Mom2Twins

Catchin' up!

2010-02-17T20:14:00.002-05:00

Sorry about the long absence. I feel terrible to those of you who do not have facebook and cannot keep up with me on there. Life has been crazy since I last posted. Obviously, a lot has happened...it's been like three months! Oh my goodness! So sorry.

The beginning of the year brought lots of changes. Jon started his Masters of Divinity program and was gone for a week to IWU. During that week, Jon's Pa passed away and it was a blessing that Jon was able to drive home and see him during his last few hours here on earth. I was in an accident and totaled the camry. It had been a great car for ten years but we then had to go car shopping...something that Jon and I both loathed! Sydney started ballet classes and loved it so much she convinced her sister to join as well. So, both the girls are taking ballet and loving it! I started to lead a Beth Moore bible study on Thursday nights. This is not my first Beth Moore study, but it is my first time leading one. It is a great group of ladies and I'm looking forward to what God will do in each of our lives during the study.

Right now just sitting back and enjoying the Olympics. I want to promise that I will not have any more long absences from blogging...but I decline from making such a promise. Life is good but crazy and if something has to go, it will be blogging! Hope you all are doing well.

2009-11-24T20:46:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the long absence. I'm going to blame it on busy-ness! Our lives have been crazy, but it's all good stuff. I think it's that mentality that keeps me busy though. I'm wrestling with the idea of not blogging anymore. I think it's just one more thing for me to do and one more thing to make me feel guilty if I don't do it. I really started blogging in Virginia so that people like my family and Jon's family could keep up with the girls and all their changes. I've never been fond of blogging or writing in general. So...I will let you know. In the meantime, hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving and enjoy a day of thankful reminders!

Turkeyville!

2009-10-16T23:14:00.000-04:00

A great fall day birthday celebration at Turkeyville, for Pa's 86th!

Fridays.....

2009-10-16T23:05:00.002-04:00

When the girls are in school, the week flies by! Before you know it, it's Friday! And I remember now why we used to always live for Fridays when we were all in school...fun, late nights, sleeping in...even just for a couple days before we have to get back to the grind. Tonight, we had some friends over for taco night and playing cards. We always have a great time with them and their daughter plays so well with our girls. Unfortunately, just when we were getting ready to sit down and eat dinner, Makenzie said her tummy hurt and she wanted to go to bed and not eat. So she was in bed and asleep by about 7pm. I hope she's not coming down with a bug. Please pray for her! Hope you all enjoy your Friday before Monday comes back way too quickly!

And the girls turn 5!

2009-09-30T22:37:00.004-04:00

We had a huge birthday party for the girls' 5th birthday. We had 25 kids and parents at the Bounce Party in Grand Rapids, where there are huge bounce houses, slides, mazes. The kids AND the adults had a great time! And Nana knocked it out of the park once again with the Wizard of Oz themed cupcakes...she is amazing, we keep telling her to use her talent to make tons of cash! I think Jon and I are still in shock on how quickly time has flown by, five years feels like two. It just feels like yesterday that we brought them home from the hospital and looked at each other and said, "When are these babies parents coming to pick them up?" Life felt so strange then, now we couldn't imagine life without them.

First Day of School...

2009-09-16T20:45:00.003-04:00

Sorry these are so late, the girls' first day of Young 5's was last Thursday, and I'm finally just getting these pictures downloaded to my computer! I thought things would slow down and get into a rhythm when the girls started school, but it really just feels like life is moving quicker. Enjoy the pics! They will be 5 tomorrow! Hard to believe that 5 years has gone by since they joined our family. I can't really remember much about life before they were here except that I had more time and more money! But they are...priceless.

Going to the lake...

2009-08-22T09:02:00.002-04:00

Going to the lake this week with Ali's fam and Nana & Papaw! We rented two cabins at Long Lake in Hasting and will be spending the week there. The cabins are about ten steps from the beach/lake, so lots of beach time! Taking about four books to read...I may be thinking way too positively as far as that goes since we will still have all the kids around! Like a friend of mine once said, "it's a trip if you take the kids, but it's a vacation if you have no kids." Well, this is definitely a trip, but I think it will be a really fun one! Will update you with photos on the flipside. Have a great week!

2009-08-11T12:20:00.002-04:00

Last night, some of my girlfriends took me out for ice cream and then to see the movie Julie & Julia. It was a birthday surprise planned by my hubby and my good friend Sherry. I was picked up by Lori and then driven to Maggie Moo's where 6 other friends were sitting there waiting for us. Friends, ice cream, popcorn, good movie...what more could I have asked for on the day after my birthday? The movie is a definite recommendation, I give it an A. It was a great movie about the support and love of the men behind two women and how they couldn't have succeeded without them. Julia Child's hubby called her "the butter for my bread and the breath of my life". Too sweet! A very touching moment when she, Julia, found out that her sister was pregnant (Julia was unable to have children) and she cried into her hubby's shirt and then said (as she was bawling), "I really am so happy for her". I knew exactly how she felt and started bawling too. It brought back some very intense memories for me. I remember the exact spot where I was sitting in our home in Virginia when Allison told me on the phone that she was pregnant. I bawled but was also so happy for her too. Weird, conflicting emotions. But I do believe "all things work together for good" and I now am able to be empathetic towards those who are going through the same thing in their life.

Riding without training wheels!

2009-08-02T23:25:00.004-04:00

Tonight after dinner, we went outside to help the girls learn how to ride their bikes without training wheels. Within one hour, they got it! It was so amazing! All the neighbors were out and cheering them on. They got so much help and encouragement...they loved being in the limelight. I know it inspired them! Then Landon got home from his birthday party at his grandparents and everyone had cake all around. As we were walking down the hall towards bed, Kenzie was skipping and said, "Mommy, it was a GREAT night!" Sydney wanted to be sure that she could get up first thing in the morning and ride again.

Reminiscing...

2009-07-28T11:48:00.002-04:00

I was just looking back at some of my blogs from three years ago when I first started blogging...and wow! The girls have changed so much. They are actually little girls now and it just feels like yesterday that they were babies. I was reading a blog from Dec. 18th, 2006 when I was potty training and one of the girls had colored on the dresser, it seemed like those days would never end. But here we are now, 3 years later, they ask to go out and play with their neighbor friends, they cross the street on their own and knock on their door, they play outside all day...and I'm just an afterthought! But I am getting lots of laundry done! Looking at those pics and reminiscing really puts life in perspective. Lord, help me cherish each day!

Spontaneous Hotel Stay!

2009-07-20T10:59:00.005-04:00

Our Hotel Stay at the Ft. Wayne Hilton...thanks to Priceline!

We took a chance last Friday and got on Priceline to see if we could get a hotel room to stay in while we went to Indiana for my family reunion. Amazingly, we got a four star hotel, the Fort Wayne Hilton for only $50! We drove down Friday, got there about 8:30pm. Went down to the pool and swam for about an hour and then also got up in the morning and went swimming after Jon went out to McD's and brought us back some breakfast. We made some great memories and we were so glad that we just stole the moment and did something spontaneous!

The girls swimming for the first time without their swimmies on...it's like they finally just got it!

I'm bringing home by baby bumblebee...

2009-07-11T23:23:00.002-04:00

Kenzie has such a great voice! At least she sings while she works! I'm pretty sure she didn't learn that from me!

Where have I been...

2009-06-27T22:10:00.002-04:00

Sorry it has been so long! I've gotten hooked to Facebook (even though I swore that I never would) and when I get online, I normally check my email and then check fb then try to get off without spending (or wasting) ridiculous amounts of time on the computer! Anyway, lately I've gotten into bad habits of staying up way too late...my body is getting into a bad cycle. I vow to stop it tonight!...after I finish this blog! Wow, I've got it bad!

Quick update...summer vacation, but busy, busy. I'm volunteering on T/Th mornings at a deaf camp for the next 3 weeks. The girls go with me and they are exposed to kids who are deaf and sign language, so it's good for them. In two weeks, I will start teaching a sign language class at an area church who has some kids who are deaf and their leaders want to learn basic sign. Last week, I started co-leading a JourneyMoms Lifegroup that meets Wed. mornings at the park. Great group of ladies, I think it will be super fun. Working some Fridays and Mondays, so it seems that everyday of the week has something going on...but August is free and open and I am going to be intentional about keeping it that way!

I've been struggling with what my role will be this year at Journey Church. I've been asked to pray about being the Coordinator for our Tiny Travelers age group (ages 3-5). The description fits my gifts, but just not sure. If Journey was larger, I would probably not work in kids at all...but I know that's where the biggest need is right now, but I also don't want to dread going to church either! I know God will give me clarity and wisdom...He said He would if I ask Him!

Now....off to bed, off to bed!

Two Years Ago...

2009-06-02T15:11:00.002-04:00

Two years ago today, we packed up our house where we had lived for seven years in a town where we had lived for ten years and headed to Michigan to do something that was so foreign and scary to us that we thought our lives were over! We packed up on our 11th wedding anniversary, went to a going away party at the Corey's house, went to church on Sunday where we cried more than ever before, and then went to our last Sunday lunch at El Rodeo where we cried even more than we had before. What a scary, exciting, exhilarating time we were living in! We knew we were making the right decision but that didn't make it any easier or any less scary. But, church planting has been the ride of a lifetime and we wouldn't trade our decision for the world! It's been an awesome two years!

Celebrate Moms!

2009-05-13T21:51:00.002-04:00

Celebrate Moms! That's what the banner said that the girls made for their Mother's Day party. They did so well planning their very first party. They greeted everyone at the door and let their friends go first in the lunch line. I was so proud of them! And they understood the whole point of it too...after everyone had left, Kenzie told Nana that it was a party for her to learn how to throw a party! Obviously, this mom is raising them to be party animals!

2009-05-07T20:11:00.002-04:00

Life has been extremely crazy! Lots of jobs, meetings, laundry, and just life in general! But this weekend is going to be just fun. The girls are throwing a Mother's Day party this Saturday for just moms and daughters. So mom and Allison are both staying overnight Friday and Jon has said he would watch baby Emma so we could all go to the movies. Then the girls' party should be loads of fun...they have planned it all, from the invitations to the menu items. Dad says I just like to have parties and don't need an excuse. I think I have to agree with him! Then, of course, Sundays are always fun and even more so when it's Mother's Day! It'll be a fun weekend...

