He's floating... wierd! 
My Knights in Shining Armor? 
Me. Again.
So strong... and courageous!Saturday, February 10, 2007
Midieval Times
He's floating... wierd! My Knights in Shining Armor? So strong... and courageous!
Back with my Best Friend
I missed Rob, it was so good to see him after a couple of days! We're posing for a picture in one of Saddleback's Children's Story areas (where they have props that help Bible stories come alive for young kids!) 
This is the view from where we enjoyed our Starbucks and good conversation!Laguna Beach
This was more or less the view from the window where we ate breakfast. Amazing! 
Me.
Tanis (the lady I've been interacting with about attending Vortex), Cynthia (I gather she's the one that makes Craig look good :0), me and Craig (the Saddleback Children's Pastor)More Pictures
Ouch. Right through the heart! 
This is the knight we were rooting for. He didn't win the end competition, but he did really well (probably the best) out of the competitions throughout.
When the knights won a competition they got flowers from the princess and then they threw them to people in the crowd. I got one!
California Days 4-7
We made it home last night, about 1:15 in the morning. We'd been planning to get a hotel room, but decided just to drive through and get home if we could. Rob was a trooper, and drove the 912 miles (and 15+ hours) so that I could wake my children up from the dead of sleep to snuggle! Oh, it was sooo good to see them! I think Titus grew at least a foot and gained at least 5 pounds while we were gone! He's "talking" more and close to running... following the big kids around determining to fit in!
The trip was such a blessing for so many reasons, I'm so glad we got this opportunity! It was nice to meet people who are in my profession, and to hear their hearts and struggles and stories. I look forward to continuing a relationship with those who were also at Vortex.
I'll fill you in on the remainder of the trip:
We, obviously spent the day at Disneyland... which was sweet! I did, however follow in the tradition of a previous attender of Vortex, and threw-up after riding Star Tours. It put a little bit of a damper on my day because I opted out of a couple of jerky rides after that... but it was still great fun. I can't believe I actually lost it at Disneyland!
I did something I swore I'd never do: I rode on the Tower of Terror! It was a peer pressure I tell you! Speaking of pressure, I had to go to the bathroom so bad before we got on this ride that I was all but sure I was going to end up in a puddle. Luckily though... I made it through dry! The guy next to me has claw marks in him... but I'm sure they'll heal :0)
We saw the Alladin show, which is a must if you ever go to California Adventures. Jasmine lost her drawers in a wardrobe malfunction, but she recovered well. It was memorable at least!
We got back to the hotel around 10, and I feel like I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
We got up early Thursday morning and drove to Laguna Beach to have breakfast. It was delicious, and a great way to end our time. We left the restraunt and each got filmed in a testimonial type thingy that they'll use to promote future Vortex's.
I met Rob in the afternoon and we drove back to Laguna Beach and enjoyed a Starbucks as we walked along the boardwalk. It was so beautiful! We returned to Huntington Beach for a little while and then we headed on our great midieval adventure!
We ate dinner at the Midieval Times Restraunt which is a must see if you're ever in the area. It was a lot of fun, and a great experience. You just can't find places like that to go on dates in Albany!
Friday morning we set out for the long trip home... and that's pretty much the end of this story! Our Great California Adventure!
California Pictures
I thought this 'post-card' from It's a Small World would be fitting for my readers! 
Tinker Bell!
When Leeann saw this picture she exclaimed joyfully "Cindegrella Mama, Cindegrella!"
Everytime I saw a princess I thought about how much Leeann would love to be there with me, seeing the magic and the princesses and the rides and...Wednesday, February 07, 2007
California Day 4.5
http://disneyland.com/buzzphotos
CODE NUMBER: 604C93F1217B962471284903DA15E110
And what do you suppose this place has to do with learning about ministry to kids :0)
CODE NUMBER: 604C93F1217B962471284903DA15E110
And what do you suppose this place has to do with learning about ministry to kids :0)
California Day 3.5 and 4
The hotel has a computer in the lobby! I'll still have to make this pretty short and sweet, but for inquiring minds who want to know...
We are staying in a beautiful hotel, with the MOST comfortable beds! It's a nice feature! We met up in one of the student rooms at Saddleback for lunch and just spent time getting to know each other. We took a tour of their children's facility which is so beautiful. It's a new building so it's obviously pretty modern, though it's not at all opulent. I'll post pictures when I get home hopefully. We ate dinner at P.F. Changs last night which was a lovely dinner, and then we had dessert at the Jutila's house and hung out some more.
That's essentially what this is-a lot of meeting people, networking, hanging out and asking questions. There's no formal agenda, you simply learn as you go... so it's up to you what you take from it. I'm definitely having fun! We have gotten some really cool free stuff, which I'm certainly not complaining about.
Today we are spending the day "out of the box". I.E. They're not telling us where we're going or what we are doing until we get there. I have my suspicions though that I might be heading to the Happiest Place on Earth. Now that I've written that down though, I might have to eat my words later :0)
I got to talk to the kids this morning. Leeann didn't really want to talk much, but it was so good to hear her voice, and Titus's too. I'll be SOOO EXCITED to give them loves when I get home! I hope all is going well, and maybe I'll get to update you again this evening or tomorrow morning?
We are staying in a beautiful hotel, with the MOST comfortable beds! It's a nice feature! We met up in one of the student rooms at Saddleback for lunch and just spent time getting to know each other. We took a tour of their children's facility which is so beautiful. It's a new building so it's obviously pretty modern, though it's not at all opulent. I'll post pictures when I get home hopefully. We ate dinner at P.F. Changs last night which was a lovely dinner, and then we had dessert at the Jutila's house and hung out some more.
