A Day in the Life of a Wetzel!

2012.....The Year of the DRAGON!!!!!!!!

2012-01-22T12:41:00.000-08:00

photo courtesy of shutterstock.com

Christmas 2011

2012-01-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

Cousins

G & G Rohm with their Grandkids

Jeff and Asher

With Cousin Jenny and Family from New Hampshire

Grandpa Wetzel and many of his Grands and Great-Grands

Rachel and David's baby, Kennedy

Danette, Dad Wetzel, and Paul

Derek with Great Grandma Amstutz

Grandma A. and Me

Holiday Concerts!

2012-01-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

Three of the kids had holiday concerts to attend. Ava had a "Go West" theme. Aslynn's group did "The Polar Express (wearing pj's). Daniel had two choir concerts. An informal one uptown to kickoff the downtown lights and Christmas festivities. It was cold!!!! The other concert was his more formal concert, wearing his favorite penguin-style attire! Missed not having Derek participate in a Christmas choir concert this year, but he was not able to squeeze choir into his schedule. The girls also performed a newer rendition of "Angels We Have Heard on High" at church.

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-19T11:30:00.000-08:00

We had a great time celebrating Thanksgiving in Cedarville. We got to spend some time with Great Grandma Amstutz. Of course, spending time with Cousin Asher and Uncle Jeff is always a hit. Grandma and Grandpa prepared a yummy dinner! So fun to be able to spend time with family on these holidays. We missed that when we lived so far away! Now, we only have to travel an hour and a half to see both sides of the family! Pretty spoiled!!!!! :) The girls are very creative! They are displaying the bows and arrows, etc. they made for decorations!!!!! Clever girls!!!!!!

Daniel's 12th Birthday!!!!

2012-01-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

Daniel turned 12 this year, and even though dad was out of the country for his special day, we made the most of it by meeting Grandma and Grandpa Rohm at Smashburger and Coldstone Creamery in Dayton. Since Daniel is not a big cake fan, we celebrated with morning cinnamon rolls at home! He was able to put his birthday money together to buy himself an Ipod Touch, which has been his DREAM!! It has been permanently connected to his hand these days! Funny how much better we take care of things when we shell out our own money for things like this. It has been a good lesson in taking responsibility and being careful in how we handle such delicate devices. Daniel is growing up (and I mean literally) so much! We are so thankful to God for giving us this precious guy! Love you, Daniel!

Misc. Fun Pics!!!!!

2012-01-19T11:13:00.000-08:00

Fall Sports Wrap-up 2011

2012-01-19T11:08:00.000-08:00

First of all, Daniel has not been purposefully left out of this. He did participate in Fall Flag Football. I just can't remember what camera we used to take his picture. May be Paul's cell phone. Will try to add it later! :) Ava has been taking swimming lessons a few rounds at Miami since we moved here. She has really gotten so much stronger since she started. She knows all the basic strokes. She has just about conquered her fear of swimming on her back. She has had the opportunity to learn at such a great facility with great instructors.

Aslynn has been taking gymnastics at Miami since we moved here. She enjoys the personalized attention she gets there. It is a less competitive atmosphere, which is her style. She pushes herself, but doesn't care so much to compete against others. She has learned to do a back handspring by herself this past year, which makes her extremely proud. She has gotten so much stronger with her back walkovers and her basic round-offs and cartwheels. She is getting beam, bar, and vault practice, as well. The picture is actually from last spring. I have yet to take pictures this year, but the pics always look the same pretty much. Not much variety. Maybe I'll get some video on here to show what she can do!

Derek had an excellent football year personally. He received his first varsity letter, as a sophomore. His goal was to just get on the field for varsity this year, yet he ended up being a starter all year for varsity. His coach told the parents at the football banquet that Derek was probably the most technically sound player on the team. He continues to work on his size......as much as he can........He lifts faithfully daily. If you hear of any way to stretch one's heighth, please let him know. He could use a few more inches, a least!!!

