Baby Visit and a Norah trick

Welcome to a Picture Post!

This week my friend Sarah had baby number 2!  Jillian and I got to visit Mr. Vandis :) What a sweet little addition!

And a final picture of Norah showing her "hold still" trick with popcorn :)

Dan and I are off to have engagement pictures taken this afternoon my Mrs. Ria. Snow and cold temps but nice bring sun.

Wish you all a happy weekend!

A Little of This and That

Hello blog readers, happy sunny day, or for some a little foggy. My wonderful friend Cassandra and I were going to get together this morning, but due to major fog in WI we have to make a new plan.

Meet Cassandra, she is the lovely on the right, also Rachael and I to the left. Both Cassandra and Rachael are on Spring Break from Stout right now woohoo! OK,Wedding planning, family trips, work, ALIVE, FPU class, and Dan and I meeting family and friends has made this end of winter, into spring, busy busy bee!

123 GO spring teams! The Pelicans are in flight and you can keep updated on the trips here!

http://www.prayingpelicanmissions.org/journals.cfm Praying Pelican Missions is my part time job at the moment working at the office here in MN. What a fun thing to see teams that we check on day to day are now off on the trip! Living it out. Now is this snow melts many churches and teams around the US are getting ready for that summer trip! Busy days of mailing out T shirts ahead :)

ALIVE: So last week was a great MEGA WEDNESDAY at church, check out this link to the new drama, beckah Shae's song No More. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhxkjDBWa-Y&feature=player_embedded

OK so you have 2 links to look at and a little more to read. :) After watching the alive drama, what are lies you are hearing today? What are things we need to stand up and say NO MORE to?  In church on Sunday, at Open Door, the pastor at one point asked if we have ever had a breaking point, where we repented and felt this big turn. He was describing tears and snot and feeling free but sad just this jumble, in this moment. It makes me think of the point this song speaks to in a way. The three people in the drama hit their breaking point. Their no more point. This is more of a FIGHT breaking point then the repentant view we usually think of. (does what I just said make sense?)

New Living Translation:Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Romans 2:4
New American Standard Bible:Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? Romans 2:4

It is his Kindness, that is what leads me to repent! Am I seeing how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with me every day? This is the truth I am going to be thinking on today. Much needed. Have a blessed day bloggers.

Mini SpRinG BreAk trip

Welcome to Colorado!
My parents, sister and Jon, Dan and I all drove for a long weekend to Colorado for some Ski time last weekend. It worked out well because Dan Hannah and Jon all have the same spring break. What a fun, but very tired time we had! Driving through the nights were hard but oh the view and ski time and beauty well worth it! Enjoy the pics!

We made it! Day 1 after night one in the car :)

view~

all 3 got the game face on! mt woods here we come!

so Dan and I skied/hiked up to this cave... man i felt the elevation!

Dan made it up there!

love

Dan and Jon ready for day 3! fresh snow!

Mumzy and Dan

Dadio and his girls

Isaiah 55:10-13 "...as the rain and snow come down from heaven..."

He Asked, I Said Yes, And Fun Cabin Time

I would have never thought that Feb 2011 I would be doing a post about how I am engaged! God has good plans and does he ever give good gifts to his children! I am going to post pics and write a little in this post. Enjoy! Remember there is no better place to place our hope then in our God, the Was and Is and Is To Come, The great I am, HE is our constant!

Sitting in the dark at the park ;) Right after he asked me!

Ah we were so so happy!!!! I was so so surprised!

Our hands showing HOW BIG this cake was!

Sorry I forgot to take pictures of our WONDERFUL meal!!!

Dan had the ribs, I had the honey pecan chicken.

Sweet Cake waiting at his house for us from his parents!

Bride Erika and Groom Dan bears from my mumzy!

Winter fun fest crew! Friday night I got to hang out with these lovely people! All stouties!

Laurens great baking!

Cute girls!

Saturday morning we had some winter FUN!

Jillians Birthday!

Broom Ball... Hurts, but is also fun.

SPAZ!! what, yeah haha a game we played as a large group!

Lauren did a cute toast for Dan and I <3

Cute military men in our pink wine :) A little mix of dan and I <3

The Ring!