Bragging

2009-04-30T14:28:00.004-04:00

I have to brag a bit about myself! I told you all about the awesome opportunity I had to interpret for BD Wong. Well, there was an article in the Kalamazoo newspaper and here's what was said:

Also engaging was Erica Allen, the sign language interpreter for the event. She sat onstage during Wong's presentation, tirelessly transcribing it in the air for the hearing impaired, admirably matching him emotion for emotion. Near the end of his speech, Wong used Allen to demonstrate that while diversity is a word that people tend to use all the time, they often don't think about what it really means. "What we realize just in this particular instance is that it doesn't matter if there's a hearing-impaired person in the audience," Wong said, gesturing to Allen. "What matters is that any hearing-impaired person in this immediate area has the freedom and the ability to walk into a presentation like this and know that they will be able to appreciate it like everyone else." (written by Simon Thalmann).

I've been meaning to put this on here for awhile, but life has been crazy! Although there are some days that I feel quite a sense of accomplishment for how far I've come in my interpreting career, there are other times when I feel like I still have so much to learn and improve. That's just a disclaimer so you all don't think I'm being too prideful! ha!

A few Easter pics...

2009-04-16T21:15:00.003-04:00

Sydney loved her new watch in her Easter basket. Kenzie, on the other hand, said "I don't want a new watch, why are you not getting me things I don't want?" Perfect timing to have a little lesson in appreciation!

Daddy's girl!

Cousins....who usually act like siblings!
Fighting and then loving eachother.

She would have found more eggs, but she stopped to look in each egg when she picked it up. She didn't want to get stuck with an egg she didn't want. My goodness, do I see a pattern here? Are my girls picky or something? I hope not!

Grandma getting some baby love and Sydney love! We were so proud of Allison, she actually dressed her first baby girl in a dress for her first Easter, even a barrette in her hair...the day was full of surprises!

Easter Reflections...

2009-04-14T13:08:00.003-04:00

God is good! Seven people accepted Christ at Journey Church on Sunday! Praise the Lord for lives changed for eternity! I feel honored and humbled that God wants us to be a part of his Kingdom work.
I was able to work in kid's and then had to go home with Kenzie who had a headache so bad that she was in tears. Brought her home, put her to bed, started dinner, then had 21 people here for dinner! Good times! Good food, great friends and family, nice enough weather for outdoor egg hunt, Sunday naps on the sofa. I told my sis that what I love about Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas is grazing at the food all day. Of course, there are other things I love more than that, but that's one of the highlights!
Hope you all had a great day celebrating our risen Savior!

Mini Vacation

2009-04-04T20:07:00.005-04:00

We took a much needed overnight vacation last night with the girls to a local Holiday Inn. It had an indoor water park and the girls were in 7th heaven! We had so much fun together as a family and just enjoyed relaxing (and even sleeping in a bit). Jon turned off his phone and we were able to just not think about anything but enjoying our girls. We decided now it's something we will have to do more often...probably not the same hotel though, it was expensive! But worth it!

Praisin' the Lord!

2009-04-02T22:49:00.004-04:00

Praising the Lord with singing and dancing...

He's my...rock, my sword, my shield,
He's the wheel in the middle of the wheel,
the lily of the valley,
the bright and morning star,
makes no difference what you say,
I'm gonna get on my knees and pray,
I'm gonna sing until the day that Jesus comes!!!

Celebrity Sighting...

2009-03-31T22:20:00.003-04:00

Today, I got my first opportunity to interpret for a "celebrity"! I interpreted for B.D. Wong from Law & Order: SVU at a Diversity presentation in Kalamazoo. I have to say I haven't met too many stars, and I was tongue tied, star struck, whatever! But it was a good time. He decided to have a little fun with me during his presentation and made me sign "Erica Allen is the most beautiful woman in the whole world"! I know my face was red as a tomato, I was so embarrassed! And even though he was there to talk about his experiences with Asian-American diversity issues, he really talked more about being gay. Which I find interesting considering Kalamazoo is going through a huge debate right now about adding gay/lesbian community to the hate crime laws that are being put on the books...hhmmm? A little strategy going on there? Anyway, no matter the subject, I LOVE my job! And today it was lots of fun!

Journey Update

2009-03-29T22:39:00.003-04:00

What a great Sunday at Journey Church! Jon's been doing a series called Hostage about the things that keep us from living a life of freedom. Today we celebrated giving up what holds us for what gives us life...ending the service with I Am Free! What a great way to walk out of church and start the week! Not only that, but this month's average numbers have been an all time high and consistent for 4 weeks. We also had at least five first time families, I pray that they were welcomed, encouraged, and loved like no other church. I had invited a deaf friend to come this Sunday and was kinda disappointed that she didn't show, but maybe another week. Hope you all also had an awesome Sunday worshipping the one and only great God!

Stars on Ice!

2009-03-23T21:13:00.005-04:00

We have a wonderful lady in our church who gets tickets yearly to the Stars on Ice show. My parents and I got to take Sydney to the show while Jon stayed home with Kenzie (who we had to take to Urgent Care due to an ear infection). We were so disappointed that Kenzie couldn't go because she loved the show so much last year, so I got some of the numbers on video so she could watch them on the computer. Here's a sampling for you all to enjoy as well!

Ready for the show!

Sydney and Nana

I don't know about you all, but I'm completely amazed by ice skating...it is a sport that takes so much strength, agility, and talent. Sydney claimed to want to become an ice skater and wear pink skates. She also asked why the guys pants didn't fall off while they were skating! The things they ask at this age! Keeps me laughing!

I ask for you all to be praying for Kenzie as well. We just found out that she probably has an allergy to milk and wheat...that may be the reason for all her sickness. We were quite overwhelmed by this news, but we are trusting God to heal her and if we have to help her eat better in the process then we will do whatever it takes to make her feel better. Let me know if you have any good wheat free and milk free recipes!

What a week...

2009-03-14T23:52:00.002-04:00

What a week! Kenzie has been and is still fighting off some kind of bug this week. High fevers every night, and stomach aches after she eats. Took her to the doctor and they found nothing...they say it must be just a virus and it will run its course. Well, I think a week and two days is long enough to run its course. And on top of that, Kenz is totally clingy and whiny when she's sick, it has been almost unbearable.

Jon also had the flu on Monday night, and was unable to keep anything down until Wednesday. He was supposed to go away this week and have a three day study time and he lost that opportunity. Luckily, he had a productive day today and was able to get a lot done.

Now that you are caught up on our week, I will go ahead and complain! I had to sleep on the sofa two nights in a row, cut a breakfast with a friend short to go pick up Kenz at school when she had a fever, call off an interpreting job and miss bible study. It was the ultimate mom sacrifice week! I'm not being prideful at all, I actually struggled with not being selfish this week. And then, of course, I feel guilty for not being more selfless. It's awful to see your children sick and it's easy to place so much blame on myself for how they are feeling...could I have prevented it? Being a mom is difficult every second! It's so true that no one can prepare you for parenthood. Which is a great movie, by the way. Parenthood with Steve Martin. Maybe I should watch that to have a good laugh after this week!

Our new niece...Emma Grace!

2009-03-03T22:25:00.002-05:00

Makenzie and baby Emma

Sydney, our little mother hen

Emma Grace Davis born at 1:26am on 3-01-09

The miracle of birth amazes me every time! The way God designed a woman's body to carry a child in the womb and then for that body to deliver a baby that is completely developed with fingernails and eyelashes...an absolute miracle! It was fun watching the girls with Emma. They both loved holding her, talking to her, and kissing her. Kenzie kept calling her a cutie pie! We were actually pretty surprised that Kenzie was so into her since she normally has a "whatever" kind of mentality. Sydney, on the other hand, loves babies to death and can't get enough of them. She asked me the other day if she would have a baby sister when she's in high school and I said, "Dear Lord, help me, NO!"

Anyway, besides my own two children, she is the most adorable baby! Of course, it runs in the family!

2009-02-20T10:17:00.001-05:00

Jon thinks I sold him out as a romantic poet, so any of you who read the last post, don't give him a hard time or I may never get another poem from him!

Romantic Husband...

2009-02-18T22:53:00.004-05:00

Not too many great thoughts going through my mind right now, except that I'm so thankful for my husband! He is an amazing man. I could talk and talk about the things he has done for me, but today he wrote a poem about his love for me and I'm overwhelmed. I will not share the whole poem here (wink!) but here are a couple stanzas:

Did I decide to love your support of me or was it just there?
Your willingness to pack it all in and take a risk?
Your frustration with me when I don't see myself well enough?
Did I decide to love you for those or was it just there?

Did I decide to love your fearlessness or was it just there?
Your willingness to jump head first into a new place or city?
Your willingness to try something you've never done?
Did I decide to love you for those or was it just there?

Did I decide to love you, or is it just there?
I am still unsure whether I decided or just do, but I am sure I just enjoy loving you!

Isn't it great to be so in love after 12 years of marriage? Sometimes I'm amazed that I'm more in love with my hubby than the day we married. When we were newlyweds, it was our pet peeve when people would say that it doesn't last, you won't be so romantic when you've been married ten years, blah blah blah. Jon and I used to tell eachother that we were going to choose a different life, we weren't going to let that happen to us, because we know that love is a choice. And I must admit, he is a romantic...I know I am very lucky (fortunate, blessed, whatever you want to call it) to have a man that carries more than his share in keeping the romance in our marriage!

Okay, I'm done bragging!

Quick Update

2009-02-10T20:55:00.002-05:00

Sydney is better, must have been a 24 hour stomach bug.
We've been to Roanoke and back for their Missions Conference.
Parkway is still an awesome church and they are going to keep supporting Journey Church! WooHoo!
It was so nice today, the girls rode their bikes and we grilled out for dinner.
The girls introduction to Valentine's Day: watched Charlie Brown Valentine special tonight, wrote their names on Valentine's cards for Thursday's party, wore red/pink today for preschool, made heart cookies with Nana.
I'm going to Battle Creek for the next two days to work from 8a-4p. That's right...working two full days! I'm obviously way too spoiled when that feels like too much work.
Thanks for your prayers for Sydney and for our trip...appreciate you all!

Chris Tomlin...What a concert!

