The Abel Clan

Catching Up...

2010-03-30T23:21:00.005-04:00

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.

Happy Birthday Ash!

2009-09-29T15:19:00.002-04:00

The two teams

The perfect present! A soccer pillow for all to sign- it is even the right color!

LIFE IS GOOD!

Ashley's friends

Our two refs with their special shirts made just for them.

It was not just a friendly game of soocer.

Husband and wife rivalry.

Our little cutie!

Cool seeing ABEL on the back of our shirts.

GOAL!

So we officailly started school in September. We let Labor Day go by, had some good friends, The Tomlinsons, in town, and my dad too. So, thought it best to get started after the company. Our first unit study was on Bridges. We live in the best city for that! We have 7 bridges going over the St. Johns River to downtown. The Main street bridge is pictured above- a beautiful Truss Bridge. We really could have spent longer than two weeks on bridges. We also looked a little at tunnels, canals, dams, and locks. We look forward to going on a hike we when get up north in November to see the old locks. Just learned that Summit County is named for being the highest point in the canal system ( that is where I am from) hmmm.... Last week we began our next unit on the human body. We will be here for awhile. 8 weeks! The kids have traced their bodies on parchment paper and as we study we will be adding lots of parts. We are even going to see Slim Goodbody! I know someone out there remembers him, he was on PBS. The guy that wore the spandex suit with the internal organs on it. HA! I can't wait. We will also be writing our own adventure book, about getting lost in the body.

Besides school we are busy with all kinds of things. Ashley celebrated her 10th birthday!!! Man, I tell you, turning 35 was not hard for me but Ashley turning 10 sure was!!! She is so grown up. We had the best party ever, all thought up by Ash herself. She wanted to invite her friends and their families to the park where we could have a big soccer game, eat pizza and cake. We had a blast! Everyone was so great that came- all the adults played, it was very cool. Ashley wanted everyone to have a team shirt, so we made our own jerseys, and two shirts for our specail refs. Birthday girl had a little extra on her shirt and was the only double digit, #10. It was the green team vs. the blue team and the green team kicked some booty! As it should be because that was Ash's team. We all had so much fun we may make it a monthly event!

Kids are still playing their instruments. Zach and Ash continue to do weel with guitar. Ashley even lead us in worship one night the Tomlinsons were here, with all our other friends too. Dan and I were so proud of her. She sang and played beautifully. I got it on tape but it was way to long, couldn't get it to upload to the blog, so I will tape a shoter version and put it up. Syd has been at the piano for a coulple months now and doing very well. She is so fun to watch- you can tell she enjoys it. They are all playing soccer. Dan and I are coaching, and having fun being a soccer fam.

Ash and her beautiful guitar about to lead us in worship!

Syd after playing a game at our P.E. day

2009-08-11T21:16:00.004-04:00

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!!!If he loses one more on the bottom, he'll have a complete hole in the front of his mouth.

Ohio and the 4th of July parade...
Our niece Michaela with Ash.

Syd with the ever important candy collection bag.

2 generations of first cousins, the first 4, and the second set of 4, with a little guy in between.

Stars Wars!

Our niece Natalie.

Zach sleeping in his newly decorated music bedroom. No more plain blue walls, mom finally painted him his special pictures!

Zach and Ash have been doing great with playing guitar. Ash has a couple songs under her belt and Zach is learning his first song "from the radio". I will be adding a pic of Syd sitting at our piano here soon. She just began lessons and is loving it- she is so excited- she played her first song!!

2009-06-19T14:54:00.004-04:00

Our Garden grows!!!

Kids Marathon- we finished up our miles with a 1.2 mile run in downtown!

Face painting- enjoying the festivities!

Our medals!

Gold Medalist Shannon Miller (gymnast- holds something like 7 medals) high fived us as we crossed the finish line!

Before the race...overlooking the St. John's river in downtown Jax.

We had to run over the Main st. bridge twice-

2009-05-22T16:22:00.009-04:00

Happy Birthday Zach!

Congrats to our kids!!

Mini-me.

Syd - a natural cowgirl.

and our cowboy.

She really isn't mad...

I love this pic- Ash with friend Michayla

Happy birthday Syd!

Our soccer stars!

Happy Easter!

Our plants are so much bigger than this...I need to post a recent pic.

Ok, so again it has been a while. I hate for this to happen because so much happens in that time and of course I want to share it all. We have celebrated 3 birthdays- mine included. We don't need to talk of that one, Syd turned 8 in April, and Zachary turned 6 at the beginning of this month. It is crazy how fast they are growing. We are having so much fun as a family. I love each new stage of life more than the previous with them. It is so exciting watching them grow, learn, and reach new heights. I especially get to see this through schooling them. We are pretty much done with our first year of school. What a year we had- kids loved it and I did too. We will be homeschooling agin next year. Had a rocky end- for about two weeks we all had a really horrible virus (except Dan) He was working a lot so he escaped the germs I guess. I have never been that sick ever before in my life! Luckily the kids got over it fairly fast- Ash started it and I ended it. I will spare you the details but there is nothing worse than the feeling of glass on your tongue. So once we were better we had planned a trip up North which didn't happen. Thankful for that because we needed the time for school- so we will be headed that way our usual time this summer. Some grandparents came for a visit, we got to go to Tampa to visit some friends, I got to have a girl getaway, an anual trip for the last three years, and here we are. Zachary graduated kindergarten, girls promoted to the next grade and all is well. I just have to work on their portfolios and we will be set. We look forward to the summer to unwind a little, go to the beach and spend time with friends. We will try to keep up with math throughout the summer and we will read a family book together- not sure which one yet. That is probably our favorite time together. We just finished "The Secret Garden". It was great- now we ill rent it and watch the movie! Speaking of gardens- ours is out of this world!!! Our tomato plants are huge and we have so much lettuce a rabbit couldn't keep up. If you can't tell we have been studying plants. The kids have been realy into the garden, it is so fun to see their faces light up when they see a flower on the plants, and when they find a new tomato or strawberry.