Halloween 2011

2012-01-19T10:51:00.000-08:00

What a cute Thing One and Thing Two, don't you think? I thought I may get away with this idea one last time, as it isn't always fun to dress alike! :) Daniel graced us with his football mask, although he decided halfway through the night that he was too old to be going around trick or treating! The haunted house was a cute treat Ava's teacher brought in for her class to munch on for Halloween. Was so cute!!!!! Does anyone still have remnants of Halloween candy still hanging around their house like we have found? Yuck!!!!!

To You and Yours................................

2011-12-23T11:46:00.001-08:00

Stay Tuned.........Hoping to get this blog up to date over break! HA! :)

2011-12-23T11:45:00.001-08:00

THS Homecoming

2011-10-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

My Papa is in Heaven!

2011-09-02T04:30:00.000-07:00

This past month, our family lost an incredible person.....One who was a Godly, loving servant. He will be so greatly missed, but we have the comfort in knowing that we will be reunited with him someday in Heaven. I am so glad our children had the privilege to know their great-grandpa at such a personal level. I am so thankful God gave me such an example to follow. Papa Amstutz's shoes will be hard to fill! We love and miss you, Papa!

Please excuse my tardiness on posts! I started with the vacation post, so scroll on down!!!!! :)

2011-09-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Are You Ready for Some Football????????

2011-09-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

1st Day of School 2011-12

2011-09-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

Aslynn - 2nd Grade - Kramer Elem.
Ava - 3rd Grade - Kramer Elem.
Daniel - 6th Grade - Talawanda Middle School
Derek - 10th Grade - Talawanda High School

Derek is working at McDonald's!

2011-09-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

Derek Pumping Iron for football!

2011-09-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

King's Island!

2011-09-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

One place Grandparents love to take the grandkids........We had a GREAT time, even if it was sweltering! :)

In July, we celebrated our 20th Anniversary!

2011-09-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

You read that right.....We are REALLY THAT OLD!!!!! :)

Vacation Time!!!!!!

2011-09-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

Time to play catch up.............

We had a blast as a family, spending two weeks in New Smyrna Beach, FL. We stayed in a condo right on the beach. We love it there. So family friendly! So relaxing! So comfortable! Here are some pics to enjoy!

YIKES!!!!!!!!!

2011-06-23T16:13:00.001-07:00

Amstutz Family Reunion

2011-06-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

Missing a few people........Kim (Tim's wife), Baby Taylor (who hadn't made her official appearance yet), and Asher (Jeff's son).

"I am Sixteen, Going on Seventeen......"

2011-06-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

End of the School Year!!!!

2011-06-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

Lots of stuff happens at the end of the school year. Here is a mix of sports, field trips, field day, etc. Bring on summer!!!!

Just the girls!!!!!

2011-05-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm a little sunburned. Yes, I promise to catch up this blog shortly. You know how the end of the school year goes........Hold on!!!!! :)

Oh Happy Day! OBF Easter 2011

2011-04-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter 2011

2011-04-25T08:40:00.001-07:00

Our four, plus one........Cousin Asher in middle!!!!!

OSU Spring Game 2011

2011-04-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

We had a blast as a family going to see the Spring Game this past Saturday. We also brought our nephew, Asher. Besides the game, we got to see part of the basketball team, former players, part of the OSU Lacrosse game, and more. GREAT day! OSU WON!!!! :) The team looks pretty good, despite the strikes they have against them going into the season. May work out ok! :)

Dr. Seuss.....and Ava!

2011-04-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

Ava's class did the Dr. Seuss Mini-Musical recently. Very cute! The kids were supposed to dress in bright, mismatching colors, etc. Ava is not too fond of "sticking out," so this is the best we could come up with....mixing a little polka dots and stripes. The poster behind her is one she helped make. The favorite song of the night, no doubt, was "I Do Not Like Green Eggs and Ham!"

Aarrgghhh!!!!!

2011-03-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

Daniel's fifth grade class put on the musical, "Pirates" last week. They did a great job! Daniel....aka, Blackbeard......was spectacular! Is it just me, or is half the job of being mom mean coming up with a clever, yet frugal, outfit for these sorts of things, every time you turn around????? It wears me out!!!!! :)

Happy Birthday, Girls!!!!!!

