Ahoy Matey!!!

This is my awesome brother-in-law, Mark Dickerson, and my really cool nephew, Mark Dickerson.

They happened to be down in Florida with some youth group kids visiting college. At the same time, my aunt and cousin and family were visiting from Illinois, so we all met up for dinner. Since Mike occasionally drives like a maniac and we left early to account for traffic, we got to the Disney area in time for a quick stop at Downtown Disney (basically a shopping area and best of all FREE). I figured little Mark would love some of the cool things to see. This was our first stop and a great picture. I enjoyed seeing them and look forward to spending time with the rest of the family this summer on vacation.

Slowing Down

Well, Mike and I spent a lot of time this weekend discussing life and the busyness of it. We don't want to get 10 years down the road and wonder why we wasted so much of our life being busy. So, one of our first major changes is that we are closing down the Ebay store for Mouse Memories (my sister's Ebay store that I manage, keep all the inventory in our house, ship packages daily for and make it all work). It has just become too much of a 24/7 job. When I'm home, I'm always thinking of the work that could be done on the computer and Mike and I spend several evenings a week with me in one room working and he and the dog in another room. We just don't want to continue that. The hours pile on top of each other and overwhelm. Even when we work together on it (and he is AWESOME about helping me), it is just too time intensive. So, we discussed it with my sister and her husband and we are going to close it down next week. I'll go back to working in her warehouse 3 days a week from now until August 1, which won't be so bad once I have evenings and weekends free. Once August 1st hits, I'll be full-time into volleyball season followed by basketball season and won't work outside the home at that time. I'm excited about life slowing down and being able to enjoy it as opposed to work the whole time.

Feeling Better

Finally I've overcome the food poisoning episode and the killer cold. The Lord gave me strength when I really needed it and gave me the rest I didn't realize I needed as well. Thanks to all who prayed that I would feel better.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (King James Version)
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Okay, so I might be about to stretch this a little out of context, but these were the verses that came to mind this morning after spending a little over 36 hours with some form of flu/food poisoning. My entire body still aches and I haven't been able to eat much, but I think I'm headed out of it as opposed to still going strong. In the first 12 hours of it, I lost over 5 .5 pounds, probably from the fact that everything in my body had been emptied out. Now I've put one pound of it back on, so I think that means my fluid levels are getting back up there.

I was reminded as I was fervently begging God to take this away from me of what a small issue it truly is in the scope of eternity. Could I really have the same spirit that Paul had? How does one really take pleasure in infirmities? I do recognize that it is much harder to feel like you can do things in your own strength when you are sick and just praying that it will go away fast. So perhaps God is using this to remind me that I can't operate in my own strength and I need His help. It did give me the opportunity to slow down a little - certainly not in my timing, but I've had to recognize that I'm not in control and wait on God's timing to feel better.

Please pray that I'll feel better quickly. This weekend is the big scrapbooking expo consumer show that my sister's company participates in. This requires many hours of work and I have an important role in preparation and being cashier for all day Friday and Saturday. I'm just asking the Lord to heal me as I know my sister needs my help and I don't want to let her down.

Okay, off to take a nap. I can only be up for a little while at a time before needing to rest again.

Straight Hair

Here is a picture of Stela and I (courtesy of Cristina Vielmas). Right before the game she said that after the game she was straightening my hair. I said okay and hence the picture. I do like my hair straight and loved it when I had it professionally done in Saipan several years ago. It just makes it so much easier to deal with. Unfortunately this one went away after washing, but the professional one lasted about 6 months. I just don't have the skills or patience to deal with straight ironing it every day.

As for the weight loss goals, I'm now at 33.5 pounds. It feels like it is much harder now. I'm working out more and feeling more of a difference in my clothes, but the scale isn't budging. I just can't give up. Jenny, here is the picture you've been asking for. It isn't full body, but I can tell a difference and that makes me feel better.

It's official.

Now that Mr. Redmon told the basketball girls in the locker room that I would be coaching high school girls volleyball and basketball next year, I feel free to share the news here as well. Since some of my girls check the blog, I didn't want to break the news before he did. My plan is to start with a two-day practice in May for those interested in playing volleyball next year. That will allow us to have a better idea of who will play on which team and warn the girls who might be on the bubble so they can work over the summer. That will also allow me to introduce the plans for the new year. They are going to find themselves in a whole new world. I'm seriously going to be pushing conditioning much more and allotting time for it in practices. Even if you are an expert at a skill, pack on extra pounds and you'll have a hard time performing it well. Now imagine that you aren't expert at a skill and you have extra pounds...and hence you see the need for extra conditioning.

