Always Enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv3E7DhitRU

I Need To Work On My Delivery!

He did it!  He purchased his "old man" chair :)  Brad has been talking about getting himself a cozy recliner that matches our basement furniture.  I always laugh about the things we purchase right before a Superbowl.  I think if there was study done (I'm sure there has been), we would see that men spend more money at that time than other times of the year.  So we had the counter top in the basement installed and his chair was delivered.  I call it his "old man" chair because it actually leans you forward a little bit to get out of it.  It is not meant to do that, like created to do it....it's just kind-of nudges you forward.

Brad does get this dreamy look in his eye about this chair....should I be concerned?  I sat in it the other night and started laughing to myself during our TV show when I thought, "Okay, when it's time for me to get out of this chair, I am going to act like it throws me out and do a somersault"  :)  I couldn't wait until it was time!  Sometimes, the anticipation is the best!

I just got an eye roll from him while I lay on the floor laughing....(He secretly loved it...just couldn't give me the satisfaction of an all out belly laugh!)....maybe I need to work on my delivery!

What Do You Take For Dinner At Your Pastor's Home?

You Take Cover!

We had dinner with our pastor's family last night.  We had had dinner as couples before, but this time we got both families together :)  They have five sons and one daughter.....and, you know we have five daughters....so, that was fun to see what they would decide to do.  Abigail thought her sons might retreat and hide out since so many girls were invading their space, but they didn't.....they all played school for a little while....and then,

it was an ALL OUT WAR....they found enough NERF WEAPONS for everyone and created alliances....I found some of the alliances interesting :).  I thought the whole thing was pretty ironic considering our pastor's latest sermon included a segment on STUPID WARS (it did not include an NERF battles or actual wars brought on by a NERF disagreement, but there was some war over a wooden bucket that lasted a long time).

I don't know about their sons and daughter, but my daughters talked about it all the way home and want to have a NERF WAR again :)  And this is what having sons would be like :P

Love Never Fails Because It Never Stops Trying To Succeed

I have a friend at work who was sharing with some of us about her grandfather's health issues.  He has Alzheimer's Disease and it is pretty advanced.  Her grandmother just passed away and he cannot quite grasp that she is gone.  Everyday he is very confused and they have to keep reminding him that she passed.  It's sad and beautiful at the same time....part of him remembers her so much he asks about her all through the day, but another part can't retain new knowledge of what has happened to her.

Brad and I married on Groundhog Day in 2002....02/02/02....though I often joke about picking that date for him, it helps BOTH of us remember our anniversary.  There have been several romantic comedies that play around with the concept of starting over everyday... Groundhog Day and 50 First Dates are two that I can think of.... They are funny love stories, but I treasure the concept of a person being committed to KEEP TRYING, to keep learning, to keep making life better and making each day a fresh start.  I am so blessed to have a husband who is committed to taking one day at a time with me....forever.  Because our anniversary is approaching, I am thinking of these goals in terms of my marriage and learning a few things from it as I evaluate myself, but it applies to our spiritual lives as well.

One of the most awe inspiring things to me about our God is that His mercies are new every morning.  We aren't always that loving in our marriages...well, I shouldn't speak for anyone else....I am not always that loving or gracious and tend to carry frustrations longer than one day...but, I definitely think we all are given God's example of new mercies every morning to learn and apply to our marriages and beyond.  Ephesians 4:26 talks about not letting the sun go down while we are still angry....I think that would equate to a morning that is fresh and new with no ANGRY OR THREATENING CLOUDS left over from the previous days.  I am glad GOD's gift of mercy does not require us to be stuck on repeat, reliving each day over and over again until we get it right, but it allows us grace to continue forward repeating a lesson or two....maybe three, four, five....plus times under different circumstances...to build upon what we have learned over time.  I loved my wedding day, but I still think it would become really frustrating if that was the only day I was allowed to live....every day! (though it would be fun every now and again...how many times is that exactly?...ha!!)

Someone once challenged me to have a testimony no more than 7 days old and I think about that a lot.  It's awesome to have our conversion story...just like it's so fun to tell people how Brad and I met....when someone asks me about that, I just start smiling.  We should keep telling that...but, I can't let the exhilarating moments of realizing I was in love and hoping and praying for Brad to realize the same thing feed the rest of my marriage....it would starve on that.  I also have to nourish an active life in the Spirit and through God's Word.  It does take work to be in a committed and healthy relationship and there is NOTHING wrong with that....there is EVERYTHING RIGHT in that....there is every part of the 1 Corinthians "LOVE" chapter in that effort.  Every day we have been given an opportunity to improve upon the day before.  I saw this sign and thought it was so appropriate for the days in February leading up to Valentine's Day....AND 14, imagine that!....so, thought I'd share it.

