Sunday, April 21, 2013

Special moment...

Life has been so hectic lately that I haven't really had much time to journal about the special moments that sprinkle through our lives, but I wanted to add this quick note... I was visiting with Miss Tammy at pick up last Tuesday (April 16). The day was "Day without Shoes," an opportunity for school children to remember all of the kids around the world without shoes. Miss Tammy told me that Ellie-Kate really grasped the idea. When a few parents came to visit the classroom, Miss Tammy chose Ellie-Kate to explain why the students in the class were walking around without shoes for the morning. According to Miss Tammy, Ellie-Kate eloquently did so. Ellie-Kate is just "a sponge," according to Miss Tammy, and we agree. She's so smart and special, and we treasure her.

More soon--

Christie

Our new BAP-mobile-- the 2012 Kia Sadona :)



Chelsea Meagan's first ADPi Formal-- April 20, 2013


 Cassie, Chelsea, and Lee with their dates


Saying good-bye to the 2005 Nissan Quest...

 For months, our van has been a moving billboard, a tribute to the honors and accomplishments of the middle children (Chelsea and Emmy). However, after the electrical system started to fail (and the oil pan started to crack), we realized that we needed to retire the Nissan. Thus, on April 20, we drove to Ricert Auto Mall and made a deal for a new(er) car-- a 2012 Kia Sadona with only around 6300 miles and lots of warranty remaining. Although sad to part with the Nissan, it was for the best, and we will be a lot more confident in getting from place to place-- at least for the next few years...


Emmy's honor student field trip-- April 19, 2013

Emmy earned all A+s, with only one A-, for the third grading period and qualified for the honor roll field trip. The students toured a few OU offices and enjoyed lunch on their own uptown. She walked around with Haley, Martha, Yu-Shin, Patricia, Kali, and Teagan. They ate lunch at Chipolte.

Emmy's first home track meet-- April 16, 2013

 Emmy ran the 1600 in the first home track meet. By our count, she came in 5th :)


Ellie-Kate's soccer pictures-- April 14, 2013

 Christie, Ellie-Kate, and Roger
Christie, Aiden, Isaac, Owen, Roger (top)
Landon, Ellie-Kate, Damien, and Josie (bottom)

String Fling-- April 13, 2013

 Emmy and Yu-Shin before the concert...

Junior Leaders' Livestock Clinic-- April 13, 2013


 
Britti led a successful event at the extension office with this team of Junior Leaders.

Looking forward to Kindergarten...

Ellie-Kate LOVED the puppy theme for kindergarten registration on April 12-- puppy ears, puppy picture, puppy puppet, puppy pencil. Christie was sad to miss the registration (because she was still in Louisville for SSCA), but we preserved the memory with this picture upon her return.

Izzy and Coco on a lazy Saturday morning-- April 13, 2013


Bike fun-- April 8, 2013


I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack!! April 8, 2013

Nearly nine weeks after his stroke, Izzy shocked us today by leaping up on the counter-- just like before his stroke! We are so grateful for his recovery, and we praise God that he is able to do so much of what he did before, including jumping up on the counters (a skill that used to drive us crazy... but somehow seems cool now...).

Ellie-Kate's first soccer game-- April 7, 2013

 Taylor, Isaac, Josie, Landon, Owen, Aiden, Ellie-Kate, and Damien
Ellie-Kate and Christie get ready for the ball!

CSCA-- 2013

 Christie, Jen, and Chris at a CSCA social event in Kansas City (4/5/13). Below, Emmy and Ellie-Kate love the hats and t-shirts that Christie brought home from the conference.
Shirley and Christie pose after presenting their top five paper in the Health Communication Interest Group at CSCA on April 6, 2013.

Busy, busy, busy...

Hi everyone--

WOW-- I just had a chance to check and update the blog, and I discovered that 51 people have looked at this blog today alone. Thanks so much for caring about our family and our various adventures!

Well, things have certainly been hectic around the Beck-Aden house lately... Since the beginning of April, I've gone to two conferences (CSCA in Kansas City and SSCA in Louisville), and I'm about to head for another one (ECA) in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, largely due to my recent election as NCA Second Vice President-Elect. I've really loved the chance to meet others in the communication discipline and to attend several cool sessions. Roger has been wonderful about holding down the fort at home, and the girls are okay with the trips... as long as I bring back treasures from my various outings.

Roger has been incredibly busy with his responsibilities as search committee chair for the open director position in our school. Coupled with teaching and writing, it's been a challenging time. Fortunately, the end of the semester is near, and he should get a break in May with the start of summer.

Britti has been busy with her job as 4-H educator and planning for her wedding (May, 2014). She already has her dress, rings, church, reception area, and photographer. It's going to be beautiful!

Chelsea has been busy at college and with her sorority stuff. She just had her formal dance last night, and she's been really involved in intramurals, playing softball, wheelchair basketball, tennis, and beach volleyball. She's also working at the student union in the food court-- very nice for some spending money, especially in light of the "need" to purchase a new sorority t-shirt nearly every week :)

Emmy is finishing up her seventh grade year with yet another sport. She earned straight As again in the third grading period (with all A+s and one A- in Art), She has gone from soccer to basketball and now to track. She has been doing distance races. At her first home meet, she ran the 1600 and was going to run the 4X400 before lightning came into the area. At her first away meet (at Marietta on April 18), she ran her part of the 4X800 in 3:09, a personal best. Her team has been doing very well overall! Emmy has also been busy with her Girl Scout Silver Award project, collecting books for the Athens Integrative Preschool at the former Chauncey Elementary School building, as well as performing in her solo and ensemble contest on the french horn, getting ready for her cello recital, and her dance concert. Never a dull moment!

Ellie-Kate just signed up for kindergarten, and she's playing soccer, dancing at Factory Street, and doing AWANA. She's on track to earn her second book award for AWANA, and she's loving soccer (but not loving the unseasonably cold and damp weather that we've been experiencing). She's also not excited about her first dance concert. She would much rather be on a field or a court than a stage, but she's being a trooper about it. We told her that she has to try things beyond sports, and she is obliging, but I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't stick with it :)

Well, that's the quick update! Now for the past few weeks in review in pictures...

Take care--

Christie

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Easter celebration-- March 31, 2013

Hi everyone--

We had a wonderful Easter celebration! We enjoyed a special church service and then came home for lunch, an Easter egg hunt inside due to the cold and rainy weather, and Easter egg decorating. We watched basketball and just had a very nice, relaxing celebration and remembrance of our Savior's love!

Hope that all of you had a great Easter celebration and that the weather finally starts to warm up where you are!

Christie

Easter, 2013-- March 31, 2013








Easter egg hunt at the fairgrounds-- March 30, 2013




Saying good-bye...


As I mentioned, the deal did fall through, but we are hoping that we have another one in place soon. Financially, Mom just needs closure on this situation. However, it's still sad to think that I may have been in the house for the last time. As the family story goes, I was just three months old when Grandma and Grandpa bought the house, and, as I'm told, I was right there with them when they closed on the house to make it their home-- 51 years ago-- my lifetime. Each room is just etched with precious memories, and I treasure them...

The "breezeway" and backyard



Dining room and Kitchen...

 Grandma's dining room table and a cute corner piece that Grandma made used to sit in this dining room.
 Grandma's kitchen... I remember sitting at the table during lunchtime, eating a hamburger, and watching "The Price is Right." Grandma really enjoyed Bob Barker.
The view from Grandma's kitchen window...

Hallways to the kitchen and the bedrooms