On the prairie

We went to visit Mom and Dad this weekend to see the new house and new church. (Well really it's the old church since they were there 10 years ago, but I digress) The house is out of town, smack in the middle of central Illinois corn and bean fields. Let me translate....no houses nearby, not a lot of trees, and flat, flat, flaaaaaaaat. Here's the scenic views

Actually the barn across the road is interesting

And the sunset made for an interesting photo against the lone tree in the front yard

And this is what most of the rest of the view looks like. But as a bonus, I did stand out in the yard and watch the sun disappear below the horizon. It's something I can't do here...too many houses.

Blue Sunday

So you may have heard this little tidbit of news that the Colts are headed to the Super Bowl! After we won last week the band declared that yesterday would be Blue Sunday. We're 2 for 2 in the AFC Championship game when the band color coordinates.

Now I was thinking blue button down shirts and dress pants, but Noooo. The general consensus was that it was full on Colts gear and jerseys. So even though it went against everything my momma taught me, my attire for the day was my Colts shirt. (Dad, if you're reading, don't show these photos to Mom!) Kidding!

What you can't see in this photo is that my fingernails were painted bright blue with little white horseshoes on the thumbs

Must have worked the Colts dispatched the Jets without too many problems. That leaves me a little under 2 weeks to find a Pierre Garçon jersey. Blue Sunday - take two - is Feb. 7th.

You know, we don't look half bad when color coordinated. I see definite possibilities. Pink for October and breast cancer awareness, green for St. Paddy's day, red for Valentine's. Camo for hunting season. Who knows how far it could go. :)

Go Blue!

Dusty and I enjoyed a date night out on the town last night. In fact I still haven't picked the kids up! :) Thanks Shawn & Janelle!! After a yummy dinner at Buca di Beppo we walked over to the circle. Everything was decked out in Colts blue for the AFC Championship game tomorrow. The lights on the IPL building were flashing this message

The monument was all lit up in blue



A little damp and foggy last night





Even the horses downtown were in the spirit. We met a horse who's name coincidentally was "Blue" wearing blue on his harness with his hooves painted blue.

GO COLTS!

A lesson from the other side of the world

We received a letter and photo from Mwajuma yesterday. Mwajuma is the girl from Tanzania that we sponsor through Compassion. We always enjoy getting her letters and are especially happy when they include a photo. I would assume this is her father in the photo. Mwajuma's birthday is October 1st and we send money for her birthday every year. She thanked us for the gift and told us what she had bought...a new bag for herself; flour and sugar for her family. The photo is Mwajuma and her father holding the purchases. My kids got a lesson on sharing and family. Here is a little girl who bought one practical item for herself and then used the rest for her family.



I have never regretted the decision to partner with Compassion to sponsor a child. To see how God has used our meager gifts to make a difference in her and her family's life has meant the world to me. I would love to meet Mwajuma and her family someday, but that will probably never happen on this earth. I will be content to express our love for her and her family though our letters and trust that God will use the work of Compassion to make a difference in her life. I pray that Mwajuma and her family will know God's love and will put their faith and trust in him. And then one day in heaven we will get to meet.



Perhaps you would like to make a difference in a child's life. At Christmas we were sent information on a little girl in Colombia who is awaiting a sponsor. Her name is Mayerlis Beatriz Arrieta Rubio. She is 6 years old.

It costs $38 a month to sponsor a child; to release them from poverty in Jesus' name. It's a decision that you will never regret. If you would like to sponsor Mayerlis, send me a message. Or go to http://www.compassion.com/. There are hundreds of boys and girls just like Mayerlis and Mwajuma waiting for a loving sponsor.

Balance has been restored

The new furnace is chugging away and the Colts are in the AFC Championship game
All is right with the world!

It's almost that time!!

C'mon boys - don't let me down!!

Our temporary boarder

...and I do emphasize TEMPORARY! This is Dolly. 120 pounds of part rottweiler, part lab, part slobber. She will be staying with us until my mom and dad can get a fence put up at their new house. Aaron has declared that he will do anything and everything to take care of the dog. (We'll see how long that lasts). Here a photo to prove that I do in fact like dogs, I just don't want one on a permanent basis.

She's either getting ready to give me a big kiss or perhaps is just sticking her tongue out at me because I won't let her stay permanently. Bear in mind this dog is strictly an OUTDOORS dog. No way am I letting the big hoss in the house. What? You're worried about the poor doggie being out in the snow. WHY?

She's not worried at all!