40 days...starting now...

Last night at dinner, Bex came up with the idea... and before she finished the sentence I knew it... we would do it. So here we are - day 1 of 40 days of... BLOGGING!!! (I wonder what you thought I was going to say - fasting, vacationing, Phinneas & Ferb-ing (although they had 104 days of summer vacation...). Day 1 - 40 days - 1 post every day. It's the challenge - the wondering what everyone else will talk about. I needed to be "spurred on" to get this blog going. Why is it that it's so hard to get in the swing of it?? Sometimes ideas just flow and I go on and on...or I do 3 posts in one day. Can't you pre-post something to post on another day? I should do that... (OK, I'm rambling...let me move on).

I suppose if I'm thinking about 40 days, I should look back over the last 40 days - especially since I didn't blog about ANY of it. =( June 16th. The last day of school for the kids. That does make a good place to start I guess (and it's Phineas & Ferb-ish too...)

Kaylee & Noah are now in 4th & 2nd grade!! They let me know this as soon as they walked out of the school. They are such a blessing!! We've had so much fun just hanging out together --- making projects, doing experiments, playing at the park, reading, reading, reading. Kaylee has been quite a reading monkey lately!! She doesn't want to sleep at night so she can read. So adorably cute. Noah is starting to love reading too...he's got to be in the right mood for it, but he's doing great - one night I walked up the stairs to put them to bed, and Kaylee's on her bed reading...and Noah's in his room reading. I tried to take a pic, but the view just wasn't quite wide enough --- but the pic in my head is just perfect for me!

I've kept busy with church stuff too... wrapping up The Link for the year, LIFE 2010 (a week in kentucky with high school students), Youthquake (a week of middle school camp - well, I went for the afternoon/evening stuff - got to lead experiential rotations one night and speak one night too...humbling...), Give a Shirt, youth center improvements planning, new middle school resources planning... and the list goes on... I continue to learn that fine balance of life & ministry. (Of course, there are lots of people at church busier than me these days as the clock is ticking on the opening of Broadway Commons, the new community/life center opening up September 11-12. So exciting!!!)

Steve held "Camp Pathetic" while I was gone in Kentucky! He'll have to blog about this (he was there...)... but it's his week of filling his and the kids schedule with every possible thing to do close to here while I'm out of town - camping, fishing, crabbing, water parks, carousel, picnics, movies, literally 2-3 activities every day --- which when I get home and spend the day with the kids, I'm chopped liver comparatively because he's so fabulous!! I don't mean that bad AT ALL!!! I love that he builds these memories into their lives...and makes the most out of the time he embraces me and the ministry we're a part of. He's the most supportive, encouraging, amazing guy in the whole wide world. I'm so blessed to be his wife.

School came to an end for this term too. I finished my first year @ Crown (technically I guess my junior year of college) with a 3.84 gpa. Not too bad for being out of school for such a long time. Classes start back August 23 --- and I confess, the time off has been great!

Anyway - that's a whirlwind look at what has been a part of our worlds the last 40 days --- and in no way does any complete justice... I wonder what the next 40 days holds for us?? They actually are pretty significant. Visits from in-laws and a dear friend, a trip to Seattle, Youth Center renovations/improvements, the end of the Nike era, preparing for a new school & ministry year, birthday just beyond that, and lots and lots of loving on my kids and hubby. That too is just a glimpse of what's to come. He's the only one who knows all of it... OK Lord - whatever comes my way, we will do it together.

=)

(OH...if you want to follow along --- Erik, Becca, and Jeanne-Ann are all blogging... Steve is in too, but is waiting until the Nike era is over to start his 40 days... and... IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OF WHAT YOU'D LIKE ME TO BLOG ABOUT, LET ME KNOW!!! AND... if you want to join in for the 40-day blog challenge --- be sure to give me your blog address so I can follow along!!!)