Tis the Season

I love the Christmas season! I love listening to Christmas music, decorating, baking, wrapping presents.....It always seems to go too fast, though. The kids are always really excited this time of year, counting the days until we go to Grandma's house.
The kids had their Christmas musical at church on Sunday. They all did a great job! It was so cute to watch. Paola and Christian did an excellent job remembering all their lines.

Christmas can also be a sad time, too. I have had a rough time lately missing dad. I guess it's the holiday season. He loved Christmas time and really got into it. The other day I was driving and heard the Nat King Cole "Christmas Song". That was dad's favorite. I almost had to pull the car over because I started crying and couldn't see. Earlier that day, Asa had seen the Old Spice in the bathroom cabinet (I keep it around and smell it once in a while to think of dad). He wanted some on so he could smell like Grandpa. I guess the combo of those 2 things just made the tears come. You never know when a 'moment' is going to hit. I'm looking forward to being home in OH with all my family, but there will defiantely be something missing without dad again.

But, it still is a great season and a time to celebrate. A lady at church was telling me that she doesn't like to decorate and get into the whole 'christmas' thing because she thinks it's become too much and the true meaning has been lost. I said that whenever we have a birthday party for someone, we put up decorations, make food, etc. to celebrate. And, this is the season to celebrate the birthday of our Lord, so why not put up decorations and celebrate?! Of course, we need to keep it all in perspective and not get carried away with the commercialism involved. It's all about balance! Why not enjoy the season and have fun--celebrating!?!

So...Jesus is the reason for the season...so CELEBRATE!! Merry Christmas!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! Kevin and I (along with 5 others from our church) just returned on Saturday from Guatemala once again. And, after being reminded of how little the Guatemalan people have, I have much to be thankful for. However, their joy seems so much greater than mine. I learn a lot from my Guatemalan friends and family. What a wonderful week we had! It's always a huge blessing for me to be with the Impacto staff again and feel totally at home. There is a great peace that envelopes me when I am there. I look forward to and hope for the day when we can return for a longer period of time--however God allows!
The kids did great while we were gone and had a fun week with our friends Dan and Liz who cared for them. They had some funny stories to share! :)

It's hard to come back to the cold weather! We've had some cold, rainy weather this week. Winter is fast approaching.
I ran in a 5k "Turkey Trot" this a.m. and couldn't feel my feet when I first started running! :) But, it was fun and now I won't feel as guilty eating so much later today! ha!

And, we will decorate for Christmas tomorrow! I always look forward to that! It is as the song says, 'the most wonderful time of the year'--or at least one of the most wonderful times.

I hope all have a very blessed and Happy Thanksgiving. Count your blessings!

Hockey Mom

Well, I have crossed over in the world of "hockey mom" starting this Saturday. Both Christian and Asa begin their first year of hockey in a "Learn to Skate" program. They have all the gear and are very excited about it. I'm a little hesitant as the season goes every Saturday from now until March! That's a long season! But, they have talked about this for a long time. So, it will be interesting to see them as they learn to skate and hopefully move forward as time goes on. Lots of equipment needed for this sport--ugh! :) But, they are all outfitted and ready to go--thanks to "Play It Again Sports" which has all used equipment for much cheaper--ha! :) I'll include pictures after Saturday--their first practice.
Paola has started a beginner pottery class, as well. She doesn't show interest in sports, but seems to enjoy the creative activities. She's only had one class, but enjoys it so far.

Kevin and I are headed out to Guatemala next Saturday. I'm finally getting excited!! It seemed so far away and so many other things were going on, I hadn't had much time to really think about it. But, I can't wait now! The kids will be staying here with good friends. I know they will have a blast, as well! It's always weird leaving them. I usually cry the day we leave, but once I get on the plane I am o.k. and focused on what we are about to do.

And, yes, the election is finally over. Although the results were not what I wanted, I know that God is in control. He is much bigger than any country leader. I have to trust in Him and not the things of this world. We'll see what happens. It's times like this that I really miss my dad. I always enjoyed getting his take on what was going on in the country/world. It brought me comfort.

All for now....much to do before we leave next week-end.

P.S. Our Halloween went well. We had a nice, warm evening. The kids had a ball, of course, getting as much candy as they could (bad for me to have it all at home!). Paola was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, Christian was the 'not so cowardly' lion, and Asa was a puppy dog (not exactly Toto). :)

update...

