Sweetheart Supper

The Sweetheart Supper went off wonderfully this year. I thought it would be fun to give you a run down of the the activity involved:

Saturday while Michelle and I grocery shopped, Kara began baking desserts and Jessica watched Kara's son and my kids. Saturday night Diane and JB joined me at the church to wash the stem ware and the china while Ryan was at home marinating pork loins and making raspberry vinaigrette.

Sunday after church we dropped our kids off at my parents for a movie and popcorn party and began the rush to get things done. Tracy and Ali peeled 15 pounds of potatoes before I got back to the church. We then were joined by Diane, JB and Jessica for set up. Between the six of us, we got the tables set up, covered, and set for each guest. M&M's were an added touch which seemed to be a great snack for those of us settting up.

Meanwhile Ryan peeled the rest of the potatoes and moved outside to cook potatoes and pork loin. By this point I'd made multiple trips to the store: grab lunch, back to get batteries for the grill starter and something else. Kristen showed up and some time in there they began candying the pecans for the salad and did LOTS of stirring. It all kind of blurs together but I think JB and I were setting up the lighting while Michelle was doing dishes. The church was out of dish soap and I made trip #3 to the store while Jessica ran home to get her slicer. Ryan came in with the finished potatoes and I heard him say he didn't think he had enough. Seriously, it was 20 pounds of potatoes. Apparently cooking them in the turkey fryer (it was clean people) got nice and warm and they disintegrated into the water. His potatoes looked like potato soup and were reduced to about 5 pounds of potatoes. To the store again and this time I drove. More potatoes were peeled, Ryan was grilling, Michelle was doing dishes and we were right on track.

I went to the bathroom to change out of my grubby clothes but had forgotten a camisole to go underneath. Great. Asking Ryan if the shirt was too low cut, all of us ladies got a realistic lesson in how guys think. Kendra ran home and got me a camisole and I headed back to the bathroom to get ready. Back in the kitchen Spenser and Kendra were there to get the salad ready. It looked super yummy and I realized much later when I sat down to eat that I forgot to have them put the crumbled goat cheese on! Oops.

Shortly after that, our drivers (Kendra, Pastor Lee and Spenser) headed out to get a few of the ladies. I headed outside to greet the ladies as they arrived at the church.

We had 25 women join us for supper. They were thrilled to be there. Down the steps they were again greeted by some friends who took their coats. As they removed their coats, in front of them was a table full of roses donated in secret - one for each lady that came.

They sat at the tables and began chatting away with their neighbors, friends, and those who were there to serve them. I welcome the ladies and prayed before we served them. Salad was served first. Organic greens from the local food co-op topped with crumbled bacon, purple onion, candied pecans (they will stick to wax paper if you bake them - we found out), and home-made raspberry vinaigrette.

While they were enjoying the wonderful flavors of the salad, we were preparing the main dish. While some cleared the salad plates, others refilled drinks and served the main dish. We enjoyed Pork Loin grilled by Ryan, green beans prepared with bacon, garlic and spices by my folks, and mashed potatoes prepared by Ryan.

While ladies were enjoying their food, and servers were clearing plates and chatting, Shane and John were providing background music. Considering my lack of communication with Shane, this was perfect. Shane and John were amazing as they played guitar, mandolin and even the harmonica. It was lovely.

After supper dishes were cleared, the guys took a break to eat and the ladies each had a chance to share their favorite thing of the year. This sounds really corny to me and I wish I could come up with something better. But honestly, I think they love sharing so it works out well.

By time we were done with sharing, dessert began coming out of the kitchen. Kara is wonderful at baking. She prepared two kinds of truffles, "X", "O", and heart sugar cookies that were amazing. Nothing simple from Kara. By time dessert was served, I think us volunteers had the extra desserts polished off!

After dessert, we did some more visiting before the ladies picked their rose and got ready to go home.

It was a lovely evening. I'm so incredibly thankful that I could serve in such a small way in my community. I'm blessed beyond measure for my friends who helped out. Many hands make light work! For those who helped out financially, those who shopped, watched kids, set up, cooked, baked, served, photographed, cleaned-up and whatever else people did. I can't wait for next year!!!

Music to My Ears

Tonight while doing dishes, my sweet girl wanted to help with the dishes. I managed to talk her out of it this time. My guys were in the other room being rewarded with Wii time while Bethany and I hung out in the kitchen. I listening to Ryan's favorites on his ipod and of course Bethany was movin' to the music.

The song on the playlist: You shook me all night long by AC/DC.

Know what I did, cause I'm a good mom like that? I started the song over and turned it up. Yes, conservative little me.

It gets worse.

I then picked Bethany up and let her stand on the counter so we could be closer in height and we danced our little hearts out on the dirty kitchen floor next to the sink with boiling water. And it was fun! Now I know, especially now after looking up the song lyrics (which I promptly removed the link after reading the lyrics) that its not a song I want my daughter to learn. In fact, I much prefer her singing I love You Lord or Good Morning Beautiful instead.

It gets even worse.