2009-01-30T19:43:00.003-05:00

We had the privilege of being able to take our Journey Church staff and Advisory team to the Chris Tomlin concert last night. It was just our way of being able to say thank you to them for all they do weekly for Journey Church. We had an amazing time worshipping together and then going out for shakes and burgers at the 24/7 Steak-n-Shake! To use the word "concert" to describe the night is a misinterpretation, because it really was a worship experience. It's great for those who give so much on Sundays and don't get ministered to because they are always ministering to others, a chance to just sit back and take it all in...not to worry about if every little thing's covered, just worship! Jon and I were so excited to provide that kind of night for them. I'm thinking they all had as much fun as we did!

I added a pic of our sweetie, Sydney, so you all can be praying for her. She's been sick tonight, thrown up twice since before dinner. She was fine all day then about 3pm started complaining of her belly hurting. We didn't think much of it, because she tells us when every little thing hurts. Of course, when she really did get sick, I felt horrible for not believing her. Anyway, we would feel honored if you would remember to pray for her and the whole family, that no one else gets sick and that she sleeps straight through the night.

Snow Pictures

2009-01-18T19:39:00.003-05:00

For my Roanoke friends who are so craving some snow...this is for you! Does a picture make you want it more? I really do wish we could pack some up and send it your way! If you notice, behind the girls, the snow mound is up to our mailbox! Right pitiful!

It's so cold that...

2009-01-16T21:58:00.002-05:00

A few observations of mine from living in Michigan during the coldest winter in 8 years.

It's so cold that...
1. windshield wiper fluid freezes on the window.
2. the snot in your nose freezes.
3. a two-liter of pop left in the garage will explode.
4. when the sun comes out, none of the snow melts.
5. ice formed on the inside of our bedroom window.
6. there are no double digits on the thermometers unless it has a negative in front of it.

This blog is especially for my good Virginia friends who were saying it was getting cold there. I feel your pain...not! I would take a Virginia winter any day right now!

Beware...computers are addictive!

2009-01-06T21:30:00.003-05:00

With my new computer from my hubby, I think I'm becoming a computer junkie! I've actually been on facebook more in the last few days than the last few months altogether...adding pics and friends and all that stuff, skype called two people today (Gwen and Sharon), kept my email pulled up all day (which actually was helpful since I got four interpreting jobs with my speedy response!), let the girls play games on nick jr. and pbskids. Oh man, my kids are becoming computer junkies too! Help us! All in all, though, I know I'm not in too much danger. If I ever had to choose the computer over hanging out with real live people...I would always choose people!
Thanks, Gwen, for helping me set up skype and for being my first call. You are too special! I appreciate you!

Webcam Fun!

2009-01-02T10:10:00.002-05:00

Jon got me a new laptop for Christmas! Well, it has a webcam and we've been having so much fun playing with it! As you can see, I had not even had a shower yet that morning (I was in my robe) and the girls and I were having fun taking pictures. They loved seeing themselves on the computer screen, it was so much more fun than just looking at a picture of yourself! It was cute because they didn't actually look at the camera, they looked at the screen. But still...they look adorable!

Now that I've figured out how to take pictures with the webcam, I need to figure out how to do a video as well. Anyone have any tips for me? I'm learning lots of new stuff with this computer, but I'm far from a computer guru. I actually had to call my brother-in-law the other day just to figure out how to get the girls' leapfrog game to play. Now that's right pitiful (as my southern friends would say)!

And yes, that is Makenzie in a Snow White costume. My mom made the girls some dress-up clothes for Christmas...she is so talented, they actually look like something you would buy at the Disney Store! Kenz has worn the dress everyday since Christmas! And when Kenzie plays dress up, she actually becomes the person that she is playing. She will tell me, "Mom, when you talk to me today, call me Cinderella" or "Mom, you forgot my name, it's Cinderella". She's hilarious!

Ben & Sharon Wedding Pics

2008-12-27T13:32:00.002-05:00

Blizzard weather, beautiful wedding!

As the snow fell outside, Ben and Sharon wed inside where it was warm and romantic! The wedding was gorgeous and came off without a hitch. Even the blizzard conditions and icy roads could not keep this wedding from being all that Ben and Sharon dreamed. From our end, it was a family effort to pull this thing off. Jon was the best man, the girls were flower girls, I was wedding coordinator (which is way more responsibility than I ever dreamed it could be!), and my mom made the cake and cheesecakes (150 mini individual cheesecakes...yum!). Wow! What a weekend! But all in all, it was fun! AND rewarding to see Ben and Sharon so pleased with how it turned out. As long as the bride is happy...

Welcome back to the real world, Erica!

2008-12-18T16:34:00.003-05:00

I'm back! No more splint! The doc said things are looking good and he was very pleased with the scar that's forming. I guess if you have to have scars, then this is a pretty nice one! Ha! But now I have to actually get back to cleaning and cooking! Our Lifegroup brought us meals for 3 weeks and my parents came and cleaned the whole house and made Christmas cookies. I was spoiled for awhile and now have to get back to real life! Actually, it doesn't feel too bad doing normal things, I was starting to get frustrated with my incompetence and unproductiveness!

Here's a cute little pic of the cousins at Micah's birthday party the day after Thanksgiving.

2008-12-02T22:52:00.002-05:00

I've been gone for awhile due to having surgery on my wrist last week. That crazy, huge, ugly cyst that I had removed last year came right back, so I had it removed again. Supposedly, my doctor here is a world-renowned hand surgeon. He is very strict too. I had to leave the bandage and splint on for a whole week. When I went in today to have the bandage removed, the doc said I had to wear a splint for another two weeks! I was so discouraged. I'm having trouble keeping my peace and having God's perspective on the whole thing. Jon reminded me today that in the big scheme of life, this is so temporary and unworthy of my frustrating energy. Praise the Lord for church friends who are bringing meals, and addressing my Christmas cards, and just praying for us all the time. I may not update for awhile since it's a pain to type one-handed!

The Fruit of the Sprirt is...

2008-11-22T13:27:00.002-05:00

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If you are a Christian, then you have heard these all your life but (like me) not really understood what they meant or how they should be evident in our lives. I've been taking the Beth Moore Bible study called Living Beyond Yourself; Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit. It has really been working me over and God has been convicting me through this study so I thought I would share a bit here.

For the first time in my Christian walk, I have realized that since I am a Christian, I have this great gift from God...the Holy Spirit. And a life that bears much fruit will please God, so have I been bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit? No! The thing is, this fruit does not come easily. The Spirit is given to us when we become a Christian, but the fruit comes later. Through a filling of the Spirit daily, through reading God's Word and prayer. These weeks in this study, I've had to ask God daily to manifest this fruit through my life, to help me as I try to walk in His Spirit. I've been reminded of what God said in 2 Corinthians: "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." It is so freeing to live with the fruit of the Spirit working in my life.

Today's study is on gentleness and the Greek description of gentleness is: "The acceptance of God's dealings with us considering them as good in that they enhance the closeness of our relationship with him."

Wow! God is dealing with me so gently and tenderly, because it (He) is good and all He desires for me is to be closer to Him and to have what is better than all I could imagine. He only convicts me in order to change my weaknesses into strengths and to enhance the closeness of my relationship to Him. He wants the very best for me, and the fruit, gentleness, will be evident in my life if I accept how He deals with me and I stop fighting and resisting Him...knowing that He is good.

Anyway, normally, I do not do much musing on my blog, since I don't see myself as a writer...BUT I was too excited about what God has been doing in my life to keep it to myself! I had to share how cool God is! I hope He is working in your lives right now too!

My Kids Love Youtube!

2008-11-16T21:23:00.002-05:00

Here's a link to a video on youtube that Kenzie is in love with right now! She loves any kind of animal and this one is so cute and funny. She tells everyone that she is going to grow up to be a doctor that gives shots to animals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzRH3iTQPrk

Our girls love to watch animals and other kids on youtube. I think it's great to expose them to technology at a young age, but if you're not careful with youtube, it will start bringing up related videos that have nothing to do with what you were watching. I know we will not have to worry about it for awhile, but I totally see the importance of having internet restrictions for your kids.

Dalmatians 100 and 101

2008-11-08T21:18:00.002-05:00

I would have to say my dalmatians were the most adorable dogs out trick-or-treating on Halloween. Nana made their awesome costumes and their cute faces made it all the better! They played the part so well...Kenzie would not speak to anyone, she only barked! She stayed in character the whole night. Can anyone say Drama Queen? And luckily, we had gorgeous weather! Unlike last year when we had rain and sleet, this year was about 70 degrees and sunny. Perfect night!

Voting Day!

2008-11-04T21:00:00.002-05:00

Did my civic duty today and voted! Luckily, I didn't have to wait in line for hours like some did...I was in and out in 15 minutes! I was a bit shocked that Michigan is still a darken in the circle system. I felt like I was taking a multiple choice test! Plus, in Virginia, we always voted in the schools, but here in Michigan, a lot of the voting was in churches. Does separation of church and state only apply when it doesn't benefit the government?

I was remembering that four years ago when I voted for president, the girls were only 2 months old and I took them into the booth with me in their car seats (they slept through the whole thing). When we left, the worker put a "I voted" sticker on both of their feet...so cute! Then I went to Taco Bell for lunch! I remember the important stuff! That was four years ago and it just feels like yesterday.

Another cute story, I picked the girls up from preschool and I had my "I voted" sticker on. Sydney asked me what it said and I told her I had voted. She had a puzzled look on her face and said, Huh? So I said, "Honey, when you grow up, you will have the privilege to vote (or pick) for the person that will run our country." She said, "But mommy, when I grow up I want to be a nurse!" Wow, she definitely knows exactly what she wants! I told her that nurses can vote too!

First Field Trip to the Apple Orchard

2008-10-28T20:45:00.003-04:00

Eating donuts and cider with their best friend, Tori.

Coloring on gourds. Kenzie can't say gourd, so she calls it her girl.

Hayride with their other good friend, Mia.

Their whole class.

The girls went on their very first field trip the other day to the apple orchard. They seemed to have a good time. They both are attached to one friend, Tori, but it seemed to be a mutual attachment. I was worried that they were overwhelming her with too much attention, but she liked being around them too. I was so grateful to be able to go along with them and get to know some of the other mothers in a deeper way. More than just a hi, how are you, passing in the hall. I hope to build some relationships with three of them, I'm having the first over next Tuesday for lunch and a play date. Be praying for some open doors there.

