*Christmas Parties 2008

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.

*Christmas is always a busy time of the year for people all over, there is your last minute shopping, staying up late after the kids are sleeping to wrap their gifts and trying to keep the little ones guessing about their gifts. I loved being able to help mom now knowing most of the time what my presents are going to be. Christmas is about more than what gifts we receive or the gifts we give it is about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I always love going to church in December and hearing all the neat stories on the birth of baby Jesus. I have been hearing them since I was a child but it still so fascinating to learn all about the people involved with the birth. Today during our last December sermon we reviewed all the people involved in making the birth of Jesus so special. It is so amazing how special this child's birth is after all these years, I mean imagine being Mary and Joseph an realizing your son would one day be the one who saved our lifes today. I am amazed to say the least.

*Parties, Parties and More Parties.... I am thankful but sad these are all over for yet another year. On Sunday afternoon Waylon's dad side got together to celebrate Christmas since everyone was home beside Dennis-we missed you buddy. It was a fun and relaxing partyy. We had delicious food=) On Tuesday December 23 we went to Uncle Tim's house for the Lengacher side Christmas Party. It was a fun night of seeing family we do not see on a everyday basis. We had so much fun, we never know what kind of game Tim and Dena will come up with to involve the whole family. This year they had all kinds of dollar gifts two pairs of gloves and a timer- we had no idea what the outcome would involve. The rules included: put the gloves on and try to open the gift before the timer went off. The rules didn't seem so hard until you started unwrapping some of the gifts were wrapped three or four times before the actual gift. Needless to say I NEVER got a gift lol. I am not talented in those type of games.

Madison new toy!

Ayrika with Charlotte Russe

gift card and frame

*On Christmas Eve I celebrated Christmas at Waylon's families house, it was an exciting and eventful night! We had all kinds of yummy food made by his mom and sisters!! I love when we all get together you never know what is going to happen next! We had so much fun opening gifts. His mom kept saying I didn't need all this stuff because we draw names but all of us got her and his dad some sort of gift, it was neat. I was so happy Waylon got me the Open Heart Necklace by Jane Seymour, plus a Tony Romo jersey- I am now a Cowboy fan since every Sunday or night they play we watch it ha. It was funny though I got a Colt's blanket from his mom and that jersey from him! I bought Waylon all clothes plus a few things that have no come in but they can be anniversary gifts=) Leanna and Sheldon just had their first baby Brianna it was so cute having such a little one at the party, plus it's always fun buying for a baby! Than of course we had to play some sort of game- its a must everytime we are together, we played Dominos. My dad and I used to play all the time but hadn't played in years it was fun to bring back old memories. Later on Christmas Eve my family has always opened one gift and this one gift is always Jammies to wear that night so we have Christmas Jammies on Christmas Morning! Here are some pictures of us opening this gift and modeling them!

My Chrismtas present last

year from Waylon, a Maltese!!

Us kids opening gifts

*Christmas morning finally came, Madi was so happy Santa actually stopped Drew and I had her convienced Santa wasn't going to make it to our house, were mean we know!! We all had a wonderful Christmas morning, after we open gifts we always have biscuits and gravy since we don't eat till later that night! We all got exactly what we wanted I got a Wii Drew got Xbox 360 and Madison got a DS plus a Horsey game to go with it. For lunch Waylon and I went to his mom's family side for lunch. I couldn't eat much even though the food looked and smelled amazing=) Later that evening the crazy Wittmer side came over to celebrate the Wittmer Christmas. It just isn't quite the same without Gramps being there, he always brought laughter and smiles to us kids faces. He always teased us about something and made sure we all got exactly what we wanted! He was an amazing husband, father, grandpa and most of all person I looked up to! Miss you Gramps! The Wittmer's always bring laughter and loudness to the house, we get together with my moms brother Kevin and his two daughters from Virgina we see only twice a year which is always great to see family!

Madi and new DS

Ayrika with Wii!!

Drew with X-Box 360

Uncle Tom and Uncle Buzz

eating some of the yummy food

*This Christmas has been one I will never forget, the memories are unforgetable! Thank you everyone for all the amazing gifts-I love you very much and thankful you are all in my life today to share the holidays with!