Once Upon A Snow Day

It's a snow day and you are home with the kids all day?  Okay, start with a coffee filter.....what, you think I am going to explain how to do some cutesy snowflake craft for the kiddos on their day off?  NO, make yourself a big pot of coffee. You're gonna need it!

SNOW DAYS.....after I've had my coffee.

If You Can Dream It

Karly was venting about a friend from school tonight at dinner.  (I love 6-year-old's venting moments)  If you have ever watched kid snippets, this could have been one of those conversations....(example of a kid snippet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6z7v8v8IaI)  I wish you could hear this in her voice because it is so much better....she still has a little trouble saying her r's, so she sounds like she has a little Jersey accent.

She was upset and said,

"Whenever I say something about a person, she says she IS that....like I talk about a doctor, she says, "I AM A DOCTOR!"  I say, my dentist did this, she says, "I AM A DENTIST!"  I say, at gymnastics class I...she says, "I AM A GYMNASTICS GIRL!"....she IS everything in my mind!!!!"

.... and this seemed to really be perturbing Karly....you know when your kids are SO SERIOUS, but what they are saying is so funny to you that you have to turn your head away for a second to hide that you are actually tearing up from NOT laughing out loud?

After a couple seconds of serious thought, Karly blurted out in complete exasperation, 

"She's just like Barbie!"

I don't know how she thought of that one....but, I have been laughing for a while!

It's More Than Practicing A Pause

One thing that is kind-of cool about blogging frequently is being able to look back over the days or a whole month or more and see where God has taken you.  You never know what a day will hold when you wake up, but He does. Truly, the only way to ready yourself for a day is to connect with Him.  I don't always do that very well....like yesterday....I need to learn from days like that.

Yesterday was an UHGG! DAY at work...not because I was bored or hate my job, but because there were a lot of things beyond my control happening for one of the students I have been working with.  She is having a lot of difficulty obtaining her VISA to come to the United States for school and I am just totally frustrated for her as deadlines are approaching this week and her paperwork is messed up and stuck in red tape between our government agencies and the embassy in her country....yuck!  I am trying to remain encouraging for her emotionally, but refraining from over-promising anything that may not be able to transpire at this late hour....stuck in that weird place....and I can't imagine how disappointed she is feeling on the other side of the world.   Well, I can imagine...Kassi may have gotten some of her curiously strong imagination from me, but I always wonder if what I imagine is the reality of it, you know.  I've made some calls and a bunch of emails on her behalf because I know she was trying to stay up all night where she lives just to be awake in case something important came through to remove this roadblock.  My morning yesterday was saturated in frustration and anxiety then a friend and co-worker stopped by after she returned from her lunch break and said, "I prayed for your student and her VISA issues at lunch today."  That is so humbling.....WOW, THANK YOU FOR CARING and TAKING THIS PROBLEM TO THE RIGHT PLACE.  After she left my doorway, I put my "boiling stew" aside to pray as well.  I am praying that these issues with her paperwork will be resolved so she can stay on track with her plans for school....and I will do everything in my power to help, but ultimately it is GOD who controls this situation, right?.....Even government issues are in His hands....nothing is NOT known or understood by HIM.

Some people say to practice THE PAUSE. I agree that we should pause before we speak or react to things we encounter...taming the tongue and holding thoughts captive....both solid, Biblical reasons for a pause, but OH, how much greater it is to add to that... the practice of prayer.  

Connecting and being in the presence of the ONE who KNOWS ALL and CHANGES THINGS (myself, included) is a saturation of peace.

Put 'Em Up, Put 'Em Up

SHE DID IT!  Kassi fought the fears from her extremely active imagination and was able to undergo the procedure she needed at the dentist office today!  HIP...HIP....HOORAY!  The word "laser" didn't make her freak out this time around.

It didn't take much....we just had to dress up like the Wizard of Oz cast and promise her some COURAGE! :) ...courage usually comes with ice cream and chocolate drizzle, right?!

