If you hadn't already heard the good news,

WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!!!

And we are thrilled!

Liam will be a great big brother!

Jeb will be a fabulous father of 2!

And me, I couldn't be happier!

Baby #2 is due the first week of July.

Celebrating Thanks

We are coming up on my favorite holiday of the year. Thanksgiving. A celebration of being Thankful. I think too often this holiday has become a tradition of turkey, cranberry, mashed potatoes, eat-to0-much family dinners. BUT, I think it is significant to celebrate being thankful. I think it is very Christian to celebrate thankfulness. It may be my favorite holiday because of my fond memories every year, eating the best food and seeing all my Allaway cousins and after dinner spending all night playing hide and seek in Grandpa's haymow. But as I have gotten older, the idea of celebrating thanks has truly grown on me. And I enjoy it for its simplicity...it is so much less hectic than the holiday that follows it and it is definitely something that I want to celebrate more than the holiday that precedes it. So as the day draws near, I am reminded to celebrate being thankful for what I have been given.

Table for Two

I just wanted to say that God has really been pouring blessings over us. I remembered after the last post about this past Friday night. Some friends offered to watch Liam so that we could go out just Jeb and I. So that is blessing number 1. I can't remember the last time we went out without Liam. We do get babysitters from time to time, but I don't know when the last time was. So then we decided we would go out to PF Chang's for dinner. Little did we know that they now are accepting reservations. It was a Friday night at peak dinner time. The restaurant was full. There were tons of people waiting. So we joined the line of people to go into the restaurant. First couple walks to hostess. "Table for two". They reply, "We're looking at about 1 hour and 45 minute wait." Second couple walks to hostess. Same reply. We're next and walk to hostess even though we have heard the previous two replies...and she says, "1 hour and 45 minutes....oh wait...we have a table". And we are seated immediately by the windows with a view. We were baffled...how could the tables turn so quickly UNLESS God wanted us to have a very special date! I am thankful for this blessing also. I give God the credit and not coincidence or chance of circumstance. He knew it was special for us so He opened up that table right away.

The other way that God has blessed us is through people. We have been a single car family for quite a while now. We haven't really minded all too much because there is a bus stop literally right outside our front door, so we have traded on and off taking the bus and having the bus stop so nearby has been a blessing to us. Liam loves to ride the bus too, so I am glad that he has had that experience. But there are those certain times. Like the times that it is cold outside and raining and you and your 2 year old son caught a bus that was late and so you missed your connecting bus and have to wait for twenty more minutes in the cold, wind, and rain. Well, someone from our church just up and gave us a truck. I know...generous. We are blessed. We are humbled. We are thankful. This is a huge way God has been blessing us through Him and His people here at Bellevue.

And I don't think that is the only way we have been blessed. I feel almost embarassed to write it down here but our neighbors have had bedbugs. I only know because I work in the office now. This has had me weirded out for quite a while and I am just grossed out by it. They have been fighting them for almost a year. It spread to their neighbor who is also across the hall from us so they decided to check and treat our apartment out of precaution. We were in the clear and treated. It was quite an ordeal to get treated...it was almost as if we moved out of our apartment and everything was taken out of closets and piled in our living room for a day and then we moved back into our apartment the next day. I was pretty hacked off about the whole ordeal but at the same time I would do anything to keep bed bugs away. So I am thankful because God has kept us free and clear. I have felt so humiliated and embarassed by this, but NOT getting bedbugs has been a huge blessing. I am grateful that God has blessed us. And maybe for our sakes, and for our poor neighbors who have continued to be fighting these bedbugs, you can pray that they too will be blessed with NO more bedbugs! I couldn't imagine having these recurrences for almost a year now.

I know God does so much more than these petty things I am listing here, I just wanted to write these down to say that I am thankful. And if anything, to remind myself.

Dirty Laundry

I have to say that lately I have really experienced God in my life when I am in the laundry room. It may sound strange, but that is a physical place where I often pray to God and He continues to bless me very blatantly each time. I know I have written about it before, but it happened again today. I stood there by the washing machine as it ate two quarters, but wouldn't take the third one. I tried again and again for at least 5 full minutes, and while profanities were on the verge of running from my head to out of my mouth, I decided to stop and I said a little prayer. CHA-CHING! In goes the last quarter. I don't know why all these experiences with quarters really make me feel like God is answering my prayers, but they are simple, yet significant ways that God is blessing me. Thanks again big man.