That's essentially what this is-a lot of meeting people, networking, hanging out and asking questions. There's no formal agenda, you simply learn as you go... so it's up to you what you take from it. I'm definitely having fun! We have gotten some really cool free stuff, which I'm certainly not complaining about.
Today we are spending the day "out of the box". I.E. They're not telling us where we're going or what we are doing until we get there. I have my suspicions though that I might be heading to the Happiest Place on Earth. Now that I've written that down though, I might have to eat my words later :0)
I got to talk to the kids this morning. Leeann didn't really want to talk much, but it was so good to hear her voice, and Titus's too. I'll be SOOO EXCITED to give them loves when I get home! I hope all is going well, and maybe I'll get to update you again this evening or tomorrow morning?
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
California Days 2.5 and 3
I didn't get the whole Golden family together in one place at one time for a picture, so I took a picture of a picture of them... here they are!
Car #1 that smelled like smoke and was uncomfortable next to car #2 which made the remainder of our trip down here more enjoyable!
Thing #1 you just don't see in Oregon. Yummy. We ate dinner here!
Thing #2 you don't see in Oregon. Ahhh. Delightful!
I got to call home and talk to Leeann for a few minutes last night. It was so good to hear her sweet little voice!
Somehow we missed our exit off of I-5, but it ended up turning out okay. Not before I burst into tears wondering if we were ever going to make it to where we needed to be. Needless to say I was a little emotional yesterday!
So, we pulled into Aaron and Tamara's at about 10:00 last night and settled in. We're again blessed to have people to stay with! Rob's going to take me to my hotel in about an hour, and I'll meet up with everyone at Saddleback for lunch! It's hard to believe this day is finally here!
Monday, February 05, 2007
California Day 2
We just drove through Sacramento, California. I’m actually typing in the car—how weird is that? I’ll post this at our next stop if we get wireless internet somewhere. We stopped and had lunch at a delightful little café in a grocery store near the Arco Arena. This part of the drive is fairly uneventful because there’s not much to see and the cities are few and far between. We’ll spend an awful lot of time on the road today, but that’s okay by me!
We left Redding a little later than we’d planned because we traded in our rental car. It reeked like cigarette smoke, and was quite uncomfortable as well. They were nice enough to provide us with a new car though, which went a little way to redeem their terrible customer service from yesterday.
I admit, I miss the kids already… but I’m excited for my California adventure none-the-less. I wouldn’t trade this opportunity for anything, but I sure would like some smooches from my kiddos! I keep thinking about Titus’s big smiles and Leeann’s sweet snuggles!
Rob informed me that it’s 66 degrees outside. This car, a Toyota Corolla, has a thermometer and Rob is getting a kick out of telling me anytime the temperature rises. Last night I got a kick out of telling him every time he was going too far over the speed limit, so I guess we’re even!
I don’t think I ever blogged about why we rented a car, and I’ve got nothing better to do at the moment, so here it goes: Like responsible little people we decided to take our car (the evil blue Buick) into the shop last Monday to ensure it would be safe to take it on our trip. The mechanic said he could make it safe, but it would cost lots of money and that the problems he sees on the horizons (oil in the water, head gasket issues etc.) indicate that we would be better off getting a new car in the near future, and that he wouldn’t recommend taking the car to California. We didn’t want to take the van because we wanted Suzy to have the ability to transport all four kids in their car seats (and we didn’t want to pay for the gas on that puppy), and we found a relatively cheap rental car… so we took the plunge and rented a car. I think it’s turning out to be a great choice! And, we’re getting the option to “test drive” a few cars that are similar in specs as to what we might potentially be looking at. We really don’t know what we’ll do, or when we’ll replace the Buick yet, but we know it will have to be in the relatively near future. So, now you’re caught up on the life (and nearly death) of the Buick. Congratulations!
In less than 24 hours I’ll be at Vortex! Man, I’m so excited! God has blessed us so much by literally providing for this trip. I can only imagine what it is that he’s wanting me to learn, or do, or experience by coming down here. His hand is obviously all over this trip. God is SO good!
We’re now in Stockton, California. Or, driving through, rather. I’m enjoying seeing the beautiful architecture in these parts. Rob’s listening to some music being a little bit silly as he’s singing along in the driver’s seat. He keeps referring to himself as “my driver”. I think it’s cute. Did I blog that this morning? Wow, sometimes I think in terms of what I’m going to blog, so I may end up blogging the same thing on multiple occasions by accident. Whoops! Oh well.
We’ve gone 194.2 miles since this morning. We went 385ish miles yesterday. I think we’ll log nearly 2000 miles by the time we make it home. That’s a lot of miles. We can do in a day what it took others months, or even years to do just over 100 years ago. Isn’t that a crazy thought? I wonder what life will be like 100 years from now. Will we all travel by jet packs? Hmmmm….
Well, I suppose I’m just rambling now (wow, imagine that!). I’ll try to keep you updated if possible, though I won’t be able to during the conference. We’re passing exit 471… wish you were here!
We left Redding a little later than we’d planned because we traded in our rental car. It reeked like cigarette smoke, and was quite uncomfortable as well. They were nice enough to provide us with a new car though, which went a little way to redeem their terrible customer service from yesterday.
