Playing Catch Up

We are back from CO and Montana life is not waiting for us to catch up and unpack! First and foremost, I had an amazing time with my family in Littleton, it was, as usual a whirl wind trip packed full of activities. We got lots of wedding stuff squared away, got to see Laura’s field day for school, and had a wonderful bridal shower for Sarah. Matthew got to come out for a few days as well and we were able to have a small promotion celebration for him with our families and a couple close friends. Matthew also got to start his pilot’s license training while he was in CO!!! Whoo Hoo! I am so excited for him.

Pictures to Come

Now back in MT we are playing catch up. Matthew had to go on alert the day after we got back (Tuesday) and we had youth group last night. We are doing the TO SAVE A LIFE youth study that goes with the movie and already we have ten more kids than normal at group. We are so excited to see how God works though these kids!

Prayer Request

When Matthew went into the office Tuesday, he had to give me a phone call from Col. Pappas. Apparently one of the ladies in Matthew’s squadron had a stroke this past weekend. She is now doing better, but due to complications she will be in the hospital for at least another ten days. Her reading and writing skills are for the moment gone and we don’t know yet what that will mean long term. Please be in pray for her and her husband through this tough time made harder because they have only been married two months. I am in the process of lining up meals for her family and seeing what else we can do to help.

Butterfly Circus... Sometimes...

...all it takes is love in an unlikely situation to give hope to many...

Thnaks Laurie for showing me this film.

Copy and Paste this link to watch Butterfly Circus

http://www.thedoorpost.com/hope/film/?film=4dd298f102c77b625cf37a9e7744ac68

Sometimes...

... a great morning can be ruined by someone else, who doesn't even live in your neighborhood (but is watching a friend's house), yelling at your dogs when they make one little peep...

... But that morning can be saved by a great friend inviting you and your dogs over to spend the rest of the morning with them. ~thanks Dana

To HIM be the Glory

Just over 1000 kids came to the To Save A Life movie last night, standing room only!  We are so excited! The movie got great reviews by the kids. There is going to be additional showings Thursday (tonight), Friday and Saturday at the Church. My prayer for these kids is that this movie will make them think and they will make an impact.  I also hope they will bring their friends to these other showings!

Sometimes...

...when everything is going wrong, it probably means your doing something right...
then all you can do is laugh about it.

CYT Presents The Sound of Music

I am so proud of my little sister Laura. Last weekend she participated in her second CYT musical, The Sound of Music. She played a Von Trapp Partygoer and a Catholic School Girl. I hear that the play was outstanding! Matthew and I have yet to make it to one of her performances but we are hoping to make it to the next one this fall, Beauty and the Beast! Laura is getting to be a wonderful little actress and has a beautiful voice. She is planning on taking singing lesions this summer to keep improving! Way to go Laura!

Here are some pictures I got from my mom of my beautiful little sister.

On Mothers Day

Here in Great Falls the majority of my friends are young moms. Even though I do not have children of my own yet, it is still weird for me to see life from this new angle, The Mom. As I was driving home from a lunch with all my good friends and all their children I found myself thinking about my mom as a mother, a woman, a friend, a wife. I have always known that she plays all of these roles but not from this prospective. Did I drive her crazy when I was two, just like every other little kid? When I was running around in the restaurant did she give my dad that look of, “please go get our daughter, I am just too tired to stand up and run after her AGAIN.” If she did I never knew it. At 22, some of the things that I remember and know about my mom is, how fun and special it was to watch the long version or Pride and Prejudice in her bed when we were sick. Seeing my mom at every soccer game, Martial Arts event, recital, every horse show and every 4-H meeting, knowing I had her full support. The excitement of letting our imaginations soar as she read out loud to Sarah’s and me as we snuggled on the couch for hours. My Mom’s loving and patient arms when I have a meltdown and can’t see the solution to a problem and just need to talk the whole thing out. My mom was there to help me pick out my homecoming dresses, my prom dresses, and my wedding dress. She is a friend who I love to talk to for hours, get baking tips from, and dream with. She is always full of brilliant ideas and advice. Thank you Mom for all you do and have done. Thank you for who you are, I couldn’t have it better.

CRAZY

Snow again! It started snowing last night and still has not stopped! Nothing makes me wish we were back in California like snow in May. Tomorrow I am helping with the Harvest Springs table at the National Day of Prayer setup downtown…of course it is supposed to be outside! I am praying the sun will come out and it will be an amazing day, although I am sure it will be anyway if my focus is in the right place and not on myself and the weather. It is only Wednesday and it has been a crazy, but wonderful week. Saturday I learned how to make baklava from Jackie Pappas who is Greek, and I got to learn with Dana! While we were baking, the dogs had a play date, and we were totally worn out by the time we got home. Not done yet, we went to a Garry Allen, Jack Ingram, and Josh Thompson concert that night with another good friend of ours. We had church Sunday where we had the privilege of watch our two friends, a husband/wife couple, get baptized and then go out to lunch at Fuddruckers to celebrate. A great workout and a meeting about our booth for the National Day of Prayer on Thursday started the day Monday, and the rest of the day was filled with making poster boards for the NDP and invitations for my sister Sarah’s bridal shower. Monday ended with getting together with girl friends and putting ribbon on bookmarks for Thursday while sipping white chocolate hot chocolate and eating brownies, with the wind howling outside. Last night we had our squadron spouses meeting at Macaroni Grill! What a fun week and it is only half over!

So proud of my baklava!

Dana and Jackie making baklava

Dana, Heather and me and the concert

Snow! Yuck

Well, it turned out my friends were right. Thursday we had a full blown winter storm that lasted all day. The weather was so bad Matthew had to have a helicopter take him out to his alert yesterday! Other than the fact that I don’t really like them flying in such bad wind, I am so jealous! How fun to get to go on a helicopter ride to work! Maybe now that all of our friends are graduating from pilot training, and we know at least four helicopter pilots, I will get a ride one of these days (hint hint). At least I have a little bit of spring right in my home. I have been growing seeds for my garden and in the last week they have all poked their little heads out. It is so fun to see them grow!