Here are some pictures that I have been wanting to put up, but just haven’t had  the time.  This is a very busy season of life right now.  For all of you mothers with little ones, who think time will not change, it goes by sooo quickly!  Enjoy the time  you have with your little ones now, it will be gone before you know it. Although I enjoy the ages of my children now, I sometimes miss when they were all little and under one roof! On the other hand, I would miss Jeff (Liz’ husband), Carrie (Tony’s wife), Rachel (Matthew’s wife), and Matthew (Dana’s fiance), not to mention the grandchildren!!!

Tennessee!!!

Benjamin

Jacob

We all love to hike.

Jake carrying Stephanie over a giant mud puddle! Brothers come in handy sometimes!

Jake

Caitlin, Caleb, Ben and Jake

This bear came right up to our van, and Jake jumped out to take pictures! Don’t know what I was thinking, there goes my mother of the year award!!!

Skiing and Snowboarding!!

Dana, Ty, and Jake

Jake and Tyler warming up.

Sisters!!

Liz, Gianna and Stephi

Gianna, Stephanie, Dana, Liz, Caitlin (holding Bella), and Rachel

Shopping at Woodfield Mall for wedding accessories.

Ice Skating

Birds!!

I took these pictures in Matt and Rachels backyard the day they moved in.

There were so many birds all over and they were ALL chirping at the same time!

Look close at this picture see how many birds you can find.

And now… pictures of the happy couple!!  The wedding is coming closer and closer!!

To see their story, go to Dana’s Xanga.

Farm Chores!!

Jake and Ty

Sammy getting the coop ready for the little chicks.

  Time just keeps flying by!!

“Dost thou love life?  Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

  Dana, Gianna, and Jake were getting hay for Shelby, I was watching them and suddenly I was sad.  They are all getting sooo grown up!!  We can’t stop time, but we can redeem the time we have. I am so glad for the time we  spend together. I am so thankful we homeschool (6 have graduated, I am still teaching 4), it has enabled us to be together all day long since they were born, learn together, pray together, eat all three meals together everyday, do (almost) everything together, know each other through and through and  they can be each others best friends.  The memories they carry with them are priceless. 

  When Caitlin was first learning to read at 4, (she is now 22) she couldn’t quite get the idea of blending the sounds…b-a, b-e,b-i,b-o,b-u, we wanted her to say ba,be,bi,bo,bu, but  she just couldn’t stop separating the sounds. This went on for days, until finally she got it!!! Her older brothers and sister were all doing their schoolwork at the same table we were sitting at, and the dining room broke out in applause!!  She was so proud of herself, and her siblings all remember the day she was first able to read!!! We have so many memories like that and I cherish them all.  When one by one they all leave home, I will still have my memories of these fleeting, but wonderful days.  =)     

Jake in the loft!!

Gianna doing Hay Ballet!!

The oldest at home right now, sweet  hardworking Dana!!

Gianna, my baby girl (sigh).

Gianna, Jake, Dana

Shelby has to spread the hay ALL over to eat it!!!

Moody Church in Chicago!

Isn’t the church beautiful!! All decorated for Christmas. 

The church was very crowded, this is a view of the balcony.

Three of my girls, Stephanie, Gianna, and Caitlin.  This is not our home church, we have just been visiting for the last few weeks, we live about 65 miles northwest of there.  Long drive for a Sunday morning, but the preaching is worth it, Pastor Lutzer is great!  

Our son Matthew and his wife Rachel, had their first girl November 24th 2009!!!

Isn’t she just gorgeous!!  Her name is Bella Marie.  What a blessing : ) .

  It’s time to make applesauce again! The boys have been picking the apples from our tree all morning in the rain, they had so much fun. We are canning applesauce today and will also be making bread. Hmm, perhaps we should make some apple butter for our bread……

Jake taking an apple break.

Our ducks eating some of the fallen apples.

Hey Ben!!

Caleb

Our first batch of applesauce is finished! We are going to make apple butter and might make some apple jelly too, we just ran out of time today.

Stephanie made pumpkin bread today with a pumpkin from our garden. It’s easy to do and tastes better than the canned version (and smells really good while it’s baking too!).

Canning…it’s part of the season.  Like falling leaves, cooler weather, starting homeschooling again, when we do something every year, it becomes tradition.  Our kids have a sense of security in that.  The seasons come and go with their own rhythm. If something changes or we skip some part of our traditional celebrations our kids are always the first to notice. Even if we do something a few years in  a row and we do not intend on making it a tradition,  our kids are the first to say, “but we always do…”.  = )

Here are some pictures of  the corn and beans we “put up” for the winter. The first batch was 35quarts of green beans, and 40quarts of corn.

Our gardens are all empty now.  All the plants are pulled out and burned in the burn pile. Every day looks a little more like winter around here, the leaves are changing color and gently falling to the ground. Another season is in full swing, and I feel secure in that. We can’t stop them, nor change them, we just have to go with the seasons. 

