Our Lives...Blog Style

Alyssa's Senior Pics

2012-01-24T18:05:00.001-08:00

I was so honored to take my beautiful niece, Alyssa's senior pictures. She wanted to do snow pictures, so we waited...and waited....and waited for snow. When snow was forecast for this past weekend we began making plans. We met up on Saturday morning and Chuck, Jodi, Alyssa and I got to work. We loaded the Expedition with clothes and blankets and everything we would need to get the pictures she wanted. We had so much fun going through her closet and picking out some fun things to wear. I will always treasure the memories we made and I hope that Alyssa will too. Alyssa, we are so very proud to call you our niece. Enjoy your senior pictures...it was super hard to pick just a few for the blog! Love you!

My Friend Kay - Kelly's Korner

2012-01-05T11:58:00.000-08:00

This is my beautiful friend Kay. Kay is a 61 year old widow. We have been teaching partners for several years and there is no one that I admire more. We teach in a rural Northwest Ohio school. She is a wonderfully caring mother of three adult children and a loving grandmother of six boys (no girls yet!). Kay suddenly lost her beloved husband, Steve, 3 years ago. Kay and Steve were the model of what a loving, open, and honest marriage should be. They were best friends and they valued their family relationships above all else. Kay has amazed me with her strength and her ability to move on with her life after suffering such a loss. She is such an encouragement to all around her.

Now, I have NEVER done anything like this, nor has Kay, but for some reason, when I saw this on Kelly's Korner blog I just had a feeling that I should ask Kay whether she was willing to give it a try. I was pleased and surprised when she said, "Go for it!"

Kay enjoys spending time with family and friends. She loves to travel, read, and she is a fantastic seamstress...very "in demand" in our little area. :0) Kay is looking for a friend...someone to share experiences with. She deserves to have a good Christian man who will treat her with the love and respect she is accustomed to. I think that someone is out there who would be incredibly lucky to find and meet my wonderful, beautiful friend!

If you know of someone who might fit the bill, please leave a comment and contact information in the comments. Thanks so much for visiting!!! My fingers are crossed! :0)

Halloween 2011

2011-11-23T13:33:00.001-08:00

I can't believe that I haven't posted anything in so long! Life just gets so busy and it is hard to make time for blogging. I definitely need to make time to document special times in our lives. Time just goes by so quickly! This year, Brock did not trick-or-treat...he actually went to Ft. Wayne with friends. This was his first Halloween not spent with us...it is hard to deal with the fact that he is growing up and having his own life experiences that don't always involve us. Kenzie went to a Halloween party and the girls all went trick-or-treating together...so she didn't go with us either. Definitely apparent that my kids are growing up. I did get to take some pics of Kenz and her friends to remember the day. :0)

Hay Ride

Loved this cake that Sandy made! It had "tombstones" with each girl's initials. Super cute!

Cass

Laney

Kenz - she cracked us up with this costume!

Our little "Pookie"

Ciara

Paige (aka - P-Diddy)

Maddie

Lexi

Kirty

Kimber

Brianna

Derek

The whole crazy gang! Love them!

Fun!

2011-10-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, my mom and dad built the kids a playhouse in our back yard. It is so cool and it looks like a mini version of our house. The kids have enjoyed it, but have slowly outgrown playing in it. So we recently converted the playhouse into an art studio for Kenzie and her friends. She recently spent some time with her friend Jenna in the studio. It was fun to watch them create, laugh, and make memories together!

First Day of School 2011

2011-09-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

I actually think we were ready for the first day of school this year. For sure, it was the least hectic first day morning to date, mostly because the kids are old enough that they can get themselves ready without any help from me (I like that, but I also kinda hate that...they are just growing up so fast). As is our tradition, we took photos to remember this milestone. Brock started seventh grade this year and Kenzie is in fourth. I am so proud of these kids and I can't wait to see what the year brings for them. I did think it was cute because I was taking the kids pictures when Cade and Gage came walking in (this was Gage's first year riding the bus!) and I heard Gage tell Cade, "See, I told you we had to come early...you knew Michelle would want to take our pictures!" Well, I couldn't let them down, so we went out front and took some more! Here are a few...

Brock: 7th Grade, 12 Years Old

Kenzie: 4th Grade, 10 Years Old

Kenz did her own hair...I was pretty impressed!

Kenz with her loaded backpack. I was sure that I had taken one of Brock like this, but if I did it must have mysteriously disappeared! Sorry Brock!

I am so thankful that my kids are respectful enough to never complain about these pictures. They know how much it means to me and they do it willingly...and I never hear complaints about posing together. I am thankful that they get along so well.

We started a new tradition last year of posing by Deb's tree with the Cougar sign, so we continued that this year.

Brock and Cade - 7th Grade

Brock, Cade, Gage, and Kenz - all of our bus riders. This was Gage's first year riding the bus.

Of course, we had to get Dane in a picture. It was so cute, because the older kids had to be ready for the bus by 6:45 and Dane didn't have to be ready til a bit later, but when he saw us taking pictures he hollered out, "Wait...I'm coming...I'm getting dressed right now!" Love him!

One of the few things that we bought new for school this year was school shoes. Here is everyone showing off their new shoes on the first day. :0)

And finally....just waiting for the bus with all of the anticipation and excitement that the first day of school brings! It's going to be a great year!

The Camera Loves Her

2011-08-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I love her...and I love taking pictures of my girl! Of course, she is always a pretty willing subject. Last week I took Kenz and a couple of her friends on a spur of the moment photo shoot. We had so much fun and the girls loved coming up with poses! When I look at these pictures I realize how quickly my beautiful little girl is becoming a young woman. She will be in fourth grade this year, for goodness sake! I am so proud of Kenzie and I just love the person that she is becoming...we are at a point where I can really get a sense of her personality and I like what I see. She is kind, caring, funny, thoughtful, artistic, silly, sincere, and honest. What great characteristics! I can't wait to see where this next year takes her. Love you, Kenz!

How Did This Happen?

2011-07-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

I don't know how or when it happened, but somehow my little boy has grown to be a young man! I had him in the yard today helping practice some things with my camera. When I loaded the pictures on my computer I had no intentions of using the pictures, but he just looked so darn grown up that I had to keep this one. Boy, I love this kid so much!

Happy Birthday Kenz!

2011-07-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

Kenzie recently celebrated her tenth birthday with a camping sleepover. We allowed her to invite several of her friends to come over and camp out and help celebrate her special day. We are very pleased with the group of young ladies that Kenzie has chosen to form friendships with. They are such a fun group of girls! We love their sense of humor (some of them are hilarious!) and they are all respectful when they are over, which, as parents, we really appreciate. We had fantastic weather for the party and I think it is one that she will remember for a long time!

We decided to do a fun "photo booth" where there were some props that the girls could use to take silly pictures. I have been seeing this for awhile on different blogs that I read and I thought they would enjoy it. They LOVED it! They were jumping in and I was taking pics as fast as they could move. We laughed at some of the hilarious poses that they came up with...wish I could have posted them all on here! So fun!!

A picture of all of the girls getting their pose on. There were a lot of attitudes (in a good way) in this group!

Most of these girls are regular visitors to our house and they all know that Chuck is going to give them a hard time...he has so much fun with these girls! And they all look forward to whatever nickname he decides to give them...no one comes to our house without getting a nickname! So, it only seemed fitting that they get him in on one of the pics...and he was more than willing to oblige! What a great dad!!!

We had Kenzie's cupcakes made by Tiffany Spray and she absolutely LOVED them!!! Kenzie loves to look on her website and see all of her creations. They tasted every bit as good as they looked!! :0)

My parents gave us their old camper when they got a new one earlier this year, so it worked perfectly for our camping party. One thing we did was to let the girls play "Just Dance" on the Wii...they had so much fun singing and dancing! That was Chuck's idea and they enjoyed it for quite a little while.

