Yippee We Got A Wii!

So for Christmas my family got a Wii. Which we all are pretty pumped about :) So of course Christmas day we played the WHOLE day.

My beautiful sisters playing..

And as many of you know you have to use a Wii remote and for some games a nunchuck.

And what I think is the best part of it all is that you can design/make your own Mii (the person who plays for you on the screen). You can change hairstyle, eye color, smile, and shirt color. I love it :)

We have two different games Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort.

Its been a lot of fun to play and you get exercise which is an added bonus :) It was funny after the first day we played it we were all so VERY sore. haha. 

Anyways, hope you all had a VERY Merry Christmas!

Take Care,

The New House

I thought everyone would like to see some pictures of the new house. So there are and I will leave a caption on the bottom to explain each one.

Our new home in Pettisville Ohio.

Isn't it unique? :)  On the left wing is where the kitchen and living room is located. In the middle is where the porch and hallway is located, and on the right wing is where the bedrooms and basement area is located.

The view from the back. 

The cool and sorta messy kitchen :)

 The sitting area....

The Living Room..

The cool shelving in the living room space.

The screened in porch.

The hallway that connects the two wings.

The view from the front door out to the road.

The guest/ the girls bathroom.

The basement space where we are thinking of making a space to have friends over and watch movies or play games. Also use it as a place where our guests can sleep.

Mama and Papa's room :)

Dad's office area

Kate's room on the loft.

Anya's room on the loft.

Looking down at my space.

Closet and desk space in our room...

Well hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures. There will be more to come as we begin our life here in Ohio.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!

Saying Goodbye

As I sit here in our apartment two days before we leave for Ohio, reality begins to set in. Yes Emily your moving your going to have to say goodbye. Wow, isn't that hard to comprehend. I guess I have been trying so hard to not think of what is to come but at this moment I can't help it. I have lived here in Virginia for what feels like my whole life. So many memories flood my mind as I begin to think of the best 10 years here in Harrisonburg. From where we began living in the dorms at EMU to the parsonage by Weavers, to our farm on Singers Glen. I will never forget all the wonderful and sometimes challenging times I have experienced here in Virginia. I will always remember the beautiful rolling hills and mountain ridges on either side. I will remember all the many friendships I have made and how each one changed my life for the better. I'm not going to lie I am really struggling right now. The biggest thing for me is fear, its not new for me though. I have had to deal with fear of the unknown, and even though I know God is right here with me through it all it still is hard. I don't ever think I will get to a place in my life where fear doesn't test me. I am fearful for the unknown and what is come. I have never been through anything like this before. It's all new, I have never really had to completely start over. I do have some excitement though, but for right now its just a lot of grief. Saying goodbye will be one of the toughest things I have ever had to do. Thanks though to all of you who have been in prayer. I truly appreciate it.

Take Care and may you each have a very Merry Christmas,

Turning 15...

Hello Everyone! Just thought I would let you know how my birthday went. Well lets just say its been the best birthday yet!! The best part of it all was that I got to be with my dad! Yes, I know. So what happened was that we (mom, me, kate, and anya) were at Little Grill just about to order when I felt someone come from behind me and hug me and say "Happy Birthday." At first I went along with it and said thanks, then I looked around to see my dad standing there. I was COMPLETELY shocked. The funny part was is that he called me right before we had got to the restaurant and told me Happy Birthday and said he would call me later. I seriously had no idea that he would come to Virginia to celebrate with me. So anyways, we ate supper. P.S. It was also a surprise for my sisters too, so that was neat. He is here till Saturday. After supper we went into town and printed some pictures that I had wanted printed. Then we came home and ate apple crisp and vanilla ice cream. For my birthday I got quite a few gifts but the one that stuck out was a cell-phone. That was a huge surprise too! It was a great day, and especially since I got to see my dad whom I hadn't seen for 2.5 weeks.

