A New Journey

A new Journey Begins for our New Couples!!

Here are the happy couples together.

Ryan and Danielle----Erinn and Michael

Is it just me or did anyone else notice my girls seem to prefer tall men??

Praising Him!!!

Today I am praising God for the stamina to endure our busy life! And I think I am going to be very happy that I bought this jar for David for Christmas!! I may really be ready for a cruise next Christmas!!

The idea of a graduation and two weddings this summer is enough to make anyone tired!!

I am praising God that He prompted me to research sensory issues this summer!! Caleb and Hannah are doing so much better in all areas, it will be such a blessing as life gets busier. Also I now have the tools to help them to regulate when life gets a little to busy for them to settle down. Isn't God good the way He goes before us.

I am praising God for the two wonderful, godly young men that he has brought into our daughter's lives!

I am praising God that I have a functioning kitchen and the remodel we were planning was just for an update and not for needed repairs. It will be delayed till sometime after the weddings.

I am praising God for a wonderful, awesome husband who loves and supports his family. He is more than I could have ever dreamed of for a life-mate. Isn't it good that God goes above and beyond what we could ever imagine!

I am praising God for His love and care for me!! That He choose and adopted me into His family!!

I am blessed!! And I am Delighting in Him!!!

Big Family Picture

David's family showed up today and here was our group picture, that I only got by they way by withholding dinner till all the guys behind the couch decided to cooperate!!!

David's sister Joy and her 3 boys (Matthew, Adam, David) behind her.

David's parents, home from the Philppines on the couch. Along with Grandma Mae and David's brother, Paul.

And of course our enlarged clan of nine!

Mighty Hunter

So this years deer was not anywhere as big as last years, but I think Drew was happy to get one at all on the only day he was able to go out.

Caleb and Ryan were able to tag along for this mornings expedition. A first time for both of them.

I think Drew plans on making jerky out of most of this one, especially since we just bought a half a beef and our freezer is blessed to be abundantly full at this time!!

We Have An....

AN ENGAGEMENT!!!!!

Yes, last night under the Christmas lights Michael asked Erinn to become his wife!!! We are excited for the both of them!

We pray the Lord's blessing on them as they embark on this new journey together. May God be their center point in their relationship as they grow in to the family He wants them to be!!!

Freezing and Fun

So what does your family do when you are done opening presents and waiting for that big meal??

Well if you are at the Jordan house you......

put on your winter gear and bike or run up the mountain behind our house (about 11 miles round trip)!!!!

Drew ever the instigator in these endeavours!

Ryan, wondering what kind of family he is marrying into!!!

But the view from the top of the mountain was incredible!!

Yep, that is us down there socked in all that fog!

Hoping you all had a wonderful celebration with your family today as well.

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS

FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!!!!

Back Row: Drew, Ryan, Danielle, Erinn, Mike

Front Row: David, Hannah, Caleb, Donna

All I Really Want For Christmas

Sledding!

A beautiful day for sledding and it was cold enough for the hill to be fairly empty!

Left to right: Erinn, Robin(Michael's sister), Ryan, Danielle, Hannah, Drew, Caleb, Michael, Kyle(Robin's friend)

and David.

Ryan giving Hannah a push on the small tube.

Caleb on the small tube.
Danielle, Drew and Ryan on the big tube!
Another time on the big tube, when Drew jumped in on top of everyone!

Erinn and Michael on the small sled!

Erinn and Michael falling off the small sled!

Erinn and Michael regrouping after their cold stop!!

I love memory days!!

Too Many!!!!!!

You know you have too many people on an inner-tube when.....

.....a few feet down the hill you look like this!!!!!

We are happy to report that a few bruises were the only repercussions of this little excursion!!

That tube originally contained Drew, Erinn, Michael, Danielle, Ryan, Robin and Kyle---that is 7 teens and young adults, whom are now sporting new sore muscles and bruises!

Even Drew, the invincible, was a little shaken!! But he was really bummed they would not all jump on and try again!!

Golf Anyone?!

So what do you do when you are trying to impress your girlfriend's dad??

Well, you agree to go golfing with him when it is only 25 degrees outside and you have never ever been golfing before!!! Actually, Ryan (on the right) has been once before and Michael (on the left) has never been before!!

David better watch how pushy he gets with these military guys---I'm sure they know a few moves he would not like to see!

After golfing, we will all go sledding, which is a little more weather appropriate! And will allow all of us to freeze together!

Joy in Many Forms

I am thankful beyond words that life has slowed down to a pace I can actually keep up with!!

We have gotten to see quite a few of these naps around the house---actually Drew was sleeping off an egg nog hang over and Hannah was faking it--see the little grin!!

Then we helped Grandma Mae do some baking since her oven is broken.

Hannah has her braids half taken out---I liked it so we kept the back in a 'puff ball' for church.

Then there were the relaxing games of Scotch Bridge followed by.....some face paced games of Dutch Blitz!! I guess we like the foreign card games?!?