We ended the night by letting the girls get in their sleeping bags to watch "Diary of a Wimpy Kid...Rodrick Rules." My mom had popped her famous kettle and regular popcorn, so the girls had plenty of yummy snacks for the movie. I would say the the party was a great success!!

Happy Anniversary!

2011-06-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

Today is my parent's 39th wedding anniversary. I am so proud and thankful that God chose these two people to be my parents. I have been so lucky and blessed to grow up in a home with two loving parents who were dedicated to one another and committed to giving me a happy, healthy upbringing. Growing up as an only child, I have always been super close to my parents and we always did everything together. I remember my parents as an unshakable team as I was growing up. They are best friends and I always hoped that when I grew up I would have a strong marriage like they do. They set the best example of a great marriage...they know how to be selfless, forgiving, and compassionate with one another. I just couldn't have had a better example. I am also blown away at the amazing grandparent they have become! They are always there for my kids and probably more than any tangible object, they give Brock and Kenzie their time. They always have time for my kids, whether it be inviting them for a sleepover or making their favorite meal. It is really important to them that they are involved with their grandchildren. The kids know that they can count on them to be there no matter what the need. Finally, my parents have chosen to love and accept my husband as their own family and both Chuck and I will be forever grateful for that. We love you Mom and Dad! Happy Anniversary...and here's to many more happy years and memories!

Softball

2011-06-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Kenz is playing softball this year in Ohio City. She is really enjoying it and she has some good coaches helping her to learn the game. She is becoming a hitter and now she hates it when she gets walked at bat...she wants to hit the ball! The coaches have also given her lots of opportunities to try different positions. So far she has played in the outfield, short stop, second base, and most recently, catcher. I have not been very good at taking pictures, so last night we tried to snap a few, but it was so hot, we only took a couple.

Last Day of School!!!

2011-06-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of school for the kids! I have been out for almost a week, but it isn't really summer until the kids are out...I truly can't wait to spend time with them this summer. They just keep right on growing even though I have told them repeatedly to stop it!! Anyway, Kenz and I worked on a cute little gift for her teacher last night. I had seen this on another blog and since Kenz loves all things crafty, I thought this would be perfect. I was right! Simple, easy, and quick...right up my alley!! :0)

Baseball!

2011-05-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

It is official! We have a ball player! After not playing ball since first grade, Brock has decided to play ball again. Here is looking forward to a great season! :)

He Is Risen!

2011-04-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day our family had! We celebrated Easter by worshipping at the PAC and, as usual, Pastor Matt was able to bring the message of Christ's resurrection to life. Each year that my faith grows and strengthens, the deeper meaning that the Easter holiday has for me. It was such a blessing to be at church with Chuck, the kids, and my parents (and well over 1,000 other people!). Chuck had to go early because he was an usher today, so he didn't make the pre-church pics...he was with us in spirit though!

Oh, and the Easter Bunny came too....with lots of goodies, as usual!

I am so thankful for this wonderful day and I am glad that we could spend it with friends and family.

More Hike Pictures

2011-04-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

It took longer than I thought to get these pics on, but they were worth the wait. What better than a post of some of my very favorite people in the world? Just more of the great memories of a trip with great friends.

Just to Remember....

2011-04-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

Last night while I was in bed and almost asleep and I got a text from my son who was in his room and should have been asleep...but I am glad he wasn't because I got this text from him:

"Hey i just wanted to tell u how much i love and appriciate you and all that you do for us and i dont think we thank you enough love Brock"

I typed it just like he did because it melted my heart and I wanted to remember it just as he sent it. I decided to post this so that I never forget. What a great kid! Love you, Brock!!!

The Hike - Part One

2011-04-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

Everyone walking to the visitor's center before the hike. We were all excited to start the morning!

The one and only pic of our whole group. I was glad that Emily told me to jump in since it turned out being the only group shot we had. At least I have proof that I was there!

Just beginning the hike. I was already getting tired so I stopped to take a picture.

Chuck, by a little cave along the trail. Again, a good excuse for me to rest for a moment and enjoy the beauty while catching my breath. :0)

When we made it to the top, most of our group had been there for a bit and they had gone down this huge ravine to explore. It was hard to capture just how far down they were. Here are Emily and Grace.

Tim and Brock - they came, they saw, they conquered!

Sandy, Kimber, and Kenz making their way down...it was a little treacherous!

Em, Dane, Gage, and Grace.

I just thought this was so strikingly beautiful!

I think Deb and I were the only ones that stayed up, so the rest of the group can be seen in this picture. They had such fun exploring and it was fun watching from the top and seeing the wonder as they explored. What a fun experience! I was sure glad that I kept going and made it to the top so that I could see this!

Before the Hike

2011-04-02T05:43:00.000-07:00

On our first morning in Gatlinburg we were going to go on a hike at Laurel Falls. On this morning everyone was taking their time getting up and ready to go, so I had a little time on my hands. I decided that I would go outside and maybe take some shots of the scenery around the cabin. Well, almost immediately after I stepped out of the cabin I was treated to the sound of children laughing and chatting. I could hear our crew of kiddos, but I couldn't find them. Following the laughter, I headed behind the cabin and up a small embankment to find Chuck, Tim and the kids hunting in the wooded area behind the cabin. It became evident that they were looking for walking sticks. Now, this was something that Tim and Sandy must have told the kids about, because we have never been hiking and certainly wouldn't have known to get a hiking stick. For a little while, I just watched and took in the moment of the kids laughing and enjoying the company of the dads in the early morning sunshine. It really warmed my heart. Initially, I had gone out to take pictures of the scenery, but what I discovered was much more of what my heart desired. I just love capturing the smiles of the people that I love and care about while they are doing things that they really love. It is THOSE memories that I want to lock away in my heart and mind for a lifetime. It is those memories that make life worth living. I remember thinking that so clearly on that morning...remembering that THIS is what I wanted my focus in life to be...not all of the little stresses that tend to overwhelm us and take over our lives at times. I hope that these pictures will always help to conjure up the fun and memories of that morning in Gatlinburg.

Gatlinburg 2011

2011-03-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

We spent spring break this year with two wonderful families. We went to Gatlinburg and rented a huge cabin with the Chile's and Adams' families. These are our neighbors and friends. This year, in particular, I was feeling very stressed with work and life in general, so this was a break that I really needed. We have never vacationed with friends like this before, so I was a little nervous about how it would go, but I needn't have been because we all had a great time! It was fun to have different personalities with us because it stretched us to do things (like hiking) that would never make the Berry list of things to do on vacation. The other benefit is that we never heard the kids say, "I'm bored!" With all of their friends along, they had plenty of opportunities for fun and there was always someone who wanted to jump in the hot tub, shoot some hoops, watch a movie, or play a game. It was just an all around good time!

This is a picture of all three families on the morning before our first hike and I think it is the only picture of the entire group that I took. Along with the three families, the two oldest girls each brought along a friend, so we had two more fun young ladies! It was just a great time...and as you can see the group is mostly in shorts...the weather was wonderful! We made it into the high seventies on two of the days that we were there, and that only helps to brighten our spirits. More pics to come!

Snowman!

2011-02-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

The kids had a great afternoon playing in the snow! Kenzie and Dane had worked hard to make a snowman so I went out to take a look only to discover that it had been created right in front of our garage door! After a bit of rearranging, he ended up on our sidewalk. They were sure proud of their snowman!

2011-02-12T14:28:00.000-08:00

2011-02-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

Have I Mentioned.....?

2011-02-04T18:39:00.000-08:00

Have I ever mentioned what a fantastic neighbor I have? I can't believe that I have never had a "Mike " post, but it has recently been brought to my attention that I have, in fact, never written such a post. I can't wait to sing the praises of my favorite neighbor!

