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Showing posts from 2014

Baby Hovey is a......

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Well?  The news is out, and Baby Hovey is going to be a BOY!!!!! We are excited and looking forward to welcoming our new little one come April!  We have been blessed abundantly and have already been receiving some baby items for our new addition.....the shoes pictured above were from one of my students!  That makes them doubly special! Here is the progress on the baby bump.....you can tell our baby BOY is growing!!! With Christmas just around the corner, we wanted to put out the reminder that the Savior of the World became one of us roughly 2,000 years ago and THAT is why we are celebrating!  It's different being in 80-90 degree weather with sunny skies for the Christmas holiday, but we are thankful that weather isn't what determines Christmas.....it's the truth that the celebration of Jesus has come!  We wish all of you a VERY Merry Christmas, and we wanted to thank you again for your partnership with us to share this great news.....we wouldn't be here if it

Kinder class of 2015

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 Well, school is out for the summer but not before some final pictures with most of my students!!!  We enjoyed being serious....well, kind of.....   ....and DEFINITELY enjoyed being silly!!! It seems like the semester just started, and I am encouraged at how MUCH the class progressed over the time we were together....way to go Kinder class of 2015!!!  You guys are awesome!!!

A glance at our week....

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This last week has been a FULL week!  It began with a celebration of secretary's day here at the school.  The Kinder class made notes for our FABULOUS secretary, and then she invited us into her domain to see where and how she works!  The class was delighted!!!  They even were all invited to make a photo copy, which was a HUGE hit!  As you can see in the pics below, the children were just about eye level with the paper feed tray which was wonderful to watch!!!      We also had a Christmas program on Friday for the entire school......Pre-K thru 12th grade!!!  WHAT an undertaking that was!!!  There were countless hours of preparation put in by numerous staff personnel and volunteers here at SCA, but in my estimation of things, the night was a HUGE success! Here is the Kinder class dressed and waiting to perform their special number..... One of the more complicated parts of the night was a black light presentation that was put on by the High School students gr

Buddies

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Buddies....we all need them!  In Kindergarten this semester, we have been paired up with the 5th/6th grade class in order to partcipate in "Buddy Reading."  Now, in the beginning of the school year, the 5th/6th graders would simply read to the Kindergartners and practice good reading skills--reading with expression, pointing to the words as they read, etc.  NOW, however, I am proud to say that the Kindergartners have been practicing their own "reading" skills with the upper grades!  We have gone through about 2/3 of the alphabet letters and sounds, and the curriculum has books specifically designed to have them practice the skills learned. It is SO fun to see them becoming indpendent readers!  Here are a couple pictures of "Buddy Reading" in action!         No matter what age level you are and no matter what your area of expertise, it is ALWAYS helpful to have an older, more experienced "Buddy" to help you along the way.  Recently,

Thanksgiving 2014

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Thanksgiving in Chile definitely sported different temperatures than Thanksgiving in MN.  I think we got up to the mid 80's yesterday as a high.  It was still full of fellowship, fun, and of course, GREAT food!  The ABWE team here in Santiago took it upon themselves to go all out for the holiday as it is a difficult time to be away from home for most missionaries.  Here is a picture of me and Brian enjoying the decorations carefully put together this year.  It's kind of allegorical in a way.  We are at the doorway of a new chapter of life, and in the midst of the changing seasons, we have found MANY reasons to "give thanks!" Here is a picture of Brian and Mr. Rob Hagerty, our school administrator.  They are enjoying a few relaxing moments before the feast gets underway.  There were about 40 missionaries including adults and children that got together for the celebration.  Here is a picture of the table decor.  Where the ladies found Thanksgiving plates, nap

The Essence of TEAM

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Allow us to introduce a real TEAM......the Stampede of Santiago Christian Academy!  This is an ultimate frisbee team that competed in a league this semester with local Chileans and others alike from across the city of Santiago.  Now, our readers who know us well, know that neither of the Hoveys in Chile are big athletes.  HOWEVER, we had the privilege of attending the last game of the season for our school team.  These are the team's fearless leaders.....the Hurley family.  They are also our neighbors up in the apartments.  From left to right you will see Nora, Jim, Kari, and Lily, and boy, the Hurleys are a team in and of themselves!  They have great attitudes and great hearts to want to serve!  It has truly been a privilege to serve with them here in Chile as well as see them in action on the field as coaches.  They did a phenomenal job in leading--not only in plays and technique but in heart and attitude!  This is the team huddled up with the opponents of their last g

Apartment Improvements

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Just like home improvements are needed, there are always needs in apartment living as well.  Brian has taken on the task to "improve" a couple of needed items as requested by the apartment dwellers. First off, there are several small children that live up the stairs and in the apartments.  When we first came here, there were several small children as well, but there was no one equipped with the time and/or the talent to put together something to make the stairwell more safe.  There has been talk of a gate of some sort for a long time at the top of the stairs.  Well, this week, the dream came to fruition.  Here is the view from the bottom of the stairs......  .....and here is a close-up view of the gate itself.  Brian had to take it off its hinges for me to get a good photo.  He put it up against the white siding where the design looked much clearer.  He welded and cut apart the pieces of the steel to make the gate's design.  No pattern or outline was on hand--he ju

The baby bump begins!

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This picture was taken Oct. 28th, 2014 with some new clothes I was privileged to purchase because I no longer fit comfortably into many of my pants and skirts!  I am truly grateful to our donors who stepped forward to give towards this specific need....thank you!  I must confess, I was quite surprised when this happened.  Sure, I knew the day would come, but I didn't expect it to come so soon!  hahahaha.  The naivity of a first-time pregnant woman.  :0)  Many of you have asked if I am showing or not yet, and since I am, I thought, "That would make a great blog post--a baby bump!"  So?  Here I am, sharing a piece of my pregnancy journey with a wide audience.....kind of crazy.  By God's grace, I am starting to feel better physically.  My morning sickness has been reduced to one or two days a week rather than EVERY day of the week. I give God the glory, and I must say I am TRULY grateful.  Not only does that allow me to be able to teach better and feel better while doin

Buin Zoo

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My Kindergarten class along with the Pre-K, 1st, and 2nd graders made a trip to a local zoo this past Tuesday.  It was a blast overall, and we have MUCH to be thankful for!  I wanted to capture a closer up pic of my class, so I decided to take pics of the students and their bus buddies.  Unlike in the States, there are not traditional school buses here in Santiago, so we rented a coach bus for transportation.  I'll let you enjoy the pics below at your leisure, but I want to make some special notes first.  THANK YOU to Jenn Rubin for organizing our field trip in her final months of pregnancy!!!!  She has been a blessing in SO many ways to me personally and to my class!  I have benefited greatly from her wealth of knowledge and her willingness to help.  Secondly, I wanted to give a HUGE shout out to my parent chaperones and my classroom aide!!!!  I won't mention them by name, but you can catch a glimpse of their great attitudes and helpful spirits by seeing their bright faces