lil' sis

jana. she's my sister, 3 1/2 years younger than me. we have slightly different personalities, as most siblings do. she is outgoing, very energetic, spontaneous, skinny and stylish when i tend to be more on the shy side, conservative, chunky and casual. i never really appreciated having a sister until john and i moved away to south carolina. (that's usually how it goes, you don't realize what you have until it's gone) i feel like we have gotten closer over the years since then and really enjoy spending time together...even though it doesn't happen often enough!

this is jana with joe, her fiancee! YES, that's right...my little sister is getting married! i still can't believe it (only because i still can't get my head around the fact that she's old enough - i have to keep reminding myself that i got married two years younger than she is now) i'm excited for her to be married, to be able to have one more thing in common with her to talk about and share!

today jana went wedding dress shopping. i had to work so i was only able to be there for the choice between the final two. i am thankful that she values my opinion and wanted me there. she looked gorgeous and picked a wonderful dress. it brought back all sorts of memories for me and my experiences. it will be fun to be able to share those moments and little wisdom i have with her, be there for her to answer all her questions and help her through this stressful, yet wonderful time. it's fun to be grown ups together, friends and still sisters.

congratulations jana and joe! i love you both :0)

jana, i couldn't ask for a better lil' sis!

6th anniversary trip

john and i headed down south for our sixth anniversary. kanab was our home base and the main goal for our trip was to see the grand canyon. unfortunately, john wasn't feeling too good when we left on friday and was still getting over whatever he had on saturday so we decided to take it easy, relax and let him re-coop.

once we made it down to kanab (taking the longer, more scenic route...not by choice...we missed our first exit!) we ate dinner at a local restaurant and just chilled. it was so nice to sleep in and feel no pressure to be anywhere or do anything. our hotel offered a continental breakfast that turned out to be better than we expected, mainly because they had the infamous waffle maker that john enjoys so much! on saturday we just toured around town, went to the local shops, swam in the hotel pool and walked the streets. we ate a pretty delicious pizza buffet and caught the disappointing usa-ghana soccer game.

they have a western movie museum where some big movies have been filmed, so it was neat to walk around and see some movie sets.



john decided to swipe this toilet paper...



from this house...



got put in jail...



and hung for his crime. sad! it was only toilet paper :)



we also had some fun trying on stetson cowboy hats!



on sunday we toured the best friends animal sanctuary in this beautiful canyon. they are the largest no-kill sanctuary in the country...they have dogs, cats, bunnies, horses, pigs and some birds too! we needed a little something extra to do so we decided to head up there and see the animals. it is a huge facility and they take such good care of the animals!







after the tour we headed down to the grand canyon for the evening. it was a beautiful drive to the north rim and it cost a ridiculous $25 to get into the park! but totally worth it.


all i can say is God's creation is amazing! we hiked the paved trails along the top of the rim and then spent some time at the lodge.







our plan was to eat dinner at the lodge, but after having to pay so much to get into the park and us being kinda cheap, we decided to picnic at an overlook spot instead.



on the way back from the grand canyon we saw quite a few deer and enjoyed the sunset. it was so wonderful to get away for the weekend, only the two of us with no obligations!

Prayer. Pray without ceasing. Conversing with God, through the Spirits leading, about everything, ALL the time. I have always struggled to be consistent in my prayer life. Some days will pass and I will not have said one word to the God that gives me breath…who am I to think that I can go without this essential act?

When I forget, or the opportunity passes by, or let’s face it…when I choose not to pray I miss out on so many things. My days are more self-centered, I worry or fret more, I want more or am not thankful for what I have already. I overlook all the small blessings that the Lord continually gives and I stop acknowledging His power and sovereignty. This would explain why the weeks before this last week were so challenging.