First, Mike is an incredible competitor...whether it be pictionary, tennis, cornhole or ping pong, Mike is always "in it to win it." Now granted, most of the time he is lobbying to get to be my partner, but with my athletic talent... that is a given. Mike is also the mastermind of the amazing scavenger hunt...so much fun!

Secondly, Mike is a great role model for the neighborhood kids. He is such an encouragement and they all look up to him for his wise advice.

Most importantly, Mike is an awesome husband to his wife Deb (otherwise known as "Precious"). Now, I have been having a bit of fun with Mike in this post, but in all sincerity...he is a great guy and he treats Deb fantastically. It has been our pleasure to get to know Mike better over this past year and we know that whatever we might need he would be there for us in a heartbeat! In fact, he WAS there for us recently when Chuck was sick. He was kind enough to clear our drive during one of our many "dustings" of snow this year (and we later discovered that he didn't even know Chuck was sick...he was just being the nice guy that he is!) We love ya, Mike! Hope you enjoyed your special post!!!

Basketball

2011-01-27T07:10:00.000-08:00

Brock and Kenzie are both playing basketball this winter. It has been fun to watch them. Of course, Kenzie has always danced, so we are still getting used to the sports thing with her. I thought it was so funny when I looked at the pictures I took on this particular day. I had a ton of Kenzie's team, but very few of Brock. I think that this is because I am really laid back when watching Kenz. For her it is about getting some exercise and having fun with her friends, so when I am watching I can take pictures and visit and enjoy it. With Brock, however, it is different. I am much more anxious watching his games! They are a much faster pace, higher pressure, and for sure, more competitive. Sometimes I get so into watching that I forget to lift the camera! He has improved a good deal this year. Overall, this seems to be the year that Brock has really shown an increased interest and commitment to the sports he is playing. It definitely makes it more interesting to watch. I have to say, I really don't care if they are the stars of their teams...I am just so proud of them for having the determination to get out there and try. I wish I had a little more of that when I was growing up. I think their lives are so much richer from the experiences that they are having playing sports as they learn how to be part of a team and the value of giving your best effort no matter what. I just love these kids...probably so much more than they could ever imagine!

Fun in the Snow!

2011-01-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

My kids just love to play in the snow! They get to do it alot, thanks to our friend Sandy. She also loves to play and be in the snow. So, many times, she calls and gets the kids to go sledding or be pulled on the 4 wheeler. Brock was so excited on this day because Tim said he would pull them and he talked about it all morning. Well, unfortunately, he got sick at his ball game and that nixed the sledding fun for him. The girls, however, did go. At the last minute I gave Chuck my camera and asked him to snap a few pics of the fun so that I could see since I was staying home with Brock. This is memory making at its best. I love seeing the smiles and laughs in these pictures because they really capture the fun of childhood. Sometimes as an adult I wish for those days of pure fun and laughing so hard without all of the stress and cares of the world. Kids sure know how to get it right!

Scratch - we all love this sweet soul. She is the BEST dog ever!

Delaney - looks like a model doesn't she?

Wonder if she came up with this pose or if Chuck did? Ha!

2011-01-19T07:50:00.000-08:00

Kimber and Kenz....hold on girls!

Kenz and Kimber...I just LOVE Kenz's smile in this one. It is pure fun!

Delaney and Kenz....that hat just makes me laugh...going to have to get her a better one for next time.

Oh yes, this is Kimber! I don't know what she is doing, but I think this picture is SO her!

2011-01-19T07:39:00.000-08:00

Tim giving the girls a spin.

Tim and Kimber taking a break.

Delaney and Kenzie...time to call it a night after lots of fun and lots of laughs. Thanks Tim!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010 is in the books. What a joyous holiday season it was for us. We really enjoyed each other as a family over this Christmas break and we spent a good deal of quality time with friends and family. We also continued our family traditions of watching the Polar Express on Christmas Eve, while enjoying hot chocolate with marshmallows and having breakfast on Christmas morning with my parents while watching the kids open their gifts. Every year I feel so blessed, not because of the gifts we give or receive, but because of the friends and family that we are so lucky to have in our lives. God has blessed us richly with the things that no amount of money could ever buy...and for that I am thankful!

Brock and Kenzie putting out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. They are wearing their Christmas p.j.'s. Every year they get to open one gift on Christmas and it is always a brand new pair of jammies.

2011-01-16T20:55:00.000-08:00

This is what Santa left...you can see that he ate the cookies!

Brock, with all of his goodies. This year, I put the camera down while the kids opened presents so that we could all enjoy the experience. After the fun was over, we put everything out and took one shot...it was SOOO much easier this way for everyone!

Kenzie with all of her presents from Santa and Mom & Dad.

Pretty easy to tell what Brock wanted this year...this is the first year that he wanted clothes. He had nevery had anything Underarmour before and he was so excited to find so many in his presents.

2011-01-16T20:50:00.000-08:00

Kenzie's goodies from Santa and from Mommy and Daddy. She wanted clothes...and clothes she got!

Brock with his goodies from Grandma Darlene's house. His favorite gifts weren't in the picture though...he got an electric scooter and my parent's paid to fix his powerwing. He was one happy boy! He got money, a snuggie, colt's pajama pants, and a ton of other things at Grandma Cindy's house.

Kenzie and her goodies from Grandma Darlene's house. She also got an electric scooter. I will have to post pictures of them on their scooters when the weather brightens. At Grandma Cindy's she got money, a zebra snuggie, jewelry, make up, and her first Hollister t-shirt. She was a very happy girl.

2011-01-16T20:37:00.000-08:00

Some of my goodies from my parents. I got some track suits, tank tops, sweaters, and a Buckeye bag. Chuck's parents gave us money and we got a Keurig machine for the family...SO awesome!! Unfortunately, I didn't take any pics at Cindy's house...but we had such a fun, family evening.

Chuck's haul from my parent's house. He got several clothing items, but his favorite by far was the underarmour sweatshirt. He really lit up when he opened it...it was something he really wanted, but didn't think he would get. We were definitely spoiled this year!

Happy Anniversary!

2010-12-28T11:45:00.000-08:00

Today marks 14 years for Chuck and I. These have been 14 years of happiness, struggle, growth, and change. I wouldn't have changed a moment of it. Growing up, I had some pretty fantastic role models of what a good marriage should look like. I often wondered if I would be able to find a husband that could live up to the high standard that my dad set. I knew how I wanted my life to look and I knew how I wanted to be treated and I knew what kind of father I wanted for my children. What I didn't know was how to find that guy. I won't lie...it was pretty rough in those high school and college days. I did very little dating and when I did date, those guys did not live up to the expectations. Of course, when you are growing up, you feel like it is never going to happen for you...and for sure I felt that way. Then, one day, a friend of my mom wanted to fix me up on a blind date. I agreed. I can definitely say that meeting Chuck wasn't love at first sight for either of us...in fact, I don't know how we ever made it to a second date! Now, if you know Chuck at all, you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you that he didn't say more than a handful of words on our first several dates...it was pure torture, but I loved spending time with his family and I had a very short conversation with my dad that made all the difference. I can clearly remember my dad saying to me, "I think you should give this one a chance...I think he is a good guy and he might be 'the one.'" Well, I didn't think he was right, but I respected my dad's opinion and so, I went out with Chuck again when he asked. All I can tell you is that looking back now, I am sure glad that I did!

I am lucky enough to say that my husband is a good man. He treats me with so much love, compassion and respect (even when I don't deserve it). He is an awesome father to our children and he puts our family above himself at all times. Chuck is without a doubt my very best friend. There isn't anything about me that he doesn't know...and we can tell each other everything. He knows the good, the bad, and the ugly about me...and loves me anyway. I feel so blessed to have him in my life and we have done so much growing together. Time has only strengthened and enriched our love together. As we grow and mature, so does our relationship. I feel like we are so much more purposeful about how we are growing our family. We now know that no amount of money can buy happiness, a bigger car won't make life any richer, and a huge home won't ensure smooth sailing. We have also learned that family is most important, and that we are lucky enough to be blessed with amazing parents who are always there for us. We know now that good friends are there for you in thick and thin, they laugh with you, cry with you, love you when you aren't at your best, and spend time with you even when your house is messy. We now know that we want to live a life of faith and we want our children to have that faith. We now pray for their future spouses and we have a dream of the life that God has in store for them.

