I am overwhelmed!

I am exhausted. In the words of Daniel, "I never thought moving would be so tough." We started packing the car today and this evening the Hamm family and the Corlew family (from our home church group) came over. They loaded the entertainment center, the dressers, the dining room furniture, packed my dishes and loaded all the boxes I already had packed. I felt like I was spinning around in a whirlwind. Again, another blessing. I have taken pictures of the house, but I am too tired to post them. Maybe after we get settled up in Delaware. Tomorrow, the Dischers are coming. We just might get everything done :)

Whew Boy!

Well, what a week. We have been busy getting ready for the yard sale. The Wonderful Dischers came over and helped clean, consolidate, set up and price sale items. What a blessing! Emilie spent Friday with the Dischers and Leah Hagen came over today to play with her. Mrs. Hagen was a huge help with the loan of five card tables and three yard sale signs. Earlier in the week, Mr. Fenner and his brother came over and helped me load and arrange more boxes that I had packed and sorted through from the basement and the kids' rooms. Mr. Razey set up our luggage rack for the trip up to Delaware and Mrs. Thompson stopped by for a welcome visit. On Friday, I called our friend Mr. Truitt and asked if he could help me move the computer desk and antique sewing machine out into the yard. He told me to call at the end of the day if they didn't sell and he would move them back in. I hated to call and so the kids and I just moved the desk close to the house. However, when I didn't call, the Truitts decided to come by and check on us anyway. Today, my sister-in-law, Judi, came by and took the kids for some lunch while I finished up the last of the sale. I hope I didn't forget anyone because we are truly a blessed family and I am thankful beyond words for every one's generosity. The yard sale itself was exhausting, but the love we have experienced from our friends through this past week leaves me in awe : )

Well, I had better get back to the last of the packing. More friends have offered to help on Sunday and Monday evening. We just might get it all done : )

Social Butterflies

What a week! After Shriners last Wednesday, we stayed sequestered in the house packing. We of course had our ordeal with Silky, but other than that, a lot was packed. Monday, I think it was Monday, the Bowen family came by and loaded the boxes that I had packed into the trailer. Now I have room to pack more.

Patricia and Victoria Bowen with Sadie

The Bowen girls hanging out after loading the trailer. That's Sadie behind the tree : )

Wednesday was a really busy day. We started with a trip to Shriners Hospital in Tampa for Daniel's second of four visits for his new leg. I decided to surprise the kids with a visit with the Hamm family on the way home after our appointment. What a blessing this family is to our lives. I know I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and the kids all seemed to have great time too. After our long day of appointments and visiting, what better way to wrap up the day than to do more visiting! So off to dinner at the Hagens we went. We really have wonderful friends.

Our Prosthetist checking out Daniel's alignment.

Bryan Sinnott designed Daniel's special prosthetic. We are very grateful to him and Shriners Hospital.
Playing around

Jonathan, Kate, Ben, Andrew, Claire, Mary Grace, Caroline & Maggie Hamm with Sadie, Daniel & Emilie (baby Phillip was taking a nap)

Mrs. Hamm and me

Visiting with the Hamms

Having dinner with the Hagens

Emile playing hopscotch



Mom's never get in the pictures so we resort to a self portrait!

Daniel playing with Mrs. Hagen's remote controlled Hummer

As if we hadn't socialized enough, Thursday night, I went out to a special gathering of homeschool moms with Beth Discher and Molly Stricklen and their mom, Mrs. Frodge. Daniel and Emilie stayed with the Dishers and Sadie spent the evening with her dear friend Abby.

Mrs. Frodge, Mrs. Discher & Mrs. Stricklen

Pete Discher & Daniel

Mrs. Discher & Emma Jane

Mrs. Stricklen & me

Abby & William Stricklen with Sadie

Margaret Stricklen made a special cookie as a belated birthday present for Sadie

I got up early this morning so I could get these pictures posted and now I need to get back to packing. Until next time!

Good Morning!

