Our 2015 cerulean Christmas tree

Thomas: "I just want to dream"

This morning when I told Thomas to get up he said "I just want to dream."

Jesus is reading our story

Today Thomas said something that followed an idea he described several weeks ago.
One night, at bedtime, Thomas told me "The world is a story Jesus is reading. When he stops reading we will go to heaven." I thought that was so interesting. I immediately thought of "The Word of God" and "the word was with God..." And Jesus was the word.

Tonight on the way back from fall festival, Thomas said, "I wish Jesus would stop reading and I can go to heaven."

We had a good talk. Joanna started, "Thomas the only way you can see God is to die; are you wanting to die?" He said, "No and I asked him why he wanted to go to heaven right now. "I just want to be with God," Thomas explained. He talked a bit more about it and I think he said he wanted to hug him. (He has said this before, too).

So, I told them that Moses saw God in the burning bush. Also they can be with God anytime by praying, or quietly talking to him. God can appear to him in a dream or vision, too. God is with us always because of his Holy Spirit, and yes also some people say Holy Ghost. And he can give you a hug when you are praying or talking to him, too.

Thomas is such a sweet boy and so loving. God protect him from the world and keep him in your word (you).

Craft fair at church

I had several items for sale at the Craft Fair hosted at Alice Bell Baptist Church on 10/23 and 10/24. I had several of Aunt Phyllis Strunk's hand-quilted bags and wall hangings. I ended up buying most of these for myself (for some nice gifts--bags, pouches and pillow case sets for Christmas this year.)

Wall hangings and pillow cases Aunt Phyllis made:

Kitchen sink wall: after-with dishwasher

-Amy

Fridge and window wall - before; during

-Amy

View from stairs: before; in progress

-Amy

Pantry wall: Before; in progress

-Amy

Jesus loves me

Thomas blessed my heart. We were blessing the meal and I could hear the kids upstairs playing. Thomas started singing Jesus loves me 3 times during the prayer. How wonderful to hear my son and his great great uncle blessing gods heart at the same time!

Joanna's first day of second grade

Happy 41 to Chris

Kids play Mario on the Wii for the first time!

Joanna cooks!

Joanna cooked pasta by herself, with my supervision, while I made a homemade marinara sauce from Jason's tomatoes. I was peeling and de-seeding tomatoes. She was so proud. Thomas was happy to eat and they both wanted seconds so she then made another batch!

Vacation - Thursday

Today we went to Hammock beach, after chasing down nets.

Then our afternoon was rainy and Joanna and daddy napped. Jason asked Joanna why she put on her pajamas after coming in is she's not going to nap and she said, "Well, mommy puts on her pajamas after work and she doesn't go to bed!"

We learned another part of yesterday's verse, "...seek and you shall find it..." Or "...keep looking and you will find it..."

-Amy

Vacation - Wednesday

Today we learned "Ask and you will receive." Or " keep askjng and it will be given to you."

Rachel and I had fun with this one. I said keep asking just like you always do, "mom, mom, mom, mom!"

We enjoyed the pool this morning and had charcoal-grilled steaks for dinner.

We dutifully watched our fire with the fire-putter-outer handy, then after we were done, Jason put out the fire with water from the creek using the garbage can lid!

Vacation - Tuesday

Today we took it easy inside, out of the sun. We went to see Disney/Pixar's "Inside and Out."
We ate Mcdonald's for lunch and took a nice nap listening to C.S. Lewis' "Prince Caspian."

I slept in this morning and I'm ready for an bedtime. I guess I'm taking my much needed rest!

We played a mean hide-and-seek tonight as Joanna's reward for learning Ephesians 4:32 mostly. We got the first part, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,"

Vacation - Sunday - swimming and mini golf

Vacation -Sunday

Dinner out hibachi style!

Vacation - Monday

Today we went to hammock beach. We stayed too long and had too much sun.
We ate shrimp and kale alfredo in and went out for gelato.
The kids learned John 14:15 today. Jason and I too them to play in the playground on site.

Vacation - Sunday

We learned this verse today on vacation. Joanna was able to recite it from memory this evening. We went to the on-site pool this morning, hibachi dinner, and on-site mini golf.

Mountain 1 - Genesis 8:4 Mount Ararat.

Genesis 8:4 Mount Ararat.

Flood totally changed the world. Environment- From water canopy, and From living long years, landscape- from one continent to many.

