Kathy the Vegas Girl

Just a thought..... thats all

2011-08-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

This is the last picture I took of Mike- I know its not the best one- its blurry and not the best quality- but it is the last picture I personally took of Mike and I treasure it more than anything. I have been thinking all day of him and of my sister. She is such an EXCELLENT example of a Godly woman- I truly see Jesus through her- and that keeps me in line! Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of Mikes going Home to be with the Lord. During your day tomorrow if you think of Lizzie, please pray for her. She will be spending the day fasting and praying.

This past year has been full of change- For everyone involved.

Lizzie has learned to live her life without her beloved. She transitioned from Atlanta to Las Vegas very well. She is the BEST housekeeper one could ask for. My laundry is always done, food is always on the table when I get home and house is always clean. What a Blessing she has been to both Paul and I.

Paul is still in college but has only 4 Classes left- YAY! We are SOOOOO looking forward to this chapter in his life to be over. He has started to adjust to his hostile work environment. Things that bothered him before no longer upset him as much- He has learned to deal with the daily stresses.

As for me- I cannot even think of where to start! I will start by saying THANK YOU LORD for so much. I know there are days when I feel so overwhelmed by LIFE- that is when I take a step back, take a deep breath and Thank God for His MANY BLESSINGS, which in turn renews my hope and gives me strength to go on. So, with that said, I am not going to bore you with my complicated life I'm just going to say that God is GOOD.

Psalm 68:35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

I've got some BIG activities coming up VERY soon and I wanted to share.

In 10 days Paul and I will be going on a vacation to Hawaii. My friend Lana is finally getting married and we have decided that we needed to be there to support her- and why not- it is Hawaii. *smile*

Paul also has the privilege to travel to Argentina for Thanksgiving this year. He has accumulated so much time off that he needs to use it up by the end of the year if not he looses some of it. Unfortunately, I am not able to take 2 weeks off work and go with him. I was somewhat sad about this- but I am VERY happy for Paul and the privilege he has to visit with his family and friends.

Well, I am saving the BEST for last. Remember when I said that GOD is good? Well, let me expand on that thought. I was a little sad that Paul and I were not going to be together for Thanksgiving...God sure knows how to make me feel better- The week of Thanksgiving I have been awarded an ALL expense trip to London, England.... You heard me right.... ENGLAND!!!!

I did have options of other places to go, however if I was making the trip without Paul I was going to choose a spot that Paul would not mind me going to without him. England is not on his list of places to go... so I chose England. Lizzie and I will be leaving on November 19th and returning on November 26th. It works out perfect for me since that week is a short week so I am only missing 3 days of work! We are VERY excited.

I think I have said ENOUGH for one post... Remember Lizzie tomorrow in your prayers!

Until the next one.

Day One

2011-06-13T08:00:00.001-07:00

Day one without my beloved Sister at work with me.
We had a fabulous weekend. Lizzie is now house sitting for a church family that is on vacation for 3 weeks. We spent Saturday at their house- they have a pool and a hot tub so we are enjoying the amenities. Paul and I will be with Lizzie on the weekend- so we can take her to church and have some fun in the sun with her.
Today starts the first day without Lizzie. I am going to rearrange my workload and schedule to make sure I do her job and mine.
I covet your prayers this week as I work on the adjustment of Lizzie not being here.
This week is our anniversary week. Tomorrow and Wednesday night we are staying at the VDARA to celebrate our anniversary. Priceline is AWESOME. I was able to get the room for $40 a night.
Well- gotta run.. Just wanted to give a small update.
Thanks again for your prayers.

Her last day

2011-06-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

And the day has come- June 10th, 2011 Lizzie's last day of work.
I have such mixed emotions of her not working with me anymore. It is the selfish part of me that does not want to let her go. She has been a wonderful help to me. I am honored that I got to work with her for 6 months- But the realistic ME understands the reasons she chose to stay home- and quite honestly her staying home will make home life even sweeter- You see, she does laundry, she cooks, and she cleans. So, in essence my home life will get a whole lot easier and my work life just a little more complicated.... BUT- it is worth the sacrifice. The other good thing is- Lizzie will be able to be a blessing to many people from church while she is off work- and that is the best part of all!
SO- THANK YOU LIZZIE for your unconditional sacrifice to HELP in all areas of our lives!
We love you and will miss you at work- But I look forward to ALL that God has in store for you while you stay home.

Patience

2011-05-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Patience- an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay-

God has been working with me on this patience thing... We live in a FAST FOOD society which in turn has caused me to expect everything in life to happen fast- God has been teaching me to sit still and rest on the knowledge that EVERYTHING works out according to HIS will. These verses have been a real encouragement to me.

Psalm 46:10- Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exhausted in the earth.

Romans 8:28- And we know that all things work together for good for them that love God, to them that are the called according to his purpose.

All this to say- Our job situation is still in limbo- Nothing has changed as of yet- SO I am resting assured that GOD ULTIMATELY knows the outcome that is best for me.

I covet your prayers- Although I know that GOD is in control-it is a daily struggle to not worry and rest assured in GOD.

Long Overdue

2011-04-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends! It has been TOOOO Long. I am sorry it has been so long. My life has been moving SO fast- I need to slow down just to write what has been going on in Goossenland. We have been very involved at church. We have found a home church that we love and are settling in comfortably. We are making new friends, and best of all we are growing spiritually. I have seen a transformation in Paul. He is more and more social. Pastor Stephen almost weekly asks Paul to read scriptures at church. It is good to see him blossom. I have also seen his passion for God change- We had March Mission Mindedness and he was so excited to go. We were only able to go one of the weeks- and he really embraced the opportunity. Work for him has been a constant trial. We take it one day at a time. Some days prove harder than others- overall God gives him the strength to make it day by day. As for me, well, so much is the same but so much is changing. Our office is in the process of being bought by another company. This brings up lots of changes. We are still working out the changes so I am not really even sure the extent of my actual change. The only thing that I have been told so far is that I will have a job, the extent of the job- I am not sure but I will have a job. It is all in God's hands and that is the ONLY reassuring part of it all. I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me in the future.

My Father Planned it ALL

2011-01-05T16:08:00.000-08:00

Song by Ben Everson-

Mysteries and Shadows
Questions and Fear
Must this way I travel
Be Unclear?
The path ahead is dark I cannot see
But there is one who knows is perfectly

My father Planned it all
Ahead of Time for me
Each Circumstance, each step and path
Selected carefully
When life begins to fall
and I can barely see
My eyes cannot discern the light
So, I'll trust His perfect sight

Looking back I see His guiding hand
His works of love were hard to understand
Now cherished tokens of His love for me
Reminders that He gives whats best for me

My father planned it all
Ahead of Time for me
Each Circumstance, each step and path
Selected carefully
When life begins to fall
and I can barely see
My eyes cannot discern the light
so, I'll trust His perfect sight.

SNOW

2011-01-03T09:56:00.001-08:00

We woke up this morning to snow- now this is big NEWS for Las Vegas since we rarely get snow. This is what it looked like outside my balcony.

This is the picture out of my car. It was a little scary driving to work this morning! Good thing there were NO crazy people on the road while I was driving.

Last, here is a picture of one of the pens that Paul made this weekend. It is by far my favorite pen he has made. He truly enjoys his new hobby! He will be making pens for all the men at church for Fathers day so he is working on perfecting his work so that they all get a REALLY nice pen.

It is supposed to snow all day today. I can only imagine what it will be like going home from work today. These kind of days make me want to stay home with hot tea and a good book.

2011

2011-01-02T15:20:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011!!!

I have been reflecting this past weekend on all the blessings that GOD has given us. It is so easy to think that 2010 was a rough year- but would it be true? The year went exactly as GOD wanted it to go- who am I to expect things to go one way or another? So- Yes I will say that 2010 was a hard year, but I THANK GOD for the trials he is putting us through to REFINE us. Here are some of the trials that we have been through this year- which resulted in blessings from GOD.

1. In January Paul was laid off of work. Even though we somewhat anticipated the lay off it was still a hard TRIAL we had to endure. The lay off put a pause on school for Paul.

2. February we spent looking for a job for Paul. It was not a very pleasant task. Paul was VERY discouraged. Interviews were scarce, unemployment was NO fun.

3. Brandon, a coworker of mine, told me that his neighbor works for a company that was looking for network technicians. Paul applied for the job. They called him for an interview and God blessed him with a job. So March brought a job for Paul. We gave our praises to GOD for supplying a job for Paul.

4. April was a challenging month for Paul. Besides adjusting to a new job, they also gave him a challenge- to compete with another employee for Level II position. I immediately started praying that God's will be done. The selfish part of me wanted him to get the Level II position, however the reality of it was I needed to pray for GOD's will not KATHY's will. Paul's work ethic and demeanor won him the job. Here we were again Blessed by GOD.

5. In May we had a cruise planned out of California. I convinced Lizzie and Mike to go with us. I am SO THANKFUL that God worked it out for Mike and Lizzie to go. I made so many memories of Mike- that I will treasure forever. I am going to share one that I often think of- When Paul and I took Mike and Lizzie to the airport so they could fly home, Mike got out of the car and gave us a hug goodbye. When Mike gave a hug- it was not a wimpy hug- He gave a good bear hug. I remember the hug like it was yesterday- then he looked me straight in the eyes and said- " You know I love you right?" At the time I thought- how silly- of course I know you love me. and I replied- I know, I love you too. WHAT A HUGE gift God gave me with that memory!

6. June 15 Paul and I celebrated our 12 year anniversary. Paul was also able to start school back up!

7. July was really a good month. Lizzie came out and we went on a girls cruise for her birthday.

8. August a month I will not forget. August 17 marks a very, very hard day for our family- especially my sister. I was awoken early to find out that Mike went home to be with the Lord. I know that I spent the next few days just numb- everything and everyone made me cry. I was sad for Lizzie, and I spent many sleepless nights.

9. September we took Dad and Mom on a cruise to celebrate their 40th anniversary. We are so Thankful that we were able to do this. It was a good to get away and do something to take our minds off of the sad month before.

10. October we made the road trip from Atlanta to Las Vegas with my aunt Judy and mom. What a fun trip. Even though the circumstances of Lizzie moving out here were not the best- we made the most of it and had fun.

11. November we traveled to South Carolina to be with everyone. We had a good quick trip but a necessary trip. We needed to be with each other after a few rough months.

12. December is usually one of my favorite months, but somehow this year it just did not seem the same. We had a good Christmas with Dad and Mom flying out to spend a few days with us. We finished the year at the Pastor's house for a time of fun and fellowship.

God has been good and will continue to be good to us- because HIS faithfulness is NEVER failing! I look forward to seeing what HE has in store for us in 2011.

The Best Gift Yet

2010-12-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

I got the best gift I could get for my sister- I know that the first year without her beloved was going to be a hard one- so I wanted to make it a little more special so that she has good memories of Christmas 2010. I bought my parents round trip tickets to be with us for Christmas!!!! I know that the trip will be a quick 3 day trip (My dad got 3 days off together Praise the Lord!) but we will have a wonderful time together and make wonderful memories for Christmas 2010!

Please pray for their trip- they have a very short lay over in Charlotte NC- they will need to book it to catch the next flight! Pray that they have a safe trip here!

To all of my blogger Friends- Merry Christmas!!!!

It's me again!

2010-12-13T11:28:00.000-08:00

It's me! I feel like I have not blogged in a while- and that is because I really haven't. I truly love this time of year- however- I find that I don't really have time to REST much. Of course, I think I am the cause of my busyness. Right after Thanksgiving it is Paul's birthday. He turned 35 this year! Lizzie and I took him to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants- Pannevino- He loves the service and excellent food. I told the waiter that it was his birthday and they made it extra special by bringing him a canoli with this beautifully decorated plate.

Look at the beautiful plate they did for me. We truly enjoyed the food and fellowship.

