Ministry

Wow- It's been awhile since I've been on.

I read this today and thought it did a great job of summing up the way I've been feeling.

“But if the discontent with your present situation is deep, recurrent, and lasting, and if that discontent grows in Bible-saturated soil, God may be calling you to a new work. If, in your discontent, you long to be holy, to walk pleasing to the Lord, and to magnify Christ with your one, brief life, then God may indeed be loosening your roots in order to transplant you to a place and a ministry where the deep spiritual ambitions of your soul can be satisfied.”

I keep feeling this stirring in my soul calling me onto something more. I don't know what it is yet or how it is going to manifest itself... but I feel it there... whispering me to more... to walk closer with my God... to live in a manner he sees pleasing, to make a difference in this very lost world.

What are some things you guys do to make a difference where you are? What sorts of ministry are you guys involved in?

Jonah

"I am Jonah,
I want to serve God....
as long as it is convienent.
I desire to do His will....
until it is a tad uncomfortable.
I want to hear His Word...
as long as its message is one I'm supposed
to pass on to someone else.
I don't want to have my plans interrupted.
Oh yes, I am Jonah, and I suspect that in
one way or another, you are too."
-Pricilla Shirer

I've just started this study and already relate in more ways than one. I can't wait to get deeper in it.

IF

I read this on a friends blog today and thought it was really good. We all like to say we are Christians and obviously want the promise of Heaven. But do I truly live it... day in and day out... ? Who do you aim to please??


"If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two, If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do. Oh, I know you'd give your nicest Room to such an honored Guest, And all the food you'd serve to Him would be the very best, And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have Him there—That serving Him in your home is joy beyond compare.

But when you saw Him coming would you meet Him at the door, With arms outstretched in welcome to your Heavenly Visitor? Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in, Or hide some magazines and put the Bibles where they'd been? Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn't heard, And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, hasty word? Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out? Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?

And I wonder … if the Savior spent a day or two with you, Would you go right on doing the things you always do? Would you keep right on saying the things you always say? Would life for you continue as it does from day to day? Would your family conversation keep up its usual pace, And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace? Would you sing the songs you always sing and read the books you read, And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?

Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you'd planned to go? Or would you maybe change your plans for just a day or so? Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends, Or would you hope they'd stay away until His visit ends? Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on, Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone? It might be interesting to know the things that you would do If Jesus came in person to spend some time with you."

– Author Unknown

Some fall fun

Our first snow... My little Kenan man....

Halloween fun!

My dad with the kids on Halloween

My little brother Jonah came to visit. My kids love him.

Emily at her cousins birthday party. This is a broken pinata. She's such a goof. Trying to break the pinata... it was a costume birthday party so Abby was her raggedy Ann

Duck races

Riding a chicken

boating in a real pumpkin...

More to Love

Our family is expanding


We have added two new friends to take care of some unwanted visitors. This is Abby's cat T-Bone ( he was already named.) T-Bone is a sweet cat who follows the girls around everywhere and loves to climb into your lap. We like him a lot.

Miss Emily has a kitty named Natalie. She is beautiful but more shy. Once you catch her she loves to sit in your lap and purr.

The girls are so in awe of their new friends.... it's a great time distracter..hint hint ;-)

Pretty Natalie and Charming T-Bone

Just a tease....

Who can resist this???? or this???

Reason enough..

My reasons for getting up in the morning....literally....way too early! :-) Out of the mouth's of babes:

Me: Emily, I love you, do you know that?
Emily: Yesssss, God made me for you to love me!

Struggles

Well, I've heard it said that honesty is the best policy and transparency is healing so here goes:

Have you ever dreamt about something for so long that you could practically taste it? You thought if I could just have that desire then life would be perfect. You wouldn't struggle anymore...You'd be so happy and never complain again ect.... You know the drill.

Well, that is how Joel and I have been with moving by our family. For 8 years we dreamt about it and thought if only... every time we would leave here to go home we always felt a let-down. We thought if we could move here by everyone life would be perfect.

