The Maxwell House

Kidney News

2012-01-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

Today we had yet another ultra sound. Waiting for this scan has been the hardest so far. I trust that the Lord is knitting my little babies together and I know He has a plan for their lives, I just have a hard time being in the dark when it comes to their health. It really is amazing how much I love these two little ones and I have never even met them.
Today we were very blessed to have a very nice ultrasound tech (we haven't really had a bad one yet). This time we knew that we were looking for the cysts on the right kidney so as soon as we got there she was very good about answering our questions.
This is his left kidney. It looks good and free of cysts.

This is his right kidney. All the black circles are the cysts that are taking over his kidneys.

Bad news is he has what is known as a multi-cystic kidney. This means the kidney is unable to function like it should.
The good news is his left kidney has NO cysts which means it is functioning just fine and it working doubly as hard to make sure he has fluid. And his fluid is measuring great as well as his weight. He is 2lb 9oz.
So whats the plan?? We are now going to meet with a pediatric urologist to see what steps will need to be taken once he is born. According to what we have been reading he could have it surgically removed, or we can have it monitored it with ultra sounds to see if it shrinks away into nothingness (since it doesn't function) and to make sure that it doesn't develop tumors. My plan is to make some calls tomorrow to see how we will be seeing.
Some other high points- The are both in the 45% in terms of weight. I love that they are growing well but it makes me more uncomfortable. 4 weeks ago I was measuring 27 and this time I am measuring 32 so needless to say I HAVE POPPED! I just posted some belly pictures so I will spare you of having to look at more. But I do have some pictures of the kids.
Baby Boy face

Baby boy profile (he has his arm up over his head)

Baby girl face

Baby girl profile (she also has her arm over her head)

After the high risk we drove over to our regular OB. After waiting an hour, we had 5 minutes to talk to the doctor. Because both babies are still breech he made it very clear that it is going to be a c-section. I have slowly been coming to that realization but to hear him say it made it all very real. It honestly scares me. I have never had a c-section, neither of my sisters have had one, and I don't know very many women who have had a c-section. Since it seems to be inevitable that I am going to have to have a c-section, I might as well deliver closer to home then driving to no mans land PA. More doctors, more waiting, more ultrasounds.... Such is life being pregnant with twins.

tracking the twins thus far

2012-01-24T17:31:00.001-08:00

Seeing that I am now 28 weeks, I should probably fill you all in on what has happen so far.
August- One day I fell asleep at 6pm so I thought to be safe I should take a pregnancy test. SURPRISE!!! I'm pregnant.

September- Go to the shore with my family and tell them by making shirts with a 1 for joshua, a 2 for Finn, and a 3 for me.
September 21st- We have our ultra sound and....Surprise it's twins.

October- another ultra sound. Both babies look good and have strong heart beats.

Me at 14 weeks

November- We switch to a new OB practice in Montgomery county PA. It's a little bit of a drive but they have two doctors who are trained to deliver breech and two untrained... so we have a 50/50 chance at being able to deliver naturally like we want.
Me at 20 weeks

December we find out "it's a boy and it's a girl"!!!!! For the first time I was right. I had been thinking it was one of each. It's nice to think about having a little girl who will (hopefully) be loved and protected by her three brothers. After letting the good news sink in, the high risk doctor comes in and tells us that the little boy has a two-vessel cord. What that means is that he is not getting as much blood flow as the little girl which can result in slower growth of organs (heart, lungs, kidney's) which can cause low birth weight or other medical complications. So they sent us to CHOP to have a fetal echo cardiogram just to get everything checked out. That experience is a different story for another day, but we did find out that everything looks good. His organs are growing fine and they didn't see any issues with the heart. They will double check his heart when he is born but other then that there is no other follow up needed. PTL!
The end of December- We go back to the high risk (because of having twins I get ultra sounds every four weeks) get to hear the good news again that the two- vessel cord has not effected him. Now comes something else. When they were looking at his Right Kidney they saw that he had developed some cysts which could mean- absolutely nothing because they will go away or on the flip side it could effect the function of his kidney and we would have to see a pediatric urologist to see what steps need to be taken when he is born. At this point there is nothing I can do but wait and see. We have another ultra sound on Thursday and we will get to see if they have gone away or gotten bigger. Since getting this news, I have had to come to a lot of hard realizations. I have been so overcome by the thought of having two little ones in my home, I never really focused on what could really happen. Will they both be ok? Will I come home with one, two, any babies or will they have to be in a NICU? What kind of special medical attention are they going to need after they are born? ect. I am sad to say that my worries have gotten the best of me. I find myself becoming over whelmed with the "what if's" of it all.
January- me at 25 weeks

And now on Thursday we go back to the high risk to find out about how his kidney is doing. I am thankful that we have an early appointment and we get the results right then and there. We might have to wait in the room for an hour for the doctor (again another story for a different day) but at least we (should) have some answers.
Now that you are all caught up, I will hopefully be able to post updates more often so you all can see my humongous belly. I also want to check with Josh and make sure it's cool if we tell everyone the names.

Wishing...

2010-08-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

So this morning at 5:30 am I am getting ready to get into the shower when I looked into my bedroom and I saw the clothes sitting in front of my closet waiting to be hung, and the basket of towels waiting to be put away, and the pile of closed that have collected in front of the laundry basket. Being annoyed at myself for letting it get that far I found myself wishing there was a laundry fairy. That got me thinking... "what are other things I wish for?" There have been countless times when I have said "I wish..." Some being more realistic then others. I wish I had better hair; I wish I could lose weight faster; I wish I could go away for the weekend; I wish I could tell that person what I really thought; I wish Joshua would cut that tooth already; I wish my husband... I wish I had a house; I wish I had a million dollars. You get the picture. I think this is all something we are guilty of. But let me ask you one thing... What is the good in wishing? What good comes from it? What frustrations come from it? So as I was standing in my nice hot shower I decided that I was never going to wish ever again. And here is why. I have decided that everything that I would WISH for is something I can PRAY for. Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
It would be nice if there was a laundry fairy but instead I can be thankful that I have clothes and pray that I have then energy and diligence to get it done. I could wish that I had a million dollars, but instead I can be thankful that I have a job and be a good steward of the money. I wish my husband... instead I can be thankful that I have a loving a loyal husband and pray about whatever issue is there.
So here is my challenge for you... when you feel yourself wishing for something first find find something to be thankful for and then pray about whatever it is you are wishing for. Desire the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Whats been going on in Zambia

2010-07-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

The team has been doing amazing things. I almost feel bad writing about it because I know I will be unable to really put into words how amazing it has been for them. I get goose bumps just thinking about the lives that they get to touch and the fact that their lives will never be the same. So far they have visited an orphanage where they were able to do evangelism through songs, evangacubes, and balloons. The kids loved having them there and were so grateful for what the team was doing. They also got to have a full day of ministry in Makanda.. This was a rural area, with thatched roof cottages, no running water or electricity, and all the people make their own living by growing bannas, and selling them on the main road, not too far from their villages.they said it was definite culture shock. Josh preached on 1 John 1.. it was difficult with a translator, but he believe it was effective.
They have also been able to have some down time and sight seeing. Josh posted a hilarious video of the killing a spider. If you are friends with Josh you can see it on his facebook page. They also had the chance to go to a market place where (in josh's words) were able to get souvenirs at a good price.
This week they are heading to Victoria falls. I know I can't wait to see pictures of God's beautiful creation.
If you are praying for the team, please keep in mind that they are hitting the half way point. They have all been together for a while in tight quarters and personalities can start to clash and nerves can get stretched thin. Please pray that they can keep the lines of communication open and that they can remember why they are there.
Thanks for checking in.

A Face with the name

2010-07-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

Brad, Madison, Arline, Josh, Fridah (front in the red shirt) Tyler, Brady, and Tim.

Sunday July 18th and following

2010-07-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

In the words of Kip from "Napoleon Dynamite"--"Yes I love technology not as much as you you see. Yes I love technology. Always and forever." Why do I share this with you? Because this morning while I was getting ready for church, I received a Skype call from Josh. There is an internet cafe where they will be able to access their group e-mail (wcfzambiateam@gmail.com), hope on facebook, and skype with their families. Lord willing, next Sunday they will be able to Skype us while we are in the church service.
One thing the students did in preparation for this was back yard bible clubs. They did three different weeks at three different location. They taught the kids songs, games, and lots of verses. They were able to share the gospel by using evengacubes, making the colored bracelets, and doing face painting. These skills are going to be put to good use as they will be going to Vine Orphanage for Children Evangelism on the 20th, on the 21st meet with the orphans of the church on the 21st, and then on the 22nd they will be going to Chismo Drop off Center where they will get to do more evangelism.
Please pray for the team as this is going to be a huge culture shock for them. These students might think that they know a lot about the world but they are about to be in for a rude awakening. This will be big for Josh and Arline as well. This is not something they would ever see here in Winnemucca. Tim and Fridah are from there so they might be a little more "use to it" but it still can be hard to see. Please pray that the gospel is preached boldly and clearly. Also please pray that the hearts of the team will be open to the blessings that this community can give to them.

July 16th. Departure day

2010-07-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

A lot of you already know that Josh has been planning a trip to Zambia for a little less than a year. Some of you may have even got support letters asking for your prayers. God has been good and answered those prayers. Originally I was planning on going on the trip but then we found out in March that we would be expecting our second child in November and my doctor did not think it would not be a good idea if I went. This was very bitter sweet. I loved going to Africa when I was in high school and have had the desire to return one day. But at the same time I LOVE being a mom and don't know if I could leave Joshua behind for such a long period of time and I did not want to but baby #2 in danger.
Now, the time as come. After many hours of service, several Sunday meetings, hundreds of prayers, and thousands of dollars, they are ready to go. This morning the team and some of the family member met at church to get all the paper work in order, get the bags weighted and to load the bus. Once everything was checked and rechecked it was time to pray and say goodbye. This was very hard for me. I am not used to being the one who is left behind. I have always been Josh's right hand man when it comes to trips. I help control the crowed, try and think ahead to help alleviate stress, and try to encourage him when things don't go as they are suppose to. When I knew I wasn't going crazy. But like I said before I know that it is best for me to stay behind and be one of the prayer warriors for the team.
I ask that you join me in this and pray for them. Here is the list of the people who are going on the trip.
Josh Maxwell
The Adults:
Tim Banda
Fridah Banda
Arline Gomz
The Youth:
Brad Pearce
Tyler Duran
Brady Riley
Madison Waldie
I will be posting a blog every few days so you all can be updated on what they are doing and how you can continually pray for them. (If you read this off facebook it may be a few days behind. For a more accurate timeline go to my blog page to check for updates)
Today they made the very long drive to San Francisco and their flight will be departing at 10:24 PM (west coast time). They will be landing in New York (JFK) at 7 am east coast time on July 17th. From JFK they will depart at 11:15 and fly to Johannesburg, South Africa and arrive at 8:40 am on July the 18th. (This will flight will take 15 1/2 hours in the air) Then at 10:50 am the team will depart and plan to arrive at Lusaka, Zambia at 12:30 pm (3:30 Winnemucca time) Once they get in they will get settled in the house where they are staying and then off to a welcome service.
For now please pray for safety and sanity (haha). This group is going to be stuck in Airports and planes for many days. Pray that they are kept safe and that they can use this time to bond and relax. Also pray that their bodies will adjust well to the time change. Please also be praying for the family's that have been left behind. This is the longest amount of time that Josh and I will be apart and I am already feeling lonely knowing that I will not be able to talk to him everyday.
If you would like to contact the team you may do so by writing them an e-mail. It is an address the entire group can access. wcfzambiateam@gmail.com
I will do my best to let you all know what they will be up to while they are there. Thank you in advance for all your prayer and support.

2010-06-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

My last blog was on May 4th and it was all about feeling humbled. As most of you know so much has happened since then and it's been amazing. Don't get me wrong, I am still feeling humbled but I am also feeling grateful, encouraged, blessed, but at the same time nervous and guilty. Let me explain. Right before we left for vacation at the end of May I had two interviews. One at a veterinarian hospital (which I knew I was totally under qualified for) and one at a furniture store (sales is all I have ever done). The day before we leave I get a call from the vet hospital offering me a job!!! I was so excited I had to use all my will power not to scream with excitement. As soon as the vacation was over :o( I started this new job. I can't remember the last time I was that nervous. It's been a few weeks now and I seemed to have settled in nicely. To be honest I was really surprised I never got a call from the furniture store. I have always thought that I (please don't think I am conceded)rock at sales. But hey... what to I know. Yes it took a long time for me to find a job and yes this means that I would not be home with Joshua but God has been so good to us. Since it is the summer we have been blessed to have girls from our youth group come over and watch him. They love him and I like the fact that I can come home for my lunch and spend time with him in my own house. Also Josh has been spending a lot more time with him and I have seen their relationship grow and am overflowing with joy. Yes there are times when I really miss being home, but I know that if I can work hard now it will be better for our family in the long run.
One thing I really prayed hard about was when the right job did come along I wasn't just counting down the days when I would be done. "one down 481 days to go" or whatever it's going to be. I knew that if it was like that then it would feel like it was taking forever to be done. At this point, it's not like that at this job. I really like it and I feel like I am catching on very quickly. It's so busy and there is always something to do, I don't have time to sit around and be sad I am not home. God knew exactly what I needed and even though it took longer then what I (as a selfish human) would have wanted, everything is working out great.
God is so good!! I really can't say that enough! He really is! He is true to His word when He says that He is and will always be faithful If you have found yourself in a tough place, just know that the Lord has not forgotten you. He is there and He cares. As humans we do foolish things but he forgives and He is faithful.
1 Corinthians 1:4-9 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful

Feeling Humbled

2010-05-04T10:27:00.001-07:00

For quite some time I have felt very humbled. I think it's one of the main lessons God is trying to teach me since moving out here. Being humbled is NOT easy. There seems to be a once a month occurrence.
I have been very blessed to have a family that I can babysit from my home. This gives me to opportunity to stay at home with Joshua and stay very involved with Church. On the con side, I don't always have the kids when I am scheduled which cuts into our income which is never good. I just found out a few weeks ago that the mom has a new work schedule and I will no longer be watching them. FREAK OUT! So now it's back to looking for a job. I had already gone through this a few times. The first time I didn't really look because I didn't want to be away from Joshua so I didn't put out any effort. The next time I looked for a job it looked like I had a good chance working for Verizon. I had a little phone interview but I told them I would have to clear it with my husband about being away for 5 weeks for training in California and then having to work most Sundays. I never got a call back. As much as I knew I would be great at that job, God did not see it fit for me working there. He really knew what he was doing because just this month that Verizon store closed. Then I also had an interview with a law office. I was so excited and I thought it went very well. Again no call back. This has been very hard for me. When I was in NJ I worked really hard a lot of hours to get into a good management position. I worked to gain the respect of the people I trained and those who trained me. Now, after all that time and hard work I can't find a job. For a while I felt very embarrassed because I couldn't get a job. How hard could it be right? So now I am on attempt number 100 (is what it feels like) for finding a job.
I know that the Lord will provide and sometimes his answer isn't "yes" or "no", its "not right now." from a human perspective this is hard to swallow. We like to know what's going and and what is going to happen. Right now I know what's going on but I have no idea what is going to happen. Like I said I am feeling humbled. Having to walk into place after place asking if they are hiring, driving around town dropping off my resume to places that has nothing to do with sales which is all that is on my resume.

