The Lantz Family

new blog

2011-07-11T16:15:00.000-05:00

I decided to start a new blog for all things mom-wife-crafting-household, etc. I don't know what that means for this blog - if we'll try to keep up 2 of them or not - I just wanted to try out a new look and play around a little bit with a new layout, so here's the address. You can see some of the latest pics and the beginnings of my new "life" in blogging. Check out the recipe for chocolate peanut butter pudding parfaits, some pics of our house and of our 4th of July Family Reunion.

www.darcielantz.wordpress.com

Enjoy!
~Darcie

Trial and error... Marshmallow Fondant

2011-06-05T20:22:00.001-05:00

So, Heidi's 3rd birthday is quickly approaching. Quickly, as in, it's still over a month away, but if I don't plan, it won't happen. :-)

I've been wanting to learn cake decorating for about a year now. It's been on my "fun" to-do list to go over to the houses of some girls that are more well-versed in this area and learn from them... it's been on that list for the whole year, and I've done nothing about it. Well, I still haven't done anything about learning from someone else, but I thought I'd try it on my own while I'm house-bound with a 3-week old. I'd love to do something fun for Heidi's birthday, so here's where I started.

My first attempt was with marshmallow fondant. Never tried any kind of fondant before, but this looked the easiest. After a first attempt, I have to say it wasn't bad. Just took some trial and error and learning a few tricks on my own:

1. Knead it with your hands, even after you put the food coloring in. Your hands may get colored, but it's just easier.
2. To roll it out with your rolling pin, put cooking oil on the rolling pin and on the surface you're rolling on so it won't stick to the surfaces. (frustrating)
3. Allow yourself lots of time!
4. I put regular jar frosting on the cake first to smooth out the surface, and it made the fondant lay out nicely on the cake without bumps.
5. Remember to take a picture of your attempt BEFORE you serve it up and eat half of it!

This cake had no theme or purpose, other than having 2 friends over to eat it, so it was basically playing with shapes and colors - I don't know what it was supposed to be. :-)

Let me know if you have questions, or if you're an expert I'll take your suggestions! The recipe I used is below:

Marshmallow Fondant
4 cups mini marshmallows
2 Tbsp. water
4 cups powdered sugar

Microwave marshmallows with water for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Dump in all powdered sugar. Stir, then knead until all sugar is mixed in. Store wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature until it cools. Knead in food coloring if you want to color it. See tip #2 above for rolling out. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters if you want.

What to do, what to do...

2011-06-03T20:24:00.000-05:00

I stole this idea from several different blogs that I follow. This was the easiest one to implement for me - I had an old frame I wasn't using, and some old origami paper that I've been saving for who knows what, so... ta dah! Here is our "Summer To Do" list to give us ideas when we're wondering how to fill our days. Some are for Heidi, some are for us to do for ourselves. It's not a long list, but I figured if we finish them all, we can make a new one halfway through the summer. Enjoy!

(I put the origami paper inside the frame, then reassembled it with the glass, and wrote on the glass with a permanent marker. I scanned it on our scanner so you can't see the picture frame around the edge. We'll mark off our list with a dry-erase marker, then it all comes off with Windex or nail polish remover if you want to use the frame for another purpose.)

2 weeks old and counting...

2011-06-01T15:56:00.000-05:00

I guess you get busy when you have a newborn. I had forgotten that. I've been meaning to post some updated pictures of the little guy, and we've even taken some pictures that we could post, we just haven't gotten to it. So, here are a couple of the latest:

Already chatting with his girlfriends on the iPhone.
With Heidi, it was Facebook. With Joseph, looks like we're gonna
have to give him a cell phone curfew.

After his second bath in the "big" tub. Can already tell a
difference in the top photo and this one... gaining a little
chub on that double chin!

It's a lot of fun having a little boy. I didn't think it would be different when he was a newborn, because all babies seem the same, but it is different. Matt and I have both commented on how you automatically think a little girl is sweet, and you want to be careful with her and protect her and be "girly" with her. With a little boy, we've both found that we feel a sense of pride - we're proud of him, although he hasn't done anything of which we should be proud. He doesn't do much of anything at all (except he's good at crying). Maybe we're proud of the man he will become someday. Who will he be?

Joseph Barrett Lantz - the name and its meaning

2011-05-16T15:43:00.000-05:00

As Matt has traveled to Israel over the past 5 years, he has learned one very important facet of the Hebrew culture that has influenced us a great deal as we have chosen names for our children: names are not just a means of identification, they are also a destiny. In other words, we have chosen names that don't just differentiate our children from other children, but names that characterize who we hope they become and what legacy we want them to leave behind. We also find names to be the best way to pray for our children in general. So, why did we name our son, Joseph Barrett Lantz?

Joseph: Truth be told, we had this name picked out for Heidi before we found out she was going to be a girl. Joseph has always been our first choice for a boy name for several reasons. First, Joseph is the name of all of my patriarchs going back 4 generations (the only exception being myself and my father, Larry). It is also one of the most popular names in our Lantz family ancestry.

Second, Joseph is a Hebrew name that carries the traditional meanings of "God increases" or "God continually adds". Rachel gave Joseph this name after God opened up her barren womb. Genesis 30:24 says, "She named him Joseph, saying, 'May the LORD give me another son.'" Given the meaning of the root word for 'give', yawsef, of which 'Joseph' is simply the future tense, it's not just that Rachel was asking for another baby (which she did eventually receive in Benjamin), she was also asking for the LORD to continually give her sons. She was asking for a legacy not just another baby. So, Darcie and I are hoping it's not just the name of our son, but the continued legacy of Lantz's who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and follow Him in faith.

Third, we are praying that Joseph becomes the kind of man that the Scriptures describe Joseph the son of Jacob to be. Genesis 41:38 says, "And Pharaoh said to his servants, 'Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?'" In just one short sentence Pharaoh, a poly-theistic pagan, outlines the three qualities about Joseph that we pray for him to become: 1). that he would be a man 2). that the Spirit of God would reside in him and 3). those two facts would be evident to anyone who meets him - especially those who do not know the Lord. We would love for you to pray those things along with us.

Barrett: Because we chose Joseph as our little guy's first name, we thought it fitting to stick with a family name for his middle name as well. There were lots of good boy names on both sides of our family, and many men and women of integrity to choose from. We chose Barrett as his middle name after my (Darcie's) Grandma Dodge; it was her maiden name (Gwynne Irvin Barrett). Not only is it it a unique boy name, but it means "bear-like" or "bear-strength," and strength is something that we desire for our little boy to have in many areas of his life - strength of character, physical strength and spiritual strength. His great grandmother was a women of great strength, and was married to a man of the same quality. They were an example of strength in their devotion to one another during WWII and throughout their 50+ years of marriage and parenthood.

Do you know what your name means? Do you know why your parents selected that name for you?

Joseph is Born: How the Story Unfolded

2011-05-13T15:27:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a BIG day! We've been looking forward to this for a long time now, but we were both expecting for Darcie to get induced, so Joseph coming on his own was a very pleasant surprise! Many are asking the story about how it happened, so here's a quick rundown on how the day unfolded for us.
10:00AM - Darcie visits her OB for her last appointment. She was still dilated at a 3 and the Dr. confirmed her to be induced on Tuesday. Darcie left the appointment fairly certain he wasn't coming before then.
1:30PM - Nap time for Heidi means nap time for mommy. Only the nap didn't come so easily because she started having some mild contractions and cramps that she couldn't ignore. Needless to say, the nap didn't happen.
5:45PM - Being the trooper that she is, Darcie dismissed her contractions and cramps fairly quickly & easily assuming they would go away just like others had days earlier.
6:30PM - After eating dinner, the contractions had gotten 5 minutes apart (sometimes less) and become the much more intense. So, decided it was time to go to the hospital. So we picked up the house, showered (quickly), dropped off Heidi and made our way to the hospital.
7:45PM - When we arrived at the hospital, Darcie was already dilated to 5 cm and, thankfully, they admitted us and the race began!

11:00PM - After a good solid 2 hours of some tough contractions, Darcie made friends with the anesthesiologist and got an epidural. She was dilated to a 7 by that point. As much as the pain abated with the epidural, it also slowed her progress just a bit.

1:40AM - Darcie's water breaks and she's dilated to a full 10 centimeters. The nurse tells her to make one practice push and Joseph starts to crown almost right away, so she had to hold off until the Dr. arrived.

2:00AM - Dr. arrives and Darcie begins to push.
2:24AM - Joseph is born!

5:30AM - We leave the labor and delivery room and make it to the room where we'll be staying the night. After more visits and checks from Dr's. we get a glorious hour of sleep. It's been a long time since either of us have pulled an all-nighter.
6:30AM - More tests, more Dr. visits, and Joseph's first sunrise. The start of another BIG day.

12:00PM - Nana, Pops, Jodie and Heidi come to the hospital. Heidi and Joseph meet each other for the first time as brother & sister over a great lunch from Stanley's BBQ (thanks Nana & Pops!)

2:00PM - Darcie celebrates no longer having gestational diabetes with the one thing she's craved the most her whole pregnancy: a sprinkled donut! Great job, babe. You did so well! Now it's time for a nap. :)

Here Comes Baby Joseph!

2011-05-12T21:11:00.000-05:00

We are at the hospital! Baby Joseph is ready to come into the world! Darcie is dilated to a 5 and is doing great! Stay tuned...

He...could...go...all...the...way!

Lantz Fam Latest

2011-04-22T17:05:00.000-05:00

A special thanks to JP for coming out to take pictures of our growing family. And we finally got photos with the dog! Baby Joseph is about 3 weeks away from making his arrival, so we'll take "newer new" family photos then, and hopefully our blog will get a design overhaul too!

Our first portraits with Cinco!

Yes, the curl on the front is natural,
and I can't get it to do anything else.

When we hug like this, Heidi loves to scoot
in the middle and say "Best Hugs!"

Lovin' on her baby brother already

One of Matt's favorites

Me and my fake "basketball under the shirt" trick

One of my favorites
(Big shoes to fill, little one!)

A Little Bit of Heidi for Daddy

2011-03-16T21:21:00.000-05:00

Thought you'd enjoy a snapshot of what we've been doing the past few days. We love you and miss you!

Swinging at DeeDee's

Helping Mommy and DeeDee make meatloaf

It all ends tomorrow...

2011-03-08T14:48:00.000-06:00

So I can say, that officially, unless it is a VERY productive afternoon (and I can drive to Oklahoma and back) that I won't finish EVERYTHING on my 30 while 30 list, but I think I did pretty well.

I didn't:

Finish by "book." (15 years and counting...)
Get family portraits made... yet!
Take a vacation with my girlfriends.
Build 3 woodworking projects - although I did 2, and a wood painting project.
Take our dog for a walk at least once a week. (lost that battle the first time I missed a week)
Finish reading through the Bible - although I joined a Bible study and we started over in Genesis.
Refresh my French speaking - although I did watch a couple of French movies.
Have 3 block parties - although we had at least 1.
Do something special for my parents. (does having another grandkid count?)
Visit Rich & Julie in Oklahoma...
... or get rid of one bad habit. (should have been more specific I guess)

But I did:

Read several books I hadn't planned on, including: The Unlikely Disciple, The Year of Living Biblically, 1/2 of Bonhoeffer, and the Mark of the Lion series.
Get pregnant and grow 7/9 of a baby... ?!
Decorate a new room for Heidi and redecorate the nursery for a baby boy
Go to Israel with Matt again
Play in the snow with Heidi at least 2 times
Go to San Diego with Matt for vacation - without Heidi!
Have Forge students/girls over for 2 movie nights and a girls' night out
Develop a wonderful, closer friendship with my neighbor Charis :-)
Replant my vegetable garden... again... and again
Visit Heidi's grandparents SEVERAL times
Learn how to make yummy bread without a bread machine... like, in the oven!
Spend almost every other night with my friend Jenn, and/or her roommates next door
Update the blog a little bit
Do lots of graphic design projects (ie - spend too many hours on the computer, like right now...)
... and I'm sure lots of other things I can't remember right now!

