Pethtel Family

A Truly Blessed Christmas and Family Time!!!

2012-01-15T13:12:00.030-05:00

Our little Christmas tree. Since we were heading out of town for the holidays, it didn't seem wise to get out all our decorations and not be able to enjoy them. But the kids wanted a tree, so I brought this one home from my classroom. They both LOVED it!

Opening their presents on Christmas Eve. Thanks to their Aunts and Uncles, the kids had a very nice Christmas. Santa also brought them some gifts as well.

Our time in Daytona Beach!! Thanks to good friends Pastor John and his wife Linda, we were able to enjoy some time in Daytona Beach. The kids loved the beach and the quality family time we had. We enjoyed 3 days of pretty much doing nothing but hanging out as a family. Such a blessing.

We took a day to visit some old friends in Fernandina Beach. John and I went to college with Aaron. We got to visit with him and his family. We got to see downtown Fernandina and the marina. We also went down to Amelia Island and played on the beach. It was such a nice time. I truly enjoyed the beach. It reminded me of the beach back on the Outer Banks.

We wanted to do something nice for the kids for Christmas. We decided to surprise the kids with a trip to Legoland. Even tough it was super crowded and they were running out of food, the kids had an awesome time. They had such a good time.

Addison looking out the window while waiting to get into Legoland.

After spending some time in Daytona and then Legoland, we headed further south to Boca Raton. John was invited to preach at the Miami Seventh Day Baptist Church on New Year's Eve. Our good friends MJ and Myron invited us to come stay with them beforehand. They are wonderful hosts and take such good care of us whenever we visit. The kids feel right at home and we all enjoy our time with them.
This trip allowed us to visit Jungle Island in Miami and then a very cool science center in Ft. Lauderdale. We also got to enjoy some time at a local park and just hanging out at the house.

Since John lost his second job back in October, things have of course been tight financially, but a huge blessing all over. God has been so gracious and faithful by taking care of our needs as well as providing opportunities for us as a family. John now has more time to commit to the church. He and XP are participating in basketball and John has lunch with him every Friday at school. It has also been a blessing to have him home every night and weekend. Since he has worked retail for so many years, we could never really go away over the holidays, but this year we really got to take a true vacation. It was a great time away as well as a huge blessing from God and the amazing people He has placed in our lives.

So it's been awhile.......

2011-12-20T21:21:00.009-05:00

My scuba diver and my kitty cat!
*I love that they choose their own costume ideas.

David grilling up some food for our Christmas Cookout. Yes, you heard that right, a cookout in December. :)

Addie helping David build a big ole bonfire for the cookout. I really love our firepit!

John trying to help XP ride his bike. We are still working on that. I know he will get it eventually. :)

The kids on the carousel at North Point Mall. Grandma wanted to get Addie something at the American Girl store, so we drove the hour up and the girl decided she didn't want anything! So we rode the carousel instead and then hit up the Lego store at Discovery Mills.

XP and John on the school bus shuttle to the tree lighting.

Addie and John waiting to see Santa Claus at the tree lighting.

I absolutely love this picture because XP is acting crazy, like normal, and Addie is like "Again?? really are you doing this again??" LOL! I love my kids!

The tree BEFORE the lighting.

AFTER the lighting.

"Running Away" to Chattanooga

2011-10-11T17:45:00.005-04:00

While John was in Colorado, I decided to "run away" with the kids for a night and spend a day somewhere different from home. We decided to head north to Chattanooga.

The hotel had a very nice saline indoor heated pool that the kids really enjoyed that evening and that morning. We spent the next day at Rock City. The last time we were there was when we first moved to Georgia and I was pregnant with Addison.
It was a very nice time away that I needed. :)

The Fair and Cub Scout Camp

2011-10-02T11:02:00.007-04:00

This past week we took the family to the North Georgia State Fair. David and Rachel joined us again and John got to come too!! Of course we all had a good time. However, this year there was less rides and more food being eaten. LOL! We enjoyed some BBQ, pizza, deep fried brownies, lemonade, homemade ice cream, and some funnel cake! Addison is already asking when she can go back.

This weekend I took XP up to Bert Adams Scout camp. His pack was camping this weekend, but we just joined them for a day. We had such a wonderful time and the weather was PERFECT!!! Xp was able to try his hand at archery, bb gun shooting, walking a Monkey bridge, and some orienteering. Addie also got to shoot the bb gun. It was a long day but so rewarding. I have promised XP that we will go camping next year. Of course he is super excited for next year to get here. :)

Belt Loop Bonanza

2011-09-17T20:00:00.005-04:00

XP's fish.

Today I took XP to a Cub Scout Event where he could earn several different belt loops. He earned 4 new belt loops, Astronomy, Geology, Wildlife Conservation, and Fishing.

Princess P also got to come along. She had fun playing on the playground, feeding the ducks, and playing in the sand on the volleyball courts.

While fishing, for his first time ever, he caught a pretty nice sized fish. he was super excited. :)

Summer in Georgia, Wisconsin and Michigan

2011-08-13T18:32:00.022-04:00

Speaking at VBS. He was the loudest, shocking I know. :)

Braves game!!

Xavier heading to first base!!

Addison on her way to first base at Turner Field!!!

Addison, Jonathan, and Xavier!

They randomly chose this number to pose in front of, and it just happened to be one of John's favorite baseball players.

On the riverfront in Paducah, KY. They have some beautiful murals!

XP and baby Soapie!

Addie Lou and Baby Soapie!

3's a crowd. :)

Baby Soapie!! She is so beautiful and an AWESOME baby!!

Sliding at Palmer Pool. She would barely do this last year.

CULVERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Helping Aunt Brittany give Soapie a bath.

Rock County 4-H Fair!

Walking on the campus of Hope College.

Cheerleaders!

XP and Lexi. :)

My gang from the Clubhouse at Conference. :)

This is the church they built.

John and his friend Jonah.

being installed as the next conference president. :)

Crashed out after a week of Conference.

The VERY HOT car ride home. :(

First Day of PreK!!
She has a LOCKER!!! XP says this is not fair, he still has a cubby and she gets a locker. :)

A little Bit of Summer

2011-07-06T20:29:00.015-04:00

The aftermath of LOTS of storms.

New summer clothes.

A new haircut.

A little bit of.................Movies!

A little bit of...................Outback

A little bit of............Montessori Work *table scrubbing

*Land forms: peninsula

*Metal Insets

A little bit of..........silliness. *Addie in the hampers.

A little bit of...........Church/baseball camp; "Surge"

A little bit of........bowling.

XP's new bike courtesy of Grandma. :)

Waiting for the fireworks to start.

Fireworks!!!!!!

Happy 20th Birthday, Jonathan!!!!

Jonathan and John enjoying some ice cream Birthday cake.

Fireworks in the driveway just as the rain was starting to come down.

It always takes so long to upload photos to the blog, that by the time they are done, I am too tired to write anything. LOL!

So we have been kind of trying to take the summer easy and not be so rushed. It seems to be working. We still have 2 weeks until we leave for Wisconsin and then Michigan. I know our time there will fly by and then summer will be over. :(

I, personally, have been working the first 8 weeks of summer. It's not been too bad and the kids we have this summer are pretty well behaved. They haven't really gotten too gung ho with the summer theme either, so it's been a nice laid back summer. I think all of us teachers needed that after such a hectic school year.