Now that we are here I am discovering it isn't as I had imagined. It isn't perfect. So disappointment is occurring as my dreams have to match reality. I didn't take into account how much I would miss my old life, and how everyone here already has thier lives established. I miss my neighbors and going outside for a walk and running into tons of people I knew who all lived in our development so we would stop and chat. I miss the excitement of being close to the zoo and shopping and different events that came to town. I miss my friends and I just miss normalcy.

Our house here that we are renting isn't horrible but also isn't great. It's not MY house. We sleep in a living room right now as the house only has two bedrooms. Sometimes I feel like my walls are caving in on me. Everything is so small and we have 5 people living in this little space. We are working on the basement to make a room for us and a bathroom and a living room but it stinks down there like old musty, moldy, basement so I am just praying that goes away or otherwise I am going to have a really hard time moving down there.

We also have discovered we have a mouse problem. At first they were just downstairs and even that really creeped me out. Now they are in my kitchen. Literally 10 ft. from where I am sleeping in the living room. I feel intruded on. Maybe I've been away from the country long enough that I've turned into a city girl.

We just discovered that our deep freeze has been unplugged for several weeks so every night it gets frozen again as the temp drops and then during the day it half way thaws again so we just lost hundreds of dollars of food-- it makes me sick. Joel works so hard to provide and we are so careful with where and how we spend our money to make it stretch and then this....

My headaches have come back with a vengeance. They started 3 weeks after moving here. I'm so nauseous with them that I can't move and if I do I throw up. I'm super dizzy and have lots of pressure in my head. With them- my anxiety has made a reappearance too. We have no health insurance.


I'm writing all this to hopefully feel better. I know that getting stuff off your chest can help immensely so I am trying it. I still feel like we did the right thing because my husband strongly does and I trust him. There is good here too. I just have to look harder to find it. I love that I am growing closer to my sister-in-law and able to do things with her. I also love being able to watch all our nieces and nephews grow up. I love that my brother and his wife plan to move back within a few years. I love helping out our families and just being here for whatever arises. I love the home school coop up here. It is a huge, valuable network of families that teach basically everything. It is great... I do struggle with my decision to home school though and at times feel like I could be holding Abby back from being her social, active little self. I love the Awana program here and how easily we slipped back into church feeling like we never left. I love our yard and our huge oak trees and our swings we have in them. I love all the nature around us... we have deer in our yard pretty much every night.

So...No, it isn't perfect and we still struggle but the more I talk to God about it, it isn't meant to be perfect. Nothing is... not until Heaven. For us to even think we can come near perfection is a farce. It isn't going to even come close. For now, we just moved into another imperfect situation but at least this time we can be close to family. I do think that is what God has for us in this life. To be held up by others (family if you can have it), otherwise others in the family of God. That's what we were created for... to love and to be in service to others.


So through all this, I have discovered that we have to have the struggles in order to not become calloused to the blessings.

Auntie Danie

Auntie Danie came to visit us this past week. We sure loved having her company around. I don't know who enjoyed it more... the kids or me.? I loved having someone who knew me before come to share my life with me here. It was like a breath of fresh air but the time passed way too quickly and now we are all sad she is gone. Here she is with all the kiddos and Abby's new love of her life, Charlie.

Abby and Charlie. She took to Danie's little dog right away. Even babysitting for her and taking her potty tons of times outside. She just loved her. I think very soon it might be time for some pets. To start with I think we will get them some rabbits! :-)

The Way Home Review

The Way Home is a movie about a 2 year old boy who disappears as the family was packing the car getting ready to leave for vacation. At first the family thought he was just playing and wandered off but as the hours quickly pass and still no Joe they begin to believe the worst.

Not only did the law enforcement show up with all their different divisions but so did the community. They had hundreds out combing the woods and the swamps looking for him. This movie is based on a true story and was really quite inspiring. Although it was a little slow-moving in spots it is a great story to tell of a family's worst day ever and how it turned out.

