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Friday, September 05, 2008

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:24:17 GMT

A place and people that I love and miss so much!

Grenada...

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:44:13 GMT

Hi everyone! Well Canada was a lot of fun & I can’t believe it’s over already. It ended up only being 7 of us that went up but we still had a lot of fun! We left Friday night & got there soon after noon on Saturday. Since they had a lot of visitors there that weekend they played hockey that night so we went & watched that. On Sunday afternoon we played games & then went tubing down this awesome hill that ends up going out on the lake! After that we had a snowball fight. That was awesome!!! Then that evening we went over to camp & had snacks and played games. It was fun. On Monday morning we got up & hauled wood. That was a lot of fun for us all but by noon we were definitely getting pretty weak. At least us girls anyway! It was fun though. That afternoon the guys hauled some more wood & us girls worked in the office folding letters & various stuff. That evening the staff from headquarters & us went out for supper then to Wal-Mart & Tim Horton’s. That was a fun evening. On Tuesday us girls cleaned at the guest house & the guys painted over at the church. In the evening we got to play the awesome game of broomball! I’m sure we looked pretty funny on the ice considering the ones up there but it was a lot of fun! Too bad we don’t have more ice in Indiana. On Wednesday we all went to Sioux Lookout, which was like an hour or so away and watched some hockey games. That was really cool! For lunch we met David’s cousin which is up there right now & ate at his place. Then went & watched a couple more games. That evening we got to go snowmobiling for a little bit & that was fun. We stayed up pretty late that night & then got up really early to leave Thursday morning. We stopped at Pizza Hut for lunch & hung out for an hour or so. That was a nice break from driving. Then that afternoon we went to Mall of America. That was really neat! We didn’t have near enough time though. I had the most fun in the amusement rides part! Tabitha, Marsha, & I got to ride a couple & that was awesome! Then that evening we stopped at Maranatha Bible School and surprised Christa really good! It was so funny! She was so shocked. Anyway we got home around 6 Friday morning & had an awesome time!

I have been keeping busy since I’ve been home but can't remember what all. Tuesday of last week a bunch of us went out to eat for Marsha’s 18th birthday. Then we came back to her house for cake & ice cream. Was a lot of fun! Youth Rally was last weekend and it turned out really great! There were a lot of youth & the speaker was really good! I’ll have pix of that later.

~ Last blue basketball game ~

Michael & Mark painted their faces ~ Jonathan, Jess, Michael, Marsha, Mark, Me, & Alicia.

We got some odd looks in Wal-Mart. It was fun though.

~ Canada ~

David put this on our window ~ Tj & Starla

Marsha scraping off the window so she can see the sunrise. - Playing scum at 5 in the morning.

Drew helping me - Jess went & got us some crazy things so we had fun while driving the really boring stretch through Canada.

Kurtis & Mark

The guys playing hockey ~ Hanging out at Camp the one evening.

The awesome tubing hill!!!

Us girls getting ready to go down - Snowball fight!

Talking & laughing til past midnight! - Loading wood.

Marsha & Mark Starla & David

Tj, Me, & Kurtis - All of us

Working in the office. Tj & Starla - Me & Marsha

Shelah & Janel ~ Brian & Mark seeing what all they can catch with their mouths.

Cleaning - Marsha & Tj

Shelah our awesome cook! - Starla & Marsha

Cleaning the cupboard on top of the fridge ~ Marsha & Tj

All of us making supper one night - Tj, Starla, & Me

David & Mark

Playing the awesome game of broomball! - Heather, Me, & Janelle

Kurtis, Brian, Mark, & David - Marsha, Me, Starla, & Tj at the hockey games.

All of us

Playing the best game of dutch blitz! - Me & Karen

Looking at pix the night before we left - Mark at Pizza Hut

The awesome mall!

They had a big lego thing which was neat. - Tj, Marsha, & i on this one cool kid ride!

Traveling home - At the Bible School with Christa.

I was trying to take a pic of Kurtis sleeping & Mark thought he needed one too! It was an awesome trip & we made a lot of great memories! God has blessed me with great friends!

Sunday evening party! Chad, Michael, Jared, & Mark - Me & Marsha

Tj & Kurtis

Ok wow that was a lot of pix! Anyway i hope you guys have a great rest of the week! ~ Jodi

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:50:59 GMT

Hi...how's everyone? Well i thought i would quick up-date before we leave for Canada. A couple Friday nights ago my dad's school had a basketball game against another Christian school around the area. The other team won but it was a fun game. The cheering was so loud that i had a headache after the game. They really get into their cheering! Afterwards some of us went to Applebees & hung out for awhile. It was fun. Last week we had revival meetings by Clair Long from PA. He did a really good job & is an amazing preacher! His messages were very inspiring. I learned a lot & also realized how much i need to work on. We got another puppy!!! It was my favorite one from Grandma's and we talked Dad & Mom into letting us get it! It's really really cute! This week 8 of us are heading up to Canada to visit a friend. I've never traveled with friends before for 15 hours so it should be fun & interesting! Here's some pix from the other Friday night...

