Catching Up...

Ashley in action on her new Soccer team. She is playing for an Academy team for First Coast Soccer Association. We wanted to see how serious she is about becoming another Mia Hamm. She scored 1 gaol this game, assisted one and had many shots. It was her third game and she is showing improvement with each one. She is fun to watch.

Team picture: 3 palyers missing...

So we have been holding school this year... it is a little rougher this time around but we are getting things done! I was way better about keeping up to date last year, I guess the honeymoon is over. We have studied Bridges, the body, resourcefulness, and we are currently studying states and regions. We just got finished with a 6 week project taken on by the majority of our homeschool group. We held a History Fair. The kids had to pick a historical figure, research, create an informational display board, write and memorize a monologue, create a background, and dress the part. The idea was to be a wax figure of their person and when a guess pressed their button they began to recite information about that person. It was so cool! Ash, Syd and Zach did awesome. Ashley was an explorer named Ann Bancroft who is still living. She was the first woman to cross Antartica on skies pulling a sled. Ashley was very hot in her ski gear!

Sydney was Sacagawea. She loves to wear wigs. Sacagawea helped Lewis and Clark travel across the western United States, enabling them to speak and trade goods with the Indians.

And Zachary with his partner and good buddy Joe were none other than the Wright Brothers. The hit it out of the ballpark with their performance. They had an interactive monologue, that was informative and qite funny. They were great. The kids had to perform over and over as new guests came up to them and pushed their buttons. Then the guests could leave some change in their tip jars. Overall the night raised $512 for World Vision- a relief fund for Haiti. Job well done! And it was fun!

These are pics of the kids bowling at our Homeschool Valentine Party. So fun too! Syd was the big winner in her group bowling a 76.

Ashley says she needs more practice...

Zachary really didn't care- he just loves being around friends!

Well, at the beginning of the year I was able to be present for the birth of Malachi! Lauren and Mark Baughman our super fantastic friends welcomed their second boy into the world. It was such an honor and priviledge to be there.

Here is Zachary as one of the boys or should I say men. He was a ring bearer in the wedding of good friends Kevin and Olivia. He was so handsome! He had a blast, all the guys in the wedding party were so great to him, he just felt like he was one of them. He got to play football in the hallways of the church and have dance party at the reception. Good times! Good memories.

(He dropped the pillow)

Just before Christmas the Abel Clan headed for Atlanta to go watch our friend Joe play for the Atlanta Flacons! He was able to play the last 4 or 5 games with the team and has recently been picked up by them this season! Woohoo! We plan heading back in September for the season opener! We had such a great weekend as a family and enjoying time with great friends. Not only did the kids get to go to their first NFL game but we also got to go to the Georgia Aquarium! Way Cool! We spent hours there, it was a blast. A must see!

Think this is a cool pic.

And had to throw this in- November is the month we usually head to the mountains with our closest friends. We have gone 4 years now and I wouldn't trade it in for anything. We love the time spent with these families and look forward to our next adventure. Here we are in front of our favorite pub in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

And way back in October we made it back to our home (Dan and Kel) in Ohio. We were there for Halloween. This was the kids first experience going trick-or-treat. It brought back lots of memories. Kicking the fall leaves as we walked from house to house.

As always, so good to be with family!

There is the catch up for the last 6 months in a nutshell.

Hope everyone has a blessed Easter!

He is risen!

Love ya.