Should I make a 31 list? Maybe I could just go to Baskin Robbins and try all 31 flavors?

#2, here we go...

2011-03-04T17:06:00.000-06:00

A few pics of the "new" nursery. If some of them look familiar, it's because they are! We did Heidi's nursery as a pretty generic room so it would be easy to change 'just in case.' Well, that paid off! We changed all the pink parts to blue or brown, and voila... done! Added a few touches just for baby boy too.

Before - for Heidi

After - for Baby Boy

Before - for Heidi

After - for Baby Boy

Also, we have a name for baby boy! We've known what we wanted to name him for a long time (since before Heidi)...

Joseph Barrett Lantz

Joseph is the name of many of Matt's patriarchs (grandfather, great grandfather...) and we decided we wanted to bring it back. It means "Jehovah increases" or "continuation" so it fits nicely. Barrett was Darcie's grandmother's maiden name (Gwynne Irvin Barrett). It means "bear-like" or "bear strength." Good for a manly little guy.

We also found this verse as we were reading through the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. One of our prayers is that our little guy would grow up to be a man of integrity and wisdom like Joseph was in the Bible, and that he would have influence like Joseph did, so that someday, someone like Pharoah (a pagan) would say these words of him...

Just 2+ months until we get to meet our little guy. We are really excited and praying for a healthy baby. We know he will change our lives!

Heidi also painted him a few pictures to match his room.
She's slowly learning what it's going to mean to have a little brother...
and be a BIG SISTER!

Less than two months... 31.

2011-01-21T09:21:00.000-06:00

It goes by fast. In less than 2 months I'll be done with "30." How does that happen? In any case, I had to look at my list again and see how I'm doing. Not bad, I'd say, but there are a few on there that I already know I won't accomplish (haven't taken the dog for a walk in a month, so that one is out.)

I have a few friends/family that want to help me with the "Get a massage" one, and participate with me. Anybody else want to help with the others? :-)

Big Changes at the Lantz House

2011-01-17T20:42:00.000-06:00

The pictures will say it all...

Officially moved Heidi to her new "Big Girl Room."
(Thanks Nana & Pops for your help last week!)

Newly painted dresser, new quilt set, and moved the decorations
from her old room.

She LOVES her new bed. She wants to jump on it, have
dance parties on it, play on it... and she even sleeps on it...
sometimes.

Since the new bed/room has gone well, we're set to attempt the BIG ONE...
Potty Training! Saturday through however long it takes! Here are some of the
supplies we've stored up, along with lots of activities that will keep us close to
the potty and at home all weekend. Wish us luck!

Heritage...

2011-01-15T11:10:00.000-06:00

Dear Grandpa Emmerich,

I know you're not around to read this, but I felt like I should write it anyway. I've been thinking about you a lot lately as Matt and I prepare for Baby #2. The reason is this...

In about 1952, you got some furniture when you were stationed in Germany with the Army. I'm guessing my mom, Dale, was about 2 years old then. I have no idea in which room you used this furniture, or if there were other pieces with it.

My mom tells me that your daughter, Dorothy (my aunt), refinished the furniture for you and Grandma, maybe sometime in the 70's? It's now 2011 and I just finished refinishing that dresser and nightstand that you owned back in the 1950's in Germany.

I've been thinking about you because you loved to work with wood: building, carving, shaping, forming - and I can only hope to become half the carpenter and woodworker that you were. I've started quite a collection of tools. :-)

I hope that you'd be proud that the furniture you got in the military was well-used by your family, refinished by your daughter, re-refinished by your granddaughter and will now be used in your great-granddaughter's room as we prepare the baby nursery for your new great-grandson. I think you would be proud to know that even the girls in your family are holding up the hand-craftedness gene that you had. Maybe someday Heidi will refinish the furniture to match her house when she is a mommy.

Thanks for your dedication to your family and for loving your daughters. They've passed it on to me and there's a whole new generation that will have your heritage.

Love, Your Granddaughter,
Darcie

Feeling content, and life is full...

2011-01-09T20:57:00.000-06:00

I want to be a Blog Mom. One of those ladies that I follow on blogs that take tremendous photographs, do creative crafts, have a house that is totally cute on every wall and every surface, have time and resources to do all those things, who decorate their houses for every holiday and who even will show their dirty laundry and dishes to the online world - but in a cute way... And they do it with 5 kids!

But I'm not. I have 1 kid, and 1 on the way. I have a part-time job and freelance graphic design business, and a rental house next door that always needs fixing or raking or something. I have projects going all the time, but I don't take pretty pictures of them, and my husband would be glad forever if I finished them all and didn't start any new ones. :-) I have laundry in the dryer from today that has not been folded, dishes in the sink that I didn't want to clean, and dog slobber on the rug in the living room - and it's too cold to take it outside to wash it.

But... do you want to know what I did today?
I woke up and made muffins with my 2-year old daughter.
We ate breakfast.
We watched one of her "baby" videos.
We made lunch together.
We dressed up in our scarves, coats and mittens and played in the snow. (in Texas!)
She took a nap.
My friends came over and we watched LOST Season 6.
My daughter woke up and we played in the snow... again.
We came inside and had a "pool" party in the huge tub in our bathroom. Both of us.
Bathing suits and all. And bubbles.
She smiled the whole time and said, "I wuv you, mommy" about 10 times.
We put jammies on and had breakfast for dinner. Toast and eggs. And pudding.
Then we played with the dog til bedtime.
Tucked her in with her books.

So, what did I accomplish today? I didn't do any chores, or fun projects or crafts. I have nothing to show for today except some photos of us in the snow. (and bad ones, at that) My daughter probably won't remember anything we did today. She's only 2 1/2.

But I will.

Boy, oh boy!

2011-01-03T09:01:00.000-06:00

We are so excited to announce that Baby Lantz #2 is a boy! We had our sonogram last week and we're pretty sure we can say with 100% accuracy that it's a boy. (we won't post the indecent photos of that. :-) We are very excited and looking forward to a new chapter in our lives, complete with footballs, wrestling, sports, blue clothes and other boy-ish stuff.

Here's our little guy!

Pictures and Goings-On

2010-11-30T20:54:00.000-06:00

I realize that we haven't posted many pictures lately... we haven't done much of anything lately, blog-wise. So, here are some fun ones...

Heidi - Licking the beater after our first attempt at making
ganache for Jenn's birthday cake. She liked it.

Latest activity - building a tent in Heidi's room
with blankets.

Thanksgiving - Curious George x 2.

Thanksgiving - Literally, mid-stride in Dusty's lap, Izzy face
plants and falls dead asleep in his lap... face first in the couch.

New Baby's Room - I ordered these green cushions for our wooden rocking chair
when Heidi was born, for those middle of the night feedings. They were cute and
fuzzy but very flat. Cue fluffy old khaki pillow that doesn't match anything... steal his stuffing,
re-stuff baby rocker pillows. One of the reasons Matt loves me, I think. Thrifty.

Busy... and Thankful

2010-11-23T15:50:00.000-06:00

So, it's been almost a month since our last post. It has been one of the busiest months of the year, so that would explain it. Matt had 2+ Forge-related trips, and I attempted a trip with my mom which, at the last minute, fell through so we have been gone a lot, and our times at home are playing catch up on housework, laundry, and Heidi-settling-back-in-at-home.

We've had 2 birthday parties, 1 Forge movie night, dinner at my parents' house in Fort Worth, a trip to Billy Bob's, 3 doctor's appointments and a little toddler who has been very much a 2-year old along the way! To her credit, we've dragged Heidi back and forth between FW, Plano and Tyler quite a bit... and it's not even the holidays yet!

Here are a few of the things that I'm thankful for, as we approach this season:
1. My fantastic husband - Matt. He has taken care of me during the tired, grumpy, morning-sickness-filled, lazy, wiped out, and too busy times. I'm always thankful for him, but he has really shown me how much he loves me by how he has cared for me, our daughter, our house and in providing for our needs.

2. A sweet little girl named Heidi, who keeps me smiling every day. Amidst the temper tantrums of 2-ness, the disobedience, and the messes, she has the cutest flirty smile, the prettiest blue eyes you'll ever see, and the cutest singing voice you ever hear. I'm so thankful that God has given her to us. The joy supersedes the trials!

Hoping her ambitions reach a little higher than
McDonald's, but for now, it's cute!

Playing at DeeDee's house

3. A healthy Baby #2. It's been a trying 14+ weeks - I don't remember being this tired last time... but I didn't have a 2-year old last time I was pregnant! Children are a blessing from the Lord, and I'm trying to remember that daily even when I'm tired. Baby #2 is another sign of God's blessing to us, and we are so grateful.

Now the size of a lemon!

4. For a wonderful family (and in-laws). I love my family. I have 3 brothers - we all get along, we all love to spend time together, and my parents make their house a wonderful place for us all to gather for the holidays. My folks are a great example of a faithful godly couple that is still married after almost 39 years. My in-laws are the best too! Not only can my mother-in-law make the best apple pies in the world (seriously), but they are overly generous... with their time and their money. They have taken care of Heidi during some fun and some hard times lately, and are always willing to accommodate Matt and I to make our lives easier with a little kid and one on the way. My sister-in-law, Jodie, is wonderful too. She helped teach our Forge students about leadership in the medical field, babysits Heidi for me, and is a great best friend too (just like my other sister-in-laws!)

5. My friends here at Pine Cove and in Tyler... couldn't ask for a better community: Jenn, Jenny, Hannah and Amanda next door, Jeff & Charis on the other side next door, Ginger, Steph, Amanda, Christina, Brooke, Lori, Emily, Lauren, "other" Jenny, Forge students, media team, freelance friend Linda... and I'm just getting started!

6. I am most of all grateful that I don't have to pay the penalty for my own sin. Couldn't do it even if I wanted to. And who would want to? But Christ.

Grateful. Happy Thanksgiving!

Two are better than one... right?

2010-10-26T08:38:00.001-05:00

We think so, but Heidi might not be ready to share her kingdom (and her grandparents) with a brother or sister. In any case, we're excited about adding another one to our family and we look forward to seeing our baby in May 2011!

(Heidi + One = Two. No, it's not twins. :)

A summer of creativity

2010-08-28T21:09:00.003-05:00

This summer has been great. Relaxed, fun and full of projects - which I love. Some of them needed to be done (house chores) and some I created to have an outlet for my creativity. I get in project moods... you know? Where I want to create, or decorate, or paint or build, or revamp something. Matt is patient to let me do those things - he even bought me a table saw for our anniversary. (Yes, for me, not himself.) I love it. He knows my need to have that outlet. His is Playstation or reading or writing/blogging. Mine is crafting.

So, here are a few of the things we've been doing this summer.

1. My first attempt at a vegetable garden. Cucumbers and grape tomatoes were the easiest, along with herbs. From fresh picked in a bowl, to bruschetta with tomatoes and freshly picked basil, to chicken salad with fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, it's been a success. I'll try it again.

2. Chalkboard table. Got the table for $3 on clearance at BB&B. Don't know why it was, the box was opened, but the pieces were all there. Bought chalkboard paint for $4 and voila. A $7 table for Heidi and her friends to color on. So far, impressed with the chalkboard paint...

3. After 8 years of marriage and 3 hand-me-down dining room tables, we though we'd bite the bullet and get one we like. Tried long and hard to make an old antique door work for a table. Still have the door, still have the dream of using it. Maybe later. In the meantime, here's what we got. Seats 8. Glad to have it now that 25 (!) new Forge students are coming next Saturday. Thanks to Freelantz Design for the new table and even new settings and centerpiece!

A friend decorated a hutch in her house. That inspired me to deco our shelves. The shelves inspired the desk area. The desk, the kitchen area... what's next? Any votes on what the next craft should be? 2 months to make a Halloween costume for Heidi...