It's been a while since I've written. Once school begins, things seem to get crazy and time seems to fly by.
Last week-end we were gone all week-end up north for our annual Shout to the North choir concerts. Our church choir heads up north to 2 churches for concerts. This is all to raise money for our mission trip to Guatemala each year. We stayed with parents of a friend from our church. We had a ball. The kids spent most of the day riding 4-wheelers (with adults, of course). It was a beautiful week-end with about the end of the Fall colors. The concerts were fun and a major blessing!
Sunday evening, we finished off the week-end with a Portland Pirates hockey game. We were in the 2nd row. Asa was scared for most of the 1st period, but he was fascinated with the game at the same time. We went with about 20 other church folks. It was a very fun week-end. Now, we are all exhausted and coming down with colds. :(
Other than that, life continues on. Parent teacher conferences are this week. We met with Paola's teacher today. She is doing well. We're glad she is repeating 2nd grade. She seems much happier this year and is making good progress. We meet with Christian's teacher tomorrow. We've seen huge improvements in his reading so far this year.
And, on Saturday we have our big "Heroes Unmasked" Fall event at church. It's a lot of fun for the kids--with LOTS of candy! :)
I've ordered 2 courses from the American Association of Christian Counselors for Life Coaching training. I'm excited to take the courses and look forward to being a certified Life Coach. I hope to be able to use that next year when all 3 kids are in school full-time. I'm already praying often about where God could use me in that capacity.
I'm still running and swimming each week, along with a muscle toning class once a week. I've let the biking go for now. I want to focus more on running over the winter months. And, I love swimming, so it doesn't even seem like a work out to me because I enjoy it so much. I have to force myself to get out of the water! :)
Anyway....all for now.....

Another one down...

Well, my 2nd full triathlon is over! Last Saturday, I did my 2nd tri with a 1/4 mile swim, 14.7 mile bike and 3.2 mile run. It was the perfect weather day...lots of sunshine and a cool ocean breeze. I was so nervous the night before asking myself why I was doing this again. And, up until I got in the water to swim, I had major butterflies. I was worried the water was going to be unbearably cold. When I did a practice swim in the same spot a week before, I could hardly put my face in the water because it was so cold. But, during the race, I don't remember even noticing the cold at all. I think I was just too focused on getting through it. I know I didn't swim the best that I could. That part is something I'll have to work on for next season. I know I'm a strong swimmer, but in the open ocean it's a little scarier for me. Plus, it's the first event of the race and my nerves are on high gear. But, I completed the swim in 13 min. (usually takes me 9 1/2 in the pool). The bike was a beautiful ride, partly along the water. It seemed like everyone was passing me on their fast, road bikes. I just have a mountain bike. But, I didn't care. I was peddaling as fast as I could and trying to enjoy it all. You get your age written on the back of your leg, on your calf. So, as all these people were passing me, I could see that many were 10-20 years older than me. I just laughed to myself and kept going. My shoestring got caught in my chain at one point when I was almost to the end. So, I had to jump off and pull it out. Could've been a lot worse!
The run was actually my favorite part of the whole race, which is a big first for me. I've had a hard time really getting into and enjoying the running part of my training all these months. But, I could tell that my practice running paid off for this race. I ran with no problems, and didn't feel the need or temptation to walk once. I was close to tears at one point as I was running because I couldn't believe I was doing it and really enjoying it. The run was right along the ocean, and it was breathtaking. I could hardly contain my praise to God! I was able to pass some people on the run. I kept singing praise choruses in my head as I was running along. By the time I got to the finish line, I felt like I could just keep on running! I guess I finally experienced that runner's high that several people have mentioned to me (that I couldn't believe existed). But, boy did it feel good to run through the finish line! My total time was 1 hour and 42 minutes. My goal was under 2 hours. My run actually took me less time than I thought (25 min. compared to my usual 30 minutes). So, I am glad it's over, but I had a blast!!
For the Fall and Winter months, I want to continue working on my run and swim 1-2 times a week. Next spring, I'll have to get some more open water/ocean swimming practice to feel more comfortable with that.
I'm still on a high from the race! I'm definately up for another one next summer. (although I'm not sure Kevin is ready to deal with my pre-race anxiety... ha!)
All through the run, I was just praising and giving thanks to God that I am physically able to do this (whether I'm fast or not) and that He created such a beautiful world to enjoy through swimming, biking and running! He's so GOOD!

What's New?