BUT GOD (don’t you love it when it says that in the Bible – God doesn’t forget, He doesn’t choose not to be faithful, He never misses an opportunity!!)…He is working, He is changing me, He broke me and is putting me back together! I have prayed more this last week than I think I ever have. And I’m not doing it because I want something or am checking my box for the day, it’s because I desire to talk to Him, glorify Him and recognize His presence in my life. But it’s amazing; when you pray you actually get to see prayers answered, who would have thought?!

You know how it sometimes takes two or three times hearing something before you really hear it. Well, I have been having a lot of those moments lately, learning new things left and right! Prayer is essential, as a child of God I cannot do without it, He listens and He answers (as He wills and not me!).

As a side note…one of those answered prayers is about Sage. We posted an ad on KSL, which then was followed by a zillion other people posting ads about dogs too, but a family did find the ad and gave us a call. They really have a heart for disability and knew they wanted Sage to be their dog as soon as they saw her. The husband is disabled and is in a wheelchair due to the loss of one of his legs and so he feels a connection with Sage, since she has leg problems too. They are moving into a new house in August and will be able to take her then, which is perfect timing for us. THANK YOU GOD FOR PROVIDING IN THIS WAY! It is sad to have to give her away, but we know she will have better life with this family, more love, more attention and a yard to roam around in!

I’m so thankful that I have a God that I can depend on, one who provides exactly what I need and not what I want; exactly when I need it and not any sooner.

Everyday, it’s You I live for; everyday, I follow after You; everyday, I walk with You my Lord! (one of the many songs playing in my head while posting this)

when the storms roll...

as i've stated in my last two posts, things are a bit tough for john and i right now. it seems as though nothing is going quite right. it has been a true test of our faith, trusting God to provide for our needs and not depending on our own strength and abilities. if you are able-please continue to pray for us...

• we are looking for a family to adopt our yellow lab, sage. it is hard for us to give her away, but we think it is the best for her and for our situation
• we are looking for a new place to live once our lease comes up in August...which will be SO much easier if we do not have the limitation of dog requirements
• john will be applying to graduate school soon and we are praying he is able to get into the program here so we can stick around for a while
• john is also looking for a new job. one that will provide a little more and still be flexible with possible school schedules

thank you! i know these things don't seem to rough or difficult, but they have been wearing on us greatly.

it is easy to forget that we need to depend on the Lord solely for all things, big and small. He is continually drawing us near to Him and I am so grateful for His faithfulness. i am weak and HE is strong!

(for all those campers out there) 'when the storms roll, when the storms roll, when the storms roll in my life-hey! i am weak but he is strong, by HIS might, I'll hold on tight. when the storms roll, when the storms roll, when the storms roll in my life!'

what a long week!

this week has been quite a challenge for me. work was slow and everyday felt SOOO long. my manger was gone thursday and friday, so i was kind of nice to have the pressure off and relax a bit though. but let's be honest...i would so much rather be busy!

john and i also stayed up later than usual every night this week, so i'm sure that added to the feeling of 'longness'. it's been good though - i get a lot more done if i don't sleep as many hours - and really, do i need more than eight hours?! the whole late night habit may become routine.

we also have been waiting to hear about the townhouse we applied to rent last week. it's been quite a trial of my patience as i posted before, but the guy hasn't even called us yet! let's just say it has been FRUSTRATING and i've pretty much given up on being able to live there. (which is way sad because it seemed so perfect.) at this point, we really don't know where we are going to be living after august 31st. for some reason, the Lord is waiting to reveal this to us, but in His time, I KNOW He will provide us with a new home. 'patience, keri, patience'

john is also questioning grad school - mainly due to the length of time and cost - he applied for a GIS paid internship in SLC this week. i think he is going to wait and see how that pans out because it would be a really good opportunity to get into his field. he has until october to apply for school, so there is some decision making time still left. (another area in our lives where we aren't sure what's going on.) 'patience'

i was talking to a friend on thursday night and once again realized that i'm just not where i want to be, or should be, spiritually. all things hard seem to culminate at the same time, but all my worries just points to my lack of trust in the ALL POWERFUL God. i need more prayer, more study, more quiet...to be able to listen. He is The Provider and i need to remember that HE is in control and not me.

