Have you played in the leaves yet? :)

The scent of a coffee or apple pie spice candle, the sweet deliciousness of a cup of steaming hot chocolate~~topped with baby marshmallows, the warmth of your favorite sweatshirt or sweater on a crisp day, the excitement of football season OR maybe just the joy of playing in the colorful leaves.... the essence of fall. FALL portrays God's love of beauty and color. We are lovin' it around our house! Yesterday, we enjoyed a fieldtrip to a nearby pumpkin patch(we also went to a fun IMAX matinee)....We have three fine "punkins" awaiting faces~~~affectionately named~~~Peyton, Princess Penelope and Pumpkin Patch! :) Happy Fall, ya'll!

09 fall field trip

New family pictures...

I smile when I look at these pictures...I remember the few frantic moments before we rushed in to get a few poses. It was time for new annual pics of the kids, so I thought Danny and I could get a pose or two with them. :) My first white blouse ripped down the front...the one I am wearing suddenly developed a spot on the collar after I had starched it...I had to rewash, dry and restarch. Oh, and then the whole "hair" thing. Oh well! LOL! We made memories of our lives in 2009! I DO love capturing my kids images/expressions/personalities as they grow~~~oh so fast! :( Thought that I would share a few...:)

2009 Family Pictures

Labor Day weekend(and Corey's 12th Birthday party)

Can't believe that our Corey is now 12 years old...just one more year before he is a TEENAGER! He is a great son and has brought us so much happiness! He's as thoughtful as can be.(It's so him to say...."Need a neck massage, Mom?" or "Can I get you a drink, Dad?") He keeps his room very clean (He routinely organizes his closet and drawers...I'm thinking a future wife will love this! LOL!) He is diligent about having devotions and loves God very much. He is full of fun facts on a variety of subjects...he makes conversations interesting around our house! Oh, and he still loves creepy~crawlies! What would we do without him??? :) We had fun celebrating at Rascal's Fun Zone on Friday...
The rest of Labor Day weekend was spent at Becky(Danny's sister) and Dan's house in beautiful WV...We had a superb time and made great memories! They are fantastic hosts. Their property is a backyard paradise...Our kids enjoyed the 4-wheeling, etc. Becky fixed a ton of delicious food, too...I do believe we ate the entire time we were there! (I need to get some of those recipes, Becky! :)) I am also sharing pics of our time there...

labor day weekend 09

.Fun memories and the !st day of school...

Thought that someone might need a laugh...I recently found this first picture(the caricature of Danny and I) in my drawer and thought that I should share it! There is one of my bro. and sis.-in-law, Dan and Becky Ellis, floating out there somewhere, too...We had them done together, before kids! Fun memories!
School is now underway and we are back to a nice routine....
I am also posting some fun "end~of~summer" memories...the Indiana State Fair(We were so glad the Papaw and Mamaw Kennedy were able to go with us!) and a weekend of camping with our good friends...David and Martha Going, and their sweet kids(I think that we have started a tradition!).
Hope that you are all having a great year...blessings to you all!

1st day of school 09/ Fair

Trip to Kalamazoo...

Danny had a CME trip to Kalamazoo, Michigan this past week...The kids and I always tag along on these trips and make it into a bit of vacation time. We "chill" until Danny gets done with his daily meetings and then go "out and about" for some fun family time. We visited South Haven a few times and fell in love with beautiful Lake Michigan! The kids enjoyed the sand in their toes and also some pool time at the hotel. Good times and great memories! Thought that I would share a few pics...
Can't believe that summer is winding down. We start school on the 24th and are trying to stretch............. this last week of summer out! It's not over till it's over...RIGHT? :)

Michigan 09

Some fun in NC...

We spent a few days in the mountains of NC...There is something about "getting away" from city life and breathing in the fresh mountain air, listening to the birds sing, hiking to see the beautiful mountain views and sitting around a campfire with guitar accompaniment~~~that relaxes and renews one's soul. Our sweet(and FUN) nephew, Nate, went with us(he was our awesome guitarist).~~~My parents were also able to come for part of the time. We made WONDERFUL family memories, though the days went by way too fast. Thought that I would share some of our pictures...

NC vacation 2009

Our Princess turns "8"...

Cassie is a sweet, thoughtful daughter and brings so much happiness to our family! She had lots of fun celebrating her "8th" birthday! She requested an "all girl" party this year~~~We celebrated "Princess" style with a girlfriend's luncheon at our house, then celebrated a little more after the "boys" came home from their guy's day out!. It's just so much fun to be feminine...young or old! High~heels, purses, dolls, bows, flowers~~~ Here are a few pics...Thanks to everyone who made this day special for Cassie! You are all special to us!

Cassie's 8th birthday party