The Three Cooks for the Wittmers=)

*The official days of Christmas are slowly drifting away, it's always a sad day when we put up all our decorations for yet another year. Specially this year with Madison she just did not realize why the Christmas tree and decorations had to go bye bye. She kept saying but mom I haven't made snowmen yet or played in the snow-so clearly she did not understand it is still winter just no longer Christmas, it was so cute though cause it really hurt her feelings.

* Holiday Season *

*~ Sorry it has been so long with finals, packing up the apartment and Christmas shopping I feel like all I do is run. I am so glad finals week is over and another semester behind me~ Only 2 and a half more years and I will hopefully become a teacher=) That is a wonderful thought. Finals week is always so stressful for me not only with classes but meaning I have to get my stuff out of my apartment to take home. That was a mess. Poor Brooke rode home with me that day and had to sit on top of the dash, luckily we did not wreck=) We joked how next year it will be living together, and I will have tons more clothes to wear everyday with her there, this girl loves to shop. My last day was Dec 12 and do not go back till January 12, praise God, but now I just have to figure out what I am going to do for a month. Luckily this week I have kept pretty busy but doubt it is like that from now with no Elementary/High Schools open.*~

*~ Over this semester I have been doing my Observation class through Barr-Reeve I have been working in sixth grade with Mrs. Craney. At BR they switch classes so at times I would have Mrs. Craney home room and other times of the day I had Mrs. Sluders. Mrs. Craney teaches reading, all english and some social studies related items while Mrs. Sluder does the math and science portion. It really is a neat thing to get the students ready for the new ways of jr. high. I have had the pleasure of working with these students I have really loved getting to know some of them better and meeting alot of new students. This group of students is wonderful very well-behaved and seem interested in school. I have been pleased by working with this group of kids and a special teacher she taught me a lot about what it takes to be a succesful teacher. On Friday December 19 is the Christmas Party, I am so excited to be able to be apart of the groups party. I made goodie bags up for the students to take home with a note to tell them thanks for being such a great observation class. Classes like this make me realize why I want to become a teacher. It will be sad tomorrow to know it is my last day being Miss Lengacher in their classroom. Here are some pictures of them decorating the classroom and both class pictures *~

Mrs. Sluder's 6th Mrs. Craney's 6th Grade

Grade Class Class

I love this time of year, Christmas and summer are my two favorite things in a year. I am all done Christmas shopping except for stocking stuffer items, hopefully that won't take long. We put up our trees about a month ago, it's so fun with a little one around. Madi is starting to understand what all happens during Christmas, she loves all the presents she seems to think they are all hers no matter where we are. She is a big help with everything, she loves to be doing whatever momma or sissy is doing. I have included some pictures of her decorating the trees and getting the house Christmas Ready!

Madison with her puppy Khloe

Decorating the downstairs tree

-Thanksgiving Break-

I cannot believe how long it has been since I wrote on here, it just seems like life is to busy to sit down and write about it right now. When I first thought about blogging, I'm like how hard could it be to write everyday or more than once a week-now I see why not many people want to start. It is so difficult and time consuming to sit down and write it, but I do love to be able to let people know what is going on in our lives.

I only had school Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday night I came home for a much needed massage by Wanda at Amber Jo's, it felt pretty amazing. On Wednesday was my last day at the YMCA Day Care, I was sad to leave my kids. It just was not going to work with finals approaching and Christmas Break. I will have to stop in to visit them sometime.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Break, it was great to come home from Wednesday night to Sunday night, it was a much needed break. Even though it wasn't to long it was good to be able to visit with family and relax. Thanksgiving Day is a tradition, dad and Drew get up go hunting while the girls "Mom Madi and Myself" try to get the house all decorated for the approaching holiday. It is so much fun because Madison is loving this Christmas Season, she keeps asking questions from previous years and what we do for Christmas. Later that afternoon we went to my uncle Terry and Susans house for the Wittmer side Thanksgiving Dinner. The Wittmer Clan never has a dull moment, with Madi and Sydney running around, people laughing telling old stories about growing up or different things that have happened to us. I love the Wittmers, it just don't feel the same without Grandpa there. He was always our turkey cutter, now I believe Terry normally does it.