Blessings to you as we near Christmas,



Loading the Truck

On Saturday November 26th was loading the truck day. We were so privileged to have family to help us load and pack. A huge thanks to my grandparents and Aunt Kandace and Uncle Jerry for helping us pack and clean before loading the truck, and then helping us load it too. Another huge thanks to our family across the field Carmen, Chad, Ginny, and Clint for helping us load the truck and even being willing to keep some of our stuff at their house that wasn't able to be loaded onto the truck. And to Kathy, Polly, and Monica who so generously brought us food to enjoy while working, it was delicious! Thanks to everyone who helped we truly appreciate it! Also to those of you who have been praying for my family, we want to thank you also. Your prayers are truly appreciated! And now for a few picks from loading day!

Me, Clint, and Kate

Boxes are much needed in the process of moving :)

Tape is also VERY helpful :)

And of course markers to label all the boxes :)

Loading the truck...

Anya labeling a box

And my awesome dad who had the privilege of working with Chad in fitting mostly everything into the truck.

Our comfy mattresses

All of our stuff. During the process of moving you definately become aware of all the stuff you have. Which can be a good and bad thing.

Anya + Ginny= Best Buds :)

Again, thanks to everyone who helped out!

Take Care,

Giving Thanks

I have so many things to be grateful for. 

• Family
• Friends 
• Food 
• Water 
• An Education
• Freedom of Religion

 The list could go on. I am especially grateful for the answers during this transition of moving to Ohio. For the selling of our house and the buying of one in Ohio, I give thanks. For those of you who don't know this week is moving/packing week. We will be moving all of our stuff out to Ohio on Monday, and then me and my mom and sisters will come back to VA to finish up the school semester while living in an apartment. Thanks to those of you who have taken time to pray for my family and I we truly appreciate it.

To all of you, may you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Beginning a New Journey

We have been called. We got the news on Sunday that the vote had been taken and it was 98% positive.  We will be moving.  I truly believe we are being called to Archbold OH and Zion Mennonite Church. I rejoice with the answer to a long wait. Our God is a good God! Amen. Though this new adventure will have its bumps along the way, I firmly believe that God will be with my family throughout the tears and the smiles. God wouldn't call us to Archbold if he knew it wasn't the best thing for us.

There is no doubt in my mind that it will be the hardest thing that I have ever done in my life. But what do I have to worry about when I know I have God right beside me the whole time. I will truly miss Harrisonburg, Virginia. The friendships my family has made here, I will miss so very much. 10 years of my life I will cherish here in beautiful Virginia.

Please be in prayer for my family. As we say goodbye and as we start anew together. We would appreciate it.

Thank you...

God Bless,

What's Been Happening....

Hey everyone, sorry its been a while since I have posted. I have been diagnosed with loads of homework, volleyball, and just pure busyness :) Your probably wondering how the school year is going for me so far. It has been going fantastically wonderful, except for the fact that I have a lot of homework and have to stay up late pretty much every night working on it. Other than that, its been great. I am glad to be social again, and most importantly playing volleyball! I made the JV Volleyball team and so far we are 1-1. I think we have a good team, we are still learning but practice makes perfect. I really like my teachers, and I think it will be a good year. It has also been good to reconnect with my friends and also make new ones :)

Just wanting to let you know of something else that is beginning to develop here at home. My dad has been in conversation with a church in Archbold, OH about pastoring there. This weekend we will be traveling up there for a canidating weekend. Dad will preach on Sunday and have some meetings with the elders and some other people from the church. The church will vote to see if they want Dad as there pastor, and if so we will be moving. This will be a big transition for me and my family. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. Parts of me is happy because I feel this as an answer to prayer. I also have all the feelings that you could have knowing you are moving-anger, sadness, worried, anxious, and sometimes I really don't know what to think. Your prayers would be appreciated as we as a family embark on a new journey together. Thank you.  I will let you know as soon as we know for sure if we will be moving..

Take Care,

August: A Full Month

Is it just me or did the month of August come way too fast?! August, August, August when I think of what you will bring a couple things come to mind:

• The start of school, which means school supply shopping! :)
• VOLLEYBALL SEASON!

