Merry Christmas!!!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Sorry I didn't get cards mailed out this year, but things have been a bit crazy in our household! All good....just crazy! I don't actually even know what box the girl's stockings are in, or the angel for our tree, etc.! :)
It has been a great year and I have so much to be thankful for! I wanted to be sure and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I pray that God will bless you more than you can ever ask or imagine in 2010! Love to you all!!!

Testing of my faith!

Wow! It has been a long time since I last posted! There has been so much going on in our lives all summer long! We have been travelling and living out of suitcases all summer! I think the last time I slept in my bed was in June sometime! I miss my bed!
Things have been pretty crazy, but I can't complain, because God has proved Himself faithful over and over again to us through all the unknowns! There were times that I thought that I just can't do this anymore....but I KNOW that God has called us to this task and He WILL see us through! He never said that following Him and His will would be easy...but He did say that He would take care of us through it all! He has done just that!!!
In the past 2 months since I have written...we have lived with my brother & sister-in-law and my 2 nieces and nephew for the summer...travelled to several different states...and we are now living in the basement of some of our sweet college friends, who so willingly offered us their home to spend a few weeks in until we can find a place to rent!
I was panicked and having some doubts a few weeks back....I didn't have a job....we didn't know where the kids would go to school....what about daycare for Klaire if I did get a job....our house selling in Lebanon.....finding a house here....etc., etc., etc..... I seriously thought I was going to have to go to the doctor and get some serious drugs for my mental well being! How much more Lord is what I kept asking....and He kept reminding me that He is ALWAYS there and He was in control! We serve an awesome God!!!! Every time I went to church...the SS lesson was on finding joy in all things...look back at what God has done....then I would go in to the service and guess what the sermon was on..... rejoice in the Lord always! God is so good to remind us that He is in control!!! :) I just LOVE Him for that!!!
Well...in the past 2 weeks....I have a job...teaching kindergarten with an incredible godly team with a godly principal and assistant principal! The girls are in a Christian school and Klaire is there as well in the preschool program! WE have found a house to rent close to the school and church! It is amazing what God has done in less that 2 weeks...just when I thought I would lose it! You know that His timing is not always my timing ;)
We are still praying that our house will sell soon!!! Please pray that with us! We need to be rid of that burden! I do know that God has the right person to buy it...they just haven't seen it yet! ;) Also...we would love for our small inflatable game business to sell too! These would be huge prayers answered!!!
Testing of your faith is NEVER easy, but it is ALWAYS worth it! I am growing more and more each day in the Lord and I will strive to rejoice in Him always! That is a hard thing to do at times...but God is so good and has been to me all my life! Who am I to complain about living out of a suitcase in a friend's basement..... I have my health, my family, clothes, shelter and food-what more do I need! I am gaining a whole new perspective on life and what really matters! My faith is still be tested...but I am going to choose each day to make the choice to learn from it not complain about it! (even though that is really hard at times-ask me tomorrow! LOL!)
I am claiming Ephesians 3:20- "God can do immeasurably more than I can ever ask or imagine!" I pray that you will claim that too!

One HUGE thing I will miss.....

                                                   A treasure from my kinder friends!

             My friend, Dawn, covering up the Bud Light sign for the pic! LOL!

                                                       Sweet friends!

                             

   Tonight, I was blessed to have one last dinner with my amazing Kindergarten team before we move to Tennessee! I am really going to miss my co-workers who are also dear friends!  This was a very sweet night...but hard night for me!  Of course, there were a lot of tears shed! I could not have asked for a better team to work with!  We have had a lot of fun over the last 6 years!   

    My friend, Dawn, made a scrapbook with notes from each one of them!  It is something I will treasure for a lifetime!  How special it was to read all of the notes! :)

    As I think back over my time at Esther Elementary.....I will have to say that it has been one of the most wonderful and exciting parts of my teaching career!  As we move,  I am leaving part of my heart at Esther Elementary in Lebanon , MO!   I will never forget each one of these special people who have made an impact on my life!  You all are the BEST!!! 

   

Overwhelmed....

Sorry, it has been so long since I last posted!  Just wanted you to know that Joe resigned our church yesterday as pastor and we will be moving sometime this summer to Nashville, TN.

Joe is taking a position as a program director at the Free Will Baptist International Missions Department.  

Needless to say...I am a little overwhelmed at the task at hand!  We have to sell our house, find another house, say good bye to good friends,  find a teaching position, sell an inflatable game business and our girls will be starting new schools in the fall!  So....we have a lot of things going on in our household right now!  Please pray for us as we make this journey of faith that God is leading us on!  I have a variety of emotions going on in my head right now!  I know God is leading and He will take care of every detail....I just need to believe that with my heart and not just with my head- because right now, it is a little more than this girl can take!