2011-03-01T10:41:00.000-08:00

Can these two be another year older? Aslynn turned 8 this past Saturday, and Ava turns 9 this Saturday. We celebrated with Grandma and Grandpa Rohm, Uncle Jeff, Asher, and, of course, all of us! The girls have gotten big enough to graduate on to bigger bikes. They loved them!

Enjoying a visit with Grandma & Grandpa Amstutz!!!

2011-02-24T17:52:00.001-08:00

Gotta love the projects!

2011-02-24T17:50:00.001-08:00

Aslynn's Gotcha Day!!!!!

2011-02-16T13:38:00.000-08:00

February is a busy month at our house. 7 years ago, Paul and I went on our first adoption adventure to China, and we received this beautiful little girl! She was a peanut then, and she is a peanut now! But, even though "peanuts" are small, they bring such blessings. We are so thankful God gave us the desire to expand our family by way of adoption. Happy Gotcha Day, Aslynn!

Ava's Gotcha Day!

2011-02-07T09:41:00.001-08:00

Can't believe Ava has been in our family for five years already! Where does time go? As you see, we believe she grows in beauty every year. Of course, we are a bit biased! We love you, Ava!!!!!!!!

Happy Chinese New Year 2011!!!!!!!

2011-02-07T09:39:00.001-08:00

Goodbye for now, Mom Wetzel!

2011-01-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

Our hearts are heavy as we grieve for our loving mom, mom-in-law, and mamaw, but our grief turns into rejoicing with the knowledge that she is in the presence of our Saviour.......whole again! We lost Mom Wetzel on January 1st, 2011. Please pray for Dad Wetzel, as it is extremely painful to lose your soul mate after 57 years of marriage. Pray for the entire family as they go through these next days. We love you, Mom/Mamaw, and are comforted to know that we will see you again someday!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-03T08:40:00.001-08:00

Ava gave a dashing Christmas performance at school!!

2010-12-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

The Second Grade performed for the community their Christmas program. Ava did an excellent job with her speaking part. I'm always amazed at her bravery when it comes to speaking in public. She takes it very seriously. We all were very proud of her.

Basketball is beginning to take over our lives.......Did I just say that? :)

2010-12-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry camera wasn't working.......but it's a Santa picture!

2010-12-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

We are thankful for...........

2010-12-01T07:10:00.000-08:00

........being able to spend time with our family for Thanksgiving! Last year, we celebrated Thanksgiving by ourselves in Texas. This year, we got to spend time with both sets of grandparents and our lovely set of great grandparents! We even got to help Great Grandpa A. celebrate his 89th birthday! We are truly sorry (NOT!) that his football team didn't win last Saturday (his birthday) against the Ohio State Buckeyes. We are truly blessed to have such Godly examples in our lives!

My little man is 11!!!!!!!!

2010-11-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

Misc. Pics of October Thus Far.................

2010-10-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

Paperwork......Complete!!!!!

2010-10-20T09:01:00.001-07:00

We never realized how important is was to have all paperwork redone in the good ole' USA, but after facing some issues of the girls' birth certificates not having our names on them (They are their Chinese birth certificates), we decided to go ahead and go to court to get their U.S. Certificates of Foreign Birth. The girls have loads of documents to pull out all the time, but since they were all drawn up in China, they are so many, especially since some are in Chinese and some are translated documents. They do have U.S. social security numbers and they each have their U.S. citizenship certificates, but the birth certificate would hold them back from being able to get a replacement if lost, cost them college scholarships and grants, and who knows what else. We had to go to court and actually "readopt" them to get this new piece of paper. Too us, we feel like we just helped a few people earn their paycheck, but we are thrilled to finally have this taken care of. Here are some pictures of our day in court. We all raised our right hands, except Ava (who raised her left hand) and swore to tell the truth. They did re swear her in with her right hand! :) Good thing Ava didn't raise her right hand the first time, as the judge asked her if Daniel ever bugged her, and she said, "no." Oops. :)

Check us out!

2010-09-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

First Days............ on PhotoPeach

We've Moved!!!!!!!

