car and chris

I have a couple of friends who recently got engaged. I am going to have to check with them to see if they want their real names used on this blog as they both have expressed a deep desire to not write personal information about themselves on the web. For my purposes, at least for now, we'll just call them Car and Chris (since that is what Aidan was able to say of their names anyway). I think those names are pretty cute. ;-) I am planning on having their pictures on here, and if they don't want me to do so, they can contact me and I'll remove them (they read this blog, too). They are getting married in April and they've asked Amy to do the pictures. We're excited about that. I was also asked by Car to be a groomsman (he was one of mine, just fyi). I'm REALLY excited about that! I've already got a bunch of great things to say during a toast to the happy couple. Heh heh. They came and stayed with us this past weekend and we enjoyed it greatly. We played the Wii, watched movies, went to church, chatted and had good conversation; no Settlers, though. They slept on our couches and floor in the living room. Both bedrooms are taken up by children, now, but Car used to come and stay in our spare bedroom when not engaged. ;-) We hope to have them come back and join us numerous times as we grow close as good friends, if the LORD wills.

Here Car and Chris are eating our cereal.

Car. Quite good lookin', I'd say.

Chris. Quite good lookin', Car'd say.

It's alright: they're engaged.

maggie brown's wedding

Maggie and her parents, the Browns, waiting for her grand entrance.

Maggie and new husband makin' out!

Amy and Maggie.

So, Maggie's now married. This marks the first marriage of any student which Amy or I discipled at ncc. Maggie married just two weeks after she turned 18, just two months after graduating high school. He is in the Air Force, and he helps guard missile silos in Montana (side note: the Spanish word montaña translates mountain in English). Don't know how things will go, since we've not really been around her for the last year and a half or so, and we definitely do not know him, but we wish them the best of the LORD's blessings for their new family.

two weeks in review

It's been a while since I have written anything on here. Adam told me to write again and I said I would if he made a decision about dinner and my parents coming over here. He did so I am keeping up my end of the bargain. So a lot of things have happened since I wrote last, but it kind of feels redundant to talk about them because Adam already has...but he said I should do it anyway because I am different than he is so I will do it anyway. It seems like a really long time ago but High School winter camp was 2 weeks ago. Camp was really awesome this year, God answered prayer in a big way (He is a big God, right?). We have been praying for a while that God would change lives and save people at this camp, and He did! We had 15 students baptized when we came home on Sunday night. Some of them were saved at camp and some of hem rededicated their lives. It was such a great thing to come home and not be done. It was the first time that we have done a session on Sunday evening with the whole church. I really think it was good for the students and the parents, so everyone was on the same page and conversations could stem from the shared experience. It was a very good weekend, it was fun too. The dumb games and the hoedown. One of my girls had a cold while at camp an she decided that it would be nice thing to share it with me so I got it when we go home. Wow, it seems like a long time ago...moving on...So valentines day was this month. I got some flowers for me from Adam, they were very nice (thanks babe). And he gave me a very nice card and a sucker (thanks to one of his students, it was good too). Valentines day is nice but its really not that big of a deal. Its not like I don't know Adam loves me, he doesn't have o get me extra things on specific day to tell me that. I think that its just a scam from retailers to get people to spend more money. Ok, that was way too much time on that subject. So the family all came into town on Wednesday of last week. Beth, Joe, and Jon stayed with us and Vaughn and Kathy stayed at Irene's. It was a nice weekend with them here. Thursday night was here with Kathy's family, it was fun, always entertaining. Friday was pretty much all day wedding stuff. I took Charles and Allison's wedding that night, and was doing prep and pictures the majority of the day. It wore me out but I was really glad that I was able to do the wedding. I think the pictures turned out well, I hope the newlyweds agree, but if they don't they actually get a chance to retake their wedding pictures in May. Saturday was a fun day at the park. We took a large group photo of everyone while the out of towners were in town. Then we played games and hung out the rest of the evening. Sunday was church and Grandma Van's 100 birthday get together. We were late or both of the above events. We were going to go to HS group on Sunday morning but we didn't make it out of bed in time so we just went for second hour service. And we went home to let Aidan (and me) take a quick nap before Grandma's. We didn't quite make it in time for that either...which was kind of sad because they were going to have Adam do the opening prayer or lead some of the singing. Oh well, not a big deal. Grandma Van's party was really nice. She is pretty amazing, and hat is reflected in all the people that she has touched over her century of being alive. It was really nice to hear the stories that were remembered, and sing together thinking of all the she is going to join soon. It was kind of sad too, I am never too sure why believers cry at things like this but we do. I just pray that the nonbelievers that were there were touched by the love of Christ and the witness of Grandma Van. Monday was the trip of a lifetime to he Grand Canyon. It was the longest trip to the canyon I have ever made. It was cold, there was snow, there were cars and there was lots of parking. I think that's a pretty good summary of the day. I am not really sure how God intended to show His glory through that day but I am sure that he did somehow...I will get back to you on that one. On Tuesday I made a run to the airport and had a few other things hat needed to be done. Tuesday night was when everything caught u to me, I was (still am) sick through all of this. I don't think that all of the running around helped, but that ok, that's what the weekend was all about. So Tuesday night was the first night I didn't have something going on and I was very tired. I am still trying to heal from this cold...wouldn't you think that 2 weeks would be enough to feel better-good grief. And now Aidan is sick too. He made it for so long but then he got the flu. He had a fever and no appetite and threw up...a lot. I don't do so well with puke, it usually makes me puke too, but I made it through without throwing up. Aidan is now doing better but not 100%. He is such a good kid, he has only been kind of whiny and slightly more cuddly since he has been sick. I had a tea party this morning, but no one showed up except for my mom. That's ok I guess, I had some outside orders before the party and hope to get some more tomorrow. I felt kind of bad but Kelsey said she didn't care and got to do everything anyway to help train a new person. i guess that's all to talk about for now...I am going to have to write more often if I don't want this to take so long every time...

claim to fame

I have a new claim to fame: my cousin Charles had never been kissed on the lips before...ever...not by anyone. It was his wedding day, and just because I felt like it, I kissed Charles on the lips before the wedding. I didn't know that he'd never been kissed on the lips. So, instead of his first kiss on the lips by anyone being his new bride, I went in and stole it! w00t! Hence, my new claim to fame is that I was the first one to ever kiss Charles Phillip Van Liew on the lips. Charles, if I'd known, I wouldn't have. But since I did, please don't forget our moment. Heh heh.

sick day

Well, I took today off from work. It's a good thing I did, too. I have a cold, my family's in town (with Beth, Joe, and JD staying with us), and I am in a wedding today at 5:30pm or so. Charles and Allison finally have everyone behind them for this pushed-up wedding. I am looking forward to what the Lord is going to do in their lives and in the friendships they will create with us and other married couples along the way. They are going to have an incredible impact that I could never have. That's why we're a Body, not individuals.