We will be taking Karlee tomorrow to Nashville and leaving her for the next 3 weeks as she goes to France on a mission trip!  Please pray for her during this time!  

Just wanted to update you all on our family!  I hope to write more in the near future...when I can finally see over the boxes of stuff that we have!  I do know one thing....we are selling a lot of stuff!  How can you collect so much "junk" in just a few years!   So....garage sale...here we come! :)  

I would appreciate your prayers- I need all that I can get! :)

Great Bow Giveaway!!!

I wanted to pass along to you a great give away that my dear friend, Jeanette, has on her blog right now! She is giving away these 3 sets of bows! Aren't they adorable?!!! I have several bows from her and everyone is sooooo cute and Klaire loves them! :) Jeanette is selling bows to bring her daughter, Sara Beth, home from China! Every bow she sells...the profits go to her adoption fund! How great is that...you get adorable bows and it helps bring her daughter home! :) (they have been waiting for 30 months today!)

Just click here to go to her blog and sign up for these super cute bows sets! Maybe you will win some for your daughter or granddaughter! (hint, hint, mom!) ;) Let her know that you heard about her bows from me! ;)

Good luck!

I am one blessed mom!

    Today, Joe, Klaire & I, went to an adoption seminar in Springfield and the other 2 stayed home.  Joe also took me shopping! :)   While we were gone, Karlee & Kassidy were watching cooking shows on TV and decided to make me a special dessert for Mother's Day!  Look how beautiful it was...... :) (notice I said was....)

      It was sooo sweet of my girls to think of me today and take time to do this for me!    After supper they surprised me with the dessert!  It didn't take long for the glass to be empty! :)  They told me they made me a bigger one than everyone else in the family. ;)

   By the way....they also folded the laundry and vacuumed the house! WOW!  I thank God for the privilege to be a mother- what a gift!  I love you girls.... and I am sooo proud to be your mom! :)

What a fun night!

    Ok...I think I had one of the most fun nights of my life tonight!  Our women's Bible study group surprised  3 girls from our church, Karlee, Katy & Nicole, with a shopping trip around town!   These girls will all be going on summer mission trips!

    As you know from an earlier post, we had a fried pie fundraiser a few weeks ago....well, we raised enough money to pay off all of their trips to France, Brazil and Mexico and also we had enough to give each one $100 to spend on clothes for their trips! 

   We asked them to come to Bible study tonight and fed them supper....then we proceeded to tell them that we were going to take them shopping! SURPRISE!!!  Their reaction was priceless...there were screams and tears and hugs!   It was so much fun to see their faces! 

     There were about 10 of us and the 3 girls that all hopped in cars and drove around our town to shop!  It was like a marathon shopping spree!  We made it to 4 different stores and of course we ended at Wal-Mart! (which 4 stores is about all we have in Lebanon to shop for teen girls)

    They all got some really cute clothes for their trips!  I was so blessed to be a part of this fun night!  I think all of us women had as much or more fun than the girls! :)   God blessed immeasurably more than I could have ever asked or imagined!  What an awesome Thankful Thursday I have had! :)

(** the pictures are some we took while they were having fun in the dressing rooms....I am not sure any of those were purchased- I know the mumu dresses were NOT! ha!)

    

     

Handmade Necklaces for Sale! :)

   As you all probably already know...Karlee is going to France this summer with an E-Team.  We have successfully raised all of the funds that she needs to go, but now she is trying to find ways to make some spending money! :)  

    My grandma, Aileen, (Karlee's great grandma)  crochets necklaces to sell.  She has donated 40 necklaces for Karlee to sell to make spending money on her trip.  These are handmade and actually look like beads when you wear them.  They are very lightweight!  They sell for $5.00 each with $1.00 shipping.  If you would like to buy one or have any questions- please e-mail me at teacherwilson@hotmail.com or just post a comment on here.    They come in many colors....the pictures really don't do them justice!    The necklaces come in blues, reds, multi colored bright or pastel, browns, black/silver, gray/purple, rose, teal/green, etc... 

   I appreciate Grandma for thinking of Karlee in such a sweet way to help her make a little spending money for her trip!    Thanks so much for taking the time to look! :)  

**The girls are modeling some of the necklaces in the pictures above!  Klaire had to get in on the action too! :)

   

What did you do last Saturday???

                                                   Klaire was so proud of herself!  

                                                    Klaire & Landon "help" out!

                                                 Erin & Carsyn filling orders!  
                                          Joe frying some of the pies!  (we had 5 fryers going!)

                                                       They all still look happy! :)

                                                              Making more fillings!

                                                       Kass was our "icer" for the day!

                                                              rolling out the pies!

                                                        Nicole, Karlee & Katy!