2008-10-24T19:50:00.002-04:00

Date night has been postponed. Instead of having an intimate time with my hubby, we will be picking up trash at the Caledonia HS football game in the rain. All in the name of outreach! Jon said he owes me big time...you better believe it! No free dates to make up for missing this one! We had done the trash pick up thing a couple weeks ago with the whole group that worked in the concessions and it went so well that the Athletic Director called and asked if Journey would do it again. So here we are...getting ready to go pick up trash in the rain...we love you Caledonia, can you tell?! I have a little ray of hope that we may be able to go out for a date tomorrow night since the girls are at grandma's and she thought she was keeping them for two nights and not just tonight. If Jon's not feeling to overwhelmed after being at a conference all day, then I may get my date this weekend anyway! We'll see! Just so you all know...Jon is the best hubby on the earth and after all he's ever done for me, I can allow him to skip out on a little date with me. My good friend Teresa reminded me yesterday about the Myrtle Beach trip when I was whining about my date night...thanks for the reminder, Teresa.

Busy, Busy Fall

2008-10-21T22:34:00.003-04:00

I can't wait to see commercials that are not political. I am so sick of these! Can you tell I'm watching TV while I'm blogging?

I'm going to be keeping you updated in the next few months with my weight loss. My good friend Lori and I are going to be doing Body-for-Life together, which is the same program that I did back in 1999 and lost over 20 pounds. I kept it off for 4 years and then had the girls, now I've tried too many things in the last three years and I'm going back to the only thing that has ever really worked for me. And with an accountability partner this time...I'm so excited about it! Our goal date is New Year's Day. We will both have reached our goals and then we will go on a shopping spree while our hubbies watch football all day! My goal this time is 28 pounds...I'll keep you in the loop!

Jon is leaving tomorrow morning to go with Dennis Jackson to IWU for two days and then he's at a conference this weekend. In two weeks he will be going to CA for a conference with Chad McCallum and then two weeks after that he's making a quick trip to Roanoke to meet with the Parkway Church Board. We are coming into a very busy time for us and we appreciate your prayers. And...as always, Journey needs lots of prayer too. Luckily, I think Jon and I will be able to get a date this Friday night. It will be much needed, we have not had alone time in months. Last weekend, Jon did a wedding and I was not able to go to the rehearsal dinner since we didn't have a babysitter. Anyway, the parents of the groom felt so bad that I wasn't able to be there (the dinner was at Red Lobster, one of my faves) that they bought us a gift card. So our next date will be free! Nice.

2008-10-17T21:18:00.002-04:00

I'm having so much fun with these new backgrounds! You can get them too at www.thecutestblogontheblock.com. You may never know what you will get visiting Erica's blog...wow, isn't she a wild one?!

Certified Again!

2008-10-15T11:44:00.003-04:00

Let me just boast a bit here. It's usually about my girls or my hubby, but this time it's all about me! I passed another national certification test for interpreting! This probably doesn't mean much to most of you, but I now have my CI and CT! Basically, more letters after your name always shows higher qualifications...same is true in the interpreting field. It's hard for me to believe that I have actually attained these certifications, because for so long it seemed impossible. I have always looked up to other nationally certified interpreters and never actually put myself in the same arena as them, I have to keep telling myself that I'm in the same class as them. Amazing! This will also mean a pay raise for some of the places I work! Yeah!

Journey's Anniversary!!

2008-10-05T21:53:00.002-04:00

Today, Journey Church turned one! Not only did we have an anniversary, but we also went to two service times (9:30 & 11:00). After awhile, our core people were on board, but there was still some fear, not knowing how it was going to work out. Of course, no surprise, God is good! We had a great Sunday, new people there, lots of people serving, and about 8 or so new salvations! WooHoo! It's awesome to think that if we had not listened to God's calling a year ago and come to Caledonia to plant Journey Church, then those 8 people would not have met Christ today. I am absolutely not taking the credit for their salvations, but I'm honored that God used us in His perfect plan for their lives.

Then and Now

2008-09-28T21:39:00.002-04:00

Makenzie 1st Birthday

Makenzie 4th Birthday

Sydney 1st Birthday

Sydney 4th Birthday

Pretty amazing, but we have the exact same Happy Birthday crowns that they wore for their first birthdays! Hopefully we can keep them for a long time and compare pics when they are 18! We celebrated their birthdays on Saturday with a party for family and friends. We explained to the girls that it was not actually their birthday, so then on Wednesday, when it actually was their birthday, they thought they were now 5! Like a year had passed in three days! Of course, at times, it feels like a year (or four) has passed that quickly.

2008-09-23T20:19:00.002-04:00

I was so excited about my political involvement that I forgot to update you all with pics and stories of the girls 4th birthday party. I will be sure to update later. Tonight, I'm too lazy to upload pics and brag on my adorable girls. Had a Tastefully Simple party last night that went great. My good friend Teresa is a new consultant and it was her first party. I stayed up late cleaning up and then had to get up at 5:30am to be at the hospital to interpret for a surgery.

Started a project in the girls toy room to change out the blinds and got the wrong size...it said 72 in. on the box but when I got it home and opened it, it was only 64 in. Aaacchhh!!!! I was so frustrated! This is after my second trip to Lowe's since the first blinds I bought just didn't look right. Too tired to deal with it tonight. When we moved in last year, I would have been going to Lowe's at this time of night (8:30pm) just to get the house settled. But now, it can wait! And I have three loads of laundry going. When really all I want to do is lay on the couch and read my book club book that is so great I can't put it down (Twilight by Stephenie Meyers). So I guess that's what I'm going to do!

Once in a Lifetime Experience!

2008-09-18T13:31:00.004-04:00

Moms For Palin!!!

The line to get into the Town Hall Meeting with McCain and Palin. And this is just half of it, it was curved around three times and around the building. Of course, it was totally worth it!

I had the opportunity to see McCain and Palin at the Grand Rapids Community College Fieldhouse last night, and had a blast! A friend from church (Julie) has been volunteering at the Republican office and was able to get two extra tickets. First of all, I was so honored that she thought to invite me...I always have a great time with her and Sherry. Secondly, I couldn't wait to see McCain/Palin in person and get to hear them answer some questions. I really enjoyed seeing them together and the way they played off eachother. After the first question that McCain answered, Palin asked if she could add something, McCain said, "You always do!" Of course, the women in the house went crazy!

I thought Palin was direct and to the point, while at times, McCain would be general and not precisely answer the question. Not too surprising, somewhat expected. I was still pleased with what I heard and the experience just proved to solidify my decision to support McCain/Palin.

Journey Church Update...from my perspective!

2008-09-14T23:18:00.004-04:00

Church was so great today, it made you think that this is the way church is supposed to really be. We did something different by having Jon's sermon at the very beginning after a video and song. The message today was about reaching out and Jon just kept reminding us that 50,000 people die everyday without knowing Christ. What an overwhelming number...but we can start one at a time. Then we played a video with the song "Tears of the Saints". One of the lines says, "this is an emergency"...whoa. While the video played, we could write names on the stage of people that we are praying for to come to Christ. Now we will see those names every Sunday, and hopefully remember.

After service, we had a GroupLink lunch where we met with our LifeGroups for this semester and got to know eachother a bit and got info about our first group, etc. Anyway, this was really exciting for our group because we had two new couples (we're doing a Young Married group and the time they have all been marred does not even add up to half the years Jon and I have been married!) who have only been coming to Journey for three weeks and are already getting involved in a group. So cool!

And to top it all off, attendance was really good in spite of all the rain we've had this weekend. Even new people came out in the pouring rain...and Jon was worried last night! There were so many things that went wrong this morning before church, the projector was not working at 9:50am and Jon's mic was not working at 9:45am. We had to move our BabySteps due to flooding in the hallway and there were buckets everywhere for the leaky roof. God and His purposes are so much bigger than physical problems and it was awesome to see His work happening in spite of all the distractions. He obviously really wanted us to hear this message today. God is so good!

...And they're off! To school that is.

2008-09-10T21:41:00.003-04:00

In front of their school with the sun in their eyes.

In front of their lockers. At the orientation the week before, they got their picture taken for their lockers. Kenzie refused to smile, so the picture in the hall that everyone sees is terrible. Lovely.

With mommy and daddy in their classroom. They had nametags on the table as they came in and they had to pick out their own names. I was very proud of our little preschoolers, they got theirs right away!

Now this one is precious. This one did cause a few tears even for me.

Night Before Preschool Excitement

2008-09-08T23:23:00.003-04:00

The girls start preschool tomorrow! We picked out their clothes tonight (of course, Sydney was really into that and Kenzie didn't care less, she let Syd pick her's out for her) and got their backpacks ready. It's hard to believe that these little babies are going off to preschool. It just feels like yesterday that they were born and then they were crawling, then walking, then talking...now school?! Unbelievable!

We will be taking lots of pics tomorrow...if Jon can see past his tears (he's way more emotional about this than I am)...and I will post them later.

Affects of Laughing Gas

2008-09-03T12:50:00.002-04:00

Sydney had to have a filling put in her baby teeth last week and they used gas to kinda make her woozy and ease the pain. She was pretty hilarious on the gas. At home, it must have still been in her system because she put her panties on her head and danced around! She was a riot! We're still laughing just remembering this one!

Lakehouse Fun

2008-08-22T23:29:00.002-04:00

So Nana and Papaw were crazy to keep all 4 grandkids at the lakehouse alone (and did I mention that it was their 36th Anniversary that day?!), but the kids had a blast. Crazy grandparents equal happy grandkids, I guess.

Too Adorable!

2008-08-21T15:58:00.001-04:00

2008-08-18T23:56:00.002-04:00

I was trying to upload an old pic of the girls but I kept getting error messages, bummer! Today, I needed to see an old pic of them...especially when they were little and didn't fight so much! It felt like today there was not a moment that they were not at eachother. It was as bad as, "she touched me, she looked at me, she breathed on me"! Aaahhh, I was so frustrated! And I also felt like was cleaning the house all day, doing laundry, and now this evening the house feels like a wreck. Sometimes I'm not sure why I clean the house...it never stays that way!

