Guys 'n Gals

I was at Jaime's house for a few hours today for the simple fact that I needed some 'sister, niece and nephew time'. In the few hours that I was there, I learned several lessons about 'Guys 'n Gals'......

Lesson 1: Girls Delight in art projects........Guys Devour their art projects
When I got there Cosette was sitting at the table painting a picture and Eli was getting ready to color a picture.
I watched Cosette for a while; she was doing a good job at staying in the lines and rinsing out her brush. Eli was being very quite so looked across the table to check on him and found him having a great time eating his crayons. :-)

Lesson 2: Girls think of an Aunt as someone who makes great Peanut Butter balls. Guys think of an Aunt as someone who makes a great tissue
Cosette and I had fun making peanut butter balls today. I'll admit, by the time we were finished we were a bit sticky...but we had fun none the less.
I noticed Eli rubbing his eyes and I asked if he was sleepy. He said he was and laid his head down on my arm. He didn't leave it there for long, and before he pulled his head up he took his nose and ran it all the way up my sleeve; that wouldn't have been bad except for the fact that he has a rather snotty nose at the moment. Yeah, you get the picture :-)

Lesson 3: Girls eat snacks slowly.....Guys eat them all at once :-)
Cosette and Eli each had a small cup of peanuts for a snack. Cosette was eating hers relatively slow (about one peanut every 45 seconds, which considering the size of one peanut is really slow) Eli took his cup and dumped every last peanut into his mouth in about 5 seconds :-)

Lesson 4: Aunt Kristin wouldn't have it any other way
I love it! The fact that Cosette wants sit on the couch and read a book and Eli want to do somersaults off it just shows how awesome our God is. He took the time to create each of their little minds and give them their own little personalities. We can't make Eli like dolls, and we can't make Cosette eat her crayons :-) So just look to the little ones to see the amazing work of our God!

The Bubble Wrap Dance

At home on a Saturday night with nothing to do, I decided to watch some old 'home videos' on the computer. I'm glad I did because I found a video that was thought to be lost forever :-) I thought it had been accidentally deleted a while ago......but that obviously was not the case because it suddenly appeared on my computer....who knows. Anyway.....this very cute moment was captured Christmas Day 2006.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I now introduce the dancing skills of Miss Cosette Elise. Prepare to be amazed........

(Cosette was almost two when this video was taken)

The Bubble Wrap Dance....

Memories

One year ago today, I was sitting in a waiting room at Johns Hopkins University. Wray was sitting to my right, Grandma Rosina was to my left. Pappy John was pacing the hallway and dad had found another 'waiting room guest' to talk to. Pappy Babe and Grandma Carol were also in the waiting room, I believe sitting against a wall to my left. The waiting room was full that day, not many seats were empty. I was keeping my mind occupied with sudoku puzzles and Wray had found an activity book. The walls were painted yellow, as if trying to say, "Smile! Everything will be ok!" I remember seeing Grandma Carol with her eyes closed and head bowed, obviously in prayer. I remember watching snowflakes hit the window, stick for just a moment and then melt away. I even had a little rhythm going in my head...." hit, stick, and melt. hit stick and melt." :-) ( it was a long morning :-P )

I can still remember the feeling I had as I woke up that morning in a town house in Baltimore.....walking to the hospital....and riding the elevator to the 5th floor. It was a feeling of dread and peace all mixed together. Dread because this day had finally come.....and peace because I knew God was going to work it all out.

......why do I remember this day so well? Why the recalling of every little detail?
January 23rd 2007 was the day Mom had her Open Heart Surgery. Its been a whole year already! To see the change in moms health from one January to the next puts me at a loss for words.....

God is amazing, isn't He!?

Remember to give your mom a hug today!

Did I say nerd? What I meant was......

After my last post I wanted to make sure my readers knew exactly how much my older brother really means to me. I picked on him in the last post (hey, what are little sisters for?), but in the eyes of his younger sister, this is who Wray really is:


A Protector:
-- He was my comfort 12 years ago when we would go to story hour at the Library. I would be so scared without 'mommy' close by and Wray would always sit right beside me and put his arm around my shoulder. "Don't worry, mommy will be back soon. I'll take care of you."

--When we were little, he would always hold my hand in the parking lot......he was moms little helper

--Fast forward several years, to the time I'm about 10. I'm riding the go-cart in the backyard and and somehow end up tipping it over on its side. Whoops :-P Who rescues me? Yep, Wray :-)


A Friend:
--Being only 18 months apart, we were always very close friends. From camping in the backyard to chasing chickens in the chicken house, we were ( for the most part) always doing something together. I can remember the day we discovered it was fun to jump through the vent (about 2'x3') in the hallway floor. We made a pile of pillows and blankets in the basement which made for a nice soft landing :-)

--When I was buying my first car Wray was in Master's Commission in Florida. We had always dreamed of the day we could finally drive....yes, I got my love of driving from spending so much time with Wray :-) So, the fact that he was 22 hours away while I was shopping for my first car was quite upsetting. I remember several phone calls about which was better, "a Chevy or a Ford", and, "which has better gas mileage". I even sent him pictures when I finally drove my new car home.