My 30-while-30 List

2010-08-17T15:42:00.004-05:00

I discovered this idea on one of my favorite "mom blogs," and thought I'd create one of my own.

I like having goals. I don't actually check the list often enough to remind myself of all of them, but they're in the back of my head - much more concrete than if I hadn't written them down. The list gives me projects to do that I feel are worthwhile, so I'm not just spinning my wheels on "whatever" and wishing at the end of the year that I'd done something more meaningful.

Try it. I think coming up with the list was one of the most fun things... I should have put "make a list" on my list!

Our Military...

2010-08-13T16:19:00.002-05:00

We went to Kansas last weekend for a wedding. I have to say that the wedding was great. The bride was lovely and Matt and I can't be more excited for them as a couple.

However, I was reminded of something just as impactful as we sat in the Wichita airport, waiting to fly back to Dallas. I guess Wichita is a small enough town that they still let loved ones come to the gate with you to see you off on your plane. I watched as a middle-aged man dressed in U.S. Army fatigues talked with his family - wife and two kids, probably ages 7 and 4. He carried a large backpack/duffle, the standard issue I assume. He hugged each of their necks, said a few words. When the time came, he boarded the plane early so I sat and watched his departure. He looked back at his wife and smiled. She picked up their 4-year old son and held him close. The 7-year old girl stood close at her side. The kids waved - Mommy probably told them to say goodbye. Then he disappeared into the tunnel to board the plane.

I watched the wife as he rounded the corner, out of sight. She closed her eyes for a brief second, gathered her thoughts, gathered her children and headed out of the airport. I don't know if she was making a mental picture of him leaving, memorizing his face as he looked back at her, I don't know where he was going - to field training in Texas or Alabama, or to Iraq or Afghanistan. I don't know if he'll be in harm's way, or immediately anyway. I don't know if he'll come back or see his family again. I don't know his rank, I wish I did. I'll have to have my brothers teach me how to recognize it on a uniform.

I do know his last name is Rogers (on his uniform), and he's serving our country in some capacity, and he had to leave his family for some amount of time to do it.

So, I write this because I am thankful. And I want to remember to pray for officer Rogers, whatever his title may be. And his wife and two kids. And for his safe return. And for the Lord to strengthen them all. I'll add my cousin Doug Jones in there too, in Afghanistan. And my brothers as they serve in the Air Force.

A friend posted the link below on Facebook, which reminded me to write. You don't have to watch the whole thing, but you'll get the idea after a couple of minutes. Fathers really are special.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSMlIM9zLio&feature=youtu.be

(disclaimer: I have no idea what the "verse" reference is at the end of the video, if you get that far. :-)

Heidi Sing-a-Long

2010-07-24T16:17:00.000-05:00

We'd love it if Heidi would sing for everyone on command, but she typically gets pretty shy. Luckily we caught her singing in the back seat while we were driving into town and thought you guys might need a listen. We were bummed we didn't have our video camera, but thankful for the voice recorder on Matt's phone! Enjoy Heidi's rendition of the ABC's, the Itsy Bitsy Spider and God Made Me.

Ahhhh.... summer time.

2010-07-20T20:33:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note. I'm enjoying our summer a lot. A friend and I talked last night about how summer just feels different even though she still works all day and I still work at home and take care of Heidi full time. You just feel like it's vacation time even though everything else is pretty much the same.

Case in point - we went to Braum's for ice cream tonight: Matt, Heidi, Jenn and I. We came home and Matt started the sprinkler to watering the lawn in the front. Heidi decided to play in it a little bit (she's been scared before)... she liked it this time so we let her play til her clothes were soaked and it was 30 minutes past her bedtime. She had a blast.

Ice cream cones and playing in the sprinkler. That's summertime for ya'. Love it.

Just a quick video for dad... Heidi the Hairdresser

2010-06-21T19:29:00.004-05:00

Hey there! I know we just got to chat with you today (yay!) but here's a video for you for tomorrow. We love you!

Look Dad, no crying!

2010-06-18T19:39:00.002-05:00

I guess the two trips to the pool have cured Heidi of her fear of having water poured on her head... at least temporarily. We love you!

Bunny bunny

2010-06-16T18:20:00.003-05:00

A quick video for the daddy and other viewers. :-)

We went to the White's house this morning to see their prize-winning bunnies. Wow! They are beautiful, so soft, and we learned a lot about what it takes for a bunny to be "just right" for showing them at the Stock Show or other places. Very cool! Heidi loved poking her fingers in the cages and petting them (sometimes it looks more like hitting).

Enjoy! Thank you to Debbie and Parker for standing out in the heat to show them to us and tour us around, and for wrangling bunnies so Heidi could pet them. You guys are great! For those of you who don't know, Matt and I got engaged at the White's back when their hobby was horses instead of rabbits. We went horseback riding there and got engaged in the woods near their home. Love you guys! Thanks for the fun memories.

Little Theologian

2010-06-16T09:50:00.002-05:00

Didn't have a chance to put up all the pics or try the video - maybe later this afternoon. In the meantime, I thought I'd share this one for daddy. :-)

DeeDee and I were working in the kitchen while Heidi played in the living room. We kept hearing a little rustle-rustle, so I figured she must be getting into some kind of trouble, tearing papers or something. Nope... this is what I found instead.

Awww...

Starting out our week... Hi Daddy!

2010-06-14T10:24:00.003-05:00

Let's see... since the other day, we've crammed in lots of fun with DeeDee and Papa. Sunday we went to church and Heidi had such a blast in the nursery that she didn't want to leave! A good sign. :-) We all came home and had lunch and then we ALL took a nap. What a great vacation for us! We keep staying up until midnight chatting and watching movies, so the naps have been good.

After naptime, we headed over to the Goodrich's house for a pool party and dinner. They have a great huge house and a fun pool for the kids, and lots of toys. Heidi got to play with their little girl, Helena, in the nursery at church in the morning, so they were instant buddies when we go to their house. They played inside with the play kitchen and everybody had a blast in the pool. Heidi doesn't like to sit in the floaties, but she loves being held and "swimming" around as you hold her on her tummy. She's learning to wiggle her legs and arms just a little bit, and can even cling to the side of the pool for a little while too.

When we got home, DeeDee and Heidi played play-dough a little bit before bed, and we actually got her down at 7:30! Not bad for one day... we packed it in. Today (Monday) we have been at home most of the morning playing and coloring, and we're going grocery shopping to cook stuff for the family reunion. Then I may sneak out and go shopping myself or go up to Stampede tonight to see friends.

We miss you daddy! We are having lots of fun and hope you are too. I bet it is incredible! Hopefully we'll talk to you this afternoon as you get ready to rest up for Mt. Sinai. Wow! We love you.

~Mommy and Heidi (the pictures aren't the highest quality, but hey, they capture the moments well enough!)

While you were out

2010-06-12T20:19:00.003-05:00

Well Daddy, we promised you pictures while you are in Egypt, so here they are! We've packed a lot of fun into the first day here. Popsicles, swimming in the baby pool (maybe go to the Ulshes Monday), playing in the playhouse, upstairs and downstairs, lots of "bees", and reading books with DeeDee and Papa. The triumph of the day is playing in the baby pool in the front yard, Papa got in the little pool with her, and when he left to go to the garage, she got out and said, "Papa? Where go? Papa." So, after 2 years Grandpa is officially in the club of people that Heidi likes. :-) He even read her a story and tucked her in tonight and she didn't make a peep.

We're missing you and hoping you got some good rest last night so you could have a good first day! If we don't talk to you Sunday afternoon our time, we'll see you on Monday. We love you! It's only Day One but we miss you already. Excited to hear about your journeys from the day!

Green thumb... or zucchini

2010-05-26T20:09:00.003-05:00

Well, if you haven't noticed lately, there haven't been many pictures on our blog. This is because our little sweetie dropped our camera a while back so it doesn't work anymore. However, for blog purposes, I have figured out how to take photos with our web cam, so these will have to do for our updates until we get a new camera.

The latest? Well, I can't show you a photo of our fun vegetable garden (on account of our web cam being built into our iMac and not being able to carry the computer outside to take a photo), but I can show you some of the products of our little gardening experiment.

I started this experiment with the hopes that it would be a fun venture, and we would maybe get something out of it too. With a lot of work, Lowe's gift cards, and lots of weed-pulling and watering, I wasn't sure if it would be worth all the money and effort. I mean, $60 of materials better mean that we're getting at least $60 of vegetables back, right? I have hopes for what the little garden will produce, but keep telling myself I'll be happy with anything small now, and we'll improve and learn for next season.

Anyway, at long last, we have a little something to show for it. Probably one of the biggest zucchinis I've seen in a long time. Success! And the plant is huge - the leaves are probably 12" in diameter. The radishes - a little small, but I attribute this to the fact that I planted them too close together, so most of them are growing as long skinny veggies rather than round. Lesson #1 for next time, so still a success. (sorry, straight out of the garden, dirty fingers and all)

I know that these 3 veggies are not actually worth $60, several hours, a slightly higher water bill and the extra time out in the sun, but hey, I didn't get into gardening for that reason alone. I think it's neat to put hard work into something and see the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor. :-) I guess it's more of a hobby, and you happen to get food out of it too! So, where I could spend $60 going to the movies a few times or going bowling or buying/reading a new book, this is one of my hobbies now.

I am a gardener. Not the best, we don't have the largest "field," but it sure is fun. I think I'll try it again next season. My goal? I wanna take one of those photos like in Little House on the Prairie where they go to the garden and come back with a basketful of fresh colorful produce. Maybe if the timing is right I can do that soon.

So far, I figure I've made back about $2. :-)

In the meantime, fried zucchini anyone?

Hospitality

2010-04-12T19:40:00.002-05:00

Can I take just a moment to brag about how wonderful my neighborhood is (in particular, the neighbors on either side of us), and how much I love living where I do? I'll walk you through the last month or so, so you can get a good picture of it. Granted, all of us happen to work at the same ministry, so we would expect to be friendly with one another... but check this out.

March 12th - We go to Israel for 12 days. Our neighbors on the left take care of our dog for 7 of those days - and just about any other time we need it. And our dogs play together in the yard on a regular basis.

March 25th - Our neighbors on the left have a difficult season in their lives, so I take dinner over and put flowers in their kitchen while they're out of town so they don't have to cook when they get back.

April 3rd - One of the neighbors on our right side (in our rent house) comes over for dinner. I don't have any sugar for sweet tea, so she brings some.

April 4th - Several of the girls from the rent house come over for a potluck dinner.

April 5th - I go over to the girls' house to watch TV with them.

April 6th - Matt and I both go over to the girls' house to watch LOST together because we don't get ABC on our TV.

April 9th - Our neighbor on the left comes over to do maintenance on our riding lawnmower to prepare it for summer. He borrows it to mow his lawn, and in return keeps it in tip-top shape for us and shares the cost.

April 10th-11th - We go out of town, so one of the girls watches our dog for us... again.

April 12th - Heidi and I go outside in the front yard. The girls are having a picnic dinner on the lawn, so we stop in for a moment. Our other neighbor texts to see if she can borrow some vegetable oil. Sure. I tell the picnic girls to come over when they're done and we'll watch a movie. I want to make banana bread, but don't have any sugar. They'll bring some, no problem. (update - and some extra flour)

We have learned about hospitality on our trips to Israel - how you can't survive in the desert alone, how accustomed they are to serving one another out of necessity, how a woman and her family (daughters, grandkids) will make homemade bread and sweet tea (syrup!) for 50 people in a matter of minutes, because it's what they DO. They just do. No questions asked.

I'm also reminded of how the first church functioned this way. They had all things in common and shared their possessions as if nothing were their own, but belonged to the group. I recently read an article in one of the (pretty liberally-minded) magazines that I subscribe to about doing this very thing - offering up your possessions and services to those around you. It really is a neat idea, but one that is ancient, Biblically-based and the way it's supposed to be.

I know that they way we live with our neighbors is just a taste of what the Bedouins in Israel or the first church in Acts experience(d) on a daily basis, but I'll say this: if we ever move to another house, city or state, I will want to find a community like this one.