i'm looking forward to worship tomorrow, praying it will be a time of refreshment...give all these things to God and focus on His glory, His grace and His plan for my life!!

tweet

Birds. I think they are pretty cool, just ask john…I will stop and watch one more often than not, especially the larger ones soaring in the clouds. When we were camping a couple weeks ago I heard this bird with the most melodic song…BUT, somewhere, outside my bedroom window there is a bird that I do not particularly like!

This poor little bird drew the short stick and was only given two notes to sing, TWO. One high pitch tone and one slightly lower on the scale. So when he chirps before 6:00 AM it sounds a little like this:

“high, low…high, low…high, low…high…high…high, low” over and over and over again!

So, every day this week, John has shut the window in our bedroom when this little birdie starts to sing and it still can be heard – loud and clear! And this little guy is persistent - as he continues to chirp until well after we are out of bed, a good hour or so.

I would kindly ask you little bird, PLEASE PACK UP YOUR NEST AND MOVE TO SOMEONE ELSES WINDOW! Thank you.

be anxious for nothing...

"patience, Keri, patience." these are the words i have to keep repeating to myself as we wait for news about a townhouse. i feel like we are in the process of buying this place, but really, we would just be renting. at this point (saturday) we have turned in our application, called the guy and now we are waiting for him to call us back, say our application looks good and we can have it.

waiting...my least favorite thing!

but this place would be perfect! or close to it. it is 1200 SF, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, has a one car garage, fenced yard with garden area and it's totally within our budget! it's in pretty good condition, just a little old. the best part is that it is in my parent's neighborhood, close to both john's grandparent's homes and our friends all live within close proximity. how awesome would that be!!

in fact, we my family first moved to utah we lived in the duplex across the street from this one we are looking at, so it definitely takes me back!

SOOOO, as i wait, these are the verses that are helping me do so a little more gracefully...

Matthew 6:25-27 "Therefore I tell you, DO NOT BE ANXIOUS about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds or the air, they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. ARE YOU NOT OF MORE VALUE THAN THEY? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" (emphasis added by me)

Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be make known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (emphasis added by me)

in Christ alone.

I LOVE THIS SONG! so powerful, unmistakably true.

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

memorial day weekend

we went camping this weekend with our good friends, yvonne and steve. steve's family has property in southern utah near capital reef, so we decided to head down there since the weather didn't allow us to go up to the cabin. it was quite an adventure...true camping, no bathrooms, no running water, no campgrounds...just us, the lizards and mosquites! it was awesome to be in the midst of God's creation, seeing the stars so clearly, spending the days relaxing with no obligations.

we were gone for five days and boy did we pack our little crv to the brim! once we arrived to the property we had to hike all of our gear down to the spot we decided to camp. this was the point when i realized this was going to be serious camping! all of us did some landscaping to open up areas for our tents and table and chairs. there were some vicious thorny trees and bushes that took their toll on the air mattress' and john's legs, but once we had cut a few paths it was easy to get around.

the weather was great all weekend. this wind blew during the day and died down during the night, it was warm and sunny which was a perfect change from the rainy, stormy may that we've been experiencing! we spent the days playing games, reading, napping, laughing and playing in the river. in the evenings we were bombarded by the mosquitoes, so we took refuge inside the tents or by the campfire.

vacations always fly by way too fast! before we knew it we were hiking back to the car and packing in all our sand covered belongings. camping is hard work, but SO worth it! john and i decided that we are probably more of the "glamping" type (glamorous camping) or maybe the desert climate just isn't our favorite, but it's good to get out experience the rugged outdoors...it makes you appreciate all the little things that the Lord had blessed us with.

can't wait until we can pack up and do it all again!