Running the Race

The days...FLY BY

2010-01-26T21:38:00.000-08:00

Where does the time go? Can't believe it's been a month since my last post! I thought January was going to be a slow month. I have been busy visiting family, cleaning/organizing, chasing two kiddos without a husband (he's on a two week detail in Michigan, DC and Miami), cleaning, ministry stuff at the church, cooking, sledding, cleaning, painting, reading (or trying to read without falling asleep)...and did I mention cleaning. Two active kids can make the biggest mess in such a short time. I often wonder why I even bother "trying" to keep a clean house.

Drew and Carrie with cousins Calab and Ethan

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T07:10:00.001-08:00

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”- Luke 2:16-20

Another reason why we love MT...sledding

2009-12-12T20:43:00.000-08:00

It has been so COLD-high in the negatives! As soon as it got above 20 degrees we had to go sledding. Drew has never been on a sled by himself and he LOVED IT! After 2 hours we were dragging him back to the car. Carrie also enjoyed being outside watching her big brother scream in delight as he traveled down the hills. Can't wait to go again!

Happy First Birthday

2009-12-01T13:40:00.000-08:00

We can't believe that our little girl turns one today! What an amazing year full of so many new adventures. What a joy it has been having a baby girl part of our family! Happy 1st Birthday--Carrie Noel! We love you!

Eating birthday cake---she loved it!

"It's my party and I can cry if I want to..." (so much drama already)

I wish...I wish...I wish...

2009-11-18T14:49:00.000-08:00

"I wish...I wish...I wish..." are the sad words coming out of Drew's mouth this afternoon as he stared out our window at the "tractor" (backhoe) in our yard digging our natural gas line . When I asked him what he was wishing for he says...
"I wish I can grow bigger and bigger and bigger so I can go drive that tractor right now Mommy!"
Oh, how I wish I could be a three year old boy sometimes! I wanted to respond by saying, "Mommy wishes she could have the laundry done, dishes put away, house clean, dinner made, bills paid, grocery shopping done..." Instead I told Drew that someday he can ride a tractor, especially if we go visit Diek and Hadden on the farm, right Alicia?

Drew whale watcing in April

Busted

2009-11-02T22:08:00.000-08:00

Naturally my girl would be found in the candy stash!

Boys will be Boys

2009-10-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

Yes...this is exactly how we found Drew after he disappeared from the dinner table last night. And yes...that is a Cabela's catalog that he is reading upside down. And yes...he is naked. He even has to have his socks off so he doesn't get poo on them. We are thankful he is potty trained...we now can write a book on potty training boys.

Good Bye Summer..

2009-09-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

...see you in 8 long months! Summer of 2009 was WONDERFUL! From camping, hiking, bar-b-qing, traveling, seeing family and friends it has been voted our best summer ever! Drew and Carrie also seemed to love summer. I am ready for fall so good-bye bare feet, picnics in the park, trails, camp-fires, watermelon...and hello sweaters, apple cider, football, warm bread and heavy blankets.

"God of this City"

2009-09-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

We have been singing this song at church called, "God of this City", published by an Irish worship band called Bluetree ...what an amazing story!
Here is Bluetree's story:
Nov 2006, Bluetree are heading out to Pattaya Thailand to participate in an event arranged by Belfast missionaries living in Pattaya, Thailand called Pattaya Praise. We’ve no expectation of the event; we were just looking for an opportunity to serve somehow.

We didn’t know much about it before we left, but Pattaya is a dark place. It’s a small seaside town notorious for it’s sex trade. Throughout our time there we heard countless stories of girls who are bought from their parents for a price, sold to the sex industry at ages as young as 5 years old. Arriving in Pattaya the spiritual climate seems to change, it’s hard to define, but there is a very tangible change. On the bus journey in we’d been our usual cheery selves, but entering Pattaya at 10am and turning on to a street lined by girls ready for business, the bus became very quiet. We’re in total shock. It’s a sunny day but it’s incredible how dark it feels.

‘Walking street’ we learn is the epicentre of the sex trade in Pattaya, it’s about a mile long and at night springs to life with neon signs. Thai people are generally conservative in their dress sense — it’s generally considered provocative to bare your shoulders. But on their street the girls are wearing very little, and offering anything you can imagine for a price. It’s easy to look around with human eyes, see the depravity and get angry. You see older men walking hand-in-hand with young girls — as a daddy, that’s hard to take in. It’s easy to get angry, it’s easy to judge — but that’s not our job, so we grit our teeth.