Last time I wrote I was about to run my 15K. It went well. I did better than last year and that was my goal. I have just started running a bit again. Fell away from it, but still working out. My favorite class is Zumba right now, but knew it was time to have a little bit of cardio thru running. It is my best bet. The kids are getting into exercise. They will all be in a race this weekend. When they finish they will have accomplished a total of a marathon. We have been tracking miles leading up to this race and they run the last 1.2 at the race. They are super excited. Ashley has been working out with me and I even have her Zumba'in.

Dan is well- working a lot. He has been out on the road- they lost a service guy, and as the new one trains, he has been a service guy. It is taking a toll on his body! It has been a awhile since he a to dig a drywell everyday. The rain has been awful. Well, I take that back we soooo need the rain, but it has literally been raining since Sunday and it is Friday. Little to no break. So getting a little bit of cabin fever. It has been great for our gardens!!

Spring is in the air!

2009-03-10T23:18:00.003-04:00

The Azalias are blooming...

Our newly planted strawberries.

Well we have had spring fever here. The past few days have bben gorgeous. We got out in the yard this weekend and planted some stawberries and got our garden ready for round two. We needed more dirt so as Zach likes to say we bought some "cow poop". Yep we did. Our garden was still a little sandy so we had to add some things. Now it is ready to go- we will be buying some plants here soon. We look forward to what is to come. Dan likes to say that I do not have a green thumb so here is my chance to prove him wrong:) Here are some carrots from round one. the kids were sooooo excited.

In school we just started our Bugs and plants Unit. Perfect timing for spring. so our garden will play a big role in school, and look at this crazy leaf bug we found. It landed on Syd's booty- she freaked a bit, but luckily I had my camera so we got up close and personal with the bug. His portrait will be a part of our bug board!

These are pics from our most recent adventure to the MOSH. Museum of Science and History.
We had a blast. We went with some homeschool buddies, and basically had the place to ourselves. we wentin the afternoon when all the school field trips were done, it was great. We just finished our study on the planets, so what better than to see the stars in the planetarium! It was cool.

We got to walk through the human body- Ewww!

Dan and I all dressed up and ready to go. Doesn't happen very often so I thought i would document it- and of course, it is the perfect picture. Captures the true Dan and Kel.

Oh, how this brings back some chilhood memories. I have so much fun watching Syd's new activity. Zach and Ash are both taking guitar lessons, and when Syd heard us talking about it, to make arrangements- all of a sudden she wanted to take guitar too. Well tht would have lasted about 5 minutes. so i told her you don't want guitar lessons, lets do something you want to do, and she said gymnastics. So here we are. We are starting out at the Y, and it is great. We also just started all 3 in soccer at the Y too. I look forward to connecting withnew families and being apart of our little community near our home.

The big race is this weekend! My last day of training is tomorrow. So, for the second year I will be running the biggest 15k in the US held here in Jax. It is an awesome experience- and i am looking forward to it. I feel ready, we'll see how I feel Saturday morning :) Last year there were 50+mph winds- so hopefully that won't be the case this go round.

We are back!

2009-02-17T21:02:00.005-05:00

Okay, so it has been a few months- I apologize! It just seems to have gotten busier and busier since the holidays, if you can believe that. Life in the Abel household is exciting. We took quite a bit of time off during Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year.

We had a great time in North Carolina. We headed to the mountains for Turkey day. We had a wonderful, relaxing time with good friends. Our dinner was out of this world, everything turned out just right and on time. We were so organized I think we surprised ourselves. We hoped to see snow while we were there and some of us did! Lauren, Ezekiel and the kids and I stayed an extra day to close down the house for Lauren's parents and the night we stayed it snowed all night, so when we woke, we were stuck! We had already got rid of all our food, kept snacks of course for the ride home, but other than that we cleaned house! Well then we found out we couldn't go anywhere. So Lauren got bundled up and went on a hike to raid a family friend's cabinets. She came back with canned salmon, frozen corn, refried beans and a single serving of pizza. Needless to say- we got creative with meal time! We had many funny stories throughout our day, but the best was seeing the kids faces when I said we can go play int he snow. We had a snowball fight and even tried our hand at a snowman. We were able to leave a day later and literally had to dig our way out of the driveway- I haven't had to do that in YEARS. Good times!

