Thankful!

-for my car.  I remember dreading going to the grocery store, lugging my heavy cart onto the bus, and walking home.  It is such a blessing to be able to drive up to my door!
-my house.  Yes, there is a lot of work to be done, BUT it has some of the most beautiful woodwork, the floors and walls are solid and level.  And I can't wait to start painting!
-Ana.  The other day she told me she was saving her money for a BIG thing.  A giant tea set from China for you, mommy! 
-God has provided for all our needs and then some!
- A counselor that knows her stuff!
-Good neighbors

Thanks to all of you that have given us encouragement over the years to persevere and be joyful in everything!

A Meeting

This was no ordinary meeting!  A group of people in the two blocks around us came together yesterday.  These were all folks that moved into this neighborhood to make a difference here--except for us--we feel like God just put us here!!  It was encouraging to hear how people are pouring their lives into building up the families around here.  No wonder it is so nice around here.  There are at least 5 dedicated couples and a handful of singles in our general area.  It makes a difference in how the neighbors interact with each other, the language you hear out on the street, how the kids are taken care of when no parents are around, and how clean the street is.  Once again we feel very BLESSED to be here!

So I Took My Dog Jogging...

 suprisingly she did pretty well.  I think if I train her she could run with me for at least a couple of years before she slows down.  I'm sure we make quite a picture together.  How often do you see a bassett run?  We do our best to wear her out!
She's growing like crazy, has her half hour of crazy hyper behavior, and settles down into a pretty nice dog.  She does well with others in the park.  Everyone wants to pet her and comments on her ears! 

Sometimes she's just so tired she doesn't bother to move her head--she just looks at you out of the tops of her eyes and goes back to sleep--a preview of what's to come!

Ana is SIX!

 Ana had an enjoyable birthday WEEK.  My parents stopped by first, took her out for dinner, and let her loose in Toys 'R Us.  (She chose a baby stroller and a very sparkly, purple, princess purse.)

 She had a great time too with her class, many of which brought her sweet little gifts.

Finally, she celebrated with the Eilers on the Saturday after her birthday.  There was horse riding, fun with cousins, cake, and presents.  Thanks all for making this a very special birthday!

It's Been A While!

 So busy...can't find time to post.  (Of course it doesn't help that I tripped on the dog and slipped down the stairs.  The computer slid all the way into the kitchen and broke the mouse pad.  It now randomly shuts down!)

 Ana has been doing some silly things with stuffed animals.  She inherited a whole bunch of doll clothes that my great grandma had made for me.  Now we find all of her menagerie in some form of apparel. 

 The other day I looked back and saw her doll buckled up for the ride to school.

 We had a Teddy Bear Party at school.  I hid their teddies and monsters and scooby doos on the playground and then they had to follow clues to find them.  The above picture has one of the boys force feeding his bear brownies--wasn't too effective, but he sure tried!

I had to bake for Ana's birthday tomorrow.  Her combined class has 30 in it--so we went with cookies.  She added the sprinkles!

We're still trying to get Ana's dresser finished.  I started painting the brick in the kitchen.  (Amazing how much it brightens things up!!)  After the large dresser couldn't be gotten up the stairs, we've decided to strip off all the paint I just spent hours on and stain it black.  Hopefully it will work in the kitchen as extra storage.  And finally we still have the cedar chest to redo for our room.  Hopefully we'll have a free Saturday in the next couple of weeks to get some things done. 

Would love to hear from you!

Our Snuggle Bunny

She thinks she is a lap dog.  She moans and groans if she can't follow me upstairs.  She is pretty sweet, but already has a stubborn streak.  She also talks back if you tell her to get out!  Her worst fault?  She does great with the potty training when we're away--when we're home--not so hot!  We'll keep working on it and snuggling in the mean time. 

An Amazing Experience!

 

On Sunday we went down to one of our supporting churches in Mooresville, Grace Church.  During the service they had a panel of five missionary couples answer some basic questions.  It was great to meet the other couples--one I grew up with in Martinsville! 

The man in the picture is a pilot in Papua New Guinea.  He shared a need for a new headset--his was 20 years old--in the first service.  During the second service, the church handed him his new set.  I was so encouraged.  It is rare to find a church that celebrates what God is doing around the world, gives up service time to listen, and challenges their members to think how they could get involved.  Go Grace!

Serious Tool Envy

My dad let Matt borrow his compressor and brad nailer.  Matt is using it to reinstall all the quarter round in the kitchen.  We had hoped to do all the other rooms as well (before they needed it back), BUT we didn't find enough pieces to do all the rooms--plus they have to be stripped and restained.  So--at some point in the future we'll probably buy new and install it.  It took less than 1/2 hour to do the kitchen with this handy tool!  Thanks dad!

Indianapolis Prayer Walk

 On Saturday morning we attended the Prayer Walk.  It started on Indy's monument circle. 

 There were some lovely views!

 We had a time of worship and then set off walking.  What I liked is that it was a mix of races and churches.  It was also neat to see two of the Christian radio stations out to support the event.  I am thankful that we can still have functions like this.  It got some attention from passers by, but no one said anything negative.  If we want to see change in our cities, we need to take the time to pray and stand out in our community!!

Taking a Bassett for a Walk in the Inner City

We took Mei Mei for a walk last night around the block.  In a neighborhood of pitbulls, German Shepard, and rottweilers, a bassett is an oddity.  We heard comments like, "Yo, what kind of dog is that?"  "Is that a wiener dog or what?"  "Look at those ears!  And she's just a puppy!" One little girl was delighted with her and asked when we would come back so she could pet her.  Like we don't stand out enough here, our dog makes us more of a conversation piece.