We Are Moving Again

After almost 3 1/2 years at Cornerstone Church in Boone, Iowa, we will soon be saying our goodbyes and beginning a new ministry at a church in Minnesota. While this may seem sudden and out of the blue, it isn't for us. Jeff has been wrestling with this since summer.

Over the past couple of years, we have come to love the people and the ministry here in Boone. We have seen so much growth, in attendance as well as spiritual growth. While we will miss everyone, we know that God is preparing a very special person to take over the ministry here; a person that has the gifts and talents needed to take this church to the next level. Jeff's last day at Cornerstone will be January 31st. He will go ahead of Josh and I as we stay behind to get the house sold.

We will be moving to Watertown, Minnesota to pastor a small church. Watertown is a bedroom community of about 5000 people and located in the far western metro area of the Twin Cities. It is about 10 minutes from Crown College. Most of the small, re-development churches that we go into have an older congregation and Jeff and I are the "youth". Not so in Watertown...Jeff and I will be some of the oldest people there. This is a very young congregation with LOTS of children.

I will be sharing more about these changes in our lives in future posts.

Christmas 2009

Christmas has been very different this year for our family. We have been so busy, I just haven't had time to really get into the Christmas spirit. This is a little disappointing because I love the baking, colorful lights, trees, cards, parties, etc. that comes with the holidays. But even without all the glitz and glamor, Christ is still the reason for the season. Baby Jesus arrived without any fanfare or celebration. I'm sure that the day of his birth didn't turn out the way Mary and Joseph had hoped or planned, but never the less, it was a special day.

My day was special, too. It was my first Christmas as a grandma! The kids had fun ripping through their presents and of course wanted more. Bryce just wasn't himself today and was running a fever. He did eat pretty good once we got some Tylenol in him. I enjoyed cuddling with Hailey at the end of the afternoon when she was wanting to take a little nap. All in all, it was a pretty good day. Holidays with the family is the best!!

A Tribute to Dodger

On Friday, December 11th, Josh and I took Dodger to the vet to be humanely euthanized. He was almost 10 years old and the best dog that a family could ever ask for. This was a very hard decision for our family to make but we felt it was for the best.

Over the last few years, Zach has gradually become more and more allergic to Dodger. It has recently gotten to the point that he is only able to be in our home for about 15 minutes before starting to have problems with sneezing and wheezing. As much as I love my dog, I love my son more, so we decided that we could no longer have Dodger as part of our family. We considered other options such as giving him away (Dodger, not Zach), but due to his age as well as several physical and mental health issues that he was developing, we didn't feel that this would be a good choice for him.

I am constantly reminded throughout the day that Dodger is gone, like when I drop food on the floor when I'm cooking and realize that I have to actually clean up my own mess now! I will especially miss him when it warms up in the spring and he's not there to go for walks with me. I am thankful for all my photos and memories. He won't be forgotten.

Memories

I always think of my grandparents during the holiday, especially Christmas. I have many memories of my Grandma and Grandpa from when I was little. We had several Christmas traditions. I don't think that anyone ever set out to develop these traditions, it just seemed to happen. Maybe those are the best kind.

It seems like every year my brother and I spent a Saturday afternoon and evening helping Grandma and Grandpa decorate for Christmas. Ron would go outside with Grandpa to put up lights outside while I helped Grandma make some Christmas cookies or fruitcake, then we would all work on decorating the inside of the house while listening to Christmas carols. They had an artificial tree that you had to put the branches into the "stem" and the branches were color coordinated. I always looked forward to that day.

Another time my brother and I travelled with Grandma and Grandpa from our home in the Chicago suburbs to visit family in Pittsburgh, PA area. I don't remember a whole lot about the trip except for all the car trouble we had. First the radiator got a hole in it. Grandpa would stop along the highway and while the engine cooled off he would walk until he found a marshy area where he could get enough water to fill the reservoir, then off we would go until the car overheated again. Then we would repeat the whole process. On the same trip the muffler came loose and needed a make shift repair along side the highway. This made a very long trip for everyone, especially us kids because it was like 95 degrees outside, we sat on vinyl seats, and Sam, their black Labrador Retriever, kept leaning over our seat and panting and drooling on us!!

I miss those days, but am so glad that I have my memories. I hope that someday my grandkids think back to their childhood and have great memories about Jeff and I.

Visiting Grandma & Grandpa

Jeff and I drove to Tahlequah, Oklahoma this past weekend to visit my grandparents. They are 87 years old and live in a Christian retirement community called Go Ye Village. They are currently in the assisted living wing. We are very happy with the care that they get at Go Ye Village; the nurses and employees are all so sweet and helpful.