Addison has moved up from the Toddler program to the Primary program. It is so hard to believe she will be 3.5 years old on Sunday.Wasn't she just a baby? She has also gotten incredibly tall!!! We measured her about a month ago and her legs, from top of her hip to top of her ankle, was 18 inches, and her torso with her head, was 20 inches. So she is almost half LEGS!!!!

Tonight we were checking out bikes for her and the one that fit her perfectly is a 16 inch wheel!!! John says she can be a super model or a WNBA star. :)

XP has been attending a summer day camp at a local church. It has been an incredible blessing for us. They don't charge a lot for the week and are taking full advantage of local places. Every Tuesday they go to the free movies and Wednesdays and Thursdays are field trips that never cost more than $10 total. This is his last week and then he will spend next week at our church's VBS. One week he spent the evening at a church camp that was truly incredible! There were 950 kids participating in events ranging from sports to scrapbooking, drama, dance, and woodworking. XP chose baseball, which is great because it gave him a chance to see if he enjoys the sport. HE LOVED IT!!! So, now we may be playing baseball!! :)

Our church, this summer, is hosting an SCSC'r, Summer Christian Service Core. His name is Jonathan. We have had the opportunity of hosting him a few times. He is a lot of fun and we look forward to taking him to a few fun places around Atlanta.

Modeling New Clothes

2011-06-29T19:00:00.004-04:00

She really just needs some heels now. :)

Matching shirts!!

My sister, Rachael, works at JCrew. She just sent the kids a package of new clothes. She wanted me to have them model and then take pictures to upload on Facebook. Here are a few of the ones I took. Addison LOVES all her new outfits. Aunt Rachael also sent her a purse, 2 necklaces, and some handkerchiefs. The girl really loves getting dressed up!

I will be posting some more pictures of summer so far in a few days. I have just been really busy with work at school, car troubles, and trying to get things ready for conference. I can't believe summer is already 1/2 over!!

Scout Crossover

2011-05-22T12:07:00.007-04:00

Last night was Xavier's Scout Crossover. This is when each Den moves up to the next level. Xavier was a Tiger and is now a Wolf!! He is really starting to get into this scouting thing! In a few more years Addison will get to start Girl Scouts. We are so excited. :)

Starting the evening as a Tiger.

Receiving his belt loops and beads. He earned 10 belt loops and was so excited!

Waiting to cross the Bridge to Boy Scouts.

Crossing the Bridge of Scouts. *he gets his Wolf hat, neckerchief, slide, and book when gets to the other side.

He is now a Wolf!

And his nose is in the book! *he read this the whole time the other Dens were crossing.

Addison has been to almost every meeting, so she knows how to do the Scout sign and when to as well.

Spring Time Activities

2011-05-07T18:42:00.014-04:00

Xavier on the Jumbo-Tron as he headed out onto the baseball field.

My handsome Scout on the baseball field.

Hot dogs!!

The cool fans they handed out for free. They light up and say GO G-BRAVES.

Olivia, Diane, Addison, and XP.

STRAWBERRIES!!!!

and a strawberry dress!

Butterflies!!!

Talking on skype with Grandma and Lexi.

Spring!!

2011-04-08T09:11:00.015-04:00

The past week has been Spring Break for Xavier and I. John was not able to get any time off because he is going to Wisconsin at the end of the month, so we hung out at home and had a few day trips around the area.

Monday we were suppose to meet up with Emily and her family in Chattanooga, but her daughter got sick and we had to cancel. Instead I took the kids up to Dahlonega and Cleveland, GA. We went to a gold mine and panned for hold. Then we visited Babyland General were Cabbage Patch kids are made/born.

Tuesday was spent visiting some friends in the Newnan area.

Wednesday we all, even John, went up to Columbia, SC to visit our friends Chuck and Jessica. John is mentoring Chuck while he goes to seminary. We visited the Riverside Zoo and had a great dinner prepared by Jessica.

Thursday brought us to The Center for Puppetry Arts and a nice little park with our good friends Katie and her children Jackson and Frances.

Friday we decided to just lay low and relax at home.

There are 29 days of school left for me once we get back from break. I do have to work the summer program but it's not as hard as the school year. :)

He's starting to get really good at this.

She calls this her ballerina pose. :)

The caterpillars for the Butterfly garden arrived. Thanks Aunt Sheila!

Heading down into the old gold mine.

Panning for Gold.

Gem grubbing!

Isabella being born from Mother Cabbage.

XP named this baby.

Holding baby Isabella.

One of the few pictures taken at the Center for Puppetry Arts.

Addie, Jackson, and XP
They really wanted to get down in that creek.

Trapped in a Spider's web!!

Playing with baby Frances. She just LOVED her.

My beautiful little girl!

The last few Weeks and International Night

2011-03-12T19:22:00.009-05:00

John and Addie leaving for their Daddy/Daughter date night at Chick-fil-A. They even got to ride in a horse drawn carriage!! She had the best time with her daddee.

Fried ice cream at La Concina. Kids eat free on Mondays!!!

Addison and her rose that Daddy gave her for Valentine's Day. She LOVED it!

At the park while Daddy was out of town and the weather was beautiful

Lego checker board Xavier and David made.

Welcome to New Zealand!!

Some reports by my 5yro's. :)

Some reports done by my 5yro's.

In NZ you have to take a ferry across the Cook Strait or fly in order to get to either island.

Mt. Cook and some sheep.

The Fanz Josef Glacier. (I climbed this when I was in NZ)

Can I offer you a glass of wine? Red or White? Hawke's Bay, NZ

Waitomo Caves complete with glow worms and some Kiwi's in the back.

Check out her dashiki. Her class represented Nigeria.

Checking out the waterfall in Nigeria.

Inside a mud hut in Nigeria.

On the streets in Puerto Rico.

On the beach in Puerto Rico.

Addison in Greece.

Ms. Cathy and her Parthenon.

I will let the pictures speak for themselves. We have been so busy the last few months. If it's not work, then it's scouts or church or some other activity. We will be glad to see Spring break come so we can relax for awhile. :)

Blue and Gold Banquet

2011-02-13T15:34:00.007-05:00

Receiving his Tiger rank.

Yes, even Addie got dressed up too. She loved wearing her cowboy boots.

Xavier started Cub Scouts this year and it has not been an easy road for him. He has not missed one meeting, but for awhile we were not sure if he really wanted to do this. He said he did and in December he finally earned his Bobcat badge. I think this was a turning point for him. In January he raced in the pine wood derby and was ok with the results and he said next year he would do better. So, I took that to mean he was serious about scouting.

A few weeks later, I bought him his uniform.

Last night was th Blue and Gold Banquet. It is an important dinner where the scouts entertain the crowd with skits and jokes and then receive awards at the end. The theme this year was Turn Back the Clock. Each den had a time era assigned to them. The Tiger's were Western, so all the boys dressed as cowboys. Their table won for best design.

Xavier earned his Tiger rank and some more elective beads.

He had a great time and he looked so cute in his uniform!

Pool Party and some Texas Roadhouse!

2011-02-10T19:06:00.008-05:00

Addison was not happy b/c she was NOT getting presents. It's so hard being 3. LOL!! (Yes, I took this so I could show her when she was older.)

