Kennedy Family

Miracles

2009-08-29T10:41:00.003-04:00

My nephew Jaylen was born a couple of weeks ago making me a Great Aunt! I was already great, but he gave me the title! Jaylen was 12 weeks early, and was 1lb 11.8oz, 13 inches long! He is now 2 weeks old and 2lbs! It is a miracle that he has survived. He no longer has his ventilator and IV! God is good! (and to think people abort at 28 weeks) Emily seems huge after seeing Jaylen!

Indiana State Fair

2009-08-26T10:10:00.006-04:00

As you can see we had a great time at the fair! We saw everything from eggs hatching to the circus! Hannah's favorite thing was the horses, Elizabeth's was the bunnies, Rachel's favorite was

working at the farm! A great time was had by all!

All I want for Christmas is My 2 front teeth!

2009-08-26T10:04:00.002-04:00

Hannah was very excited on Saturday. She lost her 2 front teeth! Now for the story. Hannah & Elizabeth were playing around when Elizabeth accidentally kicked Hannah in the mouth. Her gums immediately started to bleed & when I felt her teeth they were finally loose enough to pull! Her teeth had been loose for a while, but not loose enough. We had a lot of fun surprising daddy when he got home from work that evening!

~True Heart Award~

2009-08-24T12:05:00.003-04:00

Wow! I received this award from my Sister-in-law Rachel. I know I really fall short of this daily. I feel I need a ton more patience than I have. My cousin Lisa says God gives us what we need when we need it, and starting the end of September I will need a great deal more as we begin our schooling. My desire with homeschool is to teach my children how to fear God, and become a loving Christian young lady! The latter is the hard one I think. We have few young ladies in this day and age. Thank you Rachel for the honor of this award!

What does this award mean:

"Those that receive this award are of the sweetest nature. They are kind, fun, friendly, loving, and eager to share their love of Jesus with others. They are brave with their efforts to reflect Him in this darkened world. They are the kind of folks you are blessed to know, even if it is only in the blogging world."

What makes a Mom smile

2009-08-14T16:20:00.002-04:00

I have always heard it is the simple things in life that make a Mom smile. I have learned that this is true. This morning I woke up to noise in my kitchen. I knew it was Hannah so I called for her. She came back and I asked her what she was doing. Her response was, I am cutting bananas & strawberries for our breakfast. I then asked what knife are you using??? She replied, the red bumpy one. That is her kid knife from Pampered Chef, Praise the Lord (my thought). I always check E-mail in the morning so I was in the middle of doing this when Hannah came back and asked me to get back in bed. I did to have her bring me a plate of bananas & strawberries for breakfast! The pictures made me smile this afternoon. Emily is sound asleep, Rachel & Julia sitting together watching Strawberry Shortcake, Hannah & Elizabeth asleep on the floor! The simple things in life: my children. So sweet, and innocent. I am responsible for how they turn out, I am the one who will answer to God for these sweet little darlings. I love my girls each and every one of them. I never knew how I would love more than one, but now I realize that God grows your heart each time another child is born. Some people may think we are crazy having a big family, but I know that God placed each one in our family for a special purpose. I love my girls! God has blessed Robbie & I 5 times, and I am eager to see how each one will chose to serve God!

Psalm 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Doctor Visit

2009-08-14T16:10:00.003-04:00

Yesterday Julia & Emily had an appointment with their doctor. Emily received 3 shots! YUCK! She is quite cranky today as a result. Julia had one shot & she took it without screaming or crying! What a big girl. Mind you I was laying over her so she could not see what was going on;) I learned that trick from one of the nurses! Before going back to the room Julia decided to play peek-a-boo then climb on the table! It is always interesting when we all go to the doctor!

Hannah & Taylor

2009-08-12T12:37:00.004-04:00

Hannah wanted her best friend Taylor to stay all night before she starts school on Monday. We had a great time. Pizza for dinner, pancakes for brunch! They fell asleep before the first movie was half over! So much for staying up all night! LOL I remember those days.