We took Grandpa for a pretty long walk Saturday morning while Grandma napped, then took them both to do some errands in the afternoon. While out, we drove through a big state park. Grandpa mentioned that he would love to get out and walk through the woods, so we stopped. Jeff found a mowed fire lane and Jeff and Grandpa took a walk through the woods. (Grandma and I stayed in the car.) Grandpa told us later that he hadn't walked that much in probably 2 years...but he wasn't complaining!!

I have a lot of memories of my grandparents. They lived just a few blocks from me while growing up. Often times we would stop at Grandma and Grandpa's house for this or that and I could always find Grandpa in the workshop in his garage. Then I'd go in the house where Grandma was working in the kitchen to get a cooking from the cookie jar. I have many memories of my Grandparents. In my next post, I'll tell a few of my favorite memories.

Resignation

This week I resigned my position as director at the daycare. Every day was more stressful than the last and these last several weeks has been almost more than I could handle.

Last April when I agreed to become the director, I knew that the center had a lot of problems. It was a sinking ship. My job was to try to repair the damage. Over the past 7 months, I have made many changes to the daycare to try to make it a better place. I know "daycare" and I know "teaching". What I don't know is the business end, more specifically, the financial side of being a director. I also am not a strong leader and really struggle when it comes to dealing with the staff. I feel like I have done all that I can to improve the center. They need to hire a person that has strong business and management skills.

The next two weeks will be busy as I transition myself out of the office and teach the staff about the paper work so they can take over until a new director is hired. Within 18 hours of resigning, I was re-hired at the grocery store. I will also make myself available to do subbing at several preschools and daycares in the area. Life is starting to look up again!

Swine Flu in Boone

So, Swine Flu has started affecting the Lawson Family now. Zach started with a sore throat and cough on Wednesday and came home from work Thursday morning with a fever. He went to the doctor that morning and got a nasal swab and a white blood count which confirmed that he definitely has H1N1. Andrea also started feeling bad that day. Both of them are high risk, first because they are under 24 years old, but also because of Zach's severe asthma and because Andrea is pregnant. They are both on antiviral medications to help lessen the length of time the flu last as well as the severity of the symptoms.

This morning Zach called to tell us that Bryce now has the flu, too. The doctor won't give the kids any of the anti-viral because the side-effects for children are almost as bad as the flu itself. Andrea is still feeling pretty bad, although her fever is down. Zach has his energy back but is still really achy and has a bad cough. I'm headed over to pick up Hailey for a while so they can all rest. I'm hoping that Jeff, Josh, and I don't end up getting it too.

Harvest Party

Tonight we had a great time at our church's Harvest Party. A family from church has some acreage just outside of town and agreed to host everyone at their place. We were glad to have a break from the weeks of rain and enjoyed a sunny 60 degree day. It was very windy which made it a bit chilly.

We had a short horse show, games for the kids (big and little), a hayride, and a bonfire complete with chili, hot dogs, and smores. Jeff and I took Bryce and Hailey. They seemed to have a lot of fun and liked petting all the kitties. I've come home at the end of the night exhausted, muddy, and sticky from sucker drool. I really do have the best grand kids in the world - of course, I might be a little prejudice, too!!

The Train Ride

My parents were visiting my grandparents in Oklahoma last week and stopped in Boone on their way back home. I was excited to be able to treat them to a ride on the Boone Scenic Valley Railroad today. The train in the picture is the actual train that we rode on, although the picture is off of the internet. The bridge that the train is going over is called the Kate Shelley High Bridge. I'll admit that I was very nervous to go across it. While I'm not really afraid of heights, I do get a little wigged out about not having anything on the sides...I mean, what if the wind blew the train off of the track?

Anyhow, we had a good time and really enjoyed the fall scenery. It also gave my mom and dad time to get to know Bryce and Hailey since they went too. Bryce kept calling the train Thomas the Tank. I think he might have been a little disappointed or confused when we got off the train and he saw that the engine was actually black!

A New Home for Zach's Family

Zach and Andrea have spent the last week or so getting prepared to move and Saturday was the big day. The little ones spent the day with their other grandma while Jeff, Josh, and I, along with a half dozen church friends helped get them moved. We had a beautiful day and plenty of hands, so it only took about an hour or so.

They have been living in a small 2-bedroom apartment downtown above one of the businesses. While it's not been a bad place to live, the duplex they are now in will give them so much more room, especially with a new baby coming...and it even has yard space! Andrea is most excited about having her washer and dryer again.

Physical Therapy

For the last 2 1/2 years I have had pain in my right hip. My oncologist didn't really offer much advise and I just figured that it was a side effect of chemo. In April, I finally went to a family practitioner who did x-rays and thought it might be tendinitis/bursitis. She recommended physical therapy. Over the summer, the pain really started to get in the way of daily activities and so last month I decided it was finally time to take care of it.