I admit, I miss the kids already… but I’m excited for my California adventure none-the-less. I wouldn’t trade this opportunity for anything, but I sure would like some smooches from my kiddos! I keep thinking about Titus’s big smiles and Leeann’s sweet snuggles!
Rob informed me that it’s 66 degrees outside. This car, a Toyota Corolla, has a thermometer and Rob is getting a kick out of telling me anytime the temperature rises. Last night I got a kick out of telling him every time he was going too far over the speed limit, so I guess we’re even!
I don’t think I ever blogged about why we rented a car, and I’ve got nothing better to do at the moment, so here it goes: Like responsible little people we decided to take our car (the evil blue Buick) into the shop last Monday to ensure it would be safe to take it on our trip. The mechanic said he could make it safe, but it would cost lots of money and that the problems he sees on the horizons (oil in the water, head gasket issues etc.) indicate that we would be better off getting a new car in the near future, and that he wouldn’t recommend taking the car to California. We didn’t want to take the van because we wanted Suzy to have the ability to transport all four kids in their car seats (and we didn’t want to pay for the gas on that puppy), and we found a relatively cheap rental car… so we took the plunge and rented a car. I think it’s turning out to be a great choice! And, we’re getting the option to “test drive” a few cars that are similar in specs as to what we might potentially be looking at. We really don’t know what we’ll do, or when we’ll replace the Buick yet, but we know it will have to be in the relatively near future. So, now you’re caught up on the life (and nearly death) of the Buick. Congratulations!
In less than 24 hours I’ll be at Vortex! Man, I’m so excited! God has blessed us so much by literally providing for this trip. I can only imagine what it is that he’s wanting me to learn, or do, or experience by coming down here. His hand is obviously all over this trip. God is SO good!
We’re now in Stockton, California. Or, driving through, rather. I’m enjoying seeing the beautiful architecture in these parts. Rob’s listening to some music being a little bit silly as he’s singing along in the driver’s seat. He keeps referring to himself as “my driver”. I think it’s cute. Did I blog that this morning? Wow, sometimes I think in terms of what I’m going to blog, so I may end up blogging the same thing on multiple occasions by accident. Whoops! Oh well.
We’ve gone 194.2 miles since this morning. We went 385ish miles yesterday. I think we’ll log nearly 2000 miles by the time we make it home. That’s a lot of miles. We can do in a day what it took others months, or even years to do just over 100 years ago. Isn’t that a crazy thought? I wonder what life will be like 100 years from now. Will we all travel by jet packs? Hmmmm….
Well, I suppose I’m just rambling now (wow, imagine that!). I’ll try to keep you updated if possible, though I won’t be able to during the conference. We’re passing exit 471… wish you were here!
California Day 1
Yesterday we really did it, we packed up, rented a car and headed down to California! I can even begin to express how excited I've been for this trip!
I'll refrain from boring you with the details about the terrible rental car service... but once we got done with that headache, we headed home after church, ate some lunch and finished packing. We left home about 2:45... saying good-bye to the two most precious children in the whole wide world! I know they're in good hands though :0)
We stopped at Steamers for a couple of German Chocolate blended mocha's, made a quick stop by Costco for some sunglass clip-ons (I seem to have lost my second pair of perscription sunglasses this year), and we headed out of town. We shared some Applebees for dinner, and greatly enjoyed each others company as we were on the road. We pulled into Breanna's house (a friend of Rob's from his younger days) a little after 9:00 and got to take some time to catch up her and her husband Pete. It's a beautiful home, obviously full of lot's of love! We're so grateful to have the opportunity to stay with friends instead of in a cheesy cheap motel! Thanks Goldens!
So, here we are, in Redding California, starting day 2 of our trip. I don't know how much I'll actually get to update you as I'm here, but I'll be sure to give you details once we get back. Tonight we are headed down to Huntington Beach to stay with Rob's cousin and his wife. It'll be a good 10 hour drive, plus stops, so it's going to be a long day. BUT, I can't think of anyone I'd rather be stuck in the car with for so long :0)
I'll refrain from boring you with the details about the terrible rental car service... but once we got done with that headache, we headed home after church, ate some lunch and finished packing. We left home about 2:45... saying good-bye to the two most precious children in the whole wide world! I know they're in good hands though :0)
We stopped at Steamers for a couple of German Chocolate blended mocha's, made a quick stop by Costco for some sunglass clip-ons (I seem to have lost my second pair of perscription sunglasses this year), and we headed out of town. We shared some Applebees for dinner, and greatly enjoyed each others company as we were on the road. We pulled into Breanna's house (a friend of Rob's from his younger days) a little after 9:00 and got to take some time to catch up her and her husband Pete. It's a beautiful home, obviously full of lot's of love! We're so grateful to have the opportunity to stay with friends instead of in a cheesy cheap motel! Thanks Goldens!
So, here we are, in Redding California, starting day 2 of our trip. I don't know how much I'll actually get to update you as I'm here, but I'll be sure to give you details once we get back. Tonight we are headed down to Huntington Beach to stay with Rob's cousin and his wife. It'll be a good 10 hour drive, plus stops, so it's going to be a long day. BUT, I can't think of anyone I'd rather be stuck in the car with for so long :0)
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Movie Night!
We have a little tradition in our family that we call movie night. It's where we pull out our ugly foam camping mats, lot's of blankets and pillows, we pop some pop-corn and pop in a movie. Come to think of it, I think I recently blogged about one of these... so this might be a repeat of information to most of you!
Well, this one was special anyway because we had more kids then normal! We watched a good ole' rendition of Blue's Clues and had some good ole' fashioned fun too!