Elizabeth & her BFF Georgia

Hannah & her BFF Taylor

Elizabeth, Taylor, and Hannah

Hannah

Elizabeth

Emily Ruth Kennedy 8 Weeks

2009-08-12T12:13:00.002-04:00

It is hard to believe that my baby is 8 weeks old already! We will have her two month check-up tomorrow. I know she has gained weight since she is getting harder to carry in her car seat! What I love most right now is that she will smile at me when she sees me coming to get her. I enjoy every moment I have with her. I thank God daily for my newest child, and the blessing she is to our family. I am also thankful that I get to stay with her each day and see her milestones! No rushing up & down the road this year.

Who needs a superhero when I have my dad! Rachel saw this shirt when we were shopping & I had to have it for Robbie! He is our superhero;)

I just love the look on her face in this picture!

Sleeping while we ate dinner. We got to go out as a family Mon. night! It was too hot in the house to cook.

Mommy & Emily

Smile! This one is my favorite picture!

Destination: HOME

2009-08-11T16:00:00.005-04:00

Our trip home was uneventful! We did have to travel back over the INFAMOUS bridge! Only Aunt Nola and mom will completely appreciate that one! We did have some great times in our BIG white van! From movies, to singing, to laughing, and yes even some tears were shed;)! Kids travelled pretty well thanks to the invention of the portable DVD player that Daddy hooked up for us! We arrived back home just after 2 in the morning! We slept most of the day Monday!

Julia did not want to go over the bridge!! LOL

Watch out here comes the BRIDGE!!!

WHEW! We made it to the top!

It's all DOWNHILL from here!

Julia & Rachel enjoying a movie! Hannah is in the back.

Elizabeth

Watch Out Daddy here we come!

NAP TIME!!
Love It!

Alabama: Friday

2009-08-11T11:06:00.008-04:00

From Lambert's to the beach! Our Friday was a fun filled day! The kid's enjoyed the rolls being thrown at them, and sharing time with their favorite cousins! It is so much fun how all of our kids are the same age group! Rachel and I timed our pregnancies very well! LOL The only one who will not have a cousin twin is Emily! It is great how the kids pair off with each other. Enjoy our pictures.

They had a table big enough for all!

We had to get a picture of this salad!

This is at the souvenir shop! We had to walk in the shark's mouth!

Julia was a little scared to walk in it!

Beach house view

Living Room of Beach house

Chloe & Emily

Part of our beach hike!

What you do not see: Rachel screaming all the way over the hill! She was terrified to go up the hill. The older girls told her she had to watch out for crabs!

How beautiful!

Aaron & Rachel

Emily & I

Julia

Rachel
Elizabeth

Hannah
Julia loved the water!

Julia, Hannah, Chloe, Elizabeth

Abbie

Justus & Asher

Alabama Trip!

2009-08-11T10:34:00.003-04:00

When we arrived at Aaron & Rachel's we were welcomed by an Alabama rain storm! Wow! The drops started as we were getting out of the van. We made it inside right before the thunder & lightning began! Aaron & Rachel were at church so we settled in and waited for them. As soon as they arrived the fun began! Grandmama began passing out goodies for one & all! Not a child was forgotten. It was a little like Christmas! The following pictures are from the Wednesday night and some from Thursday!

All nine grandchildren decked out in their jammies!

Grandmama & her gifts for all of the kids!

Yes, that is another suitcase of goodies!

Aunt Nola & Rachel

They became great friends on the trip!

Aunt Nola protected her from the cats!

Justus had to try everything on!

Julia with her sunglasses upside down!

More clothes being passed out!

Finally they are all asleep!

Lunch time on Thursday!

Swim time! I was making eclairs while they were having fun!

Safari Dinner

2009-07-07T11:54:00.004-04:00

My Aunt Rhonda & Uncle Mark brought us a Safari themed dinner! Enjoy the pics! We enjoyed barbecue chicken & lots of other foods! We were thankful for the meal!

Emily Ruth Kennedy

2009-06-21T11:38:00.005-04:00

Hello Friends & Family!

Emily Ruth arrived on June 13, 2009 at 8:51 pm. She was 6 lbs. 15 oz., and 20 inches long. Emily spent her first week in the NICU. She had bilateral pneumothrax. This is where your lungs fill in with air pockets of carbon dioxide. The first couple of days were scary. We thank God for answering all of our prayers! We are so thankful to be home for Father's day.

The girls love their new baby sister & I have loved watching Julia with her. She talks to her like she will answer!

