December Birthdays!

Well, our big family weekend came and went, but it sure was a good one. I have to say, it ranks up there as one of my favorite. It was just a good time! We started off on Friday night with just Jon and Andrea and the kids. J and Holly stayed in Ft. Wayne with friends to celebrate Christmas while mom and dad couldn't come till Sat. Friday night we had pizza and a movie night. It was a fun, relaxing evening. (As you can see)

Zeke was in an extra, loving mood and I wasn't complaining.

Time for Bed. Jon uncovered a sleepingEmmy to take her to the bed and this is how we found her under the covers. It was too funny not to take a picture.

Sat. Jason and Holly joined us at 1:00 for the IWU lady Wildcat basketball game. It was a special one as they announced the championship team of last year and revealed the National Championship banner.

After the game it was home to party and celebrate the December birthdays of Sue, Holly and Elijah! Mom and Dad arrived around 4:00 as well as Bob and Janet, Sue's partents. We celebrated those we love.
Below you have Mom and Dad with Andrea. Mom can't seem to keep her hands off Andrea's growing belly.

This is Bob and Janet Jackson, Sue's parents.
After eating, we opened the presents before cake and ice cream. We made Elijah read all his cards out loud before he could open the present. (Good practice, you know.)
Since Elijah's party (cake) was an Ohio State theme, Grandma Grate thought his present should follow suit. These are just a few of the treasures in his goody bag.
Jason liked them too. Elijah may have trouble holding on to his belongings on game day!

Elijah, 9 years old, with his Ohio State Cake!
All 3 birthdays blow their candles out together!
Sorry, these pictures are backward. Before they blew the candles.
Holly opens one of her gifts....
AS does Sue...

The weekend was so great. Sat. evening, the "siblings" stayed up late talking which was really nice. We don't get the opportunity to do that much anymore. We're all spread out and quiet talk time is at a premium with all the kids. I enjoyed it immensely.

I hope all the Dec. birthdays enjoyed their special day and know that we love you!

Just a side note, today is Sat. the 15th and we are expecting up to 10 inches of snow in the next 24 hours. I am hunkered down in my house (in my pajamas which is how I plan to stay the rest of the day) for a day of wrapping presents, reading, watching Christmas movies, basically whatever hits me. But it doesn't involve me getting gussied up and going anywhere!
How sweet is that?!

Happy 30th Birthday, Andrea!!!

Well, to my secret commenter, who is missing my writing...Here you go! To tell you the truth, I have been so busy, since Thanksgiving that I have felt like I am meeting myself coming and going. My Thanksgiving holiday was wonderful, just like I knew it would be. The shopping day was especially fun since I kept finding things for myself! So much for others! Sat. evening we had a "semi" surprise party for Andrea's birthday. I say "Semi" because she totally knew something was going on. But, her best friend, Nicole, was there and that was a surprise, so I guess that should count for something. Below I have included some pictures from her party.

Above you have Andrea with her very cool Ohio State serving platter, that is upside down if you look close enough to see the script Ohio on the field.


Andrea's best friend, Nicole who only beat her to 30 by 6 weeks.

They've been friends since birth!

I love my sister!

Since Thanksgiving, I've baked approximately 35 dozen cookies, and gone home to help host 2 big Christmas open houses that my parents hosted. That was a busy week and weekend! But let me tell you, my mom, sister and I make a great team. We had the best time and put on a spread that was Paula Dean worthy, if I do say so myself! Andrea and I would love to do that kind of thing for a living. Maybe someday....

This week, I am busy cleaning and preparing for my whole family to be at my house. We are celebrating December birthdays! Elijah turns 9 and we're also celebrating Holly and my best friend, Sue. The Holly and Sue part is a surprise, so sshhh..don't tell. Hopefully neither will read this before Sat. So, I will have pictures to post next week of this big weekend!

Then...I rest.

Emmy and Aunt Kelley

What a Weekend!

I had such a fun weekend! I had my niece, Emmy come for the weekend to help me with my Christmas decorating and some cooking. We also spent about 2 1/2 hours in the beauty shop while I got my hair done. She was a real trooper! I worked her to death and she seemed to enjoy every minute of it. The work was enjoyable because we sang, talked and cheered on our OHIO STATE BUCKEYES while we worked! Once the decorating was complete, we started cooking for Sunday's SS harvest dinner. Emmy helped me make cheesy potatoes, taco salad, turtle pumpkin pie and pumpkin pie squares. When it was all complete, I took her down to drive through the walk-way of lights. I thought this was a good idea because it is early in the season and nobody would be there. WRONG! I got in the middle of some parade that I didn't even know was happening. We sat for close to 45 min. at a dead stop. I was not amused, but Emmy kept insisting that it would be worth the wait. Well, I'm not sure it was for me, but she loved it so I guess it was. She was sound asleep by the time I got her home.