During the summer, we are also going to have two practices a week (one for volleyball and one for basketball) as well as a week of camp for each. I think this year we will need to do that camp in house, but I'm hoping that next year we'll be able to start bringing in some other help to run the camps. We just need to keep the cost down this year and build the basic skills. That is something I can do.

So, that is my good news. I'm excited about continuing to work with the girls next year and having the freedom to make the coaching decisions. Even though it will be a lot more work for them, I think we have a group of girls who will rise to the occasion. If some choose not to work hard, I will be disappointed, but I'll also have a great spot next to me on the bench for them. No matter the skill level, I'll only reward those who work hard. That might be a new world for them too.

Roll Call & Favorite Movie

I admit to copying this idea from someone else's blog, but it would be cool to know all the people who occasionally stop in and read my blog. So, if you don't mind, I'd love to have you drop a comment. Let's make the topic "Favorite Movies".

I'll start off by telling you mine. I love "Runaway Bride" and "Sweet Home Alabama". I tend to lean towards the romantic comedy genre. I also love "While You Were Sleeping". Some of my friends in Guam and I would watch the same movies over and over and then have fun repeating the lines. "Hey Luc, is this guy bothering you? Cause it looks like he's 'leaning'."

Anyway...would love to hear from you if you stop by to read occasionally.

A Visit With Friends

Well, this picture was taken the Saturday before Christmas when Mike's parents and brother were down visiting. The couple on the left in the picture is John and Robin Beaton, friends from Guam. I'm very thankful that we live in the same general area (about 40 minutes away) as the Beatons. We've enjoyed several opportunities to get together with them and each time walk away being thankful for the fellowship. Once again, our friends from Guam often end up feeling a lot more like family than just friends. Thanks to the Beatons for always welcoming us in and letting us know when other friends from Guam are traveling through.

Test. My blog has been down much of tonight, so I'm testing to see if it is back up.

Well, I thought I would report in on the diet progress. I'm now 31 pounds down. I have 19 more to go. I've had a few weeks of slow going where I only lost a half pound each week, but I guess that is better than gaining and I made it through the entire holiday season and continued to lose rather than gain. So, I try to use that to encourage me when I get frustrated that the weight is coming off more slowly now.

Cody in the Bathtub

Okay, I promise that ALL of our blogs won't have to do with Cody, but he is still the new and exciting in our house. The other day, Mike got up early and left for work. He took Cody out and played with him a little before leaving. I should have had another hour and a half of sleep, but Cody didn't think so. He pestered me until I finally got up. He was just a wild boy that day running around the house like a maniac. I was in the office working when I heard his metal tag clanging against the bathtub and found him hidden in there. He was just so cute peeking around the corner that I had to snap a quick pic.

My Boys

Mike's Christmas Present - Cody

Meet Cody, the newest member of our family. Mike has always loved Rottweilers and I started looking for one to get him for Christmas. Because I wanted him to be involved in the decision, he knew ahead of time, but that is okay. We went and looked at a 3 year old, but to be frank, the dog scared me to death. It was then that I came to the realization that I would need the dog to start out a little smaller and grow with me so I wouldn't be afraid of it eating me.

I found a breeder who had 3 month old puppies for sale, so I decided to call. She told me that she actually had a 5 month old boy who was crate-trained, house-trained and leash-trained. He also was recently neutered, so that is an expense we won't have later on.

So, we went to see him last Saturday and he is a beautiful dog. He has a very sweet personality and has already settled in well with us. The last two nights he has slept out of the crate and just camps out by the front door, without wandering around looking for trouble. The Lord really blessed us in finding the perfect dog - I anticipate that he'll be a great companion for years to come.

Suz

In the beginning of November, my friend, Susan Wagar, came down from NBBC to see the NBBC soccer players play in the Nationals tournament that happened to be only an hour from my house. She stayed with me and we travelled back and forth to the games. I finally got the film developed, so here is the pic of us at the soccer game.

Susan is one of those friends that you gain in college and hope to have for the rest of life. I got to know her through riding with her (and Linda Lewis and Joy Wagner) to church at Grace in Iron Mountain (back in the days when Grace still had an evening service and it wasn't quite as hip and cool to go there for the two services, do all your shopping and get back to campus by 3:30 p.m.). We had tons of fun and began developing a great friendship. She took care of me when I received my volleyball concussion and was there for me to cry on when I broke off my promise-ring-almost-engagement relationship. I have tons of NBBC memories that have her in them.

