Dare to Be Different

New blog!

2011-10-27T22:33:00.003-05:00

Hi all!

I've started a new blog - Thoughts From My Heart! I plan to share what the Lord is showing me through my devotions and how He is working in my life, as well as keep you updated on family happenings! I hope you'll check it out and "follow" me! :-)

welcome sweet springtime....

2011-03-17T19:47:00.006-05:00

Am I the only one who is excited that Spring is finally here?? It was a whopping 70 degrees here today! We may be in for some rain and cooler temps tomorrow - but it was great while it lasted!

SO much has happened since I last posted! I'm posting some pics about the different events that have taken place in our lives within the past few months - hope this holds you over until I can get another post up! :)

In January I celebrated my 18th birthday!! I even got a dozen red roses from a very special man in my life....my daddy. ;) I can't wait until I graduate in May!

This is our most recent family picture, taken at Christmas

Deanna and her boyfriend, David - cute couple, huh?! :)

Deanna and David again at the Christmas Banquet at the college

A HUGE part of December/January for us was my uncle's kidney transplant benefit! We were CRAZY busy getting for it! Here we are in our benefit t-shirts. The benefit was a great success and Darwin is very grateful for all of the love and support he has received. Sadly, Carolyn will not be able to be his kidney donor as previously expected. He continues to be on the National Donor List. If you would like to read more about Darwin's story, you can visit our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/darwinsfight

Another BIG event was our moving AGAIN! :) We are becoming "pros" at this! Dad accepted a full-time pastorate position at a church a couple of hours away - we moved there in January. The church is doing very well and we are really enjoying our new home!

Here Nikki is with a blessing from a dear family in our church! Nikki has always wanted a set of drums and the Lord blessed her with one through this couple! She has had so much fun banging around on them! ;)

Nikki and I had a fun time with our youth group at an Aaron Shust concert a few weeks ago - we enjoyed getting our picture with him afterwards!

This picture is of my sweet Grandma Rittgers who passed away about a week and half ago....of course it's been hard losing her - but I'm so glad that I have the hope that I will see her again someday! I'm so blessed that I had the influence of a Godly grandma! On the day she died, I got on Facebook later in the afternoon and a friend of mine had posted a verse - it seemed like it was just meant for me....Isaiah 49:23 "....I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed". My Grandma's hope was in Christ - and she has NOT been disappointed!! She is in no pain - I've been imagining in my mind what Grandma must look like in heaven...she has a NEW BODY! I can hardly even remember a time when she didn't have bruises all on her arms - just from getting poked and prodded and from dialysis. She doesn't have bruises anymore!! And I'm sure she's cracking up those in heaven with her dry sense of humor! :) That's one thing I always loved about her - she always had us laughing until our sides ached! My family tells me I get my dry sense of humor from her. :) So while it's been so tough losing her, we just have a peace knowing that we will see her again someday!

So this has been our life within the last few months. God has been good - I'm so grateful for His ever-present faithfulness in our lives!

Kidney Transplant Benefit

2010-11-23T15:38:00.004-06:00

This picture is of my uncle and aunt, Darwin and Carolyn Rittgers. Darwin is my dad's brother. He is need of a kidney transplant and he is very hopeful that his wife will be the donor. It is common for transplant patients to be asked to raise money prior to a transplant to cover such things as: anything not covered by insurance, medicine co-pays, travel expenses (gas, food, hotel stays), outside testing, loss of income before and after the surgery, etc. This is a unique situation, in that, if Carolyn is the donor, they will both be off of work for quite some time following the surgery. We want to ensure that the last thing they need to worry about is their finances….that they can focus on their recovery.

So we are holding a benefit for him on January 8th in Waverly, Iowa! There will be a dinner, an auction, and fun music with a DJ!

We are also asking for the donation of NEW items for our auction!! Some ideas would be housewares, tickets (concerts, sporting events, etc.), athletic gear, gift cards, homemade quilts, etc. Be creative! If you are able to help us by donating items, that would be a huge blessing!

We will be continually planning benefits for the family to raise funds, and have set up an account at the First National Bank in Waverly, Iowa, in their name that people can donate to. We are also encouraging groups and individuals to think of ways that they can help…you can plan your own fundraiser (garage sale, bake sale, car wash, love-offering, raffles, collection jars in businesses, etc. ) through your group, church, organization, or place of employment. Other ways you can help is by promoting Darwin's Facebook page or getting involved in helping us get the word out.

If you are able to donate, please comment and let me know! We have created a Facebook page for Darwin's cause (www.facebook.com/darwinsfight) - you can see it even if you don't have a Facebook account. Please feel free to join the page - even if you don't know Darwin personally, we would appreciate your prayers and your donations! At the page, you can read Darwin's full story and stay updated on his progress and different fundraisers we will be having.

THANK YOU!!

Oreo Truffles Gone Bad

2010-09-08T19:12:00.005-05:00

I LOVE cooking shows - the Food Network is one of my favorite channels (much to some of my family members' frustration). ;-) I enjoy watching Rachael Ray and, while browsing her website one day, I came across what looked like a delicious dessert - Oreo truffles! Does that sound incredible or what?! So tonight was the night I was going to make this lovely dessert.

It started out fine, until I came to.....the chocolate. Now I haven't really made much with chocolate when it involves melting it first. I'm notorious for messing things up in the kitchen, but I wanted to prove that I could make something and not goof up....so I was trying to avoid asking Mom for too much help - I mean, how hard can it be to melt chocolate in the microwave? Apparently much harder than I thought!

After leaving it in there for about 4 1/2 minutes, Mom suddenly said, "Something smells like it's burning!" I ran over to the microwave - yep, it was the chocolate! =) There was a bit of smoke, a horrible smell, and some very burnt chocolate. Needless to say, I did not finish the truffles.

But, rest assured, they will be finished tonight, as Dad and I ran to Fareway to get more chocolate - and I will not burn it this time!! =)

Anyone else have any funny (and possibly embarrassing) cooking stories to share?? Come on now - I told my story! ;-)

By the way, I found out later (AFTER this whole incident) that they have these handy little things on the back of the chocolate bag called DIRECTIONS for melting the chocolate! Who would've thought?? ;-)

An apology is not enough....

2010-08-25T23:55:00.006-05:00

Hey there!

A brief "I'm sorry" simply is NOT enough! There is no excuse for my absence, except for the fact that within the last year, I have become very infatuated with Facebook, which now takes up most of my computer time. After skimming through my friends' posts, looking at pictures of weddings and summer happenings, and playing my quick turn on Scrabble, I just don't feel like blogging. I won't make any more promises (because obviously I have difficulty keeping those) :), but I will try to post more. I feel terrible for my lack of posting! Forget about those pics I talked about last time! :) I'm starting fresh!

