First Year Anniversary!

Well people, today was my one year anniversary with this blog. YAY!!! I have discovered that I'm not the best blogger in the world, but I can still do it.

My goal with this blog was to be a witness, and just like in life, I have slacked off. :( But I am still here, and not quitting just because of that.

Anyways, not much to say, except 'yay me.' Good night everyone. :)

My Daycare Made The News!!!!

http://www.keloland.com/videoarchive/index.cfm?VideoFile=100109preschool

Since April I have worked at Apple Tree Children's Center in Sioux Falls. And several weeks ago Apple Tree had an all center contest to get the word out about H1N1 flu prevention. We were to do as much as possible to provide visual aids to educate people about H1N1. We literally went hog wild. (Well, I did) And, our center won!!!! As part of the prize we got to be interviewed by KELO.
AND we get a pizza and ice cream party. (Be jealous).
Anyways, in the video it shows a very short clip of my very own, Dr Pork. :) (Yes, I am a little proud.)

Here Comes the Bride.........

So, most of my readers may not know them, but my friends Dusty and Kaytie were married on October 2nd, in Mitchell SD. *tear*

If anyone was a perfect match, it was them. These 2 wonderful people have been good friends since The Flood. (Well, not quite, just for like 12 or so years.)
From the story Kaytie told me, Dusty has planned to marry her since she was 16 (8 years ago), and was waiting til she was 21 to date her. They began dating then very shortly after her birthday last year, and then on July 11th he asked her to marry him.

Now, I must tell you a few things about this adorable couple. First off they were 8 or so when they met at Bible Camp-the same one my siblings and I go too every year. Pastor Neil, the camp director has been teasing poor Kaytie about Dusty ever since before I met them many years ago. Dusty was very careful never to let on that Pastor Neil was right about them. LOL!!!!!!
But, it wasn't only Pastor Neil that teased her, it was pretty much EVERYBODY at camp that knew them. Except me, I just let them be friends. Obviously, Kaytie was in the dark, so stop bothering her. Go tease the daylights out of Dusty for once!
Well, once they actually DID start dating, people stopped asking! Ironic. And hilarious. Course, being her friend, she told me the whole story. :)

AND I called it that Dusty would propose when he did. If you don't believe me, ask Katrina.
When Jonathan was home, and I learned of His proposal plans, I said to Katrina, "wouldn't it be so awesome and adorable if Dusty proposed this weekend too?" Never thinking he would. But then on Monday I get a voicemail on my phone from Kaytie. "Hi I was just calling to tell you that Dusty asked me to marry him this weekend, and I said yes." Let me tell you, I squealed and laughed the whole way home from work. WOOT WOOT!!!!!

When I talked to her on the phone shortly there after, she asked if I would be the photographer. Cause they had both liked the pictures I had taken for Anika's graduation. AHHHHH!!!! Me a wedding photographer?!?!?!?!?!? HELP!!!!

Several weeks later, Pastor Neil's church hosted a youth hiking trip in the Black Hills, and of course we (my family, Kaytie, Dusty, etc) were invited. And I was so afraid I'd spill the beans about them being engaged, cause they were going to tell Pastor Neil in person.
Well they finally did, and he was so happy. Some of the older gals that were also there, about killed us trying to get out of the van and over to Kaytie.
During the hiking trip they asked Pastor Neil to officiate, and then they began their "premarital counselling". :) lol.

So, finally the day before the wedding came, and I was there at the rehearsal. Which was a WHOLE bunch of fun!!! (If you knew Pastor Neil you would know what fun really is, then add Dusty and his brother Jason, and its even better.) Afterward, when they were giving their gifts to the wedding party, etc, Kaytie said she had learned a few things today. ...."and the next time we get married, Nehemiah[Torberson] is not allowed to be in the wedding." That was because he had made them late for the rehearsal.

I survived being the photographer, so maybe I'll make a business venture out of it. Thats a really big maybe, just so ya know.

Anika got mentioned during Pastor Neil's "personal remarks". It was because she had had to cover up that Dusty and Kaytie were dating, so they could tell him themselves, by pretending to not know anything. Like they were "just friends, nothing more." Pastor said "and up til a couple months ago, Anika Larson didn't believe it." Go Anika!

Anyways, that is my early October news. Maybe I will share some photos of them, if I can find some good ones. (I've been stealing photos of them since I got my camera, so I should have a bunch. :) )

edit: here is my absolute favorite one. (Pre Mrs Schuurmans' help on photo shop)

Pray Request

I feel I can now logically write about something that has been on my heart, and mind, (not to mention prayer list) for over a month.
You'll remember I went on a 2 week missions trip to Bogota' Colombia last February. The place I was at was Children's Vision International, Inc.
Well, early in July I was told about a need they have there for long term missionaries, not just short term teams. Specifically they need staff members to care for the children, and an assistant for their English teacher. This would be a commitment of one year.
It was suggested to me that I go and assist the English teacher(that appears to be the more urgent need). So I talked about it with my parents, and prayed. Then I began writing a pros and cons list. What is happening that would prevent me from going? What would prompt me to go? The list was rather lengthy. There are many factors that would have to fall into place before I could make a commitment to go.
The main one is, "Is this God's will for me?" That is the biggest thing I've been praying about each day. To know that what I'm doing is within God's plan for my life. I don't want to say yes, and then go and be completely miserable because I'm outside of God's will. But I also do not want to say no and miss out on God's blessings.
I do know that I could not commit to an entire year, and have asked if 6 months is okay. Which they said was fine. This would have me there for one school semester. If I went it would be sometime in January to late June/early July.
So what I would ask from you my friends is your prayers concerning this topic. Pray that God would show his will to me. Pray for a peace of mind, no matter which way I decide. Also pray that things would happen that would prepare me for the future, no matter what.