Well, this one was special anyway because we had more kids then normal! We watched a good ole' rendition of Blue's Clues and had some good ole' fashioned fun too!
Rob and I have all four of the kids this weekend, while Suzy gets to enjoy some time with other ladies at our church's women's retreat. Two whole days with no kids! Granted, she'll then have four kids for six days, but hopefully this will give her the energy she needs to make it through. We're running around trying frantically to get ready for our trip (so frantically I just had to blog :0)
Rob gets "Uncle of the Year" award for his feats yesterday. I left for a photo shoot around 8:00, but the boys were already in bed and our kids were nearly there, so I thought everything would be fine. About 8:25 I get a phone call from Rob telling me that Weston threw up and that I needed to come home. So I rushed out the door and came home to Weston in the tub, Logan snuggled up on the couch, and Rob armed with plenty of rags and cleaners with a load of laundry already in the wash. He cleaned it up fearlessly and said, "I should get some kind of reward for this!" So, here it is, "Uncle of the Year, Rob Buhl".
*Side note: I think he just missed his mommy, because he's been fine all day. Weston that is, not Rob. Though Rob probably misses his mommy too, but not enough to make him throw up. *
Rob gets "Uncle of the Year" award for his feats yesterday. I left for a photo shoot around 8:00, but the boys were already in bed and our kids were nearly there, so I thought everything would be fine. About 8:25 I get a phone call from Rob telling me that Weston threw up and that I needed to come home. So I rushed out the door and came home to Weston in the tub, Logan snuggled up on the couch, and Rob armed with plenty of rags and cleaners with a load of laundry already in the wash. He cleaned it up fearlessly and said, "I should get some kind of reward for this!" So, here it is, "Uncle of the Year, Rob Buhl".
*Side note: I think he just missed his mommy, because he's been fine all day. Weston that is, not Rob. Though Rob probably misses his mommy too, but not enough to make him throw up. *
Monday, January 29, 2007
My little sicky
Titus finally seems to be feeling better so far today. He's definately getting his appetite back, and appears to have a little more energy. The pictures below might be the only pictures you will ever see of Titus and I snuggling. I did my best to take advantage of his always wanting to be cuddled and held. I felt so bad seeing him sick, but I did appreciate the chance to hang out with my little man a lot!
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Afternoon at the Park
This is Rob with his sister, Suzy-smiling pretty for the camera!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Movin on Up
Oh, and for curious minds who want to know, we've officially put away all of Titus's 3-6 month clothes, and moved him on up to 6-12 months. He still looks like he's swimming in some of them, but that's okay! (He's almost 14 months old for those not keeping track at home)
The doctor wanted him to be 16.5 lbs by his 12 month check-up and he was actually 17 lbs 4 oz much to my surprise. So, that was good. When we went to Urgent Care last night he was 16 lbs 6 oz fully dressed though. I'm assuming it's the whole being sick thing?
Anyway, I thought I'd update curious friends in that area.
The doctor wanted him to be 16.5 lbs by his 12 month check-up and he was actually 17 lbs 4 oz much to my surprise. So, that was good. When we went to Urgent Care last night he was 16 lbs 6 oz fully dressed though. I'm assuming it's the whole being sick thing?
Anyway, I thought I'd update curious friends in that area.
A Trip to Urgent Care
Last night ended in a trip to urgent care for Rob and Titus and me. Though he had stopped throwing up at 5:30 yesterday morning, he started back up at 5:30 last night. His tongue also appeared to be bleeding, which is what prompted us to go to Urgent Care. 3 hours later they ruled out strep throat, and the Doctor hadn't seen the blood that we were seeing, but he did say the back of his throat was really red and swollen. He also had a little bit of a fever. Essentially, he told us it's just a virus and to keep doing what we were doing, but to give him some tyleonal and motrin too.
In the meantime, it's been a day and a half and Titus more or less hasn't even asked to get down and play. He just sleeps, or snuggles in someones arms. He keeps signing "more" but we're trying to just stick with water and pedialyte right now. He doesn't cry much because his energy is more or less zapped. I have enjoyed all of the snuggles, but it's so hard to see my little man in pain. Even with Leeann it was a little bit better because she can tell me where it hurts or what she precieves will make it better.
So, that's what's going on in our neck of the woods these days. We're just hanging out, doing little hoping the other kids don't get sick too.
In the meantime, it's been a day and a half and Titus more or less hasn't even asked to get down and play. He just sleeps, or snuggles in someones arms. He keeps signing "more" but we're trying to just stick with water and pedialyte right now. He doesn't cry much because his energy is more or less zapped. I have enjoyed all of the snuggles, but it's so hard to see my little man in pain. Even with Leeann it was a little bit better because she can tell me where it hurts or what she precieves will make it better.
So, that's what's going on in our neck of the woods these days. We're just hanging out, doing little hoping the other kids don't get sick too.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
My Little Man is Sick
Rob called me at work last night asking me to come home because Titus had been throwing up. It continued through the night, though I don't think he has since 5:30ish this morning, so hopefully it's on the down side. I feel so badly for him because he's obviously miserable. It's hard as a mommy to watch your baby go through pain. This morning he was signing "more" to me to tell me that he was hungry, but I knew feeding him would only make it worse. He obviously doesn't know that though.