We are continuing to stay very busy!! School will be starting very soon for us - Nikki will be a 7th grader and I'll be a Senior!! Yay!! :)

Deanna Joy is starting her sophomore year of college this fall! This past summer, she was given the opportunity to sing and travel with one of the college groups - she had a great time and was able to minister in various ways - but we REALLY missed having her home with us! :) She was able to come home for 2 weeks at the beginning of August before school started. We had so much fun! We visited Adventureland, went bowling twice, got together with friends and family, and enjoyed laughing and just being together! A few pics:

Before church one Sunday

How WET we got at Adventureland on the Log Ride!!! We went on it twice and got soaked!

With Dad at Adventureland

Shopping at the mall!

Being goofy around the campfire! =D

Hope you enjoyed this little post!! =)

Kentucky

2010-02-18T12:19:00.000-06:00

Mom and I made it back safe and sound from the hills of Kentucky! ;) Lots of laughs, games, and late-night chats occupied our time! I have many pictures to post (and I really mean it this time!) that WILL get posted soon! =) So stay tuned!

My 17th Birthday!

2010-02-09T13:44:00.006-06:00

My birthday was January 19th - I can't believe I've waited this long to post about it! It was a fabulous day - although it was very strange not having Deanna here to help celebrate. We made up for it though by having some friends over! My "theme" this year was "A Night At the Movies". Mom put up pictures of my favorite movie stars (you can see a few in the picture below - they all were Michael Landon, Desi Arnez, Lucille Ball, Kirk Cameron, Charleton Heston, John Wayne, Tom Hanks, Gregory Peck, Yul Brenner, Carey Grant, and Audrey Hepburn). Mom gave Nikki and I a quiz about my favorite movies and that night when I had my friends over, we watched "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" starring Don Knotts. It was so much fun!

The concession stand

Lots of yummy snacks for during the movie

With my gifts

I got a birthday card from my favorite hockey player! As you can imagine, I was absolutely ecstatic! ;)

Playing 'Repeat Pete' with my friends - that's a really fun game!

I wish I had time to post some other pictures, but I have to go pack - Mom and I are flying out tomorrow to Kentucky to see Deanna! We are so excited! We were supposed to leave today, but our flight was canceled due to the blizzard hitting the Midwest/East Coast. So we are leaving tomorrow instead (if the weather cooperates!). We were joking about how we NEVER fly but the one time we were going to, it gets canceled! Crazy! I haven't flown in years, so I'm a bit nervous about it. We would appreciate prayers for us as we fly and for Deanna as she drives to Louisville to pick us up!

Sugar Bowl Champs

2010-01-20T19:47:00.005-06:00

We had an amazing Sugar Bowl party with my cousin on New Years Day! The unstoppable Gators were playing....and, of course, they won!!

All decked out!

Painting our faces up

Chomp! Chomp!

Touchdown!

The Gators are #1!

By the way, does anyone who has a blog have any idea why I can no longer put words above my first picture in a post? Is there a special trick to it? Now I always have to put the words underneath that first pic...hmmm! =)

Snowy Days

2010-01-07T16:20:00.006-06:00

The last day Deanna was home, we went outside and had a major snowball fight! We also made snow angels and attempted to go sledding on the small hill behind our house. It was such a good time!

Getting Deanna in the face with a bunch of snow!

How about all of you - do you have any snow where you live? I would really love to hear from each one of you - I'm beginning to wonder how many readers I actually have left! =)

It's 2010!

2010-01-04T18:28:00.000-06:00

It's 2010! Happy New Year!

More Christmas Pics

2010-01-04T18:10:00.004-06:00

Deanna and Nikki before opening presents

A shirt I got Christmas! I was so excited! The pic below shows the front of it

Mom's new sweatshirt

Before going out to eat the day after Christmas - wearing our new clothes we got for Christmas!

With my amazing new Tim Tebow picture!

Go Hawkeyes!

At Olive Garden - my favorite restaurant!

Wearing our new pjs!

We had just a wonderful Christmas!

Ornament Hanging Fun

2009-12-29T16:03:00.010-06:00

We have had such a wonderful time with Deanna while she's been here for Christmas break! Sadly, she has to leave tomorrow to go back to Kentucky - so it was a short break, but very fun! Just a few days after she got here, we hung our homemade ornaments on the tree. Here are some pics of our evening:

Homemade pizza! Major deliciousness!

Two days before Christmas, we had Rittgers' Christmas with my dad's family. It was so much fun having them over!

Making fudge

With our little kitty, Boo - she's a sweetheart!

With Rachel

Tebow pants! =)

With some new GATOR stuff!!

Another Christmas post will be here soon!!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T16:54:00.004-06:00

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

The Rittgers Family

Del, Chris, Deanna, Tori, and Nikki

Holiday Baking

2009-12-22T13:36:00.008-06:00

Last week, we ventured out and made frosted cut-out sugar cookies! They are delicious, but a lot of work! We had so much fun though!

Nikki was acting a little strange - she kept trying to hit me on the head with her spatula =)

We are getting very excited about Christmas! But, right now Nikki is SICK! Not fun! So your prayers would be appreciated for her! And we are in for another blizzard this week! Sooo, that could mess up some plans! REALLY hoping it either holds off or isn't too bad!

Let It Snow

2009-12-18T12:38:00.005-06:00

This has been a very cold and snowy December! We had a blizzard last week and all of the snow that we got during that time is STILL here!

They said that any exposed part of your body could freeze in one minute - hence why Nikki is bundled up so much!

Little Nikki LouHoo!

Nothing like a game of Dominoes on a winter evening!

I believe I'm scowling at my Domino - it must not have fit into my train =)

Oh, Christmas Tree

2009-12-08T15:50:00.004-06:00

Our family set up our Christmas tree last week - but it was a little different without Deanna here! We set up the tree and put the lights on, but we decided to wait until she gets home to put our homemade ornaments up. The picture above is of me imitating my favorite quarterback, Tim Tebow! What do you think? =) Speaking of the Florida Gators, I was very disappointed at their loss last Saturday in the SEC Championship....but my spirits were greatly lifted when I heard they will be playing in the Sugar Bowl on New Years Day! I think my cousin and I may get together and have a party! =)

Turkeys and Snowflakes

2009-12-03T15:04:00.008-06:00

It's December already...is it possible? And the wonderful thing about it is that it's snowing!! The Christmas spirit is abundant here at our home - Christmas music, setting up our Christmas decor, and watching the snow lightly dust the ground....a wonderful feeling! Isn't it great how God lets us enjoy even these "small" things in life?

Here are some pictures from our Thanksgiving day! We had most of the family from my Dad's side over, as well as my Mom's brother.

Dad's tradition of carving the turkey

With Aunt Carolyn (on the far left) and Aunt Delaine (in the middle)

Deanna with Rachel

Here are some pictures we took while at our Downtown Christmas - it was pretty cold, but lots of fun! We ran into some friends from church and hung out with them some. It was a very jolly time - everyone was in the Christmas spirit! They had fireworks, they lit the Christmas tree, had Santa Claus repell down a building wall (he is now officially in town!), and had music blasted over the streets. It made for a fun evening - and Deanna was there to share it with us, which was nice!

I think he's trying to tell us something....but I would just ignore him if I were you - everyone knows the Hawkeyes are the best!

With the Grinch and one of Santa's helpers ;)

Hope you are having a great December so far!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T13:29:00.002-06:00

Thought I'd post this funny video about Thanksgiving....hope you enjoy it!

Also, leave me a comment saying what you're thankful for this year....we are a blessed people! As the old song says, "Count your blessings, name them one by one...." - so whether you're a lurker or a regular visitor (even though I never post! Ahh!), I would love to hear your thoughts!

Our plans tomorrow consist of watching the annual Macy's Parade, eating dinner with family, and our annual hockey game against Cedar Rapids! What are some traditions your family enjoys around Thanksgiving?

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Wordle

2009-11-09T10:21:00.001-06:00

My Wordle! Go here to get yours!

Kentucky Trip

2009-10-12T20:14:00.008-05:00

Here are some pictures of our trip to Kentucky to drop Deanna off at Kentucky Mountain Bible College! As for an update on her, she is doing very well at college - she just loves it down there and has made many new friends! Thanks to everyone who has been praying for her - please continue to keep her in your prayers!

Packing up

At the college - they are in the midst of building a new chapel. It's going to be beautiful! These pictures were taken back in August, so I'm sure they are much further along now.

Since Deanna left just a week shy of Nikki's 11th birthday, she gave Nikki her present early while in Kentucky

We decided to just get the school supplies when we got to Kentucky. We also got some fun stuff to decorate her room up with - she was really embarrassed to be pushing this cart with it heaping full! It was hilarious!

I was the one who kept going around pointing out cute stuff she should get! As you can see by Deanna's face, she's not too sure about all of this stuff! =)

That is beautiful country down there!

Coming soon: pictures from our AMAZING trip to the Creation Museum!!

Long time no see.....

2009-09-28T20:30:00.003-05:00

Yes, yes, I know. I've been gone for a very very long time. Life has been crazy - what an excuse!

I have many many pictures to share with all of you! Pictures of Mom and Dad's 25th anniversary party, Nikki's 11th birthday, and our trip to Kentucky. Right now, I don't have time to post them, but I thought I would let you know that I am alive and well! =)

And by the way, there's nothing like a few comments to give me some motivation! =)

Kentucky

2009-08-20T09:07:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone!

Thought I would just post a little update! I'm sitting in a motel in Kentucky right now, getting ready to head to the Creation Museum in just a few minutes! We dropped Deanna off at KMBC and spent a few days with her, and then headed up this way! We are so excited about the museum - there will hopefully be pictures to share when we get home! :)

Have a great Thursday!

Mark 9:24

2009-08-15T21:44:00.001-05:00

A New Venture

2009-08-11T19:42:00.011-05:00

No excuses. There just aren't any that warrant a blog that hasn't been updated for a month. So I won't even try.

So many changes have been taking place in our little home. The major news around our house is that my older sister, Deanna, is heading off to college this fall! The Lord has laid this on her heart just recently, and so we have been busily taking the necessary steps to make it possible! She will be attending Kentucky Mountain Bible College, majoring in Elementary Education. It's so amazing the way the Lord is working all of this out - she is getting more excited every day!

Please be praying for our family during this transition - it is going to be extremely difficult for all of us. We are leaving next week to take her down there - please be praying for safe travels as well.

Deanna will be leaving before Nikki's birthday (which is August 25th), so last week we decided to celebrate a little early with Deanna by going to Chuck E. Cheese! We had such a good time! By the way, these pics are taken with Deanna's new camera!

Skeeball

Shootin' some hoops

MarioKart

Nikki won a ton of tickets on the Deal or No Deal game

Getting their picture sketched

Isn't this cute? :)

We all had to get a picture on the horse. :)

"Where a kid can be a kid"

Nikki with her prizes

We love you, Deanna, and we will miss you!

Lazy Summer Days

2009-07-22T16:01:00.002-05:00

Summer can get very hectic! And that's the reason why I haven't posted hardly ANYTHING! Summer is just flying by!

A few weeks ago, Deanna had the amazing opportunity to go to West Virginia to work at a youth camp! She went with some students from Kentucky Mountain Bible College - she also got to see the campus of KMBC. She had a wonderful time - God just was so faithful in how He worked out all of the plans so that she could go!

Deanna is also working a summer job at a local bank - which leaves Mom, Nikki, and I without a vehicle! So, we have been trying to find exciting things to do around the house - taking walks/bike rides (which didn't turn out so great yesterday when I popped a tire during our bike ride!), playing games, swimming, cleaning, reading, and just being lazy!

Other things occupying our time has been church softball, church camps, baseball games, getting together with friends, parades, fireworks, etc. Can you see now why I haven't had time to post? :)

So, that's our life in a nutshell. It's been a while since I've heard from a lot of you - comment and let me know your favorite thing you've done this summer!

4th of July

2009-07-07T13:24:00.009-05:00

We had a great 4th weekend! We hope and pray that in the midst of the fireworks and parades and barbeques, that you took the time to reflect on what this day really is all about - our freedom and those who gave their lives for it! A very special thank you to all of our servicemen and women who sacrifice so much for our freedom!

Here are a few pictures of our day:

At the annual parade!

In the afternoon, we went to a baseball game - a bunch of people from our church went also. It was really fun!

Some people who attend our church

At the fireworks - this is my cousin Rachel and uncle Bob - they were being goofy and put on these 3D glasses so that the firework experience was more enjoyable! Oh brother....

:-)

Yes, we are wearing jackets - it was cold and rainy basically all day! Not an ideal day!

Happy late Fourth of July!

Grass Band

2009-06-30T18:12:00.004-05:00

This is a hilarious video of mom and Deanna and their "grass band"! Hope you enjoy it! Remember to pause the music on my sidebar!

Babies, Weddings, and Concerts....

2009-06-24T19:39:00.006-05:00

We have had a really busy last couple of weeks - and I have lots of pictures! Two Sundays ago, Deanna, Nikki, and I all attended the wedding of some friends of ours - they attend the church that we used to pastor. But before the wedding, we went over to some other friends' house (is this confusing?) to see their new neice! She was adorable!

Deanna holding little Laura Beth

This is at the wedding of Justin and Kala! This is the groom (Justin) walking his soon-to-be Mother-in-law down the aisle.

This was kind of funny because it was a little windy, and they were having problems getting it to stay down

Here comes Kala!

The newly-married couple!

Then this last Sunday night, we went to see the Brown family in concert! They were wonderful! So down-to-earth and it was great to watch them play their violins!

But the biggest highlight was Holiness Camp last week! It was another amazing week - and I have TONS of pictures! But I don't have time to put them all up right now, but I will really soon!

a very present help

2009-06-20T22:41:00.000-05:00

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling."

Psalm 46:1-3

Tori's Tasty Tuesdays - Meatballs

2009-06-16T10:24:00.003-05:00

As you are reading this I am in Oskaloosa, Iowa, for the Iowa Holiness Camp! But, I didn't want all of you to get bored if there was not a post for a week and a half! =) So, last Saturday I wrote this and scheduled it to post today.

There should be plenty of pictures when I get back - pics of camp and hopefully of a wedding that we went to on Sunday (if I remember to take any).

Meanwhile, I thought I'd post a recipe for Tori's Tasty Tuesdays. This weeks' is a DELICIOUS recipe for meatballs - they are to die for.

Colorado Meatballs:

Ingredients for the meatballs:

1 cup milk
1 1/3 cup oatmeal
2/3 c. onion - chopped fine
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/3 Tbsp. chili powder
2 lb. ground beef
2 eggs
1 1/3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Ingredients for sauce:

2 cups catsup
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 T. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Mix meatball ingredients together and shape into small balls. Place in a flat shallow pan in one layer.

Sauce: dissolve and pour over meat ball - bake uncovered 1 hour at 350 degrees.

There you have it! Enjoy!

One Year Ago

2009-06-10T11:12:00.020-05:00

This is the one year anniversary of the summer of 2008 floods here in Iowa. It's hard to believe it's been one year already! It seems like yesterday that we were hauling out wet and muddy items, ripping up hardwood floors, and powerwashing walls. Pretty incredible. For those of you who weren't following my blog during that time, last June, Iowa was hit with horrific flooding. It wiped out so much - many are still homeless. Our family was hit directly - our entire basement and a portion of our main floor was flooded - and my grandparents and aunt and uncle were also hit. But the Lord has provided for all of us in an incredible way - we are so thankful! Many people are still hurting and without homes - still be praying for them! Here is a video that was made last year by Nazarene Compassionate Ministries - it interviews people from our home church (as well as my dad) about the floods. Remember to pause the music on my sidebar! If the video decided not to work, then you can watch it at this link.

Here are some pictures of the flood.....

A very special thank you again to the team that came from Knoxville, Iowa to help us! As we reflect again on that time, we are so grateful for your help and realize that we couldn't have accomplished nearly that much if it weren't for you! Thank you!

Also, thanks to David and Kirk for providing us with these pictures that they took while they were here.

All of our ruined piano music

Trying to salvage what we can

Another BIG thank you to Megan and Caleb, who came up and helped us tremendously! Thank you so much, guys! We couldn't have done it without you!

So again, a big thank you to EVERYONE who helped us! There are just too many to name, but we appreciate each and every one of you!!

This Sunday, Iowa Holiness Association Campmeeting starts - please be in prayer for this incredible week!

garage sales and snickerdoodles

2009-06-07T13:55:00.005-05:00

We've been busy this last week getting for a garage sale - then we had it Friday and Saturday. It turned out pretty good - except Saturday it rained, so there weren't many customers. But we had fun!

Nikki had a little "Snack Bar"

I also thought I'd post the recipe for the snickerdoodle cookies that Nikki made for the sale! These are super good!!

1 C. soft shortening
2 eggs
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. sugar
2 3/4 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 T. sugar
2 T. cinnamon

Mix together shortening, sugar, and eggs. Sift flour and measure; add cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; sift again. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix well. Form into balls about the size of a walnut. Place about 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet after they have been rolled in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake 10 minutes in 350 degrees oven.

Enjoy!

Oh, and I wanted to let you know that I added some new songs to my playlist on the bottom of my sidebar. There are some great songs on there - so turn up the volume!

Gaither Homecoming Concert

2009-06-02T21:20:00.010-05:00

I spent last Friday night at an incredible Gaither Homecoming concert - it was absolutely amazing! I am a huge Southern Gospel fan - this was definitely a dream of mine to FINALLY to be able to attend one of these concerts! I had a blast browsing through the booths of all the artists (and buying many fun things), and tapping my feet and clapping my hands to all the wonderful songs!

Plans changed Friday when Dad (who was supposed to go with me) wasn't feel good - soooo, Deanna came with me! I felt super bad that Dad couldn't come, but Deanna and I had a great time.

Ready to head to the concert in Des Moines

Waiting to get inside the arena

We headed right to the Ernie Haase & Signature Sound booth - they are my favorite! I thought they were great on CD - they are ten times better in concert! Ernie wasn't at the booth, but I got my picture with Doug and Ryan!!

BILL GAITHER!

The Collingsworth Family - they were fantastic! I bought one of their CDs and it has been playing non-stop!

Ben Speer

Janet Paschal!! She is so good (and my dad's favorite!)!

ERNIE HAASE & SIGNATURE SOUND! They were SO good!!

Lynda Randall

The Gaither Vocal Band - these guys are incredible!! Even though I was extremely disappointed when I found out Guy Penrod wasn't in the band anymore, this group (consisting of David Phelps, Mark Lowry, Wes Hampton, Michael English, and Bill Gaither) was great!

During intermission, I got Janet Paschal's book for my dad and had her sign it!! Since she is my dad's favorite, I had her sign it to him - I also told her about him being sick and not being able to be there, so she wrote "hope you're feeling better"! He was tickled!

With David Phelps!

With Ernie Haase!!!!!

The Vocal Band and Signature Sound singing together

This is without zooming in on my camera - that's how close we were! We had fantastic seats!

Tim Duncan

The Collingsworth girls playing their fiddles on "No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus"

I bought this shirt!! Isn't it neat??

I took quite a bit of video on my camera but it didn't turn out very well - I was really disappointed about that.

It was an amazing experience! I loved every minute of it - these groups are just so incredible and anointed by God! I just love the rich harmonies - especially on the Gaither Vocal Band - David Phelps and Wes Hampton are really incredible! I think I had goosebumps the whole concert! =)

Hope you enjoyed these pictures!

To my readers....

2009-05-27T16:40:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day weekend! Ours was very relaxing - going camping, playing ultimate frisbee, and grilling out/playing games with friends. It was wonderful to have an extra long weekend! The sad part is that no pictures were taken! =(

This Friday is the Gaither Homecoming concert (I got tickets for my birthday)!! I'm taking my dad with me - it should be a blast - and there should be plenty of pictures about that!

I have something to ask of all of YOU! Towards the top of my sidebar, I have a poll that I would like everyone to vote on. I want to know what you would like to see more of on my blog. More family photos and random happenings in our lives.....revival updates and photos.....passages of Scripture and quotes.....more recipes from Tori's Tasty Tuesdays.....or do you have another suggestion? I want to know what you think! If you select other, please leave me a comment letting me know your idea. So head on over to the poll and cast your votes (you can select more than one)!

IHA

2009-05-20T16:57:00.007-05:00

Summer is finally almost here! And with summer comes something our family loves and anticipates: Iowa Holiness Association Campmeeting! This is an amazing camp that our family has been attending for the past 5 years - it has been a blessing and such fun!

We would really like to encourage you to attend this year's camp - it will start Sunday evening June 14th and run through Friday evening June 19th. It is being held at the old Vennard College campus in Oskaloosa, Iowa. There are services for adults, teenagers, and children! It's a wonderful camp for the whole family!

What we would really like to promote is the teen program! My dad will be the teen evangelist this year and his theme is "Moving Forward in a Backwards World". Five days and six nights (plus meals) is only $75! From the Bible studies to the fun games, you and your friends will have a life-changing, unforgettable week!

Camp Evangelist:

Dr. Stephen Flick

Professor, Pastor

Flowood, Mississippi

Music Minister:

Nathan Hunter

Music Minister

Madison, South Dakota

Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity! Make plans to attend!

For more information, visit the camp website: http://www.iowaholinessassociation.org/ . There you will find audio clips, a brochure, and photos. I put together this little slideshow below of pictures of last year's camp.

Hope to see you there!

Blog Problems

2009-05-19T14:00:00.000-05:00

I have had some feedback about problems that some are having looking at my blog through Internet Explorer. I have had the same issues - I'm glad to know that it's not our computer if everyone else is having problems too. So, I did some checking and turns out that there are other blogs experiencing it also - Blogger is attempting to pinpoint what is causing the problems and will try to have it fixed soon. So thank you for your patience!

Mother's Day

2009-05-15T20:24:00.008-05:00

We hope all of you moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day! Our family spent Mother's Day in Des Moines, Iowa - Mom spoke at a Mother/Daughter Banquet Saturday afternoon (and Deanna and I sang) and revival at the church started Saturday night. The banquet went very well (thanks for praying!)! I believe they had between 55-60 ladies show up for the banquet - praise the Lord!

The ladies of the church pitched in and made all of these beautiful baskets that they gave away in drawings!

Mom and I came home on Sunday afternoon while the rest of the family stayed in Des Moines for the rest of the week for the revival. On Monday, they took a trip to the Iowa Hall of Pride

They had all of these games that they had fun playing

Gymnast Shawn Johnson! AND I found out that she and I have the same birthday!!

Mother's Day morning before church

This is a video of Dad and Nikki doing a soccer game at the Hall of Pride - it's pretty funny!

**Remember to PAUSE THE MUSIC on the sidebar**

One of the first posts that I ever did was a video about Moms. It is so funny! Here is the link to it - it's perfect for Mother's Day!

Change of Plans

2009-05-08T10:14:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow, our family will be going to Des Moines, IA (Highland Park Church of the Nazarene) - us girls will be doing a Mother/Daughter Banquet for the church during the day and revival was supposed to start Sunday morning. They have decided that instead of the first revival service being Sunday morning, it will be tomorrow night at 7:00. We wanted to make everyone aware of that! Please be in prayer for this banquet and the revival as well! Have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!

Graduation

2009-05-05T17:54:00.011-05:00

This past weekend, we went down to Olathe, Kansas for my cousin's graduation from MidAmerica Nazarene University. We had a really fun time!

Ready to go to the graduation

Rachel all smiles coming down the aisle

With her proud mom and dad

Acting goofy!

With her little niece, Sophie

Nikole and Nikki

Back at the motel eating Little Ceasar's pizza

Getting ready to go swimming!

Playing Partini - that's a really fun game!

Mom and Dad in front of their old apartment that they stayed in when they attended MidAmerica. We even got to go into the apartment and look around! Mom and Dad sure had a fun time showing us all over campus. :-)

Congrats, Rachel!!

El Dorado Springs

2009-05-02T17:42:00.007-05:00

May 2nd - can you hardly believe it?? Green grass, flowers, the sound of lawn mowers - spring is here!

Last week, Dad and I were in El Dorado Springs, Missouri for a revival - it was a wonderful week! We praise the Lord for all the work He did in the lives of those in attendance!

We stayed in a beautiful camper outside the house of Leonard and Barb - some dear friends of ours who attend the church

The church

They have this beautiful pond outside the church

They also had a playground and a shelter

Leonard and Barb took us out to his "fishing hole" - Stockton Lake

Then they took us down to the Marina

We even got to feed the carp - they would go absolutely crazy when we would throw out the food

This adorable dog was drinking out of the water - it was hilarious!

We thought this was so cute

I just want to say that I ABSOLUTELY loved playing this amazing piano at the church! All week we kept trying to come up with a way to bring it home with us! =)

The Pastor and his family

Leonard and Barb [a very special thank you to them!]

Thank you for your prayers! Tomorrow our family will be heading down to Olathe, Kansas for my cousin's graduation from MidAmerica Nazarene University. We should have lots of pictures to share when we get back!

Just dropping by.....

2009-04-28T11:34:00.002-05:00

This last Saturday, Dad and I ventured out to El Dorado Springs, Missouri for a revival! It has been an incredible week thus far - lots of laughs, great fellowship, amazing times at the altar, and God's presence - those are only a few of great things that have taken place this week! I just wanted to let you all know what we've been up to and to ask for your continuing prayers for our ministry! We continue to need HIS anointing and strength - for without HIM we are nothing! I've been struggling all week with a cough, which has made it difficult to sing - God has helped me so far but I still need His touch!

So please continue to be in prayer for the remainder of this week - we will be going home Thursday! Be looking a new post with pictures from this week!

I'm Permitted!

2009-04-22T15:28:00.007-05:00

Last week, I went and took my driving permit test and passed - I only missed 2! I was extremely excited - although I have to say that I'm more happy that it's all over with rather than that I can drive. =) I have been driving around our neighborhood and am doing pretty good....with the exception that I need to work on my gradual acceleration, curves, and not getting too close to the side of the road. =)

My big sister congratulating me!

Also, I have a special prayer request - us three girls have been under the weather since last Saturday. I'm basically over it and Deanna is feeling better, but Nikki still isn't doing well. She's very miserable and just wants to be well! Please be praying for her especially. Also, please be praying for my dad who is in Grinnell, Iowa for a revival.

Kid's Klub

2009-04-17T14:04:00.004-05:00

I thought I would post a few cute pictures from our Wednesday night Kid's Klub that Mom, Deanna, and I lead at our church! These children are so sweet!

Puppet skit

Making Resurrection Rolls for Easter

Emma

Josh

Mitchell

Lacey

Nikki

A group photo: Nikki, Lacey, Emma, Mitchell, Olivia, Josh

Aren't they cute?

Check back for some exciting posts within the week!

Easter

2009-04-13T22:13:00.005-05:00

A very happy Easter to you all! Our family provided the special music at our home church Easter morning, so we were busy all last week preparing music. But we had to make time to color and decorate eggs!

Ready for church Easter Sunday

With my daddy

With our cousin Rachel

Our aunt Delaine made these yummy chocolate bunnies for all of us - most of the family from my dad's side all went out to eat for Easter dinner - she had these all at our places

Happy Easter!

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-07T18:28:00.008-05:00

This last Saturday, our church held its annual Easter egg hunt - it was a success with around 200 people! Hope you enjoy these pictures!

They had a face-painting activity, too!

Thankfully, spring decided to make its way around here again! Hopefully it will stay for a while!

AND, one of the wonderful things that come with spring are......HOCKEY PLAYOFFS! Yes, playoffs for our local hockey team start this week and we are pumped and ready to cheer our team on to victory! =)

Go Figure

2009-04-05T13:36:00.005-05:00

What would you expect to see in April? Green grass? Birds? Flowers? Maybe a rain shower or two? But.....snow? Or worse yet, a snowstorm? Well, that's what we here in the-weather-is-always-unpredictable Iowa are experiencing! It is crazy! We have at least 3 inches or so right now and it's still coming down hard....we even had to cancel church for tonight!

We are so ready for sunny, warm weather!

The Windy City

2009-04-02T20:00:00.010-05:00

Here are the promised pictures of beautiful Chicago! We had an amazing time - I have determined that I would love to live there when I get older! The pastor of the church we were doing a revival at has a daughter, Becky, who offered to go with us downtown! It was nice to have a "tour guide"!

Waiting for the train at the station

Making our way outside

Where should we go first??

The Sears Tower

Looking at the gorgeous view from the 99th floor of the Sears Tower

We thought this sign was funny! We also saw one that said "No sightseeing"! =)

We ate at the amazing restaurant 'ESPNZone' - we had such a fun time there!

This police officer had quite the fan base - or maybe it was the horse....

No trip to Chicago is complete without stopping at the Chicago Blackhawks store!

Ready to head back

Nikki with some friends she made at church

With Becky, the pastor's daughter

Dad and Mom with the pastor and his wife, Mark and Paula

Also, the revival in Climbing Hill, Iowa went wonderful! Thank you for praying!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Just a Glimpse

2009-03-26T18:21:00.005-05:00

We returned today from a wonderful but exhausting week in a suburb of Chicago called Crestwood. THANK YOU for your prayers and thoughts as we endeavored to minister to those who were in attendance at the revival! God's presence was so evident in the services and we trust that people received help this week!!

We also had time to have a little fun, venturing to downtown Chicago! This was such a highlight for me! I don't have time to post all of our pictures today, but I thought I would post just one - check back soon for more!

Tomorrow, Dad and I will be going to Climbing Hill, Iowa for a weekend revival -please be in prayer for this time of renewal! Here are some specific things you could be praying with us about:

~ Protection while traveling
~ For God's anointing to be upon Dad and I - we truly need HIS strength this weekend - please pray that He will uplift, strengthen, and refresh us as we endeavor to share!
~ That those in attendance will be changed, challenged, and encouraged!

Thank you for your prayers - and check back soon for Chicago pictures!

Snuggies

2009-03-19T17:24:00.005-05:00

You have probably seen the TV commercials for those warm "Snuggies" - you know, the ones that have sleeves so that you can be warm but still use your hands? Nikki has been wanting one for a really long time and at the last hockey game, they auctioned off one that had the logo of our local hockey team embroidered on the front! Mom bought it for her and surprised her when she got home from the revival in Kansas! Nikki was SO excited!

This last week has been so much fun! A group from MidAmerica Nazarene University called Gospel Station came up to our church to do our Vacation Bible School! They also did some things with our teen group. Our cousin, Rachel, is in this group, so it was so much fun to be able to do things with her. Tuesday night, we got together with our pastor's kids and the MNU group and played ultimate frisbee and Capture the Flag! It was a blast! There were many bumps, bruises, and injuries from pine cones (Love ya, Rach!). =)

Last night, after church, we all went out to eat and then came back to our house and played an exciting game of Spoons!

Saturday, we leave for Chicago! Please be in prayer for a safe trip and wonderful services!

Chicago and Sidebars

2009-03-12T17:33:00.003-05:00

This is a picture of the gorgeous skyline of Chicago - we took it last March when we were there and I am extremely excited because we are going back in two weeks!! I love it - it was so beautiful and I loved all the excitement and the hustle and bustle!

So, this is a rather random post, because no camera + no exciting events = no pictures.

So keeping that in mind, I would like to do something I've never done before. I don't know how many of you have ever browsed through my sidebar, but I wanted to highlight some of the things that are on there.

I'd like to encourage you to visit our ministry website: www.delrittgersministries.com . It's full of things to look at - including our ministry schedule, more photos, and a guestbook you can sign! =)

The "Followers" section of my sidebar I'd really like you check out! If you are not yet a follower of my blog, please become one!

Check out the "Fireproof" movie website - they have so much to offer there!

Be sure to look at all the blogs on my blogroll - they are all fabulous and are fun to look at!

If there is one thing I would really encourage you to look at, it would The Rebelution website. It is full of amazing things - I encourage all teenagers, in particular, to read "Do Hard Things" by Brett and Alex Harris, the founders of the The Rebelution. It's an amazing book!

I just recently added the search engine to my sidebar - if there is a certain topic you want to read about on my blog, just search it, and all posts that had to do with that topic will pop up!

Be sure to check out my Playlist - those songs on there are some of my favorites!

At the bottom of my sidebar, there's a place where you can subscribe to my blog! Subscribe today! =)

So that's basically what I wanted to highlight - of course check out the rest of the sidebar (favorite websites, archives, and etc.)!

This may have been a pointless, boring post, but I hope somebody enjoyed it. I promise an exciting post really soon! =)

Pampered Chef Party

2009-03-09T12:41:00.008-05:00

A few weeks ago, Deanna hosted a Pampered Chef party for a lady in our church who is a consultant! It was so much fun to be able to eat a yummy meal that all of the ladies got to prepare with Pampered Chef products! Their products are wonderful! I joke with my mom that if only I had good products like that, I would cook a whole lot more often! =)

Deanna snitching a taste

Some of the ladies slicing tomatoes

Enjoying watching some of the humorous attempts with some of the products

The party was a smashing success! Do any of you have any Pampered Chef products? If so, what is your favorite one?

We'd also like to give you a little update on our revival schedule. Last week, Deanna and Dad were in Montrose, Iowa and had a wonderful revival! Tomorrow, Dad and Nikki are leaving for Minneapolis, Kansas - please pray for safe travels and for a good week for them.

Y-M-C-A

2009-02-26T15:05:00.009-06:00

This past week, our family applied for a membership at the local YMCA and have been utilizing it quite a bit! It's wonderful to have a place to go where we can work out!

So, mom and I decided to head to the gym to try out the equipment. We went strutting in there like we knew what we were doing - but we quickly found out we didn't. We had NO idea how to start the treadmills! We finally had to ask this lady how to start it, which was kind of embarrassing. We quickly found out that we had nothing over all of those other young girls there - we're over here walking on our little 3.5 speed, sweating and ready to get off, while everyone else is jogging at a 6.5, at least! Finally, I got up my courage to try jogging, but that only lasted about a whopping 2 minutes.

Yesterday, dad and mom took me with them to the Y and taught me how to play racquetball! It was quite an experience! I couldn't quite get the hang of serving and kept forgetting one of the top rules of the game: never look behind you! I also felt the pain of getting hit with the ball when I hit myself (yes, myself) in the stomach.....I wouldn't recommend doing that.

So, needless to say, today I am sore. Very sore. My arms, shoulders, back, legs, and feet are aching. I cannnot believe how out of shape I am! But all the more reason to keep working out!

I am now off to hum my now favorite song!

Y-M-C-A, it's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A........

Fiesta!

2009-02-23T16:03:00.007-06:00

On the 10th of February, Deanna turned 19 and celebrated with a Fiesta birthday! We had such a fun time!

Her decorations

We had a Mexican feast for dinner - here I am making enchiladas

More goofing around! =)

With her carrot cake

We thought this bow was so funny! It's huge!

Making churros (which were delish!)

With our mock margaritas - they were really good!

We had a delicious dinner of enchiladas, chips/salsa/cheese dip, churros, scalloped corn, and mock margaritas

All comfy ready to watch a movie - we all watched 'Bella' - which is a fabulous movie!

Happy 19th birthday, Deanna!

Tori's Tasty Tuesdays - Marshmellow Fudge Bars

2009-02-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

I had a comment a while back about these bars that we made for my dad's birthday, so I thought I would post the recipe - since an new installment of Tori's Tasty Tuesdays is long overdue! =) These bars are postively DELICIOUS and have been a favorite of my dad's for years! His mom used to make them for him, but the recipe has now been passed on to us. =)

Marshmellow Fudge Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 tbsp. cocoa
1 cup nuts (optional - we don't use them)
1 pkg. miniature marshmellows

Cream margarine and sugar, then add eggs, salt and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture. Add nuts. Spread in greased 10x15 cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and cover with package of marshmellows. Bake 3 more minutes. Cool and frost.

Ingredients for frosting:

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 squares chocolate (or use 2-4 tbsp. cocoa and a tbsp. of syrup)
1/4 cup water

Boil for 3 minutes, then add 3 tbsp. of margarine and 1 tsp. of vanilla. When cool, add 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.

Hope you enjoy these delicious treats! Scroll down to the post of my dad's birthday to see a picture! =)

Hundreds Attend Global Warming Protests

2009-02-13T10:55:00.002-06:00

I'm an Ingrid

2009-02-11T16:03:00.002-06:00

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are an Ingrid!

You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique"

Ingrids have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.

How to Get Along with Me

* Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.

* Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.

* Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.

* Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.

* Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!

What I Like About Being an Ingrid

* my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level

* my ability to establish warm connections with people

* admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life

* my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor

* being unique and being seen as unique by others

* having aesthetic sensibilities

* being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me

What's Hard About Being an Ingrid

* experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair

* feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved

* feeling guilty when I disappoint people

* feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me

* expecting too much from myself and life

* fearing being abandoned

* obsessing over resentments

* longing for what I don't have

Ingrids as Children Often

* have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games

* are very sensitive

* feel that they don't fit in

* believe they are missing something that other people have

* attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.

* become antiauthoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood

* feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)

Ingrids as Parents

* help their children become who they really are

* support their children's creativity and originality

* are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings

* are sometimes overly critical or overly protective

* are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbed

My Daddy's birthday

2009-02-10T00:11:00.007-06:00

Last Friday, we celebrated my dad's birthday with an Iowa State Cyclones theme, complete with red and yellow streamers and balloons! The Cyclones is one of his favorite college sports teams, but the rest of the family likes the Iowa Hawkeyes (especially me!) so we like having a little fun with the (friendly) rivalry. =) So I wore my Hawkeye clothes all day! =)

With his "birthday breakfast" of biscuits and gravy

With one of his guilty pleasures - "3 Musketeers"!

With his presents - we got him the movie Fireproof (which we LOVE!).....he kept joking that we REALLY got it for ourselves (which we did!). =) Again, I totally recommend this movie to ANYBODY....it is wonderful! We also got him Mad Gab - which is such a fun game!

Ready for a game of pool

With his sweetie

For supper, we grilled t-bones and ribeyes - they were delicious!

Another one of Dad's guilty pleasures - marshmellow fudge bars!! They are delicious!

Happy birthday, Daddy! We love you!

Friends

2009-01-31T15:08:00.004-06:00

Last weekend, some friends of ours came up from southern Iowa to visit and come to a hockey game! Here are a few photos from the evening at the game.....

Us four girls (Deanna, Joci, Megan and me)

All of us - Joci, Nikki, Kyle, Me, Megan, Caleb, and Deanna

Thanks for coming up guys! We'll have to do it again soon! =)

It's here!

2009-01-26T19:11:00.004-06:00

The day we've been waiting for is almost here! The amazing movie, Fireproof, will be released on DVD tomorrow (1.27.09)! Do not miss out on this opportunity to buy this life-changing movie! Click here to visit the Fireproof blog, where they have many updates and neat tidbits about the movie!

Let's support this great Christian film!

Sweet 16

2009-01-23T18:30:00.009-06:00

Last Monday, I celebrated my 16th birthday! My family made my birthday so nice - our dining room was decorated all in "Sweet 16" decor, we had our grandparents up for cake and presents, and I got lots of wonderful comments/emails from my friends (thank you!)!

Now there is a reason for this facial expression. My parents gave me a WONDERFUL birthday present - tickets to a Bill Gaither Homecoming concert this May!! I am SO excited!

Of course we had to get in a game of pool

With my last birthday girl - they end at 16. =(

Mom making sure that I really haven't ever been kissed! Which I haven't, of course. =)

Except, of course, by my daddy!

Another ecstatic reation to another fabulous birthday present....a cell phone! YAY! I've been waiting a long time for one!

With my grandparents

Texting my cousin to tell her that she can add me to her contact list!

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post about my "blog-iversary"! It was sooo good to hear from all of you - and with a record number of 32 comments! For those who haven't added themselves as a "follower" on my sidebar, please do so! =)

my first blog-iversary

2009-01-18T16:42:00.005-06:00

Last January 18th, I joined the blogosphere! I have enjoyed getting to know people by reading their blogs and I have loved updating everyone on our "everyday" life!

I want to hear from each and every one of you in honor of my blog-iversary! Whether it's the first or hundredth time you've visited, if you're a regular commenter or a "lurker", I want to hear from you! Please leave me a comment telling me your name, how you found my blog, and (as a fun extra!) what color shirt you're wearing!

Also, feel free to go back and look at some of my posts from the beginning of my "blogging career"! =)

Let the commenting begin!

Tagged Twice

2009-01-17T18:12:00.008-06:00

My two friends, Olivia and Lacey, tagged me in a picture tag! Here are the rules:

1. Choose the 4th folder where you store pictures on your computer.

2. Select the 4th picture in the folder.

3. Explain the picture.

4. Tag four people to do the same.

5. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.)

This picture was taken two years ago while Nikki played Minor League softball. She's the one at the pitcher's mound (standing next to the pitching machine).

I tag:

Abby

The Chmelar Family

Sasha

Suzanne

Megan

Then I was also tagged by Suzanne and Nikki for a different tag entitled "Remembering 2008"

The rules for this tag are:

1. Fill in your memories of 2008

2. Link my blog to yours

3. Tag others and comment on their blogs so they know they've been tagged.

Remembering 2008.....

A good book I read: There are too many to narrow it down to one (I looove to read), but I really enjoyed 'Faith of My Father', book 4 from the Chronicles of the Kings series by Lynn Austin. I would definitely recommend this series (and any by Lynn Austin or Beverly Lewis).

Great film/movie I watched: Fireproof

A new place I visited: Downtown Chicago (so pretty!)

An inspiring verse or quote I read: "But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;"

~ Isaiah 43:1-3a

Discovery I made: The joy of driving!

A new skill I acquired: Playing pool and ultimate frisbee

A lesson I learned: That God's grace and love supersedes all earthly devastation and that He always provides.

A moment I will always remember: Shaking Sarah and Todd Palin's hands!

For this one, I tag:

Lacey

Megan

Anna

Jenna

Under Southern Skies

Have fun!

Ice Skating

2009-01-11T14:16:00.007-06:00

What does everyone think of the fabulous new header that Sasha made? She loves making headers and is fantastic at it! Thanks, Sash!

SOLD!

2009-01-08T18:17:00.004-06:00

After a year on the market and being through a flood, our old home has finally been sold! Praise the Lord! Thank you to all who were praying along with us concerning this!

Christmas

2009-01-05T17:04:00.010-06:00

Yes, I am just now getting pictures up from Christmas!! =) We had a great holiday season...I hope you did also!

Baking fudge

Displaying some of our goodies for Christmas with my dad's family - we had everyone over to our house this year

Little cousin Sophie

Mom and Deanna with Rachel (our cousin)

Grandpa and Grandma

Brian and Lindsey - their first Christmas as a married couple! =)

Heidi and Chris

Bob

Nikole and Nikki

Opening presents

There's a neat little story behind this. It is a "jewelry tree" that belonged to my grandma. It was ruined in the flood, so she had to throw it out....she was devastated. That night, my uncle went back over to their house and grabbed it out of the dump pile without them knowing. My aunt cleaned it all up and gave it to my grandma for Christmas! Needless to say, she was very surprised and soooo happy!

Playing Pictionary

Christmas morning!

Sporting our new scarves from our aunt and uncle in Arizona

Modeling my new pajamas, earmuffs, scarf, and mittens

Getting ready to go sledding on Christmas day

Dad had a somewhat difficult time getting on the sled! =)

It was positively freezing and snowing really hard - I was ready to go home!

That night, we decided to go out to eat, so we got all ready, jumped in the car, drove around for an hour and guess what?? There was NOTHING open (well, except for Chinese and a Hardees)! So, we came back and ate leftover soup and pulled pork sandwiches. =D

All of us in our new pajamas

Dad had a picture of our family made into a puzzle - it was really neat!

I'm looking forward to getting more into the swing of posting now that the holidays are over and life is getting more routine.....so be ready for more posts soon!

Fabulous Blogs

2008-12-30T14:00:00.004-06:00

Nikki has awarded me the "Your Blog is Fabulous" award!

Thanks, Nikki!

The two rules are: 1. Let people know that they have been awarded by commenting on their blogs

2. Let the person who awarded you know when your award post is up!

I now pass this on to:

Megan at AIMING for Perfection

Lacey at Lacey's Corner

Jenna at Folding Laundry

Anna at Hope Road

Abigail at The Abbs

Congratulations, girls! Your blogs are fabulous! :)