Introducing...

Yes, it's true!! Krabel baby #5 will join our family sometime in late March. The actual due date is April 5 (the day after Michael & Jamie's wedding--how convenient!), but the doctor said we will schedule a c-section the week before. Too early to tell yet if we're having a girl or boy, but Elijah is really hoping for a brother.

Chrisman Days Festival

Here are a few pictures from the Chrisman Festival earlier this month:

Elijah made a "full pull" in the first round, but placed fourth overall, just missing a trophy.

Despite the fact that her legs are getting a little too long, Mackenzie still got two "full pulls" and finished second in her class.

Mackenzie and her friend showing off their tractor pull trophies and medals for placing in the ponytail contest.

Katie also won first place for the longest ponytail in her age group, but I didn't get a picture.

Eleanor is not too happy about going down the slide.

Elijah rode with Dan in one of the firetrucks during the parade.

The girls rode on the HCE float, with a tea party theme.

I spent most of my day serving pancakes and sausage at the Community Club breakfast, then later serving sandwiches and pop at our church's food booth. Dan was busy serving Jonah fish all day, except when he was in the parade. I have to say that I am not a big fan of seafood, but I love Jonah fish. When all those nutritionist say it is important to get more fish in your diet, I am sure they must mean the deep fried rectangle Jonah fish. It is just so good!

Pig Roast 2008

Here are a few pictures from the 37th annual Allen Pig Roast...

Celebrating Aunt Dee & Uncle Steve's 40th wedding anniversary.

Congratulations to you both. You are an inspiration to so many of your friends and family.

The French-themed food table, in honor of their family trip to Paris this summer.

This year, to help with the expenses Steve and Dee incur for this bash, the pottyhouses were paid for by corporate sponsorships. No one said this was a classy party!

This, however, was the classiest potty house I've ever seen. It was complete with lotion, wipes, air freshener, etc. Ladies only, please!

The kids had a blast as always, playing with cousins and getting really dirty.

Uncle Scott came through again this year with the inflatable slide.

The crowd gathers under the shade tree to listen to the band.

Time to dig up the pig. A couple of nights before, a fire is burned in the pit and then the pig is put on top of the coals and buried. The heat from the coals and the earth cook the meat. Sunday evening it is uncovered, and we eat it.

Well, some of us do. I personally have always believed that once an animal dies and is buried, you should not dig it up and eat it. I prefer the beef that is cooked over the grill that afternoon. But those who eat the pig swear it is the best pork ever. I take their word for it.

There it is.

For reasons I do not know, when the pig comes out of the ground, it is paraded past the crowd by a group of musicians singing and playing "When the Saints Go Marching In." It's just a Pig Roast thing.

By far, one of the things that makes Pig Roast so special is the music every year. This year someone brought a didgeridoo. It had such a cool sound.

BIG bonfire.

Katie and Eleanor hanging out around the campfire.

Thanks again for another wonderful year of of traditions and memories, Uncle Steve and Aunt Dee. We love you!

Katie's recital

A few weeks ago, we had a recital/open house for Katie's eighth grade graduation. She was supposed to play piano, flute and cello, but because of the continuing pain she's had in her arm, she was only able to play piano.

Dan said a few words before she played. He's a very proud daddy.


She played "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from Phantom of the Opera, "Tarentella" and the Piano Suite from "August Rush." I may be biased, but she played beautifully.

We have a video, but I don't know if I can figure out how to post it here.

After the music, we had cake and punch in the fellowship hall of our church.

Congratulations, Katie!

We are so proud of all you have accomplished, and look forward to watching what God has in store for your life. You are a treasure and a blessing.

Skateland

A couple of weeks ago, we went with our church group to Skateland in Danville for roller skating and laser tag.

Elijah was a wall hanger.

He never did quite get the hang of it, although Katie pushed/pulled/dragged him around the rink a few times.

Dan tried to help him too, but unfortunately Elijah seems to have inherited his mother's natural balance. You will notice there are no pictures of me out there. I will never go skating with Dan again. The one and only time I ever went ice skating he tried to kill me. He denies it, but it's true. :)

Mackenzie had no trouble zipping around the rink.

Even with all his falls, he managed to have fun.

But laser tag was more fun and he was better at it.

He made the rank of Cosmic Seargent.

Cool blacklights.

While the big kids were doing laser tag and skating, Eleanor and I checked out the mini golf course. After the first two holes, she decided it was much easier to just drop the ball in the hole than to mess with the putter. It goes a lot faster that way, too.

She was very distressed when her ball went into the water the first time, but once she found out there were nets to fish it out...well, that's even more fun than dropping the ball in the hole!

Rend Lake

Earlier this month, we went to Rend Lake in southern Illinois. Dan had a continuing education conference he needed to attend, so the kids and I tagged along to play in the hotel swimming pool while he was in class.






After his class one evening, we visited our friends who live nearby and the kids enjoyed swimming in their pond, until a thunderstorm chased us all indoors.

Mackenzie really liked the zip line.

Look! A giant golfball on a giant tee! You don't see one of those everyday, do you?

(This is a family joke from our trip here two years ago)

The last day, we drove several miles across the lake to visit this custard stand we'd been told about. Rend Lake is so big compared to anything near here. It was a beautiful drive, which is a good thing, since the custard stand was closed when we got there!

Eleanor the future supermodel

Mackenzie took these pictures, and I'm not really sure what they were doing, but evidently this is what you get when you tell Eleanor to "strike a pose."