Leah's Christmas Recital

Leah did a fantastic job at her Christmas recital on Saturday. Leah played "Frosty the Snowman".
This was her first recital with Mrs. Morriss. Mrs. Morriss has been a HUGE blessing to us. Leah has progressed from just playing a few notes to using both hands and playing a lot by ear since she started in June. (As a matter of a fact, Mrs. Morriss is often telling her to put her ear in her pocket and read the notes!) We love her and she has been an answer to prayer. She is an encourager and she knows what her students need in order to progress. We asked Leah what she thought about the recital and how things went. Her only remark was that she wished she could have played another song!!! Praises! God is working on her and bringing her into who He made her to be. It is such a joy and an honor to have an inside peek of watching Him at work. Blessings to you all!

Christmas Card Possibilities

 

You may see these again in the near future! (I like the new Picasa collage maker!) Fun! (my answer to scrapbooking!)

Christmas at Home

 

A few scenes from around the house. Enjoy!

We're Back!!!

This fall has taken us by storm!! We are sorry that we have been out-of-pocket! I have a hard time keeping up! To update you: Leah started 4th grade and we started Ellie in K. She is doing great! As a matter of fact, she started reading this week!!! My baby!!! We have been to VA 3 times. Stan's Uncle Bill died and then about 2 weeks later, Granny Turner died. These were sad and joyful times for the family. Both knew the Lord and were ready to go. We were so blessed that Stan's job and the kids are mobile and we were able to be in VA with the family. Stan and I also took a few days alone! and revisited our honeymoon site in Warm Springs,VA. We went to VA one more time a few weeks ago to surprise Grammie and PawPaw for their 40th anniversary. Brad and I gave them a little party. I think they were thrilled to see so many friends from past and present.
Leah is gearing up for another musical this weekend. We are so proud of how she is branching out. She is in a choreography group this time.
And last but not least, Miss Ellie broke her arm. This happened as we were packing to leave for VA the last time. (She was practicing her roundoffs and cartwheels in the front as Stan and I loaded!) So, off to ER we went before we left the state! Here are some pics. She wore a hard splint the first week and now has a nice, purple cast. The hardest thing about it all has been keeping her on the ground and walking!
The Lord answered many prayers during this ordeal about her bones being laid straight and not overlapping (as they were upon injury). We found out Monday that God had answered and Ellie would not have to be put to sleep to correct.
Well, I hope to post before the new year!! Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much for which to be thankful.

R U Amazed?

Saw this at church Sunday night. "Your Grace Still Amazes Me" by Phillips Craig and Dean. Turn down the volume on playlist (at the bottom) so you can hear it.

Our Little Princesses!

Well, we finally made it to get the girls' annual photoshoot! Here are some of our favorites!

Making a Memory!

 

Some people will do some crazy things for a memory and/or free food! Back during the summer, Chick-Fil-A had a fun promotional. Anyone who dressed like a cow from the head up received a free entree. Anyone who dressed like a cow from head to hoof received a free meal of choice! Now you say "Free Food" and the Jones family will show up!! I admit, we were a little nervous driving over there thinking "What if it really isn't today?" But, it was and we had a blast eating our free meals (not to mention we did something fun and unusual to make a memory). We apologize to Stan that this is the only picture we had to capture this memory - since his eyes are closed!

Leah's Blogging Debut!

Leah now has her own blog!!! She has been asking for one for awhile. She is the manager and publisher and has done a super job getting started. (Hopefully, she will be much better at staying up-to-date than her poor Mom!) Please take a minute to stop by and visit her site. The link is on the sidebar under "Family and Friends on the Web". Thanks!

Updates coming soon (hopefully)!

