Thursday, December 30, 2010

Christmas Time

This has been a weird Christmas for us.  One it's just my fam and Julie & Bro.  Two: Rob worked 12 hr shifts all weekend. So he was barely home.  We didn't go to his side of the family at all for the holiday.  Christmas Eve, Julie, Bro and Sara came over and we hung out together. We had kielbasa and pierogies, of course.  Uncle Jeff also came over to hang out for a bit.  

Christmas morning, Rob was home with us for a bit. Santa had ate three of the four cookies that were left for him and drank a whole bunch of  the hot chocolate that Nadine had left for him. 


 Yesterday, (12/29) Rob and the two little ones went out to play in the backyard. Nadine ended up buried in snow with Rowan on top of her!  They had fun!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Decorating Grandmas's


 On Saturday night, we went to Grandma McQueary's to put up her tree and decorate it.  Tomorrow will be 5years since Jack passed away.  It doesn't seem to get any easier for her.  She misses him dearly, as do we.  There isn't a day that we don't say that we wish Jack would have known Rowan. They would have loved each other so much! Rowan loves playing in his garage and is amazed at all the things that are still laying around.  Nadine doesn't remember him at all really.  She was far to young. 

Jourdyn just wrote a memoir for school about Grandpa McQueary. When she gets it back I'll post it. 

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Sifting through the past...

Over the past few days I've the opportunity to sift through the past at Rob's cousins house.  Lillian passed away about 10 years (it doesn't seem that long ago, but it was.) I'm a sucker for nostalgia, so for the most part I look for heirlooms, letters, pieces of people's lives.  During the tornado cleanup this summer, we found letters from Rob's grandpa to his grandma and dad when he was in the service. We found pictures and mementos that are priceless and we treasure the fact that in that huge mess we were able to pick up those few precious pieces.  So as we went into Lillian's house over the past few days, not much was different.  I picked up Bibles that she had. That most people just tossed to the side. I picked up baptism certificates, grade cards that she had cared enough to save for over 70 years.

When I came home I was surprised to find in her Bible, letters to God tucked away. The letters were written in the 70's and tell so much of what was going on in her life at the time.  I found pieces of her history, like the fact that she was in 1944 training to be a pilot.  We knew this already, but she had a deep love for music and after all the things that we have found, I am left thinking that she just had a deep love for living life to the fullest! Experiencing everything and anything! Reaching for the stars!

She clipped newspapers and had I had the time, I could have found out what it was that she thought so intriguing in them.  But I did this in a small little wooden Bible from England.  A snippet she had clipped from a magazine or paper.

Things We Can't Afford

Regardless of the amount of wealth a self-respecting person possesses, there are things which he cannot afford. 
An unknown poet has enumerated a goodly number of such things in the following poem:

"We can't afford to win the gain
     That means another's loss;
We can't afford to miss the crown
     By stumbling at the cross.
We can't afford the heedless jest
     that robs us of a friend;
We can't afford the laugh that finds
     In bitter tears an end.
We can't afford the feast today
     That brings tomorrow's fast;
We can't afford the farce that comes
     To tragedy at last.
We can't afford to play with fire,
     Or tempt a serpent's bit;
We can't afford to think that sin
     Brings any true delight.
We can't afford with serious heed
     To treat the cynic's sneer;
We can't afford to wise men's words
     To turn a careless ear.
We can't afford to feed the flame
     And make it fiercer burn.
We can't afford for hate to give
     Like hatred in return;
We can't afford to lose the soul
     For this world's fleeting breath;
We can't afford to barter life
     In mad exchange for death.
But blind to good are we apart
     From Thee, all-seeing Lord;
Oh, grant us light that we may know
     The things we can't afford."

