Fueled by Ploeckel-Power

Christmas Pagent 2010

2010-12-14T12:18:00.000-06:00

my two angels.

Baby Lennon was so little he fit in the manger. :)

Mary & Joseph

Q Cares for Kids Toy Drive 2010

2010-12-10T11:57:00.000-06:00

The first weekend in December always means it's time for the annual Q Cares for Kids Toy Drive. Every year it is amazing to see everyone come together to support the kids in need within our community. Just more proof that Santa is real!

Decorating for Christmas!

2010-11-28T17:41:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Christina!

2010-11-27T17:37:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T21:32:00.000-06:00

I wish I would have taken more pictures of Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful celebration! Our good friends Joe and Sara came over along with Sara's sister and her family. Baby Lennon joined Joe and Sara's family just one month before Thanksgiving. The Turkey was bigger than the baby!

We had an amazing dinner! Even if we forgot the gravy! Ooops!

After dessert, Ryan pulled out his guitar and we all sang some songs.

Sara and I looked though the Black Friday ads...

And Friday Morning we scored Joe and Ryan these awesome Superman Snuggies!

Thanksgiving Food Baskets

2010-11-20T21:42:00.006-06:00

I've been working as a youth leader for a while now and I love it- especially times like these. The teens decided that they wanted to provide Thanksgiving dinners for families in need. They came up with a list of food to include in each dinner and hoped to provide for 3 families. The teens auctioned off their time and talent through yard work, baby sitting and cleaning at the Church Fall Fest. They raised enough for 13, yes thirteen!, dinners!!!!!! I couldn't be prouder!

Welcome Baby Caelyn!

2010-11-13T21:12:00.001-06:00

I was honored to throw a baby shower for my good friend and next door neighbor, Sara. Sara and her husband, Sam, moved in right next door to us shortly after we moved in. We got along great from the moment we met and have spent lots of time together. Sam and Sara's little guy, Drake, is just a few weeks older than Evelyn. And, now, baby Caelyn is on the way!

Since Sara is a hip and hot mama (just check out those shoes!), we decided to go with a hot pink and black theme.

I printed out this banner and made these pom poms out of tissue paper.

Sam and Sara are both HUGE K-State fans, and with help from Sara's mother-in-law, I put together this blanket for baby Caelyn.

Another neighbor, Charlotte, made this beautiful diaper wreath. Gotta love a gift that doubles as a decoration.

Candy bar favors made just for the shower. Chocolate brownies and hot pink frosted cupcakes were a delicious way to keep the hot pink and black color them all the way through dessert. Yum!

All Dressed Up for Career Day!

2010-11-09T21:29:00.000-06:00

Christmas Pageant

2010-11-07T21:09:00.001-06:00

Mary, Joseph and the Angel "Grape-riel"

Trick Or Treat!

2010-10-31T23:01:00.000-05:00

Halloween started off with a visit from friends and a scare!

Joe dressed up as a monster using a great combination of stuff from our dress up trunk and came out from around the corner scaring the kids! Of course they fought the monster...

and ultimately Evelyn crushed the monster and peace was restored.

I've heard about them but have never seen one first hand, one of our neighbors was actually handing out FULL SIZE candy bars!!!

Not that the kids had any shortage of candy...

At the Q booth with Gretchen during Fright on Franklin downtown.

One of the shops downtown was beautifully decorated making for the perfect photo op!

The Mystery of the Missing Halloween Candy

2010-10-29T23:10:00.000-05:00

For Ava's ninth birthday we hosted an American Girl Mystery Party. It was AMAZING and pretty easy! I bought the kit from amazon and almost everything was provided in the kit.

Ava as Molly.

Ava choose the Mystery of the Missing Halloween candy set near the end of the Great Depression. The story line was perfect for Ava's birthday since it's so close to Halloween. The guests received invitations with their roles described and simple costume ideas.

Molly (Ava) in costume.

Jack O Lantern PB&J sandwiches were served for dinner along with apple slices:).

Each girl was handed a copy of the script and they just read the mystery aloud. There were times when they were asked to discuss their ideas and kind of improv, but most of it was just reading from the script and following the stage clues. The girls LOVED it!

After the mystery was solved, we played some games traditional to the time period. Pin the tail on the donkey was a huge hit! We played three rounds!

Turns out dropping a clothes pin in a milk jug is pretty hard and the girls gave up quickly.

We had a Bazooka Bubble Gum bubble blowing contest!

This was my favortie pic of the night. Evelyn is pushing Ava right off the couch and each girl's expression is priceless!

After changing into PJ's we played the egg/spoon game.

And charades!

Each girl took home a bag of candy and a personalized candy bar party favor.

The party was a great success! We are already thinking of which of the other three American Girl Mystery parties we are going to do next year!

Happy 9th Birthday, Ava!!!

2010-10-28T23:30:00.000-05:00

Ava turned nine today and, according to TN state law, that means she can ride in a motor vehicle WITHOUT a booster seat!!!