Xavier wanted a pool party for his birthday this year. We have a great place called the South Cobb Aquatic Center. They have all the things kids love: kids splash area, small slides, lazy river, diving board, swim area, and a large water slide. The best part was that we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves! There were about 4 other families the whole night and no other parties, so we had the party room for 4 hours too!!!!

On his actual birthday, we took him to Texas Roadhouse, so the waitresses could sing Happy Birthday to him. He has wanted to do this for awhile. He had a really nice time.

I had gotten both of the kids binoculars for their birthdays. I had to wait until Xavier's birthday to hand them out. They LOVED them!!! ( I got them on an after Christmas sale for $2.70 a pair)

Pine Wood Derby

2011-01-30T16:44:00.006-05:00

Addison trying to design her car.

sanding

cutting

Working with Mr. Carl to make his car. Mr. Carl is Ms. Beth's husband, Xavier's den leader.

Xavier and his car.
Xavier getting his car ready to race.

Addie's car is the Snow White car. :)

Watching her car go down the track.

Addie's car going down the track.

January 22 was the Pine Wood Derby for Xavier's Cub Scout pack. It was a long night, but a good one. Out of 4 heats, Xavier's car placed 4th twice, 3rd once, and 1st once. He didn't place in the overall, but he had a good time. Mr. Carl has already told him he will help him with his car again next year.

Addie Lou turns 3!!!

2011-01-29T19:01:00.013-05:00

I am 3!!!!

Opening her puzzles from David and Rachel.

Her dinner request was "samon, mashed tatoes, and brocli. "

The store bought cake with some added decorations.

Happy Birthday Addison! (In the snow on her actual birthday!)

This is the first time she saw her cake. Needless to say she loved it.

Her party table at Gymboree. Yes, I made the cake all by myself. :)

Jumping with Ava!

Rocking the boat with Ava and Sophia.

Chasing Bubbles.

Playing with her friends.

Playing Basketball with daddy.

Rocking with Sophia.

Addie and Aiden. She and Aiden LOVE each other and are so happy when they see each other. Unfortunately he has moved up to a Primary class down the road at the sister school. We have to arrange play dates until Addie moves up to his class in the Fall or this Summer.

Addie and Daddy under the parachute.

Singing Happy Birthday!

Blowing out her birthday candles.

This is Dylan. He LOVED the cake. He kept saying I want cake, I want cake. He is so funny.

Opening presents at home. She got a lot of play dough, which is her favorite.

Addie and her Daddy!

Walking around the sun. She went 3 times for 3 years!

Blowing out the candle after singing Happy Birthday!

The Snow White Cottage from Uncle Nick and Aunt Brittany!

Addison turned 3 on January 10th, but we started celebrating on the 9th and it drug out until the 19th. Poor thing thinks everyday is her birthday now. LOL! Luckily Xavier's is in February!

On the 9th we ad our good friends David and Rachel over for dinner and cake. Then on the 10th we got lots of snow!!! Addie was so happy to have snow to play in, however, it wasn't so good for Georgia and we had no school for almost all week. (Although I think there is nothing wrong with that. :) ) So, we had to reschedule her walk around the sun at school for the 19th. Her actual party was on the 16th at Gymboree. She had such a great time with her friends from school.

Snowpacalypse!!

2011-01-12T10:17:00.008-05:00

This is our front porch after about 30 mins. It is a covered porch too. :)

After an hour of snow!

The next morning.

Xavier going to get his runaway "sled", the cookie sheet.

Addie's first time sledding. She didn't like the big slope, so Xavier and I made her a smaller one. She LOVED it!! The next day the boys combined this one with the other one and made one super fast slope. It was so cool watching them all go down it.

Yes, we got snow in Georgia, not a little, but A LOT!!! It started late Sunday night and within an hour there was a good 3-4 inches on the ground. The next morning we had 6 inches and .5 of ice on top. That morning we got even more freezing rain, which made it pretty clear that there would be no school for Tuesday. On Tuesday we had some melting, but then it snowed again and some freezing rain, so no school for Wednesday either. I guess it is a good thing that I got 2 gallons of milk on Friday. :)

The kids have really enjoyed all the snow and playing in it. Xavier and the neighborhood boys have been sledding all over the place. We were unable to find real sleds, so my kids have been using a large cookie sheet. It works fantastic!!

Monday was also Addison's 3rd birthday. She was very happy to see all the beautiful snow. It snowed on Christmas day and so she thought it was Christmas all over again. LOL!

We celebrated with some friends the night before and she will have her party on the 16th. I will post birthday stuff after her official party. She also has function at school, whenever we finally go back. :)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T19:27:00.013-05:00

This is Elton John. They actually do a radio show and Elton sings. It was very cool. Notice the Nativity by Elton John. :)

The Felix Family Christmas Lights. They were really neat.

Coming down the stairs to see what Santa left.

The tree on Christmas morning.

Addie with most of her loot. Santa brought the baby and Aunt Sheila and Uncle Mike sent the Princess backpack that she stuffed her Buzz Lightyear into.

The Lego Space Shuttle. He didn't ask for this, but Santa got it anyway. Needless to say he was pretty stoked.

He got a Lego mug with his name on it! It is very rare to find anything with Xavier printed on it. (unless you special order it, which we did not do.)

Her Buzz Lightyear movie Xavier bought her for Christmas. She LOVES it!

Such good kids. They cleaned up all the mess and very quickly too!

A WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!!

Yeah for snow!!!

My beautiful family!

She gets so scared of the flames.

Eating a salad with chopsticks.

Helping Charlie with a magic trick at Mi Yako's.

We had such a wonderful and relaxing Christmas day. The kids liked all the presents they received. (They only got a few this year.) And to top it off, we got a WHITE CHRISTMAS!

The yard is covered in about 2 inches of snow and we are loving it. Xavier said he got his wish and that was snow. God is so good!

Getting Ready for Christmas!!

2010-12-20T22:23:00.005-05:00

Choosing ornaments.

Trimming the tree!

Our stockings!

The finished product!

At church. She is getting better at staying in the pew.

Waiting in line to see Santa!

Santa at Chick-fil-A! This was Addie's first time visiting Santa.

Photos from the Last Few Months

2010-12-20T21:08:00.013-05:00

Helping around the house.

Ronald McDonald

I loved how she just stood in line with all the other moms at the Fire Station.

Standing in line and waiting her turn to get on the engine.

(She loves Cub Scouts more than Xavier does.)

These photos are of Addie at school. This is her with her breakfast buddies, Julia and Ava. We have to open school and therefore leave the house at 6am. She eats her breakfast with the Before School crew.

My wonderful family! I love these clowns! :)

More from Disney

2010-11-18T19:30:00.003-05:00

Castle! Castle! We went to the Castle! (Disney)

2010-11-15T21:09:00.011-05:00

The Castle and just so you know, Addison will tell you this is Snow White's castle, not that silly Cinderella. :)

Minnie Ears!!!

This is the ONLY character he wanted to stop and see, Mater! Lightning was in the shop. :(

Turkey leg anyone? LOL!

Chilling at Disney Studios.

Buzz and Woody. A dream come true!

She could not stop smiling or hugging her. She really does LOVE Snow White!

First Character meeting of the day, Pluto!

On the way to meet Buzz!

Dancing with Lotso

All I have to say is the cheesy Disney commercials about it being all Magical and the Happiest Place on Earth are no so cheesy! I was brought to tears so many times simply because of the smiles on my children's faces and the shine in their eyes.

God is so amazing and so good! I have been praising him all weekend for blessing us with this trip. It will be one that won't soon be forgotten. (In fact Addison wants to go back.)

Give a Day, Get a Disney Day!!!!

2010-11-08T18:10:00.004-05:00

Before the Disney give a day, get a day promotion even started, I was telling everyone and anyone who would listen about this fantastic opportunity. I don't know how many people actually did it, but I know we sure did! It was fantastic! You registered starting on January 1, 2010 and then they contacted you with a list of volunteer opportunities in your area. Children as young as 6 could participate!

I immediately registered John, Xavier, and myself. Even my mom and niece volunteered. They donated their tickets to a charity.

Unfortunately John was unable to get his hours in before all the free tickets had been passed out. But Xavier and I got our hours done and we are 1 day away from our day at Disney. We are so excited! (Addison gets in for free because she is still 2.)

I posted some pictures of what Xavier and I had to do. The charity we volunteered for needed stuffed Easter eggs for a egg hunt they hold for homeless children. Each person was to donate 75 stuffed eggs, so 150 total for us. It was such an easy task, but one that brought us a lot of joy. Not only because we were going to get a day at Disney, but because we were helping out homeless children who don't always have a lot to look forward too.

Even Addison helped out!

( Once we get back from our little vacation, I will post pictures. )

A Few Photos of Fall

2010-10-22T10:00:00.010-04:00

I have a spattering of photos from the last few weeks. I thought I would gather some of them in a blog since I haven't posted in awhile.

We are all doing well. The kids got sick last night, so I have had 2 days off and I am trying to get some stuff done around the house.

We leave for Florida in 2 weeks and we are so ready to go. John and I both need a few days away from reality. :)

enjoy the pics below and feel free to leave a comment. LOL!

Xavier and Jonathon playing Mario Kart for the Wii.

I got home early one day and got to see X get off the school bus. :)

Our friend Chuck. He was the inspiration for the hot dog roast. :)

John being silly.

Xavier and Cindy roasting some hot dogs and Tofu dogs.

Daddy and Addie roasting hot dogs

Yummy hot dogs!

Hot Dog roast in the backyard.

A parent from my class brought these outfits back for my kids from India. Addie loved wearing hers. :)

Xavier is really into giving us the peace sign lately.

Cotton Candy is always a good idea!!

John and the kids on the hayride at the Fall Festival.

Addie loves to have her hymnal open and sing along.

goofing around outside our new church meeting place.

North Georgia State Fair

2010-09-30T17:49:00.007-04:00

Every year we say we are going to go to the Fair and then we never do for one reason or another. This year I said "We are Going!!!" And we did!

Unfortunately John had to work last minute and was not able to join us. :(

They have specials everyday and Wednesday night was an unlimited ride pass for $18. Each ride takes 2 to 4 tickets and they cost $1 a piece. You can imagine how quickly that adds up!!!

Plus this would have been the last year for Xavier to get in free. Free is our favorite price! :)

So, David and Rachel Fox went with us. It was great because David LOVES Fairs and took Xavier on as many rides as he was allowed to ride. There was even a kid friendly area and Addison got to ride lots of rides too.

We did bring John home a funnel cake!

Xavier summed it up the best over dinner, "Best day EVER!!"

Going out on Faith

2010-09-26T18:30:00.007-04:00

Our sign that Dean Fox of Ohio made for us not too long ago.

Pastor John giving his last sermon in the old church building. (He was of course in Acts. :)

Praising God through song.

The old building.

The view from the road. This was Sabbath morning.

Just a few more pews left to move.

One corner of the old sanctuary already empty.

Michael's job was to make sure the pews didn't slip and fall. :)

Moving a pew out of the church.

John and Henri moving a pew. They were super heavy.

Addie and Rachel watching them load the truck.

Henri resting on the last pew to go.

This past Sabbath, September 25, was our last Sabbath at the location at 1934 Hiram Sudie Road, Hiram, GA. The church had been meeting at this property for almost 30 years. Back in the spring, the congregation voted to put the property up for sale with the understanding that it may not sell or take up to 18 months before even getting an offer.

After just a few months we had 2 offers on the property. After a lot of praying and discussions, we voted to accept one of the offers. The closing date was set for October 15, however, God has his own plans! After voting on September 6th to accept the offer, we closed on the property on September 17th. Almost 1 month early!

John, my husband and pastor, worked quickly to find us a temporary home with Holy Cross Lutheran Church. They were the church where we held John's ordination service back in 2009. They are allowing us to rent their church for very cheap on Sabbath afternoons.

Today, the 26th, we moved all the things we intend to keep for a new meeting place. Our garage at the new house is plenty big enough and is now the new home to 13 wooden pews and some other important items.

As a church we have been praying for God's will. I truly believe he is speaking to us with everything that has transpired in the last 2 weeks. There also appears to be a possible new property for us to purchase. We won't know more until January, but we are praying that if it is God's will, it will be done.

Praise God!!!

Dance Anyone?

2010-09-12T11:10:00.005-04:00

Strike a Pose! Vogue!

(This makes me laugh so much, it was totally spontaneous on both their parts.) Glad I had the camera all ready to go.

The only picture I could get of them dancing. I LOVE how they are dancing together.

Xavier and Kayla! (She is a cutie)

Sponge Bob! (personally, I do NOT like this show.)

Addison at the dance. See how happy she is?

Bowling on the Touch.

Mr. Kevin had an ipod Touch.

Hanging out before church.

Munching on strawberries!

Xavier's school had a dance Friday night and he just HAD to go. Mr. Kevin from WI was in town as well for Sabbath Recorder meetings at our church. He and John went out for dinner while I took the kids to the dance. They missed a lot of fun. John would have had a blast dancing to some of the songs.

Xavier found his friend, Kayla, at the dance. She sits at the same table as him in class. So, let's just say that my son is going to be trouble when he is older. Not only did he spend most of the night hanging with Kayla, but at least 3 other girls too. It was super cute.

The dance was a lot of fun. They had Sponge Bob show up and dance with the kids and parents and teachers were out on the floor dancing the night away. For the most part a lot of kids were running, but mine were dancing. Addison had a ball as well.

Some Family Photos

2010-09-01T20:30:00.005-04:00

A New House, A New School, and A New Life?!

2010-09-01T19:13:00.006-04:00

My Tiger Cub!

Home from school. She is adorable in her uniforms.

John and X getting ready to try some skating.

Addie watching Daddy and X skate. She was not a fan of doing it herself.

All ready to skate.

part of the backyard. (Yes, we have a lot of red clay. :( )

The back of the house. I love that we have a back deck.

One side of the house.

The front of the house. See my rocking chair? I can't wait for it to get cooler and then I will be spending a lot of time sitting there. :)

The past few weeks have been almost heavenly. Yes, we have been super busy and swamped with work, but yet there is a peace filling our home and we LIKE it!

We knew our summer was going to jam packed with activities and places to be then we added a move to a new home into the mix. What were we thinking????