Let's Take It Outside

What's that saying...."if you agree with someone on everything, one of you is irrelevant" ? Something like that anyway.  Brad and I heard someone say that recently and Brad leaned over and whispered to me, "Unless you disagree about which one of you is irrelevant." :)  Good thing Brad and I disagree on a lot of things....I wouldn't want either one of us to start feeling irrelevant....YIKES!

BAM!  That one packs a punch :)  

I want to take that one to heart and carry it with me everywhere.

I Sing Because I'm Happy

We were at the Parma church in the morning yesterday doing a sound check and practicing when we realized we didn't have a song planned for the offering time.  Since the Parma church just started meeting together in September, it is still a small congregation and there aren't many people in that group who would feel comfortable sharing a special song. So, whoever is on the schedule to share at the Jackson site usually agrees to also attend the Parma service.  But, yesterday, the people on the schedule for Jackson couldn't make it out to the Parma service due to scheduling conflicts that morning.

That made Brad and I and our keyboard player, Dave, need to decide on something quickly.  We took a look at songs we already had chord charts and lyrics for and something that would be pretty easy to pull off "on the fly" (that's funny to me....you'll see)....so, we decided on an old-school tune, His Eye Is On the Sparrow.  I always like that song...especially the way it was sung in Sister Act II.

So, that went well and we loaded up the whole family and darted to the Jackson church in time to walk in as the family from Jackson was getting ready to practice the "special" at that location.  I saw Dave as I was walking up to the front of the church, he had already been there for a few minutes ahead of us and he said, "You are going to FREAK OUT!" The family that was singing the "special" chose His Eye Is On The Sparrow...hahaha!  That was GREAT!  I always love God's sense of humor....it's not even like we sing that song in a whole year's time....crazy!  So, I was laughing and thinking, "Boy, God, you really wanted people to get this message today."

Ever think things are for others and not yourself?  YEP!  Then, I realized I was among only a handful of people who would even know that happened.....so, maybe GOD wanted ME to get that message since He planned for me to hear it twice! :)

LOVE > FEAR

Our pastor spoke on the subject of pride today and Brad also spoke to the topic in youth group tonight.  Earlier this week, I had shared a story about a fear of mine with a friend and they gave me some advice about pride.  I thought, "That's weird....they must not have understood me.... I was describing a fear....not pride....I mean, duh...."  I have been trying to dismiss that as a misunderstanding, but it was spinning in my mind enough to make me delve into the relationship between pride and fear and I learned there is quite a correlation, if not a direct connection.  The problem is probably that pride blinded me from seeing it as the source of any fears that prevent me from being who God wants me to be or to live in the freedom He has for me.

It is an interesting and, hopefully, insightful thought to consider...fear is like a side-effect of pride because of several reasons.  Say, for example, we fear death....why would we do that in the scope of our knowledge of eternity and of our GOD who has already created a way for us to be with Him forever?  Is it because we have too much pride in our physical life and that pride sometimes blinds us to eternity?.....hmmm....maybe so.  Maybe I fear losing my reputation for the sake of taking a stand for Christ?  Maybe I fear the future or the future for my kids and the choices they are making or will make.  Could it be that I am taking too much pride in them or in my efforts to raise them and have not surrendered the future or their futures to a GOD who's capacity to love and care for them FAR EXCEEDS MY OWN (and that is an understatement).  Pride makes us fear the loss of things and of control.  Pride builds something in our minds and hearts besides GOD and then, fear is consumed with losing the object that pride built....actually it is more than just losing it....fear is the act of giving power over to that thing/person/idea that pride built.  Crazy right?  But, think about it....at least that connection is so true for me. The only fear that is HOLY fear is the fear of the LORD.  Why is that OKAY?  Because we have exalted HIM to HIS rightful place in our minds and hearts instead of anything that pride builds in us and we are in complete reverence of HIM...we submit to what we freely give our power over to....in this case we submit to Christ.

Even beyond this strong connection is an important Truth.  Our pride leads us to fear....and then, evil smells our fear and attacks to devour us. Really, our fears energize and spread evil by providing a host for the parasite.  Is the root of all evil, pride? That was basically the question I started to ask myself this week when I realized that connection.  It helps to understand what pride is and, at the core of it, is an absence of love for GOD and OTHERS that creates a vacuum which we in turn fill with our own selfish desires.