December 4th was the church banquet. We truly have enjoyed getting to know the church family. We had a wonderful time at the banquet. Our special music was a man by the name of Ben Everson- he sang some beautiful songs.
The next week of work was very unusual. December is usually a slow insurance month. For some reason this year it seems like we are super busy. I am so VERY thankful that Lizzie is working with me she has been such a HUGE help to me. This past Friday we decided to take the evening off and RELAX with a movie and some BBQ at Famous Daves. We have been wanting to watch the movie "Tangled" since it came out. We have free movie tickets to AMC theatre- and there is only one in Las Vegas which is about 30 minutes away from home. So we made the drive on Friday only to find out that the movie "Tangled" had a rip in the actual movie and we were told that we could watch it but it would be not as enjoyable. Well, we ended up seeing Megamind. I really did not have high expectations with this movie so I was pleasantly surprised with the movie. It was cute- and a good way to RELAX after a stressful week. The picture below is of Lizzie at Famous Daves. She was making a face at some silly thing that Paul had just done at the restaurant.

The next picture is of Paul- I could not resist, I love the HAPPY GENUINE smile on his face. I know it is not the best quality picture but I love it that is why I share it!

Saturday, Lizzie and I spent making Christmas treats for Paul's co-workers and for our neighbors. Then on Saturday evening Paul and I went to Paul's Christmas party. Being at the party reminded me of the deprived world we live in. We did not stay very long- pretty much made an appearance and then left- Just enough time to say hi to everyone and then leave!

Sunday was a great day- after church we went to lunch with Pastor and his family. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and introducing them to Mediterranean food.

Well, I gotta run for now... Just wanted to let you all know that I have not forgotten you- I am a little busier than normal.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T07:55:00.000-08:00

Today Paul and I start our trip to Charleston! We are excited to see everyone and looking forward to some Rest and Relaxation!

On another note- Please pray for a friend of Lizzie's from Georgia. On Monday her son was in a car accident. He went home to be with the Lord.

I want to end my post listing 5 things that I am thankful for-

1. Jesus my Saviour without HIM there would be NO HOPE.

2. Family- and truly looking forward to seeing them very soon!

3. Church- I am SO thankful that we have found a new church to call home.

4. Work- Yes- I am thankful for a job. There were months were I thought we were not going to make it- but we are still here- still plugging along and I am very thankful that we are.

5. Friends- I have made some friend in Las Vegas, but none of them were saved so I never really felt the close connection we could have if we were brothers and sisters in Christ.... However- now I have made more friends and we are also Brothers and Sisters in Christ so it makes the friendship even more special!

Milk or Meat????

2010-11-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday- The Lord's day was GREAT. We had a wonderful time at church and we left feeling spiritually fed.
On our way home from church Paul and I were discussing the sermon- and Paul said " You know today I felt like I was fed meat and not just milk!" What a GREAT way to put it. I thought the same but could not verbalize it quite like Paul did.
We are looking forward to the MEAT we are being fed and will continue to be fed.

Game Night

2010-11-20T16:06:00.000-08:00

Last night Pastor Stephen and Tammy Wess invited Paul and I over for pizza and games.
They also invited this other couple- Pam and Peter. What a fun night. We started off playing Mad Gab. What an interesting game. Then we played Rook. I have so many fond memories of playing Rook as a family. The "house" rules were a little different than what I was used to. The fellowship was GREAT. I did not realize how much I was missing the fellowship with fellow believers. I now crave fellowship. Once we get back from South Carolina, Lizzie and I are going to plan out when to have people over for dinner and fellowship. Truly looking forward to it.
Today it is colder than normal and I am having a challenge keeping warm. Paul and I like to save money and not put the heat on. Our theory is to bundle up more-
Tomorrow is the Lord's day and I am truly looking forward to church.

Goossen Happenings!

2010-11-19T08:24:00.000-08:00

Our life has been so full the past few months- Hence the lack of posting!
I know that some of you miss hearing what is going on in our lives! I decided to take a break today and sit down and write what has been going on with us!
We have a new Roommate living with us! My sister officially moved in with us in October. She has been a blessing to have around. She helps with housework and she is my company while Paul is doing school work or gone to the billiards league. I am back to making cards- which is REALLY a good way to relax after a rough day at work.
Elizabeth has also started working with me at Landini & Associates. God had everything planned out for us- Becca the lady that was our receptionist gave notice about 1 month prior to Elizabeth coming to live with us. She and her husband moved to Utah- leaving a vacancy at my place- the funny thing is that her last week was a week after Elizabeth moved here! Well- what do you think that means???? She got the job!
Her first week was rough... She has not worked outside the home for 3 years therefore getting back into the swing of things can be rough at first. But she has SO much potential! I am training her in other areas that will help me out even more. She is a pleasure to have at the office. No matter what her circumstances she is always so cheery and happy. She sits at her desk and hums all day long. It makes me happy to see her content where the Lord has put her!
On another note, since Elizabeth decided to move here- we decided that we needed to find a new church. Not that where we were going (Calvary Chapel) was not good- because the preaching is good there- it is just TOO big and very hard to get plugged in. The music style never really appealed to me- I prefer singing out of a hymnal, and it was time to stop being pew warmers.
So, Elizabeth and I went one Sunday to Canyon Spring Baptist Church (the weekend that Paul was sick). What a pleasant surprise. The church is very small. This is a plant church not even a year old. We have now gone 3 weeks in a row and REALLY enjoy it. We have gone to a picnic and truly enjoyed the fellowship. The people are VERY friendly and welcoming.
We look forward to seeing what God has in store for us at this church.
Work has been good for both of us! Paul keeps busy, but as time goes on seems to enjoy it more and more.
Next week Paul and I travel to South Carolina to spend Thanksgiving with the family. It will be good to be together again!
I will be doing my best to blog more often so that I keep you all up to date on the happenings in Goossenville!

Tag... I'm it!

2010-10-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

My aunt Rita tagged me- so I am going to answer the questions she had:

1. Do you have a "bucket list"? Not really a bucket list- but there are some things that I have in mind that I would like to do at least once in my life.

2. If so, what is at the top? Visiting Israel- I would love to see places that I read of in the Bible.

3. What news story stood out from those you heard today? That Miss USA won Miss World.

4. What are you most thankful for this year? Family. It has been a ROUGH year but I am so thankful that my family is ALWAYS there for each other and willing to help each other out.

5. What small thing always makes you happy? When my husband makes the bed for us right before he goes to work.

6. What is your favorite old movie? Miracle on 34th Street.

7. Was there a surprise in your day? YES big one. Poor Paul got up at 4:00 am vomiting and with diarrhea. He is in bed sleeping and trying to get better.

Now I am supposed to come up with seven different questions and tag seven people, which I always hate doing. And you are not obligated to participate. And if I don't tag you, you can grab the questions and play along, or answer them in the comments!

Here are my questions:

1. What is your favorite holiday and why?
2. Where did you go on your last vacation?
3. What do you enjoy doing on your free time?
4. What is your favorite Bible verse?
5. Have you ever been to Las Vegas if so what did you think?
6. What is your favorite easiest recipe that people really enjoy when you make?
7. What do you like most of your occupation?

I'm tagging the following people:

Elizabeth Williams - Zizzie Happenings

Aunt Linda- Grandma's page

Tesa Goossen- The cookie mom

Dad Hoyt- Comments from the corner

Rosalyn Hoyt- Hanging with the Hoyts

Elizabeth Houston (just leave your answers on comments)

Judy Knepper (just leave your answers on comments)

Thank you for reading and participating... This sure was fun!
Thanks Aunt Rita for tagging me!

Update

2010-10-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

What a weekend... but let me back up a bit. We made it home earlier than expected. Our original plans were to get home Friday, however we decided that rather than stay an extra day in Flagstaff- just to head home after going to the Grand Canyon. We arrived safe and sound. God was VERY good to us keeping the weather really pleasant and the traffic bearable. Friday we got Lizzies room ready. Saturday the pod arrived- and even though we had a small hiccup with the Pod (we needed a street permit in order to park the pod in front of our house) the driver was gracious and allowed it to stay as long as we signed a waiver stating that if we got fined we would have to pay the fine. We spent the next hour unloading the pod and filling my garage with all of Lizzies stuff. After that chore- we were spent.... we took a nap to rest for the night we had planned ahead. We went to dinner and then I was able to get comp tickets to see Cher (one of my Aunts favorites artists). The concert was very loud and very unique- however my aunt had a GREAT time and that is all that really mattered to us.
Today we took her around Las Vegas for the sights and then we came home to relax.
We played cards, played Guitar Hero on the WII... What a blast. SO much in such a short time... Making memories which is the BEST part of all. MANY photos to follow.
Signing off for now.... Big day ahead - back to work :-(

Traveling

2010-10-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

Well, we are in Albuquerque New Mexico... God has been good to us. We have had Great Traffic and wonderful weather. It has been a good time together as girls.
Looking forward to getting home though- Missing my honey!
More to come in the next few days.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Greek Festival continued

2010-09-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the quality of these photos. I forgot the good camera so I used my phone. Below you will see a picture of Paul eating a Gyro. They were really good. Very authentic.

This is a picture that Paul took of me. He thought a picture of me would be good. I am not big on pictures- But I let him take it. I am standing in line to get into the festival.

This is the view out to the center of the festival. They put tables in the middle of this field and then they had booths on the outskirts.

Here is the ticket booth-

We had a good time at the festival. It was not a typical festival. It only had booths of food with music and dancing. I love to people watch and there was good people watching to be done.

Greek Festival

2010-09-24T17:09:00.001-07:00

On our way to the Greek festival! Looking forward for some fun!
Photos to follow!!!!

Save a place for me

2010-09-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

My sister posted a song that put it very clearly how she felt regarding her beloved Best Friend who is in Heaven with his Maker- I was touched by the words that I wanted to post them for all of you.

Save a Place for Me by Matthew West

Don't be mad if I cry
It just hurts so bad
sometimes
'Cause everyday it's sinking in
And I have to say goodbye
all over again

You know I bet if feels good
to have the weight of this
world
Off your shoulders now
I'm dreaming of the day
When I'm finally there with you

Save a place for me
Save a place for me
I'll be there soon
I'll be there soon
Save a place for me
Save some grace for me
I'll be there soon
I'll be there soon

I have asked the
question why
But I guess the answer's
for another time
So instead I'll pray
With every tear
And be thankful for the
time I had you here

I wanna live my life
Just like you did
Make the most of my time
Just like you did
And I wanna make my
home up in the sky
Just like you did
Oh, but until I get there
Until I get there

Save a place for me
Save a place for me
'Cause I will be there soon
Save a place for me
Save some grace for me
I'll be there soon
I'll be there soon

How can it be?????

2010-09-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

Why has this year flown by SOOOO fast? I am not sure where all the days have gone. I feel like just yesterday I was bringing in the new year and here I am in September today!
I am full of mixed emotions. I am truly enjoying my sister being with me- you know the cooking and cleaning taken care of- she is wonderful at making sure when I get home ALL things are done. I enjoy our times together- laughing, crying and just being silly. On the other hand I don't like the reason she is able to do this with me!
Tomorrow makes it month that Mike went home to be with The Lord- and Lizzie is doing very well. I pray for her daily- and I know that God is working!- due to all the prayers going up for her!

On to another subject.... The Cruise celebrating my parents 40th was fantabulous! We had lots of fun. Come to think of it all the time we get together as a family we have a great time. So many memories are made that I know I will treasure!

Before the cruise Lizzie and I decided we needed to get a pedicure... My heels have been really dry and we needed some pampering.... While sitting in the chair getting our feet done this lady comes up to us and asks if we want our eye brows done- I thought to myself- This is great- feet and eye brows waxed good idea... Then I looked over to the sign and it said eye brow threading.... Have you ever had your eye brows threaded? First of all, let me just say- DON'T- I trusted the lady - she said in her heavy accent- No it does not hurt... Well, SHE . WAS. WRONG. It hurt SO much my eyes hurt for 2 days- YES- I said 2 complete days- Waxing is definitely the ONLY way to go. Have you seen the threading process? I had tears rolling from my eyes and she nicely wiped the tears for me- "I thought it was not supposed to hurt"- is what I wanted to SHOUT- but OH- NO- I decided to keep my mouth shut. SO- long story longer- DON'T do the threading.