JILLIANS Birthday!!!! Cute girls! umm is she 30?

Our men out of the glasses, haha looks like Dan is proposing!

Random how that worked out :)

 REALLY fun weekend, but we sure were tired after all of that!!!

One last one, Sarah and I on the knee board :)

Some Winter Shots, A Song, And An Update

Today is a snow filled day here. I'm sitting in my PJ's eating crackers at 8:20 am haha, and putting tea on. And also listening to the You've Got Mail sound track :)

These past weeks have been crazy. I have some happy news! Tomorrow I am starting my new job with Praying Pelican Missions! If you don't remember that is the great, wonderful, sweet, organization that I went to Belize with for a month this past summer! So I will be on their part time staff starting tomorrow :) God is so into details.

Looking at this picture reminds me of the joy of that moment!

I was reminded the other day that Gods plans for us ARE good. I was on the edge of a pity party, OK maybe I was in one, when I just was saying, "but God your plans for me are good!" "What is going on?" This is the moment where you have to take him at his word not how you are feeling or how things are looking. So today I am reminding myself and you that his plans are good for those who love him! And we can be content in all things! Great song by Britt Nicole, Hanging On. Great reminder that we need HIS word.

When I was living in Costa Rica, I went through a book all about holding up your thoughts and your mind to truth, to what is in the word. I know that I learned those things for this season. Hope you are enjoying the song!

Lets end this little update with some cute Ski Date pics! Dan and I headed out on the trails last week. We had fun teaching and learning Cross Country :) soon it will be my turn to learn some Down Hill!

****Enjoy your Monday! ****

Gold

Hello,
So this morning I started reading a book called The Bait of Satan. Got a few pages into it, then stopped to eat breakfast. When I stopped reading I remember LOVING the part I stopped on. Now hours have passed, and I have done many other little "to dos" Then I was listening to a song on YouTube and noticed a beckah shae song on the right hand side. Here is the song. So my memory was tested this afternoon because I saw these big words GOLD. I was just sitting here thinking, what in the world... I just read something cool about Gold.... OH YEAH the book this morning! haha so any whooo. Take a listen while you read the rest of the post. I am so glad that God helps us remember such good things! Just in time!

So the book I am reading is about learning to not take offense, and how important that really is. How offense is used by the enemy to divide UNITY that the LORD WANTS FOR US! So, on to the Gold part. Take a look at Revelation 3:14-18 Jesus calls this church to buy his Gold refined by fire!
Take a look at this next verses when you are done wrapping your head around the first set.
Tested through the fire, 1 Peter 1:6-7  actually take it to the top of 1 :)

"These have come so that your faith - of greater worth then gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and my result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus is revealed."

Our faith will not perish it is of greater worth then gold. My the testing prove it genuine today! May it result in the Praise, Glory, and Honor of God!

SO sing and dance to this great song! We have an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade- go back and read vs. 4 :)

OK have a great day!

A Winter, so far, Photo Update!

So, coming home from Costa Rica in the crazy holiday time was... crazy.

Lots to do, people to see, joy to be had,

work to start, things to plan,

snow to fall*, friends to call,

 fun to be had by one and ALL!

A wonderful Monday with Madeline!

Demi, the puppy in our lives!

Christmas Doggies

Hannah and Jon

 Christmas Eve! 26 People, One house, One reason, Jesus came!

                         ~ food, family, friends, doggies, singing, laughing, eating, reading, playing, smiles ~

The Cute Married Ones

Grandma!

So great to have Dan with me! Being in the same country is so great!

Love Came Down On Christmas Day!

Christmas Day!

Not planned but Cute!

Madeline's great cookie painting skills!

Happy to be home

Grandpa and Grandma

Time to put on your SKATES!

Me and my sweet sister!

La Familia! Que bonita, no?!

Cute, Silly, Skaters

Love

The Rents

The Girls after a great French Meadow brunch!

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Thanks for peeking in on my time here at home! Happy 2011! We may wonder what this year will be filled with, but God doesn't wonder, he KNOWS~  I am thankful for that today!