the weekend

Our weekend...it seemed quite productive.  I came into our bedroom Friday morning from the living room to find that Lee had started to rearrange the furniture.  In college, my roommate and I our Freshman year, rearranged our dorm room about every month.  People would literally come to our room just to see how we creatively rearranged it, and we were creative.  I had remembered that the mess of rearranging always made me unsure of how it would turn out, but in the end once everything was in place it seemed fine.  And the same was true when Lee was moving things around, but in the end, it turned out nice. 

We were blessed to have a date night Friday evening.  We had great conversation and it was a nice evening.  It was one of those dates when we actually had a plan.  It got cut short though when we got a call from our friends saying Ana had thrown up...ug!  As we headed back to their house as quick as we could, I was praying that maybe she had thrown up in their kitchen on the linoleum, or maybe on their hardwood floors...but alas, it just had to be on their plush recliner.  Thankfully, whatever made her sick was short lived and she was fine the next day.  We still took it easy though in the morning.  Ana discovered Lee's ipod and she literally sat for about an hour just listening to music.  She was SO intrigued.  

Ana sporting a smiley face scarf before our date night

The ipod is the coolest...yes, that would be the laundry basket she is sitting in

So with the whole rearranging of our room and having to get up with Ana in the middle of the night when she was sick.  Lee found himself standing in our closet, thinking it was the door going out of our room, because everything was turned around.  Maybe you had to be there, but it gave us a good laugh when he was standing staring at our clothes wondering where in the world he was at midnight.  

Along with grocery shopping and everything else that usually happens on the weekend, my parents also returned after being gone on a 13 week traveling adventure, from the west coast to the other side of the world.  One of their stops was in Hawaii, where they had planted a church and lived for 7 years.  In all their world travels I asked that they bring me back only one thing...one thing...and when they returned I received it.  Hawaiian chocolate covered macadamia nuts!  YUM!  One box down, two to go (don't judge, I shared):)

Isabel sporting her gifts brought back from Grandma & Papa

Sunday afternoon I worked on our budget.  Did anyone else from GFC do this?  And for all of you wondering, I've heard "the rap" will be available on the GFC fb page in the near future...so you better go "like" it:)  Or go here to read the lyrics:)  

And now Monday is here and off we go...

A lesson in serving

This pass week we found out that our small group leader's mother went home to be with the Lord.  She was someone that was part of our small group for a few years when she lived with our leaders.  Each week she quietly sat in their black leather recliner and just listened as we worshiped and discussed God's Word.  She was a special lady and one that suffered from the disease of Alzheimer's.  We watched each week as our small group leaders had her live with them in their home until the point where they could not take care of her anymore and were forced to put her in a nursing home. 

We often prayed for her.  It was my friend Sonya though, her daughter-in-law, who I admired more than once in how she served this sweet lady.  She would visit her several times a week, bathe her, do her hair, and try and do physical therapy with her as she lost mobility.  She had an unconditional Christlike love for her. 

Lee and I have often joked about when we are old and gray what we will do for each other or HAVE to do for each other.  All I know that I greatly admire my friend's servant heart and only hope that I can serve others as she has demonstrated so lovingly!

words back into mouth

It was one of those evenings (there are far too many) when the house was a mess.  I gave the girls the simple task (although it obviously seemed NOT so simple to them...as you will hear) of cleaning up their room.  One room.  One room in the entire house where all they had to do was throw toys in a basket here, a toy box there, or put a book on the book shelf.  I gave them this task and because of their unenthusiastic response I also added...and...if it's not cleaned up you both will go straight to bed after dinner.  Have you ever said something and wished the words could go straight back in your mouth?  It was one of those moments, knowing that them going to bed at about 6:30 would probably be a harder punishment on me than it was on them.  And sure enough, they followed through like I had thought would happen and didn't clean up a single thing.  Isabel replied, "we'd rather go to bed."  And quite frankly I can't blame the girl.  I'd rather go to bed than clean my house most days too.  Lesson learned, think before I speak. 

