Disney Princesses

We had a wonderful family weekend. On Friday evening, Emma was adorn in Snow White apparel and we joined hundreds of other little princesses to see Disney's Princesses on Ice. I don't know if I enjoyed the ice skating show or seeing all the little girls in their costumes more. Emma was in heaven and I enjoyed myself quite a bit too. I think Adam even had fun. I want to make a point to do more things just as a family. We probably can't afford to see ice skating every weekend but a picnic every now and then, just the three of us, wouldn't hurt. We did have a little fright after the show. (Did that sound English?) We were headed down the escalators with a huge crowd behind us and Emma's shoe string got stuck in it when we were trying to get off. A lady behind us started yelling, "keep moving, keep moving". Luckily, I think quick in those type of situations and I just took her shoe off and left it. The string eventually broke and we got the shoe back. I was about ready to strangle this lady for being so rude and apathetic about our peril until I realized that she wasn't trying to be rude at all but that she was in fact thinking about the well being of my child. Had they all stopped, then they would have soon fell on top of her. I could stop and make a God illustration here but you people are smart, I'm sure you can handle it. Anyway, it was a lovely evening and I will admit to you that Disney brought the little girl out in me and even I did a little dreaming about being a beautiful princess in a long dress dancing with my prince (Adam of course :)). Oh the magic of being a little girl and dreaming big.

On Saturday morning, I left Emma with Adam and went shopping by myself. I also will admit to you that I enjoyed myself with this too. I actually tried on the clothes in the store instead of waiting until I got home. I got a couple of great deals.

Saturday afternoon we went to Emma's friend Anna's birthday party. It was at a gymnastics place and we of course, had lots of fun. Again, wonderful weekend where we got to spend lots of family time together.

Today, I registered for school. Yep, I'm going to school again. I felt like a teenager which is good because in reality I'm getting old. I'm turning 28 on Thursday! It's crazy. But that's ok because Adam is turning 30. Anyway, so I start classes tomorrow. It's weird. I've got to go to school tomorrow. Wow. Well, that's it in a nutshell. Pray that I still know how to study!

Until next time... I hope you get your prince or princess as the case may be.

Love from above,

Dana

Happy New You!

A couple years ago we went to a youth rally right before New Years. One of the speakers did a talk about starting the year a new as a new you. We went around the whole weekend saying Happy New You! instead of Happy New Year. I don't even know who the speaker was but the thought has always stuck in my head. We had a wonderful Christmas and I'm going to tell you about that in a minute but first, I want to tell you what I love about starting a new year. When I was a child, Christmas would end and I would always feel a little down. I spent the day with a couple of the teens, Sam and Anna yesterday and I could definately sense this with them. It was like we had this huge build up for months and then we woke up Christmas morning, opened the presents, headed to my grandmothers house and by the time we got home that evening, the signs of Christmas were already beginning to fade. At the risk of sounding like an old person... I am glad to see Christmas go... I think that it could be that Christmas is possibly the season that I give the least attention to "the reason for the season" Jesus. I'm ashamed to say it but it's true. It is a busy time... We cut bible lessons short, by the time we get to bed, we are so tired that we make bible stories quick. I don't know if there is a way to prevent that.. I hope in the years to come I'm more successful in celebrating the true meaning of Christmas. But for now, the calendar has rolled over, and it gives me a reason to remember what Jesus did for me and that the slate is clean not just once a year but continuously. So, in celebration of the true meaning of Christmas, Happy New You!!

We made a very loooonnng journey to Alabama. Emma was very pleasant in our travels. On the way home, we were in the car for 14 hours and she did not fuss once. We made many McDonalds play land stops along the way and Emma now has friends in every state from here to Alabama even though she doesn't know their names.

We were visited by some friends and family at my moms on Friday before Christmas. On Saturday, we left Emma to be spoiled rotten by my mother while Adam and I went on a last minute scavanger hunt for some of those hard to find Christmas gifts. We were very sucessful in our endeavors and even had time for lunch with our good friends Johnny and Jenny Brown. On Christmas Eve, we had dinner with my life long friend Kristen and her husband Brian. Emma and her little boy Camden had so much fun playing together. I really think they love each other and I can't help but wonder if it's because they know that their mommies love each other so much. I have to give my wonderful mother a huge thanks for letting us totally invade her house and preparing all kinds of food for me to be able to have all these people over to her house. I'm sure your mother is great but she can't possibly be as wonderful as mine :) Unless, you are Denise of course.

On Sunday, we opened gifts and then headed on to Adam's parents where we opened gifts again. I was completely thrilled to find out that Adam's mom was buying us a new dishwasher. Mine broke right before Thanksgiving and we went through the whole holiday season washing dishes by hand. Now I know that that's how people used to do it but frankly, it stinks and I enjoy modern technology. She also gave me a Roomba vacuum. I don't know if you're familiar with the Roomba but again, great modern technology. It vaccums itself. Those two items should give me back about 25 hours of every week. That's a whole extra day!! While we were at Adam's parents, we went to Dothan and met up with the White's from PC and had a nice visit with them. On Tuesday, we started our long journey back on. We had a wonderful time visiting with our families!