Come to find out, I had a rotation of the right pelvis, possibly caused by a fall on the ice (yes, 2 1/2 years ago) in which I landed flat on my behind. Over the past month, I have had traction, stretching, strengthening, and massage. My therapist tells me that in all his years of doing therapy, he has never seen such a tight hip flexor as what I have.

I don't really want to take the time to drive to and from Ames twice a week, spend more than an hour at each session, and do exercises once or twice a day at home. I do it though and I'm starting to notice improvement. I am glad to finally have some answers and to know that it isn't just old age and just have to live with it!! I am incredibly thankful for medical personnel and health insurance.

Soon-To-Be Grandbaby #3

In case you didn't already know, I will be a grandma again. Zach and Andrea are expecting a baby on January 7, 2010. According to the ultra sound, it will be a little girl. This picture was taken in August. It amazes me how clear the picture is. Notice her little hand just above her head!

Campfire with Family

While in Michigan visiting my parents, I was excited to be able to have a campfire in my parent's backyard. I get warm fuzzies whenever I smell a campfire or fireplace burning. Growing up, my family used to go camping all the time. Part of our camping experience was having a fire every night. Sometimes we cooked dinner over the fire, other times it was just popcorn or s'mores.

Now that I'm an adult, I've decided that camping is not my thing. I guess I'm too pampered. I like my electric and plumbing! I do, however, love a fire in the evening; just sitting around talking about life. Maybe someday I'll build a fire pit in my own backyard.

Grandma Smith

Jeff and I are on a short vacation over Labor Day weekend. We drove up to Michigan to visit my parents and sister. On our way through Chicago, we stopped to visit my grandma. Grandma Smith turned 90 this spring. It amazes me how young she is yet. She lives alone in a senior apartment. While she eats her meals with another lady in her building and one of her grand daughters comes and does the heavier cleaning every couple of weeks, she still is very independent. We took her out to lunch Friday and she has no problem climbing up into our Yukon. I hope that when I am 90, I can be just as young as she is.

What's Josh Up To?

I've had several people ask what Josh is doing now, so I thought I'd take a moment and update my blog for those who are interested. As you may remember, Josh had planned to join the Marines last winter after he finished his first semester at Crown College. As part of the military physical, the doctor decided that Josh had to take a special test to see if he had asthma (because he had been on prednisone due to a severe case of bronchitis a few weeks earlier). Unfortunately, he failed the test. They told him that he could retest at his own expense after 6 months.

Josh decided to return to Crown College and finish out the year. His plan was to get a full time job over the summer in the Minneapolis area near his girlfriend, Katie, get his own apartment, and take on-line classes. The problem has been the economy; there are very few full-time jobs available. Over the summer, he has been living at home and working part-time as a cashier at the grocery store. He decided to re-take the asthma test recently and unfortunately failed it again. While he is disappointed that the military is out of the picture, he is kind of relieved that at least he knows what he is NOT supposed to be doing with his life.

Josh will be living at home this fall, taking a full load of on-line classes, and continue to work at the grocery store. To supplement his part-time pay, Josh has been donating plasma twice a week. He also just got a seasonal job working at the Iowa State football games as an usher. He is really looking forward to getting to watch all the home games! While he misses not getting to see his girlfriend as often as he would like, he is content for right now. We are praying for God's direction in his future.

Shoe Shopping

Tonight I babysat Bryce and Hailey while Zach and Andrea went out on a date. After dinner, I took them to the mall to buy Hailey a pair of new gym shoes. Her old ones are too small. In fact, she jumped from a size 5 to a size 7 in just two or three months.

While at Payless Shoes, Hailey really got into trying shoes on. We probably tried on a half dozen pairs. Each time she saw me with another pair, she would plop down on her bottom and hold her foot up for me to put them on. Then she and Bryce would run down the aisle and back to "see if they were good shoes". I figured the best pair of shoes to buy her were the ones that didn't fall off when she ran and didn't make her wipe out!!

Sunday Afternoon Hike

Jeff is feeling pretty good since his surgery and felt well enough to go hiking in the woods this afternoon. It is warm and humid today - at least in comparison to the unseasonably cool weather we've been having. Dodger decided to go swimming in the lake/pond. We found a spot for him that didn't look like pea soup, but he still came out with mud up to his elbows and stinking like crazy. Of course, he needed a bath.

How is it that a dog loves to romp and play in the water, but is allergic to the bath? Dodger just seems to know when it's bath time. He slinks off and tries to hide while I'm getting the towels and soap. It's also hard to convince him to climb into the tub. Once there, he is ready to jump out if I am not constantly watching him. He does smell much better afterwards.