Stephanie & Jess ~ Brianna, me, Michelle, Erika, & Steph

Jess, Jonathan, Steph, & Erika ~ Eugene, Michelle, Brianna, & Me.

David & Shane. Cody & Lyndon also went but didn't want their picture taken. ~ Erika, Brianna, Me, Michelle.

Our cute puppy Buddy!!!

Anyway you all have a great week & weekend! (Don't get too jealous Melanie & Jess! Can't wait to hear what you do Sunday afternoon! ) ~ Jodi

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 03:58:29 GMT

~ Pictures of what i've been up to ~

Jess, Tj, Me ~ Jess & Marsha

The one evening some of us went to Ponderosa for Supper. It was a lot of fun! Jess, Starla, Me, & Marsha ~ Kurtis & David

We sat & talked in the Subway at Wal-Mart for over an hour! Trying to get some teddy bears out of those machines. It's almost impossible!

Mark at Ponderosa ~ The youth had a Valentines Daffy Supper. It was a lot of fun & the committee did an awesome job! Marsha....she was the only one that got wet when we played this one game with water.

Kurtis ~ Me, Mark, & Lori

Mark ~ Kara & her knife that she ate with!

All of us ~ Michael

Marsha, Erika, & Me ~ Washing our own dishes after supper...that got interesting!

Playing human dutch blitz & some for water game.

On Valentines evening the youth baby-sat for the kids at church that was the parents could go out. We had fun doing that.

Kaitlynn & Madison ~ Me & Benjamin

Playing Chinese Wall & Upset the Fruit Basket

Making cards...Tj & Madison ~ Taylor

Some making cards & some playing dutch blitz.

Marsha, Benjamin, & Jeremiah ~ Eating a snack

Jeremiah ~ Branson, Marsha, Tyrell, & Me.

My Grandma's dog had 5 puppies on Christmas Day & they are being sold now so we were enjoying them one last day. Me with 3 of them & Jessie with one.

This is my favorite one...I'm trying to talk mom & dad into letting us keep it. Tonight we had a box social. It was lots of fun & there were some very creative boxes. This is a tool box.

On of the horse things at stores you can ride ~ A toilet

The inside of Cold Stone Creamery ~ Starbucks mug

Mountain Dew can & Mustard & Ketchup ~ Some of the boxes on the tables.

Lavon was our great auctioneer! Michael holding things up for him. ~ Playing some volleyball later.

Well that's basically what i've been up to besides work & school. Have a great week! ~ Jodi

Friday, February 01, 2008

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 22:17:01 GMT

Hey everyone! My mom found this on the internet somewhere & i thought it was very good.

The Stranger

A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later. As I grew up I never questioned his place in our family. Mom taught me to love the Word of God. Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spellbound for hours each evening. He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Bill and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie stars. The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn't seem to mind, but sometimes Mom would quietly get up - while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places - and go to her room read her Bible and pray. I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave. You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt an obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house - not from us, from our friends, or adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four-letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm. To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted. My dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in his home - not even for cooking. But the stranger felt he needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often. He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (too much too freely) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man/woman relationship were influenced by the stranger. As I look back, I believe it was the grace of God that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. But if I were to walk into my parents' den today, you would still see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name? We always just called him. . . TV.

(Author unknown)

I can’t think of everything i have been up to this last month but i will up-date a couple pix.

Melanie & Kurtis ~ We went to the coffee shop after church one evening & played scum. They were these awesome cards! You could see through them but yet couldn't see the number!

Marsha & Me ~ Deb & Tabitha at Justin & Abbie's wedding.