Well, we are back into the school schedule and routine. It's hard to say good-bye to summer, although I love Fall. I just don't love what comes after Fall! :( So far, the kids are enjoying the school year. It's nice to be on a regular schedule for the most part now.
I am keeping busy. I still have one more triathlon to go on Sept. 20th. What am I thinking? :) The ocean swim is going to be COLD! I have been trying to run more and work on that part of the tri. I'd like to continue doing all 3 events (swim, bike, run) as long as I can through the winter (obviously swimming at the Y). And, who knows? Maybe next summer I'll do another race or two??!!
Things are getting busier at church as the Fall schedule begins, as well. Kevin and I will be teaching the Level 3 discipleship class. We have a mission trip in November (that we both will be on), and Kevin is leading a Financial Peace University seminar (13 weeks long)--which are excited about. So, we'll definately keep busy...but it's all good.
Not much to write right now...I'm sure as time progresses I'll think of more to say. :)

Vacation

Well, we survived another family vacation at Lakeside! :) We actually had a wonderful week together. The weather was perfect...not too hot and no rain. I survived the Lakeside triathlon--1/2 mile swim (they changed it from 1 mile to 1/2 mile), 15 mile bike (actually a little over that) and 4 mile run. It was great that Jen and Jerry could run with me. It helped keep me going or I probably would have walked some. It was fun to do! Now, I'll gear up for my next tri on Sept. 20th. I've got the bug!
We enjoyed staying with Tim, Jen and kids at the Oak St. house this year. It was fun playing cards and just staying up late talking. I was glad to have some good conversations with Jen. We usually don't get to spend that much time talking because it's usually quite noisy when all of us are together. :)
Kevin graciously allowed me to stay with mom an extra week so I could go to her next chemo treatment and help her on her sick days at home. God bless the man for taking 3 kids 800 miles and caring for them during the week. I'm also grateful to Jen (from my church) who cared for the kids during the day so I could have this time with mom. I'm very blessed! I head home tomorrow. And, before I know it, school will be starting in about 2 weeks. Where did the summer go?
Anyway....more later.....

I Made It!

Well, I made it! This past Sunday, I competed in a triathlon relay. I did the swimming part of the race which was 1/3 of a mile. The swim was out in the open ocean with waves and swells 4 feet high! The course was a rectangular shape. I had to swim straight out to a buoy, turn left and swim a ways, then turn left again and come back to shore. The first part was very difficult. I felt like I was on a swimming treadmill not going anywhere. I felt at a loss as I kept swimming, swallowing water, and not going very far. The waves were so big that I couldn't even see the bright orange buoy that I needed to get to. I said to myself at one point, "I can't do this. I can't do this." Then, I looked behind me and saw that I actually was making progress. I looked forward and finally saw that the buoy was not far away and said, "I can do all things through Christ.." After I rounded that first marker, it seemed to go very fast. It took me 17 minutes, most of which was the first part, I think! There were 9 other racers who had to be pulled out of the water. And, one guy started out and turned around and came back. So, I was proud of myself that as a novice ocean/open water swimmer, I finished! It was more about survival than actual swimming skill for me. I then ran up the beach about 100 yards and tagged the cyclist on our team. She then took off on a 15 mile ride and our runner finished with a 3 mile run. There were about 9 relay teams (5 0r 6 that were coed like ours) and we came in 2nd place for the coed teams with a total time of 1 hr. and 30 min. We didn't get any awards, but we didn't care about that. Many of our church family was at the finish line to cheer us on! It was great fun! I was a nervous wreck most of that week before worried about the ocean swim, but I made it! Our team was named "Spirit Wings". We wore our matching t-shirts and enjoyed racing together! The Holy Spirit carried us on His wings!
Now, my next feat is the Lakeside triathlon coming up on Aug. 4th. This will be the whole deal--1 mile swim, 15 mile bike, 4 mile run. Even if I come in last, I really don't care! I just want to finish. My trainer always says, "finishing is winning". This will be a good first experience...a warm up, if you will. I am hoping to enter another 'official' race for Sept. 20th. It's a great physically and mental challenge that I have enjoyed! Something I never thought I would do in a million years. But, now, I think I want to keep going and push myself even more. So....we'll see what happens...... :)

It's been a while..

