Happy New Decade...

As I take a moment to look back over the past Decade I have to stop and say "WOW"... Just a few of the highlights of the last 10 years include (in no particular order)...

+The start of a new family when Chad and I were married on September 2, 2000
+The birth of 4 handsome, healthy, energetic little boys in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005
+5 years of military service in the Army
+Surviving the 15-month deployment of Chad to Iraq
+Starting Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN
+3 years of life in Paradise (Schofield Barracks, HI)
+Homes in Weston, WI; St. Louis, MO; Wild Rose, WI; Brillion, WI; Wausau, WI; Wahiawa, HI; and Fort Wayne, IN.
+Chad's completion of his Bachelor's Degree from Concordia Bronxville, NY
+Michelle's positions as a DCE in Weston, WI and St. Louis, MO and now as a teacher through Concordia Lutheran High School Online
+The Beginning of Homeschooling the elementary years of the 4 boys...

And the list could go on and on... What stands out is the way that God has carried and sustained us through so many life changing events! Praise the Lord for all of his amazing Gifts to us...

So what's up for the next decade... Well, I certainly couldn't have predicted half of what happened over the last, so it is impossible to say... Stick around for the journey...

Zeke's Birthday

Zeke turns 8 on January 8th and we opened the first of his presents over the Christmas vacation. At Grandma and Grandpa Breeden's there was a new set of K-nex.

After an afternoon survival lesson with some of his homeschool friends, Zeke decided he needed a Pocket knife and we decided that when he turned 8 he could have one... So for his birthday Grandma and Grandpa Potts got him his first Pocket Knife...Probably the highlight of his Birthday this year was opened second... A while back Zeke got a second-hand, Ahman Green, Packer Jersey. This quickly became the favorite shirt in his drawer. If it is out of the wash it is the shirt he wears. He also became an Ahman Green fan and can list more stats and who he has played for than most people. Ahman Green went to play for the Texans and Zeke became a Texan fan. Then we found out that he had been traded back to the Packers. Zeke was excited... The only problem was that he was outgrowing and wearing out the old #30 Jersey, and Ahman Green had to take a new number (#34). So the second present was a new Ahman Green (#34) Packer Jersey specially made by Grandpa Potts and Uncle Sherman when they went to the Packer game the Sunday before Zeke's Birthday. The look on his face says it all...

And of course Grandma Potts made a Birthday cake to add to the celebration (with Green and Gold sprinkles for my big Packer fan)...

More outdoor fun at Grandma and Grandpa Potts...

Ice Fishing isn't the only outdoor fun at Grandma and Grandpa Potts' house... Living out in the country has a lot of perks... Lots of place to run around. We often take walks to the creek down the road.

There is sledding in the yard and sometimes onto the lakes...
Lots of room for building snow forts... this is the start of this year's, but I never did get a picture of the finished project...And the joys of looking for animal tracks around the big yard...

Ice Fishing...

I will admit that as a girl growing up in Wisconsin, I often heard of people who went ice fishing and never did that activity appear on my radar... I can honestly say that I couldn't see what the draw was and I thought the people out on the ice were a little crazy...

All that changed when I met and married the love of my life... Chad grew up ice fishing. I once asked him how old he was when he learned to fish... he told me couldn't remember not knowing how to fish. Now each winter when we visit the Potts household in the winter, ice fishing is a part of our time there and I have learned to enjoy it... We all get out for some fresh air and fun... Seeing the excitement on the kids faces when they get a tip-up or a bite on their jig pole is fun. And when we are done, hot chocolate is always available to help warm us up...

Christmas 2009 part 3

Christmas Eve after church we drove to Grandma and Grandpa Potts' home. Christmas morning it was time for more presents and feasting!

Zeke looked around to hand out the gifts to everyone...

Then all the boys began opening things up while the adults looked on taking pictures and smiling...Favorite presents this year were legos, K-nex and games! They also got a table top foosball table that provided hours of enjoyment over the holidays...

After the gifts were open and the paper was cleaned out, it was time for a big lunch with Turkey, Ham and all the fixings!!! Yummy.

All the Potts' gathered together for the fun including Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Sherman, Aunt Colette and our gang!

Christmas Eve...

Before heading out for church on Christmas Eve we stopped for a picture in front of Grandma and Grandpa's tree.

Christmas 2009 part 2

Christmas with the Breeden Family happened on December 23. We started the morning with Pumpkin Pancakes... Grandma and Grandpa Breeden, Uncle Jim, Aunt Amy, Isaac, Samuel and Grace, and the Potts were already gathered. Later that day, Uncle Jeff and Aunt Jess joined us with Carter and Ali. We met up at McDonald's for lunch and then headed back to Grandma's house for more feasting...


After the meal there were of course presents....

First the boys opened their K-nex sets from Grandma and Grandpa.

Then it was time for the Princess outfits for the girls.All the kids showed off the socks they opened...
Uncle Daryl and Aunt Becky were unable to make it because of bad weather...

After all the feasting and entertainment the kids played with their new toys while the adults enjoyed a couple of games. Uncle Jim and Aunt Amy left that evening while the rest of us settled in for the night...