The Rabens Family

Madison's Hero!

2012-01-27T21:51:00.002-05:00

Madison wrote:

Firefighters put out fires for us and they are heroes. My daddy is a hero too. My daddy is a doctor and that is why I think that my daddy is a hero. I love my daddy so much!

Madison's Homeschool Week 17:

	Monday 1/23/2012	Tuesday 1/24/2012	Wednesday 1/25/2012	Thursday 1/26/2012	Friday 1/27/2012
Bible	David Plays His Harp	David and the Giant	Application Story: “Nothing Too Big”	David Runs for His Life	Application Story: “Color It with Love”
Morning Meeting
Writing/Journal
Shurley Grammar	Chapter 15 Lesson 6	Chapter 15 Lesson 7	Chapter 16 Lessons 1 & 2	Chapter 16 Lessons 3 & 4	Chapter 16 Lessons 5 & 6
Morning Center
Saxon Phonics	Lesson 81: The Rule v’/cv	Lesson 82: Suffixes -ful, -ness	Lesson 83: Final, Stable Syllable -tion	Lesson 84: Sight Words (Part 6)	Lesson 85: Assessment 17
Spelling
Lunch/Recess
D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.
Saxon Math	Lesson 81: Writing a Three-Digit Number for a Model	Lesson 82: Identifying and Writing Addition and Subtraction Fact Families	Lesson 83: Subtraction Facts-Differences of 1, 2, and 9	Lesson 84: Telling and Showing Time to Five-Minute Intervals	Lesson 85: Assessment 16
Afternoon Center	Music	iPad	Drama	DS	FREE CHOICE
Science		Lesson 47: Healthy Bones & Lesson 48: Muscles and Joints		Chapter 8 Review & Chapter 8 Test
Social Studies	Lesson 31: Schools in America		Lesson 32: Learning to Read		Lesson 33: The Hornbook

Jocelyn's Homeschool Week 17:

	Monday 1/23/2012	Tuesday 1/24/2012	Wednesday 1/25/2012	Thursday 1/26/2012	Friday 1/27/2012
Bible	David Plays His Harp	David and the Giant	Application Story: “Nothing Too Big”	David Runs for His Life	Application Story: “Color It with Love”
Morning Meeting
Saxon Phonics	Lesson 129: Digraph ch	Lesson 130: Review	Lesson 131: Review	Lesson 132: Review	Lesson 133: Combination ar
Shurley Grammar	Chapter 19 Lessons 1 & 2	Chapter 19 Lesson 3	Chapter 19 Lesson 4	Chapter 19 Lesson 5	Chapter 19 Test
Writing/Journal
Morning Center
Lunch/Recess
D.E.A.R.	Word List 27	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.
Afternoon Center	Music	iPad	Drama	DS	FREE CHOICE
Saxon Math	Lesson 46: Ordering Containers by Volume	Lesson 47: Counting by 2’s	Lesson 48: Telling Time to the Hour	Lesson 49: Identifying Numbers to 20	Lesson 50: Assessment 9
Science		Lesson 47: Healthy Bones & Lesson 48: Muscles and Joints		Chapter 8 Review & Chapter 8 Test
Social Studies	Lesson 31: Schools in America		Lesson 32: Learning to Read		Lesson 33: The Hornbook

Gotcha Day!

2012-01-25T20:24:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrated Jocelyn's 5th Gotcha Day!

We decided to go on the Le Barge Sightseeing & Nature Boat Tour.

Jocelyn was so happy to have Grandaddy and Miss Regina come on the boat with us.

Time to set sail!

Enjoying a beautiful day on the boat with Miss Regina.

Mommy couldn't be happier that Jocelyn is part of our family forever!

Grandaddy enjoyed showing us all of the houses he has built and...

the house he is currently building on Bird Key.

Jocelyn enjoyed her special boat trip and even got to see some dolphins.

What a beautiful day in Sarasota, Florida!

Jocelyn picked a cookie cake for her special dessert.

Sweet Sisters!

Madison made Jocelyn a special card for her Gotcha Day.

She drew mermaids and ladybugs inside of it, since those are Jocelyn's two favorite things.

Madison also got her sister a baby Zhu Zhu.

Uncle Kyle came over to celebrate and gave Jocelyn a new Scooby-Doo movie to watch on our long drive home.

Grandma and Grandaddy got Jocelyn The Jetson's Movie.

Mommy and Daddy got Jocelyn a few more movies for the long ride home and a new ladybug sprinkler for some fun in the sun the next time we visit Grandma and Grandaddy's house.

My Bug!

2012-01-24T22:27:00.003-05:00

The girls have been begging Grandaddy to get "Herbie" out of the garage. They fell in love with the car after watching the "Herbie" movies with Grandaddy.

Maybe someday it will be "My Bug!"

Chuck E. Cheese!

2012-01-23T16:41:00.012-05:00

Today we went to Chuck E. Cheese with Nana and Pop!

