Ketchum Christmas

Ok, lots of pictures due to "Katie" pictures :)

Seth putting his puzzle together while we wait for the rest of the crew to arrive.

The weary Nebraska travelers have arrived.  Great Grandma is finally meeting this new addition.

What a face!!!

Seth feeding his niece.

Uncle Garrett & pudgy Miss Katie.

Opening her present from her Great Grandparents, Grandparents and Aunt and Uncles.

Miss Katie tasting the paper oh wait, tasting anything she can get in her mouth.

Apparently she liked the present or the picture of the baby having so much fun in the picture.

Playing pass the baby to Grandpa.

Heath was a big Ghostbusters fan in the late 80's.  We could not pass up getting this for him.

Lois' GPS so she will have no problem finding us!

She has to get her hands of everything within reach.

Some of my beautiful family!

Seth's new dinosaur.

Garrett's new lime green hat and wild, UNMATCHING socks!!!!

Grandpa in pure glory!

Oh, isn't she beautiful!  I could have taken pictures of her forever if I had not run out of film (on my digital camera)(Sorry,family joke..)

Auntie Shelby spoiling Miss Katie.

Nap time (Who put whom to sleep?)

Do you think she likes what we all got her for Christmas.

Another nap time for both the young and old.

Helping daddy play Rook.

:)

Cover up that belly!

Garrett multi-tasking.

Helping Uncle Kaleb play Rook.

Hanging out with Great Grandpa and Aunt Shelby.

My wonderful kids!

What a fabulous family!

Great Grandparents and Parents with Miss Katie.

Katie loves her Great Grandparents!

Rippentrop Christmas

Opening presents

Shelby's new jewelry.

Seth waiting "patiently" for his dinosaur.

Garrett

Rita

Levi

Seth

Sophia

Cousins Playing

Brothers playing Wii

Shelby fixed Sophia's hair.

2009 Christmas Letter

I decided that since this year I made the Christmas card so bulky that I would just post my Christmas letter here for you all to read.

     Not much has changed for Steve & I.  Steven is still at Walkers and keeps himself busy with his computer business and the rental.  I am still homeschooling the 4 I have left and designing web-sites and blogs.  I also still have my Stampin' Up! business.

Heath and Lois are still living in Nebraska and have blessed us with a beautiful grand-daughter.  On July 31 Miss Katie Lynn Rippentrop weighed in at 9 lbs and 20" long.  You can see lots of pictures of her by clicking Katie in the labels on the sidebar.  So I guess that is one thing that has changed.  We are now Grandpa and Grandma and loving it!

     Kaleb will be 19 in  February and is now a freshman at Ambassador  Bible College in Lattimore, North Carolina.  He is majoring in Pastoral Ministries.  It is hard having him so far away but he is in God's Will and that is the main thing.  He is working in the kitchen and as a mechanic to pay his tuition so he is busy, busy, busy.  It will be tough not having him home for Christmas.  May will not come soon enough!

    Garrett is 14 and in the 8th grade. I think he gets taller every day.   He loves to be behind the camera and is always taking pictures.  When we took Kaleb out to N.C. we took the long way home through Nebraska.  :) We hit 11 states in 11 days.  We visited about 5 or 6 zoos.  Garrett took over 400 pictures.  New Lisbon allowed the home school kids to play Jr. High sports this year so Garrett was able to play football.  He really enjoyed it.  Jr. High wrestling starts in just a few weeks and he is really looking forward to that.  He was in honors band again this year with his trombone and I really enjoy listening to him play.

     Levi is 10 years old and in the 4th grade.  He loves to play soccer.  He has the biggest imagination.  While we were in Tennessee this summer we visited some battlefields and plantations.  I believe Levi could actually see the battles going on.  He is big into history and loved seeing these places first hand.  Levi went forward and was baptized in the beginning of December.  He wanted to show obedience to Christ and publicly follow Him in believers baptism.

     Seth is now 8 years old and in the 2nd grade.  He has grown bit  by bit and keeps us all on our toes.  He loves his bucket hats.  I think he now has about 6 of them and always has to have one on.  He loved all of the zoos we visited and learned so much about the animals.  Since his favorite is the dinosaur he loved to visit the lizard houses.  He was very happy for me that I got to see a panda in real life. He knows they are my favorite.  He has a very big heart!

Shelby is now 7 years old and in the 2nd grade.  Girls are so much different to raise then boys!!!  Even though she is the youngest she likes to be in charge. She is such a princess.  She loves to read and reads everything!  She started taking piano lessons at the beginning of the year and is enjoying that.  Shelby played soccer for the first time this last spring and cannot wait until the season starts up again.

     Even though I seem to be running every which way with my children I thank God daily for the children that He gave me.  I am thankful for the way they look out for each other and the ways in which God made them different.  Most of all I am thankful that they have all excepted Christ as their Savior. 3 John 1:4  "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."  Only true Joy comes from God.  I pray you have the true Joy of God this season and for eternity.

Love,
Steve, Debbi, Kaleb, Garrett, Levi, Seth & Shelby

Band Concert

So this week is program after program. Monday night we attended Garrett's band concert. I once again forgot the video camera so I taped it with my digital camera. This is the Middle School Band.

Christmas Program

 

Our Instrumental group.  They play with the congregational singing on Sunday nights.  They range from all ages 5th grade - adult.

 

Our Teen group singing.

 

Garrett saying his part.

 

Seth saying his part (Shelby's picture did not turn out)

 

Hannah( Shelby's best friend) Shelby & Seth singing

O' Little Town of Bethlehem.

 

Levi Saying his part.

 

Levi's class.