Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit.
It’s actually possible to update your blog via your iPhone:).
After Monday night’s windstorm in Georgia, Comcast has been out of service for different areas ’round these parts…and we just happen to be one of those it’s out for. Because Comcast provides our Internet, phone and cable, we’ve without all 3 since Monday night! On top of that fun, out AT&T cell service isn’t so great at our house any time…so I have dropped off the radar all week in more ways than one! I have lots of email catching up to do that is for sure!
Pictures of our fun to come but momma got brave on day 2 of kiddos spring break and took the whole crew to Fernbank museum. It was a hit for the kids AND the other 1,000,000 kids whose moms had the same idea! Thankfully I ran into a dear friend (thanks Shannon!) who helped me round up my wild bunch from the nature exhibit…and we made it out of there and safely home for naps (dispite the gazillon road detours from fallen trees from the windstorm!)
Today momma got her first speeding ticket in about 10 years…female police officiers don’t seem as compassionate to minivan moms…and I actually had a really good reason although I was technically speeding so I’ll pay the price and avoid that speed trap in the future!
I’m packing my bags to head out with my Created for Care sidekicks Christy Elphick and Susan Hillis as we fly out to Denver for the weekend to learn lots at the Empowered to Connect Conference! So excited that they encouraged us to come so we can pick some topics for their ministry to share at the next Created for Care Retreat!
Ok…can’t wait to share pictures from the museum of my little ones hopefully as soon as the Comcast man fixes our service. He is coming out conveniently between 8am to 1pm;)
Here is some Young family trivia for you…can anyone guess what special day today is???? (Hint: On this day last year something BIG happened!)
Hope you all on spring break are enjoying it…and soooo looking forward to Denver ahead! Any one else gonna be there???
Have a wonderful trip!!! I can’t wait to hear all the fabulous things that you will learn, and your travel buddies – jealous 🙂 Happy referral-iversary!!!
I know, I know! (imagine all the kids raising their hands and about to jum out of their seats!:) your referal anniversary….how far you have come in a year! so you did fernbank….you want to tackle the zoo???? We got a pass and would love to take your crew! That would be 7 kids if we waited for the big ones to get out of school…easy, right? have a great weekend!
We of course rang in the new month with April Fool’s Day on Friday. Richard has recovered from the phone call he got from me asking why the painters were painting our house green–there were no painters of course…but he had just gotten an estimate to have the shutters, trim and back of the house painted–and green over the brick wasn’t part of the plan NOR was doing it on Friday. SO..that is how we rang in our new month.
My girl and I had a special day together today…our Sunday’s are always special for us girls…and L and I always take our Sunday day of rest quite seriously with our special Sunday nap together…me and my girl before church today…
We had all kinds of excitement here last week too…we got a little lesson on what snakes are poisonous and which are not which daddy-o found this guy in the yard…
No worries–just a little brown snake–completely harmless to humans…and the boys sure thought it was cool…
Laney and I just squeal…snakes are not our thing no matter how small or harmless they are.
My kids asked last week about the donuts I made them–and they wanted to know if they were African donuts…I told them they were actually called Danish pancakes (tis true). And Rich quickly informed the children they were “from Dane of course”. Oh the confusion my kids will have with this crazy daddy!
A sweet reminder…
A few weeks ago, I got the most precious email from a blog reader about how God had used a post in her life that I posted last March. I really do not think that post is from me–but just a sweet, loving and beautiful reminder from our Creator. It was on my heart to share this again–so maybe it’s a reminder for someone who just happens to read it that also needs this reminder of God’s purpose that some times must first travel through pain…
Some times things happen in a way I would never have planned, and I’ll be the first to admit that often instead of raising my hands to trust my Savior, that instead–I am completely distracted by the “snow”.You know…when it seems like everything is planted just right—your cup is full…and then something comes by and shakes it up…and everything doesn’t seem so clear or easy any more.