We all enjoyed watching the show and...

getting some snuggles!

Time to play some games!

Everyone had FUN!

Madison

Jocelyn

Sisters

The girls had a great time at Chuck E. Cheese!

Day at the Beach!

2012-01-22T20:03:00.009-05:00

Today we all went to the beach.

Madison enjoyed playing putt-putt at the beach.

Jocelyn wished Daddy was there to help her play. ;)

We all enjoyed walking the beach and finding shells.

Uncle Kyle helped the girls build a sandcastle.

Memorial Service

2012-01-21T19:07:00.000-05:00

Today was the memorial service for my grandfather.

We are so glad we could be there to celebrate my grandfather's life.

He loved the Lord, his family, and his country.

The service was at The Tabernacle.

Great Grandma loved having the girls close to hug and love on when she was feeling sad.

She loved seeing all of the old pictures and remembering the wonderful times she had with her husband.

My dad enjoyed having all three of his children together with his mother.

Sylina did a puzzle with the girls after we enjoyed dinner together as a family.

In honor of Great Grandpa, Grandaddy and Uncle Kyle taught the girls how to play pool.

We will miss getting to play pool with Grandpa, but I am sure he was smiling down from heaven as he watched the girls playing.

Jocelyn had to stick her tongue out in order to play pool. ;)

The Life Story of Robert Poffenbarger

2012-01-21T07:27:00.003-05:00

Robert Merlin Poffenbarger was born July 29, 1927. His parents, Homer and Fern lived in Mt. Pulaski, an Illinois farming community. They were hardworking share croppers. Bob really enjoyed growing up on the farm. He did not have siblings until he was seven years old. First to arrive was his sister Myrna. She was followed by brother Jack 19 months later. Another sister Luberta came just 12 months after that. We're sure Bob had lots of adjustments to make going from an only child, but they were all close and it was nice to even up the family; two boys and two girls.

After High School, Bob joined the Navy in 1945, during World War II. He wasn't sent overseas and served his time at Great Lakes. It was there that he met the love of his life Bertha May Baker at a dance. The handsome sailor swept the beautiful seventeen year old off her feet and they were married in a little country church on Bob's nineteenth birthday in 1946. Soon after Bob was discharged from the Navy and they moved back to the farm with Bob's family. Three years later Bob and Bert were blessed with a healthy baby boy, Larry David.

Larry like Bob had a great childhood growing up on the farm. However, due to health reasons the family needed to move to a warmer climate. The Poffenbarger family moved to Sarasota, Florida in 1956. Since there were not many farming opportunities here Bob changed occupations. He used his other talent and started working in construction. He quickly gained a reputation as an honest, dependable hardworking employee. Bob always took pride in the jobs he was on and was known as a perfectionist. It better be plumb or level or it would have to be done again. Working full-time wasn't enough, Bob also built many spec houses over the years. In the early days most of these jobs were close to where they lived and his son Larry was his helper. Larry started learning the trade and working beside his Dad at the age of eleven.

In 1958 God again blessed Bob and Bert, this time with a beautiful baby girl, Twila Annette. As the family grew so did God's direction for their lives. Bert saw her need for a Savior watching a Billy Graham Crusade. God used a Christian coworker of Bob's to draw him to the Lord. Ezra Layman always showed the joy of the Lord and openly sang praises on job sites. Most construction workers mocked or ignored him but the Holy Spirit really used him to touch Bob's heart. Bob also accepted Jesus Christ and soon he and his family were attending The Tabernacle in 1959 with Ezra's family. That sweet friendship has lasted over the years and even touched the Poffenbarger's next generation. As a family it was hard for us to learn that Bob and Ezra's wife, Margaret, went home to be with the Lord just two days apart. What a beautiful reunion they must be having in heaven.

Bob considered it a privilege to supervise the construction of The Tabernacle Church built here on DeSoto Road and dedicated on July 4, 1976. The opportunity to serve with his brothers in Christ along with using his talents to build a house of worship was very special. Bob then faithfully served the body at The Tabernacle as an usher for many years. That is why it means so much to our family to be able to have Bob's Memorial Service here on this property filled with wonderful memories. Thank you.

There was a time when Bob and Larry worked together and built condos in Wildewood Springs and Spring Lakes. Many relationships were made with their employees and subcontractors on those jobs. Not only did they build a quality product, they accomplished it in record time. Looking back on it those were good years. After the condos were built out Larry moved on to other jobs and Twila started working with Bob on remodels at the complex.

Larry and Twila are thankful for their Christian parents and the example they set. Larry gave his parents three grandchildren, daughters Sylina and Brittney and a son Kyle. Twila added two grandchildren, daughter Natasha and son David. We have many fond memories of Holidays at Grandpa and Grandma's house. We were always together for Easter and Christmas Eve not to mention family birthdays throughout the year.