And as you can see from the picture Danielle and Ryan made it here!!!

Erinn is anxiously awaiting Mike's arrival about midnight tonight!!!

And joys would not be complete without a picture of our youngest treasures in their Christmas duds. And yesterday a good friend informed us of their decision to adopt from Ethiopia!!! Boy did that just make my day!!

Egg Nog Mile...Again

Some of you may remember last years Egg Nog Mile that Drew organizes.

Rules are:

Drink a glass of egg nog

Run a lap

Repeat

Try not to throw up

If you do---keep going

till you finish a mile.

Here Drew is finishing up his second cup of egg nog, while runners 2 (Richard) and 3 (Elliot) come in to get theirs.

Drew won because he could chug the egg nog faster than any one!!

He ran a 5:20 mile and drank 4 glasses of egg nog, about 3000 calories, and never threw up!!!

Here he is lapping his good buddy, Elliot, who now runs for the U of O.

David did not think the first two glasses were too bad.

Then it just got painful!!!

He finished without getting sick either---only 5 of the 25 did!!

Caleb did it too!!!

I did allow him to use smaller glasses!!

And he did finish, but he did loose it all at some point!!

Part of the crew who finished!!

We even had 4 girls this year who braved it all!!

Erinn and her friends Devynne, Marshall and Lance made a video of it. At this point I can not get it on here, but it is on my facebook, add me as a friend and you can see it too. I will warn you that it is 5 1/2 minutes of spewing egg nog, not for the weak of stomach!!

Early Christmas

Last weekend we did an early Christmas celebration with my parents and sister in Roseburg.

A day in Roseburg is never complete anymore without Killian and Molly running all over!!

Drew and Erinn just hanging out!

Erinn was her cousins "date" to his Christmas party while she was there. I think they had a good time and she got a new outfit, since she was not planning on doing anything like that and had not brought clothes to wear to a party!

Hannah was a hoot this year! She has finally been here long enough to look forward to the day!!

When we sat down to dinner she asked if we get to sing now?? I was confused, because we never sing at my families house. Then I realized she was talking about the glasses!!! After dinner the big boys always get the crystal glasses 'singing' by running wet fingers around the rims!!! Good memory that little girl of mine!!

And she was so cut opening presents---she would start squealing before she even had any idea what was in the box!!! And this poncho my sister made, Hannah had no idea what it was, but was so excited over it, even before I showed her what to do with it.

Then she tried on the new pants my mom bought----I was tugging them down to try to get them to her ankles and David behind her started laughing----she had taken on her underwear and was 'mooning' him as I was tugging on her pants!!!

Never a dull moment around here!!!

My treasures all wrapped up!!! I am soooo blessed!!

I love this laugh----you know the "I gonna pee my pants" kind of laugh!!!

We cheated this year and bought a tree!!! Sin of all sins!!! and guess what, it does not look like a Charlie Brown tree!! Though it did almost fall off the top of the car on the way home. Then it would have looked like a Charlie Brown tree.

Knott's Time!!

Finally getting around to getting our Knott's Berry Farm pictures on line!!

We were happy to have Danielle and Ryan join us for the day following Drew's Footlocker race!

We expected it to be busy on a $15 Toys for Tots day, but it was great, we barely had any lines at all. Guess it was too cold a day for most southern Californians! HaHa!

Bumper cars were one of Hannah's favorites of the day!

She liked doing it all by herself!!

Caleb is always ready for a chance to run into his brother!

Drew checking out the competition!

And that competition would be Ryan--he kind of looks ready to do some crashing!!

Caleb did eventually join Drew, Danielle and Ryan on this ride.

I have no idea how David got these next pictures, but they are classic!!

Here they are swinging backwards, then upside down!

I think they are all realizing what they just got themselves into and it is just starting!!!

Drew and Danielle's responses are just classic, and Ryan looks like he is confirming the his soon to be brother-in-law is actually crazy!!

What can you say...a picture is a thousand words!!

Yes, they are laying on their stomachs and upside down!

How did he get the camera at such an angle?

Momentary relief!!!!

Oh no......not again!!!!!!!

Yep, even Drew looked like he was ready for a break!

A break straight to the Boomerang!!

You can see Drew and Caleb in the back seats of the middle car!

Now they are directly overhead in the 4th car from the back, behind the guy with his hand up!

Actually Caleb did everything the big kids did, except the Super Scream, where they drop you straight down, and he never got sick!

Hannah is so tall she got on most everything and did rides I am sure most 6 year olds can't get on. I was afraid she would slip out on some of the rides, she is SO skinny!

The first time on the Ghost Rider she got done and looked scared, but then said, lets do it again!!! The next time later in the day, she went with Danielle and got so scared she grabbed all she could find to hold on to, which happened to be Danielle's bra, right in the middle, and held on for dear life with her head buried in Danielle's chest! She was crying afterwards and said she did not want to do it again! She got over it quickly and went on all sorts of other rides, she was quite the trooper.

Overall, a good time was had by all and it was a wonderful memory made!!