Hi, thanks for stopping by! I know that we are WAAAYYYYY behind on our posts. We have had a wonderful and VERY speedy summer! We started the summer with Leah's 9th birthday and driving to Minnesota to visit with Stan's brother, Sid and family. We came home and I did my civic duty and served on a trial for a week. The next week found Stan and I working a couple of deals and Leah in VBC. Then, Leah and Ellie went to VA to get TLC from both sets of grandparents for a week. July flew as the girls and I prepared for Stan's 40th birthday. He was very surprised and delighted with the visits and cards that helped him celebrate! Swim lessons...a few jobs around the house and summer was over! I hope to find the memory cards soon :) and get some of these events uploaded so you guys can reminisce with us. In the meantime, I am enjoying visiting your blogs and seeing what you have been up to! Take care and maybe the next time you stop by there will be photos!!!!

"Meet the Robinsons"

It is with mixed emotions that I make this entry. Our dear friends, the Robinsons, are moving to NC!!! George has accepted a position as professor at Southeastern Seminary. He will be training upcoming pastors on global missions and evangelism. Please pray for them as their impact for the Kingdom just grew tenfold! George and Catherine were the first friends we made here in GA. Catherine was homeschooling at the time and George was working for E3 Partners Global Missions. We shared a lot of LIFE together - laughter, tears, date nights, prayers and encouragement. They are a phenomenal couple that will always be near and dear to our hearts, if not near to our home! (They are not far from our homes in VA, though!) Tori Beth has been Leah's very best friend since we moved as well. Tori is the friend we prayed for Leah when we were moving here. Those gals are 2 peas in a pod! They have so much fun together. George, Catherine, Tori, Aidan and Caleb, we love you and will miss you! However, we know that you are following God's call on your family. We wouldn't hold you back for anything!! So, we will be looking for that blog to keep up with all of your new adventures. As they say in Costa Rica, "Vaya con Dios"!!!

...and She's Off!!!

Ellie decided last Friday that she wanted her training wheels off. So, Stan took them off and gave her a few riding lessons. That's all it took! She was beaming! We were so proud of her. Leah was a super big sister and patiently helped her over and over. Here are the shots of Saturday morning's early practice rounds.



Getting a little push from Big Sissy.....




She's ready to launch.....






She's solo!!!!




By the end of Saturday, she was starting herself and using the brakes to stop. By Sunday afternoon, she was making the turns without putting her foot down! Ellie is a spunky little thing...gets that from her great-Grandma Martin (from whom she was named). Our girls have grown so much this year. We pray they are growing in the truth of the Lord as much as they are growing physically. 3 John 1:4 says,"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

Soccer Stars!! Go Strikers!!!

We just finished our first season of soccer with both of the girls playing!!! Whew!!
Leah was back for her 3rd season after a year or so off. Ellie finally made the age requirement! Both of the girls' team names were the "Strikers"!
Leah had a great season and showed big improvement. She still smiles the entire time she is running the field. (Remember: "Daddy, look at my hair blowing in the wind!")? She says she LOVES soccer and wants to play again in the fall.
Ellie had a super first season and she had an awesome coach (Stan!). She loves to run and be with the ball. The most wonderful thing for her was that she had a number on her shirt and pink shinguards and cleats. (She slept in the shinguards for the first few nights after they were purchased!) Another bonus was that she received her first trophy. (She is very aware that Leah has 4!!) The trophy tried to go to bed with her last night, but I thought it was a little too pointy and moved it to her nightstand. I am thankful that my girls are healthy and seem to have their Daddy's athletic ability! Our Creator is amazing!

More stretching! (and a choir concert)

Leah auditioned for the children's choir concert "Life School Musical" and was given a special part of signing a song with a group. This was once more a HUGE stretch for her. She was sooo excited and nervous. She did a beautiful job of signing her song, "I Get It Now". Both sets of grandparents came to see her debut. We had a wonderful weekend of soccer games and choir concerts. Ellie's choir class also had a Parent Showcase on the same night. We were so glad Nones, Grandma, PawPaw and Grammie were all able to take part in the girls' big events. We miss that they are not usually able to give that love and support. It was EXTRA special that they were here. Thanks PawPaw, Grammie, Nones and Grandma for the special efforts you made to be here! We love and miss you!

