Pumpkin Painting

'Tis the season to Paint Pumpkins!

Last Saturday we spent some time with just a few of our friends painting pumpkins and enjoying brunch together. Time goes by too fast and we never spend enough time with those we love and care about.

PUMPKINS TO PAINT

Anieszka'a work of art. The colors were bright and beautiful.

Jonathon, Elisha & Chayenne (Mark is sitting in the background)

FOOD TO EAT

Isn't this the most beautiful fruit bowl you have ever seen? Lance cut and arranged the fruit without any instruction from me. He always impresses me!

Jonathon's New Best Buddy

Emmitt loves Jonathon & loves to be where ever Jonathon is.

Today Jonathon was doing his class work and Emmitt jumped up into Jonathon's lap and turned around to watch him write. I think we have two 6th graders in the house!

Can you see Grace?

They are best buddies and never sleep alone. They bring us such joy.

Jonathon's Silent Reading Time

Jonathon loves to read & now he has a reading buddy, Emmitt.

Emmitt is the cool cat - he has thumbs!!!!

Where Did the Time Go?

We have been experiencing a lot of firsts in our family recently. All of them revolve around Jonathon and the fact he is now a middle school student. That means 6th grade and membership in the middle school youth group at our church. (!)

I can't believe he is almost as tall as me and he won't stop growing!

Jonathon on his way to youth Sunday school for the first time.


My young man in true Blocher fashion ~ I love him!!

I Love Davina!

My friend Davina is an awesome lady who has touched my life in tremendous ways.

She was in India last week on a mission trip and now she is in America where she is moving to and starting another chapter of her life with her husband and daughters in North Dakota.

On her way back through Germany to America, Lance, Jonathon and I spent a little time with her in Frankfurt during her layover. The picture above was taken in the McDonald's in the Frankfurt train station.

I'll miss seeing Davina but take comfort in knowing she will always be my friend and sister!

A Scooting We Will Go

k. Please get out a pencil and a piece of paper and work the following equation:

1 hip-36 year old mom +
1 adventurous 11 year old +
2 foot-powered scooters +
1 dare from an 11 year old to a 36 year old to race =

Did you get this answer?

Yes. That's me after a fall on the sidewalk shortly after Jonathon challenged me to a race today. I was wearing a helmet but unfortunately I wasn't wearing knee pads or a chin pad.

I don't think anything is broken but yes it does hurt when I talk, eat, wiggle my nose, walk.

My friend Judy, who is an RN, came over and evaluated me. If I can't walk tomorrow I'll go to the doctor.

For tonight I'll lay on the couch completely bored with my leg elevated and a bag of frozen brussel sprouts on my chin.

This really is depressing because tonight is the first night of the youth's Wednesday night supper ministry at the church that I am managing. Or suppose to be managing. My heros, Lance and Jonathon, are there now with my co-manager cooking up Sloppy J's for a bunch of hungry teenagers.

Lance is a great nurse-maid but he can't help but laugh a little. I plan to be on the treadmill tomorrow morning. Atleast that is my type-A goal. Sitting around just isn't my style!

Just Jonathon

I love my son. He is talented, creative, artistic, and one of the loves of my life.

He brightens every day with his laughter and sense of humor.

I am honored and thankful to be his mama.

My Jonathon

Julian ~ FCK's #1 Fan!!!

Our friend, Julian, LOVES the German soccer team, FCK.

FCK is a local, international team and he is a 15 year-old season ticket holder.

One of the team's goalies, Luis Robles, and his wife worship at our church. Kara was Jonathon's crew leader during VBS earlier this month. Jonathon really liked her as she is very kind and tender hearted. Jonathon asked Kara if her husband would sign a soccer ball for him and for his friend, FCK's #1 fan. Not only did her husband sign the balls, most of the team did.

Last night while our friends were at our home, Jonathon gave Julian his ball. The look on Julian's face is worth a thousand words. (Julian has a piece of grass from FCK's stadium in his back yard and is cultivating it and keeping the seeds so one day his yard ~ when he owns a home~ will be covered in FCK grass. No joke. He LOVES FCK!)

VBS Day 5

VBS has been over for a couple of weeks but I wanted to share our last day with you. I had such a great, relaxed week and am thankful I was able to serve Jesus through acting like a *little* crazy character named Skeeter. I loved every minute of it!

On Friday Skeeter played a joke on her acting partner, Ginger. I pretended to have caught a bird to take care of but everyone knew that Skeeter couldn't take care of a bird, even with his eyes closed! So at the end of the skit, I raised a cooler above Ginger's head in hopes the children would think water would come out and be very surprised when feathers floated out. As you can see in the last picture, they didn't float out so I had to dump them out. Skeeter learned that although she couldn't take care of a bird, that God always takes care of us. How true that is!!

The Feathers Waiting to be Set Free

Ginger kept trying to peak in and see what I really had in the cooler (even though she knew).

Me taking my bird on a simulated roller coaster ride with my eyes closed and "accidentally" dumping them on Ginger's head.

Me having to help the feathers out of the cooler.

My hero and the church handy man, Dave Bulen. He recommended collecting the feathers in his leaf blower instead of me picking up each one by hand. He is a smart man!