Christmas was wonderful. We love celebrating our Lord, Jesus Christ! It was nice and relaxing. Dan's dad and step mom made it down to celebrate with us. It is hard because we miss family so, but it is really important to Dan and I to be home on Christmas morning with the kids. We implemented new traditions, brought back some new ones. The kids love making Christmas Operation Gift Boxes to be sent out to boys and girls all over the world, so they have a gift to open and have the opportunity to hear the Gospel. We were also given the opportunity to contribute in helping a local family have an awesome Christmas. We love getting into our PJ's and hopping in the car to go look at Christmas lights. There are few neighborhoods known to tour. Our neighborhood has a contest each year along with putting luminaries out Christmas Eve. It is really beautiful. Doing these things as a family really makes our holidays special. So, if you asked our kids what was the big gift this year, it would be the Wii. We have had a blast having family game nights.

Now that the New Year is here we have gotten back to reality- school, and work. Business is slow for Dan right now, but he is hanging tough. School for kids, and I, is back in full swing. We are studying the Solar System right now and Poetry. Poetry is a bit difficult to get through- so I have had my challenge to make it interesting, so we are finding our way:) Learning about the planets and watching the moon every other night and documenting the phases has been so fun. Our character study is Orderliness. God has a specific order to all things! It is amazing the wonderful creation He has given us. ( We will be learning shortly about rock classification, bugs and plants. We will be working on our very large garden which right now only has carrots growing).

It is also amazing the opportunities we have had to serve lately. Dan and I had taken a break from serving, we have felt now it was time to get involved in some cool things happening in our church. This is probably why it seems we are more busy now, but we both are loving our new journey. We look forward to what God has in store for us.

Who's that Girl???

2008-11-05T15:39:00.010-05:00

Is it Gabriella? oh...no...wait that's Syd!

Could it be Sharpay???? Oh...no that is Ashley, not Ashley Tisdale- Ashley Abel!

Darth Vader???

Nope, Zach!

The girls hanging out Community Fest 2008!

The Abels in a cornfield in the middle of nowhere- well actually Hilliard, Fl.

Some of our great friends- we were waiting on a hay ride.

The farmers lost their cows- so we got an extra long ride to try to find them!

The bull ran through the fence and the women followed.

Our friends, Alex and Micayla- Syd, Ash and Zach

Went throught the a-maiz-ing corn maze with the Millers and the Gentges.

We are trying to find our way. It was suppose to take us about a half hour, we picked the long side. We got through it in about 40 minutes. Not too bad!

Kids in corn!

We have had an exciting week, A Corn Maze and Halloween in the same week! We had such a good time. Dan took the day off to spend with us at Conner's Farm. What a day- it was perfect because it was actually cold! Yes, I said it, COLD. Whenyou don't have any warm clothes, and it is 50 degrees and the wind is whipping- it is cold! We even had to stop for hot chocolate! It was great- I would much rather that than going through the maze in 80 degree weather. We had a blast with our family and friends!

Community Fest is held at our church every year on Halloween. They have all kinds of jumpy things, hayride, train ride, bumper cars, cotton candy, snow cones, real food (yummy Hawain cooking by our very own Pastor T), a boardwalk thru the portables where the kids experience all kinds of fun, AND lots, and lots, of candy!

We get to be with all our family friends, young and old- it is so much fun- it has been our halloween traditon.

As you may know High School Musical is very popular among the youngs ones- my young ones included. We had Sharpay and Gabriella represented, probably could have had Troy, but Darth Vader won out. Zach is way into Star Wars and I am not even really sure how. So many people didn't even recognize Syd, with her dark hair wig- it took moments for someone who had stopped to talk to me to realize Syd was standing next to me- many assumed it was another child not related to me :)

We are headed to visit Aunt CC this weekend and then our

next school venture is going to take place at a Pioneer Art Settlement next week! Then we may go see the space shuttle take off from Kennedy Space Center, we have friends coming in town for that AND after that, and then for Thanksgiving we will be traveling to Blowing Rock North Carolina! We'll have a long weekend in the mountains and we hope to go horseback riding there as a part of our Unit Study on Horses! What great fun we are having!!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-25T11:04:00.004-04:00

HAY FIGHT!!

They were all jumping, Zach was doing cannonballs at one point...

We had our annual stop to the pumpkin patch this week. This is the first time in a long time we did not go with friends, but we had fun as a family picking out our perfect pumpkins. The kids found the hay stack and went crazy throwing , jumping and diving! Syd had so much on her head at one point it looked like her hair. We have not carved them yet with the kids, we will do that at the beginning of this week. Dan and I however, did carve ours for our pumpkin competition. We did win a lovely prize for the "scariest" but we did not get the overall 1st place ribbon. It went to our friends Pastor T and Noelle- who won first place the only year Dan and I were not entered- so we were a little bummed- but they did a great job! We still love our creation and we have it in our front yard for all to see. I think it will be an added accessory for the coming years.

Kings and Queens

2008-10-13T14:41:00.008-04:00

The Royal Family

Our Burlap Flags we sewedAshley's Castle
Sydney's Castle Zachary's castle
Ashley's armor
Sydney's Armor (it's pink of course)
Zachary's Armor Our Vocabulary Words

Queen for the day! Ashley's 9th Birthday party.

