Snowbound in Iowa

My Home in Lake Geneva

2012-01-18T18:30:00.021-06:00

Finally getting pix taken and blogged to share with those of you who haven't had a chance to visit yet...but you're welcome to visit anytime!

Out on Geneva Lake looking at Covenant Harbor (from Neal & Cyndie's boat...love being out on it) on a beautiful September day when my dear friend Stephanie was here visiting.
Another view of camp, specifically toward the lodge (kitchen, dining, and cabin space)
A different view of the Covenant Harbor lakefront and boat house
Me and Timmy on the boat
My office at Covenant Harbor (taken on my day off when showing Stephanie camp so I'm looking a bit relaxed)
Me in front of my home (taken in May when my dear friends the Welanders were here visiting from Iowa). It's a duplex on a quiet street that's less than 10 minutes from camp and family. My brother and sister-in-law are my landlords. =)
Entryway looking back at the front door
Living room (looking toward the front and the street)
Closeup of my Vikings Christmas tree and other stuff. The purple ornaments on the tree were a Christmas gift from some of my nieces and nephew and have all the kiddos names on them! My slogan this season: Even a bad season with the Vikings is better than a good season with anyone else!
Another view of my living room. The couch is a hide-a-bed so besides my guest room there's even more room for company...and my nieces and nephews love to pull it out for movies and sleepovers!
Close up of some of my "new" wall decorations that I love!
Another view of my living room (front door to right) and down the hall to the bedrooms. First door in the hallway on the right goes down to my basement; second door in the hallway on the right is my bedroom; bathroom is on the left in the hallway; guest room is straight ahead at the end of the hall.
From the living room looking into the dining area. The door on the left goes into the garage. I love that the garages for each of the duplexes are between the units so I don't share a wall with my neighbor (or any sounds/scents).
From the living room looking into the kitchen
From the dining area looking into the kitchen...it's cozy, but it works!
Another view of the kitchen
Closer up of the dining area
Other end of the hallway looking back toward the living room (door into garage ahead too)
Pix in the hallway ("my" kiddos and the Peterson family)
The bathroom:
My bedroom. Loving my new comforter and valances and much needed new bed (wonderful blessing from friends who no longer needed it).
My bedroom...check out my new Vikings lamp (awesome Christmas gift from the Peterson family):
Another view of my bedroom:
Guest room: Always ready for friends and family to come stay! Hint, hint!
"Office" side of the guest roomGuest room bookshelf (closet door to left)
Last but not least the unfinished basement under the whole unit. Lots of room for laundry, storage, and play space for the kids when they're over
This end of the basement is where I keep lots of toys for my nieces and nephews to play with. I've picked up lots of fun stuff at garage sales, etc. and love having space for the toys and playing!
So there you have it...the blog tour of Lake Geneva and my home!

My newest and very precious nephew!!!

2011-12-24T22:34:00.005-06:00

The last few days have been a whirlwind of great stuff, and somehow I missed putting the big news on my blog: My newest nephew was born Wednesday (12/21) at 9:45 pm. His name is Henry John Gowan (which has always been my favorite among their top choices cuz it sounds perfect with his big sisters' names which are Sally Jane and Daisy Kate). He is ADORABLE...and I think you'd even say that without my bias! He was 9lb 8 oz and 21.25 inches long so he doesn't even look like a newborn...he's HUGE! Auntie Jane couldn't be prouder or more excited!

It was my privilege to stay with Henry's big sisters overnight on Wednesday and to tell them when they woke up on Thursday that their baby brother had been born. Loved that Sally's response was to say that she was going to marry him! =) I also got to text along the news to lots of family and friends as the official baby news announcer which was great fun! Thursday I took a very early "lunch" break to go to the hospital to meet Henry, and then went back after work to hang out with Laura while Gow picked up his parents and his brother and wife at the airport. Yay!!! I ended up having my first "sleepover" with Henry (and Laura) at the hospital that night as Sally got sick (the stomach flu is everywhere around here) and Gow needed to stay at home with her. I'm not happy about the reason (sickness) for the sleepover, but it was and is truly a joy to be part of this early part of his life in so many ways....after all that's why I moved here. To live daily life with my family! Yay God for my precious new nephew Henry John!

Want to know something crazy? This camera-crazy, scrapbooking auntie was so into my getting to know Henry that I never once took a picture. But here's at least one from my sister's blog:
Another cool thing: My oldest niece Sarah was born exactly 10 years to the day before my new nephew! Love that! Happy Birthday Miss 10-year-old Sarah! Auntie Jane is soooo proud of the beautiful young woman of God that you are! You are also VERY precious to me!

Other fun times this weekend have included a sleepover with Sarah and Ben and Kristi last night at my house and then Christmas Eve day together at their house. If my other niece and nephew weren't in CA for Christmas, I could potentially have sleepovers with all my precious kiddos all in a row! Emma and Timmy, we need to have your turn soon after you're back: I miss you already!

Our Christmas Eve service tonight at church was a big blessing with great music/worship, preaching, and all aspects our worship and celebration of the birth of Jesus. I am thankful for my church family here!

I truly wouldn't trade exactly where God has me for anything! (but I do miss my Iowa family oodles too...especially on Christmas!)

Merry Christmas! Happy Birthday Jesus!

Mixed emotions at Christmas time

2011-12-18T19:48:00.002-06:00

I seem to have fallen off on my blogging...both writing and reading. But I do want to keep in touch.

Tonight has been a perfect example of the extremely mixed emotions that I sometimes feel in my move to Wisconsin. I absolutely LOVE living here! I'm so thankful that God brought me here to live life with my family and be back in camping ministry. However sometimes I miss my Iowa home of many years and all my friends there (including many friends from there who no longer live there).

Tonight was a fun evening of serving supper before church with much of my family. Then during the service the kids (and some adults) did a mini Christmas program that was great fun. I got to help my favorite 3 and 4 year old class (who I teach sometimes and have grown to love quickly) with singing Away in a Manger, and I enjoyed watching several of my nieces and nephews perform superbly including with the bigger kids too. The evening at church ended with me and several others becoming new members of Anchor Covenant. Last night was a fun open house at our pastor's home and a great time hanging out with my church family and friends (some of whom I've know for quite some time). I am so thankful for my new church family as well as my actual family here.

But I am also so thankful for those of you who are my Iowa family too...whether you live there still or not. I could go on forever with listing many specific friends, but will stick with a few friends/groups in particular that relate to the events of my weekend. I have missed my dear friends the Freebergs, both thinking of helping with their Christmas open houses and our doing Christmas programs together...and seeing such an adorable picture of precious Aaron performing in their new church's program. Then tonight I got a text from my youth group in Iowa who were having their Christmas party...and I miss them oodles! I miss being a part of the daily lives of these people and many more. I can't mention all the names of all of you who I miss...but I can say that I'm glad so many friendships will last forever no matter where we live.

I guess the bottom line is I'm super thankful for all the amazing people God has placed in my life!

Next excitement: The arrival of my new nephew (hopefully/prayerfully within the week)!

Photo time

2011-11-25T19:16:00.014-06:00

So if a picture speaks a 1000 words, here's a lot of words for you tonight from over the last several months. =)

The whole DeVries clan on Thanksgiving at my sister Amy's in Crystal Lake:
Nothing better than a BBQ at Dolliver Park with the Peterson crew on a trip to Iowa over Memorial Day weekend:
Me and Daisy Kate:
Me and the Caspari kids:Sarah and Emma having their sleepover at Auntie Jane's house. I love that they are bookworms like I was at their age:
Ben and Tim having breakfast on their sleepover at Auntie Jane's house:
I had loaned my camera to a friend the weekend when the younger nieces had a sleepover at my house.

All the kiddos in Grandma & Grandpa's pool:
Trip to the Jelly Belly warehouse with some of the crew:Daisy Kate's 2nd birthday party with all the cousins:
My September vacation to Minnesota when it was a blessing to spend time with LOTS of family and friends (many of whom I didn't get pix with). First at beautiful Lake Superior (Duluth/Superior) with the Freebergs: Campfire at their wonderful new home:Time with my dear college/forever friend Sonya and her family in the Twin Cities:
Lunch with my cousin Christa:
The sculpture garden with Wenells: The "must have" photo of me eating the cherry at the sculpture garden:
The Wenell family at Minnehaha Falls:
A photo of me in my office at camp:
My friend Stephanie came to visit in late September...we never got a photo of the two of us together (on my camera) but here's one of us enjoying the lake with Emma and family on their boat:A gorgeous day at the apple orchard:
Is there any doubt from these pix that I love my family and friends! Yay God!!!

It's been far too long...

2011-11-18T19:20:00.003-06:00

I'm not sure why I haven't blogged for so long. It's been 3 months...the whole fall almost. Crazy!

It's been a wonderful, beautiful fall in Lake Geneva. The fall colors were GORGEOUS! I've spent most of my life not understanding at all why people get so into fall colors. I've realized this fall that I never understood it because I've never lived anywhere that was truly brilliant in the fall. The trees here were amazing, especially the view from on the lake but even just the drive through town from my house to camp and particularly the drive through camp! There's no doubting our amazing Creator when you see it!

So much has happened over the last few months that there's no way to cover it even via bullet points, but I'll try to hit some highlights...and I'll be sure to miss some important one just because it's been too long:

A week's vacation in Minnesota where I got to see LOTS of friends and family! A delight!
Cousins' visits to Lake Geneva
My good friend Stephanie Petersons's visit for a long weekend in September
Great opportunities to be part of the "normal" things in my nieces and nephews' lives: concerts, soccer games, basketball games, pilgrim dinner (full Thanksgiving meal), babysitting, sleepovers, etc.
Teaching the 3 & 4 year old class at church for a month (if it wasn't during church I'd do it forever but we take turns)...love this age!
Learning a new "season" at camp including winter camp registration and lots of challenges with getting next summer's online registration open...it is open now!
Enjoying my new church small group and our new once a month Saturday morning ladies fellowship/Bible study time
Yay for a long weekend scrapbooking with good friends on the farm in Iowa

Hopefully I can get back into the routine of blogging more often, but just in case, here's what's coming up that I am looking forward to:

Thanksgiving with the family at my sister's in Crystal Lake
My new nephew's birth around Christmas!!!!

I hope I can get my act together and post some pix before long too. Happy Thanksgiving week to you all!

"Summer" is over...

2011-08-18T21:08:00.002-05:00

Our last summer campers left this morning....sadness! My first summer at Covenant Harbor has been a whirlwind that flew by faster than fast. Hard to believe it's over. It has been a particular blessing to get to know summer staffers and to know I've been part of the bigger picture of God's working in the kids' lives (even though I didn't get "out" there to experience that too much this summer). Yay God that I have the joy of doing something I love, believe in, and have passion about! And now on to learning more new stuff as my role transitions somewhat now that summer camps are finished. But there's never a dull moment as we're already talking/preparing for winter retreats and next summer's registrations open November 1st.

I haven't blogged for almost a month so I'm not at all sure what I've been up to that's worth sharing. I think I'll start a bullet list and see what I can remember so be aware that this will probably be totally random:

Top exciting news: We found out last Saturday evening that my next niece/nephew will be a NEPHEW! Laura and Gow's friends threw them a fun "gender reveal" party where when they cut into the cake the blue frosting told us the gender. This already precious baby boy will join his two big sisters about Christmas time and this Auntie is sure excited to meet him and spoil him!
I enjoyed my 1st Wisconsin fish fry last weekend with my Auntie Karen and Laura and Gow. Yummy and unique too!
Sweet Daisy Kate turned 2 last Friday, and her party is Saturday! She is chatting up a storm and quite adorable. My favorite phrases of hers are "carry me?" and "watch....me" (the pause in between is the best).
My dad and Cyndie rode their bikes from here to my sister Amy's (almost 40 miles). My dad did it to show that he may be 70 but he's still going strong.
I enjoy the normal times of hanging out with the family and picnics and playing at the pool (my parents' condo association one).
I've had lots of fun following the Covs which is Neal and Gow's softball team that includes a mix of church and camp folks with some others as well. Hanging out watching the games with family and friends on gorgeous evenings has been great even when the games haven't been victories. Their last game was this week, and they won with some great hitting including 2 homeruns by my brother (and a really rotten call by the ump that got me a bit "emotional" in my response).
An overnight at Amy's house hanging out with her family and "helping" with their garage sale.
The next two Friday nights will be the niece sleepovers at Auntie Jane's house with the older ones this week and the younger ones the next week. (the boys had their turn in June)

That was definitely a rambling list, but hopefully it gives you a bit of a peak into my life this last month.

Loving the "normal" things!

2011-07-23T20:58:00.002-05:00

So I got out of the blogging habit, and it's kind of hard to get myself back into it. I also find that I forget to take pictures so I don't have them to blog. But it's a quiet evening (now that my youngest nieces are in bed), and I figured it was as good a time as any to blog.

All I can think of to write is how much I am loving the "normal" things...meaning being a part of the "normal" every day things in the life of my family! Babysitting, swimming at the pool, baseball/softball games, etc., etc. It is good! Not just good but GREAT! Yay God!

Beyond that I'm keeping busy at camp and still learning the best patterns/flow/routine for me for summer. Soooo different to be in a 40 hour a week type role vs. living it...but hard to fit it all into 40 hours too.

So not too much to blog tonight...but at least an attempt to stay in touch through this! =)

Summer!

2011-07-07T20:09:00.002-05:00

I really am still here...just haven't had much time to blog and then don't know where to start when I consider it. So this will be a quick bullet-point blog that won't begin to cover life but will hit some points (and miss plenty of others I'm sure):

Main activity of the last month plus is summer camp at Covenant Harbor...and relearning the intensity of summer and how to live it out healthily, etc. which has been particularly challenging given I started at the most intense time of year possible. I am loving it though and beginning to feel more settled into summer routine in the last week or so. The best is hearing stories of God working and campers LOVING camp! I'm enjoying our summer staffers too--we have lots (80+) so I only get to know a handful very well but one of my favorite aspects of camp.
My two oldest nieces (Sarah & Emma) were at camp for the first week of summer! It was fun to have a couple meals with them and run into them occasionally, but especially awesome to have them have a GREAT time. It's awesome to have nieces whose camp experiences/journey are perfect for me to share as I'm talking to parents of prospective campers, etc. My nephew Timmy came to Day Camp the second week of camp and had a great time too...again lunch with him and his cabin group. These opportunities to get out among the kids makes our campers' experiences real to me as otherwise I don't get out of the office too much.
Softball and baseball...lots of it and loving it. Niece & nephew little league games every Monday and Wednesday evening, and Neal & Gow playing on adult league on Tuesdays. So relaxing to sit outside and cheer them on...has been part of my sanity over the last month+.
Whirlwind trip to Iowa for two weddings the weekend before summer camp started. Great to celebrate Anndee & Billy's wedding at P-Cov with reception at TLCC's Round Barn and an added bonus was heading to Mason City for Tyler & Molly's wedding later the same day. Good to see lots of dear friends along the way! Then later the next week was fun to have the honeymooners visit me on their way home!
My Dad turned 70 on Sunday. We had a small party that day and a bigger party to come. Most of all he's going on a big bike ride to prove he's still young enough to do it!
Timmy and Benny (my two nephews) had a sleepover at my house at the end of their sisters' week at camp. Good times!
This coming weekend Sally & Daisy (my two youngest nieces) are having a sleepover at my house while their parents take the youth group camping.
Fun times out on the lake in Neal and Cyndie's boat and overall just GREAT to be by my family and spend time with them whenever I want! Yay God!

So yes...life is busy, but I am happy and oh so content to be right where God wants me to be!

Trip to Iowa for Memorial Weekend

2011-06-01T19:58:00.004-05:00

After my sadness of missing graduations the weekend before, I made last minute plans and headed "home" to Iowa for Memorial weekend. It is truly a blessing to consider two places "home"...and really there are other places that could easily fit that description for me as I consider "home" wherever a part of my heart is and where there are people I love! It was GREAT to spend time with dear friends in Iowa, but best of all it was great to have drive time to reflect on how God has worked in my life over the last 5 months! It was great to be excited to see dear friends there but to be even more excited to be returning HOME to Wisconsin where I have no doubt God has placed me...with my family and at Covenant Harbor! YAY GOD!

The long weekend flew by, but I enjoyed time with the Petersons (my "camp" family), with Deanne (and by Twin Lakes), with the Janssens, church at P-Cov on Sunday a.m. (including the treat of the TLCC summer staff dedication), coffee at Bloomers with Stephanie, picnic at Dolliver Park (with Petersons), a chocolate malt from the Dairette, etc. Alas there wasn't time to spend with everyone, but it was good! I am thankful!

Now we continue on with summer preparations at Covenant Harbor! Summer staff leadership are here, and gradually more summer staff are arriving. That makes it real! Summer campers arrive on June 19th. Are we ready? Not yet but getting there. Pray with me for the staff and the preparations! And for God to bring even more kids to camp still. And for me to be ready for all the unknowns of my first summer at Harbor! It will be exciting to see what all God has in store!

