Becoming a "World Changer"

What an incredible week this has been! On Sunday we had a group of about 300 teens show up in Salt Lake City. They are a group called "World Changers". Each teen paid approximately $200 to come and work on people's houses for a week. It was HARD work: Re-roofing, painting,
re-framing doors and windows, yardwork, building porches and wheelchair ramps are just a few things they did.
While here they also go into the community and share God's word. A quick story about that:
On Wednesday, a man came up to one of the groups and started asking them what they were all about. They started sharing the gospel and found out lots of things about this man...his name, how many children he has etc. He told them that he could not talk anymore at that moment, but he gave them an address and told them to please meet him the following day at a certain time. They show up at that time and a man answers the door not the same man. So, the group tells him that they are looking for the man from the day before, he says well that is my name but I did not meet you. They gave him information about how many children he has and he says those children are mine. So, they then tell him that they were coming to tell this other man about Jesus Christ and the man says "You see, you were sent to tell me about Jesus and I must accept him!" and he did right there on the spot! What and incredible God thing!
Ok, so I know you are all thinking "Wow, cool story but what does this have to do with you?" Well, I was a "Lunch runner". Each day I would take lunches and treats out to the site where my team was working. Kaitlyn and Aidan were there each day as well to help pass out lunches. My kids got to meet some awesome roll models! They had a blast meeting all of the kids, we ended up meeting about 5 groups total. My favorite part was when we decided to drop off popsicles for our groups (Our church hosted 7 groups). Well, there was a group we didn't know that was working close to our group so we bought them popsicles too. One of the guys said, "God bless you! I just have to give you a hug" and gave me a big bear hug. They were all great group and it was so much fun! In fact I had so much fun that I was asked to play a bigger role next year. I will be the food coordinator for the entire group that is coming. We already have ideas on to make things a bit better and I can't wait to see the kids (hopefully they all come back plus more!)

100+ Things I love about you....

Today Aaron and I are celebrating our 10th Anniversary! I can't believe it has been that long!
Aaron, it has been a wonderful 10 years with you! I'm so thankful for a wonderful caring
husband like you! So with that said....100+ things I love about you!


1. I love that you love me.
2. I love how you play with our kids and make them scream even though it drives me crazy.
3. I love that you are a leader in our church.
4. I love that you put God first.





5. I love that the kids and I are a very close second.
6. I love that you teach Sunday School.









7. I love that when I told you I was pregnant with Kaitlyn that you switched careers to better our family.
8. I love that you wash the dishes most of the time because you know that it is one chore that I despise doing.






9. I love that we are celebrating our ten year anniversary but we have really been together for 14 years.





10. I love that you were in RCC marching band.






11. I love that you encouraged me when I tried out for RCC color guard and was totally embarrassed when I flubbed the audition.
12. I love that you encourage me in my singing.




13. I love that you play the saxaphone, and wish you would play something just for me.







14. I love that you have a sense of humor.




15. I love that we took a chance and moved to Utah when we didn’t know anybody here.
16. I love how that move bettered our marriage.
17. I love how sexy you are when you are smoking your cigars.
18. I love that it was with you that I smoked my first itty bitty cigar.
19. I love that you love photography as much as I do.
20. I love that you mostly listen to me when I give you hints about a gift I would like for birthday or Christmas.
21. I love that you have good taste in jewelry.
22. I love that you spur me on to be my best.







23. I love that you don’t say anything when I spend most of the money, but don’t actually make it.






24. I love that you let me go on trips by myself, even though you know if the tables were turned I would be totally jealous.
25. I love that even though I have gained weight that you still think I’m beautiful.
26. I love camping with you. Especially our honeymoon.
27. I love that you are so passionate about BBQing, and that you have created you own marinade that is really yummy!
28. I love the way you call Cookie “traitor dog” when she sits with you and not me.
29. I love that for a year of our lives you ran the evenings everything from making dinner, to baths, to homework, to carting the kids to their various activities, and never complained about it once. I wish I was more like that.
30. I love that you are an instructor and made it there in just a few short years.

31. I love that you love your job.
32. I love that you carry on a piece of my families history through working for the railroad.
33. I love that you are a handy man and can fix pretty much anything…except plumbing.
34. I love that you love to have a vegetable garden even though you hate vegetables.
35. I love that you are teaching our children how to care for a garden since I can’t even keep a house plant alive.


36.I love that you don’t work in the field anymore.
37. I love that you don’t come home all greasy anymore.
38. I love that you don’t work out of town anymore.
39. I love that you endured the time when you worked out of town all the time and never complained about it.
40. I love how you love the character of old homes and can see the potential in them, even if they need a lot of work.
41. I love that even though you were really picky about what you ate when we first met that you have branched out and will now even eat sushi…and love it.
42. I love that you are so passionate about football.
43. I love that you don’t think I’m crazy when I’ve met people over the internet.
44. I love that you let 10 strange women come stay with us for a few days when we had QKU.
45. I love that you encourage my love of scrapbooking.




46. I love that you love to go sledding with the kids, because I hate hiking up those hills and don’t really care for the ride down either.
47. I love our movie nights.







48. I love us time.






49. I love how you treat me, and how that is teaching Kaitlyn what type of person she should pick to be her husband.









50. I love that you are an example to Aidan of how to treat his wife.




51. I love that you let your hair grow out from the mullet before our wedding.







52. I love that you insisted on wearing a white tux at our wedding because you deserved to also.
53. I loved how sexy you looked in that white tux.
54. I love that you waited for me.
55. I love that you are my one and only.
56. I love that I am your one and only.