There are two upsides to him being sick though (well, kinda). 1.) It's good for me as a mommy to know that he needs me to care for him. There's something neat about seeing how easily a mommy can calm a sick and sad baby. 2.) I get snuggles! Titus isn't a snuggler, but he snuggled with me lots before bed, and the three or four times he woke up in the night. Rob put him in bed with me this morning too where he snuggled for a few minutes. Most of you might think this is silly to be so excited over, but he just doesn't snuggle. And I like snuggles. So, if you are prone to thinking about the good things in midst of the bad... there ya go!
There are two upsides to him being sick though (well, kinda). 1.) It's good for me as a mommy to know that he needs me to care for him. There's something neat about seeing how easily a mommy can calm a sick and sad baby. 2.) I get snuggles! Titus isn't a snuggler, but he snuggled with me lots before bed, and the three or four times he woke up in the night. Rob put him in bed with me this morning too where he snuggled for a few minutes. Most of you might think this is silly to be so excited over, but he just doesn't snuggle. And I like snuggles. So, if you are prone to thinking about the good things in midst of the bad... there ya go!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
I admit... this is not my favorite stage!
I love my son. I adore my son. I don't care for this stage in his development however. He opens every drawer and every cupboard he can get his hands on. If the dishwasher is open he's immediately drawn to the silverware bucket. His food ends up all over the floor at any and every meal. He likes to put things in body's of water, including the toilet and the bathtub. I caught the remotes just as they headed into Leeann's bath the other day. He's getting opinionated, but he's not yet convinced that he needs to mind. He's past the point of being comforted by his binky and blanky... they are now a necessary part of his being. Watch out if you forget either of them! I love him. He's a handsome and sweet little boy... he just takes up all of my energy these days!
I admit... this is not my favorite stage!
I love my son. I adore my son. I don't care for this stage in his development however. He opens every drawer and every cupboard he can get his hands on. If the dishwasher is open he's immediately drawn to the silverware bucket. His food ends up all over the floor at any and every meal. He likes to put things in body's of water, including the toilet and the bathtub. I caught the remotes just as they headed into Leeann's bath the other day. He's getting opinionated, but he's not yet convinced that he needs to mind. He's past the point of being comforted by his binky and blanky... they are now a necessary part of his being. Watch out if you forget either of them! I love him. He's a handsome and sweet little boy... he just takes up all of my energy these days!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Shocked... Surprised... Excited...
Overwhelmed... Incredibly Thankful... Inspired... Emotional... Humbled... Ecstatic... Awestruck... Encouraged... Thrilled... Grateful... Appreciative...
These are just a few of the words that come to mind that describe my emotions last night. I was making dinner and Rob called me into the bedroom. He called me with the "Uh, Robyn, we need to talk" voice. I thought I was in trouble!
He had just gotten the mail and first he handed me a check. Some very special people called me this week to let me know that they wanted to help me with my trip to California, and we got the check in the mail yesterday. It's such a huge blessing! God seems to provide for us at the perfect times, in perfect ways, through the perfect people. He's so faithful!
As if that wasn't enough Rob handed me another card (now that I think of it they were both opened, which means he was opening my mail... I don't know how I feel about that... isn't that a criminal offense?) Along with a very sweet note was some cash, also for our trip.
I bawled like a baby. I'm truly overwhelmed by God's provision through special people. At several points today I've been thinking about how to pay them back, or how to "pay God back". I think my ah-ha moment was when I realized it's not my job to pay it back, but to pay it forward! I am amazed that people would sacrifice and give such generous gifts for me to have this opportunity. I would almost say... I feel like a princess!
Yesterday morning I wasn't quite sure how we were going to pay for our trip just two short weeks away. Somehow I haven't been too worried though. Now I know why. The sum total of the mail man's deliveries was $400! That's pretty much the perfect amount to get us down and back if my calculations are remotely accurate. I was thinking we might be able to do it with $3oo if we ate Taco Bell the whole way. I'm grateful that it doesn't appear as if that's all we'll have to eat on our trip now :0)
*Note to special people: You may never truly know how much this means to me, because words can't get anywhere close to describing how thankful I am! I promise to pay it forward someday, and hopefully your generosity will keep on giving and giving and giving for years to come!
These are just a few of the words that come to mind that describe my emotions last night. I was making dinner and Rob called me into the bedroom. He called me with the "Uh, Robyn, we need to talk" voice. I thought I was in trouble!
He had just gotten the mail and first he handed me a check. Some very special people called me this week to let me know that they wanted to help me with my trip to California, and we got the check in the mail yesterday. It's such a huge blessing! God seems to provide for us at the perfect times, in perfect ways, through the perfect people. He's so faithful!
As if that wasn't enough Rob handed me another card (now that I think of it they were both opened, which means he was opening my mail... I don't know how I feel about that... isn't that a criminal offense?) Along with a very sweet note was some cash, also for our trip.
I bawled like a baby. I'm truly overwhelmed by God's provision through special people. At several points today I've been thinking about how to pay them back, or how to "pay God back". I think my ah-ha moment was when I realized it's not my job to pay it back, but to pay it forward! I am amazed that people would sacrifice and give such generous gifts for me to have this opportunity. I would almost say... I feel like a princess!
Yesterday morning I wasn't quite sure how we were going to pay for our trip just two short weeks away. Somehow I haven't been too worried though. Now I know why. The sum total of the mail man's deliveries was $400! That's pretty much the perfect amount to get us down and back if my calculations are remotely accurate. I was thinking we might be able to do it with $3oo if we ate Taco Bell the whole way. I'm grateful that it doesn't appear as if that's all we'll have to eat on our trip now :0)
*Note to special people: You may never truly know how much this means to me, because words can't get anywhere close to describing how thankful I am! I promise to pay it forward someday, and hopefully your generosity will keep on giving and giving and giving for years to come!