The weekend only continued to get better with our first service in the new church on Sunday. It was incredible! The building is amazing and so beautiful. It was such a special day. Emmy loved the church and the kids wing, especially. She was so excited to go to the kids church. After church our SS had a Thanksgiving dinner to thank the pastoral staff for all they do. The food was wonderful and the fellowship was even sweeter. It was a blessed day, indeed!

With only 2 days to work this week, it's looking to be a good one. I love Thanksgiving! I can't wait for the food, decorating, Christmas music, movies, shopping, but most of all time with my family. We're going to miss Jason, Holly and the kids this year, but we'll have them for Christmas. Well, I should wrap this up. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

Kelley

What's New?

What's new? Well, my Dad told me that he keeps checking the blog for a new post and I need to get on it. So, here I am doing as I was told.

I spent this last weekend at Andrea and Jon's painting with my Dad. We got the master bedroom and bathroom done. May not sound like a lot for two days of work, but you should see the size of this room. It was a chore. Dad also did a few other things, but painting was my only contribution. It was fun. We always have fun together. Andrea couldn't paint because of the baby, but she cooked up a storm and kept us all well fed. Jon also helped on Friday night, but had drill on Sat. (I didn't want anyone to think he was a slacker!)

Sunday we had a SS carry-in dinner at the Rowley's. It was excellent! Tons of great food and great company. I enjoyed it immensly. We also met for SS in the new church with our new teachers which I thought was wonderful. I really liked their spirit and felt like they are going to be a good fit for our class.

The Colts lost to New England last night which was a major bummer. We did get in some nice hard hits on Tom Brady which made me happy. I know we will meet them again in the playoffs and I suppose I'd rather lose to them now rather than then, but it still was no fun! My Buckeyes are still on top and undefeated. The Michigan game looms in the near future though. Makes me nervous just to think about it. IWU women's basketball open their season this Wed. night at 7:00pm so I'm excited about that. It may be the season where I prove that I'm a true fan not just a National Champ bandwagon fan. Losing 5 seniors will definitly show, but I think they will be better than most expect them to be.

As I look at my calendar, I am overwhelmed with all I have going on between now and Christmas. My weeks are full and the weekends are even more full. Christmas will be here before I know it. I'm excited about it though. Now through Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love being busy and having lots to do. I seem to be more productive.

Well, I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the fall weather like I am! Have a super week!

Kelley

IWU Homecoming 2007- What a DUD!

Well, last weekend was IWU's Homecoming weekend. To say I was disappointed, would be an understatement. Actually, I have to say that the Point of Grace/IWU Chorale concert on Friday night was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed myself (especially the part where Prof Guy asked all Chorale alumni to come up and join the chorale for their final number and I got to pretend to still know the words and alto part to A Mighty Fortress 17 years later)! Yikes!! Am I that old? Anywho...On Sat. we made our way to the athletic fields where this year's Homecoming festivities were to take place. Much to my dismay, there was nothing there except inflatable toys for the kids I don't have, and a tent for the meal that I was not going to eat. There was a booth where I got to write down my name and throw it in a basket. What did I win, you might wonder? Nothing. Just a card to let them know I came. I was hunting for the boothes that used to sell things like carmel apples, t-shirts, etc... but found nothing. I was looking for the stage where the music groups sing and entertain us...it was nowhere to be found. I guess I could forgive all that because it's really about coming to see all my old friends from college, right?Where were the people that I came to see? Well, I saw Anon, Deb W., Doug P., Jim and Jaena, Shelli from a distance, so that sounds great, right? It would be except they are all in my Sunday school class and I see them every week. ( Not that I don't always enjoy seeing them! ) Sue and I watched a few innings of the softball game, but in the 90 degree heat, it just wasn't worth it. So, we were out of there by 12:00. I was very discouraged by the obvious decline in the Homecoming festivities. I hear there has been a marked improvement in the torch run and bonfire that kicks off the weekend with the current students, but to me HOMECOMING implies the act of coming home by the ALUMNI. I would like to see a little more focus put into making the weekend special for those who are coming back. How about an ALUMNI tent where we have drawings with those cards for small give aways? Just a thought. It's not like our money didn't help build the mighty fortress known as IWU. Well, I could go on and on. The sarcasm is dripping from me today if you couldn't tell. Must be the changing weather...Was anyone else disappointed, or was it just me?