A ....."Help!"
--My car had a flat tire a few weeks ago........yes, Wray fixed it for me :-)

--"Wray! I just got a speeding ticket and I'm scared to tell dad!" He broke the news gently for me :-)

A Class mate:-)
--Being homeschooled, there always seemed to be a lack of students in my class :-) The one I did have though, was a pretty cool kid :-P Science experiments were fun to do together....although by the time we finished, it some times looked like moms whole kitchen had exploded.....

--"Psst. What did you put for number five?" "Nothing yet.......pass the cookies....."

A Role Model
---One of the first things you notice when meeting Wray is that he is an awesome man of God. The way he lives his life is an example for all his friends....and his little sister too.

I could go on, but I'm not going to because I think I've made my point very clear. I love my brother and I am very thankful for him.

The most awesome brother around!

Three Nerds and a 4-wheeler

It was about 5 degrees outside Saturday night and instead of entertainng themselves inside, my brother and his friends decided it was a much better idea to see who could turn into a popsicle first outside. So they whipped out the 4-wheeler and away they went. My brother and his friends are known to do some pretty goofy things so I wasn't too surprised on Saturday night when I looked out the window and saw this strange site.........

Wray is driving the 4-wheeler that now has a sled hooked to the back

of it. In the front of the sled is Ryan yelling, "MUSH!". Behind him is

Luke, who I see get thrown off, fly through the air, and then go running

along behind yelling, "Wait for Me!"

A few minutes later they go through the backyard again, only this

time Ryan is riding the sled like a surf board and Wray is trying as

hard as he can to make him fall off.

Notice in these two pictures that it is not the driver of the 4-wheeler who is wearing the helmet.....but rather his two friends who are being pulled along behind :-)

So, that is my story of

"The three nerds and the 4-wheeler" :-)

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good:

I went to the bank at 9:00am today to take a computer test because I might be starting a full time job there. I sat down at the computer, nerves jittering, and clicked 'start' on the test screen.

The Bad:

The computer promptly froze 10 seconds into the demo. "Drat!" I said, praying I couldn't be heard through the office door. I told Vickie who came and restarted the computer.......and again after it froze TWO more times! Finally she called Tech Support and they were able to restart the computer and get me through the practice questions on the test (about 15 minutes worth of 'demo')....and guess what happened......the screen froze.
So, we went over to the other office to install the program on a different computer. After about 15 minutes the program is ready to go and I sit down to start the test for a 4th time.

The really, really Ugly:

HOWEVER, computer #2 doesn't have speakers, and it impossible to take this test without sound. So, we went back to office #1, took the speakers off that computer, and hooked them up to the computer in office #2. Begin test 5th time....

Ok, nothing else should go wrong, right? *BUZZ* Guess again. The number pad on the keyboard in office #2 doesn't work....and since its a test for a bank, numbers are kind of important :-) UGH!
At that point I was done for. Even if we got everything working I had lost my momentum to take the test. I just wasn't focused anymore. So, I'm going back tomorrow morning (Wednesday) with the promise that they will have it all figured out :-) I saw enough of the test that I don't think it will be too difficult, but prayers are welcome :-)
However, more than anything else....I ask you to pray for the computer!

Just to make you smile :-D

This post is full of information that is......well.....useless.

I've picked some of my favorites from "The book of useless information"

• November 19th is 'Have a bad day day' (...and any day I have a dentist appointment)


• Americans spend $1.5 billion every year on toothpaste (Half of which is purchased by my older sister, Jaime)


• In the summer, walnuts get a tan (Someone should tell them about sunscreen)


• A group of frogs is called an army (You have to go through an army of frogs to find one prince)


• Elvis failed his music class in school (I'm hopeless)


• The basilisk is also called the "Jesus Christ lizard" because of its ability to run on water (Yeah, but can it turn water into wine?)


• Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave (I do not speak from experience....yet)


• During your life you will eat sixty thousand pounds of food (In my case, mostly chocolate)


• A can of spam is opened every 4 seconds (It this even real food?)


• Two million different combinations of sandwiches can be created from a subway menu (And I order the same thing every time I eat there)


• The Donald Duck comic strip was banned from Finland because he didn't wear pants (Feathers don't count?)


• Three mile island is only 2.5 miles long (All my trust is broken.......does Winnie the Pooh really live in a 100 acre wood?)


• The Bible is the number one shoplifted book in America (The easiest way to spread the Word)


• Tonsurphobia is the fear of haircuts (Poor Eli.....)

True Love Waits

In the past few posts you have heard about my hand therapy, my niece and nephew, fun times with friends......but so far I haven't posted about who I really am. The main reason I have slacked on doing so is because I knew it was going to take some thought and I never have that much time to sit in front of the computer and think. However, I just finished closing up at work and have a few hours before my relief comes so now seems like a good time.