On the flip side....THIS IS THE REALLY GOOD PART OF THE EQUATION :)

GOD = LOVE....see how that's a wonderful equation?  I'm not so great with numbers, but I get that!

Here's how I understand this part....a humble heart is one that LOVES GOD and OTHERS enough to put them before oneself....and because of GOD'S GREAT LOVE (that I can't seem to explain no matter how many times I try :), this is always the stronger part of the equation.....so strong that it CASTS OUT FEAR and covers, not one....but a MULTITUDE OF SINS.  

I'm so glad for the greater than sign, aren't you?

I really like this quote by Saint Augustine: "Do you wish to rise?  Begin by descending.  You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds?  Lay first the foundation of humility."

Humility is the foundation for God to build on in us.  It gives our lives stability by giving pride NO CHANCE to build.  It has even been called "the guardian of all virtues."

A Prayer for Humility

O God, who resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble:  grant us the virtue of true humility, where of Your Only-begotten son showed in Himself a pattern for Your faithful; that we may never by our pride provoke Your anger, but rather by our meekness receive the riches of Your grace. 

A Part Of Him Or Apart From Him?

Bake For Good

The Bake For Good tour came to McKenna's school and taught the kids how to bake homemade bread.  Then, they sent them all home with ingredients and an assignment to bake two loaves over the weekend...one for their family and one to bring back to the school to be collected and shared with a local shelter.  That's a pretty awesome experience for them.  Right now, Kenna and I are waiting for the dough to rise.  The whole process to make these two loaves will be 3 1/2 hours.  I think if we did this more often, I would make a whole bunch at a time because it takes so long.  When we were visiting the Amish family last weekend they were baking a lot of bread and had loaves stacked all along their counter top.  That reminded me that today is National Peanut Butter Day, so I think I will let the girls make the special Amish Peanut Butter Spread for our homemade bread.  We had it once when we were in Shipshewana and my girls RAVE about it.  You know when your kids are engrossed in cartoons on Saturday morning and you think they aren't listening to your conversations...???  Today, I was mentioning to Brad that I may pick up ingredients to let them make the peanut butter spread and they all yelled from the living room..."YES, YES, YES!"  SO, the other times I am asking them if they have their homework finished.....hmmmmm.....that is just weird that they can't hear me then.

It would probably be rude of me to mention the Amish Peanut Butter Spread without adding the ingredients....1 cup light corn syrup, 1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth), and 1/4 cup marshmallow creme....mix it up...YUM!  Happy National Peanut Butter Day!

Well, ALMOST nothing! :P

She Doesn't Sweat, She Sparkles....

We received a letter yesterday from Karly's gymnastics academy.  At first when I saw where it was from I thought, "Uh-oh....our January payment must have been late"...guess I am sometimes a glass is half-empty person...better work on that.  I opened it to read it and had to read it twice because I was like...."WHAT?!"  The academy started a competitive team called the Sparks, but it has only been around for a couple years and has been for older girls by invitation only.  This year the coach decided she wants to expand the age group to a few younger girls who she thinks have potential to do well and work toward being competitive by creating a group of Sparks "Littles".  If we agree to let Karly participate, she would have an 8-week (more intensive) lesson including her current class.  That's a pretty cool opportunity!

Karly is totally PUMPED!

I'm very proud of her for working so hard even through her frustration with her broken finger.

It's so awesome to see your kid light up like that!  

To God Be The Glory

I watched part of the We Will Stand CCM United concert last night and then Brad joined in when he got home from church.  WOW! SO MANY POWERFUL MOMENTS AND MEMORIES.  I thought it would be really cool to see all those Christian artist together, but I wasn't prepared for the wave of emotion I experienced.  I was thinking I really should never take for granted that all those songs are living testimonies...they are never just melodies....they are pure worship and worship never dies!  Music is so closely related to our emotional beings and Christian music combines both our emotional and our spiritual beings, so it is even more powerful....Add a little dancing in the spirit in there and you are wholly immersed in worship! :)

Thanks to my mom, I can even sing along to Evie's songs and, somehow, I remembered a lot of the words to Don Francisco's, He's Alive (and that has no shortage of words :)....I think mom was enjoying those songs when I was 4 or 5 years old.  It was the most blessed trip down memory lane.  Brad and I are especially fond of Larnelle Harris, he came to Olivet Nazarene University while we were there and our choir was able to sing with him.  One of Brad's most memorable moments from that experience was that Larnelle spit on him....haha...and you thought that would be a deeply meaningful memory!  We also, because of our connections with Olivet Nazarene University, were able to be a part of the college choir for Praise Gatherings when they were held in Indianapolis, IN and hosted by the Gaithers.  I knew that was a privilege even then, but some of the magnitude of the privilege hit me last night....I still cannot believe I was able to be a part of those assemblies of Christian musicians each year I was in college.

