Kansas with Friends

Well, we had a good time in Kansas, the kids are adorable!!! Marissa is the sweetest little thing. Jacob is too cute, he has eyes that dance with excitment. Then, WOW Jonathan is a whirlwind!!! He is a redhead tried and true. LOL. He is one mischievous little boy. He was on the toilet last night and called to his Mommy for help, it took her a while to get to him. Stephanie was on the couch and had glanced down the hall and SURPRISE, a shiny hiney was climbing OUT FROM UNDER the sink, OK, just thinking it about it has us crying tears again, it was so hilarious. There was "you know what" EVERYWHERE, could you pass me a tissue, Misty screamed a screaching scream when she walked in there that just made me laugh harder.

Jonathan didn't want us to leave. He had been being bad and jokingly Misty said I could take Jonathan home with me. Well, this morning I was packing all my stuff up and he came downstairs and was "keeping me company" (translated being in the way, LOL) he informed us he was going home with us. It took some fancy talking to convince him his Mom was being silly. We had lunch with them and Jonthan sat between me and Stephanie and tried to convince me I could live somewhere that isn't my house. He enjoyed having our attention, I would take him to the store and we bought cookies and ice cream cones. LOL. So yeah, I'm quite popular in his world. LOL.

We went to 2 churches today and they were as different as daylight and dark. One prayed such angry sounding prayers, demanding God do this or that but there was not much spirit there, it felt so empty. I learned alot about how I don't want to be. It was a world different from my church, my church believes in a God of Love, this church was serving a God that must be angry. The comments that were made caused me to cringe, it made me really sad to see people so caught up it that. One such comment was concerning people coming in and being scared of their worship (which would make my Pastor restart his series on worship) their feelings were if the worship scared them they don't belong there and aren't hungry for God. I sat there with so many things running through my head. I didn't realize how much has changed for me in how I view church, worship, music, prayer, etc. We were driving to their outreach prayer service and we were just talking about church and things we've recently done and I had commented on how we have been doing a Celebration Sunday where we take communion on the first Sunday of the month and everyone brings food and we have a time of fellowship after the service and there is no evening service. I was sharing how there are people that normally wouldn't come to a Pentecostal service but will come in order to share the meal with us. I think that is neat because even if they come for the food they still hear the truth during the service. I think it's a great way to encourage people to come out. My friend informed me rather rudely that that is the exact reason they will never do that. Her Pastor believes that if they are coming for the food and not the service he doesn't want those kinds of people. I thought, how sad to be so caught up on such details as to decide what kind of people you want in that way. God can save people in all kinds of ways, and from all walks of life. Our standards aren't going to save us. It kind of made me sad because I would sit and politely listen to their rather harsh ways and when it came up in conversation about my church they would so openly give their opinions. It really was getting to me. I was ready to head out of town today. I'm sure as I process all of this I'll be writing alot more on this subject.

Then tonight we were in Olathe at Bro. Riggen's and it was youth night, the youth had the whole service and it was such the opposite from this morning. It was like going back in time to our worship services growing up. People were worshipping with their whole hearts, running and dancing and jumping. They sang No Weapon Will Form Against Me and the power of God just so much closer. I am shy so I don't join in with much worship when visiting churches, but I was standing there and chills were running down my back and tears just started pouring down my face, I glanced over at Stephanie to see what she was doing and she had tears pouring down her cheeks. Bro Riggen got up and was talking about how we can't look at the problem we have to keep our eyes on the problem solver and He has the war fare weapons and will step in and fight for us and WE WILL WIN!!!! Then a couple of the young guys preached on Faith and the prayer service and we were out at 8pm. LOL. We got in the car and Stephanie said "you know I kept thinking I wish I was bold cause I wanted to jump", I agreed with her and we discussed the Power that was in that service. As I was standing there singing and clapping and praying, I was watching them run and shout and I wanted too so bad but I was so scared to do so, I told Stephanie I kept thinking if they don't stop I'm going to just explode inside. I walked away with a smile on my face, what a difference!!!

So now I'm sitting here in my hotel room and we had Taco Bell and played a game now I'm listening to the new choir songs, which I'm really stoked about. My old choir used Mark Condon's music, where it breaks down the parts and gives you all the info. I was very excited to go on to download our new music and the song was split into our parts. That is so awesome because I enjoy really listening to my part (soprano) and practicing all the little details. So when we go to practice we are ready and it flows much easier because we pretty much have it together and then hopefully we can focus more on harmony.

Tomorrow I plan on sleeping late, we have a bed each and the A/C is going and loud. There will be no children above us screaming and crying and banging on their door which was locked from the outside to keep them in at 5am, no crying babies at 4am. Hopefully we can really get some sleep, then up and I have to get my oil changed before we leave town and then I'll be home in my king sized Sleep Comfort bed!!! These full beds are very small, I don't think I would be able to sleep on a twin. LOL. I am very spoiled to my HUGE bed. I love it. Well, I'm going to start reading my new book, we bought, Mary Higgins Clark, Take My Heart and Carol Higgins Clark, Cursed, it's a Regan Reilly Mystery, I love them!!!! LOL, Stephanie just dropped her book she is ASLEEP!!!

