Always and Forever

Ten years ago I walked down the aisle to become his wife.

Today I wake up every morning and thank God that He placed him in my life.



I thought I would use a few pictures to tell you a little more about this man that I love.

An amazing father. . .


Who works even when we are on vacation (so we can keep going on vacation)


He would climb mountains or plow through corn fields for anyone.


And whenever I need a good laugh, I can always count on him.



I thought about writing a love letter to him in my blog post today. But this post suits him. He entered my life making me laugh. I hope that we never lose the laughter.

Happy Anniversary Chad! I love you!

Home is. . .

Sandy the Reluctant Entertainer is hosting a fun Wednesday link up called Home is. . . This week she wants us to focus on an Easter Memory.

This Easter was full of memories for us. I will never forget this wonderful Easter.

Home is. . .

an Easter Memory

It started with Palm Sunday


There was a visit from the Easter Bunny.


Easter Egg hunting.


Fun on Grandma and Grandpa's Farm


And listening to little conversations between 4 year old cousins over a little Easter candy.



I have a lot of pictures to capture the memories shared between our family. The pictures don't capture the most important part. The conversations that were had between three beautiful girls and two parents. The conversations about Christ and His sacrifice for us. The questions about Good Friday and the day Jesus rose. Those are memories that are captured in our hearts.

I posted this picture last week, but it captures my favorite Easter Memory. . .

Unwrapping the Gift of Family

This weekend we spent time with both my family and my husband's family. We laughed until we cried, we chatted about the anticipation of new life and we spent hours outside enjoying a sunny Easter day.

My husband and I have visited a lot lately about being away from our family. It gets harder every time to leave. I asked him why it seems like I see so much nostalgia in everything lately. He told me I am just getting old. :-)

Today I am unwrapping the amazing gift of family. People that accept us with all of our flaws and failures. I am sharing a few of my favorite pictures from Easter.

My beautiful girls on our way to church Easter morning.


Getting ready to find their Easter eggs. They tried to be patient inside the house waiting for the eggs to be hidden.


Grandma and Great-Grandpa enjoying the day.


Cousins, trying to be sneaky and eat just one more piece of candy.


Grandpa giving rides on the four-wheeler. Another Easter full of memories.




I am joining Emily over at Chatting at the Sky for Tuesdays Unwrapped where we come together to celebrate the small gifts that we receive every day.

A Distant Melody

A Distant Melody is the debut novel for Sarah Sundin and I am already hooked. She sets her first novel in WWII with story of love and sacrifice.

The romance in this book tears at your heartstrings. They are being kept apart, but meant to be together. This is a great story that will capture you from the very beginning.

Two people who never feel they will find the love they have always dreamed of end up finding each other. I loved this book!

Here is a little summary of the book:
Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval--even marry a man she doesn't love.

Lt. Walter Novak--fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women--takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas. Walt and Allie meet at a wedding and their love of music draws them together, prompting them to begin a correspondence that will change their lives.

As letters fly between Walt's muddy bomber base in England and Allie's mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together. But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart?

A Distant Melody is the first book in the WINGS OF GLORY series, which follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II.

Thank you Litfuse for giving me this book to review. I am hooked on this incredible new author!

Check out this awesome giveaway at Litfuse.

Lost on the Highway

Last night we headed home from my mother and father-in-law's home a lot later than usual. We usually try to be home around suppertime, but we stayed late and decided to put the kids in their pjs and let them sleep in the car.

My husband and I were visiting about the fun we had on the weekend when we were travelling along the busy highway that brings us home. We were about 2 miles outside of a small town and we saw someone walking along the busy highway in the dark. We looked at each other and knew that something was not right.

My husband drove a little until he found a place he could turn around and we went back to find out if we could help. He pulled over and got out to talk to this woman. She was elderly, it was very dark, she was dressed in a light sweater and capri pants. I looked at the outside temperature gauge in our vehicle. It was only 34 degrees outside.

When my husband asked this woman what she was doing she said she was walking home. She was very confused. She had to have been on this highway for an hour. Her destination was 50 miles away. She told my husband she was a couple of miles from home.

He called 911 and asked them to have someone come and help this woman. The dispatch called back and said we will send someone, but we can't make her get in the car. . .What?! My husband told them we are not leaving until someone comes to help her.

She would not get into our car, she just kept walking. My husband put on his hazard lights and drove slowly on the highway right behind her to keep other cars from hitting her. I wish I would have counted the amount of cars drove by while we inched along. The speed limit on this highway is 70 mph. This woman had to have been on that road for an hour with no one stopping to help.

The disptach called back and said that this woman was missing from the nursing home at the town we had just drove through. They sent out an employee to pick her up. We followed her for 20 minutes before they arrived to take her home.

My older girls woke up when we pulled over to talk to her. They were so confused as to why we had to stop. We talked to them about the Good Samaritain. We talked about how probably 50 cars drove by this woman and no one stopped to help. They know the story. Now they experienced it in real life.

My husband and I are never on that road this late at night. God knew we needed to be on that road last night.

The Lord's Supper

Last night we celebrated the Lord's Supper.

After school the girls helped me make the Unleavened Bread while I read them the story of the widow and Elijah in 1 Kings 17:7-24.

We sat down by candlelight and ate supper as a family.


After we finished eating, I started to read John 13:1-17. Chad got up, wrapped a towel around his waist and washed the girls' feet.


We talked about being servants. We talked about how significant it was the Jesus washed the disciples feet.

Then I read Matthew 26:17-30. Chad broke the bread and gave each of us a piece and he passed the cup. After we shared Communion together we talked about how after the Lord's Supper they got up and went to the Garden of Gethsemane. The girls had acted out the events of Holy week at Church the night before. My middle daughter said, "They told us we had to shout Crucify Him, Crucify Him. We were just acting so that wasn't a sin right?"

It made me smile and broke my heart at the same time. She was just acting and she still did not want to shout, Crucify Him. She understands the significance of Easter way more than I give her credit for.




This is the first time we have celebrated the Lord's Supper in our home. I had no idea the significance it would have on all of us. God is so Good.

Celebrating Easter

A few weeks ago I was sent a Read and Share DVD Bible Book on Easter from Tommy Nelson. The book is set up as separate stories leading up to Jesus going to Heaven. As I was flipping through the book I got an idea. At home this week we were have been following the Easter story.


On Sunday night we celebrated Palm Sunday. On Tuesday night we watched the DVD that came with the Read and Share book. It has six stories from the Life of Jesus. My girls really enjoyed the DVD and they remembered all of the stories.

Tonight we will celebrate the Lord's Supper. We do not let our girls participate in Communion at church so it will be a special time for us to talk about what the meaning behind Communion. My husband will wash their feet and we will talk about what it means to be a servant.

Special times, special memories, and time together as a family celebrating Easter.

Today you can go to Gather Inspirit and enter to win an entire Read & Share Collection! Tommy Nelson is generously sending one commenter this special package. All you need to do is comment on how you share Bible Stories and Scriptures with your kids.

I would love to know how you are celebrating Easter this year with your family.