Friday....

Today was one of those days where a couple of different things happened that were not planned for. Fortunately, they were all very good things.

1) If you read our bio at the top of this blog, you'll notice that I work very parttime at a Dairy Queen. I LOVE waiting on and helping customers, and fortunately, at this particular location, we get some AWESOME customers. Very rarely do I have to deal with somebody rude. Today, a fairly large group of students came in for lunch. I asked one of their teachers where they were from. She told me they were from a small town near Topeka (sorry, but I don't remember the name).

These kids were very well behaved and organized. Many of them had their money in ziploc bags (too cute). They all wanted ice cream, but their teachers told them they needed to eat a decent lunch first. I went out to the dining area with my camera. Some of them were more than happy to pose.

The part of this "unplanned" event was that we normally don't get a bunch of kids all at once along with our normal business. The awesome employees got through it just fine.



The main thing I want to point out about this event was that these kids were so very polite. So often now, adults "gripe" and "complain" about kids. There's always such a negative attitude toward kids. These kids give me a lot of hope for the future.

2) I decided on a whim (again, unplanned) after work to take a walk with Luke in the jogging stroller. It was a bit chilly, but I bundled him up. We both really enjoyed our walk, and we went a little over four miles. Luke was obviously warm enough because he fell asleep. Here's a photo of him all bundled up, still in our driveway.



3) Upon returning home from our walk, I noticed a strange car parked in front of our house. I walked up the driveway, and Marc was talking with Sarah B. She was a runner on Marc's cross-country team at Bethel College for a couple of years when he coached. We don't see her very often. She stopped by to say "Hi" and to meet Luke for the first time. We asked her to stay for dinner (unplanned and at the last minute), and fortunately, she said, "Yes." So, I put together a very quick dinner for the three of us. It was fun to catch up, and Luke was very sociable with her.



**A little fact about Sarah B. -- She LOVES the color green. We call her "Sarah Green." Her e-mail address has something about "green" in it. It's really quite humorous, but it's so very her personality. She brought Luke a pair of, none other than, green shorts to wear this summer. They'll be so cute once I get him a shirt to match.

4) This next event in my day was planned -- Tonight was the "Cora Paige" (playground) benefit concert at a local bookstore. The performing group was "Hearts 4 Him." You might remember a blog post back on February 21. This same group performed at a Community Life Leaders' Event. So, I got to hear them again.





There were a number of people from our church there. It's always fun to hang out with and catch up with our Young Marrieds' Group. From Young Marrieds' (the ones I saw) -- Dave & Amanda; Kelsey, Tami, & Ella; Jon & Lori; Allen & Debby; Rachel; Myself (Marc was gracious enough to miss this event to stay home since Luke was sleeping).



Toward the end of my stay at the bookstore, Lori, Amanda, Debby, and I were talking about some of the various comments that have been left on either the "Macs" blog or some other blogs around here. Many of these comments have been left by people that don't know us and are not from here, but they have been following Cora's story. It's amazing just how hungry people are for God. The reality is, however, that in this country, more and more, Christianity is being forced out of the public. We're told we need to be "tolerant" and "respectable" of all faiths. But again, people are clearly so very HUNGRY for Christ.

I can't imagine not having the hope of Jesus in our lives. Debby mentioned this verse. I'd like to share it....

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. Luke 19:10

Until my next post....Have a wonderful Saturday!

Our Thursday....

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. Psalm 8:1-2

I absolutely LOVE and CHERISH my Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those are the days, besides the weekends, that I am home with Luke. Though I only work five hours each day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, they're not the same as my Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I thought I'd share a bit of my day. It really wasn't too busy, and it was just wonderful.

This morning, I went to my weekly Thursday morning Bible Study group with 7 other wonderful ladies. We're studying the Old Testament book of Daniel, a study written by Beth Moore. The first half of the study was more historical in nature. Now, it's moved on to prophecy. While I think we're all confused a bit (at least I am), I know that I have learned. I do also truly enjoy getting together on Thursday mornings with these ladies.