More like two things come to mind :)....School starts on August 24th and volleyball starts on August 9th. I am super excited for both. I think most of you know that Kate and I will be going to EMHS this year, but just wanted to make sure. This year I am extra excited because I get to play volleyball again, because of being home schooled last year I didn't have the chance to play on a team. But my favorite activity of the month of August is Back-to-School shopping!!! YAY! I am getting really excited about school, though I do have a tinge of nervousness about starting high-school. I'll hope for the best :)

Take Care,

The Gathering

On Friday the 16th of July, my family and I left to go to Camp Overlook which is only a few minutes away from home for a family reunion. It was my dad's side of the family who met together. Everyone except a few made it, some all the way from California and some like my family who only had to travel a couple minutes to meet at the camp. We all arrived Friday evening and enjoyed a meal together and then enjoyed reconnecting. The next morning we had the opportunity to go on a hike. So most of us did and were grateful we did, burned some calories and enjoyed fellowship together. To cool us off afterwords we went swimming in the pretty sweet pond at the camp. It had a zip-line that went into the water and also a water slide with a beach area. That evening my family prepared the meal. My dad grilled some pork loins (from a pig we got) and then sliced it into slices for sandwiches. We also had some coleslaw, carrots, chips, beans, and watermelon. Then Chad my cousin popped some popcorn in his kettle and we enjoyed hearing stories from some of the older folks in the family about their childhood. On Sunday morning we enjoyed having our own church service with singing. After lunch we parted ways with some of our family, but our closer family stayed at our place for a couple days.

It was a lot of fun to have our cousins here since they are all the way from Minnesota, my grandparents also stayed for a few days. We enjoyed playing games, going hiking on Skyline Drive, and just plain having fun with them. One of the cool things was that they were here while one of our cows Scarlett had her calf. Here is a picture of Sylvie:

We got to see her being born, quite an amazing experience. Anyways, they had fun being on the farm and playing with the animals. I am so grateful to have an amazing family like them!

Take Care,

Service Trip to Indianapolis

On Saturday, July 3rd me and my youth group from church left for what would be a week long trip in Indianapolis, Indiana to do service inner city. I have pictures and will try to explain as much as possible of how it went and what we did.

Saturday:

      On Saturday we left around 8AMish for what would be a 9 hour trip in Indy. We occupied ourselves with games, listening to music, talking, laughing,  and listened to Max for updates from the Argentina vs. Germany game. (Max's mom texted him the highlights from the game) We arrived at First Mennonite Church around 6:30PM where we would be staying the rest of the week. Rene (the associate pastor of the church and also a previous member of our church) gave us a tour of the church. We had supper and then played volleyball for a bit. By then we were all tired so we went to bed.

Sunday:

   The day started off with church @ First Mennonite where we were staying. It was a good service and I really enjoyed the sermon topic. It was about torture and terrorism and how God calls us to live in peace with one another no matter what the circumstances. After the church service we had pizza with some of FMC's youth and played four square afterwords. We then left for our first service project of the week--feeding and interacting with the homeless. The organization we worked with was called Meet Me Under the Bridge, an organization that serve food to the homeless and do other things to help out. But today our job was serving food.

   It was a very eye-opening experience for all of us. Some of the people that went through the line you would've never guessed to be homeless. It really changed my impression of homeless people, they aren't always the grubby and scraggly looking people that we seem to picture. They are people just like me and you but instead of having a home to go to they have nothing. After working at the soup kitchen we went downtown to watch fireworks and walked along the canal.

   I have never seen that amazing of fireworks before, they were awesome! The one thing I took away from Sunday was a clearer picture of hope. Even homeless people have hope in God even in the most dire of situations. And sometimes we think we have it really tough, imagine not even having a home.

Monday:

  Today was a fun day! We had our service project @ a homeless shelter. We transformed the courtyard. Before it started out as a jungle with weeds everywhere. After it was done we put mulch down and planted flowers.

Then after lunch we took the kids who were at the homeless shelter and walked to a local park and played with them. Here are Kate and I with our buddies:

It was a lot of fun to hang out with them and seeing their beautiful faces just brightened my day.