A cold winter night

So what does one do on a cold winter night?  Make homemade donuts naturally:)

By the time I took the picture only one donut (and a half) was left and the rest were donut holes

Enjoyed by all

Thoughts ~

• It was something fun to do
• We used the Top Pot donut making book we got for Christmas (Thanks Austin & Mart)
• It's a lot of work
• They are definitely easier to buy than to make
• They were yummy, but not amazing
• We would do it again, but probably for a special occasion or another cold winter night

Thankful

Today Lee was telling me about the girls and being thankful for them. Thankful for Isabel and how she growing up and asking questions about God and life. Thankful for Klara and how joyful she always is. And thankful for Ana...that she is still alive and not in prison:)

The Race - 2012 Goal

 

¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ²who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 1:12

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

There are several passages in Scripture that reference our Christian walk like being a "race."  The above are just two of them.  Our walk with God should be something that we do with endurance, we train for, and we finish well.  My 2012 goal is to be Kingdom minded, in the sense that I am in a race this year and I want to finish well for the Kingdom.  I want the "the words of my mouth and meditations of my heart to be pleasing in His sight (Psalm 19:14 paraphrase)."   

So this year I will also being doing a physical race, a half-marathon.  It's a goal that kind of started out in a humorous way.  I was watching the Biggest Loser finale, a show I don't typically watch, and the contestants were running a marathon as their final challenge.  I told Lee, I could/should do that, I'm turning 30 this year, that would be a crazy goal...saying this all being very naive about it.   

After talking with some running friends and doing some research online, a half-marathon seems more achievable at this stage in my life.  Even though, I don't consider myself a runner, I want a challenge.  I want something, just like my faith, I am going to have to work at and endure.  I'm not expecting it to be easy, and already I am so thankful for encouraging friends and those helping me on this journey.

I didn't want the race to be something that was just for me.  I mean, yes, it's a great goal, I'm excited about it, but I wanted it to be something for the Kingdom.  So last week at 4 am, my friend says that's when I do all my serious thinking (it's really when I'm usually trying to fall back to sleep after feeding Klara), I thought of this... 

Over New Year's when we were with Lee's sister and her husband, Martha & Austin, they told us that they are going to be moving to Haiti to work with World Concern, a Christian relief organization.  They have to raise support to go.  I would like to as part of my half-marathon, have people sponsor a mile in my race, to help raise support for them to be able to go to Haiti.

So, I'm looking for 13 or more individuals/couples to sponsor a mile of my run.  This might sound like a "BHAG" (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) as our Pastor calls it, but I'm confident God will provide sponsors.  My goal is to raise $1300.00 - $100/mile.  This will not only help Martha & Austin, but the people of Haiti who they will impact.  If you are interested in sponsoring a mile or maybe part of a mile, contact me!

With that being said, if you think of it, PRAY!  Pray that not only can I complete this physical race, but that I may be able to work on my ultimate goal for the year of being Kingdom minded!

Travel, Birthday, Family, Food, and more...

Last week we headed north to visit with family in Northern Michigan.  It was a special treat that Lee's sister, Martha, and her husband, Austin, came as well all the way from Seattle.  It was Austin's first time to MI, and yes we kept reminding Martha as to why she wanted to introduce him to MI in the winter:)  We all had a fun time though, visiting with family, seeing friends, hanging out, playing games, and eating yummy food.  We also celebrated Lee's birthday (with donuts of course - the most fresh donuts we've had in a long time...SOOO good), and rang in the New Year.  The girls were thrilled with having all the different family members around them, and didn't want to come home until we told them that everyone else was going home too. 

The younger Nordine/Snowbarger Clan

They could be her children.  Isabel is a younger Martha

Going out to watch a New Year's "ball drop."  Mart ready for the MI cold weather.  Austin ready too.

Awesome hats Uncle Will got the girls for Christmas.  Everywhere we went they got compliments on them.

Awesome donut making book (with secret recipes) Lee and I got for Christmas.  It's Top Pot donuts, you may have had some of their donuts before if you've ever had a donut at Starbucks.  You may have some if you come to our house in the near future:)

Isabel knocking out Uncle Austin in Wii boxing

Klara's first time meeting Great Grandma

Happy Birthday Lee

And then there was our ride home!  It looked like this for the first few hours.  Then we got smart and decided to look at the radar on our phones.  We were able to take a different, more inland route and avoid a lot of weather like this.  God protected us and we got through a lot of white knuckle driving safely.  10 hours later (normally a 7 and half hour trip), we were home.  We truly think if we hadn't taken the alternate route it could have been several more hours longer.  It was kind of cool because on the route we took we got to see the largest area of wind turbines in Ohio.  They were HUGE and there was 55 of them.  No, we didn't count them we googled it:) 

Today down came the Christmas decorations and the unpacking began.  And then there is this little bug who got her first taste of rice cereal.

Growing up fast.  Did I mention she slept 10 hours last night, in a row, without waking up.  Wow, that felt good.

I guess the cereal wasn't too bad