10 girls...what was I thinking??? was I thinking??

Rock climbing at the Y

Zach didn't want to climb, so he played Star Wars instead.

Our Homeschool Group

"All About Me" presentations at our Homeschool Group activity

Syd playing soccer with Upward- she is scoring machine this year!

Ronald McDonald House 5K

ran with my friends Lauren and Noelle.

Well we have been very busy this past month. We started our new Unit Study on Kings and Queens, we celebrated a birthday, we have done some cool things with our homeschool group, and all the while I have been running- literally!

Our king and queens unit has been pretty good- we have made crowns, scepters, drawn castles and armor. We have been reading the "classic" - 'Door in the Wall'- the kids are struggling thru this a little :) but we are getting thru it. We have read biographies, Ash wrote her first paper on Queen Victoria- exciting stuff I tell you! The next two weeks we will be focused more on knighthood, and medival feast. We will be having our own feast, dress and all at the end of our two weeks.

One of the pictures above, of the drawings on the dry erase board, Ashley drew those after I put Vocab. words on the board for the next day. I walked in and saw the drawings and thought to myself she already knows what they mean! It was so cool. The drawing were in such detail- it was crazy.

Some of the other pictures are from our homeschool group we are involved with. Every Friday there is an activity planned we may choose to go to. The first activity was the "all about me" presentation. The kids had to make a poster about themselves then get up in front of the group and speak about it. I was so proud of all of them! They only know a handleful of kids in the group and they were all very brave and spoke very well- even Zach!

We had the most fun so far rock climbing at the Y. The girls did great- Ash made it to the top a few times and Syd kept on trying. I loved watching them trying to figure out what to do next, seeing them determined and not giving up! Zach on the other hand wanted nothing to do with climbing. That surprised me, but he still had a good time- he eventually found some boys who had enough, and ended up playing Star Wars with him.

Then, stuck in the middle of all that, Ashley celebrated her 9th birthday. She was "Queen" for the day, which went very well with our study, and had her first sleepover party here at the house. There were a total of 10 girls and 9 slept over. We thought we were a loud family- but NOTHING is louder than 9 screaming 3rd graders :) Thankyou to my friend Michelle that waded the rough water with me! She was a trooper. Ashley had her mind set on hairdos and fancy nails, and thats we did. Ashley loved every minute of it and that is what counts. The girls stayed up til about 1 am and we wide awake by 7am easily! Then we had a day full of soccer games.

Our Soccer season is almost over and all 3 kids are doing awesome. They are all scoring goals almost every week. Ashley is beginning to really understand positions and technique, Syd is beginning to even find the basics work- along with being aggressive. Zach has come a long way- last year he hardly put a foot on the ball- he just ran around it and fell because it was the cool thing to do. But now- he is a scoring machine right along with his sisters- he is making purposeful plays and man can he run! Dan and I love watching them- we get a little excited. Dan is helping in the coaching of Zach's team, and I am helping out with Syd's. It has been a lot of fun.

Well, as you know we have been consistant in our daily workouts. We go to the Y 4 to 5 times a week. So I have begun to concentrate on running again. In a matter of no time it will be time to get serious- training again for the River Run in March which is a 15k. So in doing so- trying to get ahead of the game a little I want to get some 5ks under my belt. I ran a feew weeks ago with some good friends in the Ronald McDonald House 5k. It wa great. The weather was perfect, and not only did I get to run with friends but as a family we able to serve the community. Dan got Clearwater involved and the kids were busy the whole time handing out water! It was so great to do something like that as a family. We will hopefully be doing more of it very soon.

We can't wait for the weeks to come- we have lots of things planned- we'll be visiting a corn maze, of course Halloween, so a trip to the pumpkin patch, and finding costumes, and Community Fest at our church. OH and we can not forget our friendly annual Pumpkin carving competition at the Zelenkas! We can't wait!

Abel Academy

2008-09-10T21:47:00.001-04:00

Sydney's Rainbow
Zach's rainbow
Ashley's rainbow
Our homemade lighthouse- it really lights!

Our classroom being put to use
If you know my husband, you know that he is an awesome encourager!

Our homemade candles.
Ashley's drawing of a light bulb
Syd's drawing of a light bulb
Zach's drawing of a light bulb

