Day with the Grandparents

Last Friday, Grandma and Grandpa Housman took Ben, Jonny, and I on a (surprise!) day trip to the places where they grew up, and other family history spots!  It was a blast.  Not only are Grandma and Grandpa way too much fun (our cheeks were sore from laughing by the time we got back...) but it was so neat to see the different spots that have so much family history!  We visited both grandparents' country schools, different places they lived, toured the town where they used to live,  visited the Historic Chippewa City and more!  It was an awesome day!  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for the fun time. :D Here's a few pictures!

This is the country school my Grandma went to.  A two mile walk from her house!

Eating our sack lunches on the steps, just like Grandma used to. :)

The cemetery where my great-grandparents and other relatives are buried.

This was one of my favorite stops!  The church where my grandparents got married! :D <3

The library...all the old buildings and houses were SO cool!

Ben is making trouble ;-P

The historic city...the buildings were so cute!

My great-grandma donated this building!

My great-grandma was confirmed at this church.

I want to live in this cabin. :)

This is about the best picture ever, don't you think!?  :D

An amazing old house that Grandpa lived in for part of his childhood

Life Lately ~ Picture Post

An awesome sunset the other night...

Gorgeous maple tree in the yard! 

These birdies are heading to a new home this weekend ;)  (freezer)

Tenting with my brothers three nights last week for their birthdays.  (Mom and Dad joined us on the last night!)  It was cold, but way too much fun!  The coyotes woke me up both nights and then serenaded me back to sleep.  ;-D

Coffee dates with Daddy...

Going to Cabela's for the boys' birthdays...happy birthday guys!  They are the best and I love them so much!

Sunrise yesterday morning.  Steam was coming off the pond...so pretty!

Go-karting on the boys' birthdays with Brandon and Sam...it was a blast!  Dad and I had some nice father-daughter competition going.  (We are both very competitive!)  I passed him, then he passed me, then I knocked him around a bit, then he knocked me off the track.  There were sparks flying (from our karts, I mean).  Then I did a complete 360 while going too fast around a curve in an attempt to catch him.  As a result I took last place and came wobbling in with my front wheel almost falling off.  Good times.  :) 

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Colorado!

Hi everyone!  I'm back after a fun weekend in Colorado!  Some friends of ours that I babysit for asked me to go with them to Denver and babysit their three kids (including a brand new baby!) while they had conferences.  Nanny for the weekend!  It was a super fun, although exhausting at times, weekend. We flew out Friday morning, and I started the day off right...

White chocolate large mocha.  Yes, please!

Going through security went just fine...since we were with kids I didn't have to go through the zapper....or whatever that thing is called that x-rays you. :P  And....another perk to having little kids, we got first place in all the lines!  :D  Although even though we didn't have to stand in line, it only took about five minutes before my backpack felt really heavy.  (Could have to do with how much stuff {books} I jammed in it).

Our flight only got delayed 40 minutes, and we were on our way...

My favorite part about flying is taking off, and then the clouds!  It's so pretty.

The flight went awesome, and I only got a teensy bit nauseous coming down.

We went out for dinner at a Thai restaurant that night and I got this yummy peanut sauce curry.  I was eating it for two days and never even finished it. The servings were HUGE!

Saturday was an energy-filled day.  That is, the two and four-year-old little boys had energy, and I had not enough coffee.  By about 2pm, after chasing balls down hallways, I cracked out this little coffee pot in our room...

I filled it up with water, put the pesticide-filled coffee-bean-bag inside, and plugged 'er in.  A few minutes later there were sizzling noises as the water started coming out of the top of the coffee pot.  I only got about 2 cups of coffee out of it (I didn't even think to find out where the rest of it went...I know, I needed coffee).  But I dumped it into a cup, poured in some nutritious looking non-dairy creamer and non-sugar sweetener.  I pretty much gagged the first drink.  The coffee was so weak it looked like watered down tea, and pretty much tasted like warm, fake, milk.  Down the drain.  I then had the presence of mind to open the coffee pot and discovered that all the rest of the water was sitting in the top - the bag had plugged it up.  But the good news was, it was really strong!  I poured out a cup of it straight black and downthehatch.  It was the most disgusting, bitter coffee I have ever tasted but I was desperate.  Anyways.  End of coffee saga.  :D  

The kids were super good, although naturally, two and four-year-old little boys have a lot of energy. ;)  But we had a blast together!  We played three games of memory, and the four-year-old whooped me.  Seriously.  Every time I thought I had it, I didn't.  And when I thought he was picking up the wrong card, he had it.  It was kind of funny, but just a little bit disturbing.  ;P  So we played memory, read books, played soccer in the hallways, ran around outside, and had a great time. :)

I also got a lot of great studying time in while they were napping.  It was awesome!!!  I'm learning sooooo much about being a follower and it is so exciting.  I'm finishing up When God Writes Your Life Story, and just started this book.  "Uncompromising: a heart claimed by radical love" by Hannah Farver.  I'm really enjoying it so far!  It was so great to have lots of quiet time to read, pray, and write.  

