Picture post...you'll love it!

Got to see these 3 guys on my IA stop!



Got to love me some TayTay!!!

At the airport



 

Chuck E. Cheese Fun



C won 100 tickets with one token!!



The bigs playing, too!

Tennis fun

Playin at the park

Park Fun

Ben won the tie breaker!

Allie gearing up for Ben's serve



A Crazy Weekend

     Wednesday night I was up WAYYY too late enjoying some exciting things going on in my friend's life.  So...4 1/2 hours of sleep...and I started my Thursday. 

     Thursday teaching started at 8am...nannied 'til almost 7pm...dropped off a car...picked up my mom...drove to the Twin Cities...helped our ACE friends set up for Christian Educator's Convention...stayed up late catching up with another friend.  LONG, but good day.  After 5 hours of sleep I started my Friday.

     Friday I left the Cities at 6am to drive to Nebraska.  Made it to Ankeny, Iowa...my old stomping ground and met up with a few people.  (I even got to LOVE on TAYTAY!!  Praise the Lord she is gaining weight and didn't end up back in the hospital after this last round of chemo.)  Made it to my sister's at about 5pm in Nebraska.  Stayed up REALLY late making sure everything was ready for their trip.  We went to bed about midnight...and woke up at 3am to start our Saturday.

     Saturday - we left at 4am to head to the airport so my sister and brother-in-law could fly to Dallas and on to Korea to spend a week and pick up their new sweet daughter, Alyvia.  We spent some time at the airport while they waited to go through security...then after our goodbyes, the kids and I left to head back toward home.  We stopped along the way and enjoyed some shopping, then CHUCK E. CHEESE which the kids LOVED, then lunch at Culver's before heading home.  The little man and I snuck in a little nap before I made dinner...then it was outside for some frisbee and football fun...then inside for baths...now we're watching the Husker's take on UCLA! 

     For those of you counting that's only...12 1/2 hours of sleep since Wednesday...not enough...but God is good and gracious and I'm doing well...living on caffeine...yes...gonna sleep like a rock tonight...yes...but doing well!

     Yes, the weekend was crazy...and yes, I have pictures, although I can't currently upload them...so be ready for a fun picture post sometime soon...and yes, I'm exhausted...but it really has been great...I've seen lots of people that I know and love and I'm spending the next 2 weeks with some of my favorite littles! 

     Please pray for my sister and brother-in-law as they are flying to Korea and spending a week there...pray for Alyvia (my new niece) that her heart would be protected from too much sadness after being taken away from her loving foster family and that she would be ready to love and trust her new forever family...and for me and the other 4 littles as we hold down the "little house on the prairie."  Pray especially for the littlest that I have because he "really misses his momma, but is really loving time with his aunt."  Poor little guy! 

     Please also pray for a man named Mark.  My sister and brother-in-law had the chance to clearly share the Gospel with him on their stateside flight.  Pray that his heart would be softened and he would see his need for salvation!
    
     Jesus loves you!

PRAISE BE TO GOD ALONE

After first seeing her sweet face last summer...being matched with her...waiting, waiting, and waiting...seeing the end only to find that paperwork had been messed up...aching to bring her home...My sister and brother-in-law are finally going to do just that...BRING HER HOME!!

Sweet Alyvia has been waiting for her forever family...and now she's getting just that!  Please pray for me as I go to care for their other children while they are gone.  Pray for them as they prepare for their trip, cross many time zones, deal with many language barriers, and seek to win over the heart of their new daughter.  Pray for Alyvia as she is going to be taken from her loving foster family...and placed in the loving arms of her mommy and daddy.  Pray for her foster family as they give up this baby they have grown to know and love.  Pray for all the details of flights, motels, visits, etc to all work out.  Can't wait til she is home!

You better be sure that this Auntie is going to have her camera ready...after all we have 2 years to make up for :)

Until then...let this sweet picture hold us over

A Dear Heart Friend

What is a heart friend?
     A heart friend is one who cares about your heart.  One who doesn't just care about the mundane surface things, but one who truly cares about things that matter to you...how you REALLY are...what you're REALLY struggling with...what you're learning in your devotions...IF you're having your devotions...what verses you're memorizing...what you're spending your time doing...who you're spending quality time with, etc...
They are the iron sharpening iron friends!

God has blessed me with quite a few dear heart friends over my years and I am thankful for that extra dose of His grace!