Yesterday, our dear friend Mr. Teitloff came over and mowed our grass. It was desperately in need of it. However, because it was so long, the mower left strips of cut grass all over the yard. After I returned from the grocery store this morning, Daniel and I got out there and raked the front yard. We started yesterday afternoon, but had to cut it short because there was the threat of a storm. We will go back out this afternoon to finish when it's a bit cooler.

I just checked the weather online and it is about 77 degrees this morning here in Florida with an expected high of 90. In Delaware it is 62 degrees with an expected high of71! It's supposed to get as low as 48! Wow!!! Sweater weather! I can't wait.

FYI
Mark the date! September 17, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The Values Voter Presidential Debate held in Fort Lauderdale will be streamed live by the American Family Association. Live video or audio streaming will be available online at http://www.afa.net on the day of the debate.

Well, our neighbor brought us more boxes yesterday and I picked up a few at Wal-mart this morning, so I had better get back at it.

Another week at home

Hello all,

Another week has passed. I had a wonderful time at my Moms' meeting and the kids had a wonderful time with the Dischers, as always. We have another appointment scheduled at Shriners for Wednesday. Then it will be two down, two to go.

Patrick's back is doing better. He hopes to reduce the number of visits to the chiropractor's office soon. The farm is challenging, but he knows he is supposed to be there. He misses his family and we miss him too. Please pray for him and us as we work towards being together again soon.

I want to share with you a little story about faith and our God's love for us. As many of you know our Emilie has a very special and much loved Silky. (As matter of fact, that's Silky around Emilie's neck in our family picture.) Thursday evening as the children were getting ready for bed, we discovered that Silky was missing. I must admit that Emilie has handled it quite well. It has been Mom who has been the cry baby over the recent disappearance of the beloved Silky (I hate losing things, especially treasures). After a pretty thorough search, the kids went off to bed.

Friday, the search continued with no success. We tried to reenact the events up to Silky's disappearance. When we came home from Tampa on Wednesday Emilie and I took a nap while Sadie and Daniel played games on the computer. After I woke up I washed Silky and had her ready for bed that night. We never left the house all day Thursday. Silky was in a dining room chair when I was packing Thursday afternoon. Mr. Bowen and Alex came by to pick up our goose neck trailer (it had a broken something or another and they transported it for repairs). We were all out in the yard. It had rained and the kids were picking star fruit and getting all wet. Sadie put Emilie in the bath while I started dinner. After we ate, we discovered she was missing. (That reads like a script from Dragnet. "Just the facts, ma'am.")

All day Saturday, we looked again for the third and fourth time in some places. And again, we went to bed without Silky being found. It was about 10 pm and I was sitting up in bed reading a book. I looked up thinking about all the things packed and to be packed and that we hadn’t found Silky and had exhausted everywhere. I thought about leaving this house and never finding her. How could it be? We hadn’t left the house for over twenty-four hours before she was discovered missing. She had to be here. I had been praying for a miracle and I asked God again. Then I sat up in bed and looked at the door to our room. It was open. I reached for the door and pushed it closed and there she was in the corner behind the door. I almost cried as I said a prayer of thanks to God.

You all must think I am so silly, but I am overjoyed at finding her. Emilie was asleep as I laid Silky in her arms to be discovered in the morning. She will know that God gave us a miracle! He cares even about little girls and their Silkies (and their sentimental mama’s).

I am now going to put a few pictures up to show you the progress with packing so far.

Emilie in the dinning room with all the boxes and Silky : )

Daniel in the living room. The books and the decorations are all packed.

Sadie, Daniel, Emilie &, of course, Silky. The baby pictures no longer on the wall.

Until next time. I hope you all have a great week. Thank you all so much for your prayers. I know we couldn't make it without them.

KelliPaige

Just a word

Hello everyone! The kids and I have been home a week now and so I thought I'd just fill you in on what we and Patrick have been up to. Our neighbors brought over some boxes and I have filled them all. Yet, it doesn't seem as if I have made much of a difference :( Packing a house after occupying it for ten years is like eating an elephant I suppose.