Happy Halloween

Well, we had more like a Boo Hoo Halloween this year. Liam was so cute in his Tow Mater costume made by Auntie Beth, but anytime we actually put it on him he cried his little eyes out until we took it off again. Needless to say, he didn't wear it for very long. He got his full share of candy from our MOPS get together in the morning and asks us if he can have his candy for breakfast. I think Jerry Seinfeld was right when he did his bit about kids and candy. I have a kid who will do anything for candy. Jeb and I didn't take our pictures, but we were graduates...AGAIN. Every year Halloween rolls around and the cap and gown is always so convenient to pull out of the closet. It was fun. Now I give permission for stores and shopping centers to officially put out their Thanksgiving deco....we have to take things in order that they come. I am personally shunning stores who have their Christmas decorations out already.

Fires

I am sure that everyone knows someone who is affected by the fires in Southern California. I know a few people. Thankfully, my sister Rachel and her husband just missed the boundary where people had to evacuate their homes by only a few blocks. They are just close enough to town that they got to stay at home despite all the smoke in the air. However, all of Stephen's family have been evacuated from their homes. I haven't heard an update on if their homes have been damaged or if they were just evacuated out of precaution. I read today that the winds are dying down so that is positive. But there are still many people who will now be without homes in the area. Please remember them and let's pray that this fire is contained soon.

God bless prune juice

This stuff has worked miracles in my son's life. He has been backed up for nearly a year, struggling to be regular. It finally got to the point where he refused to eat fiber-rich foods and juices and hadn't gone poo for one whole week. So Mom decided it was time to intervene. I made him drink the prune juice. He didn't want to, but I kept at it until one whole cup was gone. The next day when he was trying to hold his bowel movement in, he couldn't any longer and out came a weeks worth size of waste. And the next day he drank another glass and the same thing happened. I just want to say I am so thankful God made prune juice. It has made a difference in my family's life.

4 years ago today

It all started here four years ago today. We were so young, so naive, so excited for the adventure of life to begin. We believe God brought us here and we are so glad that He did. I am so grateful for all the relationships and friends and people who have become like family to me. I am so excited for the story to continue being told. I am so happy to call this place and the people here my home.

Wake up so I can play with you and stop blogging about nothing!

Some days I count down the minutes until he goes to bed and others I count down the minutes until he wakes up again. It is all about perspective. Today I can't wait for him to wake up.

Mr. Coffee

Like a good friend, Mr. Coffee is up early to greet us every morning. Little did we know that when we acquired this six years ago as a white elephant Christmas gift, that we would still be relying on it to start our day every day. I am amazed at its performance and longevity. And now six years later I am here to brag about our Mr. Coffee that continues to produce after lots of use and many years. We really owe it to the Williams family that happened to receive 3 of these for their wedding and couldn't return the extras, thus becoming a great white elephant gift for none other than the Bristow-Hanna's who are grateful to this day.

Grandma Lue

Luella Holtmann

"Grandma Lue"

Words can hardly begin to do justice to a life lived fully. My life is full of sweet memories of this lady, my grandma. I was blessed to grow up in the same town as my grandma and really know her. She was pretty hip. I know she was the first person to own a VCR in all of Trout Lake and more than likely she was probably the first person in Trout Lake to have a satellite dish. She was pretty much on the cutting edge of technology for our little hick town. We liked it though because it meant that growing up we got to watch nickelodeon and star wars as much as we wanted. Not to mention that her freezer was always full of Schwann's ice cream bars. We worked on puzzles, played games, watched the latest Disney movies, and ate food that mom and dad would never let us eat. Going to Grandma's house was pretty amazing!

Grandma was interested in many things. She collected happy dragons. She collected avon. She collected fancy ear rings. She collected salt cellars. She collected bulldogs. She collected glass floats. She loved birds and fed many in her yard. She was an artist. And a good one at that. She painted beautiful scenes of the ocean, the mountains, flowers, animals, landscapes...and she painted until the arthritis in her hands would not let her paint any more.

But beyond all of these facts about her life, the thing that I loved most about my Grandma was that she loved to visit. I loved sitting on the padded step ladder in her kitchen that served as the visitors chair while she made a fresh pot of coffee. There we would sit and talk about whatever. She liked to listen to anyone. She had many friends that would come sit in her kitchen and visit over a cup of coffee. We would sit there talking, me telling her about school, boyfriends, friends, family, etc. and she would listen and encourage with an occasional pause to look at the hummingbirds feeding outside her window.