I do not mean to exalt the artists as people.  I try to be very careful of that because I know we are all just human, but I admire them for their tireless efforts to be witnesses for Christ through music.  Even though we often look at them and see something glamorous, pouring themselves out as offerings at every event and concert can be anything but....even though it is their passion.  I'm just thankful for the messages they have given us and for their faithfulness over all these years!  God has really used them for His glory because they have been willing to allow Him to speak through them.

Snow Days, Superbowl Commercials, and Mr. Sharp?

They have everything in common, right?! :)  Well, snow days pull all randomness together....they're like an absolute WILD CARD.  My girls had a snow day today....it was really just an icy road day, but whatever.  Anyway, I knew Brad and I were still going to need to go to work, but Savannah is old enough now to be in charge for a while if we need to be out.  The only thing I still try to help out with is making sure they have easy food to make and lots of ideas for things to do....BECAUSE "THE NATIVES" CERTAINLY GET RESTLESS....and when they are restless, for some reason, arguments result :P.  That being said, I told Brad as I left for work...."they need a project today or they will totally get on each other's nerves".  I had had the idea the other day to challenge them to make their own Superbowl commercials, so I told him to pass that idea along to them before he left.  So, he instructed them to work on making a Doritos commercial.  They were so excited to show it to me when I got home.  AND, it even gives me visual evidence that they were getting along and working on something as a team :)  I'm gonna try to share their videos with you...if this works, it will open a whole new world of things I can share with you....haha!  Aren't you excited that I am learning how to post homemade videos?!

Produced and Directed by McKenna Christine Foster

YEP, SNOW DAYS ARE A COMPLETE WILD CARD...LOVE THESE!

AND....One of their teachers, Mr Sharp, is an incredible book "nerd"...he claims that title for himself, I am really not calling him names.  He sent out an email this morning when he found out the kids would be out of school and challenged them to read today.  He also sent along a project he hash-tagged for his author and illustrator friends that shows some of their illustrations for the kids compared to the size of a quarter...http://idrawthisbig.tumblr.com/ GENIUS! I thought it would be super funny for the girls to draw a life-size Mr. Sharp today with a quarter next to it.  We are going to send pics to him later....I am sure he will appreciate the weirdness.

They draw this big, Mr. Sharp!  

I am thrilled my girls have been inspired to read, write, and draw by Mr. Sharp's influence.

Mirror, Mirror....

My "surprise" Christmas present was sitting in our driveway one day before Christmas when I got home from work.  I called Brad to tell him a package had arrived and he said, "don't look at it!"  I hated to tell him, but I had to...that it said FRAGILE, JEWELRY BOX in really large lettering on the side....I could have seen it from the road :)  It was a jewelry box behind a full length mirror.....so I will have plenty-O room to add more jewelry to it.....ha!  We've never had a full length mirror in our room, so I always had to run upstairs to one of the girl's bedrooms if I wanted to see my whole ensemble.  The week after Christmas he assembled it and attached it to a wall in our room and I stepped in front of the mirror and was quite satisfied with what I saw.....the mirror is TOTALLY a skinny mirror....I promise you it takes at least twenty pounds off me and makes me look taller.  Every day now I laugh when I look in it....it's like those fun mirrors at the carnival, only I am the short and distorted object....HAHA!  Kidding....no I'm not, but I can laugh at that so don't worry about my feelings.

I told Brad I am not sure if this mirror is encouraging me toward my weight loss goals.  On one hand, I don't get the exercise of running upstairs every time I want to look in a mirror and it LIES to me every day....But, on the other hand, it does show me what I could look like if I keep working hard.  I really don't like exercise and I love all kinds of food so I have to be so disciplined....yuck.  My latest exercise regiment is to challenge every member of my family to one Wii dance-off competition a few times a week.  I can be motivated by competition, so that seems to be working well for me and it is quality time spent with the fam...so, double bonus!

