Anxious for the Week to End

So we have a pretty busy week this week.  We are getting things done for youth and having our student leadership retreat.  On top of the youth stuff, I have my work things keeping me busy too.  Thankfully all the sickness is gone from the house and we are all healthy!  And as busy as the week is we are anxious for it to end so we can spend time with our family.  Jake’s parents are coming out and we are desperate for some family time.  Seems like forever since we have had any.  7 months to be exact.  It isn’t easy living apart from mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, etc.  But we are going to have a very thankful Thanksgiving having them here.  So we will fight the busyness in the thought that we will be with family very soon!

Date Night

Last night my amazing husband got a couple sitters for the girls, Grace and Alissa, and took me out for a much needed date.  We have never been the type to do anything super fancy or crazy.  Our nights usually consist of dinner out, maybe a movie, sitting in Barnes and Noble with some coffee and a book, or even just walking the mall.  Anything to get away just the two of us.  Last night we headed to King of Prussia as this time of year is Jake’s favorite time to hit the Cheesecake Factory.  From mid October to January they have a pumpkin pecan cheesecake that he absolutely loves.  So we had dinner and dessert, got an extra dessert to take home and a couple slices for Grace and Alissa.  I love the Cheesecake Factory and it’s probably a good thing it’s as far away from our house as it is or I would want to eat there more often.  After dinner we headed over to the IMAX theater and saw “Where the Wild Things Are.”  Great movie.  The kid was a phenomenal actor.  Loved the soundtrack, it’s on my list of downloads, and the graphics were amazing.  The creatures looked so real and I am going to be a nerd and say I can’t wait to watch the special feature of how it was made on the DVD.  We left the movie in the wind and cold and hit Nordstrom Rack.  If you don’t know what this store is, it’s like Nordstrom but they have all the “left over” products that Nordstrom couldn’t use and discount the prices.  I LOVE this store.  So my oh so amazing husband let me shop for a bit as I was in need of some winter clothes.  We were there until store closing and headed home to relieve the sitters and sugar them up with their cheesecake.  In my books it was a perfect way to spend my Friday night with my man. We don’t do it often but when we get the chance to it is like our own little retreat.

So I am interested in knowing what people’s favorite “date night” options are.  Give me some ideas to do something different next time and who knows, I might just do date night more often!

Getting Colder

If you know me, you know I don’t like the cold, wet winters around here.  I had gotten very spoiled living in the desert 5 years and having warmer weather pretty much year round.  We have lived in Pennsylvania for 3 years now and we are going into our third winter.  I do not enjoy snow, I don’t like being cold and wet.  I fight it every year.  I even have a stuffy nose right now because I was wearing my flip flops until the last possible moment.  The last couple of days have been cold and rainy, which reminds me very much of Oregon(where I grew up).  So I decided, instead of complaining about the cold and the fact that winter is approaching faster than I would want, I will make a list of things that  I do like about this time of year.  It will be short but it’s what I do look forward to this time of year.

1. I love the girls in sweaters.  They are so stinkin’ cute all bundled up.

2. I love curling up and snuggling with Jake and the girls on the couch while watching movies.

3. I love the beauty of the leaves changing colors.  The reds, yellows and oranges are absolutely breath taking.

4. I Love the pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks.  They make me feel warm and cozy.

5. I love that the “holiday creamers” come out.  Currently I have gingerbread latte and peppermint mocha creamer in my fridge.

6.  Thanksgiving, I get to eat all the yummy desserts I try not to eat the rest of the year.  My favorite, pretzel-jello deliciousness.

7. Christmas lights, I love seeing all the homes and decorations all lit up.  5th Avenue in NYC is the best!

8. Watching the girls enjoy the snow.  Notice I say watching.  Yes, I stay indoors where it’s warm and watch them play.

9.  Snow days.  The days when the roads are bad, we can’t get out to work or school and we get that extra day to be together.

10. The fact that it will pass and be spring again.  Hopefully sooner than later!

How about you, what are your favorite things about this time of year?

Hannah Turns 7

It seems like just yesterday I was laying around the house on bed rest when my water broke and Jake rushed me to the hospital for the arrival of our first baby girl. It amazes me how fast time flys, things change, and little girls grow.

Today we spent the day celebrating Hannah’s 7th birthday. It started with our annual breakfast in bed, which is a big fat donut with candle, not much but she looks forward to it every year. She opened a couple gifts and was thrilled to get cards from all her cousins in Texas. We rushed to get her ready for school and then off to the store we went to get cupcakes to take to her and her class. We picked up a happy meal from McDonald’s and headed to her school to surprise her for lunch. It is always fun seeing her in her own world with friends. The cupcakes were a big hit and the kids all wished her a happy birthday. After school we went to dinner at Perkin’s and Boomer’s to play (a place like Chuck E Cheese) with the Allain family, Caleb and Sarah. We all had breakfast for dinner and played for a few hours before heading home to hang out and play some more. It was an amazing day and it ended with praying a blessing over our growing daughter and thanking God for the special gift He gave us 7 years ago.

Hannah loved all the gifts and time we spent together. She also loves the fact that she only has to sit in her booster seat when driving for one more year. She hates that thing and is ready to be done with it. So here’s to another year of blessings and joy with our beautiful daughter. She will always be my baby even though she’s now a little lady.

