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Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
July - October ... WOW... that is a long time.
Well, I do believe pictures will say all of this better than I ever could. But here are some things that have been going on in RusselLand over the past few months.
July: we got home from the beach and enjoyed a few weeks before school began. We took the kids to LakeFest and had a BLAST. We finished the day with fireworks at the Moorings with the Gee and Lyon family. What a GREAT day! The month ended with VBS and Caedmon's birthday!! Holland Joye attended VBS... with all four kids out of the house for several hours each night Ryan and I decided that when they get older we are going to get season tickets to the Durham Bulls games to fill our time :) Caedmon had Levi, Josh, and Preston over for a sleepover... the end result was lots of WII and Lego playing and popcorn kernels ALL OVER THE FLOOR!
August: Justin and Caedmon along Preston Bright attended Lego Camp at Crossroad Christian. The girls & myself headed to Lynchburg for Adventure's with Oma! We went to Natural Bridge and Amazement Square, great places for any age. We all (Oma included) headed down to Monroe, NC for a visit with the Mayhorn ladies! WHAT FUN!! Kelli and I went out for sushi and drinks affording us some valuable time to catch up and have full conversations! Thanks Oma for watching the kids! Mom spent the next day visiting a friend who she hadn't seen in 40 years!! What fun!
Then school began for everyone. Caedmon is in 3rd grade, Justin & Athan are 1st graders, and Holland is doing 4yr old Kindergarten. Our day begins around 9. We turn off the phones and computer and do school til about 1:00. This year is going so well. I am so pleased with the kids and their diligence to honor God with their minds!!
A precious lady in our community has started a home school co-op we had such a marvelous time!! This month we are dissecting owl vomit!! It was so encouraging to see the other families in our area who home school and then have lunch at the park!
August also ushered in some very hard times for our family as Ryan's dad (Herman) was in the hospital for 5 weeks.
September began with the Maxwell's coming for a visit... always a fun time!! On the 7th we went to court for Justin's adoption. The judge granted us an interlocutory adoption. He is a Russell and the deal will be sealed in about six months! We are so thankful to Joye, Tammy T., and Bo who have been at EVERY hearing and have NEVER testified... but as the judge said "had someone walked through the doors of this court everything would have changed, and you would have been needed." So, we are praising God for unopened courtroom doors. I am so thankful for Justin and how God has graphed him into our family. Living life without him is unimaginable. I am thankful that in all of the unwise decisions that have been made for Justin that his "birth" mom choose to give birth to my son! So, I am thankful beyond words to God for his grace that was extended to Justin while he was still in his mother's womb. THANK YOU LORD!
As many of you already know that same day Joye was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. Sept. 7th was also Joye and Herman's 42nd wedding anniversary!! They spent it together in the hospital :( Herman's nurses wheeled him down for a visit...they and we were all so grateful.
The students and parents of WECC join us every Sunday at our home for "The Truth Project". The small groups of our fellowship prepare meals for us every week and we get to fellowship around food and The Word. It has been a powerful time of discussion and growth for everyone!
Ryan, myself and JoAnny took apart Joye and Herman's downstairs bathroom... we worked GREAT as a team, it was the bathroom that didn't cooperate! So, needless to say, after some small repairs we will paint it another weekend!
The boys began soccer this year and it has been a BLAST for them and us! They are both very talented and the games are a blast to watch! Caedmon scored a goal in his first game and played great defense. Justin had a some great breakaways and did a GREAT job stopping the ball as goalie!
Jordan, my niece got engaged!! She is getting married to a wonderful godly man on April 14th!
The month ended on G-ma's back porch overlooking Kerr Lake enjoying hot dogs and chips in our annual picnic!!
October has been really fun so far. Harvest Party at Camp Kerr Lake, soccer games, school, Kimberly's birthday celebration at the Pizza Pub, a much needed visit with the McGann's, SEW, wedding planning and dreaming with Jordan and Martha, wonderful fellowship with WECC at our new building, Truth Project and Race planning!
This weekend some ladies from WECC and surrounding areas are competing in a Run Like a Girl race that raises money and awareness for ovarian cancer a cause worth supporting!!
