Snow

Yes, we had snow this year before Thanksgiving! Actually it was the first snow of 2010. For three days we were stuck at home listening to Christmas carols and baking cookies and playing in the snow. Oh, and doing school. Yeah, it was tough… :o)

What a perfect way to kick off the holiday season!

 We got a little over 6 inches!

The boys made a 7’ snowman to greet all the passerbys.

With no one on the streets, the guys tried the sled on the street out front. It works great!!!

When the sun came out it was gorgeous and really cold! It got down to 15!!!

Thankfully they were able to clear the driveway of ice so we could get out for Thanksgiving!

Christmas Blog Instructions

This year we did so many things that it would be impossible to tell you about each one in this Christmas blog. So instead of boring you with ALL the details, we included a link to some blog posts in some of the “letters”. If you are interested in seeing more pictures or hearing more details of our “adventures”, just click on the word or words that are highlighted in blue or green.

Hope you enjoy the ABCs of 2009 at the Leingangs’…

A- Annual Convention

2009 was a big year for the Annual CLBA Convention. This year we voted to approve a whole new constitution for the synod and people came out in droves. Of course it was fun to be back in Fergus and see all our friends! With the new constitution, 2010 will be the last annual convention in Fergus. Starting in 2011, they will be only every other year. I don’t know if I can go that long without seeing everyone, one year seems long enough… :o(

Chris and I at Theodore Roosevelt National Park

seminary party at the Ekelunds

B- Backpacking

We haven’t been backpacking in a couple of years and decided to go again this summer. My sister Theresa also hadn’t gone in a few years and wanted to tag along. So we all loaded up into the van and headed up to our favorite spot in the Bull of the Woods Wilderness. About 15 miles from the trailhead, the road was closed. So then it was on to Plan B, which we didn’t have. Plan B ended up being a nice little trail right along the Clackamas River. Our camp was right on the water and very private, the weather was ideal and we found a beautiful little waterfall to explore on a day hike! To see all the pics check out our backpacking posts, #2 and #3.

C- Confirmation

Andy was confirmed this year in June. What a joy and blessing to see what God has been doing in his life this year and to see him publically confirm his faith. We wonder what God has in store for Andy next… May God continue to richly bless and guide him in the future!

D- Deep Creek

Over the summer our family got to enjoy my parents’ property down on Deep Creek. Dad has gone to lots of work and it is a great place to cool off on a hot summer day. We are looking forward to spending more time there this summer. Maybe with our trailer???

E- Easter

We had a wonderful Easter this year in celebration of our Savior’s resurrection! The boys and I played with the praise team, we had a yummy Easter breakfast at church and an egg hunt for the kids. And of course we had our tradition of “egg day”, when we decorate our Easter eggs and make jello eggs for Easter dinner.

F- Friday School

We love our homeschool co-op! I think our favorite classes (both for me to teach and the boys to take) were WWI this fall and the Dangerous Class for Boys in both the spring and the fall. In Dangerous Class men from the community came in to teach the boys about all sorts of different subjects like chess, astronomy, Mt St Helens, woodworking, knives & knots, military, cooking, fishing, canoeing, soccer, bicycle safety, fencing, self defense, government, auto maintenance, electricity, and archery. It was a really fun class!

fencing class

woodworking class

G- Garden

I have wanted a garden for such a long time and this year I finally decided to do it. Our friends, Kevin and Megan, came over with their beast of a tiller to help me break up the ground and get it started. God blessed us with a very fruitful crop that gave us more fresh produce than I could have imagined for the few plants we started with! It also provided us with a very full freezer, learning to can and beautiful shelves (that Chris made for me) to hold it all.

H- Hawaii

William turned 12 this year, which meant it was his turn to take a big trip with Grandpa and Grandma. Will has always wanted to go to the rainforest, so they decided that Hawaii was probably as close as they could get. So the three of them left the cold and snowy PNW for warm and sunny Hawaii for two weeks of tropical bliss. To see just some of the MANY gorgeous pictures they took, check out Remembering Hawaii

I- Ignition

This summer Zack, Andy and their friend Ian started a band to play at the Bible Camp talent show called Ignition. You have to check out their ROCKIN' performance !

They also added a few more members this fall and play special music at our homeschool co-op.

I have to admit, it’s pretty fun to be a “band mom”! We’re pretty proud of our rock stars! :o)

J- Justin & Melissa

Not only were we privileged to hear Justin speak at our Leadership Retreat in March, but we had so much fun spending time with them before they headed back to Alaska! Justin and Levi spent the day with my parents and Melissa and I headed to Salem to see our friend Emily and her son Elias. We all had a wonderful time! I wish we didn’t have to live so far away from one another. :o(

Elias, Emily, Melissa & Me

Melissa, Levi & Justin

K- Kids (Stella & Lily)

This year two sweet little girls made their appearance in the world. Our niece Stella Catherine was born in April. She is such a combination of both Maggie and Charlie. 

Lily Marie was born at the end of January and is already walking! It’s so fun to have more babies at church! Lily is the baby sister of our godson JD and the daughter of our youth leaders at church. And I think she looks just like her big brother! :o)