Catching Up!

The last couple of weeks have been crazy! People at church probably think I've dropped off the planet. I really haven't. The following will explain where I've been hiding lately. Besides this update, life has been pretty normal and steady. School is...well...school. It's okay. That's about the best I can say. Based on today's test scores, I either need to rewind and start this year over, or find another profession. I seem to be losing my educator's touch. Those things are hard on a teacher. We take the test scores personally as it is a reflection of our teaching. You might pray for me and this year's students. We have a long road looming ahead of us. Okay...on with the update!

Andrea and Jon are in their new house!



Two weekends ago, we moved Andrea and Jon into their new house. This is Andrea organizing her cupboards. Are you supposed to climb on step stools when you're expecting?

The house is awesome and we're so excited about the baby on the way!










Another Grate Family Reunion was held!



Sat. the 28th, we gathered at mom and dad's in Marion, Ohio for another Grate Family Reunion. There were 67 people there! It was so much fun to visit and spend time with family that live so far away. The Grate's are special people!

This is Zeke in his "tunnel." What a cutie!










Kelley and Bev forgot to take their annual picture, so I pulled this one from the archives. It was taken in July at my Dad's 60th B-day party. We always have a blast together. The laughter is non-stop!













Here is Uncle George and Aunt Violet with their children and grandchildren that were able to come.











Aunt Violet and Aunt Eva played us some old time gospel music.












This isn't even the whole group. I couldn't get back far enough to get them all, but it gives you the idea. We had a full house!

Colts Game

This picture of the banner is supposed to be farther down, but I accidently deleted it and can't get it back where it goes. So, when you read that the banner was revealed, this is it! ;)

Well, where do I begin? Oh my goodness this was so much fun!! First I'd like to start by saying, "Thank You, Thank You, THANK YOU" to Deb Wuertly for suggesting Sue and I to her Dad as possible buyers for their extra two tickets! This was an incredible experience! For those reading who don't know what I'm talking about, Thursday night was the Indianapolis Colts season opener against the New Orleans Saints. They had a free NFL Kickoff concert at Monument Circle in Downtown Indy from 5:00-7:45 featuring Hinder (should be named Hideous), Kelly Clarkson (A fav of mine) and Faith Hill (probably my all time favorite female country singer). So, Sue and I flew out of school and hit the road to Indy about 3:45. We were parked in the Conseco Parking Garage by 5:15. Traffic wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. We made our way over towards Monument Circle where there were 50,000-100,000 people milling the blocked off streets and crowded like sardines a few city blocks deep to see the concert. The first picture is the screen I could see of Kelly Clarkson and the next picture is Faith Hill. As crazy as it sounds, it was really a fun atmosphere. We enjoyed listening and watching via screen two of our favorite artists.

Around 7:30, we started heading toward the RCA Dome. The ceremony presenting the 2006 superbowl banner and a performance by John Mellancamp was to begin at 8:00. This next picture is the scene in front of me going into the Dome.

Once I was in the gates, I took pictures looking down at the crowds of people waiting to get in and the people streaming from all over the city towards the Dome. The seas of blue and white was so cool to see.

Our view of the stadium. The Porters seats are excellent. Back row of the bottom section. You have a wall at your back so the drunk who goes for his 35th beer won't spill it down your back when he returns to his seat. You also have the replay TV's right above you so you can watch the replay up close. Below they are setting up the stage for the pregame ceremony. The replica Superbowl ring was for the players to run through as they took the field. It was amazing. ( I feel like I'm running out of adjectives!)

Sue and I decked out in our Colts gear!

The people are going wild as they are getting ready to start. The white towels are a waving!

Here you have the Colts cheerleaders and below is John Mellancamp on the big screen. I couldn't get the pictures while he was performing to come out. It was too dark. He introduced Jim Irsay to the stage at the beginning of the ceremony.

Here come the Colts!

The 2006 Superbowl Banner was revealed!
Ready to score! The game was so exciting! First

half was a little slow, but Peyton and crew really put on a clinic in the second half. The drunk guy in front of us, who was really a very nice guy, was into high fives for every good play, so we felt like a real part of the group! There is nothing like being there when that long pass into the endzone hits it's receiver perfectly for a touchdown. The crowd goes wild and it's so exhillerating! (sp?) (Trying to find a new word.) Well, I guess that's it. The game was awesome and we won big! Sue and I looked at each other on our way to the car and agreed that it was worth every penny! Go Colts!

