Happy Thanksgiving!

We are looking forward to our trip to New Mexico to visit my brother Jeff and and his family (Carey, Madison, Max and baby in womb)...we leave on Sunday night after church and drive halfway (Phoenix) and stay with some dear friends we met here at school that have moved on...It should be a fun week of toddlers running wild and lots of good food. God is providing for our needs and we have much to be thankful for. I will be cleaning my pastor's house for some extra income and childbirth classes are going well. If you could pray for a few more creative ways to fill in the gaps financially that would be great! Our goal is to leave school debt free ready to church plant in two years. Only through God's provision and grace and our self-control to penny pinch is this possible. We are just believing for it and we ask that you believe with us!

Enjoy your families and friendships this week!

Where Does the Time Go????

Man, I cannot believe it is already the 14th. It seems like November just started! I never unpacked all my fall decor to fill the house and now Christmas is almost here...we have not even taken our family picture to send out yet....I just got my sister-in-laws today. How are you so on top of it Amie?

Anyway, just plowing through life exhausted. This has been our craziest quarter yet and we still have 7 more to go! Yikes!

Today I accepted a cleaning position--for my pastor and his wife! I will be making a little money for our family. It will be my one small contribution to our non-existant budget. I was thinking about it after I accepted the position, hmmmmm, do I spend 5 hours a week deep cleaning my house? NO was the answer, but then again, I am not getting paid!

Found out this evening that my sister in law Carey is sick....possibly a kidney infection, but she is pregnant, due early January....if they have to do a C-section now, the babe will be pretty pre-mature. Please pray health over their family....on top of all that, Jeff (my brother) has a fever and the chills. Pray for pain relief for Carey. SHe is a tough girl and if she is telling of the pain, it has to be PAINFUL. We are driving there for Thanksgiving...hopefully we can be a blessing to them, make them some turkey and care for their little ones to give them a little break.

Judah has been a bit jealous lately. Maybe not jealous, but needing more attention from me. Please pray that I respond gently to him and that I am sensitive to his needs right now. I am not the most sensitive person you have ever met, so I need a little God directed compassion. Iam having a lot of fun with him, and on the other hand he is a lot of work and I want to be the calm, loving mom that I know that I can be.

Our Sunday night service is going well. WE did our first interactive service. It went well, although I think that we can do even better next time. From what I heard, everyone enjoyed it...Jon and I had fun, but we need to be a bit more proactive in every area of life.

Our good friends Melisa and Scott got engaged last weekend. It was so much fun. They are to be married over Memorial Weekend. Good times ahead.

Let's see....anything else.....Jon and I are competley hooked on Prison Break. Love it.

Creed is head butting everyone and walking while holding on to this push train that we have. Little shnooky....he is only 8 months.

I am back down to 110 lbs. yeah. That feels good. Now I just need a new pair of jeans that don't look either too big or like something that should have been rid of long ago.....(90's are over Kate). At least I have young friends that can help me. Anyone have any suggestions on a pair of versatile shoes....ones that will look good with a T and jeans or somehting a bit more dressy/casual? I cannot decide. Too many options. I do not like 80's trend, but I don't want to look like the girl the young ones point at and say "She got stuck in her era." Things could be way worse. Luckily, my mom bought me some new clothes this summer, but now it is chilly to be wearing tanks.

ta ta for now.

camo  

Hum Drum

It was sunny today. That was nice...California at its finest. I enjoyed meeting some friends and their kids at the playground and then eating lunch and hanging out with a new friend named Kari. She has a 5 month old little girl. It was a lot of fun. I think we will make it a Monday morning habit.

As the days are getting dark earlier, I find myself even less motivated to get things done...that doesn't help a person like me that already finds herself un-motivated when it comes to do house chores. Oh well. I lit some leaf candles and the cozy feeling of fall is in my living room. I think I am going to get some hot cocoa (I am trying to control my starbucks habit). Both kids are asleep...it has been over 2 hours! MIRACLE....gotta go enjoy it!

You know you are a mom when...

10. Your belly button ring DOES NOT look cute anymore.
9. You think sleeping for 2 hours straight without interuption is wonderful.
8. Wearing snot marks on your shoulder is an everyday norm.
7. You panic on a grocery trip alone, wondering if you accidently left your child in the car.
6. The bathroom has a pee aroma. (potty training)
5. You have to answer questions like, "Did your two babies come out of your hiney?" (This came up this week)
4. You go to dinner with all aldults and realize you have eaten all your food in approximately 2 minutes.
3. Taking a shower or using the potty "alone" means having a toddler pound on the door the entire time crying or asking questions for the duration.
2. Dishes and laundry make up for 60% of the mess in the house. (Toys the other 40%)
1. Spenidng time with friends means meeting at the playground.


Some of you may view this as sad, but I love it. I love being a mommy, I thought I would share a few of the laughs I get on a daily basis. I thought it was funny and refreshing to put it into perspective. At least if no one else laughed, I sure did.

It Has Been a While...

Well, time has gone away with me. I think that I got abit behind before my mom came to visit and byt he time she left, we all had colds. which, I might add, are still lingering. At least the kids are feeling better despite the green noses and terrible coughing.

My mom and I had a great visit. She was wonderful. I did NOTHING while she was here. She probably wonders who does the dishes and laundry when she is not around because she took over and I loved it. I got a lot of rest as well which was nice. We did get to Ikea which was fun, butnext time it would be nice to do a few more things too. She came a few days before we started our second service. Thank goodness. Without her our cafe would not look as sharp and without my parent's giving hearts, we would have had NO budget to even buy the candles on the tables or any other accents that turn the cafe from cold to comfy. Thanks dad and mom!

Our service is going well. We are calling it VSN (Vineyard Sunday Night) which is funny to me. That is not creative at all and the point of the service is to be alternative and creative. Anyway, it works. Sometimes simple is better. We have consistently had about 35-40 people each week and we have seen MANY new faces which is exciting. Our band kicks hiney and the pastor is really hot. :>)

I am midway through my Bradley classes. Teaching is really fun and the two couples I have in my class are perfect for my first one. They are light-hearted and laugh at my stupid jokes and giddy nerves. It has been an excellent series and I can't wait to start again in January. Now all I need to do is charge for the class so I can make some money!

Today, this cute old man from India suggested that I need a little sister for my boys. I like the idea, but Jon thinks two babies is plenty. I am satisfied with my two beautiful boys, but if we accidently get blessed with one more I am more than willing!

Man, hammering is so irritating. Judah hammers and hammers and hammers. Just a thought. I guess I lost my train of thought...more to come. :>)