What A Babe!

Bekah, you guys look SO good together!! I can't wait to meet him in person...he looks very nice! You've got my approval. ;) (like you need it)

Barb...how's Sether's doing?? are you able to keep in touch with him very well? It's pry mostly by email, huh. And Leah, how are you adjusting to college life?? Hopefully it's not too hard!

Rebekah...still hanging in there, i assume, since I haven't heard anything yet. =) Hope you're doing well-what's the update, by the way?? anything change yet? Well, Kelsey is going all day now, and loving every minute of it! She informed me that today 4 people had to move their clothespin's (that means they had to be warned for misbehaving...move it 3 times and you have to sit in the time out chair) But she quickly said...'But NO girls had to move their clothespins!!, and I'm never gonna get my clothespin moved!!" I certainly hope she's right! =)

well, ladies, I think i'd better get dinner together. (even though it's just leftover's) Have a good week!
Love and Hugs to all! Kristy

Aaron and me!

Hey Family....just wanted to give you all a picture of Aaron and I. Isn't he handsome? AHHHH I'm getting married...how fun is that! Love you all tons, thanks for all your prayers.
Bekah

WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!!

Bekah - WOW!!!!!! We are SO excited for you! God IS Faithful!! You sound so happy - I loved your email! Can't wait to see pictures and hear more. Looking forward to seeing you on SUNDAY!! BEKAH'S GETTING MARRIED!!!!!! (there...since I can't tell anyone - I'll just SHOUT it over email!!) :)

Rebekah - I'll be praying for you as your big day draws closer. I just love giving birth!! :) Such a neat experience!

Have a great day!

Jami

My baby's growing up!!!

Hey, all! Well, my little girl is now a school girl!! =( I've been trying to post her picture of her first day, but i'm having problem's...it keeps freezing up. You gotta love computers. But she's LOVING it, and doing great! Mom did pretty good~ the drive home was a little sad, but I just prayed for her and surrendered it to God! Just pray that God will shield her from evil as she grows up and is becoming easily influenced.

BEKAH...CONGRATS!!!!!! How exciting!! Can't WAIT to meet him (or see a pic) ;) We are SO happy for you, and are praying that God will continue to guide you.

Barb...if you could email us seth's address and info, that'd be great! And lizzie, you too!

Rebekah, I'm praying for you in these final stages!! It's exciting, but exhausting as well! Praying that Josh will adjust well too! It's a big adjustment for them! Well, I'm anxiously awaiting a face to put wth the name, (aaron) so I'll keep checking this!! =)- Love ya all! Kristy

Bekah's Getting Married!!!!!

Bekah, well it looks like the cat is finally out of the bag. big congratulations to bekah and the entire kaufmann family. looks like grandma hoffmann is going to get a new suit!! we will totally welcome aaron into the family. it will be exciting getting to know him. bekah, remember the half way point is ft.wayne. i hope you will meet here at least one weekend during your engagement so we can get aquainted with aaron.

Rebekah, i'm excited that you are getting closer to having that precious, little girl; however, you need to relax a bit until denny and bonnie get back from our trip. bonnie will go bonkers if she is in europe when little suzie q. arrives!!

Leah, don't have to much fun at purdue. and remember you are there to aquire more knowledge and expand your intellect!!

love you,
a. barb

Finally...a post from me;)

"Jesus saith unto her, 'Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" John 11:40
Yes, it's been awhile since I've written on our wonderful blog....but there's been a little distraction in my life...hee hee...So first of all I want to thank everyone for their love and prayers through out the last couple weeks, and really the last several years. As Christ reminded Martha, He's reminded me to trust Him. His world is so much bigger then mine...and boy haven't I realized that. Whew, I'm not sure what all to share on this Blog...since it's not completely confidential...and Sunday is quite a few days off....secrecy...promise everyone? Just kidding...well kind of. I was going to wait till I had a picture to put up...but that will be coming.
OK OK so I'm so rambling! Just wanted to let you all know that Aaron Plattner is going to be joining our family...so try to make him feel welcome! AHHHHH.....this is so crazy! Yeah, I don't know what else to write...there will be more to come!
God is so awesome and so BIG....why do we ever think we need to help Him out with our future...He's got it all under control.
Love You ALL,
Bekah

go boilers...

hey all...just thought i'd update you on my life...i'm having so much fun here at purdue. everyone is super nice and i feel right at home here...it's actually kindda weird how comfortable it feels...but yeah, classes are going really great...marie, i'm taking that class w/ tom turpin just b/c you told me, and i LOVE HIM already...he reminds me of a teacher i had in high school...but yeah...tonight is my night to cook....quesdillas...so we'll see how that goes....but yeah, it's been going pretty good...and i'm not to overwhelmed quite yet;)....roommates are great...jodi is probably going to get sick of me following her around...so, thanks for praying everyone:) i love you all so much! it's great to come on here and read this!
liz

Update on the Pregnant Lady...

I'm sure you are all dying to read this!! :) I just thought I'd share that I went to the doctor today and found out that I am dialated 2 cm and 50% effaced! I'm hoping that means maybe I'll possibly go early. I'm just so ready not to be pregnant anymore! I know the sleepless nights and all that comes with a new baby are going to hit me with reality but I think I'm ready for it.

Other than that, nothing too exciting going on in my home. I was in Ft. Wayne on Saturday and part of Sunday this passed weekend. I kept thinking it was weird to be that close to Gerbers and not get to see you! But I was escorting my Grandma Huber to see her sister in the hospital, so I could exactly leave and go where I pleased.

Well, I better go now. i just thought I'd update you guys.

Love,
rebekah

Warning--watch for the delete button!

hello ladies,

you will notice i am not using capitol letters. the reason is ...i am typing on mark's laptop. whoever designed these laptops put the delete button too close to the shift button. anyway, when i shift i hit the delete button and wipe out whole paragraphs. then i get frustrated and i just quit typing. if i quit using the shift i'm back on the page again!

well, we are now empty nesters. seth seems to be doing well in Mexico; however, i think he could use a few prayers for his spanish. his email this morning said he is improving. it is amazing how much better my attitude is when we get an email from him.

lizzie called after her first 2 classes as she was walking to the bookstore to pay out major money for books that i hope she reads!! in her first class, she turned around and saw someone from the bluffton young group. she was pretty excited to be in a class with someone she knew. our house is much quiet without her chatter.

klint and sarah have been stopping over more often. i think sarah feels sorry for us! we will get to a new normal pretty soon.

last night i went to bed and i thought about all you young mothers with little kids. i thought of all the times i would have loved to have one night with mark without kids... and here i was and i was too sad to appreciate it!! friends that have been through this stage say i'll get over it really fast and may not want them back next summer!!

well, i'm blabbing on and on and saying next to nothing. have a great week! and remember you are loved.

a. barb

Grandma's on the Blog!!!

Hi Hoffmann's. I'm with Barb and Mark over the weekend. We went to vistit Grandma Gerber at the nursing home and had lunch with her. It was very enjoyable. They had set up a table for four in a nice room for us; and we had a "party".

Then Barb and I came home and snoozed on the sofa until Sarah came and Leah with her many friends. She had gone out with her school friends for lunch and now this evening with her church friends. Because she's leaving for school at Purdue.

Brenda and Dave will be coming home this evening from the Leo Children's Sale and we'll hear the events of the day. Then we'll have root beer floats and kettle corn.

I am really enjoying reading the Blah. I love you all very much!!

Love and prayers

Grandma

our no air scare!

Hey all - It's been awhile since I've posted so thought I sign in! Leah - you do look beautiful. I love seeing pictures! Kristy - your dad looks pretty cool bald - wish it was of his own choice. We are praying for him and you too.

Well - on Tuesday afternoon - I felt warm and so went to kick on the air. It hummed like usual and so I went about my business. A little while later I realized that I was still warm so I went to the thermostat. There was no change - it was 80 degrees inside. I called Clint and we realized that we were going to be WARM. We had to wait until the next day to call Masters. Fortunately that night was in the 60's so it wasn't too bad. The next morning Masters came and told us we needed a new outside unit. Costing...ding,ding,ding over $1,000!! We were excited, yes I said excited because when we moved in we bought a home warranty - for instances such as this. Our warranty expires September 9th!! We made it in less than a month. So our total bill for a brand new air conditioner was (drum roll please) $75.00!!!! Isn't that great?!!

It just got fixed today so we did spend three nights without air. Actually - during the days, I went to my moms to get away from the heat and Tuesday and Wednesday were not bad. Last night on the other hand was quite hot! I got home from Mom's around 8:30 pm and it was 85 degrees inside. We all slept in our underwear last night with fans on us. It was kind of funny actually. Clint and I wet cold rags and laid them on our stomachs - making the night bearable!!

Have a great COOL day everyone!

Jami

I'm a Little Slow Here...

Hi all!
I feel a little out of the loop here! Like Marie, Klint and I don't have the internet (Mom & Dad are pretty generous though) This blog is such an awesome idea. However, I am feeling pretty emotional...reading all of them made me sad. I guess I know now who to pray for. Thanks for sharing your heart everyone!
Well, our fam dropped Seth off at the airport this morning. It was bitter/sweet. I am really excited for him, but we'll miss him. Its going to be weird. I am going to be like an only child for a while. I told mom that Klint and I will keep them company at their house during supper time every evening...I am sure they will be lonely(o:
Hope you all have a great weekend. Thanks for setting this up Rebekah. It is so much fun to hear what is going on!!

Love ya all--
Sarah

My Dad's Bald!!

Hello, ladies! I thought you would like to see what my dad looks like bald!! I had to add the sunglasses for an extra touch. ;) Leah, you look like a BABE! And we're praying for you and Seth and the rest of your fam! I can't imagine, Barb...you're children are all sent off, and I'm getting ready to send off my first! =( Kels starts K in 5 days!! I'll have to post a pic of her on her 1st day of school. I love logging in to find a new pic, so if any of you have a cute one, I'd love to see it! We will deffinately pray for Marie's mom! keep us posted, A Bonnie! Do you like your wonder mat?? I love mine!! They're 1/2 price in Sept!! so let me know if you want another one, or if any one else wants one, i'll add it to a party! Sorry, I'll keep my Tupperware bus. out of this blog. ;) Well, have a GREAT day in Christ, all!
Loads of love! the kaebs

Jill's Wedding

Hey everyone...just thought i'd give you a couple pictures from jill's wedding this weekend. it went really good...it was fun...only bad part was i didn't listen to one word of their service b/c i was praying the whole time that i wouldn't pass out...it was crazy..the church was so hot and i had to stand for about 30 min on a 7 inch step in heels...haha, but i made it...i really thought i was going to pass out though...haha, i had to keep my eyes open during the prayer b/c i would get really unsteady when i closed them...:) ...ok, well i just thought some of you might like to see these pictures, i hope that you are all having a wonderful week! i love you all so much! latagatas
lizzie

Our God is So Great

Good Morning Sweeties,

Wow! I've sure enjoyed hearing what is on all your hearts. Rebekah, I appreciate you revealing your tender heart. We all have those same questions and miss your mom so much. The thing that thrills me about what is going on with our love ones right now is that it is perfect. Our great God is the creator of this whole plan and would only plan it absolutely perfectly. What a joy to worship and trust in this almighty God. Not only has he made everything perfect for your mom, but he comforts us in so many ways with his sweet Holy Spirit. As we look back isn't it amazing how he has brought us through so much pain with peace.

Kristy, I'm so glad you are feeling better. What a scare! Our bodies are so complex. Isn't it something how one drug can throw everything off? Take care you so needed and loved.

I feel so bad for what your dad is going through right now. It must hurt you so much. I will keep praying for him.

Just one note to encourage all you Hoffmann gals that our God is so great. We must lean on him in our struggles and remember that the trials will pass. God is ultimately good.

I want to put in a prayer request for Marie's mom. She has not been feeling good for some time and is going in for an angiogram tomorrow. Please pray for peace for Carol and that the doctors can find her problem and find a solution. This is a great concern for Marie.

Love and pray for you all bunches,

A. Bonnie

Sleepy In Roanoke

Hey, fellow bloggers! Hope each of you had a great weekend! We had an exciting (well, not really) start to the weekend, then a VERY relaxing, quiet rest of it. Friday afternoon, I got this terrible headache, but thought it was from being out in the sun all morning, so I took a Motrin, and a nap to releive it. (Praise God all 3 kids took a nap!) However, i woke up sweating profusely, clamy, and very lightheaded. I immediatly took my BP, and it was 174/126!!! I called my Dr's office, and they told me to go to the emergency room, immediately! :( I lost it, called chad, and my parents, -chad left work, and my mom stayed with the kids while my dad took me to the ER. After a mild tranquilizer, and some rest, my BP came down and I was back home in about 4 hours. I've had fluid in my ears, and they put me on a decongestant to try to drain it. Decongestant's are no-no's with high BP, but my readings have been so good over the past year or so that they have been lowering my dosage of BP med, and thought it would be ok to try it. Well, I found out the hard way, that I am NOT to take decongestants! The ER dr said each person reacts differently to them. I feel MUCH better, and am SO thankful it went down on it's own! (with the help of the med) I had taken another decongestant fri afternoon, so once that was out of my system, it was pretty much back to normal. Oh, I almost forgot...my dad got pulled over while rushing me to the er...he jumped out and told the cop where we were going, and he said "go on". Well, he followed us, and STILL asked dad for his license after I got in there, and told dad "that's what ambulances are for, sir...don't let this happen again!"

On a lighter note, Josiah was so funny in church today, I greeted an older lady and afterwards, turned to take his hand, and he was puckering up trying to give her a kiss too! (she had already started to walk away) I told Chad about it on the way home, and he said that's funny, 'cause after I greeted someone, he told him "greetings, brother." Rebekah, thanks for sharing! I think of you often, and can't imagine what you've been through. But I often wonder, "why do I feel so upset loosing someone?" Heaven must be SO amazing...why is death so hard? The answer is obvious, that we miss them terribly, but I guess we just have to think of the JOY and PEACE they are experiencing! Jami, I'll pray for you! It's not fun having no strength or motivation to keep up with your children and home when you're sick!!

Well, before i end this marathon post, please be praying for my dad! He's lost almost all his hair already, =( sleeps alot, has sores in his mouth, and gets sick off and on. Rebekah, I know loosing a parent must be so hard, but it's terribly hard to see them suffer as well!! I almost cried the other night watching him walk away...he looks 10 years older in the last few weeks. Wow, this blog is a depressing one, but I guess that 's what we're here for, right? To lift eachother up? ;) I love each of you, and it truly does feel good to share your pain and your heart with others! I'll stop typing and go to bed before you all get buggy-eyed. =)
Love in Jesus!
Kristy

needing prayers

Hey all -

I have a bad cold and have been feeling "miserable" the past 2 days especially. It makes being a mommy much more difficult because I'm tired and my nose is burning... Sorry for the complaints but I could use some prayers. I know it's not a big deal but I also know that God cares about the small details. Just pray that I will feel better or that God would give me the grace to make it through the day with patience. Thanks all.

Also - Rebekah - you do NOT bore us. I love hearing from your heart. You are an example to me!

Jami

It's Good to Be Reminded...

I have really enjoyed reading all the posts! This blog is really hopping!

It was good to be reminded about being thankful for our kids at each stage of parenting. I guess I was feeling kind of emotional too, Jami. I had been listening to a song that Tami had let me borrow called, "Home Free". It made me very emotional because it was a song that was played at one of Matt's best friend's funerla last year. It talks about how some people are healed of our trials here while others find ultimate relief in Heaven. So of course I started thinking about all the people that are there that I miss. I remember thinking after my Mom died that I would never take for granted my family members again...and to an extent I don't think I do as much. But I don't always remember to thank God for their lives. Just reading Aunt Barb and Mom's posts reminded me of how quickly time flies and the importance of cherishing each stage with my family. Like Jami said, I do love this time of my life...it's just when I'm changing a diaper rashed behind 7 times a day I begin to feel overwhelmed. (I"ll stop there because I told you guys I wouldn't talk about what goes on at that end of Josh!)


We're having company this weekend. Tim and Kari Stoller are coming out on Saturday. They're bringing their little Kasey so hopefully she and Josh get along well. I'm hoping that Josh will be feeling better by them so she doesn't catch anything. So, today I'm doing laundrey and cleaning my house. It will feel so good to have it done.


Yesterday, Tami and I made cinnamon rolls and cinnamon braided bread. It was lots of fun. It was fun because Josh was sleeping the whole time and she and I could just chat while our dough was rising. Tami said she has really surpised herself to find that she actually likes cooking. I think she had some very bad experiences with some flopped cookies in the past and just assumed she didn't know how to cook. (I did find out yesterday that she used to pack her flower down when she would bake...which could deffinitely account for the bad cookies). Anyway, we had fun!


Well, I better run now and not bore you guys any longer. Sorry if I got too emotional about the song. But I guess I feel comfortable sharing with you guys my thoughts about missing my mom, etc. We all have people there we miss don't we? I find myself thinking about Heaven a lot. I always wonder what they are aware of there. I wonder if my mom knew I was going to have this baby when I found out. Will she see us when the baby comes? I guess some day I'll know these answers...they are nice to think about now though.


Love you guys tons,
Rebekah

purdue bound

hey hey hey...thought i'd keep you up to date with whats going on here...mom dad and i moved most of my stuff to purdue today...it was really fun...my dresser was a little big for our little room, but we made things work! it was really exciting to get everything moved in, but also a little overwhelming...it's come fast...i'd really appreciate your prayers as i make this adjustment..i'm pumped, but also a little nervous about it...it's weird to think i'm at this stage of my life already...time flies...well i love you all and it's so fun reading your posts...hope you enjoyed this one;) latagatas
lizzie

Thanks for the Encouragement!

Hello all -

I just LOVE reading all of your posts. Thanks for the encouragement to young moms! I really am enjoying this stage - there are just moments that seem overwhelming. It teaches me to rely on God because I need His wisdom and patience!! I was just about to sit down to write - Paige was putting her baby to bed upstairs :) and Raegan was asleep in her room. All of a sudden, I heard Paige say, "I'm checking on Raegan..." I bolted upstairs and saw Raegan's door wide open! Fortunately, she stayed asleep while Paige checked on her! Get ready for more excitement, Rebekah. Josh will probably want to "help" a lot!

I just can't believe how time flies. The other day I was thinking about when Paige starts school, I know it is a few years off but it will be here before I know it. I hope I'm ready... God is faithful!

Booxs - the pictures you sent are ADORABLE!! Thanks! How do you like CPC. I worked their for awhile before I had Paige. It was such a neat experience.

It is a dark day outside - we all have colds so everything seems a little more bleak. I'm feeling kind of emotional...even though all is well... just reading your posts, A. Barb and A. Bonnie.... I could just cry. :) I love you all!! So thankful for our family! God is GOOD!

Jami