I was not ready to get the call from my dad this morning that Grandma had died. I would have loved to have several more visits in the kitchen over a freshly brewed pot of folgers coffee. I would have loved to call her just one more time and hear her distinct voice on the other end of the phone. I miss her deeply. And the hardest thing about death is the fact that I just wish I had one more chance to see her. She had just heard that her cancer was not advancing and she wouldn't have to go in to check again for another six months. She and Grandpa watched the Mariners game last night and afterwards he tucked an extra blanket around her because she was feeling cold and they sat together visiting with his arm around her when she got very quiet and didn't answer back. She just slipped away peacefully and unexpectedly. And while I miss her here on earth, I live with the hope of seeing her again.

I have been reminded once again why I love what we do. I had forgotten for a while there how cool it is to hang out with young people. But they showed me again why they are so incredibly awesome. Teens are so encouraging to me. They are so revolutionary without hardly knowing that they are. This past weekend we spent a weekend with several teens at Camp Yamhill for Faith Quest. The teens from our group are so incredible for so many reasons, but I am glad to list a few of those reasons here. First, they accept eachother so unconditionally. They worship God with their whole heart, soul, and strength. They are so honest and tell the truth without all the beating around the bush. They are themselves. Their faith in God is addicting. I have been encouraged because of teens. They are changing the world. Their compassion is far reaching. And to think that my husband is actually paid to hang out with them and talk about God with them...amazing. Thank you God for this past weekend at Faith Quest and thank you Bellevue teens for encouraging me just by seeking God in your lives. I am inspired.

#1 Fan

I love rock and roll. And I am this bands biggest fan. I had front row tickets to this one-time special edition concert! You only wish you could be there to see him performing live. Stay away girls, he's mine...all mine!

The great outdoors

Our family has been trying to get outside and we've succeeded a few times lately. We have been hiking at Tiger Mountain twice in the past week and Jeb has been taking Liam there most days while I am working. I like hiking. I like being outdoors. Sometimes I just feel so bottled up in my little apartment that I can hardly contain my desire to be outside. Times like this make me a whole lot happier. I like God's creation. I appreciate it. It's beautiful. It's calming. It's invigorating. There's nothing quite like it. Along the way we saw this happy log. Jeb carts Liam around and always gives him a stick to play with. Liam sits there in the back with his stick reaching with all his might to hit trees and bushes with it and every now and then accidentally takes a swing at Dad too.

At the end of this particular hiking place we run across some blackberries. I know, scrumptious after a hike. They're so sweet and ripe right now too. The other day we went to some friends house to pick blackberries and had enough left over to make a pie AND a cobbler AND some to go in my freezer. During the picking I got into some stinging nettle. I haven't been stung by that stuff since 3rd grade at Camp Yamhill. My skin welted and everything! But after all that I still had a delicous homemade-still-warm-from-the-oven pie to soothe the pain. I think it was all worth it.

Later Alligator

Liam's little friends keep coming and going out of his life. Here he is with his friend Jude who moved to Texas. We'll miss Jude's mom and dad too. They are getting a pretty sweet deal since they'll be a lot closer to their families now. God bless you Abuzeides as you make your new home!

Jeb and I just got back from a trip to Santa Rosa, CA. We went there for Peter Wilson and Lindsey Morgan's wedding. It was such a beautiful and worship-full ceremony! Their love and faith was so evident in everything that was said and sung! We interned in Santa Rosa for a summer 6 years ago and while we have seen people like Lindsey over the years, we saw everyone from church while we were there. I must say that there is something special and awesome going on at the Sonoma Ave church of Christ in Santa Rosa. To me they embody a people that lives out the grace that Jesus shows us. Their love for eachother and their community is so evident. It was funny going back and visiting all of the places that we spent time at that summer...places like the church building. Going back today, to be honest, it is a pretty ghetto church building. But that never seemed to get in the way of God's spirit moving hearts and changing lives there. Should you ever be passing through that way, stop on by and more than likely they will open their doors and arms and welcome you in and you will get a sense of God's presence like never before!

Whistle while you work

I have been thinking about what to write lately. God has given me opportunities. I am not on a career track or anything, but I had an opportunity to work more and I jumped on it. You see, we thought it just might be providential that they happened to need someone on Jeb's random days off each week. We have been going through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and he is all about paying off debt. My student loans have been hanging around for what feels like forever. So, we are seizing this opportunity to work and dedicate my efforts to being free of debt! Our hope and goal is that in one year ALL of our debt will be gone and we can then focus more on our future. I haven't been able to think of something to write because I am a little more tired than before. I don't mind the working at all, in fact I do enjoy it. But with it comes sacrifice. I miss my husband and kid on what used to be family days. BUT, we both agreed that one year in the big scheme of things isn't much time. So I will press on and be disciplined for this year to hopefully achieve our goal or at least get us a lot closer to it. And in the meantime, you can pray for us.

