Well the Team has made it to London!! We have had a long journey just to get this far and still have a long ways to go. Our Team is made up of 10 nurses we are from California, Washington State, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. We all met for the first time in Chicago and already becoming friends we might not get each others names right just yet but we have a few days to work on it :) I can already tell it's going to be a fun trip with these great gals!
Saying goodbye, I handled it well as for Teagan not so much she woke up crying and cried while telling me goodbye and then for about 45minutes after. I will miss all 3 girls and Brandon very much but I know they are in good hands!!
My Dad drove me to chicago which was super nice to not have to worry about checking bags etc prior to meeting the team. I have learned that as I get older I get more anxious though around the busyness of the city or maybe I'm growing comfortable with small town Parkersburg.
The 7 hour flight to London was long, the food was good, but I didn't sleep worth a darn! So I'm hoping to catch some zzz's on the 10 hour flight to Luska. My Carry on bag got taken in London by the airline to be checked to go to Zambia, evidently it was too big and some how my bag was the one they picked out because it's the same size as everyone else....please just pray it gets to Zambia, it has all my clothes in it!!!
Alright gotta go, no editing just a quick blog will update/edit when I return home
Love you all thanks for the support and prayers
Friday, August 17, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
SWC
Strong Willed Children or SWC
I remember it clear the day I was in Drug Town and I wanted a coloring book, it wasn't just a normal coloring book it was one of those with the thin paper between the coloring pages can't remember exactly how those works but I wanted that coloring book, I was 4 years old. My mom said no (how to my angel face :) I have no idea but the answer was no. I proceed to throw a fit in the front of Drug Town on the floor screaming and kicking at 4 years old. I recall the cashier trying to give me a balloon or a sucker or something but I wasn't having that....was that lady crazy??!! That's not what I wanted, I wanted the coloring book!! I didn't get the coloring book that day but I did get a spanking, and I remember clearly my mom talking to my Grandma on the phone shortly after the incident. I wish I could say my Strong Will stopped that day with the spanking but it didn't.
Another Time I recall very clearly was in the 6th grade, Track and Field day. My PE coach told me I was too weak to throw the shot put. I told him I wasn't and I threw the shot put.
In the 9th grade my golf coach told me I would not be playing in the first soccer game of the year the night before state golf tournament, I told him I was and came with the facts from the school handbook of how I could indeed play both sports and I wasn't any more likely going to get hurt playing soccer that night as if I was out riding my bike.
High School graduation Tom Vilsack came to speak as our guest during election year, on the top of my cap said Ganske for Senate.
The list can continue of great stories like that but those are just a few. My years 17-21 were terrible for my strong willed. I'm reading a book on strong willed children (perhaps because I have 1, 2 or maybe 3 the jury is still out on Blakely) and the book describes a lot of what I was feeling as a child especially my older adolecent years. I realize now that I was testing my parents I truly think I was testing to see if your love was unconditional....guess what you passed the test :) I put both my parents through some terrible times and not that I was out addicted to drugs or anything but it still makes me sick to my stomach to think some day my girls could be the same way.....and honestly there is nothing I can do about except pray.
I was very blessed God brought me to my knees in Springfield, MO one day and I knew my life had to change, it didn't all happen at once and I am still growing daily with my relationship with God. But like they say at The Way Church in Newton something along the lines of "We don't care how you got here we care where your headed." I love to say my parents raised me really well, and while I'm pretty sure they were about to give up on me when I was 19 or 20 they didn't and the outcome I like to think is pretty good :)
They didn't spend years trying to break my spirit or my will, they spent years praying. And here I am a few years later finding myself doing the same thing praying, praying hard that my strong willed little girls will not lose their spirit that I will not break their will, that they understand I unconditionally will love them forever and in the end they use their strong wills for the glory of God.
So as I continue to struggle daily with a few of my own SWC, I pray for wisdom, I pray I learn to choose my battles, and to not push them away from God or from Brandon and I. And my biggest prayer is that I don't let what I think others think about our family, and my girls in the midst of craziness, dictate how We parent or discipline, that We choose not to raise pharisees of the law and We choose to raise Girls that understand what God's Grace truly means.