That is the same song that plays when I call Ryan's cell phone. I thought it would be cute/embarrassing for that ring to be his wife calling. One of the guys in the office joked that Ryan sees the caller id and doesn't want to talk to me. That might be true. But it might also be that he leaves his phone in his truck because he doesn't want to hear that song when I call :)

This thought is not music to my ears! Hubby, maybe you should change the ringtone!

On a better note, let's see if I can add a video of my little dishwashing helper. Nevermind my random chatter. The cute part starts about 20 seconds in when Bethany talks to her daddy:

Weekend Report

I spent Friday night and Saturday morning at Beulahland Bible Camp hanging out with the Mexico City team. It was great to bond with old and new friends while we did some cultural presentations, shared what God's doing in our lives, prayed with our partners and studied God's Word. It was exciting to hear two of our team mates express a desire to be baptized. Both of them had been baptized at a young age but want to be baptized now as a public statement regarding their faith. What a cool end to our time together.

At noon Ryan, the kids, and our friend Elaine met me at the camp for a picnic and fishing. It was cold and rainy but we were prepared for lunch and Scott was determined to fish. It was a light rain so we managed that but were cold. Scott caught a big fish right away but after that Elaine was the only one who caught fish. As an international student from Malaysia, this was her first fishing experience and she loved it. I also paddled around the big pond with the kids and they loved it but my quads didn't!

Saturday night we did a quick run to Ryan's folks and grabbed some pizza in town before getting to their house. We ate our "diet" pizza [I think thin crust pizza is like being on a diet cause I love bread] had a quick tour of the remodel project, helped them move some things, showed them the waiting child list for adoption and picked a little girl that I want to get some more information about, stopped at WallyWorld on our way home and got in bed late.

Sunday was a full day at the church. I was home at 3pm and had a lazy afternoon with the family. Ryan left to work on the train that he and a few guys are building for vacation bible school, and eventually I got the wild indians in bed. [I seriously wonder how differently they would act if they didn't have sugar in their diet.] I popped two tylen0l pm's and headed to bed!

I can do it

Last night while at the warehouse where Ryan was working on the VBS set, I rattled off the words of one of Scott's children's books. Chris got a kick out of the story and I'm not sure he noticed that I had it memorized. Ryan on the other hand gave me a look and told Chris and me that I should be able to memorize whole books of the bible because I've got a good memory. I thought that was funny since Ryan is the one with an incredible memory. I can do numbers, not stories, unless they rhyme and are children's books.

I went home last night and read through Hebrews 11-12. The 11th chapter talks about the things people did because they had the faith. That got me thinking about our ongoing adoption stuff. Then it got me thinking about Ryan's comment from earlier. I've thought more than once lately about my need to hide God's Word in my heart - to learn and memorize and know scripture. But I rarely do it. So I'm gonna try what Ryan suggested. Only I'm going to tone it down quite a bit to one chapter to begin with. I'm going to work on memorizing Hebrews 11 and wee what comes of that. God will bless my efforts, I know, but I'm excited to see how thinking about the faith of others will impact my own life. Anyone wanna join me???

Lavish Love

It was a fun by busy and tiring weekend. I spent Saturday with some of the ladies from Postville pampering and loving on them while some friends watched their kiddos. It was a much needed day of relaxation for some women who are in the midst of chaos following the immigration raid last year. These women were wonderful and I enjoyed getting to know them a little bit.

Life is busy as usual. Spending evenings playing with the kiddos and trying to cut out the row of shrubs along the driveway. It's tedious work but it needs to be done. I'm cutting out the dead stalks, smashing the nasty beetles that survived the winter after feasting on my once gorgeous shrubs last year, and leaving the tender new growth. What a reminder of God's love. I hadn't thought of it till just now. That pruning process with God reveals the good, new and fresh growth. May those remaining little twigs remind me of God while I remember to stomp out the evil that destroys and sucks the life out of me!

I've been reading in Hebrews lately. To be honest, I struggle having a consistent quiet time with God. I know that getting to know someone means spending time but I feel like I have so much going on. Funny how we can find time for what's important yet rush through quiet time in 5 minutes. I've been late to work several times lately because I'm enjoying my time in the Word. I know I need to get back to journaling which focuses my attention more on what God is trying to teach me through the passage. I'm so thakful for a God who's outside of time and wants to know me regardless of my sporadic time with Him. I'm also thankful that I serve a God who cares enough to want to know me and for me to know Him more deeply than I allow time for!

In light of speaking of love (not the original intent of this post), my folks are in CA lavishing love on our family out there. I'm a bit jealous. But mostly I miss my mom and Ralph. Especially their willingness and ability to easily care for my children!

Our New Cat

His name is Jinx. He's not really a new cat. He was the cat that mom wanted so badly; or at least he is the cat she settled for. He's a big cat, I should weigh him. He's well taken care of at mom's house and he loves my step-dad. But he's an unappreciative cat. I think he might even be bi-polar. Ryan can you medicate a cat for that? He's a cat that will be learning that life's bigger than he knew it to be 3 days ago.