Nothing says home like...

2010-03-23T11:07:00.001-05:00

Chic fil a! We are safely back in Texas and stopped for lunch on the way home! Thanks for watching our trip! The End! :)

Almost Home!

2010-03-23T05:11:00.001-05:00

We made the first leg to Newark with no problems! Now just one more flight and then we are home! We are so excited to see everyone!

Last Day in Israel!

2010-03-22T09:05:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note to let you know that we had a fantastic last day in Israel today. We made it on to the Temple Mount first thing this morning! For those of you who were praying, thank you! It was an outside shot and we made it! After the Temple Mount we spent the rest of the morning in Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity and the Herodian. After some shopping at Johnny's, we walked the ramparts of the Old City one last time before heading back to the hotel to shower, change and head to dinner and then to the airport!

Next time you hear from us, we should be in the States! Please pray for our travel - we certainly would not like to have a repeat of our adventure over here. :)

Looking forward to seeing all of you very soon!

Shalom!

Marty teaching our group on the Temple Mount:

Jerusalem!

2010-03-21T14:13:00.003-05:00

It was a BIG day today as we spent our entire day hiking through the Old City of Jerusalem. We began at the Mount of Olives and followed the chronology of Jesus' last week from there down to Gethsemene and then up into the city (with a quick stop at the pool of Bethesda), down the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where Jesus was crucified and buried. After a lunch of Jewish bagels, we studied on the Southern Steps of the Temple (beneath the Huldah gates) and then walked down into the City of David where we got to walk through Hezekiah's Tunnel and see the recently excavated Pool of Siloam. As if that wasn't big enough, we finished the day with a visit to the Western Wall before heading back for our last night here in Israel!

Such a BIG day it's hard to believe that we have one more left! We are all doing well and we are eager to see each of you. We had fun celebrating Michael's birthday today and look forward to celebrating Lindsey's tomorrow (how cool to have your birthday in Israel!).

This might be our last post until we hit the airport in Newark on Tuesday morning, but I hope to be able to post one more time before we leave tomorrow evening - we'll see. Until then...

Pictures:
1. Forgies on the Mount of Olives (Temple Mount in background) 2. Ross leading us in communion in Gethsemene 3. Marty teaching us on the Southern Steps (Mt. of Olives in the background) 4. Finishing our day at the Western Wall

Shalom!

Another BIG Day!

2010-03-20T14:31:00.005-05:00

Shalom from Jerusalem! We've made it to "the House," as Marty likes to say. It's exciting to be here and we are looking forward to our time tomorrow.

We spent today making our way out of Galilee westward towards the Mediterranean, making some BIG stops along the way. First, we visited Megiddo - one of the world's most ancient and prominent cities. Next, we rode up to Mt. Carmel and re-lived the story of Elijah vs. the prophets of Baal - on the same mountain where it happened! Then a big hike down! We ended our day by visiting Caesarea. There we began to learn of Harod's audacity and what it means to build something that lasts.

We're now in Jerusalem where we'll finish out our trip. Everyone is feeling well and in good spirits - thanks for praying! Our hotel is right inside the Old City walls, and we are looking forward to another BIG DAY tomorrow as we explore the city - with the Text in hand - and see what God has for us.

Until tomorrow!

Photos:
1. At the pagan altar in Megiddo. 2. At the top of Mt. Carmel. 3. Forge girls on the way down from Carmel. 4. Mt. Carmel from the bottom - quite a hike! 5. Caesarea. 6. Whole group on the Mediterranean Sea at Caesarea. 7. All of us! 8. Forge guys atop the aqeuduct.

A Day in the Decapolis

2010-03-19T14:53:00.005-05:00

Shabat Shalom! It's Friday here, which means that this evening begins the Shabat, or Sabbath.

Today we began our day at Mt. Gilboa. We read the story of King Saul going up against the Philistines and his lack of faith in going to see a medium in Endor. (on the next mountain over) We learned about what it means to inquire of the Lord rather than seek wisdom elsewhere. We hiked down to the stream below where it is believed that Gideon led the army against the Philistines, and where God dwindled his troops down from 22,000 to just 300 so the glory could only be given to God for the victory.

After Gilboa, we took a quick trip east to Beth-Shean - a Decapolis city on the west side of the Jordan. There we were confronted with the dilemma of how you offer the Gospel to someone who lives in such luxury that they see no need for it.

Then, after lunch, we visited Susita, another Decaplios city, close to where Jesus cast Legion into a herd of pigs. We found resolution to the question posed at Beth-Shean, concluding that the blood of Jesus and our testimony are the most effective things we have to offer the world.

We finished our day at the mighty Jordan river to reflect on our trip thus far, have a time of prayer & repentance, and baptize 4 people in our group!

That wraps up our time in the Galilee. Tomorrow we visit Megiddo, Mt. Carmel & Caesarea before heading up to Jerusalem!

On to the pictures!

1. At the top of Mt. Gilboa. 2. Marty teaching in Beth-Shean in the ancient lavitory. :) 3. Walking down the Cardo in Beth-Shean. 4. Atop Susita. 5. Hiking down from Susita. 6. Matt teaching at the Jordan River. 7. Matt's baptism. 8. Jason's baptism. 9. Singing hymns and saying the Sh'ma at the Jordan River.

A Day in the North of Galilee

2010-03-18T14:11:00.006-05:00

Shalom!

We had another great day in the Galilee today. Our morning started with a devotional on the Golan Heights looking down upon the Sea of Galilee - a great way to start our day! We then made our way north and made our first stop at Gamla where we learned what happenend at the site as well as got to sit in a 1st century synagogue that Jesus likely would have been in. On the way to our second stop we had lunch. Since it was Jon Quick's birthday today, we thought it might be fun to do a Birthday Rap in Israel! It was great fun - especially for our guides who thought we were crazy. :) Our second stop of the day was Caesarea Phillipi where Marty introduced the importance of the site to Jesus' question to his disciples, "Who do you say that I am." This site is also one of the sources of the Jordan River, so we hiked down and were able to find the beautiful and famous waterfall. We finished up our day at the ruins of Omrit - a city attributed to Harrod which was possibly a stop on the Damascus road.

All in all - it was, of course, another BIG day! Your comments are so encouraging! I'll pass those along to everyone. As always your prayers are much appreciated. Everyone is healthy, but we have aches and pains and a few minor injuries developing (nothing serious). Please pray for health, rest, and for our hearts to be open to all that God has for us each day! Thanks!

Here are some pictures:
1. Marty teaching at Gamla 2. Marty teaching at synagoge in Gamla, 3. Our group at Caesarea Phillipi 4. Doing the Birthday rap for Jon! 5. Kimberly, Emily & Patoya at the waterfall 6. Grant showing you that we are often-times off the beaten path 7. Ruins at Omrit 8. Standing on the Damascus road?

A Day in Galilee

2010-03-17T14:25:00.006-05:00

Good evening from the Sea of Galilee!

Hope you all are doing well! We are having such a wonderful time here, but we do want you to know that we miss our families and are looking forward to seeing you soon. Hope all is well with each of you.

Today, of course, was another BIG day. It all started with an early-morning climb up Mount Arbel which led to a breathtaking view of the entire Galilee region. There we talked about discipleship and prayer before a thrilling hike down the mountain. Then, we headed up to the northern end of the Sea where we made stops at Tabgah and the Mount of Beatitudes. At Tabgah, we learned a little bit about fishing and Jesus's lordship in our lives. The Mount of Beatitudes was an exciting adventure as an Arab-Christian man, named Basaam, happened upon our group and asked us to pray for him. He openly confessed a lot of sin and struggle and we prayed for him there in the same area where Jesus spoke the words, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit." It was quite a moment. Afterwards, we had lunch at Chorazin and toured the city there - learning about insula (community), synagogue, and gethsemane. Our last site of the day was Capernaum - the home base of Jesus' ministry. We got to read Jesus' great discourse from John 6 on the foundation above the very temple where he would have preached those words. A powerful time. We finished up the day with a chance to swim in the Sea of Galilee. It was a much-needed time of refreshing after a long, hard day of hiking.

We are having a great time and really do appreciate all the hello's, well-wishes and prayers. Everyone is feeling good for the most part (aside from achy joints and muscles) and we are all pretty much over our jet-lag now which is also a blessing.

Enough talk....time for more pictures!!

1. Big group shot at Arbel, 2. Marty teaching at Chorazin, 3. Matt teaching at Chorazin 4. Our friend, Basaam - pray for him! 5. Matt teaching at Tabgah 6. Forge students on top of Arbel 7. Amanda, John, Jason and Kimberly atop Arbel 8. Having fun on the hike up Arbel 9. Fun in the Sea of Galilee at the end of the day!

BIG Day!

2010-03-16T14:59:00.003-05:00

Greetings from Galilee!

BIG day today! It was our last day in the desert, so we definitely made the most of it. We began the morning with a hike up to the top of Masada. A challenging hike for us all, it didn't get our hearts racing as much as Boaz's (our Israeli guide) account of the events that transpired there. After a brief tour and a pat on the back for making it up the Snake Path, we promptly hiked back down to the bus to head to Ein Ghedi. There we learned about David's retreat from and confrontation of Saul. We also spent some good time experiencing "living water." After we finshed our hike in Ein Ghedi, we made our way to the north end of the Salt Sea for lunch and then a tour of Qumran. There, we learned about the Essene community and their passion for the Text. We finished the site with a tough hike to the top of the mountains next to the ruins (1500 above the Salt Sea) and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. We then got on the bus and drove north to Galilee to stay the night. It was easily our biggest day of hiking so far - easily 8 miles today and everyone did great!

We now all have our bags (yay!) and it looks as though everyone is feeling and sleeping well. We are certainly wiped out after a long day of hiking and learning, but the lessons God taught our hearts today are resonating loudly tonight.

Here are some more pictures for you: 1. Group shot of those who made the hike to the top of Qumran. 2. The guys after a long and difficult hike to the top of Qumran 3. Kimberly taking notes while at Qumran 4. Matt teaching the group at Qumran 5. Hiking out of Ein Ghedi 6. Boaz teaching the group about Masada 7. Some of the Forge girls celebrating their ascent of Masada

Day 2 With Pictures!

2010-03-15T14:35:00.004-05:00

Shalom!
We are writing to you tonight from our hotel on the shore of the Dead Sea! Today was a great day of hiking through the desert and learning from the Text. This morning we began our time at Makhtesh Ramon where we learned first-hand what it must have been like for the Israelites as they were wandering in the wilderness (some scholars think that Israel spent 35 of her 40 years of wandering here). Then, we made our way north for a quick stop at Ein Avedat before heading to Tel Arad. After a brief introduction to hospitality there, we had the chance to experience it at a Bedouin community. Hadijah & her family welcomed us into her home for tea & bread. After a long day, we were able to make it home for a relaxing dip in the Salt Sea just before dinner. It was a full day and God is already pealing back the layers of our hearts as we walk & learn. Thankfully all but one of us got our bags tonight at the hotel! We hope to see the last one arrive tomorrow.

Tomorrow is a BIG day! Please pray for us!

These pictures are 1. Hiking at Makhtesh, 2. Group picture at Ein Avedat 3. Forge class at Avedat, 4. Matt teaching at Arad, 5. Hadijah's hospitality, 6. Floating in the Salt Sea, 7. Our guides (from left to right): Doron our driver, Boaz our Israeli guide, Tracy our facilitator and Marty our teacher, 8. Fun and games at the hotel tonight!

More tomorrow,
Matt

Reunited!

2010-03-14T16:08:00.002-05:00

Good evening! I'm happy to report that I am writing to you all from Mitzpah Ramon in the south of Israel - which means our group has finally come back together again!

