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Emeri had her 2nd birthday yesterday.
Happy birthday, Emeri!!

The same day, Elijah Daniel went home from the hospital.

Emery and Elijah's birthdays are 2 days apart.

Elijah's room

Happy to be home.

Allen and I also had to go home :( to Kansas.

We wish we could live closer to them.

Arkansas is a little too far.

Glad at least that Jill's family moved to our town!

Wisconsin was too many hours away!

This morning I got to go to Hannah' preschool!

They were having a fall, silly costume party!

Parents and grandparents were invited.

Even Adam's parents (from Wisconsin) got to come!!

They are here to help watch the children while we are

all involved in Judgement House at church.

So happy they can be here for a week!

Jill teaches music on Friday mornings to the group.

They performed an owl song.

Hannah and her wonderful preschool teacher, Mrs. Smith (Kendall to us!)

Eli's here!

We are the proud grandparents of our 1st grandson - Elijah Daniel Graber! Josh called yesterday morning and said "Pack your bags. The doctor says the baby needs to come!" The original due date was November 12th, with a C-section planned on the 4th. But Elijah was ready to come. He didn't care about dates.

So today, Staci was taken back to surgery.
Elijah Daniel was born about 10 minutes before 1:00 this afternoon. He weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces (what would have weighed full term 3 weeks from now??), and was 19 1/2 inches long.
When Josh came out with the baby, Emeri said "I want to hold Baby Eli!" See her little hands held out for him? It was so cute!

The babies in the hospital are first taken to the nursery center where we can watch as they are weighed, given shots, bathed, etc. Here is Emeri watching her baby brother.


Emeri was finally able to hold her baby brother. She kissed him over and over and over. How she loved him! We'll see how that plays out in a couple of years when he grabs her toys!
So blessed! Thank You, Father, for this precious life!

Eli's comin'

Our son called this morning. He tells me that "Eli's Coming!" tomorrow around noon. We'll be having our first grandson, Elijah Graber!!

A New Baby

Yesterday we went to the hospital to see sweet little Marin. Marin's parents, Andrea and Collin were part of our young married's small group a few years ago.

A very interesting fact about them - not only are they husband and wife, they are also step-brother and step-sister! Andrea's mother, a widow, married Collin's Dad, a widower! Collin and Andrea then fell in love and got married! Such a sweet love story. They are a darling couple! They won't ever have to fight over which grandparents' house to go to at Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Because of the H1N1, siblings aren't allowed in the hospital.

So Grandma brought Ava around to see her baby sister.

Congratulations, Siebert family!!!!

It is time for Judgement House at our church! Judgement House is a dramatic walk-through presentation about the truth of people's choices and their consequences both in this life and the next.

This year I am in the Heaven scene.

"The Lord of Heaven's Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat." Isaiah 25:6

Well, in "our heaven" we are eating choice chocolates and juicy grapes!

Some of the costume workers doing last minute sewing and pinning.

This is one of our Jesus characters.
Heaven's gate.


"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

If you can - please come join us at Grace for Judgement House!

Hedge hogs

Jill teaches piano on Tuesday afternoons so I get to watch the girls.

Today Sophia was up from her nap so the girls came to my house.

At first Hannah helped me with the ironing. But it was really a nice day and may be one of our last before winter sets in,

so we decided to go for a walk.

Behind my house is a walking/bike path that the girls love to go on. We have lots of adventures in the "woods" behind our home.

After Amanda's escapade last night with a skunk, I was keeping a watch out for those critters.

I'm sure she will do a post about that.

Today the girls found a stash of hedge balls!

Sophia is not eating the hedge balls - she is merely balancing it with her cast.

We took the hedge balls to the creek and the girls loved throwing them in!

Yes, I know you can actually sell these things on-line.

And I hear they are good to keep crickets and spiders out of your house or garage.

But they sure are fun to throw and see how big a splash one can make!

Hannah thought she should bury one of them so a "hedge hog tree will grow next year."

Community Life

Back in the late '70's, when Al was going to KU and I was working on campus, we were a part of a small group led by Bob and Nancy Williams. Although not on staff with the Navigators, they used much of that material. They taught us so much about living a Christian life. We memorized Scripture; we learned how to read and study the Bible. Learned to love Christ more! We made great friends! This is a picture of us on a canoe trip at the end of the year. We were with this group for around 4 years. Thank you Bob and Nancy for the years you invested in us!Around 7 years ago, Allen and I decided to start a young marrieds' small group at our church. Joel and Kendall were in that original group and stayed with us for the long haul. What a joy and blessing to us to become friends with the various couples we have had over the years!! Now these couples are no longer "young married" but are "young family". They have branched off and begun their own community life groups.

This year we started over with another "batch" of young marrieds. We have 6 couples. There were enough couples at church that there is another "older" or "mature" couple with another group of young marrieds as well.

As in other years, we have a study night, game night, study night and then one week off. We are beginning with a study series by Ray VanderLam and later on will go through the book "Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti". Al will also teach other lessons.

Last night we took a trip to the corn maze in Buhler.

We first went through the maze all together and cheated quite often, looking at the map. When we completed the maze, we had a race to see who could finish first and no looking at the map allowed. Al and I finished dead last. Got so lost!

We finished our evening at Lincoln Perk. Aah! Late night latte's and good conversation! We are looking forward to a wonderful year, growing closer in our relationship to Christ and eachother.