You know you're a mom when.....

2010-04-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

Over the year I have seen some e-mail circulating with titles like "you know you grew up in the early 90's when..." or "you know you live in NJ when...". So I have decided to write about "you know your a mom when...". Now compared to some of you I have not been a mom for very long so my list might not be as long as yours but in these short 10 months I have really felt like a mom. Some things you roll your eyes at, some you can't help but laugh, and some.... well only being a mom you can understand. So here are some of my mom moments. Please feel free to share some of yours.
You know you're a mom when you find baby food in your hair and your not surprised.
You know you're a mom when you haven't had an adult conversation on over 12 hours.
You know you're a mom when you are walking out the door to go somewhere, look down and see food all over your shoulder and leave the house anyway.
You know you're a mom when you plan your Sunday outfit depending on if you have to nurse while at church.
You know you're a mom when you put the kids to bed and then run to walmart because you have ZERO diapers
You know you're a mom when you know the theme songs to 4 or more nick jr cartoons
You know you're a mom when you taking a morning shower doesn't always happen
You know you're a mom when you no longer sleep through the night
You know you're a mom when you forget your wallet at home... in the shopping cart after loading the groceries into the car... don't know because the kids were playing with it last.
You know you're a mom when you replace your purse with a diaper bag
You know you're a mom when you have pictures of you with the binky in your mouth
You know you're a mom when panic washes over you because it's a little to quite in the other room
You know you're a mom when you haven't eaten a warm dinner in a week or so
You know you're a mom when your heart hold more love for your children then you ever thought possible.
I love being a mom and wouldn't trade it for the world.

our first 5K

2010-03-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have been asking me how the 5k went, so I thought I would share with you all by writing a blog. Josh and I ran our first 5K on Saturday March 27th in Sparks. When Josh decided he wanted to start loosing weight he started the Couch to 5k running program. It's a 9 week schedule that starts you out by doing running and walking intervals. It's great for people who are not runners and can stick with the program. He did really well with it was and was able to graduate in the 9 weeks. I started the program (for the second time) a little later. When I ran my first 5k without the jogger stroller I finished it in 40:45. I was excited that my time only got better from there. The more you run the more chances there are for injuries that will cause some set backs. Josh and I were very fortunate and didn't suffer anything to big. He had some muscle problems and I had some bloody ankles. But we kept going. It was great to do this together because it made us actually go out and run. We (not always nicely) pushed each other to go for a run even if we didn't feel like it.
So after weeks of training it was time for the race. We went down the night before and registered. We got a bag with our numbers, a t-shirt and some coupons.
The next morning was race day. I got up around 6:30 because we wanted to leave our room by 7. Thankfully Joshua slept great that night so he was pleasant in the morning. I was a little nervous about the race, but the nerves didn't really set in till I saw how many people were actually there to race.
We it got closer to race time we unpacked the stroller and walked up to where everyone was gathering. One of my big fears was that I was going to finish last but once I got there I actually wanted to stay toward the back. Josh started a little further up then I did. We had already decided not to run the race together. He is much faster then me and I didn't want to slow him down. It was a little crowded at the very beginning not only from all the people in the race but just other people taking there morning run/walk/ bike ride. There was this one couple that was walking right in the middle of the path and the absolute worst part. To make it a full 5k we had to run to cone and then turn around, and then do a full lap around the marina. Well people had gotten to the cone and were on there way back when some of us had not yet gotten there so both sides of the path had people on it and this couple was walking right in the middle. So I yelled "stroller" because they were going to move or going to get run over. I didn't care. I was in a race and that means I have right of way. I don't know if thats "running etiquette" but I didn't care.
Like I said Josh was further ahead then me so you will have to ask him to share his take on the race. It was nice because I would pass some people and some people would pass me. There was this one lady who would sprint for a little and then walk. This was fine until I caught up with her and I would pass her walking and then she would sprint and cut me off. It was like this for the tail end of mile 2. I finally had enough and I knew I was getting close to the end so I kicked it into high gear and got as far away form that lady as I could. Right before I hit mile three I saw josh. He had finished the race at 32 minutes and come back to finish it with me. I really like this. We had come to far together that it was nice to finish the race side by side. Once I saw where I needed to finished I sprinted as fast as I could. The faster I go the sooner I could be done!!! 37:35. To some this might be a really slow time, but to me it's just right. I wasn't fighting the wind like normally do when I run at home, but there were a lot more hills then I was used to which made running while pushing the stroller difficult. But I did it. I ran and entire 5k race with my son and without stopping. As I pasted one woman she told me she thought I was amazing running while pushing a stroller. That made me feel nice. Would I have gotten a better time if I didn't have to push... yes but I like it when I am running and I look down at Joshua and he has a huge smile on his face. It makes it worth it.

Josh is now getting ready to run a 10K at the end of June. His end goal is the run a full marathon. I would be training with him, but the doctor says I need to stick with the three miles while I am pregnant. I want to run for as long as I can and then walk once running is not an option. I still wouldn't say that I have a love for running but I definitely have a want to love running.
For those of you who want to lose weight or who would like to start running I highly recommend Couch to 5k. http://www.coolrunning.com/index.shtml Even if you think you can't run you can!!!! Sometimes I felt like my run was more like a glorified walk. So what... just get out there and do something. There is always a reason to do it.

Barbwire

2010-03-21T13:58:00.001-07:00

Some nights, if I can time it just right, Joshua and I will go on little adventures. I load him up in the car and grab my camera and we’ll chase the sunset. There are the most breath taking sunsets out here. The other night we went on a little adventure and we took a new road. Well, not so much a road but a dirt path. Once the path ended I got out and started taking more pictures of the sunset. It was so amazing and I was basking in that awe of God’s beautiful creation. It was like it was just us. There was no noise. No cars, no plains, nothing; just me and God. It’s hard for me to understand how people can see something like that and still think that there is no God.
As I was standing there I noticed what was in front of me; barbwire. This is something I look at everyday because it’s the “fence” that surrounds my house. But as I looked closer I was intrigued by its design.
Its long strips of metal intertwined with one another and every foot or so there are knots that have spikes on the end of them. This is not something that people would consider as beautiful and I didn’t either until I saw God in the metal. I started thinking about how our lives are like barbwire. Our paths twist and turn and sometimes bad things happen and we get caught up in a spike or we get all tangled. But in the midst of these times we have to remember that we always have the cross.
This has become a little bit more real to me in the past few days. When things happen like losing a loved one, finding cancer, losing a job sometimes we can’t see any further then our nose. But we have to. We have to remember that no matter how tangled we get, no matter how hurt we are, there is always the cross. Take comfort in that.

Moses and Me

2010-03-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

Today I felt a little bit like Moses. Not the parting the sea Moses or the spending time with God on a mountain. No, today I was the cowarding Moses trying to convince God He had the wrong person. In Exodus 3 and 4 Moses give reasons why he thinks he is the wrong one. 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." That was me today. “Not me God, I have never done anything with women’s ministries. I’m the youngest one in the group. Why would anyone listen to me?” “God, I know our church needs help with Sunday school for kids and adults, but can I commit to the time? Do I even know enough about you to teach others?” “God what if I plan something and no one shows up? What if people don’t like my ideas?”
For a while now I have felt God leading me in a new direction when it comes to ministry. Don’t get me wrong, I love Jr. and Sr. high. Girl’s bible study is amazing and I am super excited about our monthly N.B.A’s but I know I can’t be a part of this forever. Having kids makes it a little difficult. Sure when they are first born they just sleep on you and you can sit through a lesson without being a distraction. But now Joshua is at an age where he just wants to move around and be noisy. Unfortunately there is not always someone around to take him so I can participate. Sometimes I feel like I am only there in body but not in mind because I am so distracted. This had been hard for me to accept because I love working with the youth and I have felt lead to minister to them. But like I said I have been feeling like God is leading me in a new direction and I have been trying to tell God that he has chosen then wrong person. Then I read my sisters blog (http://ncypjoshisconfused.blogspot.com/) and it hit me right between the eyes. Am I afraid to do these ministries because I fear how I will do or how others will view me? Yes I was scared of that. But now I am reminded it’s not about me and it’s never been about me. God has given us gifts to better serve HIM. He desires us to join together to glorify HIM. How could be so selfish and self-centered? How could I turn serving God into a self-righteous act. Yes there will be nay sayers, there will be people who don’t like the ideas or how the activity is being executed. NEW FLASH it’s not about that. All I need to concern myself with is making sure that whatever is being done is being done to glorify God. The ministries will be used to further the kingdom and not for self assurance reasons. This may seem like a very “duh” blog but it’s something I need to focus on. I don’t think that time before have been for selfish reasons but I think this is the first time I will be doing something away from Josh’s main ministry. I am very excited to see how God uses me and the women in our church. I just need to make sure when I feel like the nay sayers and getting to loud that I remember to listen to my heavenly Father instead because in the end He is the only one that matters.

What a difference a year makes.

2010-03-10T08:22:00.000-08:00

On March 7th 2009, my family and two of our youth group kids help pack up all of mine and Josh's belongings and packed them into a rented truck. I have become no stranger to moving. I moved from my parents house into mine and Josh's first apartment when we first got married. One year later we moved to another apartment (so we could have a washer and drying). One year after that we moved in with our parents because we knew that God was leading us somewhere, we just didn't know where yet and we didn't want to do another year lease. The nice thing about those moving situations was if you forgot something then you could just drive back and pick it up. And I had packed everything so by the time we got to our new place I still had a photographic memory about what was in each box which made unpacking easy.
Not this time. I had packed up our apartment in November and only unloaded our bed and some clothes at my parents house. So these boxes with our belonging became a stranger to me. When we had to pack up the truck I was amazed at how much we had accumulated over the past two years. Thank the Lord everything fit. Looking back I wish I had remembered to grab my wedding dress and my doll house. I'll get them one of these times.
The night of March 7th was a bitter sweet night. I had so many people I loved all together. I few more of our youth came down so say goodbye and all of my brothers, sisters, in-laws, nieces and nephews were all cramped under one roof eating the most yummy Pizza ever. After a long day of packing, we said our goodbyes to my family and prepared ourselves to wake up way to early so we could get a jump start on the day.
Around 4 AM we hugged my parents goodbye and set off on a brand new journey. I cried because I was sad that I was not going to be around my family anymore but I knew that God was in control and this is what God wanted for us so I was OK with leaving. With Josh driving, Hugo sleeping on the floor between the two seats and me, 6 months pregnant trying to keep him awake. God was good to us and we made is all the way across the country with only two mishaps.

Since we arrived here I have never had a moment of doubt or regret. God provided us a family to live with for the first few weeks we were in Winnemucca (thank you Granath family). Then we were able to movie into our house with only a few pieces of broken Pyrex. And the blessing have not stopped.
Yes, there are have been times when I have missed my family so much that it hurt to breathe, and there are things about living in the west that I am still getting used to but this is our home now. God has provided me with one amazing friend out here that I can tell anything and I know she will understand because she has up and moved away from her family. I am so thankful for my friends back east who, despite the distance, are still great friends who care about whats going on in my life.
In terms of our family, I have never been happier. I love Josh more and more everyday. He is my best friend and the strong pillar in this family. Joshua is almost 9 months old. He talks all day long and is getting really good at walking around the coffee table. He is such a joy to have and I can't imagine my life without him. Hugo is Hugo. He still sleep on the couch for the large portion of the day. He has started to enjoy going on three mile walks with Josh.
I look forward to seeing what God has in store for us this next year. Although there is a lot of unknown right now, I trust that the Lord will provide for our needs and guide us in HIS WILL!!!

A Taste of Heaven

2010-03-05T12:17:00.000-08:00

Do you know what heaven tastes like? I do!

I wish I could take credit for this piece of heaven but it was a gift given to me by my very talented mother-in-law. When Josh and I first got married he would always talk about how much he loved his mom’s spaghetti and meatballs. He would tell me that when he was a kid he could remember his mom coming home during the day to stir the sauce and to add a few spices here and there. I never felt the need to make the meatballs because 1. I can’t cook and 2. There is no way I could live up to his mom’s so why try. Finally after a year of marriage, I called my mother-in-law and got the recipe. One of the more difficult things about this sauce and meatballs is that you don’t add a teaspoon of this and a tablespoon of that. She would make it by how it looked and what it tasted like. NOT A GOOD THING FOR ME!
Now, two years later, and a million attempts I’ve done it. I have been able to make a little piece of heaven.
One of the best things about this food is that it is always shared with friends. I don’t think I have even made this for just me and Josh. We have made it for my entire family, for a meal while down the shore, and for friends. Our friends back in NJ, Jeff and Kelly must have eaten this meal a few dozen times. It’s an amazing feeling having friends get together over a great meal and have a great time. Now we get to share this meal with our NV friends Andy and Kendra.

There have been times when I have not eaten anything all day in preparation for this meal. When the table is set with sauce, pasta, and texas toast you are ready. Ready to taste something beautiful. I truly believe that this sauce has some kid of super powers because there is no way that my human hands can make something this good. I take no credit for this yumminess (not a word but I don't care).
But eventually all good things must come to an end. After eating way to much there is nothing more to do then moan and lay on the couch.
I hope that all of you have something in your life that tastes this good.

Burdens

2010-03-03T10:04:00.001-08:00

The other day I was reading a blog and she was talking about how she felt overwhelmed and she ended her blog by saying that God doesn't give us more then we can handle. I have heard this saying a million times and I have probably said it that many times as well. It wasn't until last night that I really got to thinking about it. Where does it say that in the bible?? I can't remember ever reading it or hearing a sermon on it or even hearing a Pastor say it. So where did it come from? (if you can think of a passage of where it is found please let me know). The only passage I could think of was Matthew 11:28. Jesus is talking and he says "come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." Then it struck me, it's not that God doesn't give us more then WE can handle, he doesn't give us more then what HE can handle. OK that makes more sense.
We can all probably all think of a time in our lives when we felt like the world was coming down on our shoulders because we had so much going on. I know I have. And there have been plenty of times when I tried to unload the weight all by myself (without much success I might add).
Right now I feel as if I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. There is so much going on and so much to think about that I have felt so overwhelmed and helpless. The other night I had a complete meltdown and was sitting in my bed balling my eyes out because I couldn't stop thinking about everything going on and everything I was failing at and I just didn't know what else to do. I was so sick of thinking about it and worrying about it. I felt as if I have prayed about it so much that my prayers weren't even making sense anymore. So finally, with mascara filled tears rolling down my cheeks and a gallon of snot coming out of my nose (pretty picture right?)I just shouted out to God "What is your will because I don't know what else to do. What is your will?" And with that I had complete clarity in my head. There was nothing in there. No thoughts of worry or failure. No insecurities or pain just peace and quiet. I didn't even feel the need to cry anymore. I still don't know what I am suppose to do or what is going to happen, I just knew God was saying "I am handling it. This isn't for you to handle. I've got this."
I'm also not a believer in the saying "let go and let God". I believe that to an extent. I know that everything is in God's hands but if your child is sick your not just going to sit on the couch and hope that they get better. You go to the doctor and pray that something can be done. He wants us to trust in Him, and he wants us to follow his guidance when it is given.
I count myself very blessed that God does not tell us that we are on our own. He wants to take our burdens... big or small. I hope this made at least a little bit of sense to someone out there. If not it was good for me to get my thoughts out there.

