Fall 2014

I'm officially a bad blogger. I admit it. I really miss blogging regularly, but by the end of the day when the kids are in bed, I still have the kitchen to clean, laundry to finish and some time to hang out with Aaron. Blogging is the bottom of my priority list. But life continues to move and God continues to bless us. Abel and Belle are loving their 3K homeschool. We do about 3 days a week for 40 minutes - a worksheet (focusing on either letters, numbers, shapes or colors), Bible and reading time, and a craft. Sometimes we throw in some extra things like music or flashcards. If we haven't done school yet, they will ask "Can we do school now?" Haha! The pictures above were taken at a local pumpkin patch on a homeschool field trip with our church. They are dressing up next week for Halloween as a football player and cheerleader. I have mixed feelings about Halloween. I always thought I wouldn't celebrate it with my kids. But then the first Halloween after Abel & Belle were born, I thought "What is the harm in dressing up like something that isn't satanic or evil in nature? And getting candy?" Abel & Belle play dress up at home almost everyday of their lives and they eat candy occasionally as well. Also, awhile back, I read a post from another Christian who said "Every day belongs to the Lord. Why should Satan have a holiday? He doesn't have the right to take what belongs to the Lord. So, take back Halloween to the glory of God." That is what we try to do with Halloween...eat candy, drink cider and be merry to the glory of God! Of course, we respect those Christians who have different opinions too and don't participate in Halloween at all. And we know other Christians who celebrate "Reformation Day" on October 31st, which is the day that Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses. Whatever you're doing or not doing this month, Happy Fall Ya'll!!!

Jennifer :)

Mimi, Promotion and Homeschooling - Updates!

Thought I should give a quick update (Thanks, Ashley for the motivation)!

1) My mom moved to the Charlotte area a month ago, so Abel & Belle have been getting to spend lots of time with their Mimi- which they LOVE!

2) Aaron was recently promoted with his company, LifeWay, as a Market Manager. He will continue to manage his current store but will also oversee 5 additional stores in the market area. Promotion without Relocation is AWESOME! We have lived in 4 different cities and 2 states since we got married 8 years ago. We have lived here the longest (4 years), so we are thrilled to be given an opportunity for advancement without uprooting our lives. We love our church and our life here. We feel very settled for now.

3) Abel & Belle continue to grow up each day. I am going to start some Preschool Homeschool curriculum with them this fall. Nothing too big because I strongly believe that children this age learn best thru play. But, sometimes free play all day equals chaos, so I want to give them a little bit of structure. Maybe just 20ish minutes a morning. I bought some fun Disney workbooks from the Dollar Tree that focus on the alphabet, numbers, colors and shapes.I'm planning to go "School Supply" shopping this weekend when everything school related is tax free. I will get them some new crayons, supply box, washable markers, construction paper and other "preschoolish" stuff. We are excited :)

Below is a picture of our family at Chick-Fil-A's Annual Cow Appreciation Day! And also, here is a link to Aaron's blog about our experience that day and the Kingdom of God!