Vacation Bible School & Supporting Our Pastors!

It's 4 p.m. on a Fri. afternoon and I am laying on my couch typing out this blog post instead of cleaning up my house :)
It has been such a fun week- I had to share just a bit!
Not sure if you have ever heard of it, but our church hosted Vacation Bible School- Our church's VBS consisted of a jammed packed week- 3 hour mornings playing games, learing about Jesus, and great snacks for close to 200 children ages 4- 4th grade!!
I, along with several other ladies were in charge of registration- Our job was to make sure that all the children's parents had filled out the appropriate registration forms, make sure each child received a name tag that was attached to a lanyard, and have the craft of the day set out on tables waiting for their parents to pick up and take home with them..............
Our church's VBS theme this year was 'Go Fish Guys' (Back Stage with the Bible)- Way catchy music and the simple reaccuring theme seemed to be that we are Saved By Grace..
Trying to wrack my brain for a favorite moment.......let's see here.........one would be peeking into the Sanctuary where all the children would meet both at the beginning and end of the day as one big group and sing fun songs- Seeing most all of the children AND leaders (most of which were teens)with their hands in the air doing the motions to the songs was an ADORABLE site........another favorite was hearing that not only were children able to hear the message of salvation but several accepted Christ as their personal Savior........AMEN!
I really should get get up off my couch and put in a load of laundry :)  Hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

Steph

P.S. I posted this link on my facebook page but also wanted to share it on this blog post- Several years ago, my friend Treva told me about a 'daily devotional' called 'Proverbs 31 Ministries'- After she talked so highly about it I checked it out and started suscribinng so that the devotion would come to my e-mail inbox everyday- Yesterdays, in my opinion, is a must read- It's titled What Our Pastors Wished We Knew..... I don't say this lightly (nor does my pastor read my blog so no brownie points for me) but God has called the leaders of our church to an incredible calling of 'Sheparding'- It's easy for me to get into the mindset that they are 'paid' to "do what they do" so what's the big deal.....right?? The above devotional really drove home for me that our pastor's and leaders of our church need our love and support more than ever- SUCH A GOOD REMINDER-

I Need Dog Advise

The title of this blog post say's it all........I need dog advise-

Here's whats going on- I would completely appreciate any and all dog advise you wonderful readers have to offer :)
I have had my dog Oklie for 4 years- I got her when she was 6 weeks old......She is an indoor Shih-Tzu and completely potty trained (except for the time I left her with my friend Victoria and w/in 30 min. had peed on her carpet or the time I switched her food and she had icky diarrhea inside......on the carpet.........eeewww.........poor Oak!).

It was a hard adjustment for Oklie when Ellie joined our family- Oak has never really 'taken' the big sis role I was hoping she would (smile) but instead avoids Ellie (Ellie has no dog Etiquette- she grabs tails and pinches- we are really working with her on this).  I still spend time with Oklie but definitely not as much as I used to-

This morning, Oklie was following me around while I was holding Ellie- The 3 of us went into Ellie's room so I could get her (Ellie) ready for the day- Just after we walked into the room I caught Oklie's eye- she looked right at me, squatted down, and Peed on the carpet.  I take Oklie out about the same time every morning- she had already gone out potty this morning so I do not think it was a lack of taking her out on my part.

I scolded her, gave her 2 swats on the fanny, and put her in our garage (she has a bed and a doggy door to the outside in the garage- she also had her food and water) for the day.  This afternoon when I brought her in I told her she was getting a bath- She ran upstairs to my bathroom where I give her a bath and jumped into the bathtub without me even asking her to get in (usually she runs from me and I have to talk to her firm to get her to jump into the bathtub or I pick her up and place her into the bathtub).  She has been an angel this evening......playing like her old self (she sulks way more than plays since Elle's was born).........

What's the best way to handle this?  My first reaction is that if she does this again, I will have her sleep in the garage overnight and if she continues to do it she will have a new home in our garage and come in during the day as a special treat..........

Any good advise??

P.S. I keep hearing your voice Arielle... saying that dog's need 'pack leaders'......... hee!!

Ryan and Oklie at the San Francisco Airport

Moving- When in Doubt, Throw it Out!

