Hair cuts

The girls have needed their hair trimmed and we didn't get it done all break. So we went to Great Clips this morning in Wadsworth and the girls picked a picture out and got their hair cut. Molly didn't want hers cut too short but Megan and Maddie took the challenge. They love it!!

Molly getting her hair trimmed.

Here is Molly again. I don't know where the front is: :)

Here is Megan before she cut any off.


Here is Maddie with her hair cut.

And I forgot to take a before and after picture. Ahhh! One of these days I'll think of it so I can surely blog it.

Milan has been working all morning on the van. He had it tore apart replacing break pads, rotors and who knows what else. Then he is getting 4 new tires at Palatta Ford in Wooster and having them aligned. He keeps my van fixed up toooo good I think it's going to rust apart before it breaks down for good!

We are leaving shortly for Bluffton, IN for my cousin Jamy Fiechter's wedding to Ryan Steffen. It's about 3 1/2 hour drive and we are hoping to travel out with Sam, Joy & Kora. Kids are already deciding who is riding in their vehicle. We are having dinner tonight at cousins Perry & Taffy and then we will spending the night with someone we don't know yet. :) Should be interesting.

New Years Day

Happy New Year! I can't believe another year is gone and we are about to start another year. I've seen discussions on facebook (Chris) how are you going to say 2010? Twenty-ten or two thousand, ten. AND---before you answer---how do you say the year you were born. Interesting. Haven't had to say it yet.

We started out the New Year by going to church. I think it's a great way to start off the year. The minister said this morning that none of us know what the New Year will bring and that's for sure. Do we even want to know? I mainly think of the tragedies, accidents and disappointments over the last year and hope this year will be better. Of course their are many reasons to be thankful.

After church we went to Grandpa & Grandma Hartzler's for New Years Day Feast!! Gpa & Gma made the pork and sauerkraut. Aunt Beth makes the knuflies/dumplings every year. The rest of us just took whatever we wanted. We had great food and a good time with everyone that came. I didn't take a picture of the food but I captured the centerpiece on my table:




Here are the girls putting on a little show. We had to sit and watch them a couple times. Our Mothers told us that we used to do the same thing and they had to sit and watch us. Humm... They did some singing and also put on some plays for us. Lizzie even wrote a poem and read it.

Back row (left to right) Molly, Tori, Emily, Megan. Front row (left to right) Reese, Lizzie, Maddie. Instructor was Joy (down in front)

Here was a little clip of their song:

NEW CARPET & New Years Eve 2009

Today is the day I am finally getting carpet in the family room. Here they are just putting the padding in. They finished up about 6:30pm on New Years Eve and we got some pizza and had some friends over on our new carpet!!!!

Curvin

Brittany


Nate & Hannah

Milan playing games with the kids:

Three of us families and lots of kids!!!

Here they are just before we celebrated the New Year (at 10PM!!)

Here are the kids blowing horns.

Eli pouting because he didn't get the horn he wanted. LOL!

Then when our friends left we headed over to Pelfrey's just before midnight to help them celebrate and wake up everyone who was sleeping!!!!!! It was just tooooo quiet over there!

All the blowing and we couldn't even wake up Kaden sleeping on the floor:

Eli, Megan and Molly getting ready for New Years!!

Cooper & Molly blowing in the New Year!

......still blowing their horns......

Molly & Emily with the sparkling wine:

Cooper thinks he is big stuff!! He drank 3 glasses

1st Band Concert

Tonight was Molly's 5th Grade Band Concert. The 5th grade was in the back left corner of the Wilbur Burkey. Molly is in the front row-far left-on the end. She play clarinet. I videoed a clip from my cell phone but I'm not sure we will figure out how to get that on here.

Last day in Florida

Our trip to FL is about to end. We have enjoyed our week in FL with Jill, Ryan, Scarlett and Willow. Here are a few pictures taken on our last day and then our exciting trip home....


Eli & Cooper by the "Florida Tree"


Eli:



Eli & Cooper trying to mow Jill's grass:


Getting all the kids picture before going swimming. Cooper found the umbrella and decided to have that instead of fighting for a net. LOL! BTW--that was the hot item this week!

Grandma helped the kids catch a baby frog:

Cooper & Scarlett trying to kick big splashes!!

I think Scarlett will miss us when we leave!!!

Yes!! I'm actually trying to catch a lizard type animal for my boys while Joy is in the background screaming!! Cooper has his net already to help catch it.

Eli is going to catch it if it comes his way!!

Little Kora loving the pool!!

Cooper loves the water, too!!

Scarlett & Eli-

Cooper, Eli & Scarlett all holding their nets. Jill found enough so they could all have one!!! What a big ordeal!

Last photo shoot. Little Willow's feet.

What a beautiful and great baby she was all week we were here!

Little Willow Grayce Butler at 2 months old:

Jill giving color lessons and prizes for picking up toys:

One last picture of all the kids before we left for home!

Eli wanted to hold Willow:

Scarlett and her little sister, Willow:

Me, Eli & Cooper outside at Jill's house.

Where do I begin to explain this picture? We left good time Friday afternoon to get home in time for Elizabeth Beery's funeral on Saturday morning (Joanna's grandma). We were 3.5 hours headed north when the transmission went out in the Dad & Mom's van that I was driving. We got pulled off the next exit by coasting and a miracle happened. (No, the van didn't start running again!) A couple (and their daughter) stopped to help us and it was amazing more than anyone can even imagine. It was an answer to many prayers. We started making phone calls. Dad was actually in an airplane headed home from Atlanta so we had to make some quick decisions without him. Can we say drama? I had to laugh. Mom had to cry. Joy had to watch all the kids and luggage and Grandma was the supportive one! The man stayed at the van with Mom, Joy and all the kids and Grandma Hartzler and I got in the car with the wife and daughter and they took us to the Savannah, GA airport to pick up a rental car so we could continue our way home. This was the only picture we took of the whole ordeal. AAA towed the van and we headed north again after many other decisions we had to make. Here are the boys on the side of the highway with all our luggage

We got this sweet looking vehicle. This is all we could get because of the amount of people we had to haul home. So many stories and memories. This was taken at McDonald's after midnight when we stopped to use the bathroom. I took this right before Grandma Hartzler came out and got in the wrong SUV.

We made it home safely about 8AM Saturday morning. Just in time for the funeral. Thanks to Butler's for letting us stay at their house this week. I'm so glad we got to meet little Willow. Thanks also to Joy, my Mom and Grandma Hartzler for everything you did and for all the fun memories. I'd love to do it again if you are ever willing.

Visiting Owen

This morning we went to the pool and had lunch with Jill's friend, Jill and her kids: Grayson & Maren. The kids had a fun time and we were able to sit and get a little sun.

Me, Jill & Jill holding Maren.




Then in the afternoon Eli, Cooper and I drove down to see Emil, Angie, little Owen and Steven from Jill's. It's about 3 1/2 hour drive to Clearwater. The boys did good. We also delivered her changing table that Ted made for them. We stayed for a few hours. Had supper with them and then headed back up to Jill's. We hope to go back again and stay longer. Little Owen was only 3 days old. I even got to change little guys messy diaper!!!








Owen laying on his new changing table:









Owen Baltic:







Emil holding Owen, Steven holding Cooper:






Steven playing with the boys. They sure do love and miss Uncle Steven!!!

Owen's little feet!

sucking his little finger:

The happy new family. Emil, Angie & Owen (3 days old)

On our way home we stopped along side Clearwater Beach. It was already too dark to see the 3 mile bridge across but you can see the lights across a little bit.