Monopoly winner!

As you all know I have not won a lot of games over the last several months. Monopoly has never been "my" game. I've got to be in the mood to play it for one thing, and I so rarely win it. And these days, I don't win any game but Monopoly...won't happen. Well Easter Sunday afternoon we Josh, Jackie, Jenna and I played. And I WON! But not because of my skills. Let's just say Josh and Jackie are equally stubborn and they didn't want either one to win, so I was the beneficiary, they gave everything to me. So I didn't feel like I won.

Then last night Jackie called wanting to know if I was up to playing games seeing as she had to work Friday and Saturday. I said sure. But let me back up a minute. Several weeks ago during our youth Bible Study I assigned prayer buddies to everyone. Asking them to remember each other in prayer but also with encouragement and even little gifts (if they felt led). Well Josh and I were buddies and Jenna and Jackie were buddies. So when Josh and Jackie walked in last night I was handed something I actually asked from my husband for Valentines day (something similar that is) and that was a heart wind spinner. I was really overwhelmed. It was so cool that they not only remembered, but they got me one. So very cool. Then they pulled out the game they wanted to play...yeah Monopoly! They had bought the old 1933, classic game in a beautiful case. It looked antique. The properties didn't have the price on them. The money colors were different. There's no dog, money bag, or sports car. It has a rocking horse, a purse, and antique car. The houses and motels are wooden. It is so cool. But best of all I WON!!! And I won fare and square. Now my husband felt I should have let Josh win because it was a treasure that he bought! But he wouldn't have wanted me to and I WANTED the Win!

Oh and by the way, Jackie's gift to Jenna was a animal balloon making a kit. AND a BOYFRIEND. Yeah a boyfriend...perfect. Jenna, I told you I'd get you for that picture ~ smile. She'll have to explain. Although, maybe Jackie will ~grin.

Josh and Jackie have been family to us. They're fun to be around and I can't praise the Lord enough for the spiritual growth these two have experienced over the last year. I feel like Paul...I thank God for them. Not only them but our youth in general are great. I have so much fun with them. They show me so much respect. They all are a part of me and I thank God for them.

Now I Remember....

why I don't like living in a duplex or in the city. At 1 am I heard some screaming. I was in this sleep where I heard the screaming but I was having a hard time seperating it from dreaming and reality. Then I heard movement in the hallway. On Friday and Saturday nights Brother Nowling AND Joleesa both work nights so I'm here by myself and it was that movement in the hallway that pulled me out of the place between sleep and awake. I asked who's out there and there came a voice saying "me". Oh that's right Jenna spent the night. I forgot. Then my mind settled on the screaming, "I'm going to kill you. Don't go. But I love you." And the cursing and I mean CURSING. I walked out to the living room with Jenna. They were on our deck. Our porch light was on but our blinds were pulled. We could here them clearly. I grabbed the phone trying to decide whether to call 911. Then it got real quiet. The wierd thing is we never heard a car leave, and there's usually a little girl next door that cries a lot...but she wasn't crying. I figured she must not be there. There are so many people in and out of that place other then the older native woman that goes to the Moravian church, and her granddaughter, we don't know who actually lives there. There's different cars under the carport all the time.

Any way, this wasn't the first time. The people that lived there previously fought during the night also (Sutton's were here one time when it happend). And they had young girls that played their music so loud that one time the bass vibrated our walls and caused a plaque to fall.

Part of me wants to find a house that's bigger than this place, and doesn't have that close of a neighbor. BUT that means higher rent, a deposit again and MOVING and the thought of moving even down the street is not appealing at all. But maybe this is sign that we really do need to consider it. UGH!