But I have tomorrow to look forward to...my parent's are at the lake house near Hastings, so we are going there to swim and then leaving all the grandkids to spend the night in the cabin with Nana and Papaw. It was their idea! Aren't they crazy?! My parents make awesome grandparents!

So what's up with the Olympics this year? I think it's rigged somehow! Have you guys been watching the women's gymnastics? It's totally crazy. Tonight I was watching gymnastics and the poor American tied with China, but because of some crazy tie rules, she gets a silver instead of a gold. You could tell she was trying not to cry. As my southern friends say, "she was right pitiful"! Poor girl.

My exciting news for the day...someone gave us a swingset! I've been looking online and in stores for a wooden swingset and was almost ready to spend a few hundred dollars to buy one for the girls' birthday. God decided to let us save our money and gave us one instead! A lady in our church had one in her backyard that her kids didn't use and she just wanted it out of there! I was happy to take it off her hands!

Myrtle Beach Surprise

2008-08-07T14:52:00.004-04:00

Okay, spoiled is an understatement! My hubby planned a week long surprise vacation for just the two of us to Myrtle Beach!

Here's the whole story:
On Saturday before we left, Jon put a note on my bathroom mirror telling me to pack a bag for 9 days...shorts, flip flops, suits, etc. He said I had to be ready to leave after church on Sunday, with my bags packed and a bag packed for the girls. My parents show up at church and then take the girls home with them. We get in the car with Ben and Sharon and start driving towards Detroit. We check into the Crowne Plaza near the Detroit airport and then get some dinner. Ben and Sharon leave us at the hotel and take the car. The next morning we take a shuttle to the airport and when we are in line checking in, the attendant says, "Enjoy your time in Myrtle Beach"! I was ecstatic and absolutely surprised!

The two of us had an awesome time...like a second honeymoon. Sleeping in late, laying by the pool, walking on the beach, reading on the balcony that overlooks the beach, eating out, and shopping. My man knows how to take care of me, let me tell you.

The last pic is with our good friends (Paul and Chris Piraino) from New York who just happened to be in Myrtle Beach the same week that we were! It was great to catch up with them.

My spoiled life..as my hubby so endearingly reminds me

2008-07-24T14:34:00.004-04:00

This morning the girls slept until almost 8:30am! Of course, I had to be at an interpreting job at 9am, so I was up already and getting ready. If I have to be up for something, then almost definitely the girls will sleep late. I said something to Jon about the girls sleeping late, and he basically said, "boo hoo. You live such a charmed life and most mornings you sleep later than most of the world!" It was quite endearing and humorous, but it really got me thinking...I sure do live a charmed life.
By most of the world's standards, I'm pretty spoiled and rich too! I have a skill that is in high demand so I can set my rates and my hours AND I love what I do. We have a house that is large enough for an extra room called the "toy room". Our refrigerator is stocked with food and some of it may be thrown out because we might not get to eating it. I have a husband who helps out so much around the house, loves his daughters intensely, and thinks I'm a hottie even when I don't think it myself! I have a walk-in closet that has at least 35 pairs of shoes in it. I have a personal relationship with Jesus and know that he has my whole life in his mighty hands! I own at least six Bibles. I'm a part of an awesome church that is reaching out to people who don't yet have the understanding of Jesus that I have. A church where the people I've known for only a year have already come to feel like lifelong friends.
Wow, my hubby was completely right this morning, I am spoiled! Or, as we always say in the church circle, "blessed".

Update

2008-07-16T21:33:00.003-04:00

So right when you think your life is going to calm down for a bit, it gets completely crazy again! Last week, the girls were at Grandma Camp (Jon's mom!) and I figured I would work some and then get lots done at the house. Yeah, right! I worked lots and played some! I worked three days in a row and then one afternoon went to the mall and movies with my good friend, Lori. Another day, I was a beached whale with my good friend, Jenny, by her apt. pool, doing absolutely nothing! If it had not been for my awesome hubby, there would not have been one single dish washed or one load of laundry done.

We went down to Battle Creek for Tara's wedding on Friday night (our fourth wedding in five weeks...it's getting a bit expensive!) and then came home after the wedding. Saturday morning I went to the first meeting of a life group that I'm joining for young women called Girl Talk.

Worked in BabySteps (Journey's name for our nursery) on Sunday morning and had 8 babies! The service went great as well, we tried a new set-up that was a complete success. We also had the highest Sunday yet (excluding our launch Sunday last October). Had some families come from an outreach we had done last month and another unchurched guy who is coming back next week!

Sunday evening, the girls and I went back down to Battle Creek to spend the night at Ali's house since I had an interpreting job there on Monday morning. We went out to Goguac Lake on Ali and Ben's boat and let the kids swim in the lake. It was a bit chilly so I didn't bring the girls' suits, but they really wanted to swim, so they went skinnydipping with life jackets on! Probably would not have happened if dad had been around, if you know what I mean!! That night, we put the kids down to bed and we did the same routine that we always do when we stay at Ali's house. The girls go to bed in Ali and Ben's bed, then later when we go to bed and they are asleep, we move the girls to sleeping bags on the floor of the boy's room. It's been fine every other time. Well, Sydney woke up in the middle of the night (about 2am) and decided it would be fun to have a little party and wake up her cousins as well. So all four kids were up for about two hours in the middle of the night! And then, of course, they were still up early in the morning at 7:30am! Completely frustrating!

Finally, on Tuesday, we had a regular day at home, doing nothing. The girls got to swim in their kiddie pool with the neighbor kids and I worked on painting our shutters. It was a nice, normal, good and boring day at home. I told Jon that he would probably never hear me say this ever again in my whole life, but we ate at home for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and it was wonderful!

On Friday, Jon and I are heading down to Cincinnati to see our good friends from Roanoke, Rusty and Cindy. Just a one night stay, but it will be great to catch up with them. The guys are going to a Reds game on Friday night and Cindy and I will just find a mall or something. We could sit and talk in a restaurant for five hours, for all we care! Cindy is the kind of friend that you can always pick up where you left off with, she truly is a kindred spirit and bosom buddy. I thank the Lord for friends like her in my life.

Weekend Fotos

2008-07-09T21:12:00.002-04:00

Our beautifully damaged deck!!

It's really kept the girls enthralled! Kenzie is interested in all fallen trees now.

The girls lining up for the Fourth of July Parade. I think they were the only kids in the parade who weren't wearing red, white or blue!

Having popcicles after the parade with our good neighbor friends!

Our Journey group at the Grand Haven State Park. What a great day at the beach! Lake Michigan is just like the ocean without the salt smell. Beautiful!

2008-07-07T18:09:00.002-04:00

Okay, totally disregard that last post. I was in the process of posting and then I wanted to save it and accidently published it instead! So let me start over here.

Wednesday- Had an awful storm that blew a huge tree on our deck and broke the stairs.
Friday- A neighborhood parade with cupcakes and lemonade afterwards.
Tubing down the Thornapple River with Journey Church friends.
Cookout with tubing buddies.
Fireworks and bonfire (smores, of course) with neighbor friends
Sunday- Journey Church's first outdoor service (went extremely well, very fun)
Afternoon at the beach with Journey Church!

I will post some pics later of all our fun weekend activities. Hope you all had a great Fourth of July as well!

Wow! What a Weekend!

2008-07-07T11:34:00.003-04:00

A little update on our week!

Wednesday-An awful storm blew a tree down in our back yard, it fell on the deck and broke the stairs.
Friday-Neighborhood July 4th parade (cupcakes and lemonade afterwards)
Tubing down the Thornapple River
Cookout with Journey Church friends

Vacation Update

2008-07-02T14:04:00.001-04:00

I gave you a glimpse of our vacation earlier but never really filled you in on how it went. We traveled to Virginia for Stephanie Ott's wedding and it was a 13 hour trip! The girls did really well. We had been on the road for only 15 minutes and Syd asked, "Are we almost there?" I thought, great this is going to be a fun trip! But she settled in and they did fine. We took their bikes and stopped at a rest stop and let them ride for a bit. Only one time did we have a "I have to go potty NOW" incident. Luckily, we were close to an exit with options. Steph's wedding was beautiful and Jon did an awesome job with it. The girls did great too walking down the aisle as flower girls for the first time. While we were in Virginia, we also did some fun things like the pool and water park.

When we left Virginia, we went to Indiana and stayed with our good friends, Rob & Tanna, for two nights. We went to the Grant County Fair one night and then went to the water park the next day. From there, we were on to our second wedding for my cousin, Joyce. She was getting married in North Manchester, Indiana which is so small they only have one hotel and it was a complete dive. Luckily, it was only for one night. Her wedding was beautiful as well and the girls did even better this time, being the experienced flower girls that they are! It was great to see all the family on my dad's side and even celebrate with Grandma & Grandpa that this year is their 60th wedding anniversary. What an inspiration!

So even though we felt like we needed another vacation when we got home just to relax a little, and this was not the "lay on the beach, do nothing all week" kind of vacation, we still had a great time and made some great memories.

Beautiful, but tired flower girls.

Ready to go for the second round!

Happy 60th Anniversary, Grandma & Grandpa! Way to go!

2008-06-24T20:43:00.003-04:00

Dancing the night away, their favorite part.

Okay, just a few teaser pics of the girls in the weddings. I will have to update later, I'm still trying to get settled back in at home. It's great to go on vacation, but it's great to come home too. Even though laundry, grocery shopping and cleaning are all waiting for you!

We're on Vaca!

2008-06-12T22:41:00.002-04:00

We made it to Virginia and are having a great time. The girls did awesome during the 13 hour road trip, we were so proud of them!

Some of Sydney's deep thoughts from the trip (Jon called them yogi-isms):
"When we get there, then we will be there"
"My bubble gum smells like bubble gum"
All that time in the car really brought the best out of her!

Thank You, Sharon!

2008-06-09T22:50:00.004-04:00

There's no point in washing the glass doors in this house! Sydney can be so serious sometimes, we were laughing so hard and she did not even break a smile.

This may be the last you hear from me for awhile, we are leaving tomorrow for vacation. First to Virginia for Steph's wedding. The girls are in it and Jon's doing the ceremony. Then to Indiana for my cousin, Joyce's wedding. The girls are in that one too. Originally, we were going to have the girls wear the same dresses just with different color sashes. But no...one bride chose white and one bride chose ivory. So, four flower girls' dresses for two weeks! Luckily, my mom was able to make them for about $20/each (the same dress at David's Bridal is $99). Thanks mom, for saving us so much money. So we are off on vaca...will update when we get back!

