Shooting Skeet

Mom and Dad went with us yesterday to the Bailes Thanksgiving, held each year at Mike's brother Steve's home in Spartanburg. We had a houseful - Steve's family is a "more the merrier" kind of group. One of the annual rituals is shooting skeet out in the large field behind their home. Guess who decided to try her hand at it!

Steve showing her how to point the gun. (One of their son-in-laws in the foreground.)
Reacting after the retort -

She looks like she might be "game" to try it again!

Happy Thanksgiving! Aaron's aren't coming until tomorrow, so I hosted my mom & dad at my house for Thanksgiving dinner. I made a Mexican feast - red & green pepper boats, homemade guacamole, hot tamale casserole, gratin of greens, salad, & lime sherbet for dessert. We are probably one of the few people to NOT eat turkey today. We'll do the turkey dinner on Saturday as a family.

Betty Klopfenstein.

For those of you who have not yet heard the news - Betty Klopfenstein passed away early this morning. She has been in the Meadows nursing home for about a year. She has had severe heart problems for many years including a pace-maker. She has been alert and able to make all decisions involving her care, which included the decision not to have the battery in her pacemaker replaced as her heart was not strong enough for another surgery.

For those who do not know, she was the wife of our cousin Carlton who was the son of our Uncle Joe and Aunt Setta. She was a sweet lady. May she rest in Peace as she joins her husband and many other loved ones in the Presence of the Lord.

Knobloch House update

Painted porch floor

Casey the painter
Mara cleaning up

Dave building house driveway

My November & December Hobby

I always enjoy seeing Ada's projects, and thought maybe you'd like to see these. I love to pull out the paints every year around now and get to work. Even if the day is very full, just 15 minutes in the evening is very stress relieving. I've been doing these ever since Rhoda was here one summer about seven or eight years ago and we painted and painted. . .and I just kept on doing it once a year ever since.

These are the current finished ones so far. . .most just still need ribbons for hanging.

The "workshop" in action. (Mike, who doesn't like mess very much, is patient.)

And the many I have left to do! (Also have a hard time resisting buying more, especially when they are half price. . .)

Thanks for looking!

JUST A SILLY LITTLE POST

On Friday I was in Bloomington and went to Walmart to pick up a few things. Among the items were several boxes of L'eggs. This morning, as I was getting ready for church, I opened one of them and pulled out a single tube of "nylon" with elastic at the top and at the bottom!! I kept trying to find the other half, but it just wasn't there!! Jerry said I should put it on, wear it to church and see if anyone would notice. :)

Weekend in Michigan

This weekend is the start of the holiday for me in Michigan. The tradition is to go to the craft show at the local high school at 9:00 and then watch the Hudsonville Holiday parade at 10:00. Both are just a block or so from my house. Typical tradition is that I host a pumpkin pancake brunch for friends afterwards, but this year the weekend crept up on me too quickly, plus I want to do it when my Christmas decorations are out this year. In past years some have watched the MI/OH State football game as well, but this year that game is next weekend. 

The pumpkin pancake brunch on MI/OH State game day began when I lived in OH and I would invite MI fans to watch the game at my house. I'm really not a MI fan; I just really don't like OH State. When I moved here the tradition fit in well with the craft sale and parade.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Klopfenstein Family Christmas Dinner

Perry and I are planning to host the annual Christmas dinner in our home on Saturday, December 18th. We plan to send you each a post card with the details--so watch for it in the mail. Hope to see you soon! Carol

House Pics

Well Aunt Ada asked so here are a few pictures of the new house. I just realized I never took a picture of the living room as I was expecting to take a picture of Mom and Dad in there. You'll notice there is more work to do such as emptying some more boxes, putting up wall hangings, and hanging window coverings.

Dad in his office.

Dining room waiting for furniture. Rug will go when the furniture comes.

View to kitchen from dining room. Notice curtain rod in the corner. And then a view from the master bedroom into the kitchen.

 Picture above is from living room through screened porch overlooking a large deck. Below is front of the house.

The only thing they really need now are guests and a volunteer to wash the dormer windows!