Tears

2010-08-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and looked beside me and saw my husband sleeping so peacefully and I just laid there and sobbed. He awoke to my crying and wondered what was wrong with me- then when I explained to him that I was sad for Lizzie- that she would not be waking up next to Mike any more it just really made me soooo sad.
So- I am sad- even though Mike was not my spouse- he was my brother in law- and a friend. I miss hearing him in the background when I talk to my sister. I know he is with Christ right now - but boy is he missed here!
I am so encouraged by how my sister is doing. She is so strong. I am sure she struggles daily with the loss of her best friend but I also know that she is HOLDING on firm to the Comfort that only God can give her.
I can't wait to see her in 7 days! Anxiously waiting.....

Back to School

2010-08-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

Paul has officially registered for classes again! When Paul was laid off at Molycorp it kind of put a stop on his studies since we WILL not borrow money to go to school. He started a new job however, adjusting to it made him wait a little longer to return to school. I was praying that he would finish his schooling since he has gotten SOOO close. Saturday he decided that it was time for him to sign up for a class. He officially starts back up on October 25, 2010. We are a little off our goal of finishing school by the end of this year- but he is back to school and not quiting. He is not able to take 2 classes at a time as before (time and money will not permit) so it will be a slower process.
This weekend we cleaned closets out and got piles made for a garage sale. When my sister is out in September we are going to have a garage sale.
This week is my last week before VACATION. I cannot wait! I am excited to have my parents and Lizzie come out to visit. My dad has not been out here for a long time. (at least 6 years!)
Then we CELEBRATE with them (a little late) their 40th Anniversary on the Carnival Paradise!!!!

Our Routine

2010-08-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

I am finally back somewhat to a normal routine. We have some busy months ahead.
This weekend we are cleaning, organizing, and gathering items for a garage sale. We are having a garage sale next Saturday. I have 2 rooms to clear out so that when Lizzie comes out to live we can make her feel comfortable.
I go on vacation September 6th through September 13th. My parents and Lizzie come out on September 8th. We all, including Paul go on the cruise on September 10-13 to celebrate my parents 40th anniversary.
On October 14th I make the flight out to Atlanta to make the long road trip from Atlanta to Las Vegas. God has worked everything out so that my aunt Judy and my mom are able to make the trip with Lizzie and I. It is going to be a GREAT adventure. We plan on stopping at the grand canyon on October 21st- since this is Mike's birthday- I think he would have liked that!
Then in November Paul, Lizzie and I will be going to South Carolina to be together as a family for Thanksgiving.
So, as you see we have quite a few months ahead.
I want to say THANK YOU again to all of you for praying for us.
We all are doing really well and we know it is all because of all of you who keep us in your prayers.

I hear music

2010-08-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

Lizzie is always a happy person. When she comes to visit me she is always smiling, always singing. She cheers my days. My biggest fear since Mike's passing is that she would not sing for a while. I was telling Paul how I am going to miss hearing her hum and sing.

Sunday morning when we went to her house to spend the day with her I walked in the house and I heard music. It made me happy that she was listening to music. What came next truly made me feel happy- Lizzie came out of her bedroom humming along with the song. I had to swallow hard to avoid crying in front of her (even though I had been doing lots of crying!). The music will not stop and for that I am EXTREMELY thankful.

We're home!

2010-08-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

We arrived home safe and sound! Praise the Lord. I cannot believe how emotionally drained I feel. I am exhausted. I had a hard time on the plane. It gave me too much time to think with no interruptions and I replayed many memories in my mind of Mike. I spent a portion of the flight wiping my tears away. Paul has been a very good support through this time.

I wanted to share with you all a portion of the memorial service that really touched me. There was a time given for friends and family to share. Mike's children went up to the microphone and attempted to talk about their father. Paul got very EMOTIONAL during this time. Later, I asked him what made that section so much harder for him that all other parts. What he said really hit hard. Paul, after listening to his unsaved children speak felt the burden Mike felt for his children. Every opportunity Mike had with his children he tried to share the GOOD news with them. I remember how Mike prayed daily for his children and family. He loved his children tremendously and wanted them to know Christ like he knew Christ. I have put the Williams family on my prayer list and we have committed to pray for their salvation. The gospel was clearly presented at the Memorial service- now I need to pray and let God do His part.

Praise Him!

2010-08-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

The memorial service was VERY nice. We celebrated Mike's life. We cried, laughed and remembered lots about Mike.
Thank you again for praying for us.
Elizabeth (Lizzie) has done remarkably well and I attribute this only to the Love and prayers that have surrounded her. She has a rough year ahead but she will be with us to struggle through.
More to follow...

Atlanta

2010-08-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

I arrived safely to humid Atlanta last night. I was greeted by all three of my siblings and my mother- it was a bitter sweet meeting. I was somewhat emotional at first.
I wanted to say THANK YOU all for your prayers. Definitely God is working. Lizzie is doing VERY well. I am very impressed with her strength.
We stayed up until 4:00 talking about Mike, how he went to be with the Lord, the future, etc...
I wanted to share something with you all.
As you know, in September we had planned a 4 day cruise with my parents for their 40th anniversary. When Lizzie was out last month I had randomly mentioned how nice it would be if she could come too- I, however, never mentioned to Mike that I would love for her to come with us. The next day Lizzie was mentioning to Mike what I said and he immediately said she should go. She quickly rebutted NO- I was just with Kathy on a cruise- I need to be home with you. He continued to tell her that she needed to go with us- His comment to her was "YOU NEED YOUR FAMILY" so he talked with me and I added her to the room with us. All was planned.
Now isn't God WONDERFUL how he placed that on Mike's heart!? You see she will be with us during this time- when she needs us! When she told me this I could not keep the tears in! I am NEVER amazed at how God works everything out for our good- even when we don't realize it.
Once again, THANK YOU for your prayers. I know that God is listening to ALL OF YOU!

Update

2010-08-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

Several friends and family members have asked me for updates and I decided that instead of calling- I would update you all on my blog.
It has been an exhausting day. I have never been on the phone so much in my life. My sister asked me this morning to call and tell everyone about Mike and I did my best- through the tears. Meanwhile, I would randomly call Lizzie to check on her. My heart is hurting SOOO much for her.
I wrapped up everything at work (well most everything) and I am flying out tomorrow to be with her and the rest of the family. I am SO thankful that Philip and Michael were able to get off of work and take mom to Lizzie. For those of you that don't know us very well- we are a VERY close family so when something happens we are there for each other.
Paul will be flying out on Thursday night. The funeral is on Saturday in Georgia.
Paul and I will be in Georgia until Monday. We then return to Las Vegas.
I have spent the day also pondering LIFE in general. No one knows when their time will come- which means that while we are on earth we need to make the time here count for something. How often we fill our lives with such nonsense when we should spend the time for the Lord.
Thank you all for your prayers. Rough days are ahead of us and I covet your prayers.

Home with the Lord

2010-08-17T07:21:00.000-07:00

My dear Blogger Friends. I am reaching out to you all to be in prayer for my sister Elizabeth Williams. Her husband went to be with the Lord this morning. We are all Praising God that Mike is in the Presence of the LORD however we beg for your prayers during this time in her life.

Thief in the Night

2010-08-09T08:05:00.001-07:00

Last night Paul and I watched on YouTube the movie Thief in the Night.

While we were in Argentina this movie was used to evangelize. I have many memories that go along with this movie. Have you ever seen this movie?- If not -you should- It is quite outdated- I think it was filmed in the 70's so the hair and clothing is VERY 70's. It is a good movie though- and a great tool to witness to someone. It made me think carefully last night of how many people I know that need Christ as their personal Savior- and I got a sense of URGENCY- to witness to them.

Please pray with me as I SHARE the GOOD news with my unsaved friends- and pray that their hearts be open to JESUS.

New House Guest

2010-08-03T09:02:00.001-07:00

Ana has moved out- and we spent a full week officially on our own. And then yesterday we had a new house guest- A SCORPION. This house guest is NOT welcome in our house. Paul found it in our garage and so graciously moved it to a mason jar. Talk about FREAKED out. I am not a huge fan of bugs especially ones that sting and cause harm. So for now NO MORE HOUSE GUESTS.

Paul and I have been enjoying the house to ourselves. I have to say that we enjoy blessing others and helping others out when there is a need but with that said- we also enjoy being alone.

I have been reorganizing the spare room (that has been used by guests for the past year) and trying to de-clutter my life. I know we have LOTS of "things" that we really don't use or need so I am going to be getting rid of clutter.

Work is going well for both of us. We continue to thank GOD for HIS provision with our jobs, health, house, etc... There is really nothing to complain about.

Ana, my assistant, has been on vacation for a week now and she has 3 more weeks to go. She is moving into her new house and spending quality time with her family since they have now returned from Mexico. I am happy that she is able to spend time with her family- even though she is missed at work.

Last, but not least- I am now on the countdown to my vacation. I am taking the week of labor day off to enjoy time with my parents and sister since they are coming out to visit. I have a lot to do before they arrive- but I am truly looking forward to it!

Ta ta for now... gotta run... Hope all my blogger friends are doing well.

25 THINGS

2010-07-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

25 things you may not know about me.

I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ my Saviour- Because of HIS death on the cross for my sins I will live for ETERNITY in HIS glory. (John 3:16)
I have been married for 12 years to a wonderful man.
I love to travel- Cruising is my favorite.
I once owned a pot belly pig named Natalia.
Since I have been married I have lived in 7 different houses/apartments.
I love children but have not been blessed with any.
I grew up in Argentina- my parents were missionaries in Argentina.
My husband was born in Argentina, his parents are missionaries in Argentina. Even though we both grew up in Argentina we never met there- we met at church in South Florida.
I love to crotchet, sew, and make cards.
My favorite color is green.
I live in a 3 story house- gotta love those stairs.
I never had a formal wedding- Paul and I eloped.
I love to sing- even if I am not on key!
I am a very blunt person.
I love to cook, but I don't have the time to cook as often as I would like to.
I used to sell empanadas at work in Florida for $1.00 each. We (Paul, and some friends) would make about 300 once a week to sell.
I have an AWESOME family and I am truly blessed by them.
I have been playing Fantasy Soccer (for free) this Worldcup.
I wear contacts.
I enjoy doing laundry.
I am 361 days older than my brother Michael.
My complete name is KATHRYN ANN HOYT-GOOSSEN- I was named after my paternal grandmother.
I love to plan parties.
I have fired 24 people since working at Landini & Associates.
I used to eat Onions like an apple- not anymore though since my body does not handle them so well.

Mexico

2010-07-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

We are back from our 3 day trip to Mexico. We had a wonderful time- let me clarify- Lizzie and I had a wonderful time. Ana on the other hand I am not really sure she had fun or not. I know that she had a GREAT time in Ensenada however during the cruise she pretty much kept to herself and did a lot of sleeping. Lizzie and I enjoyed our "bonding" times.
While we were in Mexico, Argentina played their 5th World cup game that disqualified them from the World cup- Argentina 0, Germany 4. I was very disappointed on the way that Argentina played. Oh well, I guess we have to wait another 4 years to try again!

Monday News

2010-06-28T11:18:00.001-07:00

Often I wonder how I missed so much when I was younger- How blinded I was to my surroundings. And how Innocent I was when it came to life in general. I definitely lived in a sheltered world. I say that with GREAT pride. My parents did not shelter me from reality as I got older but when I was young I was EXPECTED to act young and not to have to deal with the problems of the world. I really enjoyed my childhood. I DID get spankings- and trust me I deserved them, every single one! That did not keep me from enjoying my childhood, I actually believe that it made my childhood better.... I am a firm believer that limits and rules and enforcement of the rules by rewarding a child when they do not obey (aka spanking) makes for a happier child.

So, you may be wondering what made me blog about this today- Well, one of my clients daughters is 10 years old (just turned 10 in April) and she is pregnant! Yes, you heard me right, she is pregnant at 10!!!!! I was playing with Barbies at 10 !!!!! This got me thinking of how blessed I was to grow up in a home where God is the center of it! Where we were taught right from wrong and where I had a childhood.

Thank you GOD for a God fearing family! I am truly blessed.

