Thawing out

Well, we are beginning to thaw out here. For the last week or so the temperature has mostly hovered just over the freezing line so things are melting. Of course, we also have snow in the forecast in some small amounts for the next few days. There are actually quite a few winter weather warnings and advisories for the areas well south of here. We won't get much snow from the look of it. But it is possible that we will have a "white Easter". : ) I am excited about my first Resurrection Sunday as a pastor. I have a couple of special things planned for Sunday, so please pray that God would speak and that people will be receptive to His voice. We have now been here for almost six months. I have learned so much in that time and I have also realized that there are a lot of things I didn't know and still am learning. God is good and faithful and true. And the truth of the matter is that I am excited to belong to Him and to trust Him with all that we are doing. I look at my life and ministry as being a work in progress and like the old song says, "He's still working on me!" I pray that this early Easter season finds you blessed and well. Thank you to all who read this and pray for us. We love you more than we can say.

Birthday Roundup

The birthday party was a smashing success and the cake looked really great. Jonathan said it was his best birthday ever. Below are some photos from the event.


This is Jonathan surveying his result in
the pin-the-helmet on the astronaut game.


Here he is with his cake.

College Finale

Well, it is all over but the final grades. I have finished my Bachelor's degree at last. It is a good feeling really. I am glad to have it done with finally. I know I have one B and probably 2 A's for my final term, so it is basically unofficially official. Amelia asked me if I wanted to do something to celebrate and I am still pondering what I want to do. I guess it is appropriate to do something, I just can't decide what to do. If anyone has any thoughts let me know.
P.S. If anyone wants to send money as a graduation present, I would understand. :P

Birthdays

This is a busy time in our church for birthdays. We have four people this week I think that have a birthday. One of those of course is Jonathan. He is getting very excited for his upcoming birthday on Sunday, and I am having a hard time realizing that he is turning nine. I talked to Dad earlier today and he said they were having a snowstorm in Arkansas and might get 5-8 inches. It took me back to that weekend after Jonathan was born almost nine years ago when a storm dropped up to a foot of snow in the NW Arkansas and NE Oklahoma region. We were snowed in at the hospital in Tahlequah with a tiny baby who was very jaundiced. Now nine years later we are sitting here in the great white north with about a foot and a half of snow on the ground(not much of it new). It is amazing to think of how far we have come in just a few short years.

Updates

I have been a busy guy this past weekend. We traveled to Rapid City for Joe and Bethany's wedding. It was good and I pray that they are having a great time in Hawaii right now. I got to spend some time with Joe on Friday night before the wedding and I am very happy for him as he starts on this new adventure. We had some adventures of our own as we traveled through snow for about half of the trip going down there and had to deal with some ice on the roads for that same part of the trip back. I took the kids to a new restaurant as a special treat on the way home yesterday. We stopped at a place called Space Aliens in Bismarck yesterday for lunch. The kids enjoyed it so much they are already asking when we can go again. I think the closest thing I can compare it to is perhaps Pizza Planet from Toy Story, but this place serves a lot more than just pizza. The food was good and the kids had fun just sitting there eating, even without playing in the game room. They got these alien cups to drink from and they think that is the funniest thing. They were playing with them for a long time yesterday on the ride home. I have some pictures below from the weekend. By the way, I also posted my first newspaper column at my other blog. You can see it here.


This is the kids with their cups.


The reason I am so dressed up is that I was a part of the wedding party.


Here are the kids at the wedding reception.