Surprise!

I am sitting here far too tired after a long day to do anything else so I thought I would just blog about my long day. :)

Heather came yesterday afternoon so Michelle could get some uninterrupted work time, and we could have some Heather time. Mom said we needed to get all of our weekend work done before she came since no one would want to do it after she was here.

Amanda decided she wanted us to bring Heather in town to the Farmer's Market where she and Beckisue would be spending the morning.

We finally got our morning stuff finished up late morning and headed to town. We got to the Farmer's Market and greeted our friends there, took Heather to buy a little pumpkin and just looked around.

While I stood and talked to a friend, I looked up and squealed "Courtney!" She and Ava were walking across the parking lot. My whole family new she was coming. She had planned all week to come see me since I had just come home from my trip. Funny thing is is that I had already gone to her house and surprised her on Wednesday. Amanda said they were laughing knowing that we were both planning on surprising the other in the same week.

It was an absolutely *beautiful* fall day. We were right next to a park by the river so we decided to go get some sandwiches from Arby's and have a picnic. Heather and Ava both love water and absolutely had a ball walking the trail along the river. The sun shone so brightly the water just sparkled. The trees were beautiful. The temperature was absolutely perfect. We seriously could not have asked for weather any more perfect.

When we got to the end of the trail, the point where the Eel dumps into the Wabash, we saw a lot of canoes coming toward us. I was totally jealous! I wanted to be out there canoeing so badly! I have only been canoeing once in my life and want to do it again! Someday...

Courtney told me yesterday that she had never split wood before. I told her next time she came to my house she would have to try. Little did I know it would be today. We were out hauling a few loads of wood up to the porch so I got out the maul and found her some nice straight logs to practice on. I gave my first lesson on how to spit wood. It took a bit but she got the hang of it enough to get about three logs split. She is going to be sore in the morning!

Dale and Michelle got here about 4 and Andy arrived about 5:30. Monday was Andy's birthday so we were having birthday dinner for him. The whole place was in chaos. That is pretty typical though when we have company. Supper was yummy though and well worth the mess (I think - after washing mounds of dishes that the dishwasher wouldn't hold I was beginning to question it!). Birthday cake was also delicious and Andy blew out all 40 candles in one very short breath. I was impressed.

So there were the highlights of my day. Did I ever mention Courtney is an awfully sweet friend?

Thoughts on a quote

I got to thinking about a line from Shadowlands (which happens to be one of my favorite movies) earlier. Toward the end of the movie, when Joy is dying of cancer, she says to Jack "The pain then is part of the happiness now." I got to thinking about how true that statement is in reverse too. You could say "The pain now is part of the happiness then." Anytime you work for something, invest time into it, wait for it, long for it's coming, the fulfillment of the goal is all the more rewarding and beautiful.
Keep that in mind as we each await the fulfillment of what ever God has in store for our lives.

From Doug Phillips

I read this on Doug Phillips' blog yesterday.

I love having a focused exercise program. It requires goal-setting, perseverance, great effort and pain. But it also produces joy, blessings and tangible benefits. That is why I sometimes think of exercise as a physical metaphor for the victorious life of Christ. Pushing our bodies reminds me that it is worth fighting hard to see the greatest goals realized. We need to fight hard and hold fast, even as we wholeheartedly “wait upon the Lord.” This waiting on the Lord is critical. It requires faith and hope. It means fighting hard and holding fast to the things we know to be true, as we wait upon the Lord. But there is a wonderful conclusion to the story:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Dancing in the Minefield

A friend posted this song on Facebook this morning. I absolutely love it. It is such a sweet love song.

Ellerslie/HSAOutreach

I thought it would be easier to just post about this rather than try to explain it to everyone. I am really excited about going. It will be great to get to learn more about Ellerslie while there.


I'm happy to announce that we have another opportunity for an OutReach project. All the details are below. Space is limited so please post up or let me know via private message that you are thinking of coming and I will get you a registration form asap...


What: HSA OutReach Project to renovate and remodel on the Ellerslie Campus

When: September 23-30 (tentative)

Where: The Ellerslie campus (www.ellerslie.com) Windsor, CO

Why: Eric and Leslie Ludy, speakers at the 2009 HSA National Reunion have recently launched a new global ministry and training center. They will have just completed their first training session and will be anticipating the arrival of several orphans who are going to be using their facility and receiving their education at Ellerslie. To this end, their campus needs some remodeling and renovations. Besides, who can think of doing anything better than serving our fellow believers in and hanging out with other HSA'ers in beautiful Colorado?

How: The projects will be divided up under several skilled team leaders who will act as "crew chief". Each volunteer is highly valued and will be placed with a specific team for a specific project based on their specific skills and experience. Please do not hesitate to come to the event even if you do not have extensive experience in this type of work. Anyone is welcome who is willing to work hard and learn, and a wide range of skills and experience levels are valuable to the whole team.

Other Details:

This OutReach opportunity is open to all HSA'ers (and their friends and family) over age 18 at the time of the event. If an entire family unit or someone under 18 wishes to come, contact me and we'll discuss skill level and lodging space.

The closest airport is Denver. We will be scheduling transportation for anyone who flies to this event. Lodging and Food will be provided on the Ellerslie campus by the Ellerslie staff. All that is being asked of you is to attend and be willing to work hard and serve cheerfully.

Additionally, you are not obligated to be at the whole event if you can come for just a few days, you are still welcome. If we have more workers than is needed for the projects, we will be looking into additional ministry opportunities. And, yes, we'll definitely be planning some hikes and fun times...especially if the work gets done quickly!

What we will be doing:

-- Painting
-- Carpentry/Building a deck
-- Installing windows
-- Possible landscaping
-- Assembling furniture
-- General "sprucing up"
-- And more...

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Daddy Daughter Date

My niece's date. Sharing a shake.

Just a couple of cute pictures

I just ran across these pictures. They are totally adorable and I figure everyone would want to see them. ;)