I remember it clear the day I was in Drug Town and I wanted a coloring book, it wasn't just a normal coloring book it was one of those with the thin paper between the coloring pages can't remember exactly how those works but I wanted that coloring book, I was 4 years old. My mom said no (how to my angel face :) I have no idea but the answer was no. I proceed to throw a fit in the front of Drug Town on the floor screaming and kicking at 4 years old. I recall the cashier trying to give me a balloon or a sucker or something but I wasn't having that....was that lady crazy??!! That's not what I wanted, I wanted the coloring book!! I didn't get the coloring book that day but I did get a spanking, and I remember clearly my mom talking to my Grandma on the phone shortly after the incident. I wish I could say my Strong Will stopped that day with the spanking but it didn't.
Another Time I recall very clearly was in the 6th grade, Track and Field day. My PE coach told me I was too weak to throw the shot put. I told him I wasn't and I threw the shot put.
In the 9th grade my golf coach told me I would not be playing in the first soccer game of the year the night before state golf tournament, I told him I was and came with the facts from the school handbook of how I could indeed play both sports and I wasn't any more likely going to get hurt playing soccer that night as if I was out riding my bike.
High School graduation Tom Vilsack came to speak as our guest during election year, on the top of my cap said Ganske for Senate.
The list can continue of great stories like that but those are just a few. My years 17-21 were terrible for my strong willed. I'm reading a book on strong willed children (perhaps because I have 1, 2 or maybe 3 the jury is still out on Blakely) and the book describes a lot of what I was feeling as a child especially my older adolecent years. I realize now that I was testing my parents I truly think I was testing to see if your love was unconditional....guess what you passed the test :) I put both my parents through some terrible times and not that I was out addicted to drugs or anything but it still makes me sick to my stomach to think some day my girls could be the same way.....and honestly there is nothing I can do about except pray.
I was very blessed God brought me to my knees in Springfield, MO one day and I knew my life had to change, it didn't all happen at once and I am still growing daily with my relationship with God. But like they say at The Way Church in Newton something along the lines of "We don't care how you got here we care where your headed." I love to say my parents raised me really well, and while I'm pretty sure they were about to give up on me when I was 19 or 20 they didn't and the outcome I like to think is pretty good :)
They didn't spend years trying to break my spirit or my will, they spent years praying. And here I am a few years later finding myself doing the same thing praying, praying hard that my strong willed little girls will not lose their spirit that I will not break their will, that they understand I unconditionally will love them forever and in the end they use their strong wills for the glory of God.
So as I continue to struggle daily with a few of my own SWC, I pray for wisdom, I pray I learn to choose my battles, and to not push them away from God or from Brandon and I. And my biggest prayer is that I don't let what I think others think about our family, and my girls in the midst of craziness, dictate how We parent or discipline, that We choose not to raise pharisees of the law and We choose to raise Girls that understand what God's Grace truly means.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
This is not where I belong!!
All I know is I'm not Home Yet
This is not where I belong Take this world and give me Jesus.
I really find these words powerful especially during the days I struggle with being a mom during the "little years" and after that I'm going to struggle during the elementary years and so on and so on. We are always in a "stage" of life sometimes we enjoy that stage and other times we don't enjoy it at all.
Today was a struggle as I sat at swim lessons watching my 3 and 4 year old both in the same class huddle together screaming about having to jump off the diving board and go under water (with life jackets on). The other kids some jump, some dive off with joy, others timidly get up there while the instructor helps them off. My 2 girls sat there screaming while I sat there and watched. I struggled with what to do in this situation, do you "rescue" them do you say its ok you don't have to go this time or do you throw them off the deep end and let them "survive"??!! Maybe the instructors didn't care, maybe the other parents didn't care but you know everyone has a thought of what they would do if they were in that situation, if it was their 2 children. Its easy to think what you would do if it was your kid when its not your kid. Seriously I was the best parent in the world my kids were perfect, good athletes, good students, respected Brandon and I, and were just all around perfect that is until I had children. My kids are not perfect my parenting skills are far from perfect and I struggle daily with it.
And like the ads tell you daily if you ever listen to life 101.9 I get in the van frustrated, embarrassed, exhausted, and overwhelmed and I hear All I know is I'm not Home yet, This is not where I belong Take this world and give me Jesus........It was exactly what I needed to hear, it gave me a sense of peace, and knowing this is not where we belong and as I listened to Teagan singing it out as she loves this song I ask her.....Teagan where do we belong and she says "in heaven with Jesus" so simple so easy and she didn't even have to pause, oh to have child like faith.
