Claire's blog

Just to let you know Claire has posted a note on her blog. Check it out at childrenspreschool.blogspot.com

Children's Museum

Today Claire had her second field trip we went to the Children's Museum downtown. It was actually the perfect day to go because it was cold and rainy today. There was so much for them to do. It is called the Health Adventure Center and the theme is science and Health so there were very many interesting exhibits for them to see. Some of these fun exhibits included a grocery store, a huge mouth so the kids could floss the teeth, and a blood tunnel that looked and sounded like an artery inside the human body. Very cool! There also was a play area for kids five and under. I honestly think they both could have spent all day playing there. They had a slide, dress-up corner, kitchen area, dollhouse, puppet show, etc. I was very impressed! (It would be the perfect place to spend a cold winter day, when playing outside isn't an option.) They also have home school days once a month. We will definitely be purchasing a membership so we can enjoy all they have to offer!

My girls

I wanted to post some fun everyday pics of my girls. Keeley wants so badly to do everything her big sissy does. She has already started playing dress up because she sees Claire do it. Can we say another diva? They play so well together and it is such a joy to watch. I love just sitting back and observing them. They love each other so much and have such a good time together. Of course, there are those moments when they fight over a toy, or Claire fusses at her for bothering her stuff, but overall they truly enjoy being together.

Mary Lamb and Keeley Bear have arrived!

Some how when we moved Mary Lamb and Keeley Bear (Claire's favorite stuffed animals that she sleeps with every night.) got put in the wrong box and were left in storage at Donald's house in Jackson! Fortunately Claire was a real trooper about it! However, the other night when Nathan was on the phone with Donald she told her dad "I have two questions for Donald, daddy." Her two requests were that he look in his attic for Keeley Bear and Mary Lamb and that he paint her some butterflies. (Claire had beautiful butterflies on her bedroom walls in Jackson that Donald had painted for her. She misses them terribly! She has shed many tears over her butterflies.) Well, obviously since we haven't found a new house yet, and are currently in an apartment the butterfly request was out, but he was able to locate and send Mary Lamb and Keeley Bear! Claire had been going to the mailbox everyday hoping that her favorite stuffed animals had made it to Asheville. Last week they FINALLY arrived! She was so excited!

State Fair

Sept 6th we all went to the State Fair with our good friends Abel and Laurel. We had such a great time. The fair was huge and there was so much to see and enjoy. The girls got to watch the Bear Show, the pig races, and the puppet show. Then they rode ride after ride. In fact, we didn't get home until midnight! The girls have never been up that late, but they had such a great time we wanted to make sure they got to use all their ride tickets! It was so worth it. Abel and Laurel will be leaving for 6wks to go back to their home town, so Laurel can have help with her new baby. This was Claire and Abel's last time to really enjoy each other's company for a little while.

Claire really surprised us. Last year at the West TN State fair Claire was a little timid about some of the rides. This year she rode everything that she was tall enough to ride. She had no fear. Keeley was quite funny to watch as well. At the puppet show they invited the kids to come up front to join them when they sang songs. Claire didn't want to, she just stood back and observed, but Keeley was up front and center! She tried to keep up and do all the hand/foot motions! She is such a little Nathan! Miss socialite!

Cradle of Forestry

A few weeks ago we took the girls to the Cradle of Forestry in Brevard. We had such a great time. We ate a picnic in the park and then went on to the Cradle of Forestry. It had lots of fun things for kids including a scavenger hunt that Claire had a great time doing. Then we took a hike and enjoyed all the beautiful trees that surrounded us.

