President's Day Parade at Preschool

I still can't say enough about how much we've loved Ellie's preschool!

They always go above and beyond even though she's only in a two day a week class.

On the 19th they had a little President's Day parade.

They decorated a float with their class and then wore red, white,

and blue on the day of the parade.

All the parents were invited to watch and some of the other classes came out too.

Ellie was really excited about it...she got to be the leader!

Daddy even came by and made it just in time!

The whole thing was really short...they basically walked up and down

the inside walkway of the school,

but then after all the parents and siblings got to come into the classroom and

listen to a story.

SG thought it was the best thing ever!

Yea for President's Day and Yea for Grace Community Christian School!

Vehicle Day

Ellie's preschool has lots of "field trips" throughout the year.

They don't leave campus but lots of fun things come to them and they get 

to experience them!

There has been a petting zoo, a pumpkin patch, and this day was 

Vehicle Day!

Because it took place the day we were leaving for World Mandate West,

Travis was able to watch the other two while I helped be a 

parent "chaperon"!  (across the parking lot!)

Ellie loved it and it was so fun to get to experience it with her!

It was VERY cold and rainy the whole time...but no one seemed to mind!

These are really big here--they ride them in the sand dunes in 

western Arizona.

T

A nice, smiling police officer.

(they never look quite like this when they pull you over!)

A helicopter flew in and landed during the morning!

The SWAT team's car!

Who knew stoplights were this big??

Loved this morning with my oldest.

Don't get days like this very often with her...

such a joy!

A Little from World Mandate

I have very few pics of this weekend but I wanted to remember a few things.

It was so powerful for us and for our whole church...we brought 120 people

with us and we all got to experience the weekend together.

It was also significant for our kids.

We talked a lot about it beforehand and worshipped and prayed some

with them on the way down.

Then Gracie and Ellie each got a turn to worship with us during the session.

The kids had World Mandate Camp while we had World Mandate,

but we pulled each of them out to be with us individually once...

felt like the Lord spoke it one morning to me and I'm so thankful we did it.

I felt like it was really significant for them to get to come in and experience

the presence of God with us.

And of course they loved having their own special time

with Mommy and Daddy!

This was our one quick chance to glance at the water on our 

way out of town.

The kids were totally wiped by the end but it was so worth it!

The drive home...a little worship...

a lot of sleep!

Antioch Worship Band Appreciation Dinner

We had this back in February (on the 11th)...

it was such a sweet night of honoring our band.

A lot of them have been serving in our worship band since close to the beginning of our church...

week after week they help lead our church body into the presence of God.

We are so thankful for each one of them and all that they have layed down

and sacrificed to see others go deep in God...

not just on Sunday mornings, but also at our worship nights

and other various events.

They are so talented and such servants!

We had the dinner at Adam and Shelly's and our friend and chef in our 

church Rebekah planned the menu and put us to work!

This was no spaghetti dinner...not for our guys!  :)

We served a non-alcoholic sangria that was amazing 

to start out with...along with pico de gallo and guac.

Then they were seated and the real work began!

This is our assembly line...the staff served them well

(after a brief training by Rebekah) in their white shirts!

Appetizer:

Roasted Poblano Quesadillas with Tropical Salsa

and a green salad

Main Dish:

Southwest Marinated Flank steak with Green Chili Mac n Cheese 

and Broccoli Rabe

Dessert:

Flan

Mexican Brownies

SO thankful for this crew.

They are amazing!!

Valentine's Fun

I married a romantic...and it's so much fun!

Our lives don't really allow for a ton of times like this but 

when they happen they are sweet times!

This is the first year that our girls have been old enough to really 

understand what Valentines is...a day to show those that you love

just how much you love them.

Trav has always had the philosophy that Valentine's Day is a holiday

for girls...meaning the guy is the one to buy the gifts, plan the date,

bring breakfast in bed, etc.

I don't think that's fully fair because I want to do stuff for him too,

so we have also instituted a "Boy" Valentine's Day that happens

sometime after Valentine's Day.

This year we celebrated a day early because Ellie had school on 

the day of and those mornings are always early and rushed.

So here is what we all walked to (the girls and I) once they were up...

We followed a trail of rose pedals to this!

Candles, a roaring fire, presents, a balloon and a yummy cookie cake!

A breakfast of bagels from Paradise (our favorite...he had gotten them the

night before) and fruit also awaited us!

The girls loved it!