Honoring the graduates!

2011-05-22T19:29:00.006-05:00

This weekend was one of those when I wished I could be two places at once and with two sets of people I love! I guess I should see that as a blessing even when at times it's really hard.

Yesterday was full of two fabulously, fun birthday parties here in Wisconsin that I wouldn't have missed for anything: early in the day a family birthday party for my niece Emma who is 9 (cowgirl theme) and in the evening an 80's themed 40th birthday party for a friend. Getting ready for the 80's party made this girl who went to jr. high, high school (class of '86), and college (I'm totally an 80's girl) very reminiscent. But I really should have saved some clothes from the 80's for future costumes. Who knew I'd wish I still had those stone-washed denim jeans & jean jacket or those ruffly blouses or those Laura Ashley like dresses! Bot of those parties and the people at both of them that I love and enjoy were very good reason to stay here in Wisconsin for the weekend and are why I'm thankful God brought me here to live!

However today a big part of my heart was in Iowa where I wanted to be part of celebrating the graduations of two very special people: Luke Peterson (from church/youth group) and Joshua Peterson (of my camp Peterson family). As a matter of fact about 8:30 this morning all I could think was that if I started driving then, I could be there in time for the parties. Now I knew that was a ridiculous thought...but my heart was ready to act on it. Thankfully I was committed to babysitting Sally and Daisy during the youth group end of the year BBQ, and we had a great time playing and picnicking at my house...and I was accidentally left with no car keys so I couldn't road trip even if I tried. =)

In honor of the graduates who I celebrate today even if I couldn't be there, here's some photos:

First Joshua:

And then Luke:Here's Luke (in front) along with some of the youth group:Joshua and Luke, you both may tease me like crazy, but I couldn't be prouder of who you both are! And I'm praying for you on the journeys God has ahead of you! I know you'll do great things for God's kingdom and make our world a better place!

It's been a while!

2011-05-19T21:47:00.005-05:00

It's been a while...sorry! Guess that's a reflection on the fact that life has been hopping! I'll try to do some bullet points to highlight the last month since I blogged, but I know I'll miss stuff.

Easter weekend was a good one including Anchor Covenant having Easter morning worship at Covenant Harbor and then the rest of the day with the family and the Holtes who are like family to us!
It was fun to celebrate my birthday with my family. All of the Lake Geneva crew surprised me on my birthday when they rang my doorbell and brought breakfast! Got to celebrate with the Casparis the next Saturday. Loving my new comforter that was a birthday present from my family!
Mother's Day brunch with Mom and some of the family
May 15th was the next "deadline" for camp with health forms, preorders, and final payments due. That has made things a bit crazy. It's been 5 years since I've been through spring preparations at camp so I'm relearning that mode and in a different role. But I love Harbor and am enjoying getting to know people more and more. Today I went on a summer-oriented tour, and we had a hot dog and other food taste test for staff lunch. Both were great for getting me looking forward to summer! I'm excited to see what God has planned for each of these campers who I am processing these days!
Last Saturday was believe.love.serve (volunteer work day/weekend at Harbor) so I volunteered along with much of my family and the Anchor youth group and many others. My group (the youth group, etc.) made foam bricks to be used for a castle for the stage for summer camp worship. Good times!
I have been enjoying "weekly" visits from my dear Iowa friends, Dave & Shirley Welander. They came a week ago and brought me a washer and dryer (thanks Deanne, I LOVE having it here at my house!) and came again this week with their son Chris enroute to New Hampshire. Loved having them as my first overnight guests and enjoyed our time together despite loosing at cribbage! =)
I continue to enjoy being close enough to go to things such as Sally's stage debut with Puggles (littlest ones in Awana), Timmy's school musical, softball games, birthday parties, etc.
I also LOVE being part of day-to-day life of my family!
Speaking of family, I've saved the best for last. Since she put it on her blog, I believe I'm safe to share that my sister Laura and her husband Gow are giving us the best Christmas present: I'll be an auntie times 8 in December! Yay God!

My Easter Letter (as compared to my Christmas Letter)

2011-04-22T22:54:00.012-05:00

He is Risen!
Happy Easter from my new home to you!

(imagine the greeting at the top in a pretty font in word art shape and the photo above in a heart shape with green trim around it...it's pretty that way on my actual Easter letter but I don't know how to do that on my blog)

Easter greetings from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin! I moved here at the end of February, and the main reasons why are the seven kids pictured above…my precious nieces and nephews! Four of them live here in town, the other three are only 45 minutes away, and I am blessed to be part of their lives on a regular basis! YAY GOD for all my family! I’m also here because God clearly opened the door for me to return to camping ministry, now at Covenant Harbor Bible Camp as the Program Registrar and Youth Ministry Secretary. I am super excited to be back in camping ministry and have realized anew just how much camp “fits” who I am and is exactly where God has created me to be! Another big YAY GOD!

While the idea of moving here is something I had been pondering and praying about for over a year, when God provided the opportunity it happened fast, and I moved exactly one month from when I found out. That wasn’t long to say goodbye to my home and friends and church and job in Iowa…which had been home in many ways not just for the 17 years I’d lived there as an adult but really since my family moved there 29 years ago. Thankfully the core of my friendships there won’t change, and it’s close enough for visits! I’m also super thankful that when the move happened quickly that God was working to provide for my new home, a duplex which I am renting from my brother and sister-in-law that is 5 minutes from work, my local family, my new church home (Anchor Covenant Church) and just about anything I could want! I even have a guest room so you’re welcome anytime…and Lake Geneva is a great place to visit!

There’s lots of other things I could share about the last year and a half of my life, but I’m out of space and I’ve shared the most essential news. Please keep in touch by visiting, emailing, calling, facebooking, etc.!

Love & prayers, Jane DeVries (my new address is shared on the hard copy of this letter so ask me for that if you'd like it)

P.S. This Minnesota Viking fan will forever be a Vikings fan even though I live in “cheesehead” land!

Truly a Wisconsin resident and an AWESOME surprise!!!

2011-04-22T20:48:00.002-05:00

Today I got my Wisconsin driver's license and license plates...guess that truly makes me a Wisconsin resident now! It all still feels quite surreal much of the time. I think the fact that it all happened so fast makes it even harder to comprehend and makes it sometimes still not feel real in many ways. I just realized earlier this week that it was exactly one month from the day when I got the job offer at Covenant Harbor to the day that I moved to Wisconsin. No wonder it was such a whirlwind and still doesn't feel real even now that I have lived here exactly two months as of today. But I am GLAD to be here!

This afternoon/evening I had an AWESOME surprise from back "home" when Andrew and Joshua Peterson showed up at my sister's house where I was babysitting. They have been in Maine doing maple syrup with Grampy and were enroute home to Iowa...and took a slight detour to visit me. Their mom (Cheryl) told me on the phone that now I got to have my "Peterson fix," and I enjoyed their short but sweet visit HUGELY. However I'm not sure the fix will last for long and it actually left me wanting more of my Peterson family in Iowa. Who's coming next? And here's to hoping I can make there for Joshua's graduation in May! Yay God for dear friends who are truly family and who will be a significant part of my life forever!

Other firsts today: Getting my first haircut here (and first one from someone other than Kari who has cut my hair for years and who I have loved) and making my first doctors appointment. Those are more realities.

I have my Easter letter (instead of Christmas and following in the great tradition of my dear friends the Wenells) written and printed...now to get it sent out. If you want to be sure to receive it, let me know. Until you get it, know you are loved and that I wish you all a blessed Easter! He is Risen! I am thankful for my Savior and His sacrifice and the gift of eternal life through His grace!

Sleepover with the family & precious moments!

2011-04-18T22:00:00.008-05:00

Fun times with the family include sleepovers at my sister's in Crystal Lake with all my siblings and the kiddos. This past weekend was the first one since I moved out here. The weather was cruddy, but the time with each other was great. Yay God that I get to be part of these times regularly now!!!

There was lots of eating, lots of playing, lots of hanging out, and of course a movie in the basement. We did some birthday celebrating of my brother (no photos of that...oops) and of Ben turning 7 complete with a lego cake (Ben on the right and cousin Tim on the left):
Of course there has to be birthday games...this one a lego building contest:
And of course I have to share some pix of the kiddos just because I'm a proud Auntie!

Here's Sarah:
Cousin hugs (Emma and Ben):
The boys showing off their blue tongues while eating Birthday cake (Tim and Ben):
Kristi and her big, beautiful eyes:
Sally Jane (she may not be looking at the camera, but this captures her grin and happy expression well):
Daisy Kate:
I truly LOVE being here and being a part of my family's life on a day-to-day basis like this. Each Sunday evening I have the joy of babysitting Sally and Daisy while Laura and Gow are leading youth group. Last night after I put them to bed I heard Sally (who'll be three on Saturday) singing clearly in bed: "I cast all my cares upon you. I lay all of my burdens down at your feet. And anytime I don't know what to do, I will cast all my cares upon you." That truly melted my heart and was so very precious. When I checked on her later, Sally told me that was one of her mom's favorite songs...and I told her it's a Bible verse and is all about God taking care of us. Later Laura told me that our mom used to tell her to sing that at night when she was worried or scared. I remember singing (and sometimes I still do) with mom's encouragement "I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone dear Lord, you will keep me safe." Psalm 4:8 God's word via song passed on through the generations. Doesn't get any better than that! And what a great example for all of us grownups of knowing and even singing scripture and how we can influence the next generation in that way as well!

Time with T.O.T.A.L. in Chicago last weekend

2011-04-17T14:13:00.004-05:00

Just as I thought I was getting back to more regular blogging, I had a busy week and got off track again. So here's some catch up photos from last weekend when I had the joy of meeting up with the T.O.T.A.L. (church youth group from back in Iowa) crew in Chicago! It was GREAT to see everyone and especially a blessing to watch Anndee with help from Chris and Tierney (who now live in Chicago and hosted us) lead the group. All three of them are T.O.T.A.L. alumni which makes it a special blessing to see/hear how God has worked in their lives! Yay God! The group visited North Park University, helped at a homeless shelter, ate different types of ethnic food, did lots of sightseeing, and went to an African American church in Gary, IN. Always great to have our Iowa kids get a taste of life beyond what they have known! I wasn't able to be with them the whole time, but I got to hang out with them Friday evening through Saturday evening and do lots of sightseeing.

The first picture is hanging out playing Apples to Apples at Tierney's apartment:
Checking out Wrigley Field (especially for Luke the Cubs fan):Lots of time was spent wandering around downtown. This is at Millenium Park and the bean:
And of course a stop at Giordanos for Chicago pizza is always a must:
I am thankful for each on of this crew and consider it a true joy and privilege to have been and continue to be part of their lives! I'm also thankful for the pleasant weather in Chicago last Saturday (as compared to yesterday) for sightseeing. And I'm thankful that the T.O.T.A.L. group missed all the bad weather in Iowa on Saturday and while they were traveling home on Sunday. Praying for those in Iowa (very near where I used to live) who were hit by tornadoes last weekend.

Good times too!

2011-04-07T21:16:00.002-05:00

Just so you're not getting only the hard part of the emotions (yesterday's blog), I wanted to be sure you know how excited I am about two things:

Getting to go to my niece Sarah's 3rd grade concert tonight and having supper with the Caspari crew and Auntie Karen!
I get to spend the weekend in Chicago with T.O.T.A.L. (the Iowa youth group) as they are enroute there right now and will be there until Sunday! I wish I was heading down tonight, but instead I will eagerly meet them tomorrow after work!

YAY GOD!!!!

Sometimes this is HARD!

2011-04-04T21:20:00.004-05:00

I knew there would be times when it would be hard to not be able to be there for special events and even for routine things in Iowa....but yesterday and today have shocked me with how real that is. I am so where God wants me, but my heart is deeply connected to dear friends back in Iowa.

Last night I found out that one of the dear ladies from P-Cov (Vivian Christoffers) passed away. When I moved she seemed fine (as far as I knew anyway) so this was a shock to me. She and her sister Izetta (both widows for quite a few years) were ones who very obviously shined God's light and love in our church. I'm feeling Izetta's loss deeply as well as that of the rest of her family. And it's hard to know I can't go to the visitation or funeral. I guess I had no clue how hard these "firsts" would be....but when it's unexpected and someone so precious, it's even harder.

Just now I found out that my dear friends the Janssens had a serious house fire today that pretty much destroyed their home. They are all okay and for that I am extremely thankful. I'm just struggling with the fact that all I could do was call Luie to share my love and support and prayers and that I can't be there for them to be God's hands and feet through this difficult time. I know God and His people will carry them, but being far away right now really stinks!

Of course there are the happy occasions that I really miss too:
-Peterson birthday parties
-Anndee and Billy's wedding shower at P-Cov
-so much more of the simple things and the "big" things too

I don't mean to dwell on what I miss in this blog...because there's so much here that I am blessed by and so many people I am glad I can be here for! But the loss emotions are deep too and if I'm going to be real in this blog, then I need to share them too. Yay God for carrying me through all the joys and the sorrows related to a major change in life! Please join me in praying for the Janssens and for Vivian's family too!

Iowa Friend Photos...Oh How I Love These Folks!

2011-04-03T11:58:00.005-05:00

I may not have any current photos, but I realized I haven't blogged photos at all for a while and wanted to share all of these of some of favorite folks in Iowa at my "Peterson/camp" farewell party shortly before my move. Above we have my "brother" Gregg and dear friend Cheryl. They are truly family to me...along with their whole family! I thank God for you Peterson family!

Next we have me and the Peterson girls:
Stephanie is the oldest of the Peterson girls and is my dear friend. Oh how I miss our weekly get togethers for coffee at Bloomers.
Now here's me and the Peterson boys, including the next generation of Petersons in Cameron (oldest brother Tyler and his wife Katy's baby):
And now one of just Cameron, Timmy (yes, that's Uncle Timmy to Cameron) and me:
Deanne (my "landlord"/neighbor, dear friend, coworker, person who I miss lots) and me:The Lages (camp volunteers/contractors extraordinaire) and me:
And last but certainly not least, the Clines (Kez, Phil, and Jane) and me:
Guess somehow Grandma and Grandpa Peterson (Gregg's parents who were also at this party) got missed in the photos.

Yay God for all of these people in my life...friendships/"family" that last beyond state lines! It takes time to build this deep of bonds in a new location, but I know they are on the way...and I'm very thankful for my family here with whom the bonds are already deep, strong, and real!

I need to track down photos of loading/moving day on the Iowa end and share those with you too!

Different Sunday mornings

2011-04-03T09:57:00.003-05:00

My church here in Lake Geneva worships together at 5pm on Sundays. That means that Sunday mornings are now very different for me. And I've decided that I really like them. Sleeping in and relaxing and resting...ahhhh! Very much Sabbath to me.

On the house front: Yesterday my sister Laura came over, and we hung stuff on my walls. The project isn't quite done, but it's amazing how much difference that makes! We also finally got the old tenant's Christmas lights off the outside of the house. Thanks Laura! After that I got to go to the art show for my Aunt's painting classes. Her students include my sister, brother, and sister-in-law. Quite impressive painting they are doing! After that was coffee shop (small group/community group) at my brother's and then a relaxing/lazy evening.

Next weekend the T.O.T.A.L. kids and Anndee (my Iowa youth group) are coming to Chicago for the weekend! I can't wait to hang out with them as I miss them LOTS! Yay God for this opportunity!

That's it for today, but maybe I can get back to blogging more regularly. =) And maybe just maybe I can remember to start getting my camera out and taking pictures to post as well!

One month and settling in!

2011-03-31T21:02:00.002-05:00

It's been a month since I started at Covenant Harbor and a month and a week or since I moved. And it's finally starting to feel more and more like "home" which is good. But don't worry Iowa friends/family: I miss you too!

As my last blog indicated, things were VERY intense for a while at camp as March 15th was the early bird discount date for summer camp registrations...and I was learning LOTS at the same time. But after a couple weeks of working extra (and trying not to be too stressed about the "pile" of registrations to be entered), I am excited to have "caught up" at least for now and at least in some ways. That means I've had a chance to learn other parts of my job too and settle into some routines more. The learning curve is still big, but not quite as big as it originally was. And I'm truly enjoying my work and the people I work with. I can't wait to see what all God has in store this summer and throughout!

We had probably our biggest event of the year at Covenant Harbor last Sunday which is Maple Fest: basically a giant open house/PR event. We had somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500 people come throughout the day for a yummy pancake breakfast, craft fair, maple tours (showing the process of making syrup which we do at Harbor), and lots of fun activities including laser tag, climbing tour, bounce castle, mini golf, and helicopter rides. The event also raises money for Day Camp scholarships. We had a cool but pleasant day for it, and I enjoyed seeing it all happen and being part of it. My main "job" for the day was selling raffle tickets (the proceeds went to the scholarships), but I also was "initiated" as a new staff member by having the joy of being in the giant sausage costume for a while. Apparently the sausage isn't supposed to talk, but no one told me, and you can imagine that Jane not talking didn't happen naturally. =) I guess the sausages are a big Wisconsin thing and are seen at Brewers baseball games, etc. Anyway...it was a great day but exhausting too.