Since we have been home, we have started potty training.. yet again, but we are having much more success this go around. I think it's because of the big girl bed with a princess cover and princess pillow I have promised Emma. Hey, whatever works. Anyway.. Emma is up so it's time for me to go. Until next time, Happy New You!

Love,

Dana

It's nine degrees outside!! Brr

Aunt Jan taught Emma some words in Spanish when she was visiting this summer. Since then, we've been working on our Spanish vocabularies. We know some body parts, how to count and a few phrases. We went to the church last night to help with the benevolence Christmas packages. On the way home, she kept telling me she didn't want to go home. Then she said, "How do you say I don't want to go home in Spanish"? LOL

Barking up the Wrong Tree

Yesterday, Emma told Adam "you're barking up the wrong tree". We laughed, a lot and when I asked her where she heard that, she said, "Big Bird". Man she kills me. Never a dull moment. This is going to be a fun Christmas. She's loving it.

This morning, we were making Christmas cookies and she kept sticking her fingers in the batter. I told her to quit sticking her fingers in the batter and she said, "I'm not, this is my thumb" and showed me a batter covered thumb. She's a smart one.

I thought this was cute, and appropriate:

NOW HIRING

POSITION:
Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy, Momma,Ma

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT &PROMOTION:
Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

Happy Holidays!!

Dana

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!

There is a good reason for my lapse in updates. We've been having too much fun. We've had play groups and play dates and craft days and more. Several weeks back I wrote a post saying that I was down and missing my friends and that I hadn't really made any here yet. Don't get me wrong I still miss my friends in PC and Alabama but God must have heard my pleas. I always know that when I've gone through a tough time, that something really good is coming because the tough times are Satan trying to stop the good. In the last couple of weeks it feels like we have gotten over some kind of hump. It seems like some of the relationships that we have been trying to develop are coming through. Also, we've seen some things here recently come out of the kids in the youth group where we're like, "yeah, that's what it's all about, that's why we're here". Some times it amazes me how clearly a teenager can think. I just love it when God does those little things and it's as if He's saying, "Don't worry, I got it, I know what I'm doing".

I got my first experience driving on snow last night. It was a little scary but exciting too. I kept having this urge to do doughnuts but I refrained. My friend Sam had her baby last night and she called me to sit with her little boy until her family could get there. I got to the hospital around 5:45 and there wasn't a snow flake falling and by the time I left at 7:30 the roads were covered. It was crazy. Most of it melted away and we were just left with a little on the grass and a few slick spots today but we did get enough to have a little snowball fight when we got home to last night. Our neighbors must have thought we were crazy. Just the three of us, in the dark throwing snow balls. Oh what fun!

We took Emma to see Santa the other night. She did pretty good. She went right to him and got up in his lap but then she kind of froze and wouldn't say anything. When she got down, I said, "you didn't tell Santa what you want". She said, "Maybe we can write him a letter". We went back today and she saw him again and she told him she wanted dress up clothes. When we got in the car to leave she said, "wait, Santa didn't give us my dress up clothes". These things can be quite confusing for a two year old. Tonight, Adam and I just stared at her for about ten minutes watching her rearrange ornaments on the Christmas tree. I think we both were thinking, "how did we get here" the past two years have flown. Some times she seems so adult.

Tonight, I went to a Christmas party with my Mom's club. It was so much fun. I really like those girls. I love what we do but some times it's nice just to get to be me and not the youth minister's wife.

Well, I could go on and on but I need to go to bed.

Merry Christmas everyone!! Just 15 more days!

Love,

Dana

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT?

I want to hear opinions on this. What is your belief on Corporal punishment of children (spanking)?

Wow, a lot of catching up to do. Since, I last wrote, we traveled down to see my family. Adam had a youth conference in Nashville and we dropped him off and went on down to Alabama. It was very nice to get to spend some time with my family and my mother was so very nice and got Emma up in the mornings and let me sleep in. It was lovely. I think that is the first time I've done that since Emma's been born. My mom and I did a little shopping, and I got to spend some time with some of my friends from high school and their kids.

We met up with Adam's parents in Nashville on the way back and they followed us back home to celebrate Thanksgiving. We had a nice visit and they spoiled my child rotten. It's really probably a good thing that we don't live close. On Wed. It snowed maybe a half an inch. I was very excited and was expecting more to accumulate over night so, I was waiting for Thursday to get pictures. The strangest thing happened, it melted over night. I'm sorry but that is just weird to me. The few times it snowed in Alabama, it happened over night. And here, it melted over night. Oh well, please excuse the pun but... you snooze, you lose. I'm looking forward to more. Adam's mom even bought us this snow sliding thing. Along with half of every store we went in while she was here.