                        That evening we went to a Indianapolis Indians baseball game.

      It was a lot of fun because one of the players (Erik Kratz, the catcher) on the team played for EMU when he was in college here in Harrisonburg. We cheered so much for him and I even got his autograph! :)

Tuesday:

   Today was a tiring, hot, and draining day. The first place we worked at was an elderly women's house. We did things like weeding, cleaning the gutters, washing windows and floors, and mowing. At the beginning she was a little hard to work with just because of here particular attitude. But by the end of our time there we learned that the previous groups who had come to help out didn' t do very well. She didn't have much trust in us at the beginning but by the end she was very appreciative and even shed some tears. In the afternoon we worked at a deceased member of the church we were staying at house. We did some of the same things we did at Gail's house. It was a long and hard day but we all learned a lot. In the evening we went over to a couples house from First Mennonite and went on a boat ride. It was really nice.

Wednesday:

  Today was our fun day. We went to King's Island which is an amusement park. It is pretty much like King's Dominion. Since I L-O-V-E roller coasters this was a highlight of my week. My favorite ride called Firehawk, a ride where you are lying down the whole ride. It was SOOO much fun! We spent pretty much the whole day there. It was a lot of fun, and we were all really tired after a long and hot day. 

              

This picture is of the roller coaster the Diamondback. The drop you see here was amazing!

Thursday:

   Today we worked with an organization called Rebuilding the Wall. What they do is build houses for low-income families in the community. We did different things like cleaning out the space between the joists, getting the mortar of the bricks so that they could be reused, hauling wood, and digging holes. Breanna and I worked with Jeffery on cleaning out between the joists. We got SOOOOO dirty it wasn't even funny! :) Black soot EVERYWHERE!! We ate lunch with Chris the leader of the organization who shared his testimony and what Rebuilding the Wall is and what it does. His talk was incredibly powerful and a highlight for all of us. After lunch we finished up what we were doing and then went to a homeless shelter and helped there. In the evening we had fun going to arcade place where they had Go-Karts and other games. It was fun!

Friday:

   Today we were working at Wheeler's Mission Center for Women and Children. It was a homeless shelter where homeless women and children can come and stay. Kailyn, me, Rene, and Breanna cleaned one of the bathrooms. We got to use some awesome sucker uppers and sprayers. It was a dirty but fun job. After lunch we went back to the center and sorted clothes and disinfected toys. Friday evening we went over the Rene's apartment and swam in the pool and ate food. When we got back to the church we played sardines. I was tired!

Saturday:

  And finally Saturday came.....The trip back was long but to make it a little funner we stopped at this castle that one guy made all by himself. It was pretty impressive.

We arrived home around 10:30PM.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    It was an amazing trip with so many highlights. I grew a lot in my faith and will really cherish the memories that were made. I learned a lot to, and am challenged to now see what I can do to help the homeless here in Harrisonburg. Hope you enjoyed hearing about my week!

Take Care,

    

Goin' on a Trip

Tomorrow morning Kate and I are leaving for what will be a week long trip in Indianapolis. We will be doing service projects inner city with our youth group. So I just wanted to let you know I will not be posting for a while because of the trip. But no need to worry, I will definitely let you know how it goes and what all we did when we return. Prayers would be appreciated. Thanks.

Take Care,

A Cool and Peaceful Morning

I woke up to the sounds of birds chirping and corn stalks rustling. To the calm breeze that cooled my body, and the warmness of my blanket that I wrapped myself in because of the cool breeze. To the sight of the breaking of dawn that greeted me with its faint darkness. To the smell of a fresh and peaceful morning.

I sleep with my window open at night for a reason. Because of the sounds at night that help me fall asleep and the sounds in the morning that help wake me calmly. I know for me a good nights rest makes a big difference in how my day goes, so I have a feeling today is going to be a good day :) Hope your day goes well too.