2 years ago my mother and my niece moved in with us and after a few months it became very clear that we needed a bigger house. We found a 6 bedroom 3 bath house close to my job in Mableton, GA. It was a great house and we have so many found memories of that place. It was really hard to make the decision to move. But, with my mom and niece moving to Seattle, WA there was no need for such a large home or such a large rent payment every month. We decided it was time to down size and found a nice 3 bedroom 2 bath home in a great neighborhood in Dallas, GA. But I don't think it is just the house that has made life more enjoyable, I think it has to do with us getting to spend more time as a family.

Before the move, it was a rare occurrence to have the whole family together in the evenings or weekends. John worked far from home on a different schedule every week. He tried so hard to get a regular schedule but it always seemed to change once we got use to it.

Now we live very close to both of his jobs: Sears and the church. I, however, must travel to and from work, but at least it is a set schedule that doesn't change.

Even though I must leave the house by 6a.m. and don't get home until 3:45ish, we are still getting lots of family time and time with our children. It use to be me and Xavier together and then Addison and John together along with Grandma. Now I am getting to spend more quality time with my daughter since she has started preschool at my school. John is now in charge of getting Xavier up and off to school as well as being here when he gets home. Their relationship is starting to grow leaps and bounds.

With John being so close to Sears and not working as many hours, he and I are getting more time together as well. Once the kids are in bed, we have been watching movies or sitting and talking with one another. Before the kids go to bed, (weather permitting) we will either walk around the neighborhood or sit on the front porch and let the kids play. It has been fantastic!

Xavier's new school is even keeping us busy. Their PTO is super and has a whole year already planned out. I think there is an event almost every week. Xavier has started Cub Scouts and since he is a Tiger Cub, one parent must attend meetings with him. John and I will be taking turns depending on his schedule. But this is yet another opportunity for us to share as a family.

David and Rachel have also been a tremendous blessing. They volunteer to keep the kids for us and even hosted John's birthday dinner.

God has his plans and purposes for our lives. He is certainly blessing us and we couldn't be more grateful.

On an end note, I have posted some pictures of the outside of the house and some random ones from the month. There are also some from the photo shoot with Mandy Henry.

The Hargett - Fox Wedding

2010-08-16T17:37:00.007-04:00

It was about 4 years in the making, but David and Rachel have finally gotten married. :)

They tied the knot on August 6, 2010 in Rome, GA. John was the officiant, Xavier was a ring bearer, and Addison was the flower girl.

David and Rachel have become very close to our family and we love them dearly. It made us so happy to be a part of their wedding and have them in our life.

Conference 2010 in Springfield, Missouri

2010-08-14T19:38:00.010-04:00

At Dickerson Park Zoo.
They are some crazy but awesome kids!!

What can I say? I love these guys! Who wouldn't?! :)

John Mark, Nick, and John in deep thought and conversation at dinner one night.

Xavier at the nursing home. It was part of their service project for Children's conference. He had a great time.

This picture will be worth a million in a few years! Jonah, Cate, Eve, Addison, Micah, Elyssa, and Joey in the nursery.

Addison, Cate, and Eve drying their hands. They got along so well. :)

Daddy and his children!!!

My beautiful children. (who apparently have the same smile.)
This years conference for our denomination, Seventh Day Baptists, was held in Springfield, MO. John was once again the young adult Pre-con director with our good friends Dave and Nick.

This year we went along with him and stayed on campus. I was in charge of running errands and organizing the food for the party Saturday evening. The kids both had a fantastic time at pre-con. Xavier was his normal outgoing self and made himself right at home with the young adults. He ate almost every meal with them, walked around campus with them, and even participated in their court jester game at the party.

Conference was nice and I got to establish some new friendships as well as catch up with old friends. We also got a nice big "surprise" with John being names Conference President-elect for conference in 2012. WOW!!??? It is a huge responsibility, but we have faith that God has his reasons and we will do our best as a family to do what God has called us to do.

Summer Vacation in Wisconsin

2010-06-26T08:29:00.004-04:00

OK so these are not quite finished, but since we are currently in Springfield, MO at conference and when we get back, we have to "move in" to our new house, I figured I better get them up.
We spent the first part of our summer vacation in Janesville, WI. John was finishing up his last Summer Institute class and thanks to Randy and Marcy Kersten, we were all able to come and stay the 2 weeks with him.

We had a great time at the Kersten's home and made new friends. Xavier and Corbin got a long great and Corbin wanted to do all the cool things X could do. They even slept in the same room together.
Addison and Natalie took awhile to warm up to each other, but still kept their eyes on one another through the 2 weeks. They both have very strong dominant personalities. So, watch out! :)

We spent most of our time visiting the local parks and then Palmer Park. That place is awesome! A free large wading pool?!?!?!?! We went every chance we got, even twice in one day. :)

We also got to visit with Uncle Nick and Aunt Brittany. Aunt Brittany is pregnant and we are all so excited!!!! She will be a terrific mommy!

Wisconsin was a lot of fun. We have such great friends/family there. I think we will have to make sure to visit more often now that John is done with Summer Institute.

Xavier Graduates from Kindergarten!!!

2010-06-04T15:31:00.006-04:00

One handsome little fella!

Xavier and his sister. (I have no idea what they were looking at.)

Dominic, Xavier, and Olivia.

Getting his diploma from Dr. Barber. (A woman jumped right in front of me while I was taking this picture. NOT HAPPY!)

Our Graduate!!

The cake one parent made. It was super cool and all different kinds of cake flavors.

Xavier graduated from Kindergarten on May 3, 2010. His school made a big deal out of the whole thing. They wore caps and gowns, got brass rings, and a diploma. The ceremony was very cute. They sang 2 songs and one was a rap that the music teacher had written. Xavier was super cute while singing the rap. Alexis took video of that one, so I will have to get a copy.

There were a lot of humorous moments as well as some frustrating ones. But overall it was sweet to see our little boy graduate. He seems to think that you graduate from every grade. LOL! Oh well he will eventually learn.

A Day out with Thomas in Chattanooga, TN

2010-05-02T19:14:00.007-04:00

Yeah for Thomas and friends!!

Mavis!

Gordon, Percy, and James. Oh and Harold!

My children on the train.

Addison found Austin on the platform. She was so excited to see him.

Even a petting zoo at a train station. :)

Xavier and Austin with Sir Topham Hat.

Thomas the Tank Engine.

All 3 of them were holding hands while waiting to get their picture taken with Thomas.

Addison didn't think this was such a great idea. It was towards the end of the day, so she was about done. Although she kept saying, "tat tomas the choo choo"

My friend Melissa reminded me about the Day out with Thomas event going on this weekend in Chattanooga. She was taking her son Austin, whom Xavier is friends with, to the event. Her husband works for Hilton hotels and was able to get us a great deal on a new Hampton Inn near the event.
They headed up Saturday morning and we meet them for dinner that evening. The kids had a great time playing in the hotel pool later that evening. Sunday morning we headed out to meet Thomas. Our train left at 9am and Austin's at 10am. They were waiting on the platform for us as we pulled into the station. Addison started screaming at the window, "I find you, I find you!!" It was hilarious.

The kids had a great time doing all the fun activities and having their pictures taken with Sir Topham Hat and Thomas. It was a really nice weekend and I am so glad we finally got to go.

Potty Training

2010-04-16T17:43:00.004-04:00

Yeah for the potty!!!

