2012 highlights

In no particular order, these my 10 moments from the year of 2012

1) cruise to canada

We went with all of Ben's family on a cruise to Canada in June. After the whole thing, I wasn't sure I wanted to go on a another cruise, but I might give it another whirl if the boat I'm on goes south. We had a great time and had lots of fun memories. Ted and Sophie talk about it all the time. It was definitely a great time for everyone in the family. I'm so thankful Terri made this happen.

2) ASC 2012

 The All Staff Celebration for Young Life was a definite highlight and for sure the best one we've attended yet (this was our 4th). I loved spending time with people we usually only spend time with in the summer when everyone is working really hard. The weather was spectacular, we got a lot of pool time and lots of fun and great food. We're ready for 2016!

3) slider family at pipestem

59 members of the Slider Family spent a week together in southern West Virginia. My grandparents had 6 children who had 20 grandchildren and I've lost count of the great-grandchildren. We had 9 (or maybe 10) cabins and had a lot of fun together. It was a really, really special week. I'm beyond grateful I grew up as part of this family.

4) 2 kids in school

 This has been a definite shift in lifestyle for us. Sophie goes 4 full days a week to the same school Ted goes to. I miss her being my sidekick so much. But we still have our Fridays together. I'm glad I'm working because I would be super sad without her. They are in a great school with great teachers and I'm really very thankful for how all that went down.

5, 6 & 7 - prek/house/job

These ones get all wrapped up into one. If you looked at my prayer journal from about mid-February through the end of April, you would see these three things: preK/house/job. I knew we were moving. I didn't know if it would be Morgantown or Fairmont. We wanted to buy a house if it worked for us. But we really didn't know. I knew I needed a job this year - we couldn't do one income anymore. I didn't know when or what that would be. And how could I register Sophie for preschool when I didn't know where we would live or if I would have a job that could help pay for preschool if she didn't get into the public PreK? 

We bought the first house we looked at. Sophie got into the FREE public PreK program at the same school Ted would moving to, and I got a phone call about my job as we were unpacking in our new house. It was all woven together so beautifully and such a reminder that everything is so much bigger than me and my plans (and worries and anxieties). This is a definite marker for me in looking back and recalling God's faithfulness.

8) our house

We bought a house in Morgantown this summer. A house we LOVE. I was shocked when I went to the bank and they actually said they would loan us money after the previous year's income. But it turns out 6 months of reduced/no salary gave us the tax return we needed to be able to pay for everything involved in buying a house without cleaning out our savings. Waiting a year from when we originally started looking allowed us to get a much better loan for us and a house we LOVE. It was the first house we looked at and has been a beautiful fit for us. Here's to paying less for a mortgage than rent!

9) weddings

 All the weddings that marked this year (actually, the past few years) have been such an encouragement to us personally about why we do what we do. It has been the biggest honor and blessing to be part of so many.

10) my kitchen door

The pictures on this door represent so much. There really aren't words to describe how much we love these friends and family, value their friendship and how much our lives are impacted by them. The day we moved in, I was surrounded by boxes when I stopped to put up these pictures. I took them all down the beginning of December and hung up new pictures each day they arrived in the mail. People make fun of Christmas cards, but I LOVE them. I love seeing these beautiful faces each day - family and friends. old and new. far and near. I am so blessed by them.

Welcome 2013!

christmas 2012

Christmas has officially exploded in our house. It's a wreck and I can't get it under control. Getting this under contral involves reorganizing, cleaning out and trying to find places to put everything. Which involves cleaning the basement, cleaning out closets and getting rid of old toys we don't play with anymore before I even tackle the mess in the living, dining and sun rooms. It's slow going around here.

We did our only little family Christmas on Christmas Eve morning. Ben played drums at both services at church that evening and then we drove to New Martinsville. We stayed with Ben's family Christmas Eve night and did gifts there Christmas morning. My parents came to their house for Christmas lunch (a tradition we've had since we got married and have missed only a few times in the last 13 years). Then we went to my parents house Christmas evening and stayed the night there. The day after Christmas we split between our family's and then went to Parkersburg for hang out time with Ben's extended family. For the first time in a long time, we had all 12 of Ben's immediate family and all 16 of my immediate family together for Christmas. Very, very cool.

Here's a brief recap of Christmas in no particular order. I did really poorly in the picture department. I can't do it all people.

Sophie got a new purse with lip gloss and lipstick to fill it. She's had PINK lips for the last however many days. Layers upon layers upon layers.

I got Just Dance 4 - yahoo! Ted is my best dancing buddy.

Sophie snuggled with Aunt Heather for awhile.

Aunt Steph brought Buddy the dog. A hit all the way around for the kids.

We drove to Charleston yesterday to meet RG3 - that would be Raegan Godwin. She's 6 months old and such a cutie. So glad we finally got to see her and spend some time with Bobby and Rachel.