Ben just got back from visiting Sharon in Singapore and they bought the girls these cool little dragonflies that balance on your finger. The girls thought they were the neatest things! Thank you, Ben and Sharon, for thinking of the girls on your trip.

I found a couple of bikes at a garage sale this summer (a twin girl garage sale...talk about hitting the mother-load!) and the girls love to ride them. Their favorite thing to do is ride up our neighbor's driveway and then go down fast into our driveway straight across the road. It gives them a little thrill of excitement without too much danger. They have fallen quite often already but have always been wearing their helmets (our neighbor is the helmet nazi). What's childhood and summertime without a few scrapes and bruises?!

Thunderstorm Conversations

2008-06-07T22:25:00.002-04:00

Tonight we are having thunderstorms and the girls have been hilarious in their beds. They had just gone to bed when the thunder started, so we heard some "mommy, daddy" coming from their room. Jon goes down there and Syd is saying she's a bit scared while Kenzie asks about the neighbor's dog and if they remembered to take her inside. Her words: "Did our neighbors next door remember to take poor Zeus inside?" Next, Kenzie says to Syd that she doesn't need to be scared because she will take care of her. About fifteen minutes later, Syd calls for daddy again, Jon goes in there and she says, "Can you come take care of me because Kenzie's not...she's sleeping!" Way to go, Kenzie, dropping the ball! You can tell which one of our daughters is compassionate and which one is only compassionate towards animals!

"I Cleaned the Dishwasher"

2008-06-05T15:00:00.002-04:00

We don't normally wash the dishes in the sink since we have a dishwasher, but the girls are so into helping out right now, I knew they would enjoy it. It's kinda funny that kids love to help when they're little and they actually make more of a mess than help and then when they are older and could really help, they conveniently don't want to help out! And I couldn't resist you all hearing how Kenzie explains it. I'm glad we have "wathcloth" on video for future viewing!

Future Baseball Players? Their Dad Hopes so...

2008-05-27T21:21:00.002-04:00

This weekend, the girls got the chance to try their arm at swinging the bat. We had a cookout with family on Sunday after church (we LOVE living close to family!) and Ray's girlfriend Rosie brought a a wiffle ball and bat (she's a PE teacher). The girls had so much fun trying to hit the ball. Kenz is quite athletic but doesn't really give a care while Syd tries so hard and still has trouble. I told Jon that I know it's going to drive him crazy that Kenz will have the athleticism in her but she won't even care. He said that was for sure!

We also had a cookout on Monday with some friends from Journey Church. We had about 30 people here and luckily it didn't rain like they had predicted and we were able to be outside the whole time. We had a really good time. Jon and I were marveling at how odd it was that last year on Memorial Day we had never even met all these people. God has really blessed us early on with some special friendships here. We are so grateful for that. I think it has made the whole church plant experience even easier to handle. God knew it would be hard enough without having to feel lonely.

One quick funny quote from Kenzie this weekend:

She had a potty accident while she was playing outside and Jon asked: "Honey, why did you not go inside to use the potty?"

Kenz: "Because I tend to be a doggy and they go outside."

We think she was trying to say pretend...at least we hope so!

2008-05-20T10:44:00.002-04:00

Here are some funny quotes from the girls recently.

Sydney: "Mommy, why doesn't Tauson (our friends' baby) drink from a bottle?"
Me: "Because his mommy breastfeeds him."
Sydney: "You mean he drinks from her boob?"
Me: "Yes"
Sydney: "Why?"
Me: "Because it's the best food for babies."
Sydney: "Did I drink from your boob when I was a baby?"
Me: "Yes"
Sydney: "Did I have milk, juice or water?"

Makenzie: "Mommy, at the park with Aunt Allison I had to go potty so I used a pork-u-potty."
Me: "You mean a port-a-potty?"
Makenzie: "Yeah, mommy, that's what I said. A pork-u-potty."

2008-05-14T23:17:00.003-04:00

You think the girls may want a little brother or sister? Oh my goodness, they are so crazy about our friends' new baby. They love to hold him and stroke his hair and just stare at him. It is so adorable. They did not actually say, "mommy can we have one of these in our house?" because I don't think they really know that it could be possible. What they don't know won't hurt them!

Happy Mother's Day! The girls and I were getting ready for church and then we set the timer to take this pic of the three of us on Mothers Day. Normally, we are not in the picture together since I am usually the photographer! The girls (with their daddy) did a great job making me feel special on mom's day. They made pancakes for breakfast in bed and bought me two gift cards. One for a paint-it-yourself pottery studio and the other for Studio 1 where I can get a massage and pedicure. And on Sunday after church, we went to my favorite chinese restaurant, Blue Ginger, yum! I felt taken care of and greatly appreciated. Thanks, honey for showing the girls how important I am to you guys.

Kenzie's new favorite word, PerfectO! It is so adorable when she says it. I think she heard it from her cousin, Brennan, but I'm not sure. At Blue Ginger on Sunday, they had to sit us upstairs because they were so busy and the girls had to go potty (no surprise there), we thought the bathroom was downstairs but when we spotted one around the corner, Kenzie yells out, "PerfectO!". Hilarious!

From Innocence to Independence

2008-05-07T20:59:00.003-04:00

I needed a quick little reminder of the girls' sweetness and adorable innocence. Tonight has been a bit trying and the girls' have both been pushing the limits. Kenzie was sent to bed early after she refused to eat her veggies at dinner and Syd threw a couple tantrums and spent lots of time in time out. We had never tried sending either of the girls to bed early, but it seemed to work well for Kenzie...she hated it. We're also having issues with Kenz telling the truth. She will lie even when things are completely obvious. Jon was working downstairs and I told the girls not to go down there and bother him. Next thing I know, I hear them walking down the stairs. I ask, "Are you guys going downstairs?" And Kenz instantly replies, "No." When we discipline her, she gets a little smirk on her face, like she thinks it's funny. It's absolutely frustrating!
Syd is going through a stage where she yells at me or Jon when she doesn't get her way or get to do something on her own. She has a tiny tantrum no matter where we are or how small the issue.
On the other hand, they will sometimes knock you off your feet with their cute sayings or when they say, "I love you mommy" without you saying it first. Today, Syd saw an orange swimsuit I bought for her last weekend and she asked if it was for her. When I told her it is, she said, "Thank you so much, mommy, since you know orange is my favorite color, oh, thank you, mommy"! Of course, if it wasn't for the bad times, then the good times would not be as sweet. I think?!! Or at least that's what I tell myself when I reflect on the bad times!

2008-05-02T21:46:00.002-04:00

If you all want to order some of the wall transfers, you can go to www.uppercaseliving.com and at the bottom right corner type in your username: 447839 and your password: bestrom. That way, you can order through my good friend Lori Bestrom! You can also have your order sent directly to your house. You just have to promise to send me some pics of your finished product!

If These Walls Could Talk...

2008-04-29T21:45:00.003-04:00

I found the coolest wall transfers, thanks to my good friend, Lori! These things are so neat. If you're familiar with scrapbooking, then they are a lot like a rub-on except for your wall. Their from a company called Uppercase Living. You can check them out at www.uppercaseliving.com. I had to put them all over the house! One above the kitchen sink...good reminder!

On the wall going down to the basement. It says "welcome to our home".

Over the sliding doors going to the deck.

Over our bathroom mirror. This one is great for me to read each morning...since I'm not a morning person at all!

These were a fun project, I had to take the chance to brag on myself. I actually wish I had pics of me trying to put up the one on the wall going down the stairs to the basement. I'm sure it was pretty comical. I was trying to stand on a ledge that's only about four inches and stradle my legs from the back of the bookcase on the other side. I thought for sureI was going to fall down the stairs and break my neck! Sydney kept putting out her arms and saying "careful, mommy careful". She really thought she could catch me if I fell! It's the thought that counts, I guess.

Singing Southern Belles!

2008-04-23T21:03:00.004-04:00

Okay, so you all loved the videos so much, I thought I would post some more for you. Here's one of the girls singing Sydney's favorite song, The Lord's Army. Thank you to Pastor Marty and Pastor Grant for teaching the "oldies but goodies" to our kids.

Also, the girls have been picking my daffodils in the backyard and the way Kenzie says daffodils sounds so much like a southerner, it is adorable. We were shocked to hear her say it that way since she hasn't been near southern accents for almost a year now. I got that on video too, especially for our wonderful (much missed) Southern friends. Enjoy!

Lovin' On Daddy

2008-04-20T21:29:00.002-04:00

Daddy got some loving from the girls today after an

awesome and encouraging day at Journey Church!

What a great day! At Journey Church, we had quite a few new families and had great attendance for a normal Sunday. One family came specifically because of an outreach that we did yesterday at a soccer tournament where we handed out coffee and donuts. Another family came with their neighbors who are regulars and they had been trying to get this family to church with them for the past eleven years. We were so excited to have them at Journey! We also had a couple there that are going to be planting in October and we were able to go out to lunch with them and talk planting. Jon then went golfing for the first time since we moved here and it was a good thing for him to get out and do something fun for himself. While he was gone, the girls and I went shoe shopping with a friend. Got lots of cheap flip flops at Old Navy for the summer! We went through the girls clothes last night and found out what we have for spring and summer (we seem to be pretty much set) and Sydney was so excited to wear "sleeve" shirts to church today! I keep telling her they are short-sleeves, but she continues to call them "sleeve" shirts! So cute! Hope you all had a great day too!

Part of Your World!

2008-04-13T22:15:00.004-04:00

The girls (especially Makenzie) have really been into singing lately. They pick up on songs so quickly and they sing in the car with the CD all the time. It is so adorable, their little voices are so cute. I'm glad we could capture this on video, they always seem to get stage fright whenever we turn the camera on them. But on this day, they were really hamming it up for us. Thought you all might enjoy these as much as we have!

Color my world!