(Ava would like everyone to know we didn't really throw away her booster seat. We saved it to use as an extra.)

It's hard to believe my baby girl, who was 4 months here, is so grown up!

A birthday tradition! Toreros!

Evelyn peaking out from behind her super silly daddy.

Evelyn being silly with Joe.

Evelyn

2010-10-22T11:29:00.002-05:00

Evelyn was happily collecting acorns to help out the squirrels and I snapped a few pics of my beautiful girlie.

A Great Day for a Climb

2010-10-15T11:33:00.000-05:00

Ever since our friends, the Karrs, introduced us to rock climbing we have been hooked! We finally bit the bullet and got our own equipment! Ryan's parents were in town and we packed up and headed to Queens Bluff for the afternoon. Bonus- Ava got to practice her photography skills!

pic by Ava

Pic by Ava

By Ava

By Ava, My Favorite!

The view by Ava

By Ava

It was a great afternoon, but Koen about gave us a heart attack because he couldn't sit still getting so close to the edge of a steep drop off down to the river. So, since we couldn't do the best job keeping him safe and Evelyn was too little to fit in the harness and climb, this will be the one and only time we all go climbing together. From now on we'll take the kids one at a time. Lesson learned.

A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-13T17:17:00.000-05:00

Ryan had to work, but the rest of us headed out to spend a morning at the Pumpkin Patch.

Surprise Visit!

2010-10-09T17:32:00.000-05:00

After the wedding we talked some of Ryan's family into coming down to visit us in Clarksville before heading back up to Wisconsin.

Wedding Fun!

2010-10-08T17:24:00.001-05:00

Weddings are the best kind of family reunion so of course we headed up to Kentucky for Ryan's cousin Michael's wedding.

A Boy in Uniform

2010-09-27T22:14:00.004-05:00

Koen looks so handsome in his boy scout uniform! And he is having so much fun earning his beads with Ryan.

Of course we could help but goof around a bit while waith for the den meeting to get started.

Way To Go, Koen!

A Sussical Baby Shower

2010-09-25T22:18:00.002-05:00

I was so happy to be able to put together a baby shower for my good friend, Sara. Look at her little belly... Baby Lennon was born just a month after this photo. I like to use the nursery as the inspiration for the shower theme and Lennon's nursery is... You guessed it! Dr. Seuss themed!

These custom wrapped Hershey bars were the favors.

Our friend, Shelly did an amazing job with the food! All Dr. Seuss themed and delicious, too!

2nd Annual Sept Cabin Camping Trip with the Griffiths

2010-09-18T22:29:00.000-05:00

This year we went to Northern GA way out in the middle of no where. The highlight of the trip was this really neat swinging bridge.

Andrew and Tracy

After a full day of hiking we made smores. Try them with Reeses PB cups! We'd never had them before but Tracy brought some, and, WOW!

After the campfire, we put the kids to bed and hopped in the hot tub to relax. Not too rustic, I'll admit:)

Dance, Ava. Dance!

2010-09-11T22:42:00.000-05:00

Ava getting her grove on during an open dance session at a local festival.

Video from Judo Demo

2010-09-10T23:07:00.004-05:00

Ava and Koen are wearing blue.

September Judo Demo

2010-09-10T22:50:00.000-05:00

Evelyn's First Day of Preschool

2010-09-06T22:47:00.000-05:00

Look who's in the 4's class!

Wine Country

2010-08-20T22:00:00.001-05:00

After a few days in San Francisco, we jumped in one of these...

And drove across this...

When we passed this hotel, I had to stop and get a pic ;)

Our favorite tasting house was in Mendocino. They had lots of different wines from small wineries across the county. We found a couple of favorites there! After two days in Wine Heaven, we climbed back in the convertible for a very twisty, turn-y drive through the redwoods and along the coast back for one last day in San Francisco. We rode the street cars some more and re visited a few of our favorite places.

A Few Days in San Fran

2010-08-18T21:14:00.037-05:00

San Francisco was SO different than Clarksville, TN. Hills, street cars, tons of homeless, the ocean, real Italian food, people walking everywhere, super fresh seafood... We have none of that at home.... At least not like they do in San Fran. We spent a few days in the city before heading north to Wine Country.

The historic street cans were really neat. This one took you down to the warf and and amazing indoor farmers market where we got the most amazing artisan chocolate and yummy empanadas.

Pier 39 is at the Warf. We saw, heard and smelled the sea lions and discovered lots of these "Photo Spots".

Of course we visited the Episcopal cathedral in San Fransicso. It was so beautiful inside and out. We even walked the outdoor labrynith.

Our first day we had real pizza and shared a bottle of wine for lunch at a little bistro.

And, Ryan found a really neat record shop. There were thousands and thousands of record stacked floor to ceiling everywhere.

Of course we went to Haight Ashbury. There was an amazing Asian Fusion vegetarian restaurant there where we had these for lunch. Beautiful and delicious!

I finally caved in to Ryan's begging and joined him for a Segway tour. It really was fun once I go the hang of it. Of course Ryan was fearlessly zipping and zagging and doing circles around me.