Take Care,   

Catching Up

Last time I posted was awhile ago. So I thought I would just catch you up on what I have been up to these past few days. It's been hot and dry here in Harrisonburg. We are hoping we will get a lot of  rain here soon, because everything is so dry. My dad especially, is hoping it will rain soon or he will have to start buying hay for our cows and goats, because the pasture is so parched.
It feels as if this summer is going to slip right past me, we are almost in July already. Crazy! Right now I am in the process of making a scrapbook, so I am getting the pictures around. I have never done this before, but have always wanted to. We-shall-see how it turns out. If you have any advice for me let me know...
In about a week Kate, my youth group, and me are heading up to Indy (Indianapolis) for a week. We will be working in a soup kitchen, playing with little kids, helping the elderly, and so much more. I am grateful I have this opportunity to help shed Christ's love. As Christians I believe we are called to help one another with love, not to worry about ourselves so much but to help and care for others who need the love and compassion.  Your prayers would be greatly appreciated as we work and for safety as we travel. Thank You!
Well, bye bye for now. You have just been listening to 'Catching Up' with Emily Kauffman :) O Boy!
Take Care,


 

Helping Out

On Tuesday, my Mom, Kate, and I went to Ohio to help my grandparents move. They are moving into a smaller house because their old house was beginning to get too much for them. We helped them move their kitchen and most of their bedroom into their new house. It was good to be able to help them out and help them arrange their new house. They are transitioning from living out in the country surrounded by Amish, into a neighborhood surrounded by their friends. I am happy for them, and I think it will be a good fit for them. So many good memories were made at their old place. Fishing at the pond, playing ball in the yard, sitting around the campfire, sleeping in the camper, playing in the loft, riding bike up and down the driveway, seeing the goats, going snowmobiling on the big field, tractor rides, playing in the sprinkler, and so many more. But I am sure so many more good memories will be made at the new house, despite the differences. Grandma and Grandpa, if you are reading this I want you to know I love you very much! Thanks for all you do!

Take Care,

A Hot One Indeed

HOT......HOT.......HOT.......HOT.......Oh and did I forget to mention HOT....  Today here in Harrisonburg it was HOT. With hardly a breeze blowing and temperatures in the 90s it was HOT. And to make it even worse, we don't have AC (Air Conditioning). Even though I have gotten used to it over the years, on days like today I long to have the cooling and comforting AC. But whenever I find myself craving AC, I have to think of the kids in the blazing hot desert in Africa and so many other places in the world where a HOT climate is the norm. There is no place to go to cool down......And here in America we are spoiled with the privilege of Air Conditioning. Now, let me get this right, I don't want to come across as offensive. But just to give a reality that sometimes we don't think of.

Enjoy your week,

My Fudge Experience...

Yesterday afternoon my dad, Kate, and I went on a end of the year field trip to the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, VA. Kate and I had been there before in elementary school but dad hadn't. It was a beautiful day to go, there was a nice breeze and it wasn't hot :) It was fun to walk around and see all the different sites. If you haven't been there before its an outdoor museum, you walk to different settlements and get a tour of it. There are German, Irish, American, and English settlements. It was fun to see how they were all different. There were animals too, we saw cows, chickens, sheep, lambs, turkeys, goats, and pigs. It was great fun! Now, your probably wondering where fudge comes into all of this, well......after touring the museum we went inside the gift shop were there happened to be some fudge..... They offered samples and we couldn't resist. Kate tried the Peanut Butter fudge, I tried the Cinnamon Crunch fudge, and dad tried the Strawberry fudge. And let me tell ya, after we had the samples we HAD to get some. The deal was that if you got a pound you could get a half pound free. So of course we got a pound and a half. In all we got 6 pieces of fudge each a 1/4 pound; Strawberry, 2 Peanut Butter Chocolate, Cinnamon Crunch, Chocolate Walnut, and Maple Nut. I have never had that good of fudge before, it was soooo creamy and rich. Surprisingly most of the fudge made it home, so Anya and Mom had some too. Thankfully Kate and I ran today :)

Take Care,  

A First for Everything...