 Waiting to come downstairs to open their gifts.

One of Ted's favorite gifts? A $1 sleep mask. He takes it in the van, sleeps in it and occasionally wears it around the house.

Sophie got Ben and Ted Nerf guns. Nerf bullets missing already. I believe they're in the Christmas tree.

Sophie got this great monkey. Sam's Club. Love it!

Ted got a new football uni. We accidentally ironed on the 2 instead of the 5 and it's upside down. OOPS! He's so excited about this. He wore his WVU for several years until it was skin tight. 

Sophie got a Lite Brite. I couldn't resist. It's great except that the little pegs are pretty much impossible to get out. It's definitely not the size I had as a kid.

Ted got several games for Christmas including Spot It, Monopoly Jr (my kind of Monopoly), Beat the Parents, and Sleeping Queens. We've been having fun playing games. 

Kathy Thomas sent us some of her famous cinnamon rolls. I got a little ahead of myself and forgot to flip them over on a plate when they were done. So we had to scope the nuts and caramel out of the bottom. But, like I tell my kids when they don't want to eat some sort of food that broken or smashed, it all tastes the same! Thanks, Kathy. These were delicious! We have one more pan in the freezer for New Years Day

Playing Monopoly Jr with Aunt Courtney and Uncle Andy

Ted got some mustaches too that Sophie stole.

Pink lipstick always goes well with a mustache.

So, there you have it! Ted's big gifts from our parents included Big Buck Hunter for the Wii and a toolbox with real tools. Sophie had a girly Christmas with lots of Barbie's  and Barbie clothes and accessories and a dollhouse and furniture. They are some pretty loved kids.

So, it's back to the grind of putting my house back together again. Merry Christmas!

december catch up

Life sometimes goes at a pace that I can't keep up with. The past few weeks it had started to get the best of me. Until Thursday when Ben and I went to Pittsburgh for the night. We went with our friends Cameron and Sarah. They found a small, quaint place on the South Side and we had the best dinner I think we've ever had. Great food. Great friends. Time to sit and not be in a hurry and reflect on the year.

We stayed the night, slept in (thank you, Tylenol PM), watched a movie, finished up the little things for Christmas shopping, went to Anthropologie for the first time (someone would have to do my shopping for me at that store) and came home to watch Christmas Vacation and wrap gifts. We slept in again this morning and then I used a gift card Ben got me for my birthday (11 months ago) to get a massage. Glorious and much needed. Well, not needed really, but much appreciated. The kids came back this afternoon (thanks Mom and Dad for keeping them). We baked some cookies and put together a castle one of our leaders gave them. We have the week off and plan to relax, play and be a family.

So here's some December catch up.

My sister and my cousin, Jim, came to Morgantown Monday to deliver Ben's birthday gift. We had Black Bear for dinner and had a great visit.

me and Sara

 Ted enjoying a little NFL from the laundry basket.

John and Martha Hannah gave this to Sophie last year. She's been wearing it everywhere. It's definitely nice to have mittens attached. Plus she's just so darn cute.

We (Ben) made cookies tonight. Sophie was waiting patiently until after her bath.

I have decided that picking out funny, clever greeting cards is some sort of spiritual gift. Maybe that's my excuse for not buying cards. I did find this one for Ben's birthday. It is for sure the best card I've ever purchased.

Ted and Sophie had a little Holiday Program at school. Sophie is on the front row, 3rd from the left.

Ted singing with his first grade class.

So, there you have it. All caught up and ready for Christmas.

sarah & jimmy - 2012 wedding #7

Well, last weekend was our 7th and final wedding of the year. Jimmy and Sarah are two of leaders here in the Mountaineer Area. Sarah is from Virginia and a leader at Grafton High School. Jimmy is from Bridgeport and a leader at University High School. They are so darn cute. I love them both so much and would be thrilled if they were leaders someday for Ted and Sophie. Ben and I had fun doing their pre-marriage counseling together, which we've never done before.

 But I missed the wedding. Ted had the flu - the real, live, tested and the results were positive influenza virus. Which I'm pretty sure Sophie had first two weeks prior and Ben had it the following week. They just kicked it faster (and walked around infecting others). We spent Sunday morning at MedExpress being diagnosed and treated with Tamiflu. (If you start getting the symptoms of the flu, got get yourself tested and get on that stuff. It's amazing!) The doctor also gave me a prescription for it to take it proactively. I'm thankful because I usually get sick around Christmas if I'm going to get sick.

Ted was super bummed not to go. My kids really love all the leaders and we had decided we would take the them. We even practiced dancing the night before. Ted and I practiced slow dancing and Ben twirled and dipped Sophie in the living room. Ben officiated the wedding and then helped dj the reception so there was no switching for me.