Jeff's Surgery

I don't know how many of you knew that Jeff was having gastric by-pass surgery today. He came through just fine and was resting comfortably when I left him. The decision to have this radical surgery was not a whim. We have been going through the process to get approved for more than a year. As a result of being over weight, in the last few years Jeff has developed diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. He also has a lot of achy joints. This surgery and the resulting weight loss will help him to be much more healthy and will extend his life by many years (God willing).

Josh went with Jeff and I to Mason City where the surgery was performed. We are both exhausted after only getting 3 hours of sleep last night and then getting up at 2:45 a.m. to get Jeff to the hospital by 5:30 a.m. We took turns driving/sleeping coming home this afternoon because we kept getting drowsy. It has been a long day and I am looking forward to falling into bed in just a little bit.

I'll work tomorrow morning and then head back up to spend the afternoon with Jeff. He will come home some time on Friday. Keep praying for his recovery and the change in lifestyle that we will be making. Thanks!!

Family Comes to Visit

My nieces - notice the ziplock bag the oldest one is holding.


Friday my sister Leslie and her three girls, Erika-8, Meghan-5 1/2, and Bekah-2 1/2 came to visit for the weekend. Saturday I kidnapped Bryce-3 1/2 and Hailey-1 1/2 for the day so that the cousins could get to know each other. We spent the morning at the park playing on the playground. After lunch and naps, we walked to the train depot where the kids watched an old steam engine leave for a ride and played on some old train cars. For supper they made their own pan pizzas. The kids all loved playing together. Bryce and Bekah really hit it off.

I thought it was really funny this morning when my nieces wanted to go play in the back yard after breakfast in their pajamas. It was even funnier when they came in and asked if they could take a dead lightning bug home in a plastic bag (with grass and a stick) so they could bury it. They didn't want to bury it here because it would be too far away to visit! As of mid-afternoon today, Iowa will be short one dead lightening bug.

Firework Fears

This has been a long day for Dodger, our 9 year old yellow lab. He has an unreasonable fear of fireworks. When he was a puppy, the neighbor boy threw firecrackers at him while he was tied up outside. Since then, he has disliked all loud popping sounds, but the last few years that fear has become irrational.

He has not slept well the last few nights and wouldn't go outside today unless we walked all the way out with him. Throughout the evening he was never more than a step behind me where ever I went. Tonight when I tried to go to bed, the dog insisted on sleeping in our room. We tried it but he couldn't lie still. Finally, I made him go in the hallway and shut the door. Five minutes later he burst in. Since Jeff has to preach tomorrow and Dodger is my dog...I guess I get doggie duty. It's going to be a looooong night!!

Fun at the Park

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've blogged. It's not that I've forgotten, just life has been pretty mundane and not worth mentioning. (Which is a good thing!)

Josh's girlfriend, Katie, was visiting this week and Bryce thinks she is the greatest. Wednesday evening we kidnapped Bryce and Hailey so we could spend some time with them. After dinner, we walked to the park and spent about an hour or so playing. Neither one of the kids have any fear it seems. They both had fun climbing on the play structure, but the favorite thing to do was the swings. Bryce kept yelling, "Push higher, Josh, I want an underdog!" Hailey doesn't like to go as high, but would start with a small smile that slowly grew until a full blown giggle erupted!

I was glad to have Josh and Katie with, too. They ran around and around and up and down chasing the kids. I don't know what time Bryce and Hailey went to bed, but Josh and Katie were sound asleep on the couch soon after we got home!

Catch-Up

It's been a while since I last blogged and I thought I better take some time to catch-up on the last couple of weeks. I must say that time has flown by so quickly. I haven't mentioned much about my new job since I started, so I will tell you a little about how that is going.

When I took the director position at the daycare, I knew that things were in pretty tough shape there. I just didn't realize how screwed up every aspect of it was!! My first major change was to increase the tuition and change most of the payment policies. I can't believe that the hourly rate for childcare was only 40 cents more than 15 years ago. We did lose several families due to the increase (and I feel bad about that) but we can't give our service away for free.

We've been slowly purchasing equipment and toys to replace worn out stuff. We just got cots that are more sanitary to store than the old ripped up mats they were using. I can't believe how excited the kids got over "new beds". We also bought a toy kitchen set with dishes and pots and pans. Arranging the room into learning centers and switching out the toys has also helped reduce behavior problems.

We have a long way to go to be considered a "quality" childcare center, but we are slowly making progress. Most days I really enjoy my job. When I get home in the evenings, I struggle to get my mind turned off and usually look forward to going to work each day. The downside is that I have a hard time figuring out how to get laundry and housework done when I am gone so much. Mostly I miss not seeing Jeff all day every day like I have for the past 2 1/2 years.

Good Eats in Louisville

First, let me say that the conference last week was really good. The worship band was versatile enough to be able to do traditional hymns as well as contemporary/christian rock so we got the best of both worlds so to speak. They had some great speakers and I really enjoyed meeting many pastors and connecting names and faces. But one of the best parts of the week was the food!