Confession

I pick my son's boogers for him. And then I show them to him afterwards because he likes to look at them.

Retoast

So I got the honor and privilege of making a toast at my sister's wedding last Saturday. I have never made a toast before and it really showed. I had been thinking about what I was going to say for months, literally. And when it came down to the day I still had nothing except 1 Cortinthians 13. The Bible is always a good thing to use, right? Well I ran it past a few people and they said to say something more sisterly and personal. Rachel and my sisterly relationship is very much a love/fight relationship. We love eachother so very much and she is my closest friend, yet for some reason we can not stop fighting or debating or arguing or getting under eachother's skin after all this time. So I took the mic and started going into Rachel's "fighting spirit" and telling a story about her. The crowd laughed, so I don't know if that was good or not, but I didn't say what I really wanted to say. I really am not very gifted with words when in front of a crowd, I tell a story and leave out the most important part or just forget where I'm heading. So since I wanted to explain myself a little more, I am going to re-toast Rachel and Stephen right here. So pause for a minute, go get your glass and fill it because we're going to say cheers and clink glasses at the end.

My sister Rachel. I have waited 28 long years to be able to say these words. To my sister and friend. And to Stephen, the man we have waited and prayed for for years. We are so glad you are a part of our family. I would like to tell you about a unique and exquisite quality that Rachel has. Her redeeming quality is that she is a fighter. We need to travel back in time to when Rachel was in junior high at a friend's sleepover. During the night all the girls snuck out of the house except one girl. That's right, my sister stayed at home and went to bed instead of sneaking out of the house. And when all the girls got home from their nighttime rendezvous, one of the girls woke Rachel up to get her to move because she wanted to sleep there. So Rachel said no way, hauled off and slugged the girl, grabbed her sleeping bag and her clothes and walked home a mile in the dark to her own house to sleep. But this was a good thing in my eyes. Rachel fought back for doing the right thing. And there have been many other events in Rachel's life where she fought hard for good things. She sets her eyes on the goal and works hard to get there despite the obstacles in her way. She pereseveres and is in it for the long haul. So Stephen, I just want to say that you are getting a good girl that will fight hard for the right things. She will work hard and she does what is right. And my hope is that the two of you will continue to fight for what is good in your marriage. That you will fight and strive for a deep and unwavering love for God. That you will fight for a love that is selfless and humble, always putting eachother before yourselves. And that you will fight for the good of others in your ministry together. Here's to fighting for what's important. I love you guys.

(And everyone in blogland raises their glasses and clinks them together and says "Cheers!")

Mr. & Mrs!

You are looking at the beautiful Mrs. Stephen Winter. My sister Rachel was married yesterday! I am thrilled that she has found such a wonderful godly man who is going to take care of her and be her partner in life. Stephen, we have been waiting and praying for you for years, and are so thankful that you are now a part of our family! It is amazing to pray for something and then to be so surprised and tickled once it shows up...Rachel and Stephen are a great match! But here is the sad part...my sister will no longer be living a 3 hour car ride away from me...she will now be a 3 hour plane ride away from me. So after the fabulous celebration and fun and as I watched their car speed away with the toilet paper and whipping cream smeared so artfully over it...I cried. While I would never want things back the way they were and I celebrate this very joy-filled event...I will miss my sister and my friend.

