Esther dresses up

Esther opens her pretty new Christmas dress, Esther dresses herself in royal garb (or rags), Daddy's t-shirt, getting some air outside, mommy's skis err- shoes.

good trip

For all of those wondering if Lance ever made it home from the Czech Republic..... he did!!
Safe and sound. He had a wonderful trip, and said it only felt like he had been gone for a day. (wish I could've said the same... :) He worked with the small children and youth, and was greatly appreciated. He enjoyed going back to the country he has visited two previous times. Czech is a beautiful place, with a great need for Christ.

Huzzyband

I really miss my husband, or as I call him, my huzzyband. He is currently in the Czech Republic, which is far, far away. Esther asked for daddy today, and I said, "he still isn't home, Esther. Do you know where he is?" she smartly answered, "across the ocean, in Iowa." Close, but no cigar. These past few days have been really good for my prayer life, but hard on the heart. It's so silly, I know.... so many people do this all the time. Single parents, busy business parents, and so on. I just don't know HOW they do it. I guess you learn to really lean on God. A whole week without Lance is like a whole week of lukewarm showers. You still get the job done, but it's not very fun. I'm not saying I'm not glad he can do this trip to help the missionaries over there, I just miss him on this end. :) Praying for you, Sweetie.

fall time

It was a lovely fall day a couple weeks ago, and we spent much of the day playing in the leaves.

Really really sweet

The kids were quiet for two minutes. I knew something was up. Upon further investigation, I found them both huddled over an object in the porch. They were reluctant to let me see.... the SYRUP container they had successfully opened, seal and all. They were enjoying themselves. A lot. Esther had even managed to create her own "melting pot" experience. She found an old, crusty piece of bread and dunked it in the bottle. Only problem was that she couldn't get it back out. I managed not to let them see me laughing hysterically, and Lance and I eventually got them all cleaned up. Pretty creative.

This morning

This morning came early. For me, anyway. I'm pregnant, and I really would love to just sleep the day away... but I can't. Life happens, all the time! Lance left to meet a friend for biblestudy at 5:45 am. That's the middle of the night. ( in my world) Hans woke up at 6:00am. It was dark, and stormy, and man, I wished it were night. I was so mad. I played dead for a while, but he started getting noisy. I told him to come lay on Daddy's side of the bed, and he did. One thing that really changes for me during pregnancy is sense of smell. It is heightened to an insane height, and really makes me wonder some days if people can die from over-smellness. Anyway, Mr. Hans doesn't understand the unspoken rule in our house about no pooping before 7 am. That's ususally not a problem for anyone, since we're SLEEPING. Eventually, he got bored and went back to driving his noisy new toys from his birthday. Too late. The stench had already stained the lining of my nostrils, and I was really irrate. I told God how mad I was and that it was already a terrible day and I hadn't even gotten out of bed yet, and blah blah blah. I felt like I was supposed to read my bible. I told God I wasn't quite in the mood yet. He waited for me. I felt bad for telling Him that, and read it anyway. I opened up to Psalms, and read over and over about how we need to praise God all the time. Basically, "if you have breath, Praise Him." Rats. I guess I still had breath even though it was hard to breathe that cloudy air... I got kind of frustrated again. "God, why are you always RIGHT?!" I decided to give it a shot. He deserves it no matter what is going on. He's God, and that doesn't change what He requests of us. So, I praised Him in the wee hours of dawn. I still didn't have an awesome morning, but you know what? That doesn't matter. He matters. He loves us. Let's praise Him because He conquered a lot more than just stinky air. He conquered death. That's a wake-up call! Thank you, Jesus.

New blogs to check out

I admit it, I don't really know this woman , but she has really spoken to my heart recently. I found her site on a friend's blog, and have absolutely loved reading her postings. She is the wife of "Selah's" Todd (the Christian music group). Todd is one of three vocalists in the group, and has an amazing story. If you're looking for an incredible display of God's hand at work, check this out. She's hilarious (read the "chicken" story) but also shares the deepest sorrows of her heart, and how God is using that for His glory. "Bring the Rain".

Another new one.... Laura Westrum is originally from the metro area here in MN, and now is over in Romania. She is a principal in her school, and a missionary. She is a great source of inspiration, and shows what real life looks like as a missionary over-seas. She works hard for God's kingdom!!
check out "Westrum Wanderings."