Justin & Abbie ~ Marsha & Me

Playing games one night after church at Davids.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! ~ Jo

Sunday, January 06, 2008

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:07:06 GMT

Happy New Year! Christmas is over & it is now 2008! My graduating year!!!! I can’t wait! Anyway the Saturday night before Christmas Jess & I had some shopping to finish up so we headed to the mall in South Bend. It was busy & packed & everything took much longer but we had a great night. We also went to Famous Dave’s & to Barns & Noble. On Christmas Eve some people came over to my house in the afternoon & just hung out for awhile. Brian was home from Canada for a week so they decided to do something. We played games & it was fun. Later my family left & went to Chilies for supper & then to Warsaw to look at some lights. We got back & read the Christmas story in the barn & then watched a movie before bed. On Christmas we opened gifts & then went up to Grandma’s for the rest of the day. It was so much fun! My Grandma’s dog also had puppies on Christmas so that was awesome! On Wednesday night a bunch of us went to Outback Steakhouse for Christa’s farewell party. Then we went to Barns & Noble & to then to the Nappanee Coffee Shop. Was a great evening & I already miss you lots Christa! On Thursday night some of us went with Christa & played volley ball with some people from Sandy Ridge. That was fun & we went to McDonalds afterwards. On Friday we had some company over for supper & then some of us went to The Crossing which is a coffee shop. We played games & just hung out. On Saturday we again went to South Bend & then back home to a Fairfield game. Was an awesome game & Fairfield won by tons! Shelli also came for the weekend & that was fun! I had not’t seen her in awhile. On Sunday some of us went over to Brian’s for lunch & then played games and on Sunday night we had a party at Kens. Monday night was our New Years Eve party & we did a lot of cool stuff. The committee did an awesome job! Thursday night & last night we went sledding & snowmobiling & that’s been so cool! I think it would be fun to buy a snowmobile but I should probably buy my own car first. Well I’ll up-date some pix from last week….

Starla, Melanie, Jess, & Jonathan ~ Lyndon, Michelle, Christa, & Marsha at Outback Steakhouse.

Mark & Jared ~ David, Me, & Kurtis.

Christa & Jess ~ Marsha, Michelle, & me & Barns & Noble.

Mark & Marsha when we were at The Crossings.

Mark, Marsha, Me, Brian, & David ~ Mark & Marsha.

Jess & i on Christmas Eve...Ok this is going back a couple months! I was gonna up-date these earlier but never did. Some of us hanging out one Sunday afternoon. This is Me & Marsha.

Marsha playing in the water....Me & Marsha on a mushroom.

Tj, Jared, & Me on the bridge...Jess & Marsha.

Jared and Marsha

Sorry Marsha! Me, Jess, Abbie, Marsha, Tj, & Jared.

These are pix that i finally got from when we went to the Tent Meetings in PA in August. This is Shelli on the way out. We stayed at Carissa's place & that was fun! Shelli was playing piano while Brian played on his guitar the one evening.

Carissa, Me, & Shelli went up to the Pagoda the one night. It was neat to be up there again!

The Pagoda. I got to go to Kyle's place on Sunday. It was so fun seeing him again!

Shelli & Dayvion. He was so happy to see her. Michael

The one evening some of us went to Jon's house again & hung out. Jon & Steve & Me & Julia.

Shelli and i at a volleyball tournament. On our way down to Virginia we got a flat tire.

Julia & i at a park in Virginia.

My goal in the coming year is to get to know God much better & to have a closer walk with him. As this year begins let your light shine to others! ~ Jodi

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 03:47:49 GMT

Hi everyone! I can't believe Christmas is next week! This month just flew by. On Saturday my one Amish friend, Lorinda, came home from work with me. She had never been to the Holy Walk in Bremen before, so she went with me & some of my friends. The Holy Walk is like an outside walk & you travel through (like back in the time when Jesus was born) to Bethlehem to pay our taxes. And on the way you see shepherds, angels, town people, Roman soldiers, & at the end Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, & then the wise men. It's always a lot of fun. We had to wait in the gym for 2 hours before our group was called but it wasn't too bad. That night we were kind of snowed in so i couldn't take my friend home so she stayed the night. Church was canceled for the next day & then my sister’s boyfriend brought his brothers truck & we were able to get her home. It was a great & unexpected weekend! Then i babysat overnight Sunday & Monday for 3 kids. Their parents had gone on a cruise & were enjoying the nice warm weather in Florida & Mexico. School got canceled on Monday so we had great fun playing in the snow all day. Tonight i babysat again for a different family & it was fun but i'm ready to not baby-sit for awhile! Well i'm gonna post some pix & get off of here.

Jess & Christa ~ Playing games while waiting to go on the Holy Walk.

Lorinda & Me ~ Me, Lorinda, & Jessica

Lorinda & i switched! She went Mennonite & i went Amish! Sometimes there is nothing better to do on a Sunday morning when church is canceled!

Lucas, Mallory, & Isaac playing in the snow.

We made these cinnamon pie things on Monday & Isaac got tons of flour on himself.

The kids working on them. Later we got snow & then made kool-aid & poured it over the snow. It was good!

Emily & Lucas enjoying their blue snow.