*** I received The Way Home from Tommy Nelson Publishing to review. I am not paid for a good review.

When it all falls apart

Tonight This song speaks volumes!

"You said you'd never leave or forsake me
When you said, this life is gonna shake me
And you said this life is going to bring trouble on my soul
This I know

When everything falls apart your arms hold me together
When everything falls apart your the only hope for this heart
When everything falls apart and my strenth is gone
I find you mighty and strong, you keep holding on
You keep holding on

When I see the darkness all around me
When I see that tragedy has found me
I still believe your faithful arms will never let me go
And still I know

When everything falls apart your arms hold me together
When everything falls apart your the only hope for this heart
When everything falls apart and my strength is gone
I find you mighty and strong, you keep holding on
You keep holding on

Sorrow will last for the night
But hope is rising with the sun, its rising with the sun
There will be storms in this life
But I know you will overcome, you have overcome

When everything falls apart your arms hold me together
When everything falls apart your the only hope for this heart
When everything falls apart and my strength is gone
I find you might and strong, you keep holding on
You keep holding on"

Life sure isn't easy. There is so much hurt, so much to be done and not enough willing to make the change. I have all these questions in my head; I know I am doing the most important thing I can right now by being home and raising my babies in a Godly environment-- but is it enough?? Is this really what my life is?? Did we do the right thing when we moved?? Soo many doubts.
And this too shall pass......

Long Wait

A few weeks back we went to a hotel in the cities and stayed for 3 nights while Joel had training . We were in a king suite with a whirlpool which would have been great had Abby not had a horrible cough that kept me up all night long each night. Kenan loves his swing!

He also loves his 3.00 garage sale chair

My kids really have never had experience in leaves. It is so great to have all these huge trees and piles and piles of leaves. We are having a blast.

After two long months I'm happy to report that I am finally back to reality. I have my internet back-- and we even have a news channel again. I feel like we've been camping and out of touch.

This and That

These adorable little boys are Joel's cousins kids. They live in Nigeria where they are missionaries. The conditions they live in are way below our standards and really quite unbelievable. Joel's cousin Heidi and her husband Andy are home on furlough to have their 3rd child and will be returning back to Nigeria in 6 months. Seeing their pictures and hearing their stories is really incredible. I don't know how they do it....especially with children. Leif (far right) has been having medical issues and they have now discovered a tumor in his brain. These guys are amazing though and just trust God.
They are looking for more support so if you or your church would be interested please let me know and I can get details for you.

I also have a sister who is a missionary in Sweden right now but will be going to Uganda in January. She is also in need of support.

Even though God hasn't called me onto the mission field directly. He has called me to give generously to continue his work through others he has called. It is a high calling. Please pray for both my sister and this wonderful family the Kelloggs as they follow God into places that are unstable and unsafe.

You can follow my sister on her work here: http://www.hispoetry.blogspot.com/


In other news... life is busy.... homeschooling takes up several hours and then there is always baking, cleaning, laundry, oh yeah... I also have two other kids. :-)

Me and my children. Watch out for that one in the middle... he's a handful....at that exact moment he was probably figuring out how to either lunge for the camera or his sisters hair. :-)

My 3 amazing blessings. They are all growing in knowledge and stature. Too quickly by my standards. Abby is growing into a little lady. She has such a heart for God and helping people. She is thriving in our homeschool and loves the coop. She is enrolled in science, art, music, and basketball. She has also started Awana sparkies and loves it. She is my little social butterfly.

Emily too has been thriving. She loves living up here and each days asks where we get to go for the day. She sits in on homeschool with Abby and I and is learning a lot herself. She is in the Awana cubbies this year but won't go without me so I guess I am now in the cubbies room helping too.

Kenan is 8 months already. He is a busy boy. Always has to have something occupying his hands. He loves food and loves his sisters. Lately he is becoming a bit of a mama's boy. I can't put him down for too long. He has his 2 top and 2 bottom teeth in. He is a charmer and always smiling.