Finally, Black Friday you know the most crazy day to attempt to shop we decided to take Madison- a four year old that gets cranky while shopping with Mom and Sissy. We left our house around 5 with Madi sleeping in her jammies, woke her up went into Wal-Mart and she about flipped out. It was almost funny, seeing all the people running around looking for certain sale items. Madison did not understand why so many people were at her favorite store when it was still dark outside lol. I did get almost finished thankfully. Mom bought a new TV for the upstairs meaning I get that TV for my room since my TV is in my apartment. Thank you Mom! Needless to say our shopping day did not last long.

As a family we took time to say what we were thankful for because it is so important to realize how fortunate we really are!

* I am especially thankful for my parents-they are the best people I have ever met. I look at them and I see how I want to be one day to my children. They have always been there to support us in our decisions, never missed a school activity or game. I always knew I could look up in the crowd and see my parents cheering for me! Thank you mom and dad for being awesome people!

* Waylon, my boyfriend, I am so thankful to have in my life. He has been there for me through the good times and the difficult times. Thank you Waylon for being that special someone to me! Love you

* Drew and Madison, I do not even know where to begin. We have the most amazing relationship for any brother and sisters. I love being around you and so blessed to have you in my life. I thank God daily Madi was placed in my life.

* My personal Lord and Savior, how thankful I am to look at the beautiful things in my life and know you placed them there. Marsha Clarke did an amazing job on Sunday making me realize just how thankful I need to be on a daily basis on what YOU have created. How beautiful it is to think that you created the different colors in the sky, all the different shades in a flower. I mean how often do we think about all the different things God has created with his hands. I am at awe to think of it, it is truely a beautiful thing. Thank you Jesus for being that awesome!

* Brooke, my best friend of only about two years has been there for me when I thought my world was falling apart. She is the most amazing person I have ever met, she is truely a woman of God. I am so thankful for going into the same profession and hopefully teach at the same school or close to keep our friendship and share teaching strategies. She has been there for me through the great times but also the difficult times. I always know when something is not going right I can count on her to say something uplifting or just be like "uh I'm sorry I do not know what to say" no matter what her reply is it makes me feel better. Thank you Brooke for being that friend I always dreamed of! I am so thankful to have you in my life. Love you

I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving!
Remember to be thankful of all the things you have in your life!!

A Beautiful Thing We Call Life

* Life is not always a box of chocolates but I love thinking how perfect and beautiful everything in life is, just think about things the beautiful sun rise seeing all the colors God chose that specific morning to wake us up or how beautiful the evening time is. God created all things on this Earth for us to realize he created everything and is in control of everything in our lives.

*RIP Rebecca Elizabeth*

* This weekend was a difficult one for me and so many others in the Daviess County area, it was three years ago on Saturday that our beautiful angel was taken away from us and joined Our Heavenly Father in Heaven. What an amazing thought to think about she is no longer suffering from the worldly things but rejoicing and dancing with the "Big Guy Upstairs". Rebecca Elizabeth Arnold "Ellis" was a beautiful young women living her life moment by moment until that day where her life was taken away from her in a car accident. From that day forward I knew life would never be the same, I no longer had the friend in my life, never ride to school together or have that friend to talk about life with. She was so beautiful, I love the thought of her in Heaven watching over us all, telling God to protect us from what lies ahead of us! You are an angel and greatly missed by everyone! I cannot wait to see you one day!

Us girls making picture boards for the funeral. You were beautiful!

* I will never forget the lunch we had at my house only 8 days before the wreck, we made spaghetti and Texas Toast, that was a fun day. I remember on the day of your wreck you went around telling us all you loved us, hugged us that one last time almost as if God was preparing you for your last day on Earth with your friends. I will never forget later that afternoon getting the dreadful call you had been in a serious accident and being life-lined to Indy. I am so glad I was able to go up to Indy that night to see you and be with your family. That whole week is a blur for the class of 2007, we sat together at school or someones house until the early morning hours sharing different memories of you, we laughed at times but most of all we cried a lot because we didn't know how a class would survive this in the middle of our Junior year, it was difficult. We all just kept thinking she was going to miss so many things in her life most importantly graduation, proms, wedding day, having her own children being that perfect mother but we cannot control what happens in our life.