I'm enjoying life with my family including getting to my niece Emma's elementary play last week and going to my niece Sarah's elementary concert next week as well as times to just hang out, eat a meal, play, read books, etc. This weekend I'll get to go to my Aunt's art class' art show which includes my sister and brother and sister-in-law as students displaying their paintings. A few weeks ago I got to spend the weekend helping take care of my sister Amy's kids while she and the other girls were at a mom's conference. All of this is WHY I moved here...and I love it! Yay God for the opportunity to be part of their lives more often!

I'm also enjoying Anchor Covenant Church here in Lake Geneva. In many ways it was "easy" for it to feel like home quickly as the pastor and his wife are old friends and much of my family is there. It's a small church without a permanent location, but a church that seems to truly be seeking who God wants it to be in this community and that's exciting. We meet at 5pm on Sundays so that's different, but I do enjoy a lazy Sunday morning! I'm taking my time and have decided to not commit to ministry things until after my first summer at camp. Instead of jumping into youth group type things, I'm enjoying the supportive role of babysitting my sister's kids while they lead the youth group and that's perfect for me right now. I've also helped a couple times in the 3 & 4 year old class which is fun cuz my niece Sally is in it. I've joined a new adult book study group which I look forward to being challenged by and getting to know people through. I'm also checking out "Coffee Shop" (a community group that my siblings started) and have enjoyed it so far.

I enjoy having my "old" (not in age mind you) college friend Jeannine and her husband Dale (an "old" camp friend too) and their family here in this area too. It's been GREAT to not have to start all over on all my friendships with them being here!

Big news: I now have a bed in my guest room (thanks to a friend of my sister who was getting rid of it)...so I'm ready for company! Who will be first? I am eager to have company so don't wait too long! My house isn't fully "done" but I'm making progress and it's becoming home too.

Anyway...this got longer than I expected and I'm sure I forgot plenty...but the journey continues. It hasn't been without it's bumps or tough spots, but there's no doubt God has been walking with me and leading me step by step. I'm VERY thankful each one of you have been with me on this journey too...cuz I couldn't have done it without you! Yay God for you!

March 15th...please pray!

2011-03-14T23:04:00.002-05:00

Today was one of those days where I allowed myself to get overwhelmed. Tomorrow and beyond have lots of potential for that continuing. So before I head to bed (which I must do soon), I decided I should stop and blog to ask for your prayers for the next few days. Basically I have LOTS of camp registrations that need to be processed...and they are literally pouring in right now as our early bird registration is March 15th (tomorrow). Add to that the many calls, e-mails, etc. with questions that make it interesting to make progress. Top it off by the fact that I am still not moving fast since this is all so new to me.

I know that what is feeling impossible to me humanly is all very possible with God in it. I do LOVE to see the registrations pouring in because that means more opportunities to share the Good News and for God to change lives this summer!

So please pray for campers and parents to respond and come to camp! And pray for me that I can make some good progress tomorrow. But most of all pray that I can trust God to carry me through this intense time and allow Him to work in and through me to do His work!

The Iditarod Starts Today!

2011-03-05T13:07:00.003-06:00

So it's funny how sometimes things from your childhood come back and almost consume you with interest! Every year the Iditarod dogsled race from Anchorage to Nome (the small twon in Alaska where I was born and grew up through Jr. High) brings me right back to being at the finish line and following each step of the race with passion! Today is the start of the Iditarod...and I'm watching it sort of via webcams from Anchorage. I'm also wearing my Iditarod sweatshirt. It's fun to follow it via the internet! But not quite as good as being at the finish line always was!

In other news: I survived my first "week" (actually only 4 days since I started on Tuesday) at Harbor. I've begun to learn lots, but don't have much of anything mastered yet. I can't wait to be able to contribute and do my job, but I'm also enjoying the learning process and praying it's all soaking in. I've been realizing lots just how much my years of experience at a much smaller camp where I was involved in so many different aspects of the ministry help me "get" all the other roles at Harbor in a way that some wouldn't. I enjoy the people there and look forward to all that's ahead!

I've been exhausted ever since the move...but I'm told that's to be expected! So many emotions continue to flow. So many adjustments. But God is consistent and with me, and keeping my eyes fixed on Him is essential! I'm getting some things done and letting myself rest too. Today I got bank accounts open and tried to hook up for TV reception...to no avail. Think it's about time for a nap!

Internet at Home!

2011-03-02T22:15:00.003-06:00

The exciting news for tonight is that I have internet at my new home...finally! I'm so looking forward to having that convenience back...especially for keeping in touch with dear friends who are further away now!

Day two at Harbor went well. I learned a lot more and even was productive as I helped get a mailing out and entered my first few summer camp registrations and sent off confirmation materials. Thankful for a great teacher!

Thankful too for family to hang out with including last minute supper at Culvers and phone calls, etc.!

Day One: I have survived!

2011-03-01T18:59:00.003-06:00

For those who want to know: I have survived my first day at Covenant Harbor. I have a LOT to learn, but I work with great people who are patient and understand it will take a while for me to learn. I spent my day having a tour, going out for lunch with my bosses, and doing lots of reading the website and summer brochure to try to get up to speed a bit on things. The person who will do much of my training was out sick so much more learning tomorrow!

Ready or not....here I come!

2011-02-28T15:35:00.002-06:00

Yes indeed: I start work at Covenant Harbor tomorrow. The reason I say ready or not...here I come is that I have been definitely dragging for the last several days and therefore I am praying I can successfully snap out of that and into work/serving mode tomorrow. I think all the exhaustion (physical and emotional, etc.) of the last month caught up with me which many people tell me is to be expected....but I don't like it anyway. Bottom line: I'd appreciate your prayers for me as I start work and learn LOTS and become acclimated and part of the Harbor team.

My house is progressing little by little. I enjoyed a family get together for my niece Kristi's 5th Birthday on Saturday and Sunday dinner with my friends the Holtes. My first Sunday at Anchor Covenant was good and busy with the silent auction for camp scholarships. Church here is at 5pm on Sundays because they meet in another church's building so that is different. Saying good morning is a "habit" that's hard to get over. =) Was fun to get some texts from T.O.T.A.L. last night..definitely miss my youth group kids.

That's a short and sweet update! Can't wait to have internet at home (hopefully by Wednesday evening)!

Wisconsin...here I am!

2011-02-24T20:34:00.002-06:00

So I now live in Wisconson. That fact still seems rather surreal. It still feels like I'm just here on vacation even though all my stuff is here and I am in my own house vs. at my family’s homes. This is an exciting thing and a sad thing. My mixed emotions are often off the charts. But I know this is exactly where God wants me to be and that He is walking each step of this journey with me.

I have been overwhelmed by the love and support and care of soooo many throughout this recent journey! Wow! Both in Iowa and here in Wisconsin. God is good and His people have been amazing as His hands and feet and heart in my life!

The last “goodbyes” in Iowa were definitely the hardest. Here’s some of the highlights:

When I stopped at TLCC last Saturday afternoon to see my scrapbook friends, I had no idea how hard my last stop at camp was going to be. TLBC/TLCC has been my “home” for nearly 29 years even though the last several years have not been spent there on a day-to-day basis. God blessed me through a great visit with my friend Becky who leads those retreats and with 2 TLCC friends who have been around for much of my camp journey…all of whom told me when I shared my journey back into camping ministry, that they could have told me long ago that camping was where I belonged. =) And I enjoyed a brief chat with several of the current TLCC staff too.
Saturday evening was a party at the Petersons with the Clines, Lages, Deanne, and Petersons. Good times with good friends!
Sunday morning was my final Sunday at P-Cov. One last Sunday a.m. with my 2-4 year old Sunday School class….LOVE those kids! One last worship service in which I cried my way through all the songs (including God’s special messages to me in some unique things) and then had the opportunity to share at the end of the service about my journey. Afterwards farewell coffee for me including God’s love reaching out to me through some of the most unexpected people. Including by an unexpected former youth grouper who’s now a parent who shared with me about the impact I’d had in his life. And a card from a family that meant the world to me…and lots of special greetings. Then I enjoyed lunch with the Janssens which was a perfect transition for me after an emotionally-filled morning of saying goodbye to my church family of almost 29 years.
Sunday afternoon more packing with the reward being going to hang out with Parker and Nora Beth and their parents for a bit!
Monday morning I bought the new car! It was a wonderful smooth ride to Wisconsin in it!
Then I did last minute packing, loaded lots of breakables into my car, and cleaned some.
My parents arrived about 3:45 on Monday, the moving crew (a bunch of the Petersons and Dave Welander) arrived shortly thereafter, and we had the SUV and the UHaul trailer packed by 5:30. That was after more than a bit of stress for many of us thinking there’s no way it would all fit. But I must say I had the world’s best packers and I didn’t have to leave a thing behind! Some of the girls and my mom helped get some of the house cleaned as the packing happened. Then Shirley arrived with supper for the crew…another huge GIFT from God and her! After lots of good conversation, my parents and I got a good night sleep thanks to Deanne’s bedding and mattresses!
Tuesday a.m. some of the hardest goodbyes yet happened with Deanne and the house and then with the Peterson crew when I stopped for breakfast at their house. I so wanted to pack all of them in the trailer and bring them along!

I guess we’ll now switch to the bullet points of the welcome/arrival in Wisconsin:

I never quite caught up with my parents (after my stop at Petersons) so they and my stuff got to my new home before me. When I arrived 15-20 minutes later, the unloading had already begun, and I quickly tried to decide where to place furniture, etc. The crew included my family, my new pastor (who’s an old friend too), and two of my new coworkers (who brought me a pie too). All was unloaded, we’d had a snack, my bed was made, and everyone had left by 4:15. At that point I began to fully explore my new house and put away a few things before supper at my brother’s and a brief stop at my sister’s.
Needless to say I was exhausted and in bed BEFORE 8pm. I slept GREAT!!!!
Which allowed me to be awake and ready to go fairly early Wednesday morning. Thanks to great help from my friend Jeannine, my kitchen is totally unpacked! My dad came and put some pieces of furniture back together, and my sister and my mom helped with other things including some rearranging.
I’ve enjoyed a visit from Sally & Daisy and a couple from Emma and Timmy! I plan to see Sarah, Ben, and Kristi this weekend! That’s the BEST part of all of this!
Wednesday evening my brother and sister-in-law hosted a “Welcome Jane” get together for the family and a bunch of my new coworkers. That was GREAT!
Today I enjoyed coffee with an old friend who is also my new pastor’s wife, I unpacked some more, and took 3 of the kids to a movie at the library.
BIGGEST PRIORITY: Getting internet at my new home so I can keep in touch with all of you! But alas I found out I can’t get it until next Wednesday. =( So I’ll be online as much as I can in the meantime but not super regularly.

One thing I don’t think I’ll do for a while: Change the name of my blog. I may not be in Iowa or snowbound…but the snowbound in Iowa experience when I began this blog lives on in my heart! And I am and will always be an Iowan no matter where God has brought me!

The end is in sight

2011-02-19T15:06:00.002-06:00

It's continued to be a whirlwind...or a swirl of activity and emotions. But today has been GREAT and much progress has occurred on the packing thanks to fabulous help from my dear friend Stephanie! We got the kitchen done in the morning, and then she packed knicknacks and wall framed stuff (something I hate doing) and I attacked some closets and misc. stuff like that. Now I can actually comprehend finishing tomorrow and Monday! Yay God for dear friends!

My last week of work was full of craziness and stress and good times too. We got new computers on Tuesday and of course that was not without glitches. And there was no way that I could get everything done that I would have liked to which was particularly hard for me knowing that they don't have a replacement for me yet. But by Friday afternoon I was finally able to relax and enjoy my coworkers and get done what I could to finish well. My years of working at Catholic Social Services with 4 great ladies and some awesome clients have been a huge blessing!

After work, I headed to Petersons' where they made my favorite Peterson supper, and then I brought Stephanie home with me to help and stay overnight. Tonight it's back for a fun get together at the Petersons with them and other dear friends. Can't wait!

Tomorrow is my last Sunday at the church that has been my spiritual home for almost 29 years. Our interim pastor asked me if I'd like to share for 5 minutes in the service which I gladly agreed to. Pray that I can clearly share how God's been working in my life, that my sharing will speak to others, and that I can get through it without being too emotional. After church they'll have a farewell coffee time for me, and then I'm going out for lunch with friends.

Other highlights of the last week (I know I'm missing things):

Lunch last Saturday at the Hoyts/Richisons (a family that moved out here from CA). That was a fun glimpse into living by my family and having more day-to-day time together with them!
Supper last Saturday at the Lantzes with others too.
Sunday lunch with some of our prayer group from the past.
Sunday evening was my last T.O.T.A.L. which was special in many ways including yummy food by Anndee, an opportunity to share some of my journey with the kids, my very own T.O.T.A.L. box including some sweet notes from the kids, and playing Duckie Wuckie! I will miss "my" kids a lot! Pray for new leaders to help Anndee and carry T.O.T.A.L. on into the future.
Monday lunch out with a friend who was a former youth grouper and summer staffer, etc.
Monday evening at the Welanders with them and Deanne...grilled steaks and home grown food, learning to play cribbage, a fire, best of all DEAR friends and relaxing!
Wednesday morning coffee at Bloomers with Stephanie...something I will HUGELY miss!
Wednesday supper at friends'...roast beef, potatoes, and carrots cooked together...one of my favorites!
Thursday supper at Pizza Ranch with friends.

In the midst of it all, I might be buying a newer car before the move. My red Focus is just having more problems than this girl is wanting to handle. The newer car (also a Focus) just might be the least big change of all as it feels just like my current car only smoother. =)

Thanks friends and family for praying with/for me throughout this whirlwind month. Another prayer request is for good weather on Monday and Tuesday when my parents drive here and then we all drive to Lake Geneva. And for everything to fit into the UHaul trailer and vehicles.

Hope this makes sense as you can imagine my brain/energy aren't moving too fast. I'm off to visit my friend Becky and the scrapbookers at TLCC quick one last time. Happy Saturday to all and Happy Birthday to my siso Laura!

The journey continues

2011-02-11T22:47:00.002-06:00

The journey continues and grows in intensity. More details are worked out including how/when I'm moving. My parents (thank you!) will drive my brother's SUV (thank you!) over here on Monday, 2/21, we'll pick up a UHaul trailer (hopefully it's big enough for my stuff and hopefully it will be available close to home vs. further away), and we'll load it that evening. Then we'll head to WI on Tuesday and hopefully unload there that later afternoon/evening. That gives us Wednesday in case of bad weather or anything else we bump into. Loading/unloading crews are welcomed on either end of the trip. If you're interested in helping, let me know.

It's also been fun to hear about my new home and the prep work (painting, new carpet, cleaning, etc.) happening on it. Thank you to all those on that end involved in that process as both my landlords and family!

Other fun things related to the future end of things: I now have a Covenant Harbor staff e-mail address and am even getting staff e-mails. That's fun! I've enjoyed phone calls from various ones of my nieces and nephews who are excited about my move. The best recent one had to be Sally this afternoon who asked me if I was coming today and then how many naps it would be until I was there. Love it! Glad she'll be getting lots of naps in between then and now...pretty sure I won't be.

I packed several more boxes tonight...in an effort to get back into chipping away at it all! I can't wait to be on the other end of that part of the process!

I've been enjoying and will continue enjoying time with the people here I care about and will miss (that's my #1 priority right now):

Lunch yesterday with Stephanie
Supper at Big Beve's with Luie last night...and my favorite oriental chicken salad
Supper tonight with all my coworkers and their families...love them all!
Lunch and supper tomorrow at friend's homes
Dinner after church tomorrow with friends from our "prayer group" of the past
My last T.O.T.A.L. (youth group) Sunday evening

More after that, but that's as far as I can think right now. It continues to be a whirlwind on many levels. But I am loving it! Pray I stay well!

Had a phone call over lunch today from a dear college friend (one of those I don't chat with very often but is a truly forever and deep friend) that blessed me beyond belief. WOW!

God continues to amaze me throughout this journey with how He opened the doors wide and continues to provide in big and small ways! So I guess I'll sit back and enjoy the ride...well, not sit back too much as I have lots to do...but my point is that with God in control and so obviously guiding my life, what's there to get stressed about.

Good night all! This moving queen is about ready to turn into a pumpkin.

One day at a time with people as my priority

2011-02-09T14:08:00.002-06:00

I have been clinging to the hymn "Day by Day" lots over the last crazy weeks. Most of the time I am coping pretty well (comparatively) with the stress and emotions of my rapidly approaching move to Wisconsin, but every once in a while it all gets to me temporarily. So I'm doing my best to take it all one moment at a time. I am excited beyond words for what God has in store for me in Wisconsin with my family and at Covenant Harbor, but it's easy to loose sight of that when I'm living in the midst of those I will miss and dealing with the details of the move. Thankfully God is good and is reminding me to focus on time with the people here that matter to me while still working on the details and trusting Him for them. The packing will happen too...at least 15 boxes are packed and lots of empty ones await the moments I find to keep the process going!