So, while I was there, Luke got to spend some time with his Grandma Koehn (my mom).

He didn't take a great nap for his Grandma, so he went down early for his afternoon nap. After that, he did some playing on the floor.



Then, he sat on a blanket in our living room and listened to me play piano.



During that time, he decided he wanted to once again try to crawl -- he's been getting almost into crawl position for several days now. It's now time to figure out the motions. And no, our house is not ready for that.



In the afternoon, I had commented on Rachel B.'s blog that we'd probably try to go outside. So, we did that. I realize it was a bit chilly, so we didn't use the jogging stroller. We used the "Chicco" travel system stroller where I could bundle up Luke in his carseat and attach it to the stroller. We walked in an area where many older people live. I was just waiting on some older woman to come out and tell me that I shouldn't have my baby outside. Trust me -- he was well bundled. He had a coat on, a hat on, and two blankets covering him. Plus, the carseat was surrounding his little body. I guarantee he was warmer than me.



Not too far into our walk, Luke fell asleep. He must still be catching up from Daylight Savings Time Change. I didn't think he would do that today.



I walked with the stroller a little over three miles. Just as we pulled back onto our street, Luke woke up. This photo is a classic "I'm still sleepy, Mom. Please don't bother me."



After supper and a brief fussy time, Luke perked up and became playful. Here's a photo of him, playing with his Daddy on the floor.



Luke went to bed at his normal 8:00 P.M. Now, Marc and I have time to get some things done as well as spend time together.

What a wonderful day!

A Cold Tuesday and Swimming....

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

We've had some warmer weather lately (in fact, some REALLY nice days). Then today, it was cold again, and the next couple of days are going to be cold as well. Our first instinct is to complain. In fact, I think I even did a bit last night (shame on me). Today, I also heard several people complain about it.

Well, it still is the Lord's day, and He created it. I am thankful for it.

One thing I absolutely LOVE about Kansas is the fact that we have four distinct seasons. If we had to move away from here, I'd miss that.

Yesterday, Luke was able to wear his "Tripp Tee." Today, he was once again in long sleeves. Here he is this morning in long sleeves, with something in his mouth, of course :)



Around noon today, Luke and I had to run some errands. So, I bundled him up in this great coat and hat that he received from our friend Lori J. He received MANY compliments on it in Wal-Mart.



This evening, right after Marc got home from work, we went swimming! Yep, I said swimming. Our wonderful neighbors, Dr. & Mrs. Olson, have an indoor swimming pool. When Luke was about 4 weeks old (back in August), I was outside with very little Luke in the stroller. Dr. Olson said to me, "You'll need to get him in the pool before next summer so he gets used to it. You probably should start around 6 months." (Keep in mind that Dr. Olson is a retired pediatrician).

Then, the other day, I ran into Dr. & Mrs. Olson. He asked, "Are you ready to get him in the pool?" I told him, "Any time." (I didn't tell them that Marc and I had been trying to get a hold of them for several weeks now to see if we could use their pool).

So, this evening, we went....

Here's the pool.



Luke wasn't too sure at first....I don't know if you can tell from this photo or not, but Luke's face is a bit skeptical. Marc was very excited to be swimming with Luke, as you can see.



Then, I pulled out some toys. That seemed to distract him a bit. Then, things got better. Here's a photo of Luke and me. After I saw this photo, I thought, "Wow! I need a tan."



We were in the pool for at least 1/2 an hour, and Luke did great! We even got a bit of a smile toward the end.



We'll try to go a couple of times each month until summer. We don't want to over- extend our welcome. The Olson's are so gracious to let us come over and swim at their home. Then, hopefully by summer, Luke will be all ready for swimming with his friends from church :)

And, just for fun....The Olson's had this sign up by their pool. Marc and I just chuckled. The Olson's are nearly 90 years old. But, they're 90 going on about 50. They're what Marc and I aspire to be when we're 90 -- still going strong! They swim several times a week in their pool and are able to care for it themselves. They do a lot of traveling still. One time in the last couple of years or so, they passed Marc and me on the interstate. They were driving quite a bit faster than us. Dr. Olson still goes skiing. They go to the symphony. Wow!