These are some of the pictures we have & I will be taking more today for Father's Day! We go today to have more blood work done on Emily & are praying that our Billie Blanket will get to be returned tomorrow:)

Home for Sale!

2009-05-30T08:33:00.002-04:00

It has been an exciting week for us! today we are supposed to be having people look at our house. we have found a home in Greenfield to rent ande are praying that aGod will sell our home for us quickly!

School's OUT!

2009-05-23T09:41:00.002-04:00

School is officially over & now we are on the countdown to Emily Ruth's arrival! They say I have 6 weeks left but I think they are wrong! I think maybe 3 weeks. I am going to try to do better with posting on the blog;). I have a ton of photos to upload from K graduation. Elizabeth was so darling! All of the girls received academic certificates! Rachel received an Excellence in Letter Recognition & Sounds, and she received the Christian Character Award! Elizabeth received an Excellence in Reading! Hannah received an Excellence in Reading, Academic Excellence for being on the A Honor Roll all year long. We are so proud of our girls.

I am excited to see what next year is like with me home schooling. I know that Hannah & Elizabeth will need to be challenged so it should be fun!

3D Ultrasound

2009-04-30T20:31:00.003-04:00

Well, Emily did not cooperate to give us good pictures, but I will post the best ones tomorrow or Saturday! I am going back in two weeks to have another one! Hopefully she will cooperate this next time! Have a great day in the Lord!

Cubbie Award Night

2009-04-27T21:22:00.004-04:00

Tonight was Cubbie Parent Night. The kids got their awards for the Cubbie year & did a small play. They did the seven days of creation. Rachel did a wonderful job & Brooklynn did great too! We are so proud of our Cubbie's this year.

My Favorite Time of Year

2009-04-26T10:37:00.003-04:00

Hello Friends! Today Lighthouse Baptist Church is celebrating 24 years! This is my all time favorite service of the year & I am missing it! Hannah started getting sick while we were at a Birthday party yesterday! Oh what fun! She is doing a little better this morning. No fever! I am not feeling to hot myself so we are home. Elizabeth slept & would not wake up so we opted to keep her home too just in case, but she woke up normal! Praise the LORD! I don't like having sick children especially when more than one gets it at the same time!

We are having a 3D ultrasound on Tuesday & I am so excited about it. I will be posting pictures of it so all can see. I think it would be funny if they were to tell me it was a boy instead of a girl! HA! I doubt it will happen though!

Marc & Elizabeth

2009-04-18T17:37:00.005-04:00

I think it is cute how Marc & Elizabeth have a close friendship! They just automatically gravitated to one another in K4! We will have to see what happens when they get older. You never know they may hate each other! Enjoy the Pictures!

Hannah does hair!

2009-04-17T21:32:00.002-04:00

Hannah did Rachel & Elizabeth's hair one night this week & she asked if she could start doing their hair for school everyday! She really wants to be a help to Mommy, but I think we need to work on the styles!

Easter Sunday

2009-04-17T21:29:00.003-04:00

These are pictures of the girls from Easter. Enjoy them! They loved being matched with only one sister;) We will be wearing the same for Mother' Day!

Ripley's Aquarium, Gatlinburg, TN

2009-04-07T19:42:00.002-04:00

The aquarium was really cool! We saw a lot of different things. Elizabeth's favorite part was seeing the saw shark. Rachel's favorite part was seeing all of the fish. Hannah is already asleep so you will have to wait for her answer!

Vacation Pictures

2009-04-07T19:35:00.002-04:00

These are pictures of the girls riding Brother & Mrs. Gerhardt's horse. It was so much fun getting to visit with them. The only thing missing was Aaron, Rachel & kids! We miss them so much.

Vacation

2009-04-07T05:54:00.002-04:00

Vacation was absolutely wonderful! We had a relaxing time. It was so nice not having to be anywhere and taking our time to get ready! I will be posting pictures this evening. The girls got to ride horses at Bother & Mrs. Gerhardt's. They loved it! So much to say, but I have to start getting ready for school! Have a great day everyone;))

Bike Day

2009-03-24T16:51:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday, March 18, the lower elementary classes got to have "Bike Day!" The back end of my truck was full of bikes as we set off for school. The girls really enjoyed the fun of having bikes at school. Brother Tad roped off the back part of the parking lot and off they went. One student learned the day before how to ride with out training wheels! Oh my what a treat, poor thing ran into a teacher quite humorous! (Especially since it was not me!)