Xavier pitched in and helped out too. He would read her stories while she was sitting on the potty. She started to read him stories too. :)

The first couple of days she didn't want to stay in the bathroom forever, so she sat on her potty chair while watching Veggie Tales or doing some of her Montessori work. This worked because she began to realize that she had to pee or poop even when she was doing something else. Eventually she started coming to the bathroom when she had to go.

In order to keep her on the potty for a long time, we got her some books on CD. This is her favorite, Snow White.

On the potty in her pretty dress.

A trip to the Zoo with some friends

2010-04-11T12:44:00.006-04:00

The kids on the train. They wanted to do this all day.

Me and Addie.

All the kids. Sophia looks very unhappy, but she had a good time,

Addison loves these photo ops. She definitely makes a cute elephant.

The panda came right up to Sophia and Addison.

Lunch at the zoo.

The last official day of Spring Break was spent at the zoo with our friends Melissa and her son Austin. Austin also invited his neighbor Sophia. The kids had a great time and it was nice to have another adult to talk to while visiting all the animals.

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-05T10:29:00.008-04:00

Xavier, Ally, and Gracie Ann. I love how they are looking at him.

Would have been a great pic, if the 6yr old had looked at the camera. Oh well.

The Sunday church we attend, The Journey, had an Easter Egg Hunt before the service on Easter. This is Addison's first egg hunt and Xavier's second. Each child was allowed 12 eggs. Unfortunately Xavier got 2 empty eggs and one with a baby wipe in it. He didn't seem to care, he decided that these eggs were representations of Christ. The empty ones represented the empty tomb after Christ had been resurrected and the wipe was the cloth they wrapped Christ in after dying on the cross.

International Night and a Visit with Aunt Mary and Uncle Butch

2010-03-13T17:37:00.005-05:00

Get your passport stamped!

Mt. Everest!

Base Camp and reports on Nepal done by my older kids.

Xavier at the top of Mt. Everest.

Working on a word find with Aunt Mary.

John and Uncle Butch discussing church matters.

yummy smoothie!

He has been congested for a month, so this was the first ice cream he has had in a looooooooong time.

Xavier and Aunt Mary eating their desserts.

Last night was International Night at my school. My class represented Nepal. I built a climbable Mt. Everest and we had a base camp. It looked really nice and everyone enjoyed themselves.

My Aunt Mary and Uncle Butch were in the Atlanta area for business and they came and spent the day with us. They came to church this morning and got to hear John preach, then afterwards we went to Steak and Shake (kids eat free on the weekends!) . They later came over to the house for a few hours and Xavier kept Uncle Butch entertained with legos and cars most of the time. It was a very nice visit.

Xavier's 6th Birthday Party!

2010-03-07T15:43:00.009-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

David and Xavier. 2 peas in a pod these 2 are. It's awesome!

Climbing one of the jumps with David, his 25yr old BFF!

Jackson, Xavier, and Ethan. (Xavier always confuses these 2 boys and today they were in the same place and he didn't mix them up at all. LOL!)

EJ, Xavier and Josh. Xavier was getting tired at this point.

Eating his chocolate cake. He loves cake too.

My last minute creation that was a huge hit with the birthday boy and guests!

Addie only wanted some cake. The girl is her father!

Opening presents.

Daddy and Joey!

Addie and David playing video games. She loves to drive!

We had to reschedule Xavier's birthday party due to snow and the fact that he was sick. He apparently has seasonal allergies that turned into bronchitis. The poor kids could barely blow out his candles on his original cake on February 8th. (I will upload that video later.) So we rescheduled the party for a month later, March 6th.

He had his party at a jump house called Jump 4 Joey. He has always wanted a party at one of these places. This year he got his wish. Not all the kids were able to make it, but he still had an awesome time.

It is hard to believe our baby boy is 6 years old. He will always be my baby no matter how old he gets. We have loved watching him grow into the wonderful boy he is today. He loves God, his family, his friends, and God has blessed him with an incredible intellect. He surprises us all the time. We love you Xavier P.!

A Warm March 1st

2010-03-01T19:55:00.004-05:00

Not to much to say these days. We have been working, going to school, and being sick around the Pethtel house. Today it actually got warm enough to run around the yard. I took a few pictures of the kids having fun.

This weekend we have Xavier's birthday party. We had to cancel and reschedule due to snow and him being sick. So be on the lookout for photos and an update this weekend.

Snow Day

2010-02-14T17:55:00.008-05:00

Addie mixing the cupcake batter.

Putting the liners in the pans.

Xavier getting ready to eat his cupcake.

Addie using a little sprinkles?! ;)

Xavier's cupcake.

Addison's cupcake.

His new lego set.

Scrubbing that dirty baby!

Church was canceled on Saturday as well as Xavier's birthday party. (We have rescheduled for March 6) The whole family got a day to spend at home together. Mommy was a prepared for such a thing and made sure we had plenty of movies on hand. Gotta love 99 cent a week movies from Blockbuster! We also made sure to stock the fridge too! (Georgia doesn't do snow very well.)

The kids watched Snow Buddies (very appropriate for the weather), played on the Wii, and then we made strawberry cupcakes and decorated them with sprinkles. Addison also scrubbed one of her babies and Xavier built with his legos.

I did get the kitchen cleaned and started the laundry, but pretty much took it easy all day and played with the family.

Winter Wonderland!

2010-02-13T16:18:00.007-05:00

SNOW! Mommy snow!

Yeah for snow!!

Xavier and Mommy in the snow!

Mommy and Addie in the snow.

Snow ball fight with Grandma!!!

Do you like the mis-matched mittens? He has so many gloves and mittens, but for some reason we could not find any. LOL!

Xavier in the front yard.

The house all pretty in the snow.

Lots of people up north and even next door in Alabama have been getting lots of snow this winter. One would think that living in Georgia would keep us from snow, but that is not the case. We got snow back in January but it was just a dusting that quickly turned to ice, which is the worst case scenario for Georgians. But this time we got real nice fluffy white slushy snow!

Oh it made me so happy! We got about 3 inches. It was just the right amount to play in and not cause too much of a problem for the Metro-Atlanta area.

My mom even joined us outside for some fun in the snow!

Happy 2nd Birthday Addison Louise!!!

2010-01-10T22:02:00.006-05:00

Our beautiful 2 year old!!! We love you Addie Lou!!!

The dollhouse from Grandma. Grandma got this at a thrift store for $13 and the family and furniture off ebay for $29. The whole set retails for almost $200 in the stores. Grandma did very well!!

CAKE!!!!

Yes this is my baby!

Playing with the dollhouse at Pottery Barn.

Smoothies with Alexis, yummy!

Addie and her baby, they got matching pj's.

Today my baby girl turned 2!!! It is crazy to think that 2 whole years have passed since God blessed us with our little princess. We love her so dearly and couldn't imagine life without her.

For her birthday, we went simple and just had cake and ice cream at home. Addison picked out a strawberry cake with strawberry icing for her cake. She was so cute because she kept saying "my cake, my cake" when we were cutting pieces for everyone. Then we took her to the American Girl store. She got to pick out a Bity Baby. She chose the one with green eyes and blonde hair. I think that is funny because Addie has green eyes and blonde hair.

She was so excited to get her baby.