Retirement years for Bob brought Great Grandchildren. First was Cassie. Her mother Sylina brought her for a visit from Illinois in 1994 when she was two years old. Bob and Bert jumped right into their new role as Great Grandparents. Natasha had the first Great Grandson when Devin was born in 1995. Bob and Bert kept Devin during the day when he was a baby. They were so proud of him and enjoyed their time together. In August of that year Ginger, Cassie's little sister was born. We met her that Christmas when she was only four months old. Devin's little brother, Justin was born in 1998. Looked like greats came in pairs. Tradition held with the addition of Brittney's daughters Madison in 2005 followed by Jocelyn in 2006. David's wife is expecting a son in a few months. We will all be sure to tell him about his Great Grandpa Bob.

Bob had a full life but I'm sure he wasn't expecting how it would end. Almost two years ago we started noticing memory and behavior changes. They were subtle to start but unfortunately they got worse. It's so hard to watch your loved one change from the person you knew. As a family there were difficult times with this illness. However, we held on to God's promise to see us through. Close friends of ours have shared with us during this experience that God is a light to our path. In His mercy He takes us on these journeys and only reveals light enough for one step at a time because He wants us to trust Him. We are so very thankful that Bob is at peace now ans has a new mind. We will miss you Bob but we know that you are truly home and we will see you again one day.

Robert Merlin Poffenbarger

Oldest of four children

Graduation

U.S. Navy

Married Bertha May Baker

Bert, Bob, Len and Bess

Farmer Bob

Larry

(son)

Four Generations

Siblings

Siblings and their spouses

Twila

(daughter)

Daddy's little girl

Bowled a perfect game on July 17, 1967.

Sylina

(1st granddaughter)

Larry's Best Man

Natasha

(2nd Granddaughter)

Brittney

(3rd Granddaughter)

Kyle

(1st Grandson)

Four Male Poffs

David

(2nd Grandson)

Lover and Lovee!

Dance partners for life!

Poff Construction

Brothers

Cassie

(1st Great Granddaughter)

Devin

(1st Great Grandson)

Shepherd at the Living Nativity!

Ginger

(2nd Great Granddaughter)

5oth Wedding Anniversary

Justin

(2nd Great Grandson)

Four Generations

Madison

(3rd Great Granddaughter)

60th Wedding Anniversary

Jocelyn

(4th Great Granddaughter)

We miss you, but look forward to seeing you in heaven.

Love always,

Your Family

Angels Surround Great Grandpa!

2012-01-15T13:53:00.022-05:00

My grandfather's health has been declining for awhile now. Although he struggled with severe memory issues, God blessed him with the ability to recognize his family. We are so grateful that we got to visit with him over the holidays. His health took a turn for the worse this week and he had to be hospitalized. Needless to say, he was in our thoughts and prayers all week. The other night Jocelyn prayed that "angels would surround Great Grandpa." Then this morning, we got the call that angels took Great Grandpa to heaven last night. Although we are sad that he is no longer with us, we rejoice in the fact that we will all be reunited in heaven someday.

My grandparents were married for 65 years!

What an example their love and marriage is to our entire family.

They had two kids!

Grandpa loved being a Great Grandpa!

Four Generations!

Grandpa loved playing golf and...

shooting pool!

The girls and I are so happy that we got to visit with him less than a month ago for the holidays.

I will miss seeing Grandpa all dressed up for Christmas,

but am so thankful that we got to spend this last Christmas with him.

I am sure there will be many more pictures and memories to share over the next few weeks, as the girls and I head back down to Florida for a celebration of life honoring my grandfather. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for our family during this time.

I found this poem today and am rejoicing in the fact that my Grandfather is FREE!

I'M FREE

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free.

I'm following the path God laid, you see.

I took His hand when I heard him call.

I turned around and left it all.

I could not stay another day,

I've found peace this very day.

If my parting has left a void,

Then fill it with remembered joys.

A family shared, a laugh, a kiss,

Oh yes, these things, I too, will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow.

I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.

My life's been full, I savored much

Good friends, good times, a loved one's touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all to brief.

Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.

Lift up your hearts and peace to thee.

God wanted me now: He set me free.

Unknown

Our Day in Richmond!

2012-01-13T20:42:00.001-05:00

Clay and I took the girls on a field trip to the Children's Museum and Science Museum in Richmond, Virginia.

Our little hatching "dino"girls!

The girls riding a "longneck"!

Jocelyn riding a "three-horn"!

The girls were busy uncovering dinosaur bones!

Time to pick some apples!

Madison climbing in the "spooky cave"!

Oh no, where is her body!?!

What a fun day in Richmond!

