Last Days in PA before the move...

JJ doing laundry with Mum Mum...how adorable is that!

Maribel and Mum Mum gave JJ a bath so we could keep packing!

In the midst of the moving-craziness there was this BEAUTIFUL rainbow! We had seen a beautiful one in Hungary, by the lake, and I saw the most amazing one on the plane ride for the trip to Florida! I just so embraced the reminder of God's promise!

He's working on walking so he can be a little Nike star! JJ Alleman--the Baller!

Ok, I am sooo partial, but ADORABLENESS, just off the charts!!

Playing with PJ and Michael when Auntie Liz dropped off the things she had gotten for me...I miss these boys and my oh-so-faithful and wonderful friend Liz:-(

JJ is transfixed on the TV, but it is still adorable as James is giving JJ a bear hug! Incidentally, we were able to make a video call to Jared's family today and when James saw JJ on the screen, he went down to the basement to look for him to play with!! I don't know whether to laugh or cry...I love the technology and the things we can do to stay in touch, but in many ways, it can make you miss loved ones more...

Visit to PopPop and Nana Marie's

This is my uncle's farm, where my Dad is working part-time...a dream for him. It is a BEAUTIFUL place to visit and I miss Pennsylvania and places like this:-(

My Dad makes the feed for the cows as a part of his job. He weighs it on here and follows a little recipe...it's really quite fascinating and I can't wait until JJ is older and he can be fascinated too!

This is a machine that spits out the feed into a trough for the cows to eat, much quicker than how we had to do it growing up on the farm!

Ahhh, beauteous!

My Dad couldn't wait to give JJ his first "real" ride on the Kaboda around the farm.

JJ loved it and just sat with my Dad.

Here's one of my uncle's new tractors, again, very different for the old green John Deere's that I would ride on with my Dad in our fields.

These calves are twins and here they are kissing! How sweet!

JJ and Nana Marie!

Loving her BIG wooden spoon!

So sweet with Pop Pop Keener...

Praise the Lord, I'm back!

Hey Everyone,

Please come back my loyal readers, after over 3 WEEKS!! with no entry, I finally have internet in my new home and am going to attempt to get you all caught up on our lives down here in sunny Florida (though I've found out it's not so sunny during hurricane season, yikes!)

Mass Chaos...

I would have pictures uploaded for the following lovely things that have been happening this week:

• visiting my Dad and Stepmom in their lovely home and my uncle's farm in Lancaster County
• rendezvous with my twin and her oh-so-cute twins and 2-year-old
• soooo many adorable things our Baby Boy is doing
• a video of a rainbow that spanned the sky here last weekend

HOWEVER,

I am about to go to bed going on 1am as we have been SO BUSY packing up our lives literally and figuratively. I can't even think straight with all of the sorting staying and going, etc...BUT we are so thankful that SOON we will be in our own home (we are renting, but it will just be US there...) and that for at least two years we will have a home as a family. The transiency of the past three years has been so growing and stretching and it won't stop, but it is such a treasure to be in this place receiving the desire of our hearts in this calling to young people. We are excited for the days ahead and FOR MANY OF YOU TO VISIT US IN FLORIDA!

So, I will be blogging pictures and catching you all up soon...thank you faithful readers for checking in...it may be a few days as we won't have internet in our house yet...

Love to all, Abby:-)

Happy Birthday to my hubby!

31!!! Wow, somebody's old (ha ha, since I'm 3 years older!)

Still enough air to blow out the candles...pretty good:-)

We found out that JJ LOVES homemade ice cream! We think he's inherited his father's sweet tooth! (notice Maribel in the back--she's due with (lil) Marie in 6 weeks!)

Last Family Day...for a while:-(

Last Sunday we had a great day together as we celebrated Jared's birthday. It began with a GREAT dinner (his request, but we kind of helped him along) of hamburgers on the grill, corn-on-the-cob and a bunch of great leftovers from JJ's party...

Here is Mum Mum with her grandsons...it's hard to know which one adores her more...she's their playmate and I think it's so cool!

JJ actually let this hat on enough for me to take a picture...ADORABLE!

James put it on then and I think he looks like a teenager!

TREAT! Alleman family tradition is to make homemade ice cream! It's so great and here is my father-in-law layering salt and ice as a part of the process. It's all very interesting to me as I remember making it sometimes growing up, but I think that this machine is more heavy duty.

Love this shot of the brothers walking with their sons...

James is "igualito", as Maribel says, (literally a Little Same) to his Daddy. Especially how he walks! Notice James has no shoes!

Jason came up with this solution and James actually walked in his Daddy's shoes for a while and didn't want to give them up!

JJ has been practicing walking behind this great push toy from Auntie Kristen!

He was loving to drink from Mum Mum's cup!

JJ's 1st Birthday Party-Last

JJ and Tio Jason! HE LOVES HIM!

JJ and Daddy when we were singing to Daddy.
(incidentally, just about the ONLY way Daddy's b-day was celebrated on his actual day)

JJ playing with our dear little friend, Melanie.

What do you think? Do we have a future quarterback??

JJ's 1st B-day Party: THE CAKE!

Jules, here's our Cosco cake...it's not Elmo, but it was cheap and good with LOTS OF ICING for JJ to play in!

"Ok, I think something really special is coming...ooo, CAN'T WAIT!"

"hmmm, not so sure, but everyone's staring, so I think I'm supposed to do something with it"
"It's squishy, hmmm, maybe I should investigate further."
"Wow! Yep, it's good, can't get enough!"
"Whoo, whoo!" (This is GREAT in JJ language)"Check out my hand...oh, going in for more!"

"Did I do you proud, Mom & Dad?"
(Yes JJ, but mommy was a little more excited than Daddy...)

"Oh, my thumb never tasted so good!"

JJ's 1st Birthday Party!

Yesterday (Jared's actual birthday) we had a 1st Birthday Party for our JJ! I can't believe he's almost 1! (it isn't officially until the 21st, but since we are moving...) The day had been rainy and we all prayed the weather would hold out as we were having it at a pavilion in a park. It turned out to be beautiful! Thank You Lord!


My nieces Annika, Camille, Kelsee and Chloe playing on a see-saw.I love this picture...Annika is the best big sister! She learned well from her mommy:-)

This is my friend Alyson's daughter Leah, and my friend Jess' daughter, Brooke...One is almost 2 and the other 2...All of the two-year-olds were having a hard time sharing...I think they'd both be saying "mine" if we could hear them.

Here is JJ re-united with his "twin" BenBen who was born 16 hours before JJ. Everyone commented on how much they look alike with their wavy blonde hair and beautiful eyes and general CHUBBIES!

Here are three neighborhood kids, Gianna, Jason and Dylan that came to the party. We were so glad that they came!