This ones for Jess

2010-03-02T12:22:00.001-08:00

My oldest sister Jess thought it would be a good idea to take a break from Facebook. Since she is not on there our communication has been cut down a lot. So I thought it would be nice to post some picture on here so she could see. So jess... This ones for you. Hope you like....

Crying

2010-02-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

I am very blessed. I have a healthy beautiful baby boy. As a newborn Joshua slept through the night at 5 weeks and worked well being on a schedule which made my day very predictable. He didn't really cried. We even have a video if his first bath at the hospital and he hardly made a peep. When he did cry it was because he was tired or hungry. He never really had a fussy time of day. So I just have one question.... WHAT HAPPEN??? I guess they forget to tell you that crying will be all the time now. Maybe other first time moms have thought ahead and knew this was going to happen. Well I didn't think about it. Now it's "mommy I'm crying because I'm up; mommy I'm crying because i'm hungry; mommy I'm crying because you put me down; mommy I'm crying because you walked away; mommy I'm crying because I can't crawl fast enough; mommy I'm crying because you took that cord away from me; mommy I'm crying because I was trying to stand up but fell down; mommy I'm crying because..." you fill in the blank. I'm sure you can think of many more things. Please don't think I am complaining. I love my son and I wouldn't trade him for the world and I know that other people have much worse situations then I do. I know that his crying is his only was of communicating but that doesn't mean I enjoy the sound of it. So until he learns how to talk I guess I'll be communicating through crying.
On a sweeter note the other day I was watching TV and something was really sad so I was crying (ok more like sobbing) and I was holding Joshua because he had just woken up from his nap. He was cuddling against my chest but then he looked up at my face and I could see that he was processing what my face was doing because I don't think he has ever seen me cry up close. After his careful inspection, he reached up his tiny hand and placed it on my cheek. It was like he was trying to comfort me in his own little way. What a sweet little boy I have.

Lost and Found

2010-02-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

The other day Josh was running on the treadmill and all the sudden shouts "holy crap" and hold up his left hand. I thought he was going to fall or had hurt himself. Nope. He wasn't hurt; he had just realized that his wedding ring was no longer on his finger. SAD! He has worked so hard and has lost so much weight that his ring had become very lose on his finger. Just the other day he was changing the sign at church and felt his ring slip so he knew he needed to get it resized. Now it was to late. After looking through his pants pockets and a few other items where the ring could have been, we came to the conclusion that it was lost. Josh had run 5 miles the day before (or maybe it was that day) and there was a good chance that he had lost it on that run. I had to come to the realization that it was gone and no matter how hard I wished it wasn't it was not going to change the fact that it was. I wasn't mad at Josh. He didn't lose it on intentionally or because he was being careless. It was lost because he had lost weight. I guess it's a catch 22.
Then last night I was going to give Joshua a bath. I went into the bathroom to start the water and what do I see? Something round... something shinny!!! THE RING!!! Whod'a thought? Josh had given Joshua a bath on Friday night and I guess thats when it came off. I was so excited I couldn't stop smiling! I put in on my ring finger and kept twirling it around. I couldn't decided if I should call Josh and tell him or If I should wait to surprise him when he got home from JR high YG. I decided to surprise him. I quick make up a little scavenger hunt so he would have to work for it. I sent him to a few places around the house before he got is last clue which led him to our wedding album. When he opened the first page there was the ring. The look on this face was priceless!
There was so much joy in finding this gold ring. It got me thinking about the Parable of the lost coin. Luke 15:8-10
8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
It amazes me that the joy that I felt for finding the ring is nothing compared to the joy God feels when someone comes to know Him. He treasures us so much more then we could ever imagine. How awesome is that?

Much better

2010-02-17T20:29:00.000-08:00

Tonight I decided to make One Pot Spaghetti. I had made this dish one time before but (surprise) I messed it up. This time I made sure to read every ingredient and step very carefully. Tonight I was able to make it all by myself and it turned out delicious. One of the best thing about it is that it only dirty's one pot. I really hate having a dirty kitchen but I also hate doing the dishes. What a vicious cycle we have.
I thought maybe you would like the recipe for ONE POT SPAGHETTI. hope you enjoy.
ingredients
8 ounces ground beef or bulk pork sausage
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms or one 6-ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 14-ounce can chicken broth or beef broth
1-3/4 cups water
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 ounces dried spaghetti, broken
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
directions
1. In a large saucepan cook the ground beef, fresh mushrooms (if using), onion, and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain.

2. Stir in the canned mushrooms (if using), broth, water, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Bring to boiling. Add the broken spaghetti, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, for 17 to 20 minutes or until spaghetti is tender and sauce is desired consistency, stirring frequently. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.

A cooking Embarrassment

2010-02-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

I have never clamed to be a good cook. And I have never really had the desire to become a good cook. For the first two years of my marriage the majority of our meals were eaten out and Josh usually made those that were eaten at home. Since moving to Winnemucca and having ZERO chain restaurants in town, I had to learn how to cook something. I am afraid to try and cook something because I am so nervous I am going to mess it up and leave us without a dinner. Luckily Josh has been cooking his own dinner (chicken and Rice) every night so I thought I would start cooking. If I messed it up, I only messed up my dinner and I could live with that.
While making my shopping list this week I wrote out what I would make each night for dinner. Monday night: Summer Chicken Pasta with Mushrooms. They only ingredient I couldn’t find was cooking wine, but other then that I was good to go. AND I’M OFF… I started by browning my chicken and cooking my pasta. I was doing just fine getting my onions, garlic, and tomatoes ready. By that time Josh was home and he was taking a little interest in what I was making. I needed to add some chicken broth but when I went to my cabinet I found, not chicken broth, but cream of chicken. NOT THE SAME THING! When I realized I didn’t have chicken broth, I was ready to give up. I was all annoyed that my first attempt had failed right after I started! I went into the fridge and grabbed a jar of tomato sauce ready to throw it over the chicken and call it a day. JOSH TO THE RESCUE!!! He wouldn’t let me give up. We searched through the cabinet to see if we could make anything work. Josh, being the super hero that he is, found a can of chicken noodle soup. He strained out the noodles and caught all the juice in a measuring cup. MY HERO. Thanks to his inventiveness my dinner was saved and it was super yummy. I look forward to making it again with all the correct ingredients.

Ordinarily Beautiful

2010-01-22T09:27:00.000-08:00

Have you ever looking in the mirror and thought "wow I'm so ordinary!". I know I have. To be honest, I have really struggled with this lately. I know it's do to the lack of morning shower and the fact that I wear sweat pants and a t-shirt all day. But even when I do get "dressed up" I still look at myself and see nothing special, just ordinary. I also make the mistake of looking at other people or the pictures that they post and I get jealous because I see cute clothes and nice hair and features that make them special.
Then God kicked my butt. I started to read Proverbs 31 and I compared myself to what was written about that wife. I wrote it in my journal parallel. The verse on the left and how I matched up on the right. Now, I went into this knowing that I was not going to come close to her, but I wanted to see how I could improve. But what I ended up taking away from the passage was that she is extraordinary in an ordinary way. She doesn't cure illnesses, or decorate her house in all Pottery Barn, or through the best parties. She provides for her family, she honors her husband, she is respected because she does good for her family, household and land. One this I learned was sometimes you just have to take a different look or look at it from a different perspective to see the beauty or to see what makes it extraordinary.
I mulled this over in my head and i go to thinking about how many things do I look at everyday that seem ordinary but if I look at them from a different perspective or different angel I would find something beautiful or extraordinary. So I decided to photograph ordinary things but do it in a way to see beauty. BUT I also know that what I might consider beautiful, someone else wouldn't. I love that fact that God created us differently. How boring would life be if he created us to all love the color blue. Our world would be so blah. So saying that, the pictures I took are beautiful through my eyes.
So this is my challenge to you... the next time you feel ordinary look at yourself from a different perspective. Most importantly, look at yourself through God's perspective. He created you and he does not create mistakes. He loves you and is jealous for you. You are beautiful and extraordinary. Bask in the glory of God and know that you are loved.

Sportsmanship

2010-01-09T18:45:00.000-08:00

There is something that has been bugging me for over a year now, but it wasn't until a few days ago i was able to put it into words. I warn you now, what I have to say might offend you. So you may want to stop reading now.
So here goes... Some of you know that I come from a family who is very dedicated to a sports team. I also married into a family that has very strong dedication to a sports team. Growing up I was taught to cheer for my favorite team no matter what, win or lose. I can remember by dad jumping up off the couch and pacing around the living room because he was nervous or upset about what was going on in the game. Something I don't remember is my dad bad mouthing the other team. Yes there was the occasional dislike of a player but that's about it.
So what I am confused about is, when did cheering for your team mean to bad mouth the other team? I just feel like, if you feel the need to put down another team it can come across as a lack of confidence in the team you are cheering for. Yes there can be some playful banter between friends who know their bounds and it's all in good fun. But when you go to a game and get cursed at the entire game because you are wearing the other teams jersey? whats that about? But then there are the smaller things like calling them Cowgirls. That might seem small, but whats the point. Isn't it already understood that if you are cheering for one team you will not be cheering for the other?
I am jealous of people who can just sit back and enjoy the game and who don't care who wins and loses. I am not one of those people and I am not married to one either. There are some times when I would love to write something as my status that would annoy people cheering for another team, but I don't want to be like that. I want to be proud of my team win or lose. If they win hooray for them. if they lose then that's to bad. That is one thing that I respect my husband for. This past baseball season his team had a rough time battling injuries and what not, but he still stood by them and cheered win or lose. Living out in no mans land, we don't get a lot of his teams games so he would watch them online with our very VERY slow internet.
I know that there are so many of you who are very dedicated to their teams and I applaud that. My challenge for you is the next time you are going to say something about another team are you being a bad sportsman?

Blessings!!!

2009-12-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
GOD IS GOOD. I'm sure all of you know that but it's something I want to shout from the mountain top. I could list everything that he has done for us in the past year, but I really want to focus on what he has done for us in the past week.
One thing I have been struggling with for a little bit is the feeling that when I do something "good" for God I should get something in return. As humans we may feel that God is obligated to give us things. Then we are shaken into reality and remember that God is a gracious God by not striking us dead the first time we do something. This past week has been a great opportunity to remember that God is good and it's not about what I want but what he wants for in my life.
This past week has been a faith building week. On Wednesday morning I woke up to a pile of water on m kitchen floor to later discover that it was coming from the ceiling over our hot water heater. Water was everywhere. So, on josh's day off, I had to wake him up so we could figure out how to make it stop. After a while of trying Josh figured out how to turn it off and where the water was coming from. A pipe going to our swamp cooler (the unit on top of our house to cool it in the summer)had burst. To get a better look josh went over to our friends house to get a ladder. On his way back the ladder broke his back window! BAM!!! It was gone. Knowing that the pipe and the window both needed to be replaced, we knew that we would not have enough money to fix them both and take our vacation to NJ. Like I said, this all happened on Wednesday and our flight was scheduled to leave Tuesday morning. I had to make unpleasant phone calls to y parents telling them that we would not be able to go due to everything that had happened. I spent 90% of the day in my P.J.'s with my hood on my head crying. I was so devastated. I felt like it was all my fault and I was so mad at myself. While all this was going on I knew that God was in control and that if He wanted us to go then he would provide a way for it to happen. I knew that nothing was beyond Him, but I didn't want to sit and wait for him to make something happen. My prayers were all about peace. Peace that if we were not going to go then my heart will be at peace and that I would still enjoy this holiday and remember that this is not about me or about what I want, it's about the best gift that God could give. I was also praying that the tears would stop. I hated crying in front of Josh.
On Wednesday night I have a girls bible study at my house and Josh has "man group" with a bunch on men from our church. I had a great bible study. We didn't have a ton of girls show up so we just sat around and talked. It was just what I needed. A good time of fellowship. Josh had a good night as well and was able to share with the men what had happen.
"Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." I was not prepared for these flood gates. Josh was fantastic and did so much number crunching and did everything he could to comfort me. I have such an amazing husband. BLESSING!!! Joshua is growing and healthy and had adjusted very well to our busy schedule. BLESSING!!! On Thursday Josh got a call from one of them men from man group who told him that we needed to call him when we were going to get the window fixed because the men from man group put some money together and wanted to pay for the window. I also was told by a friend of ours that they would take the car and get the window fixed while we were away and they would pay for it and we could pay them back whenever. BLESSINGS!! I was getting constant phone calls from family and friends telling us that they were praying for us. BLESSINGS! I was talking to a friend of mine on facebook and she wanted to know where we banked because she and her husband wanted to give us a monetary gift. BLESSINGS!!! On Sunday a member of our church handed him an envelope of money. BLESSINGS!!! God did answer part of my prayer and he did give me peace. He gave me so much more then peace. He did not, however, answer my no more crying prayer because I couldn't stop crying tears of joy. He has opened his floodgates with blessings.
Even now, as I am sitting in the hotel room when I should be on my way to my sisters house in NJ, I know that God is still pouring out his blessings on us. We were able to stay in a really nice yet inexpensive hotel were Josh has a gym where he can workout and where we can park for FREE while we are away. BLESSING!!! We were also able to secure our seats for our flight tomorrow morning. BLESSING!!!! In the afternoon the weather said it was going to rain/snow tonight into tomorrow. As of 30 minutes ago the weather has changed to NO rain/snow at all.
God is in control! I know that, if it was the Lords will for us not to go, I know that he would still bless us in every way. YES I am extremely blessed this time around because God blessed me with what I wanted.