A while back my mom asked us if we would take Jinx. Ryan and I agreed that we would take him but he would join the ranks of Rum and Wicket and be an outside cat. Mom wanted to wait till it warmed up so he wouldn't freeze outside. Tuesday when I stopped at mom's, Jinx jumped in the van. Perfect opportunity for a trip to the Brick House.

Tuesday night I learned that he has a break-away collar. They're designed to come apart so the cat can break away should it get caught on something. He broke away all right. Fortunately, I was able to catch him again after he hid under the pine trees for a bit.

Wednesday morning I tied him out while I showered and learned that he can break away easily. Fortunately he gets fed twice a day and was hungry so I caught him while I carried around a cup of food. He stayed the rest of the day in his kennel on the front porch. After work I had supper at mom's and then Bethany and I visited some friends before going home. It was a long day in the kennel. How's that for country living?

Wednesday night I let him loose and there was minimal hissing between Jinx and the other cats. He even rolled around in the dirt near where Bethany played. He eventually came near again for food.

This morning he was left loose when we headed to work. When I talked to Ryan around 4pm, Jinx was near the kids play area. He seems to be adjusting just fine. I wonder how that will change when he has to share a food dish with Rum and Wicket...

He amazes me!

Yesterday Ryan asked me if I still listen to my ipod and then proceeded to tell me that he wanted to put a book on it for me to listen to. This morning my neglected ipod was sitting by the front door. I threw it in my purse, went to work and forgot about it.

During a quick break to read my email this morning I read a blog post from a person reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I immediately emailed my friend Michelle asking if she was reading the book and listening to podcasts by Francis Chan or just listening to podcasts. She replied that she was doing both. I've been very curious about this book and wondered if the library had it or if another friend would have it so I could borrow it. Shortly after I thought about that, I went back to my work day.

Now at the end of my day when the office is quiet but I'm still here working to clean off my desk, I noticed my speakers and thought about my neglected ipod. I dug it out of my messy purse and plugged it in when I remembered that Ryan put a book on it for me. As I scrolled through to the book and clicked on it, I thought I caught a glimpse of the title. So, I clicked again to get the title to show up and was quite amazed at what I saw. Sure enough, it was the book that I've been wanting to read, a book that I've not told Ryan I've wanted to read.

He amazes me! Ryan amazes me with his thoughtfulness and the way he takes care of my needs and wants even when I fail to notice. But more so, my God amazes. It amazes me that he cares enough to be involved in the small details of my everyday life!

Out of the House

Woohoo, it's finally getting warm here! I've so desperately wanted time out of the house. I imagined a stroll through a local park walking hand in hand with Ryan while chasing our little bambinos around. The weekend wasn't quite like that but we still had fun.

Friday I made plans with our friends, the Zurbriggen's, which was a surprise to Ryan. But there was so much else going on, that I finally told him of the weekend plans.

Friday night we drove up to Ryan's folks. We ate at a fun little place in Decorah, had decent table service, and then headed to Ryan's parents where we stayed the night. Eunice spoiled us with Buttermilk waffles after sleeping in till 8am. The kids colored birthday cards for Ryan and Ryan opened his gift from his parents. Then we went outside to play with the old '31 Chrysler. After taking it off the trailer, Ryan and I went for a little spin. After a quick trip to Walmart, we headed back to Ryan's folks' for lunch where they served Shrimp scampi to the birthday boy [his birthday really isn't until this Thursday].

A little after 2pm, we left Decorah and headed to Parkersburg to hang out with our friends. We got there around 5pm and had supper with them before we sent the boys off to the Blackhawks hockey game. My gift to Ryan for his birthday was to buy us tickets to the game and then give my ticket to his friend, Ryan, for a guys night out. We were kid free but I stayed with our friends and their kiddos which was fun. It was funny that Ryan asked how our night went and although I loved my time with Renessa, we spent the first 3 hours of our time cleaning up after supper, bathing kids, etc. She and I really only had about 30 minutes before the guys came home.

Sunday morning we went to church where our friend Ryan is the Pastor. Only he wasn't preaching on Sunday. It was a blessing to hear two families talk about their move to the mission field and then share a message about being where God wants you to be. This was the same set of families that were at our church just a few weeks ago. After church we headed to Waterloo for lunch, St*rbucks [don't get the caramel frapp and substitute the coffee for cream like I did], and a tiny bit of shopping before we headed home.

Ryan's folks took the kids to mom's house after church/lunch where we then picked them up. We were home for just a few minutes when I realized how much work I had to do in the house but how much I wanted to be outside. We spent the next few hours outside with the kids before we headed in the house for bath time and supper.

It wasn't exactly a walk in the park but it was fun to hang out with friends, get a break from the kids, and spend time outside.

Now, tonight I have to get the house clean... but first I have a meeting to run to!

3-day Weekend Update

Sweetheart Supper
For those who know about the Sweetheart Supper, it went wonderfully. The church basement took on a fancier look as we served 21 women a free 3-course meal on china by candelight. There was a fancy salad topped with goat cheese, bacon crumbs, purple onion and home made raspberry vinagarette. The main course was a chicken fettucinni alfredo with roasted vegetables (broccoli, red and yellow bell peppers). The ladies had their choice of dessert: chocolate cheesecake (amazing), white chocolate pie and another chocolate pie. Each lady left that night having had the chance to share/brag for a moment with full tummy's, and knowing that they were cared about. Thanks to those of you who participated.