We certainly can't afford to be without Jesus Christ as our Savior, Lord, Advocate, Friend, High Priest, and coming Bridegroom.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Rowans new fad

Dad these are the things that Rowan is into right now.  They are all individual pieces and he builds cool things like this! :)

Lights Before Christmas




This past Friday we went to the Lights Before Christmas with my friend, Bonnie and her son Orion.  Rowan was absolutely excited about the train exhibit. He spent a good 20 minutes just staring and then we had to move on.  Jourdyn ran into some of her friends and hopefully she will become a ZooTeen next summer.  It was cold, so we had hot cocoa and coffee! It seems the lights weren't as fancy this year.  

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

A lot going on...

We've had bunches going on. Here are some of the highlights!

Dinner at UCT w/Rob's family
Rowan's Thanksgiving Feast
Katie, Trevor & Uncle Mike far left, Jamie, Matt & Brady 2nd from right - the boys were dedicated!

I went to the TAM Gala on the 13th with a group of friends. I was the guest of Lifeline Ministries. 


Back on the 11th we went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Jourdyn went with us. She loved it!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

A Full House

Saturday we had a full house. Curt brought Tatum came over to play for the day. We all had lunch together. Grilled Cheese and tomato soup! Later that evening we had more guests over and Julie and I went to Lifeline Community Dinner in the Old West End.  Here are some pictures.


Nadine, Tatum, Izzie, Rowan

My silly boy!


This is Steve's fireplace! Above it says:
FAITH is the strength by which the shattered world
shall emerge into the light.  



Friday, November 5, 2010

Toledo Museum of Art & Voting


Tuesday we got up and took the younger kids over to vote with us! We like to involve them in the process to instill in them the necessity to participate in our government!

Rowan says "when you see a flag, you're supposed to grab it up and wave it!" 
It just so happened that the kids had no school that day and Rob was off work.  So we decided to head to the Toledo Museum of Art to see the MUMMIES! However, the MUMMIES would have cost us $50 to see them. So we just explored the rest of the museum.  The price they are charging for the exhibit is astronomical and ridiculous! The museum is generally free so I didn't take my purse or anything. But Rob and I decided that we are going to join the Museum instead because it's only a few dollars more and then all the special exhibits are included.  (Jourdyn had her friend Becca with us!)

Later that afternoon, Rowan had his very first dentist appointment. He did so well.  Nadine was going to go first, and he said "No, I go first!" He climbed up in the chair and was great the whole time. And then he said, "Where's my toothbrush?" He's been watching the girls go for years and has never been able to get his own new toothbrush at the dentist, so he knew it was coming.  He then unwrapped it and proceeded to stick it in a decorative fountain that they have in the office. Who knows how long its been since they changed the water! Yuck!!!!

Trick Or Treat

I apologize for the delay on Trick or Treating pictures! We've had a busy week so far! So here are some pictures from the kids on Halloween.  We went to Grandma's, our usual Halloween tradition. Rob worked so it was just me and the kids this year! We had fun though.  People were amazed by the Mad Hatter and the the younger kids loved the leaf piles!



 Here's one last picture of the Mad Hatter! I love this picture!!! Next year I think we are going to theme the whole family for our costumes! And make them all ourselves!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Tent City 2010


This weekend about 40 of us from our church headed down to Tent City to serve with 1matters.org! We spent the afternoon serving lunch, and some of us spent the evening hanging out and listening to some great music! The kids had so much fun at night, listening to the music.  Keys 2 Eden played along with several other artists. 

We were definitely thankful that we had a home to go home to last night.  Many didn't. Many were just happy to have a tent that they could hang out in for the night. Happy that they had a winter coat or a blanket.  And happy that they had a couple warm meals for the day. 

Friday, October 29, 2010

The MadHatter







She found her Alice!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Pumpkin Carving

Last night the kids carved their pumpkin! We didn't go buy three of them.  We just carved the one Nadine brought home from the pumpkin patch field trip at school! Which was a wise idea because the little ones didn't really want to get their hands all gross from the pumpkin guts! They toughed it out though! And the pumpkin is now carved!

There is also a Costume Psyche-up for Jourdyn's costume in the slide show!!! She's going to be the Mad Hatter!