You see, when you are inside the globe—some times you just see the snow…the mess…
…and you have to step back and ask the Lord for the miracle of seeing it from His perspective.
After all…He who is holding your globe has a purpose.
He who is holding your globe created it.
He who is holding your globe has overcome the world.
AND…to Him…it looks like what a child sees at Christmas when he shakes a snow globe. To Him, it’s beautiful…because He knows the rest of your story.
While you shake your head and wonder…
He is smiling—and amazed at His own creation and His perfect plan.
Will you trust Him with me?
I am praying that whoever that is for…that visual and those words encourage you. The sweet mom who emailed me how this story ministered to her–bought a snowglobe to keep by her bed as a reminder of God’s perfect plan for her life…through the storm and snow…that eventually their will be clarity. While to us in the middle of the snow being shook up, it doesn’t feel beautiful–but it is beautiful to He who holds it as He knows the snows purpose and the end of the beautiful story He wrote just for you.
We are at a place right now in our lives where the snow has hit the ground–and things seem beautiful as we are starting “to get” some of the past snows purposes. I’m so thankful He wrote our stories THIS way…a way I wouldn’t have planned or written myself…for this is far better than I could have imagined or dreamed myself.
Oh girl, I cannot tell you how badly I needed to read this this morning. Thank you thank you thank you! Love how God uses people in my life so often like you, who I’ve never even met personally, just through sharing what God puts on their hearts!
What a great visual reminder of God holding us in His hands. We are in the midst of one of those storms and not quite knowing which way is up. Thank you for posting.
Oh, Andrea, THANK YOU for re-posting this! For following God’s lead to post it again! Looks like many of us needed this perspective today! We, too, are in the middle of the blessing of adoption (from ET!), and it seems as though every time it looks like the storm might clear, another storm moves in, keeping our view quite blurry. I admit that I haven’t been focusing on the beauty of the storm, but when I stop and think about it, beauty abounds………..bless you. And that sweet precious heart of yours!
Dennis -April 6, 2011 - 7:20 am
That is a great illustration and I am so thankful of Christ holding my life in his hands.
Finally–it’s time for another “One of the Best Years of my Life” posts!!! Post 2 (and you’ll have to bear with me as I lead up to Post 5…I’ll get there eventually with some news in that post–but to understand it fully…Post 2, 3 and 4 must precede it!) I knew tonight was the perfect time to share Post 2…so here goes–the year he asked me to be his bride and I made the choice to follow Him and leave my dreams at the cross…no matter how good or full of God’s heart they might be.
If you missed how we met–that’s a must read before this one…the “match made in heaven post” prefaces this one. While the year I met my husband was a good one–the year that followed truly became one of the best years of my life…as the year we met was a quite confusing one for my heart. I was a first year teacher–and felt the tug to return to China…and then as my heart was sure–my knight in shining armor appeared…and I was torn and pulled and felt as if I must choose one or the other as he expressed and felt a different call. My journals during that year are full of wonder and emotion desperately wanting the Lord to give me an answer–to take my longing for China away or to take this new dream of marriage quickly away and send me quickly to a country my heart now felt it belonged.
After a 9 month courtship and many conversations about the future, Richard told me his Uncle Buck and Aunt Lesa were going out of town and needed his help in caring for their youngest son and Richard’s elderly grandparents (who are now with the Lord)…and he so kindly asked if I’d skip a trip with friends and come along to his grandparents instead. I had met them on many occasions–and his family was a breath of fresh air and in their presence I felt encouraged in my walk with the Lord…I agreed to go. I was thankful his grandparents lived in a guesthome set up on the same property as Uncle Buck and Aunt Lesa–as I could stay in their home while Richard stayed nearby in his grandparents new guesthome (as they had recently sold what we fondly call “The Big House” across the pasture) so they could be close for Aunt Lesa’s daily care.