San Francisco: China Town

2010-08-16T20:53:00.015-05:00

To celebrate our 10th Anniversary, Ryan and I flew to San Francisco for a week! Yup, a whole week just me and Ryan. A huge thank you to Ryan's parents for staying with our kids.

One of the first places we went was China Town.

We walked in a tea shop and had so much fun tasting lots of different teas.

China Town was really amazing. It felt like we were in China!

A beautiful window display we walked by. The best part about San Francisco was that you could walk everywhere. We didn't miss having a car one little bit!

Our first night in San Francisco we went to a Buddhist Temple and participated in a meditation.

Opening Night!!!

2010-08-13T20:01:00.000-05:00

Ava in stage makeup opening night of her very first on stage with actual paying customers play!!!

All of the long rehearsal hours and hard work she put in paid off. She was not nervous at all and absolutely LOVED being on stage in front of the crowd and did a fantastic job. The play had a two weekend 5 show run!

Ava has fallen in love with performing and can't wait to get on stage again.

...Guess who she gets that from:)

Meet the Mayor of Munchkin Land

2010-08-10T19:54:00.001-05:00

Ava tried out for the Wizard of Oz and won the role of Mayor of Munchkin Land!!! Way to GO Ava!!! I got to sew her a costume and it turned out fabulous if I do say so myself! Ava has spent long hours at rehearsal working hard.

"As Mayor of Muchkin City in the County of the Land Of Oz, I welcome you most regally.......

Back to School!

2010-08-06T19:49:00.000-05:00

Evelyn, a brand new 4 year old, can now ride her bike to the school without the parent push bar on the back! She doesn't start preschool until September so she and I are looking forward to spending some one on one time together.

Starting 3rd grade with Mrs Rhoades

Starting first grade with Mrs Penn

Evelyn and Loralai

2010-08-05T19:40:00.000-05:00

Evelyn and Loralai have been friends since Evelyn was born when Loralai was 6 months old. They LOVE to play together. Loralai had to move to Florida when her daddy got a job there, so we were very excited when her mom brought her back to Clarksville for a visit.

Evelyn Turns 4!

2010-07-27T17:38:00.001-05:00

Evelyn had her friends over for a Yo Gabba Gabba party to celebrate her 4th birthday.

I made these cupcakes using an idea from a cupcake book my Aunt Phyl. They turned out beautiful and delicious!

My neighbor won this birthday party kit, and, since her son didn't have any interest in a Yo Gabba Gabba party, she gave the kit, including everything you might need for a party, to Evelyn.

Each little kid got a boom box full of goodies to take home. The older siblings each took home a hershey's bar with birthday wrappers Ava and I made.

Evelyn was very excited that her BFF, Loralai, was visiting from Florida and could join in the birthday fun!

A Princess Turns 4

2010-07-26T17:52:00.000-05:00

Evelyn has lots of grown up friends from church and she wanted to include them in her birthday fun, too. So the lucky girl had a princess themed birthday. too.

Mr Matt

Lillie, Meg & Koen

Even Mr. Kinckerbocker used a princess plate and napkin!

Pretty cupcakes with diamonds!

Mrs. Sara

The Birthday Cereal!

Visiting the Art Museum in Nashville

2010-07-20T17:29:00.000-05:00

Treasure Quest: Mission Babylon

2010-07-16T18:13:00.012-05:00

...was the theme of the Vacation Bible School I organized at work this year. We had so much fun leaning about Daniel's adventures in Babylon as we went on our own treasure hunt.

We met up at base camp every afternoon for a whole week and then split off into group to visit The Temple of the Crystal Truth where we learned how Daniel stood up for what was right- even when no one else did.

We hunted for the lost treasure of Babylon in the exploration station.

On the last day of VBS, there was this beautiful Rainbow right above the church!

Ava's team hunting for buried treasure.

Working a decoding the location of a buried treasure.

Trying to avoid the beachball during a game of Fire Ball.

Song Time with Pennsylvania Stevens

We made Lion Cookies on the night we learned about Daniel's visit to the Lion's Den

Evelyn making her field journal.

Fun at the Splash Park!

2010-07-15T18:10:00.001-05:00

Garden Tomatoes

2010-07-08T19:22:00.000-05:00

Fourth of July Weekend 2010

2010-07-04T19:31:00.001-05:00

Sunday was a big day for Ava. It was her first time serving as an Acolyte during Sunday service.

The best pic of all three kids. At least they are acting natural!

Poodle Skirts!

2010-06-25T10:26:00.000-05:00

We did a 1950's themed sock hop Vacation Bible School this year at Church. It was a ton of fun and the kids are still singing "The Hallelujah Hop!". I made the girls poodle skirts for the sock hop dance:).

Aloha!

2010-06-05T12:37:00.000-05:00

Aloha means peace, love, compassion, hello and goodbye making it the perfect theme for my sister, Anmarie's college graduation party. We surrounded her with peace, love and compassion as she said goodbye to one chapter of her life and hello to another. Even though it was a rainy day, our luau celebration was bright and cheery!