SC House/Move Update

Hey everyone - you may be wondering about Dad and Mom, who have completed their move to SC. Notice, they have completed their move, not their move-IN. If any of you have moved recently, you know how long that takes!

Rhoda and a friend of hers have driven to SC to help them unpack. Ann had several meals waiting upon their arrival. Mike has been there to help. Mark and Molly are going this weekend. Unfortunately, we're unable to be there but plan to go in December to help them decorate for Christmas.

They seem happy and excited in their new home. I'm sure they'll post some photos as soon as their Internet is up and going. Thank you for your prayers and concern for them as they start a new phase of their lives.

New Baby Boy

Kobe Nash

11/6/10 (Daddy's birthday)

8lb. 8oz., 18.5"

Parents: Staci & Jerime

Grandparents: Cathy & Tim

Everybody's doing great!

Steffen Update

Since everyone is posting updates, I thought I would include one from our household. Probably the biggest news in our family is... the dog is gone. I'm sure you've all been wondering (ha, ha) since there have been no dog stories lately. He just got too big and turned out to be an 85 pound puppy. He was so excited around the boys that he would knock them over without even trying to. After he knocked down a relative and a preschool teacher who stopped by one afternoon, we decided it was time to let him go. We gave him back to the man we got him from and he is living a wonderful life on a farm in southern Illinois with him mom and his brother. Sam misses him dearly, but I have to admit that my life has gotten a lot easier without the dog around. We have seen a big increase in critters around here (possum, raccoons, and skunks), but that's okay.

I have 3 in school this year, 1 in preschool, and 1 at home. With homework and after school activities it seems we are always busy doing something. I'm in a meal exchange with some girls from church and that has been a huge help. We each make 2 meals x 4 and exchange at Wednesday night church. So twice a month I come home with 8 freezer meals. I'm loving it!

Sam keeps busy at work and his latest project is restoring his grandpa's 1947 pick-up truck. It's been his sanity-keeper lately. The boys are really excited to have it finished so they can "ride in parades and stuff".

Our next big event will be Sam's Mom's wedding in January. Earlier this year she was contacted by a man she knew from childhood, who lost his spouse at around the same time. They began corresponding through mail and phone calls as they shared their mutual grief. We can trully see God's hand in their relationship and it's been a beautiful testimony. It reminds me of Isaiah 61:3 where it talks about beauty for ashes, and the oil of joy for mourning.

Nothing too exciting with me. It seems I'm on the treadmill a lot (literally and figuratively). And in continuing my pursuit of healthy living, I gave up Diet Coke a few months ago. It was a big adjustment but I feel so much better.

That's it for us. I've enjoyed all the updates - keep them coming!

Knobloch House update

Slowly but surely the building goes on, and on, and on

Porch ceiling almost complete

Starting on siding

Update on my kids

We had a monster appointment for all four kids last week with our primary doctor. Ethne and Catie have started growing again, so Dr. C feels okay with backing off the testing for now. We still have no answers for why they were losing weight. I am glad we did the testing, but I'm also okay with backing off. The girls are happy, healthy, and meeting milestones. As long as they keep growing, I'm not worried about them being small. It's only when they stopped gaining and started losing that we wanted some tests done.

Thanks, everyone, for the prayers and support while we were testing the girls. Here's hoping they keep gaining.

If you want more details, you can check out my personal blog.

Wetzel-Celis Update

Well, mom and I must be on the same page, because I was thinking it was time for something new on the blog too. It's been awhile since I posted, so figured it was my turn. We have been busy, as usual. Jerry drives to Springfield everyday to work for the State of Illinois. Makes for long days. Interesting to note that they got "Voting Day" off. I always tease Jerry, "That's the government for ya!" I had a more-exciting-than-usual day at State Farm today ~ I witnessed a bizarre scene when a security worker lost control of an SUV and drove erratically through the parking lot, crashing into cement planters, light poles and ultimately a tree! Thankfully, no one was hurt. Heather is living at home with us while she saves money working at Chipotle. Can you believe she brought her dog with her, and the dog and I are getting along great?!?! It has been fun to have them both around; Heather is good about recognizing when I need help and will jump right in. Kelsie visited a couple weekends ago from college in Florida. She is doing so great down there, but needed a weekend of some good old Illinois fall weather. Oh how I loved having all the kids home, but oh how worn out I was! Here they all are around the breakfast table that Saturday:



Heater is training 2 hours a day in high school to be a CNA. She is surely learning to do some tasks I don't know that I would be able to do. She really loves it, and we are excited that she is excited about something! Nathan was Ironman for Halloween. I actually watched Ironman I with him, and liked it enough to think I might watch the sequel. This is not my kind of movie, but yes, I am a mom of a son, so I must go along with him. He made a fine (and fast running) Ironman, and scored a big bucket of candy which we've all enjoyed! Here he is prior to going trick-or-treating:



There's alot more, I'm sure, but that's a quick look into where we are right now.

What are the rest of you up to?

P.S. I didn't comment awhile back when the posts were made about Andrew's singing group came to Indiana, but will say now how great he sounded (and I only heard the online version!). Heather said it was really fun, and the group was awesome. So happy that mom and dad could take her with them, and that they all got the opportunity to see Ann and Andrew there. He sure can sing!!

NEW STUFF

Well, the election is finally over! Thank goodness! We just got home from church; small crowd tonight, but I think there were some various activities going on at the same time.

Jerry and I both have mild colds, coughs and stuffy noses. Do you think it will take us twice as long to get over it since we'll just keep passing it back and forth? Obviously I don't have anything exciting to report on, but I'm sure you're all awaiting another post on here, so I thought I'd just do it! Whether you like to see my creations or not, here are the latest.

A snowman wall-hanging was fun to make.

Christmas table-runner
One of a set of 12 placemats - I hope to make more.

Ornaments and lace snowflakes.

Caleb and Alice

Here's another picture so you can see Alice, who is crawling all over at 7 months. ---Carol

Cousins in Kansas City

Ashton and Caleb went with Perry, Preston and me on a bus to KC last week-end. It was a fun trip and we got to be there for the celebration of Jesse's 2nd birthday.

More Klop Sleep Isues

Tuesday night the power was out in my neighborhood meaning it was extremely dark and very quiet trying to go to sleep.


Here's how I solved my problem: I have a crank flashlight so I wound that up for about 30 seconds to give a little light in the room and I also remembered getting a crank radio so pulled that out and wound and wound and wound it (all that winding really kind of woke me up) to listen to the end of the Celtics/Heat game on ESPN radio. I use my cell phone for an alarm clock so I knew I'd wake up when needed in the morning, except I was down to one bar as I hadn't charged the phone the previous night. I also had in the back of my mind what if the phone dies and I don't wake up in time for work.

With all the sleep issues we Klopfensteins seem to have has anyone had it too dark and too quiet to sleep with the power out?

By the way, this is the third time in two years wind has caused power outages for my area.

And the power came back on at 11:53 pm.

Update?

Always good to hear from you, Mary. Doesn't seem like you are so far away.

We need an update on U. Lynn and A. Mim. House bought? Moving date set? Somebody fill in the details!

Wheat Pillow

At a hotel where we stayed recently, a choice of pillows was offered. One was a wheat pillow, supposedly good for supporting a person's neck, and I tried it the last couple of nights we were there. It was very different, but I did think it helped support my neck, thus helping me sleep better.

Joey brought one back for me so I've been using it for a week now - and I really like it! If you like soft, downy type pillows this is not for you. But if you have any neck issues, it may help. If you get one, make sure it's fully refundable just in case it doesn't work for you. I had to order mine online since I couldn't find it at the regular department stores. The cost is sort of up there but hey, what's the price of a good night's sleep?

Sobering Afternoon

It is very sobering to go to a funeral for an 18-year-old young man. I did that today. He was a former student of mine (five classes over the years), a graduate of five months ago, who collapsed while running at a local track on Wednesday night. He was eight months younger than my daughter, and as I sat next to her today, with the casket of one of her peers resting just a few yards away, the minor things that sometimes come between us seemed so unimportant.

To those who are parents of children still at home: Give them an extra hug tonight. Life is fleeting - my church and school families have found that out anew this week.