I begged on the way up for him to stop at every antique shop we passed–but he insisted we get to the pasture he spent years playing in before the sunset–so my requests were declined and he insisted the antique shops in Columbia were far better those in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. We beat the sunset–and I barely had time to put my things in Lucy’s room–when we raced up the hill for him to show me “The Big House”, horses and pasture. I heard stories of boyhood–and then I looked to see him on one knee—and forgetting the internal struggles in my journals…I squealed–and said “YES!”
Sooo…this question now must be asked—Am I only the only girl in the world that was wearing overalls on when her husband proposed???
We danced…we laughed and he asked me to pray. And then we joined his grandparents for a meal in the guesthouse. I was too embarrassed to make the announcement to his beloved grandparents myself so I kept my left hand in my lap holding my napkin while smiling across the table at my beau. As you know Richard and his humor–began asking his Mama Ann to pass him different dishes…like“Mama Ann, could you pass the green rings–I mean green beans.” “Could you pass the rings, I mean ROLLS.”
And in the most Southern sweet, high pitched accent you have ever heard, she asked,“I do declare–I believe I keep hearin’ tha word RINGS? Is there somethin’ you wanna tell me???“, she asked.
Now–some of you may be thinking, “Seriously–you shared this moment in your lives with grandparents??” And I have to tell you that I couldn’t think of a better or sweeter way. For if you knew this couple–and the place they had in this world in so many hearts–you’d, too, be honored and thankful!!!
I showed them my hand, and Mama Ann jumped out of her seat. I’ll NEVER forget…Big Daddy asked for a round of pecan pie…and he pronounced it “PEE-CAN PIE”. And Mama Ann asked if anyone knew. Boy was she excited when we said no. She asked for the honors, and we laughed and were overjoyed to give this to her. She ran out of the room taking her roladex with her and we didn’t see her again at the table until she finished having her field day! Oh to have the memory of her sitting on her bedside squealing and sharing the news with anyone she could think of! What a blessing to have that moment!
This was our time of celebration. And it was sweet. But it was also very short…
10 short and sad days later, we lost Richard’s father to leukemia. We knew he was sick–but what I didn’t know is he wanted Richard to go ahead and ask me and encouraged him to go to the farm in Tennessee. He got to see one of his children become engaged and rejoice with us–but the weeks and months to follow were far from what we imagined our year before a wedding to be.
My happy beau was now distant…I never felt like I should or could plan–and surely never felt it was a time to look at bridal magazines. Instead, I was being prepared for marriage more than any magazine or book or even another wise counsel could give me. Instead of a spring wedding as we had dreamed for–we pushed it to summer. More time to heal–and more time for the family. And just like my year in China–this quickly became one of the hardest–yet one of the BEST years of my life.
I can’t describe what we went through in that year–times feeling we were no longer the same people…or we were different people than we thought we were. There was pressure on my shoulders to be more than I thought I could be to more people than I thought I could handle…and there were even times we sat wondering if the timing was just all wrong. We had to think back to before when heartache didn’t rule our days to how we felt–and through heartache and pain we fell in love with one another again and recommitted to our engagement to one another. I never looked at a bridal magazine even then–and I only visited one shop and picked out my dress and the bridesmaid dresses all in one quick visit. I was in the midst without realizing it of preparing myself for marriage instead of a wedding…and to me–none of that really mattered that much any more.
We went through months of premarital counseling–which resurfaced my feelings and heart for China. And at one point I had to meet alone with the counselor to ask questions about God’s will and express my heart. Can you leave Richard and just go to China? Or can you leave China and just follow Richard? Which one is the Lord calling you to?I made my decision–and the counselor knowing my struggle told me as a visual in my heart–when they opened the doors of the church, to imagine leaving China at the cross and walk toward Richard–trusting that if it was God’s will one day He would reopen this desire but this time in us both. I remember doing just that and taking a deep breath as I walked forward and said goodbye to what I once was sure was my calling in life. Now, my calling would be to follow my husband–where ever that might lead.