My cousin, Linda, with her sweet little girl.

My sisters and Koen with Uncle Ron.

Anmarie with my mom, my mom's friend Barb and Aunt Mary.

The beautiful cupcakes my sister, Kayti, made.

It was so much fun seeing everyone dressed up luau style! Ava found some girls her age to play with.

Ava and my cousin, Laura's, daughter, Megan.

Anmarie was the master drink maker!

Megan with her grandma, my Aunt Pat.

My mom and her friend, Sue.

Cutting the cake!

Kayti is an amazing baker!

Evelyn had fun playing with my cousin, Cindy's daughter Maria.

Ava with my cousin Monica's girls, Paris and Olivia & my cousin Laura's, daughter, Megan.

Koen is having a serious talk with his great Aunt Pat.

Pewaukee Lake

2010-06-03T12:05:00.000-05:00

We were lucky to be able to spend some time with my Uncle Dave and Aunt Kaye at their home on Pewaukee Lake. I made a lot of memories there as a kid playing with my cousins, going on boat rides and even fishing.

It's so great to see my kids making similar memories.

The kids got to go fishing, too! And they each caught fish. Then Uncle Dave helped put them back in the water so the fish could grow even bigger!

Hanging out with the Ploeckelman cousins

2010-06-03T12:01:00.000-05:00

The Milwaukee County Zoo

2010-06-03T11:40:00.001-05:00

We had a great time hanging out with Grandpa Mike, Auntie Kayti and Auntie Anmarie at the zoo. It was a beautiful day and we had a wonderful time! The only problem was that the zoo closed before we were done exploring! It's amazing how time flies when you are having fun.

No trip to the zoo is complete with out a ride on the zoo train!

Koen was picked to help out with the bird show.

Once Evelyn was convinced the dinosaurs were not real, she enjoyed the exhibit.

Frozen custard at Leon's (Double scoops!!!) was the perfect ending to a great day!

I'm already counting down till next year:)

Schopf's Dairy

2010-06-02T11:29:00.000-05:00

Door County

2010-06-01T11:02:00.001-05:00

Enjoying one of daddy's favorite childhood treats.... graham crackers and frosting.

relaxing with great grandpa

hanging out with great Uncle Joe is always a lot of fun!

Fossil Hunting with great Grandpa

While the kids and I were in Wisconsin, we decided to take a trip up to Door County to visit with Ryan's grandparents and his Aunt my and Uncle Joe.

A Visit to "The Farm"

2010-06-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

While we were in Wisconsin we made a trip up to visit Ryan's family in Door County and spent time at the farm and "The Farm". "The Farm" is a hands on farm experience with lots of fun stuff for the kids to do. Ryan's grandparents started the business and later sold it. The farm is where Ryan's Aunt Amy and Uncle Joe live and grow lots of yummy organic vegetables. It's where Ryan's mom grew up and where Ryan used to pick stones out of the field as a kid.

These pics are from our trip to "The Farm" while visiting Grandma and Grandpa.

Feeding the animals is a highlight!

...except when a very hungry goat steals your whole bag of corn! I wish you could see more of Evie's face. She was so mad!

Stuck in the Old Silo.

In Wisconsin: Memorial Day

2010-05-31T23:10:00.000-05:00

Playing games with Aunt Phyl while waiting for the parade to begin.

My cousin, Laura's, daughter was in the parade with her Pom Pom Team!

In Wisconsin: Kite Fest with Grandma Sandy & Auntie Kayti

2010-05-27T23:10:00.000-05:00

In Wisconsin: Auntie Anmarie treats Koen to a Brewer's Game!

2010-05-27T22:55:00.001-05:00

He was SO excited!!! But our southern boy was a bit confused to see cheese cover french fries. He opted for peanuts instead:)

In Wisconsin: Visitng Canfora Bakery and the Gardens with Grandpa Mike

2010-05-27T22:45:00.001-05:00

So many to choose from!

The First Day of Summer!!!

2010-05-22T22:38:00.000-05:00

We welcomed summer with good friends and lots of water of course!

Evelyn's Last days of 3 Year Old Preschool

2010-05-16T22:34:00.001-05:00

End of the Year Awards

2010-05-14T22:31:00.000-05:00

Koen and his buddy Jeremiah

Ava was very proud of her self:)

Happy 6th Birthday Koen!!!

2010-05-13T22:13:00.000-05:00

eating his birthday breakfast

riding his new bike!

Celebrating at our favorite restaurant with his buddy Louis.

Sharing a birthday cookies with his class

The pinata I made for his birthday!

He loves these "ice cream cone" cupcakes.

Strawberry Pickin'

2010-05-13T22:08:00.001-05:00

Happy 32nd Birthday Ryan!!!

2010-05-12T22:01:00.000-05:00

Making a Solar Marshmallow Roaster

2010-05-09T21:51:00.000-05:00

We lined a box with foil to try to roast a few marshmallows.

