Easter Eggs

Pinterest is one my favorite websites. I am always finding something fun to do, and this time it was a new way to dye Easter eggs. It came from this website, and you use Kool-aid instead of egg dye. It works really well, and Sophia loved it.

She wanted to try the Kool-aid, and I knew how yucky it was going to taste, but I figured she could learn that on her own. Aren't I such a nice mommy! :) Here's her reaction...

Feeding the "gucks"

One Saturday in March we decided to go the Goshen Dam Pond to feed the ducks an old loaf of bread we had. On our way we called some friends, and they came out to join us. The kids had so much fun just throwing the bread in water, they hardly noticed when the ducks stopped eating and swam away. I think their favorite part was watching the bread go over the waterfall. Lol. It's the simple things in life that bring so much joy at times!

Drag racing!

Last weekend Sophia, my dad, my sister and I drove down to Kokomo, IN area for a day at the drag strip with family. My cousin's husband and daughter both race, and this was the first time we went to see them. It was lots of fun despite the really cold wind, and little sunshine. Sophia had a lot of fun playing with my cousin's girls in the motor home while my dad soaked in everything he could about the car and racing.

Layla in her dragster

Layla's dragster

She's getting ready to go!

Sophia was cold and not real thrilled about it in the beginning

But she got into it eventually - the earmuffs helped!

Brie and Sophia had a lot of fun in the motor home reading and playing

Danae and Brie excited that the sun was finally shining!

Layla right after a time trial

Taking pictures with Greg's car

She wasn't as excited about it as Grandpa! :)

We had a very fun day with everyone, and enjoyed watching Greg race late into the night. Thanks Dana and fam for hosting us, and letting us into that part of your life! Love you all!

grateful for so much!

Wow... it has been TOO long since I've written on here. Life just keeps moving no matter how much you wish it would slow down! There has been so much happening since I've written on here, so here goes a quick overview of what I am most recently thankful for...

I'm very grateful for friends. I began walking a few evenings a week with a friend who lives just down the road. Not only is it nice to get out in the beautiful weather, but the conversation is always good, and I feel better about myself for being at least a little active. I am also grateful for a few friends who I have been able to play music with at random times during my lunch break. The more I am playing guitar for my kids at school, the more comfortable I am getting, and the more relaxing it is to just sit and play. I'm thankful for those around me who have been encouraging and helping me figure out how to play the harder chords.

Work, as I've said before, has been pretty crazy since February when I ended up with the class by myself, but the Lord has heard my prayers, and has faithfully provided. Last week we hired a new assistant for my classroom, and it has been wonderful having her around. She has so much fun with the kids, and I think they love that she teases them so much. They are always laughing when she's around, and it's been a lot of fun. I've also really appreciated the help! You don't realize how much you rely on those around you until you don't have them. So thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

As I look around the room tonight, I realize again how thankful I am for my family. Jared has been home all week on Spring Break, and he has been working very hard around the house. (Mostly working on my "honey-do" list!) I am also thankful for my little ray of sunshine, Fia. She is so cute and funny, and even though she knows how to push my buttons and drive me up a wall, I love that little girl to death. She is always making us laugh, and blessing us in so many ways. My in-laws are here this weekend, and I love that Sophia recognizes them, and enjoys spending time with them since we don't see them very often. She is sitting on "Ammaw Leaman's" lap reading books right now, just loving every bit of it. How sweet.

We are looking forward to a fun-filled Easter weekend with family; there is an Easter-egg hunt in our near future, and for a two-year old, that is one of the most exciting things ever!! Hopefully we will get some good pictures to share soon!  Have a very blessed weekend!  

Back to the norm...

It's been a little over a week since PopPop passed, and I finally feel kinda back to normal. My body is still catching up from the last week, but regular life has resumed, and I continue to make it, day by day, step by step. I once heard the phrase, "I get by with a little help from my friends." That phrase is so true in my life, but I also get by with a little help from my family, a little help from my little ones at school, and a LOT of help from God.

Although I should expect it by now, God surprises me day in and day out. This last weekend in Indy was quite a trip. God came to me in SO many ways. Thursday God showed Himself at my aunt and uncle's house late at night. I was there with my parents enjoying a hot tub, a glass of wine (or two), good ol' gospel/country classics that PopPop loved, and great conversation with family. How can that be beat!?!

Well Friday rolled around and with it came more family time, and it ended with a dinner out at O'Charleys with Mimmie. Sophia sure knows how to keep us laughing... she cracks me up!! I was hoping to post a video of her playing a game on Aunt Nae's cell phone, but it won't work for some reason. She was so funny playing it that night. She knows how to use that thing way better than I do!! Ha ha! Unfortunately, it almost impossible to keep her away from that kind of technology these days! Although Jared and I don't have any new (I guess it's not all that new...) touch-screen stuff, lots of our family does, and she definitely knows how to use it. She is always keeping us on our toes, and I am thankful for that. What a hoot!