2008-03-22T20:51:00.003-04:00

The girls colored Easter eggs for the very first time today and loved it! Luckily, they love boiled eggs too, so they will also eat them this week! We then hid eggs in a path towards their hidden baskets. Jon and I will never forget how excited they were and the look on their faces when they found their baskets. Priceless. Since we've had the girls, we've done baskets on Saturday for a couple reasons. First, so that Jon can enjoy the fun, since he is normally at church so early on Sundays and also for us as a family to focus on the true meaning of Easter on Sunday instead of on our baskets.
We're excited to be able to have some friends over after church who do not have family around and give them the hospitality and love that we got so homesick for in Virginia. I remember that holidays were the hardest days to be away from family. Now that we can see family anytime, we hope to extend love to our friends so they will not be as homesick as we used to be!
Happy Easter! Thank you, Lord, for not staying dead in the grave! We have so much to be thankful for!

Tag, I'm it!

2008-03-20T20:49:00.003-04:00

Okay, so Ali has tagged me to share ten obscure things about myself that y'all (I've kept a little Virginia in me!) may not know. Like Ali, I may not be able to get ten. So here goes:

1. I love the smell of a freshly painted room.
2. I get really nervous before some interpreting jobs and sometimes make myself sick on my way there.
3. I love to eat hot tamales and popcorn together (in the same bite).
4. When I was little, we had a cocker spaniel (Joy!) and I would let it lick my ice cream cone...one lick for her, one lick for me. Ick!
5. I'm a really deep sleeper and sometimes don't even hear my own girls cry in the night (where's motherly instinct?).
6. I hate doing laundry and usually I actually forget I'm doing it and will end up with wet clothes in the machine the next morning.

And there's probably not much you don't know about me since I'm pretty open with everyone in my life and I'm not too obscure either! Now, I tag Pam, April, & Marty.

Butterfly Exhibit

2008-03-14T22:17:00.003-04:00

The girls at the Frederick Meijer Garden butterfly exhibit. They talked about the butterflies on their bellies for days. They were in seventh heaven!

Update

2008-03-12T21:50:00.002-04:00

Sorry about the blog drought. I have actually been working a lot and I've gotten out of practice with this full-time working stuff!
The great benefit of living in a bigger town is more opportunity. So last week I did a training with Sorenson Communications and am now taking hours weekly working for them. If you are unfamiliar with the deaf world then you have probably never heard of Sorenson. A brief explanation is that they provide video relay services, where deaf people call through a video phone, talk with the interpreter who then speaks to the hearing person on the other line. It really is an awesome way for deaf people to communicate with the hearing world. I'm honored that they approached me and asked me to join their team at Sorenson. So far it has been a very positive interpreting experience.
Last week when I did the training, the girls went and stayed at my mother-in-law's house and they had a blast. Oh, the joys of living close to family!!! When she brought them home on Friday, they went to Frederick Meijer Gardens for the butterfly exhibit. I was so bummed to miss it, apparently there were hundreds of butterflies and they would even land on you! The girls had so much fun. Grandma got some good pics and I will post them as soon as I get them from her.
Today, we had an encouraging doctor visit for Makenzie. Before Christmas, she had a bladder infection so our doc had some tests run since this is rare for her age. The first test did not work out, so we had to get another one done two weeks ago. Today we had the appointment to find out the results of the test. Kenzie's bladder and kidneys are both working perfectly! No problems! Praise the Lord! We will just have to go back for an ultrasound in 6 months for a follow-up.
Things have been going well with Journey Church. The last few weeks we have had several new families and some have continued to come back. We have had more kids in JourneyKids the past two weeks than any other Sunday (except for launch day). We started a Random Acts of Kindness push and gave everyone an envelope with money and ideas of what to do for acts of kindness. We've been getting lots of cool stories of how people have been showing God's love to our community. It's really contagious and has been fun coming up with new ideas. Jon and I started a young married life group and host it at our home. We have really enjoyed hanging out every other week with these very young couples (all the couples together have not been married half as long as Jon and I, and some of the couples have been married less than 9 months!). It's fun to see ourselves from 12 years ago and be able to be an influence in their relationship. There are about 6 other life groups at Journey that are doing very well also. Exciting things happening in Caledonia, Michigan!

2008-02-27T15:52:00.002-05:00

Okay, the girls are about ten months old in these pics and so far that was my favorite stage! No talking back, no fighting with me about doing things on their own, two naps a day, no potty accidents, no whining, and best of all...they couldn't get out of their cribs until we went in to get them! Can you tell it's been a bad day? More better stages to come, I know.

Movie Quote Answers

2008-02-26T09:16:00.002-05:00

Here you go guys:
1. While You Were Sleeping (good job, Gwen!)
2. 13 Going on 30
3. Juno (still out in theaters)
4. Annie (has so many great quotes, it's hard t choose one)
5. Italian Job
6. Field of Dreams

Thanks for playing!

Fun Movie Quotes

2008-02-24T17:20:00.003-05:00

Ali,
Here's a movie quote for you: "Mmmm...these mashed potatoes are sooo creamy"?
Or...how about this one: "Great dress. Isn't it? It's because I have these great boobs to fill it out"?
Or...this one: "That ain't no etch-e-sketch. You can't undoodle what's been done, home skillet"?
Or...some of the best: "She hadda go bafroom" and "thems bad people, mister"?
Or...a hard one: "It's not people that I don't trust, just the devil inside them"?
Or...a really easy one: "If you build it, they will come"?
Okay, not just for Ali, can anyone else guess my movie quotes? Recently, my friend Jenny said that one of my talents was knowing every movie ever made (not really) but I wondered if any of you can impress me with your movie savvy or lack thereof!

Ben's Engaged!!!

2008-02-20T22:36:00.003-05:00

Our good friend, Ben, is now engaged and here is his beautiful fiance, Sharon. The girls loved Sharon so much that Sydney told me she thought Sharon was a sweetie pie! Lucky for me, I got to witness the proposal in Chicago two weeks ago. Ben wanted to propose in a special place, so we took a short trip to Chicago where he took Sharon to the Hancock building for dinner Friday evening. Jenny and I decided to go to the restaurant just to peek around the corner and make sure all was going as planned. Well, there ended up being a lounge one story up where we could watch them down below. It was quite romantic! Ben went to the bathroom and changed into a tuxedo, then the waiter delivered a note to the table right before he came back that said something like, "he asked her a question that would change the course of both of their lives forever". Oh, my heart! Ben had the whole restaurant working with him and after the proposal, everyone started cheering and clapping! It was great! And I got to have a girls' weekend trip with Jenny where we did nothing but shop, eat out, and watch movies. Thank you, Ben, for doing your proposal in Chicago...Jenny and I appreciated it! We can't wait to get to know Sharon better, we enjoyed her so much when she was here. Perfect match for Ben. Congrats you guys!

2008-02-15T21:04:00.003-05:00

Last night, I had the privilege of being able to go to an awesome Casting Crowns concert with two great friends! Heika, Lori and I went to a little hole in the wall restaurant that had great food and then braved the traffic downtown to get to the Van Andel Arena. My first time there...what a beautiful arena. We arrived late and had a hard time finding our seats, but once we were settled, we were in for a great time! Casting Crowns has a special way of saying through song exactly what God wants us to hear. Their songs are so convicting and inspiring. It was an extremely encouraging night. Although I was not with my "valentine" on Valentine's Day, I still felt God's love strongly and He is the ultimate "Valentine", right?!

Update

2008-02-11T13:14:00.001-05:00

I promised Parkway people that I would be better at keeping up with my blog and now here we are, already three weeks back from Roanoke and I've only posted once! Sorry guys!
We've been busy, busy and sick, sick. Poor little Sydney (and daddy too) came down with the influenza A bug that has been going around and there is nothing that can be done for it. It's also the kind that lingers forever and just doesn't seem to go away. The cough and runny nose are still around, but luckily today there has been no fever and Syd was actually playing a bit where the last week has been mostly laying around doing nothing.
I was busy doing so many interpreting jobs last month that it's nice to pretty much have this week off and be at home with the girls. I took them to observe a preschool last week and we went ahead and registered them to start in the Fall when they will be turning four. That was pretty weird...signing up my babies to go to preschool. Surely they are still too young to go to school? Where has the time gone? But really, I am looking forward to it and am excited for them because I know they will love it.
Things are going well with Journey Church. Last night we had our fifth Newcomer's Gathering at our house and had seven people come. We've had a long stretch of snow and freezing temps that have put a slight damper on church attendance, but we are still hanging in there and each week seem to have someone who is new or dosn't know Christ or just needed to hear what was said during the service. God always encourages even when we are undeserving of it. We are constantly amazed at His goodness.

Roanoke...We Love You!

2008-01-26T20:24:00.000-05:00

The Journey staff at Parkway's Missions Conference.

With our awesome host and hostess, Dennis and Jen Corey.
Don't you just love their t-shirts?

This week we were reminded of all the reasons why it was so hard to leave Parkway Wesleyan Church in Roanoke, Virginia. The people there are so encouraging, loving, generous, and gracious. We took our whole staff (all three of them!) from Journey to Parkway's Missions Conference since Parkway is a very large contributor to our church plant here in Michigan. They invited Jon to speak for the opening rally on Wednesday night (of course, he did an awesome job) and then they spoiled us the rest of the two days with meals out and good times with old friends. Our music pastor and his wife were especially spoiled with a free couples massage at a spa! We loved introducing them to our good friends and staff from Roanoke since we talk about them all the time...and I think they now understand better why we miss it so much. But it was also a good confirmation for me and Jon in our spirits because neither one of us regretted our decision to leave Parkway to start Journey. We both said at dinner tonight that we loved visiting and had a great time, but we didn't feel at all like we wanted to be back there. We were reminded in our hearts of what we already knew...that we had done the right thing.

On Thursday night, Parkway had a catered dinner for the missionaries and we had a special speaker, Joy Fuller. She shared such a great insight, I wanted to share it with you all here. She talked about how we may be a "good" Christian but we never seem to have that spark or love or excitement for God that some others have...so what are we missing, what are we doing wrong? Well, in the garden of Eden there were 2 trees, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. Obviously, we know that the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was not to be eaten from or it would bring death. Many of us are eating good things from the wrong tree! We are not eating from the Tree of Life that brings us life and love and excitement for God, instead we are eating good from the tree that brings us death. Sure, we need to do good and be good, but it should never be our first priority. We should look first to love God and then the good deeds will follow. So I personally was challenged in that, why do I read my Bible, because that's the "good" thing to do or because I love God? Or why do I serve at church, because that's the "good" thing to do or because I love God?

