Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Ella Grace! You are such a joy to me. You have an infectious smile and bring many blessings to me and others through your personality. You are too cute for words, and have made me a stronger and better person. I love you deeply!

Here is a brief re-cap of Ella's first year of life.

Month:

1. Sleep? Keeping my food down? These things are unnecessary!
2. I still don't understand why everyone thinks sleeping and keeping my food down is a big deal. But I will smile and enjoy bouncing with mommy and daddy.
3. I cut my first tooth! It then proceeded to go back down. Darn! Maybe next month.
4. Sink baths are the greatest & I also love bouncing in my rainforest!
5. Meh-meh-meh-mama, mmmmmmmmmehmmmmmmmmehmama
   
6. I can roll over! And it is tons of fun! Falling off mom and dad's bed- not so much fun. I also got to meet my Aunt Christina for the first time!
7. My two bottom teeth came in! These things are not as great as everyone cracks them up to be- do you realize how much they hurt?!
8. I. Love. Peek-a-boo.
9. I can crawl! And, I can also pull things off the shelves- SUPER FUN!
   
10. I climbed the stairs on my ten month birthday. I also took my first steps this month! I also figured out this talking thing is kind of fun! De-da-da, de-da-da
    
11. My mom decided teaching me "no" would be a good idea this month. I'm not too keen on that idea, so good thing I have the world's cutest smile. ;) I also got to meet my Uncle Quint & Aunt Chelsey this month!
    
12. I have this walking thing mastered- Mom can barely keep up with me....mwahahaha! I currently have 7 teeth and weigh just over 18 pounds. I am a lean mean running machine!
    

CANNING

Well, these past few months have been filled with sorting, packing, and unpacking. We feel all settled in, so what better way to celebrate than to start canning?! This was my first attempt, and I dived in with both feet. We used the rest of my husband's in-store bonus check to purchase all our canning supplies at Menards. So YAY for 60 "free" canning jars!

This whole canning thing started when my friend was given close to 3 paper grocery bags full of cucumbers. With cucumbers coming out of her ears, I said "hey, I can make pickles out of those if you want." Oh little did I know what I was diving into! Lol I found an easy recipe online for refrigerator pickles, and started slicing away. I realized after making about 40 cups of pickles that they had an expiration period of two months. Great....so I decided to buy canning jars and can them. I THEN realized a large soup pot is not a suitable replacement for a canner. Thus the desperate shout-out to my mother! Thank the Lord for sending her to me to save me from drowning after diving into canning with both feet!



My mom came with her canner, gave me a crash course on Canning 101, and 4 hours later, we had canned pickles (11 pints) AND canned jam! This jam mind you is nothing short of amazing. With apple juice concentrate (NO SUGAR ADDED), strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, lemon juice, and pectin, we made 10 pints of jam.





I LOVE MY MOM. She is a Proverbs 31 woman all the way!

I am hoping to continue with this new knowledge and can applesauce, apple butter, and my dad's famous sweet corn. I feel so domestic and am loving every minute of it!

After searching AND searching the internet for a non-sugar option for canned jam, and finding no luck, I peeled back the label on my jar of no-sugar needed pectin and found an amazing recipe! Most recipes online for non-sugar jam were for frozen jam, something that wasn't an option due to limited freezer space. So, after tweaking & guessing, here is the recipe my mom and I concocted:

8 cups pureed strawberries
5 cups pureed blueberries
2 cups pureed blackberries
10 1/2 TBSP pectin
6 tsp lemon juice
2 12oz containers frozen apple juice concentrate

Beware- this yields A LOT of jam! ;)

Another Catch-Up Post!

Well, needless to say the last 7 months have been life-changing, and a struggle to find some sort of balance between taking care of Ella's needs, and having enough time to ensure my sanity remains intact. It has taken much longer than I anticipated, but we're settling into a routine of sorts, and I have learned to not only function but thrive on 5 hours of sleep. I joke about it, but this is a huge blessing being that pre-Ella if I didn't get an 8-10 hour stretch, my whole body felt like it was going to fall apart....oh how we adjust.

First things first, HAPPY 7 Months, Ella Grace! You bring me great joy! Despite our days of teething & constipation, you still smile....way to work on being content regardless of your situation! ;)




Secondly, what in the world are we up to?! I'm so glad you asked!

Andrew: Andy is currently working full-time at the distribution center at Menards on the West side of Eau Claire. Starting in September, he will be going to graduate school part-time at UW-Stout in Menomonie. He was offered a graduate assistantship in the career services department & will be creating & analyzing surveys for the school's use. He is pursing his Masters in Applied Psychology. This is not a counseling degree. Its something he will use for a career in which he will be doing data driven decision making. Basically, my dear husband is the hottest nerd I know, and thrives off of analyzing things & making them better via the data he has collected. LOVE HIM!

Hannah: For the last 7 months, I've been staying home with Ella, spending time with my dear friend, L & her three kids. Andy jokes around about Ella growing up feeling like the youngest instead of the oldest because of how much those three spoil & fawn over her. Its too cute! Speaking of that family, my friend L is going to work part-time at her husband's office & they have asked me to nanny for them. This is a huge blessing, as I will be able to bring Ella with, and get out of the house! :)

And, another huge blessing is God has provided us with a temporary house! A family from our church is temporarily relocating to PA for the next 2-3 years. They have a gorgeous home, and have asked Andy & I if we will live in it while they are gone. Ummmm, yes please?! God's timing is so perfect! We've been on the look-out for an apartment for the last month or so (as well as a part-time job for me!), and within one week, God not only provided the dream nanny job for me, but also a place to stay that is within our budget, and is far beyond what we even imagined! He is good. He is good!

I hope to update at least once a month...we'll see how it goes, I feel like I go in stretches, I do really great for a month or two, and then no one hears from me in months. I am going to work on it!

Ella Grace Baldwin

Well, after not posting since the end of November, I am somewhat embarrassed, but maybe with the newest addition to our family, I'll be better at posting on a more frequent basis. Hey- one can hope, right? lol

Ella Grace Baldwin was born on December 29th, 2010 at 11:34 am. She weighed in at 6 lbs 6 oz, and measured 19 inches long. She is beautiful! A lot of you have been asking for details, so here they are:

I started having noticeable contractions at 11 pm on the 28th. My dear husband came home from work at 1:30 am to find me sitting in the chair by the fireplace with a pen & notebook in hand, and the stopwatch on my cell phone ready to go. Most of my contractions were 60-80 seconds long, and by the time he came home were about 7-10 minutes apart. We loaded up the car, called our midwife, and headed north. As we were driving, I remember thinking, "this really doesn't hurt that much, I can definitely do this..." When we arrived at our midwife's birthing center (LifeCircle Birthing & Wellness Center) in Shell Lake, WI at 3:30 am, she told me I was at 1.5 cm and definitely in labor. However, she encouraged us to go home and rest until my contractions were stronger & closer together. We headed to my parents house, and by 7 am, I was contracting every 3-5 minutes and my thinking changed to "wow this is really intense and is definitely painful."

We called our midwife, and headed back to her birthing center. I went from 1.5 cm to 5 cm in 5 hours. Our midwife estimated that I would deliver our baby around 2 pm that afternoon. I was so excited, but at the same time thought to myself...2 pm?! That's 6 hours away! Well, Ella had different plans, because within 2.5 hours, I was completely dilated and was told I could start pushing if I felt up to it. Within half an hour, Ella made her entrance via water birth. It was the most beautiful and powerful experience of my life. Having a natural birth was something I've wanted since the day I found out I was pregnant. I knew it would be painful, and wasn't afraid of the pain, but learning to let go of pain in the midst of a contraction and trusting my body to do the work God created it to do was life changing for me. I never knew I was capable of doing something like this- I am blown away at the strength God gives when we think we can't go on. I am also blown away by my amazing husband who was a rock and a great source of encouragement & comfort throughout labor. I am beyond blessed!

Ella truly is perfect in every way (I know that as her mom I'm a little biased), and has already brought so much joy to Andrew & I. Despite sleep deprivation, figuring out breastfeeding, and poopy diapers, I am beyond content and filled with so much love and joy for our daughter. Andrew and I are so blessed to be parents and are enjoying it very much!

Another Chapter Finished

Wow...I am on a blogging roll!

As some of you know, I've been filling in at our church in the children's department. Today was my last day. I have had so much fun and have learned so much while spending time with and teaching the children at our church. They have truly wiggled their way into my heart...having a child come up to me, grab my hand and not let go, or give me huge hug makes it hard to walk away. However, I am blessed to know our children are going to be blessed beyond measure by our recently hired Children's Minister. She has so many great ideas, clearly loves the children, and has already become a friend. Below are some of the things I'm walking away with from my time with these kids...enjoy!

One day, I asked the kids this question: "If you could ask Jesus anything, what would you choose to ask?"

- I would ask Him what its like to forgive

- I would ask Him what it was like to die on the cross for us

- I'm not trying to be funny, Miss Hannah, but I would ask for a lot of money....like $100.00!

- Ummm Miss Hannah, I'm not trying to be funny either, but I would ask for an unlimited supply of cheeseburgers

The week before Thanksgiving, we told the kids that we had a special snack planned for them. But, the kids were having a hard time paying attention during the lesson, so I told them that if we didn't get through the lesson because of poor listening, we wouldn't be able to make the snack or eat it. Half way through the lesson, I asked the kids to calm down, and one of them cries out in anguish:

"YOU GUYS, THINK ABOUT SNACK!"

One Wednesday night, we were talking about the story "The Good Samaritan." In the Bible, it says a teacher of the law was the first to pass by the wounded man. So I explained this to the kids as a pastor. I said, "after the man had been lying on the side of the road, a pastor walked by. What do you think he did?"

Their responses were:

-He prayed for him

-He asked God to heal him

-He helped him

-He took him to a hospital

"Well, that's what you think he would do, right? But this pastor looked at that man, and crossed to the other side of the road, and kept walking!" To which one of the kids yelled out:

"HE'S NOT A REAL PASTOR! A REAL PASTOR WOULDN'T DO THAT!"

As one of my friends pointed out this morning, isn't it great that they have such a clear understanding of how a genuine pastor should act? Way to go to the parents

who have clearly instilled this understanding of truth!

And last but not least, today we were talking about reputations and what that means in our walk with Jesus. One of the kids says to me: "I've never even heard of that word before!" To which I replied, "well, that's why we're learning about it!"

There are tons of more things these children have said or blurted out in class that have caused me to struggle to not laugh (or at times lose my patience) but later on, have caused me to ponder on the truth of their statements. Sometimes, I think its easy to blow off what kids have to say as unimportant, or rude if it means they interrupted us to say what they wanted to say. But God has taught me a lot about faith and patience during my time with these kids...and I feel I learned the most during outbursts. I finished this chapter today with bittersweet but overall, thankful feelings and excitement for what is yet to come for these amazing kiddos!

Be blessed by the children in your life this week!

Surprise!

Well, for Thanksgiving, I was expecting the usual Baldwin tradition...family arrives around 11, stays for lunch, football, and then helps eat the leftovers for dinner. This year, Andy's Aunt Donna (mine too!) and cousin Sarah planned a surprise baby shower for us! It was tons of fun, and I realized once again how blessed I am by the family we share. Enjoy the pics!

We were pinned with ribbons that say:

"Dad To Be" and "Mom To Be"

Look how happy my husband is! I am so blessed! :)

And, what is a baby shower without
balloons and a banner?

We played this ridiculous (but fun!) game in which we had to sift through
rice and pick out the safety pins WITH rubber gloves on...
do you know how hard that is?!
At the end of about 3 minutes, Aunt Donna called off the game. I
had found 1 saftey pin, and Andy had found 2.

Andy says: "Babe, no big deal, but I doubled your score"

A sample of the adorable outfits & baby gifts we received.
Thank you, Baldwin family!

Pregnancy Pictures!

I do apologize to those of you who don't have facebook...I've been pretty diligent about uploading pictures there, but not here. Better late than never, right?! ;) Anyway, here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

16 weeks
19 weeks...downtown Sault Ste. Marie, MI
23 weeks....heading to a wedding!

25.5 weeks...heading out for a date in EC w/ Andy!

32.5 weeks...attempting to get a good belly shot on my own


33 weeks- girls weekend in the Dells!

I couldn't resist- my tankini is officially too small! LOL!

34.5 weeks- modeling our ADORABLE Pack 'n Play from MJ & Kate :)

35 weeks:
Andy: Hannah- you're smiling kind of cheesey
Hannah: BUT I'M JUST SO EXCITED!


35 Weeks:

Thanks Quint & Chels for the carseat- I LOVE it! :)

I realized at 35.5 weeks that Andy & I
don't have many pictures together....thus the following two photos:

By far my favorite photo so far! :)

35.5 Weeks...pretty much sums up how I feel

35.5 Weeks...only 4.5 to go! Woot-Woot!

YouthWorks Pictures

Well, even though this is EXTREMELY delayed, I thought some of you might like to see what our site was like in Michigan...enjoy!

"Club Room"

Club was essentially youth group for the participants.

This is what the front center part of the room looked like:

To the right of what you just saw,

was a sleeping area for participants.

You can also see the t-shirts we had for sale

throughout the summer. These t-shirts

were sold to support inner-city youth in Minneapolis, MN:

Directly across from the above sleeping area

was our "UP Mail" station. UP Mail was a system

participants were encouraged to use to write

uplifting notes to one another:

The two images below are groceries for one week

of programming. This picture was taken

during a smaller week...these pictures are about 70%

of what we normally purchased for participants:

Below is our cooler-station.

Participants were divided up into 7 crews,

and each crew had a lunch & water cooler

to take with them for the day:

Below is a picture of us...along with some

random facts about each staff member. One

of our staff was particularly creative, and

helped make our site fun for the youth:

At the end of each week, participants received

"Reverb" a magazine written by and for teens.

Also, each day the participants had devos

that were tailored to the day's theme. Below is

a wall displaying a taste of these two resources:

Although there were a lot more aspects to our site, these are the only pictures I took of it! For as much as I love pictures, I surely could have done a better job this summer taking some. lol Thank you again for your support through prayer this past summer!

Yes, I know...FINALLY an update!

Well...I'll be the first to admit that I haven't been that great lately about updating the blog. After our adventure in Michigan, I think I hit writer's block as well as I honestly felt like I didn't have much to say. This was due mostly to the fact that I didn't really have anything to update anyone on. For two months we were in limbo in which we had no idea where God was leading us. For some of you, this post and its details are old news already, but regardless, I feel I owe it to the sake of my blog to write an update.

From the end August through the beginning of October, we lived with our wonderful friends, J & C. They and their two children were a huge blessing during a time of need & uncertainty for Andrew and I. We asked if we could spend the night at their house during an extended weekend in Eau Claire, and the morning after, they offered us their spare bedroom for as long as we needed it. God definitely made it clear that not only did He want us in Eau Claire, but that the puzzle He designed for us was going to be put together by Him....not me. lol

While living with J & C, I was able to do some babysitting, and also started selling jewelry to bring in some extra income. Andrew was able to chop wood for my brother's landlord & djay some dances for our good friends B & T. Looking back on our financial situation, I fully realize that it was God alone who continuously provided for us...not once were we in financial need during our time of transition from YouthWorks to steady jobs.

Recently (as in within the last three weeks), we moved into a 2 bedroom basement apartment on the west side of EC, Andrew started working full time at Menards Distribution Center, and I started working part time as the Interim Director of Children's Ministry at our church. I also picked up some hours at PESI (where I worked during my last year of college) to help out with their busy season. Andrew really likes working at Menards...a lot more than he thought he was going to! I've really enjoyed my time working with the kids at church- they have stretched my patience more than I ever thought possible, but at the same time have completely melted my heart! The church just hired a full time children's minister for the children's ministry, and I will be done working at the end of this month. Perfect timing! I can't imagine how some women are able to work full time throughout their pregnancies...there's no way I could!

Speaking of pregnancies, mine is going very well. Apart from being tired 24/7 and battling the occasional heartburn, I really have no complaints. I have been blessed with a great first pregnancy. :) The baby moves around A LOT, and recently had a growth spurt. The heartbeat is usually between 130-140 whenever we go in for check ups. I am excited to meet our baby....I wonder if its possible to predict what your baby is going to be like based off of your pregnancy. If so, I predict a baby who doesn't need much sleep, is VERY active. I better get used to being tired. lol

I know this is somewhat of an essay, but this update is long overdue. But, since I've already written this much, I might as well keep going!

If you could continue to keep us in your prayers, that would be amazing. We highly doubt our insurance is going to cover much if any of the delivery- God has been so incredibly faithful in the area of our finances, that I know I don't need to worry, but somehow in my human-ness, I do. Sigh...oh me of little faith. Please pray for God's will to be done in this area, and that I will continue to grow in faith as we hand this situation over to Him and do what we can to prepare as much as possible for the bills to come. I am also starting to get a little nervous about what I'm going to do when this little baby comes into the world...I know a lot is going to change, and although I am introverted, I really need quality time with my husband and close friends. I obviously want my child to be a priority, but I don't want my life to be defined by my child...pray I find the balance. But most importantly, pray that Andy and I will be Godly parents who desire to seek God's will in all we do.

Thanks for your patience....the last few months have been stretching, challenging, restful, nerve-racking, and so much more all in one....blogging was the last thing I wanted to do since I had no idea how to form my thoughts and feelings into something that was worth reading. I hope you're all doing well!

Week 8

You know why I love dark chocolate? Because it is somewhat bitter, but also oh so sweet. That's what this feels like. I am terribly sad we are leaving the UP, but am so excited about where God is taking us...wherever that may be! We are still unsure as to where we are supposed to go, but I know it is going to be great! I found out a couple days ago that I didn't get the job I interviewed for, but in all honesty, I am still at peace. I know God has a plan, and it will unfold in due time! But enough about me....this is my last week of the series of the YouthWorks summer....so here goes!

This last week was amazing. I was sick Sunday & Monday and wasn't able to connect with the participants or spend anytime with them...usually this sets the tone for the rest of the week, and it is extremely difficult to make connections with participants, but this week was different. This group was welcoming, excited to be here, and put for extra effort to get to know me...usually that's my job! I was so blessed by this last group- they truly shine for Jesus and poured everything they had into this community. We've had some amazing groups (34 different churches!) come through this summer, and this group was definitely among the amazing...am I allowed to say that? I guess so...it is MY blog!

Anyway...this summer as a whole has been ridiculously challenging, but also ridiculously fulfilling. Kind of like Thanksgiving dinner....it is a lot of work to put it together, but once the meal is ready, and everyone eats their full, a feeling of personal satisfaction and fulfillment inevitably comes. Why am I comparing everything to food today? Maybe its because I'm hungry..and I'm waiting for my blueberry pancakes to finish being cooked through all the way...or maybe like every other pregnant woman (if you haven't checked facebook, you should!) I seem to be ALWAYS hungry. lol

Week 7

This was our first week of multi-generational trips....also known as family weeks. I absolutely loved it! It was so much fun having such a variety of ages on our trip. We had numerous families, but also had couples without their children on this trip. Watching the families interact with one another was probably one of my favorite parts of this week's trip. Another cool aspect of this week's group was that they were all from the same church. This Lutheran body of believers was a tight-knit community passionate about doing God's work. Watching them grow closer to each other and Christ this week was an amazing experience. Our last night with this group, we were invited to join them in communion. It was amazing. As we passed the bread and the wine, I realized more than ever that regardless of one's claimed denomination, we all serve the same God...we just worship Him differently. How amazing that we serve a God who doesn't demand that we act like robots, but rather, gave us the creative freedom to worship Him according to our hearts' desires. Mind blowing.

Yesterday, Andy and I went to Mackinaw City...it's a town of around 800, but in the summer, is a huge tourist attraction. As we crossed the 5-mile bridge from St. Ignace to Mackinaw City, I was not only scared that the bridge was going to collapse (I strongly dislike going over bridges of any sort), but was also in awe of the beauty of everything around me. Suddenly, we were above the crystal clear water, clear skies above us, and trees etching the border of the water. It was breathtaking. Then, reality hit as we went through the construction zone, and I was once again reminded why I hate bridges. lol

As we start our last week of programming on Sunday afternoon, please continue to keep us in your prayers. We are seeking God's will for after the summer, and have an inkling as to where He is calling us, but will know for sure at the end of this upcoming week. Please pray for God to continue to guide us, and to also give us one last surge of energy and passion for our last week of programming. We are reaching an extremely bittersweet end to our time in Sault Ste. Marie, MI.

Week 6

This was our last week of programming for teens and their adult leaders. It was a great week overall. The leaders were fantastic, and the youth were happy to serve whenever & wherever asked. I really connected with some of the girls this week, and feel so blessed by the many relationships God has provided throughout this summer!

These last two weeks are multi-generational missions' trips. Mostly families come on these trips, but young adults will also come with a church group. I have no idea what to expect for our last two weeks here! I am excited for the families to come and experience life in Sault Ste Marie as well as grow closer to God together as a family.

It is really hard to believe we only have two weeks left here in Michigan- the summer has completely flown by, and soon we will be packing up the vehicles and saying goodbye to the wonderful people we have met here. Thank you so much for your support through encouragement and prayers- they have been GREATLY needed and appreciated! :)

Psalm 46:1-3

This morning during devos, our them was "More Be, Less Do." In all honesty, this is something I really struggle with- taking the time to focus on a couple of verses, meditate, and really think through what God is trying to say to me. Whenever we introduce the day's theme, one of us prays, and whenever that one of us is me, I always ask God to bless devo time....half the time I honestly don't do devotions, I instead take care of other things that need to be done, or I'll check my e-mail/facebook. Lord have patience with me. However, today, God definitely blessed me during the time I spent with Him...I feel impressed to blog what I wrote in my journal today...

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling." -Psalm 46:1-3

God,

You truly are my refuge & my strength. This summer You have brought me peace & solace when I have desperately needed it. You have given me strength when I physically could barely stand. Truly You have been present with me every moment of this summer. Even when I haven't recognized or acknowledged Your presence, You have been my very present help- when my weaknesses were ever present, Your strength & help superseded them. I have no reason to fear the unknown when You have faithfully proven Yourself over and over and over again. Why should I be anxious about how we will make ends meet and quickly pay off student debt? Why should I be nervous about what others think of me or how they view my lifestyle? I have no reason to fear, for You are my ever present help in times of trouble. Even if I am feeling like I am in waaaaay over my head and my worries and current circumstances shout out in loud and overwhelming voices, even if I start to wonder what it all means & am struggling, I will choose courage in You. I will place my trust in You. Like the mountains placed in the sea with waves roaring and foaming, causing them to tremble I will not doubt You, nor Your plan for my life. You have blessed me many times over, You have honored my attempts to bring You glory and by Your grace have forgiven me when I have miserably failed to glorify You. You are my refuge and strength in Whom I trust. I love & need You more than I will ever be able to express.

Week 5

Week 5 was nothing short of amazing! Of course we had some ups and downs, but overall, it was a great week. I was so blessed by the youth, the leaders, and just the way God moved this week- in and through me.

On Wednesday night this week, Cecil, a member of the Sault Tribe, made fry-bread and tacos for the youth, along with two of our other staff members. It was really fun for the youth and us as staff to try some authentic Native American food. Cecil loves the youth in the Sault, and if I'm not mistaken, he's going to miss us quite a bit when we leave!

On Fridays, most of the participants leave by 8:30 or 8:45 am, but this week, one of the groups was staying in town, and invited us out for breakfast with them. Suddenly, we all had a lot of energy, and went along with them- it was so much fun! I decided then and there, that lactose-intolerant or not, I was having "the best pancakes in town"...and truly (sorry mom!) they were the best pancakes I've ever had!

I have one more thing to say about this group, and then we can move on to the "Lessons Learned By Hannah" section...lol. This week's group was made up of 4 different churches. Within these four different churches, there were a couple of youth with special needs. Usually, this means that the other youth are easily irritated or take advantage of the youth with special needs. I however, saw unending patience and kindness from all of the youth this week towards the youth with special needs. I overheard the following conversation early on this week (the names I'm using aren't really their names...for obvious reasons)

Gary: I am SO mad! This is so stupid!

Bob: Tell me what's bothering you Gary. Just calm down, and explain it to me.

Gary: I'm mad because somebody (I can't really finish the story, but someone did something not very nice)

Bob: Let's go find Hannah and see what she has to say.

I was so touched by the way this teenager chose to handle the situation. Instead of egging "gary" on, he took the time to listen to what was wrong, and talked so respectfully to him. I've never witnessed something like this before, and I was beyond encouraged that there are genuinely nice teenagers. :)

I learned a great lesson this week in humility and servitude. Because my main role and responsibilities take place at night, during the day, I usually work on behind the scenes logistics...and for whatever reason, this week I was really struggling to have a good attitude about it. Thoughts of "this is stupid...why do I have to do this...for the 5 millionth time?" or "can't someone else do this? it isn't even my responsibility, or my turn to do this." Clearly, this is not the attitude Christ calls us to have- regardless of how many times we serve others and it goes unnoticed, He still calls us to serve out of love for Him and others. I should rejoice that I have the opportunity to serve others and be a blessing to them.

One of the nightly talks I give is about where our focus should be when we are serving others- this week, I was really convicted by my own words. I was encouraging the youth to think about what their motivation is for serving others- is it to bring glory to God or to themselves? Although I don't desire for everyone to fawn over me and thank me for every good deed I do, at times, I get caught up in the fact that a lot of what I do does go unnoticed by those around me. But as cheesy as this sounds, God always notices what I do- good or bad! Knowing that my heavenly Father sees and appreciates what I do out of love for Him needs to become more than enough for me. I am here to bring glory to God- not myself. So that's the life lesson I learned this week...I'm really hoping to move on and not have to re-learn this one again anytime soon...what are the chances of that? lol

Kayaking!

On Saturday, Andrew and I were able to go kayaking with our friends, Greg & Angie. We had a blast, and it was so much fun to be able to enjoy the amazing weather here in the UP! Enjoy the pictures!

Getting Ready!

So Excited! :D

Greg & Angie

Happy to Be on The Water!

My Dreamy Husband

Week 4

This week was so crazy! Between four of the staff getting the stomach flu, and dealing with unique circumstances this week, I don't know how we made it through other than by the grace of God. He has been so faithful in all that He provides to help us through each week.

I had a great time this week with the youth. There were definitely a few that I connected with on a deeper level, and I hope to remain in contact with them. It is so interesting to me the differences in group dynamics each week. Sometimes more than not, the dynamics are set by the adult leaders who bring their youth to Sault Ste. Marie. I constantly find myself being intimidated by the adult leaders...I don't know why I allow this to happen. Usually by the end of the first day of programming, I realize how silly I'm being and that the one thing that matters is that I bring glory to God through my heart and actions...not if the adult leaders think I have it together and know what is going on. I constantly struggle with this. Feeling accepted by peers, and those younger & older than me...I guess I didn't realize that as much before as I have this week. I'm hoping God helps me grow in this area. Obviously I know where my focus is to be & where true acceptance lies, but why is that sometimes so hard to put into action?

Thank you so much for your continued support through prayer this summer. I have been incredibly challenged within the last four weeks of programming. The perfectionist & planner in me daily struggles to find the balance between flexibility & maintaining a sense of order. God had given me a lot of grace to help me be flexible with a joyful attitude. :) Please continue to pray for guidance & a continued focus on God for the remaining four weeks of programming. We are halfway done with programming, and although I am excited for what the next four weeks hold, I am also excited to know what God has store for us. Please pray for me to be patient & to wholeheartedly trust in God's plan....I know it is a great one!

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

Week 3

Yay for doing well with my summer goal of weekly updates! Don't expect this to last once the summer is over...I'll do my best though!

Week three has been amazing in so many different ways. The youth this week were really a blessing to work with...and they had a lot of surprises to deal with throughout the week. On Monday morning, due to a church function, all the girls had to move their ALL their stuff upstairs for the day, and reset it Monday night. Also on Sunday night, the water was supposedly supposed to be shut off for only 5 minutes, but it turned into 15 hours of no water. Monday afternoon we realized a toilet was broken, and the 40-something girls were down to two functioning toilets, and then, the 12 hour flu started to spread on Thursday night...but through it all, we heard zero complaining about any of this. Really, looking back on this week, it is quite comical. Thankfully, the youth were great about everything, and even intentionally looked for different ways in which they could help out.

God also blessed this week by giving us energy, health, and breakthroughs as a team/staff. I am extremely blessed by my team and how well we work together. Everyone has so many different strengths, and it is really great to see how those strengths come in handy in different situations. I'm excited to see what week 4 will bring!

Wedding!

Here is the special post I promised! I would have posted sooner, but being that I forgot to bring my camera, I had to wait for the other faithful bridesmaids to post pictures from the wedding....so here are a few! :)

The Happy Couple, Randy & Kelsey Kidder!


Ashley and I (obviously a beautiful bridesmaid!)


Me and the girls I grew up with! I already miss them!

Week 2

Although we are into our second full day of week 3's programming, I still think it is okay to blog about week 2 since I did not get a change to over the weekend. :)

Week 2 was beyond challenging...to put it simply. I was extremely excited to meet the youth with a non-labeling attitude...but despite that, connecting with the youth last week was simply put, a no-go for me. I felt like I was barely hanging on to get through the week. Physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion was rampant through me, but God still worked through me and our other staff. Nights when Club (basically youth group for the teens starting at 8:45 pm) seemed impossible to do, God filled me with the energy I needed to play music and give talks...I and the other staff noticed that the talks given last week were phenomenal. I'm not saying that because I want to brag, but out of a sense of awe at God's provision when I barely had the desire to be in the front to speak truth and love into the youth. He provided in huge ways for me last week, and I know many of our other staff would say the same for themselves. :)

A special blog post is to come as soon as I have access to pictures. I was unable to blog about last week over the weekend due to my friends getting married! Randy and Kelsey got married on Saturday, and I had the honor of being in the wedding. It was so great to see the friends I grew up with, and some of my family as well- it never gets old going home and seeing friends and family....no I am not at all homesick!

I hope you all have an amazing week!

Week 1

Tomorrow our first group of youth will head home after an intense week in Sault Ste Marie, MI! I have been blessed and stretched in so many ways this week. It is hard to believe today is already Thursday and tomorrow morning by 9:30 am the youth will be heading home. I feel like a mother bird shooing her babies out of the nest for the first time. I want them to go home, spread the word, share what they've learned, be changed, but part of me wants to keep them here longer...prepare them more for the realities they are going to face at home. But despite my desire to do more with them, I'm giving them over to God...and placing them in the best place ever- His hands.

Getting to know the youth that came here this week has been nothing short of amazing. At first I was so intimidated and nervous....will they like me? Is that even where my focus should have been? Probably not. To be honest, at first I was put off by some of the youth and the attitudes that came with them. I was frustrated- don't they know how much we and others have been praying for them and their time here? Don't they care that one of us is talking right now and that it is not appropriate to be talking? Silly me...I learned a valuable lesson early on this week. One that I've always known but haven't really had to put into practice until this week. People seeking for attention will do whatever they need to get it...unfortunately this looks like acting out in negative ways. It hit me that if someone is seeking attention in a negative way, and I can see they are hurting, or desperately need some love, why should my first reaction to that be negative? I realized that if someone really needs attention that bad, than I should love on them, give them the time of day, and provide something constructive for them to do. I have fallen in love with these youth this week...and I'm sure its something that will happen for the remaining seven weeks of our time in Sault Ste. Marie.

This was supposed to be a somewhat shorter post, but as usual, it ended up being much longer than I intended. Please continue to pray for us. I know that the only reason I made it through this week was by the grace of God and prayers lifted up on my behalf. I've never been so dependent upon God for physical energy and strength before...it is a weired but freeing dependency for me to experience.

A new staff joined our team this week. J from Maryland has been a huge blessing, and I don't know how we operated without him before he got here!

Please continue to lift us up on prayer. Tomorrow morning-early evening will be spend wrapping up the week, and prepping for Sunday afternoon when our next group arrives. I hope you're enjoying the first couple weeks of summer!