I was blessed to spend last Friday night and Saturday at my dear friend Anita's house with her family and my friend Anndee too! It was a wonderful reprieve from the moving realities. They surprised me with a "congratulations Jane" party with a camp theme that was super special to me! Then Anndee and I babysat the 5 month old twins and 3-year-old Asher (precious kiddos) so that Anita and Michael could go out on a date. After that Michael kept the kids so we girls could go out shopping for Anndee's wedding which was a special treat. I am so thankful for my precious friendship with Anita which has grown to include her whole family as it's expanded!

Sunday afternoon I headed to the Petersons' home for their Super Bowl party and stayed there overnight too. I didn't really care about the game (is it possible to wish neither team would win?), but I enjoyed my time with that dear family who is truly family to me and always will be! Then Monday after work I picked up the youngest 4 Peterson girls (after breakfast for supper at their house--my favorite!), and we had a sleepover at my house. It was something we'd been talking about for over a year, and I'm so glad we did it before my move! We played games, pigged out, read books, and explored at camp some. To top it off I got to have "coffee" at Petersons' the next morning before my late start at work. It truly felt like old times at camp to be with that crew at their house multiple days in a row! And today I got to have coffee at Bloomers with Stephanie (a weekly thing for us that I will greatly miss).

Yay God for good friends who are truly family and that last a life-time!

On the detail end of things, I have a place to live! I will be renting in a 2-bedroom duplex in Lake Geneva from my brother. So I have room for guests! Come visit soon! My last day of work here is February 18th, and my first day of work at Covenant Harbor is March 1st. I'm hoping to move early the week in between (probably Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday) so I have time to unpack and settle in.

Not sure how much time I'll have to blog/communicate over the next weeks. I appreciate all your prayers through this major and very exciting transition!

Not snowbound but visibility bound....

2011-02-01T12:12:00.003-06:00

Well, this part of Iowa didn't get too much snow (in this massive Midwestern storm), but this morning when we tried to head to work (it's our later day so it was mid to late morning), it took less than a mile to realize that the drive to Fort Dodge was not a wise idea. Because of our high winds the visibility was AWFUL, and there was significant drifting on the road as well. So it's a snow day for me, and I am thankful to be home and cozy. Granted it won't be a particularly lazy day as I have LOTS to do (where to start?), but I'm thankful for it! Gives me time to do all sorts of things including potentially packing my first boxes. There's also lots to consider and figure out regarding the future, and have I said lately that I'm not particularly fond of making decisions. The decision to follow God's call toward my family and back into camping was the "easy" decision. The rest of the details/decisions are not my favorite, but I'll get there. =)

Happy snow day everyone! Stay safe wherever you are!

Big news of God working in my life!

2011-01-26T20:59:00.002-06:00

I am excited to share how God has been working in my life in a major way lately! It is with many mixed emotions (but excitement is the top one) and with a very clear sense that God is opening this door that I write to let you know that I am moving to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in late February. Two things having been pulling me that way and #1 is that my family is all there and I want to invest in the lives of my 7 nieces and nephews in a deeper way more than absolutely anything! I am super excited to be a part of all of their lives on a day-to-day basis! #2 is I am super excited that God has opened the door for me to step back into camping ministry. As God has presented this opportunity, I've realized how much camp is who I am and who God has created me to be! I will be the Program Registrar & Youth Ministry Secretary at Covenant Harbor Bible Camp which will put me perfectly in the midst of the heart of the ministry but still allow me plenty of family time. The crazy part is how fast this has happened. But who's going to question God when it's all His timing and His leading!

The mixed emotions part of this otherwise exciting journey comes from the fact that Iowa has been my home for almost 29 years and I have many deep bonds here that will not be easy to move away from. But I'm thankful that distance does not have to change the root of any of those lasting friendships and that I can drive to Iowa to visit just as easily as I've always driven to WI/IL to visit.

Feel free to share my news with anyone as I know I'll never get the word out to all I would want to.

Yay God for your faithfulness and leading and awesomeness!!!

P.S. This Minnesota Vikings fan will FOREVER be a loyal fan whether I live in cheesehead country or not!

Weekend with the girls!

2011-01-22T18:12:00.003-06:00

Last weekend I had the joy of babysitting my two youngest nieces (Sally & Daisy who are ages 2 and 1) while their parents (my sister Laura and her husband Gow) were at Covenant Harbor with their church youth group for the winter youth retreat. It was GREAT in so many ways: because I love the girlies, because I love supporting camping ministry, because I loved seeing all my family throughout the weekend, and in some other ways that I'll leave unmentioned for now. It was nice to have a 3-day weekend off cuz of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the ability to take Friday off too. My drive back home on Monday was not so fun (lots of snow in Wisconsin and particularly as I drove into and out of the Mississippi River valley which was yucky), but it was worth it cuz I loved the weekend over there! While I got to see my whole family, I guess I was pretty busy being a temporary single mom of two toddlers and only got pix of them. I'll let the photos speak for themselves.
DK & SJ LOVE to have you build forts and tunnels with blankets:
They also love their Christmas present which is swings in the basement:
Snuggled up with their "Auntie Jane loves you" (tie fleece blankets):
Visiting my Auntie Karen and her new puppy Lily:

Aren't they ADORABLE? But best of all they are super precious to me as are Sarah, Emma, Ben, Tim, and Kristi and all of my family! Thank you Jesus!

Snow Day!

2011-01-11T15:54:00.002-06:00

I have a snow day, I have a snow day, I have a snow day! Can you tell I'm excited?!!!

That was my facebook status this morning! I was dreading a morning with a sketchy forecast and the decision on if I should be heading to work or not...cuz it was supposed to get worse as the day went by and the winds picked up. However my boss decided to close the office before I had to make any decisions. SNOW HOLIDAY.....woooo hoooo! I've heard we've had about 10 inches, but I have no clue. The wind is doing different things than usual so this time all the snow is not in my driveway and therefore it feels like less snow. It started on Sunday afternoon/evening and has steadily and gradually continued. Yesterday I shoveled the sidewalk at the office more times than I can remember, and I was very thankful to be riding with my friend Deanne on a snowy commute. Today I'm being somewhat lazy and enjoying the day. I've enjoyed chatting on the phone and brewing my first pot of red white & blue coffee made from fresh ground beans from Bloomers....mmmmm! Perfect for a snow day! Thanks Stephanie!

Here's to hoping for GREAT weather for my trip to Lake Geneva this weekend!

It's January and about time I blogged again

2011-01-08T14:15:00.003-06:00

Apparently I will always be a sporadic blogger. But since it's one of the main ways I keep in touch with lots of people I love, I do really want to be more regular about it and intend to be. Alas...it doesn't always happen. Part of it is my computer issues (which is why I won't be sharing many photos this time), but I am thankful I have a computer that works for some things and I am blessed to have internet service accessible to me!

The main thing since my last blog was Christmas! I love Christmas! And this year's was GREAT! Obviously the most important thing about Christmas is Jesus' birth, but for me it's also about being with family too!

Right before Christmas I had the "joy" of a Christmas "present" to myself in my first bifocals. I suppose that since the average age for bifocals is my age that it makes sense, but it does make me feel a bit "old." The first couple days of adjusting were crazy...but I fairly quickly got the hang of them. Despite feeling old and not enjoying spending those $'s, I am thankful for vision correction being possible and something I can afford unlike so many others in this world.

That wasn't why Christmas was great though. Christmas was great cuz of who I spent it with and how! Christmas Eve was a beautiful, snowy day...just what Christmas should be like. I spent it preparing for my family to come. Then it was off to the Christmas Eve service and then to the Petersons' where I stayed overnight and spent Christmas Day! I LOVE that family, and I'm always glad for time with them!

Then on Sunday, the day after Christmas, the best part began: My family began arriving here in Iowa at Twin Lakes Christian Center where we had our DeVries Family Christmas! By Monday afternoon everyone was here: my parents, all my siblings and their spouses, my 7 precious nieces & nephews (the pix above is me with them), and my Auntie Karen. I'm not sure any words can fully do our time together justice, but it was AWESOME! Best of all I LOVE my family and enjoy them thoroughly! For those who don't realize my family's history at Twin Lakes, my dad was the director there from 1982-1988 so all of us kids "grew up" at Twin Lakes besides my 12 1/2 years of working there more recently. So it was definitely like coming home to everyone! Through all my years of working at TLCC I always said that TLCC was the perfect place for a family gathering (cuz of the facilities and variety of activities available). And my family's time together there proved that correct! But our time together there was especially unique because of our past memories there which made making new memories together there even more special! It was a blessing to have the camp to ourselves and be allowed to "take it over" for a few days. I even had keys again! =) We were blessed to rent The Inn (formerly the Shalom Center) where we stayed (and had plenty of room to spread out) and cooked our food and hung out. We spent lots of time in Harvest Hall playing in the gym, climbing the wall, using all the games, etc. And of course we enjoyed the fun of winter outside at TLCC: the toboggan chute, iceskating, cross-country skiing, etc. And our fabulous time together ended on Thursday by my aunt getting her new puppy Lily (a white bishon) from my friend here who breeds dogs. I must say I was EXHAUSTED when they all left Thursday afternoon, but it was a fabulous kind of exhaustion! I wouldn't trade that time or my family for anything! As a matter of fact I can't wait to go next weekend to Lake Geneva to babysit my 2 youngest nieces and see everyone!

This last thing will never be better than my family, but I am also super excited that 4-lane hwy 20 is finally open to within a mile or so of my house! We drive it to work almost every day, and last night I was particularly thankful for how comparatively clear it is in the midst of blowing snow! The visibility wasn't so great, but I left work early and drove it in the daylight for which I am thankful. And I'm always thankful for a warm, cozy home, but especially on wintery evenings!

Yay God for many blessings, but especially for my family!

Now officially snowbound

2010-12-12T10:20:00.002-06:00

The blizzard conditions are over and I can finally see outside again...but what I can see is what appears to be all the snow in the county drifted in my back driveway blocking the garage and my car. Crazy! I tried to take pictures, but they don't show it well at all so not worth sharing them. Anyway I'm home no matter what anyone else is doing, and I'm actually okay with that right now. I'm just thankful the power stayed on throughout! And thankfully the snow removal guy will move the deep snow drifts eventually....but with the way the wind is still blowing there's no rush yet as it would drift back in. Today the temps are much lower so the wind chill is not so pleasant. Now the question for my day is, should I be productive or rest/relax? I have a feeling the latter will win out. Wish that could be while watching the Vikings game this afternoon, but that's postponed until tomorrow cuz of worse weather conditions in Minnesota.

Did I say that I do love winter though? I really do! Stay warm and safe everyone!

Blizzard in Iowa...not snowbound today but definitely blizzard bound

2010-12-11T15:27:00.002-06:00

The first blizzard of the season always reminds me of the original "Snowbound in Iowa" experience when I began this blog. That was back in March of 2007 when I lived in the opposite end of this house and Deanne and Toby and Micah lived in this end...and when the Wenells barely got here (cuz their power was out) before the roads were impassable. We were all here together for several days and bonded in some awesome ways! Those are some memories I'll treasure forever!

Today's blizzard is very different from that one in that we don't have very much snow yet on the ground. So I'm not truly snowbound...in that I could still move my car out of the driveway...but the visibility is AWFUL and the roads had ice before the blizzard began. It is definitely not safe to travel anywhere right now! Right now out my front windows I can't even see the lake and some of the time I can't even see the road. I'm thankful to be here cozy in my warm home with no where that I need to go today/tonight! I'm also thankful to have my friend Deanne living in the other duplex end of this house so that we can share soup and muffins (yummies for all you DeVrieses who know and love them) for supper tonight. I LOVE BLIZZARDS...when I don't have to travel in them! Praying everyone is safe today!

Weather like this (or even more so weather in MN where they have even more snow) and chatting on facebook with an old Nome friend who lives in MN now have made me reminiscent today of blizzards and snow growing up in Nome, Alaska. There the snow doesn't melt a bit all winter and therefore gets quite deep. Also the wind (cuz of the town being right on the ocean) is crazier than even rural Iowa. I remember plenty of winters when the drift in front of our house went up to the roof of our two story house. The difference there was that we all lived in town and we didn't drive much around town...so if there was weather like this, we'd still get together. We'd just bundle up in our winter gear and walk to another house...maybe even play outside a bit in this kind of weather...cuz we had down parkas, snow pants, serious face masks, boots, etc. I could ponder those memories and that community of KICY/Nome and keep sharing forever, but I'll leave it at that. They are something I wouldn't trade for anything either!

God, you have been sooooo good to me with the totally different life experiences/locations you've blessed me with! And most of all for blessing me with dear friends who are like family along the way! Thanks Mom & Dad for giving me those first life experiences and teaching me to be open to them for the rest of my life!

Beyond the blizzard and memories, it's Christmas time which has meant lots of good stuff:

Last Sunday night we had the BEST youth group Christmas party ever! We have a small group this year, and I am beginning to see that as a BIG blessing! One of the mom's served us a delicious 5-course meal on china that was delicious and created an awesome atmosphere! Truly made us all feel special! We did Christmas carol mad libs and LAUGHED so hard which is always great! Of course we had our traditional white elephant gift exchange, enjoyed the new Veggie Tales Christmas DVD, and played Christmas carol pictionary. But most of all I was blessed by that small group of kids and the other leader (a former youth grouper) and by God reminding me what a blessing they are to pour into!
Last Sunday a.m. was our church kids' Christmas program which was delightful as usual. I love the 2 and 3 year olds in our Sunday school class! I sure do miss the one who moved and his parents LOTS on days like that (and always) though!
Wednesday noon we went out for our work Christmas lunch. Love those ladies that I work with!
Thursday evening I went to the local community college's Christmas concert that one of the youth groupers was in. That was a fun treat!

That's a bit of the Christmas happenings for me thus far! Most of all I can't wait to have my whole family here at TLCC for Christmas (the week between Christmas and New Years)!

Stay warm everyone!

#25 through #30 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-30T10:02:00.002-06:00

I got way behind on my thankfulness list...but for good reason! I was having a FABULOUS whirlwind weekend of activity with my family in Lake Geneva and Crystal Lake. Yay God for that time and for my family!

Now back to the list of things I am thankful for:
#25: The family all together, good food, and fun times on Thanksgiving Day!
#26: My mom's cherry pie...the best!!!!
#27: Playing games and doing puzzles and having fun with the kiddos...especially hide and seek!
#28: My mom's homemade cracked wheat...best of all toast from it! I'm eating some as I blog...the best! Thanks mom!
#29: The beautiful, smooth layer of ice that froze on Twin Lakes while I was gone over the weekend. Here's to hoping it keeps on freezing thick so my family can toboggan when they are here for Christmas!
#30: I am thankful for glasses that enable me to see! I'm not so excited that this morning I had an eye appointment and I now need bifocals. High blood pressure medication (this is definitely one of those fun hereditary things in my family) and bifocals all in one year is a bit much for me. I guess I'm getting "old" in body...but definitely I want to say young at heart.

"Gratitude evaporates frustration." (a quote we used lots at camp...I have no idea the original source but it proves itself true so often)

May we all remember to keep being thankful throughout the year! I've enjoyed this 30 days of thankfulness...it's definitely been good for my attitude!

Now we move on from Thanksgiving to Advent/Christmas. I love this time of the year!

#24 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-24T14:54:00.001-06:00

#24 on the 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful that I am in Wisconsin and ready for Thanksgiving with the family (and that I got out of Iowa before the ice hit)! Yay God for great driving conditions since I took the day off (and for a boss who is flexible with me when needing to do that last minute) and left this morning!

#23 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-23T22:28:00.002-06:00

So I guess this isn't an actual thing I'm thankful for today, but this scripture spoke to me and therefore on day 23:

Psalm 100:4-5 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

That is the reason we are thankful and to whom we are thankful! And it gives lots of reasons what I am thankful too!

#22 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-22T18:51:00.002-06:00

#22 on the 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for the loan of my friend's laptop to use when I need it. God provides in His unique ways and through His special people!

#21 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-21T12:20:00.000-06:00

#21 on the 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for T.O.T.A.L. (our high school youth group at church). Great youth now and many special T.O.T.A.L. alumni too!

#20 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-20T18:26:00.001-06:00

#20 on the 30 day challenge to be thankful: Books and the relaxation I experience when reading.

Today has ended up being one of those clear my day of scheduled things and rest and get well kind of days. I had a great (and long) night of sleep and a nap this afternoon too. Not much energy for anything else, but hopefully tomorrow will bring a step toward wellness! I'm off to sit in bed and read and rest.

#19 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-19T20:41:00.000-06:00

#19 on the 30 day challenge to be thankful: I'm simply thankful for my bed and rest. And yes, I'm already in bed...my cold is trying to get the better of me and I don't want it to win.