Thank you, Parkway people, for a very encouraging, refreshing, and uplifting week. We miss you lots and love you from the bottom of our hearts. We are proud to say that the last ten years of our life were spent in ministry with you!

2008-01-11T19:38:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I don't know how they do it. Full-time working moms! This week, I worked four days out of five at a high school and absolutely loved it, but also felt like the week flew by with nothing accomplished (around the house at least). Of course, I made good money and that was something accomplished...but as far as my other job (wife and mother) that was completely neglected. Since I do not do this every week, I know my girls and hubby will not be suffering much from it, but what if this was my life? I personally would have to work very hard to balance all areas of my life. I would have to be more productive in the evenings, instead of laying around and vegging out. So to all the moms who have this figured out and work full-time as well as keep their homes and families running...kudos! I admire you!

Hello from Snowy Michigan!

2007-12-29T14:35:00.000-05:00

It had all melted two days before Christmas and we were afraid we would not have a white Christmas...what were we thinking! Of course we were not disappointed (I mean the girls were not disappointed) when we got eight inches on Christmas Eve. It was fun teaching them how to make snow angels for the first time. Hope you all had a beautiful Christmas!

Kenzie's New Do!

2007-12-22T20:19:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I bit the bullet today and got Kenzie's hair chopped off! We had gone to the cheap place for Jon and Sydney, but when we got there, I thought, what the heck! Kenzie hates to have her hair brushed anyway, so why not get something cute and easy. She sat in the chair with an angry face the whole time, but afterwards she loved it (and so did mommy and daddy). It was really hard to watch her beautiful curls fall to the ground, and even harder to see how much older the cut makes her look. We were like, where is our baby?

We had an enjoyable morning going to our neighbors' house for waffles this morning. Our neighbors on the left invited us and another family over for breakfast and we had such a wonderful time. We feel so blessed that God has put us in an area where we can get to know and witness to our neighbors. I even got to go out last Sunday night with the ladies for a girls' night out and I felt like everone was welcoming and open to deeper relationship. We pray for our neighbors often and wait for an opportunity to share with them about Christ. We feel like God is opening many doors for us!

This year Christmas seems extra special with the girls starting to really understand the story of the birth of Christ. It's amazing to see the season through their wonderment and joy. Sydney told us the other day that Mary and Joseph were coming to Caledonia to have baby Jesus! That opened the door for us to talk about Jesus being with us everywhere, but it got a little too theological for their simple understanding. Their simple faith is a joy for us to see and also a good reminder of the faith that God calls us to. We pray for simple faith for you all this Christmas!

Remember When...

2007-12-11T21:31:00.000-05:00

Yes, this actually IS Sydney and Makenzie at 3 days old! Some days I

forget how small they were and how much they looked alike.

Most of all, I just needed the reminder that they were all worth the weight. I had a great week, lost 2.6 pounds (on my own too), but through your comments and encouragement, I realized that I not only could do it on my own, but that I had TWO babies and I need to be happy with where I'm at, weight and everything. I've come a long way since gaining 70 pounds

during my pregnancy (yeah, you read it right) and having babies changes your

whole body structure, so I can't expect to look like I did before the girls came along.

I'm going to try my hardest to get as close as possible, but my mental expectations have needed a change. Thanks to you guys for reminding me of that. Also thought you all would enjoy an

adorable picture of the girls, back when they actually looked like twins are

supposed to-alike!

Trimming the Tree

2007-12-04T21:08:00.000-05:00

The girls LOVE helping with the tree decorating. It is really cute how they always put their ornaments in the same area and usually multiple ones on each branch. Jon wanted to leave it the way they decorated it, but I just can't!! Maybe I'm a horible mother, but with my perfectionism, I can't stand having the ornaments not evenly dispersed. Maybe someday we will have a tree in the family room that they can decorate completely on their own, but for now, they can help and then I will move them around later! They didn't seem too offended when they saw it the next day! We are teaching them not to hold a grudge! Ha!

I've been thinking about letting my hair go back to natural color. What do you all think? Can I pull off being a brunette? They say blondes have more fun...wouldn't want my life to get boring or anything! I'm also thinking about quiting WW and trying to do this weight loss thing on my own. Since our move from Roanoke, I have not been able to lose consistently and I feel as though I'm wasting my money. I lost weight on my own before (and kept it off for four years), I can do it again, right? I'm facing some tough life decisions right now...yeah, whatever!!! The weight loss needs to happen and I need to get more serious about it, but my hair color?! Please!

On a more serious note, I've been so proud of my hubby lately. Not only has he taken a huge leap of faith by leaving Parkway and church-planting, but he has done it so well. He was concerned about preaching every week and he hits it out of the park each Sunday. Whenever I'm in the service (which is not often, since kid's ministry always needs more workers), I'm challenged by his sermons. Last week he talked about being neutral and as Christians, we cannot be...Jesus said we are either for him or against him. He had a creative way for people to respond at the end and quite a few did, which I know was a relief to Jon. I see him everyday making decisions for Journey Church and he constantly has God's wisdom and maturity in what he does and says. He truly is anointed by God. I feel blessed and undeserving to have a husband such as him. These are not things that I'm just now realizing about Jon, but in his new role as lead pastor, his attributes are shining through more completely. Jon, if you read this blog, I'm so proud of you, honey.

Our First Michigan Thanksgiving!

2007-11-26T22:26:00.000-05:00

The kids making these adorable cookies after dinner. Nana always has the best ideas!

My beautiful Aunt Resa and equally gorgeous cousin Gail. Thank you guys for coming, it made my day.

Trying to get a family pic for our Christmas card. Didn't work out so well, with Kenzie crying and all. I have no idea what her deal was, she has definitely hit the challenging three's!

What a joy-filled Thanksgiving we had here in our new home with family and friends! Even though we really miss Roanoke, we felt so grateful to have a new home that was large enough for 17 people to join us comfortably for Thanksgiving day! We say all the time that we miss Roanoke, but love our new house. I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too! We also loved having family here. My Aunt Resa and cousins James and Gail made the 5 hour trek to be here and that meant so much to me. They have never been able to make it to a home that I have lived in since marriage, so having them here was extra special. I wish I would reflect on my life and be thankful more often during the year, but Thanksgiving is always a good time for me to be reminded of God's faithfulness and indescribable gifts. He is so good to us!

Then on Friday, Ali and I braved the crowds (Ha! Got ya!) at about 1 in the afternoon and went out shopping. That's the best time to go, crowds have dwindled and the sales are still on! We also had a Journey Church party Friday night and I had so much fun. Ever since we have moved here, we have all been working together so much to get Journey on it's feet, but we have not been good about taking time to just have fun. It seemed like everyone had a great time and really enjoyed themselves. I think it was a bit of relief, knowing that we can work together well but we can also have fun together!

2007-11-13T21:54:00.000-05:00

Check out our awesome family photos at www.pictage.com/394264. Enjoy!

Forever True, Forever Friend

2007-11-11T23:05:00.001-05:00

One of my very best friends of all time, Sherry Caldwell.

What happens when the two of us get together!

God has really blessed me throughout my life with great friends. I know some people go through life without ever having the closeness of a true bosom buddy, but I have been fortunate to have had several awesome friends all over the US! This last weekend, I met one of those best friends, Sherry (from Roanoke), in Columbus for a great time of catching up, shopping, and movies! It's not too often that you can find someone who will shop with you for 9 hours and watch two movies in two nights. They say that you know you are true friends when after you have been apart, you can pick up where you left off and never skip a beat. That's what happened this weekend. Sherry, you are a very special friend and I love you tons! Thanks for a memorable time.

There was also something kinda funny that happened as we were leaving our hotel Sunday morning. We saw a van from Indiana Wesleyan University, so I asked the kid in the drivers' seat which group they were with from IWU. He said, "the Chorale". I couldn't believe it! They were singing that morning at a church right down the street from our hotel! So we drove there and I ran inside and said HI to Prof. Guy and my cousin Joyce who sings in the Chorale. Of course, she was shocked to see me there, in Ohio of all places! It was great to see her though. But we decided not to stay for the service since Sherry and I had more shopping to do!

Fallin' Leaves

2007-11-03T21:11:00.000-04:00

Today was a beautiful fall day. Just a little chill in the air but bright and sunny. Lots of leaves in our backyard so we sprung for a leaf blower. The fam was here to help us pick up some new furniture (finally got rid of that old kitchen table! woohoo!) so Jon and Ben used the leaf blower and made a huge pile for the kids to jump in. They had a blast! Even mommy and daddy had a little fun jumping in!

As I talk about getting new furniture and look around at our beautiful house, I am overwhelmed with gratefulness. Sometimes I feel so unworthy to have so many things. Jon and I have challenged eachother in reading God's Word by reading chapters together from The Message. This last week we read Matthew 5-8 and then tonight we talked about it. I was especially struck by the verses 30-33 in chapter 6. "If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers-most of which are never even seen-don't you think He will attend to you, take pride in you, do His best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions." Wow! God's Word always has a way of getting my perspective right. Thank you Lord for reminding me tonight of how much YOU provide (I don't have to do it on my own) and how I need to be preoccupied with responding to your giving. Hopefully, you all have a chance to read some passages from The Message too. For someone who has read the Bible for years, it really gives some new insight to verses that you've heard the same way over and over.

Hope you all had a fun fall day as well and were able to enjoy God's creation in some way!

Halloween Legos!

2007-10-31T21:11:00.000-04:00

The girls were so cute out trick-or-treating tonight. At the door, they would say, "Thank you, trick-or-treat!" or I would say, "Kenzie, what do you say?" and she would say, "trick-or-treating!" I took a challenge from my mom this year and actually made their costumes. I wasn't really into it until we were out and everyone commented on how original they were and they were the best costumes they had seen all night. Of course, then I was like "Uh-uh, that's me, I made them!"

We also did an outreach for Journey Church by handing out hot chocolate and donuts to the parents. It was a lot of fun! We got lots of compliments on our creativity and generosity. Hopefully it caused a little buzz in our neighborhood about Journey.

Even though we had lots of fun here, I still missed shopping with Sherry for costumes and taking the girls to the Ott's, Hartman's & Corey's for trick-or-treating. It just wasn't the same without you all.

Fall Fun!

2007-10-26T23:31:00.000-04:00