2010-08-05T07:53:00.001-07:00

Once a nut, always a nut! We made the BIG move back to Ohio this summer. Paul was offered a great job in Connersville, IN at Stant Corporation. He is back in the mechanical engineering field, designing parts for cars. He has missed it! Since our children are getting older and we are looking toward college, we felt it was best to live in OH, as this would definitely help out financially when attending an Ohio college. Oxford is like two miles from the Indiana border, so ....here we are! Oxford is the home of Miami University, and since we are used to college towns, it made the most sense to put our roots down here. Our house still has not sold in Rockwall, TX, so if you know anyone looking down there, it is a great house and a great area!!!! :) We have so much to get done before the kids start back into school, so I thought I would let you know why I've neglected this blog for so long. Will try to get it up and running again soon! If you don't have our new contact info., please email me at jwetzel4@hotmail.com. I'll get it to you. We are loving being closer to family again! Cedarville is about an hour and a half away from Oxford, which is a little more doable than coming from Texas. :)

Can my baby be 5 years away from being 20?

2010-06-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to Derek. What a fine young man he has become. We are so proud of him! Thanks for taking us out to celebrate, Uncle Phil!!!!!! Can't wait until dad can join us later tonight when his flight gets in!

Our Gymnast!!!!!

2010-06-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

Aslynn was the proud recipient of her first trophy! Boy, how her eyes lit up when she saw this!!!! We are so proud of our sweetie!

Sorry.....Grandparent/Bragging Post!

2010-06-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

The kids all did great at the end of the year awards........................Here is what I have gathered in their folders.........

Aslynn:

*P.E. Award
*Digital Media Fair Award - 2nd place

*Great Citizenship

*Awesome Handwriting

*Six Flag Ticket for Reading

*Shoe Tying Club

*Outstanding Character

*Computer Club - can log on computer without help

Ava:

*"A" Honor Roll

*Others Before Self

*Perfect Attendance

*Six Flags Ticket for Reading

*Music Award

*Outstanding Character

*Golden Heart

*Writing that "Pops"

*Science Award

*Husky Award

*Starburst Award

Daniel:

*Commended on ALL TAKS tests

*Six Flags Ticket for Reading

*2nd Place Free Throws on Field Day

*Music Award

*Presidential Academic Achievement Award

*Outstanding Character

*Citizenship Award

*"A" Honor Roll

*Highest Honors for Recorder

Derek:

*PRE AP English Award

*PRE AP Science Award

*Spanish I Award

*Enrollment in 2 or more PRE AP Classes Award

*Presidential Academic Achievement Award

*"A" Honor Roll

*SAR (Sons of the American Revolution) Award

*UIL Award in U.S. History

*Commended on ALL TAKS Tests

*Perfect Score on EOC (End of Course) Assessment in Algebra I

Why do Schools in Texas have Field Day in late May????

2010-05-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

We sweltered in the high temps today for field day! I found my way around to see all 3 of our kids at Hays participate in several of their activities. Everyone needed a cool treat and a cool shower when they got home. There is no doubt we ALL will sleep soundly tonight!!!!!

Good friends......Great memories!!!!!

2010-05-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

Derek had his last choir concert at William's Middle School. The theme was Rock and Roll through the Decades....thus some of the interesting attire. He had some good times with this group of friends. They enjoyed a weekend in San Antonio two years in a row. His choir teacher was a little choked up "saying goodbye" to him. She told us that Oxford is gaining a very special person!!!!! :)

Everyone loves a Rodeo!

2010-05-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Daniel's class took their last fieldtrip to the rodeo! Fun times!!!!!

Others Before Self!!!!!