Since getting married in 1994 we have moved 9 times......3 of which have been in the past 3 years- Through the moves I have mentally noted several tips-

1. When in doubt throw it out.
2. If you have not used it in the past year don't put it in storage, pack it, bag it.....sell or donate it
3. Clear plastic storage bins, when bought on sale, are a great investment when moving. They are dual purpose- You can use them during the move AND after to store items in.  They are also easy to label and the extra bonus is, because they are clear, you get a visual without even having to open.
4. U-Haul boxes, hands down, beat out any other box I have tried (Have purchased boxes from our local home improvement stores)
5. Buy 2 times as much packing tape as you think you will need- It's also handy to buy the packing tape dispenser- No fuss.....just roll the tape down the box and cut on the 'prepared cutter' at the end of the dispenser
6. Label all 4 sides of your box- Makes it easy if you have help from others when unpacking.
7. Use Sharpie Black pens to label boxes- again, makes unpacking a bit more organized.
8. When unloading your boxes, send the boxes to the room in which they will be unpacked...kitchen boxes go to the kitchen etc..This helps in the motivation to unpack- If, when you walk into your kitchen everyday you have boxes in your way- I'm always much more inspired to get the unpacking done (as opposed to full boxes sitting in the garage or in rooms that are un-used......for me, they have a tendency to sit where they are for months).
9. Make sure to call the utility companies prior to move in- ask for your service to be switched into your name on the date you will be moving in- Also setting up your TV service installer to come just after your move in date and your Internet provider (if they have to come to your home to install).
10. I order an address stamp or print off 'new address' lables to put onto all of our mail in the change address box.
11. Make sure to fill out your change of address online with the post office- They will offer you a 10% off  coupon to your local home improvement store as a 'welcome to your new home' gift (Oregon)- This comes in very handy! I just spent over a hundred dollars on blinds for our home and was able to get 10% off.
12. If it fit's in your budget, hire a professional house cleaner to clean the home prior to move in- Moving is exhausting- cleaning your new home on top of getting everything moved in can be overwhelming!
13. One of the first things I do when we move is hang pictures on the wall- For me, this brings a 'homey' presence to the rooms even when things are not completely unpacked.
14. Use your packing as a time to de-clutter.......going back to #1......don't be afraid to throw out/ donate/ sell/ things that you do not use. 

Happy Moving!

The below pictures are some of our move from the West Coast to Hawaii- One of our moves several years ago was to a remote ranch that was located over a fairly steep mountain (see pic 2 below).  The moving company that delivered our Container (when moving to Hawaii, your house hold items go across the ocean in a metal container) would not cross the mountain in their truck, so our container was dropped at the base of the mountain and we were responsible to take our house hold items the rest of the way- My aunt, uncle, and cousins were visiting the ranch at the time our container was delivered so were able to help us move (SUCH A HUGE HELP!!)

 



my uncle Reid :) We lived over the mountain you see in the back ground.



our house hold items make it safely over the mountain and are getting unloaded in thie pic!

Live Inside My Head With Me :)

If you were in my Head at this moment you would hear something like this........

• I am so tired of going to the dentist........3 times in the last couple of months- Blah....I have to go again tomorrow!! This time, when Luke (dentist who is my cousin) goes to give me a shot I am not going to look at the needle coming towards me because I don't want to have to stop him working on my teeth (this is what happened a couple of weeks ago while getting a filling 'filled')because I am 'seeing stars' while my heart is BEATING OUT OF MY CHEST :)
• We have ants....yuck! I've had to pick them out of a few things before serving- My family would kill me if they knew I served anyway......shhhh! Gotta call the exterminator (thinking of that guy with the mullet who has a reality show on TV and then right after that thought I am thinking of a TV show my boys were watching where they were playing jokes on people and taking an electric shaver and randomly shaving up the back of people's heads (while making the 'jaws' movie music sound...du dum du dum)- Too bad the mullet exterminator guy was not on that program where they were randomly shaving the back of people's heads!
• Wondering if I put coconut oil (straight out of the big container my sister got me from the grocery store) all over my body for an entire month (including my face) would I look years younger or would I have a severe case of body acne?
• My husband has the adult version of 'hand, foot, and mouth' disease right now- He has sores in his mouth and his feet are really sore.....they had blisters on them but then started peeling.....big hunks of skin peeled off.......poor guy missed his first day of work in a long long time today :(
• I despise working on the program Excel.........It despises me too.......we simply don't get along!!
• I read Psalm 119 this morning for my devotions.......did you know it's the longest chapter in the Bible
• Oh and last but not least, Ryan's friend Alex was over yesterday- He informed me that babies smile 400 times a day and adults only smile 17..........I tried to smile a whole lot more today!