Chuck, you ARE my life...you make every day happier and I feel safe and secure in your presence. Thank you for 14 wonderul years! I can't wait to continue our journey together and see what else life has in store for us. Love you!

Thankful 2010

2010-11-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for the blessings in my life....those in the picture above and so many more!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-18T04:55:00.000-08:00

Well, Halloween 2010 brought about a big change for our family. This year Brock was in sixth grade and he officially deemed himself too old to go trick-or-treating. I have to admit that I wasn't quite ready for that! So, this year he chose to go to dinner at Takaoka with my parents while we took Kenzie trick-or-treating. I know he had a great time, so I guess it was all good. Kenzie had been pretty low key about the costume thing this year, and several days before Halloween she said she wanted to be a football player. Well, that was easy enough! We went to Willshire, as we always do, to go trick-or-treating with cousins. It was a windy, but beautiful day and the kids all had fun. Afterwards, we enjoyed soup and snacks at Cindy's house and then we all went to the festival at the park and watched our nieces perform with the band. We finished the evening by picking up Brock and then we went to the Chile's house to watch the Buckeye's game. It was a great Halloween!

Daddy taped her up and got her looking "tough."

2010-11-18T04:50:00.000-08:00

Our niece Bailey. Love those missing teeth!

Kenzie and Bailey before heading out to get some candy.

Jared...ready to get going!

Our little Cougar! Love it!

2010-11-18T04:49:00.000-08:00

Grace, Kenzie, Bailey, and Jared. They really had a good time!

Our niece Maddie, Grandma Cindy, and Maddie's BFF, Liz.

Maddie and Liz - the vampire girl and gypsy.

Our two oldest nieces are in the drumline for Parkway's band. The drumline decided to go as gnomes. Alyssa decided not to go, but Amber is the last gnome in the blue plaid shirt. I thought it was a cute idea and they seemed to have a great time.

Stitches

2010-11-18T04:39:00.000-08:00

On Halloween weekend Brock had a little injury at the football game. I had gone with my mom, Kenzie, and one of her little friends to Lima and the boys had gone to the last Cougar football game. As we were walking out of the mall, my phone rang and Chuck said, "Um, we have a little problem....we are on our way to the ER." Brock had fallen when he was "walking" up the stairs and cut his lip open. I asked him later if he was running and he said, "not really, I was just walking really fast." Ooooookkkkkaaayyy. LOL! Anyway, here are a couple of pictures so we don't forget Brock's first stitches.

Taylor Senior

2010-10-31T17:25:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! Taylor's mom had asked me awhile ago about taking her senior pictures and I said I would be glad to. I had no idea how much fun we were going to have. Taylor was so laid back and easy going and she was up for trying anything. Her mom came along and made it so much fun for all of us. Taylor was gorgeous and so easy to photograph and I really was pleased with how her shots turned out. Thanks Taylor and Leslie for letting me share a fun afternoon with you!

2010-10-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

Another Season in the Books

2010-10-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

Brock's team wrapped up their regular season by playing in the finals under the lights. The game between Van Wert White and Elida Rebels was hard fought. These were two great teams and it was quite a match up. They held each other scoreless until the fourth quarter when Van Wert made it to the endzone. Then the Rebels answered back with a touchdown. The score was 6-6 as the clock ticked down to zero. We were in overtime! The Van Wert White team was able to score, but missed their extra point attempt. Next, the Rebels scored and got the extra point to end the game at 12-13 in favor of the Rebels. These boys had nothing to be ashamed of and we were proud of them all! Now we are looking forward to the all star tourney in Troy. I have learned this year that I need to work on my sports photography...I CAN NOT GET GOOD SHOTS at these games! Oh well, the only thing that matters is that it has been documented.

He is number 29...the only good shots I could get were when he was standing still! Ha!

2010-10-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

A disappointed Brock gets a pat on the back from Dad. It was a tough loss to take.

They look devastated...just tells you how seriously they took this game.

Brock getting his medal.

2010-10-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

2010-10-26T14:06:00.000-07:00

Brock with "Coach Berry" aka "Dad." I think Brock will always remember and appreciate all of the time his dad gave to coaching his sports teams. I love that about Chuck.

Chuck, with the kids (yes, we include Cade as one of our kids!).

2010-10-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

Brock and Cade...these two are like brothers...tried and true friends. I am so glad for their friendship. Cade was also the ball boy for the last two games of the season.

Our favorite Van Wert White player of all time. Brock, we love you and we are so proud of your improvements this year. You were so much more dedicated to the game this season and it paid off for you. It was so much fun to watch you play and grow throughout the season! Looking forward to watching you play in Troy. Love ya!

Dylan - Parkway Senior

2010-10-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

Awhile back Dylan's sweet mother contacted me about doing his senior pictures. I was really excited to do them for Dylan because I had taken pictures for his family before and they are AWESOME! Well, I was told that Dylan wasn't really going to be "into" taking senior pictures and we might just take a few of him in his football gear. Well, needless to say, he came around and ended up taking some great pictures. He was so cooperative and was up for my suggestions and even had some of his own. The best was when we met the second time to do Dylan's car pictures. It was obvious that Dylan's car is his pride and joy and he has put a ton of his own time and money into it. I really thought those pictures turned out the best! Thank you Dylan and Cathy for letting me capture these images...I really enjoyed it!

2010-10-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

Football!

2010-09-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well, the 2010 football season has started, and Brock had his first game as a sixth grader last week. It was HOT! I mean so hot that our shorts were soaking wet when we left...I can't even imagine how hot those poor boys were. Chuck is helping to coach again this year and he has been impressed with Brock's improvement from last year to now. He really hadn't gotten to play that much last year, so it was a big switch for him this year, playing almost every down. He definitely needs to build some confidence, but he also has gained a good deal of skill from last year. We can't wait to see how the season plays out. No matter what, we are SO proud of Brock and we love watching him play!

Coming through the sign at the beginning of the game....so fun!

He's number 29 this year.

I liked this picture as soon as I took it, but when I didn't see that tongue hanging out until I uploaded it to the computer. Oh well, I still like it.

Getting some advice from Coach Branson. We'll know he's done well when we hear Coach shout, "That's what I'm talkin' about, Man!" Here's to a great season!

Payback

2010-07-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

You may remember that my cousin David made Kenzie's birthday cake. Well, we worked out a trade where he made the cake and I would take some family pictures for them. Yesterday we met up on a very HOT morning to pay him back for his awesome cake. The kids were just fantastic! I haven't taken pictures for other people in a very long time, but I sure did have fun taking pictures of David and Crystal and their sweet kiddos. I was pretty happy with how they turned out...we think an awful lot of David and Crystal and their kids and I was glad to do this for them. These are just a few of my favorites.

2010-07-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

2010-07-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July

2010-07-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

We spent the Fourth of July at my parent's house, as we always do. It was so ridiculously hot, that I only took pictures for a little bit and then gave up because I was sweating so much that it was running into my eyes and making it hard to take pictures (that's a pretty image to imagine, isn't it!). Anyway, I did get some fun ones of the kids enjoying the pool and, of course, some pics of another one of David's cakes. He is getting better and better. We are very proud of him...and the kids loved a cake that had sparklers...what is better than that? We really had a fun evening and the fireworks were fantastic. It was a great day!

Happy Birthday Kenzie!