Since the skinny mirror lies to me, I really had no idea that what I have been doing is paying off....but, at church this weekend an older gentleman asked me if I have been really sick lately.  I thought, "do I look that horrible today?"....then, he proceeded to tell me he just wondered because it looked like I had lost some weight. His comments didn't seem to start out as a compliment, but I am learning you should really just take what you can get.

I'm just working toward the day when the skinny mirror starts telling me the truth :)   

My Little Fleet

Ecclesiates 11:1-5 says,

"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.  Give portions to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.  If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.  He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.  As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all."

All the pages are worn and the binding's cracked

If I close my eyes I still see my notes on the sides

And if I tore the pages to measure and fold each line

I could send out my own little fleet...of paper boats

I could release them 

into the cold streams

from these melting snows to

their own raging seas

You say they'd find their way back....they'd somehow return to me. 

But, then I've imagined my little ships in grave danger 

Acts of piracy...adrift by winds somewhere uncharted...or shipwrecked

And in the images of the debris from waters assailing 

Lost is my pleasant daydream

Yes, I could release them

into the cold streams

from these melting snows to 

their own raging seas

But, if I hold on to them....I could tug them down the shore of my faith

"Cast them out, send them to seven or eight", you say

"The truth they carry is worth their weight...

"In gold?" I ask..."more, for what they hold."

Lord, EMBOLDEN me.

I want to release these paper boats

into the cold streams

from these melting snows to 

their own raging seas

Because you promise me a mystery....you'll always bring the truth right back...

Someday, when I'm in need, I'll find a paper boat floating back to me.

Sing A New Song

We almost had so much packed into this week it was hard to process it all.  I usually like tearing it all apart and focusing on something small that had meaning for me, was out of the ordinary, or made me burst out laughing, or any combination of these three....but there were so many things that I have that feeling where you know you have so much to do and you freeze because you don't even know where to start.  I guess I can combine it all by mentioning that it is Sanctity of Life Sunday today.  That brings all the celebrating of Avery's life and walk into heaven, spending time with extended family, meeting new friends and exploring different ways of life like we were able to do with the Amish family we met, seeing a baby calf leaping around while it's mother called out to it, and all the day-to-day life that carries us over into the next day into perspective.  All life is newness....a new chance to experience a moment we have never had before, to embrace it, to learn from it, to love through it.

If you are a believer, isn't it an AWESOME thought that the gates of heaven are already open for you?....Your life has just begun no matter how old you are!  Brad stacked our worship time this morning with power songs....and I got a chance to give it my all, vocally.  Even our drummer got so into it, he shattered his drumstick and some fragments of the bamboo hit me in the back of my head....too funny!   I gave the choir a hard time that no one jumped out to protect me from the shrapnel  :) 

Whenever I sing now, I just can't stop thanking God for giving my voice back (I can't think of another way to say that, but it's really His voice)....and the thought occurred to me today that I am singing a NEW song....it's not like the words are any different than before, but my heart has a different perspective, understanding, and level of thankfulness due to that experience and waiting on God for healing and/or whatever He wanted to teach me through it.  But, all of life is like that....each day should give us a deeper understanding of the love God pours into our lives and draw us nearer to Him.

Laughing All The Way

We had a wild day :)  Because of some connections through Brad's mom and dad, we were invited to go on a sleigh ride hosted by some brand new Amish friends.  It was about the perfect day for it!  My parents came to visit us for the weekend, so they came along too.  Savannah wanted to snap some pictures along the way....so, here are a few she took.

My mom and dad....G-pa and G-ma Billington

You know us :P

Jewel and Pearl

Karly Sue and I

Okay, look at the blue sky....not me....it was a NICE DAY!

We were interested to learn more about the Amish way of life, so we had some time to meet the family.  Yesterday, one of their cows had a calf, so they brought it out to meet us....IT WAS THE CUTEST THING....SUCH LONG EYELASHES AND HUGE BROWN EYES!  It was really excited to meet us too and was leaping a little bit.

After that, we went straight to ice skating lessons.  

My mom and I...getting cozy because it was so cold in the ice rink....even colder than the sleigh ride.

Savannah got a few action shots of the girl's lessons...

Oh, what fun it was :)

Happy Friday, Indeed!

Celebrating Avery

We celebrated Avery's life today....a precious little girl who God brought into our lives for a time.  She never could communicate verbally, but she said A WHOLE LOT with her eyes, smiles, and sassy little attitude!  It was incredible to hear the stories from everyone who knew her and loved her.   Her family, friends and teachers had so much to tell us about who she was, how she could be a total stinker sometimes, and what delighted her.