House Guests!
A couple of weeks ago Rob's sister, Suzy and her two boys moved in with us. Her husband is in rehab for six months so they are staying with us for a while. It's nice to have them here. Leeann LOVES having built in playmates at all hours of the day, and I enjoy having Suzy around to spend time with too. Up until recently I haven't gotten much of a chance to get to know her very well, so I'm grateful to get that opportunity now. It's really nice to get to know the boys more too. Rob's enjoying getting to spend time with them too... getting to do "boy things"... which he's not yet able to do with Titus.
I came home from work one day last week (and I got to leave my kids here!) to an empty sink and a clean kitchen. I'm beginning to wonder if polygamy wasn't such a bad thing! Okay, don't take me too seriously there, but honestly, having another woman here has it's perks!
I'm extremely grateful that God provided for us when we bought this house. It's not huge, but it's certainly big enough to share. All four of us can fit all of our clothes in the master bedroom closet and with 2.5 bathrooms and with fairly big bedrooms each family can have their own 'space'.
I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while, but we've been settling into a new routine having 7 of us around here. My computer is in my bedroom also, so nap-time can no longer be blog time since the kids are sleeping in our room. Even now, Titus is sleeping, but Rob brought his lap-top home for me so I'm blogging in the living room. So, you'll have to be patient as my ability to update my blog isn't as easy as it once was. I have another post to write, so I'm going to try to get to that before Titus wakes up!
I came home from work one day last week (and I got to leave my kids here!) to an empty sink and a clean kitchen. I'm beginning to wonder if polygamy wasn't such a bad thing! Okay, don't take me too seriously there, but honestly, having another woman here has it's perks!
I'm extremely grateful that God provided for us when we bought this house. It's not huge, but it's certainly big enough to share. All four of us can fit all of our clothes in the master bedroom closet and with 2.5 bathrooms and with fairly big bedrooms each family can have their own 'space'.
I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while, but we've been settling into a new routine having 7 of us around here. My computer is in my bedroom also, so nap-time can no longer be blog time since the kids are sleeping in our room. Even now, Titus is sleeping, but Rob brought his lap-top home for me so I'm blogging in the living room. So, you'll have to be patient as my ability to update my blog isn't as easy as it once was. I have another post to write, so I'm going to try to get to that before Titus wakes up!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
An Exciting Opportunity!
I'll try to make a long story short... but we all know how good I am at that!
In October I went to a Children's Ministry Conference in Eugene, where Craig Jutila (the Saddleback Community Church's Children's Pastor) was the speaker.
He and his staff have been such a huge inspiration to me. They do a fantastic job in Children's Ministry, and they make so much of what they do available to others, that their material has provided most of my training for my job. I've read several books and articles, and listened to multiple CD's that they have put out, spent hours on their website and heard him speak in person twice. Everytime I interact with their training and material I am more and more inspired to do my job well... and to reach kids for Christ and grow them spiritually.
Anyway, after the first night of the conference I felt convinced that God was asking me to encourage him and tell Craig how much his ministry has meant to me and my ministry. So when I got home that night I started to write him a letter that I would find a way to give to him after the conference. After about the first paragraph I got really sleepy and decided that maybe I'd just get up early and finish it in the morning. Then the power went out and that confirmed my decision. I ended up waking up far later than I'd hoped (only 2 minutes before my friend came to pick me up!) So much for that! I still felt like I really needed to encourage him however, so I mustered up the guts to tell him how he's impacted my ministry just after the conference. I specifically commented that his encouragement to create a mission statement that will guide your ministry, was the first piece of advice that I took, and the first thing that I did once I started my job. It was a priceless piece of advice, and I'm so thankful that he encouraged it so strongly.
Anyway, he asked me to send him my mission statement and told me about a thing called Vortex. Basically, as many as 20 paid Children's Ministry Leaders from around the country get the chance to spend 3 days with Craig and his 5 senior staff memebers. It's not a conference, but more like a glorified job shadow if you will. They choose these 20 people based on their mission statement.
So, I left that conversation just knowing (or hopefully wishing) that somehow... I'd get to be one of the 20. So when I got home I emailed off my mission statement.
I think a month went by before I heard anything. I'd all but forgotten about the opportunity, but still hoped that somehow I'd get to go. I think it was mid-November that I got an email inviting me to come! My excitement was soon put on hold however, as I read in the information that this was for paid full-time Children's Ministry Leaders. I'm paid, but only part-time. Bummer! I emailed them back, asking if I could still go. The people who had the authority to make that decision were out of town for what seemed like forever. I finally got an email telling me that at this point the had like 200-300 people inquiring about this opportunity so they have to draw the line somewhere. I was told I couldn't go.
I was bummed to say the least, I was SOOO looking forward to this opportunity... and I really thought, from the moment I heard about it, that I would get to go. I totally understood their reasoning, and even agreed with it... but seriously... it's me here! I'd really benefit from this, and I want this opportunity more than anything!
I think the worst (or best?) part about it is that everytime I turned onto the street into my neighborhood I pass a car lot that has 5 R.V's lined up with their backsides facing the street. They all have one word on the back "Vortex". At first I felt like I was being taunted, but then I decided to use it as an opportunity to remind me to pray that somehow, I might get to go. Rob would tease me whenever we'd pass them because I'd comment about it. He was more-or-less gently trying to tell me to let go of hoping (and rightfully so, what were the chances?).
