A Family Tradition

Tonight we went to the annual lights on ceremony at Rhema Bible College. It is so much fun to be there when they count down and flip the switch. It's amazing how dark it is and then with one switch, it feels like daylight. The music was a highlight this year as the lights were moving to the beat. The kids loved that. Walking through the tunnel of lights! The Family Pic of course!
Here's a video for you to enjoy...but you have to turn up the sound and ignore the baby crying.

A New Life

Ian was baptized in October. I couldn't be more proud of him for making the decision to give his life to Christ. This is a very happy moment for us but moreso for him. Very proud of the man he is becoming.

Emilie's 4th grade program

Emilie's 4th grade program this year was a tribute to Veteren's. The programs was very moving and there were many tears flowing in that room.



Emilie was the state of Washington in the songs of the 50 states.

Emilie turns 10!

Emilie's birthday was so much fun. She had a sleepover and everyone had a great time.

If you ever wanted to watch TV that night....well...there was NO WAY. The kids dominated the Karaoke System. And let me just say....it was a blast. Even for the adults. (secretly, we have Karaoke when there are no kids around!)

She got many great gifts and had so much fun opening all of them.

All I can say is I love this little girl! And she's growing up fast!

Honor Choir

Ian made the 2009 All District Honor Choir. This was such an honor for him and he did a great job on learning the songs and preparing himself. The concert was better than I expected it to be and I am truly honored as a parent to have a son talented enough to be in this program. His teacher Mrs. Barker is one of a kind and she does an excellent job working with Ian.




You can't really see Ian in the picture, but neither could we from where we were sitting. One of the items on the stage was directly blocking our view of him.


We were happy to have Shane and Alice come out and support him for the night. It's nice to have friends who share a love in music as much as we do.

Another OU game!

This was our second opportunity to go to the OU game this year. I feel so blessed to not only go once, but twice this year. I have to admit, going with friends is the way to go. We had so much fun together and it's one of those moments we'll remember forever. I'm glad we had the chance to introduce Krista to HER first OU game.....but we weren't at all professional "game goers" just yet.

I'm so thankful!

I've been sick for quite some time now and one of the things I really like to do is find the blessings in it. It hasn't been a pleasant illness, but then really, what illness is.

But I'm thankful for so much right now.
I'm thankful for family and friends who have helped me through this time. Having the support of my husband and kids and my friends and church family has meant the world to me this week. Every burden that is lifted is so comforting. I think of those that may be homeless or have no families or friends to turn to in a time like this.

I'm thankful for the doctors and hospital staff that helped me so much. For the medicine that is helping me to get better. Even though it's expensive, I'm thankful that I have been able to pull my resources together and take it to get better. I think of those that don't have medical care and are not able to receive what I received this week and pray for them through their suffering.

I am thankful that I have a home to go for shelter as a place to not only recover, but to live. There are many out there who don't have the things I have or even 4 walls to sleep in at night. I pray for those that God will give them a place to go when they are sick or hurting or even a place just to start new and begin life once again.

I'm thankful for every moment, hour, or second I have with my family. There are some this week that will receive news of a terminal illness and it will rock their worlds. I am thankful that my illness has a cure and the doctors are working on it to find out the full problem. I pray for those that will receive disturbing news about their health and I rejoice with those that find out they are completely healed.

I'm thankful I have so much in my life and that this is just a small bump in the road. Someday's it may seem more like a boulder, but I have to stop and really think about how blessed I am to have so much in my life to be thankful for.

A GLEEFUL Moment

Okay....if you haven't seen the new TV show GLEE....I have to say you are missing out. But out of all the shows, this is by far the most memorable clip for any episode that is out there.
They need to make the winning touchdown.....and well....watch 2 mintues of the rest!

Pondering

"I know Ive made a lot of mistakes, but I dont regret making any of them...because if I hadnt made them I wouldnt have learned how to make things right"

This quote comes from the movie 13 going on 30. I've seen this movie a dozen times and have never heard that line before. But how true it is. We will never be able to go back in life and take back the things we have said or done that we didn't like....but the best lesson is the one where we learn how to make it right. I love that!

Giver....not a taker.

I go though these spurts of not wanting to spend any money. It's not because I'm selfish.....but because honestly, I just don't need anything. I am so content to have what I have and be okay with that. Why don't kids see it that way?

Last week I stopped at the light and a man with a cardboard sign just sat there. He didn't look at me, or pressure me, he just sat. But I looked at him and saw something in him. I saw past the dirty clothes and mangeled teeth, and just saw him. I looked over and took all the cash out of my wallet and handed it to him out the window. You would have thought it was Christmas to see how thankful he was.
My friend who was driving behind me at the time chewed me out when we got to our destination.
"Don't you know.....they are scammers!!! They make more than you and me!!!" she said.

Her reaction really bothered me.

Who cares! I didn't need the money. I didn't need the Diet Dr. Pepper and candy bar I was going to spend some of it on. The point was, I didn't need it. I was just going to waste it, so why does it matter who I gave it to? And if I feel in my heart to give it away....isn't that okay?

We get so wrapped up in ourselves at times that I find myself getting very frustrated with my own selfish ways. But I want to be a giver, and not a taker. I want that man to know that there is someone out there who isn't going to judge him or ask him what he'll do with it. I just want that man to be happy.

My children are not going to go hungry because I gave it away. They are not going to suffer either. But what I do know is that if I didn't follow my heart at that moment, then I wouldn't be following God.

God has taught me to be a giver, and that's the story I'm sticking with!

Great things.....

I love it when things come along to me and are so encouraging.

“We have no right to ask when a sorrow comes, 'Why did this happen to me?' unless we ask the same question for every joy that comes our way.”

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”
~Frederick Keonig

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well”