We are all accounted for and we are all pooped, but we are all in Israel and had a great day. The group that left on flight 84 last night arrived to Tel Aviv around 10am this morning and were able to get several hikes in right off the plane at Gezer, Elah Valley, & Lachish. Group two, "the oceanic six" arrived at 6pm and drove south to re-join the group one that was already at the hotel. Tomorrow we start fresh with everyone together and everyone getting a decent chance at some rest tonight. Tomorrow we will spend the day in the wilderness/desert and finish our day (again..Lord willing) with a soak in the Salt Sea!

The only problem we have left to face right now is baggage. There are about 19 people who still don't have their bags yet. That's the bad news. The good news is that the bags are here in Israel and will be delivered to us tomorrow - Lord willing!

That's the latest! I promise to have some pictures tomorrow.

Shalom!

All Aboard!

2010-03-13T22:37:00.001-06:00

The "Oceanic Six" have boarded flt 90 to TLV! Finally! Now, Lord willing, our next post will acutally be about our adventures in Israel. Thanks again for keeping us in your prayers.

Update - Good News!

2010-03-13T15:44:00.001-06:00

God has been so gracious to us! All but six of us were able to rebook on the earliest flight to Tel Aviv! I know that may sound like bad news to you, but trust me, it was a gift!

So, here is a summary of where everyone is right now:
1. Casey Harding, Jeffery and Jeff Williams made it to Isael yesterday as planned.
2. Everyone not on the list below just boarded Continental #84 to Tel Aviv and will make it there without missing any hiking days!!!!
3. The rest of us (we are calling ourselves the "oceanic six" haha) are going to be on Continental #90 at 10:50pm and we will only miss the first day of hikes. We are: Kimberly Ginnings, Matt Dalrymple, Tamara Eggert, Jake Collins, Jennifer Crouse and myself.

Your prayers have been effecitve! Thanks for remembering us. Please don't stop - we will continue to need them! I'll send one more update before the last group leaves tonight.

"The Oceanic Six" :)

Bless God!
Matt

Spending the Night in Newark

2010-03-13T03:05:00.001-06:00

Well, it has been a most unexpectedly crazy day. We got in to Newark at 1:30am EST after a 4.5 hour delay in Dallas and a surprise detour to Houston. We didn't make our connecting flight to Tel Aviv either, so we are staying the night in the Sheraton in Newark instead of in Tel Aviv. The hope is for all of us to get on the 3:50pm flight this afternoon which will put us in to Tel Aviv around 9am local time ready to hike right off the plane. The silver lining in all of this is that if that scenario pans out, we won't lose a whole lot in the way of our sight seeing schedule. I'll post another update tomorrow afternoon and let you know when we officially leave. Please pray for rest, attitudes, and that we are all able to fit on the same flight tomorrow.

In a twist of irony, Casey made it from LaGuardia to Newark just in time to be on the flight that we missed! He's our Caleb- our spy we are sending into the Promised Land to scout it out. Hopefully it doesn't take the rest of us 40 years to get there! :)

Thanks so much for praying. Everyone here is fine and accounted for. We're just wiped after a long day.

Houston, we have a detour

2010-03-12T20:33:00.001-06:00

Well, it turns out that Casey wasn't he only one who got to have an adventure tonight! Our flight from Dallas had mechanical problems before takeoff and they have sent us to Houston in hopes of getting us to Newark tonight. The problem is we are in Houston now and our arrival to Newark will be later than the departure time for Tel Aviv. We are praying hard that they will hold the flight for us. Please join us in prayer for this! We will send an update once we know more.

At The Airport

2010-03-12T16:09:00.001-06:00

We made it to the airport! Our flight is delayed until 5:05 so the playing cards are out and we are waiting patiently. We did encounter one snag already as Casey's name was not correct on his ticket. Long story short, he is going to have to fly to Laguardia and take a cab to Newark all on his own! He's excited about the adventure (and his parents are okay with it too), but we would appreciate you praying that he makes it safely and swiftly to Newark so he can rejoin us for the flight to Tel Aviv. Thanks for praying!!

Israel or Bust!

2010-03-11T08:13:00.006-06:00

And the man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel." - Ezekiel 40:4

Tomorrow we leave for Israel! We will be posting updates here as often as we get internet access, so please check back each day for pictures and accounts of our daily adventures! We also appreciate your prayers for our safe travel, injury-free hikes, and spiritual awareness of all that God wishes to bring to our attention. Our updates will generally come between 1pm & 3pm each day, so that's when you can look for our new posts.
Shalom!

Saturday Morning Fun

2010-03-09T21:07:00.005-06:00

Thought we should get at least one more Heidi post up before our blog is taken over by news of our Israel trip. We'll be using our blog to keep parents, friends and folks back in the States updated on all we're seeing and doing there, so check back often! We leave on Friday!

So, before that happens, heeeeere's Heidi! She quite the little singer now, learning new songs all the time. We think it's pretty cute. There's no denying it.

It's easy being green... or so we hope!

2010-01-06T14:42:00.003-06:00

I love to have projects. Matt know this. Sometimes he laments over the fact that I love projects, and often have many of them going at the same time... and often many of them are, or remain, unfinished.

I didn't want 2010 to be any different, so I am venturing on a new endeavor - partially to be environmentally conscious and partly because I just want a vegetable garden. So here we go.

First, recycling bin units that you buy at the store were $80-100, so I figured I could just buy some tubs and build a rack for them for under $20. (rack to come, after I start using the TABLE SAW Matt got me for Christmas! Yes ladies and gentlemen, it IS for me.)

Second, I started a compost pile probably 6 months ago. It's not huge, and it's not very beautiful, but I feel much better knowing that half the stuff I was going to throw away anyway (mostly Heidi's banana peels) is not going in the trash, but is instead decomposing in my yard. Mmmm.

Third, that compost should be used for something, and I've always wanted one, so I'm creating a vegetable garden. (Jenn has offered to help, right Jenn?) I've planted some herb seeds indoors for the winter so we can have a jump start on replanting them outside in the Spring. Where else to put them but over the "garden tub" in our bathroom. It's the only place I could find that is baby-proof, dog-proof, warm enough, and near a window. Maybe that's what garden tubs were made for... ?

The current garden outdoors isn't much (see photo) but we'll start preparing it in late February or so, so it will be ready for planting in March after our last freeze. I hope to keep a journal of our successes (or failures) on this blog, in case any of our oregano, basil, parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, radishes, zucchini and squash actually decide to grow into something we can eat.

More to come! And here's to starting a project and finishing it. We hope!

Merry Christmas Letter to all!

2009-12-21T17:28:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas blog-followers! I thought in addition to sorting through our many email lists and trying to email a Christmas letter to all our friends and family, we'd post it on here too (if I can get it to work). Printing and mailing has just gotten to be too much - although we do enjoy receiving "real" Christmas cards and letters in the mail.

We hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas season, celebrating with those you love. We are truly blessed with how much God has given us this year. Our daughter, Heidi, has been a true joy and so much fun! We don't really need anything else.

And the gift of God's son in Jesus is a greater gift than we could ever think to ask for. Praise Him, and Merry Christmas!

Hi Heidi... Hi Heidi

2009-12-13T21:58:00.004-06:00

I was gone most of Saturday and Sunday to watch dear friends run the Dallas White Rock Half Marathon. When I returned home Heidi was, needless to say, excited to see me, but she had also found a newfound best friend in her daddy and was quite snuggly with him.

Here's what we caught her doing after I got home on Sunday. She was really entertaining herself... maybe I should go away more often! And thank you to my sweet hubby for letting me spend the weekend away while he played Mr. Mom. I love you!

Gettin' Caught Up...

2009-12-09T16:30:00.003-06:00

So, I meant to post some pictures from Thanksgiving, which I may still do, but I thought I stick a few of these up while I have them handy. Basically, whenever Heidi has a really cute outfit on, and especially if it goes with a seasonal theme, it spurs on a photo shoot in our front yard. We do them for the following reasons:

1. She looks cute. (always)
2. She loves being outside.

3. It's fun to watch her play in the dirt.
4. It kills about 20 minutes.

5. It gives us material to put up on the blog.

So there you have it. Enjoy! We are looking forward to this Christmas - maybe Heidi will remember this one, or at least figure out how to tear into some wrapping paper. Last year she didn't do much. :-)

The Mighty Hunter Returns

2009-11-16T22:14:00.003-06:00

So, I'm officially a hunter. I had the chance to travel to Redfield, SD with my father-in-law and brother-in-law to hunt pheasant at Darcie's uncle's place. It was a great time and I couldn't imagine a better way to be baptized into the hunting culture than in this way with these men. As promised, here are pictures of my adventure:

Doin the Walk

2009-11-04T23:43:00.005-06:00

It's official!! No more holding on - this girl is a walking machine.

We thought it would be a fun chance to learn how to use iMovie too. :)

Fall 2009... we love it!

2009-10-23T16:04:00.004-05:00

Well, if you couldn't tell already, it's been a busy season for us. Matt started his 5th year with new Forge students at the beginning of September. Hard to believe this is the fifth class to come through! They are a great group, and we're looking forward to the year. Matt was also able to hire an Associate Director, which is great because we have 24 students this year... more than we've ever had, and twice as many as we had the first year!Outside of work, we've been busy working on home projects (lawn, organizing, etc.) and keeping up with Heidi. She probably has about 20 words down now - duck, walk, book, hot, water, milk, shoe and many others - and she is getting brave enough to let go of furniture (or us) to take a few steps on her own. She does not like falling down, however. We'll have to train some tom-boyishness into her yet!Here are some pictures from our trip to Pappy's Pumpkin Patch in Tyler. We went with 2 other moms and their kiddos - you may remember the "giraffe" from last year's photos. They're getting all grown up! This time we had a bumblebee, a doctor-in-training, and a 50's poodle skirt girl. They had a great time, and the moms had... a great time... chasing them around and keeping them happy for pictures. If you have a chance to go, it was a really neat place. Totally free (taking pictures, hay rides, rides in the kiddie train, playing in the water, running around, even parking, all free!) I think they're open Friday and Saturday all through October, so, one more weekend!

Enjoy the pics. We'll try to be more consistent on blog updates. Hi Nana & Pops, DeeDee & Grandpa, Aunt Jodie, Dodge Aunts and Uncles, and Great Gramps!

That's One Small Step for Heidi . . .

2009-09-12T21:49:00.000-05:00

It was a big day this afternoon when we decided to play with Heidi on the floor. On just a whim, Matt decided to see if Heidi would walk - sure enough, she did! At first she only took a few steps without help, but after just a few more minutes - as you can see - she started to get the hang of it! She's only good for about 5-6 steps right now, but it sure is cute and she is so proud of herself when she gets to one of us. Hard to believe our little baby is growing up so fast!

More Heidi Birthday Pics

2009-08-08T23:01:00.001-05:00

We had one of our former Forge students come and visit us during Heidi's birthday party last weekend and she took some wonderful pictures! Julie & Her husband Evan keep a blog here where you can see some really adorable pictures of Heidi like this one! Not a bad blog to follow either, I might add! :)

Heidi is 1!

2009-07-30T15:40:00.003-05:00

What can you say when a year flies by, and your first-born has their first birthday? It has gone so fast, and been such a blast! I don't think Matt or I knew how much we would enjoy parenthood. We knew we'd like it, but man! Now, I know you experienced parents out there will say, "Wait for this year... now the discipline starts!"

Yeah, I guess so. But my sister-in-law was right when she said, "I always thought the stage they were in was my favorite. Then the next stage would come and I'd think, 'No, THIS is my favorite!'". She was definitely right. Heidi is more and more fun each day. We are so blessed and thankful that God has given her to us for this year, and we look forward to many more years of watching her grow.

What a sweetie! And I personally think she is a real smarty, because obviously (by the video below) she knows it's her birthday.

A Blog About Nothing

2009-07-24T21:35:00.004-05:00

Okay, guys, it's been a while since I've contributed to this thing and it's about time we had a non-Heidi-related post. Her birthday is coming up next weekend, so I'm sure there will be one soon...not to worry.