Having Susan for a friend made my college days at NBBC much better and I'm thankful that the Lord allowed our paths to cross. She was definitely a positive influence on me and she even allowed me to graduate (even though I accidentally called her "Suz" instead of "Miss Wagar" in one class). OOPS. :)

I'm a believer.

Well, a little over 9 weeks ago, I decided that it was time to do make a serious change in where my body weight was heading. I had gained a fair amount of weight since getting married (something as a single woman I vowed wouldn't happen to me) and needed to turn the weight gain around.

After watching several of the commercials, I began thinking about the Nutrisystem program as advertised on tv. It sounded like just what might help me as it would teach me proper portion sizing and types of foods to eat and could be something I'd learn from long-term and not just a quick diet.

So, with my husband's full support (though he has NEVER criticized me or made me feel bad about my weight, just accepts me completely as I am no matter what size), I ordered the system and began the diet. We figured that by not eating out, drinking pop, etc, it wouldn't impact our food budget as much and is a good investment into my future health.

The current result being this: after 9 weeks, I've lost 24.5 pounds. I'd actually lost that much after 8 weeks, but maintained the week of Thanksgiving without going up or down. My goal is another 25.5 pounds and I'd like to make that by the middle of February at the latest. I'm committed to see this happen.

I love the food, love the diet and would recommend it to anyone. They say "results not typical", but I think that is just because society is law-suit driven and I can totally see someone not following the diet, not having good results and trying to sue them. If you follow the diet, you will be full and yet feel better each and every day. It has even helped me lose weight in weeks when I didn't have ANY time to exercise. I love feeling my tummy shrink and starting to get back in clothes that only depressed me 9 weeks ago and seemed impossible to go back to.

So anyway, just thought I would share my success with you. Once I'm done with my goal, I'll post before and after pictures.

The Viking Guys

My Dad is a complete Minnesota fan. He loves the Vikings, the Gophers, the Twins and any other team that calls Minnesota home. So, my sister, Danelle, had this brilliant idea that for Christmas the 4 of us girls get my Dad an inflatable Vikings guy. We also decided that if we gave it to him at Christmas that it would be a little late as football season would be almost over. So, they set him up for Thanksgiving and my Dad (after nearly two hours) happened to look outside and see this guy. As is obvious from the pictures, he is clearly happy with his present. He apparently ran right upstairs to put his jersey on so he could come outside and take pictures. It is great when a good idea comes together. Thanks to Danelle for her brilliance. Apparently her new name is "Queen of Gifts".

My Girls.

Here you go - the long awaited picture of my volleyball girls (minus Deborah who wasn't at this pizza party). This picture was taken after the hard fought semi-final game where we lost to the eventual champions in the 5th game 17-15. The girls played the best they had all year and I was very thankful that they worked hard and never gave up. It has only been a few weeks since that game, but I already miss working with this great group of girls.

Now I've started assistant coaching with the basketball team, so I get to work with a few of them in that sport. I enjoy it and look forward to the season.

Thanks to Briana for the picture above. She was our senior and is the one in the center.

And the winner is:

Drumroll Please...

My Team Won! Whohoo! They did a great job and won 25-11, 27-25 and 25-13. I did feel a little bad for my sister's team because I think most everyone expected her team to win. It probably wasn't fair because my husband bribed my team. He told them that if they won, he would give them a pizza party...and if they won DECISIVELY, he'd give them 2 pizza parties. After the second game, we called him on my cell phone (all the way across the gym from where he was video taping) and asked him if winning in 3 would count as decisively. He agreed and now we owe them 2 parties.

Tomorrow night we go to the Semi-Finals against a school called Heritage Prep. They are the number 1 team and only had 1 loss all year. Hopefully my girls play well whether we win or lose.

I will say this to be fair to Barb: her girls had an off night. My girls had an on night. Had that situation been different, the outcome most likely would have been different.

However, for now we bask in the glory of our victory and hope for good play tomorrow night.

Showdown of the Sisters

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 at 6:00 p.m.

Well, it's official. On Tuesday night, the volleyball team that Barb coaches and the volleyball team that I assistant coach will meet in the 1/4 Final game of the playoffs. My team has the home court advantage. To spice things up a little, my parents happen to be coming into town that evening and will be able to come watch the showdown.

Of course, both Barb and I would prefer to be on the court playing against each other than having our teams play against each other, but this will be fun too. I like to say that this one doesn't really count since she is the coach of her team and I'm only the assistant coach.