So as I continue to screw my kids up one day at a time, traumatizing them by throwing them in the deep end, I pray that through the Grace of God that when we end up where we belong my children are right there with me worshiping God.
Also nothing like a day like today where I'm put back in my place, I admit I still see kids scream in the store, yell at their parents, cry when their parents leave, all those things that kids do........and I think to myself well why don't they just do this or that?? Well sometimes unless its our kid our situation we don't know what we would do, and its not our place to judge.
This is not where I belong Take this world and give me Jesus.
I really find these words powerful especially during the days I struggle with being a mom during the "little years" and after that I'm going to struggle during the elementary years and so on and so on. We are always in a "stage" of life sometimes we enjoy that stage and other times we don't enjoy it at all.
Today was a struggle as I sat at swim lessons watching my 3 and 4 year old both in the same class huddle together screaming about having to jump off the diving board and go under water (with life jackets on). The other kids some jump, some dive off with joy, others timidly get up there while the instructor helps them off. My 2 girls sat there screaming while I sat there and watched. I struggled with what to do in this situation, do you "rescue" them do you say its ok you don't have to go this time or do you throw them off the deep end and let them "survive"??!! Maybe the instructors didn't care, maybe the other parents didn't care but you know everyone has a thought of what they would do if they were in that situation, if it was their 2 children. Its easy to think what you would do if it was your kid when its not your kid. Seriously I was the best parent in the world my kids were perfect, good athletes, good students, respected Brandon and I, and were just all around perfect that is until I had children. My kids are not perfect my parenting skills are far from perfect and I struggle daily with it.
And like the ads tell you daily if you ever listen to life 101.9 I get in the van frustrated, embarrassed, exhausted, and overwhelmed and I hear All I know is I'm not Home yet, This is not where I belong Take this world and give me Jesus........It was exactly what I needed to hear, it gave me a sense of peace, and knowing this is not where we belong and as I listened to Teagan singing it out as she loves this song I ask her.....Teagan where do we belong and she says "in heaven with Jesus" so simple so easy and she didn't even have to pause, oh to have child like faith.
So as I continue to screw my kids up one day at a time, traumatizing them by throwing them in the deep end, I pray that through the Grace of God that when we end up where we belong my children are right there with me worshiping God.
Also nothing like a day like today where I'm put back in my place, I admit I still see kids scream in the store, yell at their parents, cry when their parents leave, all those things that kids do........and I think to myself well why don't they just do this or that?? Well sometimes unless its our kid our situation we don't know what we would do, and its not our place to judge.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
What Happend to Seven???
For the whole month of March we were totally dedicated to 7 we were going to decrease 7 areas of excess in our lives and we started with food. It was tough it was a total challenge and I think we accomplished it!! So where are we now in 7 thats the question I keep being asked?? Well embrassingly I have to admit we've probably failed some in the eyes of people watching. We haven't done anything since March we had decide we would take a short break between each area of excess and our short break has turned into a long break. I think in part due to the fact we all think food was by far going to be the hardest. Plus its easy to fail, this challenge is suppose to be hard and when its not a law or a requirement and really were not being punished for not doing it....so why why do it???
Well I'll tell you why.....because it keeps coming back to me the thought of all our EXCESS!!! I have been sitting in my laundry room sorting piles and piles of clothes and I wonder why in the world have I let all these piles build up?? Well to be honest because I can were not out of clothes to wear, we all still have clean underwear, and my girls don't care if they match so there is still clothes to wear. So why do laundry???!! Well one its rather ridiculous the amount of clothes we have, the choices we have, and with all that to me comes stress. Stress of having so much laundry to do, so much to keep up with, and stress when it comes to deciding what to wear. So instead of sitting here being upset about the amount of laundry I have I'm going to do something about it. I'm starting the second month of 7.......7 articles of clothing, not including underwear. When all I have to choose from is 7 articles it makes things much easier in the morning to get ready!!
So I ask that people hold me accontable, keep asking where I'm at in my 7 challenge and encourge me to keep going!! As soon as I get out of the mountain of laundry I will choose my 7 articles of clothing and continue on with getting rid of excess!!!