#18 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-18T21:18:00.002-06:00

#18 on the 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for God's gift of modern medical miracles such as my brother-in-law's liver transplant which occurred 5 years ago in September and has blessed him and all of our family with life. Right now please join me in praying for healing for Dave and his liver as he is in the midst of a rejection episode which is being treated aggressively with massive doses of steroids. Thank you God that medicine and most of all your healing power give us great hope and trust in you throughout this journey.

#17 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-17T18:17:00.000-06:00

#17 on the 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for my "camp family" that lasts well beyond my years at camp (full-time staff & families I worked with, summer staffers, and guests/campers too)!

#16 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-16T18:04:00.002-06:00

#15 on the 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for kleenexes, zinc lozenges, cold meds, lots of OJ and water, and good sleep tonight...all in hopes of keeping this cold from not becoming full blown. Yes, I know this is a strange one, but I'm feeling slightly better after a dose of ibuprofen and sudafed and hoping to make it through to when I finish work at 8 and get home and go straight to bed and hopefully wake up feeling 100% better! Thanks for praying with me on that one! And please join me in praying for my brother-in-law Dave who is continuing to struggle with liver issues and waiting for more answers.

#15 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-15T16:28:00.002-06:00

#15 on the 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for my family and particularly that they all love & follow Jesus with their hearts and lives. To top it all off, we all really enjoy one another! Only 9 days until I get to see them...but that seems like forever right now. I miss you guys! Can the time please go by fast?

Tonight I'm thankful though to be heading over to see some of my local "family" in the Peterson crew! Yay God for friends who are like family!

#14 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-14T13:11:00.003-06:00

#14 on the 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for Sunday afternoons watching my Minnesota Vikings! This is particularly true following the nice, long Favre to Harvin touchdown pass! But I am truly a diehard fan and love my team no matter what! And I must throw in here that I am officially a BIG Brett Favre...something I never thought I'd say when he played for the Packers.
Here's to hoping my team can hold onto the lead! But I plan to enjoy a relaxed Sunday afternoon and evening regardless!

#13 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-13T22:17:00.002-06:00

#13 on the 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for a warm and cozy home with a furnace and a heated mattress pad!

I had fun today helping my friend Becky (who leads lots of scrapbooking retreats through her ministry called Follow Hard Ministries) with the scrapbooking retreat at TLCC. I always enjoy hanging out with her and being around the ladies. Good times and GREAT ministry!

#12a & #12b on my thankfulness list

2010-11-12T20:46:00.002-06:00

#12a on my 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for 4 seasons. I originally put this on my facebook status this morning and indicated that I'm not quite sure I'm ready for snow which was falling and sticking a little bit this morning. As of when I am blogging this tonight the snow has begun again, and we are now officially in a winter storm warning from midnight tonight to 8am Sunday with a potential for 6-10 inches of snow and then winds tomorrow and bad visibility. That wasn't exactly what I was thinking when I first had the thought this morning that I enjoy all 4 seasons, but I'm thankful I am home and don't have to go anywhere if the weather keeps me home. And I truly do LOVE having 4 seasons!

But today I'm "cheating" and adding another thing I am thankful for because as the day progressed, this one made my day! We'll call it 12b: I am thankful for an adorable phone call from my two youngest nieces (ages 1 & 2) and their mommy (my siso Laura) that started out my work day amazingly. All Daisy said was "Jane" but so clearly for a 15 month old and then "I love you Auntie Jane" from... Sally! Awww... nothing better than that! And my siso was sooo thoughtful to make the opportunity happen. I was just about ready to hop in my car and head to WI, but I will control myself and wait for Thanksgiving! Tonight my siblings and families are hanging out together which I love for them but always makes me feel far away.

Tonight I'm relaxing and will plan to spend some of the weekend over at camp helping my friend Becky with a scrapbooking retreat there. Otherwise I'm thankful for a low key weekend!

#11 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-11T12:58:00.002-06:00

#11 on my 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for Casey's donuts (best of all for the thoughtfulness of my friend Deanne who surprised me with one this morning and how God used it as just the "medicine" I needed to start my day) and Peppermint Mocha creamer in my coffee. Today it's the small stuff that I'm appreciating! (quite the contrast to yesterday =)

#10 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-10T19:27:00.001-06:00

Before I even list this one, I want to remind everyone that mine are definitely NOT in order of priority because obviously this tops them all.

#10 on my 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for God and His Word.
Psalm 118:28 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! For his loving-kindness is forever.

#9 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-09T09:19:00.000-06:00

#9 on my 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for Tuesday mornings (my late start at work). Today that meant some extra rest!

#8 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-08T12:19:00.002-06:00

#8 on my 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for coffee (and the leftover chocolate donuts I had).

[Please note my list is in no particular priority order...just whatever comes to mind on the day and that was my first thought this morning when I got to work.]

Our scrapbooking retreat getaway was a very nice weekend. Although I didn't get outside much, it was nice to have a beautiful weekend of weather. It's always great to get away and hang out with friends! But best of all: I began, worked on, and completed my Alaska Mission Trip 2009 scrapbook in it's entirety on Friday and Saturday! On Sunday I scrapbooked the rest of my printed photos and finished with that just as it was time to pack up to head home. That kind of timing NEVER happens!

Last night was T.O.T.A.L. (youth group), and it was exciting to have a larger group of kids (after having very few for the first few times). Best of all to have a bunch of the "new" freshmen that were involved in the jr. high youth group before but hadn't been to T.O.T.A.L. yet. Yay God!

#5 & #6 & #7 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-04T23:26:00.005-05:00

#5 & #6 & #7 on my 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful for this weekend and retreating with dear friends at Grace Corner Bed & Breakfast Retreat House (gracecorner.com) in Lawton scrapbooking! The three different elements in this that I am thankful for are: RETREATING at Grace Corner, time with dear friends, and scrapbooking.

Because I'll be retreating I won't be online and obviously the weekend away is enough to be more than one thing on my thankfulness list, so thus the reason for combining three posts together.

5) Retreating: I could go on and on and on about the value of getting away from our regular life and being still! And Grace Corner is a fabulous place to do so! Yay God for special times of renewal! (While this retreat isn't specifically a spiritual one, I have no doubt God will be present and working amongst us.)

6) Time with dear friends: I don't think I need to explain that but I'm super excited to spend the weekend with these particular ladies!

7) Scrapbooking is something I very much enjoy doing but don't do very often...actually usually only on retreats so therefore I'm behind. I love reminiscing and preserving memories. This weekend I'm going to scrapbook our Alaska Mission Trip from summer 2009, and I am excited to relive that trip in the process.

#4 on my thankfulness list

2010-11-04T09:44:00.004-05:00

#4 on my 30 day challenge to be thankful: I am thankful that today is my "Friday" for this week (I have tomorrow off to go on a retreat). But along with that I am thankful for my job and for purpose in it and coworkers I enjoy!

Working at Catholic Social Services is truly a blessing in sooooo many ways! I am so privileged to be a part of the powerful and majorly life-impacting work our therapists do to help children, youth, adults, marriages, families, etc. work through difficult things and move forward positively. I love this ministry and see it as so significant for individuals and for the broader community as well.

On top of that my 4 coworkers are a definite blessing to me. I am thankful to work with Christian women who have similar values to me and with whom we can share our lives and support one another in real ways.

And in today's world with so many without jobs, I am very simply thankful to have a job with good benefits and a paycheck.

Yay God for your provision!

#3 in my thankfulness list

2010-11-03T14:30:00.003-05:00

The 30 day challenge to be thankful continues with day 3 today! #3 for me is that I am thankful for the GORGEOUS fall weather we are having this year. After all it's November 3rd (and sure doesn't feel like it), and we've only had a few really cold days so far. That's amazing! And it was a gorgeous fall for the farmers to harvest in record time! What a special gift on so many levels! So what am I doing today? Working inside...but I LOVE looking out at the pretty day and not needing to wear a jacket when we went out for lunch. Yay God for everyone of these beautiful days!

2 day in 30 day challenge to share things I am thankful for

2010-11-02T08:29:00.001-05:00

30 day challenge continues with day 2 today! (List one thing you are thankful for, for the 30 days of November)

2) Living in the U.S. and having the right to vote (even when it's frustrating and our country is messed up). I'd still not trade it for anywhere else. And yes, I'm going to vote enroute to my late start at work. It's nice and convenient for me as our polling place is camp. =)

30 days of thankfulness!

2010-11-01T18:48:00.002-05:00

So tonight on facebook, I saw a great thing and decided to use it for my facebook statuses and for my blog throughout the month of November. It said: "30 day challenge starts today! List one thing you are thankful for, for the 30 days of November!"

Today I begin with:
1) My 7 precious nieces & nephews: Sarah, Emma, Ben, Tim, Kristi, Sally, and Daisy! I love each one of them soooo very much! More than words can express! They bring GREAT joy to my life even from a distance! Yay God for these precious kiddos! (see photo of them at the beginning of my last blog)

I challenge you to take the 30 days of thankfulness challenge too!

These are a few of my favorite people!

2010-10-31T17:01:00.017-05:00

It's been a LONG time since I've blogged so I decided that there's no better way to reenter the blogging world but with a bunch of photos. And it doesn't get any better than sharing photos of a bunch of my favorite people (kind of like the song my favorite things).

It begins with my 7 most favorite people in the whole wide world, my 5 nieces and 2 nephews:
(shown above at Daisy Kate's 1st birthday party in August, from left to right: Kristi, Ben, Tim, Daisy, Emma, Sarah, and Sally)

The next several photos are from Tim's 6th birthday party in September which was a super hero party therefore the costumes. The older cousins in the bounce house:
Sarah & Emma and I (I was "Dr. Pepper" for a super hero) in the bounce house:
The two 6-year-old super heros, Tim and Ben:
Here's me and Kristi (not at the super hero party):
Here's Sally (the cutest little Wonder Woman ever) and Laura:
Daisy...looking cute as ever as a small super hero. She's growing up so fast right now.
My mom and my aunt as super heros:
That same weekend in September our 2nd cousins who are more like actual cousins, Christa and Kyle Sands, came to Lake Geneva to hang out with us. Here's me, Christa, sleeping Sally, and Laura out on Neal & Cyndie's boat enjoying a gorgeous day on the lake together:
Me and Daisy:
Cousin Kyle reading a giant Veggie Tales book to Emma and Sally (in the basement of Laura and Gow and girls' awesome new house that they moved into in late August...yay God!):
One of me and Sally from an earlier trip:
Sally and Daisy in the fun play space under the stairs in the basement of their new house:
Of course there's other grown-up family memories that aren't photographed but are just as important to me! Love you all!

Now on to other friends who are like family for the rest of the blog:

This is me with Aaron and Cindy Freeberg on a visit to hang out with them at their new home in Minnesota in October. (Oops...I didn't get a photo of my brother Karl with his wife and son.) I miss these dear friends more than words can express. They have been a huge gift to our church for the last 5 years and are friends that will last forever in my life!
This is Aaron and "Auntie" Jane together before they moved to Minnesota:
While on that same trip to Minnesota, I enjoyed visiting my dear friend Sonya and her husband and two boys but didn't get any photos of them taken (oops!). Sonya and I did enjoy our traditional Thai food meal together!

I also visited my dear friends the Wenells (Dave, Beth, Anders & Nils) in MN, and we went to the Como Park Zoo together:
Anders kissing his friend:
Here's "Auntie" Jane and Nils:It was a weekend of amazing weather for Minnesota in October. Thank you Jesus for that, but most of all for a blessed time with a bunch of very dear friends!

Another batch of kiddos that I consider part of my extended bunch of nephews and nieces is my dear friend Anita's kids. This is me holding her and Michael's twins Micah and Rebekah on my first visit to meet them in the Des Moines area in early September:
This is Anita and Michael's oldest, Asher, (he'll be three in December) when they were at my house last weekend:
And here's Rebekah (one of the twins) last weekend, all dressed up for our friend Morgan's wedding. Yes, Auntie Jane LOVED lots of baby holding time!
Here's my dear friend/neighbor/coworker Deanne with her two youngest boys Micah and Toby:
It's been great to have my friend Anndee (on the right below) living back in this area this year. We've been hanging out lots, and she's been a blessing to have helping with church youth group.
And last (but certainly not least) my dear friends the Petersons...but unfortunately I'm missing pix of lots of their fabulous family including the newest member of the family, their first grandson Cameron Ry who was born two weeks ago. I'm very thankful for Gregg & Cheryl and their whole crew. Here's the three youngest, Timmy, Kathleen, and Allison:
Then Kathleen and the next oldest, Jonathan:
And now jumping to the oldest Peterson daughter, Stephanie, who is a very dear friend of mine. We get together once a week for lunch or coffee and that is a blessing!
OK...so it's danger to make a list of my favorite people because it's impossible to include everyone...but this is a pretty good start! There's a whole lot more of you that matter immensely to me too. =) Obviously I could not include all of my favorite people, and I didn't include photos of all family members, but that's a glimpse into my life via the people that matter most to me.

I thank God for each one of you!

Whirlwind Summer

2010-07-14T12:47:00.006-05:00

As I thought about blogging, I laughed as I often do this time of year at the name of my blog. But I LOVE the memory of that snowbound experience that started me blogging and will leave the name of my blog as is because of that. However the irony is that today it is sweltering outside....high heat and even higher humidity! Heat index of 115 is what I've heard. It's a day when I'm glad I work inside in A/C! Right now severe thunderstorms are working their way into our area which just may cool it off.

When I clicked on my blog to get started with an update, I realized it's been a whole month since I blogged. And that's not a coincidence. The last month plus has been crazy...in many wonderful ways! I have loved every moment of it all! The crazy part was having it all packed together into a few weeks. =) I'll try to summarize it briefly at least...and hopefully some pictures will follow soon.

One of the joys of living at the lake again is that my house is a place where friends and family want to come. My first visitors were my brother Neal and his family for a week in early/mid June. They brought their boat, and we "lived" out on the lake! It was a GREAT week!

Then a day after they left I headed to spend a week of vacation (and two weekends) with my family in Wisconsin and Illinois. The main purpose of going was to help my sister Laura and her family move into their new house....unfortunately that didn't happen, but I had a great time helping her and being with all the family regardless of that.

Less than a week later (the 4th of July weekend) I headed to the Willmar, MN area for the Sands Family Reunion (my dad's mom's siblings and descendants). It was great to have all my immediate family there...and even better to see them all so many times in a short span. What a blessing it is to have an incredible Godly family heritage! After the bigger reunion, we had a reunion of my cousins and aunts and uncles in the Twin Cities which was great fun. I also was blessed to spend time with my college friend Sonya (yay for Thai food) and an old friend from Alaska and my dear friends the Wenells (in their new home in north Minneapolis). And all that in a four-day weekend! Good times for sure!

Not long after that my sister Amy and her family stopped for an overnight visit enroute to Colorado which was fun! Needless to say there hasn't been much "normal" life in the meantime, but I sure wouldn't trade a single bit of the last month for anything!

Have I said just how much I am enjoying living at the lake again??!!! It is the BEST! I'm also loving the new deck that Petersons built down by the lake (it had to be redone after snow, etc. damage). In all the years that I lived at the lake before I was always so busy at camp that I didn't really have time to enjoy the setting....sad, but true. This year I'm loving it in a whole new way! All the great company helps, and just casual hangout evenings with friends or the youth group at my house are great as well! I am truly blessed! Yay God for family, friends, and my home at the lake!

Tonight I'm volunteering in the office at TLCC...ahhhhh so many memories of 12 1/2 years spent in this office serving Christ and people. Yet another blessing in my life!

Loving the lake!

2010-06-14T21:35:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I blogged, and if I don't take a moment now, it will be even longer. June this year is fun with lots of unusual aspects to it. Lots of GREAT company and a great trip in it too. Guess that means I'm not keeping up on the ordinary quite as much though. The current fun is having Neal and Cyndie and Emma and Timmy AND their boat here!!! They came last Wednesday and are here until this Thursday. We've had some gorgeous days and some cruddy weather ones, but I just love having them here! I love living at the lake anyway, but being out on their boat on the lake is awesome, and sharing it all with them is the best! We've been riding Super Mabel (big inflatable) and cruising and skiing so far. And we've had good times walking/scootering on the lake trails and going to the Little Store for ice cream and/or dinner and grilling and checking out parks/pools, etc. Of course the library and the farm have been good things for the rainier days too. Sounds like Farmer Danny showed them the farm and entertained them well today (I missed it cuz I was at work). Now hoping for GREAT weather tomorrow to spend it all on/in the lake!

This weekend I'll be heading to WI/IL for a week plus of vacation. The main goal is to hopefully help my sister Laura and her family move into their first ever home (that they own I should say). Pray that all goes through on their house purchase in a timely fashion. But I'll enjoy seeing the family in general too! So if I'm not on blogging much, you'll know why. =)

Camp bonds and impact

2010-06-06T16:35:00.004-05:00

I am so blessed by the dear friends God has placed in my life because of our years of working together and being a family at camp! Wow! Last night I had the joy of hanging out with two couples who are very dear to me: Backs and Petersons. Yay God for that opportunity and for all the people who are truly like family to me as a result of our deep and long-lasting bonds because of camp!