Hope your Wed. was great,
Steph

The exterminator guy I was talking about........ :)

Happy 1st Birthday Ellie for Our Birth Mom Heather

Dear Heather,

We were together last year on this day- All 3 of us, you Ellie and I.  It took so much courage to carry Ellie in your womb- to endure the months of feeling so sick....to endure the stress of trying to decide what would be right for Ellie- To place her with a forever family or to parent.  You are and always will be in our hearts Heather- through not only Ellie but because we cherish the decision you made to place.......May God Bless and Keep you.

We love you,

Matt and Steph

Happy 1st Birthday Ellie Marie!

We praise the Lord for you-

Love Daddy, Mommy, Eli, and Ryan

Photo's Courtesy of BeccaD Photography

Happy Father's Day Matt, Pop's, and Dad

To My Matt:

To my Pops:

And to my dad-

my dad holding his grandson (my nephew) Ben

To Be Strong And Courageous

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of reading though a letter my friend Treva had written- In it, among other things, she say's ':

No matter what happens in life God is with us. He says over and over to not fear because “I am with you.” He also says 11 times in the book of Joshua – “Be strong and courageous.” This is not a prideful strength, one dependent on ourselves….but a strength that comes ONLY from Him.

So comforting that 'no matter what' God is with us- in control, watching over, guarding, and protecting us.........Hallelujah that we do not need to fear and another hallelujah that the Lord calls us to be courageous- Our courage coming completely from Him!!

Thank you for the encouragement sweet Treva- God Bless you friend :)

Treva Showing us her strength....hee! hee!

Treva and I

Through The Hurt To The Healing

The words I said to Matt a couple of morning's ago were from deep in my heart- I know Matt feels the depths from which I spoke it just as much as I do.......'babe, can you believe we've been married for almost 18 years?' 

It's a miracle

It's possible........
With God, all things are possible......

I was 18 years old when we got married
pregnant by 19
Had written Matt an 'I'm leaving note' by 22
but............
found out I was pregnant again just before moving out
We had 2 precious boys and a broken marriage by 23

It's a miracle
It's possible......
With God, all things are possible........

God opened the door for us to see a Christian Marriage Counselor
I was the one that wanted to leave so it was me that poured out my frustrations in our session           
I wanted to give up
Matt wanted to hold on

It's a miracle.........
It's possible.........
With God, all things are possible..........

God allowed the memories of what it was like growing up in a broken home come flooding back
Did I want my boys to know the pain of choosing sides, choosing holidays, choosing to belong as a 'step'
God also gently reminded me that I choose to say 'I do' even during for worse
By the Grace of God Matt and I held on
Through the hurt- Through the anger
Through to the healing

It's a miracle.......
It's possible..........
With God, all things are possible........

July 30, 1994

I love you Babe...
Through the hurt- Through the anger
Through to the healing!

 

Aloha Hawaii One Year Ago (2 day's short)

Ryan, Oklie, and I flew off of Kauai Fri. June 10, 2011 for the last time as residents of Hawaii- As I was thinking about this today, I became curious as to what was the first picture I took after we moved to the Garden Island and what was my last picture taken as a Kama'aina.......

Taken May 17, 2009

 As you walk out of the terminal in Kauai this is one of the many welcomes you will receive- I remember looking around as we were waiting for our mountains of luggage to start circulating on the round a bout- My eye's caught this sign- This sign brought my attention away from the fact that it has been such a long day as we had been on a Cruise to Alaska (for Eli's 13th Birthday) for a week prior and had disembarked the boat really early this same morning.  I had dig deep in my purse to find my camera for this photo but I wanted to remember (and be able to share with our boys) what the first moments of our 'big adventure' looked like.

June 5, 2011

My nephew Jesse had come out to visit us (Hey Jess- you were staying with us a year ago!!)- He and Ryan made leis with the Plumeria flowers that had fallen out of a tree in our front yard.  What a fitting last picture to close this chapter in our lives.....It is said that Leis are a tradition given in Hawaii at celebrations of all kinds- It would be just a little under 2 weeks later that we would celebrate the birth of our daughter.....