We waited and waited and waited. But no luck:(. Our experiment failed. But, at least we had fun!

Partying Like it's 1899!

2010-05-08T17:07:00.000-05:00

Two weeks before the Big Flood we had another big storm typical of a TN spring. This one had high winds and our power was out for 5 hours. The kids were just totally flustered. How on earth could they possibly go to bed when there was no power/no lights!!! Answer- the same way the always do. But with flashlights instead of night lights!

Field Day!!!

2010-05-06T17:25:00.000-05:00

The Friday before Flood-magedon 2010 was Glenellen's annual Field Day! The kids spend an entire day mostly outside playing about 15 different games while building confidence and learning good sportsmanship. From bucket ball to the sock throw to the ball kick, no game is left out. Each kid gets a button and on it are placed stickers for each event. Blue stickers are for 1st place! Koen was so proud!

The kids can't play non-stop so in addition to a picnic lunch, 2 popsicle breaks are included in the schedule. The whole day is a lot of fun and the kids look forward to it every year.

Spring Break- Take 2

2010-05-06T17:06:00.000-05:00

Had I known the kids were going to get a second spring break, I would have headed down to Florida for at least a few days! Storms last weekend brought 14+ inches of rain with in 3 days (our May average is 5 inches). It's weird, but we are down stream from Nashville on the Cumberland river. So, in addition to our own rainfall, the Cumberland River in Clarksville crested at 62.5 ft, 16 ft over flood stage.

This is pic is from the Newspaper. You can see where the river should be and some of where it ended up.

All is well in our neighborhood. But, many home & business owners have flood damage. This is Ryan's co-host, Gretchen's house. The water actually rose another foot after this was taken! Some neighborhoods were evacuated by boat!

So, school has been out all week...but of course they only cancel one day at a time....so no trip to Florida. Instead Ryan has been doing Storm Coverage and Radio Relief for Flood Victims...

While the kids and I have been keeping busy playing outside,

going to the dry parks, visiting the library, having Wed Night Supper at Trinity with our Church family

and playing with Maisy!

A Visit to Ivy Green

2010-04-30T15:53:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things about Ava is how she becomes interested in a subject and then learns everything she can about it. Recently, Ava has been independently studying Helen Keller and her life. She read a short story about Helen Keller in reading class and it really sparked her interest. So, she read Keller's biography, The Story of my Life by Helen Keller and a fiction book, Miss Spitfire, written from Keller's teacher, Annie Sullivan's point of view. Ava even wrote a report that her teacher let her read to the class. (Ava's teacher is AWESOME!)

When I found out Ivy Green, Helen Keller's childhood home, was only a few hours away I knew we just had to go! We joined up with our good friends the Smiths and headed down to Alabama! The Smith kids are homeschooled and I pulled Ava out of school for this educational field trip. Just in case you're wondering, Koen did go to school that day and that is why he isn't in any of these pics.:)

We stopped for a picnic lunch...

and a few hours after leaving Clarksville we finally made it to Ivy Green.

Ava and Evelyn paid close attention during the guided tour that started off with us closing our eyes and covering our ears to get an idea of what it would be like to be both blind and deaf like Helen Keller.

Ava 'reading' braille

And signing the guest book to record her visit

We headed outside and found THE waterpump where Ms Sullivan taught a young Helen her first word

Ava signs into Megs hand just as Ms Sullivan and Helen signed into each others hands

Helen Keller traveled around the world advocating for the Blind and Deaf. At Ivy Green there are statues of thanks from many countries. This lion is on behalf of the United States Lion's Club.

We really had an amazing time! And sharing the day with good friends made it even better.

Arts In The School Night

2010-04-28T15:34:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday we headed up to the school to squeeze in a little time at Arts in the School night before heading to Judo. The whole school was decorated with art showing different subjects each grade level had been studying. The Kindergarten hallway was all about Australia.

Koen told us all about the animals in Australia. And I even managed to get him to pose with his teacher for a quick pic!

Then we stopped by Ava's room to learn about Tennessee and grab a quick Moonpie. Moonpies find their origin in a Chattanooga TN bakery. They were created in 1910 as a filling snack for coal miners. Moonpies are kind of like smores- marshmallow sandwiched between two Graham cookies and then coated with chocolate.

We traveled down the 3rd grade hallway and found ourselves under the sea

And then we made our way to the jungle

Before we left we stopped by the Underground Railroad in the 5th grade hallway

I was really impressed with all the kids and teachers did to make Arts in the School night so fun! There were even a few performances and demonstrations by different clubs at the school that we had to miss out on. Maybe next year!

Rivers & Spires

2010-04-25T15:18:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was Clarksville's Annual Rivers & Spires festival. There is always lots to do and this year the Church I work for even had a booth! It was lots of fun (and exhausting).

The theme of the festival was "Go Green" so at our booth, we challenged kids to sort the recyclables and take out the trash as quickly as they could! It was neat for them to realize how little trash there really was in the big can and how much of it could be recycled.