I guess the positive result is that no matter what, we know that one of us is going into the semi-finals. I'll let you know later the result and hopefully have a picture of my girls too. I like to call them my girls even though I'm only assistant coaching. I love each one of them individually and I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to work with them. They've come a long way this year. We ended our regular season 16-2 and in 2nd place on our side of the conference. I'd say that is a pretty great year!

To my sister and her team: Bring it on. :)

Me and My Man

Today I'm super thankful for my husband. Granted, I'm thankful for him most every day, but sometimes I just feel the need to express it. Mike left work yesterday evening to come to the volleyball game I was assitant coaching even though he knew that he would have to go back in and work late. I was able to go with him and help him, but had he just stayed there and not come to my game, he probably could have been home by 8 or so instead of midnight. That is just one small instance of his awesomeness - a drop in the bucket of all the greatness he contains. :) He has a true servant's heart and I love that about him. God blessed me indeed when He gave Mike to me.

PS - Our volleyball team last night beat the undefeated team on our side of the conference. I LOVE beating undefeated teams. I was so proud of the girls. I'll have to get a team picture soon so you can see them.

Family Update:

Here is a picture of two of my sisters, Danelle and Lynelle (twins), from this summer. Lynelle already has two kiddies of her own and one on the way due in December, I believe. Danelle, just recently let us know that besides the three that she already has, she has another one on the way due in May. So, with Barb having 2, Lynelle soon to have 3 and Danelle soon to have 4, we'll have 9 nephews and nieces on that side of the family. Praise the Lord for these coming additions.

A busy 5 weeks.

I was just looking at the blog and realizing it had been 5 weeks since I'd posted. In the beginning I was delaying to give more chance of finding "6 Flip-Flop Loving Friends". Then you know how it goes...you get busy...tons of other stuff to do...and before you know it, 5 weeks have passed.

I am still alive. I'm loving assistant coaching volleyball and being back in the gym. It looks like after this season, I might be assistant coaching basketball too. I just love being with the girls. They are a great group and I feel privileged to be able to work with them and try to teach them something. They probably think I'm evil because I like to work them hard and push them, but I only want what is best for them and to somehow bring out the excellence in them. It's fun. Coaching again has also brought back tons of memories of my girls in Guam. They will always have a place in my heart and I'm thankful that they were patient with me as I was developing my philosophy of coaching.

Well, I'm off to bed, but promise to try to keep up better in the future.

In search of 6 "Flip Flop Loving Friends" who have 6 "Flip Flop Loving Friends" of their own.

Have you ever done one of those chain things where you do something like send someone something, then get six other friends to get involved and in the end, you get a bunch more than what you sent in the first place? Okay, so a friend sent me one such activity invitation.

Basically, I received the piece of paper that asks me to participate. I send one pair of flip flops to her friend whose name and shoe size are on the paper. Then, I send the activity invitation to six of my friends who each send one pair of flip flops to my friend. Then, each of my friends send the invitation to 6 of her friends who each send 1 pair to me. The end result is supposed to be that you buy one pair of flip flops for someone and get 36 pairs in the mail. Now I can imagine you wondering what in the world would you do with 36 pairs of flip flops. Living here in Florida, I wear flip flops year round, so it isn't a problem for me. Maybe you can find something creative to do with them if you get that many. I think it sounds like a fun new adventure, and it would cool to get your mail every day and find a different pair of flip flops in your size. I'm guessing that the $10 or so I might pay for the pair I buy, postage, and sending the little paperwork on to my 6 friends is worth the excitement of getting tons of flip flops in the mail. I'm going to consider it "Entertainment Expense".

Therefore, I'm wondering if there are 6 of you who would be willing to join in the fun and think you can get 6 of your friends in on it to keep it going. I don't want to send it to people without them volunteering because I don't want them to feel pressured into participating if they don't want to. So, if you would like to join in, please email me at sandranmike03@hotmail.com with your address so I can send the paperwork on to you. Let's see what great flip flops we can get out of the deal. :)

News on Dakota

Well, it looks like we won't be getting Dakota as I thought earlier today. We found out that the current owner may have found her own new place for the dog, so they won't need a foster home.

So for now we just wait to see what the future holds.

Meet the newest member of the Herriage household (coming very soon). Mike has always loved Rottweilers and has been doing some research on rescued dogs. Long story short, we've applied and apparently been accepted as Foster Parents for a Rottweiler Rescue Group. We actually had to have a home study where a couple came in to see the environment the dog would be in. They also brought one of their Rottweiler dogs to see how we interacted with her. We passed the home study and thought we were going to soon be the foster parents of a 3 month old Rottweiler. We found out this morning that there had been a miscommunication and we are actually going to have a 3 year old dog named Dakota. This picture is of her. We are hoping to get her this weekend, but we aren't exactly sure when the timing will work out as she is currently in Miami and needs to be brought up to us. Her biography says she is NOT good with cats (which we are just fine with since we have some neighborhood cats that like to hang out in our fenced in back yard - they are in for a rude awakening). However, she apparently is very good with other dogs.

