How-To Speech!

Cade planned a how-to speech for his language arts class all in his own. How to make a baking soda volcano!! He wrote his paper and then informed me he had to have enough supplies for everyone in his class to do the demonstration with him on the day of his presentstion. Oh wow!  We went through his paper and did a bit of revising so we were precise with the ingredients and directions, and then we started asembly the ingredients for each classmate. Cade worked well and was diligent to do everything. He told me the presentation in class at school went well too. Though I have never seen the grade on his paper and presentation, I do believe him. I appreciated the great efforts he did to make it all happen!

Walter Bath Time!

While Callie was taking a bath this morning, Walter got all intrigued and seemed interested in going in. He got up in the corner of the tub but then turned around and stepped back up. He is such a funny cat. So wants to be around us but only in his terms (of course!). 

Family Fun Night!

We decided to take the evening for some time away as a family to just have fun! We left mid afternoon and headed south to Peoria. Our first stop was at the trampoline park to burn off some energy from being inside during the day and with the hopes of tired bodies for sitting in the van to see the Festival of Lights! Thankfully the GPS took us a back way to the light festival and our waiting time diminished immensely compared to the “main way”. Though the kids were not sure that the wait would be worth it, they LOVED IT and were so excited throughout the light route! Joel’s yells of excitement were priceless!! Though we may not get to do this every year, we definitely enjoyed it this year!! 

After Thanksgiving Storm!

We woke on Sunday and headed out towards home. We hit the snow storm a bit before Iowa City and lasted all the way to Davenport. We went very slow through the snow and were praising the Lord for the new tires we invested in right before we left for the trip. At times, we saw no one on our side of the interstate. It was bad. 

We made it home around 1-2pm and started to get unpacked. Our fridge was empty, so Mom bwent to WalMart to get some food. We made dinner early because we did not stop for lunch. The fierce weather outside was getting worse, so Dad prepared wood for a fire. By 6pm our power went out and we found flashlights and games began. We were tired from our day, so started considering bedtime soon. We decided to bring mattresses down and all sleep in the living room. Slumber Party! By 8pm we were all snuggled in beds by the fire. Around 9-10pm the power came back on and then continued to go on and off a few times throughout the night. We couldn’t see out of our windows because the wind blew snow into our screens and it was sticking! How the pioneers made it through weather like this just amazes me. By morning we had a good ten inches of snow, had no school, and went out to play and clear away the snow by mid morning! What a storm and December has not even arrived yet! 

Heading Home from Thanksgiving!

We headed towards home on Saturday morning with the excitement of stopping at Grandma Glenna and Grandpa Bill’s home for a night. A big snow storm was on the horizon so we were watching the weather closely. We decided to stay and get on the road right away in the morning to try to beat the storm. We got to go to Uncle Jeremy’s and Aunt Katie’s for the evening to eat. The kids were so excited to see their cousins and play. What a treat to see both sides of the family! 

Joel’s Christmas Program

We celebrated Joel’s hard work at his Christmas program at school on the evening of December 7th. The kids did an excellent job singing and performing. Joel looked so handsome in his suit he chose to wear and was so excited for his solo in “Go Tell It On the Mountain.” He had a slight mix up of words at the start of his solo but got right back on track and finished it well. His heart was hurting so bad with his stutter when the night was over, but we reassured him that he showed to be a great singer with his ability to get back on the beat and pitch. We are proud of you Joel Charles! 

Championship Surprise!

We had a big surprise arrive in time for the Conference Championship Basketball Game on December 6th. Grandpa Bill and Grandma Glenna made the trek over to see the game. They had quite a hiccup on their way with a malfunction on their car, but they still made it on time. They had to leave early the next morning (Grandma’s Birthday!) to head back home, but it was such a treat and surprise to have them. 

The championship game against Ladd was a nail bitter! The referees made it interesting with the fouls being very lopsided against us. A few of our boys had four fouls the fourth quarter which made it more exciting than it needed to be (thank you, NOT thank you referees). Thankfully PCA came out with the victory and were named Conference Tournament Champions! 

We are so proud of Cade for the hard work he put into basketball this season. He worked really hard to listen to the coaches and make improvements in his game. He worked hard to love and be patient with his teammates. We are proud of you Cade and look forward to see how God uses your athletic talents for His Glory in your life. 

Sharing Walter

Callie had the ABC bag do preschool for Wednesday. She got to pick any letter from A through M and suggested taking Sir Walter McFluffy Pants to class, so we decided on the letter C. Mommy called Miss Elisha to ask if bringing Walter was a possibility, and the answer was YES! So we planned on Walter’s arrival at 9am on Wednesday! So in walked Curtis carrying the cat’s carrier to the classroom! Callie brought crackers and cuties for her snack. It was a C filled morning!! And Walter was a sweet and patient cat to all of Callie’s classmates!  

Christmas Cards Begin!

We have begun the 2018 Christmas card signatures! We send over 100 cards and each of us sign each card. Joel and Callie have gotten 60 cards signed so far. Mom got the pictures ordered to be tapped into the card. Next up will be the writing of the letter. Step by step the cards are closer to arriving in our friend’s and family’s mailboxes. We love receiving cards from others and hang them up all year long as a way to remember and pray and smile with the many people God has placed in our lives.

Start of the Conference Tournament!

The conference basketball tournament started on Saturday! 

When we arrived, Joel picked up and program and started doodling! When I started to pick up around me, I noticed the bracket of the tournament had been filled in. Check out Joel’s prediction of the tournament! 

We played Neponset the first game of the tournament, and walked away with the win. On Tuesday, we faced LaMoille and gained another win. In the final we will face Ladd! What a game it will be! 

Final Regular Season Basketball Game!

Our final regular game of the season was at Neponset. Cade got to start the 8th grade game because Christian was out with a hurt ankle. The court was small, but the Eagles came out with the win! We are thankful for great coaches that have helped Cade grow and develop this season.

Deer Hunting!

Daddy shot a doe during the second shotgun season. He was so excited! He invited Callie and I out for breakfast with he and Pop after his shot! He then bought the deer home and harvested it in the garage. Daddy ground some into burger, and also cut out a few roasts! We have been cooking with it, and are looking forward to the summer sausage the locker will be processing for us with the ten pounds we dropped off there!! Great work Daddy!!