My Life in Black and White

2009-12-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

The other night I couldn't fall asleep. You ever have one of those nights when you just can't turn off your brain? Well, that was my night. Something that kept swirling around in my head was my love for Photography. I really do love to look through the lens of my camera and being able to focus on a small portion of God's beautiful creation. I feel as if it is a gift that he has given to us so better appreciate His gift of creation.
Sometimes I think about what it would be like to sell come of my pictures, but then again would I really want to put myself out there like that? It's one thing to post them and have people say how much they like them or how cute my son is. But to put a price on them and to see if some one would like them enough to buy one is very nerve racking. It's like I would make myself completely vulnerable. I don't know if I am ready for that.
I just feel like my Photography is my perspective in life. It's how I view where I live and what I love. Someone could go to the same place as me but take completely different picture. That's one of the beauties about what I love to do.
A few months ago I really fell in love with Black and White Photography. I thought that was a little funny given that photography was originally all take in black and white. Now we have wonderful digital cameras that can magnify colors, and yet I wanted to take pictures in black and white. So I created a little project for myself. I wanted to photograph parts of my life in black and white. Putting my fears and nerves aside I want to share them with you. It's pretty self explanatory.... so here goes.

Mason Anderson

2009-12-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

Most of you already know this, but I love photography. I have had the opportunity to take pictures of my nieces and nephews through out the years and now I have my own son to torture with home made photo shoots. I have also been able to fall in love with the desert by taking pictures of it. The sunsets here never get old out here.
Today I had the opportunity to take pictures for my good friend Kendra of her 4 week old son Mason Anderson. I thought I would give a little preview of what I took today. Hope Andy and Kendra like them!!!

A Week Off

2009-08-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I was unable to run this week. On Monday night I got hit with some kind of cold that attacked my entire body. I thought that if I was feeling even a little better I would attempt a run, but it's been a hard couple of days. I know that this is just a small set back to what I am trying to accomplish. But I am not giving up. Everyday I would think about running and wish that I could. I can hardly sit on the couch without coughing up a lung. My hope is to start up again Monday morning. After talking to my brother, I think I should aim to run 4-5 times a week. I am starting with such small increments that I think I could do it.
I look forward to the day when I can run a mile and not want to kill myself. Plus, if any one was watching me run for a little and then walk and then run again they probably think I'm crazy or lazy. Something I didn't think about is how different it's going to feel running in NJ with all the humidity. Should be interesting.

Running week 1

2009-08-15T20:40:00.001-07:00

I decided to write a blog after every week running. I thought by doing this I would be more motivated to run since (hopefully) more people would be checking up on me. And I hope, by being completely honest about how it's going it will help me achieve my goal. I also know that those who are reading this will not be insensitive to my goal. When I told some people their reaction was "well... a 5k doesn't seem like it would be to hard". ouch not nice. I have never been much of a runner. The last time I ran any kind of distance was in college for softball and I had to run once around the perimeter of the softball/baseball field which was probably a little under a half a mile and then I was done running. We had to sprint more and even with them I was expected to be slow so there wasn't much point in pushing myself. I want something more now. Yes I would love this to melt away the baby weight, but it can't be just about that anymore because I know that as soon as I fit into my jeans I would stop. I am still trying to fine a long term motivator. I'll keep you posted on that one. So here goes.
Karen was the one who told me about the program Couch to 5k. It's not that I really wanted to run a 5k, but I wanted a plan to follow. I knew that if I just did it on my own I would run for a minute and then call it a day. Sooner or later I would just stop because I would not see the results that I wanted. This program works you up to running a 5k. This past week I had to do a warm up walk for 5 minutes, then run for a 60 seconds and walk for 90 seconds. The first day, I thought that I really sucked and hoped that it would get better. I ran in the morning around 7. I don't want to go until I feed the baby and going any later it would be incredibly HOT! The second time, I only thought that I sucked during the last few minutes. The hardest part during this run was that my pants were falling down. The first day I wore shorts and they were fine but I have the unfortunate thickness of the legs and the ride up is a little uncomfortable. Then tonight I didn't think that I sucked at all. Tonight there was something different. I really enjoyed running while I watched the sun set. I had to remind myself to look at the watch so I didn't over run or over walk. I loved that no matter where I looked I saw beautiful mountains. On my left I had a huge mountain that was being lit up by a gorgeous yellow and orange sun. On my right, there was a ginormous mountain range that had pink tips and a purple sky because of the sunset. I think tonight was the first time that I truly appreciated the beauty of the state that I live in. I use to think that running on a treadmill would be better because I am self conscience of people seeing me run. But tonight I didn't care. I was enjoying God's creations. I kept listening to Chris Thomlin "How Great is Our God". If I had any sense of balance I would have closed my eyes while I ran to praise our creator for his magnificent creation.
I kind of think that my weeks will continue this way. First two days I will think that I suck and the third (and fourth) day will be better experience.

I LOVE MY SON

2009-07-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

It absolutely amazed at the amount of love that pours out of me for my son. He is so amazing. I know that everyone thinks that their kids is the best, but I think my son is pretty awesome. In these few short weeks I have already learned so much about him. First of all, he loves to sleep. Most newborns do, but he REALLY likes it. In the afternoon he has what I call "a noise nap". He will lay completely still for an hour and then for about a half hour he'll make noises and ball up his fists but he is still asleep. Then about 10 minutes before he makes up he has a nice big poop. And boy, does my son poop. Today I had someone ask me if he has ever peed on me while I was changing him. Thank goodness it has only happen once. Well, right at that moment he poops!!!! All over his nice clean outfit. Hope that's a one time thing.
I love his awake time. It's becoming a little longer everyday. He loves to look at lights but doesn't like it when the sun is in his eyes. He makes the funnies faces. He likes to be read to. I try to sing and read to him every night before I lay him in his pack-n-play.
On the other hand, there is still so much for me to learn about him. He is so much a mystery. I can't wait to get to know him better. It amazes me, that I spent nine months carrying him, 13 hours laboring, and now almost three weeks getting to know him. I pray everyday that God will keep him safe. That he will help him grow into a strong, godly man. And that I, as the parent, will not get in the way of what the Lord has planned for him.

Happy Fathers Day

2009-06-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

I am very excited that this is Josh's first fathers day and that he get's to celebrate it with his son!!!! It's only been a little over a week that we have had our beautiful boy, but it has been awesome to see father and son interact. Josh has been so amazing since the beginning. Most of you already know the story of how we found out we were pregnant but I'll tell it again. I had left work because I wasn't feeling well and it was coming up on that time of the month. I had a pregnancy test already in the house so I decided to take it just so I knew that I wasn't pregnant and I could stop thinking about it till next month. Turns out there was two lines but the one was really light so I didn't want to get my hopes up. I walk the test to josh who was laying on his bed and said "I don't know if this is right but I think there are two lines." So josh did what he does best. He looked online to see what a light line meant. Two more pregnancy test later we were convinced. He came to every doctors appointment with me. He signed us up on Babycenter.com before I could. He made sure I was drinking water and taking my prenatal. He cleaned up the lasagna I puked up in our kitchen sink. He has been so good to me and to the baby from the beginning. I am so grateful for him and all that he has done.

Now, fast forward a few months and it is getting down to the wire. He is still taking great care of me and the baby. He was so calm the entire pregnancy. When I would get nervous or panicky about something, he would always calm me down with reassuring words or a joke. Then the big day came and he was amazing. I hadn't packed the diaper bag or our bad to the hospital, so once they said we needed to come in because my water broke it was a little crazy. Josh did a great job putting together everything we needed for the baby and got the car seat installed in record time.

He never left my side. He was so tired but he held my hand through every contraction. He told me that I COULD do this and that I was doing great. Most of you know that I thought he was lying to me, but it was nice to hear. He was so strong for me. And the emotion that he felt over whelmed me with happiness. Once the baby was born, there was so many emotions in the air and the look on josh's face was so beautiful. He was a proud father of a baby boy.
Now they get to spend good quality time together. Josh will get up with me in the night to burp and change him and that's a huge help. I like to watch them as they make funny faces at each other. I look forward to they day when the Mets are on TV and they can watch the game together (hopefully the mets will win)
All this being said, I wanted to wish my amazing husband "happy first fathers day". You are already an awesome father and I look forward to continuing this journey with you. Thank you for being who you are and serving the Lord. You are an inspiration to me. I love you!

The baby bump

2009-05-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

And the count down is on. The baby is due june 19th so we are coming up on a month away. it feels like it has taken forever to get here but at the same time, I feel like it has creeped up on us. Josh has been so great these past few months. He has been to every appointment with me, he makes sure I am drinking enough water, he rubs my back, he makes my comfort a very high priority, and he's nice enough to lie to me and tell me that I don't look fat.
I have really enjoyed being pregnant. I love laying down and watching my belly move around. It's like a little chick is trying to break out of it's egg. Today, the baby and I had a nice talk. I told him/her that the can come out soon, but he/she needs to try and not hurt me. We'll see how that goes. I have to make a conscience effort NOT to waddle when I walk. Plus bending over is getting more and more difficult. but I do my best.
Right now I think I'm int he panic part of the pregnancy. I am just feeling a little unprepared. I am going to the hospital tomorrow so I can look into birthing class and get a packing list for what we will need for the hospital. Josh just ordered the coming home outfit which I can't wait to see (it's a surprise to me)and the church is throwing a baby shower the first weekend in June. I think I will feel better once we have a pack and play just so I know that the baby has a place to sleep. A dresser crib and rocker would be nice, but lets not get ahead of ourselves.
I love my belly and I love the person inside of it but I didn't want to gross people out with my belly. But now that all of you are not a drive away, I thought maybe you'd like to see. Plus I want to know if you guys think I am having a boy or girl.

Crazy Day

2009-04-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

So the other day we had really crazy weather. When I woke up to let Hugo out josh said there was some snow one the ground. Because that has happen before I wasn't to worried about it. So this is what it looked like around 8AM.

Then about two hours later we were leaving to get some breakfast and get Josh's pay check and this is what it looked like outside.

It snowed all day. Sometimes it was little flakes and then other times it was huge heavy flakes. The common question of the day was "is it still snowing?" It's just so odd to me. It was nice to take Hugo outside and watch him run around. Our video camera was at church but I'm sure this might happen again so I'll take some video next time. Now it's a day later and there is hardly any snow on the ground. I think we had about 4 inches and now there is nothing. Maybe next time I'll build a snow man just to see how long he would last.

Lets go Mets!

2009-04-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

Lets Go METS!!!!!!!!!!

Just thought you'd like to see what I did to Hugo the other day. I don't think he was to excited to be dressed up. He kept trying to get it off but I just had to take a few pictures first. Maybe I'll trim it down so it's more a dog shirt rather then a little kid t-shirt. Hope you enjoy.

Easter reflection

2009-04-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

I'm sure all of you know that this past Sunday was Palm Sunday. I enjoy this day because Palm Sunday was the day that I asked Jesus to come into my heart when I was 5 years old. I remember being in Sunday school with the felt board talking about Palm Sunday and what that all meant. I don't remember if there was an invitation given by the teacher or if everything just clicked in my head. But none the less, as a 5 year old I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I also asked on the way home from church and then again later that day while I was watching TV. I don't know why I remember this day so clearly, but I'm glad that I do. So Palm Sunday holds a special place in my heart.

This past Sunday, Josh had to take prayer requests and pray for the offering (a normal Sunday job for him) but before he did that He shared something that was on his heart that I have been thinking about ever since. He talked about how amazing it would have been to be there, in the crowd, watching Jesus humbly entering the city on the donkey and how we would be able to shout "Hosanna!!!!!!!" and be so joyful that He was there. But then.... fast forward just a few days.

You have Jesus being beaten and mocked, slowly dying. Would you be in that crowd as well? I think most of us would say I wouldn't want to be... but probably... yes I would be in that crowd. Why? because we are sinners. Even his disciples chose to say that they didn't know Him and watched. There was only a hand full that stood at a distance weeping because of what was happening. It really makes me upset to think that we can so easily change what "crowd" we are in. Church people we say "Hosanna Hosanna" others or in temptation we say "Crucify Crucify!"
Jesus died because I cry out crucify. He is glorified when I shout Hosanna. I hope and pray that Hosanna is more pronounced in my life. I thank God for his grace and mercy over me. I do not deserve it, but I am thankful for it and I will continue to use it to better my relationship with Him and to help further HIS kingdom. I wish all of you a happy Easter. Enjoy spending time with your family celebrating the greatest gift that was ever given.
Acts 1:4-10
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

a small update

2009-04-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Just wanted to give a small update on how things are going here in windy Winnemucca. We have now been in our house for one week. My days have been spent unpacking boxes and getting things all set up. I think it's starting to feel like home. In some rooms (the kitchen) there is so much space I don't know what to do about it. Others (the bathroom) are missing things (a medicine cabinet)that I am used to having. We are adjusting just fine. Hugo is doing much better. He was very sick and is now back to his old self. The other day we had a little scare with him and a horse. There are three horses behind us and there is only a barb wire fence between us and them. They seem like nice horses but I don't want to find out the hard way. Hugo slipped under the fence and when trotting over to one of the horses. So I start screaming at him because I have no idea what the horse will do. The horse started to nip at him and i freaked out! I am screaming at him to come back. finally he gets scared and runs back. I was furious! So mad i picked him up and carried him back to the house (he just got a bath so he wasn't wearing his collier). Other then that, I think he is enjoying it here. There are so many dogs. I don't think there is a family without a dog. One night it sounded like that scene from 101 Dalmations. The one where they are passing on the message about the missing puppies. Josh quoted it as we were walking into the house and it made me laugh.
Church is going well. Josh is spending long days at church getting things done and getting to know people. The Sr high and Jr high (i think) has been going very well. We had a leaders meeting to help plan out the spring and summer and I think it's going to be great. They have some good suggestions and seem really into helping out these kids. I think the kids are taking kindly to us. There are a few activities already planned and there are many more to come. With me not having a job right now, I have had the opportunity to help out with all kinds of stuff. I want to be involved as much as I can because I know the amount of help I will be able to give this summer will be limited. So if I can do more now, maybe that will lesson the load for the summer.
I am going to start working soon. I am going to be doing day care from my home. I put up flyer's on Friday and have one interview and another one this coming week. I am really excited about this. I feel like this is something I can handle and most importantly I can do this and stay home with my kids. From what I hear there is a real need for it out here and I can be flexible with Josh's schedule. I am trusting that the Lord will provide me with the families I will need to make sure that Josh and I are OK. He has been good to us so far so that is encouraging.
The pregnancy is going well. I am 29 weeks now. I feel the baby moving all the time and I really like the feeling. It makes me pray more and worry less. We are getting some furniture from a family in the church and I am hoping to paint some time soon. We have been blessed so far with what we have been given but there is still a list of things we are missing. This church is planning on throwing us a shower so hopefully that will help.
Once I am content with how the house looks I will take some pictures and have them posted. Or you can just set up a time and we can give you a skype tour of the house. Josh is really good at these and I think he really enjoys giving them.