We were in Pattaya to be part of a praise event not far from this street, the soul purpose of which was to worship and show God’s light in a dark place. We wanted to play more than the scheduled slots while we were there, so we found out that one of the bar owners would let us play a worship set in her bar on the proviso that we brought as many from the missions team who would buy coke-a-cola all night. We walk in to the bar which is about the middle of walking street, girls are lined up on the stairs waiting for business. We get set up, we’re really nervous and quite uncomfortable but we kick in to a familiar beat of worship and soon it’s ok. God starts to speak and we started to move in to this spontaneous song. The truth is when you worship in a place, you start to see God’s heart for that place. What would God say to a place like this?

Amidst the depravity God say’s, I’m the God of this City, I’m the King of these people and Greater Thing are Yet to Come, Greater Things are Still to be Done HERE. The song wasn’t written before that night, but we came out of the bar having worshipped with the song that is now the title track of our album — God of this City (Greater things). The song isn’t just for Pattaya — it’s for your city, and it’s true. By faith we must expect that greater things are still to be done.
You can also watch the "story" at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXh_tgjnYJw

9 months old...and "sassy"

2009-09-01T12:05:00.001-07:00

Can't believe our Carrie is 9 months old today...we also can't believe how "sassy" she is getting! She is already throwing fits when I take her away from cords, the oven... and when her brother takes "HIS" toys away from her. She just makes us laugh with her determined personality. She is crawling and into everything and stands all the time. Yesterday as she was standing at the couch she was "eyeing" the table and reaching for it. She had her first "big girl" meal of cheese, avocado, kiwi, banana, bread. She loves to feed herself and is starting to get "sassy" about baby food. She loves music and loves to "shake it" (dance), clap, kiss and have someone to talk to all the time. She is so much fun and we are thrilled to have a "sassy" little girl in our home!

""The world is..."

2009-08-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

"The world is...mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful."
...according to my dirty Drew and muddy dog!

AHHH...Almost August....

2009-07-29T15:05:00.000-07:00

Summer is just flying by...can't believe August will be here this weekend...where does the time go??? July has been so busy...here are a few of our highlights...
PLAYING WITH FRIENDS IN YELLOWSTONE

PLAYING WITH COUSINS

MEETING GREAT-GREAT GRANDMA GERT...she is 98 years old

HIKING IN THE BEARTOOTHS

PLAYING DRESS UP

DREW'S 3RD BIRTHDAY PARTY...HE WAS A FIREMAN

BATHTIME WITH COUSINS

WE ARE ALSO PROUD TO ANOUNCE THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER NEPHEW...ETHAN DANIEL-BORN ON THE 20TH---CONGRATS MATTHEW, ALLISON AND "BUB"!!!! I NEED TO GET SOME PICTURES

ALSO DREW IS FINALLY POTTY TRAINED...AFTER 15 MONTHS---YEAH!!!!...UMMMM...YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE PICTURES OF THIS!!!!

Happy 3rd Birthday

2009-07-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday DREW!!! Just can't believe you are 3 years old today...where does the time go? I am so blessed to spend my days with you--my adventurous and crazy little boy! Thanks for making our life so much fun!

Birthday pictures will be coming later!

POTTY TRAINING

2009-07-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

How come I can potty train a dog in 24 hours but I have been potty training Drew for 14 months and still have not succeeded? We have made progress within this last week...he has stayed "dry" for 3 days! YEAH!!! Here is a conversation we had at a public restroom in Red Lodge...
K- Time to go potty
D- I need my shoes off
K- Ummm..no..why?
D- I will get poopy on my shoes!
K- You will not get poop on your shoes...this is a public restroom...the floors are icky...you need to keep your shoes on.
D- No potty
K- Alright...(shoes come off)
D- Shirt off!
K- Why?
D- I will get poppy on my shirt...(or course)
K- Fine...(off comes the shirt)
D- Now leave Mommy
K- Leave? Mommy can't leave you here
A- I can't poo when you are watching
K- Alright... (I stand outside the door)
D- All Done...says my naked boy from the public restroom
It amazes me what I "compromise" to get this stubborn boy to go potty....this, among many other reasons, is what I dislike about potty training!
Our good Lord has used Drew and potty training to teach me so much..."Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" Romans 12:12

What I LOVE about SUMMER

2009-07-03T20:28:00.001-07:00

CAMPING...something about eating s'mores before bed...yummy!

FLYING AIRPLANES...Drew got to go flying with Daddy for his birthday!

DIRT...Who knew that a little dirt would be so much fun?

HIKING...We love exploring new trails!

CARRIE...our first summer with Carrie has been magnificent!

