My Very Own Mary and Joseph

Introducing Donnie and Faith as Joseph and Mary…

Faith and daddy performed their very own beautiful version of Silent Night.

 

The angels watched over the couple as they sang.

In the manger lay baby Jesus, two little lambs, and of course, a donkey.

Another precious memory with my oldest baby and my youngest baby.

Back To The 80's

Beth and Faith decided they wanted to dress up like ME from my highschool days for Crazy Day at our Enrichment Fellowship.

Funny thing about Beth, my oldest daughter, is that except for the beautiful blonde hair, she really did look so much like me.  It's kind of weird.

The other two girls are two of Beth's closest friends.  These girls are sister's in Christ.

 Then for a Halloween Trunk or Treat at a local church, Faith dressed up like a die.

Is this cute or what?

What's Been Going Here

This fall has been very busy for my family.  A good busy, but none the less, busy.

Faith turned eight at the beginning of the month.

Beth had her twelfth spiritual birthday this month.

I have been picking out pictures for Keith's senior page to be used in our Enrichment Fellowship (homeschool co-op) yearbook.

I have shed many a tear because of the above mentioned activity.

I have been trying to simplify, clean out, and organize our home.  (fall nesting, I guess)

We just signed Faith up for Upward Cheerleading.  (Beth can't believe she has a sister who is going to do something as girly as cheering)  Faith is definitely her own person.

I began exercising and trying to eat healthier about five weeks ago.  I am riding my exercise bike everyday, usually before anyone else in the house gets up.  I am loving it and I really DON'T like to exercise.

Faith finally, after three years, changed out her earrings that she got her ears pierced with.  I'm talking she has never taken out the original earrings from three years ago.  This was a huge deal!

This has been a big "growing up" month for Faith.  Many milestones.

I began teaching the youth at our church and love it.  Donnie and I have worked with youth for many years but had taken a little break.  It has been wonderful to get back with teenagers. 

My list could keep going.  Life is just busy,  isn't it?

I praise God for time with my family.  I praise God for the ability to get out of bed everyday and do the things that need to be done.  I praise God for busy days and lazy days.

Who Is This Child Of Ours...

This child of ours is one of the funniest,  most creative people that I have ever known.

She is so full of life and really keeps you on your toes.

You never know what she might ask or say.

She is a very smart young lady.  She is book smart and full of common sense.  Good combo!

She is beautiful on the inside and the outside.  Yes, she knows that God sees what's on the inside and that's the most important thing.

She loves being around other people.  She fits in with young and old alike.

She has the gift of encouragement.  She loves to tell people they are pretty, handsome, whatever.  Words of kindness ooze easily from her pretty lips. 

She is very specific and very detailed.

She is heading down the track of being a great athlete.  Another daughter who wants to be just like her daddy and has a natural athletic tendancy.

She loves her family. 

She loves God!

She says she wants to be a vet when she grows up.

She enjoys pretty things but also loves to get dirty.

She LOVES to dress up in all kinds of outfits.

She has taught me to not be so uptight about matching outfits and bows in your hair.

She idolizes her daddy and wants to find a husband just like him.  She thinks he can fix anything and make everything all better.

She tells me she loves me so much and wants to be with me forever until she gets married and moves into our backyard in her own house. 

She calls her sister Diddy and loves her with everything  she has in her.

She thinks her brother is one super smart computer techy guy who can do anything.

Her best friend and daughter is her pink and cuddly Chloe.

She knows the Lord and trusts Him.  She knows she can do all things through Him.  She believes in the power of prayer.

She is Faith...

and

She is eight years old today.

Happy birthday to our gift from God.

This is Faith...

She loves having "photo shoots".  As you can tell, she is not particular at all about her props.  Toilet tissue and shampoo work just great in making a picture look good.

Happy birthday, again, Faithy.

We love you!!

Apple Picking...

Our family lives about a mile from beautiful water falls, which I have shown you before.

We also live about a mile from an awesome apple orchard.

We have lived in our home over ten years and have never been to this orchard. 

I have no idea why.

We went this past Sunday after church and picked apples, and more apples, and more apples...

We picked 60 lbs of apples and have made about 20 pints of apple butter so far. 

We have more plans with all the apples we picked.

Thankfully, apples don't go bad very quickly.

Two Sundays of Picnics

This is where we have spent the last two Sundays after church.

We have had picnics at the water both times.  Food tastes so good at the water, doesn't it?

Donnie taught the girls how to skip rocks. 

This man can skip some rocks like nobody's business.

We waded up and down in the ice cold water.

Can you tell that Faith thought it was cold?

More rock throwing.

There were little fish swimming all around our feet.

There were beautiful butterflies everywhere.

Faith tried very hard to catch the fish with her hands.

I love unique trees like this that are growing in such strange ways.

Very odd tree that Faith pretended like scared her.  Doesn't she look scared?

Little tiny "falls' everywhere.

Beautiful girl...beautiful water

Isn't this just gorgeous?

More gorgeousness...

People come from all around to swim here.

This beautiful lady greets you as you arrive at the falls.

I would love to know the story of this statue, how she got here and what she represents. 

 I do know that I can only take a back view and face view because her front side is uncovered.

Can I just tell you that the last two Sundays have been so relaxing and so fun as we hiked, waded, and picnicked in one of the most beautiful places around?

Can I also tell you that I absolutely, positively LOVE spending time with my family?

School Has Officially Started

We started school a little later than most people around our area, but that's okay, because we can. 

We have officially been doing school for one week now and our first week was a great one.

I can't believe this is the start of Keith's senior year.  I won't even go into how I am feeling about that right now.  You don't want to see or hear me when I get all emotional so I'll wait on that for another time.

Beth is a sophomore and Faith is second grade.

I know we all have said it many many times...but truly, where does the time go?  Life has flown by since we had our children. 

I have one thing to say...SLOW DOWN!!  I'm not ready.  I want all my children little bitty again.  Can we just start over?  I know the answer.

Bless their hearts.  I make them take the same picture every year. 

 I know it's not very creative but it shows me exactly what I want to see.

Here is Miss Faith coming into the school room for her first day of 2nd grade.  She is thrilled to be in a higher grade now.  She is loving most of her subjects.  Math seems to be a favorite and she is learning to write in cursive and is doing fantastic.

Keith reading his English Literature.  His school work is mostly done in his bedroom at his desk.

I have to sneak to get most pictures of Beth.  This time I got a smile.

She sort of looks like a school crossing guard with the blue thing over her shoulder.  She actually hurt her shoulder playing volleyball because she smacks the ball like Hercules.  The girl has some major strength.  Anyway, this is an ice pack and heating pad that she can alternate.  Works great for her.

Faith never minds posing for mom. 

 She and I do her school work together while the big kids are independent learners.

I enjoy teaching Faith.  She is a teachable kid.  Know what I mean?

Faith has reading time at the end of the school day.  She gets comfy cozy and then reads for awhile by herself.  She LOVES to read and reads wonderfully.

This summer, as we were doing our family Bible reading, she began reading out loud with us.  She was reading words I had no idea she could read.  Big words...Very proud of her.

For those of you who remember Chloe...

Need I say more....

Off to get ready for this upcoming week.