Thank you DAD and MOM for allowing me to be a child and for raising me in a Godly home!

Argentina-Mexico

2010-06-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

What a FANTASTIC game! Paul, Ana and I decided to watch the game at Rincon de Buenos Aires (an argentine restaurant) and enjoy the company of other argentine people. Poor Ana, being Mexican was like being in a den full of lions. Good thing she did not advertise that she is Mexican. Also, she does not look Mexican so she just sat and enjoyed the game. She did come with us knowing that Mexico would not win. We got there around 9:30 am and the game did not start until 11:30 PST which meant we had to wait 2 hours. But good thing we did arrive early because the place filled up REALLY fast. There were around 150 people in the restaurant that usually fits only about 50 people. There were people everywhere sitting/ standing. We enjoyed a coffee with facturas for breakfast and then for lunch we had an asado. YUM YUM.

Here I am with the Argentine flag wrapped around me.

Okay- this picture was not really fair for Ana- she was a good sport though.

Well, it has been a busy day already but now it is time for church. It is going to be interesting since we are going to Pastor Mario's church and the majority of the people are Mexican.

VAMOS ARGENTINA!!!!! (lets go Argentina)

A Bump in the road

2010-06-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

This year has had quite a few bumps in the road and I thank God for sending them our way since they have been GREAT growth spurts for us.

For the past few months Paul has been working his best at a place where he has been beat down almost daily. He has come home sometimes with headaches, in tears and just plain exhausted.

I admire his dedication though because there have been many times where I have just told him to quit and look for another job.

A month ago he was asked if he would like to apply for the level 2 job. He immediately said "yes" since the next level is more what he is accustomed to.

He was told that there would be a competition between two of them. He spent a week in training with his competition. He then had a week where he did all the work of a level 2 person while he was evaluated. Then the following week the "competition" did the same work Paul did the week before while he was evaluated. This week management got together and made their decision.

"So Paul did they make their decision?" I asked today when Paul got home from work. With a WIDE smile he responds "yes I did but there is a small catch and management was worried that I would not agree, you see company policy is that one cannot be promoted until they are employed for 6 months and I have only been with them 2 1/2 months, this means that I will not get a pay raise until my 6 months are up, but I get to start level 2 on Monday"

Picking up on his enthusiasm I responded "that is great Paul. Congratulations- were you surprised?" Paul pauses and then carefully chooses his words " yes and no- you see I know that I am not as good as the other guy but I know that you have been praying for me so I am not surprised"

At that point I had tears in my eyes... you see I had been praying for 3 weeks that he would get the Level 2 position and God answered my prayer. And the best part is that Paul knew that God had interceded and led his managers to choose him. The management told Paul that it was a really hard decision. The one thing that they told him made them choose Paul is his WORK ETHIC and his PROFESSIONALISM. AKA- God's light shining through Paul- you see- Paul does not swear, when he is asked to do something he does not complain and in everything he gives 100%.

These characteristics stood out and is what caused management to choose him.

Thank you God for your faithfulness and for helping Paul through this bump in the road.

Monday Madness

2010-06-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

Monday is such a hard day for me. I feel like the weekend was just not long enough to get things done and I have to be at work. I usually have a lot more phone calls to deal with on Monday. And it never fails Mondays I am ALWAYS tired when I should be rested from the weekend. I had so many plans this weekend to get things done around the house that have been neglected, but once again my plans got changed. I did manage to pull weeds, do laundry, go grocery shopping and clean the office. But that is about it. I need to budget my time more wisely, I am very good at making lists of what needs done but when it comes down to it- I usually rather spend time with my husband or friends than to actually complete the list and then I carry this guilt for not getting things done that get ignored week after week. So, now I have to make a real effort to get things done before my sister gets here. I really don't like her coming to a dirty house.

Project for the following days:

Tuesday- work in the spare room. Finish putting away ALL the clothes and get the give aways in bags ready to donate.
Wednesday- Clean thoroughly the master bathroom and master bedroom (this will probably take 2 days since I have LOTS to do and can only do them at night after I get home from work)
Thursday- Finish cleaning master bedroom.
Friday- Clean the refrigerator and kitchen
Saturday- regular Saturday chores along with cleaning the car and washing the car. Work in the garage to get it cleaned and organized.
Sunday- DAY OF REST. Definitely need this day to rest, read, relax.
Monday- Finish the living room. Go through all drawers of chest and make sure to de-clutter.
Tuesday- Clean the 3rd bathroom since Lizzie will be using it and get her place ready for visiting.
Wednesday- Lizzie arrives. Hopefully ALL things will be done the right way and not RUSHED through.

I will keep you all posted on how I stay on track... pictures of end results would be great!

Love

2010-06-18T16:13:00.001-07:00

Is this not just the BEST picture!?

It shows SOOOO much love.

Argentina 4- Korea 1

2010-06-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

This morning I set our alarm to wake us at 4:00 so that we would be up to watch Argentina and Korea Republic play. Argentina won 4-1!!!! It is really interesting how little things like my involvement makes Paul happy. I am learning how important it is to learn to love the things your spouse loves.

(this picture is from FIFA.com)

Silk or Linen-

2010-06-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

Twelve years ago....

There was a HUGE change in my life- one I will never regret!
I shocked many people- but I think most are pleased with the end result.
My formal name changed.
I officially moved out for good from my parents home.
I started a NEW role for my life.
I took on more responsibility.
I got an AWESOME roommate for life.

Any idea what I am remembering? I married my best friend.

While researching what gift to get Paul for our anniversary this is what I found:

Traditional gifts to give for a 12 year anniversary:
Silk and Linen

Modern gifts to give for a 12 year anniversary:
Silk and Linen

Alternate Modern gift to give for a 12 year anniversary:
Pearl

Ideas given for Silk or Linen:
Fresh linen sheets
Delicate scarves
Tablecloths and towels
Silk cushions
Clothing
Silk ties
Silk flowers
Silk lingerie and men's boxers
His and her bathrobes
Linen clothing
Visit the Silk Road

Ideas given for Pearls:
Pearl jewelry
Mother-of-pearl

FIFA Worldcup 2010

2010-06-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

(Picture is from Fifa.com)

As most of you know Paul is a HUGE soccer fan. The world cup is an event that he truly looks forward to every 4 years. This time I decided that instead of being a World cup widow that I would join him in watching the games. I have taken the last few weeks to learn the rules of the game. There are more rules than I thought... and some are still quite a bit fuzzy to me.

Argentina won 1-0 against Nigeria!

3 weeks to go....

2010-06-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

My sister is coming to visit in 21 days (not that I am counting!). Yes- I am lucky to see her again. Ana, Lizzie and I are doing a little girls trip for her birthday on July 4th weekend. We are taking a 3 day cruise to Ensenada. Can you tell that we love cruises? Let me tell you the reason we enjoy them and maybe you will consider a cruise one day for vacation-

1. It is affordable- our 7 day cruise cost $459.00 per person- this is $65.58 a day per person- (where can you go and get all your food and hotel for $65.58 a person?)
2. It is fun!!!- you don't have to worry about anything at all- EVERYTHING is done for you.
3. It is relaxing- The only decisions left for you to make are what you plan to eat for the day.

So- in effort to reward Ana for all her hard work while I was on vacation we are going to a 3 day cruise. This is her first cruise- I thought it would be really fun to bring Lizzie along with us as a birthday gift. Too bad my mom can't come- that would be the BEST! but unfortunately she will stay home and take care of Dad. (what a committed woman!)

I guess we are on the count down again for the ALL girls Cruise- If you are wondering about Paul- I did ask him if he wanted to join us but he has "more important" things going on- FIFA 2010 World Cup! While he is not working he will be glued to the games! I guess it all works out perfectly for us!

Cheer Up~

2010-06-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

Today I got home and decided that I wanted to do something special for Paul to cheer him up!
Paul has been very stressed with work and I feel really bad for him since he has been working himself to the bone.... SO, I decided to make a special meal for him. I made him this following fruit plate.I also made him a yummy salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, goat cheese and oil and vinegar. VERY YUMMY.

Then I made him a stuffed chicken breast, baby Zucchini and angel hair pasta.

This did cheer him up- It was really nice to see him happy over dinner~

Then he took the time to call his mom and dad to see how they are doing....

URGENT PRAYER NEEDED!!!!

2010-06-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

My dear Blogger friends and prayer warriors.
I covet your prayers in my life. I have been presented the opportunity of a new job! I have submitted my resume and application- I now sit and wait- Wait for GOD to lead the way. I want to do what GOD wants me to do. PRAY with me that HIS will be done. That I think clearly and listen to HIS leading. Sometimes we can be deceived to make the WRONG choice. So, I am REALLY trying to open my eyes, ears and heart for HIS leading.
Please Pray with me!

Vacation- quick overview

2010-05-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

We sailed on Carnival Splendor- One of Carnival's biggest ships.

While on the cruise Mike and Lizzie celebrated their 8th year anniversary.

We ate fabulous food- especially lots of fruit.

And we played lots of card games.
We had a fun RELAXING week and truly enjoyed the time spent with family.

I got back to Las Vegas rested and refreshed. Ana, my assistant kept things going smoothly at the office. I really had no fires to put out which is a HUGE blessing to me.

Surprise

2010-05-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

May 13th, 2010 was my 36th birthday. My good friends Ana and Lana planned a surprise party for me. I got home and there were 17 people in my living room. I am very blessed to have such friends. We had a blast. Thursday was my last day of work before vacation so the day ended well with a party. They made me wear this birthday princess tiara... I felt silly but special all at once. This is Lana- she has become one of my closest friends. There is never a dull moment with her around. Here she is acting goofy.

Lana gave me a pair of sunglasses for the cruise- they were COACH glasses. I was modeling them for everyone.

Here is a picture of some of the guys that were at the party. It was a wonderful Surprise and I am VERY thankful to be thought of.

Then on Friday, Paul and I set off for our long awaited vacation..... More on the vacation to follow.

The countdown

2010-05-10T10:11:00.001-07:00

Well friends-
I am on the countdown to our Cruise! We have 6 days until the actual cruise- and 4 until I actually am off work. I am really excited but exhausted all at the same time. I spent all weekend getting ready- cleaning, laundry, and just catching up on chores.

Osvaldo Munguia

2010-05-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

Meet Osvaldo Munguia. This is Ana's little brother. He is 10 years old. Once again, we felt the Lord telling us to minister to someone.
Osvaldo is 10 years old. He is a total BOY- loves sports, eating, laughing and most of all getting attention!
Two weekends ago Paul and I went with Ana to Pahrump, NV to meet her mother and 2 brothers. We had a lovely time at the farm. They have chickens, pigs, goats, lambs, peacocks, quails, dogs, and a nice garden. We spent the afternoon with them getting to know them.
What I noticed more than anything was how thirsty Osvaldo was for attention. The more I observed his behavior the more my heart went out to him. He has been deprived of a father figure, so he instantly attached to Paul. After talking with him we found out that he has been a problem at school as well.
Paul and I both went home thinking about our day and how sad it was for us to see a boy so desperate for love and attention.
So, after talking and praying we decided that maybe we should reward him for good behavior by telling him that he can come and spend the weekend with us if he has a good week at school and at home. We talked to his mom and to Ana and they both felt it was a good idea. Osvaldo came to our house for Saturday and Sunday. We (and when I say we I mean WE) played soccer, bochas, went to the movies to watch "How to train a dragon", had yogurt from Yogurtland, had a cookout, played wii, went to church and basically had a weekend FULL of fun.
When we delivered Osvaldo back to his mother he was exhausted BUT happy.
Please pray with us as we start to minister to him and his mother. We pray that this act of kindness opens their heart to hear the Word of God.
They do have an older brother Jose Antonio who also needs the Lord but he has been a little more difficult to spend time with- he is 19 years old and does his best to stay away from the house.

My Friend

2010-04-21T18:32:00.001-07:00

Today- my friend Lana took me to lunch and gave me this lovely bag filled with goodies- flip flops, a hat, sun screen, and lip gloss. She is so excited that I am going on a cruise that she put this bag together for me. Isn't that sweet?