I didn't realize how long it's been since I've written anything. Guess life has been too crazy. Let's see...what has happened in the last month.....
Well, the kids finally finished up school in late June. So, now we are trying to adjust to our summer schedule and being together all day long. Our weather has been strange, so even though we've enjoyed the lake a little so far, it's not as warm and dry as it usually is by now. Hopefully July will be a little more summer-like.
Kevin and I had a nice week-end get away to KY last week-end for my 15th year college reunion. Where does the time go??? It was nice to see some old friends and show Kevin around my old stomping grounds (college and seminary). It was a quick trip, though. Too short!
I've been trying to get a lot of things done around the house--spring cleaning, painting, yard work. Little by little things are getting done, although the weather has put a damp on the progress--literally!
Today, I'm heading out later this morning with my trainer to do a long swim in the lake. I'm still trying to get used to wearing a wet suit to swim. I'm quite nervous to swim in the ocean. And, actually, weather-permitting, I plan to do a 'practice' swim in the ocean tomorrow afternoon with another man from church (also training for a triathlon) to get the feel of it. My relay is coming up in 2 weeks! Yikes!! My full triathlon is about a month away. That one doesn't make me as nervous as my relay. Maybe after the relay is over I'll think more about the other.
I'm also beginning to think about and focus on my trip to Guatemala in July. Seems like I've hardly thought about it and it's coming up in 3 weeks! I'm excited to be able to go with my sister, Abbey. I am looking forward to seeing my Guatemalan family, too! :)
Other than that, we keep busy with church activities, etc. as usual. Time flies....

Update

I'm trying to remember all the things that have happened since I last wrote. My mom had surgery (a hysterectomy) in which a cancerous tumor was found in her fallopian tube. The surgery went well, and she seems to be recovering quite well, too. She will undergo 6 chemo treatments to make sure that all the cancerous cells are gone. The whole thing was a bit scary and difficult for me because I'm so far away. I have taken my lead from mom, though, as she seems to have a very good outlook and attitude about things. I'm grateful for my siblings and in-laws who are close by to help her. Makes me feel very guilty, though, wishing I could be there to help especially in the upcoming months.

I have also continued my triathlon training which is going well. I really enjoy the group of ladies I'm training with and enjoy the stuff I do on my own, as well. I did my first big long bike ride last Saturday...26 miles. I am doing the swimming part of a relay triathlon in July with a couple from my church. I will swim (1/3 of a mile), one will bike and the other run. Then, I plan to do the whole deal in August (1 mile swim, 15 mile bike, 4 mile run). All I care about is finishing! :)

The kids continue on with school. Our last day is a 1/2 day on June 24th. Seems long, but we had 10 snow days and we usually get out later anyway. Summer is very short in Maine and it is already getting filled up with camps, summer school, vacations, picnics, etc.

The kids actually went swimming in the lake yesterday! Very cold still, but didn't seem to phase them much. I look forward to summer days on the lake!

Well, other than that, life is just continuing on as usual. We have had a wonderful spring (although a little drier than usual) and have enjoyed being outside as much as possible.

Well, it's been a while since I've been able to write. Since my last posting, mom came to visit for about 10 days. We had a really great visit! The kids loved having Grandma here for a while. We all miss being closer to her and the rest of my family. We did quite a bit while she was here. We spent a few days in Boston and were able to see a friend and 2 cousins who were running in the Boston Marathon. It was a fun visit!
Since she's been home, she found out she will be having surgery on May 8th. A mass was found on one of her ovaries. So, it needs to be removed along with her ovaries. We don't know yet if it is cancerous or not. Of course, I'm a little worried, but trust that God is in control. Makes me wish I was closer to her to help her through her surgery and recovery. She is a very strong person, and I am confident she will get through this. So, if you are reading this, please pray for my mom, especially on Thursday, May 9th.
Today is a rainy day and we are stuck inside. Although, we did get some cleaning and reorganizing in the garage done. Spring cleaning is underway!
The kids are going bananas so...
More later....

Remembering Dad

Today marks the one year anniversay of my dad's death. It's still so surreal at times and hard to believe. Hard to believe that it's been a year since I talked to him. I miss him so much, still, and probably always will. There are times when I really wish I could just talk to him and gain from his wisdom. I do know he is with Jesus celebrating! He spent his life teaching and preaching about the One he has the privilege of being with now and for all eternity. He left quite a legacy for all who knew him.
The first song on my ipod this morning as I went jogging was, "Time That Is Left" by Mark Schultz. I thought it was a God-thing for it to come on as soon as I turned on my ipod. I could hardly run through the tears that came as I listened and thought of dad.
The song goes like this:

What will you do with the time that's left?
Will you live it all with no regret?
Will they say that you loved till your final breath?
What will you do with the time that's left?

Oh hallelujah! Oh hallelujah! Hallelujah! Amen.

What will you do with the time that's past?
Oh and all the pain that seems to last?
Can you give it to Jesus and not look back?
What will you do with the time that's past?

Oh hallelujah! Oh hallelujah! Hallelujah! Amen.

What will He say when your time has come?
When He takes you into His arms of love?
With tears in His eyes will He say well done?
What will He say when your time has come?