Malaria

I read an article on malaria recently in National Geographic. I was not aware of how horrible this disease is until I read this article and I was blown away by the statistics on this terrible and deadly epidemic. In Africa alone, the article said that a child dies every 5 seconds, that's 3,000 every day and there are over a million people who die from this every year. While malaria is found in many parts of the world, and was even present in our own nation over 50 years ago, Africa is the one place where they can't seem to get a good handle on it and it is one of the few epidemics that has actually gotten worse over time. Science and the medical field usually jump on epidemics like this to put a stop to them. In the past in our country we used a chemical called DDT to wipe out malaria and they used this in many other parts of the world, but somehow got put to a stop before it reached Africa. Now that we have more knowledge of this chemical (DDT) and it's effect on peregrin falcons and their offspring, we don't use it for the sake of the birds and environment. I just want to be extremely clear that I don't know all of the complications of malaria and chemicals like DDT, I have only read one article on it....BUT, IF we are choosing not to use DDT to preserve bird life over human life, because of its effect on the environment and on birds, then we live in a pretty sick and inhumane world. But like I said before, I am far from being an expert. In Africa they are also doing things like giving malaria meds, which apparently have lost some of their effectiveness because the mosquito has grown immune to it. Sometimes even the most simple thing like sleeping under a mosquito net with insecticide on it will help reduce the risk of malaria by a significant amount. I write all this because I hope that we can help the people in Africa to be rid of this horrible sickness once and for all and I hope we never turn our back on people who are hurting and dying just because it is in a far off distant land and it doesn't affect our own comfortable suburban American lives. What can we do? I don't have a clue, but I do know that I am going to read and learn and listen and hopefully get off my hiny and at least try something.

One of those days

It's been one of THOSE days. You know the ones. Everyone has them from time to time. I woke up and my house is a wreck. There's laundry to do and dishes to wash. My kid won't obey. I got on the scale and it went up again. I looked at our bank account and we'll be pinching pennies for the rest of the month. It's my hubbies turn to have the car, so I am stuck at home unless I walk or ride the bus. I am in a bad mood.

But as I am thinking of all these things that are making me angry and frustrating me, I ask myself, so what am I going to do about it?

My options are pretty simple. I could sit here and sulk and be upset all day long. Heck, I could even go on strike and not clean my house. I could sit on my rear and continue to watch the numbers on the scale go up. I could pout because I have to ride the bus because we don't have a second car. I could get angry. I could be frustrated with my son all day. And although sometimes I think some of these things are the more comfortable, more self-pleasing options, it doesn't help me be who I want to be.

My other options are to acknowledge today is not my favorite and just suck it up. Be thankful for my house and clean it so that I enjoy being in it. I can try something different with my son. I can choose to eat healthful things and move a little so that I don't feel fat. I can choose to not buy unneccessary things and acknowledge that I am one of the richest people in the world and be thankful. I can ride the bus or walk and be grateful I have comfortable shoes, working legs, and a bus station nearby. I do have the power of choice about what I will do and be today.

The question is, what AM I going to do today? Will it please me? Will it please Him?

Totally Awesome Twos

My son turned two last week. He has been so fun to watch grow and learn and develop into his own little person. I have enjoyed him so much for these first 2 years of his life. A lot of people always say the cliche statement "terrible twos", but that really hasn't been the case for me. Yes, he is getting to be very independent, and yes he is very passionate and adament about certain things, but I like that about him! Sometimes we disagree and he protests my decision, but that is alright with me and it usually only takes a minute before he is once again distracted by pushing a car or throwing a ball. The other thing about this age that I love is how much he likes to tell me. Sometimes he just says whatever I say and other times, he will yell from across the room "Firetruck! Firetruck! Mommy! Firetruck!" And he wants to share his excitement with me. I love my son and I hope and pray that he will grow to love God deeply and passionately for all his life.

In your arms of love

My son fell asleep in my arms today. It has become a rare thing for him to do, being that he usually just crawls into bed on his own and takes a nap. But days like today are special. I could tell by the time he finished his lunch that he was fading fast, so I picked him up and held him as he drifted off into sleep. Once he arrives at that sleeping state, I like to hold him and look at him for a while. I like to look at him sleeping in my arms and to savor that moment because moments like it are fewer and far in between these days. It is a magical or divine feeling to hold your child sleeping in your arms. They trust you and are comfortable and at ease in that moment. They feel safe and they rest their busy little bodies in the comfort of your arms. At times like this I feel like I grasp a little bit of God's unfailing love for us. I know how much I love my son...and if God is as thrilled with me, His child, as I am with my son, then I must be something pretty special to him. In my human mind, if God loves me even as much as I love my son, then I am so loved...but the truth is that God loves me more than I will ever comprehend. My love for my son has errors and mistakes written all over it, I have to start new every morning, yet God loves me perfectly. It brings me comfort to know that like my baby son sleeping and resting in my arms of love, that I have a Savior and loving Father that I can rest in His arms of love...holding me still...holding me near in His arms of love. I can rest in Him knowing He is gazing down at me with adoration and pride and unfailing love because I am His child. He is thrilled with me for I am His. I hope that you find rest for your soul in God's arms of love today. It is such a good place to be.

