Happy 2-gether

Cool Customers: A very ingenious Dalmatian Party!!

2011 Siesta Scripture Memory Team: Verse 1!

I am so excited about the potential of what the power of God's Word is going to do through this opportunity to memorize 24 {yes I wrote 24} verses this year! I need the power of God Word to sustain me more than ever before. I feel that Daddy's death has really weakened my faith legs a bit...so what better to strengthen my faith...The Word! Wishing all of my family and friends a Christ-filled 2011!!!

Well, less than 4 months and our baby girl will be married. I am not sad at all! It is obvious to me that God has prepared me for His plan for her. I am incredibly proud of her and how she is handling the preparations for their wedding. If you have not read her blog, you should... It's incredible!
I have a lot of little things to iron out, but we have been blessed with great family and friends to help with the details! Hoping to get started on the craftiness of a Kids station tomorrow!!!

Ok so I have done a poor job of keeping up with my blog. I want to do better, I really do! This year is going to be great! I am being challenged by Scripture and some mission writers as never before. Wonder what God has planned for me? My favorite team won the National Championship on January 8th and our one and only "baby" girl is getting married on July 10th! WooHoo! Can you yell BLESSED? Well, this is just a get ready post to get me back into the swing of things. See ya later!

He is just the cutest! His parents and grandparents were thrilled to have us taking his picture. Children are a blessing and treasured beyond our wildest imagination in China. I will post more on this later. Everywhere we went in Beijing, families had their small children outside playing in the parks. With nothing but high rise apartment buildings, they treasure outside adventures. But I kept noticing something everywhere we went....



little heinies shining everywhere. I really thought the heat may have been getting to me at first. Finally, I asked Dana and Natalie if they were seeing the same thing. All the toddlers had split pants on with nothing underneath!!! I asked a young mother about it later and she told me they use the split pants for potty training. No pull - ups for them...just split pants and bare bottoms!!!! I bet it makes you young moms thankful for disposable diapers/pull ups! Can you imagine the funny stories if you used these? Not there....WAIT!!!!

Beijing 2009
I love China! These are two of the dresses we had made by some wonderful Chinese Tailors at the Silk Market. We got to pick out our material, style and the next thing you know we have beautiful, made to order dresses! We both ended up with two dresses and a tunic top each! Couldn't help ourselves. I'll post more from the trip soon!

As I sit here today, I am praying for my friend Courtney. She is something special. You can't help but fall in love with her sweet manner and her calmness. Everybody who knows me, knows that I am always at a break neck speed, going from one thing to another. Getting it all done so that tomorrow I can move on to the next thing. But not Courtney. Today, she sits by her son's bedside along with her husband, Jason, focusing on her sweet Tucker. He has his 3rd cancer in his short nine years. And the past few days have been difficult to say the least. But Court and Jason stay focused on Tucker. No distractions. FOCUS on the moment.
I am being taught volumes about faith watching them. I read this quote by Elisabeth Elliot on Saturday and I cannot get it out of my mind.

"The life of faith is lived one day at a time-
and it has to be 'lived' - not always looked
forward to as though the 'real' living were
around the corner. It is today for which we
are responsible - God still owns tomorrow."

How many days do I find myself saying "if I can just make it to such and such day...then it's going to be GREAT". Or, "when I don't have this anymore it is going to be so much easier." When God meant for us to live by faith TODAY! Having our eye on the prize, yes, but living by faith today, as a witness for His Glory. And that is what Jason and Courtney are doing. Cherishing the day (TODAY) that God has given them. Not worrying about what comes tomorrow, but thankful for the gift of today. I hope you will join me in prayer, lifting Tucker, Courtney, Jason and Lily up to Jesus.

"The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Is. 40:28-29.