that there is something missing in this photo... We believe it's a little girl (daughter and sister) from Ethiopia. YES, we are again on the adoption journey to bring home a little girl from Ethiopia. We are requesting a girl between the age of 1-4 years old. We are also open to a sibling group possibly twins, but we will see how God works in this journey. We have our first home study meeting tomorrow night and we have all the paper work except the home study ready to send into our agency. So we again will start the process of hurrying up to wait! Where we won't always see what is coming around the bend or over the next hill but we are ready to feel the breeze and trust God in this journey. We will keep you posted and take you along for the ride. So bucket your seat belts with us as we await the beginning of this ride!

Ethiopian Culture Camp

In August we had our annual Ethiopian Culture Camp. Due to my mother's health I was unable to attend but my wonderful husband brought the kids. They had a great day of hands on cultural activities and meeting new friends and bonding with old friends!

We had over 150 people attend and were broken into smaller groups to do the hands on stations you see in pictures below. If you are interested in helping for next year we could spread the wealth and would LOVE to have you.

Caleb and Asher
Choir Time

Kaleb and Caleb

Amharic Twister

Making Mancala Boards

Tire Races

Grinding Buna


Story time

Girl Time

EXCLUSIVE! Interview #1 of 6: Asher Ewing

We (meaning Caleb and Caroline) thought it would be fun to interview the people in our family... just for fun. :)

Today is Asher's interview-

1.What is your favorite time of the day?

Lunch time because I like food.

2.What’s your favorite food?

Mac and cheese

3. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Go down and play with Caleb.

4. What is your favorite place in the whole house?

Wherever Buckeye is

5. Would you rather have a house full of people or a house all by yourself?

Full of people because I could be scared.

6. What’s the show you’ll try not to miss?

Phineas and Ferb and Whale Wars

7. Would you rather be a football star or a soccer star?

I'm gonna do…football

8.Can you sing a song for us?

the whale wars theme song

9.How about another one?

Oh how he loves us (David Crowder Band)

I wish you could hear his rendition.

Stay tuned for interview #2 of 6: Abby Ewing

Summer Catch up!

So we haven't posted in a long while! But with the help of my kids we will try to get back to posting on a regular basis. So to catch up on what has been happening this summer we will start with pictures from our June vacation. We spent a week in Florida at Treasure Island. Here are some pictures and captions from Caleb.

Happy to be at the beach!
Family photo!

2 of our fish

Last day at the beach

Beautiful sunset

Loving every minute of it!

Celebrating dad at Crabby Bill's.

My Montage 5/5/10 at OneTrueMedia.com

Happy 15th Caroline! Its been a great year!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Can't stop thinking . . .

About HAITI! Man, I don't know about you but all I think about, read about and pray about is the people of Haiti. I've heard that on a good day 80% of the pop. is impoverish. There is no infrastructure and after watching CNN a few nights you can tell that there is very little organization with this devastating situation. I can't wrap my mind around this. If you want a missionary view check out this blog http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/ .



If you are local and want to do SOMETHING. Kids Against Hunger is having emergency Pack-a-thon for Haiti on these day 1/17 1-3 and 3-5, 1/18 1-3 and 3-5, 1/20 1-3, 1/22 1-3 and 3-5 and 1/23 1-3pm. Just go to http://www.achildshopeintl.org/Haiti.html to register to volunteer. They package dried meals that can be made with just boiling water. They all are taking donations both monetary and special items to serve the children of Haiti.

And always, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!

WHO DEY!

Yes, we are BIG sports fans in our family. My husband and son just left for the Bengals playoff game today and I'm so excited for them. I don't know if we will win but we are excited for the opportunity to cheer them on in post season. It is very cold here and since the Bengals haven't had the most successful past needless to say they don't look like they are cheering on the bengals but lets say underneath it all they are die hard fans! It's been 20 years since the Bengals have been in the Super Bowl so we HAD to take advantage and buy some playoff tickets. Go Bengals and WHO DEY!!!

Been having Snow much fun!

We've gotten about 4 inches of snow today and we've had below freeezing temperatures for over a week. You'd think we'd be heading to the nearest hill today but instead we went straight for the lake and skated. It was really snowing and we showeled while we skated and had a grand time. One wonderful progress of this year is that Asher can skate on his own on a single blade. It is such a wonderful thing for my back as well. All the kids have really progressed in their skating and they really love it! And I didn't get any pictures today. So I'm gonna post pictures from skating last weekend downtown.

Twas the Night before Christmas--for the parentless

I know that we are not all called to adoption, but I read this on a web board I belong to and just had to share it. My heart breaks for those children that are parentless or those whose parents can't parent for one reason or another.