Madison's Homeschool Week 16:

	Monday 1/9/2012	Tuesday 1/10/2012	Wednesday 1/11/2012	Thursday 1/12/2012	Friday 1/13/2012
Bible	The Israelites Want a King	God Chooses Saul	King Saul’s Reign	Application Story: “To Obey Is Better”	God Chooses a Shepherd Boy
Morning Meeting
Writing/Journal
Shurley Grammar	Chapter 15 Lesson 1	Chapter 15 Lesson 2	Chapter 15 Lesson 3	Chapter 15 Lesson 4	Chapter 15 Lesson 5
Morning Center
Saxon Phonics	Lesson 76: g that sounds like j	Lesson 77: Trigraph dge	Lesson 78: Spelling with dge and ge	Lesson 79: Spelling with ch and tch	Lesson 80: Assessment 16
Spelling
Lunch/Recess
D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.
Saxon Math	Lesson 76: Using the Addition Algorithm (Part 2)	Lesson 77: Representing and Writing Mixed Numbers	Lesson 78: Ordering Three-Digit Numbers	Lesson 79: Representing Three-Digit Numbers Pictorially	Lesson 80: Assessment 15
Afternoon Center	Music	iPad	Drama	DS	FREE CHOICE
Science	Lesson 44: What Are Bones?		Lesson 45: Bones Protect		Lesson 46: More About Bones
Social Studies		Lesson 30: Planning a Town		Chapter 6 Review & Chapter 6 Test

Jocelyn's Homeschool Week 16:

	Monday 1/9/2012	Tuesday 1/10/2012	Wednesday 1/11/2012	Thursday 1/12/2012	Friday 1/13/2012
Bible	The Israelites Want a King	God Chooses Saul	King Saul’s Reign	Application Story: “To Obey Is Better”	God Chooses a Shepherd Boy
Morning Meeting
Saxon Phonics	Lesson 125: a consonant e	Lesson 126: o consonant e	Lesson 127: i consonant e	Lesson 128: u consonant e	Lesson 128: e consonant e
Shurley Grammar	Chapter 18 Lessons 1 & 2	Chapter 18 Lesson 3	Chapter 18 Lesson 4	Chapter 18 Lesson 5	Chapter 18 Test
Writing/Journal
Morning Center
Lunch/Recess
D.E.A.R.	Word List 26	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.	D.E.A.R.
Afternoon Center	Music	iPad	Drama	DS	FREE CHOICE
Saxon Math	Lesson 41: Addition Facts- Adding Zero	Lesson 42: Covering a Design in Different Ways	Lesson 43: Counting by 10’s to 100	Lesson 44: Subtraction Facts- Subtracting One	Lesson 45: Assessment 8
Science	Lesson 44: What Are Bones?		Lesson 45: Bones Protect		Lesson 46: More About Bones
Social Studies		Lesson 30: Planning a Town		Chapter 6 Review & Chapter 6 Test

Jocelyn Lost her 2nd Tooth!

2012-01-04T23:48:00.007-05:00

Jocelyn wanted to show everyone that she lost her 2nd tooth on the exact same day that Madison lost her 1st tooth a year ago. What are the odds of that? ;)

Her adult tooth was already coming in and helped push out her baby tooth.

She is so happy to have two baby teeth in her ladybug tooth box.

Daddy made her a Key Lime Pie for a special treat. Key Lime Pie is Jocelyn's favorite non-chocolate dessert. ;)

Our 2011

2012-01-01T19:16:00.000-05:00

Here is the annual end-of-the-year recap. You can click here to see 2008, 2009, and 2010 in pictures.

January 2011

Madison lost her 1st tooth!

We welcomed Mr. Lance home from his deployment!

Holly Hope Rabens joined our family!

We celebrated Jocelyn's Gotcha Day!

February 2011

We enjoyed some snow!

We spent Valentine's Day weekend at Great Wolf Lodge!

We celebrated my 32nd Valentine Birthday!

Clay and I attended a Sacred Marriage Conference in Williamsburg.

We hiked the Noland Trail together as a family!

March 2011

The girls planted a garden with Daddy!

Jocelyn became an Aunt!

The girls got new bikes for St. Patrick's Day!

The girls rode in the Trike-a-Thon for St. Jude's Children's Hospital!

Madison lost her 2nd tooth!

April 2011

My Great Aunt Bessie passed away.

I took the girls to the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus!

We got to spend Easter with Daddy!

The girls and I spent a relaxing weekend at Cape Henry Inn!

We picked lots of strawberries at Wood's Orchard!

May 2011

Clay got his WINGS!

Mommy got breakfast in bed for Mother's Day!

Clay survived his SERE training!

(Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training)

June 2011

Jocelyn graduated from Preschool!

Grandma and Grandaddy came to visit us and we went to the Great Wolf Lodge!

Clay crossed over from Family Medicine to Flight Medicine!

We celebrated Madison's 6th Birthday!

God provided a car for Miss Shayla!

The girls went to Vacation Bible School for the first time!

July 2011

We took the girls to Sesame Place!

We celebrated Daddy's 32nd birthday in Philadelphia!

We got to see the Liberty Bell!

We went to the Philadelphia Zoo!

We also went to the Please Touch Museum!