Evening Picnic at the Park

2009-03-24T16:44:00.002-04:00

Lat week we also got the opportunity to go on a picnic! We had a lot of fun. You will see from the pictures below that Daddy got to educate the girls on things that happen in the spring. We grabbed some dinner & ate at the park. After a walk in the woods the girls got to play at the park. We were not able to stay long because the older kids were a little wild. One boy jumped from one slide to the other & almost landed on Rachel.

AWANA Grand Prix

2009-03-24T16:18:00.007-04:00

Exciting things happened in the Kennedys household last week. We had the annual AWANA Grand Prix last Monday at church! The girls got to draw a design on a piece of paper for Daddy & he got the pleasure of creating their "Masterpiece!"

Hannah decided she wanted a race car!

Elizabeth decided on a bathtub!!!

Rachel wanted a Mary Kay lipstick!!!!!

Elizabeth won a 1st place trophy for design in the Sparks group, and Rachel won 2nd place trophy for design for the Cubbies group! We were very proud of all of the girls! They had a ton of fun making their cars.

Finally another Post!

2009-03-16T17:11:00.003-04:00

Things have been quite busy around here with our family. We have been in the process of making decisions that will best fit our growing family. With much prayer, seeking, and discussion we have come to the conclusion that Home Schooling would be best for our family at this time. I am up between 5 and 5:30, and the girls have to be up by 6 so that we get out of the house in time for school. This year has been a struggle for all of us girls, and we know now that God wants us to be home more. With adding a new baby in the mix I will need a lot of prayer from our friends & family! I am thankful for our school at Lighthouse & I know I will miss some of my students. I do know that my girls will receive the attention they need from me, instead of other children getting all of my energy as they do now.

I am most of all thankful for a Godly husband and how he leads our family. I know that he spent a lot of time in prayer on his own before making this decision. My husband is one of the most patient men that I know, and he is extremely helpful in our house! With out him our home would be in shambles some days. I am thankful that he is understanding of my needs and realizes my physical limits at this time. I only have 15 weeks left until baby arrives. We get out of school 4 weeks before Emily Ruth comes. (I hope she does not come too early!)

Please pray for my energy & patience. By the time school is out I sometimes do not have the energy to help Hannah with her homework. My patience is also thinned out by 3:15. I will try to be better at posting too! I need Robbie to get my photo software added to this computer so I can load pictures of the kids!

It's A GIRL!!!

2009-02-15T21:48:00.003-05:00

I am finally able to blog again & I hope to do it more often than every few months! On January 30, Robbie & I found out we are being blessed with girl number 5! We know that this is a total blessing from God, and are thankful for all the girls that He is blessing us with!

Piano Arrival

2008-11-22T09:22:00.003-05:00

On Thursday we received the piano that Joe & Terri gave us for our girls to use. We did not tell them that it was coming so please enjoy the pictures below!
I think Elizabeth's face says it all! OH MY ! I can't believe this is here! Can I touch it?! Let me at those ivory keys.

All Hannah could so is cheese real big! Words left her for a moment.

As you see here Rachel didn't even get her coat off. She is showing Julia where to sit! She still calls her Chewy Lewi!

I think Julia is ready for her first concert! She will sit at the piano and just play & play! She loves to hear the music. It is no wonder since both sides of her family love music! All of the girls are enjoying playing the piano. Mom & Dad do not mind since they do not bang they play each key with one finger!

Chilly Days!

2008-11-19T16:25:00.003-05:00

I think winter is upon us a little early this year! I took pictures this morning before we went to school! I have figured out that I need a heavy duty coat! My thin coats are not very warm! I am thinking that this wind and stuff has to go. I do not like snow unless I am inside under a warm blanket with hot cocoa watching it fall. I am sure that most women would agree with me on that note. Thanksgiving is coming upon us in a week & I cannot wait! It should be a fun day of eating and visiting with family.

Life is Moving Quickly!