My husband’s grandmother passed away 2weeks ago, she was 96 and just as sharp mentally as she was when she was young.  Born in Italy she came here at age 8.  Her seasons went by quickly, too quickly for all of us, we will miss her terribly.

In Loving Memory of Gramma Frances. 

                                                          If We Never Meet Again

                                          If we never meet again, this side of heaven

                                        As we struggle through this world and it’s strife

                                   There’s another meeting place somewhere in heaven

                                               In the wonderful sweet by and by… 

                                                                                           Love you Gramma

This is a great video by Paul Washer, please, please, PLEASE watch this! It’s a very strong message, but much needed today!

Here is a post of some of the things that we have been doing lately. It is so easy to fill our lives with things that shut out God not allowing Him to work in and through us but seeking our own desires. Sometimes it’s hard to know what things are of our own seeking and what things the Lord brings to us to do. We need to ask for wisdom from above (James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God”) so we can see and know what is from the Lord. We need to stay the course that God has laid before us and not get pulled here and there by our own desires…we can only do this with our Fathers help! If we are filling our lives with His Word, we can then recognize what is and isn’t of Him. This is what the Lord has been trying to teach us lately, I’m so glad we serve a patient and loving God Who knows us better than we know ourselves!

                                       Bell Choir

Back row: Mrs. Freeman, Anna Walsh, Katie Walsh, James Walsh, Justin Book, 
Front row: Dana Savino Chrissy Walsh, Gianna Savino, Gloria Book, Mrs. Book, Anna Freeman 
playing bells at a church in Garden Prairie.

Dana and Gianna. 

Gianna 

Happy Belated Birthday Caitlin!!! We celebrated on her birthday, just never posted it. : )

We spent a couple days in Galena, so nice to get away!! 

They have the cutest Candy Shoppe there. 

Jake, Ben, Greg, and Caleb waiting while we shopped.  

I just love the old streets, and the way the whole town is layered. 

See the house at the top of the hill, above the buildings.

This is a little house in front of General Grant’s house. Just one room with a loft,

yet, they raised six kids in this house!! 

Ben, Caleb, Jake, Gianna, Stephanie, and Caitlin. 

Gianna 

Ben running down the hill. 

Ben

                                      A.T.I. Conference

At the last minute, Dana and Caitlin were asked to teach at the A.T.I.
conference in Nashville, so Stephanie, Gianna, and me  decided to join them and attend the conference.
It was wonderful, what a blessing!!! We have attended the conference in previous years, and
every year we say… “this was the best one yet!!”

The student choir singing on the last night, Stephanie and Gianna are
on the right side. 

The Duggar family sang for all of us. 

They also played their violins. They were so cute!!! 

Dr. Bill Gothard. 

Mr. and Mrs. Bates spoke on marriage. They (like the Duggars)
have 18 children. 

Mr. Tom Harmon.

These girls played a medley  of songs on water glasses. They sounded
wonderful.

They sang beautifully!!!

They sounded sooo good, what a blessing!

George Mattix

Dr. Karl Coke

Dana’s girls that she taught during the conference.

Caitlin’s team of girls she taught

Dana playing “Rebecca” in a skit

Going over their bible passage

Stephanie on the laptop in our hotel room.

                               Grand Ole Opry

 After the conference, we were so close, we decided to visit the
Grand Ole Opry. The weather was beautiful and all the flowers were too.

On the way to the Grand Ole Opry!

Speed limit 24?

Gianna, Stephanie, Caitlin, Dana

The Grand Ole Opry!!

Liz, your door is empty!!!!!!

Dana

Gianna and Stephanie

Fun…. 

Dana and Caitlin

               ~Sisters~

 I had to stop to smell the magnolias!

                          The Turkey Vulture!

This Turkey Vulture was right above our ducks!! 

                          ”Harvard Milk Days Parade!”

The girls sang “The Star Spangled Banner” at
the parade. The weather wasn’t very cooperative though, it kept raining on and off.   

The Lawn Chair Dads! They are hysterical!!!  And… “NO” Greg is not one of them!!

This is our old 4-H group!  : ) 

                                Model A Days!

The girls dressed up for Modal A Days in Sharon Wisconsin.

Alex, Tyler, Caleb, and Jake. All dressed up as paperboys.

The girls singing in the center circle of town.

.

Alex taking some pictures of the girls singing

Gianna, Elizabeth, Stephanie, Caitlin, and Dana 

Hey Kole, is that you?

Dana!!!

Jake talking with the boys at lunch

Caleb

The Keystone cops… Greg and Kerry.

U.S. Mail truck

Caleb, Jake, and Alex

Produce truck

The girls with President Roosevelt!       

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking
unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2