So the next project is to quickly get the house dog ready and get the crate and toys and food and water bowls and all the other stuff that comes with being a pet owner. We have to get everything ready so that when they bring Dakota, they can see that we are prepared and ready to take good care of her for as long as she is in our care.

So there you have it. We'll post some more pictures once we actually have her here. Since we don't have kids, you might have to endure dog pictures for a while. :)

This picture is actually 3 1/2 years old. This is my last group of seniors that I coached in soccer on Guam. Coaching was a large part of my life in Guam. I coached high school girls volleyball, basketball and soccer as well as high school boys volleyball. I loved every minute of it. My girls were very special to me and sports was an avenue I could use to get to know them better and to hopefully have a positive influence on their lives.

I post this in honor of a potential opportunity that has come forward for me. As many of you know, we've really struggled to find the right church since moving to Florida. We've been members of our current church for almost 6 months and have been attending there for almost 9 months. The church has everything we want as far as music and preaching, but we have had a hard time fitting in and finding fellowship. This past week, I was presented with the opportunity to help assist the volleyball team and I can't tell you how excited I am about the opportunity. I love coaching and am looking forward to getting to know these girls and hopefully teaching them something. It also appears that Mike might have the opportunity to be involved in the sound ministry, so we seem to be getting our foot in the door a little. So anyway - that is what is new here.

Sisters, Sisters

Well, here is the latest picture of all of my sisters and I. Barb is on the left, then me, then Danelle and then Lynelle. Barb is the oldest of us all (way older than me), then the twins are in the middle and my parents wisely saved the best for last. :) We were all able to be together this summer at the lake. It was great to spend time with all of them again and see how their families have grown. I'm thankful that the Lord gave me such great sisters.

Rachel Beaton and Jacob Ashmore became Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Ashmore today. We had the privilege of being there with them for their special event. Congratulations to both of them.

Happy Anniversary To Us
7/19/03

I can't even believe that it has already been 3 years since that day. What a gift of God. I was reminded again on that day how God's plans are so much better than our plans. Growing up, I always planned that I would go to college, fall in the love the summer before my senior year, get engaged the Christmas of my senior year and get married right after graduation. This was my plan for my life. God knew better though and instead added in the awesome experience of Guam and all that came with it as well as meeting the true man of dreams and the one I knew without a doubt that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I'm so glad God protected me from trying to make my original plan come true. Of course, there were several times along the way when I thought that maybe I would be the one who never got married - especially during the 2 1/2 years of patience required of me while I was sure Mike was the one I was to marry and he was sure he wasn't the one. He finally did come to his senses though, stopped playing hard to get, and realized what I had known all along - we were supposed to be together. After that, the whirlwind wedding plans from the other side of the ocean began to come together in a way only God could orchestrate. As you can see from the picture, we were able to have a large wedding party and enjoyed having many close friends make it to the wedding beyond the ones in the picture.

Now we are 3 years down the road and I'm just as thankful to be the one by his side. I look back on the memories we've created and look forward with anticipation to see what God has for us in the future. In the mean time I choose to be thankful for each day we are given together. He truly completes me in a way I never could have imagined when I was an independent single woman. I'll wrap this up before I start getting too sappy but suffice it to say that I love my husband and praise God for giving Mike to me and vice versa.

Grandpa Johnson & I

Well, I've been thinking about my Grandpa a lot since vacation. It was so great to spend time with him, but a hard reminder that there might not be very many times left. He has lost much of his eyesight and his health in general seems to be failing. I'm blessed in that I have all four of my grandparents alive right now. Grandpa was always special. He just had that knack with the grandkids. Every year for the past 33 or so years, my family has taken a week at the lake for vacation with several relatives, including Grandma and Grandpa Johnson. When my sisters and I were younger, Grandpa would come to each one of us individually at the lake and sneak us away to town for ice cream cones. Then he would tell each of us "Don't tell your sisters, but you are my favorite". This actually worked great for him for many years - we all thought we were his favorite and he got four ice cream cones each time. :) Then one day came the big fight in which one of the sisters broke out "Yeah, well I'm Grandpa's favorite"... and his secret was out. We've never let him live that down.

