found my password, finally!

For the past few months I have been trying to get into my account because I lost my password. But I found it and was able to re-set!

So now I will start up dating my blog!

This week Amanda has been home for Spring break... it has been a fun week, because we post-poned her wisdom teeth extraction surgery till May. Thus it became 100% better! We had stockpiled up a bunch of fun things in the beginning of the week because we thought she would be not feeling so well after Tuesday. So we had fun in Idaho before we left for home, got her hair cut on Saturday night right after we got back, went for coffee with Carmen and Jenny on Sunday and then with Liesel on Monday. Got pedicures, Shopped for some new spring things and jeans. Went thru her Etsy making supplies and made me some new "yellow" posies for me to wear on the day I have to speak for Joy! Then not so fun things, but necessary, Got her teeth cleaned and the pre-op appointment for the wisdom teeth out of the way. Now we will wait till May for the actual surgery. We also shopped for her some new frames for her glasses, but didn't find any yet.

Then after we relized she wasn't getting the extraction... we just looked forward to all we could do the rest of the week. Zac came to our house to visit on Wednesday night, and that was fun!

We have watched movies, went to the driving range, they fixed the Schwin bike, played Phase 10 several times, even got Bill to play with us. (only because he said he didn't play games at night, so we asked him if he would play in the morning, he said,"yes, if you got up at 6 I would play with you." so this morning we surprised him and we all got up at 5:30 to play Phase 10, he was quite surprised. He let us off the hook for the morning game, and said fair play and he played tonight after dinner! That was very fun!

Zac won twice! He is very good at this game, maybe we need to find a game that is a bit more of a challenge! Hummmmm! But tonight we made home made pizza, I used a new 15 minute homemade crust and then had strawberry shortcake for dessert! So good!

It has been a fun day!

I love my family... the only thing we are missing is Phil and Aimee!

I look forward to the time they will come to visit! It has been since Christmas since they were home...

That's all!

25 years with my Best Friend!

Well, today is our 25th Wedding Anniversary!

My mind goes in lots of places with the arrival of this day. I think back on who was with us at our wedding and who is not with us today... missing my Grandma's and Bill's Dad, our brother in law Steve! Then there are those who we are missing that are not apart of our lives, friends who have moved away and we don't get to see anymore. Relationships with family members that are not as strong as they were then. (my parents and Bill's sister Nancy)

But I think of the happy too.... of what all we have gained in the 25 years... at our wedding Patty was pregnant with Jenna, and none of us knew why she was so sick.... such a blessing!

WE have the most amazing children and now we have a beautiful Daughter in law, Aimee.

Phil and Aimee will celebrate their 25th the same year that we will celebrate our 50th! So that is something to look forward to.

WE have met and continue to cherish friends whom we have had in our lives over these past years.

I am Thankful and Blessed beyond measure for my husband Bill. He means so much to me for so many reasons. But mostly for being a strong Christian husband and support to me in my life.

i love you Bill....

December is almost here!

December is almost here! Can hardly believe how fast this year has gone! For the last 25 years our December has begun with our Anniversary! Well actually 24 years, because on December 1st at 6pm a the Baker City Church of the Nazarene we were married! How exciting to be married for 25 years! I have been married now to Bill longer than I lived at home! Having a moment to ponder the past 25 years, here are a few fun facts!

- Our first home was in Rochester Minnesota! We moved 4 times in the 14 months we lived in Minnesota.

- We have lived in Minnesota, Arizona, Georgia, and Washington.

- We have had two pets and several fish!

- We have had one motorcycle, and 8 cars; our least favorite was the red Corisca.

- We lived with Bill's parents for a few months when we first moved to Arizona...

- We have always bought a Christmas ornament to represent each year we have celebrated.

- I have kept most all of the Christmas cards we have gotten over the past 25 years! Fun to look back at each year!

Whew.... I will have to keep adding to this one, now that I am trying to think about them I can't remember all that I wanted to write!

Well, anyway, I have been thinking about all kinds of things today, and really it is just simply that fact that I have loved my husband Bill now for over 25 years, he is my best friend, he is my adovocate in times of need and he has and will continue to be by my side in every situation.

Today I am making a Advent Calendar that is made from Twigs and paper cones, it is pretty fun and creative. We have always had some kind of advent calendar, but this one I will fill the cones with Bible verses centered around the coming of Chirst and celebrating his birth!

This season is truly a time to reflect and a time to look forward to a new year!

I am so blessed in so many area's in my life....

I will write more and post a picture of our Advent Calendar for 2009.

Whew it has been a long time....

Whew it has been a long time since I have blogged!