Along with saying goodbye to one dream–the heaviness of the grief we had just walked through seemed to hover over us as our wedding day approached. While joy was always there, I tried to always be sensitive to wedding talk and making sure it never covered up the reality of the changes in the lives around us. YET, in a strange way–hardship really led to the most beautiful day ever…
I always think to myself, “If you want a truly special day–then walk through tragedy together and come out holding hands–convinced that having each other is enough.” I can’t tell you the closeness everyone in that church felt with one another as we had just walked through hard times with so many sitting there. While the void of the bestman was there–so was the laughter as Richard’s two bestfriends, Jeb and Jed, walked in the room and each bridesmaid and groomsman filled Richard’s hand with pennies as they passed him and shook his hand. A pocket full of rattling pennies…it’s the little things that break the ice and help you enter into the joy of the moment.
This was the song that was sung at our wedding…still so special to me! And SO TRUE of our lives!!!
And we made a commitment…for richer or poorer…sick or health…even until death. I was his–and he was mine and we were one by a miracle of the Lord…one of the first of many miracles together…
After the ceremony–we danced…and we exited on a golf cart–quite appropriate for my golf loving husband
…UNTIL my dress got caught under the tire and he had to hold on to me to keep my from falling out while it tore my dress! Hilarious, right?!
Then, off to Banff, Canada we went–and he put me in castle…’cause he said I was both God’s daughter (a princess!) and his! And the funny stories of our honeymoon (almost getting eaten by a bear and picking up hitchhikers–both Richard’s doings…that’s for another post!) The Banff Springs Hotel made up for some of the craziness though…
And that my friends–is Post 2. Absolutely–hands down…one of THE best years of my life. And for these hard but amazing years–I am so thankful. And we are still dancing. Only now with 4 crazy little children dancing with us. God is SO GOOD! And I’m so thankful:)
yay! i love reading these stories and am excited for the next 3 installations. Joel and I had the same Bebo song sung at our wedding. LOVE it.
PS sorry for being a random commenter–though we did meet super briefly at the Wiphan Waddle (we were the family w/ 2 girls against the wall after the race–the same ones that know Shelly & Joy and are pursuing adoption in Uganda with Lifeline)
Awwww……such a sweet real-life story! So glad that God blessed you beyond your wildest imagination with your husband! Amazing what blessings follow when we let God lead us, huh?!?!? 😉 To many many more happy years!
April -April 2, 2011 - 3:08 am
Hey…u went to Banff!! That’s just one province from me:) I am glad u enjoyed it!
Wow, such a great story!!! I had the same song played at my wedding, and I too had to fight longings to go back to Germany or the Philippines after doing short term trips there and them both asking me to come teach there… but having to come home to pay off college loans first and then shortly after, getting engaged. I honestly have forgotten how much I wanted to go back and this is making me think about it again and wonder if God will somehow use all that someday to help me pursue some kind of international ministry like He has for you! 🙂
I loved this post, Andrea. Can’t wait for the next ones 🙂 I have to tell you, I was wearing overalls when my husband proposed to me too!! I always laugh when I look back at the pictures!
from the Young house. Ok–so people always stop me when I’m out in public with my little ones and say, “You have your hands full”..OR the new favorite is, “Not everyone can have a big family–you must have a lot of patience.” WELL…I have been told a time or twenty that I have a not normal amount of patience. I have also been told that I have a not normal amount of crazy. I guess it’s a good thing that those things seem to work well together. SOOO…if you like a quiet peaceful household–don’t watch these;-) Here is some of this week’s crazy at mi casa…
A peak into our normal Tuesday night craziness with the Denton crew…I just LOVE the craziness all over the place:)
Laney has decided she wants to design her own outfits now. SO…we spent $5 on a yard of fabric at Hobby Lobby and whipped out a skirt while we waited for our dinner casserole to cook. Here is Laney modeling her new skirt–AND I have to say FRANK cracks me up. THIS is his new thing–when you ask how old he is he says, “I FOUR!” Then you ask again and he says, “I FIVE!”…and then the 3rd time you ask–he’s finally TWO!