2010-05-07T09:55:00.001-07:00

The past 3 years, Rockwall ISD has become partners with Rachel's Challenge (Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine High tragedy) to adopt as a school system the idea of doing acts of kindness and by doing so, starting a chain reaction of kindness throughout our community and beyond. We have a rally each year to celebrate how wonderful the kids have done taking on this responsibility. They LOVE IT! We met on the football field and they brought in with the help of many school children a chain of all the acts of kindness recorded at all of the schools, plus they had a link for each of the million meals our community packaged for Haiti yesterday. Yes.....1 million meals in one day! It was quite the production! The chains were hanging everywhere, in piles everywhere, and went around the track several times. I think they said the first year, we had 123,000 links that stretched 3 and 1/2 miles. This year, there were at least that many with acts of kindness recorded, plus 1 million more for the million meals that were made. I have NO IDEA how far that would stretch. :) It makes one a little teary to see all that! The kids have really started to grasp that if each one of us does our share, it keeps on going. "The Power of One" was the them last year, and the community truly believes in it. This event was huge and the boys were able to be a part of the actual rally. Daniel took part in the choir, and Derek helped direct chains, etc. that the younger kids were holding. We are a little sad to be leaving a community that values such an important concept. Maybe Oxford, OH is going to have to look up Rachel's Challenge and we can help get that community involved.

Another Year of Awana Awards!

2010-05-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

These three cuties all finished their books (the girls actually did their books twice, plus some extra)! We are so proud!!!!!!!

He is risen!!!!!!!

2010-04-04T15:06:00.001-07:00

Fort Worth Zoo!!!!!!

2010-04-04T14:53:00.001-07:00

Fort Worth Stockyards!!!

2010-03-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

The kids are officially on spring break. We took a ride to Fort Worth to walk around the stockyards for awhile. The kids wanted to go through the big maze they have there. It was featured on the Amazing Race season 5. It is tricky, but eventually all the kids got through it. The boys tried their hand at bull riding! What a hoot! We ended the day with a yummy bar-b-q dinner. Fun times! A few of them got into some trouble, thus the jail pics!!!!! :)

The girls turn 7 and 8!!!!!!!!!

2010-03-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

Loads of fun, lots of presents, yummy food, distinguished guests........................What a way to spend your 7th and 8th birthdays!!!!!!!! Ya think these girls have been heavily influenced by their older brothers to pick a basketball party theme????????????? :)

Paul.......Is He Over the Hill?????????????

2010-02-18T11:26:00.001-08:00

Thanks to all of you who wished Paul happy birthday! He appreciated all the attention!

Gotcha Day #6 for Aslynn!!!!!!

2010-02-16T13:54:00.000-08:00

What can I say? 6 years ago, Paul and I embarked on an adventure getting this little sweetie. God brought us a precious girl to sweeten up this household a little. He knew there was a little too much testosterone going on here! :) We are thankful that Aslynn has been with us for 6 of her 7 years. She proudly takes on the status of baby and princess of the family!

Happy Year of the Tiger 2010!!!!!

2010-02-13T21:08:00.001-08:00

Daniel Ends B-ball Season with 50 Points!

2010-02-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

Daniel thoroughly enjoys playing basketball, and he really has shown improvement this year. He has been blessed to play under GREAT coaches. Here is what they had to say at the end of the game today about Daniel....................

Can This Be Dallas?????????????

2010-02-13T08:59:00.000-08:00

Ava's 4th Gotcha Day!

2010-02-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

We get the privilege of celebrating more times at our house each year, as we get to include "Gotcha Days" into the mix. We celebrated Ava's 4th year being a part of our family on February 6. We are so thrilled at how much this young lady has grown these past 4 years. It is not easy making such big changes when you are 4 years old. She has learned so much more than most of us in the past 4 years. Puts some of us to shame! :)

Do You Recognize This 100 Year Old Lady????

2010-02-13T08:53:00.001-08:00

Am I Dreaming?????????????

2010-01-25T11:45:00.000-08:00

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ohio State finally won the big game! We partied with Grandma and Grandpa for the game, and at the end there were only tears of JOY!!!!!! Daniel was so overcome with emotion, he could hardly stand it! Go Bucks!!!!!

Grandma and Grandpa Rohm come visit us!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-25T11:28:00.001-08:00

We had a blast spending some relaxation time with G & G! We were spoiled rotten and enjoyed many adventures while they were here. The kids went ice skating for the first time at the Galleria. I don't know if G & G ever laughed so hard in their lives! It didn't turn out to be too warm for their visit, but we had a very warm time!!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!!

2010-01-25T11:18:00.001-08:00

We had a white Christmas this year.......at least for a few hours! What a surprise! Good times!