Why? no good reason really, just busy and lazy to sit down and write out my thoughts on what has been happening in the past few months....

But lately have been inspired by my friends to get caught up on my blog! So here goes!

It has been a whirlwind the past few months... well since May of last year!

and since we are nearing Thanksgiving I thought I would first talk about some of the amazing HIGHS of my life that I am thankful for:

Phillip graduating from NNU in May!

Amanda completing her first year of NNU.

Having Aimee come stay with us for a week before she headed to Kansas to prep for the wedding.

Getting ready for Phil and Aimee's wedding, and driving to Kansas with Bill, Amanda, my sister, Nancie and her daughter Amber. We had much fun, stopped at a few fun places... laughed alot!

Big highlight: Phil and Aimee's wedding July 18th in Olathe

Being with family our families in Kansas to celebrate our kids wedding!

Meeting Aimee's family

State Farm Insurance

Amanda's job over the summer

Lost 10 pounds... continue to work on that

My new group of High School cluster girls, they are a blessing to me!

My new small group of ladies at Joy

Amanda and Zac have been dating now for about 8 months, whew!

Phil's job at C of I and their apartment they get to live in for "free"

Women's retreat 2009, and my friends I got to serve with!

New friendships

Phil accepted to NTS for graduate school in Olathe Kansas

Learning to do new things.. like crochet

Continued old friendships with Raye and Deb!

joy from babysitting Eliana and Elyas each week....

My marriage with my best friend and husband, Bill for almost 25 years! (Dec 1st!)

Then Some lows of the past few months are......

Well, when I think of the lows, they make me sad, but it has been the time that I have drawn nearer to my Lord and Savior thru prayer and mediating on his word.

A few of these are:

Not having spoke to my parents in over 8 months!

My parents missing Phil's graduation from NNU

My parents not attending Phil and Aimee's wedding

Having the U-haul trailer we were hauling with all Phil and Aimee's wedding gifts and belongings in it get stolen from our suburban in Salt Lake in July. Then having to tell them!

Missing Bill's family, haven't seen many of them in a long time!

haven't been exercising lately

Overwhelmed with getting organized around my house

Struggle with the schemes of satin in my life and the lies he tells me!

Missing my kids!

Phil and Aimee will be moving to Olathe Kansas in the summer, not sure for how long!

This is not a complete list of the HIGHS and lows of the past few months....

So if I missed some, it is ok!

But mostly I am blessed beyond measure by my God, my husband, my children and my family!

I am Thankful Daily for what they bring to my life and I am Thankful for the love they give to me in my life!

So here ya go.... a update... for who ever is reading....

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you find things in your life to be Thankful for and to be blessed to the fullest!

need to update soon!

I know I know! It has been a ridiculous amount of time since I last blogged! Not because there has not been anything happening that has been exciting! But maybe the opposite, so much has been going on and I haven't had the time to do my blog! So I will write a decent update soon.... But for now, it is off to bed!

Keep checking in... much more to come! and pictures too!

New post coming soon.... I will have some time when we are in Seattle next week to think of posting about all that is happening in the next few weeks up to the next few months.

So, soooo much!

{above all else, love one another}

Today's bible verse on my blog is: 

"Above all, love each other deeply, because LOVE covers over a multitude of sins."

1 peter 4:8.

I have been studying 1,2,3John for the past few months.

I keep being reminded all thru 1 John, that the greatest command is:

Love God, the second is" love one another!

That is so simple...

yet so difficult.

I have loved my parents all my life, they are my parents.

They have made mistakes as parents sometimes do,

and yet I love them deeply.

But for the past 4 months, my parents,

have chosen to stop loving me!

Out of the Blue, one sunny Sunday morning,

they informed me as they were leaving my house,

that was the last I would see them...forever!

Me and my family was not welcome at their home, 

and I was to not contact them.

I was at awe, and that doesn't even explain the shock.

The pit in my stomach, was huge, I quickly began to question,

not understanding....

my mom continued to inform me, it was my fault, 

it was the choice i have made to support my brother and Leah.

She accused me of not believing them, and felt this was the last resort.

and she was cutting me off!

after much pleading, I talked them into coming back into

my house and try to talk to them to try to understand what was happening.

After 5 hours of talking to them, we ended up back where we started.

they choose to leave my house that day,

I cried un-controllably when they left,

I had no idea what to do next, Bill just hugged me,

and said we would figure it out.

Well, nothing has happened. I have tried to talk to them,

no response!

I have left messages,

no reply!

I have sent them notes in the mail to remind them, I still love them.

No contact at all!

So what do I do....

I do what Peter tells us:

Above all, love each other deeply.