To Infinity and Beyond...

Oh my word, I am so behind on this blog.  Sometimes I wonder why I even have it, but I do enjoy posting things even though I don't have a ton of followers. Somehow it makes whatever I say official.

Soo here what has happened in the last 6 months or so...

Well first and foremost I got engaged!  That is really the only thing that matters to me know hehe.

 

Aren't these the cutest pictures you've ever seen? yeah yeah well, now that Dale and I are getting married my life is turning upside down.  I had no idea what it took to just PREPARE for a wedding, it's insane.  I am not the planing type so I'm sitting down and watching my loved ones run around like a chicken with their heads cut off.

 

Good news though, we have found a house!  It is so perfect for us and last night we finally signed the purchase agreement. Hopefully they like it!!

 

Here's a few pictures of the hopefully soon-to-be-ours home.

 

 

Dale and I have just begun reading our Per-martial Counseling book.  So far it is really good, but also a tad bit depressing.  The author talks about after a year or so of marriage, you begin to regret and doubt your whole relationship. I gotta keep reading, but I am praying that God doesn't allow those feelings to stir inside me, EVER.

 

 

 

I am also planning on reading two other books recommend to me by strong christian women in my life. Hopefully they are a little more cheerful.

 

I am so excited for the next chapters in my life to begin. It is awesome to see where God has lead me so far!

 

 

 

 

Love,                                                                                  

 



 

What God is Doing!

I am just so excited with the direction that God has been sending me. I have had such awesome opportunities to join God on amazing adventures that draw me closer to Him daily.

• God has blessed me with a wonder church and church family, even though we don't call it church.  "Storyline" it is just a casual place to gather with other people in the community that love God and love people. We have been learning about Gods love for us and the Joy He takes in being our creator.    http://www.storylinechurch.org/  
• I am doing a bible study at my parents church with many wonderful ladies on Esther.  It's a Beth Moore study.  I have never really cared for Beth's teaching, but this study is different. Maybe since it's the story of a woman, her perspective seems to be right on and very easy to relate to.

 

• God has also blessed me with the opportunity to be a leader for the middle school girl of Wyldlife.  It is an organization that works in the schools and gives kids a place to go one night a week, have fun and learn about God without it being shoved down their little throats.  It has been so awesome and exciting to see the girls get excited about God. I never thought I would love working with middle school girls as much as I do!    http://www.younglife.org/WyldLife/
• I am also reading a wonderful book by Francis Chan "The Forgotten God", so far it is really good.  I read "CrazyLove", Francis first book and loved it more than any other Christian book and still do concider my favorite. He really has a love for God and more than often reminds me of my lack of.

 

And last, but hardly least, an online bible study I just started.  It is an app on my phone too, so I can do it anywhere! http://shereadstruth.com/category/plans/soul-detox-2013/ . The reason I started it, even with all this other stuff I am doing, is that it was a quick an easy study I can do early in the morning before work and not have to wake up super early :).  The amazing thing about God is that He doesn't ask for a certain amount of time each day, but that we do seek Him out everyday, even for only an hour. But truly, I can't help myself from talking to Him through out the day!

 

 

 

 

 

 



Holy Moly...the time has flown!

There is a lot to catch up on!

January came and went and for the life of me I can't remember what I did, other than start school :(...

But February has been very exciting! Dale's family took me and Adam's new girlfriend, Kelsey (haha yeah I know) skiing at Nubs Nob for the weekend and man it was a good time had by all.  Every year I go my skiing skills get better and better...than dales :).

 

At Nub's at Night!!

Valentine’s Day!

For Dale and I, it was our second Valentines Day as a couple.  It was wonderful. We can "beer bottle" chicken, mashed potatos and rolls! It was a feast for a king!!  For a gift I got him beer, meat and cheese for his ice fishing extravaganza, and also a few coupons he can use. Ex:"One Free Movie Night"...fine print:where Kelsey has no veto rights. He cashed that one in right away; His pick- Troy the unedited directors cut extended verison. I have never seen so much blood ever on Valentines day.

 

Last weekend Cara (Dale's older sister) took Dale and I to Chicago for the weekend.  Cara was walking up the Hancock building in a race called "Hustle up the Hancock".  She did really good and she said she would do it again, and I think I will do it with her next time.  Out hotel room was soo nice!! It was an awesome view too!!

Right in the River

 

Saturday night we went to a comedy club, second city, it was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. There were two girls and three guys. I would certainly go back! We weren't allowed to take pictures of them!!