My Own Valentine
Due to the craziness of preparing for the Sweetheart Supper, I failed to get even a card for my own sweetie, even though I reminded myself all week! I love him no less and am so thankful that I have a sweetheart to celebrate with each day!

Sunday Madness
It was an early start to the day when I filled in for the 1st grade boys Sunday School class. I hope they learned something. That was followed by nursery duty with the little ones, and then a women's ministries meeting afterwards. The light lunch they served was perfect and I only wish they would have added one thing: ibuprofen!

Monday Freedom
I was so glad to stay home with the kids. Scott had a little TV time in the morning while I picked up the house. We spent lots of the day playing and having fun. Chutes and Ladders and Candyland are games that Scott loves but have to be played with Bethany is otherwise entertained (aka napping). Scott "helped" with the dishes which means he played in the sink for awhile. We also took a walk outside because we thought 28 degrees with wind was warm. Our walk in the yard turned into playing on his toys - through the tunnels (me included) and down the slide (me included here too). Then followed a walk to the neighbors which meant another hour of playing with their kids while my pj pant covered legs froze in the wind. I eventually pulled the kids away and got them home to have a snack and some hot chocolate before putting them down for their nap 2+ hours late. I almost had supper on the table when Ryan came home but wasn't sure when he'd actually walk in the door (he called to say he was running a bit late). We had an enjoyable dinner, made a quick fruit dip and let Bethany lick the beater before putting her sticky body in the bath! When I finally hit the sack, I was in much need of some sleep but wishing I could have more days like this with my family!

Take a Walk With Me

Some memories just stick with you for life. They come to mind easily and bring with them very raw emotions. This is especially true about my friend, Scott. Today, I want to remember him and share a little about him with you. Here are a few memories [in no particular order... as I'm feeling a bit scatter-brained at the moment] that have brought back a flood of emotion the past few days:

• Forking and Ricing lawns. There was probably toilet paper involved with that too. I'll spare you the details but it was a time consuming mess to clean up, and a fun little prank that my friend participated in. The excitement in his voice when he explained the process to me was definitely a teen-ager thing. Nothing particularly important about this but a memory that stands out for me.
• Tuesday night youth group at the river. I vaguely remember playfully fighting over who got to ride the jet ski next. I'm sure this involved a chase and me ending up in the river!
• Scott's toolbelt. This memory might stand out because the tool belt was at the funeral but I specifically remember Scott working on the barn with Dayn and the two of them wearing their tool belts.
• Sunday school class, when I first started attending. It was upstairs above the sanctuary taught by Richard and Teri. I seem to have this picture in my head of Scott sitting in that class but there's no noise to that memory.

At one point Scott and I had a brief time where we liked each other. I have fun memories of our innocent junior high relationship:

• The visit at the pool. We spent every week day afternoon at the city pool. I have a very clear memory of Scott stopping at the pool and talking to me. He was on his mountain bike and stayed outside the pool area. We talked for several minutes with a cyclone fence between us before we went our separate ways. I vaguely remember that the conversation was about a relationship with Christ.
• Scott's sweet sister, Amy, taking me to the youth group at the river. Scott was such a gentleman. He rode in the back of the car with me while Amy chauffeured us. That night, after youth group, he asked me to go to ice-cream with him. I can't remember if he went inside to ask permission with me or if he waited in the car. But we did go to ice-cream that night thanks to Amy for driving us.
• Hume Lake Camp. What a week of camp. I'm sure I'm not the only one who remembers this all too well. I didn't go to camp that summer. Scott called me from camp multiple times during his free time at camp. And I recall that he didn't get a lot of free time that week. The boys, in all their glory, got caught playing boyish pranks on each other and were forced by our soon-to-be youth pastor who worked at the camp to pull lake weed. This was a special treat for being naughty. They had to wade in the water of the drainage ditch leading into the lake and pull the weeds from the bottom. It was entertaining to hear about the pranks and the punishment. I also remember that during that week, I think it was Scott who took my necklace with him to camp (remember, we were in junior high) which would have deeper meaning a few years later.

I also have fond memories of my dear friend beyond the short-lived summer love. [I'm not trying to insinuate that I loved him. We were just finishing up junior high. I chose the word love because it wasn't a fling and couldn't think of another word]. Scott was a true friend, a real friend, a friend forever. Such a good friend that he was like a brother to me.