The breakfasts at the B&B were really yummy. We especially liked the lemon raspberry crapes. Lunches were just whatever we could get close by the conference center and was usually either fast food or a sandwich at an all-American type of restaurant. We did have one afternoon free and ate at the cafe at Churchill Downs where we were served fried green tomatoes and Kentucky Derby Pie.

Evenings is when we tried to find something different. We took advantage of many ethnic restaurants in downtown Louisville. We ate authentic Mexican and Italian food as well as at both a Moroccan and a Persian restaurant. The Moroccan place was unique in that it was also a store, so it was filled with jewelry, rugs, robes, framed art, and pottery. My favorite was the Persian place. Persian food is from Iran. These are pictures of what we ate - sorry, I'm not sure what it is called except that it is a rack of lamb. After a week of eating out, I am sure glad to be home and eat cereal and PBJ's!!

Bed & Breakfast

I'm writing this from Louisville, Kentucky. Jeff and I headed down here Sunday after church for a conference for the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination. We decided to stay in a bed and breakfast about 2 miles away from the conference center. Central Park B&B is located in a historical area of downtown. All the homes are similar in size and shape as the one we are staying in (pictured above). This house was built in the 1880's and has the original hand carved wood work, stained glass, and 12 fire places. Some of the flooring is original, too.

It's been a relaxing day for me so far. The conference officially doesn't begin until tonight. Jeff has had meetings and a golf tournament since last night, so I have been lounging around here doing some reading and some daycare work that I brought with me. It should be a really good week.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

Tonight Jeff and I went on a date. He had tickets to the Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs AAA team) in Des Moines. It was an absolutely gorgeous evening to be outside. There was a good crowd of people, but I think the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks was a lot more fun. No one really seemed to be into the game - or even watching it! We ended the evening by getting ice cream at Coldstone Creamery. It was a good evening and I'm glad I got to spend it with my man!

Bird Watching

After seeing so many different birds at our feeders this past winter, I was really disappointed when they disappeared this spring and were replaced by grackles...and of course our very greedy squirrels. But I have discovered that spring brings a different set of birds, I just have to look closer.

As I sit typing this blog, there is a female flicker pecking away at the tree outside my window; I almost missed it because it blends in with the tree trunk so well. We've also been watching a pair of Baltimore Orioles come to our hummingbird feeder on the deck. They are very timid, so the only way to see it is to sit quietly or they won't come close.

That's the way it is in my own life, too. I get so caught up in what I had or what I think is missing that if I'm not careful, I completely miss the new blessings that God has given me. Sometimes I need to just sit quietly and focus on what is here in front of me right now. There is ALWAYS a blessing in your life...you just have to discover it.

Our Trip Home

After a fun time in Indiana at our college reunion, we headed home Saturday afternoon. After a bit, we started noticing that when we turned left the Yukon made a grinding sound - like the tire was rubbing on something. We pulled over and couldn't find anything. The further we drove the worse it seemed to get. We made the decision to get off the single lane highway through nowheresville and find a larger city just in case. It was a good move. We stopped and got a hotel about an hour south of Chicago in Bradley, IL, and ended up stranded there.

We are happy that we were stranded in a location that had just about every restaurant or store a person could want...there was even a mall, all within walking distance. Since there wasn't any garages open until Monday, we did a lot of walking. Monday morning we were able to get the Yukon in to be fixed. They were working on it by 8 a.m. and we were on the road by 10 a.m. The wheel bearing assembly was in bad shape and needed replaced. The mechanic say it was a good thing we stopped because it would never have made it back to Iowa.

No, we weren't happy about the delay or the expense of car repair, extra hotel, food, etc., but we are still thankful. Thankful that we didn't break down on the side of the road. Thankful that I wasn't traveling alone. Thankful that we weren't stuck in a town of 500 people. And thankful that God provided Jeff and I the opportunity to spend quality time together without the distractions of jobs and church.

College Reunion

A few months ago Taylor University Fort Wayne announced that it was permanently closing its doors due to financial reasons. This is the college that Jeff and I went to back in the mid to late 1980's. It was actually Fort Wayne Bible College at that time. While we are sad to see the college shut down, we were pleased that there was one more reunion planned. Jeff and I were excited to go to Heritage Weekend.

We had a great time touring the campus and seeing how it has changed since we went to school there. We went to one last chapel and Jeff sat through a class with one of his favorite professors. We chatted with many friends from college days and was able to tell past professors how much we appreciated them. For me, it was totally awesome to see close to a thousand alumni, of all ages, who sacrificed to go to a Christian college. Imagine how many lives that have been touched because of that sacrifice. Missionaries, pastors, teachers, counselors, administration, social services, and on and on and on. Wow...mind boggling!!