For those of you who don't know, Darcie and I are huge Seinfeld fans. Maybe too huge. We were given a Seinfeld Scene It game for Christmas and we haven't lost a game yet. Ironically, neither of us really watched it when we were growing up, but we both got hooked on the show after we got married. I love watching it because it is arguably the best television comedy of all time mostly because it makes fun of what it means to be a self-absorbed, egotistical, and insensitive human being (something we can all identify with, right?). Plus, the episodes are only 22 minutes long . . . perfect for watching while you eat dinner!

Anyway, we just got done watching all 9 seasons a few weeks ago and as we were watching, we kept a little note of which episodes were our favorite and we are happy to announce our very own top ten list of Seinfeld episodes! Why you would read this far already, I have no idea - but since you have, I guess we should post our list. Here goes!

[All episode recaps are from tv.com]

10. The Junior Mint (season 4, episode 20): Jerry has a date with a woman whose name he has forgotten. Elaine visits an old boyfriend who's in the hospital for an operation; he was once fat, thin she's interested again. Kramer gets an opportunity to witness the operation and he drags Jerry along, while watching they have an accident with a "Junior Mint."
9. The Face Painter (season 6, episode 23): George and his girlfriend discuss toilet paper and he is in love. Elaine's boyfriend paints his face and his behavior at a hockey game disturbs Jerry, Elaine and a passing priest. A monkey throws a banana peel at Kramer, when he throws it back, the monkey becomes depressed and the zoo demands an apology.
8. The Little Kicks (season 8, episode 4): "Sweet fancy Moses" exclaims George when he sees Elaine dance at a party she's holding for her employees. Jerry gets 2 tickets to a premiere of a film. Jerry and Kramer attend the film with Brody, who begins to make a bootleg tape. Elaine finds out the truth about her dancing after she tapes herself. Elaine's dance becomes a big hit on the streets of New York.
7. The Serenity Now (season 9, episode 3): George gets roped into selling computers with his father, who is using a strange relaxation method to control his blood pressure. Kramer has some trouble with the "neighborhood children" when he remodels the front of his apartment. Jerry's latest girlfriend helps him get in touch with his emotions. Meanwhile, Elaine's invitation to a bar mitzvah ends up being more than she bargained for.
6. The Pick (season 4, episode 13): Elaine is humiliated when she accidentally shows a bit too much on her Christmas card photo. Jerry has a date with the model from the plane, she later dumps Jerry because of "The Pick." Kramer goes to Calvin Klein to complain about "The Ocean," a fragrance they stole from him.
5. The Burning (season 9, episode 16): George devises a new plan to end every conversation on a "high note" and "leave them wanting more". Kramer and Mickey take jobs acting out diseases for medical students. Elaine discovers that Puddy is religious, and becomes angry when she learns he doesn't care about her soul. Meanwhile, Jerry is intrigued when he learns that his current girlfriend has a secret "tractor story" she hasn't told him.
4. The Heart Attack (season 2, episode 8): George thinks he's had a heart attack. The doctor tells him otherwise, but he might want to get his tonsils and adenoids removed. Elaine is interested in the doctor and he is interested in her tongue. George not wanting to deal with the cost and the procedure decides to take Kramer's advice of going to see a naturalist, which only makes the situation worse.
3. The Marine Biologist (season 5, episode 14): Jerry meets an old college classmate who asked about George, whom Jerry says is now a "marine biologist." An infuriated Russian writer tosses an electronic organizer belonging to Elaine out of a limousine that hits a passerby on the head. Kramer struggles with his golf swing and sand.
2. The Strike [The Festivus] (season 9, episode 10): Kramer announces that after 12 years, he's going back to work. Jerry meets an attractive woman at a party, but when he later tries to date her, she doesn't look nearly as good. Elaine's use of a fake phone number backfires. George tries to get away with giving away fake donation cards as Christmas gifts at work, and much to his chagrin, his father decides to revive Festivus, a unique holiday he'd invented years earlier.
1. The Opposite (season 5, episode 22): George comes to the realization that he should try to do the opposite of everything, so he does. Things begin to be unlucky for Elaine after she buys a box of "Jujyfruits." Kramer appears on Regis & Kathie Lee to promote his coffee table book. Rachel wants to break up with Jerry and he readily agrees, because his luck has been "even Steven."

So there you go! Not a bad way to waste your time, was it? For a show that was about 'nothing' and had a motto of "no hugging, no learning," it turned out to be pretty good. If you think you can beat us at Seinfeld Scene It - let us know. We need to know that someone else out there has a more unhealthy knowledge of this show than we do!

A Family Fourth

2009-07-12T21:48:00.003-05:00

Happy post-4th of July! We had a great time at the Dodge Family Reunion over the 4th, with all 4 Dodge kids, plus their 5 kids, making a grand total of lots of fun.

Ages 6 weeks, 6 months, 11 months, 3 years, almost 4... and the rest of us were older than that. :-)
We took the older girls to the Omni to see "Dolphins," complete with stuffed-animal dolphins provided by DeeDee (Darcie's mom), worked on sheetrock in the playhouse in the backyard, put in a French drain in the front yard, played sibling trivia (and had a walk down memory lane), watched movies, played games, and had a blast!We were even able to nail everyone down for a huge family photo. Darcie's sister-in-law took care of ordering matching t-shirts for everyone, so we were very coordinated. Matt's parents were able to come out on the 4th as well and join us for burgers, hot dogs, and maybe a little visit with Heidi too. (Thanks Lantzes, for taking the family photo with your nice camera!) Rick, Dottie and Doug Jones came for the weekend too and brought lots of yummy snacks. :-)
I'll admit that in our family, we're not all alike (some are Dr. Pepper lovers, some Diet Coke... you know), but when we get together, we sure have a great time. What a blessing to be in a family that enjoys being with one another, and a double blessing that we were all able to be there.

Thanks DeeDee and Grandpa for all your work getting it ready for us to come. We love you!

Vacation Catch-Up

2009-06-22T20:58:00.005-05:00

Here it is! The long overdue vacation update. We had a whirlwind May: Forge graduation, Darcie's best friend got married, then we headed off for vacation and Heidi's first airplane ride.

The highlights: Danielle's wedding was beautiful. It was an outdoor wedding at a vineyard, and we all got to go, including all of Heidi's grandparents.

We celebrated Mother's Day the next day at the Dodge's, then on Monday morning we headed to Utah for 4-5 days at a lakehouse there in Park City. (Thanks, Jenny and fam!) It was a beautiful cabin, with an even more beautiful view, and the weather was nice. We had a rough night the first night, as Heidi stayed up all night crying... but after a phone call to Aunt (Nurse) Jodie, a visit to a local clinic, and a little baby Benadryl for a sore throat, the vacation greatly improved. :-)

On Wednesday, we spent the day with Doug, Deborah, Molly & Meredith at the outlet mall and at the cabin. On our way out of town, we stopped by to see their house (much remodeled). They have a great place with a fantastic backyard!

We then headed to Sedona, AZ to visit Heidi's great-grandfather. We spent the weekend visiting with him, and Heidi's great aunt and uncle.

Great Gramps loved showing her off at church and in the community where he lives. It was a real treat to have almost all of the Gardner family together!

We got to take a day off (leaving Heidi with grandparents) and sneak away to visit the Grand Canyon, as Darcie had never seen it before. What a place. How can you describe it?

We were so glad we could make the trip to Arizona to see Gramps and have four generations there together: Father, Daughter, Father, Daughter. What a precious time!

Heidi was a real trooper, and she continues to be a really great traveler. She slept and played on all 3 plane flights, and put up with all the car rides to and from airports, relatives houses and dinner outings. We really are blessed with a very sweet little girl. We can't believe that in about a month, she'll be one year old!

Projects and projects

2009-06-03T22:31:00.003-05:00

We still owe an update on the front yard that our Forge students helped lay sod for - they'd be happy to see the result. We'll get pictures up of that soon, along with our long-awaited vacation pics from Utah and Arizona. (there might be a few of Heidi in there for her fans)

Meanwhile, here's what I've been doing in my "spare time" (Darcie) - during naps, with Heidi sitting by watching in the stroller, etc. The laundry room of our rent house needed some love. It's out on the carport so it already felt like it wasn't a real part of the house, but in addition to that, the previous owners had never even finished it out with painted trim or flooring.

I have to admit, I think it looks pretty nice. I love projects like this. And Matt loves it even more when I start and finish something in a one-week period. :-)

More updates coming soon!

Heidi likes it!

2009-05-14T17:46:00.001-05:00

Heidi likes being on vacation. :)

The Mother of All Updates

2009-05-04T21:15:00.005-05:00

It's been almost a month since we've posted, so we're due for some news and a whole lotta pics. So, hang on to your hats, folks.

Heidi is at a really fun stage where she likes to play, talk (babble) and grab for anything in reach, so there have been lots of fun times with Daddy lately. Matt likes to read her stories - he had a dream that her first word was "theology", so we're starting young and reading some really tough texts like Hop on Pop and a cloth book with zippers and snaps in it. "Theology" is right around the corner, we just know it.

Last week, we took our last trip with the Forge students before their graduation. We went down to Crier Creek near Houston. Matt enjoyed a last hoorah with his students, while Darcie entertained Heidi on the campgrounds and introduced her to her first outdoor water extravaganza at the splash pad. She's perfectly content with a bucket of water in her lap... until she splashes all the water out and wants some more. Careful Heidi, I think your midriff is showing!

Saturday also marked the graduation of our 4th group of Forge students. It was a busy, but fun weekend, honoring the students and sending them off to the next chapter in their lives. Matt also had a great reunion of former Forgies at the graduation. It's really neat how much the Lord impacts students' lives through the Forge, so much so that they want to return each year for graduation to welcome the most recent students into the world of Forge alumni.

And, for those of you who are not satisfied with a blog entry without a video, this one's for you...

Happy Easters

2009-04-12T15:52:00.002-05:00

Darcie has way too much time on her hands, doesn't she? But, let's be honest, we're glad she does - and also glad she's a whiz at Photoshop! Aren't these fun?! Hope your Easter holiday was as fun and relaxing as our was!

The Face

2009-04-01T16:38:00.004-05:00

My younger brother and I have a term of endearment for one another that we use often and in every circumstance, so seeing that it is his birthday today, and that Heidi just turned 8 months old, I thought it would be appropriate to send some him some birthday wishes from his *favorite* niece.

Happy Birthday, Face!
~from Heidi's Face to Yours

Farewell Israel! We're coming home!

2009-03-25T14:06:00.003-05:00

Greetings from Tel Aviv airport! We've just checked our bags and we're only an hour or so from being ready to board our plane to come home! Only one pic today and a short update just to let you know that we're ready to go! We get in to Newark at 5am EST, and I'll update then for those of you who might actually be awake then. :) Meanwhile enjoy our last group picture!

See you soon!!!

Chilly Day in Jerusalem!

2009-03-24T13:45:00.006-05:00

Good Evening Everyone!
We had quite the day today! We made our way into Bethlehem to see the Herodian (one of Herod the Great's 6 palaces) and the Church of the Nativity (where we got the amazing opportunity to see an Armenean church service held on the location where Jesus was born). After that, we headed to the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Pool of Bethesda, Via Dolorosa, and the Church of the Holy Seplchure (where Jesus was crucified and buried). It was a BIG day!

What made our day even bigger was the weather. Israel is in the middle of a 3 year drought, so they will take any rain they can get. So, we praise God for the LARGE amount of rain He brought upon the Land today. Unfortunately, we were out in it all day - along with the 40 degree temperature and ~30mph wind. Needless to say, it was a little uncomfortable at points, but, believe it or not, we actually learned a ton! We're much warmer now and all dry - so not to worry. :)

Tomorrow will take us around the Old City of Jerusalem - hopefully to the Western Wall, the Temple Mount - just to name a few. We'll finish up our day early, pack our bags and then begin our 2nd day without going to sleep as our flight leaves Tel Aviv around 10:50pm. I hope to be able to share one more post with you before we leave, but in case we don't, we're excited to see you all and share all the Lord has done!