13...Happy Birthday Ryan!!

Ryan's sitting right by me hear at the San Francisco Airport (On our way home from Pennsylvania)- His 13 year old arm around me......pestering the living day lights outa me- I just got off a 6 hour flight across the United States where he was sitting in front of me ripping farts- never minding the air space of others in the cabin around us ........I am the mother of teenage boys :)

I love you so much Ryan Chase- Happy Birthday son......

You were born at 5:25 p.m. June 5, 1999 to a whale of a mother (I gained 60 pounds when I was pregnant with you)- One of the first things you did after you were born was stare up at me with your big blue crossed eyes and purse your lips like you were just dying for your first kiss from your mommy- I held your hairless head and brought your little face up to mine and just stared at you- in amazing awe....and then kissed those precious little lips-

God Bless you as you begin your teenage years....please remember to always put on deodorant and brush those teeth.....it is also customary in America to shower at least once every couple of days-

Your my heart sweetie

Love,

Mommy

New Holland, PA getting ready to tour the New Holland Tractor Factory

Statue of Liberty or Cabela's

I saw my boys grab the flyer, that was advertisement for Cabela's here in Pennsylvania, when we were leaving  Dienners Restaurant yesterday morning- I really didn't think anything of it and noticed that shortly after they looked at it, they left it crumpled on the table....ppfffeeewww :)
I thought we only had 2 options this morning as we were discussing what we would be doing today:
1. Go to church with Dan and Lena (The Mennonite couple we are staying in the guest house of)
2. Go see the statue of Liberty/ Twin Towers Memorial/ plus this mama could get in a little shopping downtown Manhattan - We are only a couple of hours away from the Big Apple and I try not to make a habit of 'avoiding' the big cities.
After much discussion and my persuasion of going to New York falling flat on it's face before 3 sets of boy eyes my day summed up like this-
I spent a bigger part of today roaming the aisle of the Largest Cabelas in the United States- They boast about the large 'life like' animal displays (Did you know that the owner of Cabela's, whom I cannot remember his name......shot a large Elephant somewhere in the world...maybe Zimbabwe..., had it stuffed, and it is on display in this Pennsylvania store........how could that be fun to hunt an elephant- it's not like they could run fast or hide inconspicuously).  They also boast about the stuffed animals being posed in life like re-inacting scenes of the hunt.....They have the alligator teaming up with his buddy to get the antelope (deer, moose, whatever the poor creature was) at both ends- one at it's head and one at it's hinny while all the stuffed zebra look on (for pete's sake girls turn your back side around and use those kicking feet to defend the underdog.......one swift kick delivered out of each of you would give those alligators a good lesson not to bully that poor antelope). 
As a self defined (among other things) true shopper, I could not let the day go to waste......After looking at all those stuffed animals and a having a slight grossed out feeling (same gross out as cauliflower vs. planters warts) I headed into the clothes section.....the guy's section had the perfect graduation gifts for a couple nephews and their camping section had a Camel Back sippy cup I've been meaning to get Elle's-
All in all a great day!!

The cowardly Zebra

One Too Many Whoopie Pies

We have had a whirl-wind week sight seeing here in Pennsylvania- Pennsylvania's Railroad Museum, Hershey Chocolate Factory, Hershey Amusement Park, Amish Country, Valley Forge National Park, Lots of road side/ home based Amish businesses selling produce and home made items, the list could go on.........
Along with all of our touring, we've eaten A LOT........A WHOLE WHOLE LOT........who in their right mind turns away home cooked food that is delicious- warm/ homemade buns, beef topped fluffy mashed potatoes, Eclairs, homemade butter, (Rachel this one if for you) and WHOOPIE PIES uh-huh uh huh I like.....Matt likes........Ryan likes........Eli likes............
When I went to get Eli up this morning to tell him we were leaving for our jammed packed day in Washington DC he was saying he did not feel good......'do you think your gonna throw up kid?'
Yes......
Poor Eli has eaten one too many whoopie pies :)
Ryan didn't want Eli to feel like the lone ranger so he decided to come down with a fever and sore throat.
My poor boys- We had not scheduled a 'complete rest day' into our vacation but honestly it's been a great day of reading and just hanging out!

Whoopie Pies........so good!