Twas the Night before Christmas - for the parentless
« on: December 08, 2009, 10:53:37 AM »

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the land
there are parentless children, with no toys in hand
No stockings to be hung by the chimney with care
no hopes for a family soon to be there
Their beds are not snug--but cold and quite bare
there are no goodnight kisses--no one to care
While we in our homes, laughing in delight
all settle down for a Merry Christmas Eve night
When in some one's heart--there arises a clatter
there are children in need--who's lives really DO matter!
Away to the computer please go in a flash
to see the sweet face with whom YOU could be matched!
While a child you see--their beautiful face all aglow
could this be MY child--could I already know??
When in the dreams of the orphan--what always appears
is a family to love them, to care and hold dear
As you stare at that child--your heart beats real quick
--for you know in your heart that sweet face will stick
More dreams sweet children have--to call parents by name
-come mama! come daddy! come family to claim!
To the ends of the earth--your heart seems to call
now child--I'm coming--I wish for you ALL!
So on a plane to your child--over rooftops you flew
to hold this dear soul--a wish did come true
And then in a twinkling-I saw through the door
this child of my heart-that was waiting no more
As I got my camera and was turning around-
into my arms did he come with a bound!
He was dressed in many layers from his head to his foot
and into my heart his life was just put
there was no round face--no plump little belly
just sad little eyes, and legs shaking like jelly
In a swirl of a pen, and a stamp and a seal
my world became brighter--like I could suddenly feel!
We spoke not a word--they weren't needed at all
and I knew in this moment where I got this call
God layed his hands on my heart--and to the occasion I rose
and He could do it for you--this question He'll pose.....
It won't be a shout--no not even a whistle
it won't be real clear--but faint like a whisper
Can you make room in your heart--if you try with your might?
And make a difference for one--help them see the light?
I can see you exclaim as you hold your child tight--Thank you Lord for this gift--you got it EXACTLY right!

I've got a problem

So I've got lots of problems but the one plaguing my lack of blogging is ... computer space. I have no space on my computer to down load my pictures and thus have some fun content to my blog entries. Like my kids went to DC a few weeks ago and I'd love to down load them and have them tell you about it but my memory is too full. And I have some fun dance video but I can't down load that either. I'm waiting til black friday to hopefully buy an external drive at a REALLY good price and move my itunes and photos to that. In the mean time, I'm trying to put them on disc but I bought the smallest discs known to man and it is taking FOREVER. So I'm the worst blogger in the world and on top of that my computer is toooooooooo slow. Any further ideas would be greatly appreciated!!! But in the grand scheme of things this is so trivial!

Cousin Time!!

We are sooooo fortunate to be having some heavy cousin time this fall and winter. Our brother-in-law has been brought home from Mexico for a short term assignment with his home office which is right here in town. So we have the amazing opportunity to live in the same community as Brad's sister, brother-in-law and family. They have brought 4 of their 9 with them (the other 4 are foster daughters who are in school or in jobs in Mexico and one is currently nannying in DC). We are just LOVING time with them when we can get it. But, boy can that be a challenge some weeks cause of our schedules. These photos were taken last month at a joint birthday dinner for Beth and I - our birthdays are 4 days apart. We are trying to just soak in all in cause we know it will come to an end and they will be back in Mexico before we know it.

Beth and her Mom (Brad's too)
Brad and Todd

Asher and Aidan

Caroline, Emma and Abby

Evan, Josh and Caleb

Don't try this at home!

So do sparklers work after 4 or more years? The answer is surprisingly YES! However, I don't recommend you try this at home.

It's been soooo long.

Our family after a cousin's wedding in September.

Brad and his mom


The happy couple - not the bride and groom

The program kids!

The flower diva!

First day of school

First Day of Preschool - can't believe it

After Caroline's JV soccer team - Go Lady Knights!

Don't know if I even have any followers any more. But, if you happen to come across this blog. I hope I'm back and can be more consistant. My summer has been quite full to say the least. I've been doing lots of family activities, duties and musts so I haven't been here. I'll be posting more back pictures soon, I hope!

Happy Birthday Hubby!

On this day a pretty long while back, my husband was born in central Indiana. God had a wonderful plan for his life and I'm soooo glad that it included me. Our family has been blessed by his wonderful fathering skills, his wonderful lovingness, his gift of architecture and the wisdom that abounds in our house because of him. He truly is my complimentary person - even though we both test the same on the Meyer-Briggs test. He is a gentle leader, very thought full in his actions and every day as well as the BIG things in life that comes along. He loves the Lord and has a wonderful practice of seeking Him and waiting on Him. I've learned so much in the 25+ years that I've known him. He is my best friend and my steadfast! Happy Birthday, Hubby... and MANY MORE!!!

Guest Blogger-Caroline

I just wanted to share a funny story from today...
This past weekend we went to the Happy Church in Jackson, Kentucky to help with our church's mission trip there. We had witnessed a couple baptisms. That was a really cool experience. Maybe I'll write more about that later.

Anyway today, I wanted to get my hair wet without actually taking a shower. So i put my head in the sink and got it wet. Asher walked in, gasped and yelled, "Caroline! Are you getting baapetised? (phonetically spelled.) haha! :)
OK.. Just thought of another one... I was babysitting sometime last week and was attempting to put him down for a nap. (didn't end up succeeding btw) and within minutes of me tucking him in he runs out. I try to get him to say what was wrong. Was he scared? uncomfortable? What? and he goes,"I am scared of that clock! It ALWAYS looks at me!!!) he said this in a whiny voice like he was mad at it. I turned the clock around. I later laughed about both of these stories out loud.
Sorry...just encourages me to record cute comments about my brother...
Caroline