For moms out there

One Hundred Years from now (excerpt from "Within My Power" by Forest Witcraft)

One Hundred Years from now
It will not matter what kind of car I drove,
What kind of house I lived in,
how much money was in my bank account
nor what my clothes looked like.
But the world may be a better place because I was important in the life of a child.

Anniversary Trip

We celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary last week out at the Oregon Coast. We left the kid with the grandparents and we ate a lot of food and had a great time!

First stop was in our old neighborhood in NE Portland. We drove past our first apartments just to make sure that they hadn't changed and then went to one of our favorite breakfast joints. Cadillac Cafe. Here is me sipping some of their delicious coffee. Afterwards I had a yummy Hazelnut custard french toast with apple sausage. mmmmm.

Next we drove out to beautiful Cannon Beach, Oregon. The drive through the Coast Range is beautiful and it was a warm 80 degree day. I was counting on it being cold out on the coast but we were pleasantly surprised. Here is my man striking a pose in front of Haystack Rock. It has changed so much since I was a child. I have fond memories of playing and exploring sealife in the tide pools here. Now it has been made into a marine sanctuary so you can no longer touch and walk in certain places. And while that is good for the animals, it just isn't as much fun for me personally.Some of the sea life that we encountered. This little guy would bury itself in the sand if you touched it. Quite interesting to watch and look at. We stocked up on food and movies at the store to take back to our room. We watched so many movies uninterrupted. And we ate so much junk food. We had so much fun just being free to do whatever!

We cuddled up and watched the sunset out on the beach.

Haystack Rock again. Hanging out at our favorite driftwood log as we watched the sunset and the waves roll in.

The sunsets were beautiful. Makes me wish I could go back to this place...

We walked over to the unpopular rock that is just north of Haystack rock. We could climb all over it and look at the sealife. Although I will have you know that my hubbie worries about falling an aweful lot. He made us go back down after this point.

Long walks on the beach. Lots of talking. Lots of food. Jeb even gave me a piggy back ride across this water, Isn't he sweet!

The last night Jeb made a campfire and we watched the sunset. It was cold that night, but we managed to stay toasty by our fire. As everyone else retired for the day and went inside, we stayed out and lingered just a bit longer to hear the waves crash and to soak up our last bit of beach for we were going home the next day.

And then it was time to head home and see the little guy. We were both beginning to miss him. Look at this kid, don't you think you'd miss him too?

5 years. I love you Jeb. Thank you for being my friend and partner in life.

Faker

"Sleeping"

Total Cuteness

Our son loves to take his clothes off and put his shoes on. It's like his new favorite thing. Every day he gets every pair of shoes that he owns, pulls the laces out of them and puts them on. I love his growing independence and personality! He is so adoreable!

Revisiting Abs

We did this 6-week healthy eating/workout regime last fall and it is easy to follow and makes you feel great. Jeb and I are currently revisiting the same plan that is based on having a healthy lifestyle...eating 3 meals and 3 snacks daily and an easy to follow workout plan that only takes about 30 minutes every day. The other thing that I like about this diet is that they base your success not just on how much you weigh, but they also base it on your BMI, your waist-to-hip ratio and your body fat percentage. Every time I have ever done this program, I have had success in at least one of those areas. So here's to living healthfully.

Happy Birthday Yesterday

These 2 Jasons share the same birthday. The first is my older brother whom I love dearly. The second is my friend who also happens to be married to a very very dear friend of mine. Happy Birthday guys!

Well we are back home again. We got off to a rough start on our way to the Pepperdine Lectures. On our way to the airport at 5 am after getting about 4 hours of sleep, Liam threw up in the car, just a little. The flight went okay, but once we got to Pepperdine he was running a fever for the first day, so we took turns taking care of him. Finally his fever broke and he was acting like he was fine. I never figured out what the fever was from and he didn't vomit anymore, so what could have been a rough week of having a sick kid away from home turned out to be a very enjoyable week.

The theme of this year's lectureship was Hear the Word of the Lord taken from the text of Jeremiah. I was more than inspired and renewed by the speakers there. They really take that prophetic text and help it make sense to me. I think the overall theme that I am walking away with is the fact that Jeremiah was talking to a generation who had become self-righteous...they did church well...they knew the rules and followed them. The problem was that somehow they missed the big picture of love for God and others...they had forgotten the widows and the orphans and Jeremiah weeped over them because their faith had become such a show and not genuine to the point of serving and helping others and living for God. I know there is a lot more to the text than that, that is just what I am walking away with. I am inspired to be more authentic in my love for Jesus. I hope that I can follow God's lead and truly live out the gospel towards my neighbors and community members and those in my church too.