Ryan, Koen and Ava are all taking Judo now and the Judo club they belong to did a great demonstration.

After the Judo demonstration the kids and I marched in the Children's Parade with the Church I work for. Waiting for the parade to start was a bit boring, so Evelyn and Koen hlped themselves to some of the candy we had to pass out.

Evelyn fell asleep shortly after the parade...

Meanwhile we explored an Army tank

And tried out racing boy scout derby cars with our friends the Bairs

Evelyn woke up just in time to ride the train

And try roping a cow

What a day! We had so much fun! I can't wait till next year.

Dirty Feet and a Garden

2010-04-24T15:18:00.000-05:00

We finally put our garden in. We planted tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and onions!

Meanwhile, Evelyn was living it up in her sandbox. The same sandbox that Grandma Sandy gave to Ava (and me) when Koen was born. Ava would spend lots of time out their while newborn Koen and I enjoyed the shade at our Urbana house.

Flying High and Hanging Out

2010-04-16T14:01:00.001-05:00

The weather has been so beautiful! We took the kids up to the school to fly kites.

High School Musical 2

2010-04-14T22:16:00.000-05:00

Acting in a spring play at the Roxy is becoming a tradition for Ryan. I think this is his 4th (maybe 5th) play, and they keep asking him back:). It must be the great reviews he gets. ...and maybe that he volunteers his time so he's free labor.

(Ava, Koen, Evelyn and our friend Ryleigh before the show.)

Indulge me as I brag about my husband for a minute. In this review of Altar Boyz where he just did a voice over the critic wrote "A nod should also go in the direction of Ryan Ploeckelman, whose "Voice of God" narration is a real hoot. Yes, it is written humorously, but Ploeckelman deserves credit for his terrific delivery of the material." And another critic wrote this about Ryan's performance in High School Musical- "I do have to say that I was impressed with Ryan Ploeckelman as Mr. Fulton. A local radio celebrity who shined over Mindy's performance."

The kids and I went opening night and had a great time, even though it was a late night. It was hard to decide if I should watch the show or the kids faces. There is a scene where Sharpay comes out wearing a Bikini. Well, that just about embarrassed Koen to death. I guess he hasnt had the chance to spend a lot of time at the beach or pool where girls and ladies wear bikinis. When he found out the youth group at church was going to see the show, he told them all to watch for Sharpay in her Zucchini.

Ava hopes to follow in her daddy's footsteps. She auditioned for The Wizard of Oz late last week. She loved the audition and is really hoping to get a part.

A family pic after the show. See the sold out sign in the window!

Easter Sunday- The Feast

2010-04-11T21:43:00.000-05:00

Hanging out and spending time with family is always fun! The kids played and played and played. Koen even climbed into the outdoor garbage can to hid from the girls (his 2 sisters plus 3 neighbor girls). He'll never live that one down! Thankfully he was in a swimming suit and a quick bath washed the germs away.

Uncle Daryn is a Gym teacher, so playing with him outside is always a ton of fun.

The girls love to do hair and make up with Aunt Kate. She knows all the cool girly stuff!

Ava learned that Grandma Margaret did have a computer or even a TV when she was a little girl!!! She must have read a lot.

Kathy, Kate & Becky helped me prepare a huge Easter Feast with way too much food! We were happy to have a few good friends join us including my friend Sara and
our friends the Kinckerbockers. Koen calls Jerry "Mr. Jerry Knickerbocker" not just Mr Knickerbocker or Mr Jerry. I think he likes the way it sounds:)

It was a fun weekend and it was sure sad to see everyone go. More than a few tears were shed. These goodbyes are getting especially hard on sweet Ava. We hope to see you all again soon!

Easter Sunday- The Tradition

2010-04-10T19:34:00.001-05:00

After the plastic eggs were emptied, we made Empty Tomb rolls. These have become a much requested family tradition. They are fun and yummy! (Not to mention easy and a great way to preheat the oven.)

First, pound out a grands refrigerator biscuit till it's flat.

Sprinkle on some cinnamon and sugar...

and wrap up a big marshmallow in the middle. Wrap it tight... No holes!
Spread a little butter on top, bake according to the directions on the package and let cool. It's very important to let them cool so you don't burn your mouth on hot marshmallow.

After they are cool, bite in and find an Empty Tomb!

Easter Sunday- The Great Egg Hunt

2010-04-10T13:12:00.004-05:00

The whole Easter Weekend was packed with family and fun. Uncle Daryn & Aunt Kate and Grandma & Grandpa drove up from Florida on Thursday. They braved the whole drive in one day!!! It's not fun being in the car from sun up till sun down and we were so glad they made the trip up. Aunt Becky, Uncle Eric and Evan & Jack drove down from Wisconsin on Friday and so did Great Grandma & Great Grandpa. All in all, we ended up with 4 generations of family sharing in the Easter Feast (and candy).

