The Polar Express

As a gift, the kids (and us with them) were given tickets to ride a train...during the Holiday season..  I tried to get the kids excited about the Polar Express idea...they seemed to like it.

We thought that we'd ride the train in Noblesville and then just go back to Anderson for Saturday night and Sunday -but we scheduled a presentation at a church for Sunday so we took the train and then drove back to Evansville...long night.  The kids loved the train ride.  Silas thought we were just sending him on the train -he seemed a little scared about that but ready to do it -and, quite relieved when he found out mom and dad were going too...

 The Bean's first Santa photo - she wasn't too happy...  :)

Black Friday?

I don't mind going to stores.  I really don't mind going to the stores when there is something I really like or want or need and it's a really great price.  But, I don't like the crowds.  And, I don't want to get up at 3AM to go fight a crowd.  I read something (I think on facebook) that said something about how only in America do we go out and trample others for sales exactly one day after being thankful for what we already have.  Ouch.  It's really true.  And, sad.

So, I didn't go shopping.  But, I did go with Andy to take some pictures of my sister-friend's dog for a gift.  I love his eyes!







And for the first time ever I had starbuck's hot cocoa.  With Andy.  It was almost a date!  And, it felt special.  (Or maybe, I felt special.)

All in all, I'm thankful.  For my friends, family, and super great husband and a little time to spend with them.

My Thanksgiving project :)

So, I was planning a surprise wedding shower for Andy's brother and his wife :)  It was fun...so, here are a few of the details.  It was pretty fun for them to show up to Thanksgiving only to find they were being showered with stuff -super fun for me, anyway.

 The great cupcake tower Andy made for me - he's a great guy :)

 The sweet treats for everyone to take

 Writing messages with tree pencils - made by Andy because he's (again) awesome :)

 The cupcakes - they were yummy.  Actually, I only ate the mint chocolate one, and it was so yummy I never tried the pumpkin

 Writing notes to hang on a "tree" we made out of limbs - the kids helped make that

 My super adorable niece...so cute

The Justison gang - November 2013 version

My heart is confused...

The death of Nathan makes me re-live a lot of the same emotions I have when I think of Aunt Beverly.  It's that mix between utter sadness for the loss of such an amazing, godly example and the relief that their battle is over and they have met their King.  It's a beautiful hard thing for me.

Today they are celebrating his life.  He touched so many people the celebration is being held at one of the largest churches in town.  A lot of the girls that I mentored at Mill Road ended up being in his youth group (he was the youth pastor) and some of them went to Moldova with him.  He was a detective with the local police and the stories of people he has led to Christ - including partners on the police force- continue to flood his Facebook page.  I feel connected to their family, for some reason even though I didn't know them personally.  And, my heart aches so badly for his wife.  My insides cry out because of the pain and my soul rejoices because of his faith.

Photo Credit- Lindsey Schroer

We didn't know...

We were contacted by Ron Washer - the director of Africa Missions for ABWE.  He was going to be at a medical conference in Louisville, KY.  He offered to drive to Evansville, but since he just returned from Africa and France we thought that we would just drive and meet him there.  Our family is usually up for a road trip anyway.  I was super excited to find a Thai Smile restaurant since I LOVE the one in Muncie.  It wasn't what I was hoping for, but it was still Thai food.  We got to Louisville a little early to visit the American Printing Press for the Blind.  Nora has now changed her desired future profession from "Mommy" to "work at the blind place".  It was cool, and I was amazed at how wonderfully behaved my kids were.  We ended up on a "special" tour because of the people in our group and my kids were amazing!  I need to remember that during those times when they are not amazing.  I am blessed.

What we didn't know.  We didn't know what our hearts really felt about staying in the States even longer.  Ron said that he wanted to encourage us.  We didn't realize that we needed encouraging until we started talking about it.  We hadn't.  Talked about it, that is.  It was a discussion that we'd had months earlier - if we reach training in November, Praise God.  If we didn't we would move to Tennessee.  The deadline came and went and we never discussed it.  We talked about it some on the drive home from Kentucky.  But not much.  It's kind of painful.  And I'm the kind of person that just needs to know why.  Ask my parents.  I'm okay with things (although maybe not happy about it all) if I just can understand the why...it's the same in nursing, in administration.  All the jobs I've worked.  I'm okay with how things are done if you can just tell me why and I can try to make sense of it.

The problem is, when you're following God by faith there isn't always an answer to why.  It just is.  It was great to meet with Ron.  Our spirits were encouraged and we really wished that we had more time to talk to him or other missionaries...but then that's hard sometimes, too.

In the meantime life continues and God has given me 3 beautiful and sometimes amazingly well behaved children.  And, I am thankful to minister to their hearts.  I long for them to truly understand God in ways far beyond what I will ever understand Him.

Mission Celebration

We've been busy with our home church's Mission Celebration this week.  This morning we were able to skype several of our overseas missionaries and Andy was interviewed "live" on stage...

Praying that God works in the hearts of the people of our church.

They're Here

Our box of new prayer cards arrived today.  Lena included!  The kids are excited because it's something new to pass out, and I'm excited because they arrived just in time for our church's Mission Celebration this weekend :)