CRAZY DREAM

This won't compare to Judy's posts about nighttime activities, but I awakened with a rapidly-beating heart about 3 am and actually she was part of my dream. We were in some airport waiting for our plane to go to Florida. Lots of people actively moving around when Judy told me to hurry our flight is boarding. I tried to pick up my purse, but it was gone and I yelled at her to help me find it, but she kept going so I ran around like crazy to find my purse, but couldn't find it. I ran as fast as I could down a huge flight of steps trying to get to the gate on time - but knew they probably wouldn't let me on. Then I woke up and in reality my heart was just thumping, thumping!! Took me awhile to calm down, but went back to a peaceful sleep and didn't wake up until 7:45 - pretty late for me. Jerry was already gone to his Friday breakfast.

I've been making table runners as I have a special order for three of them and I also want to make several for a craft show. Here's the latest three.

Have a great day.

Phoebe AnnaRae Knobloch

Phoebe AnnaRae arrived at 4:41 this afternoon. Jake and Malissa are thrilled with their little girl. Grandma's pretty proud, too!

2010 Ornaments

This is the result of my efforts on Saturday.  I'll let you look and here and here for the explanation.

There has been some speculation that the kids may be getting too old for this tradition, but I was excited on Friday when within minutes of getting a text from me almost everyone replied how much they like to get their ornament each year.

Video Clip

How Great Thou Art

10/3/10

Terre Haute IN

SWEET PICTURE

This is a bad-sleep night so I'm "playing" with my computer. I've had this sweet picture laying on my desk for awhile and thought this would be a good time to share it.

An interesting morning with Maria--Carroll, that is

Maria Carroll, German war bride, married a soldier from Shelbyville, TN during or just after WWII. I met her when we had an AiG table in Huntsville in August and found her German accent and enthusiasm delightful. I told her I had three German creationist books at home. She was interested in buying them, so today we met at Cracker Barrel for breakfast to get the books to her. I would much rather have had her in our home, but with a kitchen full of packing boxes, the idea of a guest was abandoned quickly. Of interest also was a devotional book written in old German, the frontpiece that Lynn wanted to have Maria translate. She didn't know old German very well; guess it was like trying to translate the original Beowulf in old English. This is an excerpt that she deciphered: "To the Christian reader, I wish blessing, peace and mercy from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. True Christianity leads us back to God, which is the source of our happiness."
The date in the book is 1785 (not a typo!) and was sent to Lynn from a Stephanie Klopfenstein from Crestline, OH because she was downsizing and wanted to get rid of it. Lynn had never heard of her before the book arrived in the mail. I'm trying to get him to put a picture of it on the blog, but that is easier said than done for us oldsters. The book belonged to an Isaac Klopfenstein and contains 365 devotionals. It is at least five inches thick. Lynn thinks it should go into a Klopfenstein museum that is yet to be constructed.

Back to Ada's question, "What Keeps You Awake At Night..."

Well, the night-time antics never stop in the Knobloch household. I couldn't sleep last night, possibly due to too much diet pop yesterday. So I was on the couch, when suddenly at 2:30 am I heard a loud explosion, then another. I jumped up and ran to the back of our house...and there was Dave with blood running down his face, completely disoriented, and insisting he was running from a crumbling barn. It took a while to wake him up and then we examined his damaged face. We still can't figure out what he hit, as there doesn't seem to be any damage to the house anywhere, but he must have hit a wall or door. It looked like he had scraped about 8 inches of skin off the right side of his face, and possibly had broken a bone in his cheek. He cleaned up and put ice on it and slept in his chair until morning.

This morning, the swelling in the cheek was down, but he has a nasty swollen, black eye. He bandaged himself up, called off of work at IDOT, and headed out to the farm to run the tractor all day, chiseling. His only comment was, "See, this is why you don't take days off of work for no good reason, in case something like this happens!"

And I was emphatically told, "No pictures on the Internet!"

I hear thunder now, so maybe he will get rained out and have to come home.

What happens...

...when you put 10 eggs into a pot on the stove to boil, then go off to do laundry, read emails, proofread books, etc.???

Answer: It STINKS in here!

...when the caller-ID says "Bromenn Hospital" and you answer it and they say, "Just wondered if you would like to come in this afternoon and help us out."

Answer: NO! (I'm sticking to the retirement plan!)