Labor Day '07

What a great Labor Day! Actually the whole weekend was great. We couldn't have asked for better weather. I got the kids on Friday night, mom and dad and Andrea and Jon came on Saturday, then J and Holly joined us today. We ate and swam at Sue's house along with Sue and her parents, Bob and Janet. No one could complain about an empty stomach. After we ate, we all jumped in the pool where much splashing and a serious splash ball war took place.

After pool time, we went back to my house where the kids rode their new bikes that get to stay at Aunt Kelley's house. Emmy learned to ride without training wheels. We tried Zeke but he wasn't quite ready.

I love having all my family together. These weekends are always full of special memories. Sunday night we cooked out around the fire and enjoyed sitting out on the patio. The weather was perfect. It's always so much fun, but a major let down when it's over. Back to the grind tomorrow. I can't help but wonder where this long weekend went!

A New School Year

Well, here I am...One week in! It's been an okay start to the year. It's too early to make any predictions. I'm wondering why I wanted to switch subjects. While Science is not my area of expertise, all my lessons were prepared. I'm back to square one with Language arts, but I do love the subject more, so I guess that's a good thing. I have a big bag of work with me tonight.

To be honest, I'm having a hard time even writing. My heart is just sad and heavy for my friends the Osbornes and Hummels. I know most everyone who reads my blog is also connected to them as well, so I won't retell the story, but if you are unaware, you can go to http://hummelnest.blogspot.com/ for the updates on Bryson. It really just breaks my heart. It seems like I've known more people who've experienced tragedy in their lives in the last few years, than in my whole life leading up to it. I wonder why that is? One thing I would like to share is about a book I read called The Shack. It's about where tragedy meets eternity. The book is fiction and can only be purchased online from the website http://www.theshackbook.com/ but it was incredible. As a matter of fact, I feel the need to read it again to help myself wrap my brain around this situation with Bryson. I know God has an amazing plan for this little boy. I pray for peace and comfort for his family and for him as he deals with the loss of his leg.

Well, I hope everyone is having a good start to the week.

Kelley

Catching Up

This post will probably seem like it's all over the place, but it's been a while and I have lots to say. First let me explain this photo. While Holly had Emmy in St. Louis visiting friends, Jason gave me the opportunity to have the boys for a few days. We had just arrived home and Elijah went straight to the bathroom for a, shall we say, longer bathroom experience. Zeke had to go in a bad way also, so I shouted the first thing that came to my mind..."Go out by the tree!" He literally ran for the tree and dropped his drawers. I...ran for the camera! Doesn't he just have the cutest little bum?

Holly likes to call him quirky...I think she knows what she's talking about. He asked me to take his picture while he made funny faces. We took about 10 shots, but he kept getting closer to the camera and the pictures kept getting scarier so I'm only posting a few. What a nut!

At the end of the week, Holly and Emmy came to my house to pick up the boys on their way home. They spent the night which gave me some time with my sweet Emmy too. When they arrived, Emmy jumped in my arms, wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist and hugged me for a long time. She's definitly Aunt Kelley's little buddy. While that was happening, I was thinking that there is nothing that brings me greater joy than being with my neice and nephews...now if only I could have more....OH WAIT! Andrea called last night and she's going to have a BABY!!!! Aunt Kelley was a blubbering mess. I was so emotional. To say I'm excited would be a major understatement! Zeke's 3 1/2 and it's definitly time for another baby in the Grate family. Andrea and Jon have also bought a house so the timing is perfect. The should be moving at the end of Sept. Andrea's excited about the timing because she won't be able to do any heavy lifting...Dad just wants to know if she can still golf! Priorities, you know.

Well, now that I've caught everyone up on my family, what have I been up to? Well, I have literally become obsessed with my flower gardening. It's a little frightful and my friends and family are wondering what happened to the real Kelley. I'm out watering, weeding, pruning and deadheading by 7:00 each morning. While I'm thrilled with my progress, my visions just keep growing. I'm reading gardening magazines constantly and am wondering if I shouldn't have gotten my masters in business so I could start my own gift and garden center. That would be my dream job. I envision it in my huge backyard where it's probably not even possible, but it's fun to dream. Maybe I'll take early retirement and open a small shop with the millions I've saved. Oh, guess, I would have to quit spending for the to happen. Which leads me to my next adventure.