2008-11-15T09:18:00.003-05:00

I need to update on a lot of things! First off, my doctor put me on half days. Our baby is growing like it should, but I am continuing to have problems with the separation. I am also to take it easy! Any mother knows how funny that line is! Take it easy with 4 kids, a husband that has been working 60 hours a week! I do feel better than I did before & am praying that the complications start to slow down now!

Hannah & Elizabeth are being great with helping! We are getting ready to change their room around. We are going to separate the bunk beds. Keep one in the room they are in now & put the other one in Julia's room. Hannah & Elizabeth want to share a room with just them. We are going to do this to see if it will help them keep it up better! I am going to make new curtains & a new comforter for their bed. Hannah wants horses & Elizabeth wants dogs. I am going to make a reversible blanket. They are very excited about it. Julia & Rachel's room will be butterflys. I think Rachel is excited about the change too. Robbie is also going to make a new toy box that is just a little bigger than what they have now. I am going to start buying material a little at a time so that I can spend a little each week. I am going to take pictures of the girls tomorow all dressed up to get new pictures up!

Doctor Visit for Mom!

2008-11-04T19:04:00.003-05:00

I am so thankful how God blesses our lives each day. I have had a few minor problems in this pregnancy & God has seen fit to help in these areas.

Last weekend I started spotting & was seen in the ER. They told me I was having a "threatened miscarriage." Monday after teaching all morning the spotting started again so I called my doctor. They had me come in on Tuesday for an Ultrasound. When having the ultrasound they found that I have a small blood clot between the sack & the wall of my uterus. The other concern was that there was only a sack, which either made me 5wks or I had a false pregnancy. They put me on Prometrium which is a hormone to help support the baby if there was one.

I went back to the doctor today for another ultrasound & visit! The first thing the technician saw was the baby & the heart was beating strong! When she showed me the screen I saw my precious baby moving & it's heart beating! Last week there was only an empty sack & in a measly week the baby was there! The heartbeat is very strong & they are confident that I will carry the baby. My blood clot has started to shrink, and I am so thankful to God! I am 6wks and 2days pregnant! My due date is June 28, 2009!

I am putting a couple of pictures of the ultrasound on. They are not very clear, but it will give you an idea. If you look at the black area that is the sack & at the top you will see a rounded gray area into the sack. THAT is our BABY! What a difference a week makes! I wish I had a picture from last week so you could see for yourself what I saw.

God is so good.

God is so good to me.

He answers prayer.

He answers prayer, He's so good to me.

I love Him so.

I love Him so, He's so good to me.

Baptism

2008-11-04T18:52:00.003-05:00

God is so good! Hannah followed the Lord in Believer's Baptism on Sunday night November 2, 2008. Only her head & shoulders were out of the water! Robbie tried to get pictures, but they turned out bad so I have after shots!

Grandma & Grandpa Huttelmayer joined us in our celebration.

Grandmama & Poppy Gary also joined us in this special occasion. I am so thankful for the Godly heritage that we have to pass down to our kids! God blessed our children with two great-grandmothers that influenced them before going home to be with the Lord! I know as my children come to salvation it is a result of their Great Grandmother's prayers for them!

Afternoon Nap Time

2008-10-30T16:43:00.004-04:00

I think the best part of the day is nap time! I believe that we should all get to sleep! I have decided that I need a cot to get my nap each day too! Here are a few pictures of my little darlings after they have been awakened from their nap!

Elizabeth and Julia both look like they need a few more hours of sleep!

Rachel never likes to get up! This is an every day occurance with her!!!!

Samantha just vegitates until it is time to line up to go home! She always says she is still very tired!!

Cameron is not always this happy when he wakes up! He is usually laying on his desk like Elisabeth is doing!

Carter had a wild hair day after nap! I bet it took Chere' an hour to get it tamed! HA

JC & Chloe are wide awake! I think Chloe is actually singing "Rise & Shine Lazy Sleepy Head" I sometimes sing this to the kids as I wake them up each day! I love these kids. They are my LIL' DARLINGS!

Tuesday Afternoon Piano Lessons

2008-10-29T17:54:00.003-04:00

This was Hannah's week for piano lessons. She did a wonderful job. It was like she had practiced for hours when in reality she only practiced a little! She loves to play & I think she may pick up on it naturally!