Check back soon for more about our trip!

A Weekend in Chicago

Last weekend, I headed to Chicago for my grandma's 90th birthday open house. It worked out that I could take Zach, Andrea, Bryce, and Hailey with me. Josh and his girlfriend, Katie, drove down from Minnesota. This was an exciting trip for Andrea and the kids because none of them have ever been out of the state of Iowa!

On Saturday, the four young adults took the metro train into Chicago to the Navy Pier. They had a good time despite the rain. My sister, Julie, and I kept Bryce and Hailey and went to a petting zoo and a park. They had fun feeding the ducks and seeing all the different animals. Hailey especially liked the animals and just stared at each one for a long time. Bryce had more fun at the park where he had a great time jumping from rock to rock over the water, climbing into his "castle" (a really fancy picnic shelter), down the steps, over the bridge, and back to the rocks...over...and over...and over!

It was a good open house on Sunday, too. I can't believe that Grandma is 90 and still doing so well. It was fun to introduce all my new family members to everyone. I'm really glad I could go.

We did have a little trouble with the Yukon. The truck wouldn't start after we checked out of the hotel Sunday morning. We ended up missing church because of it and had to find something to do with just one car, 5 adults, 2 carseats, and pouring down rain. We ended up at the mall until Jeff got done preaching here in Iowa and could tell the boys how to fix the car. A couple of good thunks on the gas tank with a broom and one very wet son later, and we were good to go!

Yikes!! Cold Shower!!

So, this morning I got up early to get ready to make a trip to Chicago to visit family. I headed for the shower and woke up quickly when I discovered that we didn't have any hot water! After a little investigating in the basement, I discoved the problem. When Zach and Andrea were doing laundry yesterday, one of the grandkids must have decided to turn some knobs on the water heater! An easy fix, but...bbbbrrrrrrrrr!!

Overwhelmed

I started my new job this week. I will admit that I am totally overwhelmed. To walk into a place with no one to do orientation with me is tough. The office is clutter from one corner to the next. One of the board members has done enough organizing to be able to pay bills and do payroll, but it is 20 something years of clutter. (The previous director passed away a few months ago after a long illness.)

We will be having a board meeting on Monday to make some decisions on some much needed policy changes, I will be getting Internet installed sometime in the next week, I'm scheduled for several classes that are required, and an electrician came out today to replace some light fixtures and switches that were pretty scary.

I've also had the opportunity to watch the teachers in action and to get to know the kids. This is going to be such a long road. I know that I need to pace myself and not to get discouraged. I'll admit though that I'm kind of having fun:)

Moving Day!

Zach and Andrea moved this past weekend to a new apartment. Jeff and a couple of guys from church helped them Friday afternoon. Andrea's mom kept Bryce for the weekend so I helped out with Hailey on Friday and again Saturday. They now live right downtown above the cleaners. It is a nice apartment with 12 foot ceilings and huge windows. They are living in the new place but still working on getting the other apartment emptied out. They have discovered that packing with little ones is not an easy process. The kids have also had a few rough nights getting used to a new place.

Power Team Week

We have been crazy busy at the church this week with The Power Team here. We've have four members and the road manager here since the beginning of the week. They have done 11 school assemblies in three days plus three evening performances. Today they signed autographs at the Christian Bookstore in town and spoke to the residents at the E-Free Retirement Home. We have two more evening performances to go and they will speak in several churches tomorrow morning. We've had great turnouts in the evenings. We've had more than 400 people each night come and in three nights had 135 first time decisions. I've been entering all the information from the decision cards into the computer and it's really awesome to see whole families getting saved!

As exciting as this is though, I think Jeff and I are both really ready for some down time. Although, looking at the schedule for the next few weeks (and months), I'm not sure when that will come. It's a good thing that God doesn't give us any more than we can handle:)

Wedding Pictures

Zach and Andrea Lawson
March 21, 2009


Zach and Andrea had a beautiful wedding. Everything went smoothly with only a few minor glitches. I'll admit that it is really weird to think that I have a son that is married and Jeff and I are now GRANDPARENTS!!







Jeff had the honor of performing the ceremony.









This is Bryce, 3 years old, with his Uncle Josh. Bryce has decided that Josh is the greatest. He especially likes being chased and riding on Josh's shoulders.



My sister-in-law, Kim Norwood, made the wedding cake. She spent several days making and decorating it, but it was absolutely beautiful.



Hailey is 15 months old. Her job was to throw the flower petals for Mommy and Daddy, but she liked to eat them! My job was to keep her quiet during the wedding.




We were excited to have so many family members that travel here for the wedding. It was crazy and hectic, but we are so glad that they were able to come. So many people pitched in to help us with the wedding. We could not have pulled this off in just three short weeks without everyone's help. Thank you to everyone who helped or came on Saturday, you helped to make this a special day!

