D.A.R.E

Tomorrow evening Brittany will graduate from the DARE program at the school. She is very excited, as we are! If you don’t know what DARE is, it’s the Drug Abuse Resistance Education to keep kids off drugs. Each one of the students have to write an essay on why they will keep there promise to not try drugs. Then the DARE officer and teachers choose a couple students to read there essays at graduation, although Brittany didn’t get chosen to read her essay, she still did a wonderful job!

I am in awe of how much she’s grown up. She’s teaching me to become a better mother and person! Her heart is so amazingly big and is always thinking of ways to help others. She turned on the 4th, she is officially a ‘tween’! (don’t tell her I said that!).

In other news, Paul and I have been talking about adopting again…actually we’ve been talking about it for almost 2 years. Our main issue will be coming up with the upfront cost, as we trust and believe in the Lord providing, Paul is more hesitant than myself. I ask you to pray for guidance for Paul and myself to think ‘outside’ of the box on financing the adoption and finding the money.

Feeding the homeless

Today our Church went to a homeless shelter to feed 500 men, woman and children. I had the great privilege to be one of the workers serving the food. I pulled Brittany out of school (she’s been asking if we can go serve food to the homeless for quite some time!) and Marissa came too.

It was an experience and being able to see the love and faith the people had was amazing! We were able to meet the founder, she blew us away, it seemed like meeting a celebrity! We had just watched a video of her mission to serve the homeless. She is an amazing woman!!

After we served the food, helped clean up and eat ourselves we were taking on a tour of the complex. They have built apartments, a teen center, a (younger) youth center, onsite medical and dental clinics, a generous food shelf, shower facility, clothes and new shoes! Along with all that this woman teaches the word of God, prays with each and every one of them and gives out money to pay for rent or bus tokens!

Today opened my eyes! I don’t know what God has intended for me, but something stirred inside of me and wants to do good.

Marissa and I will be stocking our local food shelf every Thursday for the month of January. This is a small part I can do, I pray for God to guide myself towards the correct path to help the needs of others.

For some reason I’m not able to upload photos, but on one of the walls in the teen center there is a beautiful drawing…two hands holding out to one another with the saying. “What you are is God's gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.”

A year gone by…

At this point I should close down this blog, as it’s been almost a year since my last post and I’m not sure if anyone reads this anymore, but for my own outlet I’m gonna keep writing….even if I’m the only one reading it :-)

A lot has happened, but not much of anything exciting, just busy, busy and busy. My younger brother moved back to MN in May of 2009, his son, my godson just turned one and is the cutest! They are also expecting another baby, yes 2 under 2!!!!! God help them!

Brittany will be 11 tomorrow, where does time go? I’m realizing how old I’m getting and I’m not liking it! Another item I’m not liking is Marissa growing up, she is now 4 and wants to start school. She will be in 4K in the Fall and LOVES Sunday school.

Andrew will be 9 in February and will start wrestling tomorrow night, he’s so excited. Dominick is 5 and I can’t believe how smart he is! He learned our phone number is less than an afternoon!

I hope (whoever) is still reading had a blessed Christmas and safe New Year!

MIA, Stupid Computer....

I have been so bad at updating. It seems as though the days are meshing together and which I thought were days gone, had actually been weeks.

Everything is good, just busy. We had a wonderful, blessed Christmas. Our family has been faithfully provided for and I am amazed at what God has helped us accomplish!

Brittany and I spent 6 days in GA visiting with my brother, sister-in-law and new nephew over Christmas break. We were so excited to arrive the night before Elijah's birth and spend some awesome quality time with our newest family member.

While I was gone, Paul held the fort down pretty well. My mom had taking the other 3 kids two nights while Paul worked, otherwise he did pretty good. This was a moment when I came home and realized 'hey I can leave and the kids will be OK and the house won't be burnt down!'

My computer and I have a love-hate relationship! I can maneuver a computer pretty well, at least the programs, but when it starts acting up I know how to completely screw it up! My computer had been acting up for some time-shutting down in the middle of something, blue screen pops out of nowhere, but when I got home from Atlanta my computer failed...majorly!

I couldn't get it started, no matter what! My warranty had expired the month before, ha-just my luck and we really didn't have the 'extra' money lying around to take it in. Tried fixing myself to no avail. I didn't have anything backed up-2,000+ pictures was my main concern. I ended up doing a factory restore and lost EVERYTHING! yeah it wasn't the right move, but I needed to get homework done, and didn't have the money to get a new one or take it in.

I'm still recovering from my picture loss. For the most part I have been able to transfer pictures from our desktop computer, or take from this blog. But I am sad that my Christmas pictures are gone, videos and pictures from being in Atlanta.

That's my life lately, goes good until something breaks then all hell breaks loose. I have to remind myself that I do have a good life, food on the table, warm bed and love of family and friends.

Macy's & New toy

Yesterday we all overslept, all 6 of us...until 8:00 am!! It was so NICE!! Since the kids were to start school in 5 min, so we just decided to keep them home. Yeah, I know, not the best theory for kids, but sometimes they need a day off too!!!

We decided to take the kids to the Macy's display downtown. The kids loved it, as did mom and dad since there were NO crowds, NO crabby kids, NO crying kids and NO kids complaining saying "I'm tired of waiting" or "I'm hot"!! The display this year is A Day in the Lives of an Elf. It was a good display!

Even though they look crabby, they were in a GREAT mood!!

After the display we took the kids picture with Santa. Marissa was all talk the whole time about how she was going to see Santa and tell him what she wanted. As soon as we got past the curtain, she froze! She wouldn't go near him! lol

She sat on the very edge waiting to get away!

The other day we ended up breaking down and buying a kids ATV. A neighbor was selling his, it really came down to 'too good of a deal to pass up'. The kids LOVE it, as do mommy and daddy....yes it can handle our weight.

I do have more posts to make. Our lives are so busy these days, and I'm told it only gets busier the older the kids get!

Ask yourself

Ask yourself this question:
'Would you run?'

Imagine this happening to you...

One Sunday morning during service:
A 2,000 member congregation was surprised to see two men enter...

...both covered from head to toe in black and carrying submachine guns.

One of the men proclaimed, "Anyone willing to take a bullet for Christ remain where you are."

Immediately the choir fled,
the deacons fled,
and most of the congregation fled...

Out of the 2,000 there only remained 20!

The man who had spoken took off his hood...
He then looked at the Preacher and said "Okay Pastor, I got rid of all the hypocrites...
...now you may begin your service!

The two men turned and walked out!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARISSA!!!

Today Marissa turned 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Referral picture...3 days old

Oct 30, 2008 (almost 3)

I can't believe she is already 3!

It seems like we were just holding her at 2 months old!

And now she's 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1st birthday 2nd Birthday
3rd Birthday!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!!