Becca,Kristen, Bethany, Kylie and Ayrika going to sectional!

* We need to live day-to-day living for God and no one else because we never know when our time is going to come. God already has planned out when and how we will be taken from this life which is scary but amazing at the same time to think He knows when, where, how we will die. Very scary. Rebecca continues to live in our lives, when I am walking around and see something that makes me think Becca must have had something to do with that. You were a special angel sent by God to change the Class of 2007, thank you so much! I love you Becca!

As we begin to start a new week I hope this week I can stay sick free! It is so hard being sick away from home without someone there to take care of you. Needless to say, I needed my mom this week! My roommate and I both suffered this week from the flu, it is always true the person who receives the sickness gets it worse than the one who gave it. How unfair. I had the flu from Tuesday morning to Thursday morning. Oh well, praise God I am no longer sick with the flu.
Last night a bunch of us girls got together to celebrate my best friend's birthday, it was a much needed night for many of us!! The night consisted of supper, old memories, chit chatting away, gifts and of course DESSERT my favorite. It was a good time for us girls just to get together, relax and enjoy one another company! I always love getting together with them girls, they are defiantly the best! I'm sure I will have some pretty interesting pictures to post here shortly. Thanks girls for a much needed night of laughing=)
I wish I had a way with words like some people who blog, I just can't seem to think what to write next. Maybe next time I will have something interesting to write about until then have a great night.

Begining to my ramblings and Lengacher moments!

Well.. The Lengacher's are finally starting to blog. I never thought I would say that, with the way my dad is he does not understand one thing dealing with a computer but hopefully that will all change. I always wanted to do a blog I just wasn't sure what to do mine over since I do not have a family yet so I thought it would be good for us as a family to do one of these. My name is Ayrika and I am twenty years old. I am currently at Vincennes University majoring in Special and Elementary Education, needless to say I love it. I cannot wait to become a teacher, I graduate from VU in two years. Hopefully I will be able to find a teaching job so I can continue to do what I love. My daddy is Matt, he runs his own business Lengacher Steel Construction. There are two crews that he runs, his brother is in charge of the other. He is the best dad, he has always been involved in all our life's. I always knew if something was wrong I could call my dad and he would let me know what to do. I love you daddy! My mom, Sherri, is awesome. Her love for her family is amazing and her love for the Lord is overflowing. She has to be OCD about cleaning, I have never walked in our house with it being dirty, even with all of us kids or dad. She is awesome! My brother, Drew, is thirteen. He is very athletic involved in three sports, basketball, baseball and football his favorite! He cracks me up, you never know what he is going to do or say. We all thought this would be our family till the end of time until one day my parents decided they wanted to add to the Lengacher's. In 2004, we started working on the adoption paperwork, we decided to adopt from China. As a family, we were so excited to have another little one running around the house, plus I was so excited to have a baby sister. It was one crazy year, with people coming over inspecting our house, interviewing each of us, then waiting for the time for my parent's to leave for China. That was a difficult time because "our" parent's were gone for two and half weeks leaving us with grandma. We planned a suprise Welcome Home Party for them, but the thing was Madison was terrified of us and everything around her beside mom and dad, very upsetting to someone who has been waiting a year to meet my new sister. Through this whole journey of adding to our family I have been so thankful for her being my baby sister. She is now four and a true blessing. She loves going to the Washington Catholic pre-school, gymnastics and spending her Saturday's enjoying her "sissy time". Needless to say, she does not go anywhere without getting attention. Although, we all thought our family was done growing or adding to the wonderful Lord decided he wasn't done yet with the Lengachers and wanted us to have one more and maybe one day add another! (HINT MOM/DAD I want another brother or sister). We have a pretty normal family that I love with all my heart. I thank God daily how he blessed me with these wonderful people he put in my life.