2010-06-30T04:49:00.000-07:00

Well, my baby turned nine on June 27. She celebrated by asking some friends over for a pool party. Seven of the nine girls that she invited were able to make it and they had a great time! The weather was "iffy" on this day, as thunderstorms were predicted for the time the party was to take place, but we made the best of it and survived a little rain to have a wonderful party. The girls were all so well behaved and respectful...it was just so nice to see them all having fun and getting along so well.

Blowing out the candles.

Her gift table...I just thought that the whole table looked so cute with all of the vibrant colors.

Kenzie's wonderful friends. Top row: Erica, Alaina, Kimber, and Katie. Bottom row: Jenna, Maddie, Kenzie, and Paige. See how nicely they are sitting and smiling? That is because I told them that as soon as I snapped these pictures we were headed to the car to go to Grandma's house for swimming! :0)

My cousin David has started a cake business and has done several cakes and cookies for us, but this one topped them all! Kenzie told him what she wanted and he went to town making her a dream cake. I have to tell you...it did NOT disappoint! If you could have seen her face light up when he brought it in...it was just priceless! Thanks so much David! She just loved it!

2010-06-30T04:15:00.000-07:00

Fun at the pool. It poured when we first go there, but the girls didn't care! Within five minutes the rain stopped, the sun came out, and a good time was had by all! :0)

Just some fun shots from the day. The girls danced, played Wii Just Dance, made bracelets, and ate cake and ice cream before swimming.

A Glorious Day

2010-06-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

Growing up, my family never went to church. I had a close relationship with my parents and we were a very close knit family. As I grew, I realized that many of my friends went to church and at a pretty young age I can remember having a desire for something spiritual, but of course, not being able to articulate what exactly I wanted. As I grew older and neared the end of my high school career my mom and I wanted to try going to church...my dad wanted nothing to do with it. So, my mom and I went to several churches and finally found one that was a fit for us. We really enjoyed it and we both eventually joined the church and were saved and baptized. This was the real beginning of my spiritual journey. At that time, however, I did not fully understand God and the relationship that I should have with Him or how I could live a life in Him. I just knew that I wanted to be part of the "church crowd"...I didn't know what that meant exactly, but I wanted to be part of it. Mom and I attended church until I began college. In college, I did not attend church...none of my friends really attended and I certainly wasn't brave enough to go on my own. You see, I never really felt that I belonged in church. Many churches are like that...you may be greeted at the door, but after that...you are kind of on your own and I wasn't brave enough to try that on my own. Eventually, I graduated from college and met Chuck. When things started to get serious, I had a renewed desire to go to church, and , again, my mom was willing to go with me. We started to attend our old church (from high school), but really never felt that we "fit." When Chuck and I married, we began to attend his home church, which is where he and his family attended. They had always gone to church and when we went there I really felt comfortable and like we belonged. As long as I was with Chuck and his family, I felt that I "belonged." Here, I started to grow spiritually. Off and on I would invite my parents to attend and they would if it had to do with the kids, but my dad was adamant that he didn't want to go to church...he almost had an "anger" toward church that I didn't quite understand. Soooo my mom didn't go to church either, although she would often say that she wished Dad would go because she would love to go. During these years, I felt like I belonged a little more, but I still didn't feel that I really truly understood the church thing. I grew to know the routines and I knew I wanted my kids raised in the church, but I didn't know enough to really have strong convictions. Many years later, it seemed that church was a chore...Chuck never wanted to go...we were just filling an obligation, but we weren't really living out our faith (if we really had any) in our lives. We had good intentions, but we lacked the understanding and the comfort level to really "get it." That's when we made the decision to start looking at churches in town. We kept hearing about this church called Lifehouse, and I had actually felt a "nudging" to go there and try it. We put it off for a long time and when we finally went, we said we were trying it "for the kids." Little did we know that this was SO about us! After one time at Lifehouse Chuck and I left and I can so vividly remember having the first serious conversation about church and God that we really ever had...it wasn't me talking and Chuck just agreeing, but both of us actually discussing the sermon and how we could use some work in that area. After that, things just started falling into place so quickly...my mom started attending and we all started praying regularly about all kinds of things, but particularly about my Dad being saved. You see, I had learned about how important it is to be saved and I wanted that for everyone that I know (and don't know), but especially for my dad. When we invited him to attend with us, Dad was reluctant, so we pulled out the "big guns." We had Brock and Kenzie ask him to go, because we knew he couldn't and wouldn't tell them no. And that is how it started...he went once...and again, and again. Things slowly started to change, but he really started to feel a connection. Next thing we knew, he was talking about getting baptized. I don't think that at the time he made the decision that my dad knew he would have to give a testimony, but I am sure glad that he did, because it was a beautiful thing to hear and it was the day that I was most proud of my dad. That is saying alot, because my dad has always been my hero and he has given me many reasons to look up to him in my life, but this moment...this moment...I will remember forever. I know now that God has a plan and looking back in hindsight I can see His hand in things, even all those years ago when I was a very young girl going to church with friends and wanting "something more." God is good! I can't wait to continue this walk with Christ with my WHOLE family...Dad included! I love you dad, and I am SO very proud of you!!!!

Award's Day 2010

2010-06-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

Today was Award's Day and Jefferson Elementary. Because my school was out already, I was excited to get to go. We knew for sure that Lexi was getting a special award for reading in her kindergarten class so we wanted to cheer her on and we also wanted to be there for Kenzie in case she received any awards. As it turned out, she got awards for All A's in the fourth nine weeks, All A's for the year, and CARES honors. We were very proud of her...and all of her friends who were recognized as well. She worked hard this year and it payed off! Good job Kenzie...we are all SO proud of you!

Dance! Dance! Dance!

2010-05-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

This year marks Kenzie's sixth year of dance...and her last year of dance (for now). She is ready to take some time off of dance to see what else she might like and enjoy. She is thinking of volleyball and maybe even tumbling. As long as she is happy, it is all good for us. We really enjoyed this recital, mostly because we knew it could be the last and because we have seen so much growth in Kenzie's dance over the last year. We decided to let Kenzie get her hair done for her special day and our dear friend, Sarah, did it for her. We were so pleased and she made Kenzie feel so special. The most amazing thing was that the curl stayed for BOTH recitals!!! Thanks so much Sarah - you are awesome! When we got home, our sweet babysitter and friend, Emily, came over and I curled her hair. Of course, Kenz had to get a quick picture with her. We love Emily...she is so good to our kids...what a nice young lady for Kenzie to look up to!

Her pretty curls...thanks to sweet Sarah!

2010-05-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

Kenzie with Aunt Tina and Grandma Cindy after recital.

Grandpa Howard and Grandma Darlene.

In her "New Girl in Town" costume for jazz. This was my favorite costume this year!

I'm partial, but I love this one!

2010-05-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

Kenzie and Daddy...is there anything sweeter than a little girl and her daddy?!?

I snapped this when she wasn't expecting it and I adore her happy expression!

I never like pictures of me, but I do love this of Kenzie and me!

And, finally, Brock did pose for a few and I really loved this one of the two of them! What great memories of a special day!

Medieval Feast

2010-05-13T04:27:00.000-07:00

Brock's enrichment class had a Medieval Feast to wrap up their unit of study on the Medieval Times. Their teacher has done an outstanding job with these students and Brock has enjoyed every bit of it! I didn't get to go, but my dad (who made Brock's costume for him) and Chuck attended. I asked Chuck to take some shots for me and he did a great job. He said the children performed a really good play and then each spoke about something specific from the Medieval Times. They finished the day by having a feast with foods from the time. Sounds like a fun time was had by all.

Brock, Cade, and Nick in their costumes.

The whole class. Don't they look fantastic?

Nick and Brock.