Outlive your Life

Out Live Your Life by Max Lucado

Max Lucado is one of the best authors... he is so good at making the Bible come alive and relevant for today. In his new book he talks about how the ordinary person can make a big difference. He challenges the Christians of today to live our the Bible in our own lives and serve others at every opportunity we get. He inspires you to do the extraordinary.

He takes you through the book of Acts to show how bible day Christians did challenge themselves and serve and step out of their comfort zones. This book was really an encouragement to me to get going. We don't have forever... but what we do here counts. At the end of the book he has a discussion guide for group study. What a great way to get geared up and be accountable to serve God. God has a higher calling on our lives. If we simply keep to ourselves and our little circle of those we feel comfortable with how can he use us? We must step out and reach out. These are critical times and we must change the world!

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'" Mathew 25:34-36 I received this book for free from Tommy Nelson Publishing as part of their book review program. I was not paid, and not required to write a positive review.

Children's book

One Hand, Two Hands by Max Lucado--

This book was an adorable book. I read it to my girls and right away they wanted to do things to be helpful. Max Lucado is such a wonderful writer and really is able to inspire others to live out our values.

In this latest book of his, he shows kids how they can be a help and encouragement to others by what they do with their hands. It is all written in a rhyme with cute illustrations. It is a very sweet book that every parent and grandparent will want their little ones to read.



*** I received this book for free from Tommy nelson publishing. I was not required to write a positive review

another book review

The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews


This book was a quick inspiring read. It took me through history and showed me how a chain of events led people to change the world. It starts off with the law of Sensitive Dependence Upon Intital Conditions. "A butterfly could flap its wings and set moleclues of air in motion, which would move other molecules of air, in turn moving more molecules of air-- eventually capable of starting a hurricane on the other side of the planet." The book then goes from Chamberlain and how he contributed all the way to George Washington Carver and then to you.

It is a thought provoking book that has encouraged me to do all that I do for the Glory of God. You just never know how your own life might change the world.

"Every single thing you do matters. You have been created as one of a kind. You have been created in order to make a difference. You have within you the power to change the world." -Andy Andrews


It would make an excellent gift book. It walks hand-in hand with the childrens book, The boy who changed the world.

****I have been given a copy to review for free from Tommy Nelson Publishing. I am not required to write a positive review.

Book Review

The Boy Who Changed the World, by Andy Andrews.

This is an endearing book that my kids and I have read again and again. It is about the choices we make and how they will affect the future. It tells the story of a man who crossed paths with other men in order to come about world change. It takes you through actual events that happened in history. It is a story to get you and your little ones thinking about how much their lives matter. The people we are around truly can influence us to greatness and we are all created for a reason.
The illustrations are beautifully done and I highly recommend this book for every child to discover.



This book was given to me for free from tommy nelson publishers and I was not required to write a positive review.

Life

Time is fleeting.... I haven't been on here in so long but I do have several good excuses.

The move went well and so has the adjusting. We all miss our home and friends there but we also love our new life. We have a huge yard with big oak trees that we have hung tire swings from. I love walking out my door and having nature all around. We have had some run-ins with rats and mice and chipmunks in our garage. Our first week here after seeing deer in our yard, Abby told us that she loves it here because of all the wildlife she can see.... she then goes on to rattle off; rats and mice and skunks and bats. I inwardly cringe because if that is what we see up here why would we want to be here? :-)

I have taken on the task of feeding the calves at my parents ranch. It is some good extra money for us and I like that I can bring my kids with me on the job. It is hard to get it accomplished each day though since I have to come in the morning and with kids sleeping schedules it seems Kenan wakes up first and is ready to go back for a nap when the girls wake up. I also come and feed again every night at dinnertime. I feel as if I now have 13 kids. :-)

My little man is growing so quickly. He has 2 bottom teeth and is now working and very close to having his two top ones. He is sitting like a champ and will roll to wherever he wants to go. He is still just such a delight.
Emily has had the toughest time with the move and it is coming out in physical health for her. She has been really tired and even runs fevers off and on. She's just not quite herself. She is starting to come out of her shell a little bit though and is even excited to go places and meet new people. (For those of you who know my Emmy, she is very, very introverted)
Abby is great. She talks about our old home a lot and says she wants to go back but then in the next breath she talks about how much she likes it here. She is a funny child! She has actually become a little more introverted. She is scared to go to Awana and Homeschool coop. My girls swapped.

