My Natalie

It is so hard to believe that 8 years has passed since my very first, beautiful baby girl came into this world. We so enjoyed cuddling her and meeting her needs. We laughed constantly during her toddler days as she was learning to communicate and have fun. Never before had I seen a child hum every time they were concentrating. Then she became the big sister that would pile the toys on top of "sissy." She was just helping of course. All too soon she began kindergarten and that started her love for reading. She enjoys school and does well at it. With each year that has gone by she has grown a little more. She tends to be on the shy side around strangers, but is learning to overcome her fears. I have watched her struggle to do things, but in the end I have watched her enjoy the outcome from branching out. What a joy and privilege to have Natalie in our home. She is overflowing with emotion and that can be hard to deal with at times, but I cannot imagine life without her. Natalie excepted Christ just before she turned 5 years old. It has been fun to watch her grow in her knowledge of her Savior. I pray that she will continue to grow in His grace and knowledge as well as in her academics. I pray that she will always know that we are here for her and that we love her unconditionally. I love you Natalie and I hope you have a wonderful birthday and year to come.

It is absolutely amazing to me that it is time for school to start. The classroom is set up (real frogs and all), and the lesson plans are made. It is so exciting, but also such a great responsibility. This will be my first year with 4th grade. I pray that God will work in our class this year. The theme of the year is "Exalt His Name," From Psalm 34:3. At the end of that verse is the word "together." I want us all to learn to work as a team to get things done. When we are cleaning, I want a team. When we are working on school work, I want a team. Most of all I want a team that is going to strive to grow spiritually together. I believe that when working together we can go so much further. I am looking forward to what God has for us this year. I hope you will all pray with me that God will be exalted in all that we do.

Blogging vs. Facebook

Hello all my dear blogging friends. I promise that I have not disappeared. Facebook just seems to have taken up more time lately. Sitting here tonight though I could think of nothing that I wanted to do more than come here to update this blog. LOTS of things have happened lately. First we had the "Spokane stomach flu and fever" Half the city seems to have gotten it. It doesn't seem to last long, but you sure feel horrible while you have it. Right after we were better from the flu Rachel was getting down from the trampoline and broke her arm in two places. Both, thankfully are buckly fractures, and did not need to be set. She went in for x-rays today and they said that the bones are lining up nicely. She will have one more set of x-rays next week. The doctors will get together to view them to make sure they all agree that the bones are doing what they are supposed to. They do this because there is only a small window of opportunity to fix the bones if they decide to shift. So far all has been good news though. For the 4th of July we went out to the Harding's property in Idaho. We had so much fun spending the day there with our friends.
Monty is struggling with his back. He has been put on light duty at work. It will hurt the paycheck, but God knows our needs and He knew this was going to happen. Hopefully the light duty work will only have to last for a week and he can be released back to his normal job. In the meantime we are doing everything we can to make sure he heals up. The doctor says his back is strained so no more twisting and lifting for a bit. He has some pain meds that help, but still let him function. We are confident that God is taking care of us and will continue to do so. The Bible tells us that there will be times of testing and struggles, but He never leaves our side. Right now is a great time to know that.
I am continuing to do the paperwork for Best Loading. What a blessing to have that to do here at home. In the fall I will begin teaching full time. I'm so excited for the opportunity that God is giving me to work at Faith Baptist Academy. I can't think of anything I would want to do more. I will miss the teenagers, but I will still be there to help them. For now it is God's will that I work in the elementary and I'm excited and ready to get started.
I guess for now I will get going. I will try to be a little more faithful to my blog. Have a great day.

Easter 2009

Here it is, Easter 2009. What a blessing this day is to me. I remember as a kid how much I enjoyed Easter, but for completely different reasons. I loved going on a hunt for our Easter baskets (mom hid them in the dryer one year) and then I would sit and enjoy all my candy in my new dress and fancy shoes. I still love the whole basket and new dresses for my girls part, but Easter is so much more than that. Easter is about Christ. Without His resurrection His death would be meaningless. As most of you know I am not a person to cry very much, but my heart broke a little today. I sat next to my cousin (We just very recently got back in touch after over 15 years) and during the invitation he raised his hand about salvation. On his own he went forward and spent some time talking with Pastor Donley (I'm so thankful for our church staff). No, he didn't receive Christ today, but God is working in his heart. Without giving any details that aren't necessary, I'm just amazed that he is coming to church at all. God is still in the miracle working business. I don't have any idea what God will do in the future, but He wants those souls that are still out there and He wants to use us to go bring them in. It was such a great reminder to me about the real reason for Easter.

I hope you all enjoy the pics



Daddy and his girls

Natalie, my little princess
Rachel and her curtsy


Hailey with her shy smile

Yes, We are still alive. I can't believe how much running we have been doing. Between work, church, meetings, and all the duties of home there hasn't been much time to spare. I was planning on posting pics of the girls Easter dresses, but at the moment I can't find my camera. Sorry, but you will have to wait. Monty was wondering why I kept saying "I want my camera." I thought that maybe if I said it over and over, it might just pop into view. I was wrong. I still have no idea where it is. I'm sure none of that mattered much to anyone.