Saturday came, and as much as I didn't want to let myself think about it, that afternoon was PopPop's viewing, so the day was tainted for me from the beginning. But God is good, and I cannot believe how many wonderful people came to support our family. We even had a very distant cousin fly in from Switzerland because he had gotten to know PopPop and knew what a wonderful man he was. What a blessing. To top it off, we had another wonderful evening with friends and family after the viewing. Not only that but we ate some heavenly grilled shrimp, and IU won that night! Ha ha! Sometimes it's the little things in life...

 

 

 

Right before the viewing started... I made them take a picture with me before my make-up got smeared. :)

Sunday came and went in a blur. The funeral, burial and military honors all seems to run together for me, but I do remember this... I remember sitting there listening to the song "I'll fly away", one of PopPop's favorite songs, and thinking... I just can't wait to give him a hug when I see him again. Although, God-willing, it will be years from now when that happens, I am so looking forward to that. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about the wonderful reunion that will be. Not only for me, but for each person in my family. What an amazing gift God has given us in that promise of eternal life. It brings so much hope in an otherwise depressing time.

I learned so much this last weekend about my family and Mimmie and PopPop. Although our trips down to see everyone are few and far between, I am extremely blessed to be a part of the Inabnitt family, and I pray that I will NEVER take it for granted.

Sophia and I stayed in Greenwood until Monday, and I found it very fitting when I walked outside that morning, after such a dreary (in my mind) day before, to see that although it wasn't "technically" spring yet, the newness and freshness of Spring had arrived. We took advantage and got some wonderful pictures before we left.

Sportin' the sunglasses... Sophia's are complete with jewels and Sleeping Beauty!

The pond out front of Mimmie and PopPop's house. Lot's of memories there catching fish with PopPop.

Say cheese Sophia and Bapaw!

PopPop loved his flowering trees.

:)

The house that Toddy built.

Hello Spring!!

I miss you already!

PopPop passed away this morning... it's been a long couple days. I didn't think I had any tears left, but it just so happens that I do! As I was getting ready for work this morning, I noticed how nice and red/puffy my eyes were, so I thought why not step out a little and actually do my make-up this morning! (Those of you who see me on a daily basis know that NEVER happens) So, I get to the day care this morning, and the most wonderful thing, that could happen on a day when you lose a grandparent, happened. I walked into the gym and one of my sweet little boys looked at me and said, "Ms. Addie, you look really nice today." *melt* They know just how to touch my heart when it needs to be touched. I needed that more than anything after everything that has happened.

I am also so very very grateful for the friends and family that are surrounding us right now in this time of loss. It has been a very quick, rough road, and I am thankful for everyone who has prayed and reached out to us with kind words. We are headed back down to Indy tomorrow morning, and plan to be there most likely through the weekend. We haven't heard any plans yet as far as funeral and viewing go, but I know that no matter what, I will be surrounded by love, and that is enough to keep my heart at ease.

Full of gratitude

There are more things I am thankful for everyday, and for that I am grateful. It's been one heck of a week, and now, on a late Saturday night, I am sitting here bursting with thanks for so many things!

First, I am thankful for the last couple days. My wonderful friend Meg and I stayed at my parents house Thurs and Fri nights, cleaning and organizing. Doesn't sound like the most fun, huh? But with good company, anything can be fun! We did get the cleaning and organizing done, but what I am most thankful for is the time to catch up with a great friend. Meg, I am SO very thankful for your friendship, and hope we have the opportunity to do that more often.

Second, I am thankful for more good friends. This evening we hung out with a group of "young adult" friends from church. I put young adult in quotes because at our church "young" is a kind of loose term. Although the group is very diverse and we may have a wide range of ages, I love the way we have become a family of sorts; even Sophia has opened up and I can tell she is becoming comfortable around them. What a blessing it is to have a group of great friends who love and care for each other the way this group does. I love you all!!

And last but DEFINITELY not least, I am so very thankful for a God who pursues the lost. I have been distant, to say the least, from God recently, yet I can know that He is right there calling me everywhere I go. This last week all I've heard from Him is that I need to live in the now. I need to stop dwelling on the past and worrying about the future; I have been given a beautiful life right now, and I need to start enjoying it! My fears and worries about the past and future hold me back from a true relationship with Christ more than I realize. It's so easy to get wrapped up in those fears/worries that I don't know what I'm doing to myself. But again, God is pursuing and pursuing and all I need to do is answer. It sounds so easy to do, but it doesn't feel so easy; it actually is a lot harder for me than I would even like to admit. But instead of getting frustrated at myself for being distant and stubborn, tonight I am thankful that God continues to pursue even when I am distant, stubborn and completely unworthy of His love and grace.