This morning it was a blessing to have the summer staff from camp at our church to be dedicated for their summer of ministry. And it was fun to see so many familiar faces in that group including those who were campers for many years and now are all grown up and on staff.

God has worked and continues to work in amazing ways through camp. I'm thankful for how God worked in my life for many years while at camp and continues to work in it as a result of camp in so many ways too!

Now I'm looking forward to having my brother and his family here for a week starting on Wednesday! I'm praying we have great weather for their time at the lake. They are bringing their boat on its first road trip, and hopefully we'll spend lots of time on the lake! But most of all I can't wait to have them here! Yay!!!

Weddings & Graduations and normal life too!

2010-05-30T21:54:00.002-05:00

No good excuse for the fact that it's been 2 weeks since I blogged. Except life has been rather full. I've had weddings to attend the last 2 weekends as well as some graduation parties. Fun stuff! Last weekend was Brady Archer's wedding in Keokuk (as far SE as you can get in Iowa). It was an outdoor wedding on a gorgeous day, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the Archer crew and other friends as well. Yesterday was Joel Johnson's wedding in Ames. His aunt is my dear friend Deb from North Park, and I spent a lot of time in Red Oak with their family during my early days back in Iowa, but most importantly Joel met his wife at camp! It was great time of reconnecting with the Johnson/Sunberg crew and other camp friends! The graduations were the 16th and the 23rd too and were of various youth group/church kids. In between there's been the usual/normal routines along with a bit of this and that. Oh, and dealing with "lovely" allergies that have kicked up at the end of this week in particular...my voice is virtually gone as of today as a result. I'm thankful for a long weekend right now! Yay God for some extra rest! Guess this hasn't been the most exciting of posts, but it's better than nothing hopefully. =)

Trying to stay "on track" with the blog

2010-05-15T20:35:00.002-05:00

I definitely don't want to get way behind on blogging and be months between again....so I thought now was a good moment to write at least a quick one. Today has been a "perfect" spring day...weatherwise and otherwise too. I met my dear friend Anita and her 2 1/2 year old son Asher in Story City this morning for brunch, and then we played at the park. We hadn't visited in person for WAY too long so it was GREAT to get together. She is looking great as an expectant mother anticipating the arrival of twins in August/September. After I got home, I finally packed up my winter clothes and got my spring/summer ones all put away and organized (another great spring activity).

It's been a pretty "normal" (whatever that is) week, but here's a few of the happenings besides work and the usuals:

I got my haircut...a bit shorter than usual as my hair stylist is having a baby soon and I'm trying to last as long as I can while she's on maternity leave.
I helped with Baccalaureate at our church on Wednesday evening for the area churches/schools....nice to have our church centrally located to do that sort of thing.
I had coffee with Stephanie at Bloomers (always a great part of a week).
I got 2 new tires (again) on my car and hope that's the only issue right now. I'm super thankful for my Peterson guys and all their diagnosing and helping me get the best deal, etc.
I got to hang out with Anndee and Billy one evening.
I enjoyed a Peterson birthday party (Jonathan's 12th).

Guess that's all for this edition of the blog! I'm definitely not snowbound...but last week was much cooler and rainy. Thankful a gorgeous day today and a fabulous looking forecast too!

"Catching Up" ???

2010-05-08T21:23:00.002-05:00

What a blessing it has been to be home this weekend...truly and completely at home! I've not been gone every weekend, but if I haven't been out of town for the weekend, the weekend has been full. I needed this weekend! I didn't know just how much I needed it...but I did! This is the first time I've been home for 24+ hours nonstop in quite some time. I've been catching up...on sleep (I slept 12+ hours) and on other things like my finances and my calendar and my dishes and my e-mail. But I've also been spending some of the time being still and being with God. Do you know that being still means to cease striving...to put your hands down? Why do we all run so much? God and I have lots to be figuring out...and I need to be listening much more. I've had some great time journaling and being with God. That's something you can't catch up on...but something that I needed to spend some more time on desperately. Something that I need desperately all the time!

However I'm not sure that I can truly catch up on my blog. I think I haven't been blogging lately partly cuz I've been busy but partly because I have this crazy sense in me that I need to catch up perfectly and not miss a thing. But that's impossible. So here's a few highlights and I'm sure I'll miss far more than I remember:

I've been blessed to participate in TWO scrapbooking retreats in the last month. Yay God! One was a gift to me from unknown donors. I got lots done...but most of all was blessed to get away and be with dear friends and with God all while doing something I enjoy!
Easter weekend was spent in WI/IL with my family! Not only did we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but we also celebrated multiple birthdays (Sally's 2nd and Ben's 6th along with some of the adults too) and just enjoyed being together! I love my family!
Women's Spring Day at TLCC was in April...the speaker was a dear friend of mine. I got to help her some, but most of all what she shared was exactly what God knew I needed to hear. "Empty me of myself, and fill me up with you Lord."....that's the short version...so much GREAT stuff.
I'm loving living at the lake and the gorgeous spring weather (well, it's not so nice this weekend)! I love being close to the lake trails (my personal haven) and sitting out on my front deck looking out at the lake! And I'm blessed to have my dear friend right next door...thank you Deanne for the blessing of this home!
Simple things like garage saling last Saturday morning on a GORGEOUS day with my dear friend Cheryl and even finding some great deals on some new clothes for work for anywhere from ten cents to $1...can't pass that up!
Spiritual direction with Sue
I love seeing the rows of new crops coming up in the fields all around me...a sure sign that spring is here...and that there's a bit of farm girl in me.
Coffee at Bloomers with Stephanie as often as we can.
T.O.TA.L. (high school youth group)...regular time together (including watching the Truth Project on DVD), but also the blessing of attending a Hillsong United concert that was an amazing worship experience. And the H20 Project: challenged to drink only water for 2 weeks and to give the $'s we would have spent on beverages to help bring safe/good water to those who don't have it. I must say that my first glass of milk afterwards tasted sooooo good!
I love our Sunday school class of 2 and 3 year olds: Lots of them and they are GREAT!
the 50th Anniversary of KICY...my parents were in Nome, AK for it, but even though I wasn't there I think mentioning it is important. My family was part of that ministry from 1967-1982. Yay God for all you've done through KICY!
Oh soooo much more....

I keep thinking of more, but I don't want to lose all the sleep I've caught up on...so I'll sign off for now!

Cars....

2010-03-19T17:30:00.004-05:00

So I've had the "joy" this week of taking my car in for an oil change and ending up leaving it there for most of the week and pouring WAY more $'s into it than I would like! I would really rather have put all those $'s into a down payment on a newer vehicle...but alas, I'm not fully ready for those monthly payments again yet. I've reminded myself multiple times today after paying that too large bill that I am so thankful I have a vehicle that is paid off and that I am financially able to get it repaired. While a car is a necessity in my life, it is also a privilege! Thank you Jesus for perspective on things and for your provision!

We've had a spring-like week (at least for a couple of gorgeous days that were much needed), and the snow has gone down fast! The big snow drifts are still there, but there is hope of them fully disappearing some day. However today winter is back with snow falling all day. Funny considering the first day of spring is tomorrow. =)

Otherwise it's been a week with something every evening and a full schedule...but I have persevered (at times only with God's strength) and made it to Friday evening! Yay God! Tonight I'm heading to the Sonshine Singers concert/worship experience which I have no doubt will be uplifting. And I'm looking forward to a weekend with some down time and God time as well as time to get caught up on the things I've set aside through the busy week. And NEXT weekend I get to go to a scrapbooking retreat with my dear friend Sonya, followed by the following long Easter weekend with my family! I love my "usual" life, but I'm so grateful for those wonderful, unusual opportunities mixed in!

The Iditarod dog sled race finishes today!

2010-03-16T16:13:00.002-05:00

I get slightly obsessed with the Iditarod dog sled race every March (following it online as much as my life allows). It always brings me right back to my childhood and growing up in Nome, Alaska where the race finishes. When I was a child, we read books to get us from checkpoint to checkpoint along the Iditarod trail from Anchorage to Nome. As a reader, I LOVED that competition! But most of all, we all got out of school to go watch the finish (for the top mushers/teams at least). I remember many a day of watching at the finish line on Front Street right in front of my church (the Nome Covenant Church). My dad always broadcast the finish live for KICY radio. Today the first musher (Lance Mackey) and his team are expected to cross the finish line in Nome in the next hour or so. Assuming he wins (and he's way ahead in dog sled racing terms), he'll have won 4 in a row which will be a first ever! I'm trying to plan my late "lunch" around watching the finish live online. We'll see if I succeed. If you want to check it out, go to iditablog.com.

Ahhh....Alaska/childhood memories! I love them and am grateful!

It's a glorious day!

2010-03-14T16:15:00.003-05:00

It is officially a glorious day! The sun is shining and has been for most of the afternoon...the first big chunk of sun in well over a week!!!! I decided I should get outside and enjoy it so I walked down the lake road a bit wearing just my regular clothes and no jacket just to say spring is here! Wow! This is invigorating! Yay God for spring and for sunshine...but most of all for His SONshine in my life!

We do have record snow this winter!

2010-02-25T17:17:00.005-06:00

So for a couple weeks I've thought it was insane that the Des Moines TV stations said our winter ranks up there in the top ten winters for snow but we were only at the 9th rank I think. It also said that two years ago we had more snow than this year. Now I get it...the above is true of Des Moines! The amount of snow just varies depending on where in the state you are and in Fort Dodge (where I work) we have had a record snow fall this winter (and I'm pretty sure the same is true at home too): http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/522517.html?nav=5010

All I know is we have LOTS of snow...and I am ready for it to be gone! I love winter...but this is enough! Yay God for sunshine and roads today that are virtually clear (a rarity this winter)! And yay God for many other reasons (particularly people) to rejoice and be glad no matter what the weather or road conditions are like! Thanks for being part of the SONshine in my life!

Weekend with the youth group!

2010-02-21T18:49:00.002-06:00

I'm super tired so hopefully I can write and make sense! =) But it's a good tired! I spent the weekend with our church youth group and the Albert City Covenant youth group in Sioux City. We left early Saturday morning and returned a few hours ago. We were blessed with clear roads and great weather! We spent a chunk of yesterday volunteering at the Gospel Mission in Sioux City. They are a homeless shelter and more. Some of our group served the noon meal and had lots of interaction with those the mission serves. Most of us spent the time in the basement sorting a large donation they had received. Wow did our kids work hard and accomplish a lot! There was one point when I was getting tired and ready to take a break...but as I paused and I watched them for a moment, I realized that I needed to follow their example! They were servant hearted with the right focus AND having a great time together too! It was great to talk about it afterwards and realize how much the time had impacted the kids and showed them how blessed they are and how important it is to help those in need. The kids in the two groups didn't know each other much prior to the trip but bonded quickly. We also did some shopping and hanging out and playing lots of games. (Oh, and didn't get much sleep.) We stayed at the Covenant Church in Sioux City and worshiped with them this morning, had lunch there, and headed home. Before going I was wondering if I was still up for an overnighter with the youth and praying that God would give me the energy and strength I needed. While I'm tired tonight, I was so much energized by the time with the kids!

Other than the weekend trip, I've been doing the "usual" and also have been watching lots of the Olympics, babysat/played with Aaron one evening, and celebrated a Peterson birthday. My favorite part of the Olympics so far was Evan Lysacek's gold medal in figure skating! Go USA!

Snowbound ?? at the lake again!

2010-02-15T12:46:00.003-06:00

Today and yesterday have been my first official snow days at the lake since moving back out here. Since this is where I was first snowbound when I started this blog, this is a fun connection! The weather has been on the edge of bad, but not awful...enough for church to be cancelled yesterday and for work to be closed today. So I'm not sure I'm truly snowbound, but there sure is plenty of snow. These are days of rest that I truly needed! Particularly after working long and hard Saturday afternoon and well into the evening unpacking the last of my boxes. The walls don't have anything hanging on them, but otherwise I am DONE settling in! Yay!!! It took a long time purely cuz the rest of my life was busy and not allowing me much time to do it, but it is GREAT to be on the other end of the move finally!

I'd take and post pictures of the inside of my homey home and of ALL the snow around the house (by the way no, I don't have a gorgeous view right now, but I don't think anywhere around here does...it's all of snow drifts and piles and mounds...but it will be gorgeous once it melts...will spring ever come?), but my computer is super messed up right now so I'm posting this from Deanne's laptop and pix will have to wait. Thank you Deanne for sharing it!

I'm loving the fact that I have TV here just in time for the Olympics...cuz I love the Winter Olympics! And I equally (or more) love having internet at home...especially on snow days! But I'm also seeking to not allow the TV and internet to take over too much of my time/energy just cuz I've missed them. =)

Another blessing and utterly uplifting thing was an utterly unexpected delivery of flowers (tulips) from friends last week! They are sitting on my kitchen table looking absolutely gorgeous!

I'm also super excited about the news of some upcoming babies in the lives of dear friends, specifically my friend Anita and her husband are expecting TWINS in late summer (they have a 2 year old too) and Tyler & Katy are expecting the first Peterson grandchild in the fall! I am needless to say very thrilled about both!!!!

Please join me in prayer for God's provision for a new treasurer for our church so I can be done with that part of my overly full plate of life. I know God called me to that responsibility for the last two years, but I also have no doubt that He's telling me to be done... However so far He hasn't made His plan for how it's to be covered known yet... But I know He has a plan and that He will sustain me in the mean time...which hopefully won't be long. =)

I am definitely in a rambling state of mind today...and I know there's still other stuff I haven't mentioned probably... But I will close for now and say happy snow day to you all!

From my new home....

2010-01-29T23:16:00.002-06:00

I am excited to announce that I am a Twin Lakes resident again...as of tonight! Moving day was supposed to be tomorrow, but my moving crew needed to move it up so we did it tonight. I am super thankful for my Peterson "family" for all of their efficient and quick help! What a blessing you all are to me in soooooo very many ways! Thanks too to Deanne and crew for working with the change in timing!

I'm tired and have LOTS to do tomorrow and beyond (#1 is to get the last minor things out of my apartment, clean it, and turn in those keys)...but it's GREAT to be here! And the best part is sitting on my bed using the internet at home for the first time in a LONG time! Yay God for the "small" things in life that are HUGE blessings!

Preparing to be snowbound...what a winter!

2010-01-06T16:23:00.002-06:00

I have been a delinquent blogger for a number of reasons...and this one will be quick so I can be home and safe on a yucky day! I left work early and had a horrendous drive back to Manson this afternoon...awful visibility! The snow is light and fluffy now but all over. You can see the road well...driving after dark and particularly when the winds pick up will be even less fun! The great thing is that I'm off tomorrow (to work on year end church treasurer things) so I don't have to think about getting back to Fort Dodge until Friday (tomorrow is supposed to be blizzard conditions)! I'm praying for a very productive day tomorrow though as I have LOTS to do and would appreciate your prayers too!

I am someone who LOVES winter, but I'm even getting tired of it this year! I think the commute to Fort Dodge makes it harder to enjoy (compared to the less than a mile to work when I was at camp), but this one has been intense around here! I'm thankful though for safety!

On a more random note: I am one happy Iowa Hawkeye fan after their great victory in the Orange Bowl last night! And I'm an even happier Minnesota Vikings fan after their wonderful win on Sunday...and being on a roll going into the playoffs hopefully! Go Vikings!

Right now my focus is on year-end church treasurer things along with preparing to move...the date is set for January 30th. And I'm excited to make a trip to see all of you my family in WI/IL over Martin Luther King weekend...our DeVries Christmas! Life is never dull around here! Thanks for your prayers through a rather intense month of January for me!

Merry Christmas! (my Christmas letter)

2009-12-24T18:57:00.007-06:00

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

This Christmas as I ponder all the blessings God has given me, at the top of my list are these precious little ones, my fabulous 5 nieces and 2 nephews!
-Daisy Gowan (5 months old)

-Sally Gowan (20 months old)

-Kristi Caspari (almost 4)

-Ben Caspari & Timmy DeVries (both age 5)

-Sarah Caspari & Emma DeVries (8 & 7½ )

I thank God often for my wonderful family that loves Jesus and lives that out; to top it all off we all truly enjoy being together! I am thankful that they all now live within 45 minutes of each other in Lake Geneva, WI and Crystal Lake, IL. Needless to say I make many trips that way! A particularly fun treasure was having my two oldest nieces spend a long weekend at my house in August!

Other blessings from God in my life:
• A job that I enjoy at Catholic Social Services in Fort Dodge (a counseling ministry that I very much believe in) and co-workers that are a joy! I’ve been there full-time for just over two years now.
• The many wonderful friends in my life…many of whom are truly family to me!
• My church family and the ministry opportunities there; I keep super involved with youth group leading, helping with toddler Sunday school, singing with our praise team once a month, leading Children’s Church, participating in women’s Bible study, and serving on our Outreach & Inclusion Ministry Team and on our Children & Youth Ministry Team. For the last two years I’ve also served as our Church Treasurer which has been a stretching experience.
• Participating in our church mission trip to Amundsen Educational Center in Soldotna, Alaska for a week in June. I fell in love with this vital ministry and was blessed by friendships with other team members.
• A scrapbooking retreat in November with a small group of friends at Grace Corner B&B Retreat House
• In early 2010 I’ll be moving back out to Twin Lakes where I’ll be renting the other duplex end of the house where I used to live from my friend who bought it from us. Crazy but what a blessing!
• Most of all I am blessed to walk moment by moment with Jesus. Without Him in my life it would all be nothing! At Christmas time and always may we remember to surrender all to Him and trust Him!

