The Last Two Weekends

Two Saturdays ago T.J. and I went to Harbor Fest. It's an annual festival held at Waterside in Norfolk. Lots of ships of all sizes come from all over and dock up and down the waterfront. Some of the ships were huge. We were even able to go on board a few. They were pretty awesome to see. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to post. Somehow the pictures got deleted off the camera before we downloaded them...oops! I was pretty disappointed when I couldn't find them. Now, I have to go next year to get some more pictures of those awesome ships. (So, stay tuned for next year's post about Harbor Fest so you can see some pictures, j/k ) :)
This past Saturday, TJ and I tried out an Italian restaurant called Carrabba's. The food was excellent! We would definitely recommend it. After dinner we drove out to the oceanfront. It was our first visit to the ocean this spring. It was a beautiful evening. We took some fun pictures and just enjoyed sitting on the beach and watching the waves come in. I feel like we take advantage of the ocean/beach being so close to us. It's so beautiful; we don't get out there and enjoy it nearly as much as we should. Overall, I had a wonderful evening with my best friend.
















Sunday afternoon TJ and I went canvassing with our church members for our VBS this week. A youth group from Lebanon, Pennsylvania has come to help our church put it on. They brought all the supplies with them (decor, verse sheets, the stories, games, ect.) The only thing our church had to provide was the snack. The youth group is even sleeping in the church. Since our church is small and doesn't have the means to put on a VBS by ourselves, it is a huge blessing that they have come to do this for us. I'm so excited to see what God is going to do this week.

(Here are some of the teens and leaders that came to help out)

(Eli Ickes and Matt Winks)

Recent Happenings

Well, I'm a little behind in posting so I'll just mention briefly what we've been up to. We spent Memorial day in Williamsburg with our pastor's family and a few other church members and friends. That morning T.J. woke up early to go fishing with the guys. The rest of us met up with them around lunch time at the park. After lunch we spent the rest of the afternoon playing games, skiing, and tubing. Since it was a hot day, the water actually didn't feel too cold. It was so exciting to see some of our friends get up skiing for the first time. TJ had tried skiing in the past a couple times and he was able to get up briefly as well. (Unfortunately I didn't get a good picture of him out of the water.) Overall, we had a great day enjoying God's creation and spending time with friends.
Two weekends ago, TJ and I attended a pirate party in celebration of the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie coming out. James and Jessica Frohlich were the hosts. TJ and I had a great time picking out our costumes and getting ready for the party. Everyone was so creative with their costumes. Jessica had decorated her balcony outside her house like a pirate ship. We enjoyed kababs and other great food. We also played a couple creative games, including the dice game Davy Jones' men played in the second movie. It was such a good time with lots of laughs and memories. Following the party we all went to see the new movie together-which was very good! No, we didn't wear our costumes to the moive... although I would have liked to. :)
PS. Just in case any one was wondering, in the pic of us below, TJ is holding a root beer.

SHANNON'S 25TH BIRTHDAY

Shannon just had her twenty-fifth birthday two weekends ago. While we weren’t able to get away for long (Shannon still had to work on Saturday), we still wanted to do something special. So, we planned to spend Sunday at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. A few days before, we learned that the new ride the Griffon opened that weekend instead of the following weekend as planned. Shannon was even more excited about going then. As it turns out, our good friends Don and Katrina were planning on camping only minutes from the Park. They invited us to go camping the night before and we invited them to join us for part of the day at the Gardens. Katrina and Don surprised Shannon with a wonderful birthday breakfast that morning, too. The Griffon was a sweet ride and God gave us beautiful weather to enjoy the day. To top it all off, Shannon and I went out for her birthday dinner. We had been planning to go to the Cheesecake Factory for months. Yet, on a whim, she decided to go to P. F. Chang’s Asian Restaurant instead. And a great choice it was. The food was…perfect. Chang is probably our “new, best friend,”—so long C. Factory.

Needless to say we had a blast the whole weekend (except for the fact that Shannon and I about died from frostbite camping—who would have thought we’d need more than two large blankets?) And I am thankful that I was able to spend it with friends…especially my wife.

MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND

Well I'm not a mom yet (unless you count Niko), maybe next year :); but TJ and I are so thankful to have wonderful mothers who love the Lord. They did their best to train us in the right way- to love God above all else. We miss our moms a lot. Even though we are all separated by hundreds of miles, they are still very close to our hearts. We could never adequately put into words how much they mean to us.
Last Sat. TJ and I went strawberry picking. We went last year and got a lot of deliciously fresh strawberries, so we decided to go again this year. We both LOVE strawberries, especially strawberry pie and homemade strawberry jam (which I have yet to attempt myself). Our picking was a success. We brought home lots of luscious berries. If any one wants strawberry pie come on over before it's gone. :)




















Sunday, after church the women were all treated to a wonderful meal which was all put together by the men in the church. The food was great! After lunch all the fathers/husbands surprised the women by presenting them with a perennial flower to plant outside on the church grounds. They had cleared out an area on one side of the church for a lot of the flowers to be planted. Seeing as how roses are my favorite flower, TJ gave me a rose bush. It was such a great idea. I can't wait to see all the flowers/plants bloom and grow.




