Emma was very excited about the snow "she ran in circles yelling, "It's snowing, It's snowing". A couple times, I would find her just staring out the window. Anyway, we had a good holiday but I'm ready to get back into our normal routine although it won't be long before Christmas. I can't believe how fast its sneaking up.

Ok, Emma said something really funny.. Lynn had these things called greenies that she gives her dog. They are shaped like a toothbrush so she explained to emma that they were a doggie toothbrush and that's how they clean Spikes teeth. The next day, Lynn asked her if she wanted to give Spike a greenie and Emma said, "Actually, it's a doggie toothbrush".

Well, that's all I have for you tonight. I've been trying not to give this computer as much of my time.

Please pray for our ministry!

Love from Above,

Dana

It's Snowing!!!

We're leaving tomorrow. Adam is going to a youth ministry conference in Nashville. I'm dropping him off and going on to Alabama but tonight in West Virginia, it's snowing!! It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!! :)

Fun Week!

Thank God I have a two year old to help me make friends. We've had a really good week. On Monday, we had a play group at Julie's house. It was a lot of fun and really nice for me to get to sit and talk with the other moms. On Tuesday, we went and toured Mr. Bee's Chip Factory. I was going to post some pictures from that but how interesting can pictures of potato chips be? After the tour, we went to the mall and played at the play area and then Emma and I had lunch with Julie and Anna. It's really cute because Emma and Anna really have taken a liking to each other. Anna kept calling Emma sister. When we got home Emma said to me, "Anna is my friend, but she calls me sister". We had a wonderful bible study at ladies bibles study Wed. I want to share something from that with you all but I'm going to share it with the girls at heart to heart first. My class went really well on Wed. night. We talked about prayer and then we made prayer journals. Most of the kids really seemed excited about doing it. I had twelve kids in my class. Five of them were from Powell. I think that's the largest class I've had so far. Then yesterday.. busy busy day. It started off with a sweet suprise. Sam and Anna we're feeling sorry for me because I had a bad week last week and they sent me flowers. Thank you Sam and Anna, that was so sweet. And, it did brighten my day. Last night, I had a Southern Living party which had a great turnout and then we had a lock-in with the teenagers. I left the lock in at two to come home but while I was there, the kids seemed to be having a good time and we had several visitors there too.

Emma constantly amazes me with the new things she comes out with. The other day, we came in the living room and she said, "The sun is shining. The sun is a huge star". I bought a map of the US and we've started talking about where the different people we love live. She can already point out several of the states. I guess I'm going to have to learn them with her because I don't even know where all the states are. She is so inquisitive. I hope I can just stear her so that she keeps such a strong desire to learn.

You can see by the picture of Emma in the leaves that most of them have fallen off the trees by now. Winter, here we come!!

Please pray for our ministry!!!

Love from above,

Dana

Powell

Pictures are from TAG Thursday night

Ok, here is my promised post about Powell. I have written before about how our church busses over some kids from a housing development to church. And, that Melissa Ogden, our teens, and our interns started a vacation bible school type thing with them on Thursday night. Also, we have began to have church on every fourth Sunday night at Powell. Well, some of the adults from Powell are coming to church now too. And, one got baptized the other night. Hip Hip Hooray. We had a planning session Thursday night before TAG and I’m going to go into detail about that but first, I want to tell you about TAG. Btw TAG is the thing we do with the kids on Thursday night. I have no idea what it stands for.

Joe came in and talked to them about Jesus feeding the 5000. That so happened to be one of the miracles that we discussed in my class on Wed. I had a very proud moment when many of the kids raised their hands because they knew the story. They were so excited. It was so neat. They are really learning about God!! It feels really good to get to be able to be a part of that. One little boy, Justin asked Joe if he could ask some questions. Joe thought that he wanted to ask questions about the story he was telling. Joe said, “yes” and Justin jumped up and started asking all the other kids questions about things we have been talking about in class like he was the teacher. It was really cute.

Ok, the planning session.

First of all, I will say that I think this could very well be the most important ministry for our church. When I think, If Jesus was living my life right now, what would he be doing? I think this very likely would be it. So having said that..

Here are two of our goals for Powell this year.

Get more people (especially adults) involved in this ministry.
Like I said, this is a very important ministry. God has put a mission field in our back door. We don’t need to over look this opportunity. I am praying for God to send workers!!

To start a pantry for the Powell residents. This pantry will contain essential items that can’t be bought with food stamps. Things like: toiletries, diapers, medicines, and cleaning supplies. We sent a sign up sheet around church for people to sign up to bring some of these items and had a very good response. I am really excited about this new program. I really feel like this will be a way to reach some people. If you read this and feel inclined to donate something please do!! Also, we definitely will accept money donations and do the shopping for you. Regardless, please pray for this ministry.

Love from above,

Dana


PS: Emma and I tourned Mr. Bee's chip factory with our Mom's Club today. Check back soon for pictures from that