NJ VS NV

2009-03-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

For many of us it’s not until you leave something, its then when you realize how much you are going to miss. I have tried not to think of these things for the past few months. When I knew Josh and I were going to be leaving New Jersey I didn’t want to think of the things/ people I was going to leave behind. I didn’t want to face that reality until it was totally and completely necessary. Now, sitting in a bedroom of one of the church members house after making a 5 day trip across the beautiful United States, I have to think about it. Some things are small and will seem silly. Others are more important and irreplaceable. So in no particular order… here goes

Ocean City NJ- Last year I wrote a blog about how much I loved ocean city. Maybe its just out of ignorance because my family never vacationed on any other beach (other then a few random times in Florida). But OCNJ has some of the best memories of my life. Just the smell coming over the 9^th st bridge is enough to make anyone fall in love with the town. The beaches are beautiful and the company you keep when you’re there is never disappointing. You’re always surrounded by friends and family. The board walk is another perk to the town. It has tones to do no matter what your age. The mini golf will be missed. And of course there is always people watching. If you’ve never done people watching you can probably figure out what it is by the title alone. But its one of the best things to do on the boards while you are finishing off your Kohr Brothers Ice Cream or your nice and hot bucket of French fries. I’ll have to figure out a way to get a sweat shirt from the “Shirt Shack”. It because a traditions for me and Josh to get a new one every year. Now that we have a baby on the way he/she will need a matching one as well.

Driving convenience – I’ve heard people joke about NJ saying that it takes 30 minutes to get anywhere in NJ. It’s kind of true. When josh and I lived in Lawrenceville it took 30 minutes to get to work and my parents. Josh also worked 9 miles away from our apartment and it took him about 45 minutes. On the other hand everything you need is within a 30 minute. Sometimes there is more than one of the same store in that 30 minute radius. Sometimes the big question is “where do you want to eat?” and it’s too hard to decide because there are way too many choices. Plus there are a lot of city’s close by to go hang out in. That is not the case out in NV. One of the biggest adjustments is the convenience of food. Every morning (so far) I take josh to the church and he wants something for breakfast. How many places can you think of off the top of your head that you can eat for breakfast? Was Duncan donuts cross your mind? It does mine… every morning. Instead I have to go to the grocery store to get food. I think they are learning me by name which I thought would have taken a few years.

Dry!!!- it's so dry out here. I had a problem with dry skin for a while during the winter months like most people do. I think it was worse this year because of being pregnant but it was under control. NOT ANY MORE!!! I can put a bottle of lotion on and BAM I walk outside and I start cracking all over the place. There is just no moisture in the air. I guess I have to be one of those people that keeps lotion in there purse. Just something else to get used to.

Job- Right now I do not have a job. I've always had a job. Even when I was on College... I worked for the athletic department by washing the sports uniforms. Then after college I was a Nanny and then into retail. I have done a lot over the years and have had a lot of experience. Apparently that means nothing out here because I can't get a job. No one is hiring. I don't even get to tell anyone all the fun stuff I have learned or done. This is a humbling and faith building time for me. I am a hard worker and I can do anything you train me to do. This is a God thing. I have to trust that He is in control and that he has not forgotten me. I have to suck up my pride and understand that things are going to be different for me out here. You know when your at work and you day dream about what life would be like without having to work everyday....ummm not as great as my day dreams. Maybe if we were in our house or the baby was here.... but right now I travel the same three roads. The road to church, the road to the house where Hugo is staying and the road back the our temporary place. I am SOOOOOO grateful for God providing this Job for Josh. It is soooo great to see him in HIS office. And to know that he has a support system at the church. That he is happy being involved and getting the ball rolling with lessons and activities. I know he has a lot of work to do and it is going to take a long time to make this group of students his group but this is great for him. He is going to thrive because he is in his element and in the will of the LORD. We will always have a special place in our hearts for the students we left in NJ. But this is part of transition. This is part of Gods plan. I look forward to posting blogs of these kids so you all can get to know them. The Lord will provide for us.... this I know in my heart... it's my head that needs convincing.

City papers- I’ve never been a big reader of the paper, but I do know that my dad loves reading the paper. It was a good source of information and kept him in the loop as to what was going on. ESPN has better shows on while the news is playing (in my opinion). Anyway, it is nice when the paper is delivered to your door step every day or you can just swing by a store/coffee shop/gas station basically anywhere. Plus you have the option of many different kinds of papers; the local paper, the Wall Street journal, the Philadelphia inquirer ect…. Here in NV there is a paper called “The Humbolt sun” and it comes out on Tuesday and Friday. The paper is chock full of hot happenings of what’s going on in town. Most of the paper consists of about 3 main stories and lots of school sports. Then there is a page for jobs (which there are none) and places/ pets/ livestock and cars for sale. This paper is such an informative tool that Josh and I will soon be featured in it. Apparently we are hot news. They would like a picture of me Josh and Hugo to be added to the article. Yes there will be an article.

Family/Friends:-This section can be left unsaid because its so understood. But at the same time, it’s something that I need to say. With having spent 23 years of my life in NJ, all the people I know and love are there (or within driving distance). There is a small part of me that wants to cry everyday because being in Nevada is more then just a vacation or a visit to a church. This is my life now. I know that God brought us here and I do not regret it or question His will, but I am still human and I am still an emotional person. When we first got here one of the members on the church said "welcome home". I smiled politely but suppressed tears at the same time. Later I asked Josh if it was OK if I didn't think of this place as home yet. He reassured me that that was fine and I felt better. It's not that I don't want to make out here Home... I just have to much back in NJ to just drop it like that. Maybe I'm just a way to attached 23 year old but I don't care. I love my family and friends back east and I don't think that will ever change.

Mom and Dad- thank you so much for everything over the past 23 years. You have been such an example to me! I hope you guys know what an intricate part you have played in my relationship with God. With out your support and His leading I don't know where I would be or who I would be married to. I love you both and I can't wait for you guys to get out here!!!! I love you guys and miss you tons!

Crisp family- Leave it to me to move away right when you guys get back to NJ! I'm so glad that Lord has lead you back to NJ. This is a new season for you and your family and I hope I can still be a part of it just in long distance. Make sure you keep blogging even though the Entwistle family is around I still need to know whats going on.

Hulfish Family- Thanks for always letting me have a place to eat my lunch when I could not stand at being at work. Thanks for being an encouragement to me in ever aspect of life. I'm glad we have had more things in common over the years. Thanks for caring so much.

Entwistle family- You guys are so awesome! You have been such an instrument in my life. I love you guys so much and I miss you everyday. Thank you for all the words of wisdom and for being there for me whenever I needed a good cry or gross medical advice. Hope you guys can make it out here for some awesome snowboarding!

Like I said before... I look forward to blogging about all the fun happenings here at church. And then once the baby comes I'm sure you'll all get so tired of just looking at pictures of our new one. I miss you all and you are in my prayers.

Things to remember

2009-02-24T07:22:00.000-08:00

Most of you who read this already know that my grandmother Entwistle went to be with Jesus on Monday night. It's something so bitter sweet because we are selfish humans and we want those that we love to be around. On the other hand, as members of the Lords family, we are happy to know that she is in Heaven. A place that we will all be. In heaven there is no more sadness, no more pain, no more med's, just rejoicing with the angles because our god is a gracious and good God.
For all who knew my grandmother they would say that she had a good life. She has a wonderful husband who loved her very much. I remember seeing them in church every Sunday. He would help her walk up the three steps in front while carrying her Bible for her. They would always sit to the far left side of the church and the pew with the same couples in front and behind them. When my grandmother was not sitting in service she was serving in the nursery. She has always loved kids. Even in her later days her face would always light up when she was around kids. I guess she would love kids because she was a fantastic mother to 7 children.
I love my grandmother, and I'm so grateful for the time and love she poured into her kids. Because she did, I have a fantastic father who loves the Lord, his wife, his kids and his gran kids (not to mention the grand dogs). I love my family and I am proud to have strong Entwistle blood running in my body.

Merry Christmas to all

2008-12-23T18:29:00.000-08:00

This year here has one busy one. So busy that I did not have time to write a Christmas card so this is my pathetic way of writing one.
January- Josh and I Celebrated our one year Anniversary; we got our awesome dog Hugo who has grown so much in the past year; Josh started his second semester at grad school at PBU.
February- Josh and were able to go to an amazing youth conference in Ohio and it was exactly what we needed. We met some awesome people and made great connections. Hopefully it wont be the last year we go.
March.... April.... All a blur. I guess I was working all the time and so was Josh. He was working full time at a reinsurance company, going to school full time and working for our church as well. This was a tough few months because we hardly saw each other but we did have our weekly date night which I looked forward to all week.
May- Josh finished up his semester! and we were able to an AMAZING vacations to Disney world in FL. We got to go to all the parks and eat at the coolest places and ride all the rides we wanted. We always knew we wanted to go before we had a family so it's a good thing we did it when we did (We we got back from vacation I learned I had gotten a promotion at work)
June... another Blur
July- Josh and I had a great time in Puerto Rico with 14 teens and 2 other leaders. We went with Group Work Camps and met up with 4 other youth groups from all over the nation. It was amazing to see them work together as a youth group and also work with strangers. It was a life changing experience for a lot of the teens and for me included.
August- We spent some small time at the beach with the family. But the time we did get was a great time. Thanks to Josh, I got a beautiful camera and was able to take a million pictures hanging out and a millions more and beautiful families got together to pose for a family portrait. (all pictures available to be viewed on my Facebook)
September.... Yet again another blur
October- we found out that we were going to have a baby
November- Once again, we moved but this time to a house. No not our own but back to my parents. Just in case you lost track 06-parents 07-lalor in hamilton 08- lawrenceville gardens 09- back to parents.
December- just enjoying the craziness that comes along with this time of year.
For the year to come... who knows. The baby is due in June, and that's the only thing planned so far.
The Lord has been so great to us this past year and I thank Him for everyday even when they are difficult. I hope and pray that all of you are well and that the Lord will bless you abundantly this coming year.

venting

2008-11-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

I was sick a few weeks back so I went to my family physician. When I was leaving they daïs I needed to be seen for a check up since I havnt had one since 2003. So I made one for today at 11:15. I was 10 minutes early and had my check and insurance card ready. I had to sit next to the tv where all they were talking about was the election and it was annoying me. I didn't get taken back till 11:45. It is now 12 I still have not seen the doctor and I have to go back to work. What gets to me is I didn't want to come. Im not sick or anything... They told me to have this appointment. I'm I was sick I would wait but I'm not and I need to get back to work.
My brother once asked me if I would pay more for the first few appointment of the day. In this case yes. I always try and get the early appointments and this is why.
Just needed to vent and I'm sure some of you have felt the same way. I wanted to ask the nurse how much longer but I thought that would be rude. If I wasn't so hungry it wouldn't be such a big deal
P.S. I wrote this entire blog on my phone. That's amazing!

the first snow

2008-10-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

The weather has been so weird. Just a few weeks ago I was at a wedding and it was a beautiful day. This morning I was driving to work and it was raining really bad. After a while it started looking a little thicker. It started getting a little slushy like and then it was just snow!!! SNOW! Nothing was sticking but still snow in October in New Jersey. I took a picture but it didn't really show the snow. But I couldn't help but blog about it.
p.s. I'm pregnant

Nature walk

2008-10-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon Hugo and I went on a nature walk around the pond in the back. It was so nice because he could be off the leash and I could spend time taking pictures of God's beautiful creation. I love the fall. The colors are so rich and amazing. I feel sad for the states who don't get to see this beautiful transition of season. Here are just a few of pictures. Hope you enjoy.

What's your favorite?

2008-10-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

Josh and I have made a plan to own all the classic Disney movies and some that are not so classic. We got a rewards gift card from our Disney credit card and decided that we we were going to spend it on the movies we do not own yet. We think it's a great idea because one day our kids are going to watch them. And since Disney decides to lock some movies up every few years we have to get them while we can. Last night we went to the Disney store and got the following...

Some we already own like Cinderella, Cars, Emperors new grove, the Incredibles, and all three Pirate movies. There are some you can find even if they are in the vault. Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Lady and the tramp, finding Nemo, Mary Poppins...ect. Anyway what I want to know is what is your favorite? And also what movies have I missed?
p.s. other then toy story 2 not stupid sequels.

Not that this is interesting but...

2008-10-05T11:54:00.000-07:00

I have been sick for like 5 days now. It started with a runny nose and then my chest started to hurt. Once that got really bad then my ears were very clogged. Now, since Thursday, I have no voice. I think I should take off three days and not talk at all. but that is never going to happen. Oh well... Just thought I'd let you know that I wasn't feeling well. Now I have to switch the laundry but I don't want to get up because Hugo just fell asleep on my leg. He loves is mommy.

Hugo growing up

2008-09-03T09:18:00.001-07:00

It has been way to long since I have written a blog. Now that we have a computer that works I can fill you all in. Our missions trip was awesome! I would write a blog about that but I have way to many pictures and they are already on Facebook so you can check them out there.
On to the next best thing. Here is Hugo. He is getting so big I can't even handle it. He is getting a lot better. For those of you who don't know Hugo got kennel cough. We took him to a dog park a few weeks ago and thats where we think he may have gotten it. He wouldn't eat or drink. We had to give him water by hand and he didn't really want to move. He kind of just plopped on the couch and didn't want to move. We also had to wipe his nose constantly. It was so sad because he was so down but he did want to curl up on my lap and that was nice. These pictures were taken before he got sick but none the less he looks awesome!

thoughts of the week

2008-07-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

How many times do you read something and it never hits you. And then at the most random time, you hear someone else say it and it all clicks?!?!!?!?!?! A few Wednesdays ago josh and I were at youth group. We are doing a reality based serious for the summer. We got these DVD that is a reality "show" called the G.O.S.P.E.L journey. This pastor got 7 or 8 teens together and they talk about what they believe and how it's all different. He started out his talk in the book of Genesis. How many times in your life have you read or talked about, or even spoke on the creation story. I know I have. But it wasn’t until he read it that something amazing struck me. When God was creating something he would just speak it into existence. He wanted light…. So there was light. He wanted animals… BAM there were animals. But then it came to making man. First of all, he made us last. And I don’t think that it was by chance. He planned us to be last. And it think it’s because he wanted to take his time with us. We, as humans, require a little more TLC. The Holy trinity honored humanity by making us in There image. They took the time to design us and to form us like Them. They took their breath of life and gave it to us. God didn’t take something that was already holy, like an angle to live on the earth and to look after it, He made something like himself. All of that is so AMAZING to me. He did all of that so we could walk with Him and worship Him. How long did it last? Does it say in the bible how long they walked with God before we screwed it up? I don’t know, but none the less it did happen. I don’t like it when people blame the bad things in life on Adam and Eve. The truth is if any of us where in that position, would we have never eaten from the tree? Would we have taught our children not to eat from the tree? NO. My name might as well be Eve because I probably would have done the same thing. We do the same thing everyday. Everyday we are given new chances to walk with the Lord and talk with him. What do we do? We run him over with our business and idealistic ideas about what MY life SHOULD look like. I don’t know about you. But I leave Him out of a lot. Even church’s are leaving him out of a lot. It’s easy to say that we are humans and we make mistakes and God will forgive us. Don’t you think that that’s just a copout? He look the time to create us and to give us life. We screwed up and he gave us another chance. We take the time to…. What? Have our days filled with business…. Even if it’s business for God?
These are just my thoughts. It’s been a few weeks since I started thinking about God creating us and these are the spits and spats of thoughts that have come out of it.