Brock and Cade

This Kid

2010-05-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

This kid makes me so proud! I was on my way home from school today when he called to tell me, "Mom, you're gonna be so proud of me!" He went on to tell me that he had been chosen as Student of the Month for May. He was so proud of himself that I could hear the pride bursting from his voice. As a mom, I sometimes see this kid struggle...to fit in...to get kids to like him...to say the right thing... and my prayer to God is always that he would catch a break and have something terrific happen to him. Well, today was his day, and when I hung up that phone...with tears in my eyes, I said, "Thank you, God." Congratulations Brock...Dad and I are proud of you!

Women of Faith 2010

2010-05-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of going to my first Women of Faith Conference in Columbus, Ohio. My mother-in-law had asked me many months ago if I would go with her. I thought it would be a good experience, but at the time, I don't think I could have realized how much it would come to mean to me. I have been really struggling lately with being content with certain aspects of my life, my job in particular. All of this was really causing my stress to build up to a level I have never really experienced before. Then, as many of you know, Chuck's Aunt Tina...who is as much an aunt to me as my mom's sisters, has been battling breast cancer. She had just suffered a setback and that had really affected our family as we worked through all of our emotions. So, I went to Columbus with a heavy heart, ready for the Lord to do some work on me...and He did. We had a wonderful time and my soul was filled up. Many of the speakers seemed to be talking directly to me and were sending messages that I definitely needed to hear. Also, due to a last minute change, Tina had been given a ticket to attend the weekend with us. I will always remember this fun weekend that the four of us shared. I love these ladies! (I actually wasn't going to bring a camera, but right on the way out the door I decided to grab Kenzie's little pink camera, and I am sure glad that I did! Even though I only took a few pics..they are special to me.)

The picture above is of Mary and Tina on the bus. This is right as we were getting started. As Tina has been doing her chemo, her hair has started thinning and she has gotten a couple of wigs, but she doesn't often wear them. When she first came out I told her how cute she looked in her wig (and she did!), but she was really uncomfortable with it. Cindy told her that she didn't need to wear it for our benefit, since she looked fine without it. Well, about 15 minutes into the trip we heard Mary and Tina giggling and when we looked back Tina said, "I'm taking this 'critter' off!" And she did...and she looked just as beautiful without it! The "critter" didn't make any more appearances that weekend!

Cindy and I on the bus. We were seat buddies...we usually are! Don't I look really white beside her?!?

At the conference we were given box lunches. We were able to eat them at the gorgeous park that was right across the street from the arena. I tried to capture how many ladies were there, but this is only about one fourth of them! It was amazing to see so many women. It was a beautiful day, but it sure was windy!

Cindy, Tina, and Mary...all beautiful women and all important to me. Love you girls! Thanks for sharing the weekend with me!

2010-05-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

Tina, Mary, and I

Little Lexi

2010-04-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

I just love this little darlin'. They came out to visit and she played ball with the boys and came in wearing Brock's ball cap...TOO cute!

Easter 2010

2010-04-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Easter was wonderful this year! This was our first year celebrating Easter at LifeHouse Church and what a celebration it was! We had our Easter service at the Performing Arts Center and it was a fantastic service! Pastor Matt never fails to speak to my heart while adding in enough humor to keep my attention. It really was a meaningful service and I LOVED it! Of course, the Easter Bunny did make a visit bringing some goodies for the kids. We finished the day with a fun time at Chuck's parents. After a yummy meal, the kids hunted for eggs and got together a wiffle ball and kickball game. We finished the evening by visiting with my parents and having supper with them and my Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Dick.

Brock's Eleventh Birthday

2010-04-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well, my boy turned eleven. I don't know how it happened that he is eleven already, but he is. We had a lot of celebrations for Brock's birthday this year! On his actual birthday we went to Flat Top Grill, which he loves. Then, the next day, my mom had us over for his birthday dinner. He chose to have panini sandwiches and he brought Cade along to enjoy the dinner with him. Thursday was the last day of school for the kids due to Easter break, so he had several friends come over. They ate supper at the coney stand, went to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid and slept over. They were an awesome bunch of boys and a pleasure to have over. I can't say enough how glad I am that Brock has been blessed with some wonderful friends. Finally, on Friday night we had his family party. My cousin, David, made his Colts cake, which he loved. My biggest gift to Brock this year was not overdoing it with pictures! As much as his sister loves to be on camera, Brock hates to be on camera! So this year I let him enjoy his celebrations and I just took these few pictures of him with his cake. Brock, you are such an awesome son and we are so proud of you! I can't wait to see what the future brings for you!

A Few More Spring Break Favorites

2010-04-12T19:16:00.000-07:00

Just a few more of our favorites from spring break. Oh, how I wish I was back at the beach!

Spring Break

2010-03-31T20:11:00.000-07:00

Spring break was pretty awesome this year. We surprised the kids with a trip to Myrtle Beach. We really hadn't planned to do anything until about 3 weeks before break. I was looking around on the internet and discovered that our break was still in the "off season" for Myrtle Beach and realized that we could get a room for a week at a dirt cheap price. That's when we decided that is would be fun to just totally surprise the kids. We were very sneaky as we packed for the trip. Kenzie had a competition in Dayton on that Saturday, so we just left the competition on Sunday and headed for Myrtle Beach. It took the kids 3 hours...yes...3 hours to realize that we weren't going home! We had prepared some cute little clue cards, so at that point we gave them the first clue. I think that was the best moment of all. The main line on that card said something like: "You thought spring break was really gonna stink, but we have more planned than you think." They just lit up! It was really neat! I think we kept them in suspense until supper, when we gave them the last clue so they could figure out where we were going. They were very excited!

Once we got to the beach, we had one more surprise waiting for the kids. Chuck's parents happened to be on vacation the same week and they were already in Myrtle Beach when we got there. We made arrangements to leave our hotels and walk down the beach towards each other and wait to see how long it would take the kids to realize that Grandma and Grandpa were there. As it turns out, they were so enthralled by the ocean that they wouldn't have even noticed their grandparents if Grandpa Jack hadn't called out to them. This surprise was a big hit too!

After that, we just simply enjoyed our time together as a family. We spent the days enjoying quality time with our kids. It really wasn't about spending a ton of money or anything like that, but more about connecting with each other. I loved it! Life had been so stressful that sitting by the beach for those few days was just what I needed to rejuvenate my spirit. Boy, do I love my family! We had a blast and no arguments, if you can believe it! It was everything we hoped for!

More Spring Program Pics

2010-03-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

2010-03-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

The Drought Is Over!

2010-03-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

It has been a long while since I have posted on the blog, so I was sure glad to finally have some pictures to post! This is our little gal all ready to go for her spring concert! She found this yellow headband and it was the perfect touch to spice up a yellow sundress that she already had. I thought she looked so cute and totally her age. So sweet!!

Right before the program she found her friend Katie and they walked in together. Katie is one of the nicest, sweetest little gals that we have met! She is really funny too...we are so glad that Kenzie has had the opportunity to get to know her this year. Don't they look so cute together?!?

Here is our little star after the big performance. She really did a good job, as did all of the kids! Mrs. Brubaker really put on a nice show. It is such a proud feeling to see your child on stage performing! The students and teachers can be very proud of the performance!

2010-03-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

The picture below shows the entire first through fourth grade classes from Jefferson Elementary.

Kenzie after the show with her two "brothers." She was glad for their attention and they were nice enough to give it to her. It was definitely different having Brock watching the show and not being in it, but he enjoyed cheering her on. (On a funny side note...I heard Brock tell Cade on the phone that he thought this thing was "semi-formal" so he better wear an Aeropostale shirt. LOL!!! ONLY Brock!!)

You can sort of see Kenzie there in the crowd! That yellow headband really helped to find her! She was surrounded by her friends. Kimber and Erica were above her, Paige was right beside her, Grace was three over to the right, and Alaina was two over to the left. I think I got 'em all!

Stay tuned...more pictures will be coming!

