Life Since Summer

Wow! Time really flies by! Especially since Miss Fry doesn't feel bad about giving our class loads of homework. Mom, Adrienne, and me got done decorating for Christmas a while ago, and since it is only 7:24, I decided to post. I would tell you about Thanksgiving, but I had better go all the back to the week before school in Brown County.

All the Lehman family (except Maria) was exited about the days ahead of us riding our horses on the rough trails of the Brown County horsemanship camp. David, Adrienne, and I left an hour or two ahead of the rest with the horses. We stayed in the Remedy that was close to camp, so it was nice that we didn't have to drive the horses a long ways away. As we enjoyed nature, our horses probably weren't thinking of how nice we were to let them join us. Instead, they were thinking of how bad their saddle sores were. On Sunday we went to Indianapolis church, which was about an hours away! On the way home we got our supper. Ain't fro-yo the best supper you could ever ask for? Well, done with Brown County... and on to school!

I thought the first day of school was just great. At first, I didn't even miss Miss K's class, but once the homework started rolling in, I missed Miss K's class terribly. School started out good at first, but soon the boys got bored of playing blob and other games, and now it's either dodgeball, or capture the flag (which doesn't bother me too bad, but one team is either 'fair or unfair', as the losing side complains). Well, done with school...and on to Thanksgiving!

On Tuesday, school was dismissed for the rest of the week. On Wednesday, Mom, Kimberly, Danny, Jalen, and I went to Elite Air. Since we went to Exploration Acres a while before, we paid one hour and got one hour free! On Thursday, Uncle Rob and Aunt Beckie kindly invited us, along side some of the Witzig family, over to their house for lunch and dinner. On Friday, the Hoerr family came and we rented Cornerstone out for the day. Somehow, Mom hurt her leg, and now she walks with a little limp. She is getting better though. On Saturday, the Nuest Thanksgiving took place at West Central Elementary School. I had tons of fun playing with my cousins.

Now I'm sitting on the couch telling you about my life. I'd better get done though, because we're going to listen to something soon. Talk to you later! 

Summertime

I'm SO SORRY I haven't posted in a while. ALOT of things have happened since I last posted. My birthday was May 19th. Adrienne brought home eight Brazilians and another girl who are counselors at Camp T to my birthday party. There were 21 people who ate and stayed for cake and presents, and eight more people joined us. One of my Brazilian friends gave me a Brazilian game. I learned how to play it after cake, and we played it till sunset. I got alot of presents and want to say thanks to everyone that was there. A few weeks after my birthday, school ended. I haven't seen any of my Francesville friends. ;( Too soon (well, perfect timing for me) it was time for our.......................California Summer Vacation! 

In the van on the way there it was Mom, Maria, Kimberly, Adrienne, Danny, and me. The first few hours flew by for me, and I wasn't even sleeping! Pretty soon we got to Zion National Park. All of us were exited because we were going to stop there and hike. I dreaded only one thing. The Narrows! I tried to make up so many excuses, but I ended up loving it. 

                                      

                                          Finally there! Just a few more minutes till we started hiking. 

Feet can still make an amazing picture. This looks really easy and looks like you barley get wet, but...

...I got my shorts wet! Some people would swim around. 

Family+ Nature= Life

                            On the way back I climbed a little boulder, and got down with a few little scratches. 

                         We rode the bus back to get ice cream. I ended up having a ton of fun in the Narrows!

                                          What a weird family. Even the ones not pictured.

Then it was time to go on to CA. Finally we got there, because you know how long the last hours, even minutes take.

The first beach day was at Zuma Beach. The waves were so big we could barely go boogie-boarding! On Sunday we got to our beach house in Hermosa. I loved it so much I wanted to move into it! The next few days we went down to the beach. I got the chance to practice boogie-boarding. In the morning in low tide we w

ould go and collect shells and sand dollars. It was so much fun seeing Calvin and hearing him talk more and having cousins come to the beach. Our house was close to Grammy so we were able to see her throughout the week.