He used to also play softball with us in the backyard when we were really young. He would hit the ball and go around the bases, picking up a granddaughter at each base. Of course, we all loved it.

I have tons more memories of my Grandpa, but I won't fill up the whole page. I'm so thankful that the Lord gave me such a special Grandpa. My heart aches at the thought of being without him sometime soon, but at the same time, I know that he has a special day coming where with clear vision he'll see his God and his Saviour and hear "Well, done, thou good and faithful servant."

We're Back!!!

Yes, I actually made it through 8 days of no internet access. We were able to go up to Michigan to spend a week at the lake with my family. My grandparents on my Mom's side were there as well as my parents, all three of my sisters, two of my brother-in-laws, all six of my nephews and my one niece, my Aunt and Uncle and my cousin and her daughter. We had good times. I'm thankful for the time we could have together. It has been three years since were were last together and we partied like maniacs.

Mike and I also took a Wednesday trip down to see my grandparents on my Dad's side (whom I haven't seen in 4 years and Mike had never met). As an added blessing we were able to see my Uncle Phil (whom I haven't seen in 6 years) and his family. We also met my 3 year old cousin, Tyler, for the first time.

All in all - a good experience. Now we have a bunch of work to do to get caught up on all the Ebay stuff, but it was worth the time off.

I'll post pics soon. :)

We are NOT moving this weekend.

Well, it is official - we are not buying the new house. Alas, the dreams of relaxing in the hot tub after a long time go by the wayside. Basically, the week before closing (which was supposed to be today) I began getting more and more stressed and feeling strongly that we should NOT buy the house. Part of that came from trying to get quotes for homeowners insurance on the new house. We actually had someone quote us $6000 for a year of homeowners insurance. Craziness.

One night as I was lying in bed, I began thinking of all the fixed expenses we'd have in the new house for as long as we had both houses and I started freaking out. So, I made a chart. The totals made me believe even stronger that we should not buy the new house while our house was still not sold. Even though we received pre-approval for financing that way, it made me nervous. After all, the brilliant finance guy who did the calculations wasn't going to have to balance the checkbook.

When we first entered into this whole deal, everyone was telling us we should sell our house almost immediately as the market is so hot down here and there are no houses on the market. Within two weeks, the bubble burst and our realtor said no one in their whole office was getting any calls and the news stations were reporting that the market was beginning to tank due to overinflated house prices anyway.

Long story a little shorter: basically, we are relieved to not be moving right now. Our house will stay on the market for the next 5 months and we'll see what happens. Thanks for your prayers.

Me and My Dad

I can't remember a single volleyball or basketball game that my Dad missed when I was in 7th - 12th grade. He made time to be there. He and my Mom drove many miles sometimes to be there. It was important to me and it was important to him. Sometimes everyone in the gym knew he was there as he shared his exuberant cheering with all, but I would rather have an exuberant father in the stands than one who stayed at home. My parents and I would often ride home together after the away games and that gave us a great chance to strategize over the whole game - the goods and the bads.

We played "Pig" at the hoop he set up for me. My Dad was a good shot, too. The only way I had a chance of winning was to stand at the free throw, turn around, arch my back like I was doing the limbo and hurl it over my head towards the hoop. I had to perfect that shot so I always had one he couldn't quite get.

No matter what sport, my Dad was supportive. He even made it to a few of my college games. He and my Mom were there for my last home volleyball game at Northland. He even was able to watch me play soccer once on Guam when we, the faculty team, were playing against my high school girls team.

I knew sports was a realm that my Dad and I could always connect in, so I got involved as much as possible and I put my heart into it too - because I knew my Dad was up there in the stands cheering me on. I think that had a definite impact on the type of athlete I became. I wasn't the braniac in the family (all of my sister's were valedictorians - I was 7th in class rank). There were other areas that my sister's clearly had been more gifted then I. They all played brass instruments like my Dad - I played the flute. So while they had their areas to connect - I had sports. We had a good time together through the years at all those games and on all those trips. I was truly blessed to have 2 parents in the stands supporting me when so many kids are lucky to have one.

So Dad, thanks for helping make me a stronger athlete and for being there. Happy Father's Day.

Possible New House

Here is the update. Yesterday we had the house inspection. It went well. There are two things that need to be dealt with before closing and I think the sellers have agreed to the fixes. Our realtor thinks we are still on track to close in 12 days. I go back and forth in my mind between whether we should or shouldn't get the house. I don't know if that is the Lord preparing me that it is going to fall through, or what. We've decided to leave it in the Lord's hands. There are still several ways the deal could fall through, so we are praying that if He doesn't want us to make this move that He solidly closes the door. Thanks for your prayers for us during this time.

