Busy Weekends!

Haven't had much of a chance to post anything new in a couple of weeks. Conley is working hard on his basketball. Savannah has started taking classes with the TAG program (talented and gifted) in our surrounding area. She catches a bus on Saturday mornings at 8 am and goes to Morristown to the community college for elective classes. She just finished a class on Fashion Design. She learned about textiles and fabrics, and also did a few craft projects. They had to create an outfit using newspaper and one from their group had to model it. She also had to wear and model a favorite outfit of her own. Of course- she wore jeans! But she dressed them up by wearing a pretty black sweater and ballet flats. She also accessorized with jewelry and a silver bag from her Aunt Becca! Conley's team has lost their last two games! That first loss was very difficult for him! The second wasn't quite so bad. They need to work on their defense! They tend to just let the other team control the ball without trying to take it. They are great at offense though! Savannah came home today saying her teacher asked if she would be willing to write for their school newspaper if it gets approved. She is really excited about that! Gregg and I spent Friday adding insulation to the attic spaces. Gregg actually found the true problem while up there. Our not-so-bright A/C guy didn't tape one of the vents securely so we've been heating our attic instead of the 2nd floor! We didn't do that great of a job insulating the first time, but now it is rated R-60 (the highest rating). Hopefully that solves the problem! Well, just thought I'd update while I had a moment. Hope everyone is doing great!

Koehler Family of Four

Just had to post a photo of my sister's family- the complete family! Gabriel is now a citizen of the United States and the owner of a brand new loving family! We can't wait to see them all! Just check out their blog- under our favorite links- to see the newest photos and information about their growing family.

West Virginia Snow

We took an unexpected trip to West Virginia due to the passing of Gregg's Uncle Art. We left Sunday afternoon and returned home late last night. Although we wished our trip could have been under happier circumstances, it was good to see family. We drove in quite a bit of rain on Sunday which turned into light snow by the time we arrived at Aunt Loretta's late that night. The next morning there was plenty of snow on the ground. The kids were excited to have enough snow to actually play in! Aunt Loretta had some snowsuits and boots for them to wear so they stayed dry. They played ALL DAY! Tuesday we awoke to even more snow- around 6 inches total at Aunt Loretta's house. The kids weren't able to play that day due to the funeral service, but it was too cold for them to play anyway in my opinion. We were able to use Arnold's camera to take a few pictures of the kids playing on Monday. These photos were taken early during that day, so they don't show the accumulation that came later on. Please remember the Summers family in your prayers as they mourn Art's death. Thanks to you all. We love you!

A Relaxed Saturday

We had a rather lazy day today! After a late breakfast, Savannah spent time grooming Rascal. He enjoys having his teeth brushed. Conley practiced basketball with his dad before the game. Conley's team won again today, 28-14. Conley is confident, relaxed, but agressive on the court! I know he makes Gregg very proud! Here are a couple photos.

Welcome Home Gabriel Alan Luis

We are so excited! Beth, Zach, and Donavyn are on their way to Guatemala to bring Gabriel home! This is yet another prayer answered. God is truly raining His blessings down on us all! Our family has been praying for Gabriel long before we ever knew about his birth. We give God All the Glory! I can't wait to post a true family photo of them all!

Conley's 1st Basketball Game

Conley had his first game today. He was excited before we ever left for the game! His team didn't play as well as they could have during the first half and were losing by quite a bit. But, after half-time, they got their act together and came back to win , 21-20. Conley actually scored the final goal which caused them to win! He has been on "Cloud 9" all day long. They even have little cheerleaders on the sidelines! He's already looking forward to next week's game! Enjoy the pix!

New Photos of Our Home

Several of you have wanted to see pictures of our new living room furniture. I've also posted a few other photos of the house. I'll take some pictures of the kids' rooms upstairs later (when they are clean- HA!) More later!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We hope you all had a wonderful time ringing in 2008! Gregg had to work so the kids and I watched a movie. Savannah decided she was off to bed about 11:15 pm but Conley was determined to stay up again this year. He passed the time by playing computer games. Gregg got home shortly after midnight. It was a restless night, though, because we lost power sometime around 1:30 am and Conley was scared. It gets REALLY dark here at night. Savannah ended up coming downstairs, too, so they both slept on the couches. The winds were pretty fierce. Gregg and I spent some time outside in the cold and wind taking down the wreaths before they blew away. We had to load the kids up with blankets since we had no heat. We both agreed we need to be more prepared for times like this. I only could find a couple of candles, the house phone couldn't work because it's a cordless, our cell phones weren't charged up enough to use, and we had no batteries for a radio should we have needed one. The power came back on during the early morning hours- only to lose it again while Gregg was trying to make breakfast! We took down the Christmas decorations and cleaned up the place. It's nice to have things "back-to-normal"! Today, the temps have been dropping all day. It's now 35, but the winds are gusting at 40 mph. Tonight we could have some snow showers. It is supposed to get really cold- down to the low teens. They say we could have more snow tomorrow. I'll be sure to post some photos if we get any! Well- we hope and trust 2008 will be a great year for everyone! We love you all!