Goodbye, Mr. Cosens

Yesterday, a friend of ours pasted away from a brain tumor. He was the principal of Madrid High School, where both boys graduated from. He was diagnosed with the tumor in the spring of '07.

Now, I've gone to several funerals of people who have died from cancer, but this time it is different. Mark wasn't an elderly man, he was my age. His son played football with Josh and graduated with Zach. He was diagnosed while I was still bald from chemo. Over the past two years I have followed his condition on his blog. I have cheered for him as the experimental treatments worked and the tumor shrank. I have cried for him as his condition deteriorated.

I'll admit that his death shakes me a little. I can't help but wonder why??? Why did someone with so much going for him have to die so young? Why did God heal me and not him? What if I get cancer again? That could have been me... Goodbye Mr. Cosens, we'll miss you!

I'm Back in the Game!!!

I got a call a this afternoon offering me the Directer job at New Horizons Child Care Center here in Boone. I have accepted the position! I am very excited but will take a few weeks to finish up at the store and at church (not to mention getting through a wedding and The Power Team). I will begin my new job the beginning or middle of April. Thanks to everyone who prayed for me.

What is God Up To??

I have really struggled over the past two years about when the "right" time is for me to look for a teaching job. While I miss teaching, I enjoy working at the store and at church I get to be involved in daily ministry, not just listen to Jeff tell me what is going on. I'll also admit that there has been a bit of fear to even try teaching. What if I can't handle working full time? What if I'm not ready? What if I get turned down again for a job? I know that my gifts, talents, and interests are not in the church office, but I do like the safety of staying there.

About a month ago, Jeff and I were talking about our dream jobs. I shared that mine would be to have my own preschool specifically for lower income or at risk kids. I told him that someday I hoped to realize this dream, but I that I am very content (or comfortable) where I was. I wasn't going to go looking. If God wanted me to be in a classroom, he would have to make it very obvious to me.

A week and a half ago, I received a phone call from a county agency here in town that is working with a small church daycare to hire a director. They asked if I would be interested in talking to them about the job. To make a long story short, I have an interview on Wednesday afternoon. The funny thing is that it's like God just plopped it in my lap. And it is a daycare that caters to the low income people in our community. Boy, is it funny how God works! I'd appreciate your prayers this week.

An Announcement

Friday evening, Zach and Andrea announced that they are getting married...March 21, 2009. Yes, in just three weeks. We are pleased to have Andrea, Bryce, and Hailey join our family. I will admit that I'm feeling a little panicked at how quickly the wedding will be here. Our church family has really stepped up and is asking how they can help, which I really appreciate. More time to plan a proper wedding would have been nice, but we'll still be able to pull off a beautiful wedding. Not all of our extended family will be able to make it and that makes me sad.

Congratulations to Zach and Andrea! I hope that your love and appreciation for each other continue to grow through the years.

Katie Comes To Visit

Josh came home for the weekend and brought his girlfriend Katie home with him. Katie is a senior in high school and lives about 15 minutes from Crown College. They met through a mutual friend. We were really glad to finally get to meet her. We met them at Hickory Park for dinner Friday night as they came through Ames. Then Saturday we had Zach, Andrea, and the kids over for dinner along with Josh and Katie. Josh has told us for several months now how awesome Katie is and he is right. She is a very sweet girl. We are looking forward to getting to know her better. It was a good weekend!

A New Diagnoses

Zach has been itching with a rash for more than 6 months. After several trips to the family doctor and multiple rounds of prednisone, antihistamines, and creams, we were referred to a dermatologist. In January, Zach was diagnosed with Atopic Dermatitis and given more ointments and lotions to use. As soon as the prednisone wore off though, he was right back to itching. We went back to see the dermatologist again today. This time he did scrapings of the rash and now thinks that it is scabies - which is what Zach suspected last summer when this all started!! Hopefully the new meds will work and this itchy nightmare will be over soon.

My New Book

Over the last 21 years, Jeff has gotten pretty good at picking out gifts for me. He knows that I don't really care for fancy perfumes or expensive jewelry . While I do enjoy getting flowers on occasion, the inflated cost of them on Valentine's Day is just crazy. Instead, he thinks outside of the box. This year he purchased a gift for me that he knew that I would love - a book called Street Gang.

Now this is not a book about inner city thugs, but a book of the complete history of Sesame Street. I've always loved Sesame Street, from my preschool years of watching it on the old black and white T.V. until today. I still occasionally stop to watch it for a few moments if I see it on when I'm flipping through the channels. If I ever get to New York City, I definitely want to visit the set of Sesame Street!