Master Bedroom / Master Bath

Here is a view from the corner of the master bedroom into the master bath. I love the pedestal sink. On the right side is a vanity table and on the left side is the sink, toilet and tub.

Hot Tub at the New House

Okay, so I admit, this is a definite cool feature of the new house. This is in a screened in breezeway between the main house and the "guest house/work space". The greenery that you see is actually from the inside landscaping.

Mike, Dad Herriage, Royce

We spent Memorial Day visiting Mike's Mom, Dad and brother in North Carolina. We left after work on Friday evening and drove through the night to arrive there at about 7:15 a.m. on Saturday morning. Mike's Mom didn't know we were coming, but his Dad had set the alarm for 7:00 and told Mom Herriage that he wanted a big breakfast. So, she was in the kitchen getting out the food for breakfast. Mike's Dad met us at the door and escorted us to the kitchen where Mike walked in and said hello. I think his Mom was seriously shocked. Even Royce was able to keep the secret that we were coming, so that worked out well. Mom Herriage had a birthday on Sunday, so it was nice to be there to spend her birthday with her. We were going to drive home on Monday (Memorial Day), but Mike started thinking about the traffic and we decided to leave late on Sunday night and drive through the night again. So, we took off around 9:00 p.m. and got in to our house about 11 hours later and slept for several hours.

We always enjoy spending time with Mike's parents and brother. We are thankful to have the opportunity to go up there and thankful that the Lord gave us the strength and safety to travel through the night twice without any problems.

Mrs. B and I at the Wedding

Well, in continuing talking about people who have influenced me and in honor of her birthday which is today, I'd like to tell you about Mrs. B.

I met Beverly Pelletier in 1999 when I first arrived on Guam. She was one of the friends who first accepted me and took care of me. She worked in the main office as well and we ended up spending tons of time together. My first summer on Guam was a little difficult as I was living by myself for the first time ever. I found that I needed someone who I could just spend time around - an opportunity to be out of my quiet apartment. Mrs. B was on "granny patrol security" which meant that she would drive around campus on a golfcart making sure everything was okay and watching over the Bible Institute students. She let me ride with her and we bonded in an incredible way over those hours of riding around on the golf cart.

She is like an adopted Mom, Grandma and Friend all in one. She took care of me and let me sleep on her couch all drugged up when I had to get my wisdom teeth out. She let me tag along with her around island on various errands before I had a car. She even dragged me out of bed on Saturdays at 6:00 a.m. so we could get to K-Mart before the crowds for our weekly shopping trip. I've since forgiven her for that. :) She was always amazed that I could get up at like 5:58 a.m. and be out the door at 6:00 a.m. with my hat firmly in place covering my wild bedhead hair. When I decided that I was going to spend Christmas alone in my apartment all day because I was depressed about spending Christmas on Guam without my best friend, Vanesa (who had gone home that year), she made sure I came over and ate with her and several of the Bible Institute students. Basically, she took care of me and was a very close friend.

Mrs. B and I will always be friends. Our friendship can cover the distance no matter where we are. She listened to me completely, felt free to let me know when I was wrong and accepted the real me with no reserve. I could trust her with who I was and know that she would help mold me into something better. The amazing thing is that this is who she was with everyone - not just me. She loved the Micronesian students like they were her own kids and they trusted her too. Each of us who have had the privilege of being a part of her life have carried part of her with us as we have moved on. Thank you, Mrs. B. I love you and miss you. Happy Birthday.

Pastor Mike and Brenda VerWay

I apologize in advance for the length of this blog. I was recently inspired by a joking comment from a friend to do a series of blogs on people who have influenced my life. Since doing a blog on him was his idea, I thought it only appropriate to start with Pastor Mike. :) Pastor Mike and Brenda came into my life when I was in 8th grade. They came to fill the youth pastor position at my church. Little did I know the effect of their impact on my life that would become clear in the following years.

They were real. I saw them in many different circumstances and knew their faith to be real. I could listen and grow under Pastor Mike's teaching because of who they were in normal life. As I look back on who I was in high school, I recognize the infinite level of patience they had in dealing with me. They were there at camp the summer when I was having the worst attitude of my life and he was preparing to actually send me home from camp until the Lord got ahold of my life and I got saved. They came over to my house to personally tell me something that I would learn the next day at church about a situation that would devastate me. They stayed while I cried and I will never forget Pastor Mike's solo the next morning in church. He sang "Where is a Gideon...where is man" and I sat in my seat and cried. They were a source of stability for me and I knew I could go to them with anything.

