DCS Auction

This weekend was the 3rd annual DCS auction. It was a lot of fun. We had a yummy dinner - Matt had the beef, I had the chicken. I know, big surprise with those choices! :)



There were about 150 dinners served, I think. Anyhow.



Here is our prize from the night:


Mr. Richards painted this. (Becky's dad) He is the neatest guy. He teaches art and Bible at the school, and I just love him!

Matt really wanted one (Mr. Richards did 3). I wanted one too. The one I wanted MOST, Dan said he was going to bid on it, and unfortunately for us, Uncle Charlie wanted it too! Well, Matt and I decided there wasn't much point in going up against the 2 of them! Yikes!!

But, when this one came up, Matt bid on it!

We hung it up in the kitchen. We like that spot for it (since I'm not allowed to have my calendar there! :)) and everyone can see it when they come into the house.



The other really neat thing about this picture is the frame. It was custom made by the same guys who built our entertainment center. And the lumber they used came from the old barn that used to be in the Brownlee family. Charlie had saved some of it from when it was torn down - Matt said he was in high school then - and they used that lumber for the frames. I like that bit of history.


And.

Sometime this summer, or when we have time, we're going to take a 'trip' to find the spot where Mr. Richards found the inspiration for the picture. :) I love a good adventure!

Friends

Gabe, Holten, Graham, Gavin, Hayden, Garrett, Shelby, Colesy, Halena.

The Handels blew through town this weekend. They got in to DuBois Thursday afternoon. We took Halena home from school and Becky had stampin, so the Handels took the little G's. We all met at the hotel for swim time for the kids and talk for us "grown ups". It was fun nite. Not long enough.....

Then they went to visit NYC Friday and Saturday and then got back in time to visit church and then we had lunch at our house. The 5 Handels, the 6 Hoovers and the 4 us. We grilled enough chicken and burgers to feed the whole neighborhood! At least we didnt run out! :)

The kids played on the trampoline and the hammock and we talked and laughed and had a great time just being together. Good for the soul.

I stole this picture from Becky. I actually HAD my camera, and was prepared to USE it, but then the memory card was full, and who has time to delete pictures while fun is being had?!

new table!!

Matt and the girls ran down to Smicksburg to pick up our table this morning. We went down just after Christmas and had ordered it made with lumber that Matt got from the mill. My favorite feature is the legs. I think they turned out great, and they are just what I wanted!

Shelby took a couple during the assembly process...

We got two chairs with arms and 4 without.

The edges are 'gunboat' so they are slightly rounded instead of just rectangle. I like it.

Matt has always wanted a table made from 1/4 sawn white oak. So, that is what we had this made from. It turned out great. I think we'll like it for a long time! :)

Damien...

The girls took these pictures...I'm not sure I can explain them all! :)

Easter Geodes

The Easter Bunny brought geodes for the girls. They had fun cracking them open this after noon.

She's a nut, but they enjoyed trying to open them. One was really tough and Daddy had to get the sledge hammer out and he helped!

A very uncooperative Colesy "posing" for a picture of her hair cut. She insists on pony tails. I'm not sure why we got it cut (it was supposed to relieve the pony tails). However, I was able to talk her into leaving it down one morning. And then I went for the camera and she ran from me. What a goose!

I think it is cute, and much more managable, but she still likes the pony tail.

Engine

Tim came over to "check it out".

Uncle Charlie found this hit and miss engine somewhere - I'm not clear on the details. Hw fixed it up and got it to work and then gave it to Matt. It is a 1.75 hp. That is all I know! :)

today...

Another beautiful day here in Pennsylvania. Matt had to work today to make up for missing yesterday.
He had a long day today, but I think it was worth it for the amount of fun we had yesterday.
So, off he went before breakfast and then us girls got up. I threw a load of laundry in the washer and then we were off to church for their program practice. I thought it was an hour and a half long, but turns out it was 2 and 1/2!!! I got a ton of things done!
They got a coupon in their report card for a free taco from Taco Bell, so we swung through the drive through and got tacos and breanos and came home and had a picnic on the porch. We just get a nice breeze there!
After lunch, we hung out in the hammock for a while and then decided to get the bikes out and head for the park. (I said we had to go to the library first so Mama could read while they played at the park.) We took the long way home when we left the park and shortly after we got home, Matt did too.
We ran over to Uncle Charlie's house to pick up an old hit and miss engine that Charlie had been working on, and wanted to give to Matt. Then we came home for dinner....
Grilled filet's and asparagus and of course favorite noodles. And fresh delivcious strawberries for dinner. We were going to have a fire, but the new engine was distracting and we used "our" time playing with that. (I really didnt mind).
Now we are all ready for bed and tired, but content.

