I'm Moving

Both physically and technologically.  Our family is relocating to St. Thomas, Pennsylvania, where Mike will be working for JLG in McConnellsburg, PA.  (Funny thing, Mike used to work for JLG's direct competitor, Genie Industries, when we lived in Seattle.) The physical move is a result of a very difficult decision.  Yellowstone Church is our baby, and it was very difficult to know God was leading us to hand our baby off to someone else.  However, for the health of the church and the health of our family, we know this is the right decision.

The technological move is more symbolic.  This is a new chapter for our family, a new location, and I have a new outlook...so, I thought we needed to transform the blog as well and move it.  Now you can find me at Ivy Six-Pack.  I know, not a huge change, but c'mon, I have lots of change going on right now!!!

See you over there!

Things I missed for my Birthday

1. my family - they live too far away!


2. Costco cake, but the frozen yogurt was yummy!


3. my far away friends!


4. sleeping in (that's what happens when your birthday falls on a Sunday and you're the pastor's wife!)


5. a magically clean house


6. my private beach and fruity drink (okay, so that's really not a birthday necessity, but someday I will spend my birthday on a beach with a yummy drink!)

First Day of Summer Vacation

It seems there are a few things consistent about the first day of Summer Vacation:

1. The sun is always bright and shining...especially at 5:30am


2. Children seem to forget that they can sleep in.


3. The mommy has all sorts of plans and can't understand why no one else is excited about cleaning the garage


4. The daddy always makes breakfast...or second breakfast since some people have been awake since 5:35am


5. No one is fully dressed before noon.


6. The kids start asking when we are going to set up the pool...every hour...starting at 5:45am

Older Kids Playdates

Things I do when my older kids have "playdates":

1. Remember to not call them playdates


2. Straighten up the house since they are now old enough to tell their parents how messy my house is


3. Fix a healthy snack


4. Stay close enough to hear the conversation, but not too close so I look like I'm listening


5. Make mental notes of what they are talking about so I can google it later


6. Remember to close the door when I go to the bathroom.

Hog Ridin'

Six things that are hard to experience unless you are riding a bike:

1. Feeling the temperature change from the heat of a plateau to the cool of a valley.


2. The smell of sagebrush, fresh cut wheat, and cattle by-products.


3. The time to just think...no phone, no conversation.


4. And then the time to listen to God...no phone, no conversation.


5. Being close to my husband (since I don't drive).


6. The instant massage from the rumble of the big v-twin motor.

Cough, cough, cough, cough

Is it possible to cough so much that you just pass out? You would think I've been a chain smoker for years the way I am coughing today!

Scripture Memory #5

Almost two years ago, God challenged me to ENJOY my life. ENJOY the little things; ENJOY the people; ENJOY what I already had.

I have felt a bit ashamed that I have attacked this so poorly. I thought I could just easily decide to ENJOY things. But so easy it is for me to see the problems, the frustration, the discontentment.

My husband made me a beautiful metal sign with the word ENJOY. It sits above my kitchen cabinets for me to see the 50 million times a day that I walk into that room. And still, I struggle.

Daily, I walk in and see the dirty dishes, the dirty floor, the piles of paper, the dusty window.

I am reading Ann Voskamp's book, one thousand gifts. I warn you now, this is profoundly changing my perspective. You will hear me talk about it a lot. The hard part comes in how exactly to put into words the stirring inside of me.

What I know and can express right now is this. I am not ENJOYing life because I am not thankful for the things that God has given me.

Ouch. That hurts to even write to admit.

And being thankful to the point of ENJOYment is not something that happens overnight. It takes practice. So very few things in my life require me to practice. But then I think, how much am I not accomplishing because I am not practicing?

So I start here:

He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to
his God. --Daniel 6:10b NLT

It starts with practice...practicing thankfulness.