November 2017

Ben taught a class for some older elementary homeschool kids about finances, savings, and investing.  It was so fun!

Carrie Zieber watches a little boy named Aiden.  When she and Mike were gone for their anniversary (and attending a Children's Ministry conference), I watched him one day.  Ben was sitting in the chair and Aiden climbed right in. :)

Joyce came down to stay with the Zieber kids while Mike and Carrie were gone.  She took all the kids to a clay painting place and let them all pick out one small clay item to paint.  She suggested they pick something they could give away as a present.  Caleb picked out a mug to paint for Ben for Christmas.  Micah picked out an elephant to paint for Remy, Kyle and Tess's new baby.  Abby picked out a unicorn.  When I asked her who it was for, she was like, "For ME!"   

Caleb sharing a Bible story for presentation:

Pre-Thanksgiving trip to Ohio:

They saw a few snow flurries in Springfield and immediately needed to get out of the van to be "in the snow."  (We drove down to Springfield just for one night to attend church and check on our Limestone house which we plan to put on the market.)

Cake and ice cream at Grandma's for Aunt Darlene's birthday:

Beating Grandma at Memory:

And then on to Maryland for Thanksgiving:

We gave Caleb an allergy pill so he could play with the kitties too... 

During the exchange game, Caleb opened a jar of candy.  He did his best to make sure no one else would steal it...

He may be old, but his humor hasn't aged. :)

Abby was pretty excited to get hair chalk in the exchange:

Dad had hurt his rib.  (And was getting over a bad cold.)  Mom asked Kelsey to listen with her stethoscope.  Of course, Dad had to make it hard on her. :)  (Mom finally unbuttoned Dad's shirt... "Why are you undressing me???")  It was a good five minutes before he actually behaved himself.  

Click here... We just found this video on one of Ben's old phones of Abby dancing. It is so cute!

Micah and Davis are good buddies.  Micah even decided to wear his socks with holes in them because Davis does that too. Haha!

A bummer of a way to end out last night in Maryland... Caleb fell asleep on the floor of the bathroom after his shower because he didn't feel good.  The next day, we drove home to South Carolina with Caleb and Abby both dealing with diarrhea. :(  It made for a lot of potty breaks!

A few days after we got home, we got to see the "original Buchers"!  Kevin and Kristin Bucher were on furlow from China.  So funny to think of how inseparable Micah and Kai when they were little toddler buddies... and how the three kids on the right we not even in existence yet when the Buchers left for China!  (Well, Kian was in Kristin's belly.) :)

Completing the "My Body" project at CC...

Playing with the nativity scene... she added one of her little ponies. :)

I like my living room all decorated for Christmas.... especially now that we have the hardwood floors!

October 2017

Some days, homeschooling looks like playing a world domination game while you listen to classical music: 

Donovan's birthday party.  Goody bags were complete with vampire teeth:

Trying to draw the United States:

I found this worship song written by Caleb: "Lord, your love is so powerful that even in the storm, so much of the storm.  I cannot see now I'm like a zombie, then you healed me, oh yes indeed."

We went on a field trip to see Slim Goodbody live in Charlotte.  Then stopped by the 7th Street Market for lunch and went to the Imaginarium library afterward.  Waiting for our pizza to be ready:

At Imaginarium library:

Micah's presentation during class:

Tin whistle at CC! 😳

Lunchtime at CC:

Mojo waiting to see Abby!  (And no, she did not need that winter coat.  Even in hot weather, she starts "missing" her winter clothes and wants to put some on.  This was one of the first mornings that wasn't hot and humid, so she broke out the winter coat.)

Baby shower for Esther Futrell and Baby Sydney.  The cheesecakes Carrie made were AMAZING:

Look how cute Jenai is!!

Playing a little Dutch Blitz.  Ben won't play with me, but he will play with the kids. :)

Caleb's CC class:

Caleb presenting on what it takes to be an astronaut.  The presentation topic was "Something on Your Bucket List":

Micah's "bucket list" was to hike part of the Appalachian Trail:

Abby's bucket list was to have a kitty someday. :)

One of Abby's friends who takes dance classes invited Abby to an "open house" night. I got a peek in the door while they warmed up:

A pretty day to walk around Manchester Meadows:

Micah turns 11!  He got a pocket knife from Grandma and Grandpa Bender:

Unwrapping the drone Ben insisted we get him.  I said, "He will love it, but it will only last a day."  The next day he got it stuck in a tree and broke one of the motors.  Mom - 1; Dad - 0.

Wes and Joyce came for a visit.  We went to the pumpkin patch with the Ziebers...

Finding a sunny spot to lay in and read:

Halloween... we hung out at the Futrell's house first and then went to the Hanford's:

Baptism day!  Micah got baptized along with several kids and Karl.  Even the kids who didn't get baptized ended up playing in the water.  It was really fun doing it at the Riverwalk:

Notice the mud on Caleb's butt. :)

One of the kids spotted a big dead fish in the water.  It was very popular. :)