WRANGLER BUTTS...drives me nuts!

I mean RODEOS...we love Rodeos!

Family Pictures

2009-07-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

I can't begin to explain to you how much I love Ali...her pictures are fabulous. Check out Ali to see the recent pictures she took of us. If you haven't had family pics taken in a while you better contact Ali to get the best pictures ever! Thanks Ali!!!!

My most favorite place...

2009-06-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

Glacier National Park is my most favorite place on earth...I really believe that heaven will have parts that look like Glacier...minus the bears! We are blessed to be so close to such an amazing place so we took a day trip. We hiked to St. Mary Falls and then up to Virginia Falls. A four mile hike and Drew did the whole hike by himself. When I asked him if he was getting tired he would say "No Mom, I'm fine"...so grown up! If you have never been to Glacier...GO!!! You will love it and will also thank our good Lord for making such a beautiful place for us to enjoy!

Faithfulness

2009-06-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

I have been praying for Carrie's kidneys since I received that dreaded phone call from the doctor saying that I was now a high risk pregnancy. As she explained to me that there was a concern with her kidneys my heart sunk. That was over 10 months ago and God brought me this verse as I prayed for her little organs...
"But the Lord is faithful..." 2 Thessalonians 3:3
After a lot of prayers I am happy to report that Carrie's kidneys are no longer dilated and 100% normal. Praise GOD!!!
Thank you to all who prayed for our little girl!

Why I love Montana

2009-06-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Montana...for a million reasons! I knew I loved Montana the second we hit North Dakota on our move to PA 5 years ago. Why do I love Montana even when it snows in June (like it did today)? I love the big blue sky, the rivers to fish in, the mountains to hike, the meadowlarks that sing every morning in my yard, the antelope babies, the cowboys, the clean air, the wild flowers, the camping...the list goes on! Not everywhere has these special things and that is why I am so THANKFUL to call Montana home!
Drew got to shoot his first gun...with Daddy's help. Being in the National Forest with the beautiful wildflowers made me love Montana even more! Carrie was not thrilled to have the grass tickle her legs--she is too much!

First time for everthing

2009-05-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Drew has been talking about fishing with his Papaw for months. He was so excited when we showed up at Papaw's and there was Spiderman fishing pole waiting for him! Drew got spoiled and was able to experience fishing for the first time in Paradise Valley (close to Yellowstone Park) and catch his first 4 fish in 20 minutes. The stocked pond turned Drew into quite the fisherman! Now, how am I going to explain to him that fishing is not always that easy??? It was a beautiful day and reminded me how blessed I am to live in this wild place called Montana!

Goodbye California...Hello Montana

2009-05-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

After 18 long hours in the car we finally made it home! We had a great last couple days in CA with Nana...we hit the beaches again, Disneyland, shopping, a whale watching adventure (we saw hundreds of dolphins)! We had an amazing time in CA but we are so thrilled to be home in MT!

How can this be???

2009-05-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

It amazes me how two kids with the same parents can be SOOOOO DIFFERENT! Our good Lord creates us all so different no matter what are gene pools consists of. My kiddos are a great example of that---they are so uniquely different!
At five months old Drew was so much more active, more determined and more stubborn. He has always been my adventurer. He has never met a challenge he hasn’t wanted to tackle. He’s the child who tried, at 10 months, to run because walking was too slow. He literally walked as soon as he could take a step, ran as soon as he could walk... He is also my early bird and loves to start his day by saying "Sun's Up...Time to get up!" Here is a picture of Drew at five months with Daddy!

At five months old Carrie has no desire to explore, she just wants to be snuggled! She is so easy-going and tolerant of everything! As long as she gets held she is happy! She has spent much of her first five months watching the world from the safety of mommy or daddy’s arms and content to see what's going on without getting involved in it. She is my girl who loves to sleep in...she would sleep in until 10 am if he brother would leave her alone! Here is a recent picture of Carrie with her Mommy...she is five months old!

Two kids with the same parents… two totally different personalities! How can this be? I guess we’ll see how similar yet different they become as they grow older.

Cousins

2009-05-05T22:10:00.000-07:00

"God made us cousins, because he knew our moms
couldn't handle us as brothers."

...for those of you who know Drew I bet you will know what he is explaining to cousin Tav...yep...how airplanes fly...he is obsessed with airplanes!

We were so blessed this week to have my cousin and her boys from Washington here for a visit. We had such a great time playing in the pool, going to the beach, exploring the children's museum, shopping and chasing our children around southern CA. We loved seeing them and can't wait until July when we can see them again!