Even Julia has a little friend to play with while we are there! We have a lot of fun every Tuesday afternoon. Elizabeth is next week so we will have pictures of her then!

Tuesday: Chapel

2008-10-29T16:45:00.004-04:00

Chapel is always a fun day around the school! Brother Andy Folger taught this past Tuesday. He taught on Joshua 6. The walls of Jericho falling.

Brother Andy explaining to the army how they were supposed to walk around Jericho!

The Army walking around Jericho!

We played a game before he taught. Chere' would count to 10 & the kids had to run to any of the four corners. Before she opened her eyes she would say a number & whoever was in that corner was the winner & moved on to the next round.

We also have some singing time!

AWANA

2008-10-29T16:36:00.002-04:00

Hannah is going to finish her book in about 2 weeks! I am so proud of her. What is most amazing is that she retains it! I see now why they say you can form your child by the time they are 5 & by the time they are 8 they won't stray from what you have taught! Their minds are like sponges. Hannah will have Psalm 23 memorized by Monday night along with many other verses!

Elizabeth is doing great also. She has completed a red jewel & almost her first green jewel. She takes a little more work since she does not read as well as Hannah! We try to work with her more often!

Rachel has earned two patches so far. With Cubbies they keep them at the same pace so that the other kids don't feel bad when others pass & they don't. I try to remember they are only 3 & 4 , and don't always understand what is going on!

Brown County State Park

2008-10-25T07:56:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, we had a lot of fun going to Brown County! Robbie had the day off so we took the kids to the forrest (as they would say). We walked a couple of trails and went in the nature building.

Robbie talked about Long John Silver's all day long. So we drove a couple of miles into Nashville to find that it is no longer there! The Taco Bell is even gone. He was so disappointed that we looked it up on his Verizon Navigator. The closest one was an hour away! We drove to Columbus & the Navigator took us around the world it seemed to get to 31 in Columbus! Julia was a bear in the restaurant & I think people thought we were horrible parents! I finally took her to the truck where she played until I put her screaming self in her seat!

Doctor Visit

2008-10-23T10:36:00.002-04:00

Today we went to the doctor for Julia & Rachel! They each got a perfect bill of health! All four got their flu shots. Elizabeth was crowned the winner! She did not fuss, scream, or kick anyone! The other 3 did not enjoy them at all! I am already having trouble with my nerve with pregnancy so I am going to my cousin Ginny who is a massage therapist today! I am hoping that it helps.

Hannah did tell Dr. Vic that she wants a brother so bad. She asked me to go to the altar with her Sunday night at church & asked me to help her pray for a brother. I explained to her that it is good to ask God for what we want, but I explained that He will give us what He thinks is best for our family! I love that she is sensitive to what God wants & knows that we need to pray & ask for what we want.

First Report Card of the Year!

2008-10-21T20:21:00.002-04:00

We received the first report cards yesterday! All of the girls did great! We are very proud of each of them! Robbie took pictures of Hannah & Elizabeth's , but forgot to get a shot of Rachel's! Oh Well! We will catch it next time! Hannah gets a special dinner for her grades! Elizabeth needs to improve in some areas & she will get a special dinner too! We thank God for the teachers He has given each of our girls! They are wonderful with them, and they are teaching them so much about the Lord!

We love AWANA!

2008-10-21T05:21:00.004-04:00

Last night we were back at AWANA after a week off for revival. Hannah has been studying on her own & passes 13 sections, (2 complete Red Jewels)! We are so happy. She has just sailed past what we ever dreamed! Elizabeth & Rachel passed sections as well. This is Rachel's first year in Cubbies, and Elizabeth's first year in Sparks. I am so thankful that they love to learn verses about Jesus. God has blessed us with children eager to learn about Him.

New Beginnings

2008-10-19T13:54:00.003-04:00

This past week we found out that we will be adding a new addition to our family! This new blessing will join us in June! We will be seeing the doctor on Nov. 5, and will be getting an exact due date then! God is so good! We are truly blessed by Him!

First Entry

2008-10-18T07:47:00.000-04:00

S, I am new at this blogging thing! I just love my Sister-in-Law Rachel's blog page so I decided to start one! I know it will take me some time to learn how to do this, but I will try until I get it how I want it!