So do you see a theme?? When was the light bulb invented? Who invented the light bulb?How does a light bulb work? What is the wire or metal called in a light bulb? Why did people use candles? What are the colors in the rainbow or spectrum? What is a prism? How does a lighthouse work? Why do we have lighthouses?
Get it, now?
Well all of my children can go into detail about all this and more, like who our highest authority is, and who is light, and what/who guides us through life...
We have had so much fun learning this first two weeks. We are wrapping up our first unit study on lighthouses. We are getting a routine down. We start the day off with chores, go right into school, and by lunch we are usually done with the academics- in the afternoon we try to do a fun project that goes along with what we are learning. That is what is pictured. We made candles by melting paraffin and added color by melting broken crayons. We each made one- pouring them in our empty ice cream quart molds. The kids thought it was the coolest thing ever. So we ate lunch by candle light the next day.
Another project we did was based on the color spectrum- so we drew rainbows- remember
ROY G BIV. Learned that rainbows have order and who saw the first rainbow...and what that means from our bible time. Learned about prisms and Isaac Newton.
We learned about lighthouses and made our own with a working light. The kids were impressed with that too. We waited for Dan to come home so he could be part of the fun. And of course the drawing of the light bulb- Ash, Syd and Zach can tell you what filament is. It is hard to see in their pictures but they really had great detail- I wasn't going to make Zach label the parts but he wanted to.
So needless to say you can see I am just as excited about what they are learning (and honestly I am learning a lot) I am being reminded what a simple, compound, and complex sentence is, what a prepositional phrase is, all that good stuff. It will help me keep my mind sharp. And Dan I know he is enjoying it- he loves to come home and see what we created and he walks through each subject with the kids. He is so great to me - with encouragement for each new day. He bought those flowers for me and had wonderful things to say, that really put my first day at ease. I think we are really gonna like this. Granted there are a few things I am working through that will just come to me as we go- and the comfort of home can lead to a laid back "working" attitude. But the flexibility of being home is great. So it is those balances we need to find.
There is so much I could go on about how amazing this way of teaching and being so involved in their learning is- but I won't do that to you. It is just great to see Syd so verbal, eager to share what she knows, and Ashley not wanting to put down her reading book, or being so willing to help the others, and Zachary how he is soaking it all in- some things on Ashley's level- he gets it, and his eagerness to read, and do math. It is crazy I say. Thanks for thinking of us and your encouragement with the things you've said and through your prayers. I will fill you in as soon as we have more projects underway!

Tropical Storm Fay

2008-08-22T11:16:00.001-04:00

Rain, Rain, go Away!
Wind Gusts up to 50 mph
We'll have some clean up to do

Fay just will not go away! Today the storm is moving about 6mph, so it looks like she will not leave until tomorrow. We have lost power a couple of times but not for too long each time, maybe an hour or two. Kids are getting a little bit of cabin fever, but we're doing okay. City of Jax just telling everyone to stay put, stay inside, so that is what we are doing.

This is our last week before we start to homeschool. I am making final preparations. I have been working on the "classroom". Sydney helped me paint, and Dan helped hang things and Ash and Zach helped clean and clear.

Our Summer Vacation...

2008-08-15T13:16:00.000-04:00

My new niece Natalie Grace- she is a little peanut.
Syd swimming in the lake at Papa and Grandma's Michigan house
Cousin Grace with Syd at the 4th of July parade in Ohio
Zachary snapping the ball in the boy vs. girls backyard game w/ all the cousins.
Zach on the boat in Michigan
Ashley and cousin Michaela at the parade
Ashley and Dan caught the biggest fish at the lake
The kids with best buds Jyoti and Sully in Charlotte
Dan and Kel at the lake

Girl team huddle

Well we have been home from our two and half week vacation now for about a month and I think we are still trying to get it together. It felt like we were gone for a month! As always though it was such a good time. We got to meet baby Natalie for the first time and is she a cutie. My brother and his wife Erin became proud parents on Mother's Day. Natalie in this pic is two months old (believe it or not). She is a tiny peanut but so good. She was definitely growing- She began to look so big to me by the time we left Ohio.

We wasted no time hanging out with family from the moment we pulled in on July 3rd. We had family pull in from Chicago and Nashville too, so right away our family gatherings were gathered. We went to the 4th of July parade- which is the same parade I use to watch as a kid- that is the really the only reason we still go... the parade is not all that exciting. the kids get tons of candy- I think even more than at Halloween. Our family alone I think had like 40 people there. So we made it fun. There was the first annual backyard football game- boy vs. girls- and technically it wasn't boy vs. girls the whole time. Ashley ended up being traded to the boys and I think they really knocked the girls socks off. Zachary was named MVP- he has learned a thing or two from our friend Mr. Joe. It was so fun to watch all of them- Syd was the pro when it came to what play to run- she loved to huddle. The kids swam a lot- so much that there skin had some kind of crazy reaction that stayed with us for the rest of our journey. Syd really had it the worst- poor thing- it was not fun. But they think it was worth it! We roasted marsh mellows, fired up sparklers, ate at all our favorite places and even tried some new ones, visited with old friends, and loved driving around on our old stomping ground. After Ohio we headed up to Sandusky (for the second time for Dan and I- we were able to meet our friends from Jax- the Zelenkas- at Cedar Point Amusement park for a day- we rode 13 roller coasters and Rebekah and I rode some crazy swinging thing that was probably the craziest ride I have ever rode) So we went up to Lake Erie to spend a couple nights on the boat with Dan's dad and step mom, it was cut short due to weather so we headed for Michigan. We were there for the week. We got to spend some time with friends there as well. Spent most of our time in the lake they live on and got to relax. Then from Michigan we stopped in Charlotte North Carolina to help break up our drive and to see our friends the O'Neils. It is always great to spend time with them- the kids have a blast- as if a day hasn't gone by. They really have a special friendship.