I found some time by myself while I was there also. I can't remember the last time that I had time to sit and ponder the word of God and pray like my heart desires to. I treasure times like this when I can meditate and do some soul searching. It's not that I never have time to do this normally, but I usually have so many things distracting me or rushing me...a dirty house that needs to be cleaned, my child waking up from his nap, the fact that if I don't take a shower I won't get to that day, so for these things, I often sacrifice my time to read God's word and truly speak to Him about the things pressing on my heart. So I spent some time praying. You know, God has done some great things that I want to give Him credit for when I have had that time to pray. One time, six years ago at the Pepperdine Lectures, I spent a similar time in prayer. I was praying for direction for the summer since I had recently graduated from college. I had applied to intern at a church with Jeb but had been turned down because we were dating. So they hired Jeb and I was left wondering what was going to become of me. I prayed for God to show me what he wanted me to do. Later that same day I was making my way through the crowd of people at Pepperdine when my name was called out. For some reason, someone that I had met only once in my life recognized me out of the crowd of people and called me over. It was the preacher from Santa Rosa, CA where Jeb was going to be interning. I went over and greeted him and was introduced to the elders from his church. They wanted to hire me despite the fact that Jeb and I were dating. Despite the fact that they had already told me no. Despite the fact that I hadn't even sent them a resume. And so I agreed to go. And I am so thankful I did. I am so thankful that God gave Jeb and I that summer to do His work side by side before we were married. It only convinced me even more that we needed to be married and do ministry together. I hope every dating couple has the chance to serve alongside eachother before they commit to a life together. I am thankful for the relationships that were made that summer because they are people who I have a deep love and respect for. They are people that are faithful workers for the Lord who have helped me in my walk and who have helped to refine me as a Christian. And to think it was all because God had a plan. It was no coincidence that I happened to be recognized out of the thousands of people who were there. I think all of it has to do with calling out to God in prayer to direct my life and letting Him be faithful to answer in his perfect time and in a way that let's me know that He is making this happen and I was willing to listen. I hope that I will always seek God in prayer like this.

We live in an apartment complex that has a laundry room down the hall. Now there are disadvantages to not having a washer and dryer in your unit, things like not being able to do laundry as often as you have a pile of dirty clothes (every day) and other things like having to carry all your laundry down the hall and through the breezeway to get to the laundry room (with a toddler to "help you") and always having to have quarters around to do your laundry. There are also some great things about having a laundry room. One of the best things is the fact that I can do up to 5 loads of laundry in about an hour and a half because the laundry room has about 10 washers and dryers and it usually isn't busy during the week. I think the thing that I can never stay caught up on is having quarters around to do my laundry. It feels like I am constantly buying a roll of quarters and then days like today I go to do my laundry and I am one quarter short from being able to put both loads into the washer. Situations like this have been faith-building to me. Every time that I am just one quarter short from starting my load I always pray that God will help me to find a quarter under one of the washers. It's not that I don't have .25 cents, it's just that to start the laundry RIGHT THEN I need that one quarter. And for some reason, every time I have ever needed that one quarter to start my laundry, I slip my hand under the washer and find it. God is good and faithful, even if this is a small thing. I know I can always walk over to the store to get more quarters to do the laundry, but I am thankful that God has been faithful to me to provide, even in this small yet significant way. Thank you God for always giving right when I need it....even if it's just one quarter.

We are headed to the Pepperdine Lectures this week. I am looking forward to hopefully seeing some of that southern California sun, spending the week with my awesome family, and being encouraged and uplifted. I look forward to catching up with whomever I run into and the reunion of old friendships and perhaps the start of new ones too. I hope to grow closer to the Lord by the things I learn there and I want to set aside some time to truly relax and have some peace of mind. So hopefully I'll see you there!

Comfort

I just bought my first pair of Teva flip flops. I am not diappointed. They make my feet happy.

Candy

It was really fun to watch Liam on Easter this year. We didn't do anything fantastic, but a girl from church planned a little Easter egg hunt just for Liam. It was so much fun watching him go around finding eggs. And of course he got sugared out. Check out the pics below of he with his stash of candy. By the way, candy is like his new favorite word. Ever since he has discovered the stuff, it has brought out the demons in him. He asks for candy for breakfast and all through the day. Well on Easter, he definitely got his fair share and that made him a happy camper.

