New Years Eve Bowling

It has become a tradition for us to go bowling with the Shareks on New Years Eve...not so much that we are good at bowling (just ask Bob about that!) but because we live in a small town and what else can you do with a bunch of kids when it's 20 degrees outside?

Even little Drew got in on the action!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Emily's 11th Birthday!

I don't have friend birthday parties for the kids each year, but Emily gets spoiled in this category.  Since her birthday is on Dec. 29th the Shareks are usually here with us to bring in the New Year, so she gets friends every year!!  I guess having a Christmas birthday isn't all bad, right Em?

 She wanted leg warmers!  I had no idea that leg warmers were back in style!  I should have saved mine from middle school!!

 It was fun to surprise her with a new bike!

Emily's favorite ice cream cake and friends to share it with...can life get any better??

Emily has had quite a year.  One of her highlights is surpassing Jack in height. With her competitive spirit that's a big one in her book!  (Sorry Jack)

Emily continues to be quite the little athlete.  Her fall soccer team went undefeated and she is soon to start another season of basketball.  It is a joy to watch her play.  She means business when she is out there, but is full of smiles along the way.  That competitive nature helps her to shine...this kid never gives up!

This year she has really started to enjoy reading and in her spare time she is often curled up with a good book.

Emily is maturing into quite a young woman.  She loves going on "Cute Girls Hairstlyes" in search of new hairstyles, and on "Cute Polish" in search for a new way to do her nails  She is starting to borrow my clothes, and has already outgrown my shoes!  I'm not sure if I'm ready for all this grown-up stuff!!  But on the flip side it is such a blessing and a joy to watch her mature in her character.  It brings joy to my heart!

Happy Birthday, Emily!!

2014's Christmas and New Year Letter

It was quite a year!!  God has blessed us in unimaginable ways! 

We look forward to what 2015 has to bring!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Christmas 2014

Pictures from Christmas Morning:

 They're all awake and ready to get started.  It's 6 am.  I woke to the sound of little Drew jumping up and down saying, "Wow! Wow! WOW! WOW!!"  He was quite excited and made for a fun morning.

 Every time it was Drew's turn to open a gift, as he worked at unwrapping the gift he would say, "Its gonna be...It's gonna be..." and when he finally got the gift open he would cheer and jump up and down...even if it was just a pair of socks.  I wish he could stay 2 for a while longer!

 Abby's favorite gift this year was a giant floor puzzle of the Frozen Characters.

 Max's favorite gift this year was a popgun.  he and Drew both got one so they dress up in their camo and orange and walk around the house finding deer to shoot at.

 Samuel and the Perplexus he had been asking for!!

 Emily loves getting clothes, but after last year of not asking for any toys and not having much to play with, she asked for a marble run set and spent the afternoon building tracks...but she still loves the clothes!!

jack loved his first deer picture, but also got a big set of legos which he built later that afternoon.  he's 12 and still loves LEGOS!!

It was a fun morning sharing gifts with each other.  But we take time to reflect on the most precious gift of all and that is the gift of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.  He gave up so much to enable us to have life with Him!

Max's 6th Birthday

For Max's 6th birthday, he wanted to have his friends Elijah, Sam, and Steve over for his party.  I'm not good at the whole party thing, so we had his friends and their families over for dinner and cake and called it a party!

Max continues to love life!  He comes from a different mold from the rest of the kids.  Not sure where he gets it from, but he is such a unique kid!

He is loving Kindergarten!  I was a little worried about how he would do since sitting still and anything having to do with academics are not his strong points, but he is surprising us all!  He no longer has to sit right next to the teacher during chapel and he has been moved off the front row in the classroom, so in my book that is success!

This is the first year he has been part of an organized sports team!  After 5 years of being dragged to this and that game, he finally gets to wear a uniform!  He has had one basketball game.  The highlight of the game was as he ran out of the Upward tunnel he did a cartwheel for the crowd.  He would dribble up the court, turn to the basket, break out in a huge smile, then decide to not risk it, and pass it off to a teammate.  At one point in the game he and the kid he was guarding from the other team seemed to be having a nice chit chat while the others were running up and down the court.  We all loved watching him play!

And after spending one hour with Max the coach said, "God knew I needed Max on my team because this kid just loves life!"

Happy Birthday, Max!!

Emily's First Cake

I was making Max's cake for his upcoming birthday and Emily asked if she could use the leftover pieces to make a cake to take to fellowship meal at church.

This is what she came up with...with no help from mom.

A Christmas tree with a few presents

Great job, Em!!

The Christmas Tree

The second snow of the season couldn't have come at a better time.  We had been searching for a day to go out as a family to find the Christmas tree, but the calendar had not an empty space!  So when an unpredicted snow came through it gave the kids a day off school on a day that Bob had already planned to take off.  So out we went into the snow to search for the special tree!

 Off they go...

 Cleaning trees off ...could this one be the one??

 Emily showed Drew that he could eat the snow, so that's what he did the rest of the outting!

 One thing that Bob hates is having to trim a tree that's too tall once we get it in the house.  So he convinced the kids that this is the perfect one. Its really only as tall an Emily, but I didn't want to be the only voice of dissent and ruin the moment, so this was the one!

 Max doing the honors with his trusty toy saw! 

 Emily wheeling it out

 Sam loved this tree his size

 Abby soon caught on to eating the snow as well!!

Until next year, Stony Hill!  We're off to decorate!

The Completed Barn

After many many hours of toil, Bob finished his barn and I have to say I love it!!

Nice Work, Honey! 

First Snow of the Season

It is the day before Thanksgiving.  Today at school the kids were supposed to have Grandparents Day.  Bob's dad was set to come out for it, then it started to snow.  School was closed, Bob's dad turned around to head home instead of try to drive through snow, and the kids headed outside.

 Before the ground was even covered in snow, the kids had the sleds going!

That $5 snow shovel gives Max HOURS of fun!

Abby, the snow princess!

Emily had everyone dressed and ready to go outside by 8:30 this morning.  She's ready to sled!

By the afternoon it looked like this

and this

Even the pigs were having fun!!

As we drove out the next morning to head to Grandma and Pappy's for Thanksgiving  it was a winter wonderland!  

This is our neighbor's barn as seen from our driveway.  With the trees all covered in snow, it was quite a sight.  These pictures do no justice!

Happy Thanksgiving!