When I was around 14 years old I read a book called "I kissed dating good-bye" by Joshua Harris. http://www.joshharris.com/joshs_biography.php After that, there was no changing my mind. I made a commitment to God and myself that I was going to be different. I didn't want to date a guy just to say I had a boyfriend; I wasn't going to kiss a guy just because I liked him; I was rock solid.
I have only God to thank when I tell you that I still live that out to this day. Living out a commitment like that in this world isn't easy. There are all sorts of influences telling you that you're wrong, or that your weird for not having a relationship, or someone telling you that "you will never get married because you're not allowed to have a boyfriend"..........None of that mattered to me. Yes, it hurt. Yes, it was hard. But so totally worth it.

Around the age of 17 I felt God leading me towards a ministry for young girls ( jr. high ) I wanted to be that voice of encouragement. As soon as I graduated high school I held an 8 week purity camp for girls. We went through the book by Dannah Gresh called Secret Keeper Girl. http://purefreedom.org/
Whats the big Secret? Simple: Your purity. A secret is something that is kept between 2 people. In this case, you and your husband/wife. If you spread the 'secret' around to all your friends, whats so special about it now?

This is how I explain purity to the girls. (Remember I'm talking to 8-12 year olds)
"Your purity is like a box all wrapped up in shiny paper with a beautiful gold bow on top. Now, lets say you're in a relationship with a guy and you give him your first kiss. He just tore the bow off the top of your shiny package. The next time it goes a little furter and he rips off the ribbon. Eventually you give yourself away completely and he tears off the paper leaving you with an empty cardboard box. Time passes and you both move on, becoming only memories in the other persons mind. Well, in walks your prince charming! You fall in love and get married.......but all you have left to give him is an empty cardboard box. The gold bow is gone; Even the ribbon and shiny paper are gone. Now you wish you hadn't given away the best part of your gift."

I want to reach out
To girls before they tell the secret: Tell them of the love of Jesus Christ
To girls who have already told the secret: Tell them of the forgivness of Jesus Christ


You got the short version :-) I could go on for hours on this subject......but now that I finally did this post I will talk about this again later on.
I'm glad that my readers out in blog land now know some of Kristin's heart........not just hand therapy :-)

But for now remember that True Love Waits. First find the unfading love of Jesus Christ, and use that as your example.

"I am committed to Purity for my future mate because my Heavenly Father has lovingly instructed me to do so."
--Philippians 4:8

Friday....and very early saturday morning :-)

Several of the churches in my area hosted a 7th Day Slumber concert on Friday. The youth staff at my church was in charge of helping the bands to set up and tear down their equipment (which included clearing of the stage for the next band during the concert). :-D Lots of fun! The four bands were Sherif, Manic Drive, After Edmund, and 7DS.
We arrived at the church at 11:30am and didn't leave until after midnight......and then the six of us (Pastor Jim, Chris, Jeramy, both Elizabeths, and myself) decided we were in need of some early morning food at Denny's. :-) We didn't leave Denny's until 2:00am which meant that we had just spent a total of 15 hours together. We all had a lot of fun though and I'm thankful for the new friends I meant around March of last year.
Anyway......Our day was filled with lots of sound equipment, listening to sound checks for a few hours, eating dinner in the same room with one of the bands (After Edmund) and Elizabeth Taylor deciding that her dads hair was in great need a some 'Men's gray cover-up' :-D
So, here are some pictures of the bands and the youth staff dying Pastor Jim's hair in the Janitors closet.....
(I used some christmas money to buy a new camera because my old one went klapooie.....it seems to do pretty well at concerts. Elizabeth Walker was having fun trying out all the different settings.)

Elizabeth looking way too satisfied to be dying her dads hair





We had to close the door because we were getting a line of
people outside the Janitors closet watching the 'youth pastor
from Trinity getting his hair dyed'.

The finished product...

Jeremy, a 7DS band member



The lead singer for After Edmund. I had never heard this
band before but really liked them.

7DS bass player

Joseph Rojas, lead singer for 7DS

The laughter of Children....or rather, what they do to make YOU laugh :-D

I spent last night and today at Jaime's house helping out with kids after her 'baby scare' yesterday. (For those of you who haven't read her blog yet, it explains about the 'baby scare')
Anyway, I had the chance to hold down the fort while she was at the OBs office. I felt like I was on a reality tv show called, "A day in the life of your older sister" :-)

Cosette came into the livingroom rubbing her neck and asked, "Aunt Kristin, can you feel the ankle in my neck. Is it ok that its there?" I laughed and told her it wasn't an ankle and that, "yes its supposed to be there. See, I have one to."

Eli went down for his morning nap while Cosette was having 'quiet time' in her room. About 10 minutes later I heard Cosette saying, "Go back to bed because you're not supposed to be here! Aunt Kristin will see you." Eli had decided his nap was over and was playing happily in is big sister's room......aunt Kristin quickly changed his mind :-)

Cosette: "Hey, will you do that upside down thing like my friend Adam does?"
Me: "What do you mean?"
Cosette then faces me, grabs my hands, walks her feet up my legs and flips over backwards so she is facing forward.....but upside down....and then says, "Now walk!"

I walked into the bedroom to find Eli wearing his sister's 'big girl pantys'. Yes Joel, the ones with little yellow flowers :-)

This is a shout out to my big sister. It takes a strong person to laugh when her son pees in the hallway before his bath......:-D