Grandma and Alexis got her a wooden dollhouse for her birthday as well. She loves it. It is a lot like the one Alexis has and Addison just loves hers. While at Pottery Barn we found a baby and a dog to complete the dollhouse family.

The American Girl store is all the way in Alpharetta so we made sure to enjoy the mall and make the trip worthwhile. We played in the play area, ate a cookie, drank smoothies, and visited some of our favorite stores: Williams and Sonoma and Pottery Barn for Kids.

Addison had a great day! She walked around church this morning saying "I two" "I two."

Christmas at the Pethtel House

2009-12-31T17:49:00.006-05:00

The Pethtel Christmas tree and stockings. I think it looks pretty with the blue and silver paper.

Addie giving Doug one of his Christmas treat. She loves this dog. Daddy doesn't. LOL!

Addie and Daddy opening presents together.

The super cool race car Uncle Butch sent.

Addison got her first set of legos. She was so happy. It has a pony in it!

Opening the fire station set. He had no idea he was getting this one, so he was quite happy.

Almost all of his lego stash that day. Santa shopped early in order to get most of these. He's such a thrifty shopper.

Xavier opening his stocking. He had more lego surprises inside.

Addison opening her stocking. She got a music box that plays the Itsy Bitsy Spider, one of her favorite songs.

Addison having a tea party with her new bear and new recycled plastic tea set.

Xavier and his cargo plane. He wanted this so bad for Christmas. He put it together the very next day.

Addie getting excited to be at the steakhouse. She loves going there.

The Pethtel family at Christmas dinner.

Addie trying to eat with chopsticks.

Trying to eat with chopsticks.

Trying to catch a rice ball. He almost had it on the first try.

The fire to start the show. It scares Addison everytime. I wish you could see her face when they do this. It's priceless.

The volcano! This is Xavier's favorite thing that they do during the dinner.

We had a nice small Christmas this year. I always shop early and was all done with the shopping by December 1st. We decided to go lite this year and just focus on the kids. Xavier got lots of legos and Addison got a few things. It's hard shopping for a second child when they love all the toys the older one has. I am sure next year she will start to have some interests of her own. So, she got about 5 presents and it was just the right amount for her.
Since we were unable to go visit anywhere, or have family come to us, we headed to the Japanese Steakhouse for dinner. My mom and Alexis joined us and we had a great time. It was also great to not have to clean a whole kitchen after cooking all day. We had tons of leftovers as well. Who knows maybe we have set a new family tradition. LOL!
I have posted some pictures of Christmas morning and dinner at the steakhouse.

December Fun and Year in Review!

2009-12-25T17:06:00.001-05:00

Things have been pretty busy around the Pethtel household this month. There have been many activities each evening, leaving us all a little tired and stressed. This past week we did get some much needed rest and family time.
Xavier and I are both out of school for 2 weeks. I have to be back on January 4 for a teacher workday and Xavier officially starts on the 5th.

One of my parents gave me tickets to the GA Aquarium for Christmas. It was awesome because we could take the whole family, even Alexis! We had a great time and then finished the day with dinner at Spaghetti Warehouse.
The next day saw me and the kids plus Grandma heading to Lawrenceville, GA (an hour drive one way) in order to go to the Lego store. It's a long story as to why, but the traffic was a nightmare and it took us 2hrs to get there due to a horrific accident closing down the highway. Luckily it is a big mall with lots to do and look at. We wasted 2 hours there and then headed back home.
(I have posted pictures of that day as well as ones from the aquarium)

This month Xavier has accomplished a great deal of things. He is a member of his school's honor society. Each teacher in kindergarten gets to nominate 2 students each month for outstanding work and behavior. Xavier has been nominated every month since school began and is now a member of their honor society. John and I are very proud of him. Of course, he doesn't think much about it and was like "oh that's cool."
He has also completed his first book for Awana SPARKS. It took him 4 months. There is a review offered and extra credit before moving on to the 2nd book. He of course wants to do this so he can have all the patches on his vest. Who am I to argue with what motivates him to learn God's word. His teacher says he will be done in no time and they will get him started on his second book before the end of the school year. I think he has an overachiever spirit like me inside him.

Addison and I started attending a music class on Monday nights. It is for children aged birth to 4yrs. Our particular class has children from 10 months to 2 yrs old. Addison is having the best time and so am I. We go to the 4:30p.m. class which is wonderful since I have to work during the day. We get to play with instruments, scarves, and run around doing different movements. It has been a real blessing to do this with her.
She continues to take a toddler gymnastics class at my school on Friday afternoons. Her teacher, Ms. Katie says she has made a lot of progress and will even attempt most of the activities now. (Addie takes awhile to warm up to new situations and people)
She also attends a story hour at the Marietta City Library on Wednesdays with Grandma and cousin Lexie. At church she has her very own Sabbath school class with Ms. Debbie and loves it. She made a baby Jesus a few weeks ago and carries it around church in his manager, very proudly.

John continues to work at Sears and the church. It is nice that we get to see more of him since he went back to sales. We have even started having a regular date night every Tuesday . If he gets Wednesdays off, we even get to attend bible study together at The Journey, our other church family.

As for me I continue to work at CBMS. It has been a difficult year and the school has made a great deal of changes. My classroom flooded back in September and when we get back to school, I will be getting the flooding problem addressed and some new flooring and carpeting as well. I think that will give the classroom a little extra boost. As far as next year goes, I really don't know if I will be teaching or not. We are concerned that there may not be a position for me in the Fall and have begun to look at our options if that where to be the case.

Sunny South Florida

2009-11-15T13:32:00.011-05:00

We just got back last night from a fabulous mini-vacation to the Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach area of Florida. Our church association meetings were being held in Boca Raton this year, so we decided to head down a little early and see some sights and enjoy some company. God blessed us with cheap airline tickets and the hospitality of MaryJane and Myron McPherson. They were the best hosts and really made us feel right at home. Xavier and Addison were both sad to leave. They loved MaryJane and Myron a lot and had a great time playing and hanging out with them. We were not able to do all the things we had wished to do, so we will have to plan another trip down that way. Maybe April???? Who knows.

While there we visited the Lion Park Safari. You drive your car through the park where the animals walk all around you. It was really cool. Some ostriches came very close to the car. They even had a baby rhino. It was so cool to see. Xavier said it was a like a zoo, so he is counting it as one and now that makes 12 for him and 8 for Addison. On Friday the whole family got to take an airboat ride on the Everglades. That was super cool. We saw lots of alligators and one got pretty close to the boat. Afterwards they have a show where they wrestle alligators. Addison thought it was great and kept trying to climb into the pen with the gator and the guys. What can I say she is fearless.

On Sabbath I helped MaryJane with the children. We had a great turn out of 15-18 kids. It was great to see MaryJane work. She is so passionate and engaging with the children. We had a field trip planned for Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, but we got there late and they had already closed. They did allow us to walk around a little bit before they locked the gates. We have added it to the list of things to do the next time we come down.

The Past few Months

2009-10-24T17:36:00.007-04:00

We had one day of very nice sunshine, although pretty cold temps, but me and the kids braved the elements and spent an afternoon at the Zoo. Zoo Atlanta makes the list at number 11 for Xavier and number 7 for Addison. Like I said before, we like zoos.