We used our Resurrection Eggs to help us remember the Easter Story on Saturday night. Each plastic egg has a little something in it that helps tell part of the Easter story, like a donkey, a crown of thorns or nails. Ava read some of the verses from her very own Bible she got for Christmas. She loved that, of course.
Easter Sunday we gathered together for a family picture before we headed off to church. I am so thankful we have a backyard that offers a beautiful backdrop for many group photos. We had an even bigger crowd for Evelyn's baptism!

At church Ava was proud to march in one of the Alleluia banners the kids made in Sunday school. And all the kids got to flower the cross. That's my favorite part. The Sunday school director brings in the ugly chicken wire cross and the Priest invites the kids to come up and put flowers in it. After the crowd of kids are done, the cross is beautiful.

The Easter Bunny came to our house while we were busy having fun at church and hid eggs all over the back yard! Ava, Koen & Evelyn and their cousins had so much fun collecting them all.

Evelyn's Easter

2010-04-06T10:38:00.000-05:00

Evelyn had an Easter Party at school including lots of fun games, yummy food and Easter Eggs stuffed with CANDY!!! She was so happy and proud of her goodies.

A Different Kind of Bike Ride

2010-04-06T10:33:00.002-05:00

There are now two young Ploeckelmans who can ride on two wheels!

My Award Winning Children

2010-04-05T09:45:00.002-05:00

I am so proud of both Koen and Ava for doing so well in school!

Spring Break Motorcycle Rides

2010-03-25T16:49:00.001-05:00

Spring Break Drive Way Picnics

2010-03-24T16:07:00.004-05:00

Flowers for Mom

2010-03-21T17:16:00.003-05:00

Koen picked a flower for me.

Along with the flower's bulb and roots... Right from my newly planted garden.

Happy St Patty's Day!

2010-03-17T21:43:00.000-05:00

Being in Kindergarten has it's perks. This year Koen got to make his very own Leprechaun Trap!!! Koen had lots of grand ideas about laser beams, buzzers, action figures that jump to life and robots. But, given his project budget, in the end he settled for a roller coaster ramp, a match box car for the Leprachaun to ride in, a trap door, gold coins and lucky charms of course!

And Koen made us promise that if he does catch a Leprechaun, we will give him a bag and let him go with the Leprechaun to collect his GOLD!!! I really hope his trap works. I promise to share the gold with all of you!

This pic was take two years ago when Ava was in Kindergarten. Evelyn still had her paci! I tried to take an updated one this morning, but....

Ava's Cloud Project

2010-03-14T07:50:00.000-05:00

Ava's class was assigned a science report on clouds last week. Ava and Emily were chosen to report back to their class all about Cumulonimbus Clouds. The girls worked together on this cool cloud model & each wrote their own paragraph- Ava's is below.

Have you ever looked up in the sky and wondered what weather is coming? Well, you can predict weather by looking at clouds. If you saw a mushroom shaped cloud it would probably be a Cumulonimbus. Cumulonimbus clouds have a dark flat bottom with a big fluffy white top. They are a low type of cloud that grow tall from the bottom up. They often lead to hail, snow, rain and tornadoes. If you see a cumulonimbus cloud, storms are probably on the way so WATCH OUT!

What you can buy for $80

2010-03-10T07:40:00.003-06:00

A two hour round trip drive, a 7 hour wait, 27 seconds of your son on the Judo mat, and a silver medal.

Koen actually lost both of his matches. But, since there were only three kids in his age/weight class and one was from out of state Koen got a silver medal. He didn't seem to mind at all that he lost both his matches. I overheard him having the following conversation with an adult friend at church. "I had my first Judo Tournament yesterday!" "Really, how did that go?" "It was great! I lost."

Ava's Morning Announcements

2010-02-22T22:50:00.000-06:00

Sorry I couldn't figure out how to edit out the other kids:) But Ava did a pretty great job!

Maisy

2010-02-20T22:34:00.001-06:00

Maisy can no longer have puppies, but she still looks great in a hair bow!

She has stitches and this cool bandaid (from her IV) that shows just how fluffy she is! She is doing great, growing like a weed and really becoming a part of the family... Even if she has a hard time understanding that when Koen runs around the house swinging his momo over his head he really doesn't want Maisy to jump up and try to get it.

Snow Daze

2010-02-18T22:17:00.000-06:00

I know what you must be thinking... more pics from our trip to Wisconsin this past Christmas. But, no! We have had a really crazy winter here with LOTS of snow! We have had SEVEN snow days over
But, no! We have had a really crazy winter here with LOTS of snow! This is a picture of our backyard. Ava said, "Look! The snow is even covering the grass!!!" We have had SEVEN snow days over

We have had SEVEN snow days where schools were closed over the past 4 weeks or so with three different weather systems bringing snow. Only one snow was just the right kind for making snowmen, though.

If you look closely you can see Maisy's golden blur in some of the pics. She LOVES the snow, too! And, the kids are sure happy about all the snow days now, but wait till they have to make them up! We only have 3 built into the school year leaving us with 4 to make up. A combination of quite a few school days extended by 30 minutes, an extra day and a whole day on what was scheduled as a early release will at least keep summer vacation as planned!