We celebrated Jocelyn's 5th birthday and Jude's 4th birthday!

I sewed the girls some tank dresses!

August 2011

Madison started her 1st grade year and Jocelyn started her Kindergarten year at Homeschool!

The girls got a haircut and Jocelyn lost all of her curls. :(

We experienced our first earthquake!

Hurricane Irene was headed for Hampton, Virginia, so Clay had to evacuate with the jets to Indiana.

The girls and I evacuated to Nana and Pop's house in North Carolina!

September 2011

We were without power for a week after Hurricane Irene. We made the best of it and enjoyed snuggling by candlelight!

Nana and Pop stopped by for a quick visit. We all went to see Disney on Ice!

October 2011

We went to the Norfolk Children's Festival with Nana and Pop!

We went to the Green Hand Farm in Gloucester, Virginia!

We picked apples at the Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville, Virginia!

We rented a cabin at the Bluestone State Park in the mountains of West Virginia with our friends the Blacks and Swartz!

We also enjoyed a day at Pipestem Resort State Park in West Virginia with our friends!

We went to the Hunt Club Farm Pumpkin Patch in Virginia Beach for the first time!

We spent a day at Wood's Pumpkin Patch in Hampton!

We decorated the van for Trunk or Treating at church this year!

The "Super Sisters" enjoyed Trick-or-Treating around the neighborhood this Halloween!

November 2011

Grandma flew to Virginia to spend a few days with us before we made the long drive down to Florida.

We took the girls to the Jamestown Settlement!

The girls and I arrived at Grandma and Grandaddy's house aka "Camp Poff" for our six week stay!

We attended the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Edwards!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and got to meet Uncle Kyle's girlfriend, Miss Amanda and her boys for the first time.

December 2011

Jocelyn lost her 1st tooth!

Grandaddy and I took the girls to the Showfolks Circus!

Grandma, Grandaddy and I took the girls to Dinosaur World in Plant City!

The girls got to their picture with "Santa Steve"!

The girls discovered that they LOVE fishing with Grandaddy!

We went to Alex's 4th Monster Truck birthday party in Orlando!

We took the girls to the Living Nativity at the Tabernacle!

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas in Florida!

Clay and I celebrated our 10th anniversary with a trip to Sanibel!

We took the girls to meet Winter at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium!

We LOVED spending the last six weeks of 2011 in Florida at Grandma and Grandaddy's house.

We are looking forward to what the Lord has for us in 2012!

Family Time in Florida!

2012-01-01T13:40:00.000-05:00

We are all sad that our family time in Florida is coming to an end. We LOVE being close to family and continue to pray that someday we will get to move near them again.

We are all going to miss Grandma and Grandaddy very much!

We are so grateful that we got to spend so much time with them though.

The girls and I can't believe how quickly the six weeks went.

We are glad that Daddy could join us for the last few weeks of our time in Florida.

Clay took the girls to visit Mimi, while I started packing.

The girls enjoyed playing shuffleboard.

They are going to miss Mimi, but our looking forward to coming back in March to celebrate her 90th birthday!

Mimi and Clay!

Madison, Mimi and Clay!

Jocelyn, Mimi and Clay!

The girls are going to miss Nana and Pop too.

Pop, Nana and Clay!

Pop, Madison, Nana, and Clay!

Jocelyn, Pop, Nana, and Clay!

We LOVE you all and will look forward to seeing everyone in March!

Visiting Winter!

2011-12-31T20:30:00.000-05:00

Ever since the girls saw the movie Dolphin Tale, they have wanted to go see Winter.

So we took them to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to meet Winter.

The night before we went we watched the movie again in 3-D at Grandma and Grandaddy's house. Grandma and Grandaddy were hoping to meet the other stars of the movie. ;)

Madison was so excited about meeting Winter!

Jocelyn was looking forward to seeing ALL of the animals.

We made our way to the Winter Zone and...

saw WINTER!

We also got to see stingrays and...

pet them!

We really enjoyed a dolphin show by Nicholas the dolphin!

The girls LOVED getting to meet Winter!

When we finished seeing everything at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, we took the trolley to Downtown Clearwater. We enjoyed eating lunch downtown before heading to the Dolphin Tale Experience which showcased lots of the props from the movie.

The girls played tons of games.

Madison loves to fish just like her Grandaddy.

Grandma and the dolphin!

Daddy's new favorite saying...

"Don't Let Dr. Clay Down!"

Winter and Dr. Clay!

Grandma and Grandaddy got each of the girls their very own Winter to take home.

10th Anniversary in Sanibel!

2011-12-29T16:44:00.000-05:00

Grandma and Grandaddy were kind to watch the girls so that Clay and I could get away for a few days to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.

We stayed at the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa.

We had fun walking the beach and picking out shells to take back to the girls. Unfortunately, we saw lots of dead fish because of Red Tide.

We enjoyed some beautiful sunsets!