• Chatting on the front lawn. Again on his bike, he came over to my house. I remember sitting on the front lawn talking. This was the most important conversation we ever had. I remember Scott telling me about accepting Christ and walking me through what that meant. I wish I could have recorded our conversation. Today that conversation holds such value to me but at the time, we had just finished junior high, I'm sure there wasn't a whole lot of depth to it.
• He got his license first. And he made sure I knew it. For those who don't know me real well, I'm quite stubborn. I have this very clear memory of a post youth group conversation with him. It wasn't your typical conversation either. I asked Scott for a ride home from church since he would drive right past my house on his way home. Like the fun-loving jokester that he was, Scott said he wouldn't give me a ride. Off I went, walking the several blocks home when just a block away, he caught up to me. The conversation that ensued was of him driving along side me with the window down telling me that he would give me a ride home. In all my stubbornness, I wasn't about to get in the car. I [probably loved the chase, what girl wouldn't?] wasn't going to let him win. Today, I can't remember if he eventually drove off or if I eventually got in...
• He went to the dance with someone else! I don't think they called it a dance, nor did they dance, but the idea was the same. He went with Kristi, a very sweet girl. I was a bit jealous, as were many of the girls in our church. I remember asking Scott for a picture [that was back in the day when you gave everyone your picture from school sports, dances, etc] and never got one.

Then there's the memories from his accident and sudden death

• The news of the accident came shortly after I got home from basketball practice. The anger towards my sister for determining that I couldn't handle the news. The heartache of not knowing earlier and it being too late to go to the hospital.
• The time didn't stop but it did occur in slow motion the next few days. I recall vivid details of the next morning in ceramics class with Jake and Jill, two kids from church who were also friends with Scott. I remember leaving class in shock, not even knowing how to cry.
• I remember being without strength when I heard of his death and my dad having to hold me up. And choosing not to go to the hospital after the game because I wanted to remember the Scott I've been telling you about, not the broken friend in a hospital bed.
• I remember second guessing my decision to not go to the hospital where friends and family gathered.
• I remember not taking off my cross necklace [the one Scott had taken to camp] for a LONG time after he died even though I was required to for sports, etc (yes, not only am I stubborn, but you can add rebellious to the list to).

And as sad as all that is, [and before I start bawling about it], there was so much hope in his death. So much life in his death. I know it may be weird for some to make that connection. It just blows my mind; if Scott's life and death had meaning, and it does, how much more the life and death of a guy who specifically came to die for our sins. Thank you Jesus!

It's amazing to me how the memories of a person can develop after their death.

• Buck Rock Lookout [pictured above] is a fascinating place. But it has so much more meaning to friends and family of Scott. It was a place that Scott loved. The place where friends and family gathered to help carry the burden of Scott's parents and sister.
• The bike ride from Buck Rock Lookout down to Hume Lake may be a nice trail for some mountain bikers but for me, it is a place of sacrifice and thankfulness. Some people can make that ride without problem. Old guys like Scott's dad may slowly make it right up that hill. But for me, it was getting sick on the car ride up, and later puking my guts up while pretending to be in shape and ride the 18 miles to the lake. It represents another memory of my friend, the hope we have that though this journey may be rough, paradise is at the end.

Dear friend. Though 13 years have past, you continue to change lives. I'm so thankful that you took the time to invest in my life, eternally!

Efficient with Time

Typically I work through lunch and I'm okay with that. Yesterday I had a lunch meeting but I also had a few errands to run so I left the office early to accomplish my To Do list. It shouldn't take me long at all to stop at the court house and renew my license, ask about renewing my passport in another office within the court house and then stop at the post office to get cute stamps for my Sweetheart Supper invites. I planned for an hour originally but ended up with only 30 minutes, which still should have been plenty of time. Of course, it didn't go so smoothly:

Stop in for the license renewal. I'm proud that I'm looking good, and even managed to wear mascara for my license picture. Only the mascara doesn't like my contacts and so my eyes were irritated and I had a problem reading the little line at the bottom of the vision screening. Past that and moved on. The lady at the desked filled out all the information in the computer and then said "that will be $20 please". Twenty dollars? Last time I got my license renewed, it was only $11. I didn't even have to look in my wallet, I knew I had $17 and some change (being on a budget will make you aware of the money you have). I asked if she'd take a debit card and she informed me that it was cash or check. Well I didn't have enough cash and I don't carry checks anymore (too easy for me to spend money that way). Embarrassed I asked the lady if I could run to the bank quick (practically next door only there's a river in between) and get some cash. I drove to the bank. Drove to the bank? Isn't it next door? Yes, I too realized that when I made the corner, crossed over the bridge and stopped at the bank. I went in a cashed a check for the cash I needed. Walked back to the bank. Yes I walked back to the bank even though it was in the low teens with a nasty wind. The vain person in me was a little concerned that all my prep work (I don't usually wear make up) would be worthless if my picture turned out to look like Rudolph. I zipped my coat up tight and pushed it over my nose to keep my face warm and I hurriedly walked back to the bank. The lady kindly put me to the front of the line and finished up my licensing.

She mentioned that it would be a a few minutes while it printed it off so I thought I'd make the most of my time and run down to the recorder's office to ask about my passport. The recorder was very friendly and answered all my questions. Unfortunately I have to get a brand new passport and pay the whole fee because I changed my name when I married. Grr. We chatted about not needing the passport right away cause we've just started the adoption process. She informed that it would be $110 to re-do my passport and asked if I'd like to do it then. Considering the time, and the fact that if I didn't have $20, I certainly didn't have $110 in my wallet, I said that I'd come back another time. I left her office and hurried off to my meeting downtown on foot, in the cold and windy weather. It was actually quite pleasant once I crossed the river and the buildings provided a little shelter from the wind.

