Well, Mom told me to update my blog, but I didn't have anything new and exciting to talk about, so I thought I would show you the most recent page that I just scrapbooked. Pretty sad that I'm just now getting to summer pics, but one of my goals for this year is to scrapbook at least one night a week. That way I should be able to catch up a little. And if I do it one night a week, then I get addicted and I actually end up doing it more often than that. It probably doesn't help that I'm trying to tackle 3 scrapbooks at one time (one for each of the girls and one for family)! This page will go in the family album.

Our church is in the middle of Missions Conference (a time during the year when we focus on missions and raising money to support our missionaries) and last night we had our opening rally. David Fuller was the speaker and his talk was so convicting. I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. Our theme is "Go Tell It From the Mountain" (since our new church is on a hilltop), so he was talking about when we go and tell, what do we tell them? If we don't have an intimate relationship with Christ which brings inner joy, then we will have nothing to offer people who need that joy. We can't give what we don't have. And he used a verse in Acts (19:11-13) that talks about people using the name of Paul and the name of Christ to heal and drive out demons. And one demon looked at them and said, "I know Jesus and I know Paul, but who are you?" So if we don't have a relationship with Christ that gives us ultimate joy, then people will notice that we don't have what we are trying to offer them! Wow, for me that was really powerful!

A quick update on the potty training thing. The girls are catching on!!!! Until today, Kenzie had no accidents for two weeks (of course, when we are out, they wear a pull-up...but at home, panties all day!) and Sydney has not had an accident for a week! At the beginning, I thought they would never get it, now I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Praise the Lord!

Mom, hope that's a good enough update for you...I better get a comment from you! I haven't taken any pics this week of the girls, so I will try to be better next week. Last Sunday, when we were getting our ice storm (yeah right) the girls helped me make chocolate chip cookies and we forgot to get pics of it. They had a blast though, so maybe we will do it again this weekend and remember to take pics this time. Anyone want some cookies?

I just got off the phone with Linz and found out that she's coming home from IWU for the weekend! WooHoo! I'll be going to some late movies this weekend! Yeah!

Dream Come True!!!!

I came home from choir practice tonight to a letter waiting for me on the table. The return address was RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf). I knew instantly that it had to be about the National Exam that I had taken back in October in Washington D.C. My first instinct was that it was a fail letter because it was so small and skinny, I was expecting a packet with information. So I told myself not to cry and I ripped it open. The first words were: Dear Erica: Congratulations! I started screaming and jumping up and down and hugging Jon and screaming some more! This is absolutely a dream come true. For the last ten years, I have always thought that this was out of reach, that I would never be good enough. Of course, I am my own worse critic. Even now, it's so hard for me to believe that I'm "one of them". All those years of hard work and tears and challenging situations has finally paid off! Thank you, God, for giving me this talent and giving me a way to find it and cultivate it and succeed in it. I know God gives us desires and passions and then wants us to be successful in it. He has truly made that happen for me and I'm eternally grateful. I'm on the verge of tears right now, just thinking about everything that had to fall in place for this to happen. God's hand was in it all. I doubt if I ever would have gone into this field if we had not moved to Roanoke ten years ago and I had to look at new schools and start over again. I was going into Elementary Education until I found a small Community College down the road that offered an Interpreter Training Program. How would I have ever known that our move would bring me to this? God is good and I'm going to celebrate this weekend!!!!

I've Been Tagged!

Ok, here's the deal. April tagged me, now I'm it. I will list 6 wierd things about myself and then tag 6 people who will have to do the same on their own blog! Ready?!

Wow, this could be hard!

1. I love to eat Hot Tamales with my popcorn.
2. I never get dressed before I blowdry my hair.
3. I can't drink caffeine after 1pm or I will be up until 3am.
4. I am extremely ticklish and if you get me in the right spot then I will laugh, fart, and snort at the same time. (One time this happened when Jon and I were dating and he told his mother. And you wonder why she thought I wasn't good enough for her son?!)
5. I planned my wedding while I was in Indiana, Jon in NY, my mom in CA, and the wedding taking place in MI.
6. I have really waxy ears and I have to see the doctor once a year to have them cleaned out! Gross!

Well, that was fun and embarrassing! Hope none of you will judge me for any of those answers!

Tag, you're it:
Allison
Mom
Gail
Pam
P. Marty
Linz (if you ever read my blog!)

NewYear, New Bed!

We're back from an awesome trip home to Michigan for the holidays and ready to start the year off right! Like with kicking potty training in the you know what, along with other goals! Here's a pic of how the girls lives have changed, they are sleeping in toddler beds tonight for the first time! So far, so good...they've been down for an hour and they have not fallen out and they did not get up once when we put them down. WooHoo!! Also a really bad family pic when we were at Essenhaus (the best Amish food ever). Mom, I could send it to you, but I'm almost sure you don't want this one to send to your friends (ask Ali if she got a better one). And to top it off, a great pic of Jon and I at my favorite restaurant...Chili's!