The GPS, A Recipe Book, and The Tripp Tee....

My previous post was about our new jogging stroller. Well, for those of you who know Marc well, this "addition" to the jogging stroller won't surprise you one bit.

Marc put his "old" GPS watch on the handle of the stroller. Therefore, I will be able to tell exactly how fast I'm going, exactly how far I've gone, and the exact time I've been moving. It will also keep track of my route, so if I get lost, I'll have a path to get back to my original point (this hopefully won't happen around here at home, but if we're away from home, this could potentially be helpful).

So Andrea (my lovely walking partner), get ready for the digital device that will be traveling with us on our walks.

Here are some photos of the GPS on the jogging stroller handle.





Now, completely switching subjects....

One of my favorite gifts I have ever received is this "Family Recipe Book." My mother gave one to me and one to my sister-in-law, Amber, a number of years ago (before I met Marc). This 3-ring binder allows for a collection of family recipes -- however, I do have recipes from friends as well :)



It contains quite a few pages with which to write your favorite recipes.



It has some sheet protector pages to keep recipes in that might have been hand-written (from a relative) -- you know, those handwritten recipes you don't want to destroy.



It also has "pockets" with which to keep or store other recipes.



Overall, it's very handy, and I hope to collect many family/friend recipes over the years. Eventually, I'll be able to hand down the recipes for hopefully generations to come.

And, switching subjects again....

Yesterday at church, Jessica brought to me "The Tripp Tee" I ordered from "The Cora Shop." It's a tee-shirt with a caterpillar on it -- very boyish!

Today, Luke wore it. It's a little big yet, but that's O.K. He'll be able to grow into it this summer. When he has it on, I hope to always tell him about little Cora and the life she had that changed all of those around her and those not around her was well. Even after he's outgrown it, I hope to always tell him about little Cora :)

I didn't get the best of photos of him in it. Perhaps next time he wears it...



Even though it had food on it, he wore it to "Kindermusik" this evening. I've been told that Cora absolutely LOVED going to "Kindermusik." What a great place to wear his new tee-shirt.

In this photo, he had just received a new shaker to explore. He never did really want to shake it this evening. He just wanted to eat it -- much like everything else he has in his hands these days.

Lookie What We Got....

Well, we finally got it -- a jogging stroller. You know, the one thing everybody seems to ask us if we have yet. We finally got it this week, and Andrea and I took Luke and Ava out for a walk today.

Here are Luke and Ava at the start of our walk, still at the end of our driveway.



Halfway through the walk, Ava had to "itch herself." Really, her foot needed to be scratched. So, we stopped for a bit for her to take care of that problem.



When I got home from work today (just before our walk), Luke was a bit crabby. We're not sure why, but you know, sometimes it just happens. After a little bottle and a walk in the stroller, Luke was fine! This is pretty much how he hung out in the stroller during our walk.



All in all, this jogging stroller will be a HUGE HIT in our family.

Mom 2 Mom....

If you check "The Graber's" blog on the left side of this page, you'll notice a great recap of "Mom 2 Mom" at our church from last night. Then, on the "Meet the Smiths" blog, Kendall also spoke of it.

It's my turn, and as I was lying in bed last night, I was planning out this blog post.

Our speaker last night was Janelle Schoenwald. She has an amazing story -- a story about how her entire family (herself, her husband, and four kids) were in a bad car accident about a year ago. Her husband and two of her kids died in this accident. Janelle and her twin daughters survived.

She spoke about "Loving Your Children." The MAIN point to the presentation was the importance of teaching your children about Christ and how to get to heaven. Fortunately, she was able to know that all of her children did accept Christ and so now, two of them (as well as her husband) are in heaven.

After her amazing presentation, at each of our tables, we discussed several questions. One of the questions was -- "What are some creative ways to introduce Christ into your children's lives?"

At our table, we came up with reading Bible stories, singing, family skits of Bible stories, and praying together as a family.