After my meeting, I need to make a quick stop at the post office and then I'd head back to work. Only I'd walked and the post office was farther through town and I didn't want to walk to the post office and then all the way back to my vehicle so I asked for a ride to my vehicle at the court house. Only my van was parked near the bank, remember, I drove it the half block to the bank. So my dear friend gave me a ride 1 block over to my van. As I was getting out of her truck, it hit me: I never went back in to pick up my license at the courthouse! Who in the world forgets that. My friend graciously drives me to the courthouse and drops me off. I head inside, retrieve my license, which had since been placed in the waste basket because another lady saw it sitting out and thought it was an old one. I then walked back to the bank, got in my van, drove the two blocks to the post office, got my stamps, and headed back to work. When I walked into my office, my boss asked "so, did you get lost out there?I" I politely answered yes and proceeded to tell him about how efficient I was with my time.

My goal was to get things done in a timely manner. I'm not sure I fully met my goal. What do you think?

Poor Kids

Okay, I'm not feeling super free to give details in fear that it might be held against me at some point but I'll share a little about my scare from last night so that you can remember to buckle your kids in:
Half way down the driveway last night, I made a sudden stop to let Scott get out of his carseat and help me drive. The sudden stop on the hill and Scott fell out of his carseat. I was really confused at how he got his belt off so quickly before I realized that I'd not buckled him in. I was both extremely thankful that nothing happened as I imagined the many things that could have happened and heart broken to realize that I didn't do everything in my power to keep my child safe. I was distraught. Scott had no clue. I apologized profusely and explained to him that any time mommy forgets to put on his seatbelt that I need him to remind me that he needs buckled in. Scott helped me finish our trek down the driveway and we made it into the house where a whole new drama unfolded.

Bethany had been abnormally whiny at my moms and I figured she was hungry. She ate some crackers and seemed fine. We got in the van to go home and she whined some more and said her tummy hurt. Not sure if she was just crazy since she had cotton pants on (vs. the regular jeans) or if the tights under neath were comfortable or if in fact, her tummy hurt. At home, she continued her whiny state and I knew that she needed to get to bed since the night before was a late and crazy night at the superbowl party. But she seemed more than tired so I started paying closer attention. She seemed to not want to sit in her hi-chair and didn't want to finish her meal. The little girl on the go seemed to want to be held. She crawled up next to me at the corner buffet thing and stood next to me eating my food and I continued to watch her. I noticed that she wasn't moving her left arm so I decided to move it for her. She reacted with a whiny cry and her arm was stiff and she said "no touch, mommy" and pulled away. I checked it again and sure enough she was holding it close and not wanting any movement from it. Ryan and I continued our observance while we ate and finally called the emergency room. I just knew that we were about to have another late night, this time in the emergency room. The doctor was sure that her elbow was out of place. He explained to me how to get it back in place, how she would react, and that 20-30 minutes later she would begin to use it again. He told me that if I couldn't or didn't want to do it, I could bring her in and he'd be the bad guy. We hung up the phone and I grabbed Bethany and held her and loved her (already remorseful of the pain I was about to inflict). I did just at the doctor explained and while I held her elbow in one hand, I felt/heard it pop back into place. It was such a yucky feeling. I think it almost made Bethany gag as she made a few gagging type of noises. But she immediately reached both arms up and grabbed me around the neck. Halelujah, she was using her arm. We watched the kids play for a while before going to bed and she favored her arm but used it, especially when I treated her with a chocolate chip cookie for being such a big girl.

And that's not the end of my drama...

As we put the kids to bed, I did the normal bed time routine which includes praying with Scott. I try to enjoy the time rather than rush through it but sometimes get frustrated when I expect my son to say what he's thankful for and he starts asking God when he gets to play the Wii next or when he gets to go to California next. I do have to remember that he's only 3. So we finished our prayer and then I started adding to his list of thankful things, like he's thankful that his daddy loves him and puts him to bed every night, and he's thankful that his house is warm, etc. When I said that he was "thankful cause he has the best mom in the world", he looked right at me and said "but mommy, you didn't buckle me in tonight!" Yes, back to reality... I guess I wasn't the best mom in the world last night. Sorry son.

Faithfully

When I was in college, my poor mom got to deal with each heart ache I experienced with a guy. And not just any guy, I of course thought each one of them was something special. Mom was great and would give me a new book on relationships each time one of mine ended. I don't remember the exact relationship, but one time mom bought me the book When God Writes Your Love Story. And to be real honest, I don't remember the what the book was specifically about but I do recall that it touched my aching but hopeful heart. What I remember best was there was a cd in the back cover of the book with a song written by the authors of the book. I loved the song and listened to it numerous times. More recently (like the last year or two), I've heard the song on the radio. What a cool reminder of what I learned so long ago and a great time to reflect on what God has done in my life when I let him have control. This morning when I heard the Selah song mentioned in my last post, I automatically thought of this song. I wanted to share it with you today because after almost 10 years, it still touches my heart.