How awesome are we?

2008-07-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night was had American Idol night at church. The leaders where in charge of picking a song and putting on a show. We had three judges and all the students could text in their votes. I found this awesome dress at a thrift store for $8 and it was worth every penny. I got Josh the short sleeved shirts and suspenders. The rest is all him. I sand the little mermaid song "part of that world" and josh sang The greatest Love of all. It was so great. It did get taped so maybe one day I'll post the songs. It was quite a show.

This photo was taken right after I was named the winner of American Idol!!!!

I mean no offense

2008-07-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

I really don't like Philly's fans! Tonight Josh and I were able to get last minute tickets to the Mets Phillys game. We were in Left field 6 rows back. They were really good seats. Josh and I have learned to be good fans. We don't talk trash and we don't respond to the trash talk that goes on around us. Josh always wears a Mets shirt which is fine because he is supporting his team. Sometimes we are lucky and we get other good Met's fans around us. Not tongit. It rained most of the night so people were in and out the entire time. There was this incredibly obnoxious guy sitting a few rows behind us. They kept yelling stupid stuff to Reyes who plays Short stop but really they were yelling at Josh because thats who's shirt he was wearing. Anyway, Josh was really good ignoring them. I was not so good. It was getting really bad and I knew I couldn't do anything about it but I just couldn't sit there and do nothing. So one time he said something stupid and I spun around in my chair and stared him down. He got a big smile on his face and just waived at me. He was quite for a while, but the more he drank, the more he said. The dumber he sounded and the more he slurred. So stupid. Josh asked me if I thought the people knew how stupid they sounded. I said no because if they knew then they would stop. Anyway I was just feeling sad about things because I wouldn't even feel good about bringing my kid's to the games now a days. Anyway.... needless to say i really don't like Philly's fans. Even as we are leaving the stadium people are just screaming out "the mets suck" blah blah blah. Yes it's sad that they lost, but we did nothing to instigate that kind of talk. And one more thing.... man I hate the f word. Why is it everywhere all the time! It's just not right.
Hope you all had a great 4th of July. See you at the beach (or the end of August)

hugo in the sun

2008-06-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

Today josh was playing around with Hugo out back and got some great pictures. Its been a while since some of you have seen how big he has gotten. Hope you enjoy! (stay tuned for pictures from Disney world)

LOL

2008-05-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

After youth group on Wednesday night one of the girls and I decided it would be fun to play a game with our sack chairs. The object of the game was to only put one foot on each chair. We had about 6 lined up. Tim was able to make it once. I made it across 5 and josh.... well see for yourself.

Now thats funny. hope you all laughed like I did.

the hike

2008-04-25T11:41:00.001-07:00

We all took a nice 4 mile hike this morning. I wasn't sure how well Hugo would do, but he did fantastic. There were two times when i had to pick him up because the rock was to high but other then that, he walked the entire way. when Doc and Jonnie were in front of him, he would try and pull so he could be up with them. Then we got to the water and he did great. He has been afraid of a lot of thing lately, so i wasn't sure how he would take to being in the water, but he dove right it. It was very cold and at some spots very slippery. Doc and Jonnie are pros at getting around, so it was cute to see Hugo try and keep up. Hope you enjoy some of the pictures. All of them will be on Facebook later on.

ohh the dogs

2008-04-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

So I thought you'd might like to see some pictures so far from being in Virginia. Hugo is having the time of his life. I know he's loving not being stuck in his crate all day. And the weather has been so nice out, it puts us all in a good mood.

Hugo likes to think that he can be dominate over Jonnie. He also thinks everything belongs to him. Jonnie put him in his place very fast. Jonnie is good with him. Jonnie is very much a morning dog. He comes out of his crate ready to play. He has very good manners and is a good example for Hugo to be around. But oh man it's so awesome to watch them play. Hugo tries so hard to get on top of Jonnie, and Jonnie might let him for a second but then he gets right up and puts Hugo right back down. Its so great. Here are some action shots.

Doc really had a hard time with Hugo. Whenever Hugo would come over to Doc, he would show his teeth. We had to nip that in the butt ASAP. Then last night J was playing with Hugo and Doc just walked right over to Hugo, started sniffing and then was ready to play. It was so much more relaxing knowing they could play. By that point Jonnie was so out of it, he had no desire to join in on the fun. Now its all three dogs are best buds.

It was fun having all the dogs in the back together. Hugo is not used to begin in the back. So he tried to jump over the seat. I had to put an end to that.

J thought it would be fun to take the Dogs to his friends Ty's house. They have two dogs. One that is not to active and then their is Buddie who is crazy. He's a beautful dog that runs very fast and find a Frisbee just using his nose. The creek was beautiful. It was hard to get a shot of the three dogs together because Hugo wasn't to sure about the water and Jonniw kept running off with Buddie.

2008-04-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

So i just got a message from my brother that since it was my day off I should update my blog. I know i haven't blogged in a very long time. Reason being I haven't known what to blog about. Right now things aren't bad but they aren't fantastic either and didn't want to blog about negative stuff without a silver lining. So instead I want to share about my awesome dog. I really do have so much love in my heart for him. I love it when i walk in the door and he is standing in his crate waiting for me shacking his butt because he has no tail to wag. I love watching him with Josh. Josh likes to hold Hugo like a baby and Hugo breaths really loud because he doesn't like it.

Look at what a stud he is!!! He knows that if he wants me to throw his toy he has to sit. This is him sitting waiting for me to throw his toothbrush. I just think this picture is worthy for a bulldog calender.

Here he is getting his toothbrush. Look how big he's getting!!!!

He really isn't that fat but the way he was sitting makes it look like he's that big. He really like that spot on the couch as well.

he really loves his toothbrush!

But he really loves his mommy!!!!!

"my brother"

2008-03-14T21:29:00.001-07:00

The other day I asked my mom if she had any of my old school stuff. Turns out she had a lot of it. I came across this book I wrote. There is no date or grade and I don't remember writing it but I thought it was to cute to keep to myself. It's hard to read off the picture so I'll give some captions for you.

"My Brother" by Corrie Entwistle

Hi!My brother just woke up from his nap. "Mommy

i"m not tired any more." He jumped from th top pf the step! He tumbled

and tumbled and tumbled! Finaly he stopped and he said "I'm tired!" Here we

go again. "A-a-a-a!" Since it was dinner time, J.J. fell into his food.

My mom read hi a story. He fell asleep. Now it was time to go home. He never to

go to sleep. The next day he didn't wake up. He slept through the whole thing. It was

funny and because he snored. We laughed for a long time. J.J. woke up and he laughed too.

I don't know why I wrote that story especially because most of the time my brother and I were not getting along. I hope this made you laugh or help bring back memories of simpler days in elementary school.

one very long weekend

2008-03-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

It comes with the territory i guess. Josh planned a dodge ball/snowboarding weekend. It all started on Friday. I was at work until 6 and then i had to go to my parents house to switch cars for Saturday. Then I ran home, packed cloths and stuff for our night at the church and the snow trip the next day. By the time I got to the church there were already 4 teams of 6 their. And that was just the beginning. We had 10 teams, spectators, and honored guests (our pastor and his wife). Needless to say it was very loud and very smelly.

This picture captures a lot of what the night was like. In the Back there was a room crammed with kids hanging out and eating chick-fil-a. Then in the front you have a kid pointing at another kid to make sure I knew he was out.

One of our students, kyle, was nice enough to make me a shirt so people knew who i was. This time they had no problem getting in my face about calls. There were times when my hands were shaking because i was getting so nervous around them. When all was said and done, everything turned out fine. Josh did a nice talk about dodging all the crap in your life.

what would be an event without my awesome dog being there! look how big he is!!! Once all the kids had left the church well after 12 it was time for the 10 of us to sleep. sleep??? whats that. Our friends Jeff and Kelly were nice enough to open up their home that is right next to church. Some of us were very tired and ready for bed (i was lucky to be with the girls that wanted to go to bed some time around 2)4:30 came to soon when we had to get up and get ready for snowboarding.

snowboarding was awesome. I've been a few times and everytime i go i get better and better. This time was especially nice because i was with people on the same skill level as me (except josh who can go 100 miles per hour and not care). I was very proud of my progress and i look forward to next winter going again. J, i know you will be really busy but we have to go at least once. Cheryl make sure he takes a day off to hang out with me and josh! Mom and dad can dog sit.

OHIO

2008-02-27T11:15:00.000-08:00

Josh and I had the opportunity to go to Ohio for youth leaders. We were very lucky to get out of New Jersey. Our flight was at 6, we didn't take off until 7 which meant we were cutting it very close to catch out connecting flight. when we got out of the plain we asked if we could make it and the guys said if we hurried. Of course our terminal was not right down the hall. It was down the steps, down the hall, on the tram, through the crazy mystical tunnel, up the steps and then down in the middle of the terminal. When we got there we found that not only did we make it on time, our pilot wasn't even their yet. so we sat down and coughed for 30 min while we waited.
Once we got to Ohio, everything was awesome. The sessions were exactly what we needed. Josh is doing so much, in life, in work, in ministry, and in our marriage (in no particular order). Being at that place made us feel like we are not alone. We are not the only onces that are struggling. We are not the only onces that feel burnt out, or discouraged in ministry. All those people there have been through these things, and with the grace of God they have done it. And it doesn't matter if there are 5 kids or 500 in the youth group, everyone has their struggles but we all have the triumphs in the Lord.
I wish I could show all of you how awesome it was, but I could not find the camera when we got their. It wasn't until we were packing that I found the camera. So with a few hours left in Ohio we took some photos.

this is the hotel that we stayed at. It was nice because it was directly connected to the conference center.

This is Josh and Matt (a friend of ours from PBU) this is us walking to the "mall". This is where we found....the second best bourbon chicken

Oh it was good. One day Josh and I had a very full schedules but we were very hungry. Josh had to get stuff from the room and I was in charge of the food. so yes I found the awesomeness!

dinner of niceness

2008-02-17T20:21:00.001-08:00

On Saturday the teens hosted a dinner at church called the "dinner of niceness". The teens planned most of it. We were all dressed in white shirts, black pants, and pink ties. It was so great to see so many people from the church come out and support our teens. Some of the teens gave a short testimony about whats been going on in their lives and I think people were able to see that huge things are going on in this youth group. Hopefully this is just the beginning of the youth events that impact the church> like Josh said in his devo... Our missions trip starts right here in NJ.

Half the fun was getting the gym decorated. The lights took a long time. We had a super long ladder with one kid at the top and about five people at the bottom to hold the ladder. After all was said and done I think it looked awesome!

we did have some honorary guests. Avery being happy.... all the time!

My Beautiful parents...

The lovely Ange and Andrew. Thank you guys for coming up and supporting me and josh as well as the teens.

Of course no youth event would be complete without hugo!

smarter then your average bulldog

2008-02-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

Hugo is getting really big, he's going to the vet tomorrow to get vaccines, so he might be down for the count for a little bit, but other then that he's been really active. He's learning how to "come" and "sit" by hand signals, which is pretty amazing. The only problem still is getting him to only go to bathroom outside. With time that will come. Well hope you enjoy. ok bye.

my dog is awesome!

2008-02-09T18:27:00.000-08:00

This is our awesome dog! He has gotten so big, so fast it's hard to believe. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like wen we have a baby. Right now he is our baby.

His training is going very well. He used to not like to walk. It would be a fight most of the way and then he would sprint as soon as he sees the door. Now he sits before we walk out the door and walks by our side the entire time. And now he'll take long walks. We have a huge pond behind our house (a photo to follow) and he likes to walk around it.

Josh is doing a really good job with him. He is very assertive with his commands. Hugo knows that he is the pack leader. I do my part as well. He knows that he goes to the bathroom outside. But if he gets mad at me he will pee inside. that doesn't make me to happy.

Oh man he loves to sleep. He got really sick last week so i finally broke down and bought him a bed. He LOVES IT! He will go get in his crate just so he can sleep in his bed. One day (far from now) he will be housebroken and will be able to have the entire kitchen when we are not home. For now this will have to do.

As soon as i get a good video i'll show you how funny he is when we walks and runs. Until then I hope these pictures tide you over until you can meet him for the first time or for the 500th time!

Happy Birthday Avery

2008-01-31T10:38:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Avery! It was a good day and a good group of people. Not to mention there was a ton of kids around. You had to watch your step, if not you could have stepped on one of them.

Avery got a ton of great gifts. It's easy to buy for a one year old because they wont remember anything. But pictures are worth a thousand words.

The cake was awesome....

as you can see :o)

ready....and dodgeball!

2008-01-24T08:58:00.000-08:00

Last week Josh ad a Dodgeball Tournament at church. The kids had hug up flyers all around their high school to promote the event. We had at least one team from each school show up. (there are 4 surrounding high schools) plus one team from BBC. We had music, food, and most importantly.... dodgeball. It's such a classic old school game. I'm sure my dad and brother can think back on dodgeball in the bodine!

This is one of the kids, Kyle. He was on the BBC team called AA (affirmative action. He was in charge of making the shirts and he also made the sign that i think everyone of the teens took a picture with. (i will spare you all that weirdness)

At times the games could get pretty intense. 90% of these kids don't go to any church or youth group so some not so clean words would come out or an occasional finger would fly in the air. I understand that just because you are at a church that doesn't mean that you are "holy". I would make a comment or give a look because I didn't want to make them feel like they couldn't have a good time, but some respect needed to be shone. It was fun for me to watch Josh play. This is him in action. He takes dodgeball very seriously. People would gang up on him so he wouldn't get so many people out and you could see the frustration on his face. but for the most part he was a good sport about it.

I was in charge of reffing the game. Now that was crazy! there was always another reff on the other side of the gym (sometimes josh sometimes our friend adam) but it was always me. In the beginning, they were getting used to the rules and wouldn't put up a fight. Plus Josh said that if the argue with the ref then they would be out. IT wasn't until the last 1/2 hour when i started the get nervous. IT was the game before the championship. On one team a guy blocked the opposing teams ball with the one in his hand. The opposing teams ball flew in the air so he dropped his ball to catch it. I called him out because if you drop the blocking ball you are out. Well they didn't like that5 call and about three guys from the team started to gt into my face. JOsh was in the other room and didn't know what was going on. luckily Adam came over and made them back up. Oh man i mean they are only teen age boys... i probably could have take then (yeah right) but it got my heart rate up for sure.

during all this Hugo was being the best AA mascot he could be. A few of the girls took turns taking him outside and watching him so josh and i could keep an eye out on the teens. By they end of the night he was pooped! He better get used to it because we are having another one at then end of February! Any takers?

more hugo!