Like I said, so much has been going on, but God still has time in all of that to work on our hearts. Amazing how that never ends!!! The theme this year is Making A Difference. Each Sunday we are reminded to reach out and make a difference in the lives of others. Sometimes putting yourself out there can be scary and uncomfortable, but what if doing just that helps change their future. God has put some in my path lately that are easy to help. I pray that He gives me the chance to just be a friend. He has also put some others in my path that I don't know what the outcome will be. It is a time of stretching. Time to put myself out there and just let God take care of the circumstances. I can't make people do right and I can't make them be successful in their Christian lives. I can however be the instrument that God uses to bring them back to Him. It will be interesting to see what God will do. It is, after all, God that makes the difference.

I hope and pray that each of you are having a wonderful time in whatever it is that you are doing. May God bless each of you.

Just Rambling!

Once again I can't believe how much time has passed since I have posted anything. Life seems to pass so quickly these days. I have been working extra with the 1st grade class while my mother in law has been out sick. For more than one reason I'm glad she is doing much better. Mostly just because I care about her health and how she is feeling, but I do have to say that getting back to my "normal" crazy schedule will be nice. They are a sweet class, but the more I was in there the more it affirms in me that I LOVE being with the high schoolers. I'm a weirdo I know. Somehow those teenagers have earned my love and loyalty. I would have never imagined that I would like working with them, but it really is my privilege to do so. There has been so much going on in the past couple of weeks besides working in the school. God has been working over time in my heart about my attitude toward people. Pastor preached a message on Friendship the other night. Wow!!!! Just what I needed. I need to be the right kind of friend no matter what I feel. My friendship should not be based on how I feel they are treating me. I need to reach out anyway and be sincere in what I do and say. I am so thankful that I have a Pastor that is willing to preach the truths of God's word. I don't always like to hear where I'm wrong, but it is needful and right. I'm still struggling with a few things, but I have been praying that God will help my heart. Bitterness is a terrible thing. I've been there and I don't want to go back. Thank you all for checking in. Have a great day.

Well, day two of Spirit week is done. Twin day is always fun, and many of the kids were hard to choose from when judging. Of course I think the cutest pair is right here. They didn't win today, but they had fun anyway.

One of the little girls in Natalie's class ended up without a twin so I was her twin today. We ended up winning and she was very proud. It was a blessing to be able to help her be a part of the fun. She gave me a big hug at the end of the day. I'll update again tomorrow.

Cute Nerds!!!

Nerd day is always an interesting time at school. How often do you spend extra time and money to look bad??? I have to admit though that Natalie is about the cutest nerd I've ever seen. Her missing 4 front teeth only added to the cuteness. I sort of dressed up, but took clothes to change into. I can't concentrate that way. We enjoyed our day.



Natalie is definitely a cuter nerd than I am.
Teaching 4 out of 5 days for the past three weeks has added a whole new business to life. We are keeping our heads above water. I think when it is done and life is back to "normal" we will probably all collapse and stare into space for awhile. It has been an interesting experience moving back to the younger grade. High school and 1st grade are worlds apart. I have enjoyed my time and I know that God is meeting our needs through all of it. I will definitely look forward to being with the teens again. What a bunch of turkeys they are, but I love every minute of being with them.
I know many of you read my previous post and I will just tell you that God is working in my heart. There is no circumstance to hard for Him. He allows things for our good. I still don't understand it all and yes, some of it hurts, but I know it is not mine to handle alone. My job is to be faithful and move forward.
Thank you for checking in. Have a great day

God will make this trial a blessing.

Have you ever heard the song, "God will make this trial a blessing though it brings me to my knees, though my tears flow like a river, yet in Him there's sweet relief."? It has been a trying week for me. I've been extra busy with extra teaching, but outside of all of that there have been a few trials that I haven't quite known how to face. Really, they may not seem big to others, but I guess they have just sort of piled on to where the weight has been somewhat heavy. The Ladies Ensemble that I sing with sang this morning. The words spoke to my heart. "Bow the knee. Trust the heart of the Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see. Bow the knee. Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the one who holds eternity, and when you don't understand the purpose of His plan, in the presence of the King, Bow the knee." As Pastor preached another song came to mind. "Although there've been times I've been out of His will, I've never been out of His care." Through every trial and every misunderstanding God is there. I simply must lean on Him. I don't have to understand why, I just have to know He cares and it is for my good. I look at the circumstances of the past and I know that He worked what seemed bad at the time into something amazing. He is the same God now.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONTY!!!!

My wonderful husband's birthday is tomorrow. I'm so thankful for the husband that God gave to me. He is everything I could have dreamed and more. He is my best friend and the one I can always turn to. He puts up with my wild tendencies and spurs me on when I need it. He loves me when I don't deserve it. He is the best father in all the world and is a great leader in our home. Thank you Monty for all that you are and will be. I love you with my whole heart and I can't imagine life without you.