Claire's Blog

Claire's blog is up and running and she has posted her first blog. Be sure to check it out! I know she would be thrilled to receive comments from friends and family! The address is childrenspreschool.blogspot.com

It is hard for me to believe a year ago this past Sunday, marked the beginning of our journey to Asheville. It was last year this time that I was sitting in our new church building for the dedication service. I was watching a video of pictures from the last six years of our church's history. Nathan and I joined Fellowship Bible Church very soon after it was started, but we were not apart of that initial group of church planters. I was watching pictures of those awesome families meeting in the Old English Inn. It really got me thinking about how neat it must be for them to see how God had blessed this church and their desire to start a church unique from all others in Jackson. I was so touched to see how far our church had come over the last six years. To see how many families it had ministered to, how many lives in the community it had touched, and it all started with a few families who had a passion to build a church that would reach out into the community and be a light in a dark world. I realized that this was my passion too. We had been praying that God would use our family, but yet I was unwilling to let go of my securtiy to do this. For the first time I felt my walls of resistance crumble. I felt like God was saying "You don't need to rule anything out until you have discussed it with me!" Ouch! I realized at that moment that I had been against moving for several reasons, but not once had I asked God what he wanted or asked Nathan what his desire was for our family! After that service I told Nathan about my change of heart. He had been feeling the same way, and couldn't believe my change of heart! We begin to pray for God's direction and it lead us to Asheville.From that moment on our life has been full of ups and downs, highs and lows, doubts and affirmations, fear and excitement! It has been a wild and sometimes hard road that God has placed us on, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat! I know this next year will be full of its own share of ups and downs, highs and lows, doubts and affirmations, fear and excitement, but I can't wait to see what God has in store for Fellowship Asheville. I can't wait to see what God's role will be for Nathan and I in this new adventure and I feel so blessed and humbled to get to be apart of His work in Asheville!
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by Perkins
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Homeschooling
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Keeley

Keeley has changed so much in the last few months. Her vocabulary is expanding daily, and it seems like everyday she is doing something new. Just the other day she and her sister were watching Dora the Explorer on the way home from Brevard. Dora said "Say backpack" and Keeley piped up "backpack". Nathan and I just looked at each other, amazed at how much she says these days. She loves to mimic her big sister and do EVERYTHING big sissy does. Claire has been wearing my boots around the house lately, so of course, Keeley had to try. She kept trying to get her leg into the boot and kept getting more and more frustrated with her inability to put my boot on. I held her in my lap and let her try it on. She thought she was such big stuff!

She has already started "pretend playing" and it is so fun to watch. She loves to "cook" and then "feed" the rest of the family! She loves to play with her baby dolls and push them around in her stroller. (The stroller is a hot item in our home, and I think we are going to need to purchase another stroller pretty soon to keep the peace!) She has such a large personality for such a small fry! She loves to laugh, dance, and when she gets mad...watch out! She is so passionate and I love that about her! I hope that passion can one day be molded and she will be passionate about the things of God!

It amazes how fast they grow and change! It seems like just yesterday she joined our family and now she is just a few days short of 16 mths! I love you sweet girl!

Today was Claire and I's first day of school! We officially began homeschooling today. I am very excited about this adventure we are going to take together, although; I must admit today was a little bittersweet. Claire had a great playschool in Jackson that she really misses and today was their first day as well. So as excited as I was to start homeschooling Claire, my heart ached a little, knowing that all her friends in Jackson were enjoying their first day of playschool together. I have already enrolled Claire in a FREE play and learn class that is offered for children in Asheville. Also we have enrolled in a preschool music class that the community center teaches as well as an art class. I know this will give her some opportunities to meet new friends here in Asheville that will be just as dear to her as the ones she left behind in Jackson. (Maybe it will also give me the opportunity to develop some new friendships.) I am amazed at how much Asheville has to offer for homeschooling parents and I am very excited to be homeschooling in such a great place. Claire will also start AWANA's again in two weeks. I am hoping this will be another opportunity for her to develop some really great friends. That has been by far the hardest part of the move for her, she really misses her sweet little friends.

A few weeks back I was reading over my curriculum and it suggested that we name our school and that I allow Claire to have a say. I asked Claire what she wanted to name her school and she thought for a moment and then responded "Children's preschool dot com." (I guess mom and dad may spend a little too much time on the computer.) I told my mom this because, quite frankly I thought it was pretty funny! She told one of her co-workers and they suggested that Claire start a blog and call it children'spreschool.com! I thought this was a great idea. So, tomorrow Claire and I are going to spend some of our "school time" creating her blog. This will give her the opportunity to share with her friends and family what she is learning in school. So be sure to check it out in the next day or two and see what the two of us are up to!
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