Question for YOU. Is it wrong to laugh at your child? What I really mean is…Is it wrong to laugh at your child when he hits his head on the swing and keeps right on going? Sorry–but for some reason (besides how fast he drives this tractor or how he changes gears) when he DUCKS going under the swing set and then bumps his head on the swing, Rich and I lose it every time!
Everyone needs these coaster cars…don’t YA THINK???
AND ISAAC’S JUMP has GOT to be one my new favorite things!!!!
Isaac’s OTHER big thing is he LOVES eating with a fork! We are learning!!! He is doing so GREAT! Here is ITY using a fork (hey…it’s the little things we get so excited about here!) and gobbling up Chicken and Biscuit casserole from the Wiphan cookbook!
Soooooo…I hope my crazy voice didn’t drive you crazy–and if you are from up North don’t make fun;). So, we thrive on craziness and fun here…and I’m so thankful for this season of life we are in!!! Hope you all are having a great week!
AND I have to tell you this one! You were ONLY able to view these videos because of a crazy little something that happened! Get this. I left my Flip Camera outside TWO days ago in a red foldable chair. It’s rained here for TWO days. I went outside remembering where it was left today and the chair was COMPLETELY FILLED with water and my Flip camera was completely UNDER water! It has been there for 2 days…ALL last night—all today in the rain–and all night tonight! Okay so maybe that is a day and a half..but STILL! SO…after sitting UNDER water for around 2 days…it STILL works perfectly! I was so sad at first to think I lost this fun footage and I was so excited to see that I didn’t that I just had to put all of it on my blog to share! I was so excited:). YAY!!!! Cool, huh?!
Last but not least–Tomorrow is an EXCITING day!!! I’m the mystery reader at Laney’s school and I’m reading Max Lucado’s The Oak Inside the Acorn. It is the MOST PRECIOUS book–and a friend gave it to Isaac right when he got home…and it is now one of my FAVORITES. Now…to collect 15 acorns and another little treasure before I go to read. AND THEN…a Created for Care meeting about getting our non-profit status!!! YAY! So many exciting things ahead!!!
oooooooh loved all these videos! 🙂 Oh to have all that land – makes me miss GA SO badly! Maybe someday God will move us there. 😉 YOu know I am going to have to get that Lucado book now. I haven’t heard of that one!
You should totally share with the company that manufactures your camera what a GREAT product they have! And, our plasma car is worth its weight in gold! Those things get goin’ FAST! 🙂
loved all these videos and yes im from the north and yes i loved your voice, i think its so cute! ;0) Your kids are precious and laney’s skirt is adorable and well frank on his tractor…he seems so content on that thing! ;0)
I LOVE your family videos!!! And I’ve said it before – but I love your accent. I wish we had one “up and over” here. I think it just makes everything sound more cheerful. Hugs to you and your sweeties.
such cute videos!! you don’t sound THAT country to me! probably cause that’s how we all sound down here =) you’ve GOT to see our videos of the girls driving the gold carts around the ranch! hilarious!
While Rico Suave and I have had our hands full over here more than usual–I’m totally having fun playing on your comments…SO tonight…I’m answering them again:). “What are the movies your family watch for movie night?” you ask??? I have LOVED hearing your movie favorites–and I think we’ll be adding some of those to our list!!! Some of our favorites that you can watch with the entire family are…
Swiss Family Robinson (makes me want to be in an Ostrich race every time!)…
Mary Poppins (my boys and my girly girl all love this one!)…
Secretariat…(while death is addressed in this movie–it is clean and AMAZING…and full of good lessons on faith, perserverance, commitment, determination)
Nemo…(okay–so the Sharks might scare your kids…but we just love this classic)
Cars…(this is always Frankie baby’s vote)…
For shorter movie nights or a rainy Saturday lounging together…these are our favorites…
WE LOVE HERMIE!