Even though Luke is only 7 months, Marc and I are already talking about Christ with Luke. We read him a Bible story each evening. We pray with him. He and I have sung many songs, and we listen to a Bible CD. However, I know I'll need to get more creative as he gets older. Marc and I will also make sure he knows our testimonies. We want him to know that we will be in heaven someday.

For those of you who were there, what were some of the ideas your tables came up with? Please comment on this blog post. For those of you who weren't there but maybe have some great ideas, please comment on this blog post. I'd love to hear about them.

Because you know what? Teaching our children about Christ is the most important thing to teach them about. This little guy pictured below (Luke, from yesterday) will hopefully make the choice someday to accept Christ into his heart. There are oh so many other children as well that will need to be taught about Christ.



Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

A Myriad of Topics....

As the title suggests, here's a post with many different topics...

1) This goes back to my previous post about my birthday. Recently, we gained a wonderful couple to our Sunday evening small group. Rick and Sam recently moved here from Georgia, and they've been a wonderful addition to our group. A couple of weeks ago, they were talking about "cultural" differences between Kansas and the east coast. One of those differences is on the east coast, couples, on average, have kids later in life than here in Kansas (or the midwest). Well, Marc and I laughed at that statement. Many times, Marc and I have talked about how, because of our ages when Luke was born (32 and 33), we would "fit in" on the east coast. Now, in all seriousness, that's about the only way we'd fit in on the east coast because we are definitely midwesterners through and through. But, for all of you who might sometimes comment about us being a bit older than the rest of you when our first child was born, just remember -- this is normal on the east coast :)

2) Most people don't much care for Mondays. I, however, do appreciate Mondays for one thing -- at least in our part of town. It's trash day. I know that sounds strange, but I enjoy it because it's a way of ridding ourselves of trash and recyclables that we don't need sitting around. It's like a fresh start. Is this a bit strange?

Here's a photo of our driveway on Monday mornings...



This photo is one I shouldn't have taken. There are far too many pizza boxes in here. It just so happens that there was a "more than normal" amount of pizza consumed this week at our house. We need exercise now! But, I do like the fact that now, this evening, all of this stuff is no longer cluttering our property at all.



Our recycling bin isn't all that interesting. However, when I looked at this photo, I noticed that I have a few too many "Diet Pepsi" cans in here. Could I possibly be consuming as much of the diet stuff that Marc consumes (only he consumes the real stuff -- "Pepsi")? Do I need to put myself on a "Diet Pepsi" economic diet? I'll leave that explanation up for another blog post at a future time.



3) This evening was the start of a different Monday evening routine -- at least for the next couple of months. Tonight, Luke and I started in a "Kindermusik" class -- taught by none other than Jill (see her blog at the left). Besides Luke, there was Simon, Julia, and Joe in the class (along with their mothers). It was fun, and we both learned some new things. Here are a couple of photos. I didn't take any photos during the class as we were busy. These photos were taken before class. Tonight, the babies, before class, got to play with unbreakable mirrors.





4) Each morning and after each nap, Marc and/or I have a routine with Luke -- that Luke has somehow established. His bedroom is decorated in cars and trucks, complete with a mobile over his crib with cars and trucks. So, after waking up, he LOVES to be held over the mobile to just merely look at and now grab at. I realize this is probably more cute to us, as his parents, but just use your cute imaginations.



5) Here is a photo, taken just this evening, of Luke after a bath. Does this look much more calm than the second photo -- his first bath here at home, way back in July?





6) Finally, my first "Etsy" product came today -- you know, the ones whose proceeds are going directly to help fund the wonderful "Cora Playground." This is a simple pouch -- it's going to be used to put my camera in inside my purse -- rather than what I currently do; that is, letting my camera loose inside my purse, waiting to be scratched. Remember -- click on the pink button on the left side of this blog to browse (and hopefully purchase) items for the "Cora Playground."

I'm waiting on two other items.



My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 63:5-7

**These verses were in my new devotional book for this morning -- a devotional book I purchased the other evening during "Girls' Night Out." I just kind of liked them, and I felt like sharing them with all of you readers.