Abound!

Our Rummage to Rome Garage Sale is over and we were blessed beyond blessed by the amount of stuff that was donated to us to sell! It was a lot of work but the rewards were great! I am so very grateful to Ann, Steve, Donita, Laura, Natalie, Kirk, Auggie & Caitlin for donating their things which helped raise support for our mission to Italy. Blessed by their generosity!

We are finally sitting down tonight and reflecting on yet another day of feeling God's abounding love and knowing that He has everything in His hands! Watching things shift and puzzle pieces falling into place... watching hearts be stirred... lives dovetail together... makes my heart shout for Joy! I love how God's faithfulness is never-ending! Better is one day in God's presence then thousands elsewhere!

Go, go, go....

It's been a lot of go, go, go for me the past few weeks... months... year.... you ever have days like this where you think to yourself, "does the to-do list ever end?" Well, I am knee deep in garage sale madness tonight and although I was planning on being asleep by now, I am still awake and thought I would be productive and blog.

I am incredibly thankful tonight for wonderful family (I've stayed at Kirk & Natalie's a lot in the past few weeks), and friends (who've donated a TON of things for our sale)... and mostly I am thankful to God for meeting me right where I'm at; and at this moment.. it's mostly exhausted and a tad stressed (and by a tad I might mean a TON!).

I have a wonderful circle of teammates praying for me and enjoyed a night of prayer with most of the girls on my team last night... my heart is full of thanks for that! I needed to just hear voices raised to God on my behalf.. what a joy it is to lift each other up in prayer! So thank you all who are praying for me and I ask that you pray for good weather tomorrow, Friday and Saturday as we have our "Rummage to Rome Garage Sale". Looking forward to letting go of excess and preparing for our mission overseas next summer.

If you want to come to the sale address is: 1141 Ivy Avenue Crete, NE

Sale starts 1pm-6pm Thursday!

Friday 8-5

Saturday 8-2

Friday Fun!

It's Friday and I am sorting through loads of garage sale things putting nice little stickers with prices on them! Yay for getting things done! I am spending the next few nights at my brother and sister-in-laws so that I can accomplish as much as possible before next weekend. Wow.. how time flies... next weekend is our big sale! Rummage to Rome is looking to be very promising, still have a few loose ends to tie up though. However, today I accomplished setting up an ad on Craig's List and calling the Crete News to place an ad to run there as well. Needing to plan a trip into Omaha to load up our Durango with things from Michael's Aunt and Uncles basement.. they have been so kind to let us store stuff there!!

Looking forward to a lunch break with my nephew and sissy! Getting stuff done is so fun!! Hope your Fridays are blessed! Come see me next weekend for the sale! Here's the AD:

Rummage to Rome is a mission garage which will benefit missionaries who will be heading to Rome next summer. They are moving across the ocean without their stuff- so come buy it! You will find clothes for women, men, and children sizes 8-XL lots of variety in brand name apparel. Furniture from beds, chairs, kitchen table, pictures, appliances, and everything in between. Lots of Christmas decor (trees, ornaments, nativities, etc.) If you want it we'll have it! Moving Sale with a purpose!

1141 Ivy Ave. Crete, NE

Thursday July 28th: 1 P.M to 6 P.M.

Friday July 29th: 8 A.M - 5 P.M.

Saturday July 30th: 8 A.M. - 2 P.M.

*Last hour of sale Saturday we will be handing out bags and everything you can fit in a bag will be a $1.00!

Mama said there'd be days like this...

There are these kinds of days where you are so spent that emotion runs high. I am quite tired tonight and have spent the last week being busy and functioning on very little sleep. My dad was in the hospital last Wednesday night came home on Friday, then had to go back to the hospital on Saturday night and plans to come home tomorrow. He's doing much better now and thankfully all tests look to be great. God is good!

As you read in my earlier blog we were in KC last Wednesday-Friday. So, I was already feeling a bit tired! We had friends over on Saturday night (wonderful time!!), then Sunday morning got the call about my dad and were off to Papillion to visit him in the hospital. After visiting we went to my brother Kraig's for the Women's World Cup Soccer game (sad results!). I stayed with my mom last night along with my brother Kirk and we enjoyed fellowship and helped her out with the dog and she was thankful that she had someone in the camper with her.