57. I love that even though you don’t like cats so much that you are still willing to have one.
58. I love that you agreed to get a little dog instead of a big one.
59. I love that you let our pets sleep in bed with us each night.
60. I love to sleep in with you on a chilly morning.
61. I love that you have a knowledge of many things.
62. I love that even though many people thought we were too young to get married that we are still going strong.






63. I love that we have had our fights because that makes our bond stronger.
64. I love that those fights are forgotten.
65. I love that you told my mom 3 weeks before we got engaged and asked my dad for permission to marry me.








66. I love that it was before senior prom that we got engaged…it was so beautiful.
67. I love that you mow the lawn because it wouldn’t get done otherwise.


68. I love that you don’t mind my love of going to Disneyland.
69. I love that we used to have season passes to Magic Mountain, and actually used them.
70. I love that our first date was to see Jurassic park, and that you helped me clean up my purse when Ryan spilled coke all over it.
71.I love that you wrote me a poem to ask me to be your girlfriend…
72.And that we were on our way to magic mountain that day.
73. I love that you don’t mind a flowery couch.
74. I love that you tracked down the antique dealer that bought Mammom’s couch and continued until you were able to give it to me for my birthday.
75. I love that you don’t say anything when we use antique open cellar salts rather than a regular salt shaker. Even though secretly I know you hate those little spoons.
76. I love that you tease me that I want all of our wood furniture to be white.
77. I love that you have promised me that you will take me to Paris someday, and I know that you will because you always keep your promises.
78. I love that you always keep your promises.







79. I love that you make me feel safe.





80. I love that you make the kids feel safe.






81. I love that you don’t begrudge me sleep in days when Kaitlyn is off track and you have to work.
82. I love that you always tell me a new hairstyle looks great even if you secretly hate it.
83. I love all the poems that you wrote me when we were dating.
84. I love that you wrote a poem for Kaitlyn.
85. I love that you have dreams for our retirement…even though we are only in our thirties.
86. I love that we are growing old together.
87. I love that we have grown up together.











88. I love that you love my family and make them feel welcome when they come to visit.
89. I love that you said “Wow” when I came down the aisle on our wedding day.
90. I love the way you kiss me.
91. I love that when I need an opinion that yours is the one I ask for first, and respect the most.
92. I love that you are willing to make a fool of yourself to make the kids or me laugh.
93. I love that you want me to bring the kids to have lunch with you so they can see where you work.
94.I love that I never have to ask you to take out the trash.





95. I love that you don’t complain when I start painting another room in the house…even though it means that we will probably be changing outlet covers.
96. I love that you are always willing to go to the store for me when I’m cooking dinner.
97. I love that you never say anything about me being completely forgetful.
98. I love that you always are willing to try a new dish that I make for dinner, and tell me how good it tastes…even if it tastes awful.
99. I love that you eat vegetables for the kids, even though you don’t like them.
100. I love the relationship you are building with our children.
101. I love that you are the person I can be totally honest with and know that you will still love me no matter what.
102. I love that I can tell you my secrets.
103.I love that you will probably tease me about this being more than one hundred things.




104. I love that you know when I need a break, time out, a hug, quiet time.
105. I love that you play with our kids.


Aaron, I love you! I am so glad God has blessed me with you! I know that He has a plan for the next several decades of our marriage and I am excited to see what God has in store for us! Happy 10'th anniversary to my one and only!

A Farwell To Pastor Gregg.

Post's about Gregg's seem to be the theme for this week, today is about another Gregg. Yesterday, our Music Pastor (Gregg) announced his resignation. It was quite a shock to us, but we know that he has prayed over this for quite awhile and that God is directing his decision. It is going to be an interesting year at HBC as we are now without any sort of Pastor. God has a plan for HBC, but we aren't sure what now that our 2 main leaders have been pulled away. I think it will be a good thing for our church and am excited about the changes to come. We pray that whatever happens that the church will be on fire for the Lord! He is faithful and we know he will provide someone awesome for us....it's just that in the meantime it will be interesting.
So, Pastor Gregg, Cheryl, James and "Big George" (and Holt too if you are leaving with them!) we will miss you all! We pray that God will bless you in your new adventure.

Influential People.

Have you ever had a person in your life that was really influential in who you became later in life? The person in this picture, Gregg, is one of those people for me. With my upcoming trip to Africa he has been on my mind a lot lately. Gregg was the youth leader at our church for a few years. He became a good friend to me, and I even went on my first double date with him (he was not my date). Later he left to go to Africa for missions. We wrote a few times (this was before the internet) but eventually we lost touch. While in Africa he told me that he thought someday I would go there, and then in the next breath he would tell me about the cobras. I would tell him that because of the cobras there would be no way...ever... that God would send me to Africa. Africa is one place that I never thought in a million years I would be led to go to, and now I am gearing up to go...snakes and all. Gregg has always been at the back of my mind during special times, and I always wonder how he is doing and then I say a little prayer of thanks that he was in my life for that little while. Someday, I hope to tell him how grateful I was to have him in my life. I also pray that someday my own children will have a youth pastor and friend like him.
As far as Africa, we had our fundraising luncheon yesterday. I was in charge of the menu and shopping. I also did most of the prep work and a lot of the cooking. We made Gyros, lemon rice, green bean soup, green salad, Mozambican biscottis and Rababit (a middle eastern drink). Everyone raved about the gyros, and we made a good amount of money for it being a holiday weekend. The team that is going to Mozambique worked really well together and I think we will have a great time working together in Africa, and I am getting really excited about the work we will be doing while there. As a team we have also decided that we should take a few extra days and go on a safari! Although it will cost us more money how can we go to Africa and not do a safari, and this is probably the only time most of us will ever be in Africa.