Tomorrow is Easter and I find such peace and reassurance in the fact that I KNOW my Savior is risen. He is risen indeed.

There is comfort in having lost Connie on this holiday. I'm so glad. I can't begin to fathom the pain of having no hope.

The Handels are coming for a visit next weekend before heading out across the pond for their 2 year stint in Europe. Can't wait to see them, and see the kids reunite with their friends. Miss them!

Shelby...

Well, our school is part of ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) and they do a lot of competitive things for the schools, and all grades. Last, well, I dont remember when it was, but we took a group of kids to Indiana, PA for the Geography Bee and we participate in the Spelling Bee and we also do a Creative Writing Festival. This year Shelby participated in it. You may submit in 2 categories if you want, and she did a poem and a short story. Once the writings are submitted, they are sent to various schools that participate and they are scored and then sent back to the host school. Superior is best, then Excellent, then Good, and then Satisfactory. Shelby got Excellent on BOTH! I was thrilled for her!
Also, both girls went to a Super Activity Day in Erie, Pa a couple of weeks ago. They have a big day up there with a Math comkpetition, Science Fair and a Speech Meet. There are a bunch of schools that participate in the day. Shelby got 4th place in the 4th grade math!! We're quite proud of her.

Ohio

I'm so far behind in posting anything.....

Two weekends ago (March 19) we went to Nelsons to watch Emily and Alexander while Nelson and Jenn went away for the weekend. We had a blast and the girls LOVE their cousins. Let me just say: Those are 2 of the happiest kids EVER! I love to watch them. They crack me up and are just a hoot, but are so good and smiley that my heart is full when I am there! :)
We got in Friday evening and were able to stay through Sunday late afternoon. It's nice to be close enough to do that. We had a really fun time.

Bikes

2 summers ago, we all got bikes. Mine is decent, Matt hated his (way too uncomfortable) and the girls just have cheapy Wal-mart ones. And by cheap, I mean "really?" They break all the time and we've had nothing but trouble with them. SO...
We went to town and got Matt a nice new bike that he loves. And we got one for Shelby too... but they had to order it, so she had to wait a week to get hers. We wanted to get Colesy one too, but they were $$$ and we felt that she could wait til maybe next summer. However, she blew a tire yesterday about 100 yards from the truck. That was a fiasco! And so we thought we could give her Shelby's old one, but the pedals randomly lock up.... and Colesy has not complained ONCE about her old falling apart bike(s). So, shhhhhh, but today while they were at church practicing for their Children's Church program for tomorrow, I went and ordered a new one for her! I'm so excited to get it for her. They said it should be ready by next weekend.
But DONT tell her if you read this and see her before she gets it! :)

I'll try to get pictures of all the new ones soon....

Super fun day...

Yesterday was an amazing day. Easter weekend, so the kids and I had a half day on Thursday, and then dont have to be back to school until Tuesday!!!
I have lived here for 14 years now, and I have NEVER been to Parker Dam State Park. When I say that, I get the craziest, pity-ing looks from whomever hears me. It's starting to get embarrassing. When the weather report said that it would be near record highs for the long weekend, I made plans to take me and the girls up there on Friday. I mentioned my plans to Matt and he said :Wish I could go" and shortly after that, reported to me that "I took the day off!!!"
So, Friday morning, I packed a picnic! (It was yummy! :) and then we packed up the bicycles and loaded up the truck, and off we went. (It's only about 30 minutes from here!)
We rode bikes, and hiked before lunch and then we had our picnic and then Matt and I relaxed in the shade while the girls played on the beach and in the water. We enjoyed watching them.
After a while, Brad Becky and the 3 younger boys came and showed us a neat trail/walkway. We saw fish and a blue heron. It was beautiful.

Of course, as you probably know by now... I left my camera at home. I had had plans to take it, but oh well. I have pictures in my head that are just amazing! :)

After our walk/hike we came home, sunburned and exhausted, but happy and refreshed.