Congratulations, Jimmy & Sarah. We love you and are so thrilled to have been part of your wedding.

friends

About a month ago, River Ridge Church - Charleston and Teays Valley - had combined services at the Clay Center in Charleston. They had just finished a building campaign and were making pledges to add on to RRC Charleston and buy and renovate an old car dealership in Teays Valley as well as support several areas of missions. I was so very sad to miss it, not be there and not be part of it. And I couldn't quite figure out why.

Then it occurred to me that since I've been working, I haven't really been hanging out much (or at all) with my Morgantown friends. Between work and school and soccer and gymnastics and life in general, I've been at work or with my family. And with all these weddings this fall, we've spent more time with Charleston friends than anyone else. Definitely something I need to remedy. I miss my friends in Charleston and in Morgantown!

Anyways, our friends the Young's and the Bishop's came to visit two Saturday's ago. The kiddo's all came and stayed at our house while the adults went to Black Bear for a late lunch and to the men's WVU basketball game. It was a much needed day, that's for sure! I'm so thankful they made the trip!

Preston (3), Duncan (2), Ted (7) Maise (4) & Sophie (4)

Dave & Michele, Ben & Laura, Liz & Scott
I won't list our ages!

Maisie and Sophie

Sydney & Ted

It's a very special thing that the kids can pick up right where they left off. I know that won't last forever (or maybe it will). I'm just thankful for it. now. These are very special people in our lives.

no words

Maybe it's because I have an education background that I am still in shock over the events at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday. Maybe it's because I did ministry with small children for several years, that my heart grieves so much for their parents, siblings and families. Maybe it's because we've done ministry with junior high and high school kids for so long that I seem to really struggle to grasp how or why something like this could happen. Or maybe it's because I have a 7 year old son in 1st grade that my heart is broken and maybe just a little scared.

This scripture has been me this week because I have been without words:

 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."  - Romans 8:26 (NIV84).

I have never in my life hurt so badly for complete strangers. I've never felt something so far away so personally. It has been a very emotional and gut wrenching thing for me. Not in a dramatic way that is from watching too much media. But in a very realistic way of understanding this exists in the world, this could be anywhere, this could be my child.

Over the past days I've tried to process as much as I can with as much truth as I can. Two things have really helped:

I listened to a radio interview that Andy Stanley did on an Atlanta radio station. I think I found it via twitter. (I'm kind of done with Facebook after all this - too much of too many things). There are some very good truths to listen to and let sink deep. (Scroll down to the 3rd place to listen).

The other is a blog post by Lisa TerKeurst on how to pray. I was talking with my friend Bethany yesterday and she said she wanted to commit to praying for these families for a year. I said I would join her, and I would use this as a guideline of how to begin to pray.

My heart is so sad. Just so sad. After the media leaves and everything goes back to "normal", their lives will be anything but normal. I want to continue to remember these families. I want to pray that God would bind up their broken hearts. That they would find rest and peace and hope in Jesus and that there would be redemption in such deep, deep loss.

end of the year

This thing right here is part of the reason I finished Season 1 of Parenthood on Netflix in the less than a week. Several nights of folding, stuff, labeling and stamping 600 mailers will do that! This is our year end mailer for Mountaineer Area Yong Life. I wanted you to see the letter that Ben (or maybe it was me) wrote about this year. I also pasted it at the end because it's not super readable. Just our reflections on the year. Sometimes when ministry gets hard or old or whatever, there are things that make you want to do it forever. Sometimes you just need the reminder that seeds are being planted. They all grow at different rates and in different ways. Regardless, there is thing called IMPACT. And it's happening all over the Mountaineer Area. And I'm thankful to be part of it.  

I am starting my 15th year on Young Life staff. This year I have reaped some of the most beautiful benefits of those years. My wife and I attended 7 weddings this year which involved 10 former Young Life kids or leaders. At those weddings we reconnected with many, many other former YL kids, leaders and committee. Conversation after conversation we heard statements like: "You [my YL leader] introduced me to Jesus and it changed my life." "Young Life camp was the best week of my life." "I feel indebted to Young Life—it changed my life."

What I realized most as I heard these things is that Young Life makes an impact TODAY, in the FUTURE and for ETERNITY.

As kids race through life TODAY, connected to social media with less and less emphasis on real relationships, leaders are out there building face-to-face relationships with them. All for the purpose of sharing the best relationship—one with Jesus Christ.

As kids' lives are changed because of a relationship with Jesus, their lives are also being changed in the FUTURE. Better decisions are being made in regards to who they spend their time with, the decisions they make, who they choose to marry, how they will raise their children and how they will invest in their community and work places.

When students are introduced to a relationship with Jesus, it changes things for ETERNITY. Not only do they choose life in Christ, now and for eternity, they will also impact others for eternity. And there is no number we can put on that.

As I start my 15th year on Young Life staff, I'm convinced that junior high, high school and college students need the love, satisfaction and saving grace of Jesus more than ever before. I'm in this, and I'm thankful you are in it with me