Brenda will never know how much she changed me. She was a role model to me and someone who I desperately wanted to be close to. She listened to me when I needed to talk and wasn't afraid to challenge me or bust me when I needed it. We talked about dating as I was seeking to find my acceptance in a relationship and not in God. She gave me wise advice about dating and relationships that I carried with me through college and my time on Guam. She made a point to be a part of our lives - even when she had her hands full with being a wife and a mommy. We all loved her.

I had the distinct honor of having Pastor Mike perform my wedding ceremony. People told us afterwards that it was the funniest wedding they had been to in a long time. We made it through the typical wedding bloopers and he performed the ceremony with both dignity and hilarity. I'm not sure how that is possible, but the wedding video proves it to be true. I'm thankful that they could both be there for our special day. Michael, their son, was just thankful that I was getting married. He was little when I was in high school and I spent a lot of time with him at various youth activities. He wasn't very old when I was driving him to his house one day and he asked me if I was going to marry my boyfriend. I told him that I didn't know and he told me that if Matt didn't marry me, he would. It was so sweet. By the time of my wedding he was much older and thankful he didn't have to stick to that. :)

Basically, to wrap it all up even though I could go on and on, Pastor Mike and Brenda left imprints on my life and I will forever be grateful that they were willing to invest in my life.

Oh yes, I'm also thankful that they never called the police on me and my various friends who toilet papered their house many times. At least 2 of those times, we were seriously caught. Thankfully, most youth pastors understand that toiler papering is merely a teenage way of saying "We love you."

The House We Are Looking To Buy
Okay - here is the house that we put an offer in on yesterday. They counter-offered and we counter-offered. We might go back and take their original counter-offer after talking to our finance guy. We are basically just waiting now to hear back from the realtor and the finance guy. Our house is officially on the market and we'll probably be getting our for sale sign in front today. I'm working to keep the house in consistent "show-shape" and still live life and manage the businesses. Keep praying that the Lord will work out the details. Unfortunately this is the only picture we have of the new place for now.

Our House - Soon to Be For Sale

Well, we think we have decided to go ahead and put the house up for sale. We are looking at another house and have had a hard time deciding whether we should move now or wait about six more months. We mainly need to move because the business is taking over the house. So far we've taken over 2 of the bedrooms and the "Breakfast Nook". We don't really have much more room to take over. We've debated a lot over what to do and decided that we will put the house up for sale and put in an offer on the other house. The Lord can work from there. If we sell the house for our asking price and can purchase the other for our offer, everything will work well and we'll be in a great spot that will actually have a separate building (though attached through a screened in breezeway) for the business. Pray for the Lord to lead and guide. If we are supposed to get the new house, He'll work out the details.

I am "reading through the Bible in a year" again and I am using a book that was introduced to me by Emily Davis while we were still in Guam. I really like the division of the daily readings as it divides them into sections that correspond together and not just a set number of chapters a day.

Today was Proverbs 30-31. How appropriate as Mothers Day is in a few days. Chapter 30 is so simple yet profound. And as I was reading chapter 31 I could not help but smile. Every part of that reflected Sandra (except the 'children' part, of course).

I am still amazed more and more on how much Sandra has a grasp on so many different things. I know that the Lord has blessed her with gifts and talents beyond what I even know about. I like to watch her do things that are so simple to her, yet fry my brain just trying to fathom them. I try to learn from her, but many times I simply have to let her do it knowing that I am in such good hands.

So, that is my thought for the day. Yet again, I am shown the greatness of God in the wife He gave to me.

We don't have kids and it's okay - really!

There does come a point when you get sick of well-meaning relatives and friends asking you when you are going to have kids. Does anybody else experience this? Yesterday one of my co-workers kept asking when we are going to have kids and said he doesn't understand why so many couples wait to have kids. I told him that it took so long for Mike and I to find each other that we want to have time to spend together without adding the responsiblity of kids yet. Looking back at the last 2 3/4 years of marriage, I'm so thankful that the Lord has given us that time together without kids. We've moved a lot and been through several different job situations and not having kids allowed us to do all of that more smoothly.

Bottom line: God is in control of when anyone has kids. If I don't think I'm ready, and He does, guess what - He wins and "surprise". If I think I'm ready, and He doesn't, guess what - He wins and we don't have kids. So basically, it's isn't in my control.

Anybody struggle with this same situation? Or anybody realize they've been guilty of doing this to their married friends?

I love Sandra!!