This morning went back to the hospital and got the good results about my Dad and were off towards home (thanks Michael for coming to get me!). It's been a whirlwind couple of days for sure! I am tired and thankful all at the same time... so glad I am able to be near my family in times like this. The laughter my family can share at all times never ceases to amaze me... only us could enjoy the language of the nurses and laugh when the nurse is telling us that, "I'm sorry he's gone (for testing)." and my brother Kirk says, "He's gone? We just talked to him," in this fake grieved voice.. the nurse laughed and said it was good that we had such a good sense of humor... we laughed all the more and when we told my dad his response to that was, "You should have asked if I went peacefully!" ahhh we are too much!! :) We are the family who in ICU has to have the door shut due to the spontaneous laughter that explodes down the hall if the doors open... our view on life is fun.. we embrace each obstacle with humor... you should hear the enema story... hahaha.. (but seriously, it's funny!)

However, tonight I am really very tired and have had an emotional roller coaster of feelings.... I've cried a lot and I should probably be in bed, but am going to have a cup a tea due to a sore throat I'm fighting.. my emotions are a bit raw tonight and I needed to be reminded about the joy of laughter...

Office Hours

We are home after a few days spent in Kansas City at Avant Headquarters/Training Center. It was time well spent! We enjoyed meeting a fresh group of missionaries going through the COP (Candidate Orientation Program). We were one of them just one year ago. I loved connecting with and talking to so many wonderful people, their hearts and words blessed mine tremendously. Sharing their journey and struggles and hearing the way that God brought them to where they are now. I loved hearing their stories and talking until 2:30am one night. The lack of sleep while we were there was so worth it! We are praying about each of them and asking God to fill in those empty spaces on our team. The bigger our team the better!! :)

My hubby Michael blogged about his time down there in KC and really encapsulated so well the feelings we experienced while buzzing around the office. There were so many people we had a chance to get to know better and feel like they got to know us better too!! Praising God for so many wonderful conversations with the staff!!

Take a look at Michael's blog and see what he said:

http://koinoiawithmichael.blogspot.com/2011/07/re-charge.html

Family. Friends. Fireworks!

Celebrating with loved ones is wonderful isn't it? Laughing with one another, inside jokes, long standing nicknames, favorite foods, being known in such a way that allows you the freedom to just be... These are the things that make up our 4th of July gathering each year. Knowing it'll be your last of these for awhile is so bittersweet. I know that we'll be friends forever and that when we get back to the States we'll have more 4th of July celebrations together. I also know that while we are away serving in Italy I will miss them terribly and the 4th of July next year will be hard without them!

However, the sadness is mingled with anticipation for what is yet to come. I know that we are doing God's will and that our missionary calling will hold more joy than I can even fathom, but there are times where these "lasts for awhile" are hard.

We played Startzer Olympics and drew our team members from a hat and my team won! The funny thing is Caleb was all bummed when he found out I was on his team, but he was one proud boy after watching me win in the three legged race with Monique. We rocked it out! Kevin and Caleb did an awesome job in the water balloon toss.. it was so much fun racing against everyone and I have to admit quite fun beating Michael... who is used to winning. ;)

I enjoyed every moment, ate all my holiday favorites (calico beans, strawberry pretzel dessert, monster cookies, and cheesy potatoes!) until I was overly filled, and laughed until I cried and my sides hurt. It was a day to remember! Here's a peek into the days events...

Faith & Julia

Tradition of writing our names with smoke bombs

Caleb blowing things up

Forever Friends! (amazing sisters!)

Our favorite lanters

Hug Life!

I love being an Aunt! Hanging out with my nieces and nephews is the best. We live pretty close to my family in Crete and we get to see them every Sunday for church and then in the summer it seems life slows down enough to see one another more. We have a pool at our apartment complex and it's a great magnet to cool down on hot days. We've had a lot of those hot days lately and I've had the pleasure of having lots of company. We lounge and chat... having many moments of laughter and as my kids like to say, "mom acts like a kid too". I do tend to let loose and enjoy the relationship that comes with being the Aunt. I think I'm a pretty cool one! ;) So, here's to many more days of summer... spending time with my nieces and nephews.... knowing next summer won't look the same. I am breathing deep the moments this summer... ahhh and what a summer it's been so far!!