Fun Times with Friends

-

These past couple of weeks, we have had lots of fun seeing some wonderful friends we have not seen for a while.

Our flurry of visits started off when our friend, Brittnee was in town for the Sidewalk Prophets concert. The next day she came over to say hi to Faith and to hand-deliver the gift she bought for Faith when she was in Disney World.

Faith was so happy to see her and of course continues to ask when Brittnee is coming over again.

Britnee and Faith 
Another friend who came up to visit drove all the way from Kansas with her husband and her sister. She and her husband got to share with Faith that there is a baby in Kimberly's tummy! 

We are so happy for them, and we know that Kimberly is going to be a great mom! She took such good care of Faith for us when she lived here, and it was with Kimberly that Faith started playing with her doll and together they named her Baby Allie.

Faith, Kimberly and Melanie getting baby Allie dressed


Two of my college roomies were also in town last week. Mary and Keri are both agricultural education teachers in Bowman and Powers Lake, North Dakota. It was fun to get together with them and hear about their many teaching stories! I saw Mary earlier this summer and I was so glad to see her again along with Keri who I haven't seen for about five years.

Mary and I got thrown together in college at NDSU while living in the dorm, Dinan hall and Keri lived just a couple of doors down. The next year we all got an apartment together.

We had lots of laughs living together and I pretty much survived my first two years of college on their cooking! I really hope we can all get together more often!

Cari, Keri, and Mary together again! 

Not too long ago, some friends of ours moved from Sidney, Montana to Washburn and we have been planning on driving there to visit them. We did manage to make the 35-mile trip this past Saturday and had a blast seeing them!

I brought some dresses and a coat that Faith had outgrown for Aubryn and Rob managed to round up some LEGO for the boys. They are quite an amazing family as Greta home-schools all of them and the older kids are involved in Junior Bible Quiz.

Faith hanging out with the Sago kids in Washburn

Fun with LEGO!

To finish off our week of socializing, my brother Todd and his wife Barbara came over and we had a great time listening to them as they shared about their missions trip to Kenya, Africa and showed us over 1,000 amazing photos.

They had some great stories including the bus getting stuck on a dry riverbed bottom and the story about Barbara talking to the animals - the crow that quacked and also the goats.

There were also sad stories too as Barbara hand-fed a little baby who hadn't eaten for two days simply because the family had no food. Their mission had been to build a church for a tribal people living in a village called Korr, outside of Nairobi, Kenya. They accomplished their mission and over 400 people came to the Lord.


A new church being built in Kenya

Now that all of our visiting is over and done with, it's on to the next big event - getting Faith ready for school!

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular Posts

My Little Vacay to Nebraska

-
Image
When one thinks vacation, they probably don't think about Nebraska, especially in November! But when I heard that a friend of mine was going be having surgery in Omaha, I began thinking about how great it would be to go down that way, especially since my sister, Tesa has lived in Lincoln for 17 years, and I have never had the chance to visit.  Lo and behold, my dad had also been talking about heading South to Texas in November to hunt wild pigs. My two respite care workers were available to look after Faith starting on a Friday morning through Tuesday evening. All I had to do was book a flight so I could get back home.  Despite all the details falling into place, I was still anxious about it. I haven't flown since Faith was a baby, so I was especially nervous about that part. I prayed about it and believed that everything would be okay.  On the morning of my departure, Faith woke up just in time and her respite care staff was able to get her dressed and take her to her day prog
Read more

Some Thoughts on World Prematurity Day

-
Image
November 17 marks World Prematurity Day . One might wonder why awareness needs to be raised about premature births. Well, I can tell you firsthand that it is a really good thing when more people are aware of the risks and complications, not to mention the emotional toll, of having a baby born too early. Having a baby born prematurely is not something most expectant parents think about until it happens to them. Most moms-to-be who first learn they are pregnant automatically think they have seven or eight months to prepare for one of the biggest days of their life. Expectant parents usually have one response when asked if they are hoping for a boy or a girl - "As long as the baby's healthy." But sadly, sometimes that's not always the case - especially if the baby is born too early. I will never forget the book I was reading shortly after finding out I was pregnant with Faith - "What to Expect When You're Expecting." It was a great resource that o
Read more

Faith Turns 21!

-
Image
 Faith's 21st birthday was on Friday the 25th and it ended up being an all-day celebration! She didn't sleep well the night before, so I was a little concerned she would run out of steam, but she just kept going! It ended up being a beautiful fall day, so I didn't even need to put a jacket on her, which is rare for the end of October.  Faith in her new birthday shirt!  This year, she was able to bring cupcakes to HIT. Last year, due to the dietary restrictions of her peers, she didn't bring any treats. This year, however, she is a new room, where they truly love their snacks! After I dropped her off, I raced around like a maniac getting her ballons, presents, and everything else ready for the surprise party we would be having at the end of the day.  Faith with some of her staff making a cupcake delivery.  When I picked her up from her day program, I informed her that some friends of mine that I worked with wanted to give her a special birthday treat. So, we made our way
Read more

Guest Post: Who Needs Sympathy?

-
Image
Guest Post by Stephen Gallup Last week, a columnist for the local newspaper interviewed me in connection with a memoir I wrote that’s being published this year. It was a comfortable, low-key discussion in which he asked about the basic facts regarding my disabled son Joseph and what I’ve learned that might be of value to other families. It was the sort of dialog that required no special preparation in advance. I just sat down with him and talked about the subject closest to my heart. But looking back on it now, one thing bothers me. In concluding the interview, the reporter expressed heartfelt sympathy for everything I’ve endured. He was being more than polite. I mean, he laid the compassion on with a spatula. Startled, and already thinking ahead to what I had to do next that day, I just thanked him and said goodbye. But now that final note troubles me. I don’t want sympathy! First of all, from the point of view of a new author hoping to promote his book, sympathy
Read more