   We made 1,500 fried pies!  Last Saturday...we had one final fundraiser for the E-Team girls at our church that will be going on Mission trips this summer!  Karlee- will be going to France, Katy to Brazil and Nicole to Mexico!  

    I am sooooo thankful for all the help that we had come out to the church that Saturday and also on Thursday night before.....we had over 30 people who came and volunteered their time and energy to help raise the money for these 3 girls to go spread God's Word throughout the world!  My mom & dad (the expert fried pie makers) came down from IL to help us too!   It has been amazing to see how God has provided!    

    We made what they needed and above what we had hoped!!!   I love to when God blesses immeasurably more than I could have ever imagined!!!   He went way beyond this time!! :)

    I just want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all who had ANY part in these girls going on their mission trips this summer!!!  I can't wait to see how God is going to use each girl to spread His love around the world!!!  

**(I have a ton more pics....but couldn't post them all!)

Thankful Thursday!

It was a crazy week last week...it seemed that I didn't have a chance to sit down last week to hardly even breathe! Well...this week has been MUCH better! :) I wanted to take time to list a few things that I am thankful for on this dreary (outside) Thursday!

* I am thankful for my mom & dad coming down to see us last weekend! They helped with the fried pie fundraiser! It was so nice to be able to spend some time with them!

* I am thankful for the ones who helped in ANY way with the fried pies...from buying to making to donating..etc.... it was an amazing day and we raised a lot of money for our 3 girls going on the E-team trips! ( I will post a separate blog about the fried pie day...maybe this weekend!) :)

* I am thankful for beautiful sunrises! Last Thursday...I woke up to the most beautiful sunrise that I had ever seen...especially since I don't like to see too many...I am NOT a morning person! ha! :) The picture says it all- I took it from our deck! We serve an amazing GOD!!! :)

* I am thankful for Ronald Mc Donald and his presentation today at our school! It was awesome! It was all on You are a Star! The whole program was about liking yourself for who you are and trying to be the best that you can be! ( side note...McDonald's is one of my least favorite places to eat!- unless they have the McRib-then I will make the sacrifice and eat there )

* I am thankful for my Bible study group! I lead a wonderful group of ladies that love the Lord and want to serve! What a blessing they all are! I love Thursday evenings for that very reason!

* I am thankful for my husband and 3 girls! They are the highlight of my life! Joe has been doing a sermon series on Parenting...it has really made me stop and think that I need to spend more quality time with each one of my girls....time is short and I don't want to miss anything in their lives!

* I am thankful for my pastor...which happens to be my handsome husband! ;) I love hearing what God has laid on his heart each week! You are awesome, honey! :)

*I am thankful for at least one outside recess today...before it started to pour! UGH!

There is so much more that I could list that I am thankful for....but I will leave you with these!
What are you thankful for today???

A Belated Easter Recap

   Easter is becoming one of my favorite holidays!  What could be more exciting than celebrating our Savior's resurrection!  We serve a RISEN Savior!!!  What a wonderful weekend we had!  From our Community Easter Egg Hunt to coloring eggs to our church service with Joe building a cross to lunch with great friends!  It was an amazing weekend!  I am blown away by God's grace and forgiveness!  I pray that we will not take his sacrifice for granted!  He gave His life so that we may live!  What a Savior we serve!!!   Hope you all had a blessed Easter too!

Easter Egg Hunt!

   Just wanted to share a few pictures of our Easter Egg Hunt today!  Our church and Hardee's teamed up this year to put on a community egg hunt for our city!  In the past we have both done one but on different days...so this year we joined forces to help each other and the community!    We had a great turn out and wonderful weather!  It was a lot of fun!  Enjoy the pics! :)  

Fun times!

                                              Preschool kiddos ready to hunt eggs!

                                                      Excited with their eggs!

                            

                                                 All of us girls at Mulan!
       

     We have had a busy week!  Wednesday night, my friend, Marlene and I teach the preschool class at our church.  We decided that we would have our own little egg hunt for the kiddos.  We filled several eggs and hid them on the church lawn and let them find them.  They had a blast!  It was so much fun to see them get so excited about their candy!  It made my night to share the story of Easter with these kids.  Most of them do not come from Christian homes.  My prayer is that as we teach them that God will touch their lives through His Word and that they will in turn reach their families!  What a sweet group of kiddos we teach!

    On Thursday night, we went to Springfield to see the play Mulan at the Springfield Little Theater.   The actors were great and all of us loved it!  Klaire kept saying "China?  Their from China just like me! "  She loved it!  After the play...she wanted to get up on stage to take a picture by the dragon....we did it really quick because I don't think we were supposed to be up there! :)  Oh well, we got the pic and Klaire was happy! :)