My present:

I've had the same Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner since we got married

(8 1/2 years ago) and it hasn't worked great for maybe 3 years!

I have borrowed other friends good vacuums a lot!

(thank you Shelly and Emily!)

But he surprised me with this!  He'd been watching it and got the floor model on 

an unbelievable sale.  So exciting!

And it's even red for Valentine's Day!

He had the girls first each bring me out a red rose.

Then he had me close my eyes and gave me three clues:

it's red

it makes the room smell better

it has pedals

I was shocked when I opened my eyes!!

Perfect present for me...something I wasn't dreaming of getting.

Forget the diamonds...give me a clean house! :)

The kids opened their presents too...

It was a Doc McStuffins kind of Valentine's Day.

Emmy got a Doc phone.

Gracie, a stuffed "Lambie"

And Ellie, Doc's "Big Book of BooBoos"

We also all got cards that he wrote to each of us...the girls 

was complete with pictures describing things they love

and things we love about them.

A "sweet" morning.

We'll have a date soon just the two of us, but there's few things sweeter than seeing your girls loved so well by the most important man in their life.

Overwhelmed at God's kindness to me with what He's given me 

in a husband and in three precious girls.

A fun early Valentine's for all!

The next day was a big day...
handing out Valentine's at preschool!
The girls and I had so much fun making them
(the day before of course, we like doing things last minute around here!)

We were really excited about how they turned out and there was lots to
do for them to help me with...like put the shovel in the bag,
fill the bags, help cut the tags out, and hold the bag while I tied the bow.

A group effort!

Here is the result!

And here were the teacher gifts for Ellie's preschool teachers and
Sarah Grace's Bible Study teachers.
We traced their hand and tape it to the lotion bottle...
a small little gift but fun for them to get to give them!

Two of my Valentines before we ran out the door...
the chalkboard behind did say "love" but never
got written again after the shower!

Emmy wasn't really into pictures that morning and I didn't push it...
(but she was dressed just like Gracie!)

We have loved this Valentine's season--it's been a little slower paced for us
and we've loved having more time together as a family.
Sad to take down the hearts!

Each heart had a scripture about love on it.
My intent was to read one before bed every night but
it ended up being more of a "read one when we are really needing
to love each other better" thing.  It helped--changed the mood, got the Word
in their hearts, and shifted the atmosphere in our home...at least for a little while! :)

This was my other fun little project...
we don't really have many wedding pics around our house anymore,
mainly just kids!  But I pulled some out and put them around for Valentines,
figured it was appropriate!
And then I did this board that hangs above our kitchen table with ALL the
our little loves!
The top row was our wedding,
then Ellie in the hospital,
followed by Sarah Grace, and Emmy.
The kids loved having it up for a while and had fun telling
people who came over which baby was which (since they all looked
exactly alike!)

Lots of love around here! :)

Antioch Prayer Room Opening!

A big night for Antioch Tempe...

last Friday night we opened the prayer room!

It's been one of our immediate goals to see an increase in prayer in our 

church along with a place to facilitate that.

To have more corporate prayer, individual prayer, etc.

Believing God wants us to partner with Him in prayer to see 

the dreams on His heart and ours fulfilled.

I honestly never dreamed it would come together so quickly.

But God started stirring hearts of people in our body and they began

to hunger for it too...so now was the time!

Since the first of the year we have rented another room across the hall

from our current offices, Crystal and the training school have given it  

a complete makeover, and starting with the kickoff last Friday,

prayer nights will be happening every other Friday night,

In addition...we are making the prayer room open and
available to our church almost 24/7.

It's a dream that God has fulfilled much earlier than I ever expected!

Here are some pics from "opening night"!

At one point groups gathered around different windows of the office

to call out for different areas of our city...

we are on the second floor and so we can see a good little ways.

One direction points to campus,

one to a mosque that's next door,

one to Mill Ave. (the main drag of the city...bars, restaurants, etc).

Kristen has done/is doing an amazing job of letting the kids 

play an active part in prayer.

 My kids loved it and were way into it.

One time I caught Ellie putting down her marker and raising her

hands in worship, and then going back to her drawing.

Love what it's cultivating in them.

And here is the room itself.

Not completely done (according to Crystal) but I think it looks amazing!

This is a massive string art that a girl in our church did 

for the space.  It's unbelievable!

The beginning of something great.

Can't wait to see how God uses this little room to change the world.