Fun at Curves

In honor of breast cancer awareness, my Curves is having a contest
this month. We were supposed to make a purse using a bra somehow. So
below is my creation and the bunch of others that have been turned in.
We'll vote on the winner next week. This is what I did instead of
studying yesterday. I knew with a new grandbaby on the horizon I was't
going to be able to concentrate on reading! This was a lot more fun!

Tennessee Trip

Well, I had a fantastic weekend in Tennessee. Got there on Friday afternoon and got to see the church that evening. I was shocked at what an impressive place they have. Go to AwakenChurch.org to see lots of pics of before and after and the first service that I have not been able to include here. Saturday was some more work and errand running. We were ready for the service in plenty of time.

Jenn and her brother Jordan lead worship. Kevin gave the announcements and a great kick off sermon. We all went out for dinner after service.

Sunday was a lazy day. Dennis & Kara spent the morning with us until they left for the airport. We managed to get in a game of Nertz much to Kevin's dismay. I got to enjoy chicken enchilada casserole with the family and a relaxing evening that included Jordan. Emery learned how to play ragdoll blaster on my phone. She is amazing the way she navigates around on the phone.

On Monday Jenn & Emery and I drove a short way to Kentucky to try out a couple of Amish stores. We got some great baked goodies. I found the book "Scuffy the Tugboat" which I got for Emery. Couldn't resist since I remembered it from when I was little. We read it several times over the next 24 hours until I left. :-) Em and I also played for a while in her room. She is quite the entertainer. She made me 'bacon' and 'muffins' and 'tea'. We were almost too full for dinner. :-)

We got in a couple games Monday evening after homemade chicken noodle soup. We had sourdough bread (from the Amish store) with triple berry jam that Jenn & I had made while Em napped. What a treat!

Tuesday I packed and read Em her book a couple more times. Then it was off to the airport. On the way Jenn asked Em what they were going to do without grandma. Em said, 'cry'.

I have to tell a few cute things Emery said over the weekend. She has a tape measure like her dad's. She carries it around and calls it her 'taper'. If you ask what she does with it she tells you she measures walls. There are 2 ostriches near the road to town. She calls each one ' an oscritch'. I told her Donna got bit by one when she was little, so she was careful to remind me each time we drove by that Aunt Donna got bit by an oscritch. When she has fun doing something she'll say, 'Let's do it amore again one more time and see what happens!'

I am sure you can't guess that I miss Em. We had fun making up for some lost time. She assures me she'll help her mommy with the baby until I come back at Thanksgiving. It made it a little easier leaving know I would see them all in just a couple months.

An encourager

Emery spent 3 days with me just before they moved to Tennessee. I decided her gift is encouragement. And gratitude too. All weekend long she kept saying things like - "Good job driving Gramma." or "Good job making pancakes Gramma." or "Thank you for Emmy helping with cookies!" or "Thank you for finding ice cream man, Gramma." Life is pretty rich when she is around!

I can say goodbye, because . . .

I haven't blogged in a while. Technically this isn't a blog, but it sums up some recent thoughts, so I share it with you as well as Kevin.

Written for Kevin on June 15, 2009

I Can Say Goodbye, Because . . .

When you were just born and it was time for you to go back to the newborn nursery,
I could say goodbye because I knew in just a few minutes you’d be back in my arms. I also knew that you were in the arms of God.

And on your first Sunday home with us, we took you to church and dedicated you to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

When you were my precious growing baby I would leave you in the church nursery while we were in the service. I could say goodbye because I knew in just a couple hours you’d be smiling at me again. I also knew that you were in the arms of God.

And I prayed with you the day your name was written in the Book of Life when at the age of three you asked Jesus to come and live in you.

When you were only four I took you to nursery school so you could play with other kids. I could say goodbye because I knew it wouldn’t be long and you’d be home with us again. I also knew that you were in the arms of God.

And at home and at church we did our best to teach you the ways of God.

When you went to school each day I could say goodbye because I knew we’d see you again at the end of the day. I also knew that you were in the arms of God.

And from grade school right up to high school I saw you grow and struggle and love your Lord and become more like Him.

When it was time for summer church camp I could say goodbye for the week because I knew in just a few days you’d be home again. I also knew that you were in the arms of God.

And in your senior year I watched the call of God begin to take place in your life.

That summer you left to be a counselor at Lone Tree Bible Camp. I could say goodbye because I knew in just a few short months you’d be home again. I also knew that you were in the arms of God.

And I watched you grow in the strength of the Lord as God confirmed His call on your life.

Then you left home to marry Jenn and I could say goodbye because you were still in Albuquerque and our family had grown to include your beautiful, wonderful wife. I also knew that you both were in the arms of God.