Eric and Leslie Ludy – Faithfully

Tonight I saw a shooting star
Made me wonder where you are
For years I have been dreaming of you
I wonder if you're thinking of me too
In this world of cheap romance
Love that only friends are throught the dance
Say that I'm a fooled away for something more
How can I really love someone I've never seen before
I am long for true love every day that I had lived
And I know real love is all about learning how to give
I pray that God will bring you to me
I pray you'll find me, waiting faithfully.

Faithfully, I am yours from now until forever
Faithfully, I will write, write you a love song with my life
Cause this kind of love's worth waiting for,
No matter how long it takes, I am yours, faithfully

Tonight I saw two lovers kiss
Reminding me of my own lonely ___
Say that I am a full to keep on praying for you
How can I give a pleasure for a dream that won't come true
I will keep believing that God still has a plan
And though I can not see you now, I know that He can
And someday I will give you all of me
Until I find you , I'm waiting faïthfully.

The lyrics aren't perfectly recorded above. Take a few minutes to listen to their song here.

God Bless the Broken Road

I like this song. I heard during my drive to work this morning and wanted to share the lyrics with it. It's sung by a group called Selah. Maybe you've heard of them, maybe not. For those in the blogging world, you may have at least heard of Angie, the amazing wife, of one of the group members. Anyway, be blessed by these lyrics.

God Bless the Broken Road.

I set out on a narrow way, many years ago
Hoping I would find true love, along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
wipe my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign, pointed straight to you

Every long lost dream, led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way, into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent, just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost, and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan, that is coming true

Every long lost dream, led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way, into your loving arms
This much I know, know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

Now I'm just rolling home
Into your loving arms
This much I know, know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
Yes, God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

Breakdown

I'm not sure who was having the mental breakdown this morning: the children or the parents.

Two whiny/crying kids + two rushed parents = chaos real quick

The chaos slowed while we drove to mom's and then picked back up to full speed when we arrived. Neither child could be pacified. Neither child would obey. Crying insued. I stayed at mom's long enough to get each child calmed down. And in the end, I gave in and let them have the cheerios.

$1500 "Moment"

In case you were wondering, that $1500 moment between Ryan and I... he backed into my new van with his vet truck. Wasn't a good start to our New Year. Since then we've had other drama and the van issue is what it is... life goes on.

Here Am I am Lord

I'm finishing up day #2 of missing work. It has been a nice break but I enjoy my work and am eager to get back at it. Last Tuesday I developed a sinus infection which turned into a head cold, I think. Thankfully Wednesday was a quiet day at the office and Thursday was a holiday. I made it through a very long day on Friday and was out for the weekend. I don't like being sick at all so even a nasty little cold isn't fun for me. I'm hoping to be back at the office tomorrow.

As I sit here reading through my emails I am reminded of my dear friend, Maxine. She was an older lady in our church. A wonderful lady who loved the Lord and was full of joy. She had a servant's heart for sure. Monday, Maxine went in for a heart surgery. That evening they alerted her church family to pray as her heart was not pumping on its own. That night I sat and held Bethany in the rocking chair in her room as she'd been screaming. We prayed and prayed for Ms. Maxine and although my little 18 month old doesn't have a clue what was going on she lay perfectly content in my arms as we prayed. We prayed for our dear friend and through that time I was sure that God again would heal her heart and she'd walk away from this "routine" surgery. The next morning, Ryan called me to let me know that Ms. Maxine died at 4am. I was so surprised. We prayed for God's will ultimately but made sure to ask God to heal Ms. Maxine.

The past two days as I've been home getting over this head cold / sinus infection I've thought a lot about a little lady in rural Northeast Iowa who has been such a giant for God's Kingdom. My heart aches for the loss and of course I think of how we'd not seen her lately, how we didn't take the kids to see her on Halloween this year, how she always had a smile in her face even when I had an attitude, and I will miss our precious friend. But on the flip side, how amazing it would be to stand at the feet of our Creator and King and hear Him say "well done my good and faithful servant" and to be in a place where there are no more broken hearts!

Our "Moment"

I just found out that our little "moment" that Ryan and I had yesterday will cost us almost $1500 to fix. At least we got a good deal on the van to begin with

Dear Cori

This started out as a note to my friend but I thought I might as well post it on my blog and so I added a few more details and have copied it below:
__________________________________
If I wasn't in the middle of this darned audit and WORKING all hours of the day, I'd totally call you.