Life is about to take a whole new road for us. We start homeschool next week and with that we will be participating in a coop. Abby and Emily will be going to school on Mondays. What I love about it is I can be there the whole time and participate too. Abby will be in science and art and basketball, and Emily and Abby will be in music. Each semester has different classes I can enroll them in. The older classes even have chemistry and german. The neatest thing to me about the coop is that I can train my children at home, which is the biblical mold for a family to function, and still have them participating and learning cooperation and competition ect...one day a week in a setting which I love. I have decided to teach Abby using My Father's World this year. We'll see how it goes. I feel like I have lots to do before I start next week. I'm also teaching Emily's pre-school class for the first two weeks of school at the coop.

It is funny how different seasons of mothering can be. One stage you're changing diapers and learning how to feed them solids ect... and the next you are teaching classes and moving on to way more complex things for them to grasp.

Joel and I are really looking forward to the basement getting done. We are all crammed into a two bedroom right now. We sleep in the living room so the kids could have normacly and have bedrooms. My sister-in-law Paula painted the girls bedroom purple for us and suprised us when we moved up. It is my favorite room. Life seems very busy- from digging window wells to ripping apart the basement to re-building it... there isn't a dull moment.

I don't have a computer or a home telephone at the moment. We do hope to get one eventually but for now we're just getting by. I need to get a portable memory stick one of these days so I can download some pictures on it to post. I will have lots of them.

I've also been reading lots of good books lately that I will be posting reviews about soon.

Well-- if you stuck through to the end congrats! I just wanted to sum up life and now I'm off to bed.

Miracle!!

OUR HOUSE SOLD TODAY

It actually sold. It is sad and yet a load of bricks just came falling off our backs. The sale will be final next week and we can move on in life and look back with fond memories of here and also lots of lessons learned. I will always miss here. I love our home and my neighbors and moving on will be hard and yet God is beckoning. I must move on to our next step...I can't wait to see what God has in store for us and how He is going to use us. There is a reason for everything. I choose to trust that.

How Should A Christian Live?

"Going deep into The Word of Promise Next Generation . . . the audio Bible for the "wired generation!" You've heard the dramatized New Testament featuring the voice talents of many of today's top young Hollywood stars. Now dig deeper and embrace the truths and knowledge of the Bible like never before. This new devotional study guide series is available in four volumes. Each volume includes an MP3 CD, a devotional guide, and journaling section. The devotional guide is presented in 13 lessons with topical articles, exciting and fun 2-color graphic design, and creative interactive games and activities for youth to enjoy! Also included is a journaling section at the end of each lesson of the each book."


How should a Christian Live was a great devotional to help encourage you in your walk with the Lord. The lingo it used was really geared towards teenagers or baby Christians. It would be a great book to do for a sunday school or youth group. It really gets you thinking about how to apply God's truths to your own life and how to make it stick. I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Some recent Pictures

Life has been busy... I've been packing...packing... and doing more packing. We have made time for a few things though which are shown below. In one week we will be in our new house.


You would think this is just an ordinary packing box........ but it's not! :-)

Abby and her good friend Eva swimming....

Me and my little boy-- this was his first time swimming.

Emily swimming. She loved her water wings.

Abby pushing Kenan around the lake

Kenan chillin'

Emily pushing Kenan

Kenan playing with the water

Kenan's first time in his high chair-- he was picking up the food and eating it.

My cousin Veronica got to meet Kenan for the first time.

My Uncle Ron met him for the 1st time too and carried him all around.