Anyway, I knew the money for Vortex was due by the end of December. So a couple days after the New Year I sent an email to the lady I'd been interacting with, a really sweet lady named Tanis. I wrote a letter introducing myself and explaining that while I'm paid part-time, their investment into me would not be wasted. I described my ministry and specifically why I thought this opportunity would be perfect for me at this stage. I apologized for resembling the persistent widow (though in the Bible, she did end up getting what she wanted!), and I commented that I'd be remiss if I didn't ask one last time, hoping that just maybe there would be one spot still open waiting for "just the right person".
I got an email from Tanis the next day telling me that she'd ask one more time. That afternoon I got a phone call from her (though I missed the call!) telling me that I could come! I seriously screeched out loud like a five year-old who was just told they get to go to Disneyland :0) Leeann didn't know why I was excited, but she immediately became nearly as excited as me. I told Leeann "I get to go to Vortex!" She looked at me with a great big smile and said, "I get to go to Vortex too mama!" It was too sweet!
So, there you have it. In just 3 short weeks, Rob and I will drive to Southern California while I get the exciting opportunity of doing life with the Children's Pastor and his senior staff members for 3 days. Needless to say, I'm so excited!
I had saved $100 from my graduation (in May of 2004... I know, it's weird), I had some Christmas money, and I had some money left-over from when I was supposed to go to Mexico in 2004 on a mission trip. The trip ended up getting cancelled, and I never felt good about using that money for anything not mission/ministry related since that's what I worked for the money for. So, it was the perfect amount to pay for the conference. We're trying to 'raise' money for the trip down however, hence my first Craigslisting! No takers yet though. Anyone want to buy a guitar? :0)
So there's the story that was a long story that I was trying to make short but ended up making long anyway. I thought I'd give you something long to read since it's been a while! This might have to hold you over for a while because my ability to blog is getting more and more limited these days. It's probably better that way! Until the next time...
In October I went to a Children's Ministry Conference in Eugene, where Craig Jutila (the Saddleback Community Church's Children's Pastor) was the speaker.
He and his staff have been such a huge inspiration to me. They do a fantastic job in Children's Ministry, and they make so much of what they do available to others, that their material has provided most of my training for my job. I've read several books and articles, and listened to multiple CD's that they have put out, spent hours on their website and heard him speak in person twice. Everytime I interact with their training and material I am more and more inspired to do my job well... and to reach kids for Christ and grow them spiritually.
Anyway, after the first night of the conference I felt convinced that God was asking me to encourage him and tell Craig how much his ministry has meant to me and my ministry. So when I got home that night I started to write him a letter that I would find a way to give to him after the conference. After about the first paragraph I got really sleepy and decided that maybe I'd just get up early and finish it in the morning. Then the power went out and that confirmed my decision. I ended up waking up far later than I'd hoped (only 2 minutes before my friend came to pick me up!) So much for that! I still felt like I really needed to encourage him however, so I mustered up the guts to tell him how he's impacted my ministry just after the conference. I specifically commented that his encouragement to create a mission statement that will guide your ministry, was the first piece of advice that I took, and the first thing that I did once I started my job. It was a priceless piece of advice, and I'm so thankful that he encouraged it so strongly.
Anyway, he asked me to send him my mission statement and told me about a thing called Vortex. Basically, as many as 20 paid Children's Ministry Leaders from around the country get the chance to spend 3 days with Craig and his 5 senior staff memebers. It's not a conference, but more like a glorified job shadow if you will. They choose these 20 people based on their mission statement.
So, I left that conversation just knowing (or hopefully wishing) that somehow... I'd get to be one of the 20. So when I got home I emailed off my mission statement.
I think a month went by before I heard anything. I'd all but forgotten about the opportunity, but still hoped that somehow I'd get to go. I think it was mid-November that I got an email inviting me to come! My excitement was soon put on hold however, as I read in the information that this was for paid full-time Children's Ministry Leaders. I'm paid, but only part-time. Bummer! I emailed them back, asking if I could still go. The people who had the authority to make that decision were out of town for what seemed like forever. I finally got an email telling me that at this point the had like 200-300 people inquiring about this opportunity so they have to draw the line somewhere. I was told I couldn't go.
I was bummed to say the least, I was SOOO looking forward to this opportunity... and I really thought, from the moment I heard about it, that I would get to go. I totally understood their reasoning, and even agreed with it... but seriously... it's me here! I'd really benefit from this, and I want this opportunity more than anything!
I think the worst (or best?) part about it is that everytime I turned onto the street into my neighborhood I pass a car lot that has 5 R.V's lined up with their backsides facing the street. They all have one word on the back "Vortex". At first I felt like I was being taunted, but then I decided to use it as an opportunity to remind me to pray that somehow, I might get to go. Rob would tease me whenever we'd pass them because I'd comment about it. He was more-or-less gently trying to tell me to let go of hoping (and rightfully so, what were the chances?).
Anyway, I knew the money for Vortex was due by the end of December. So a couple days after the New Year I sent an email to the lady I'd been interacting with, a really sweet lady named Tanis. I wrote a letter introducing myself and explaining that while I'm paid part-time, their investment into me would not be wasted. I described my ministry and specifically why I thought this opportunity would be perfect for me at this stage. I apologized for resembling the persistent widow (though in the Bible, she did end up getting what she wanted!), and I commented that I'd be remiss if I didn't ask one last time, hoping that just maybe there would be one spot still open waiting for "just the right person".