It is hard to believe that it has been 10 years already. We are looking forward to many more years together.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T22:41:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

This year we enjoyed a wonderful Christmas in Florida with our family.

We are so happy that Daddy could fly down to be with us for Christmas.

Daddy got a new 3 wood for Christmas.

Daddy got lots of kisses under the mistletoe.

Grandaddy got some new games for his Wii.

The girls enjoyed helping Grandma open her...

6 gift cards from Grandaddy!

The girls LOVE their talking Mary and Jesus dolls from Mommy and Daddy!

The girls couldn't wait to play with their Ocean, Farm, and Dinosaur ZipBins from Mommy and Daddy.

The girls also got cases to hold their American Girl Dolls.

The girls can't wait to play their new Scooby-Doo games.

Madison and her new Barbie Airplane!

The girls also got new luggage from Grandma and Grandaddy.

Grandma couldn't wait to open her special gift that the girls made for her at the pottery place.

She LOVES it!

BIG Kisses!

Grandma is going to use her mug everyday!

We can't wait to get Grandma some flowers for her new vase.

Kyle, Amanda and the boys came over just in time for lunch. They are looking forward to playing tennis together soon with the new tennis rackets we got them for Christmas.

Madison got a Barbie movie and new Barbie from Uncle Kyle.

Jocelyn got a new Barbie and a Scooby-Doo puzzle from Uncle Kyle.

Uncle Kyle was sad about his "This is the Way I Roll" Snuggie, until...

he figured out he could put his "yard of beef" and mustard in the pockets.

Uncle Kyle liked all of his new FSU stuff.

Uncle Kyle will be a lean, mean fighting machine with his new George Forman.

Miss Amanda gave Grandma her ugly sweater. ;)

Uncle Kyle gave Grandma a new ironing board.

Time for a marshmallow gun fight!

Girls vs. Boys!

Time for the annual Santa Look Alike Contest!

Santa Jocelyn!

Santa Madison and Santa Jocelyn!

Santa Jocelyn, Santa Bobby, and Santa Madison!

The Angel of the Lord, Mary and Baby Jesus!

The Star, Angel, Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus!

What a wonderful Christmas with family and friends!

Thank you Grandma and Grandaddy for a wonderful Christmas. We loved getting to be here for Christmas this year.

Thank you Mamaw and Papaw for the Pee-Wee Pillow Pets. The girls love them!

Thank you Uncle Kyle for the new Barbie stuff and Scooby-Doo puzzle.

Thank you Amanda and the boys for the new Disney Fairies, Barbie stuff and stockings.

Christmas Eve with the Poffs!

2011-12-24T15:44:00.000-05:00

This morning the girls made their birthday cakes for Jesus!

Madison with her birthday cake for Jesus!

Jocelyn with her birthday cake for Jesus!

My cousin David, his wife Julie and her son Garrett were able to be here for Christmas Eve. They are expecting a baby boy in April.

The girls with Great Grandma!

Aunt Twila and Mark with the girls!

Aunt Twila and Mark got the girls a fun new game for Christmas.

After lunch we took everyone fishing. Only Daddy could caught a fist upside down. ;)

Christmas Eve with the Rabens!

2011-12-24T10:29:00.001-05:00

We got all dressed up for Christmas Eve with Nana, Pop and Mimi.

Nana and Pop with the girls.

Mimi and the girls.

Madison and Jocelyn!

Jocelyn got an American Girl doll from Nana and Pop!

Jocelyn LOVES Rebecca!

We enjoyed some chocolate fondue for dessert.

Thank you so much, Nana and Pop. The girls love their Dollie & Me clothes, craft kits, and jewelry boxes.

Thank you so much, Mimi! The girls love their new sweaters.

Thank you so much, Uncle Guy, Aunt Nelda, Mia and Blayke. The girls love their new Dollie & Me clothes, pajamas and slippers.

Christmas Eve Eve

2011-12-23T22:23:00.001-05:00

Christmas Eve will be different this year. I won't get to see my Grandpa dressed in his festive Christmas suit.

Instead, we visited him on Christmas Eve Eve at the secured Memory Unit he now lives in. It is really hard to see him like this, but we are going to cherish the time we have with him before he goes to be with the Lord.

Once it got dark, we went with Nana and Mimi to look at Christmas lights and luminaries down by the waterfront. They use to take Daddy and Uncle Guy when they were little, so they really enjoyed getting to take the girls. When we got back the girls got to open their gift from Uncle Donn and Aunt Wendy. The girls love their new Groovy Girls. Madison got a ballerina and Jocelyn got a mermaid.

Christmas with Miss Regina!

2011-12-21T20:40:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrated Christmas with Miss Regina!

My mom has been Regina's "big sister" for years now.

Regina really liked the purple suitcase that my mom got her for Christmas. Now they just need to plan a trip to Virginia to visit us. ;)

My mom and Regina get together once a week to just hang out together. It is hard to believe that Regina is in college already.

