Crazy, Wonderful Summer

We headed into the summer thinking it was going to be kind of boring...not really much on the calendar...we ended the summer thinking, 'WHAT JUST HAPPENED!' :)

It ended up being a crazy, wonderful summer.

June just brought us some day trips, nothing too fancy.

July brought us a week with Jeff's family! Including watching the Fourth of July fireworks in Boston from the roof of the Science Museum...what an AWESOME experience!!!

After that we headed to NY for a trip with my family to Niagara Falls. What an awesome time we had! Caleb cried as we left, he did not want to leave Canada. We all left stating we would do this trip again SOON!

After that we had two weeks of Cousin Camp with cousin Trip. It was a fun two weeks filled with VBS, the beach, the museum, t-shirt making day...just lots of fun!

That brought us to August and another trip to NY.

We headed to my parents' house to celebrate their 25 years of ministry at their church and 35 years of marriage. After the party we headed to Camp Taconic for Family Camp! We had another great year there full of fun and Margaret and Great PapPap time!

Then, it was time to settle down and get ready for school...or so we thought!
One last impromptu trip to NY and Hershey, PA - did that trip in less than 48 hours!! But, it was a great trip to see some of my family I hadn't seen in over 5 years! They had never met Caleb! It doesn't matter how crazy a trip is, when you get to see family, it's all worth it!!!

NOW, we get to settle and get ready for school...which, starts TOMORROW!

Kaitlyn will walk in to school tomorrow as a 7th grader!!! (YIKES!) She is SO excited about going back to school, which makes me SO happy! She is going to have a fantastic year! She has some great teachers she had last year and some new ones this year! She will also be in 8th grade math this year, so that is exciting for her! It puts her in the advanced math track at school which insures she will have Calculus by the time she leaves! We are very proud of her!

Hannah and Caleb will have another year at home with me at the Kleppinger School of Fun! :)
Hannah will be starting 4th grade this year! When we first made the decision to homeschool, Kaitlyn was going in to 4th grade - so this is a repeat for me, and I already know all the fun stuff that will be coming up...it's going to be a great year! She gets to learn about the state of NH and do a fun project on it, we're both excited about that!

Caleb will be doing a combination of Kindergarten and 1st grades! Also grades I have already taught...which makes it so much fun because there is more I can add and do because I've already done them before! Caleb is such a great reader that he skips Kindergarten reading all together!

All in all it's been a great summer and we are looking forward to a great fall!!

A thought...

I've been overwhelmed while reading Scripture lately, and words just come to me as I read...so, I've been writing them down and realized they are turning into devotionals :)
I do not know where this will lead...already have 7 of them and more in my head. But, I came across this one today and wanted to share it...food for thought:

The Joys of Motherhood

1 John 4:7

By: Serena Kleppinger

In the book of 1 John chapter 4 we read these words: Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. I was reminded of these words this week after my latest small group Bible study.

The call to love each other seems clear, crystal clear, as it is stated multiple times in Scripture, using various phrasing to get the point across. You may ask how this relates to motherhood. Well, let me explain.

Those of us who are moms know what an awesome job, experience it is to help raise, mold, and teach our children. We want to find the best car seat to protect them, we read all kinds of books to figure out the right discipline methods, and so on. We get to be ‘experts’ on what it means to be a mom. Well, sometimes we take the ‘expertise’ a little too far when we decide we have the right to tell another mother that how she is choosing to do something is ‘wrong.’

If I have learned anything in my 11 years of being a mother it is this…I know NOTHING! It doesn’t matter how much I read, one of my 3 children will come along and disprove whatever ‘must-have’ idea that’s out at the time. But, we become so sure that we are doing things the RIGHT way that we feel we can tell another woman she’s doing it the WRONG way. WHY?? Why do we do that?? Aren’t we supposed to be all in this together?? Haven’t we been around our children long enough to know that what works for one won’t work for the other even in our own homes, so why are we so arrogant to believe that what works for our children will work for someone else’s child??

The Scriptures are clear. We are to love one another! So, tell me, how is it “loving” to tell another mother she’s doing this whole motherhood thing wrong?? It’s not!! We should not judge one another, we should support one another! We need to be walking side by side in this journey and helping each other be the best mother we can be! If we are striving to live lives pleasing to Christ, then who are we to say the way a woman is raising her child is wrong? Could it be that the way she chooses to discipline, for example, is what Christ has revealed to her as she’s called out for His guidance in how to raise these gifts God has given her??