Check out what Koen can do!

2010-02-16T22:15:00.001-06:00

E is for Evelyn

2010-01-16T18:41:00.000-06:00

K is for Koen

2010-01-16T07:27:00.001-06:00

A is for Ava

2010-01-15T21:15:00.001-06:00

M is for Maisy

2010-01-15T16:07:00.002-06:00

Snow and Snowmen

2009-12-21T09:20:00.004-06:00

The most exciting thing happened! We had some "snow" yesterday! The kids really wanted to build a snowman. We didn't have enough snow for snowmen, so this morning we made a different kind of snowmen. Ones that we stayed warm making and left our bellies full. The perfect way to start Christmas Break!

Family Christmas Photo Shoot

2009-12-20T08:06:00.003-06:00

With the kids all dressed up for Ava's concert, I though I'd set a few minutes aside to snap a few photos in front of the Christmas tree. I learned two things...I need a better camera and next time I need to bribe the kids with cookies and maybe they will be more cooperative. (Feel free to let Ryan know about my need for a camera!)

Ava's Choir Rehersal

2009-12-11T19:23:00.002-06:00

After months of practice the long awaited moment finnaly arrived. Ava sang on stage! She was so excited and did really well.

Click here to watch a video of Ava singing in the Clarksville Youth Choir. She is in the middle of the front row...

Basketball & Cheer

2009-12-06T19:46:00.004-06:00

Ava started Cheer and Koen started basketball this month. Koen LOVES playing basketball. He can't dribble to save his life, but he is great at Defense.... even if he is a little too hands on:). Maybe Rugby will be more his speed. His team is called the All Stars and he's #1.

Ava is a great little cheerleader. She is on the same squad as her friend Emily. They squad calls themselves the CheerDivas.

Guess who's no longer afraid of Santa!!!

2009-12-06T19:43:00.000-06:00

Catch me if you can!!!

2009-12-04T16:12:00.004-06:00

Wow! It has been way too long since I have posted on here. Here's a bit of what we have been up to...

We had a spa sleepover complete with facials! Koen really wanted to participate and I ddn't have the hear to say no. This picture will make great blackmail someday!

We celebrated thanksgiving and my 32nd birthday! We had a great weekend hanging out with Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Ken. They stopped for the weekend on their way down to Florida to begin retirement!

Ava and Daddy have started praticing Christmas carols. Ava has been in a youth choir this semester and really enjoys singing.

Evelyn and Maisy are BFF's. They spend a lot of time together during the day while the older two are at school.

Sisters, Friends

2009-11-21T13:53:00.003-06:00

Welcome to the family, Maisy!

2009-11-08T21:31:00.003-06:00

Today was a big day for us. Koen, Ava and Evelyn brought home their first puppy, Maisy. Maisy is a Goldendoodle. What a sweet puppy! She had so much fun following the kids around in the backyard.

We played in the leaves and Maisy took a break by Ryan. This pics shows how little she is.

Trying to get Koen to pet her...

Ava and I before we drove home with Maisy.

Working Together, Playing Together

2009-11-05T10:32:00.000-06:00

We were all so excited about being invited out to volunteer for an afternoon and learn more about where our food comes from while helping Mission Clarksville get ready for the winter and another great growing season next year. Mission Clarksville teaches teens about sustainable food systems, offers leadership opportunities and grows food for local food pantries.

I was so impressed by the way the kids were involved in meaningful ways. All the way from the littlest ones like Evelyn to the older kids. They planted clover, moved mulch and helped dig out a tree stump or two.

Ava managed to maneuver the wheelbarrow. It was tough and she did it!

So PROUD! Koen was in heaven out at the work site. Dirt and plenty to do!

Even little Evelyn had lots of opportunities to pitch in.

Koen and Chris talk about life. Chris is the intern sponsored by Q108.

Trick Or Treat!

2009-11-04T21:27:00.003-06:00

Principal's Honor Role

2009-11-04T19:53:00.000-06:00

Great Work Ava! Straight A's!

Pumpkins!

2009-10-30T19:54:00.000-05:00

While I was at work getting ready for our Fall Fest, Ryan took the kids to the Pumpkin Patch with Sam, Sara & Drake. The kids had a great time. And, I have to give Ryan credit for being brave enough to venture out somewhere like that with the three kiddos. They all seem to be drawn to different things right now and it can be hard to keep an eye on them all!

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While I was at work getting ready for our Fall Fest, Ryan took the kids to the Pumpkin Patch with Sam, Sara & Drake. The kids had a great time. And, I have to give Ryan credit for being brave enough to venture out somewhere like that with the three kiddos. They all seem to be drawn to different things right now and it can be hard to keep an eye on them all!

Yellow Belt!

2009-10-29T19:51:00.000-05:00

Go Koen! Great work buddy!

Evelyn's & Old Navy

2009-10-28T19:52:00.003-05:00

Evelyn loves the mannequins at Old Navy. It's kind of weird, I know. But, she always has to give them hugs & kisses.