Since we have been home we have been busy. Dan is back to work, I have been able to paint, the kids have started soccer, we pretty much go to the YMCA every day, and we are getting ready for Homeschooling! Oh----it will be an interesting year! School has just started and it is funny for us not to be going back. Looking forward to getting into a routine again, but it will be our routine!

Also Syd just got her tonsils and adenoids taken out. She is recovering really well! She was a trooper. They were impressed with how mature she was about it all. She was a little nervous and scared but she handled herself great. We are really proud of her. we hope that this will make a huge difference in how she sleeps and in turn how that will affect everything else.

Summer is here!

2008-06-14T11:02:00.000-04:00

Everyone is griping about an update so here it is!

We have had lots going on- that is my excuse for the lack of a blog update :) Anyway-
School is finished! The kids are done, have been out since mid May. A lot of things have come to a close, I am finished with teaching Bible study at our church and I will not be returning next year, also my Creative Memories business is done. After eight years as a consultant it was time to move on. Dan and I each year really try to re-evaluate the things we are doing, why we do them and ask if they are still a priority. We are beginning a new journey into homeschooling next fall and feel that God wants us to simplify! I am looking forward to the school year and so are the kids. I went to a big convention down in Orlando to look at curriculum and listen to speakers. It was great. I went with a good friend and some others that I will be joining in with next year for support. It was a great time to learn some things, see what I am really getting into and hang with the ladies I will be around for the most part. Then the week I came back form that I was on my way to the beach! It was a wonderful way for me to end one chapter and kick off the beginning of a new one. This was the 2nd annual trip to Stuart Florida. It is something that began as a conversation around the kitchen table and has come alive now for the second year. We decided the first year that we would do this trip no matter where life takes us and two of the five ladies within the past year have moved from Jacksonville. So they traveled from New York and Tampa. It was great time of fellowship, reunion, and time with God.
So what was everyone else in my family doing all this time- having fun without me! Dan was a busy man, but they all loved every minute of it. I came home to a clean house, and flowers planted on my porch- what a homecoming!
We have celebrated some birthdays- Sydney turned 7 and Zachary turned 5! No more babies in this house. We had fun painting pottery with Syd and Zach had a blast with buddies in our back yard palying with water guns and all kinds of stuff. Dan celebrates a birthday this month and then we have a break until Ashley's in September. Ashley did decide to get her ears pierced. We told her when she was eight she could. She was not ready on her birthday but had the opportunity in May, so she went for it! So today actually she can change her earings for the first time. She wants to get american flag earrings for the 4th... that is a big deal for her.
We will be heading to Ohio for the 4th! The kids are about to burst. We didn't get to go last summer, so we are way over due for the trip. We always have fun being in our home town with family, friends, and old hangouts.
Well I think that about does it for now, I will be sure to get plenty of pics of us at the beach this summer- we are so blessed to have a beach!

2008-03-18T20:32:00.000-04:00

the starting line

Jackson de Ville
the finish line inside Jags stadium
Kel and Lauren headed toward the Finish!!!!

The Big Race!

2008-03-18T19:25:00.000-04:00

Well we did! 13 weeks of training put to good use. What an accomplishment- I never in a million years thought I'd ever run 9.3 miles in my life!!! It was very intimidating going into it all the way up til race day. The most we had run was 7 miles- so I was a bit nervous. I went in with the attitude that "it's just another LONG run day". I was in a bit of a panic right before the race because I got separated from my running partners- boy, did I pray that God would help me find them and He did! The race began at 8:30. We got downtown around an hour before. There were so many people- people everywhere, like 15,000-no lie! It really was the coolest thing I have ever done, not because I ran the whole thing- that is cool, but just to be involved in something so big. The community really comes together. Runners, walkers, neighbors. There were people lining the streets the entire time. There were local bands every mile or so, there were people who had water, smoothies, Gatorade, strawberries- you name it they had it, there was even a house that made homemade waffles- A Waffle Station. I didn't have one but wanted one when we were done. Little kids stood in their yards and you could high five them as you passed- it was so cool- did I tell you how cool it was yet?? It was a great way to see the beautiful city of Jacksonville.
The hardest part of the race are the two bridges we had to cross. The first one not so bad- that was at the beginning, the second, that is a different story. They call it the "Green Monster". It is at the point of the race when you have about a mile and a half left and the bridge itself is about a mile long---at a 6% grade!!!!! See what I am saying, well to top that the weather man predicted 20 to 50 miles per hour wind gusts- I would say they were more like 60+. It was crazy!!! I thought I was going to blow right off. I kept kicking my right ankle with my left foot in my stride. You couldn't run straight if you tried. I am pretty sure that the snot that was in my nose was leaving it horizontally. I kid not. I had to hold my hat and my number- that was a difficult thing to do as I ran- but was it worth it??? Yes it was. Am I going to do it again next year? You bet!

Life in the Abel house after the race changed quite a bit. Dan had to have surgery the Wednesday after the race. He was suffering from a double hernia. It is believed that it was caused by the surgery had done in July. I am proud to say that things went really well- the patient is fine. He actually is doing much better than the last surgery. He is on his way to a speedy recovery. Please Pray that Dan's incision heals quickly and there won't be any complications with it. God has truly answered our prayers through this all. Friends have been great help with the kids and with food- really with anything that I or Dan have needed. Thank you so much! The kids have been great. My mom and niece just arrived today to hangout, help, and celebrate Easter with us. The girls are on spring break so- the timing of everything has been wonderful. I also got to quit my job, so I can be more available for the Fam. It has been so nice. I was able to spend time with Dan when he was in the hospital, and be involved in some school activities. Again God has been blessing us.

