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! :)

Mercy Me 5K Fun Run!

     Today, my whole family decided to run the 5k here in town that the hospital was sponsoring.  This is the first time me and the girls have ever ran/walked one.   I have been trying to gear up for it , since I am the most unlikely person to do this! :)  Joe loves to run, but not me! He has even run the Chicago marathon!  Don't think that is in my future....   But doing a 5K at 40 for the first time...I am pretty proud! :)

    There were over 100 people that ran or walked the 5K.   Some of our friends, Chris & Erin & their kids, ran it with us!  It was fun for Kassidy to be able to run with friends!  Karlee pushed Klaire in the stroller the entire way! (She is going to feel that in the morning! :)   Joe finished in 26 minutes and then came back to get us!   The whole family was across the finish line in 47 minutes! (each at a different time)  I ran over 1/2 of it...so not too bad! :)  I finished in 42 min. 49 sec.  - I was expecting 1 hour! ha!

   It was a lot of fun and a great way for our family to exercise together!  We are planning to do another one in 2 weeks!  My goal is to run more than 1/2 of it!  WOW- never would have thought that I would look forward to running......funny what turning 40 will do to a person! 

Show Hope & United Concert!

                                                    Our 3 girls at the Show Hope booth!

    Klaire & Hannah working at the Show Hope booth to help find more of their 

                       friends in other countries a home!

                                                                    Sweet friends! 

                                                 SCC singing "Cinderella"!  

                          Klaire & Hannah dancing like Cinderella while SCC sang!

   We had the wonderful opportunity to give back to a special organization, Show Hope, formerly known as Shaohannah's Hope.   Steven Curtis Chapman & his wife, Mary Beth started this organization several years ago to help families with the expense of adoption!  We were so blessed to receive a $3,000 grant from them when we adopted Klaire!  What a blessing this organization has been to us!  We volunteered at their booth on Monday night during the United tour of SCC and Michael W. Smith! 

     It was so much fun to work with our adoptive friends that we haven't seen in awhile!   There were so many little Chinese girls running around it was so fun!  Hannah and Klaire hadn't seen each other in awhile, but you would have thought they were the best of friends!  It was so sweet to watch them together! Linette, we will have to get them together soon! :) They had a blast and helped us at the table!  It was great to catch up with the families and hear about what is going on in their lives.

   We got to listen to most of the concert and it was AWESOME!!!  It was great to hear SCC's testimony of their family and how God has brought them through the tragedy of their precious Maria's death.  It was so special to hear him sing "Cinderella".  As he sang, Klaire and her friend Hannah decided to get up and dance!  It brought tears to my eyes seeing them dance.   We take so much for granted everyday.  I pray that we will just take the time to dance with our kids and not let the worries or cares of the day pass us by because we are too busy!   Life is too short to pass up these precious moments!  

   Thank you Show Hope for a great night for my family!!!