Addison got to attend Montessori School for one day because Grandma had to go out of town. We didn't have anyone else to watch her and we both had to work. So, she "visited" the toddler room for a day. She absolutely loved every minute of it, so now I need to figure out to afford to send her or maybe not. :)

A Bug Boil and Softball game with the folks from The Journey, our Sunday church.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. The very yummy cake they had made for John and I.

A quick trip to Asheville, NC to visit Uncle Daniel and a pumpkin patch.

Been pretty busy around the Pethtel house over the last few months. Xavier is enjoying Kindergarten although not really learning anything new. He has a great teacher who is willing to give him some extra work, but he's still way ahead of his classmates. John has gone back to sales at Sears, which means a big pay cut for us. But he does now have more time for the family and the church and that is more important. I am still busy at school. My classroom flooded during all the heavy rain in the Atlanta area a few weeks ago. Not a lot of damage but enough to keep us out of the room for a month. We get to go back to our old room in one more week.
John took a trip to West Virginia at the beginning of October and hit a deer on the first day. The KIA was totaled and thanks to our wonderful in-laws, he is now the proud owner of a 93 taurus. He went for a vacation and didn't get much of one. Maybe next time. :)
The kids and I took a trip to Asheville to visit my brother, Daniel. We had a nice time and beautiful weather. Next month we should be heading down to Fort Lauderdale for church association. Right now we are deciding how to get down there.
So, that is everything in a nut shell. Blog some more next month.

Montessori at Home

2009-09-15T17:46:00.004-04:00

The shelf Grandma found at the thrift store for $10. It works perfectly for Addison. (Soon the whole shelf will have Montessori work on it. As of right now it only has 2, but she loves all the other stuff too.)

She loves her little puzzles.

Xavier was showing her how to do a knobbed puzzle.

Choosing her favorite work off the shelf.

Her favorite work so far is put and take.

Doing some dry pouring. I used some colored pasta and she tried to eat it at first.

Since we can not afford to send Addison to Montessori school at the moment. I am turning the playroom into a small Montessori environment for her. It's been a slow process because you need shelves and they don't come cheap. We finally got one from a thrift store and then found the perfect table and chairs at IKEA for a very good price. I have set-up 2 works so far and she is in heaven. Next on the list is another shelf, some actual Montessori work and some rugs for her to do work on the floor. She may not be getting the socialization that school offers, but she will be getting some of the basic skills. I am hoping we can afford to send her next fall.

7 Reasons Why My 7 Years with Tabatha Have Been the Best

2009-08-31T10:06:00.002-04:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I have never been the "perfect" man. My wife can reiterate the fact that I am not the "perfect" husband but there is a huge difference between year 1 of our marriage and year 7. I just want to share with you (Tabatha, and our audience in blog land) 7 reasons (however, there are plenty more) why, in my eyes, you are who God has sent to share life with me.

1. A-Addison. We fought over this for a while. You had been ready for another child for a while and I was perfectly content with Xavier. I am so glad that we decided to make our family bigger with the girlie. She loves her mommy and if she grows up to be just like her I will be pleased.

2. B-the Boy. Xavier has been a blessing beyond a blessing. He is amazing in every way and even though it took his physical arrival for me to even begin to realize that he was sent to help me be the father that my dad never was I have never been upset one single day he made us a family.

3. C-Courage. It takes courage to marry a guy like me. I have been a "momma's boy" unashamedly for so many years. I shared my calling to ministry with you. We have moved across the country twice now and it probably won't be our last time. You amaze me with your courage in our life situations.

4. D-Duty. You use this line a lot lately. You do the things you are supposed to do because it is your "duty". I wish that I could punch the clock at work or help you around the house or do the things that I don't want to do with the same attitude in which you do your "duty". You are the cog that makes our family work. You are the one who wakes up at night with the kids. You are the one who goes to the doctor. You are the one who always makes sure there is dinner. I need to learn my "duty".

5. E-Exceptional. They don't have a handbook for being a "good" wife or mother. You have somehow seemed to know how to do it. Whether it is a maternal "instinct" or just what you know you should do. You have been the best wife and mother that I could possibly know. Your children love you so much and I love you as well. We are blessed to have you in our lives.

6. F-Family. You were with me when my parents passed. You know how much it messed me up inside. You put up with my crying and pain. You comforted me when no one else could/would. You love me in spite of the bad habits that I have picked up. You have encouraged me to make our family a priority. You have reminded me that God has called to be a pastor in my own house first.

7. G-Grace. The grace that you have shown me over the last 7 years is truly a reminder of the grace that God has shown me and our family over those 7 years as well. Without your grace, our marriage might not have made it 7 years. I love you for every ounce you have shown. You have taught me a lot here.

With others as my witnesses, I will strive to show you more Grace, to put the Family before self, to be an Exceptional father and husband, to meet my Duty on a more consistent basis, to realize the Change that we make is scary at every step, to Bear more burdens of our family's life, and to Always cherish you.
I love you Tabatha.
Happy Anniversary!

The busy month of August

2009-08-24T19:05:00.005-04:00

Happy Birthday John!!!

An ice cream sundae and movie party for Daddy's birthday!

John had another birthday. He is now 31!

Addie wanted some of her own homework too.

Doing homework. he finished in a matter of minutes, but he was excited to do it. However, he has homework again and he is not so happy about it this time.

Xavier on his first day of school. Doesn't he look so handsome.

Xavier started Kindergarten this fall. This is him with his new backpack. It came late.

Addie and Xavier watching Addie's ball go down the lane. It was so cute to watch.

Some of our Life Group bowling together.

Summer Vacation

2009-08-01T11:07:00.004-04:00

Ok, so usually I break the vacation down into parts and talk about each post. Well, this year I am tooooooo tired, so you will get a basic break down and some photos.

First, the kids and I left on July 16th for Louisville, KY. We were suppose to leave at 4am, but I lost my wallet and then had to get a new license and stuff, so we left at 12:30pm and got to our hotel at 7ish. We played in the pool and then got up the next morning to hit the Louisville Zoo. It is one of our favorites and very kid friendly. I took Xavier there when we were moving to GA. The water park inside is awesome.

We hit the road and headed north to Columbus, OH to see my friend Juice. We had a wonderful time at the Columbus Zoo and getting to eat at Schmitts. I love that place. Our stay was short, but a really nice one.

We then headed to WV to stay a few days visiting with friends and family there. Addison got to meet her Uncle Jeff for the first time and she loved him. We stayed with the Thorngates' and had a wonderful time with them. Xavier had a play date at the movies with Uncle Jeff and Uncle Mike. But after 3 days of fun it was time to head to PA.

We arrived on Tuesday, July 21st. We hung out with my cousins for a little bit and then I had to go to the airport and pick up John. (John was directing Young Adult Pre-con this year) While John stayed on campus for precon, the kids and I stayed with my aunt and uncle. We had a wonderful time visiting family and going to the Philadelphia Zoo. Jen Stall and her girls also got to go.

Then Sunday arrived and it was time to get ready for General Conference. Although I did not get to see much of my husband, I had a nice time. Xavier was old enough to attend Children's conference and he loved it. Addie spent a few days in the nursery making friends and mommy got to chill and catch up with old friends. We even got to visit an Amish village and learn about the Amish lifestyle.

It was a great vacation and break from life in GA and we are grateful for the blessings God poured out over us while we were gone.