The scooter race

Jeb can ride a scooter pretty well. I don't know what his strategy for scooting is, but he has made it into an art form. And he's fast too. One time he scooted alongside someone riding a bike and kept up with them for at least a mile. Here he is racing his sister (another scooter enthusiast) and it was a tight race in the start and we weren't sure how it would all turn out, but Jeb pulled in the lead to win. He definitely has scooter skills.

Our Newest Nephew

This past week I went south to visit our new nephew Jackson James. He is a handsome and healthy little boy. He was born on Easter and weighed in at 9 pounds 4 ounces. Even though my brother is older than me, it's funny sometimes to see him as a dad. He is a great dad by the way and willingly changes poopy diapers like a pro! Congratulations Jason and Jen on your growing family! We love you all!

Here are all the Allaway cousins. I think they are going to grow up having lots of fun together. Jayden (4), Eleesha (6), Liam (almost 2), and Jackson (2 weeks)

My Bed

I don't know if this is going to be a permanent thing, but as we were putting our kid to bed tonight, he insisted that he sleep in "my bed" (meaning the big bed in his room and not the crib). The weird thing about this is that we haven't pushed him to get in the big bed, and he has never slept in it before. So we thought we would lay him down with a few warnings that he better stay in it. And then we left the room and there was silence...no playing with toys, no talking himself to sleep...silence. And I don't know how this transition usually goes for kids from crib to bed or if this is a fluke that our kid is ready to sleep in a real bed but it did give us a pleasant surprise to walk in and find him fast asleep!

Bon Voyage

Dude! What do you do? Our newfound friends have left Bellevue for their life's work in Ecuador. God bless you Justin, Jauna, and Kaiden as you live out your lives following the Spirit and doing the work that He has called you to. And for those of you who don't know these fine folks, they are taking over the work that our church supports in Ecuador. We are thrilled to see what God has in store for them and we are also going to miss their presence here in Bellevue. Rock on people.

People

"People" is the title of an unfinished poem. Stephanie was working to write and rewrite a poem to express how she felt. She had been fighting cancer for so long and had won battles and taken some hard knocks and was trying to express in writing what was going on in that beautiful mind and heart of hers. She never finished her poem, but I believe she lived every word of it right to the last. Stephanie died on Monday, March 26 after a 2 year fight with cancer. She was tough and had guts. She kept her hopes high and never complained in the midst of her own pain and suffering. She was extremely gifted and talented and showed so much promise for whatever she set her mind to. She loved in a big way and showed no partiality to anyone. She prayed to God for help and believed in Him. She was so real in how she lived. She was 15 and has left us all too soon. We miss her greatly. Here is her unfinished poem,

"People"

Just keep walking, don't look down
Ignore the past and where we're bound
Live in the moment, the second, right now
But that's not enough when you take your bow

We think we don't need, we think we're okay
There's always tomorow, always next day
"I know you'll get better, I can work on it later"
But you'll find if you don't, it's the people that matter

If something flew at you from around the bend
That altered and rushed and changed the end
I wasn't, I didn't, dreams unfulfilled
But the question I land on is "How will they feel?"

Friends and family, daughters and sons
Will the celebrate, mourn or forget when you're done
When it comes down to it, it's not what you bequeath
But the hearts that you've touched and the memories you leave

So here's the thing
One lifetime isn't very long in the long run
It's impossible to see the end
Stuff could fly at you just around the bend
When it really comes down to it
It's the people you love, the people that love you
That makes your true legacy
If this was it, your very last day
What would you do, what would you say
We think we don't need, we think we're okay
There's always tomorrow, always next day
I wasn't, I didn't, dreams unfulfilled
But the question I land on is how will they feel

One lifetime's not much, so here's the thing
Take care what you live for, the song that you sing
Yes, live in the moment, just remember the people
If you've got tons of them, your life will be full

She lived a short, but full life. I am so blessed to have known her.

the wheels on the bus

I have been riding the bus lately. I have been intimidated up until now because I did not understand and had no experience with the bus system. But that has all changed these past few weeks. I have been using it to get everywhere. It really isn't nearly as bad or as difficult as I had thought it would be. And the people on the bus are much more sane in reality than in my stereotype of what I thought they would be. A lot of times I feel as if this is a new adventure in my life and I am trying to embrace this period of riding the bus because who knows how long it will last and in just a few weeks it has added some fun moments to my life!