Breakfast on the balcony

Jim was our hero, always cooking on the grilld

These two...the best parents

Ah, family

We all had a blast. On the way home, it was Dad, Mom, Maria, Danny, Calvin, and me. Last month I participated in the Jasper Count fair with Tessa. I won Grand Champion in Pony Halter and got first in the Plug Race. I also got many different place ribbons like second all the way to fifth and eight and ninth. 

Last night it was the Cornerstone picnic. It seemed so different having a new building at Getz's pond. Instead of kindergarten, Mrs. Cook is teaching preschool, so that and six or seven more kids. Miss Fry is my teacher this year, so this year is definitely going to be different compared to last year with Miss Kaufman. 

Well folks, that's it for today! Thanks for reading!  

Spring is in Full Season!

I'm very sorry I haven't written sooner! A lot has happened in the Lehman household and elsewhere. I'm so proud of my sister Maria McCormick! She just graduated with her doctorate on Saturday! Even though I was very exited for Maria, I had a terrible sore throat and stomach ache! On Saturday, it wasn't too bad. But on Sunday, I almost got sick! Monday morning, Mom let me sleep in. I visited Urgent Care and got my throat swabbed. The results came back positive. I had strep throat! The day was miserable. Every swallow I took hurt. On Tuesday I skipped school again, but I made my mind that I was going to school the next day. I could bare the pain of swallowing because I'd had it about 4 days in a row!

                                                  Sister's and a cute nephew!

Spring has brought many new adventures. Some of these adventures are setting up Adrienne's huge Christmas present. A round pen to ride and train our horses in! I enjoy riding Tessa in the round pen, and getting instructions on how to improve.

                                                   Me and Tessa. There is no better pair.
                                                   

                                                    Good job Tessa! We're a better team already!

Mmmmmmm!  I love tasting that delicious ice cream as I lick it off a cone! Piano lessons may get hard some times, but ice cream from Busy Bee after piano lessons makes piano more wonderful. I'm glad Adrienne made the rule that we can only stop at Busy Bee once every month (unless the special is peanut butter. Then we stop every time!). I'm exited every time it's a new month, because I know what's coming on the next piano lesson, and when it's peanut butter!

                                                    Busy Bee is definitely one of our favorite!                                          

Well, folks. I'm going to enjoy the beautiful weather! Thanks for reading my blog!

Introducing...

Some of you have been asking if I'm done with my blog. When Edie asked me that question this afternoon I told her that I was for the time being--a vague reply because I don't know when I'll regularly get back into blogging.

For the time being, however great of a time that may be, she very willingly agreed to take over the blog. So, there will definitely be more action...what kind of action...I'm not sure!

Without further ado, please welcome your new host, Edie Lehman!!!

Hi!! Are you ready to go into deep adventures with me? Not saying that Adrienne is boring, but I'm younger. I have gone to Cornerstone Private School since kindergarten, and have had the same teacher for 4 years, but got a new one this year. I am 9 years old, and love horses like Adrienne! My horses name is Tessa. I love doing art, riding horses, organizing, swimming, reading, doing crafts, playing with my nephew, and now, blogging! Don't worry, I'll only blog about important things. Oh, I also love being in the kitchen making things. Kimberly, my eldest sister, sleeps in my room with me in my bed. (actually, it's her room and her bed!) I'm the youngest, but am glad I'm youngest. Being the youngest, I get tons of shirts with horses that are hand-me-downs. It's nice to be 9 and have a nephew, because Calvin is like a little brother. I've always wanted someone to play with, and now I do! Calvin's vocabulary is amazing! (well, he still needs to work on it) You will now see him again!! Please join me as I learn how to blog!

Fall Beginnings

Week 4 of school is complete...which means I've been in school twice as long as I was three years ago.  I've definitely found a rhythm--that could use some refining--but it's where I'm supposed to be and what I'm supposed to be doing.  There are days that I have to press myself to keep going on homework; however, keeping the end goal in mind makes it all worth it.  Plus, even those subjects I'm not so fond of (*cough* English Composition) are teaching me a lot of skills I can use in the future.