2008-01-20T05:27:00.000-08:00

just a few more photos for your enjoyment. This was Hugo at our dodgeball tournament. I will fill you all in later on how all the dodgeball playing went.

Hugo is here

2008-01-11T21:10:00.001-08:00

Oh yes! Hugo is here!!! Today Josh drove out to Revine PA to pick up the newest member of our family. He came with the name Max but we decided to change it to Hugo and i think it's awesome. He is a pure breed English bull dog. He is only 8 weeks old but boy is he big. He's got huge paws which tells us he's going to be one large dog. He is still a little timid with his new surroundings. We hope to be good parents from this wonderful puppy!

PowerSurge 4 life

2008-01-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

This past weekend josh and i had the opportunity to go on a snow retreat with our youth group. It was AWESOME! we had a group of 6 guys and 6 girls. It was a nice mix of different groups within the youth group. We had sooo much fun just hanging out. We had about two sessions a day and then free time. OOOHHH the free time! Here is just a few of us just hanging out. There were about 250 kids at the camp at the one was time so it was nice when you did get a space just for you and your group. This is just a few kids that were there at the time.

It was nice to have SNOW!we had some pretty crazy snow ball fights... more like attack the closes person to you and fill them with snow. In the picture from top to bottom is Chelsea, Emily, Brianna, Chris, Kyle, and Tim. The best part was watching them all fall after they couldn't hold themselves up anymore.

I was introduced to a new game. Carpet ball. If you do't know what it is, allow me a moment to explain. There is a long table with walls and lined with carpet. On each end there are 6 balls and a white line about two feet from the end. There is one white ball that you role from your end and try and knock the other ball into the bottom section of the table. reading this it doesn't sound all that exciting, but it can get pretty intense. i was starting to loose my voice because i was yelling and getting so stressed out about it. eventually i had to stop playing because i was getting to carried away. Josh wants to get one and put it into our youth room.

And hen there was dodge ball. You had to make one team of 8 players. The game is a little bit of a sore spot so all i will say is that we had a lot more fun practicing. Josh and i lined the kids up against the wall and then threw the ball at them to see if they could catch it or dodge the ball. Oh man it was funny to watch them. Like i said the game wasn't great but everything else was great.

With all the fun that we had, it can't compare to the amazing life changing decisions some of the kids made. After each session we would go into small groups. Since we were one of the smaller youth groups, we just kept all our kids together to talk about things. The kind of things that the kids were asking and saying were awesome. You could see them thinking and you could see when all the dots would get connected and they would answer their own questions. a lot of them have been trying to read the bible in a year and have already seen God do things in their lives. They are such an awesome group of kids. I think sometimes josh and i forget how good we have it. Yes there is still a lot that still needs to be done with them and in their lives but steps have been made and it's all because of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

All I have to say is POWERSURGE 4 LIFE!!!!!

Merry Christmas (a little late)

2008-01-06T18:37:00.001-08:00

This Christmas was so awesome. all I wanted was to hang out with my family. I know my parents were happy that we were all there but at some times it was a little over whelming. As you can see Baby Gideon was always the peaceful one. He was such a snuggler. So much so it gave me a little baby bug.

Avery at Joe and Lori's wedding shower... thats right it's a shower not a shin dig. It was amazing having like 11 kids 5 and under. At least we had a good adult to kid ratio. To look at pictures of when i was a baby with all of my cousins and now to be one of the adults taking care of all the kids, oh how times have changed. We missed you Lawrence family!

The Christmas trampoline. The fact that Jess and Josh's kids have more energy then the sun, we thought the trampoline would be great for them. the kids were so excited and they handled not being able to open it right away. My parent will be driving it out in the spring. The kids had just as much fun just jumping on the box. When they do get the trampoline up and running, we'll have to pray for safety! no hospital visits!!!

Jonnie is such a good dog. (as is Doc) but my dad was so cute laying with Jonnie. He's such a big dog. To look at him it could be a scary dog, but he is so gentle dog. He loves people and really cares about them. When my brother left his dogs with my parents christmas day, you could see how sad they were because their mom and dad were not around. But then they get attached to my brother-in-law josh and jonnie would follow him around. It's so nice to have a well trained and caring dog. I can't wait till josh and I get a dog and have an opportunity to train it and make it part of our family.

the long awaited family photo.Let's just hope that the number of people in the picture doesn't get any bigger any time soon. My parents house can't handle much more! So where's Christmas going to be next year?

It's Christmas Time!!!!

2007-12-18T11:13:00.001-08:00

Tis the season for craziness! There is not one day where there is nothing to do. I'm sure you are all feeling the same way. Especially those of you who will be traveling this season! This is a snap shot of what i going on now a days. This is me and josh sitting in front of our first Christmas tree! Most of you will be getting this in our Christmas card.

This year the teens were recruited to be in the Christmas musical at church. Josh and I were not sure how well this was going to go over. It was a little easy because the teens that are involved with the Puerto Rico missions trip have to participate in whatever we tell them they have to be in. The program was on Saturday night and Sunday night. It was AMAZING! i was sitting in the front row making sure they were coming in on time, and i couldn't hold back my emotions! i cried tears of joy! the fact that we had 19 teens stinging in the choir which is the same number of people in the adult choir! needless to say they did a wonderful job and i could not be more proud of the teens and of josh for putting up with a lot in order for that night to happen. LOVE YOU JOSH!

picking out our first tree was a lot of fun. Growing up we always went as a family to pick out a tree. Never did my tree get picked to be the one to be taken home. well, in all fairness, i did pick trees that were really fat and way to tall for the room, but still i never picked the tree. When josh and i went it was very cold but a lot of fun. We made the decision together and i think it was a good one. Josh put the lights on as soon as we got home and said that it needed blinky lights... so we got some. I was in charge of putting on the ornaments. I had a shoe box with all 20 ornaments in it. The tree was looking pretty empty, so i got some of the ornaments from our wedding and we put them on the tree. It's looking better. Now all we need is a tree topper and a tree skirt but it is crazy how expensive those things can be!
This is josh putting his favorite ball on the tree! Lets go METS! I can't wait for all my family to come to our new home!

Turkey Olympics

2007-11-17T14:54:00.000-08:00

I am proud to introduce the first ever Turkey Olympics. Let me explain. The turkey Olympics consists of four teams made up of about 6-7 teens and a frozen turkey to go alone with them. Each team has a color, red, blue, yellow, and green. It took the mind power of four creative youth leaders the following games where invented. Here are a few of the leaders that were involved. Jen (in charge of capturing the event), me (one of the brains behind the event), jon (he was in charag of bringing the duck), Danielle (another brains behind the event), scott (the third brains) but then there are some people missing from the pictures like J who is the Jr high leader and of course the main brain, josh.
the first game we played was called Hot Turkey. The game started with everyone in a circle passing around all 4 20 pound turkeys. There were a few dropped turkey's, including one on my leg, but it was worth it because my team came out on top. The second game was Turkey world cup. First we played two on two and the winner of those games played against each other. There were a few time outs because the turkey would start poking out of it's packaging and thats just not safe. Then there was seal the turkey bacon. It was awesome to see the kids try and pick up more then one turkey at a time and then somehow get it back to their team. But I have to say that Turkey ten pin what awesome. You have one team who is trying to knock down the pins, but you have to three other trying to deflect the on coming turkey. it was awesome and it really hurt my arm flinging a 20 pound turkey. Last but not least there was turkey relay. Now this holds a little closer to my heart because it came out of my head and it went over well. The relay was all the stuff you do on thanksgiving day. One at a time the kids would get a clue about what they had to do. The tasks consisted of shaving the turkey, dressing, watching the parade, driving to dinner, eating, going to the bathroom, and taking a nap. It was messy, funny, and just plain awesome! everybody had such a great time that we think we will being doing it every year from here on out, but with new and improved games. Of course, the best thing was that my team won!!!! WAY TO GO GREEN!

Halloween Parade

2007-10-29T19:21:00.001-07:00

This year was a sad Halloween Parade. Don't get me wrong I still had a great time, but it wasn't like all the other years. For starters, not everyone was there. Jenn and Marshal couldn't come because some of the kids got sick. Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Wendy just got back from a trip and Uncle Jeff and Aunt Kathy.... well... who knows. But it was fun with me, Josh, Jon, Mom, Dad, Ang, Andrew, and Avery. Jim and Jess stopped by at the end with their three kids!
Avery was so fun to watch. Her eyes were so wide and lit up! She didn't know what to look at and she didn't know that she needed to look ahead of her. Other then one very loud horn that scared all of us, she did very well. There is a picture of her chomping down on a Jr. Mint box. She later got a hold of a lolly pop and she chewed right through the paper!
But I must say that these pictures are pretty good considering that our camera is broken and I had to look through the eye piece and it was very difficult. Hope you guys enjoyed the pictures! Wish you guys could have been there.

it's pumpkin time

2007-10-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

i really do love carving pumpkins! I had weekend full of pumpkins. On friday night I went to my friend kelly's house and carved pumpkins with kelly, her husband nate, and nates brother Ed. I, being the smart one, chose the hardest pattern. it took me like 2 hours and it didn't turn out what the picture looked like but when does it ever. Then on Saturday we had a girls day out for church. We went to a place in princton where you could pick your own apple, pumpkin, rasberries... it was so much fun. IT was a small group, but a fun one non the less. We wanted to get caramel covered apples but they were a lot of money, so we had the bright idea to get a few apples and make our own. that again did not turn out the way it was planned. but fun non the less. After we burnt the caramel, i drove to my parents house and carved some more pumpkins!!!! those are on the top of the page! mine then my dads and hen my mom! I'm ready for this holiday to be over and for christmas to be here and all of my family will be here!!!! OHHH quick update. Josh and I got the apartment and we are moving in the saturday after thanksgiving...bitter sweet. And my Butt doesn't hurt anymore! but now it won't grow any hair! weird i know

My Butt Hurts

2007-09-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

All of you know that I have some kind of infection. I hate it. I thought it had started to drain, but apparently it's not going away. It's like I've collected a third butt cheek or something.
I haven't been to work since Friday! I have had to sit at home and do nothing but soak in the tub and lay in the couch. When I'm at work and I'm having a hard day or I'm tired the thought of not working is very nice. Being able to sleep in, watch TV, soak in a nice hot tub. Maybe that would be fun if I could get out of the house, go to the bathroom with out swinging with pain, be able to take a shower without feeling like I was going to pass out, and I wasn't bleeding.
I'm done!!! It is getting better but I still can sit on my butt. I have to call the doctor on Wednesday to see what is going to happen next. I'll spare you all of the pictures of my "infection". Maybe I'll make it our Christmas card.

our thoughts

2007-09-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

So these are some thoughts that josh and i have been thinking about. Josh and I are not entirely happy with our apartment. When I first went looking for apartment, this really was the best place. So we jump at the opportunity for the place. And then our upstairs neighbor started walking around in high heels ALL THE TIME!!!! plus it's annoying to have to walk a mile to our cars everyday.... even when we park illegally. plus always having to lug our laundry to the car... then to someones house or a very gross laundry mat that i will not go to. SSSSOOOO we started looking at new places. Josh said that we have to get a place with a washer and dryer in the apartment. And we found one!!! we looked at it and it's really nice. It nice and close to josh's work and it's close to 295 for me to get to work. Plus my favorite diner is on the corner. I think the two things that sold josh on this place was that it have a washer, dryer and you can have pets!!!! now i know my brothers saying "YES THEY CAN TAKE THE CATS!!!" but as you can tell from the photo.... josh wants a dog. At first, I was not excited. I didn't want to take care of a dog, its ganna poop every where and pee all the time and make my place smell bad. and then i heard my moms voice in my head (no offense mom)Then i thought about having to take care of one. I get to hear it get all excited when i come home from work. And i could chase it around the house till it gets all tired and we hang out on the couch till josh got home from school. and we could go to the puppy park and play with the other dogs. We would take him to church and have him play with all the kids. the dog could be trained and ready by the time we have kids. and i fell in love with this specific puppy. i would name him/her Indi because of the dot on his/her head. I thought it was cute! So right now those are our thoughts. I mean I have other thoughts but now is not the time or place for that.... until then, I hope you all are well out there!!!! I can't wait till Christmas so i can be with ALL MY FAMILY! i miss you and love you all!

Everything

2007-09-07T17:10:00.000-07:00

That is an amazing video. josh found it on Godtube.com. He played it for me one night and i started to cry (josh shed a single tear.) Then we played it in youth group on Wednesday. Seeing it on a 100 inch screen in a room with 27 teenagers all dealing with those temptations and those sin's... my heart could not stop pounding. It was a powerful video to follow a powerful message that josh shared. It was an awesome start to what should be an amazing school year. We have a few new leaders with us. Scott, Danielle, and (maybe) Jonny boy Rore. Josh and I have been having some computer issues with our hard drive crashing so i have no fun pictures to post, plus we can't find our memory card. But i promise wehn everything is back up and running i will have some awesome pictures to share. I have to make sure i get a picture of josh on Monday because it is his first day back at school. All very exciting.

2007-08-31T20:15:00.001-07:00

So after my nice rant from my last blog I thought that i would write something a little more up beat. So here are some pictures from the shore. I tried not to duplicate pictures from "the hulfish happenings" The first picture on the list is a typical beach day. Mom is reading... dad is looking interested and josh is about to fall asleep, right after putting tones of suntan lotion on.

Here there is a nice picture of something josh made for me. Well we kind of made it together. I drew the heart, then he made the J... then he tried to make the C but it was hard, so i drew it. joint effort from husband and wife.

This is me saying HHHHIIIII so josh

this is josh saying HHHHHIIIIII to me!

This was a picture that I took. Personally, i thought it was pretty awesome. I was just trying to take a picture of a nice view of the beach.... but notice that awesome seagull flying o so gracefully through the air! and the reflection of the bird on the water just makes it all.

This year was a great one. It was upsetting that Josh and I could not be down for a full week, but we did make some day trips and long weekends. Josh and I did have the 'pleasure" of helping my grandparents and aunt unload on their first day down at the shore. Most of you who read this already know of the two mini vans stuffed from top to bottom with things for the house, including the 24 boxes of cereal. Then there was always the fun of people getting upset and locking themselves in there rooms, but then are fine by the time they are ready to leave for the boardwalk and skip out on the dinner that josh and i made for everyone to enjoy. good times.... anyway i look forward to the vacations josh and i have planned. hope all is well in the blogging world.

