Our Family Room

We have now been on-line for over 2 years. Gosh, it really seems like it's been years and years. It just seems like this computer has been part of our lives for a long, long time! Well, this is the summer of 2000 and it's just about over. It's been a wonderfully pleasant summer. One of the mildest that I can remember since I was expecting Collin. That was 1988 and the first of many hot, humid summers. I love this kind of summer. It's the kind I remember as a kid where you could play outside forever and never get overheated. There was almost nothing that could convince you it was time to go in for the night. This is the way summer is supposed to feel!

As usual, we had/have a garden this year. But for whatever reason, I haven't taken as much interest as I usually do. I know I have beans and tomatoes to can, but hopefully they can wait til the kids are settled in school.

We have a new addition to the family this year. No, no, not another child, but a another baby kitten. He has yet to be named even though he's about six weeks old. His mama is Jamima, a kitten we took home from a garage sale last year and almost lost her when she took on a creature several times her size.

The boys will be starting school in just a few days. It seems to get earlier and earlier every year. Didn't school used to start AFTER Labor Day?! Good grief, now it's two weeks before! Anyway, all will be attending school this year. After one year of homeschooling three different kids in three different grades, I decided to hang up my hat and put them back in school.

Taylor is now 15 1/2. He's chomping at the bit to get his temporary driver's permit. I'm chomping on my nails just thinking about it!!! He's finally done it, he's taller than his Dad by about half an inch. There's something so sweet and sad about looking up into the eyes of your teenage son. I see the man he's becoming, but I desperately want to hold on to the child I nurtured. He's doing very well on his cross country team. He's improving all the time and is very committed to this sport. He's a sophomore this year, but there's a part of him that's a 40 year old man! One of my favorite things to see is Taylor being loving and sweet to Hunter. It reminds me that he has a truly kind and gentle spirit. He's a wonderful young man and I think incredibly handsome.

Dustin will be going into high school this year. He's a freshman and he's 14. He's playing football on the JV squad this year. He managed to break his thumb the first day of practice. Let's see, that's 3 breaks on the same hand in 2 years! He's almost as tall as Taylor, which means he's definitely taller than me. Dustin will definitely get what he wants out of life because people will say yes to him, just to shut him up. He can't take no for an answer and he's always trying to find a way for you to see his side of the deal! He's excited for Taylor to get his license too... he's hoping that he won't have to take the bus to school anymore if Taylor can drive! I know I've said this before but, Dustin is a real gentleman. He's always thoughtful and helpful towards other people and he has an absolutely dazzling smile!

Collin will be in sixth grade this year. And he's very happy because he's going back to a "real school." He was one of the three being homeschooled last year and he really missed the social interaction that he had at public school. We're sending him to a small Christian school but hey, he's just happy that it's school! Even though he's 12 now, he's still very loving and affectionate. He's still the biggest ham coming or going, making jokes out of everything. He loves, loves, loves to talk. I think someday he's either going to be a public speaker or a comedian. He'll do very well at either one. He's smart and sensitive and that's a wonderful combination!

Westley is 10 years old and he's starting his last year in elementary. He's really excited about school starting up again. I think he's excited about being the big cheese in elementary! Westley is very social. We tried to convince him to go to the same school as the other three boys, but he just loves his school and the teachers really seem to like him a lot! He's a great reader and he's been reading a lot over the summer. We got a membership to the pool this year, so he's really dark and looks like a little Indian boy! I see a little bit of the jokester in him this year. He's always been quiet, but this year he's opened up a little bit more and makes sure that everyone knows his opinion of any given situation. He's very passionate about the things he believes in and I would definitely say that's one of his strengths. He's very loving and it shows in the way he treats our cats and kittens. He has beautiful eyes and everyone says he looks like a miniature Vince Gill!!

Jerod will be 9 pretty soon and he's going into the third grade. He was homeschooled last year and we did a combination of second and third grade work. This little guy is reading at an incredible level and doing math a couple of grade levels higher. I truly believe that his teacher this year is a great match for him. She's a firm believer in making sure the children are always challenged! He's recently started calling me Mom instead of Mommy and I think it bugs me just a bit. I'm definitely Mom when he's mad and maybe Mommy when he's tired. He still loves money too much. He can help me keep track of how much I've spent at different stores in a day! His very best friend Cory will be moving away in a few days and I don't know how he's going to handle that. He is a very loving child and I think he'll mourn Cory's move as much as I'm mourning his mother (Toni) moving. Maybe we can support each other through this. He loves the fact that he's a pretty smart kid. The class he's going into is a 3rd/4th grade class and he's already sure that he'll be doing more 4th grade work than third! Jerod is very thoughtful and loving. He even sits by my feet sometimes and rubs them. Ah, he's gonna make a wonderful husband someday....

Hunter is the youngest, not the baby. Don't call him the baby! He's 7 years old and he's going into the first grade. He's super smart too. He can read just about anything you put in front of him and he loves figuring things out on his own. This boy is still like a wind up toy. Wind him up in the morning and he's going and going all day long! I can't begin to tell you the scrapes he's gotten into this summer. Let's see, he practically ripped his scalp off by trying to climb onto the roof of the house, he almost cut his foot off by stepping on some glass... he's always stepping on bees and falling out of trees. Dennis the Menace has nothing on this guy! But, he's the sweetest little things you'd ever want to wrap your arms around!!

Carl and I were married in 1984. We met and were married in the church where we grew up! We have both lived in Ohio all our lives, which may not be exciting, but there's a lot to be said about "roots!" We live in a small town and we have a small farmhouse on about 3 acres of land. We've raised hogs, steer, goats, chickens and kids!! I think I'm very blessed to be able to say that I have everything I've ever wanted out of life and more! We will celebrate our 17th anniversary in January! I know that sounds like a long time, but I could swear that I'm still just 22!

Children are amazingly perceptive in
fishing out what you really care about
verses what you say you care about.
James Dobson (Focus on the Family)

This is a personal quote of mine and a new
and very special friend, created this beautiful
graphic for me
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