Valentine's 2010

2010-02-17T16:14:00.000-08:00

We don't usually make a big deal about Valentine's Day, however, we have a young lady who just loves getting flowers from her daddy! Several times Chuck has given her flowers and whenever a special day comes up she will say, "I wonder if Daddy is going to get me flowers?" Well, she said this a few days before Valentine's Day and guess what arrived for us on Friday? Hmmmm...someone (or two people) are very loved. I really intend for this blog to be a scrapbook of our day to day lives. Since I don't do a scrapbook, I plan on printing my blog into a book once a year. I hope that when our children and grandchildren read these posts they will feel that love that exists in our family. Chuck is such a loving and caring husband and father and he makes us all feel safe and loved. I really appreciate how he is in tune with the little things that we all enjoy. I wish I could be more like him in that respect. He takes notice of what things make us happy and from time to time he surprises us with these little things to brighten our day. The best thing is that it isn't about the "things" at all, but really about the fact that he has taken the time to know us so well. Thank you Chuck...we love you more than you will ever know!

Snow Day!

2010-02-09T17:56:00.000-08:00

Well, the weather forecasters were predicting a big snow and this time...they delivered! With everyone being cancelled, we had a nice lazy day at home. In fact, I didn't even get out of my jammies! I can't remember the last time I did that, but it sure was nice. The kids played out for a bit and then Brock went over to play at Cade's house. That was at about 2:00 and we didn't see him again until 8:00 tonight! He had a blast hanging out with them today! Shortly after supper, Kimber came down to hang out with Kenzie and the lazy day just continued on. They snuggled under a warm blanket and I threw in a frozen pizza and we all watched a movie. Brock was home for about 30 minutes when we got the call that school was cancelled for tomorrow. Within minutes Cade had called to arrange a sleep over...needless to say, Brock was out the door in a flash. Now, I won't be thrilled when we are making these days up, but for now...I think I'll just enjoy the rest of this lazy day!

Columbus

2010-02-06T09:29:00.001-08:00

Etech

2010-02-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

Well, you know you are bored on a snowy Saturday when you blog pictures of your hotel room! Hopefully, these will be the last photos I ever take that have my shadow at the bottom. I took a mini photography class at the etech conference and I finally learned (a little) how to shoot in manual and without my flash. These, obviously, were taken before the class. I wanted to take more pictures during the conference, but honestly, I was so busy going to sessions during the day that in the evening I just wanted to sit and relax, so hotel room photos are just about all I have to show for the week. It was a beautiful hotel room and I really appreciated staying in such a nice place.

Real Beauty

2010-01-24T17:56:00.000-08:00

I have been enjoying some time looking through my pictures on the computer and I came across this picture of Grandma Weezy. I just love her so much and I think she is so beautiful. I wanted to post this picture just because. It was taken during homecoming and Grandma was sitting outside the assisted living home waiting to catch a glimpse of Amber as she went by in the parade to the football field.

A Little JJ Love....

2010-01-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

It's the Little Things...

2010-01-18T13:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is the little things in life that make us the happiest. Kenzie just loves to have her hair curled with the curling iron, but it takes a long time to do and her fine hair doesn't hold the curl for more than an hour or two. For those reasons, we really don't do it very often, but she recently went to a birthday party and wanted to have her hair curled and so I did it for her. After it was all done she went to the bathroom to check it out and then went directly to find her daddy to show him. Of course he told her how beautiful she looked. With that, she literally skipped down the hall with the most precious smile and said, "Thanks Mommy for curling my hair...I love it!" That made it worth the effort a million times over. I just love to make my kids smile and I know that she won't always want me to do her hair, but I will always remember how this little thing made her so happy!

Sledding!

2010-01-10T16:43:00.000-08:00

The kids have just been dying to go sledding at the resevoir, so after church today we let them grab some friends and we headed out! My mom and dad met us there and we all had a blast. Mom and I took pictures and held sleds and all those "mom" types of things while Dad and Chuck had fun with the kids. I took 93 pictures, so you can just imagine how hard it was to pick what to put on the blog. I thought about making a collage, but I really wanted you to be able to see their faces, so I just downloaded a ton for the blog. I think I will put the rest on facebook. I just love watching the kids when they go sledding...those are some of the most full bellied, whole hearted laughs and giggles you will ever find! Watching them have so much fun brought back so many childhood memories for me...I can remember many a winter that Mom and Dad brought me sledding with friends or cousins! This is what being a kid is all about! Enjoy our many, many pictures! :0)

2010-01-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

2010-01-10T16:40:00.000-08:00

2010-01-10T16:39:00.000-08:00

2010-01-10T16:38:00.000-08:00

2010-01-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

2010-01-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

Game Night!

2010-01-01T20:31:00.000-08:00

We had some good friends over for the Buckeyes game. What a great time we had! We snacked, watched the game, and played some Wii! What more can you ask for? The pictures below are mostly of the girls playing Wii Just Dance. Oh my goodness...if you haven't tried this, you HAVE to try it! It is so much fun! In the pictures are our friend Sandy and her daughters, Ellie, Emily and Kimber. Emily babysits for us fairly often and we all just love her! She is so much fun and such a nice girl! Ellie is super sweet too. She came to spend some time with us even though she wasn't feeling well, and we were so glad that she did! We also had Brock's friend Jeremy over and his parents, John and Jackie joined us, along with his little brother Jessie. We really enjoyed having them join our fun for the evening! I don't think Tim (Sandy's husband) made it in any pics...he was pretty into the game and I didn't get any of the boys...I'll have to try harder to get everyone next time. We were so glad to share a fun evening with these friends. Oh, and......GO BUCKEYES!!!!!! O-H.....I-O!!!

Christmas Collages

2009-12-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

Well, 2009 brought the Berry Family another great year of Christmas fun and blessings! Below are some collages of our three Christmases. The top one is from the Berry Christmas with Chuck's family. We did a Christmas Eve brunch and then opened our presents from Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Jack. We finished up by opening up stockings. We had exchanged names and did stockings full of goodies for one another. This was new this year, but really, really fun and I think we will definitely do it again next year! Some highlights for the kids were: Brock - Wii Sports Resort (for he and Kenzie), TONS of football/baseball cards, Axe body spray, cash and a Wal Mart gift card. Kenzie - Wii Sports Resort, Make Your Own Book kit, Zebra robe and pillow, cash, and socks. They got more than that, but those were some of the highlights.

The middle collage is from my mom and dad's Christmas. We went there for supper on Christmas Eve and we had so much fun! We had made a deal with my parents that we would not exchange gifts this year, but would just enjoy watching the kids open their gifts. I have to tell you that I didn't miss the gifts at all...it was just so much fun being with my parents and seeing the kids get to open their surprises. Some highlights from this Christmas were: Brock - Power Wing Scooter, remote control helicopter, iTunes card and LOTs of clothes! Kenzie - Scooter, Madame Alexander doll, bracelet, Miley Cyrus CD and LOTS of clothes!!! these children were certainly lucky this year!

The final collage is from our Christmas at home. We have some special traditions at our house and this year was no exception. We started our celebration on Christmas Eve night when we made hot chocolate with marshmallows and watched Polar Express. The kids also opened their traditional Christmas Eve gift (new jammies) and put out milk and cookies for Santa. Finally, before bedtime, we read The Night Before Christmas before tucking the kids into bed. At 7:00 Christmas morning we got up to open presents. My parents always join us for this and it has become a tradition to have juice, coffee and breakfast casserole after opening gifts...I love this so much! The pictures of such excited faces show it all! The kids loved their gifts and were very appreciative of them as well. Some highlights were: Brock - DSI, hand-held movie camera, Wimpy Kid book, basketball shoes and clothes. Kenzie - DS, pink camera, toe socks, "beauty box" with girly "stuff", and clothes. I want to post more about Christmas, but this is a great summary of our very blessed Christmas. We had so much to be thankful and to celebrate and we were grateful for every moment spent together! Hope you all had a Merry Christmas as well!