Sadie's 13th birthday was Wednesday. She got to go watch the Country Cousins (to learn more about the Country Cousins, see the Sunny South, Eh? blog) perform at First Baptist of Frostproof that night. They all went out afterwards to get a bite to eat and sang "Happy Birthday" to her. Her brother made her a wonderful gift. He drew jewels (diamond, ruby, & emerald) and cut them out and displayed them on an old velvet belt in a clear, plastic container. It was very sweet. She also got her own personal razor and a set of Skip Bo cards. We had Mr. Fenner and his brother, Mr. Fenner over for dinner Thursday night. Sadie requested an apple pie for her birthday and so we had it then. Mimi & Drandad are coming over tonight for dinner and I will be making another apple pie. Birthdays around here always are several day long events :)

Patrick really needs your prayers. His back was hurting him badly while we were still up there and so he decided to see a chiropractor. They took x-rays and determined that he has spina bifida oculta, which he apparently was born with. At any rate, the doctor says he can treat it, but Patrick has to come in to see him every day for quite a while and then wean down step by step. However, he will have to be treated by a chiropractor on a regular basis for the rest of his life. He is also suffering pain in his neck, which is being affected by the problem in his lower back. He has recently been assigned to bed rest, which he is unable to fully do because of all the work he needs to do up there.

He has been working very hard at promoting the RV park and C-Center (Concerts at the Barn) by talking to Good Sam's Clubs and giving tours of the entire operation. He is really enjoying the PR work! He has pretty much got the RV park 50% booked for next year! Sam came to him last night and told him that he and his wife know that God sent Patrick there and they know his heart and appreciate him.

Please pray for healing and relief for Patrick. Pray that God removes any obstacles that he is facing. Also pray that I will be able to get this house packed and that the sale goes through quickly and smoothly.

Well, I see that we have a faithful following and I don't want to disappoint anyone by never having anything new to read. I need to get off of here and work on my writing assignment. It is due in the mail Monday. Tuesday I will be attending my last homeschool mom's support group meeting. My first meeting with these ladies was six years ago on Sept. 11th and my last will be Sept. 11th. Wednesday we have an appointment in Tampa at Shriner's to get Daniel his last leg made there. From now on we will be going to the Shriner's in Philadelphia.

God bless you all, KelliPaige

Finally, pictures!

Happy 4th Birthday Emilie!

Emilie celebrated her 4th birthday in North Carolina traveling to Delaware just like her daddy celebrated his 4th birthday in North Carolina when his family moved to Florida from Missouri.

After lunch at the Cracker Barrel in Emporia,Virginia,

Emilie was surprised with a hot fudge sundae Yum!
The birthday girl shared with Daniel and Sadie
Emilie had a party with her new friends in Delaware

Emilie's chocolate cake with pink icing

Having fun with Mama's hair on the road Patrick and Daniel led the way with the 5th wheel over the Bay Bridge

Daniel lifting his dad up to trim the treesGoofing around after a hard day's work

Gathering eggs

Grading eggsEmilie was a big help with the medium eggs. Every now and then a jumbo would come down in the small section and she would bring it down to the other end of the line for us. I didn't get Daniel's picture, but he was our quality control guy. He inspected each egg for flaws and cracks. It was a very tedious job.

Sadie worked the Extra Large and Large eggs with either her dad, grandad (aka Drandad, aka Santa) or Mama, while Mama and/or Mimi removed the cartons from them, dated the cartons and boxed them (20 cartons to a box). The last day we graded eggs, we packaged 376 dozen Extra Large, 129 dozen Large, 42 dozen Jumbo, 5 dozen Medium and 2 dozen Small.

That's 6,648 eggs!!!

Here is the infamous flat tire!

The Nott family, our friends on the farm, have a horse and a Shetland Pony. Here are the kids getting a chance to ride them. Don't worry, Emilie got to ride, I just didn't get my camera in time.

Emilie and Daddy resting on Sunday afternoonThe wonderful dinner Patrick prepared one evening

These leaves made a pretty Princess CrownDaniel added to his feather collection

Sadie found a REALLY small egg

Well, I hope you have enjoyed these pictures and that it was worth the wait. I tell you, posting them has been a real frustration for me, but I'm glad to do it.