Dorothy Grab Toto; We're headed to Kansas!!!

Well, when I leave work tonight I pick up my rental car, I leave early in the AM headed to see Misty and her family. I'm so excited!!! I've never seen Jacob in person and he's over 2 years old now. I last Saw Misty about 3 months BEFORE Jacob was born and now Marissa is here. I get to see her new house and visit with my friends in their church. Sunday night we'll be in Olathe at Bro. Riggen's church and I'm excited about that also.

I doubt I'll be able to get online much until I get to Olathe but I'm sure I'll have lots to post then. I plan on taking tons of pics. LOL. I can't wait until Misty sees all the stuff I'm taking her for Marissa. Allyson is passing down lots of stuff to her newest girl "cousin".

I'm going a little later in the year than I used to so surely no freak ice storms, that is what happened to me last time.

It is going to be very nice to get away.

Baby, It's Cold Out There

Ok, the temp thingy is reading 19 degrees. Brrrr. I believe it, I just came in from the feeding all my animals. It's really 19 degrees, I wore my jamma bottoms layered with my rubber boots and HUGE coat and gloves and it STILL felt like 19 degrees. LOL. We have a frozen chicken, but since the rabbit is inside we stuck the frozen chicken in the rabbit cage where she is forced into shelter. LOL.

I'm proud of my boy, Rowdy-Mator stayed in his barn last night so he is less iced over than yesterday afternoon. This morning he was out trying to run laps. When I look out our back door there is a wooden fence between him and me and all I ever see is his bangs flapping. You know he's out and about when you see his bangs. Just a weird tidbit. He kind of wanted to leave the yard with me and I explained that since I was headed back in the house he couldn't come with me, he was pretty sure he could.

The goats were fine, they make their babies stay in most of the time. So they are smart, of course Lexi and Tiny Tim wanted to come with their Mommy but I said no. I would but the extreme changes in weather could give them pnuemonia. I do not want that, I would die if I started losing my babies. I was really worried about going out this morning because it was so cold and iced, I was scared I might have lost something but everything seemed fine, just the goat side chickens and Roo are iced over but under their stiff iced feathers are dry so I guess they will be OK, Roo Roo was out and about strutting his stuff, he's nice so far. But one chicken (maybe a small Roo???) would rather attack me than look at me. It's so onry, it's not everyone just me. What gives? I'm the one that feeds you, LOL.

Well, It's nice and iced over out there. Like even the street is solid white, it reminds me of one year when I visited Misty in Kansas and it started snowing really bad so I decided to venture out and head south, get closer to home. Kansas is crazy it snows like 3 feet and they scoop it to the side and the roads are clear. The driving is almost normal because they can bulldoze their roads. I got to Kansas and was headed to visit Brad and Lorinda. I was driving a Mitsubishi Montero Limited, it was the DREAM vehicle, my brother had wrecked my car 2x and the city truck that hit it last covered the rental. So I was in Heaven driving that thing. I'm glad I was in it, I hit about 30 minutes outside of Sand Springs and the road was WHITE, the was a valley on one side and the road was hit downhill, I was terrified, never driven in snow or ice in my LIFE. I literally got in line with a million bigrigs and followed their very slow trek down. I have never in my life been so scared, well maybe when I have to drive in rain storms. But I was barely creeping in that line of trucks and I was watching cars and pickups go over the side over and over. Get to the major highway and traffic had worn down the dead center of the highway and you just got in that groove and went, there was no stopping I finally got to my hotel and SLID in. I checked in and asked if there was a store or food nearby I was starving. NOPE. I survived that evening and night on Little Debbie snacks that is all the hotel had. It was horrible. The next morning I was feeling braver so I crept over to Lorinda's and had breakfast then went back to my hotel to await church time, made it to the church and back to the hotel. LOL. I rode with them the rest of the time, I had an extra day and a half vacation because NO ONE was leaving the Tulsa area. I was so proud of myself though for making it and not falling apart. It's in times like that you learn how strong you are. When obstacles are put in front of you that are your worst fears and you either face them or fall apart. I did it. Now don't ask me to volunteer to do it again, I've been in too many ditches in rain and ice with my Dad.

If the ground is wet I will drive but I'll fight anxiety and panic attacks until I reach my destination. I'm better than I used to be, I used to have to use an inhaler because of the attacks, now I just deep breath and give the steering wheel a death grip. LOL.

It's icy so it brings the memories of my experiences on ice, perhaps I should write about my experiences with water. LOL.

Headed to help Mom cook breakfast, since this is a ice day we are laying aside diets and having fried eggs and bacon, yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm