Resurrection Sunday 2011

I hope you all had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday! We are in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, which is northwest Minneapolis. After the services, we went to lunch and then came back to do Easter eggs with John, Jr. Notice the camoflouge eggs. Tricky. It did prove to be a challenge at times, but mostly for Mom. :-) But then again, most things are more challenging for this Mom.

Today is a special day - not only is it Resurrection Sunday, but it is also a day we are remembering the short but impacting life of Philip Gregg Sikma. He was born a year ago today to our dear friends, Jim and Deneen Sikma. Two weeks before he was born, it was discovered that he had Trisomy 18. After his birth, the family took care of this dear child for two months until the Lord took him to heaven. They have been a wonderful blessing to us, and we are grateful for their sweet testimony of God's grace through a challenging situation.

Happy Birthday, dear Andrew ...

Tomorrow my dear friends, Shawn and Sandy Smith, and two of their children, Stephen and Charis Joy, will be celebrating the birthdate and memory of their son/brother, Andrew Wayne. He would have been ten years old! What a milestone it is to celebrate those double digits! (Too bad the older we get we don't appreciate those double-digit birthdays!!) But we know a family who will remember a young boy who would have been "double-digits" tomorrow. When Andrew was six years old, he was diagnosed with a tumor on his brain stem. He went home to heaven almost two years after his diagnosis. His family has blessed our hearts through this journey. They are our dear friends, and we love them so much. You can see in this picture Andrew's delightful spirit and his mother's caring heart. They are celebrating his birthday tomorrow at Olive Garden, a favorite of Andrew's. Wish we could also, but I think the nearest Olive Garden is at least an hour away. BUT we will still remember Andrew in our own way here in Atchison, Kansas, ... and we will never forget his precious ways and how he has reached deep into our hearts! Andrew, have a happy birthday in heaven!

John turned 49! The last of the 40's!!

We were in Athens, GA for a meeting when John had his 49th birthday. We had an absolutely incredible meal at Blue Willow Inn. It is pure Southern cuisine, buffet-style. We had the time of our lives - it was a gorgeous Spring day, and the entire experience was flawless. Here are some pictures of our fantastic day. His birthday is on March 22, but we celebrated a few days before. Also, it was St. Patrick's Day on the day we went, so you'll notice John, Jr.'s green biscuit! It didn't taste "green," by the way. :) Then on the actual birthday, I made him a delicious coconut cake with cream cheese frosting. The recipe is in Taste of the South magazine, if you're interested!

My favorite picture of John, Jr. and Aunt Joy (and Uncle Gary's arm)

John, Jr. loved and still loves his Aunt Joy! She was like a second mother to John, Jr. He still remembers the wonderful times at her house and shopping at the Dollar Store. She passed away February 19, 2010, and she is terribly missed. How thankful we are for her sweet life and how she ministered to all of us in a very special way.

Emma

Here is John, Jr. at the Bill Rice Ranch where we buried Emma a year ago on April 1, 2010.

More house pictures - back of house

Our House

Some people may not know but we bought a house about a year ago. It was a wonderful deal on a foreclosure. There's a lake behind the house called Podunk Lake! It's a beautiful location and a great place to have some peace and quiet and privacy! Still trying to figure out this blogging stuff, so I'll TRY to add a picture of the house. The date on my camera was WRONG, it was November 2009 when we looked at the house. This was taken before we put a bid on the house.

Week off in KC!

This week we have no meetings - except for a retreat John did over the weekend - so we are parked at Eagle Heights Baptist Church where Pastor Bob Franseen pastors - in Kansas City. What a beautiful place to park, and what a wonderful church! We're trying to get caught up on things and get ready for a week of meetings with Pastor Joe Hanson in Atchison, KS. Looking forward to our 3rd or 4th meeting with him...can't remember which one it is. Last week we were in Springfield, MO with Pastor Steve Brudnak. That was a wonderful week too! Gary Hirth joined us down there for a Conference on Revival. It was good to be with him. His wife, Joy, (John's sister) passed away a little over a year ago. The grace of God is very evident in his life.