I got an email from Tanis the next day telling me that she'd ask one more time. That afternoon I got a phone call from her (though I missed the call!) telling me that I could come! I seriously screeched out loud like a five year-old who was just told they get to go to Disneyland :0) Leeann didn't know why I was excited, but she immediately became nearly as excited as me. I told Leeann "I get to go to Vortex!" She looked at me with a great big smile and said, "I get to go to Vortex too mama!" It was too sweet!
So, there you have it. In just 3 short weeks, Rob and I will drive to Southern California while I get the exciting opportunity of doing life with the Children's Pastor and his senior staff members for 3 days. Needless to say, I'm so excited!
I had saved $100 from my graduation (in May of 2004... I know, it's weird), I had some Christmas money, and I had some money left-over from when I was supposed to go to Mexico in 2004 on a mission trip. The trip ended up getting cancelled, and I never felt good about using that money for anything not mission/ministry related since that's what I worked for the money for. So, it was the perfect amount to pay for the conference. We're trying to 'raise' money for the trip down however, hence my first Craigslisting! No takers yet though. Anyone want to buy a guitar? :0)
So there's the story that was a long story that I was trying to make short but ended up making long anyway. I thought I'd give you something long to read since it's been a while! This might have to hold you over for a while because my ability to blog is getting more and more limited these days. It's probably better that way! Until the next time...
Sunday, January 14, 2007
My First Craigs Listing
http://corvallis.craigslist.org/msg/262689601.html
I branched out today. I listed an item for sale on Craigslist.com (it's like a local community where you can sell stuff and do other things). So, if any of you happen to be in the market for a guitar... check out my link.
All proceeds go to a good cause! (I'll try to post about the good cause tomorrow...)
I branched out today. I listed an item for sale on Craigslist.com (it's like a local community where you can sell stuff and do other things). So, if any of you happen to be in the market for a guitar... check out my link.
All proceeds go to a good cause! (I'll try to post about the good cause tomorrow...)
Our Family Christmas
The four of us celebrated Christmas together on December 30th this year. Since we typically spend Christmas with Rob's family, we don't get the joy of waking up on Christmas morning and watching the kids run downstairs in their jammies to see what's under the Christmas tree. In the past, it hasn't been a big deal because neither of the kids were old enough to know the difference, but with Leeann getting older we decided that we would compromise and have Christmas at our house on another day. So we did! It was also nice that we didn't have to pack our family presents up there and back. Anyway, thanks to some Christmas money sent from Rob's Grandparents... we were able to splurge a little and get Leeann an extra-special over-budget gift this year! It was so exciting to see her joy on Christmas morning!
This is Leeann taking a picture of mommy with her new 'camera' that she found in her stocking on 'Christmas Morning'.
And the highlight of Christmas is Leeann's new doll house! She was so excited to recieve it, and we were very excited to give it! It was far harder to wait to give this gift to her than it was to wait to get my own gifts. It's funny how you get to re-live the magic of Christmas once your own children get old enough to enjoy it!
Titus also really liked Leeann's doll house. He tried to play nicely, and she tried to share... but he just kept making a mess and it would frustrate Leeann. So eventually we told him he couldn't play with it anymore and this is what he thought of that...
I got a beautiful ring... it was perfect! Rob did an incredible job of picking out such a perfect gift!
All-in-all, Christmas was wonderfull! We put a candle in our cinnamon rolls for breakfast and sang happy birthday to Jesus, and read Leeann the Christmas story out of her new Bible. I'd say... it was my best Christmas ever!
Happy Birthday!!!
My nephew's Weston and Logan celebrated their Birthday at our house on Friday. Rob's older sister, Shelly and her family were coming down for the day so we decided to celebrate his younger sisters boys' Birthdays. The night before the 'party' I was looking on-line trying to find some cake ideas and Weston kept coming back to "the Thomas cake". The only problem is that I didn't have a pan and because it was the next day I couldn't exactly order one on-line. So, I printed out a coloring picture of Thomas and essentially traced around it and improvised to get the Thomas cake seen pictured below. It was priceless to see the boys so excited about the cake, it makes all of the effort so very worth it! And it tastes good too!
And of course, it was great to see family, as always! Weston (the older one) was born just a month after our wedding, it's hard to believe that he's already 5! (Okay, he's 5 tomorrow...) It seems like just yesterday Logan was born too. I know I've said it before, but they grow up way too fast!
And of course, it was great to see family, as always! Weston (the older one) was born just a month after our wedding, it's hard to believe that he's already 5! (Okay, he's 5 tomorrow...) It seems like just yesterday Logan was born too. I know I've said it before, but they grow up way too fast!
Friday, January 05, 2007
Christmas Day
Alright, I'm catching up with my blogging one post at a time. We spent Christmas day at Rob's mom and step-dad's house as we typically do. This year was a little different though because there were a lot of people missing from our typical celebration for various reasons, but it was still lot's of fun!
Rob's mom didn't have a Christmas tree up so she cut one out of felt and let the kids decorate it with sticky foam shapes. Leeann loves to play with these at Mee Maw's house! It was fun, and here's a picture of Leeann and her counsin's Amanda and Ashly showing off their Christmas Creation!
Rob's mom didn't have a Christmas tree up so she cut one out of felt and let the kids decorate it with sticky foam shapes. Leeann loves to play with these at Mee Maw's house! It was fun, and here's a picture of Leeann and her counsin's Amanda and Ashly showing off their Christmas Creation!
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