I borrowed this from my sister but didn't think she would mind. It spoke to me...


“It starts with you. In the end, God simply calls you to be faithful to the things He has given you to do. He doesn’t require you to be a superstar, just faithful and obedient, by praying, loving, serving, giving, forgiving, healing, and caring— doing small things with great love.”
— Richard Stearns

Crazy Life...

Life has held so much for us lately. I don't even know if I have enough words to put it all down.



Joel and I have been struggling with our house for awhile now and after pursuing all options and avenues to keep it we have decided that selling is our best option. We put it on the market 7 weeks ago with hardly any shows or calls. At the same time we have been searching out different jobs for Joel around the area where all our family lives-- 3 hours north. We have been prayerfully searching everything we have felt God leading us to.

The same weekend Joel received two job offers - we also got a call from our realtor with an offer on the house. I had been praying for them both to happen at the same time so we would know what to do. God is good!

We then moved on to finding something to rent. We thought we found the perfect place. It was a huge 7 bedroom farmhouse. The old part was a trailer and had quite an animal smell to it but with new carpet and paint we thought we could fix it. The new part was amazing. Big, huge rooms with hardwood floors. It was beautiful. To top it all off the guy even dropped 100.00 off the rent to make it in our price range. It was only 15 min. from where Joel would be working so it seemed like a great fit.

We went out to the house one evening at dusk to show our family and I just got done telling my MIL about the top of the barn (which is 20 ft. from the house), how much the kids are going to love going into the top of the barn and having clubs... forts... ect... We walked up the stairs onto the deck leading into the french doors and found a dead bat. I didn't think much of it.... there was also tons of poop.... still didn't think much of it. As we are standing there things are flying over our heads. I'm just thinking they are birds and it isn't bothering me. We walk back down the stairs and my FIL was talking about the absence of mosquito's here and since we are in the middle of pastures with ponds all around he thought it would be a major problem. We then realize what is flying out of the barn is bats... I counted over 40- just as we were standing there, not to mention the things that were flying over our heads before and after we left. I get the shivers just thinking about it.
I hate bats.... HATE. They creep me out and are the ugliest little things. Joel still wasn't to concerned even though there had to be over 50 colonizing in the barn, 20 ft from the house. He figured we would just kill them. After doing some research I have found they are an endangered species and you can't kill them. They also only need something the size of a thumbnail to get into. The trailer house is old and not tight. I just can't bear to think of it....

So.. needless to say we had to keep searching. It ends up that for now we are moving into a small home on the opposite side of my parents ranch, right next to my brother and his wife and our nephew Tucker. The house is small and leaves much to be desired. The basement has some mold issues and there are only two small bedrooms upstairs so Joel and I will take the mold. We have talked my parents into letting our rent go into fixing up the downstairs for a bit. We want to knock out the old sheetrock/paneling that is there and seal the cement blocks and add egress windows and frame a larger bedroom, and re-sheetrock with green sheetrock and add tile floor. Hopefully it will be much easier to be there then.

Life holds a lot right now and it has been hard for me not to be overwhelmed. I do believe we are doing the right thing. I feel God has led us here. It is still going to be hard to move and leave friends and leave my house and my neighborhood and all that is familiar. We have learned a lot of hard lessons in the last several years and now it is time to move on and leave our struggle behind we hope. His new job has room for growth which is an amazing thing we didn't have before. The pay is less but we have contacts up there to make extra money. We are just putting one foot in front of the other and stepping out in faith.

It is going to be really nice to be with family. It is a good change for this stage of our lives. It is time.......

Baby Steps

Lastnight was my last shift at Applebees. The answer as to why will be coming soon.....

Blog Award

Missie from Thirsty gave me my first blog award today. Thank you so much Missie! If you haven't looked at her blog yet I encourage you to do so. She is a friend I have recently met up with again. We were good friends in middle school. She has a passion for the Lord and is pursuing him. Her blog is a constant encouragement.