Merry Christmas!

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-23T17:13:00.003-06:00

We are definitely in the midst of a winter wonderland...or nightmare...depending on your perspective. Right now it's icey...but we had some snow too...and lots more snow is coming! Not looking pretty to be travelling. But it's definitely pretty for being inside looking out at it! And it's definitely Christmasy. I worked a shortened day today because of the weather and drove very slowly after work to get out of town. Now I'm excited for a 4-day weekend! I'm safe and sound and warm at my dear friends' the Petersons for the duration. I was going to spend Christmas Day with them, but in an effort to not be snowbound or icebound at my apartment alone, I'm here now. They are all getting over the stomach flu, so I'm hoping to avoid that. We'll see... Merry Christmas everyone!

Swedish Christmas traditions with a touch of Laos

2009-12-13T16:22:00.002-06:00

I'm sitting at church (during a break between festivities) and thinking just how great it is to be part of a church with a variety of special traditions and a strong commitment to missions. This morning at the conclusion of our church service our high schoolers performed Santa Lucia (a Swedish tradition) and did it fabulously! After church we all gorged ourselves with food at our Swedish smorgasbord. After that a bunch of us went Christmas caroling to the nursing home and the homes of some elderly church folks. This evening at T.O.T.A.L. (youth group) we are having a Lao night along with our Christmas party. That is a fun contrast with the Swedish things of the morning. And it's another thing that I love about my church: Our commitment to missions and willingness to look beyond ourselves! At youth group tonight a "son" of our church (and not too long ago in youth group himself...in my time as a youth leader anyway) and his wife who will be returning to Laos as missionaries will be feeding us Lao food and doing Lao activities and sharing about their ministry in Laos with our kids. So important for these kids to have a world perspective...but most of all through God's eyes! God is good, and I'm excited to be a part of His work!

Back out!

2009-12-09T16:44:00.001-06:00

My snowboundness is over! I've run to the library briefly to get online before dark. My battery is dying....but I have briefly connected. Windchill is awful....can't wait to stay toasting warm tonight! We got lots of snow. Glad I don't drive a snowplow!

Not quite snowbound yet...but it's coming!

2009-12-08T10:19:00.003-06:00

Tis the season when my blog title makes sense again! And today and tomorrow appear to be full fledged blizzard-like! Right now it's snowing but when it comes down faster and the wind comes up, it will be interesting! I am thankful that my boss made the decision to close the office BEFORE I had to go to work (it's our later start) cuz I was already thinking that I would much rather be snowbound at home than in Fort Dodge! Sounds like I'll likely be home tomorrow too. I have lots to do, and hope to have some restful time too. If it's bad, I won't likely be back online until after it....but maybe in town it won't be impassable to get to the library. That's where I'm sitting right now blogging...inside plugged into power and enjoying the warmth too! I'm also checking out some books and movies to have in case I need some entertainment without TV or internet at home. I'm looking forward to some quiet time! Yay God for this opportunity!

Thanksgiving with the family

2009-12-06T20:04:00.007-06:00

I had a GREAT Thankgiving weekend with my family! It was awesome to work only a half day on Wednesday and arrive at my sister's in Crystal Lake in the early evening! Thursday everyone was there for the festivities. Saturday we all gathered at my parents' and my brother's in Lake Geneva, and Sunday some of us were at my other sister's in Lake Geneva and later with the Holtes. I took Monday off too so that makes for a nice long weekend! Good times all around.

I'll share pix instead of writing lots. Here's some of the ladies in the kitchen on Thanksgiving:

Here's some of the guys playing games while waiting for dinner:

Of course there's always a puzzle; here Dad and Auntie Karen work on it:

Sarah & Emma:

Ben & Tim & I:

Kristi:

Sally:

Daisy is growing so fast! Now 3 months old.

And can't end without a picture of our snip candy that we made at the Holtes' house (great friends that are like family). Snip candy is a family tradition, and we also watched the Vikings game together as the Holtes are other Vikings fans in Wisconsin. =)

That's all for now except to say that we had our Sunday School Christmas program during church this morning and that was GREAT! I got to a high school Christmas concert in Manson this afternoon, and now I'm relaxing and enjoying watching the Vikings game!

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2009-11-25T21:54:00.002-06:00

Wow...can you believe that I'm actually blogging twice in one week? It's been forever since that happened. But having accessible internet makes a difference. I am now at my sister's in Crystal Lake. I got here by 6:30 which was wonderful! (I was able to use some leftover personal time to leave at 12:45ish today from work.) The full family festivities begin tomorrow, but I'm enjoying family time already.

It's late and I'm not feeling super profound but two Thanksgiving-connected quotes have been on my mind this week and I want to share them with you:

Quote from Barbara Johnson that was on my calendar earlier this week: "You have to look for the joy. Look for the light of God that is hitting your life, and you will find sparkles you didn't know were there."

"Gratitude evaporates frustration." I have no idea the original source of that saying, but it's one we used lots at camp over the years and that I very much believe in.

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for each one of you and who you are in my life!

blogging...no exciting title today

2009-11-22T14:47:00.005-06:00

I'm enjoying a great Vikings victory this afternoon and thinking I should blog a bit. Lately life has been intense with some wonderful moments of rest mixed in. Last weekend I enjoyed a three-day weekend retreat with 5 dear friends at Grace Corner Bed & Breakfast Retreat Center near Sioux City. What a WONDERFUL time away in a great spot with awesome people...and I even did a BUNCH of scrapbooking too. Other treats were the gift of a massage and my usual time of spiritual direction. It was a blessed time of rest, refreshment, and renewal on just about every level of life. Thank you Jesus! Now I'm looking forward to a long Thanksgiving weekend with my family in IL and WI. I love that time and can't wait to spend time with my precious family! In between those times of rest, I'm living a full life including various stresses around me, but I'm anticipating at least one change in my schedule coming that will make a difference. I'm trusting in God to continue to sustain me day by day and moment by moment. As we approach Thanksgiving (and always) I am thankful that God is BIG and all that I need! And I'm grateful for all of you and the big role you play in my life!

Good Coffee & Wireless Internet....

2009-10-31T15:10:00.004-05:00

I am loving this cute little coffee shop in Orange City, Iowa where I am sitting right now...and enjoying GOOD coffee and free wireless internet. I never thought I'd become a coffee snob, but I have become one. This "real" stuff is sooooooo much better than the cheap stuff I make at work or home. I also love sitting here being online in a leisurely fashion (as opposed to rushing before my battery dies while sitting in my car outside the library as usual).

I'm in Orange City for the afternoon/evening along with my friend Deanne. It's parents' weekend at Northwestern College, and she wanted someone along for the ride as she came for her son's concert tonight. I'm looking forward to great music tonight, have enjoyed the company on the ride, and will enjoy seeing some of my favorite college students too. I had decided today was going to be my sabbath day, and this is a great way to get away from all the tasks at home demanding my attention.

To summarize life these days: It has been full...a bit too full. But I'm taking one day at a time with God's help. Here's a bit of what I've been up to (in bullet form just like my brother =):
-Working...finally got "caught up" on stuff that our office move in July/August had affected...speaking of which I really enjoy our new office (now that we are settled in) and particularly like the 10 minutes the new location has cut off my drive. One day I had to run home for something over my lunch hour and I made it there and back and was at my house for 15+ minutes!
-T.O.T.A.L. (high school youth group)...enjoy those kids as always!
-Lots of church treasurer work (particularly working with lots of people on the 2010 budget...not my favorite task, but a necessary one)
-Women's Bible study (continuing to greatly enjoy our study this year on spiritual disciplines)
-Helping with the youngest Sunday School class (we have 4 that are 1 1/2ish and several 2 or 3 year olds...precious little ones!)
-Leading Children's Church once a month
-Singing on praise team at church once a month
-This Sunday night our Alaska missions team is sharing more about our trip last June (a bit delayed)...so I've been thinking on that and getting our scrapbook pages together for the church's mission scrapbook. The friendships formed and grown on that trip continue to be a blessing!
-Plenty more but especially trying to keep in touch with family and friends in the midst of it all....YOU are my priority (even when it doesn't appear that way cuz of my crazy schedule).
-Last but not least our church's Harvest Fest was last weekend. Unfortunately our weather was not the best, but a great time was had by all and most importantly there were lots of new faces which is what this outreach event is all about. This year my trunk (for Trunk or Treat) was the empty tomb and I was the angel:

The kids LOVE climbing into my trunk and then on through the rest of my car:

Such a simple thing but fun times!

Mmmmmm...this coffee is good! Now on to ordering LOTS of pictures to scrapbook in 2 weeks at a LONG AWAITED scrapbooking retreat with dear friends!

Pictures...finally!

2009-10-25T13:20:00.008-05:00

Last weekend I enjoyed a great long weekend with my family. And I thought it was about time I blogged som pix!

I spent my first overnight/day with the Casparis in Crystal Lake:

We enjoyed the park on a nice fall day:

I spent the rest of the weekend in Lake Geneva first staying at my brother and family's home:

They did a fun pirate show/performance for me:

Spent the conclusion of my time at the Gowans...Sally is at such a fun age:

And here's my sister with her youngest (my newest niece) Daisy:

Sally again:

And another of cute Daisy:

It is always great to be with all of them!!!

Since then it's been a full week and weekend including our church Harvest Fest yesterday (with a great turnout of people to reach out to which is what it's all about...despite some not so lovely weather). And was great to be with my church family this morning for worship including a testimony by a man who went to Alaska with us and who God used powerfully to speak to us this morning! Now I'm thankful for a more relaxed afternoon of watching the Vikings and hopefully a nap before youth group tonight.

A change in weekend plans

2009-10-04T13:42:00.002-05:00

I'm sitting at church using the internet to upload pictures to order for scrapbooking in November...and that means I have time to blog too! Do miracles ever cease? The battery on my laptop just doesn't last long enough to do more than the bare minimum (check e-mail and facebook) while sitting in my car outside the local library...and I can tell the cooler temps are also going to impact that time as well! But I am thankful for various places to get online!

Well...the end of the week and this weekend have not been as planned, but it's amazing how God's plans are always better than my own. Wednesday afternoon I felt my allergies doing a number on my body...and by that night I was full fledged miserable. I was home sick Thursday and Friday (slept much of both days and the nights too) and finally was able to get into the doctor on Friday morning. She quickly said I had a sinus infection and gave me an antibiotic. My body spoke loud and clear and said slow down and take care of yourself. So I've been doing lots of sleeping, resting, reading, and watching movies ("classics" like Pretty Woman & Top Gun...favorites of mine from the past that I happened to buy at a garage sale last summer...and Oklahoma...which my sweet nephew Timmy the movie lover gave me a couple Christmases ago). That and yesterday as I was feeling somewhat better sorting through digital photos and deciding what to order so I can do a scrapbooking retreat in November (happened to be of our DeVries family "Christmas" in August 2006...yes I'm behind...but fun to spend time with the precious kiddos via pix if I wasn't with them in person). All this when my hope/plan had been to spend the weekend with my family in WI/IL which is why my schedule was cleared and I could just rest....something I think God designed. I've spent a few moments super bummed to not be with my family (I love you and miss you all), but mostly it's been obvious I was supposed to be right here this weekend.

Last night at midnight I couldn't sleep so I decided to do my lesson for Women's Bible study...that's when God started meeting me in a super specific way in Exodus exploring Moses' time alone with with God. And that meeting God continued in our worship service this morning through the sermon (on compelling Christian community) and during quiet moments during communion. Wow! Amazing how God had those times planned...that I know wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been "stuck" at home for the weekend!

And the best part is that hopefully I can make a trip to see my family in a couple weeks instead! Cuz I certainly don't want to miss out on that!

So that's the ramblings from my heart on this weekend that has been different than anticipated but exactly what God had planned!

A wonderful weekend!

2009-09-20T17:16:00.002-05:00

It has been FAR too long since I've blogged...which means that catching up is NOT going to happen (at least not tonight)...but I thought I'd at least blog the current if nothing else.

This weekend has been a good one...a true gift from God! It was the Women's Retreat at camp...a wonderful combination of good friends and time with God...but most of all a BREAK from the usual pace of life lately. Life has continued in the whirlwind state...now with fall activities picking up at church, etc....and I desperately needed time away. We had a GREAT speaker, Ginger Millermon. She is a singer/songwriter and speaker from Kansas....young but with much life experience and insight. Her testimony Friday night was powerful and gave so much backing to what she shared the rest of the weekend on "Strength for the Journey." She led us in worship and shared many of her original songs with us too. What a blessing she was to all of us! If you ever have the opportunity to hear her...do! We had beautiful weather for the weekend too. And time with dear friends...both my church friends and other ladies I've know through camp over the past 15+ years. Yay God for this retreat!!!

This noon I enjoyed visiting with a variety of people at a benefit dinner for a woman who is battling cancer. Then I got to spend my afternoon in the ultimate September Sunday afternoon fashion: relaxing and watching the Vikings win! I also got in a walk with a friend on the lake trails including a snack at Twin Lakes Grocery & Grill. And now I'm going to crash and rest tonight to be ready for the week ahead! Ahhhh....what a wonderful weekend! A true gift from God!

Whirlwind and lack of internet

2009-08-24T21:08:00.002-05:00

Soooooo...life seems to have been a bit of a whirlwind lately...but in great ways! And having no internet at home makes me a bad blogger...and even worse with posting pix. So I'll try to write at least a brief update before my battery dies (I'm sitting in my car outside my local library).

I had a GREAT (and jam packed) week or so starting a week ago Thursday with going to the Iowa State Fair to the Steven Curtis Chapman & Jeremy Camp concert with the Petersons. It was my first experience at the state fair and I wasn't there long, but I got a bit of a flavor and thoroughly enjoyed the concert! Talk about two real guys in concert who have been through a lot! Couldn't have picked two musicians I would have enjoyed more! I stayed that night at my friend Anita's house and enjoyed a very brief visit with her and her family too!

Then Friday I drove to Dubuque where I met my two oldest nieces Sarah and Emma (both 7) to bring them to my house for the long weekend....something we'd been talking about and planning forever! We had a GREAT time and tired ourselves out with two trips to the local pool, making tie fleece blankets and cake/cupcakes and popsicles, playing at 21 parks (in one day), tubing on the lake, helping with cattle and sheep chores at a friend's farm, and more! I loved hearing them rave to their families about all they'd been doing. They are the best! And now their 5-year-old brothers are talking about when it will be their turn to come to Auntie Jane's house, and my 3-year-old niece is plotting when she and her 16-month-old cousin can come. Does my heart GREAT joy!

Last Monday (a week ago) I drove the girls home and loved spending time with my newest niece Daisy (not quite a week old) and her big sister Sally and her parents (my sister Laura and her husband Gow) until Wednesday! Yay for that time!

Needless to say by the time I got to this past weekend I was ready for some rest...and a bit more of the whirlwind. I had a great day Saturday including a surprise gift of a massage and some great time with God! Sunday was a great day with my church family including church, an all church pool party, and then youth group boating at the lake on a perfect day for that! And with people I love too!

Tonight I was thrilled to get together with my dear church friends who went on the Alaska mission trip with me (and their families) for a potluck (including fish the guys caught in Alaska) and great conversation!

Yes, it's been a whirlwind...but I love it too! And I'm super thankful for my family and friends and church family! Yay God!!!

P.S. Please join me in prayer for my dear friend Nolan Ramthun (4 month old) who stopped breathing at day care last Tuesday and is currently on a ventilator and trying to "wake up." It's been a rollercoaster for his family (parents Adam and Sarah and grandma Marjean and the whole crew). If you want more info, ask and I can give you his Caring Bridge website.

I love my nieces!

2009-08-12T22:52:00.005-05:00

It's been an exciting day in the DeVries family! Daisy Kate was born this morning to my sister Laura and her husband Neil (Gow) at 9:52am! She is 8 pounds 8 ounces and 20 inches long. Everyone is doing well. They did have a temporary scare as the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck twice. So the doctor cut it once and then figured out it needed to be cut again. She was pretty blue, but her heart rate never got to a dangerous spot and all is good now. We are praising God for this precious new addition to the family! And this Auntie can't wait to meet her! Pictures below.

On another niece note: I am super excited to have my two oldest nieces (Sarah and Emma who are both 7) coming for the weekend at my house...something we have been planning for a LONG time! After their time here I'll drive them home and meet baby Daisy and spend a couple days there helping/visiting.

Before all that, tomorrow evening I'm excited to be heading to the Steven Curtis Chapman concert at the Iowa State Fair with my dear friends the Petersons. That will be great fun too!