Oh hallelujah! Oh hallelujah! Hallelujah! Amen.

What will you do with the time that's left?
Will you live it all with no regret?
Will they say that you love 'til your final breath?
What will you do with the time?

I believe that when Christ took dad into His arms of love and with tears in His eyes said, "well done!" I want to live with no regrets! Thanks for the example, dad. I'm forever grateful!

Gettin' Movin'

Well, I think I did something crazy...I signed up at the YMCA to do triathlon training. Yikes!! :) I start next week, twice a week for 1 1/2 hours until mid-July. I don't have a triathlon that I plan on entering, but hope the training will be good physical training. I'm actually quite nervous and scared about it. At the same time, I am looking forward to it, and I think I'll enjoy it.

I am also excited about our Xango business. It is moving forward and we are getting more excited about it. It is totally out of my comfort zone in some ways, but I love the juice and know it works, so it's easy to tell others about how great it is. As one of the men in the business used to say when he was working and doing Xango, "I work full-time as an engineer and part-time on my fortune."(now he is full-time Xango) I like that! Of course, when I keep our goal in mind as to why we are doing this, it motivates me, as well. We are not in this to make a 'fortune', but to make enough to pay off our debt and create a residual income so we can spend more time in Guatemala someday within the next few years.

So, right now I feel like my life is going in a positive direction personally, professionally, etc. after feeling stagnant for a while. I even have another professional area that I am looking into within the next year which I am excited about. Maybe it's the coming of spring (even though we STILL have lots of snow that needs to melt), but I feel renewed right now.

I keep reminding myself that I declared this year (2008) as the 'year of boldness' for me. The past few years I've had a theme for the year as a personal challenge. So, this year's theme so far has fit with my personal physical challenges, Xango, and learning how to be bold for Christ. It's all a challenge. But, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Nothing I do can be done on my strength alone...because I don't have much! Christ comes in to make up for my weaknesses...PTL!!!
HE is the true encourager!

Good Friday Reflections

Today is Good Friday. A day to reflect and remember what Christ did for us on the cross. It seems strange to go about my day with the usual routine. It is hard for me to even begin to process the depth and scope of His great sacrifice for me. Yes, I've seen the movies portraying the crucifixtion, but to really get my human mind around that kind of sacrifice is mind boggling to me. Christian asked at breakfast this a.m., "If Jesus wouldn't have died for our sins, would we have to? Would we still be able to go to Heaven?" Despite the questions, I think he gets it! That sums it up....if He wouldn't have died for my sins, I would have to...without any hope. I'm eternally and grateful beyond words for His life given for me even when I don't deserve it (which I feel most of the time). It is a day to remember, reflect and be grateful. As sad as it is to think of what He went through on that Good Friday so many years ago, there is so much hope thinking about Easter following that dark day. That wasn't the end. He isn't in the grave any longer!!!!! HE IS ALIVE!!! PTL!!!!!!!!!!! This is a season of new life, hope, humbleness and the greatest love any will ever know.
May you have a truly blessed Good Friday and Easter remembering what He did for YOU!

Loving Well

This past week-end I went on a ladies' retreat with about 25 other women from my church. What a great time. The study was on "Loving Well". So many points touched me:

• We can't really love well until we let God love us.
• God pours His perfect love into my imperfect heart.
• When we feel like we can't love well, we need to dip into His well.

Those are among the many thoughts and points I am still pondering. At the end of the retreat, our leader passed a letter to each of us. It reads as follows:

My Dearest Penny,

Do you realize that I came to meet with you? Do you have any idea how much I love you and how taken I am with you? I have never forsaken you and nor will I reject you! I have been there all along and I will always be there!

I knew everything about you the day you were conceived. I anticipated your life and planned for it. You do have an enemy, my child. But it is not me! He wants you to think it is, though. I am for you!!!

Do you think you need to prove yourself loveable to Me? Deep down inside are you trying to ear My love and attention? As you strive to love Me more, do you realize the key to loving Me more is to let Me love you more?

Why are you resisting Me? Why are you running from Me? To whom have you compared Me, and with whom have you confused me? I'm not like them.

I know what's happened. I know what's on your mind. I alone know the plan for how this turns out well. I alone know how to prosper you through this. My eyes and My affections are on you right now. Quit trying to be so strong! Let Me be strong for you. I love you unashamedly. Even now My banner flies over you. Everyone in the heavenlies knows how I feel about you. I'd leave you red-faced over my love for you...if you would let Me.

Love, Jesus

I think that says so much about God's love for me (us)!