Christmas Program

2009-12-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

Kenzie has been going to church on Wednesdays with her friend Kimber. They asked her if she wanted to be in the Christmas program and she happily agreed! It was fun to watch her do this with such a good friend! Thanks Sandy and Kimber for asking Kenzie to do this...she really enjoyed it!

Here Comes Santa Claus!

2009-12-22T08:38:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we had Steve and Dee over for supper. At one point during the evening the doorbell rang, and to everyone's surprise, Santa appeared! What an awesome surprise for the kids! Santa had gifts for every one of the Berrys and we were so thankful! Even though I am not in the pictures, Santa didn't forget me...I got an awesome Vanilla Cherry Cheesecake candle and it has burning every day since...LOVE it! We sure are some lucky people! Love you, Santa...thanks for remembering us this year...we think you are pretty special!

Gingerbread Fun

2009-12-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

Kenzie had her friend Paige over to spend the night and they made this cute gingerbread house! They spent maybe 20 minutes total on this project, but they had a blast! This is something we haven't done before, but will definitely do again! It was great fun to watch them plan and giggle and munch on the candies as they created their gingerbread house! Love it!!! :0)

Happy Birthday Lex!

2009-12-22T05:49:00.000-08:00

This pretty little cowgirl has a birthday today! This is another of our "adopted" children and she belongs to our best buddies, Steve and Dee! This little gal is smart, spunky, and super cute! Every time we see her, no matter where we are, I hear an excited squeal followed by, "Michelle!!!!!!!!!" She is always so excited to see me and give me a hug, and that melts my heart. We love this little darlin' and we hope she has an awesome birthday! We are looking forward to giving her our own birthday surprise tomorrow!! :0)

2009-12-08T15:54:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

2009-12-08T15:39:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Decorating

2009-12-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

We recently did our annual tree decorating. I always have these ideas of wonderful family bonding when we do this. I made everyone hot chocolate, we put on music and we were ready to begin the bonding. Ummmm.....yeah. That lasted about five minutes and then real life invaded. Someone stepped on an ornament, the kids were arguing over who got to put what ornaments on and Chuck and I could NOT get the ribbon to look the way we wanted around the tree. Well, you gotta love real life! I wouldn't have it any other way! By the end of the whole ordeal, we were all laughing and singing and we really did have those memorable moments of family bonding that I was envisioning, but just not quite the way I was expecting. Here are some shots of our decorating day. Every year we all get ornaments from my mom and dad. They always buy them on their trip to Pigeon Forge and we all look forward to them. The kids are really going to have quite a collection when they leave the house! Anyway, the kids put up all the decorations and Chuck and I just sit back and point out the bare spots...I think they did a fantastic job. Enjoy! :0)

2009-12-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

Brock's Christmas Ornament from Grandma and Grandpa Shobe 2009

Chuck's Ornament 2009

2009-12-03T17:39:00.000-08:00

The final product...they really did a great job!!!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2009-11-12T18:07:00.000-08:00

I want to wish my mom a very Happy Birthday!!! I love my mom so much and she is really such an awesome role model for me. I think my mom is a beautiful person, both inside and out. She loves her grandchildren like you couldn't even imagine and she loves Chuck like he is her own son. I don't think everyone could say that about their husband's relationship with his mother in law! I love spending time with my mom, whether it be shopping, a family night out for dinner, going to church together, or hanging out at home. We can always find something to talk about and laugh over no matter what is going on and I can tell my mom anything and I know that she will support me and give the best advice possible. So, on this special day, I want to honor my mom and wish her the best day ever. Love you, Mom!!! (Oh, and I definitely need to take Mom out for a photo shoot because I did not have any pics of her alone that she would have allowed me to post on the blog!)

Thanksgiving ABC's

2009-11-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

Well, my friend Chantal tagged me to do a Thanksgiving ABC. She talked about being thankful here, and I totally agree with her...with all of the sad things I have seen lately, I need to remind myself of the many, many things in my life that I should be thankful for! So....here goes....

A - Apple pie....gotta love it! My Grandma Brewer made the best though...sure wish I could have a piece of that pie!
B - Brock Berry, of course! What a great kid!
C -Chuck Berry, of course! Love that guy! ;0)
D - Days of summer...love spending them with kids and friends!
E - Every day that I get to live...I hope I never take it for granted!
F - Friends...how could I live without mine? I could survive, but my life wouldn't be nearly as full or happy without them!
G - Grandparents....who in the world loves you unconditionally like grandparents do? There is no love that is quite the same as that of a grandparent!
H - Hart's....our family is better because they are part of our lives! Love you, Harties!! ;0)
I - Ice cream for sure!!! My favorite is Maggie Moo's Better Batter!
J - Judy....she is SO special to all of us! And JJ...we love her! And Jen Wilson....we could really go on and on with the J's! :0)
K - Kids...I love the one's I get to work with....it is my honor to teach them every day!
L - Lifehouse! Love our new church and the way it has strengthened our relationship with our Lord!
M - McKenzie Kathryn, of course! That girl makes me smile every day!
N - Nikon! Love mine...and couldn't live without it!!!
O - Ohio State Buckeyes!!!!!! We LOVE our Buckeyes!
P - Parents... mine are the absolute best you could ever ask for!!!!
Q - Quiet time....love when I can wrap up in a blanket on Saturday mornings and watch Food Network and sip on my coffee! It doesn't happen often, but I sure do enjoy it when it does!
R - Radio...it makes me so happy to sing to the radio in the car (doesn't sound good, but brings me joy!).
S - Shopping!!!! Nothing better than a girl's day with my daughter or my mom shopping!
T - Tina...praying for her miracle and thankful to be part of her life!
U - Unconditional love...I am lucky to get this from so many people!
V - Van Wert Cougars! Love our Friday night football games and looking forward to some basketball games this year!
W - Watermelon Jolly Ranchers! Love 'em!
X - X-tra special ladies who volunteer in my classroom!
Y - You! If you are reading this...you are special to us!
Z - Zillions of other things and people that I am thankful for and didn't get on my list!!!

Whew! That took a while! Okay...I'll tag Amy and Carole! Good luck girls! :0)

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween, we went digging in my mom and dad's attic. By now, you probably know how creative my dad is, and Halloween is his specialty. When I was younger, he always made my costumes and they were always fantastic and creative. Now, Halloween isn't really Brock's favorite holiday because he isn't crazy about scary stuff, but McKenzie....she is a whole different story! She went crazy going through my dad's box of costumes and she was really excited when she saw the headless bride costume. When she tried it on and it fit...she was all about wearing it. This costume was one my dad made for me when I was about her age and he had saved it all these years. Many of our friends and family have worn it too! Now Brock, he did NOT like the costume and didn't want much to do with it, but he did find a mask that he liked and he settled on that. This is the first Halloween that Kenzie went with a scary costume, but she liked it. We took them to the Fall Fright Festival at the fairgrounds, which we had never done before and they had lots of fun there. They both entered the contest and Kenzie was thrilled when she won first place in her category! She even got ten dollars! Later, we went trick or treating in Willshire with their cousins, which is a tradition for us and we were thankful for the dry skies. It was a fun Halloween and we were glad that both of the kids were healthy enough to enjoy it!

2009-11-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

Marshmallow Mummies - YUMMY!!

2009-10-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

I think we started making these cute little treats when Brock was in kindergarten, and the kids just absolutely love them! I think they are too stinkin' cute...and super easy to make! Kenzie is invited to her very first Halloween party at her friend's house, and she just had to make some marshmallow mummies for the occasion. So last night we all sat at the bar (minus Brock, since he was sick and germy) and made these mummies. They were sitting on the bar this morning waiting to go to Kimber's house and I couldn't resist taking their picture! Boy, I will take pictures of anything!