Well I'll tell you why.....because it keeps coming back to me the thought of all our EXCESS!!! I have been sitting in my laundry room sorting piles and piles of clothes and I wonder why in the world have I let all these piles build up?? Well to be honest because I can were not out of clothes to wear, we all still have clean underwear, and my girls don't care if they match so there is still clothes to wear. So why do laundry???!! Well one its rather ridiculous the amount of clothes we have, the choices we have, and with all that to me comes stress. Stress of having so much laundry to do, so much to keep up with, and stress when it comes to deciding what to wear. So instead of sitting here being upset about the amount of laundry I have I'm going to do something about it. I'm starting the second month of 7.......7 articles of clothing, not including underwear. When all I have to choose from is 7 articles it makes things much easier in the morning to get ready!!
So I ask that people hold me accontable, keep asking where I'm at in my 7 challenge and encourge me to keep going!! As soon as I get out of the mountain of laundry I will choose my 7 articles of clothing and continue on with getting rid of excess!!!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Loving "These Days"
Blakely's favorite thing to do is go on bike rides! She loves riding in the trailer and more then anything she loves to wear her helmet. Hehe she is so funny she won't even take it off at the park :) I really have to convince her to take it off to go to bed! 
The weather has been amazing and I hope it stays like this all summer but I have a feeling were in for some hot dry days this summer!!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
I know it has been forever since I blogged, but wow was April busy!! And here we are already the 2nd of May??!! Really time flies by so fast!!
We have really been enjoying the weather and being able to be outside! We have already checked so many projects off our list and can't wait to get a few more checked off soon!! I'm loving this, seriously maybe a little too much but this is the first time in 5 years that I feel like I can actually get out and do a few things outside, or its ok if Brandon is outside mowing and geting stuff done because I don't have a baby this summer. My youngest is a toddler and she's able to play and I don't have to carry a baby on my hip all summer (although Blakely would still love that), and I'm not throwing up every hour because I'm not pregnant. It's so cool because I can see God's timing in all of this, I know I can be honest and everyone knows it true.....If I wasn't going to Africa in August I would more then likely be pregnant but instead I'm being obiedent to God's will in wanting me to serve in Africa and I'm being blessed with enjoying my 3 beautiful growing girls and my wonderful husband, and while someday we want to continue to add to our family we are doing a lot of fun stuff this summer!!
One thing we did this year is we took a step and invested in bikes, bike trailers, and helmets. One of my greatest memories is riding bikes in Newton with my parents, even as I got older I enjoyed riding with my dad. Last night we got to go on our first family outing and not much has changed except for I'm a lot older, out of shape, and I was willing wearing a helmet. We kind of laughed as were all wearing helmets and Brandon and I still feel like total dorks wearing them but hey being an ER nurse and setting a good example for our kids were wearing helmets! Honestly I wish it was a law to wear a helmet and not because I want to take away a freedom of you being able to choose (I mean if you want to risk getting a head injury thats your choice) but I wish it was a law so that some part of my parenting was easy, I wouldn't be the mean mom that says I don't care that none of your friends wear helmets your wearing one....(I can already hear me saying that and its a few years away before I have to do that) Right now they just do, they don't really think much about it, and its not uncool. In fact Teagan thinks its totally cool and whenever we see helmets she asks can I get one like that??! Oh well I haven't found one part of parenting easy so why start now right??
Since I lasted blogged I celebrated a birthday I only have one more left to celebrate until I turn 30 then I can be one of those people that can say I'm celebrating my 29th birthday for the 5th time. Ok not really I will never be one of those people, and honestly I could care less about turning 30 I don't really find it a big deal...yet but then again who am I to judge I'm not there yet. So this year I had a great time celebrating my birthday with my family and I got two of the best presents and they are totally on the opposite ended of the spectrum (sorta, I'll explain more) but I got a Kindle Touch, and my awesome husband built me a clothes line which sad but true I love!! I've fallen in love with reading again and I hate clutter so my Kindle is awesome, and my clothes line its perfect, its the right size, it looks really nice, and its simple!! So why I've decided these two things are more a like then you might think is because everything I've been reading lately is all about simplicity. My life seems pretty hectic most days and so I love to read and learn about how I can simplify my life. I think I continue to feel convicted about all our busyness, materlisism, and just "stuff" we don't need and I truly want to live a more simple life, one that doesn't seem to be so hectic and filled with "stuff". I want to slow down and enjoy this time with my family because we all know it goes by WAY to fast.