Online school is working out really well, as long as I'm not suffering technical difficulties with the 'online' part, which happens frequently.  For the most part, though, it's been great.  The flexibility is a huge blessing and since I'm the type of person that likes to get things done and out of the way, I love being able to access the whole week's materials at once and see several weeks in advance so I can work ahead to make room for social activities.  So far, there has been one day every week that I'm gone and don't get much school done, but being able to plan for that is wonderful so I can enjoy the event without stressing out about deadlines.  This week Monday and Tuesday were mostly spent on my laptop and in textbooks, but having a more relaxed end of the week makes the hours of study well worth it.

One to two days a week I make my way over to Wolcott where I work at Freedom Foods.  It's been great to have an outdoor job where I can get dirty, listen to my music as I pick and wash vegetables, and work with amazing people.  Watching the miracle of growth as I plant seeds in flats and see them soon poking through the black soil is another reason to love my job.  Again, I am blessed.

Besides school and work, I've enjoyed some social activities, like going to Chicago for a day to visit Leah and see where she's living.  Over Labor Day a group of us drove to Rockville for an invite and it was the first time I went on a young group trip with my brother.  That was special.  Last weekend Kim, Edie, and I took a spontaneous trip up to Michigan.  This week Leah came home for break and as an early birthday present I took her camping with the horses.  We did it two years ago and had so much fun that I knew it would be a good way to spend break :)  Although it rained and we headed home after one night instead of two, it was a great time.  We stayed drier than the horses and managed to have a wonderful time despite the weather.  In fact, I'd have to say it's been one of my favorite camping trips ever.  Today the young group came over and we pressed around 100 gallons of apple cider.  I can smell it just thinking about it!  A sure sign that summer is on its way out but the bounty of fall is in the air!

Before I share some pictures, I'll refer back to my last blog post when I mentioned all you wonderful readers. If you have your own blog, please send me the link or post it in a comment so I can keep up on your life.  Some of you I already follow but I'm sure many of you have your own blogs and I'd love to hear about the amazing things happening in your lives!

Now, here are a few pictures :) Enjoy!

Evening in the city with Leah!

Reunited with some friends we met on our Haiti trip earlier this year!

Danny had a birthday September 6th and Isaac will soon be 18!

Calvin loves his Aunt Kimmie and swinging.

 Our two-man-no-room-for-any-thing-else tent in Winimac.

Great seat with a great view!

We both did a little bit of studying in the morning. When you're stuck in a tent while it's raining...

Then we had s'mores and doughboys with gravy for breakfast. 'nough said.

Thanks for reading!

Niagara and News

"But whosever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:14

When you stand at the brink of Niagara Falls and see millions of gallons crash to the bottom, it's hard to comprehend the force and power at display.  To think that all that water pales in comparison with the eternal life Jesus has to offer is incredible!  And one step further, to think that He has the power to spring water up in our lives and give us His power, far greater than the roaring waters of Niagara, is amazing.  What an awesome God we serve!

This past weekend our family visited the small church of Kitchener, Ontario and made a stop at Niagara Falls on the way.  We left early Friday morning, arriving that evening and staying in the area until Saturday afternoon.  My last trip to Niagara was in 2000 when I was five years old and afraid to tears of the falls.  This time I viewed things a little differently :)  Not only did I have a different perception of the falls, but we stayed on the Canadian side this time and it left a better impression than the American side did 15 years ago.

Here's the crew, with Dad as photographer, standing in front of the American and Bridalveil falls.

 

Pictures don't capture the depth or sound, but I took lots so I'll share some :)

A sister pic with Horseshoe Falls in the background.

 

At night they light the falls and on Friday nights they do fireworks!