Wed. Missy, Sue and I headed to Shipshewana. Now I know what you're thinking...95 degrees and you go to an outdoor flea market in the Amish country. Well, we were there by 8:00 and there was next to nobody there. We were able to cruise right along. It was cloudy until 11:30 so it wasn't too awfully hot. The river running down my back kept me cool. We were able to finish up by 12:30 and head for home. Sounds simple right? The only problem is I bought a cabinet for my kitchen that fit, but only by putting both seats down in Missy's car. So, that left 2 seats and 3 people for the trip home. There was a small wedge next to the cabinet so I molded my soft pliable body in there, hiked the other bun in the air while Sue slammed the door..twice. Needless to say, the trip home was long. We stopped in Wabash about a 1/2 hour from home at a couple of shops and then Sue rode the rest of the way in the back. I was very thankful. All my treasures look great so it was a worthwhile day, however, I'm putting my application in at wal-mart because I'm gonna need a second job to cover the expense. I went a little nuts. Which leads me to....

No, I didn't find a principal's job. I had 2 good interviews that felt like real possibilities, but neither panned out. So, it's back to HCMS as a language arts teacher next Tuesday. The disappointment has faded some. I went through some pretty depressed times this summer, but have come through it. I don't know what the plan is. I don't know what the Lord is trying to tell me. Maybe the perfect job is just around the corner. Maybe I'm not supposed to be a principal. I sure hope that's not it since I spent A-LOT of time and money on that degree. I would sure be bummed if that were the case. I just don't know. But, I'll keep looking and praying for direction. That's all I can do. One cute story about this. Zeke and Elijah were here when I got the call that I didn't get the 2nd job. I was pretty much devestated. I really thought this was the one. So, I put my head down on my desk and just sobbed. Zeke was in the kitchen playing and he heard me crying. He came over to me and started rubbing my back. He very quietly said, "I like your back." Then later when I asked for a hug, he looked at me and said, " I think you need some sugars first." So, with lots of sugars and hugs from my little man, I made it through that disappointing day. Don't think I haven't realized that God probably sent them to me for those few days for that very reason.

So, that's it. Summer is over. I start school on Tuesday and can't believe it. It's always interesting to wonder what this year will hold.

Happy 60th Birthday, Dad!!

Today is my Dad's 60th Birthday! We had his party 10 days ago in order to actually surprise him. It was a great time with lots of old friends and family.
I think he's shocked!
I always knew he had a lot of hot air!
He was a trooper; he read all his funny cards (and sappy cards) aloud for all of us to enjoy!
The big surprise...a flat screen for his bedroom!

I would like to take this opportunity to say how blessed I am to have Keever Grate for my Dad. He's amazing! He is a man of God who has been a wonderful role model in my life. He has a great sense of humor, he's gentle, kind, he's a do it all kind of man. He takes care of me even still and far away, he listens and offers sound advice. I've watched him be a wonderful, faithful husband to my mom. I think sometimes that I can't find Mr. Right because I compare all men against the "Keever" standard which is about impossible to measure up to. You know what else I love about my Dad? I love his hands. They are rough, calloused, hammer holding hands. They have always been tough, yet gentle hands. They remind me of Grandpa Grate's hands. Hands that have worked hard to take care of their family.
I love you, Dad!

Kenny Chesney ~ Flip Flop Summer Tour 2007

It's that time of year again. The time of year where we go to see that beautiful man named Kenny. Some might say that we have a slight obsession...they might be right.
Sugarland opened for Kenny and they were wonderful. They are another of my favorite groups and they were a great opening act.
This year we partied like pirates...a little Pirates of the Carribean theme going on.

Awe...there he is!

Hilton Head, SC...Here Come the Grates!

Our family vacation to Hilton Head, South Carolina was wonderful! We don't get to vacation all together as a family very often. This was a special treat. We rented a beautiful home on the island that had 5 bedrooms, 51/2 baths, and a huge living and kitchen area. We all enjoyed it immensly. We spent days on the beach jumping and playing in the HUGE waves! We all enjoyed that, even me who doesn't usually swim in the ocean. I have phobias about swimming where I can't see what's swimming around me. But, I put my fears aside and enjoyed the waves. We also took a day and went to Savannah, Georgia where we took a historical trolley ride. I loved that. It was a great way to see a beautiful city. We also ate at Paula Dean's restaurant, The Lady and Sons. It was a fun, special treat. Mom, Andrea and I are big Paula fans, so we were really excited. The food was delicious! I've included a slide show of my favorite pics. Enjoy! v