Friday Fill Ins

2010-04-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

1. I'd like _________________.

2. One of my most favorite romantic memories is _____________________.

3. Last night, I had ____________ for dinner.

4. Sorry for the _______________________.

5. Can we _______________ now?

6. One of my worst temptations is __________; __________ is hard to resist.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I am looking forward to _________, tomorrow my plans include _________, and Sunday I want to _______________!

1. I'd like a comfy bed and a book to read.

2. One of my most favorite romantic memories is our first cruise together walking on the deck and watching the sun go down!

3. Last night, I had leftover chicken for dinner.

4. Sorry for the lack of keeping you all better informed on our lives!

5. Can we be on vacation now?

6. One of my worst temptations is HOT French bread; bread is hard to resist.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I am looking forward to relaxing with a cup of tea and a good book to read, tomorrow my plans include a visit to the vegetable farm, and Sunday I want to go to church!

Photos

2010-04-08T18:30:00.001-07:00

This is my friend Lana. Friday of last week we spent the afternoon together. We ate dinner together and then went to get pedicures and manicures. I have been praying for her daily to come to know Christ. We have become very good friends throughout the past year.

Saturday I got up quite early (for a Saturday) and made the hour trip to Pahrump to visit one of my customers. After having an hour appointment with the customer I made the trip back to Las Vegas to meet up with Lana for a community service project of feeding the homeless. The above picture is 1.2 of the boxes that we prepared for the homeless. We put together a lunch bag with a sandwich, a banana, pudding, a granola bar and a bottle of water.

Here is some of the ladies that were putting together the lunch bags.

After feeding the hungry Lana and I went to dinner at Bonito Michoacan a fabulous Mexican Restaurant. I am not much for Mexican food but this place is really good. This picture is of Lana on our way in to the restaurant. She was showing off her new purse.

Then on Sunday- Easter Sunday we had Lana over for lunch. I invited her to church as well but she was not ready for that yet. We keep praying.... She shared with us this picture of Carter with his bunny ears.

That evening Paul got a craving for "torta frita" so we made some for us! Ana and I truly enjoyed this little treat!

Hope you are all having a wonderful week.

Good Friday

2010-04-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Good Friday All- !!!
Today is a short day for me. We close our office at noon! Hooray! I am meeting with Lana, my friend, for lunch. She is taking us to lunch and to get pedicures for the good month we had in March with her company. Then I will be going to Sam's club with her to get lunch meat and bread since we are doing a "feeding the homeless" project tomorrow. We have to make at least 100 sandwiches. I am really looking forward to this project. I find that helping out the community is an excellent way to reach out for the Lord.
I am also making plans for Easter- Ana will be with us and I want to make it a special one for her since her family will not be with her. I am not sure what it is about Easter that I always long to be with my family. Most holidays I handle pretty well- however Easter usually leaves me family-sick- (I don't say homesick because my home is where I live with Paul)
I will have to take some pictures (if I remember) of our day today and tomorrow. I am sure you all would love to see some!
Have a wonderful day my blogger friends!

Update

2010-04-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to jot a few lines to update you all on my mother in law- Priscilla Goossen. I spoke to her today for a while. I was refreshing to hear her so upbeat. She seemed so at peace- which really encouraged me. Paul has been somewhat unsettled with all that has been going on with his mother. He has been researching melanoma for hours and hours. The other night he stayed up until 1:00 am just reading about it. We have been praying daily for my in-laws. Well- she will be going in to the hospital on Monday for a test that will determine if the lymph nodes are cancerous. If so, they will be removing them. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.

Regarding our life- we wake up every morning Thankful for another day. God has blessed us and really- what is there to grumble about???? I can always think of things to complain about but we have been praying and trying to re-adjust how we think of things and how we view situations in our lives. Nothing is too big or bad for GOD and that is what we keep in mind... TAKE ALL YOUR WORRIES to HIM!

I am very excited about our cruise that is coming up! 44 days! It seems like time is just flying by!

Remember...

2010-03-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend Paul and I had the opportunity to bless someone- and we took full advantage of it.
Let me go back to the beginning of March. Our office hired 2 new guys this month. They are sales people- so their goal is to get business for Landini. One of the men has moved here from Detroit. He came home from work one day and his wife of 16 years was gone. She took the 3 kids and left. He was left not knowing where his kids and wife were. After 6 months of looking for them he found them here in Las Vegas. He immediately quit his job, sold all his "stuff" and got in the car to start his drive to Las Vegas to be closer to his children. Unfortunately, he was not able to reconcile with his wife, she asked him for a divorce. This is where we meet him and hired him to work for us. He was so desperate to find a job in order to stay in Las Vegas and close to his children.
Well, in passing he was asking me where to find cheap household goods since he came here with nothing and he needs to set up life here in Las Vegas.
While discussing this with Paul we felt God pushing us to help in any way possible. (for those of you that know us understand how we feel about giving!)
We invited him over for dinner on Saturday. When he came we had 2 big Rubbermaid containers full of food for him. We also did some "de-cluttering" and gave him lots of items that we had double of. We also had an extra twin bed that we gave him. Basically we took all the stuff that we really don't NEED but have and donated it to him. It is amazing what joy one feels when giving.
He was overwhelmed- and we took the opportunity to invite him to church. He appreciated the invite and said he would think about it. This was GREAT for Ana to see as well.
Now- I am not telling you all of this for you to think we are good people- because trust me we are NOT good people. Only God is GOOOD. We just follow God's leading- I tell you because I want you to be more open to "giving" when God leads. The reward is ETERNAL- and that is what matters most!!!!!.

On another note- My mother in law and father in law travel to the States today. We have been praying for their safety, and also for Mom's health. We beg you to Please pray with us regarding her health.

Rejoice!

2010-03-15T18:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday ALL!
Today is the day that the LORD has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!
Don't forget to REJOICE for the many blessings we have!

A weekend to remember

2010-03-14T15:01:00.001-07:00

We have had a fun filled weekend. We started out with having Pastor and Gabby out for dinner on Friday night. I made homemade lasagna with garlic bread and salad. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and games. Paul got real silly towards the end of the night and every little thing made him laugh. We all laughed so hard that my jaw hurt from laughing. It was great Fun.

Saturday we woke up early and decided to visit our little French bakery- Bonjour- and got coffee with facturas. YUM. This is a special treat for Paul. While Paul and I were out Ana was running around doing her weekend errands (check her PO box, go to bank, check on their other vehicle). On our way home we went to Glaziers grocery shopping. We bought some shark steaks and some
t-bone steaks. Then I started working on dinner since we were having our friends Mark and Elizabeth Houston over for dinner. Dinner was really good and also full of fun and laughter. We pulled out our ROCK BAND game and played for about 3 hours. It is funny how at first everyone is shy when the game begins and as soon as a few songs go by everyone loosens up and really gets into the songs.

Today- after loosing an hour of sleep last night I am TIRED and thankful that it is the day of rest.

On other news- I have an URGENT prayer request. My mother in law Priscilla Goossen will be coming to the USA for medical treatment. Please pray for her health!

FUN!

2010-03-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

What Fun! I am so happy to announce that I am having fun! Funny ugh? You would think that being busy and constantly on the run would make for a stressful time- but I am happy to announce that I am having FUN. I was thinking last night about how much I actually do enjoy my job. Even though I belly ache sometimes about my job- I really do enjoy going in to work every day, and for that I am very THANKFUL.

Let me update you on Paul- it has been good for him to be back to work. The new job is a good job- just a very busy one. He is mainly a phone/e-mail support person- which is VERY different than what he was used to doing. Every day it gets better- he learns a little more every day of the "correct" procedure on handling various problems. School has been going well- This week is the last week for these 2 classes. He gets a week off and then its back to school.

Ana has been doing really well. She has been a pleasure to have at our house.

I am SOOOOO Looking forward to MAY. As the days go on I get more and more excited.

Update

2010-03-01T17:04:00.000-08:00

Paul will start working tomorrow. The company would have liked him to start today however company policy is that his drug test come back clean before he can work. Of course we know that the drug test will come back clean but they must follow company policies. So, Lord willing he will start tomorrow.
His schedule to start will be from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. They plan on moving him to the later schedule after a while- the 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. schedule. (and for all of you that know Paul this is an excellent schedule since Paul does not really like early mornings!)
I am looking forward to seeing where God leads him with this job. We are very excited and very Thankful. I appreciate all your words of encouragement.
Another HUGE praise today. Ana met with her parole officer today and he said that she should be getting her release papers in the mail very soon! And today was her FINAL visit with the parole officer! What a joyous day! Her parole is OVER. Ana and I have been praying for this for a while and God has answered. She was all smiles today.
As for me- I am doing really well- even if I am busy ALL the time I am thankful for the Lord's many provisions.

Thankfulness

2010-02-28T12:22:00.000-08:00

I am very Thankful this Sunday for the Lord's provision in our lives.
Paul received a call from one of the companies he interviewed. They would like to give him a shot but through a temp agency. They will determine once they see how Paul works if they want to hire him as an employee or not. I am so encouraged by this- I know that God worked this all out according to HIS perfect will. Paul will give his best and I have no doubt that he will succeed. Monday he must get the rest of his paperwork done- this company does a full background check and he needs to get his badge done. Once his background comes back he will be able to start work. PRAISE the LORD.
Thank you all for Praying with us regarding Paul's job situation.

Book Club

2010-02-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

Today is Book Club with the girls. I am really looking forward to spending time tonight with the girls.

I have had some really good days at work. Extremely busy but rewarding. I have been able to stay on top of things which makes it easier to not feel overwhelmed with work.

Lately, Ana and I have been juicing fruit for breakfast and we are truly enjoying this little treat.

Since Glaziers has such excellent prices on fruit we buy the fruit that is on sale and then we juice it.

Yesterday this was the concoction we came up with:
1 grapefruit
2 oranges
3 apples
4 carrots
1 whole pineapple

This was REALLY yummy- the only effect we had was about 3 hours later we both heard weird sounds coming from our stomachs-
So- we also made trips to the restroom and feel healthier now!
Well- that is all for now....

The rat race

2010-02-19T16:55:00.000-08:00

The rat race continues.... nothing much has changed. Work, Eat, Sleep, Work, Eat, Sleep... It seems like that is my life lately.

It has been really busy in Goossenville. Ana is doing really well. I was a little concerned that she would be sad with her family gone to Mexico- but I have managed to keep her busy between work, teaching her cooking tips, and Bible study time. I also have introduced her to reading Tracey Peterson books and she is hooked.

Paul has been extremely busy with school. These two classes that he is taking is ZAPPING him. They are tough classes so I am kind of thankful that he is home working on them. He was thinking that having so much time off would make it easier in school- but he has come to realize he is spending over 40 hours a week on his classes.

I do want to say THANK you to all my prayer warriors- I know that we have faithful friends and family praying for Paul and his job search. He has been to several interviews. One place in particular has done 2 interviews and made him take a personality test. We are praying that God open the doors to the RIGHT job for him. We know that HE will take care of us through this time. We covet your prayers in this manner as well.

I am thoroughly looking forward to this weekend. I need the days to refresh and renew!

Until the next one.....

96 days

2010-02-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

96 days until.....

I get to sleep in every day for a week
I get to enjoy some sand
I get to see my sister and her husband
I get to take my mind off work!
I get to RELAX
I get to try different kinds of foods
I don't have a schedule to keep

Any idea what I am talking about?????????? YES- VACATION- Cruise to Mexico. I am SO looking forward to this trip. I need the mental break. I am equally excited that my sister and her husband will be able to go with us. We will be able to make more memories together.

Ana is officially living with us as of Saturday. We got her settled in her room. Her goal while she lives with me is to learn how to cook. She was really never taught many things growing up so I am going to be "mentoring" her in many aspects. Yesterday we made a pasta bake- it was yummy- she could not believe how easy the process was and then how tasty the dish was. Tonight we are going to make milanesas and french fries.

I will try to post more of the adventures of Ana in the Kitchen....

February?????