Walking in Authority

Lately I have really been challenged to start walking in the authority given me by God.  I have been reading scriptures and praying on this very thing.  God has given me all authority to stand in Him, knowing I have nothing to fear.  He has already said, I am more than a conquerer in Him.  All authority has been given to me.  I am His and He is mine.  So why, for so many years have I walked in timidity and shrugged away in time of need?  I never full grasped the power I have in His name.  My goal is to start praying dangerous prayers.  When I pray for God to move, I don’t just ask, I expect it to happen.  I will not be satisfied unless I see Him move!  I will no longer be cautious.  I will be a world changer.

God’s Princesses

I get the amazing opportunity to speak with the young women in our group about God’s design and plan for their lives. I am not usually the one who does the teaching but in this vital time I find it so important to remind ladies that they are all God’s Princesses and deserve the very best He has for them.

We are smack dab in the middle of what some people would say is the dreaded “Sex Series” at youth. I however think it is one of my favorites. I know, seems strange. For me, especially after doing a survey at the beginning, it is very important to speak about. The world today has so many warped views and lies about sex that it is up to families and churches to bring out the truth. It really hurts me to see the results of our survey that 25 out of 66 students feel like it is no big deal to have sex before marriage as long as they are in love. Love, do they even really know what love is?

God has put such a burning in my heart for young women who need to find healing and freedom in knowing that HE is all they need.  That when looking for acceptance and identity all that is found in Christ.  I never had anyone teach me the importance of purity.  I was just taught that sex is bad.  There is no truth in that.  But the truth needs to brought out and it is time for this generation to rise up and start living the lives they are called to live.  

So please, if you think about it this week, pray for the young women who will be at youth Thursday night.  Pray that they will find healing and hope.  That there would be a freedom they find knowing that they are worth so much more than the world says they are.  

I put together a poll, I am very interested in seeing the results, so check it out.  And encourage others to take it too!

Summer Time

Well summer has arrived. We had set a goal with Hannah that she would learn to swim before the summer ended. We had a meeting after church today and my amazing friend Courtney took the girls with her to go swimming. By the time I got there to get them Hannah had floaties on jumping off the diving board. This in itself amazed me as she is very much like me and not daring at all. She is my cautious one. I couldn’t get her out of the pool so I took Elle home for a while and then went back to get her. When we walked into the back yard there she was swimming under water with no floaties and no one around to help! I was so shocked. She was in the pool for almost 5 hours and taught herself how to swim. I was so proud of her. Now I have to go get her some goggles and come up with a new summer goal!

Hello Again

So I haven’t written anything in a long time. And I mean it has been forever. I have been so busy and just haven’t had anything I really felt impressed to share.

 

This week it seems like I have all these random thoughts that I want to write down and share. I guess this stuff kind of comes in spurts. There is a lot I feel God is teaching me and is showing me right now. I am in a different place in my life and I am looking forward to seeing how everything is going to unfold.

 

So what’s going on with us right now? We just spent the evening celebrating with 8 of our students as they graduated high school. This year’s graduates really seem to be our first group of seniors. Of course that means I am very emotional as some of my kids are getting ready to move on. This is the part of our job that is really hard on me. For so long I tried not to allow myself to open up and give my heart away and I learned that I was being so selfish. I didn’t want to get hurt. And seeing these kids grow and flourish is one of the most amazing things I can be a part of. So it doesn’t so much hurt seeing them getting ready to start a new chapter in their lives as it is exciting to see what God is doing and where He is taking them. It is hard thinking I won’t have them around as much but it has been such a blessing to have them in my life. It has been an amazing journey and I have enjoyed every step of the way with them. So to you my beautiful class of 2009, I am so proud of every one of you. Go change the world!

 

Hannah is getting ready to have her graduation from kindergarten tomorrow. She is so excited to celebrate tomorrow. We are very excited to see her with her friends and celebrate as she passes another mile stone in her life. I can’t believe my baby is going to be a first grader! And she doesn’t let me forget it.

 

Elliana is being my challenge. We were doing so well with the potty training and now it is like pulling teeth trying to get her to use the toilet. She even laughed today after pooping in her pants! I couldn’t believe it. I just looked at her in shock. I went out and had her pick a new toilet hoping that would be what it would take. No luck. Now I’m out $18 and still cleaning up poop! Any suggestions?

 

The girls are now sharing a room as we are getting ready for Jake’s cousin Katie to come stay with us for the summer and will be in Elle’s room. She will be interning with our youth and we are so excited to have her here. We are working out some plans to take her to a few places while she is here. Should be a total blast!

 

So that is the update for now. Hopefully I didn’t bore anyone too much and I will try to update this thing more often. Now it is super late and I am exhausted and going to bed.

Things I Never Pictured Myself Saying

So I was laughing the other day with Jake thinking of things I never would have imagined saying prior to having kids. So I have worked on a list of things. Here is my top 5…

1. I got the bears butt sewn.
2. Can you help me get this poop cleaned off the floor?
3. Don’t wipe your booger on me, put it in the trash!
4. Don’t let the boys kiss you (after the first day of kindergarten).
5. I love you mostester.

How about you parents out there, any funny things that you only say because you have kids?

Amazing Girls

I am so blessed to have such a great group of girls to work with. They are such a blessing to us. Last night Elena and Ashley came over and watched the girls so Jake and I could go out with some friends on a much needed date. I always know that they will be well taken care of and have a good time. Thanks girls! You are the best.