Today at my church it was Youth Sunday. A Sunday where the youth of the church plan and run the service. As we were deciding who was doing what, I agreed to preach. Yes, you heard me, preach. No, I have never preached before, so this was a first for me. I immediately started to think about what I was going to speak about even though it was a month away. I finally decided I was going to speak on Trust and Patience. With the experience of this past year, I thought this theme fit perfectly. (P.S. If you would like a copy of my sermon, just email me) So I prepared for what would be 10-15 minute sermon. Finally today came, and no I actually wasn't that nervous at all. I had prayed and prayed that God would give me courage and peace of mind, and he did. Thanks God! And woweee, did I feel great up on stage. I was only slightly nervous and I as comfortable as ever. Only God could meet that need of mine. After the service was done, I can't even begin to think of how overwhelming it was to have so many people come up to me and thank me for my message. It was so amazing and I am so grateful for every ones support. I believe God has called me to ministry and today was one more reminder of the amazing gifts God has given me. I have come a long way in my confidence level this year, and I am so grateful I had the confidence to be able to preach this Sunday. God has given each of us gifts, its what makes us all unique. Don't be afraid to share your gifts with others!

Take Care,

Babysittin a Cutie Pie

This past year I have had the pleasure of babysitting Audra often. Because of being homeschooled I have had more flexibility. This evening Audra came to my house for the first time. We had so much fun! She loved seeing the goats, cows, chicks, and cats. Isn't she a cutie?!

The Tree and its Friends

We have a oddly shaped Mulberry tree at the back of our property that our goats LOVE to climb on. As you can see in the picture above its easy to climb on. They will spend hours out there playing on it and trying to see who can get the farthest out. Goats are really good at climbing things.

Mom and Kate were out picking mulberries. Here is Kate picking and the goats checking out what she is doing. Lyla the big white one LOVES mulberries, so I won't be surprised when I see some purple poop around. :)

Katie and Dooley lovin on each other. Isn't that special! Goats are great pets, they are so friendly.

Take Care,

I Love Change!

For those of you who know me well,  you know that I love change! I change my room at least once a month, because I just get tired of the same arrangement  :) If you haven't noticed already :) I do love to change my blog design a lot. This week already I have changed it three times. heh heh.... and....For those of you who email me, you know that I have changed my email address way to many times.....4 times.... O my! I have an obsession. I think we all do whether it be chocolate or your favorite TV show. Obsessions are ok at times, but when it becomes the only thing that consumes you and it begins to take the place of more important things that's when it becomes a problem. Like for example my obsession with changing my email, this obsession has its negatives. It becomes more work for the people I email, who have to change my email on there contact list. Trust me I feel bad, (Sorry Kiara, Evan, Emily.......) but for some reason it doesn't stop me. My parents have definitely let me know their opinion about my email obsession. So from now on I will try to keep the email address I have now :)

The funny thing is, is that I love change when I can make the change but when it comes to someone else making a decision for me I hate it! Well, now that you have heard about my obsession, tell bout yours. Just post a comment about what your obsession is whether it be a bad one or a good one.

Take Care,

An Unofficial Start to Summer

Some say Memorial Day weekend is the (unofficial) start of summer. After this Memorial Day weekend I would have to agree. Temperatures reached the 90s here in Harrisonburg, it was HOT. I am looking forward to summer this year. I have some things planned. Some trips to Ohio and a week in Indy (Indianapolis) with my youth group. We will be doing service inner city. I can't wait! We have two family reunions so it will be good to see family. Next, I want to share with you a quote that I thought fit with this time of year:

"Deep Summer is when laziness finds respectability"

~Sam Keen

Take care and enjoy your summer whenever it starts for you,

A wAcKy cAt...

No, don't worry he is not dead :) This is Neighbor my kitty. At times he gets in the most wAcKy positions ever. When I saw like this I just had to share this picture with you. Every time I see him in a WacK position I always have to chuckle to myself. So maybe this picture will bring a chuckle or a smile to your face too!

Take Care,