2010-02-01T07:56:00.001-08:00

I am amazed at how quickly the month of January passed me by....
This past week was a very busy week. Most days I came home exhausted from work- I have spent most of the weekend catching up on what I was not able to do during the week.
Today and tomorrow- Pastor and Gabby start their moving process. They have found a townhouse to rent. Ana will be moving in on Saturday.
We are going to start the Stepping up Study by Beth Moore. I have the 4 videos and the workbooks. We plan on doing these together every morning before work. It will be good for both of us.
I have been enjoying reading the blogs this week. It makes me feel closer to you all. Thank you for keeping your blogs up- I guess I should keep up on mine since I know that some of my readers like to keep up on the Goossen life.
More to come...

Happy 101 Award

2010-01-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

The other day my sister Elizabeth Williams gave me the Happy 101 Award.

Now it's my turn to follow the rules and share some great blogs with you.

Here are the rules:

Copy the award image into a post.

- List 10 things that make you happy.
- Tag 10 bloggers who brighten your day. (not sure if I have that many to post!)
- Put in a link to their blogs.
- Notify the award receivers.

- Recipients should link back to the sender’s blog.

List 10 Things That Make Me Happy:

1. Jesus Christ My Savior- The most important and happy part of my life is the relationship that I have with my Savior. He is my salvation. He is the ONLY STABLE part of my life. When everything around me is in constant turmoil and change- Jesus Christ is the ONLY one that NEVER changes- What a refreshing truth!

2. My husband Paul- For all of those who know my husband- know that my life is full of adventure and fun with Paul. There is NEVER a dull moment in our lives. He makes me laugh all the time- no matter what the situation- I love you honey!

3. My family- I have the best family ever- including my in-laws. I am so happy when I am around them. They are always there for us- in the good and the bad. God has truly blessed me with the best family and I thank God daily for them!

4. My job- I am happy that I have a job. I know that sometimes I complain about work, and I am working on being more positive regarding my job- because NO MATTER WHAT I have a job.

5. My Friends- God has placed several very important friends in my life. Pastor and Gabby have been very good friends to us. I treasure the friendship I have with them. I also am very thankful for Ana- who is a new believer and I have truly enjoyed teaching her about God. (by the way- Ana is coming to live with us on February 6th and we are going to be doing a daily study together!!!)

6. Reading- I love to read. I have been reading lots of Tracie Peterson books lately. She has a way of writing that makes you feel like you are right in the middle of the story.

7. Cooking- I truly enjoy cooking and baking. I have been trying out new recipes and I love to see what the outcome is!

8. Singing- I constantly listen to music. I love to sing and also to listen to good music. Singing brings back memories of when I was young. While we would travel as a family to make the trip go by quickly we would sing as a family. I have lots of good memories of all of singing as a family.

9. A good Bargain- I get so happy when I find a good deal on something. I love seeing how far I can make the dollars stretch!

10. Vacations- I am so happy when I on vacation (but then again who isn't) I especially love vacations with the family. One of my favorite vacations was when we went on a cruise with my entire family and part of Paul's family.

Tag 10 Bloggers Who Brighten Your Day:

1. Zizzie Happenings- This is my sister Elizabeth- I don't think I am supposed to give Lizzie the award she gave me but I wanted to mention that her blog Brightens my day.

2. Comments from the Corner- This is my dad's blog. I enjoy reading my father's blog.

3. Grandma's Page- This is Aunt Linda Goossen's blog. She has really interesting posts!

4. A Home Grown Life- This is Paul's cousing Tesa Goossen. She writes about her life as a homemaker, mother, teacher and wife!

5. It's good to wait quietly- This is my Aunt Sharon Hoyt's blog. She does not blog very often but when she does I truly enjoy getting to know her more!

6. Just a southern girl- This is my Aunt Kim Hoyt's blog. She is currenlty in Argentina as a missionary. Her blogs are amazing. She is a wonderful writer!

7. MeeMaw Moments- This is my Aunt Rita Koch's blog. I enjoy reading her blog and getting to know her more.

8. Bring the Rain- I found this blog through Aunt Linda Goossen. I read her blog daily. She has a very inspiring blog.

9. $5.00 dinners- I found this blog through my sister Lizzie. I love the recipes that she has posted. It is amazing what she can do on a $5.00 budget!

10. Sorry- I have no other blogs that I read. I need to find a way to read more...

Thanks again Lizzie for selecting my blog!

****** On another note- Please be praying for us- Paul was laid off on Friday. We had been expecting it for a few months so it was not a surprise to us. We WILL be okay- we rest on the Knowledge that God will take care of HIS children. We will be looking diligently for the best job. Please Pray with us! ******

Ramdon Dozen

2010-01-13T11:11:00.000-08:00

1. When was the last time you craved a food--what was it, and did you cave? This morning I craved a cup of Duncan Donuts coffee.

2. M & M's or Skittles? M&M's .... Peanut M&M's are my absolute favorite.

3. Have you ever read the Bible completely through? yes- not as often as I would like. I am thinking of doing what my sister is doing and listening to the Bible on CD since I do a lot of music listening- I could switch it up and listen to the BIBLE.

4. How long does it take you to really wake up in the morning? about 1/2 hour. I set my alarm 1/2 hour early so I can gradually wake up.

5. Have you ever been on a cruise? If not, would you like to? yes, Paul and I have been on 9 cruises. We LOVE cruises. Our favorite cruise is to Alaska. What a memorable trip.

6. Who is your favorite actress? Resee Witherspoon is one that I like. I enjoy the movies she is in.

7. ______ is something that I will just never understand. Chess

8. How much of a technology junkie are you? I don't really consider myself a junkie. I have what I need to get things done and that is about it.

9. Do you enjoy selecting greeting cards for people, or is it more of a cultural "have to" for you? I used to enjoy making them for people. Then I got rid of all my stuff to foster the boys. I love reading cards and their really nice saying but I think a homemade card has so much more value to me.

10. When was the last time you got a new style/haircut? About 3 years ago I got a shorter hair style- Paul prefers my hair longer so I am working on letting it grow.

11. What do you enjoy shopping for most? I love going shopping for awesome deals. I always find great deals the more time I spend just going through items one by one. I have found pants for $1.00 and a pair of shoes for $3.00.

12. What's the last thing you think of before you leave the house? Do I have my phone?

Better Late than NEVER

2010-01-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I have had a hard time putting all my thoughts down for anyone to understand. 2009 was a HARD year. I am Thankful that 2009 is over and I welcome 2010 with open arms. I am a bit frightened to see what the Lord has in store for us. I rest on the Promises that God gives me daily.
Where do I start-
Last Wednesday I got on a plane to Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a hard decision to make since Paul would not be making the trip with me. He had to work practically the whole New Years weekend. This was the first New Years that we have not spent together. Paul was very good to me and told me to go. Deep down inside I needed to see my family. Probably more for moral encouragement than anything else, you see, that morning I had to do another hard thing at work. I was told that I had to let go of 2 more people- Yes you heard me right- 2 more people!!!!!. That leaves just Ana and myself. I thought I was overworked before when I had the 2 other people.... NOW I am not sure I have a word for how things are. So, I needed to make the trip for a mental break as well. Of course, I did not tell them I was coming and that was the most exciting part of all. Philip and Rosalyn knew ( I needed someone to pick me up at the airport). They picked me up and they took me to Wal-mart to surprise Dad. He was surprised to see me.
Then on our drive to surprise Mom, Mike and Lizzie I called mom to see what she was up to. A few minutes later we walked in to the house and surprised them.
It was nice to see them all- We had a wonderful few days.
Now I am back in the swing of things. Work is just as I predicted. However, I pray daily for strength to make it through the day.
I will be posting pictures of my trip in the next few days.
Happy New Year's to all my Blogger Friends.

Christmas Dinner

2009-12-25T17:42:00.000-08:00

Bread- homemade

Filled Chicken

A plate of food

The whole chicken before we cut it open

Homemade Flan- someone from Pastors church made us FLAN. Yummy.

Goossen/Alsina Christmas

2009-12-25T13:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning we opened gifts- Here Paul is wearing one of his gifts (a Boca Jrs. T-shirt).

We played with one of his gifts as well. Pastor and Gabby got him a scrabble game (the Spanish version)

Here are Pastor Mario and Gabby relaxing with the game and some mate. Lots of laughter and fun!

Here is Paul talking to his parents in Argentina- To our surprise Tim and his family were there too so it was a treat to be able to talk to his brother and parents.

I will post more pictures of of our stuffed chicken dinner. Yum Yum....

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T07:38:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all my Blogger Friends.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T18:15:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve to all my Blogger Friends. We had a fabulous day today. Paul and I had off work today and truly enjoyed ourselves. We got to sleep in (which we don't get to do very often). Then we were taught by Pastor Mario how to de-bone a whole chicken and then stuffing it. We are having stuffed chicken for Christmas. It is stuffed with cheese, ham, egg (hard boiled), red pepper and green olives. I am sure it is tasty even though we have never had this before.

Normally for Christmas Eve we open one gift at night- we broke the tradition a little. We opened 2 gifts and early in the day. Paul got me a beautiful necklace with a butterfly pendant.

I got to enjoy some snuggle time with the puppies. They have grown so much. They are almost one month old and they are VERY precious.

The Fall

2009-12-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here with my leg propped up and ice on it- the throbbing has subsided somewhat. What a way to ruin the plans I had for today. Let me go back to early this morning-
I had a really good night sleep- woke up on my own (without an alarm) ready to shower and get ready for church. On our way down the stairs I managed to slip down (not quite sure how since I cannot remember the fall very well)- Paul was ahead of me and by the time he looked back I was already laying flat on the floor. My first reaction was to see if there was anything broken which I am almost sure I did not break anything since I can move my leg, toes and ankle. The next thing was to try to get up- I felt a sudden desire to throw up- (not sure why that happened) but one I settled my stomach down I got up (with Paul's help). Paul has been wonderful. He was really worried I broke a bone. My right ankle is swollen but I am confident I will survive. I have a skinned elbow (probably rug burn).
I am going to be sore for a few days- which is not good for tomorrow since it is donations day. I guess I will rely on the men to carry everything up the stairs.
THANK the LORD I did not cause more damage. Please pray that tomorrow donations are plentiful (the church family is struggling with no jobs and the donations help them survive). Also, please pray that am able to do processing of the bags.

Grace by Laura Story

2009-12-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

Grace by Laura Story

Verse 1: My heart is so proud. My mind is so unfocused. I see the things You do through me as great things I have done. And now You gently break me, Then lovingly You take me And hold me as my Father and mold me as my Maker.

Chorus: I ask You: "How many times will You pick me up, When I keep on letting You down? And each time I will fall short of Your glory, How far will forgiveness abound?" And You answer: "My child, I love you. And as long as you're seeking My face, You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace."

Verse 2: At times I may grow weak and feel a bit discouraged, Knowing that someone, somewhere Could do a better job. For who am I to serve You? I know I don't deserve You. And that's the part that burns in my heart and keeps me hanging on.

Bridge: Patient with me, Lord.

Verse 3: As I work with You, I'm learning what Your grace really means. The price that I could never pay was paid at Calvary. So, instead of trying to repay You, I'm learning to simply obey You By giving up my life to You For all that You've given to me.

To watch and listen to the song go to : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FribXzqHVE

Christmas MeMe

2009-12-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas Meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I prefer wrapping paper and making the gift look pretty with everything coordinating- but the lazy part of me gets bags- this year though I am wrapping all since the cost is WAY Cheaper to wrap.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I have artificial- but I would love a real tree. The cost factor is what keeps my artificial tree going.

3. When do you put up the tree? whenever the mood hits me. I don't like to put it up in November because Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday and I don't want to take away from it.

4. When do you take the tree down? After three kings day (January 6Th) since we keep the Argentine tradition of celebrating 3 Kings day.

5.Do you like eggnog? No

6. Favorite gift received as a child? That is a good question- Gifts were precious to us so they all seemed special- I do remember one year getting a home made cabbage patch doll. I guess you could say that was special since I remember it!

7. Hardest person to buy for? My husband- We usually put a cap on what we will spend and his likes and wants are always SO much more than the budget. This year was fun shopping for him.