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Sunday, October 24, 2010

A busy Saturday...

Saturday morning we went to the Toledo Zoo for the Pumpkin Path.  The little ones dressed up and went trick or treating through the zoo.  Nadine was Laura Ingalls but she was missing her bonnet.  Rowan went a a robot, but we didn't put his legs or arms on and we also did have his head piece. They both had a great time! We also saw a magic show and walked the entire zoo collecting candy!

We will probably make this a yearly tradition.  The zoo did a fantastic job setting it all up!
 
The 8th grade football game was last night! Jourdyn once again played. And I once again headed to the game to cheer on the band.  I learned that as we go to these games in the coming years that we have to always sit on the Home side, even way our team is the visitors.  Because the band always plays to the home side. This is a pic of Jourdyn and her friend Becca.  The bottom pic is on their way off the field!  



Friday, October 22, 2010

8th Grade Night

This is football weekend around our house. Jourdyn played at the High School with the marching band for 8th grade night tonight! She did a fantastic job! It was freezing! We hung out with many friends that we ran into.  And we left after half-time because it was so cold!

Tomorrow she is playing at the 8th grade game under the lights for the whole game. We are wearing two sweatshirts, taking coats and blankets tomorrow!!! I'm not sure tha I'm gonna be ready for this every friday next fall for the next four years!!!!

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October 22, 2006


October 22, 2006 my grandmother passed away.  Today, Rowan and I went out the cemetery to visit her grave.  No one has been for quite some time.  I go every year on this date for sure. But I haven't been since last year, I don't think.  We found her and grandpa and we cleaned the stone off. We also found Aunt Sally & Uncle Jack, but the stones were so overgrown that we couldn't find the other sisters, which I believe are very close to them. 

Rowan and I had the discussion about Grandma not living there, but her body resting there because her spirit is in heaven.  He was very enthusiastic about making sure all the graves were uncovered and cleaned off. 

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!!


Last night, we successfully pulled off a surprise birthday party for Rob! Jourdyn did all the planning! She picked spiderman as the theme. She decided on tacos for dinner! Lots of people came over to celebrate with us! We put all 36 candles on the cake! It melted the frosting and the spiderman figure got awful hot!

Nadine's Last Girl Scout Event

On Thursday, I took four of my Daisies to Paint your Masterpiece for a pottery extravaganza!!! Nadine, Juliana, Lilly and Ava had a fabulous time painting converse-style tennis shoes! NExt week I'll get to pick up the finished masterpieces and I'll post pictures of their finished creations!
The girls had a lot of fun! We had pizza and juice boxes as well! I'm not leading the troop anymore. One of the girls mom's has taken over, however, I'm not sure that Nadine will still stay because now she is doing Bible quizzing and Caravans. She also wants to start soccer. 


Thursday, October 7, 2010

Human Trafficking Conference

My friends and I spent today (and tomorrow) at the University of Toledo for the 7th Annual Human Trafficking & Prostitution Conference.  We are learning about what is going on in the Toledo area. We have a huge problem with trafficking. Toledo is number 4 in the US! No. 1 per capita!!!

Renee, Mandy, me and Rebecca!
It is also my birthday today!

I had the opportunity to speak on Sunday.  Here's the link to the video. Check it out! Let me know what you think. 

Monday, October 4, 2010

I Peter 3:12

Nadine has begun her journey in Bible quizzing! She is studying 1 & 2 Samuel this year! This was a memory verse from Sunday School I think, but still wanted to post it because it makes me smile!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

I John 5:3

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Ft. Wayne, Indian

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I had never been to Ft. Wayne, Indiana before this conference! I love it! We had a dinner break and decided to go downtown instead of to eat.  We found a beautiful botanical garden. Unfortunately we only saw it for 10 minutes! The downtown area is just beautiful!

The conference was amazing! God was so present, in such a real way! We were awestruck at his glory!

 
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