Our weekend

It's been almost a week since I've written on here, and I wish it wouldn't have been so long. This last week has been kind of a whirlwind, and I'm not even sure where to start tonight. I think just to start off on a light note, I will share this photo, cause it just makes me smile!

We spent this last Fri-Sun in Greenwood with family. My grandparents just got back last week from Florida, and almost the whole family got together to celebrate birthdays and welcome them home. We had so much fun staying with my cousin Dana and her family. She has two girls, ages six and seven, who Sophia followed around all weekend! I realized after we left that I never got a picture of them, but I know they had a great time!

The weekend was kind of draining emotionally for me, just seeing how rough normal life has become for my grandpa. He has been struggling with his health for a while now, and is currently using an oxygen tank 100% of the time. I don't think I've yet let myself fully process what's going on with him, but I do know that every chance I have to spend with him at this point is a gift, and that is what I am grateful for right now.

Here are my favorite pictures from the weekend...

showing Mimmie all her princesses

PopPop-my new favorite picture

Jacob - my cousin's little boy

haha silly girl... she didn't want to sit at the table, so she went to the living room and got the stool

playing with "noopy" in the box

hmmm...

So, I know that I should be grateful for something today, but it's getting kind of hard to think of something every day! However, I saw a pin on Pinterest that said, "What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?" ruh ro... (I'm thinking Scooby Doo in my head, if you didn't get that! haha!)

I know for a fact that there are so many things in my life that I should be thankful for today, but I'm realizing how much I take for granted without realizing it. Thanking God for every part of my life is not something I'm used to doing, and I think that's kind of why I wanted to do this gratitude blog. I want to be challenged to look past the obvious, and be "forced" (in a sense) to find something to be grateful for even when I don't feel like it.

Tonight I am thankful that Jared is willing to put Sophia to bed. This is not a new thing, he does it pretty much every night, but it's one less thing I need to do in the evenings. She goes down so much better for him, and after being with kids all day long, that's one thing that I don't mind letting him do. Please don't get me wrong-I love that girl more than just about anything in this world, and nothing could replace the time I spend with that girl. But I think that we all need that break at times.

Co-workers

Well, it was another very chaotic day today at work! (What's new, right?!) We had several teachers out for a variety of reasons, and had too many kids for the staff we had. I am SO thankful for my co-workers today. Although our job is stressful, and not always the most fun, there is always someone willing to help when needed, and I am so very thankful for that. I don't have any pictures today (because it was craziness!), but if I did, it would be a picture of my wonderful friends at work.Thank you to all the staff today who changed classrooms, stayed overtime, or just gave a helping hand when needed. It was VERY much appreciated!!

Family Time!

This afternoon Jared was telling me that both Venus and Jupiter were visible in the night sky, so we decided to check it out. We drove out to the elementary school in town around sunset so we could have a better view of the sky. Sophia loves to see the moon in the morning and evenings, so we thought she might like it. And she did! She was so excited every time she saw it--it was too cute!

She chose her own outfit as we were leaving...

Pink penguin pajamas, pink tutu and pink snow boots

When we got out there, we realized that the moon wasn't quite as low as we thought it would be, so it was hard to see from inside the van. Jared and Sophia decided to go for a walk to see the moon and planets.

She was "frweezing"!

We also enjoyed watching the jets and airplanes flying through the sky.

The best picture we got of the three. I'm not positive about this, but I think that Jupiter is on the left, and Venus is to the right of the moon. (If someone knows different, please tell me!)

While we were sitting in the van, she decided to put in her "contacts". She watches me put my contacts in and out, and likes to pretend that she does the same. Here is a short video I got. It's too cute.

Winter Youth Retreat

 I had a great weekend up at Amigo Centre with youth from Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. I had the privilege to lead worship with my dad, Jeremy Kempf and David Kempf. I had so much fun, and learned a lot. Usually when I help lead worship at church I play piano and most of the songs are led more with piano than guitar. This weekend, the guitar led more, and I played "background", if you will, on the piano. It was very different than what I am used to, but it was a good challenge for me.

I also had a great time hanging out with the youth from our church. Here are some pictures from the weekend...

 

Sophia and Jared came up Saturday afternoon and she had fun coloring with Mary.

We played A LOT of mafia as a group.

The dining hall at camp

Woke up to the sun shining bright on the frozen lake this morning.

The snow-covered trees this morning

The meeting room

Smile, girls! It's Sunday morning! :)

Part of our youth group

 

 

Euchre!

 

 

 

 

 

It was a fun, exhausting, Spirit-filled weekend! Thanks to all who helped make it a success! :)