Tonight I had the privilege of spending time with one of my dear heart friends.  We have been friends for 18 years.  The Lord has given me the blessing of knowing and loving this girl since she was in Kindergarten and has deepened our friendship over the last year or two since we both moved back to the same area.  She has taught me so many things.  I am thankful for her sweet spirit and her tenderness toward the things of God.  Her passion to love and serve Jesus for all her days is something that encourages me!  Recently we started a new Bible study together studying the women of the Bible.  Tonight was Rachel.  I love studying God's Word, challenging each other in our spiritual walks, praying for and with each other, and truly being sisters in Christ!

Tonight was fabulous...yummy dinner, tennis, and Bible study!  What a perfect way to end a holiday weekend!

Thank you, Ashley, for loving me despite my imperfections - for letting God use you to impact my life - for your passion to challenge me to be like Christ - for your humble desire to please Him with your whole heart - for studying God's Word with me - for praying for and with me.  You are a blessing to know and love and I thank the Lord for you on a daily basis!  Love you!

Fun with Friends

Labor Day weekend is a big weekend for some family friends of ours.  This year I joined them for a fun day on Saturday.  We played (well, I watched) softball, roasted hot dogs, sang around the fire, and just enjoyed sweet fellowship!  I loved it!  It was so fun...my favorite part was singing, laughing, and talking around the campfire.  I am posting pictures of some of the fun.  Also, I'm posting one of me with each of the sweet Nienow kids...in age order :)  My family always asks me when I talk about them which one is which or which order they are in...so I thought this would help.

Keilley and Me

Sweet Keilley is such a dear heart friend.  I love talking and praying with her!  I miss her so much, but am so thankful  that God is using her to impact lives in Mexico!  Thankful for sweet fellowship while she's been home! I love her dearly!

Kara and Me

Kara Sue ~ We became much closer friends as Keilley was away.  I have loved our Bible studies, sleep overs , long walks, and time in prayer.  I love this girl so much!

 Christa and Me

Christa ~ This girl has blessed my life more than she'll ever know!  I love her and am so thankful God has given me the privilege of getting to know her on a deeper level these last few months!  So excited to see God use her in great ways as she yields herself to Him!

Erika and Me

Ah, Erika!  Erika is the smiley "behind the scenes" one of the family!  She is constantly helping the younger kids with so much.  Recently she did makeup and costumes for Christa's summer speech camp kids...they looked AMAZING!

Savanna and Me

Savanna has such a sweet spirit.  She helped me with the 3-6yr. olds this summer in VBS...the kids were quite the challenge and she was such a great help.  Although quiet, her smiles and hugs make lots of people feel loved!

Sophie and Me (sorry for the dust flecks)

Sophie, sweet talkative Sophie!  Sophie is totally 10 :)!  I enjoyed many rides with her to and from parades and softball games this year.  She always has something to talk about and has a great personality!  She loves giving hugs and making people laugh!  

Faithe and Me

Faithe "babes" is totally 6!  I love this age.  1st grade is one of my favorites!  She is fun-loving and is always making up plays and playing with her bunnies!  Usually I have to peel her off of me when I leave their house because she wants me to stay!  I love her bright smile!

And last, but not least...Max and Me

Max...the only boy...and the youngest!  Max is totally boy!  He loves dirt, cars, bears, hunting, etc...  He is hilarious!  I love playing kickball with this little guy!  He loves people and is usually seen side by side with Faithe...they are best buddies!

I love these kids so much!  SO thankful that God has allowed me to be blessed in knowing and loving all of them!

Below are pictures from the softball game and camp fire (even though the campfire ones are blurry)

Andrew throwing to Christa

Kole

Jake...pretty sure he totally overthrew the ball at this point.

Like I said...I love this smile!!!

Here Kara is showing Keilley how to throw the ball!!

Keilley has such a sweet spirit.  Kara was person number 4 to show her "how" to throw the ball ...so now she had 4 ways :)  However, she just smiled and used the new technique!

Mommy helping Max

Keilley gearing up for the swing!

Grandpa would bat people home!

Sophie all focused

Sweet Faithe

Christa helping Faithe bat

Keilley is known as the smore expert.  She even lays here graham crackers and chocolate on the edge of the fire to toast them.

Such a fun, sweet time!

B Turns 2

Today my little nanny guy turned 2!  He totally didn't know what birthday meant, but he knew it was his birthday and kept repeating it over and over.  He definitely turned into Mr. Independent!  He HAD to dress himself...although I did turn his shorts around before taking him in public.  He also was SURE he had to buckle his own car seat.  Sorry, buddy, but a 5pt. harness is a little hard even at two.  So cute!  We had an early lunch and then went to Dairy Queen for ice cream.  After that we went to the park where he enjoyed the swing for a LONG time!  Here are a few pictures from our day!  Happy birthday, B!  Kayla loves you so much and I'm so glad to be a part of your every day life!