I am amazed at how much life God packs into every part of our being!

Life is so beautiful and fragile!

 So thankful that God gave us the gift of Avery and that He has now delivered her to 

complete healing!

Sitting Under An Afghan?

Laughed super hard at The Goldbergs show tonight....I actually had to catch up, so saw tonight's show and last week's show that was dedicated to New Kids On The Block.....LOVED IT!  JOEY, YOU ARE STILL MY FAVORITE!  Is it really a guilty pleasure?  I mean, I try, but I feel NO GUILT...do I just not know what guilt feels like?   :P

I love how music and television build us our very own time machine!

Happy for the laughs...this week has had quite a bit of sadness.

When They Look At You And Say, "Ummmmmmmm".

I had some free time last Wednesday night while Brad and the girls were going to the church and a little "allowance" money burning a hole in my pocket.  I ran out of my blush a couple days before and my eye make-up and powder were running on empty...plus, I dropped one of them so it was all crumbled up in the case...I was to the point of trying not to lose any precious crumbs as the lid popped open....so I thought, "I am going to treat myself to some new, fancy make-up!"  I remembered right before Homecoming I took Savannah to Ulta to get new make-up for the dance and there was a really nice lady working there who did an "on the spot" mini makeover for Vannah so she could see what we chose on herself and decide if she liked it for the dance.  So I was scrubbing my face when the girls were getting ready to leave for the church and they asked me what I was doing....I told them I was getting ready to go into town because I knew that would puzzle them :)  I said, "I am taking all my make-up off, so I can get a makeover and buy new make-up.....WOOOOHOOOO!"

That was my plan anyway....I got to Ulta and a lady asked me if she could help me....I said, "yes....I just removed all my make-up so I could get someone to help me find the right tones for my skin and buy new make-up tonight."  AND, I SMILED....as pretty as I could muster with no make-up on.  She said, "Ummmmmm" with a really long, drawn out M....(side note:) when the M is that long, you know something's the matter.  Then she told me I needed to schedule an appointment with a skin specialist and gave me a business card.  I guess I should have told her I was going to a Homecoming dance, but my laugh lines and wrinkles always give my age away :)

Not sure why that was so funny, but I laughed all the way home....sometimes it is really funny when a plan doesn't come together the way you expect it to.....OH, WELL.....who cares if I get more laugh lines, right?!

Maybe next time?

It's funny that verse is in Eeeeek-lesiastes...me without make-up, ha!

A Flower In The Snow

I wanted to do something a little out of the ordinary for our friends today, so the girls and I worked on a special bouquet of flowers for the sisters.  The VanSumerens have three daughters, Avery is in the middle....and I hear her favorite color was purple...this is a weird thought, but do you think when you wake up in Heaven you still have the same favorite color?  Will there be so many more to choose from?  :)  So, I found these sweet My Little Ponies....two are just regular earth ponies, but the purple one is a princess with wings.

I don't know about you, but when I dream about what Heaven's like I think about awesome colors....and I definitely hope I can fly!  I heard once that someone who had a near death experience had a vision of Heaven and the colors were amazing...brighter and more vivid than what we see :)

We learned how to make large tissue paper pom-pom flowers and made a big bouquet.

Here's the crazy part....I wanted to add a poem or song lyrics or something else meaningful to our creation, so I was looking for ideas about flowers and Heaven and I came across this song.  The lyrics made me cry because they seemed to be talking about Avery.  Because of her medical condition, she never could communicate her desires or feelings verbally.  She always depended on others for everything...she was carried all through her life.  I LOVE THE LINE THAT SAYS, "Even when you're broken your name is still engraved upon my heart.  You are not forgotten.  

I know you, I see you where you are." 

Shawn McDonald - Flower In The Snow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPUJFGIUi-c

"Tell me what you dream when you fall asleep....wondering what you feel is hiding underneath...watching your feet on shaky sand and I just want to help you understand.

Heaven's going to shine through and your world is on fire.  Love is gonna cover you and carry you away...carry you away.  Heaven's gonna shine through and the sun will grow brighter.  If you're lost, I am going to find you 'cause a part of you is a part of me.  Yeah, a part of you is a part me.