8. Easiest person to buy for? my friend Gabby. She enjoys so much.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? yes I have 3. One my parents got for me in Israel in 1998 made of out Olive Wood. One is a Willow Tree set that I have at the office and the 3rd one is a miniature set I used to have at my desk when I taught at Faith Christian School.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail- I love sending them and I ABSOLUTELY love receiving cards.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? This is a good one and we still laugh about it today- Paul one year got me a fish tank- He wanted to start a fish collection so I got the Fish tank as a gift. I think that the guilt of the gift got to him because he then when out and got me a BEAUTIFUL pearl necklace.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I really like The Grinch.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I like to have all my shopping done before Halloween. I do not like shopping during the Christmas rush. I constantly look for gifts throughout the year. After Christmas sales are the best.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes I have recycled a gift- like Bath and Body Works scents I don't like.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? my mothers homemade rolls. They are YUMMY.

16. Lights on the tree? yes.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Ring the Bells

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Would love to travel and be with family- But not able to this year! :-(

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? no and really not interested in learning them either.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Our Tradition is one gift Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? the cranky people. You would think that it is a joyous season but I see lots of CRANKY people this time of year.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I love homemade ornaments. I prefer them to all the ornaments that are bought.

24. Favorite thing for Christmas dinner? homemade pies.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I really have no wants this year. I have been very blessed with all of my needs and wants met- so I have had a hard time giving Paul ideas this year. Let's see what he comes up with! :-)

Now it's your turn. Go ahead and fill out your own answers and post on your blog!

Madness on Monday

2009-12-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Paul at the restaurant for his birthday!

Look at what Panevinno did for Paul!- So festive.

Paul and Pastor Mario playing Wii. Pastor Mario gave Paul the accessories for his birthday and they enjoyed playing with them.

Today has been really cold. The sun has NOT come out and it has been raining for the past hour. If it were a little colder it would be snow. I have been listening to Christmas music all day- snow would just complete the picture. Our Christmas tree is up and the stockings are out. Now we are on the countdown!

It will be a quiet Christmas- No family around- just our adopted family "friends" Pastor Mario and Gabby.

Yesterday we attended Iglesia Nueva Vida where Pastor Mario is the pastor. It was a very good service. This congregation is a very animated friendly bunch. There were approximately 60 people at church. It is great to see the Lords work at Iglesia Nueva Vida.

Paul Daniel Goossen

2009-12-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL! Today Paul turns 34 years old. He woke up and went downstairs to find everything decorated around the house with his favorite BOCA colors (blue and yellow). Pastor and Gabby were the ones the decorated the entire house. It was a nice surprise for him! I have the day off of work today to celebrate his birthday - Paul on the other hand was not able to take the day off. So, when he gets home we will be going to his favorite restaurant for dinner with our dear friends Pastor Mario and Gabby. I am taking him to Pannevino- YUMMY YUMMY.

I have also included a picture of my favorite little puppy. He is the only boy and he is always eating. I have even given him a name- "chanchito" (piggy) because he is the fattest and he is always eating.

Fabulous Night

2009-12-01T06:25:00.001-08:00

As promised here are some more pictures of the puppies with Piba. It is really hard to get close to them since they are in a little crate and Piba is protective of them. It was quite funny as soon as I got close to her and the puppies she readjusts herself to cover/protect them more. She is a good mama.

Yesterday was a great day. Work was the same as always- no real change there- I did have a wonderful evening. Lana- a friend of mine (who I met through work she is a representative to one of the companies that we write insurance with). We became friends when she lost her mother to cancer. She was looking for someone/something to make her feel better. Well- I know what she needs is GOD which is why I think God sent her to me to become friends. We have on occasion met for dinner to spend time together. I invited her to join book club. I mostly listen to her- since that is what she needs right now. Yesterday she calls me to see if I wanted to have dinner with her. At first I felt like it was last minute notice and that really I needed to be home- but I kept feeling like I needed to be there fro her so I called Paul to see if it was okay to go to dinner with Lana (he quickly agreed since he had homework to do anyways). We met right after work at 5:15 pm right down the street from my work at Sammy's Woodfire Pizza. Since it was happy hour they had all of their tapas at 1/2 off. The evening started off really nice just a little chit chat about nothing of real importance- then out of the clear blue she asked me if I was a religious person- This question is one I get often- and I respond by saying- it is not a religion to me it is a relationship- which to me is far more personal than just being religious. I explained to her that I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. God opened the door for me to share my faith with Lana and it was exciting. She asked lots of questions- I answered them to the best of my knowledge. She was VERY receptive to listen to what I had to say. A comment she made " you always seem to happy and at peace- like no matter what happens you take it well- things seem to go well for you" made me laugh- I guess I never perceived myself as always happy and always taking things well- This made me realize HOW MUCH PEOPLE ARE WATCHING ME. It was a sobering thought- How many times have I not been the best example for CHRIST. So- in the end- Lana is asking MANY questions, which is an encouragement to me since I know a door has been opened and the Holy Spirit will work in her.

We spent 3 hours at the restaurant- and she wants to continue talking- which I told her ANYTIME she wants I am available. This Christmas is going to be hard for her since it is her first Christmas without her mother- but maybe she can find Her Saviour by them who can give the COMFORT she longs for.

Please pray with me- 1. That I be aware of all the open doors God gives me to share my faith and 2. For Lana- as I know she understands what I have told her- but now needs to reconcile within herself that God is what she so Desperately NEEDS for eternal salvation.

Update

2009-11-30T06:40:00.000-08:00

Just got a call from Gabby- Piba has had 2 more puppies- both girls.
She thinks she is done- Since Piba got up and went to her little house taking her puppies with her. I will post more pictures tonight.

Labor Pains

2009-11-30T05:43:00.001-08:00

Here is the proud papa-

Here is puppy # 1 (boy) born early this morning. He is SO precious.

Here is Piba- She was sitting by me and about every 15-20 minutes she would get really excited and get real nervous. I think that is when her contractions were coming.

Here is Che guarding Piba.

Here is Puppy #2 (girl) born. Here she is still in her sack- and Piba is cleaning her up.

I have learned so much about dogs watching Piba. God is AWESOME on how he created animals.

More pictures to follow.

What a trip

2009-11-28T10:10:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was wonderful. Our plans got changed a little. A friend/co-worker did not want Paul and I to spend Thanksgiving alone so she invited us to her house. We had a great time with them. There were a total of 17 of us in attendance. We had to cut our visit there short since we had to get up at 3:30 am on Friday to pick up Pastor Mario and Gabby from the airport.
Friday morning came quicker than we wanted- We got to LA in approximately 4 1/2 hours. It was great seeing them. We made it back to Las Vegas safe and sound a little exhausted.
Looking forward to Piba having her puppies... Now we will see when she goes in to labor...
More to follow.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Turkey Treats

2009-11-25T06:52:00.000-08:00

Today is our Thanksgiving potluck at work. I made these little treats for everyone. They were not as easy to make as they look. I thought this would be a nice EASY treat to make for my co-workers. I guess I was wrong- but it was a nice project for Paul and I to do together.

Glory by Selah

2009-11-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

Glory

One day eyes that are blind will see you clearly
And one day all who deny will finally believe
One day hearts made of stone will break in pieces
And one day chains once unbroken will fall down at your feet
So we wait
For that one day
Come quickly, we want to see Your…

[Chorus:]

Glory
Every knee falls down before thee
Every tongue offers you praise, with every hand raised
Singing Glory
To you and unto you only
We'll sing Glory to Your name

One day voices that lie will all be silenced
One day all that's divided will be whole again
One day death will retreat and wave it's white flag
One day love will defeat the strongest enemy  
So we wait
For that one day
Come quickly, we want to see your….
 
[Chorus:]

Glory
Every knee falls down before thee
Every tongue offers you praise, with every hand raised
Singing Glory
To you and unto you only
We'll sing Glory to Your name 

We know not the day or the hour
Or the moments in between
But we know the end of the story…
When we'll see your… 

[Chorus:]

Glory
Every knee falls down before thee
Every tongue offers you praise,every hand raised
Singing Glory
To you and unto you only
We'll sing
Glory to Your name

To listen to this song go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Efw-7cFGSA

Our Pre-Thanksgiving

2009-11-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

Paul and I decided we were going to have a Pre-Thanksgiving with a turkey and then on Thanksgiving day have Ham. SO Sunday I prepared our turkey- The picture above is what our turkey looked like. It was YUMMY- and it is the first turkey that I did by myself in the oven. We fried a turkey one year and the remainder of our Thanksgivings have been at someone else's house where we did not cook the turkey. Paul and I enjoyed our little pre-thanksgiving day- making memories. We had mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, stuffing and pumpkin pie.
For Thanksgiving I will make the ham with scallop potatoes, cooked carrots, sweet potatoes and lemon meringue pie.
This weekend was a peaceful one. Friday night, Ana treated me to a movie- NEW MOON. It was a good movie. We were surrounded by teenagers- it was amusing. Saturday Paul and I spent the day relaxing, drinking mate and enjoying our "facturas" from the french bakery. We also called Argentina and Paul spoke to his father for quite a while. It was nice catching up on things in Argentina.
Sunday- we enjoyed church and then our Pre-Thanksgiving meal. I cleaned the turkey and froze some of the turkey and kept some out for dinners this week.
This week should be a slow week. A lot of people take the entire week off. Great time to get caught up and take it easy.
Looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us this week.
Until the next one.....
Psalm 92:1
IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-20T08:32:00.001-08:00

November is usually my favorite month. This year has been a little different. It has been a tough year over all. I got to thinking that how I view things can also make it better or worse. For example- if I only look at the negative - my focus will be negative- and I will keep thinking of only the negative. This reminded me of when we used to foster the boys. Paul and I would get tired of hearing them complain about things or their siblings- so we started making them list 10 things they were happy/thankful for. At first the boys struggled with this- but once they had to do it more than once it started to come easier to them- and in the end I believe it helped them realize how much we should be happy/thankful for. So, I am challenging myself this way also-
I am going to list 10 things I am happy/thankful for:
1. My Saviour Jesus Christ- who came to save us- without HIM we have NOTHING. (John 3:16)
2. My loving husband- who despite all my flaws he still loves me unconditionally.
3. My family- who have been a great encouragement through EVERYTHING in my life. They laugh with me, cry with me and always jump at the opportunity to help us out.
4. My church- I am thankful that I have a place I can go to where the TRUTH is taught.
5. Ana- She is the reason I succeed at Landini & Associates. She is such a positive person- always smiling, always humming, and always excited for the adventures of a new day.
6. A good nights sleep- last night I slept 9 hours (something I have not done in a while). It is amazing what being well rested does to a body.
7. My job- yes I am thankful that I still have a job- even when things are rough- at least I have a job- when so many people are jobless these days.
8. Good deals- (I know that this one sounds silly but let me explain) Paul and I are spending Thanksgiving alone this year. I got a 16 lb turkey for $4.88- This is a GREAT deal (or at least I thought so).
9. Our house- even though we owe more than what the house is worth- we still have one and still make our monthly payments. PRAISE the LORD for that- when so many are foreclosing on their homes- we will do all it takes to continue to pay and honor the debt we have.
10. The lovely Scenery- the sky is clear the mountains have white caps on them and the air is crisp.
Okay- that felt good. I definitely need to keep doing that!

Wisdom

2009-11-19T16:32:00.000-08:00

Today was a very hard day for me. Overall I get along pretty well with most people. I try very hard to give a good example to my co-workers and my customers and shine the Light of God. Today I feel like I have slipped some- I had a NASTY confrontation with one of our new co-workers. I should have walked away and cooled off before I reacted- but I let the FLESH take over and boy was it NASTY. I went to the restroom and had a little meltdown. I have been under so much pressure that this situation just broke the camels back. The worst part is that he was clearly wrong but I should have never reacted the way I did so it made me wrong too. I have asked God to forgive me and have asked him to forgive me for the way I reacted. I appreciate all of you for thinking of my and being my prayer warriors.
I have to get better at blogging again! I have missed writing and also I know that some of you keep caught up with us through this blog.
Talk to you all soon!!!!