We just finished another round of Upward. Ashley played Basketball for the first time and impressed us with her moves. Sydney made the perfect cheerleader! It is so fun watching them try new things and of course see them succeed. Upward is a great thing!

I wish everyone a wonderful Easter! Miss and love all those who we can't be with.

Philippians 3:10

"that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, "

Back from the Islands

2008-01-22T23:33:00.000-05:00

So if you have never been on a cruise- you must go! We had a great time- Dan and I both agree it is one of the best trips we have ever been on. We left a few days after Christmas - so it was a nice time to vacation. We celebrated the New Year on the ship- and that was really cool. The kids brought in the New Year for the first time- actually made it to midnight, well just barely. It was our first "formal" night, so that was fun being all dressed up together as a family. YES, for all of you thinking - "did Dan wear a suit??" or "does he ever wear pants?" He looked so good in his suit! Very Handsome. We were able to get great family portraits aboard, which is something I am terrible about having done, so we stocked up. We went to three islands- St. Maarten was the first port. The beach there was great because it was right on a very populated street with all kinds of restaurants and shops. So everything was very convenient. The water was beautiful. This is where Zachary and Sydney went jet skiing with Uncle Mike and Cousin Julie. They had a blast. Syd was in front so the only thing she didn't like was the splashing of water constantly in her face. Zach didn't stay out the whole time but he thought he was the man. Ashley took a local up for hair braids which stayed in for the remainder of the trip and a couple weeks at home. Next stop was St. Thomas. We spent half the day at the shops- which are mainly jewelry shops - it was a nice downtown area. But we were only allowed to go

to one jeweler - and that is Angie. My Aunt knows this woman very well so well she can go behind the counter and help sell to the family. I saw some things I liked but came away with nothing- the rest of my family spent some time and money there. The whole experience was great. The second half of the day the five of us went on an excursion with my brother and his family, and my cousins. We went to a place called Trunk Bay- It by far was my favorite part of the trip. We took a 45 min. boat ride to St. John and made our way to Trunk Bay on a bus. It was the most gorgeous beach- we went snorkeling right off the beach. Zachary was the snorkel king- he wouldn't come up.

Our last stop was in the Bahamas. The weather wasn't great so that made it feel like our trip ended a little early. But we still had fun- sun came out long enough to kayak and get a few rays. Weather there wasn't to different from what we are used to in Florida. So that was the itinerary- as for family time- it was great quality time for the five of us, for the four of us- Ashley roomed with my brother all week- so it was just Dan, Zach, Syd, and I -which was a bit different- but great. Ashley had a blast with her cousin Michaela, Uncle Mike and Aunt Erin. So did we- we probably hung out with them the most- it was great. Food was always there- Ashley ordered 3 entrees one night at dinner. By the end of the week I myself was ordering multiple desserts. I did train while I was aboard- that justifies the multiple desserts :) The kids loved eating ice-cream everyday along with the chocolate treats left on our beds each night. Which then by the end of the week our cabin steward turned into towel animals with chocolate. So needless to say- we loved every minute- even the "rocky" weather at the end...I mean rocky!

There were 19 of all together- we had so much fun- it was great being with everyone- which really made it special. I would have to say that the highlight of our nightlife was when my Aunt Mary Jo allowed herself to be hypnotised on stage. I have to say she is the best Japanese wrapper I have ever heard. I was laughing so hard I was crying.

Thanks family for making it a trip to remember- Love you all. Dan is ready to head to Alaska!

Christmas shopping...what is that??

2007-12-17T18:43:00.000-05:00

Nothing like waiting until the last minute. I just started shopping about two days ago. That is not unusual in this household. Although, I really don't have that much to do. We are getting ready for a family getaway! December 30th we're off to the Caribbean, kids and all! We are so excited, so not only are we counting down the days 'til Christmas but also to our cruise! The kids just can't believe they will be on a huge "boat". If only they knew how "huge". I guess they will find out soon enough. We are winding down with school- we have had all our Christmas programs. All three did an excellent job. Zach sang his heart out, and actually stood quite still. He got to dress as an Australian Explorer for his show- so that was cool. Sydney did the best she ever has done. she was also quite focused and sang all the way through- usually she tends to get a little distracted. The name of her show was "Christmas Snapshots" the exact play Ash did last year, so we knew it very well. I think Ashley was singing along. Syd had to wear a sandwich board , which I was able to make at work, so that was very handy. Ashley was a Shepard. She was not thrilled with this role because she said Shepards are boys- "why can't I be an angel?" So being able to wear a fancy dress under her Shepard outfit helped. The girls begin Christmas break Wednesday and Zach began today. They are looking forward to spending time with Grandma Joan and Papa Dick this week. Papa Mike will get here Wednesday- then we'll see the rest of the family on the cruise.