And I watched you grow to become a man of God. A man who loves your wife and your daughter with the love of the Lord. A man who seeks to serve his Savoir wholeheartedly. A man who is courageous and strong in the might of the Lord. A man who is willing to forsake all to follow the call that God has on your life in Clarksville, Tennessee.

So tomorrow you leave Albuquerque and the times that I can be with you will be rare and precious to me. But I can say goodbye because no matter how often or how little our paths cross in this life I know you are in the arms of God.

And I know that we all are in the arms of God. His plan is unfolding, marvelous and rich and glorious. His plan for you and beautiful Jenn and precious Emery and wonderful Little-One-On-the-Way. And His plan for me. You have taught me much about the love of God, His richness, His endless pursuit of us and His awesomeness throughout your life Kevin. I am blessed to call you son. I am blessed to have dedicated you to God and come to see that He has done exceedingly abundantly above all I could have asked for or thought of in my prayers for you. May His Name be praised forever!

1 Cor 16:13-14 “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.”

My kids!

I am very blessed to have kids who serve the Lord! I went to Calvary Chapel the last 2 Wednesday nights. One of the girls I work with goes there so I hitched a ride with them from work to Calvary and then home. They live in the east mountains so it is sort of on their way home to drop me off . That left the car for Kara to use each evening.

Last week Jenn led worship. She has such an amazingly beautiful voice. She also plays the guitar so well! Her voice is such a nice range to sing along with. That makes it very easy to be lost in worship while she sings. What a blessing she'll be to Kevin as a worship leader at Awaken Church!

Then this week Skip interviewed Kevin briefly. Skip informed the church that Kevin & Jenn were moving to TN to plant a church. There was a brief but noticeable gasp. Apparently many people had not heard the word yet and were sorry to hear he is leaving. I got teary eyed. Kevin got to tell a bit about how they came to the conclusion that is what God wants them to do. I even learned a couple things I did not know! Kevin told who would be taking his place. Skip assured Kevin that they are going with the blessing of Calvary and that he (Skip) is excited to see what God will do through them. Then they played a video montage of slides from Kevin's early days at Calvary to now. I forgot how long his hair was! While the slides displayed the Monkees song 'Last Train to Clarksville' played. It was great.

This coming Sunday at my church David Nowell, president of Hope Unlimited will speak at my church. Kara will help lead worship in Portuguese! We are both very excited about the service. Kara will help me out with a meeting after the service to see who all may be interested in our mission trip to Brazil in June 2010.

Thanks be to God for His amazing goodness toward me. What wonderful kids I have in spite of all my short comings. He really blessed the what I did right, and took care of what I did wrong!

My little Em

Emery stayed with me all weekend since Kevin & Jenn had so many commitments. She would have lived in the nursery if not with me. What fun we had! She talks CONSTANTLY! I get a running commentary on everything we do. She does some of the cutest things now. She wants to pray before meals. Her prayer is very quiet and goes something like this: "Jesus, food. Mommy. Daddy. Kara. Nyaya. Tiffy. JoJo. Papa Dennis. Gamma. Amen." Then she wants me to pray too!

When she hears something worth really listening to she makes a little gasp, her eyes pop wide open in surprise and she holds her had up to her ear and says, "Wisten!" We heard the ice cream man briefly so we went chasing after him in the stroller. She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Ice ceam. Are you?" No luck finding him. But we found a pine cone (which she calls a pineapple or applepineone) and a cute pet rabbit. So our search was not entirely in vain, and very low cal!

At church on Sunday we sang happy birthday to Teresa - Pastor Eric's wife. When I went to get Em she said, "cake?!". Lynette told me she'd been asking for cake ever since she heard us sing happy birthday!

At last . . .

My last blog was exactly a month ago - Feb 8! Time flies when my daughter is home!

It was such fun having Donna here. Coffee with frinds, birthday dinner, long talks, Em to keep us entertained. The only disappointment was that Kara arrived 4 hours after Donna left.

Since Kara sold her car before she moved to Brazil, we share my car. I got a bus pass. She drops me off at the park and ride in the wee hours of the morning so she has the car during the day. She has been picking me up at work in the evenings. She drops me off at Curves. She stretches inside Curves and then goes for a run . We're both dome exercising about the same time and then head home. So that works out well.

And of course I am excited that I'll be grandma again in October!

I have re-evaluated my school work. I don't see any way possible to be done in August so that I can graduate in Sept. But I continue to stay focused and should done about this time next year. So that relieves a little pressure and lets me enjoy some family time since Kara is home & we like to get together with Kevin & Jenn & Em from time to time. Plus we are planning our missions focus month at church. David Nowell from Hope will be here April 18 & 19. That is one week out of 5 that will focus on missions.

So that's life in the fast lane here!