A Road Trip

This past week Jeff and I were able to take a road trip. We started out in Kansas City the first night where Jeff had a couple of meetings with some district pastors. We stayed at the Drury Hotel (I highly recommend it) courtesy of MidAmerica District (thank you!!).

The next day we drove on to Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where my grandparents live. They are both 86 years old. We had this visit arranged since Christmas, but God really had perfect timing. Grandpa fell a week before our trip and had to have surgery to repair the broken bone in his arm. Because of this fall, they had to be moved immediately from their apartment to assisted living. It was great being able to go see them during this transition. Jeff and I were able to take a few of their things from their apartment to their new room to help make it more homey.

We really enjoyed seeing Grandma and Grandpa, the time away with each other, AND the 70 degree days!!

Boone Fire

Yesterday morning we woke to discover that a fire had started in one of the downtown buildings during the night. Fire departments from Boone and three other towns spent more than 10 hours working to get the fire under control. The firemen struggled with extremely cold temperatures that caused the water and over-spray to form freezing fog and ice on everything, including themselves. The firemen were able to do a quick search of the building when first called to the scene, but were forced to leave the building by ceilings, floors, and stairways collapsing. There was one person that was unaccounted for that they later found had not made it out.

This was the second day of excitement this week for Jeff and I. Sunday morning we woke to three ambulances and three police cars in front of our house. We later learned that our neighbor died, she was only like 50 or something. Life is fleeting. We can assume that we will live a long life, but you never know when you will die or be struck with major tragedy, like a fire. I am so thankful that I have Jesus as my Savior. If I was to die right now, I know, without any hesitations, that I will be in heaven with my Lord. I also know that should tragedy strike and I live, I am one of God's precious children and no matter what happens, He is with me. Have you made Jesus the Lord of your life??

Happy Birthday Zach!!

Zach had his 20th birthday last week and tonight we had Zach, Andrea, and Hailey over to celebrate (Bryce was at his grandma's for the night). Zach got to pick the menu and decided on grilled chicken, home-made macaroni and cheese, and broccoli. He also asked for cherry chip cupcakes with cherry frosting. Zach was a little blurry eyed tonight as he is still adjusting to working nights; I don't think he's gotten much sleep yet today.

Fat Dog

Okay, so this is NOT a picture of Dodger and no, he isn't this fat. He has however gotten a little on the chubby side. I took him to the vet today to get some shots and of course, he had to step on the scale. He was 93 pounds!! That is nine pounds heavier than last time he went.

He started his diet tonight with a little less food than normal. I will also try to get him out more for some exercise. Maybe next time I buy him food he will get the weight control formula. Who knows, maybe some of these healthy lifestyle changes and weight loss efforts will rub off on me too!!

Plumbing Woes

I went downstairs to do a load of laundry today and found that we had water dripping from one of the pipes. I made the mistake of touching the tubing that connected into the pipe and caused it to go from a drip to a spray. Jeff wasn't home, so I frantically made a call to Kruck's Plumbing. They were very helpful and must have heard the panic in my voice, because they sent someone out right away. He fixed the problem in just a few minutes. My lesson for the day is to always know where the water valve is to turn the water off in the house!

A Very Messy Topic

For the last two days Zach has gotten a crash course in parenthood. Bryce, his girlfriend's little boy, has the stomach flu. He vomited almost hourly for the first 12 hours...and then the diarrhea kicked in. We stopped at the store and got some pedialyte, popsicles, and baby wipes this morning and dropped them off. By this afternoon Zach came looking for a mop and other cleaning supplies. It sounds like they have quite a bit of work ahead of them to sanitize the house. I'm kind of glad those days are past for Jeff and I:)

(By the way, this is a VERY mild picture compared to what I found on google images when I looked up the word "vomit"!!)

I Finally Gave In

Okay, so I finally gave in and joined Facebook. Josh actually set me up with an account more than a year ago, but I never did anything with it. Over the past few months, I've been thinking maybe I should learn more about it. Yesterday, my childhood friend, Sue, joined FB and that was just the push I needed. I am officially a FB member. I still haven't got it all figured out, but I'm learning.

Closed Doors

For many years Jeff and I have relied on God's leading in our lives. We have asked Him to open or shut doors of opportunities to help us know His will. He has been faithful in doing that. We have tried to instill this in our children as well, especially now that they are adults and my and Jeff's advise is just that, advice.

Josh enlisted in the Marines back in August before leaving for college. He was planning to leave for basic training in January. This fall he got a bad case of bronchitis and was given a number of medications including prednisone. Because he had been sick the military wanted him to have another physical including a breathing test. We were shocked to find out that Josh was given a medical discharge because he failed the breathing test.

Josh has decided to go back to Crown College for second semester while he prays and tries to decide what God wants him to do next. I'm really proud of him. I don't know what God's will is for his life, but I'm glad to know that he is sensitive to God's leading.