My mom loved the new sweater and K-cups that Regina got her for Christmas.

I let the girls open a few gifts too. They can't wait to start using their new Disney Princess and Fairy Tervis Tumblers and DSi Nerf covers.

The girls treated Grandaddy to a Spa Day after a long day at work.

Spa Day!

2011-12-20T15:35:00.007-05:00

Madison got a pedicure set for Christmas from the Porter's & Edward's.

The girls couldn't wait to have a Spa Day!

Jocelyn is letting her toes dry while she sips on some Perrier.

Madison's pretty painted toes!

They even gave Uncle Kyle a turn. ;)

Thank You, Grandma Cathy!

2011-12-20T15:24:00.008-05:00

The girls were excited to get a Christmas package in the mail from Grandma Cathy (Jocelyn's birth grandmother)!

They LOVED the book and all the crafts!

They couldn't wait to paint their new boxes.

Jocelyn with her finished heart box!

Madison with her finished butterfly box!

Making Christmas Cookies

2011-12-20T15:12:00.008-05:00

This morning the girls helped me make Christmas Cookies.

Then they decorated the cookies with Great Grandma...

and Mamaw!

Our Christmas Cookies!

Four Generations

2011-12-19T18:52:00.000-05:00

Today we went with Grandaddy to visit Great Grandpa.

Jocelyn took a four generation picture of Great Grandpa, Grandaddy, Mommy and Madison.

Then Madison took a four generation picture of Great Grandpa, Grandaddy, Mommy and Jocelyn.

Happy 4th Birthday, Alex!

2011-12-18T22:42:00.000-05:00

Today we went to Alex's Monster Truck birthday party!

The kids loved jumping in the bounce house.

Madison found many ways to play with the inflated tires.

Peek-a-boo!

Lounging in the sun!

Each kid got their own little truck to wear and got to make their own license plate.

The girls are ready to play "Pin the License Plate on the Monster Truck!"

All four of them are ready to play.

The silly birthday boy!

All of the little monster trucks are ready to play.

Good try, Madison!

What a fun game!

All the monster trucks are ready for...

CAKE!

Happy 4th Birthday, Alex!

Thank you so much for inviting us to your party. We had LOTS of FUN!

Fishing with Grandaddy

2011-12-17T18:38:00.008-05:00

Grandaddy took the girls fishing at the little pond in their backyard. It took us awhile to figure out what to use for bait. First, we tried bologna, bacon and bread. Finally, we switched to roast beef and we started catching fish like crazy.

Madison and Grandaddy caught a little catfish.

Showing off our biggest catch of the day.

What a BIG fish for such a LITTLE pond!

The girls had so much fun catching their first fish. They can't wait to go fishing again.

Santa Steve (Again)!

2011-12-16T12:52:00.002-05:00

The girls were happy to see Santa Steve again!

Living Nativity

2011-12-15T21:52:00.010-05:00

The girls were so excited about going to the Living Nativity tonight, that they decided to have a "Stuffy Nativity" at home this afternoon.

Snowflake the white pony was the angel overlooking the manger scene.

Each stuffed animal was a different character.

Dots and Rainbow were shepherds watching the sheep.

The Dairy Fairy was just a plain cow in the fields.

Rudolph was the donkey.

Baby Jaguar, Scooby-Doo, and Cupid were the three wise men.

Joseph was played by Spikey.

Mary was played by Snuggle Puppy.

Baby Jesus was played by Summer and wrapped in toilet paper swaddling clothes.

Their excitement continued when they decided to dress up as Mary and an angel to go to the Living Nativity.

Mary, Baby Jesus and the Angel of the Lord!

The girls were amazed to see camels at the Living Nativity.

They loved seeing the angel fly in.

Jesus Christ is BORN!

Christmas at Grace!

2011-12-14T21:48:00.008-05:00

Tonight we went to Grandma and Grandaddy's church for the annual Christmas bonfire. The girls enjoyed getting to decorate cookies, roast marshmallows, and go on a hayride.

After the bonfire, we went to Grace Baptist Church to see an amazing Christmas light display set to music.

It was gorgeous!

We ate chocolate chip cookies, drank hot chocolate and enjoyed the Christmas lights and music.

The girls loved the nativity scene...

all lit up!

Santa Steve!

2011-12-11T21:11:00.002-05:00

The girls enjoyed getting their picture taken with one of Grandma and Grandaddy's friends that was dressed up like Santa.

Dinosaur World!

2011-12-11T20:40:00.008-05:00

Today we went to Dinosaur World!

The girls loved getting to see all of the life sized dinosaurs and getting to dig for fossils.

Showfolks Circus!

2011-12-10T19:02:00.006-05:00

Grandaddy and I took the girls to the Showfolks Circus this afternoon. The girls loved getting to goof around with the clowns.

It was a great show with...

tons of amazing acts.