We didn't have an evening service Sunday so we spent most of the rest of the day at Waller Mill Park in Williamsburg. We went with our friends, Don and Katrina. We rented a couple of boats and the guys went fishing. Unfortunately they didn't catch anything, except branches, twigs, and seaweed. Although, they almost brought one in. We saw it right before it spit out the lure. But, it was a beautiful day, so it was nice to just be out on the water enjoying nature and spending time with friends.

Back Home in Michigan...


Two weekends ago TJ and I flew to Michigan to visit my family for a few days. We hadn't been back in over a year. I saw my parents last Thanksgiving, but it's been almost a year since my brother and sister-in-law (Aaron and Beth) were here last summer. We had a surprise waiting for us when we got back to my parent's house. My Nana and Papa were there! I wasn't expecting to see them since they were suppose to be in Arizona for a few more days. But, they changed their tickets and flew home early to see us. The weekend we were there was beautiful. It was warm and sunny (which can be hard to come by this time of year in Michigan). We had such a wonderful time with everyone. We got to see my brother's new house. And, we got reacquainted with my almost two-year old nephew (Ryan), who I'm sure didn't remember us from last summer. He's a completely different child from when we saw him last. It's amazing how fast babies grow up when you don't see them very often. He was a bundle of joy and energy.
Another highlight of our trip was being able to see TJ's sister(Laura) and her husband. Matt is attending seminary in Detroit and they only live about an hour from my parent's house. It was great to see them and see their home for the first time. We just praise the Lord so much for our wonderful families and the opportunity we had to spend time with my family for a few days. We miss you all and love you lots!!

Sunday...

Last Sunday at church we had a different type of S.S. and morning service. During S.S. pastor teached on foot washing. He took us to the Scripture where Jesus washed the disciples feet. Christ humbled himself as a servant. Pastor explained that we don't practice this today because it's not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture and it was never laid out as a church ordinance like baptism and communion. Although, we don't wash each other's feet today, pastor still encouraged us that we should be following Christ's example and find ways to serve one another. After the explanation, the men and women divided up and we proceeded to wash one another's feet. It was a really neat experience. Don't worry, we're not going to add foot washing as a church ordinance.
For the morning service, Mr. John Metzer with Jewish Awareness Ministry was visiting and took the hour to walk us through the Jewish passover meal . Every year the Jewish people still celebrate the passover. Mr. Metzer demonstrated the process and explained the significance behind everything that goes on during a Jewish passover meal. It was very informative.

Our church didn't have an evening service so TJ and I spent the rest of the day at Busch Gardens! We got a really great deal and decided to go in with some friends to get season passes.
The weather was beautiful and the rides were great!

Family Fun Night!

Last Saturday night our church had its first monthly family fun night. The evening included pizza, dessert, games, and a great time! For most of the evening everyone played the games together. We played Cranium and Pictionary. The teams were divided between the women and the men. And, of course, who do you think won...well, we won't go there right now. The activities also included a couple rounds of thumb wrestling, Anand doing push-ups on the church pews, and Doug showing the guys how to do some weird he-man type pushup. It was a great night of fun, food, and fellowship. We praise the Lord for our church! We just love being a part of this church body.






































P.S.
Thanks Kristen for watching Niko!

Easter Weekend...

After the weather we've had this weekend, I'm not sure if I'm still in Virginia or back in Michigan. The eighty degree days we've had this spring seem to be something from a dream. Sat morning we looked outside and IT WAS SNOWING! I might have been excited if it was around Christmas time, but not when I already have spring fever from the warmer days we had the previous week. I think we got more snow that morning than any day this past winter. Virginia weather is crazy!!

(It's hard to tell from the pic, but the snowflakes were huge)

Although Sun. was just as cold as Sat., it still ended up being a beautiful sunny day. T.J. and I enjoyed Easter Sunday with our church family in Williamsburg. The Sunday morning service was such a blessing. The pastor's message was all about Christ and the days leading up to and including His death and resurrection. After the morning service, we had a big dinner with a lot of people from our church. The meal was delicious!! In the afternoon, the kids had an Easter egg hunt and some of us went to Pastor's house to relax and play games. It was an excellent day!

( The seminary couples in our church)

Last Two Weekends...

I'm not so good at keeping up with the blogging world. So, by the time I post something I feel like it's old news already. Then when I get around to checking everyone else's blog they have like three new posts. How do you guys do it?? I really do admire the fact that some of you are so good at posting and keeping everyone up to date with your life's activities. I guess I'm just not a very committed blogger. Oh well... here are a few pics from our recent activities.


Chef T.J. tried out a new recipe he found off the internet. We got some free shrimp, and TJ decided he wanted to make dinner for me and a couple of our friends (the Frohlichs). The meal was a success. It was very tasty. And, I certainly didn't mind letting him take over in the kitchen :) For dessert we had chocolate fondue with lots of goodies to dip into it. It was a great night with wonderful food and fellowship.

