The award has some instructions with what needs to be done with it from here.

1. Thank and link back to the person that gave you the award.



2. Share 7 things about your self.



3. Pass the award to 6 fellow bloggers that inspire you.



4. Let them know you gave them an award.





7 things about myself:

1. I long for a simpler life, one where I can raise our own food and live off the land, and while I'm at it, maybe sew some of our clothes.... :-)
2. I like to be very well-informed about everything before I make any decisions
3. Even though I have been a christian basically all my life, I'm still amazed that God died for me when I did nothing to deserve it. He loves me, even when I am unlovely, he cares for me when I am too selfish to care for others. God is so amazing!
4. I love being a wife and mother with my whole being. Not a day goes by I don't thank God for making me both.
5. I'm striving to become a women of Godly character-- one with a gentle and quiet spirit. I want to raise my little girls right.
6. I start homeschool in the fall with my little Abigail-- I look forward to it and dread it all at once. I believe for us it is best because I want to guide and teach my little ones. I want to direct their socialization and point their focus heavenward. Year by year... we'll take it as it comes.
7. I am really into politics and would love to work behind the scenes of a candidate I believe in, like Sarah Palin!





The 9 bloggers I pass this award onto is:



1. Leah at in the hands of the master poet
She is my sister and you should for sure read her blog. She follows God wherever he tells her to go and that is currently to Uganda. She has an amazing heart and I am so glad to call her my sister.



2. Beth at the stamper story
Beth is a friend I met shortly after moving to the cities... she is a super neat person who raises her children in the Lord and somehow manages to create all kinds of beautiful things in the midst of it all.



3. Kara at Delicious Ambiguity
Kara is an old friend from school who is now an at home mommy with soon to be 3 children. She is a sweetheart and it has been fun catching up with her through our blogs and also in real life off and on.



4. Danie at Living on Letters and the Lord
Danie is another sister-- my little brother married her. Danie is such an awesome person. She has a gentle and quiet spirit! I'm so glad she became my sister!



5. Lindsay at Our Lives---In a Nutshell
Lindsay and I haven't actually met in real life but I feel like I know her. She is a mommy to 3 and we seem to be on the same mindframe in life. I would love to one day get to meet her. Check out the amazing adorable things she makes to sell. Again.... I don't know where these busy mom's find the time.



6. Jenny at Lyla Jane
I met this mom through a very good friend. She is amazing. What she has had to go through with her little miracle Lyla Jane- no parent should have to. Watching the grace with which she handles it all and the Glory she gives to God has been such an inspiration in my own parenting.


I have several more fellow bloggers who inspire but they are all set to private so I guess it wouldn't do any good to send out a link for other people to try to look at them! :-)

This and That

The girls with my mom ( I have no clue why I can't get the underlining off or the pink font.)



Life is a highway... I want to ride it all night long..... We sure have been burning up a lot of highway these days. This weekend will be our 3rd weekend in a row heading up north. I have been there more than home these days. We have some big changes coming up that I will be able to let you in on when I know of them fully. As for now... we are cruising down the road... praying for God's will and hanging on for the ride.

My dad taking a very rare moment out of his busy schedule to spend some much needed time with his grandkids.

Abby's awesome bridge. She is amazing at this and can hold it for several minutes. Her teacher told me that she is really good.
This is how messy Kenan gets when he eats. He rubs it everywhere.
My really good friend since high school had a baby girl and I got to meet her for the 1st time. She is just itty bitty and the most precious little thing. I'm glad this is just a first for the rest of her life! :-)
The Kopkie grandkids- minus Kenan and Stephen. They were all ready to head to the rodeo.
I've been doing lots of reading, praying, and soul searching. I found this to be good and speak to me at the moment...

"Human nature has a tendency to try to reconstruct old ways and pick up where we left off. If we're wise, we won't continue to go back to the way things were (we can't anyway). We must instead forget the old standard and accept a "new normal.""--- Don Piper in 90 minutes in Heaven.