Max and Carrie during a time when the brothers were napping...look at Max's big brown eyes!

SO Proud

2009-04-30T22:52:00.001-07:00

Drew got the chance to go see his Daddy fly the helicopter and even sit in it while Daddy did his pre-flight...he loved it and will not quit talking about it! He even tried to hit on a two year old girl this evening by saying "Daddy flies helicopters...up in the sky...it's blue!"

SO Proud

2009-04-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

The American Holocaust: ABORTION

2009-04-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

Please take a minute to email our Senators and let them know that babies are so precious and we do NOT want Kathleen Sebilius to lead the Health and Human Services Department. Another liberal Obama nominee and she is the most pro-abortion Governor in the country! You can read this article to find out more about her: http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000009826.cfm
Being the head of this department will allow Sebilius to control huge amounts of federal dollars - which she could give to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.
"~Every month this killer takes more American lives than were lost in the entire Vietnam War. Every six months more die from its relentless onslaught than in all our previous wars combined or in all the fatal automobile accidents of the past twenty years. Every 2 to 3 years it claims more victims than the Nazi Holocaust.
Incredibly, this monumental devastation is carried out by medical professionals and is completely preventable. The name of this vicious serial killer is ABORTION.
God will not hold this nation guiltless for this great bloodbath. Indeed, the Bible tells us that He hates “hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:16-17). Certainly, there can be none more innocent than the unborn.~"
PLEASE take time right now and email Baucus: http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue
and Tester: http://tester.senate.gov/Contact/

Sea World

2009-04-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

We spent Saturday at Sea World! Nathan and I went before we had children and we both agree it is more fun with kids. To see Drew's face when he saw Shamu splash the first time was PRICELESS!

Drew also got to go on his first ride called "Elmo's Flying Fish"...he really didn't care and would rather just explore the "Sesame Street Bay of Play", a two-acre outdoor play area. So Mommy followed a crazy two-year old as he ran through tunnels, up rope ladders, down slides, across bridges...we were both worn out!

Carrie was great all day and seemed to really enjoy being outdoors and watching her brother run around! We had a wonderful day and highly recommend Sea World!

Sea World

2009-04-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

We spent Saturday at Sea World! Nathan and I went before we had children and we both agree it is more fun with kids. To see Drew's face when he saw Shamu splash the first time was PRICELESS!

We spent Saturday at Sea World! Nathan and I went before we had children and we both agree it is more fun with kids. To see Drew's face when he saw Shamu splash the first time was PRICELESS!

Our big dog

2009-04-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

Our time is California just wouldn't be the same without our 100 pound mutt, Gallatin. She has been such an amazing dog putting up with life in a hotel room. She looks foward to time at the beach when she can run and splash in the ocean. She is such a great dog and we are so thankful she gets to be a part of this journey.

Oh...how we love the beach

2009-04-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend we spent time at Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach. Laguna Beach makes the fourth beach we have visited since we arrived is CA and is our favorite....it is beautiful! The rocky shore and tide pools gives Drew endless opportunities to explore. We saw beautiful flowers, sea lions, starfish, shells, fish, sea urchins...what a day! We also witnessed a new sport. SUP surfing...Stand Up Paddle surfing is using a one-bladed paddle, while standing on a normal length surfboard. It looks like surfing and kayaking had a baby..and they called it SUP-ing! It has become a very popular sport seen across the globe. I am not in the stage of my life that I want to try a new sport...I think my babies need a mommy, but... I have added it to my list of things to accomplish in life.

Helping Daddy Study

2009-04-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

We often have to be reminded that we are in California for Daddy to train in the helicopter...not to go to the beach, the pool, to Disney...Here are a few pictures of Drew and Carrie helping Daddy study!

He has Risen!!!

2009-04-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! We spent Easter morning at Rick Warren's church, Saddleback. It was pretty amazing--we had 23 different services to choose from! It was an awesome message and we look forward to going back next weekend. The church, although huge (22,000 members) was so well organized and everyone was so nice. What a blessing it is to worship in freedom with thousands of other believers!

It's Cereal Time

2009-04-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

It is time in our little girls life to start feeding her cereal. What a joy it is to see her face when she takes that first bite. She didn't love the experience at first but she got a hang of it and polished off her entire bowl (a couple tablespoons)! As soon as she finished that thumb went right back in her mouth!

It's about time...

2009-04-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

Alright, I finally decided to jump on that bandwagon and start a blog. I decided that our time in California would be the perfect time to blog to keep our friends and family in the loop. Here is a few pictures since we arrived in CA! We are enjoying the California sun!