Santa........................

2010-01-24T14:42:00.001-08:00

A couple of us still appreciate a visit with the jolly old guy!!!!!!

November Happenings.....A Long Time Coming!!!!

2010-01-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

Computer issues is really my excuse this time for getting so behind. Now that I have that problem solved, I should have no good excuses left! Here are some pics from November and all our craziness.......

Our Annual Hays Husky Run!

2009-11-07T13:08:00.000-08:00

We participate each year at the elementary 5k/1m run/walk each November. The kids all ran pretty hard.......Derek won 1st place for youth in the 1 mile, and Daniel won 6th place in the same race. The girls actually trotted the whole way, too! Wow!!!! Much improved for them from last year. The other big surprise came when Aslynn's name was called for a raffle prize. You couldn't imagine my face when I saw her carrying her prize to me! That husky is bigger than she is! I always wondered where people put stuffed animals of those size in their houses. I, of course, I said I would never have one in my house. Why do we say things like that? I just swallowed my foot whole!!!!!! Fun times!

Daniel is DOUBLE DIGITS!

2009-11-07T12:51:00.000-08:00

We had a great time celebrating Daniel's 10th birthday! Of course, the theme shouldn't surprise anyone!!!!!!! Thanks to all who helped Daniel have a good day!

Our aspiring artists did a great job!!!!!

2009-11-01T14:01:00.000-08:00

The girls were a part of the "Reflections" program through our school district. Here are their entries. Ava's is the flower picture, and Aslynn's is the rainbow!

Trick or Treat!!!!!

2009-11-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

That is Paul and myself sporting our costumes above!!!!!! :)

OKAY......Carving pumpkins is NOT our thing!

2009-11-01T13:51:00.000-08:00

My heart can't take all this growing up..................

2009-11-01T13:48:00.000-08:00

Derek took a date to the Homecoming Dance at school on Halloween night!!!!!!

Aslynn's Kindergarten Pumpkin Farm Field Trip

2009-11-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

Few more football pics.....................

2009-11-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

Busy.....Busy.....Busy!!!!!

2009-10-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

We are still alive down here in Texas country. Here are some pics to let you know what keeps us occupied!

Was that the school bell??????????????

2009-09-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Can it really be that time again? As you can imagine, preparing for the first days of school gets pretty crazy at our house. Aslynn is in full day kindergarten this year, and LOVES it! She has the same teacher Ava had last year. Ava is enjoying first grade. Daniel is in fourth grade, and he changes classes between three teachers. He likes the teachers and likes most things in school, except for writing! :) Derek is in 8th grade this year. He is taking very difficult Pre- Ap classes, two of which will earn him high school credits. He is enjoying Spanish, although this subject scared him the most. All the kids are active in sports this fall. Derek is in football at school, Daniel is playing flag football through the church. Ava plays soccer through the church. Aslynn is sticking with gymnastics at ASI. We have already dove into the projects this year. Mom is a little tired!

Six Flags Over Texas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-09-04T19:47:00.001-07:00

BFF's from Changsha,China!!!!!!!

2009-09-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

Ava was so excited to go see her best friend from China, since they were in Houston to visit family. We each drove a few hours to make the meeting easier. We met in Huntsville, TX. The girls acted like they have always been together. They have only seen each other once before since leaving China in 2006. Ellie lives in Oregon, so it is not easy to get the girls together, but we have been blessed that Ellie's family has family in TX. We enjoyed the day at McDonald's, touring the Sam Houston homestead and museum, and eating some good Mexican food for dinner. The girls held hands, shared secrets, giggled, and hugged as much as you can get in for one day. We were sad to go, but we feel fortunate to have these memories. If you can't decide who is who, Ava is wearing the brown outfit. :)

Blog rush!

2009-07-13T11:53:00.001-07:00

If you like chronological order, scroll down to the post about the last days of school. I was on a roll and was able to get you updated on many of our life happenings as of late!!!!!! :)

Wedding #2.........Cousin Nate's!!!!!!!