A flower in the snow, a ship on the sea, contradicting words...

that's not how it's supposed to be.  Caught in a battle that's not your own and nothing matters now unless you know....

Even when you're broken, your name is still engraved upon my heart.  You are not forgotten.  I know you.  I see you where you are.  Heaven's gonna shine through. "

Avery Woke Up In Heaven Today

My friend texted us at 5:11am this morning to let us know Avery went home to be with Jesus through the night.

Wake Up, Avery,

This is my favorite thought for her :)  What a glorious morning, right?!

Please pray for the VanSumeren family as they work through their loss...missing her smile and presence in their lives....and that they would allow God to comfort their hearts and receive joy from Him.

The Road Ahead

I watched some video footage taken from a really bad vehicle pile-up that happened on I-94 last Friday...according to an article I read, there were 193 vehicles involved.  It took my breath away to watch cars and semi trucks come upon the accident totally unsuspecting of the danger ahead of them and run into the massive wreckage of vehicles.  I could hear the panic in the voices of those who were capturing the scene on video and trying to determine if it was safe enough to exit their vehicles to get to a few cars closest to them to try and help people.  I am still so amazed at the protection over the people that came upon that dangerous situation.  In that huge mess, there was only one fatality.

I was thinking today that our journey of faith requires us to not only acknowledge that we can't see the whole road ahead and learn to trust, but also to grapple with the truth that, in this life, we are not promised safety....or comfort, for that matter.... and to surrender our extreme desire for safety to God's plan to give our lives purpose and make us holy....set us apart for Himself.  So much of what I have seen that sets someone apart comes from their crisis moments or how they learn to handle their hardships when I think they would testify that they FEEL anything other than safe.

I have a friend who was in a traffic accident while she was pregnant.  She and her baby survived, but her little girl was born with a myriad of health issues and the last 10 years have not been easy or safe for her family as there have been so many times they thought they were losing their daughter/sister.  They are in one of those moments right now where it looks like she will not make it... her body is rejecting sustenance and her breathing is strained.

Their resolve to LOVE and SERVE through it all and to completely VALUE all the time they have had with their daughter has been so inspiring for me.  You know those people that you think of in your own moments of weakness or when you come to a dangerous or difficult obstacle in your path who, by their strong Christ-like example, are able to lift you above your circumstances when you think of what they have endured?  I thank God for people like that and am so honored to know some of them, personally.

Warm Wishes!

I knew something was amiss when my wonderful pillow that is always toasty warm for me in the morning was cold....YIKES, the furnace went out in the middle of the night...the pilot light is lighting, but the fan will not continue running so everything keeps shutting down.  Thankfully, we have nice space heaters in the girl's rooms upstairs, but the main level of our home is cccccc-cold.  I am the designated "repairman waiter" today since it's Sunday and Brad is a little more essential to the church services than I am :P

....but, heaters always have a bit of a funky smell, right?... 

Thinking of creative ways to stay warm 

and much more aware of the fact that I take HEAT for granted!

Update

So, the girls were doing a Wii dance competition in the basement (it was a little warmer down there because of in-floor heating) when the repairman arrived to fix the furnace at about 3:30pm.  I thought it was ironic that our heat was being restored while they were dancing to "Feelin' HOT HOT HOT"....that is a true story....I couldn't have planned it to the theme of this blog any more perfectly :)  Our one horsepower motor was broken, so that is why the inside of our home felt like an 

open sleigh most of the day :)

I'm so thankful that issue is resolved.....makes me count some blessings that I don't usually think about.

Ski Trip Day...Woot Woot!

(I think this is kind-of a scary eye picture :)  Anyway, Vannah did not want ice skating lessons for Christmas like her sisters....she wanted to plan a ski/snowboard trip and try that out for the first time, so today was the day.  Brad and Andrew took Vannah, Samantha, McKenna and Karinna to Timber Ridge....they're almost there in this picture.....SO EXCITING!

Savannah on the snowboard...she says she only fell 520 times :)

"I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling....
Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard...."

No one else was in the snowboarding lessons, so she got private lessons.

McKenna on skis....good thing I can see her shadow because otherwise I might be concerned that her head got cut off...I told her skiing could be dangerous :)  Kenna says it was really hard, but she's ready to go again :)

Waiting for their scores? By the look on Kenna's face, her score might not be that great :)

Karinna and McKenna having a bonding moment....oh, the sweetness :)