When you think of it in those terms, we may just think twice before giving OUR opinion as to how someone should be raising their children. Motherhood is hard enough without bickering over who is doing it ‘right’ and who is doing it ‘wrong.’ Instead, let’s find way to love one another! Find a woman you can have a child-swap with – watch her children so she can go get her hair done or something, then have her do the same for you. Find a new mom to come along side to help during those trying moments we’ve all had when we’re certain we’ll never make it! Make a meal for a mom who’s having a rough time! Find a single mom and ask her if she’d like a night out! The ideas are endless, but let’s find away as moms to truly live out 1 John 4:7 and love each other as Christ has loved us!

Klep Family Update

We are in 'end-of-the-year' mode here! Hannah has just about a week and a half left of school and Kaitlyn is done the first week of June. But, in the midst of the craziness of studying, exams, piano recitals, and the like we've managed to have some fun (sleepovers, museum visits, park visits 6-mile bike rides, and more!) :)

The latest fun was a whirlwind trip to Rochester, NY to see my sister be the latest in our family to become an Ordained Elder in the Church of the Nazarene. It was a great time with family and such a special event. My Grandfather was able to be there, which made it all the more special...but, a little sad at the same time. He is fighting the ruthless disease of Alzheimers. It was sad in that we do not know how long his brain will let him hold on to the special memories made this weekend. It was also sad to see how the disease is continuing to affect him. When I saw him you could see he knew who I was, he just couldn't find my name in his memory bank. It eventually came to him, but it was a sad moment for me - not because he couldn't remember who I was, but that this disease is taking away his most precious memories! At least the rest of us can hold on to them for him and remind him and show him the pictures of what a precious time it was!

Here are some pictures of our time together:

What's in the Bible? DVD #5 GIVEAWAY!!! WINNER!

CONGRATULATIONS TO AUNTIE J!! YOU ARE THE WINNER OF THE FREE DVD #5!!!
Enjoy this DVD with your family! Come back and let us know your thoughts!

What's in the Bible? DVD #5 GIVEAWAY!!!

Yes, you read that right!!! Right here you can win your very own copy of the new What's In the Bible? - Israel Gets a King DVD #5!! Keep reading to find out how!

What's In the Bible? is a fabulous new DVD series from the creator of VeggieTales, Phil Vischer and produced by Tyndale. It walks kids through each book of the Bible explaining things like: Why we have the Bible, the Penateuch, Salvation, and much, much more!!

Our family absolutely LOVES these DVDs! What a great family activity - sitting down and learning more about God and His Word -- there is NOTHING better! Our kids love watching the DVDs and sit on pins and needles waiting for the next one to come out! You know how hard it is to get tweens to watch a 'kids' movie...even our 11 year old loves these videos! Yes, these videos are 'designed' for children, but they truly are fun for the WHOLE family! My husband and I have learned things we did not know before (and we took Bible courses in college!!)!

DVD #5 does NOT disappoint!! It truly explains all that happened before, during, and after King David's reign. It is filled with all your favorite characters, lots of funny moments, and great, catchy songs! I mean who doesn't love singing in a submarine?!?! :) It left us wanting DVD #6 to find out what happens next!!

Now that you've heard why WE love these videos, it's time to hear from you! (And find out how to win your very own copy!!)

So, how do you win your very own copy of DVD #5???

Answer one of the two questions in the comments section below...that's it! Want more chances to win??

Share this blog entry on your facebook page and/or share the link to the What's In The Bible? homepage - come back and tell me you've done so and you can earn another entry for each -- for a total of 3 entries!

A name will be randomly chosen and announced HERE on SUNDAY, MAY 8th.

Here are the questions...good luck and keep learning What's In The Bible!

1. If you have seen What's In The Bible? before:

What have you or someone in your family learned by watching these DVDs?

2. If you have never seen What's In The Bible? before:

What do you hope to learn by watching these DVDs?

SO EXCITED!!!!

I've been authorized to do my first GIVEAWAY on my blog!!!

Come back May 1st to find out WHAT and HOW to win!!!!

I'll give you a hint..."Is it true, is it reliable? Absolutely verifiable!"

He is Risen Indeed!!!!

Hope you and your family had a Blessed Resurrection Day!!