Sitting outside the trailer

It's almost 10:00 on a Saturday night. Normally on a Saturday night I am trying to get to sleep thinking that I'm going to need all the energy I can get for the next day! Sundays are so crazy with traveling and presenting and meeting new people and acting cordial. :) Judah has added a new dimension of craziness to our Sunday meeting routine. He makes it interesting as I try to take care of his needs and also set up our display board and do my part of the presentation. It helps when there is a nursery for me to put him in, but not every church has a nursery. I always feel a little strange leaving him in the hands of complete strangers, but God usually puts some sweet ladies in the nursery to take care of Judah and I feel better about it.

Last Sunday was just awful, I have to say! Judah did not get his normal naps. He usually takes a morning nap, which usually gets missed on Sundays. But last Sunday he also missed his afternoon nap because we were busy packing up and eating and talking and traveling to our next meeting (we had two meetings last Sunday. One in the morning and afternoon at one church, and one in the evening at a different church). Needless to say, after spending the day with a VERY cranky 4.5 month old, we have decided never to try that kind of schedule again!

This week has been so strange for Judah. I don't know if he's teething, or maybe he's still reeling from our awful Sunday schedule, but he has not been napping well at all, which makes for an unhappy baby and a stressed out Mommy! As the week has gone on, it has gotten little bits of better, but not totally. I'm just hoping that this does not keep up, or else, Lord give me strength. I miss my happy and very contented little boy!

This is Labor Day weekend. Paige is spending it in Israel. I am so interested in the emails she has been sending us telling us of her activities! I just can't imagine being where she is right now! I hope to go there someday...and Disneyworld too. It's a toss up where I would go first if I had the chance. :)

Cleaning house

Andy and I have been working to organize some of our things in preparation for this June when we are going to turn over the parsonage to the Thorsens for two months. Our basement is absolutely a catastrophe right now. It's unlivable down there right now, so the past days since I've been up from bedrest, we've spent a lot of time down there going through boxes and throwing away stuff. I took some pictures of things I found that I thought some of you would get a kick out of seeing these items again.


My first and only Cabbage Patch doll from Jerry and Barb Gazaway. I named her "Bottom" because I like to lay my head on her soft bottom as a pillow!

A pair of my favorite pajamas. I got these for my birthday one year!

My "Girls Rule" shirt that Mom gave to each of us girls. I remember that we each wore ours quite often, so Greg said that every time he came to our house, someone was wearing that shirt!

My 'Amanda the Panda' shirt from the camp we went to as siblings after Dad passed away.

One of my favorite books! Somehow I would always find it in Paige's room though, I guess she liked it too!

A favorite nightgown of mine growing up.

My favorite summer outfit that I wanted to wear every day of the summer!


And lastly, my favorite find of the day, my blanket! Doesn't it look ratty? It was well used! I couldn't believe what condition it was in, but I still love it!

I'm going to SCREAM!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! That's it! I'm done! I've had it! No more laying down!!!!!!!! MORE SSSSSSCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm BACK!

Okay Deb, I lied. I am still going to post on this blog.

I've been inspired to start posting on this blog again. This morning I was reading some of my past entries and just started cracking up at the honest stories that I was able to relate. I also could not contain my chuckles as I read your comments. I just can't be this open and personal on our ministry blog. For instance, does the average supporter/Pastor in New York care what I did for New Years Eve this year? (Which was nothing by the way because of baby). But you guys care, right? Nonetheless, I fear I've lost my audience since it has been a long time since I posted anything new on the blog. I'll see how long it takes someone to read this. If you are out there reading this, leave a comment! Then I'll know my readership. :)

Well, What's going on that I can talk about? Right now I'm listening to 4Him's greatest Hits cd. My favorite oldie of theirs is "For Future Generations" followed by "Sacred Hideaway". Anyone else have a favorite oldie to offer up? Doesn't have to be 4Him...Petra, Audio A, Newsboys, Point of Grace and (my personal favorite) dcTalk are also welcome...as well as SCC--almost forgot that one! Oops!

It's Sunday and I am watching the CSBC congregation come out of church from my window across the room. Only one more Sunday and then I get to go to church again. The last time I was at church was on January 11th in Norwalk, IA. The last time I was at CSBC for a service was...January 4th, I think. But I'm not entirely sure about that because wasn't church canceled one of those weeks around the holidays because of awful winter weather? Anyone remember which week that was? If it was canceled on the 4th, then the last time I was at CSBC was LAST YEAR!! What in the world? That is crazy!

Speaking of other things I haven't done in awhile...I saw Samuel yesterday. I am pretty sure that is the first time I've seen him since Christmas, or at least early January. He looks so grown up! I asked him how he liked Spring Break last week, and he said he got to go to McDonalds to eat with the Walls. That would be my favorite thing too! McDonalds sounds good to me right now, but after watching "Super Size Me" yesterday, I'm not sure I want to touch the stuff again! Don't worry, I will.

I remember how I used to spend my Spring Breaks way back when. I remember riding my bike down to Fisher EVERY DAY and meeting friends there to play: Shauna Smith, Ashley Wills, Erin Johnson, Eric Hineman (sometimes) and Ashlee Duimstra would sometimes make an appearance too. Although, I don't remember Ashlee having a bike, but I do remember her making fun of mine! (She didn't know it was my bike at the time that she was mercilessly dissing it). I still give her a hard time about that even though she has apologized a million times! :)

Anyway, I hope Sam and Mom enjoyed their spring breaks this week. It was a wonderful week for spring break! The weather was fabulous! Spring is here! Thunderstorms are coming this next week, I hear. Those excite me too. I'm not as excited about tornadoes since last year's catastrophes. I do have one funny story from tornado season last year, however. Jeremy and Jodi were staying in their trailor in the church parking lot. The sirens went off and J&J came into our house and went to our basement. Andy and I didn't hear the sirens, so Jodi called us from our basement. We both got up really quick and Andy says I took off for the basement! He says it was so funny because I have never acted so scared! I laugh thinking about that. Mind you, this was after Parkersburg, so my nerves were a little on edge! Anyway, we four had a fun time waiting out the storm in the basement of the parsonage.

Today Andy is in Montevideo, MN doing a presentation. Mom is helping me with everything that I can't do while I am in bed--which is most everything except use the restroom and take a shower. It's 12:30 and Mom just walked in to make me lunch. Porkchops are on the menu! Gotta go and talk to her now!

More to come later!