More pictures for you to enjoy!
Shalom!
Matt

Slight interruption for a special news bulletin...

2009-03-23T19:44:00.007-05:00

No, these are not pictures of Israel but I had to post a few so Heidi's daddy could see what we've been doing while he's gone. So, for those of you following the Israel travelers - enjoy some pics of us back home and we'll return to the regularly scheduled broadcast in just a bit. :-)

We love you and we miss you daddy! Can't wait to see you on Thursday. We had a great time playing at DeeDee and Grandpa's house. We planted a vegetable garden with Grandpa and painted the dining room with DeeDee (see photo 2 in the background - textured!)

Photo 1: Heidi is learning to wave "bye-bye", which looks a little more like she's waving to herself.

Photo 2: Heidi and Izzy with the grandparents - who just can't get enough of them!

Photo 3: We tried a photo opp with the two girls. Neither one of them were very interested in having their photo made, except that Izzy kept saying, "Apple cheese, apple cheese," which is what she says now when you tell her to smile and say "cheese."

The Costal Plains

2009-03-23T13:21:00.005-05:00

Good evening all!
Hope this finds you all well! We just arrived in Jerusalem after another BIG day in Israel! Today we started out by going to Tel Meggido - the second oldest city in the world (and, of course, the site for some future activities....). After that, we up to Mount Carmel where we studied the story of Elijah while sitting on the side of Mount Carmel. Our very own Danny Loeffelholz even got to teach about his favorite Bible character, Elijah. After that, we headed to the coast to tour around Caesarea - the famous port city of Herod. We finished up our day by heading up to "The House" as Marty likes to call it. Tomorrow and Wednesday we will be touring Jerusalem before we head home on Wednesday night!

The Lord was gracious to us yet again today as we had no injuries, no one sick and beautiful weather. The Lord is also working on our hearts in a big way - no doubt an answer to prayer as well. Tomorrow, we hear, is supposed to be rainy, so any extra prayers for good weather are appreciated!

Enjoy some shots from our day and I'll post an update tomorrow!

Shalom!
Matt

Last Day in Galilee

2009-03-22T15:29:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone!
Sorry for the late update tonight - we had some time to play tonight after another big day, so that means a later blog entry. :)

Today, of course, was another full day with so much to learn and lots to take in. The weather was, again, amazing and the Lord was gracious in giving us more strength to our achy legs and bodies. This morning began with a bus ride just south to Gamla (the place where Gideon's men drank from the spring), then we headed back north to the Decapolis where we visited Bet Shean (where Saul's body was hung) and Susita (a pagan city on the east bank of Galilee). The day came to an amazing end as we went to the Jordan River where a few people of our group had the chance to be baptized for the very first time!

Tomorrow we head to the Big House (Jerusalem), but on our way we will stop at Meggido, Mount Carmel and Caesarea. We continue to be blessed by your prayers and all still remain in good health and without injury! Baruch Hashem!

Hopefully I'll be able to find internet at our next hotel! Until then, please continue to pray for good weather and soft hearts as we continue to learn!

Shalom!
Matt

What a Day in Galilee!!

2009-03-21T13:30:00.004-05:00

Hello friends and family!
Today we had the opportunity to walk where Jesus walked as we spent our first full day in the Galilee. This morning we started by hiking our 3rd mountain - Mount Arbel, where we enjoyed an amazing view of the sea and the surrounding countryside. We then got a chance to go to Tabgha, the Mount of Beatitudes, Chorazin, Capernaum and Bethsaida. Like I said, it was a great day! I've heard so many of the students talking to each other saying, "The Scriptures feel like they are coming alive as if for the first time." There is something magical about being in Galilee for me, as well. It's amazing to walk the ancient paths here and learn how to look more like our Rabbi.

We're definitely feeling more sore and achy these days, but we are all still feeling well and are injury free! Keep those prayers coming for safety as well as the weather - it was a beautiful day here today. Just perfect!

Tomorrow we make our way to some other portions of Galilee - finishing our day at the Jordan river! :)

More to come tomorrow!
Matt

P.S. To my sweet Darcie and Heidi...I think about you guys all the time and miss you terribly! I love being here, but I'm counting the days until I get to see you again! Love you tons!

a BIG day!!

2009-03-20T14:38:00.003-05:00

Shalom from Galilee! We just finished up our last day in the desert and, wow.....we're pooped! Marty worked us hard today as we hiked up and down 2 different mountains and walked a total of 11.5 miles! It was all worth it, though as we got to go to Ein Ghedi (where David hid from Saul), Masada (one of the most sacred sites in Israel for Jewish people), and Qumran (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found).

Your prayers have been very effective for us as we continue to experience God's blessing each day. After a rough day of strenuous hiking, we had no injuries!! God also gave us strength as we made it through the toughest of hikes. Biggest prayer needs for us tonight is that we get our batteries re-charged and our muscles a rest. Hopefully we won't be too sore tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow...we're in Galilee tonight and we will spend the next 3 nights here as we spend time walking where Jesus walked! Big day tomorrow, too, as we will get to experience the Mount of Beatitudes, Capernaum, Bethsaida - just to name a few!

Lord willing I'll get you guys another update tomorrow night! Enjoy some pics from today!
Shalom,
Matt

Hiking in the Negev

2009-03-19T13:11:00.005-05:00

Hello friends and family! We just got done eating dinner at our hotel here at the Salt Sea! We had a BIG day today as we wandered all over the Negev desert. We got to stop at Tel Arad, experience some Bedouin hospitality, hike through Ein Avdat and finish the day by floating in the Salt Sea. Not bad for our first full day in Israel! We’re pretty pooped, as you might assume, as we are still adjusting to the time and the 8 or so miles we hiked today!

The Lord has been gracious to us – the weather was beautiful today and we continue to have good health, great attitudes, and no injuries! Keep those prayers comin – they are a blessing to us!

Tomorrow we journey up the coast of the Salt Sea to visit Masada, Ein Ghedi, and Qumran. Looking forward to bringing you an update tomorrow night!

Enjoy the pictures from our day today…..

Matt

Shalom from Israel!

2009-03-18T14:00:00.002-05:00

At long last we've made it to Israel safe and sound! Thanks so much for your prayers!! We arrived on time here at about 3:15pm local time (much earlier than we anticipated) - which provided us with an unexpected opportunity to go on our first hike right after we got out of the airport! We made our way into the Shephelah to the Valley of Elah and the Tell of Azekah which is the location of the story of David and Goliath. After a great hike, we made a two hour treck down into the desert to the city of Arad where we are staying the night. Tomorrow will be our day in the southern/desert region of Israel and we'll end up staying at the Dead Sea tomorrow night. Not sure about internet access there, so forgive me if there's not an update tomorrow.

We are all doing really well! Everyone is feeling just fine and we are all in good spirits. Pray that we get a good night's sleep tonight and are ready to go tomorrow!

More updates as we have opportunity!
Shalom,
Matt

Chillin in Jersey

2009-03-17T20:05:00.001-05:00

We made it to Newark! We've got a few hours of layover here before we
head across the pond. This will be our last post for a while until we
get to our hotel in Arad some 14 (ish) hours from now. We're all
doing great and really excited! Shalom!

At DFW airport!

2009-03-17T14:37:00.000-05:00

We made it from Tyler and are awaiting our flight to Newark in a few
minutes! Pray for us!!

Israel Here We Come!

2009-03-15T09:37:00.003-05:00

Welcome to everyone who will be following our Israel trip this year! It is my hope that I will be able to mooch enough wifi each day to be able to post a few pictures and a recap of what our days are like in the Best of the Lands. As you keep up with our travels, please remember that we will be in need of your prayers each day. We are asking God for safe travel, good weather (it's hard to learn in the rain), eyes that see, ears that hear, and hearts that understand.
We look forward to sharing all our stories and pictures with you all upon our return. Until then, though, tune in to this blog for updates! I will typically update in the evening which is around lunch-time in the States. Feel free to leave comments as well - I will pass them along to the group!
Shalom!
Matt

Test

2009-03-14T12:56:00.001-05:00

This is a test

Teething!

2009-03-07T16:27:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update to post this adorable picture that Darcie took of Heidi and I just the other day. I took her outside to watch Cinco play in the yard and about every 10 seconds Heidi would put her arm out and reach for me and then look up and smile - just to make sure I was still there. Awww. She's officially started teething as well - she's got one little pokey guy sticking out on the bottom side and she's been a little more fussy than usual - but not too bad. As soon as it's in, we'll put some pictures up. Hope all is well with our friends!

Favorite Time of Day

2009-02-16T21:14:00.003-06:00

No explanation needed here. This is Heidi's favorite time of day, hands down. We can count on 20 minutes of happiness every night. Reservations required if you want to experience it for yourself.

6 one, Half a dozen the other

2009-01-30T15:12:00.005-06:00

It's hard to believe, but our little 6lb girl is now 6 months old! She's more fun each day: laughing and giggling, wiggling around on the floor (we're thankful she's not crawling... yet!), wrinkling up her nose when she laughs, saying all kinds of "words", playing with toys and learning to sit up by herself. Time really does fly! People said it would, but I didn't think it would go by this fast. 6 more months and she'll be 1.

I have a blast being a stay-at-home mom! Crying and whining

get on your nerves, but who could have a better job than watching a child learn so many new things, getting to observe the foundations of life's lessons almost 24-hours a day, rejoicing in each new milestone and dreaming about what is to come? We already know she's going to be a smart one. I mean, look at her daddy. :-)

If nothing else, she can make her way through life with her good looks. I know every mom thinks their baby is the cutest thing ever, but really... who could resist this face? And those

cheeks? Not to mention the blue eyes!

I also have to mention a quick thanks to Aunt Jodie for the cute Heidi britches. All she wanted was a niece so she could buy her ruffle-butt pants, so we delivered, and she fulfilled her promise of getting Heidi some... with her name on them! Too bad we can't pass those down.

A few quick videos since it's been a while. Heidi is learning to play by herself a little bit, and loves any toy that makes noise or sings. She also loves to talk to herself in the mirror, and thinks she's pretty cute. We'll have to work on the vanity issue and teach her that true beauty is on the inside.

And now, back to Heidi

2009-01-22T22:43:00.008-06:00

Well we are long overdue for an update on this blog - so what better way to get back into it than with a rediculous amount of Heidi overstimulation! Here are some pictures from over the Christmas holidays that we thought were blogworthy:

A year ago, Heidi was no bigger than the size of this kidney bean - now look how big she is! Amazing the difference a year makes!

One of Heidi's favorite quirks is the way she holds her hands up close to her face for security. She crosses them over and holds on tightly! It's pretty cute.

This one was just too fun not to put up. Captions welcome!

It really looks like she's opening something here all by herself doesn't she? It's really just a lucky shot - and a great one at that!

Yay for Heidi's first Christmas!

A Blogging Break from Heidi

2009-01-09T08:48:00.002-06:00

Sorry to all the Heidi-fanatics out there, but I had to take at least one blog entry to give some props to my TCU Horned Frogs. The Associated Press has TCU with a final season ranking of #7 - their second top 10 finish in the past 4 years and their highest season-ending ranking since 1959. Their only losses this season were to #5 OU and #2 Utah. Not bad, Frogs. Not bad. Our only regret is losing to Utah and not having the chance ourselves to beat the snot out of Nick Saban and his Crimson Tide ourselves.

I'd also like to mention that there are 2 teams from the Mountain West Conference who finished in the Top 10 this year (3 teams finished in the top 25)- and Boise State (WAC) finished #11. If all the controversy surrounding Utah being a legit #1 team as the country's only undefeated team this season - then the fact that non-BCS conferences are starting to beat teams from the SEC (of all conferences) - should be ammo enough to get another system in the works for these players who deserve to play in the championship games.

I'm also glad to see that TCU's coach, Gary Patterson, won't be going anywhere until at least 2014. He's led the Horned Frogs to four 11-win seasons in the past six years - not to mention the fact that TCU's defense is regularly in the top 10 in the country. I hope he continues to deliver like he has since Franchione left!