Great ways to deal with Burdens of Life

2009-10-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

Accept that some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.
Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
Drive carefully, it's not only cars that can be "recalled" by their maker.
It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be kind to others.
Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
We could learn a lot from crayons...some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

Erica Holly Ritchie

2009-10-05T07:01:00.001-07:00

Erica Holly Ritchie was born this morning at 4:37 am. She weighed 7lbs 1oz. and is 21 inches long.

Mom and Dad are doing well.

Congratulations Tanya and Wayne Ritchie!

I am still here!

2009-10-04T20:19:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not I miss blogging. It was a great way to keep people informed on our life. I am amazed at how busy my life has become.
Paul and I were just talking about how BUSY we have made ourselves. And every way we look at things for now that is how things must be. Paul has been extremely busy with school. I am going to start a count down to when Paul will be done with school- then maybe we will return to a semi- normal life. I love spending time with Paul- and while he is in school my time with him is limited. So selfishly I am looking forward to the day he is done.
Work for me is going better than expected. I have started taking my Bible to work with me and doing my devotions in the morning early (before everyone shows up) and I am amazed at how that has changed my outlook to work. Not that I didn't like work before but I felt overwhelmed all the time with all the work I had to do... but since I have been reading my devos at work- I feel more at peace- I thank God for that.
Pastor Mario and Gabby leave for Argentina on Thursday. It is bitter sweet for me- Bitter because I hate to see my friends leave for 2 months- but sweet because I know that they will be with family that they have not seen in years and they need a vacation.
Their dogs Che and Piba will be with us the whole time- but here is the kicker- we think that Piba is pregnant again!!!! She may be due at the end of November- It depends on when she conceived- This means that we may be the ones to take care of her with the puppies. I am a little worried about this- I just don't want something to happen to either her or the puppies. So I am praying that the puppies come after the 27th of November. Pray with me please.
Tomorrow is donations day. I made fiesta tamale pie for the workers along with a salad. I hope they enjoy it.
We will see what the Lord blesses the church with tomorrow.

Small Mercies

2009-09-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

God is good.... I was able to keep one of the employees!!! Hooray for us! I really do not like working on the personal lines desk- And God knew that... because the decision to fire one of the employees was reversed!
I have been very thankful for that!
Work is going better than anticipated- but the days ahead will be getting harder as Tanya goes on maternity leave. Okay- enough of that! NO more sad news... On to the more fun stuff.

Paul and I have truly enjoyed having Pastor Mario and Gabby living with us. We enjoy the meals together and the fellowship we have with them. We have shown them how important it is to spend time as a family. SO once in a while we have family night- which usually consists of a dinner and a movie. Three weeks ago for our Saturday family night I made spinach lasagna and we watched Get Smart - the movie that came out a few years ago. It was great to see them relax and enjoy the time. They seem to always be busy, between visiting people from the church and the church activities, that Paul and I felt like they never take time to just RELAX and do nothing... That mental down time is DESPERATELY needed. I am starting to grow attached to their dogs. They have 2 small dogs. They are really funny to watch. It is amazing how dogs make you forget about everything that is going on around you and help you relax.

On another note- Paul is taking two classes right now that are BRUTAL. He is spending most of his free time with school. Reading, writing and taking tests. I think he will be very thankful when these two classes are over.

I on the other hand- seem to be more relaxed at home. I truly think it is more because I have great help with the chores of home. Pastor and Gabby clean the house for me since they are living with us. This is a HUGE help to us. I am ever so Thankful for them and their work.

My parents may be coming out to visit in October, and I am looking forward to the possibility of this visit. My mother used to come quite frequently and work at my office while she was here but my father has not been out here in probably 5 or more years.

For all of my blog prayer warriors please keep my in-laws in your prayers. My mother in law is in Nebraska spending time with her mother since she is not doing well. My father in law is in Argentina continuing their ministry in Argentina. I know that my MIL needed to make this trip to see her mother but I am also very sure that my FIL is missing her. We keep them in our constant prayers.

Okay- I guess that is enough news for one blog... I am getting tired and really looking forward to my night of sleep.

Until the next one.....

Be Thankful Always

2009-09-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

Never in my life had I imagined I would have a week like the last week I had. God must really be wanting to teach me something. Work has been really busy- which will only get worse in the weeks to come.
Most of you know how I post at times about my WONDERFUL staff! I must say that the group gets along really well and works well together. We help each other out when needed and we do it without complaining.
The horrible part of this story is that as of yesterday- When the group consisted of 9 people (that is including the owner) now we are down to 6. Yesterday we had a lay off at work. We are now left with the owner, the accounting lady (who only works 12 hours a week), one sales person, 2 support staff to do the day to day activities (which might I add- one is pregnant and due in 3 weeks) and ME-
Now think about this carefully- We had someone that handled the clients that had life and health insurance- we now have no one to handle that.
We had someone that handled all the personal lines (auto insurance and home insurance) we now have no one to handle that.
We had an AWESOME customer service representative- who was a jack of all trades- she was at the front desk as a receptionist, did quoting, checked policies, set up accounts, etc... She is no longer with us.
So.... do you think we have less work since they left? ABSOLUTELY not. Who do you think will be straddled with that work- I think you have figured it out... YES ME!!!!
Well- instead of being negative about it I have decided that I will do my best with a smile on my face- I will Honor God and keep giving my ALL in these difficult times.
When the decision was made to lay off 3 employees- it cut me deep- because there is not a performance issue with the employees- it is an economic issue that caused the lay off. I went home very sad- Thank you Paul for the moral support (while I cried on your shoulder).
Yesterday was a very emotional sad day. Many tears were shed.
I think for the first time since I have worked at Landini the entire office was SAD, quiet and emotionally spent.
So- in lieu of the situation at hand... I am fully aware that my life at Landini will not be the place it used to be. Paul and I are both praying for direction- That the Lord show us clearly what he wants of our lives and where he wants our lives.
Praise the Lord I have a job- Of that I am truly thankful- I will continue to Rejoice on the positives of the whole situation and pray for daily strength to make it through the day.
Pray with me wont you?

Only Thing

2009-08-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

I was touched today by this song- it says so much how I feel of my life!
By Ronnie Freeman

Only Thing

I heard someone say the other day

They'd seen in me true love displayed

Blessed by something I had done for them

No sooner had they said these words

I found myself somehow disturbed

Uneasy as I took their compliment

Cause I know the heart inside this man

I know the truth of who I am...

The only thing that's good in me is Jesus

I know me well enough to know

No matter what this life may show

The only thing that's good in me is Jesus

If you could walk the hallways of my heart

And see things as they really are

I wonder if you might be surprised

Seeing faded walls of pride and fear

Rooms I've filled with faithless tears

And corners where I've stood in compromise

But you'd see the work His grace has done

You'd know just how far I've come

In a thousand years

When the dust of this world clears

And I look back on my life

And see in perfect light

The only thing that's good in me is Jesus

I know me well enough to know

No matter what this life may show

The only thing that's good in me is Jesus

I know me well enough to know

No matter what this life may show

The only thing that's good in me is Jesus

Thank you dear friends for your prayers this week. We have laid our fears and troubles at the feet of Jesus and we rest that HE will show us the way.

Rest on the LORD

2009-08-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

Today, I have had to remind myself that I need to REST ON THE LORD in everything. Have you ever felt like everything is going just right-walk with God is good- things are good- job is good- relationships are good- and then all of a sudden a wrench is thrown into the mix-then you feel like the supposed solid ground you were on is NO LONGER SOLID but shaky? Well, I am having one of those days. I think we are approaching a time of change in our lives. Paul's job has been shaky the past few months. Today, after months of praying and talking about it we decided that it was time for Paul to find a new job. Not that he does not enjoy his job- because he truly has enjoyed the years he has been with them- There are some decisions that the company has been making that have made Paul feel unsteady- A few months ago they laid off his entire department. Paul thankfully was not one of the ones laid off- but there are signs once again that another lay off is coming. This is not sitting well with either one of us. We have finally come to a point where we rather have a PLAN B- and through prayer- God has given us peace about a job change. Sometimes for some people change is very scary.
So- Please pray with us these next few weeks we will need to see what and where the Lord leads us. It is so important that we follow God's leading and NOT our wants. We truly don't want to do something that is out of God's will- since there is ALWAYS consequences to not following God.

Busy Saturday

2009-08-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

I love Saturday and Sunday! They are both days that I get to rest. I needed to get the oil changed for the car so I got up early and went to do that! PTL we have a 4 year maintenance contract and the oil changes are FREE.... However when they were done with the oil change they brought to my attention that the tires needed changed. It did not surprise me... We have not changed them since we got the car over 3 years ago. Toyota wanted me to change them there- but NO WAY am I paying the price they have! I went to Walmart to get them changed. It is great to kill two birds with one stone- I went grocery shopping while they changed my tires. I am home tired now~ I just finished cooking lunch and I am waiting on the spinach quiche to cook in the oven. We are having homemade quiche with fresh fruit.

Promised pictures

2009-08-07T17:51:00.001-07:00

Remainder of the visit

2009-08-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

Well, all of my house guests are gone! We had an interesting few days- full of fun and excitement. Rachel and Lizzie arrived and it felt like we were non-stop the whole time they were here.
Wednesday of last week we went over to Pastor Mario and Gabby to help with the donations. They were blessed with many donations this time. God has been good to them and supplying all their needs. It is a great testimony to me on the power of God! We helped sort, organize and make bags for the church members.
Thursday we had a fabulous "girls day". We went to get pedicures and Rachel even got a manicure. We truly enjoyed ourselves this day.
Friday- I had mediation to attend- which took a whole lot longer than anticipated. I drove to Pahrump, NV and spent 6 hours there with no resolution at all. The attorney was quite upset that NO resolution was accomplished. After mediation, I raced home (it took me 45 min to get home) and packed up for our trip to San Diego. We picked Paul up at work and started our California adventure.
Saturday we spent the day at Sea World. It was so much fun- Best of all was watching Rachel and her reaction to certain shows and animals. We spent all day there until 7:30 p.m.- when we decided that we had enough. We were tired, crispy (we all got burned except for Rachel who we made sure we sprayed down 3 times throughout the day) and hungry.
We got to the hotel- We laid down and all of us had a laughing fit- I think mainly because we were exhausted. We slept really well that night from pure exhaustion!
Sunday was a long day of traveling- and once we got to Las Vegas we went to Bellagio to see the dancing waters.
Monday Lizzie and Rachel started packing for their return to Atlanta. We relaxed that evening since we were all pretty tired from the long weekend.
Tuesday- Lizzie and Rachel left. It was hard to let them go- but I totally understand their need to be home with their families.
Wednesday we said goodbye to Veronica.
Last night we came home to a quiet home- all alone again! For the first time in 3 weeks we went to bed early-
What a Great time we had with everyone! Missing everyone already.
I will post pictures of our adventures later tonight at home.

Day 10-11

2009-07-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

What a busy few days. We picked up Rachel and Lizzie from the airport and have not stopped since.
We went to the park and played bochas. Rachel played at the park where there is a water section- good for the heat of Las Vegas.
We also went to Pastor Marios house to help with the donations. There was a truckload of blessings that arrived. Veronica could not get over the amount of stuff that was donated. We spent all day yesterday- unloading a truck and sorting the items that were donated. Rachel even got to enjoy organizing with us. We got home after the long day and Veronica and Rachel made empanadas. We enjoyed them very much.

Days 6-9

2009-07-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

I am bunching a few days together because we were away from my computer so I could not blog. We have had a wonderful few days...
We got a Cabin in Williams Arizona about 45 miles from the Grand Canyon. The first night we cooked a chicken- it was yummy. We enjoyed every aspect of this trip. The weather was fabulous. It was in the 80's during the day and at night it was in the 50's.
The Grand Canyon was AMAZING. We had a wonderful time walking and checking everything out.
We also taught Veronica how to make a smore... She thought they were YUMMY.
Today we go and pick up Lizzie and Rachel. We are getting real excited of their visit.

Day 5

2009-07-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

Paul and Veronica spent the day driving around finding things that Veronica was looking to purchase. When they picked me up from work they both looked tired. We made our plans for the trip to Grand Canyon. Not much else to report for that day!