I had a "I wanna go back to CA" moment last night. Left the office but not before sliding around in the parking lot first. It was glare ice! Thought the road would be a little better, it wasn't. By the grace of God (and you can bet I was praying like crazy) I made it up the hill out of town for smooth sailing, or should I say sliding. Got a mile down the road and thought I was crazy for driving but I certainly couldn't turn around. Debated on stopping and asking one of my farmers (Ryan is also their vet) if I could stay with them or drive a truck of theirs home. I continued on because God's perfect love casts out all fear, right?!?! I drove in 2nd gear at 10-15 miles an hour with my passenger side tires on the shoulder for some traction. They just re-did and widened the road which means there's no more gravel shoulder but fortunately the snow from Saturday hadn't been cleared off the edge and it was just enough to make the ice uneven and provide a little traction. I made it to Gunder in 45 minutes, usually a 12 minute drive, and was scared and without confidence. The next 4 of 8 miles would all be downhill curves which in my mind spelled suicide. I stopped at Gunder (town of 6-10 houses and 1 restaurant). Got out of the car, checked to see how icy the road was and sat in disbelief. How was I going to get home to my husband and children? Well, home wasn't an option with our wild driveway, but how would I get to my mom's and see my family? Thought, debated, prayed some more and called a friend who lived just down the road. No one answered the phone. I walked inside the Shanti, a place I'm very familiar with and owners that I know (Ryan just "saved" their dog last weekend). They offered me a warm drink and some soup but I was so stirred up emotionally that I declined.

Cori, you know me. I have the type of personality that no one is a stranger. I had no problem thinking that I'd have to spend the night at the Shanti or with a nearby farm family. Only, there was one problem. Aunt Flo is visiting and I didn't have enough "stuff" to keep her entertained. With Aunt Flo comes too much emotion for me and so I sat at the counter in the quiet Shanti where Kevin fixed a vacuum and Elsie put things away thinking that I was helpless. Ryan was miles away running veterinary calls (his 4WD truck with the weight in it can make it around much easier than my little dinky car). I couldn't get a hold of nearby farmers I knew, or Ryan or the other vet who lives down the road. I was stranded. At this point, I don't think I even considered praying unless it was me asking God to help me be strong and not cry in front of Kevin and Elsie (I don't know them well enough to ball like a baby in front of them). Kevin and Elsie were ready to close up shop and head home when a guy pulled in the parking lot.

He was a familiar face to the Shanti but not someone I knew at all. Kevin proceeded to ask him if he had 4WD and if he'd be willing to take me to town. All the while my cell phone was ringing with my mom calling to say that she'd send Ralph to get me. Jim would be more than happy to take me and I figured I'd let him deal with the roads since he was a native Eskimo, I mean, Iowan and more familiar with these driving conditions than us transplants from CA. We walked outside and the ground was covered with the most beautiful snow. Jim opened the door of his truck for me, cleared the seat, and off we went.

You know, its funny how God really does provide for us in big and small ways. I was safe, even if it was a bad idea to try to drive home. God did provide safe travels for me (no deer in site last night), calmed me a little, and even brought snow in the perfect time. As I neared Gunder, the freezing rain was turning to sleet and I could see the sleet on the road which was why I got out and checked to see how slippery the road was. As I sat inside the Shanti, the sleet turned to snow and beautifully covered the ground. It was likely safe for me to drive down the Reierson Hill which I had previously deemed suicide. The snow cover would provide traction. But it didn't matter, because God knew how little confidence I had in driving down that hill and provided a perfect stranger who didn't want anything in return but asked me to "next time make sure to do the same thing for someone else". God knew. God orchestrated. God be glorified!

I did not make it home last night but I did make it to my mom's where my two beautiful children greeted me with hungry mouths and open arms. Thanks to mom and Ralph for opening their home when our driveway prevents me from getting there. Thanks to Ryan for going home and packing items for the family (including entertainment for Aunt Flo) after a long day at work.

Thanks to Jim for getting me to Elgin even though he wasn't headed that direction. And thanks to God for being Jehovah Jirah, my provider!

How Busy Am I?

Each morning and evening I drive along a beautiful row of shrubs along our driveway. The shrub is called "Bridal Veil", I think. Recently Ryan mentioned to me that the shrub is dying. What? How did I not notice that? I drive along side of it twice a day. I'm outside playing with the kids in the yark every few days right up near the row. I love plants and kinda have a green thumb, how could I not notice? How busy am I that I wouldn't notice a 200' long shrub row that was 90% dead?

Saturday when I was out pulling weeds, I paid some attention to the shrub row. Sure enough, it looked like it was dying and moving right down the row. As I took a closer look, I saw that it wasn't really dead yet. And it wasn't a disease, rather it has provided a tasty snack for some bugs. So, yesterday I was telling my coworker about it and we decided that I needed to find the bug and kill it before it killed my shrub. My DNR forester buddy told me that if something was eating it, I should be able to find the pest. Oh, great, like I was going to find some tiny bug in the shrub... its kind of like finding a needle in a hay stack.

Last night was supper was in the oven and the kids were about ready to make me crazy (those are a whole seperate post), I went out to hunt the pest. And you know what? I found it and lots more like it. The shrub was covered in millions of little beetles. Dangit, how come I didn't see those on Saturday when I check out the shrub? I collected the pests and some of the shrub and brought the jar into the office. My forester buddy identified the pest (you would think he's an entomologist, not a tree guy) and told me of the chemical cure. Tonight, I'm off to find someone who carries the chemical cure so I can kill the Cottonwood Leaf Beetle before it kills my Bridal Veil.