Go Frogs!

Heidi New Year!

2009-01-01T15:03:00.003-06:00

Heidi is talking so much more now! She just turned 5 months old on Dec 30th and she wanted to wish all of you a Happy 2009!

2008 Year in Pictures

2008-12-22T01:53:00.002-06:00

I always make it a point to give Darcie a year in review - but since the picture frames are taking over our house (and since we enjoy sharing our story on the ol' blog), I thought I'd try a video this year. Many thanks to the folks at Animoto for the cool video stuff and to Steven Curtis Chapman for such a great song. Hope you enjoy the look back at such an amazing year! Merry Christmas!

Oasis

2008-12-20T23:18:00.004-06:00

I'm basking in the glow of what is the approaching Christmas break. I just wrapped up my 7th semester of the Forge (geeze!) and I have some serious plans to sleep for the next 3 straight weeks. Don't blame the students - they have really been an exciting and engaging group this year. It's just been a long fall. Lots of life lessons, struggles, bewilderments and sleepless nights (thank you Heidi), but I've made it to the oasis of Christmas - 3 glorious weeks of finally getting the chance to process my own thoughts and get caught up on all that I've fallen behind on.

I'm also looking forward to celebrating 6 years of being married to Darcie here in a couple of weeks. That's like 12 semesters + a lot of summer school! It's great to see her shine as a mommy. She loves it (and Heidi does too) and I don't think she realizes how much it makes her shine to me. Just another bonus of having a child, I guess. :)

Darcie and I are hoping to be able to take a short vacation for our anniversary, but a 5-month old and a 1 year old dog present quite the challenge to that endeavor. We'd really like to go skiing - mostly because neither of us have been since high school and we have friends up in Colorado. Hopefully we'll work something out!

I'm also sad to report that my Fantasy Football team failed to make it to the Super Bowl again this year. It was a good season - finished up 9-5 on the year, but my players underperformed all season and I just couldn't catch a break when I needed it most. Still so fun to play, though, and look forward to next season.

...speaking of next season...only 1 month until Lost season 5!

4 months old!

2008-12-08T17:13:00.003-06:00

Heidi had her 4-month checkup last week, and we can't believe how fast she's growing! She is so much fun now, laughing and "talking" and interacting with us and her toys so much more now. One of her favorite new activities is jumping in her bouncer seat that I got at the children's consignment sale (which is one of my new favorite things... the bouncer and the sale!)

We had a great time with families over Thanksgiving, and we're looking forward to Christmas already. Heidi has a little cousin, Meredith, on the way - probably at the end of December, and another one due in June, so we're excited to welcome more babies to the family. So far, there will be 4 girls and 1 unknown. If it's a boy, he'd better look out!

Thanksgiving in D/FW

2008-11-28T16:54:00.007-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Hope you all have enjoyed some extended time with your families and friends. Darice and I took Heidi to DFW for some time with both of our families. I wish we could say that we were the main attraction this time around, but, alas, Heidi is the main event - and we're just her roadies. But I'm okay with that. :)

Here are some fun pictures of the Main Event from our week in town:

Tis the Season(s)

2008-11-19T10:50:00.006-06:00

Or I suppose you would put "th'are" instead of "tis", but...

Darcie has had lots of fun keeping busy during the daytimes and when Matt is on trips by taking fun pics of Heidi around town and at home. What good is it having a baby if you can't put them in silly poses and take pictures so you can embarrass them when they're older?

Heidi had her first visit to see Santa last week with her good friends Nathan (the Halloween giraffe) and Mackenna. We actually got Santa pics at the same grocery store where the pumpkin

pictures were taken. What's next? The Easter bunny? All three kids did very well - a lot less crying than the older kids that were in line in front of us. Heidi had on her normal "serious" face most of the time. She also got a good hold of his beard at one point and she has a good grip. We figure next year she'll be old enough to be scared of him.

She is also learning to talk a lot more, and has gained some control of her once flailing hands, so she can grasp at things and loves bright colors. It's a lot of fun to watch her learn.

Are you smarter than these guys?

2008-11-07T00:40:00.004-06:00

So, I was updating my fantasty football team tonight and just happened to notice these ads at the bottom of the screen. I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Can you spot the goof....and the irony? :)

Weekend Getaway

2008-11-01T17:09:00.020-05:00

October has been a busy month for me. I was gone for 2 weeks and left Darcie and Heidi here all by themselves. So, at my first opportunity, I wanted to treat Darcie to a special weekend just to say thanks for taking care of Heidi all by herself those weeks and for making it possible for me to do the things I love to do. So, here's a fun little recap of our adventures in Dallas this weekend!

First priority: ditch Heidi. We love our daughter, but she wouldn't make for a very nice evening for the two of us. Fortunately for us, my parents live in Plano and were more than excited to watch her for the evening.

After dropping her off, we headed straight for our favorite restaurant: Del Frisco's. We used to go there once a year for our anniversary, but since Tyler is fairly slim on classy places to take your wife to tell her you love her - we have to make do with our occasional visits now. Nevertheless, it is the BEST steakhouse anywhere. Really. I'm not just exaggerating. It really is that good. I mean, just check out the onion rings - if the onion rings look this good - can you imagine how amazing my steak was? Anyway, I could go on...

After stuffing ourselves we headed Uptown for the David Wilcox concert. Now, the weird thing is that the concert was held at Bend Studio - a yoga studio by day and a concert venue by night. I was a little skeptical when I saw that's where he was playing, but it was our only chance to catch him, so I had to give it a shot. It actually made for a very nice atmosphere for the concert. There were only about 80 people there, it felt like we were sitting in his living room and it provided us with the opportunity to meet and speak with him at the end of the show! Very cool place. Would definitely see a concert there again.

The concert itself was fantastic. Dave played all of the favorites along with a few new songs that he's been working on. It was a treat for me to be able to see him again, but it was Darcie's first time, so she was excited to be able to put a name with the face - even if he was wearing an Obama/Biden t-shirt. Perhaps one of the best moments of the evening was when he decided to play one of his most popular songs, "Waffle House", as an encore. First he had to teach himself the chords again and then couldn't remember all the words! So, he brings up an audience member who gets to sing along with him the words to a perfect song to sing on Halloween. It was a great time. If you aren't familiar with David or his music, here's a youtube video of "Perfect Storm" - a good song for these tough times.

Upon arriving back at the hotel (Homewood Suites by Hilton - a very nice and affordable place to stay), we caught Heidi watching a show she shouldn't have been watching. See for yourself:

The next morning we had breakfast with Nana, Pops & Jodie before heading back to Tyler. And to top-off the weekend I saw something I thought I would never see again in my lifetime: gas below $2 a gallon. Unbelievable.

So, all in all, a great little getaway for our family!

Heidi-O-Lantern

2008-10-24T23:03:00.010-05:00

So, Darcie took Heidi to a pumpkin patch and the results were just way too good not to put up on here. I know, we're shameless and post about nothing other than our daughter, but, hey, when she's this cute - can you blame us? Seriosuly, if these pictures don't make you say, "Awww", you should seek professional help as soon as you possibly can.

"Hey, mom...this costume fits pretty good...'cept how big does a girl's head gotta be for this hood thing to fit?"

Nate: "Yo, girl. What's up?"

Heidi: "MaaaaaauuuuM! Quit with the pictures!"

Heidi: "Did someone say food?!"

Nate: "Naw, they're just trying to get you to be cute. Don't buy it. Besides, girl, you need to lay off the milk - know what I'm sayin? Those cheeks are out of control, girlfriend."

Busted!

2008-10-18T10:01:00.003-05:00

We caught Heidi trying to set up her own Facebook account yesterday. We had to have a long talk about the dangers of 11-week old girls setting up profiles on Facebook. Who knows what other infants could be out there, right?

Fortunately, Heidi was very understanding. :)

Keepin' busy

2008-10-07T11:30:00.004-05:00

Let me first say, if you haven't read the Ode to Cinco below, start there first. Matt has written a lovely epic poem in celebration of Cinco's first birthday.

This week, Matt is with the Forge students on a trip, so Heidi and I are trying all kinds of new things to keep us busy. She didn't used to like the baby 'backpack' because she had to face in and look at my shirt, but now that she can hold her head up better, she can face out and she seems to like it. Back where she started, hanging around on (luckily not in) mommy's tummy!

We have also learned that Heidi really looks up to her daddy! :-) At her 2-month appointment, she weighed 10 1/2 pounds, up from 6lbs, 10oz at 2 weeks, and as you can tell, most of it has gone to her cheeks and her chin, causing her lack of neck.

I've been taking short videos to send to daddy this week, so here's one of the latest. She's a pretty smiley one, and has discovered her hands and how to suck on them. Keeps her busy when the pacifier falls out. We're lovin' life. She's a cutie... and she only woke up once last night!

Cinco: Uno

2008-10-03T22:14:00.008-05:00

Well, Darcie has just about taken over this blog, so I figured I better chime in with something blog-worthy of my own.

Just to bring everyone up to date on things with me:

1. The Forge students are doing great. We go on our first official trip on Monday and we're all pretty excited about being gone for a week (except me, really...who would want to leave the two most beautiful girls I know for that long? I must be crazy).

2. The Forge website has been updated and enhanced - WAY cooler now. Check it out.

3. My fantasy football team has recovered from a dismal week 1 loss to go on a 3 game win streak. Brandon Marshall and Gregg Jennings are good starters this year - and I got em both!

4. Darcie and I are both trying to lose our baby weight and have started the Body for Life diet. We just finished our second week and, I must say, I really like this eating/exercise plan. Especially the days off when I get to have ice cream. :)

5. I caved in and bought an iPhone last month. Pine Cove was re-doing its cell phone policy and gave us the option of buying our own phones. I was wanting a larger iPod anyway - and, well, I must say I really do like it. It's not just trendy and fun anymore - I really find it more useful than my other smart phone.

That's about it for me right now. But the real reason for the season is that our doggy, Cinco, turns one this weekend! For those of you who don't know, his birthday is the 5th of October. We got him on our 5th anniversary. We thought Cinco would be a fun name for him.

Here is a little ode to my dog on his first birthday:

Cinco, the German long hair,

came home in October 07

with a soft brown coat

and yellow eyes that could coax

your heart in under a second.

Cute he was that first week or two

while we played in the yard with his ball,

but soon we would see

this precocious puppy

was not so calm after all.

We built him a house, bought him some toys,

and trained him the way he should go,

but he dug holes in the sand,

barked, nipped, whined and...man!

even disobeyed when we'd tell him, "No!"

Don't get me wrong, I'm not all that mad -

even when he lets out a toot;

He loves to play

makes you laugh and say,

"Cinco, it's a good thing you're cute."

When he's tired - he's cute and, really, quite snuggly

and never needs a tap from the whomper.

But he eats trash of all kinds

(even the kitchen window blinds!)

so now we call him, "the chomper."

For all his faults - and even rough edges

Cinco really has taught us a lot.

How else could we be

so ready for Heidi

were it not for the lessons he's taught?

Heidi and Friends

2008-09-26T19:26:00.002-05:00

Heidi and her friend Nathan had their first real visit together this week. Nathan's mom and I took classes together at the hospital (along with another couple) and we also know them all from Pine Cove, and we've been keeping up with each other ever since - sharing baby stories and advice. We'll take all we can get! It's been so great to have other moms who are in the same stage as us. Nathan is just 2 weeks older than Heidi, so I get all the hand-me-down advice on what to do each week. I love it!

Nana and Pops are coming to visit tomorrow and we're really excited. Heidi is so much fun now, smiling and making fun noises. Can't wait for the next stage, whatever it holds!

For the grandparents...

2008-09-20T11:25:00.003-05:00

So, for Nana and Pops, and DeeDee and Grandpa, we thought we'd try a video. Might take a while to load. :-) She's so smart... she's learning how to talk already!