We were able to participate in our first Family 1 mile fun run. In San Marco they kick off the holiday season with the Festival of lights. There is a 5k run and a mile run or walk for Charity along the streets of the beautiful lit San Marco (on the river). Dan and Syd walked while Ashley, Zachary and I ran the mile. We walked some, but they did a great job. They really loved it. Ashley's favorite part was crossing the finish in front of an audience. She had a huge grin from ear to ear. Zach could have easily run the whole thing- check out the picture of him running. The best part was they received medals. It really was a great night.

This was not only the kick off of the Christmas season but also the kickoff of training for me and 19 other ladies. We are training for the Gate River Run that takes place in March. We have a 13 week plan in the works- we train on our own Monday through Friday and Saturdays we meet for our peak run of the week. We just completed the first week and it is awesome. I am not a runner. I ran my first and only race last year at the gate and it was the 5k. It was a big accomplishment So last year Lauren, my running partner and encourager, and I said we would run the "big run" in '08. So here we are. We will have a blog set up soon so you can check that out and see how we are doing. What is cool is that it is not just us it is a whole group of ladies, of all different levels going for the same gaol- to finish the race! It was the most amazing thing last year to see 13, 000 people take off at the starting line last year, and now to be a part of that is really exciting! Especially with a whole group of other ladies who will be striving along beside me!

Well I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I will be sure to put cruise pics up when we return!

God Bless you and your families!

4th Annual Pumpkin Carving Party

2007-10-29T19:08:00.000-04:00

Fun was had by all at the Zelenka residence. Dan and I always look forward to this party each year. Yes, friendly competition takes place which is fun, but Dan and I love the process that we must go through to come up with that perfect plan. Last year we were unable to attend, which dissapointed us so ( but it gave others the chance to win). So we knew this year that we had to come back with a great idea! We had some trouble to be honest- it is hard to keep topping the previous year. We didn't decide what we were going to do until the day before the party when we were standing at the pumpkin patch wondering which pumpkin we were going to choose. We were going between two ideas. I guess we picked the right one, we brought "the Most Original" ribbon home. I think some of the other participants, those that have been around for a while especially, did not appreciate our win because we were two hours late for the party (thanks for waiting to judge Joe!) Some say we were still figuring out our idea, but really it was because we had a very important phone call. So anyway, we look forward to our friendly competition next year!

I thought this would be easier!

2007-10-17T22:04:00.000-04:00

Well I said in the last post that the "blog" is the way to go, that it would be easier to keep up with, and here I am 2 months later with my second post. Actually what has kept me away is I am having trouble getting pictures attached- so once I get through that I will update with pics, but for now I can write!
So here is what is happening with the Abels...
Dan is doing great, most of you know he had surgery over the summer- and he is doing great! He has been back to himself now for the last month or so. He has had no more episodes- the doc said he should be cured of the diverticulitis. PRAISE GOD, as Dan would say! Work is going okay, could be better. The slow housing market has an affect on the sales of softners- so he is a little bummed- trying hard to keep his guys motivated. He is still teaching the young married couples at church- scarey I know (just kidding dear).
I myself, am doing well. A little more tired these days. I have been working part-time at a sign company four mornings a week. So this had put a little twist in my schedule. I feel like I am in constant motion. I know God had this job specifically for me- He has blessed us with the income needed, and family is still able to be a priority. I do enjoy being in a new environment- I didn't realize how much of a bubble I was in, and I enjoy what I do. I am more on the production side of things than designing- and I am good with that. I still teach Ladies Bible Study, and I am loving it. We are going through the Book of Romans...slowly. It is great.
Ashley just celebrated her 8th birthday! I can't believe it! Yes she is almost as tall as me. I don't know where she gets her height from. She is currently playing Upward Soccer and she is a supersoccer star! She is loving school and doing extremely well. She is always enthusiastic about her work and it shows. She is our little artist too, hopefully I will get to post some of her work.
Sydney is Sydney- full of surprises. She is loving 1st grade- feels like a big kid now although she is petite. She is having a great time, getting excellent grades as well- even in behavior! She is not a bad kid at all- she just like to test the water. She also is playing soccer and no goals yet, but she is small and mighty. She much more into this year and her aggressive side is coming through.
Then there is Zach- he is at Pre-K 5 days a week now. So next year they will all be in school, that is crazy! He is the life of the party- this one takes after dad. Loves to play, be loud, and be with friends. Heis not happy when I come to pick him up. He is like a sponge, learning all kinds of new things lke writing his name, but he can also tell you how an earthquake happens, or how many bones are in a human skeleton. He pays attention when we study with Ash! He is a soccer stud, that is about it, he just goes out on the field and looks cool. I think last week was the first time his foot touched the ball in a game (we only have 2 games left). I know he is only four.
So there you have it, the latest update. We are looking forward to all are fun fall activities- I hope to have pictures up by then!

The Abel Clan

2007-08-25T22:28:00.000-04:00

Well it just seems to be the thing to do these days- create and post a blog! So here it is- a perfect way for us to keep in touch with all of you. The art of e- mail updates has been long gone for this family- which we do apologize for, but now it is made easy. Enjoy!