Sunday morning was an awesome church service.  The message was kind of about the history of America and the Founding Father's, and it was super interesting.  I also got to listen to some speakers during the conference on Sunday afternoon and really enjoyed that!  And we had pizza.  I took a picture to make my brothers jealous.  ;-)

We got to the airport around 5pm on Sunday.  It took a bit longer this time.  The airport folk weren't quite as nice, and the very stern looking lady told me I had get zapped since I wasn't a parent.  So, I got zapped and I'll eat my blueberries this week.  :P  

Got to hold the baby for an hour or two in the airport...she is soooo sweet and cuddly!  I loved it, even though my arm was numb for a good hour after.  :P

On the shuttle heading to the airport

When we finally got through security, I did a little souvenir shopping for the fam,..

Found these mugs for the boys

and then....then..... {drum roll}

I splurged and got a large white chocolate blended mocha, with whip.  It was heavenly, and I'm not telling how long it was til it was gone.

The flight went great.  I was a little worried they would make a fuss about my extra bag of souvenirs, but they didn't!  Yay!  I haven't flown at night before and it was amazing!  All the lights were so beautiful.

Mom and Dad picked me up around 1am and we talked the whole way home.  Then I slept til 10am the next morning. :)  

Sorry that was such a long (probably very boring) post.  I'm not very good at telling the short version of anything, no matter how hard I try!   :-/

My Day // Bible Study Recap

Last night was the first women's Bible study at a friend's house.  We are going through the book of Galatians and talked about chapter one last night.  When I was studying on my own, I didn't get past verse one.  It's just a "normal" introduction verse, but it jumped out at me.  "Paul, an apostle (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)"  I was struck by the "not of men, but by Jesus Christ" part.  Paul's identity was in Jesus Christ, period.  I remember someone asking me once, "Tell me who you are without saying your name".  It comes down to "I am a Christian, I am a daughter, I am a sister, etc."  The relationships.  But most importantly, my relationship with Jesus Christ.  The other verse that stuck out to me was verse 10: "For do I now persuade men, or God?  or do I seek to please men?  for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."  I looked up that word "persuade" and was surprised at the long definition: "to convince, to pacify, to assent, assure, believe, have confidence, be confident, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield."  It really comes down to, man-pleaser or God-pleaser?  Definitely something to chew on.  So, it was an encouraging time last night.  I'm excited for future studies.

Today...busy, productive day.  Those are always good, right?  This morning, I found out I was helping Dad butcher some chickens...my morning plan kind of went out the window :P but it was fun to spend time with Dad!  We also worked on a landscaping project.  Teaching piano this afternoon, and taking dogs on walks tonight because I forgot to do it earlier.  Here's a few pictures...

Morning romp with Sasha

This girl is having puppies in a few weeks!

Feeding the sheep & goat.  They holler for me every morning until I do.

Butchering chickens together. :D  (I know, I look half asleep.  The coffee hadn't kicked in yet.)

Studying Romans

Moonlight walks with the dogs tonight while listening to It is Well.  

these are a few of my favorite things...

~These people....and these pictures.  We really should get some award for the most ridiculous jumping pictures ever.  Fail.  And my hair...oh my goodness, my hair!  I thought about making that my new profile picture but probably no one would ever read this blog again.  But really, these people... they drive me crazy sometimes, but they are so much fun and I wouldn't trade them for anything.  My brothers keep me laughing and my parents are always there for a late night chat...we have a lot of good times sitting on their bed laughing and, yes, crying. Except for last night...they were asleep before I could get there.... ={ Haha!  Anyways.  I can't believe I'm even posting these pictures on here....

  

We actually kind of got this next one except for one member of the family who never seemed to take off...Mom and Dad are rockin' it in this one!  ROFL!

Oh, and by way of introduction.... left to right, Brandon's awesome girlfriend Samantha {Sam}, my big bro Bran, Jonny, Yours Truly, Ben, Dad, and Mom.

Me, my brothers, and Sam.  Love 'em.  And if you can't tell, we're freezing. 

And a nice family photo where everyone's eyes are open and we are all smiling, without having to copy and paste a new head on anyone.

~Talk about favorites....my Bible, this book, and.... a cup of coffee. Yes.

~Going for a walk on the ridge with this big puppy, listening to music, talking to God about life, and de-stressing.  It's so beautiful and peaceful back there.

~This album.... "Roots Run Deep" by Jadon Lavik.   A friend recommended it to me and I. love. it.  Especially this song.  

Come thou fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

I'll praise the Mount I'm fixed upon it

Mount of Thy redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Hither by Thy help I come

And I hope by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home

Jesus, sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God

He, to rescue me from danger

Interposed His precious blood

Ode to grace, how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be

And let Thy goodness like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

~These babies.  They are so adorable!  Two went to their new homes on Saturday, three yesterday, and one today.  

Off to do my workout.  Not sure if I can put that under favorite things or not, it's too hard. :P  Oh 

right, do hard things, do hard things.....

Have a great day!  :D