All I Want For Christmas...

2011-12-09T15:14:00.006-05:00

is my 1st BIG tooth!

Jocelyn lost her 1st tooth this morning. Her bottom tooth has been wiggly for weeks. She told me this morning during breakfast that it felt funny. I checked the tooth and it was just hanging there. I took her to the bathroom and pulled it out. She cried for a second and didn't like seeing the blood, but once it stopped bleeding she was all smiles. She couldn't wait for her sister to wake up so she could show her.

We just picked up her Ladybug Tooth Box from the pottery store yesterday afternoon.

Jocelyn put her first tooth in her Ladybug Tooth Box. She can't wait to see what the Tooth Fairy gives her for her first tooth.

Bell Choir

2011-12-04T13:56:00.004-05:00

Today the girls performed in the Bell Choir at Grandma and Grandaddy's church.

Ladies' Christmas Tea

2011-12-03T23:28:00.001-05:00

This morning my mom, Amanda and I went to the annual Ladies' Christmas Tea at church. Each table was decorated with a different theme. Our table was a Coca-Cola theme.

Uncle Kyle was one of the servers.

Uncle Kyle and Miss Amanda at the Christmas Tea!

Uncle Kyle and Miss Amanda at an Ugly Sweater Party!

The girls got to spend the day with Grandaddy.

They LOVED their special time with Grandaddy.

Painting Pottery

2011-12-01T13:45:00.001-05:00

Today the girls and I went with Miss Regina to paint some pottery.

Jocelyn painted a ladybug box!

The girls also painted some special Christmas gifts. We want to keep them a surprise, so we can't show you pictures of them just yet.

Thanksgiving Weekend!

2011-11-27T18:54:00.015-05:00

This weekend we gave Grandaddy his Christmas gift early.

We can't wait to start playing.

It was a perfect weekend for flying kites.

Look how high!

Jocelyn loves her ladybug kite.

This weekend we got to meet Amanda's boys for the first time.

Alex is a year younger than Jocelyn.

Bobby is just a few months younger than Madison.

They all enjoyed watching a 3D movie at Grandma and Grandaddy's house.

The kids had a great time playing together.

Grandaddy and the boys enjoyed a ride on the golf cart.

The girls love riding in the golf cart with Grandaddy.

Grandma gave the kids a bag of old Christmas cards to cut up and make a collage.

The girls are looking forward to playing with the boys again soon.

Happy Birthday, Nana!

2011-11-25T14:23:00.008-05:00

We wish we could be with you to help you celebrate your birthday this year, but I hope you are having fun spending it with Daddy.

We are thankful for all of the birthdays we have gotten to celebrate with you in the past and are looking forward to many more.

We are sending you BIG birthday hugs and kisses!

The girls wanted to remind you of the cute song they sang with Daddy for your birthday last year. Hope you enjoy it again.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T23:40:00.000-05:00

Although we were sad that we didn't get to spend this Thanksgiving with Clay, we were happy that we got to spend it with my side of the family and Mimi (Clay's grandmother).

The girls loved getting to snuggle with their great grandparents.

After a delicious Thanksgiving feast, we played our traditional game of "Pin the Hat on the Turkey!" The girls look forward to it every year.

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving 2010

This year we went from youngest to oldest. Oops, the turkey is standing on Jocelyn's hat.

Oh no, Madison's hat looks like it blew off the turkey's head.

We have a WINNER!

Not only did Amanda (Kyle's girlfriend) win the game, but she is making her first appearance on the family blog.

Uncle Kyle's hat wanted to be close to Amanda's.

Grandma's hat was a little low.

Grandaddy didn't want Madison's hat to be lonely.

Great Grandma did pretty well.

Mamaw got her hat right on top of Amanda's.

Papaw missed by a little but...

Mimi missed by a lot. ;)

Grandma, Grandaddy, Amanda and I went Black Friday shopping while Uncle Kyle watched the girls.

Wedding

2011-11-19T23:50:00.029-05:00

Tonight the girls and I attended the wedding of a close family friend.

The happy couple!

Great Grandpa!

2011-11-18T17:40:00.000-05:00

Today we went to visit Great Grandpa (Grandaddy's father)!

Mamaw!

2011-11-17T22:20:00.000-05:00

Today we visited with Mamaw (Grandma's mom)!

Mimi!

2011-11-16T17:37:00.005-05:00

Today we went to visit Mimi (Clay's Grandmother).

We enjoyed getting to see her new place and the Thanksgiving Tree.

We had lunch at Pop's old restaurant.

Great Grandma!

2011-11-15T16:53:00.011-05:00

Today we went to visit Great Grandma (Grandaddy's mom).

The girls and I loved getting to see her new place.

I love how there is a younger picture of Great Grandma in the background of this picture.

Then we walked to the lake and watched the ducks.

Madison and Great Grandma snuggled on the bench.

We are looking forward to visiting with Great Grandma again very soon!