Last Sat. we had a sleepover with our Pastor's kids (Ashlyn, Abby, and Eli Ickes). We had a great time with them. We took dinner to the park and played tag on the playground. We ate ice cream; watched a movie; and, of course, played with Niko. They are great kids, but we were all wiped out by the end of the night. It's hard for me to imagine what it would be like to have our own children someday. Having the Ickes' kids over, gave us a small taste of what it could be like. It's exciting to think about the future and having a family of our own. In the meantime, I guess I'll just have to keep enjoying everyone else's kids.

















P.S.

Happy Easter Everyone!!

Looking for a good book to read...

TJ and I just finished reading together "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ" by John Piper.



The book only has thirteen chapters. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of Christ's character. "The Power of Jesus Christ," "The Wisdom of Jesus Christ," "The Mercies of Jesus Christ," "The Excellence of Jesus Christ" - are just a few of the chapters. Piper did an awesome job with each chapter. We were so blessed and convicted as we read through this book together. Christ is seen throughout the whole Bible. Our lives would be nothing apart from Him. It was great to read through it and just meditate on His person. We thoroughly enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to all of our friends and family.The back of the book says that Piper wrote it "in hope that all will see Jesus for who he really is and will come to enjoy him above all else. "

Beading Party...


A few girls came over last Friday night while our husbands got together for their monthly "men's accountability" meeting :). I have "accountability" in quotes because I'm not to sure how much accountability really goes on. Anyway, we had a fun time making jewelry. It was one of my first times attempting such a thing. I was surrounded by beading experts. They made some awesome pieces. I managed to put together a bracelet. Maybe, this will be the start of my beading days or.....maybe not. Even if I don't get into it, the experience was fun. And, of course, it will always be nice to admire what everyone else creates.

Abby

Julie and Jess

Katrina

Emily

Recent Happenings...

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day held a few nice surprises. Among them was a nice Italian restaurant called La Bella Italiana. The food was very tasty, fresh, and authentic. It was recommended to us and we were definitely NOT disappointed.




Fun Times with the Varners

Sat. night we went to John and Bethany's house. We had a great night together. We've known John and his siblings since going to college at Northland. We were all at the same church together. Kristin, John's sister, is Niko's dogsitter when we're away. Niko loves Aunt Kristen. And Shannon was friends with Bethany back in her days at Maranatha College. Thanks Varners for your friendship.


Niko's New Playmate

The last couple times Allie Trach has been over, she and Niko have had a great time together. At first Allie was a little timid, but then she opened right up and found out how much fun Niko could be. She loves throwing Niko's ball and having Niko chase after her while she's holding the ball. Niko probably loves being able to play with someone his own size. They were so cute when they played I had to take a few pictures.

Our Seattle Trip

We had a great time visiting Seattle with our friends Steve and Sarah Branine. Overall the weather was rainy, cloudy, cold, and foggy - typical for Seattle at this time of year. Inspite of the weather, we still enjoyed our adventures. I hope you all enjoy the pics ...

Our sweet ride for the week- Chevrolet HHR

SUNDAY

Our first sights for the city

Pike Place Market:

We ate at a cheese factory

.

The Original Starbucks

MONDAY:

Pics of our condo



The Air Museum

This lady was a woman pilot during WWII.
Her husband served in the same war. There was
a pic and a story written about him in the museum.

Here we are on an older model of Air Force One

Concord jet -flew very fast, but too expensive to keep flying

Harbor Cruise around the Puget Sound.
Oldest pier in Seattle

While on the cruise, we came across some seals.

Silly pics-Steve and Sarah in a curiosity shop. TJ and Steve playing some game at the Science museum.

More pics from the Science Center

The space needle was a little difficult to see with all the fog.

TUESDAY:

We spent most of the day in Vancouver, B.C.

Steam clock

We didn't find too much to do in the city. But, one of the hightlight was definetly the ice cream shop that featured 218 flavors.

TJ and Steve tried Wasabi flavored icecream-Here are before and after photos of them trying it. Look closely at Steve's facial expression.

Vancouver wasn't our favorite city so we were glad to return to the states

WEDNESDAY

Tues night and all day Wed T.J. and I were very sick. I think that we got food poisoning. It was pretty bad. Fortunately it only lasted one day.

THURSDAY and FRIDAY

Thursday morning we took the Branines back to the airport. It was sad to see them go before us. We then drove around Seattle some more. We went back to Pike Place market and did a little more shopping, ate at a Mexican resteraunt, and then went back to the condo to relax on our last evening before going home. Our flight left Seattle early Fri. morning. We had a lay over in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to get out of the airport to see any sights. The airport there was definetly the busiest and coolest looking airport we had ever been in. They even had slot machines in the airport- no, we didn't actually play any. We also saw some great views from the plane of Mt. Rainier and of Las Vegas.

Self portrait at Pike Place market. You can barely make out the small sign in the background.

Sights from the plane

Overall, we had a great time. We thank the Lord for safety and the opportunity he gave us. Thank you Steve and Sarah for inviting us. Thanks to their aunt for giving us the time share and thank you to Fed Ex for the cheap tickets. :)