Parker and Laney’s favorite Hermie video is Buzby the Misbehaving Bee…(Flo the Lyin Fly is also one they enjoy)
Through out the years–my littles have also enjoyed learning Scripture through Read and Share DVD BibleThey even have special ones just for Easter and Christmas.
After researching a bit…I think I’m inspired to add the movies about Amy Carmichael (from the Torchlighter Series) to our collection. Seriously…wouldn’t it be awesome for our kiddos to look up to people like her?!
I also found a great movie site with suggestions for family friendly movies at www.dove.org
Focus on the Family also has a movie review site called PLUGGED IN
After reading Focus on the Family’s review on Tangled
…I guess we just might be watching it one night too. I mean…Plugged In DOES give you the heads up that “Mother Gothel wears a formfitting dress that also reveals cleavage“…so thankfully we have the heads up on that…and I think we’re in the clear.
AND on a side note–I can’t WAIT for Laney to get a bit older so we can sit on the couch and soak in hours of Anne marathons together…oh my…we don’t watch tv here…but this movie series I just hope Laney-loo loves it as much as her momma does!
Ah, the Anne movies. I was SUCH a huge L.M. Montgomery fan as a younger person. Will likley re-read all the books sometime! Quite a bit of filming for those movies took place just a few hours from me, in my province of Ontario 🙂
My daughter LOVED the books and movie series of Anne of Green Gables ~ I hope your sweetie does too. Have you had a chance to check out The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry … might be for when the kids are older, but YOU might enjoy it now. =)
HA at the Tangled review. At first I wasn’t sure because it’s PG but I guess it’s because they are in a bar for one of the scenes. We are picky about what we let our kids watch so this is one of the few princessy type movies we will own. OH, mine love Mary Poppins too, and I know H will love Sound of Music soon too! 🙂
We loved Tangled!!! Caty is getting the DVD for her birthday coming up! Can’t wait! And we had family movie night a few weeks ago and watched Secretariat! I cried!! Loved it! And CG is already loving Anne of Green Gables..Laney will love it too! 🙂
Thanks for the movie reviews. Took my grandaughter and nieces to see Tangle and it was wonderful. All my girls did uncountable marathons of Anne. They still do.
I love Plugged In. Saves hubby and me the money of seeing it first so we know if it is appropriate! And the Anne books and movie series with your kiddos is gonna be so fun and a blessing. My three girls are starting to get into them. 🙂
Awwww….Swiss Family Robinson!!! Forgot how much I LOVED that movie. Gonna break that one out =)
We saw Tangled in the theater and absolutely loved it!
Amber -March 30, 2011 - 1:00 pm
We absolutely l-o-v-e-d Tangled. Scott is a HUGE fan, too! I have NO IDEA why it’s rated PG…it is truly my favorite Disney movie!!! And, Anne…my heart smiles and sings when I think of Anne and Gilbert. So looking forward to sharing those movies with my girl!
We love Swiss Family Robinson too– the race is our favorite part and I love hearing the belly-laughter from the kids as they watch! We are also big Sound Of Music fans!
Shanna -March 31, 2011 - 3:59 pm
Thanks so much for answering my comment question Andrea! This is a huge help to me!
Have a wonderful trip!!! I can’t wait to hear all the fabulous things that you will learn, and your travel buddies – jealous 🙂 Happy referral-iversary!!!
Just guessing … because our timelines were kind of similar … is it the anniversary of your referral? :o) Have a great trip!
I know, I know! (imagine all the kids raising their hands and about to jum out of their seats!:) your referal anniversary….how far you have come in a year! so you did fernbank….you want to tackle the zoo???? We got a pass and would love to take your crew! That would be 7 kids if we waited for the big ones to get out of school…easy, right? have a great weekend!