2007-08-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

Luke 11:38-42 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
So which one am I? I think we all know the answer to that question. i would love to open up my home to Jesus, but I would be the one to running around trying to make everything look right and run out to get food... probably a fast food place, fish for Jesus... burger for me. i would run around getting Josh's clothes off the floor, getting the dishes washed that are in the sink and telling my neighbor upstairs to shut up and stop smoking. And after doing all this, i would have missed many precious moments with Jesus. All this because I want my life to look perfect for Jesus. I would want Him to see me and know how hard i have worked to make this perfect for Him. But in reality, it's all backwards. If I was living my life according to what He would want, I shouldn't have to run around and get things ready for Him, I should always be ready for Him. He should be in my "house" everyday.
But everyday, all I do is run around and get things ready for the next day. Work has been so bad this last week and it has really got me thinking. There is so much going on in the world around us. There is always something to get done, or some place to go, or project that needs to be seen through. I was trying to find an excuse as to why it's ok for me to be busy and not ready for Jesus every day. Life was different back then... They didn't have all the things that we have now that keep us busy. But in thinking about it, life was harder then. Everything was harder. Cleaning your house was a task. They didn't have vacuums like do or even brooms like we do. They couldn't just turn on the sink and get water to clean the table. They had to walk who knows how far to get the water out of the well... and then get it back to their place. They didn't have diapers or washing machines. They went down to the river and did it by hand. They were farmers and their life depended on the work that they did. There was no such thing as calling out. We have just gotten so used to being busy. We plan out every minute of our day to make sure it can all fit in. We can pay our bills online so we don't have to run to the post office to get stamps. Yet with all of this, are we ready to sit at Jesus' feet? Do we plan that into our day... or is it something that we can do all the time. I know it's planned for me. Life gets me so tired that I don't want to get up and take the first half hour or even the first ten minute of my day sometimes to come to Jesus' feet.
So what is the answer? Quit my job? be less involved with people? never sleep?
It has to do with priories. Right now, I am young and I want so much from life. I want to have a full life, traveling with my husband and friends, make a difference in peoples lives, have a family. But if I do all these things and they are not done while sitting and listening to God then what is the purpose? Life is short, whether is feels like it or not, it really is. Am I going to spend my days running around and filling them with stuff, or can my day be a reflection of God's awesome power and His love for His children. When I first got this promotion at work, I knew that it was from the Lord and that it was in His will that I be there. With that I knew that whatever I did I had to do it for Him. I have gotten away from that. I am so focused on wanting more from that job and in my life that I have forgotten what is so great about life.
I write all this because it was in my heart and I could dwell on it and try and figure it all out. But instead I needed to get it out. I needed the people that know me to know this about me. So I ask for your prayers. Because right now, I don't know how to pray about this. It's just a lot of thoughts and I know that God can understand them... but I also know then power of prayer from loved ones. It would mean a lot to know that I'm not the only one who's ever felt this way. (there is a book about having a Mary heart in a Martha world, but i have decided to stop readying books like that because i know i can find everything in the bible, it'll just take some digging. And I'm not going to truly learn it if i don't find it myself. )
Hope you all are doing fantastic!!!! Love you all! and I miss you who are not in the state of NJ!

2007-08-08T10:14:00.001-07:00

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Not that anything that I did needs to stay a secret... its just fun to say. Vegas was so much fun. There was so much to see and was so much fun. I am not technologically advanced so i did not put together a slide show.... even though there is so much more to see. This is me standing at the "Welcome to Vegas sign" It was SOOOOO HOT and SSOOO DRY! but nice non the less.
This is the ceiling at our hotel. For the first few nights i got to stay with kelly in the Belagio. It was AMAZING. since I've gotten back I wanted to watch Oceans 11 to see if i could locate any of the places where. And if you look closely you can see the ceiling. This picture really doesn't do it justice.

This is the worlds largest Chocolate fall. It starts in the ceiling and comes all the way down. This ladys head got in the way so it is a little blurry.

Here are two of the coolest spots. This is in the Venetian. and yes this is inside. There are shops on both sides of the street so you have to cross over bridges to get around. There there is New York New York. there is a roller coaster that you can ride that is on top of the hotel and casino. I didn't ride it, but it was just like walking on the streets of new york when you go inside. Last but not least there is the water show. This is something i can't no describe in words. It was just so amazing... like a fine piece of art. I think you can go on you tube and watch all the different water shows, you just have to name the song that you want to hear to go with it. At night it's every 15 minutes. People would stay for hours so they could watch them.
Stay tuned for my next blog where I will post pictures of the real reason why I went.... The wedding.

2007-07-20T10:30:00.001-07:00

Thought everyone would like to see what we have been up to. Josh and I took a nice road trip out to Michigan to visit the Crisp family. We had a great time playing with the kids and hanging out with jess and josh. As you can see on my sisters blog that it's always interesting at meal time. Here is Esther bean having a nice after lunch snack. She decided that she didn't want to use her hands... the crumpled up Cheetos would be just fine. Oh man was that a sight.

Olivia and Garrett are pros with riding their bikes. Uncle Josh was trying to show them how to turn around once they got to the bottom of the hill.

Then theres just some fun pictures. I thought I got a picture of the kids playing the WII but maybe I was just helping Garrett punch Olivia (in the boxing game that is)

Th main reason we were able to go out to Michigan was because Josh's best friend Matt was getting married. Josh was the best man, so he gave a nice little speech at the wedding. Matt and Abby both looked really great! It was just ashame that more Camp people couldn't come up/over/where ever. As soon as we got home, I had to Head out the next day because I was going away one business. But now I'm home and everything is settling down.

2007-07-04T15:41:00.001-07:00

We have had some awesome times at the shore over the years. Today I was thinking about it a lot because Josh and I were gonna go but the weather was not going to be nice. Often I find myself thinking over all my summers spent at the shore with my family. This pictures proves that even in the early 90's OCNJ was the cool place to be. Man my mom's hair looks good. I'm sure when my brothers sees this, he thinks about all the summers he was stuck sleeping on the floor or on a cot because there was a lot more family then there were beds in the house. My sisters, cousins and I can remember the attic where we slept four to a bed. Oh man those were some good times.
Then we can move forward many years to the year I graduated from High school and we went to the shore right after with my immediate family and my oldest sisters husbands parents.... that was awkward at all. What made it so bad was that we were stuck in the house at all times! We did venture out and played wiffleball in the rain on the beach. But this picture was taken on the last day when I had Olivia wrapped up to keep her from the chilling wind.

And then there was last year with the family photo time. Who's idea was it to take a picture on mom and dads bed? Well.... we all know how that ended.
This is a fun one of me, josh, jess, and josh (wow us Entwistle girls aren't very creative in picking guys with cool names....)

Then that brings us to this year. Josh and I have been down twice so far. This past time we had the opportunity to hang out with Avery!!! Oh Ang and Andrew were there too. She did such an amazing job. As much as I want to be fair to both family's.... She has a true Entwistle beach quality about her. This just gets me to thinking... when will all of my nieces and nephew(s?) be able to play on the beach together??? Till then....

2007-07-01T18:28:00.001-07:00

It's amazing how ever since i graduated from high school I have tried my hardest to stay away from my high school. There was a bible study that my class graduating class was holding for those o us who were still around and I never wanted to go because.... well lets just say I had my reasons. Now, being 4 years out of King's I still cant get away from it. You know how sometimes you go to the mall and you say "man I hope I don't see anyone I know"? Well... I feel like I have to say that every day now. Last week I ran into Alyson Scott who was my field hockey/softball couch and then became my English teacher. Then last night I was in Ocean City playing mini golf with Josh and I hear some say "Corrie formally Entwistle" It was Ryan Haag... a fellow graduate of mine. Its never a bad thing running into him b/c I always enjoyed him in High school.... But then today I was in Target just waisting time till my break was over and I hear someone call my name again! Shaun Murray! That's even all the way back to Elementary school. So the moral of my story is that, as long as I live in the state of New Jersey, I will never be able to escape my past of the King's Christian school. For those of you who read this (mainly just my siblings) I'm sure you can understand where I am coming from. These are just some old school pictures that are both awesome and embarassing. Enjoy!

Don't we look nice!!!

2007-06-26T17:10:00.001-07:00

50's Style Housewife

Have dinner ready:
Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.( me planning ahead is asking him if he wants me to get Wendy's or Gaetanos)

Prepare yourself:
Take fifteen minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives home. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.(15 minutes... who's got that? make up? that's just for Sundays at church. And I can think of something else that can give his day a lift)

Clear away the clutter:
Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your man arrives, gathering up school books, toys, papers, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order and it will give you a lift too.(it took me 5 hours to really clean two rooms and they already look a mess.... its a never ending battle)

Prepare the children:
Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.(my oldest sister will be laughing at this one)

Minimise all noise:
At the time of his arrival eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.(i am glad to see him... the trash needs to get taken out)

Some dont's:
Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.(men can do no wrong)

Make him comfortable:
Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillows and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing, and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax - unwind.( if i ever bent down to take of Josh's shoes, i don't think i would ever make it back up.....yuck! and there is no way that any woman in my family can talk in a low, soft, soothing, and pleasing voice)

Listen to him:
You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first. Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of stress and pressure, his need to be home and relax.(so when do i get to talk to him about real life?)

The goal:
Try to make your home a place of peace and order, where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.(uuu sure)

So you may be wondering why I just wrote about being a 50's wife. Well... today was my day off and usually on my day off I go down to my parents house to do laundry or clean our place. Today I decided that I was going to clean, but i was going to clean it good. It all started in the kitchen and i rearranged all the cabinet... it looks fantastic. Then I made my way into our never ending closet... kind of got that organized. the living room is cleaned. Now I need to work on the bed room and the linen closet. Not only did I clean i actually cooked dinner!!!! I made steaks with peas and stuffed mashed potatos (those were premade) But if only I was a 50's wife I could have all the time in the world to get it all done. I think that the days were longer back then. OOOHHH how the times have changed. It just makes me think.... whats life going to be like for my kids and grand kids? Soon, there will be no need for an oven because everything can be microwaved.... or whatever the new mechine is by then.
Just some food for thought... hope you enjoyed
(one last fact.... I tried to google "50's husband" and nothing came up... what does that tell you?)

2007-06-20T14:51:00.001-07:00

A NEW CAR!!!! For those of you who don't know, i have been blessed with a new car. Since I was a Sr. in high school... i have had a 92 Honda accord and she was fantastic. All went well in the beginning... But like most things her time came to and end about a year ago... but i didn't have a car so i had to keep her going. She was good to me. Because both my school and my college was 30 minutes from my house, we spent a lot of time together. But on Friday June 15th it was time to say goodbye to Grace..... But no worries, i have a new car. meet Fran! She is a lancer with a sun roof, CD player, and in tacked window all things that my old car was lacking. Now she is all mine. She and I also will spend a lot of time together. My work is a good 30 minutes away, so we have lots of bonding time. Josh and I are going to venture out to Michigan to see my sister and her family and also because Josh's best friend is getting married. She is going to get us there, and i have full confidence. I can only hope and pray that she last me a long time. there are many more years of driving ahead of me. It's nice to know that i have something safe to be driving. Safe driving everyone!!!!!

2007-05-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

"Count your blessings name them one by one, count your blessings see what God has done." I used to sing this song when I was sad and I needed to remember the good things in my life. Now I can sing it to name the blessing in my life. First I am blessed with an amazing husband!!!
This is Josh at the Met's Phillies game! I love him so much. He has been working with the youth group for over a year and things have been good. And this is our place. It's a little , but it's home. we have been so blessed !!!!!
We also got a car.... but that will come later. We are also getting another car next moths, the my good old grace will be no more. As much as i love her, it is time to move on. There will be a moment of silence... and then there will be a party in my new car! Oh how I love blessings. Josh and I have been with one car for over a year. In that time there was stressful days, pennieless days, and i can't even talk about it days. but now after all this time, i understand why God kept telling us to wait. Now in doing that we have 2 cars!!!!

2007-03-28T07:45:00.001-07:00

Oh the life we live! Josh and I have now been married for almost 3 months. I guess you can say that we love the married life. A lot of it is not what I expected but then there are things that I did expect and then there are this that exceeded my expectations! Our apartment looks more and more like home every day. Sometimes it's because I put up a new picture or get mail with my married name on it. Or sometimes it's because the place is a mess and it wouldn't be home unless there was some kind of mess.
Josh has been working at Bible Baptist Church for over a year now. The room is freshly painted, we are getting new flooring, and planning lots of fun stuff. We are both praying and watching for God's leading because we know that God is in control with EVERYTHING!
I am working harder and harder everyday to make my mark in my store by showing them that I can do it and I can do it well. I am getting used to the hours and knowing that even though it's 6 pm doesn't mean that I get to leave because there are still things to do.
I think that's all for now!!!! Hope all is well with you!

2007-01-23T18:33:00.000-08:00

Josh and I are now officially "The Maxwell's". The wedding was on January 6th and the weather was crazy. Who would have thought that it would have been 70 degrees in January!!!! I think my bridesmaids were a little cold, but I was good. By the time the ceremony was over, I was so hot, I had to take off my Ugg boots. Thee ceremony was so awesome! Maybe because I was up there, but it went by so quick. As soon as it started... it was over. The receptions was awesome as well. People were so nice and I got to talk to so many people. I think the food was good. I didn't get a chance to eat anything. As you can tell from the picture above, i did not get any cake in my mouth. But I must say that I got him pretty good. Then we went on a honeymoon to St. Martin. The weather was amazing beside a few moments of rain every now and then. I got a nice little tan line and got a little sick but that is beside the point. The best part was falling asleep and waking up next to each other. It was even nicer was that it was in a king size bed. Now we are back home and it's a queen size bed, which has been a very interesting. Anyway... so I just wanted to write and tell you all that we are officially the Maxwell's and it is so awesome! Now you are all welcome to come over check out our place. Oh and if you want to view our wedding pictues (all 577 of them) you just got to
http://emanation.photoreflect.com
event name: Maxwell
password: wedding

2006-11-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

This is my very first blog and I am very excited! I know what you are going to said "But your not a Maxwell yet so how can it be a Maxwell house?" Well, I named it that because in less then two months I will be a Maxwell and I didn't feel like thinking up a new name. So live with it for a few weeks and then we can put the name issue behind us.
Since most of the people who will be reading this will be family members, I don't feel the need to go into great detail. For now all you need to know is that things are going well. The invitations for the wedding were mailed and I am very excited to get the RSVP cards. Right now I am trying to get things ready for the wedding. I am about to go into the kitchen with my mom and start filling glass balls with stuff so they look a little nicer on the tree. We will also be working on the center pieces for the tables and getting the rest of the branches painted for the church. So much to do with so little time. But to me it's all worth it.
Thats the wedding news for now! With the holidays I have lots more to think about. J and Cheryl are coming up and I'm sooooo excited!!!!! We can hang out and play some poker! And eat thanksgiving (hopefully there will be no crying around the table this year), which is taking place at Ange and Andrews this year! Super excited about that. And then Christmas... but we'll talk about that later. Till then...