That gets us up to date with the RussellSprouts! Pictures to come!
July: we got home from the beach and enjoyed a few weeks before school began. We took the kids to LakeFest and had a BLAST. We finished the day with fireworks at the Moorings with the Gee and Lyon family. What a GREAT day! The month ended with VBS and Caedmon's birthday!! Holland Joye attended VBS... with all four kids out of the house for several hours each night Ryan and I decided that when they get older we are going to get season tickets to the Durham Bulls games to fill our time :) Caedmon had Levi, Josh, and Preston over for a sleepover... the end result was lots of WII and Lego playing and popcorn kernels ALL OVER THE FLOOR!
August: Justin and Caedmon along Preston Bright attended Lego Camp at Crossroad Christian. The girls & myself headed to Lynchburg for Adventure's with Oma! We went to Natural Bridge and Amazement Square, great places for any age. We all (Oma included) headed down to Monroe, NC for a visit with the Mayhorn ladies! WHAT FUN!! Kelli and I went out for sushi and drinks affording us some valuable time to catch up and have full conversations! Thanks Oma for watching the kids! Mom spent the next day visiting a friend who she hadn't seen in 40 years!! What fun!
Then school began for everyone. Caedmon is in 3rd grade, Justin & Athan are 1st graders, and Holland is doing 4yr old Kindergarten. Our day begins around 9. We turn off the phones and computer and do school til about 1:00. This year is going so well. I am so pleased with the kids and their diligence to honor God with their minds!!
A precious lady in our community has started a home school co-op we had such a marvelous time!! This month we are dissecting owl vomit!! It was so encouraging to see the other families in our area who home school and then have lunch at the park!
August also ushered in some very hard times for our family as Ryan's dad (Herman) was in the hospital for 5 weeks.
September began with the Maxwell's coming for a visit... always a fun time!! On the 7th we went to court for Justin's adoption. The judge granted us an interlocutory adoption. He is a Russell and the deal will be sealed in about six months! We are so thankful to Joye, Tammy T., and Bo who have been at EVERY hearing and have NEVER testified... but as the judge said "had someone walked through the doors of this court everything would have changed, and you would have been needed." So, we are praising God for unopened courtroom doors. I am so thankful for Justin and how God has graphed him into our family. Living life without him is unimaginable. I am thankful that in all of the unwise decisions that have been made for Justin that his "birth" mom choose to give birth to my son! So, I am thankful beyond words to God for his grace that was extended to Justin while he was still in his mother's womb. THANK YOU LORD!
As many of you already know that same day Joye was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. Sept. 7th was also Joye and Herman's 42nd wedding anniversary!! They spent it together in the hospital :( Herman's nurses wheeled him down for a visit...they and we were all so grateful.
The students and parents of WECC join us every Sunday at our home for "The Truth Project". The small groups of our fellowship prepare meals for us every week and we get to fellowship around food and The Word. It has been a powerful time of discussion and growth for everyone!
Ryan, myself and JoAnny took apart Joye and Herman's downstairs bathroom... we worked GREAT as a team, it was the bathroom that didn't cooperate! So, needless to say, after some small repairs we will paint it another weekend!
The boys began soccer this year and it has been a BLAST for them and us! They are both very talented and the games are a blast to watch! Caedmon scored a goal in his first game and played great defense. Justin had a some great breakaways and did a GREAT job stopping the ball as goalie!
Jordan, my niece got engaged!! She is getting married to a wonderful godly man on April 14th!
The month ended on G-ma's back porch overlooking Kerr Lake enjoying hot dogs and chips in our annual picnic!!
October has been really fun so far. Harvest Party at Camp Kerr Lake, soccer games, school, Kimberly's birthday celebration at the Pizza Pub, a much needed visit with the McGann's, SEW, wedding planning and dreaming with Jordan and Martha, wonderful fellowship with WECC at our new building, Truth Project and Race planning!
This weekend some ladies from WECC and surrounding areas are competing in a Run Like a Girl race that raises money and awareness for ovarian cancer a cause worth supporting!!
That gets us up to date with the RussellSprouts! Pictures to come!
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