Y'all have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Jodi

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:34:13 GMT

We now have snow! I was not too excited about it at first (I hate the cold!) but after playing in the snow all day today I think it’s great! Now I just need to go skiing! Anyway it is now the busy month of December! I have so much going on & I still haven’t got any Christmas gifts! Hopefully I’ll get that done soon. I’ve been to 2 Fairfield games this year so far & that’s been fun. Now I just need to go to a Concord game when the band is there!

Thursday night we had a miscellaneous shower for Abbie & that was fun. After that was done some of us stayed & set up for the Christmas banquet. That was on Friday night & a lot of fun. The decorating committee did a great job & the speaker was also good. A Nelson Miller talked & sang & i thought he did a very awesome job. Afterwards some of us went into where Marsha works since it was open til midnight & hung out. My friend Meagan came for the banquet & stayed for the weekend. Was fun having her here. On Saturday night we went to another basketball game & that was fun. We didn’t win but that’s ok cuz we played really well anyway! After that we all hung out at McDonalds. Today church was cut short because of the ice here. It kept raining & turning into ice. Pretty nasty weather. Most of the churches around us didn’t have church so we even had some visitors. We canceled church for tonight though so I think a bunch of us are going to go to another church to hear a chorus.

A couple weeks ago we took family pix. Here are some of them.

That's about the only time he'll ever put his arm around his sisters!

The most awesome parents ever!!!

An really cool sunset the other night. Jordan & Amanda making Christmas cookies!

Jess & Marsha hanging up snowflakes for the Christmas banquet. Me setting the tables.

The Chocolate fountain at the banquet. That was really good! Mark & David.

My table...It was Alicia, Matt, Me, Michael, Meagan, David, & Lyndon. I thought it was fun. Me & Alicia playing with the gifts afterwards. I want one of those for Christmas!

Some of us at the game. Christa, Jess, Marsha, Me, Kurtis, & Mark. Fairfield Falcons playing!!!!! (They are the awesome blue guys not those ones in white...!)

Meagan & Kita

David, Kurtis, Me, & Marsha at McDonalds.

Jared playing in the Play Place. Here's a normal one of Me & Marsha.

This is the woods across from our house the other morning. It was beautiful!

We had sledding races this afternoon. I had the slowest sled so i always lost! Chad gave us rides then!

Manda, Jordan, & Me.

Well i don't know how long it'll be til i post again! I'll try to before Christmas. Til then keep letting ur light shine to those you meet! ~ Jodi

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:51:03 GMT

Hey everyone. Iowa was a lot of fun. We left on Thursday & got out there that afternoon. We checked into our hotel & then got ready to go to the supper. It was the induction ceremony for Grandpa & this other guy that i didn't know. It was a lot of fun. Brought back a lot of great memories of Grandpa. On Friday we went to the museum that his Plaque is now in & looked around at everything there. Then we went to the big Catholic Basilica in Dyersville to look around. It's one of the biggest around & it is amazing inside. Later we set up for the toy show & that's where we were the rest of the day. That evening we had a pizza party in the guy’s room! On Saturday we where mostly at the gym behind the table but then later some of us left & went to the field where the movie Field of Dreams was made. That was pretty neat. That evening we went to a supper & then headed home on Sunday. It was a great weekend!

Our basketball games finally started up! We once again aren't doing too well but its fun to go to the games. Last weekend we had Winter Bible School & the speaker did an awesome job. I really felt like I learned a lot during the weekend. Sunday evening we didn’t have church so a bunch of us went over to David’s & hung out. That was a lot of fun! The basement was a mess when we left with popcorn & games all over the floor! Thanks David for letting us hang out there!

On Monday night some of us went out to eat for Christa’s birthday. We went to Swan Lake Resort & all dressed up. There was 4 guys & 4 girls so the guys paid for our meals. It was so awesome! We all had a great evening. We went back to Christa’s then & took some pix & had fun watching the guys goof off.

-Here’s some pix from Iowa-

Manda & Jordan beside the Plaque. All of us kids & grandma plus my 2 cousins in the back.

David & i got bored & started racing to see who could get done with the puzzles the fastest. David won both times...

Some awesome friends from out there! Karen & Dave. Me & my grandma in the other.

David & i... And David & Barb...you'll have to ask him about that!

Jess, Chad, & I at Field of Dreams. All of us sitting on the bench.

David, Jess, & i standing in the field. Jess & i at Cabela's.

Manda & Jordan by our hotel.

-Pictures from going out to eat-

The whole group

My sister Jess & her boyfriend Jonathan.

The guys ~ David, Mark, Jonathan, & Kurtis...The girls ~ Jessica, Me, Marsha, & Christa

It took forever to get a normal picture of the guys!

