Reconnecting

It was so wonderful to go back 15 years later to the place where our ministry began. In 1994 surprisingly Charles joined the military out of Bible College (IBC) and received orders to Ramstein, Germany. Where Rev. Arlie Enis was the Missionary at that time to the Military Ministries.

Who would have ever known the path the Lord was taking us on would come full circle.

Jaime Manson and Danielle Hollinger. Two ladies I've had the privileged in knowing through the journey God has lead my husband and I down. So awesome to reconnect with the two of them and reminisce about great memories we made together. It was like we never missed a beat.


Courtnee Hollinger.....I babysat her when she was just a baby. Now look at how much she's grown, so talented, doing great in school and working for the church in an area she can.

My heart was full of joy to see Bethel, and to show Aleia and Brienna where their Mama and Daddy first began the journey we are now on.......Missionaries to Europe!

Wordless Wednesday

Finding more time

Lately I have been working on finding more time to pray, study, organize, read to my girls, practice the ABC's with Allie, be more patient and feed my family healthier choices.

As "women", (mothers and wives) we spend an incredible amount of time preparing grocery list, organizing meals for the week, grocery shopping, putting the groceries away, washing and cutting what needs to be put in baggies, preparing the meal, feeding it to our family and then cleaning up after the mess. Then the whole process begins again.

I have found an easy way to eliminate some of the stress, save more time and feed my family quicker and more healthy.

Monday's are my day of madness. I plan our meals, make the list, shop for the food, bring it home, pre- wash, pre- cut and organize 3 solid meals and 3 left over meals for my family to eat for lunch and dinner. Most Mondays are revolved around food and the kitchen.

Since I have found this system that works for my family, it has saved an enormous amount of time and money throughout the week.

Monday's are busy but the prep time for the week sure does make more time for the things that are just as important to keeping my family happy.

By preparing our meals in advance, it makes meal time so much easier and faster. When my girls say they are hungry it only takes 5 minutes to make a very delicious healthy plate to set before them and it taste as if I slaved over the stove for hours. This also is helpful for Charles when he comes in from a late night of work and is starving, he has a meal already prepared for him, he just has to eat it up.

This system not only enables me more time but it helps that I don't have to offer my family a Peanut butter sandwich, chips or any other unhealthy choice. Don't get me wrong we do eat these things occasionally but when I've taken the time to prepare properly it eliminates feeding my family what I call "empty fuel food"

What easy tips do you have in finding more time for yourself, your family, God and others?

Wordless Wednesday

MY WIFE ROCKS EVERY DAY!

Well she is probably going to throw "rocks" at me today because I hijacked her blog to tell all her web friends that SHE ROCKS!

• She is the best wife in the world! (I asked all of your husbands and they told me its true.)
• She is the best mom in the world! (I asked your kids too.)
• She is the best pastors wife in the world! (Ok, your getting the drift now.)
• She is the best kisser in the world!
• She is HOT!
  
• She is so cute when she uses words that she just heard the wrong way!
• She is so smart! (OK, sentence above seems to contradict this one but take it in context and lets stay on point.)
• She is the best cook in the world! (This is simply a fact.)
• She is so patient with me!
• She is so faithful to me!
• She is so loving to me!
• She is so sensitive! (She is a German Indian so there are moments where the blades come out, but overall she is sensitive and i'm not just saying that because she scares me.)
• She is so creative! (Especially with her blades.)
• She is so gentle! (Well, like 27 days out of the month but there is that week. Gets a little edgy around here. Ha)
• She smells like the sweetest roses!

Well I could go on and on but really I am probably already in trouble for what I have said so far as well as for hijacking her blog. Actually, I did not know that password until today when she was working on it with me looking over her shoulder. So this will probably be my last post.

LOVE YOU BABY! Be at peace my little German Indian.

I would like to wake up with all my hair.

MY WIFE ROCKS EVERYDAY!

Bedtime memories

These are the moments that we never want to fade from our memory. When it's cool that Daddy reads Bible stories, sings songs and cuddles with his little princesses.

Moments when they open up and tell us all that they are feeling not holding back anything.

Aleia loves her bedtime routine especially when Daddy is home.

She is totally a Daddy's girl and we wouldn't have it any other way. She feels secure when he is home, she depends on her Daddy to make all the boo-boo's go away, she knows he can fix anything and he makes bedtime stories up that have you on the edge of the bed, the whole time he's telling them.

Moments like these we will always remember and hope that as they grow older that bedtime remains a bonding time for learning and sharing.

Snow, Snow, go away!

This is our third winter in Vienna and the snow keeps falling. Just when you think it's almost gone and cleaned up, we get hit with another big snow fall.

The girls of course are loving it. Aleia could play in the snow all day and all night. She even had a little party out in the snow with all her little children as she calls them. (Barbies and figurines)



Snow, Snow go away come again another day, and make sure it's a day when we aren't in town;-)

Being from Michigan you would think the snow wouldn't bother me but it is so different there then it is here.

In Michigan, it can snow and by the next hour the roads, side walks, and paths are completely clear.....AND the sun shines!

When you hear Austria you might think lots of snow, but normally not in Vienna. The snow will lightly fall and it's gone. So they aren't real preparred it seems for this much snow and everyday. It's a mess, and pretty dangerous at times.