Climate of our church. Love. Unity.

V20 Noah built an altar.

A new commitment. Noah had anew reverence for God.

A new commitment to all our ministries. Mature men and women need to minister to younger.

Walk in the grace of god and comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Ch 9:1 multiply and replenish.
Ours is the great commission.




-Amy

Joanna is loved by her friends

Joanna's smaller than her friends at the learning center it was cute to see how they all came up and almost surrounded her at the door when we walked in.

-Amy

Thomas' broken heart

Today Thomas said "my heart is destroying me" while I helped him brush his teeth. He was using the words he knew to say his heart is broken or he felt remorse.

He must remember the word and context when Joanna was calling him destroyer a while back and it hurt his feelings and he cried.

God bless my son.

-Amy

Katherine Wolf

Katherine Wolf
God is in the business if making things new.
Matthew 7:24 build your house on the rock.
Psalm 37
Phil 1:6
Rom 8:28,31,37,39
1 john 4
2 cor 12:9
2 cor 4:16-18
Hebrew 12:1-3
1 cor 7:17


-Amy

Speaker 1 : Lisa Terkeurst

Speaker 1 : Lisa Terkeurst
Day 2 - women of joy

2 Samuel 20 v 4
David's son absolom made trouble.
Troublemakers cause trouble in their location and in their destination.

1 approach
Approach conflict in humility.
Show up - with your faith.
God will meet you!
We represent and re present god everywhere we go.

2 assurance
We are peaceful. We have a different kind of assurance.

3 advice
The city listened because the wise woman had a habit of wisdom.
Give your first thoughts of the day to god even if it is just one verse.



-Amy

Women of joy - Keynote

Keynote - Margaret Feinberg
1 poke holes in the darkness
2 rejoice when it makes no sense
3 find joy in every square inch
4 Your Heavenly Father wants to speak to you
Is 46:4 I will sustain you.


-Amy

Saturday trip to the park, shopping, and mini golf

We had an overall nice family day. We watched monster high movies in the morning, I knitted, and Jason went grocery shopping. The weather was perfect and I took the kids to the park before lunch and we ended up going to a church playground where nana took them "when they were good. " (so they must have gone often.)
Back at home, Thomas gave me a scare as he ran across the road and back by himself. I was on the phone with Jason and just started screaming and couldn't get to him fast enough. It was like a nightmare for me. I brought them inside and sat down with them. I spanked him and hugged on him. I told him I didn't want him to die and I want him to remember to never go in the road again.

Later we went shoe shopping and ate and played mini golf! Joanna wanted to do other things and pouted but Jason talked to her about our plans and we could play or go home or she didn't have to play and we would. Well we all had a blast. It was fun watching the kids be excited to get the ball in the hole. They cheered each other and mom and dad through each turn. Even other players got a kick out of some antics. Joanna snuck up on Thomas and startled him and he jumped. Once Joanna was looking in a dark window to see what's inside and I goosed her and that was funny. Jason was just his wonderful funny self too. A very lovely day.
-Amy

Top 10 list on our 10th anniversary - June 21 trip to Biltmore.

June 21 trip to Biltmore.
10 good things from our last 10 years:
1. Getting married
2. Honeymoon to Williamsburg
3. Overseas at the same time
4. Vacation to Italy
5. Joanna
6. Thomas
7. Family vacations and Christmases together
8. New jobs changes and adventures
9. Debt free--selling our cars
10. Jason became an ordained deacon

Joanna lost her tooth and the tooth fairy visited her at Nana's.


-Amy

Aug 8 2013

I'm so glad and refreshed to have an hour to myself (before sleeping) after the kids go to bed at 8:30! I hear them in there talking and stuff but they are calm and resting! Thomas said his prayer tonight. He hasn't wanted to the last couple if days. I let him and Joanna sleep in the big bed, sideways. And that was something fun and different for him. Joanna has been sleeping with him or me and only by herself a few times these last two weeks. Thomas asks for daddy when I spank him. Joanna and he were pretending to call daddy in the phone with each other. Joanna was talking with a deep voice to Thomas, funny but makes me sad he's gone! He's supposed to come home Saturday! I hope he does! It was disappointing last week when he said sat or tues then tues came and went with no word! But then he called as he was getting on the plane to San. Antonio. At least he's closer now and kind of on his way!


-Amy