Here is a few pictures of what are summer has looked like so far :)
We have really been enjoying the weather and being able to be outside! We have already checked so many projects off our list and can't wait to get a few more checked off soon!! I'm loving this, seriously maybe a little too much but this is the first time in 5 years that I feel like I can actually get out and do a few things outside, or its ok if Brandon is outside mowing and geting stuff done because I don't have a baby this summer. My youngest is a toddler and she's able to play and I don't have to carry a baby on my hip all summer (although Blakely would still love that), and I'm not throwing up every hour because I'm not pregnant. It's so cool because I can see God's timing in all of this, I know I can be honest and everyone knows it true.....If I wasn't going to Africa in August I would more then likely be pregnant but instead I'm being obiedent to God's will in wanting me to serve in Africa and I'm being blessed with enjoying my 3 beautiful growing girls and my wonderful husband, and while someday we want to continue to add to our family we are doing a lot of fun stuff this summer!!
One thing we did this year is we took a step and invested in bikes, bike trailers, and helmets. One of my greatest memories is riding bikes in Newton with my parents, even as I got older I enjoyed riding with my dad. Last night we got to go on our first family outing and not much has changed except for I'm a lot older, out of shape, and I was willing wearing a helmet. We kind of laughed as were all wearing helmets and Brandon and I still feel like total dorks wearing them but hey being an ER nurse and setting a good example for our kids were wearing helmets! Honestly I wish it was a law to wear a helmet and not because I want to take away a freedom of you being able to choose (I mean if you want to risk getting a head injury thats your choice) but I wish it was a law so that some part of my parenting was easy, I wouldn't be the mean mom that says I don't care that none of your friends wear helmets your wearing one....(I can already hear me saying that and its a few years away before I have to do that) Right now they just do, they don't really think much about it, and its not uncool. In fact Teagan thinks its totally cool and whenever we see helmets she asks can I get one like that??! Oh well I haven't found one part of parenting easy so why start now right??
Since I lasted blogged I celebrated a birthday I only have one more left to celebrate until I turn 30 then I can be one of those people that can say I'm celebrating my 29th birthday for the 5th time. Ok not really I will never be one of those people, and honestly I could care less about turning 30 I don't really find it a big deal...yet but then again who am I to judge I'm not there yet. So this year I had a great time celebrating my birthday with my family and I got two of the best presents and they are totally on the opposite ended of the spectrum (sorta, I'll explain more) but I got a Kindle Touch, and my awesome husband built me a clothes line which sad but true I love!! I've fallen in love with reading again and I hate clutter so my Kindle is awesome, and my clothes line its perfect, its the right size, it looks really nice, and its simple!! So why I've decided these two things are more a like then you might think is because everything I've been reading lately is all about simplicity. My life seems pretty hectic most days and so I love to read and learn about how I can simplify my life. I think I continue to feel convicted about all our busyness, materlisism, and just "stuff" we don't need and I truly want to live a more simple life, one that doesn't seem to be so hectic and filled with "stuff". I want to slow down and enjoy this time with my family because we all know it goes by WAY to fast.
Here is a few pictures of what are summer has looked like so far :)
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Nurses For Africa
A day doesn't go by that I don't think about Africa. I love love to talk to anyone that's willing to listen about my trip to Africa. My girls are starting to talk about it more and more and Teagan asked me tonight if I would bring home a little girl from Africa :) (and oh how I wish I could bring all of them home ). As I sit in my room and I think about how my room is about the size of their house it makes me appreciate what I have but even more I'm excited about the opportunity that I have to serve the people of Zambia. Wow what an amazing thing it is that God has chosen me to be a nurse and to serve others. Brandon and I are both really excited to see how God is going to work in our lives to serve other people. This has become a family adventure and although my family isn't coming with me on this trip to Africa they are a huge support and I hope that we will be able to go together someday soon. Some people dream about taking trips with their kids to Disney World, I dream about taking my kids to Africa. I know not everyone is called to go to Africa and not everyone is as excited about the trip as I am but I really do feel like this is what I'm called to do.
This week I have started to send out letters for help in supporting my trip to Africa. There is no way that I could go on this trip without the support of friends and family. Thank you to everyone who has already supported me financially and through prayer. Please if you would continue to pray and if you feel led to support me either contact me and I can get you the info or I have a previous blog on the foundation and how to send money.
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