Christa & Jess...David & Mark decided to copy them.

Jess & me

Well it's getting late & i have school in the morning. Everyone have an awesome week! ~ Jodi

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 02:12:23 GMT

The youth camping trip was great! The social committee did a great job! 33 youth went & we had an awesome time! Most of the group went Friday afternoon but some of us went later because of work. We got down there when they were eating supper in town so we stayed there with them til they went back to camp. For awhile we talked around the campfire & Nathan played guitar & we sang. Later some went to bed while a group of us stayed up & played scum. On Saturday morning we had breakfast & then walked to a big place with grass where you could play games. First we played Frisbee Football & then some type of softball (can't think of what it's called). It wasn't mush ball & it wasn't softball....something in between. Anyway then most of us played tackle football for about 3 hours! They girls tackled girls & the guys tackled the guys...(obviously!). We were all very sore & tired later that day but it was so much fun! We all had supper soon after that then went & played volleyball & knock out. We even got to go up the fire tower & some got to see some bison that they had there. On Sunday we had a little church service & then we all had free time to do whatever we wanted. Some of us went on a paddle boat, some went for walks, while other sat around or threw a football back & forth. We left around 3 that afternoon. Most were pretty tired but it was a great weekend! A bunch of us got sun too which seemed weird for October but the weather was incredibly nice!
A couple weeks ago on a Wed. night after church some of us went up to the coffee shop. Christa & i got tired of just sitting after awhile so we convinced Mark, Lyndon, Michael, & Jess to go outside in the parking lot & play keep away with us. That was crazy & fun!
The other night i came walking downstairs for supper & was surprised to open the door & see a bunch & people in my living room yelling "surprise!" They had all surprised me for my birthday & i had no idea. Thanks Christa & Jess for getting it around & for getting food, Kurtis for bringing pizza, David for the awesome rose, Grandma for the cake, & for all who came! It meant a lot and was very neat! I have great friends & you all mean so much to me!
Last Friday night a bunch of us went to the last Fairfield football game. We took Shari's parents huge van so we could all ride together. Fairfield was doing pretty good at the beginning but then it started to rain & we got behind. They lost 35 to 27. Before that they had won 10 games & lost 0! Anyway we were all soaking wet & once the heat was turned on in the van it began to smell! We then went to Chilies & had a great time there! Later some of us hung out at the gas station for awhile & Kurtis's car wouldn't start. Jeremy took us all home & it was pretty late but lot's of fun! Hopefully Fairfield can FINALLY beat Jimtown next year!
Tonight my little sister, Amanda, & i went shopping. She needed some stuff for a school project & i had some gift cards for Kohls & Bath & Body Works. She also had a certificate for Dairy Queen so we had a fun evening. I enjoyed taking her out & buying her stuff.
On Wednesday night our youth is going to another church to hear a guy from South Africa speak. I'm looking forward to that. It should be really good!
Well this weekend we are headed out to Iowa. My Grandpa is getting put in the Hall of Fame out there so our whole family is going out for it. I'm pretty excited & it should be fun. Anyway here's some pix from the youth camping...

Jared, Michael, Chad...they had too much fun with the camera that night! Some of the others sitting around the campfire.

Playing games later that night. Matt, me, & Tabitha. Our game was going well!

We were snacking on some great food. Marsha with chips & Christa eating a cracker....although i'm sure most people don't eat it quite like that!

Cooking breakfast the next morning. The food was very good.

Greg & Justin very kindly did dishes. Playing football. It's amazing how much better u understand the game after you play it!

Benjamin. Covering Matt with grass while waiting to play volleyball.

Playing volleyball & knockout. Playing knockout with the youth all there reminded me of being in NYC again at the park. It was great!

Christa, me, Valerie, & Kristina in the Fire Tower. Abbie & Marsha on their way down.

Christa, Mark, David, & i had a fun time singing like hillbillies while the rest sat around the campfire. I sure they were very glad when we finally quit. Matt & Jeremy doing the dishes.

Cutting up olives for lunch. Mark showing his bruise from tackle football. Thankfully we didn't have to take him in for stitches with the use of super glue!

Jess & Marsha...Jeremy & Mark. I'm not sure why Mark looks so pleased in that picture.

Chad & Jared & Tj & me on the paddle boat. Those things don't go very fast!

Tabitha...Jared & me with some goose feather they got.

Chad & me & once again the goose feather...

Kurtis relaxing. Some of the guys loading up the trailer.

Cleaning up the tents & the campsite. My cute brother Jordan & his bunny Fluffy that has Asthma.

Have a great week! ~ Jo

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit."
Proverbs 15: 1-4