 

After dinner Dale and I went Ice Skating in the park. I have always wanted to do it and I am so glad it was all HIS idea!!

 

 

We were really bad and I think people hated us because we kept stopping to take pictures haha.

At the hotel lobby bar, we spent some quality time here.

-Cabela-

My sweet baby girl is finally old enough and super well behaved for me to take her to work!
 Every one loves her so much and she loves every minute of it!

She LOVES the snow, all she wants to do is spend all day running in the snow chasing birds, rabbits, squrriels and whatever other small animal the crosses her path!

Well That's all I have for now, but I will leave you with this awesome scripture verse that really spoke to me!

 

 

The Woman Christ Forgave...

The message at church on Sunday was about the Adulteress woman who was put before Jesus. The Pharisees were trying to catch Him in the act of Hypocrisy. They knew He believed in forgiveness, but they also knew that He believed in the Law of Moses, which says:

"If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, ²¹ she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.

²² If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel."

Deuteronomy 22:20-22

 

They thought that Jesus would agree to stone her, but instead He said:

 

⁷ And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. ¹⁰ Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

John 8:7-11

 

How amazing is that?

 

Many times I feel like Mary Magdalene, the prostitute thrown before Jesus to judge. I always deserve to be "stoned" for whatever my sins have been, but every time Christ frees me from that bondage of sin and forgives me without condemnation. I am so grateful to serve a Master that is as forgiving as He is loving. With that said, I can never forget the wrath that God does have against those who disobeys Him with no repentance.

I can never get to comfortable living in my sin.

 

KELSEY 

Resolution, Oh Resolution

Every year, like most of the world, I make a New Years Resolution. Well this year I am making one that not only I can keep, but that will hopefully yield a greater outcome for myself.

The first thing I have vowed to do is to keep a "Thankful Journal". I am not sure who I heard this from, but they kept a thankful journal and everyday for a year they wrote what they were most thankful for that day. I don't want to do this just to say that I wrote in this journal everyday consistently, but to really reflect on the day and what made it such a blessing or not.

A few guidelines are;
I must write it in everyday.
I must find at least one thing that I am thankful for EVERYDAY.
If it was a bad day, I have to still find the "light in the darkness".
I have to give all the Glory to God.

Another resolution I techinally already started in 2012 is to be more positive.
There is no reason I need to complain about anything. i have such a beautiful life, with beautiful people in it and My Lord Jesus Christ guiding it!

 

This verse says it perfectly!

Researching the Homestead Life

Well, here it is, the adventure is beginning now. I have decided that without a shadow of a doubt, I am going to be a "homesteader" or in other words, a self-sufficient "farmer". I use the word "farmer" lightly because I am not going to be anywhere near what I would consider a farmer ((lots of animals, crops, machinery, brains)). I just want to be able to live off the land.

This idea started from my mother, she is very much a gardener and in the summer time rarely buys fruit and vegetables. I remember a few times our meals at dinner were all "from the land". We caught the fish, grew the beans and lettuce, and all the herbs to season the meal. I thought this was so amazing, how she just went into our backyard and gathered our food.

This Christmas I received a book from my sweetie called "The Backyard Homestead". In this book ((alreadyy)) I have learned so much!

One of the first things this book says is to make a list of things you think you would like to grow or raise. Be reasonable, choose things you know you like and know you will eat a lot of. Also to start small and each year add more and more.

Here's my list:

Fruit:                                              Vegetables:                                    Herbs:

Red Raspberries                               Potatoes                                         Mint (all kinds)
Strawberries                                     Sweet Potatoes                              Chives
Apples                                              Broccoli                                         Rosemary
Grapes                                              Asparagus                                     Oregano
Pumpkins                                          Carrots                                          Parsely                                                                                                   
Tomatoes                                          Green Beans                                 Basil
Blackberries                                     Peas                                              Thyme
Rhubarb                                            Peppers (lots of kinds)                  Lavender
                                                          Corn                                             Sage
                                                          Lettuce
                                                          Zucchini
                                                          Onions
                                                            
Animals: We will for sure start with Chickens, but the others will come later!
Chickens
Turkeys
Ducks
Goats
Pigs
Maybe a cow...

We also talked about possibly bees, but that seems like a lot more work and equipment than we want to use.

For now I will continue my research, Here's some books on Homesteading ((YOU)) may be interested in.

Picture Perfect Post

Today's post just makes me so excited for snow! Even though once it's here long enough, it over stays its welcome ((in my mind.))



I want to run down this road so badly!

I could live in a house this small if it looked like this!