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She Said YES!!!!!

Kinda a strange title, but it is true! Last Friday Jonathan proposed to his girlfriend, Bethany, and she said yes! They will be married on August 14th 2010 (if my sources are correct).

To get the full story you will have to ask one of those 2, but here is my take on it......

Jonathan had leave for 2 weeks and spent majority of that time in the Omaha and Norfolk areas with Bethany and her family. He did come up to Salem on the 2nd in time for the Haugaard's Fireworks fellowship. And returned again on the 8th, for the remaining 4 days of leave.
I learned of his plans when he had kicked Nathaniel out of the computer room so he could talk to Mom in private. After she came out I asked her if something was wrong, cause she was all serious and quiet. Her answer was "things are as good as they can be right now." And I knew instantly what was up. ! ! ! ! !
So then disguising his leaving the house for several hours in a trip to Madison with Nathaniel (to get his concealed weapons permit) he drove to Sioux Falls to pick up the ring. (He did go to Madison as well, that wasn't just a cover up. He had gone the day before to apply for the permit, and was getting it that day. I think its hilarious that someone with the level of clearance he has, he still has to get a concealed weapons permit. lol!)
When he got back, Anika and Bethany had gone on a walk, so he and I went to florist shop and he bought her a rose. His plan was that at different times throughout the day (Friday) we would give Bethany a present from him. (We'd be at Crazy Days, so he couldn't do it himself.) And the first one would be the rose at 8 am.
So we had fun at the mall, with Anika keeping track of time and the gifts. Which I think Bethany was tickled pink by. Then at 6 or so they left for Sioux Falls, again for a date at Michael's Steakhouse; driving a rented car, that was found by my suggestion (hehehe!)
I had to work that afternoon, and when I got home, Daddy and Mom left with Bethany's dog, Dusty and the ring. The plan was that Dusty would deliver the ring to Bethany.
And that worked out really well, even though when Bethany first saw Dusty she was upset, thinking Dusty had bit someone.
So, yeah, thats the story, and I'm pretty excited! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !



(pictures will be added soon, their not working properly right now)

God's Beautiful Promise

:11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all
flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither
shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
:12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make
between me and you and every living creature that is
with you, for perpetual generations:
:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token
of a covenant between me and the earth.
:14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth,
that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
:15 And I shall remember my covenant, which is between
me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters
shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
:16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it,
that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God
and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

Genesis 9:11-16

The other day we had a very hard storm come through and drench the farm. Daddy, Anika and I happened to all be out there, and had to wait out the storm in the house. We were pretty upset, because there is hay on the ground that needed to be baled the next day, that will probably be ruined now. Hay that gets wet, gets moldy and is then bad for sheep. :(

But then after the 10 minutes of rain was over we went outside and saw a beautiful sight. Just to the east of the farm was a very vivid rainbow. It was not even an eighth of a mile away. We could see the bottoms on both ends.

It was a beautiful reminder that God still cares. That he has remembered his promise that he made with the world so long ago. He will never wipe out the earth with a flood. Though rains come, and the hay is wet, his promise still holds.

I am so glad to have a God who makes and keeps his covenant promises. And remembers them in such a beautiful way.

June

(Boring name, I know) I am the worst blogger on earth. Sorry peoples.

So, if a picture is worth a thousand words, may I give you several?

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The month started with the 3 of us girls driving with a friend to Nebraska for our friend Natalie's graduation. That was a lot of fun!

Katrina apparently thinks I need to get married, so she made a significant other for me to bring home. His name is Sebastian Octavius. His work ethic was rather low, as evidenced by his couch potato belly, so Daddy told him No, and he was deflated.

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My sheep have been lambing this month. So far we have 12 ewes, and 10 rams! Only 3 have died, and 2 ewes are bottle lambs. I praise God for such a healthy lambing season.
One very sad thing though, is that my bottle lamb from February, Naomi died. :( Daddy said she probably over ate on the fresh grass.

On the 20th we went to Kramer's Auction in Sioux Falls and sold a bunch of rabbits, goats and sheep. That was a rather pathetic day. We got not even half of what we were told to expect for the whethers. And the rabbits weren't even the cardboard of the boxes they were in. So we were quite disappointed.

And the last big harrah of the month was Bible Camp!
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Camp is held at the Beautiful Richmond Lake Youth Camp grounds near Aberdeen, SD

All of us kids have gone for many years. This was my second year as a counselor.

Brother Dave Young has been one of the speakers for 3 years now. He's GREAT!

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Every evening there is a funny skit before the service. The first one ended with an emergency room visit. "Leonardo" cut his hand on the door window when he was leaving at the end. That was Not part of the script.
And every afternoon we had sports. Kickball, T Rex Tag, Tube Tug, Spokewheel, Big Ball, etc.
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At Midnight Madness we had pop drinking races, donut eating races, and of course the scary person under the table race. (I was the person under the table this year, and as such got cool whip thrown at me by another counselor, "Jimmy"........)

And Pastor Neil, the Camp Director is so much fun. We all love him.
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After our traditional "Cooks Parade" we had them gather for a picture. They are awesome.

And Anika was one of the Camp Champs this year!
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I love Camp.