Maybe one of these days I'll get the rest of life "caught" up on my blog...but for now Auntie Jane is excited to share these pix of Daisy (and her daddy) with you:

P.S. I love my other two nieces and my two nephews not mentioned in this blog! All 7 of them are the best!!!

Office move and Sabbath weekend, etc.

2009-08-02T13:14:00.002-05:00

I guess I haven't been much of a blogger lately and will keep this one short. This week we moved our office (well, we're not done yet, but the "big" stuff is done). We downsized a bunch which made it extra adventurous. But I praise God for co-workers that I enjoy and the cooperation that has occurred. Pray for us as we finish settling in tomorrow and get the "extra" stuff out of the old building throughout this week.

Last weekend we had our VBS campout at church (Saturday to Sunday with an overnight at the church). We had a small group of kids, but we had a great time with the TLCC staff leading our program. Always great to be part of opportunities for young lives to be impacted by God for eternity!

This weekend I am sabbathing...at least much of it. I am staying at Haven 23 (a beautiful cabin at TLCC) so that I am away from all that needs to be done at home. I'm resting in all senses of the word and just "being still." (I was told once that being still means to cease striving...something to ponder.) In the midst of the Sabbath weekend I have been blessed to help a friend and to worship with my church family this morning.

I am praising God for two big things in my family:
-That my brother-in-law Dave's liver tests have been consistently going in the right direction following his latest liver issues...continue to pray for that.
-That my sister Laura and her family have a place to live and work for Gow for at least the next 6 months or so (and in Lake Geneva where my parents and brother live)...they get to move in next Sunday and she is due several days after that so pray for God's perfect timing on all of that.

Praying you all can find opportunities to "Be Still and Know that I am God."

Correction...45 years for Mom & Dad

2009-07-23T22:03:00.002-05:00

I have been corrected...it's 45 years of marriage for my parents!

Celebrating God's goodness in the marriages in my family!

2009-07-23T21:25:00.002-05:00

Today is my brother Neal and his wife Cyndie's 15th anniversary and my sister Laura and her husband Gow's 4th anniversary. As I read what each of them blogged about their marriages/spouses, I was awed by how awesome God is and how that is reflected in the marriages in our family. In a world where marriage is not taken seriously (in so many ways), I am thankful to be part of a family where Godly, lasting, committed marriages are a reality! It all begins with the incredible example of our Godly parents and their 44 years of marriage. They have truly lived out following God with their whole hearts in ALL areas of their lives and in this case in specifically making Him the center of their marriage. My sister Amy and her husband Dave celebrated 17 years of marriage in May, and there are many more years of marriage in the extended family. I don't write this to glorify my family...but to glorify our amazing God as He is the reason and also to celebrate the gift of Godly marriages in our family. I for one am super thankful for each of my in-laws and the gift they are in our family as well. I'll conclude with one big "YAY GOD" for my family and for God's goodness in it!

July and coolness!

2009-07-17T21:58:00.002-05:00

Yes, blog readers...it's July in Iowa and it's actually cool! We may have a record low tonight! I loved sleeping with my windows open last night and waking up to being too cold! I prefer this to super hot and humid any day!

I'm finding keeping in touch to continue to be challenging at times with limited internet access...right now I'm sitting in my car outside the local library. =) But I will keep on a trying. Unfortunately my final Alaska report and pix from the 4th of July with the family are still to come. Maybe one of these days there'll be time!

Work continues to be busy as we prepare to move our office at the end of the month. The extra challenging aspect is that we are downsizing big time (probably 1/3 to 1/4 of our current building space in the new building)...but I know God is in control and we will make it through the adventure! He's proven it already in some cool ways! I love my co-workers and the people we serve so that's awesome!

I've had a nice week that's included making connections over meals, etc. with various friends. Tonight I brought a meal to church folks who are battling illness and then enjoyed hearing all about CHIC (our denominational youth event) from Anndee. Tomorrow will be a GREAT day of our church ladies' progressive lunch at the lake...and we progress via boat from house to house! I'm super excited and praying the sunshine is out! I'm looking forward to the fellowship and friendships! Later have a wedding reception to go to. Sunday will be singing on praise team and later helping with the church ice cream social...yummy!!!

That's at least a bit of life with me....My battery is dying so I'll post without proofing! =)

I am still here!

2009-07-11T21:00:00.002-05:00

My personal blog police are definitely otherwise occupied as I haven't even had any complaints about how bad I've been at blogging lately. =) The primary issue is that I do not have internet at home thus making my opportunities to do so rather limited. Sorry! I'm learning and adjusting to using the internet outside the library and at friends and at work over lunch, etc. Tonight I'm sitting in the gazebo outside the library on an amazingly pleasant July evening for Iowa. Today has been an all around good day...slept in, lazed a bit, saw our church youth off on the bus to TN for CHIC, and hung out with Petersons. Tomorrow will be church, a lazy afternoon, and youth group...another good day.

So following the Alaska mission trip it took an extraordinary amount of time to get my feet back under me at home...and I finally got there just in time to head to WI/IL to spend a 4-day 4th of July weekend with all of my family--another GREAT time! I am thankful for those opportunities and for my family! I always think summer means things will slow down...and that never quite seems to be the case. =) But I do love almost all of it!

One part of this summer is that our office is moving at the end of July to a much smaller space. While I try to focus on the adventure of it and pray for God to be our strength, there are times when it feels insane. One great thing is the new office is on the side of Fort Dodge toward me...so my commute will be shorter! And I love my co-workers and what we do!

Enough of this brief but very rambling update for tonight. Hopefully soon I will get an official Alaska report up (or part 2 of it as I posted some while up there) and lots of pix of the 4th weekend with my family. But for now I encourage you to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus in whatever circumstances of life you are facing...actually I could "sermonize" for a while on some stuff that's been hitting me the last couple days, but I'm a bit too out of it to try and write it and make sense. Good night!

I'm home!

2009-06-21T18:47:00.003-05:00

Just a super quick note to say I'm back home safe and sound after a WONDERFUL mission trip to Alaska. God worked in many ways, and it was AWESOME! Thank you for your prayers! Much more to come...but first I have to get my feet back under me. It's back to work tomorrow. I had a super short night of sleep last night, a full day at church today, and was "welcomed" home by a backed up sewer in my bathtub that is AWFUL and a landlord that doesn't seem to be in a hurry to fix it. Ahhhh.... I'm trusting God for a good night of sleep (starting VERY soon) so I can wake up renewed and ready to serve again tomorrow.

Also, please pray for my brother-in-law Dave who is having problems with his liver (he had a liver transplant almost 4 years ago) and has more tests tomorrow to determine what is going on and what to do about it. Pray for Amy and the 3 kiddos too. Love you guys!

Having a GREAT time in Alaska!!!

2009-06-15T23:59:00.013-05:00

I am again exhausted as I write...but today from working HARD and not from traveling. However I want to share a few pix and some highlights at least! For those missing the basics I am in Soldotna, Alaska with 8 others from my church (the Evangelical Covenant Church of Pomeroy, Iowa) on a mission trip to Amundsen Educational Center (AEC) for this week. Most of us drove to Minneapolis Friday afternoon, flew from MN to Anchorage, AK on Saturday, and then drove to Soldota that same day. We are staying in cabins (nice ones where the students live during the school year) at AEC. Two of our mission team members are feeding us incredibly well! Thank you Steve & Micki!

My first real feel that I was in Alaska was when I was greeted at the airport by old friends from growing up in Nome (Terry & Linda Reynolds)...a total surprise and a huge blessing! I haven't seen then in 20 years but the missionary community is tight and the bonds last a lifetime! Brought all the memories of growing up in Alaska flowing back! Here's me with them:

The best real feel that we were in Alaska has been the constant GORGEOUS scenery surrounding us. This pix is some of us somewhere between Anchorage and Soldotna on our drive from the airport to AEC:

Sunday (our first full day here) was our sightseeing day so most of us headed to Homer to see the sights and explore (and do some souvenir shopping too).

We ate fish and chips (halibut) at a restaurant right on the board walk on the Homer Spit. There were fun shops down there, but for me the best part was walking on the beach. This pix is some of us by a lone piece of drift wood (there was LOTS of that on the beaches in Nome where I grew up so it brought memories of Alaska beaches for me):

Of course you can't be in Alaska without pix of wildlife. This is a moose on the campus that just sat there and stared at us as we photographed her and oohed and ahhed:

We've also seen some eagles and I'm sure there's more to come.

When I went on the mission trip to Ecuador a number of years ago, we bonded as a group and individually had quiet time with God in the hammocks in the CBC campus. "Hammock time" came to symbolize so much in my life following that trip. My friend Anita who was on that trip with me told me she hoped I'd find something like that on this trip...and it's quickly become "campfire time." We had our group devotions there, I've sat there and journaled, and more:
href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tLQp5srkuPY/Sjcp1kHlrdI/AAAAAAAABdk/GnzFshk6IeI/s1600-h/Campfire+time.JPG">

But lest you think I'm all about sightseeing and playing and all...we are here to work and serve wholeheartedly! Today was our first work day and it was full of much variety for me. AEC is a vocational training school for Alaskans from the bush villages that trains them to build a house throughout the school year. We worked today on 2 of the 3 houses that they built this past year. Here's the 3 houses:

Everyone worked hard, but here's my part of today. I must say that John (a volunteer who's here for a month and is our boss) was so patient in teaching me/us so much. First I used a nail gun to attach sub flooring in house #1...Petersons beware! =)

Then I installed insulation in the crawl space under house #2:

After that Cindy and I cut and installed insulation in the attic of house #2:

Insulation is definitely itchy! That's my profound thoughts on that for right now.

But the biggest project was probably getting the exterior of house #1 almost totally painted. We even got to pick the color of the paint. One of our team members is a painting contractor so he supervised that. He sprayed most of it. And patiently taught us all the tricks to do our jobs well. Here's 3 of us painting the trim:

Can you see why I'm tired and sore tonight? I LOVED the variety! We are working ten hour days for four days so we can do more sightseeing another day (the guys are going fishing). I am feeling it tonight and plan to sleep soundly. Wow...I've just kept a going on this and hope it makes sense. I am hugely blessed by the people on this team...we are definitely bonding and working together well too. I couldn't be more thankful for this opportunity! God is GOOD!

Alaska...we are here!!!

2009-06-13T23:17:00.002-05:00

Just a quick blog to say that we have arrived in Alaska. I am exhausted and ready for bed...it's 8:15pm here but 11:15 Iowa time and we've traveled all day. Traveling has gone smoothly (even for the 3 who drove all the way from Iowa). Alaska is gorgeous! I even got to see dear friends (Terry & Linda Reynolds) from Nome days at the airport today and have lunch with them too...God provided in amazing ways to make that happen! We're here at Amundsen and I plan to have a wonderful night of sleep so I'm ready for a day of fun and sightseeing tomorrow and then to work on Monday. Thanks for your prayers!

Being (vs. doing)

2009-06-05T22:41:00.002-05:00

It's been a fairly "normal" week...whatever that means. Working and usual things. So I'll blog tonight and not so profoundly verbalize (i.e. for any over analyzers of wording, please do NOT do that here...as I'm just going to ramble out thoughts/convictions that aren't super developed in that way) some of what I've been pondering this week regarding what it means to be a human BEING (not a human doing). Pastor Karl preached on this on Sunday...and I've been pondering various aspects of that as the week has gone by. Specifically Tuesday I had one of those ah ha moments when something "clicks." Not that it's a new lesson because it's actually one that I seem to have to learn over and over. On Tuesday morning I had a haircut and then had 45 minutes before I had to leave for work (my later start day). As is typical for me I packed as much into that time as I could...and it was all doing. I ended up leaving for work feeling frantic and rushed. Now we are all going to have moments of "rushedness" that are out of our control, but I do have some choices I can make even in the midst of a "full" life. Choices that led me this week to spend a couple lunch hours running one small errand and then eating my lunch outside just enjoying the gorgeous June weather. And a couple other days to relax and enjoy lunch with a coworker one day and today with old camp friends from out of town that I haven't seen in a couple years. Choices like focusing tonight on my "to do" list so that I can spend a chunk of tomorrow Sabbathing as Sunday will be a full day. Not all of these choices have led to profound or even spiritual times, but they have been times of being not doing...times of rest and refreshment in the midst of otherwise full days. Times that I know God has been calling me to and honoring in my life. And times that I share with you not knowing how God may want to speak to you through His journey with me.

Also this Wednesday we had our last Alaska mission team meeting. We leave a week from today to drive to Minneapolis/St. Paul where we fly out of on Saturday. Three members of our team is driving up to Alaska, and they departed today with a trailer full of Kennan & Alaina's stuff (church/camp friends who are moving to Alaska in July to join the ministry we will be serving on our trip) and a bunch of our luggage too. Pray for their travels. Pray for my focus and patience on the here and now over the next week...as I'm super ready to just go NOW! Pray for God to prepare our hearts and bring unity to our team as we paint and serve however else needed. Pray for our flights and safety and protection (spiritually and physically). Pray that we will BE who God wants and DO the tasks that are ours to accomplish. That's completely off the top of my head as far as prayer requests...so pray as God leads you. Thank you for supporting me and our team through prayer!

Wonderful Weekend!

2009-05-31T19:55:00.002-05:00

It has truly been a wonderful weekend of celebrations...all in God's great outdoors and with incredible weather! Gotta love it!!!

Yesterday afternoon/evening was the wedding of Amy Garrett & Billy Harrison at a park near Nevada, Iowa...GORGEOUS setting overlooking a lake surrounded by trees! Besides the setting being beautiful the whole wedding was wonderful and God honoring. Amy and her family have been dear friends of mine for a long time both as part of my "camp family" and my church family. And there were lots of fun friends at the wedding and reception so all around it was a wonderful joy to be part of it! Love you Amy & Billy and praying for God's blessings on you as you begin this journey of marriage!

This afternoon was the graduation party for Andrew Peterson (3rd child in the family of my dear friends who were part of my "camp family" but have continued to be so much more...truly family!) at Dolliver State Park which has always been a favorite outdoor setting to me. Again great food and fun friends.

Much of the rest of my weekend has been spent preparing for my Alaska trip. We leave two weeks from last Friday...but much of my stuff is going with others who are driving up and leaving this week. And this morning at church our mission team was consecrated and prayed over. I am eagerly anticipating all God has in store for us!

The past week was pretty "normal" as far as I remember...and the upcoming week will likely be too. Our sermon this morning was on rest...and being vs. just doing. I know God knew I needed to have that reminder. So tonight as I conclude a wonderful but full weekend, I'm going to rest...I'm not sure how that will play out...maybe pondering life and God or reading or falling asleep early....we'll see. May we all seek to rest and "be still" throughout our day to day lives in whatever unique ways that happens in each of our lives.

P.S. I did miss being with all of you my siblings and kiddos this weeekend!! Auntie Jane loves you all....including my precious "adopted" family that I had the joy of spending the weekend with!

Alaska Mission Trip (coming soon)...please pray!

2009-05-25T13:54:00.004-05:00

In June I will be joining others from my church (Evangelical Covenant Church of Pomeroy, Iowa) for a mission trip to Alaska (completely different part of the state than where I grew up, but my aunt lived in Soldotna and we visited there lots). The following is basically stuff that we are using at our church to ask for prayer support (sorry the fonts and format will not necessarily be pretty). I am blogging it too seeking prayer support from my family and friends also. If you have questions, ask away.

Please pray for our church’s
ALASKA MISSION TEAM:

Pastor Karl & Cindy Freeberg, Tony Janssen, Jen Pearson, Jane DeVries,
Dennis McManus, and Micki & Steve & Stephanie White

Serving at

in Soldotna, Alaska from June 12-21
(dates include travel for most of the group but even longer for the Whites who are driving)

We will primarily be painting but also serving in any other ways needed.

Amundsen Educational Center provides vocational training (in home construction
and a variety of office fields) in a Christian community for the people of rural Alaska. Visit to learn more about AEC.

The support and prayers of our church family (and all our friends and family) are vital to our ministry in Alaska. Thank you!

Celebrating "my" other kids!

2009-05-25T12:43:00.005-05:00

My last blog was lots of pix of my nieces and nephews so it only makes sense that my next blog is of "my" other kids (the church kids). Recently we celebrated in our morning worship service 8 high school graduates (only 6 could be there). I have spent LOTS of time with many of them over their growing up years, but especially during their high school years in T.O.T.A.L. (our youth group). So here's Cindy (our pastor's wife, my friend, and co-youth group leader) and I with the graduates as we honored and celebrated them:

(me, Cindy, Toby Archer, Alanna Poling, Jill Erickson, Koda Snyder, Micah Archer, & Leah Garrett; not present Vanessa Ellsbury and Clinton Butler)

This pix is during our prayer time for the graduates (a precious time):

I love these kids and their graduation was of course a time of mixed emotions...celebration, but also knowing I will miss them immensely. A time to, as their parents do, give them to God to keep on growing them. But reminding them that I am here for them always and that they have a church family who is praying and supporting them.