Piano Recital

Leah switched back in the fall from violin to piano. She had been begging to play for awhile. Her teacher was great and very encouraging. Leah had to memorize 2 songs for the recital. She was very nervous, but she walked right up, sat down, and played perfectly! That was a HUGE deal for Leah - and us. She has grown so much this year. She is learning to use the gifts the Lord has given her for His glory. He is stretching her a bit, but she is hanging on and enjoying it (when it is all over!)

Chattanooga Choo-Choo and TN Visit - March

In March, we headed up for a visit to our old hometown of Knoxville, TN. It was our first real visit back. On the way up, we stayed in Chattanooga at the "Chattanooga Choo-Choo". Ellie is a total train nut, so this was almost more than she could handle! She was awestruck at first. We had a fun time touring on the train and finished the night with a swim in the heated pool. Of course, we had to stop at the Mayfield Dairy on the way up! The Athens, TN plant makes ice cream. So, we toured and had a scoop (or 2) of ice cream at the end! We were so excited to see our good friends, Gary and Rena Beeler. We made the trip for Rena's baby shower - her 4th was due in April (but ended up coming the next week!) Laura and Leah were the best of buddies while we were there. The bummer was that Laura was diagnosed with strep while we were still driving up!! So, the girls didn't get to bond as much as they wanted. Not to worry, the Lord protected us (and them, as Ellie came home with pneumonia). This was a wonderful weekend of blessings. We made new memories and renewed past friendships. Thank you, Lord, for these gifts.

A Baxter Update

Here's Baxter playing Scrabble! Ol' Bax thinks he's part-human. Truth is, Baxter just likes to be doing whatever we are doing. He is a cherished part of the family and a daily reminder of the power of the Word and prayer. (For the whole story, go to the old posts and read up!)

This is Baxter's other favorite activity - sleeping - especially with a buddy!

"Easterbread House"

We ran out of time to complete our gingerbread house this past Christmas. So, we saved it and gave it to the girls to decorate for Easter. It was neat to see what they came up with. I think they were pretty creative and it made good use of the kit.

Green Day! (March 17th)

OK! WE'RE BACK!! We have been running a bit behind lately in posting. (I am sure you have noticed.) I will try to catch you up. "Green Day" started several years ago in an effort to reinforce the colors for Leah. We decided that we would do it on March 17th and wear green and eat GREEN! A holiday was born! The girls get so excited thinking and planning for Green Day. (It is the small things in life that often create the best memories!) Here are some shots of this past Green Day.


The breakfast meal is always the most interesting. This year it was green eggs, homemade cinnamon rolls with green icing and green milk. It sure tasted better than it looks!

CHOSEN

 

I was marvelling in the beauty of the snow the other day, looking out of the window, when my eyes focused on the playset. Tears filled my eyes. Leah had written this on the playset. Also, above her swing she had written, "Princess". I just stood there and praised the Lord. We have been purposefully weaving these sprititual truths in the girls' lives.

John 15:16 says, "...You did not choose me, but I chose you..." and John 15:19 "...As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world."

1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

The group, This Hope, sings a song called "There is a Reason". The chorus says, "There is a reason, you were created."
This is the truth we want our girls to base their lives on.....that they were created by our Heavenly Father for a reason and that they are chosen, holy, and belong to Him. To God be the Glory!

SNOW IN GEORGIA!!!

It snowed in Georgia....TWICE!!!! The girls had a blast! It was Ellie's first snow. For some reason, I got a little emotional with her first snow. It reminded us so much of home - Virginia. When Stan and I were growing up, we had snow a lot and lots of it. So, it was really special to see our girls enjoying the snow. It doesn't come around here often. (This is only the 2nd time since we moved here.) They played until they were totally worn out.

A Virginia Christmas - 2007

God blessed us with time with family for Christmas. We were so excited to see our loved ones! We were able to see Shannon's brother and family during the first part of our visit. Then, Stan's brothers and sister and their families came later. This was truely special because it is not often that Stan's entire family is together. It was wonderful! The girls enjoyed some "cousin time". Stan and I spent time with our cousins, too. What a wonderful, precious time!