2009-07-13T11:31:00.001-07:00

All four kids were in Nathan and Chelsea's wedding! They all had a blast! The wedding was in the most beautiful church, and despite torrential rains most of the day, the reception was in Martindale's backyard.......so beautiful! The most exciting part of the evening was that Grandma Wetzel was able to attend the wedding....a true miracle!

How to beat the heat in the Texas sun!

2009-07-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

Derek goes to Trek 2009 Camp

2009-07-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

For the second year, Derek took off to Spicewood, TX (South of Austin) for a week of camp. It amazes me to see all 13 Charter Buses driving out of the parking lot. He has been so blessed to be a part of such an experience. If you look up fournineteen.com, the link about Trek has some fun pics and videos of their week. Kudos to the workers who put up with that many middle schoolers for the week!!!!!

Wedding #1....Cousin Rachel's

2009-07-13T11:06:00.001-07:00

Ava and Aslynn were the very beautiful flower girls for Rachel and David's wedding. Derek was the gift runner/guestbook attendant. Daniel was the master of the dance floor! What a wonderful day we had for this lovely outdoor wedding!

Who is this mystery Amazon Man????????

2009-07-13T11:04:00.001-07:00

Derek's 14!!!!!!!!

2009-07-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Way to make your momma feel old, "Little Buddy!"

Last Days of School........................

2009-07-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

Our Celia Hays Elementary Crew finished the year strong! We pocketed MANY awards, and we hated saying goodbye to our wonderful teachers. We finished Pre-K, Kindergarten, and third grade. The kids had a wonderful school year, and we are so proud of each child!

Blog Postings

2009-05-29T10:37:00.001-07:00

If you are an orderly person, you may want to scroll down to Ava's field trip post, way down there, as that is the first post and the order of the happenings.

"Songs of America"

2009-05-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Derek had his final choir concert last night. The boys', girls, and mixed choirs all came together to present the "America" concert. It is amazing how many kids were involved. They always put together a good program, and they have mastered the art of not making programs too long! LOVE IT! :) Derek is on the front row, in front of the speaker on the left.

Time out for a little POETRY??????

2009-05-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

I didn't think so.......but Daniel's class took a little time to honor poetry. They presented three poems each which they wrote themselves. They also invited parents for breakfast with the class. I don't know what the teacher actually hoped to accomplish with the day, but those kids REALLY loved the food! I never saw kids put away so much. Needless to say, lunch was a bust!

NJHS

2009-05-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

Derek was inducted into National Junior Honor Society. Who knew they had this honor for middle school students now?????

Fun pics from Field Day!

2009-05-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

Derek "The Brain"

2009-05-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

WARNING........If you have a problem listening to parents brag on their kids and all their academic accomplishments, please skip this post. This one is mostly fro the grandparents who are interested in how well they passed down their smart genes! Derek had his academic award ceremony for seventh grade and came home loaded up with awards! I think he got ten! Here is a list (minus one I think, because I can't remember it): "A" Honor Roll, Presidential Academic Award, Wildcat Honors Award (is in 2 or more Pre AP classes), Perfect Attendance, Boys' Select Choir, Pre AP Science, PreAP Math, Pre AP English, and Texas History (The subject awards are given to the top 2? students in those subjects, I believe). We were all very proud of him!

Ava's Field trip to Harry Myers Park.........

2009-05-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

I have fallen so behind. Sorry for the delay in the blog, but life goes on......................Going to throw out lots of pics and blurbs about the different kids and their latest events. Ava finally got to go on her much awaited field trip. The kindergarten spent time at a local park. It would have been a very laid back trip, but it was so stinkin' hot, we ended up leaving a bit early to drive the kids up to the splash park. The teachers just had the kids take off their shoes and go run through the water for about 5 minutes or so, filed them back on the buses, and returned to school! The kids were totally thrilled! They said the smell on the bus when all those shoes came off after being in the hot sun a good part of the day was AWFUL! :)

Awana Awards!

2009-04-26T20:35:00.001-07:00

All three kiddos in Awana finished their books this year. In fact, Ava finished her book and went through the whole review of the book, too (Not bad for learnign English late in life). Wow! How proud we are of these guys, but more importantly, how thankful we are that they will always have these verses in their hearts to help guide them through life.