 

Saturday morning we enjoyed our Embassy breakfast with a view of the falls and fueled up for a big day of walking!  We got to the IMAX in plenty of time so we headed down to the Horseshoe Falls, getting sprayed by mist in the process.  The way the falls are shaped forms a big pillar of mist in the middle and as we walked by on the sidewalk it was as though it was raining on us!  It was only a taste of what was to come on the Hornblower, but that can wait.  Being by the brink of Horseshoe offered such a close-up view of where the peaceful Niagara River drops about 150 feet. Just incredible!

 

Here's a panoramic view I shot while walking between the two falls.

 

And another view of Horseshoe.

 

We hiked back up to the IMAX to watch' Miracles, Myths, and Magic', a presentation I'd recommend if you visit Niagara in the near future.  I rarely cry during movies but I was on the verge of tears during a true story of a seven-year-old who went over the falls in just a lifejacket and survived.  His sister was rescued at the brink just in time but their friend was killed in the incident.  Then there are those stories of the daredevils who have risked it all and taken a trip down the falls in barrels, kayaks, and a variety of contraptions.  Some live, some die, and we got to learn more about those stories in the daredevil exhibit after the IMAX.

 

From there we headed back down to the boardwalk along the falls for a ride on the Hornblower.  As we passed a long line of people waiting to buy tickets we thanked Mom again for taking time to plan out our trip and buy tickets online.  Huge time and money saver!!!

 

My experience on the Hornblower was more pleasant than my experience on the Maid of the Mist 15 years ago.  I could understand why Edie was a bit frightened at first but she ended up enjoying the ride.  We got a great view from the top deck although when we got close to Horseshoe falls it was hard to see clearly with all the spray!

 

 

After getting the close-up of the falls on the boat, most of us felt like we had adequately experienced Niagara Falls.  There are lots of look-out points we didn't get to and even an excursion that takes you behind the falls, but between the IMAX, boat tour, and boardwalk views we'd seen quite a bit!  We loaded up into the big white van, hit a game of putt-putt, and journeyed into Kitchener for the evening.

 

Part of being in Canada is paying big bucks for cellular data or getting by without phones while traveling which is synonymous with getting lost.  Mom printed off directions to our hotel but long story short we ended up at a gas station where Dad bought a map and received some directions from the locals.  The next morning we had an easier time finding the church and showed up so early that we gave ourselves a little tour of the town.

 

Worshipping with the believers in Kitchener was a blessing.  I really enjoyed being part of a small church during my time in Altadena and although Kitchener is even smaller than that, it's amazing how much energy can be amongst so few people.  We felt so welcomed and the fellowship was refreshing and when we left we were already talking about going back again!

 

Last night when we got home I knocked a package off the porch into the flowers as I was carrying my suitcase into the house...oh, more books arrived!  Today my online classes start and the end of an era has come.  After being out of school for three years (with the exception of two weeks back in 2012 and a semester of Spanish), I'm jumping back into college life.  This time I'm taking classes online from Dickinson State University out of North Dakota and am studying Equine Science.  Three weeks ago I didn't know for sure what I was doing this fall so I sort of laugh when people ask me what I'm going to do with my degree because there's no way I'm going to predict my life three years from now.  But my idea is to get my associates and work at a place that uses horses to reach people, specifically kids and teens.  Whether I'll do that in the area or be planted somewhere else is completely out of my knowledge but I do know that God has a plan.  Getting back into school is a little intimidating but I'm excited to know that it's all for His glory, so His plan in my life can be carried through and ultimately His name can be honored.

 

In addition to online classes I'm also working part time at Freedom Foods which is a produce company that family friends recently started.  Also, last week I took Edie to piano lessons and asked if there was room for one more student.  Yes, Dr. Egan took me back so I'm excited to be back in lessons and have a motivator to practice and push myself more!

 

Looking back on the adventures of the past three years, I can see that God has had a purpose in every task He called me to.  Thanks to all of you who have supported me in various and beautiful ways through this journey of life.  One of my biggest struggles with blogging is that it's a one way conversation and I know all of you have your own amazing stories of how God is working in your lives.  I hope that He continues to guide each of you and fill you with His everlasting peace!!!

 

Have a blessed day!