The weather's been nice here and it feels like Spring. I wish I could get to feeling good enough to enjoy it. My nose is running like a sieve, I still have a cough that rips my chest a part, and my chest feels heavy. I am doing better by far but I have a long way to go before I'm well. Tonight we have our youth gym night. We're going to be playing basketball and volleyball. I should say they're going to play basketball and we'll play volleyball. I've never been into basketball and I'm too old to start now (especially when I don't even have the desire too). I know Joleesa's bringing a couple of friends from McDonald's and I hope there'll be other visitor's. We're meeting at the church for a devotion and then heading over to the rec center for two hours. We sold calendars in 2006 and never used the money so this is how we decided to use the money. Two hours of good clean fun for individuals with lots of energy. I pray it goes well. I know our young people will make the visitors feel welcome...and then maybe they'll come out to church or at least future youth events. It's a small step but it's a step.

Everyone have a blessed Easter.

Remember When....

Totino's Pizza fed more than one person. I stayed home from work sick today and I put in a Totino's pizza and was shocked how small it was, I remember when it fed at least two people. It got me thinking of the past. We so often say "I remember when...." I find myself at least thinking that a lot lately. Ugh! Proof that I'm as old as the girls make me.

Just a thought!

Went to Bethel...and back

We had youth convention in Bethel this weekend. Sister Kim did a great job. Unfortunately I came down Wednesday late afternoon with this horrible bug that put 8 of our graphic designers out in the same day. It came on real fast. Chest, throat, head, eyes, sinuses the works. Ugh. I was so looking forward to convention and fellowship with the Bethel saints. I called Brother Bobby to find out there feelings of my coming if I was sick. I didn't want to offend anyone for being there sick (taking the possibility of spreading it). They said if I felt up to it to come ahead. So, though several times I had second thoughts, and the people at work I thought I shouldn't go. But I went. I enjoyed the preaching and the Spirit. But all my body wanted to do was sleep. Any way. I was miserable physically but my spirit was blessed. The ladies worked so hard putting on a luncheon Saturday afternoon and then Sister Connie and Sister Jacquelyn put on a caribou feast in celebration of Nathan and Rusty shooting their first caribou. A celebration of entering into manhood (poor Rusty). It was a true feast, I wish my taste buds would have allowed me to enjoy it. It was neat to watch it all come together as the ladies gave out "useful" gifts to all present as part as the traditional celebration. Those ladies out did themselves. Sister Jacquelyn's chocolate cake, that Rusty tried to convince everyone that it wasn't any good (so he could have it all to himself), it was awesome cake (if my taste buds were having problem on that cake, it was even better than I thought).

Brother Mojin's last words to me at the airport when several were seeing Sister Kim and us off, was that he was glad that I came even though I wasn't feeling well, meant so much to me. I was constantly afraid that there would be some that wouldn't appreciate my bringing "the cold" with me. Sister Connie tried to help me with her homemade cough syrup, which may very well have worked, but Garlic doesn't settle well on my stomach.

Flying home I thought I broke my right eardrum though. I have never felt so much pressure in my ear like I did taking off. I just fought the tears as the pain was so excruiating but after about 10 minutes it finally let up. It didn't pop, but it the pain subsided. The landing hurt too but not as bad.

Bottom line...I'm tired of being sick this winter. I think this is about the third time I've had this same bug!!! I had to go to work today because was on vacation, but if I'm not feeling considerably better tomorrow, I'm staying home. I am not carrying this bug with me for weeks as I have before. Sleep is going to make it leave.

Thank you Brother Bobby and Sister Annette for putting up with my coughing and sniffles (and Sister Kim). I look forward to coming again to enjoy those precious girls that you are so good with. Thanks to all the Bethel folks, I'm glad I went.

HAPPY 22ND BIRTHDAY JENNA!

On March 13th, 1986 we ended Bible study and headed to the hospital to bring our second baby girl into the world. Jenna Rae Nowling blessed this world and our home at 11:45 pm in Janesville, WI.

We love you honey and we're very proud of the young, beautiful, Godly woman you have become.

Our prayer for you is that God will bless this year with many precious things.

The Lord is So Good!

I am so thrilled. The hotel that we have had ladies retreat at in the past is under new management and wanted to charge us $300 per day for the conference room; don't think so, so they would discount it to $150 per day; still don't think so. I was really getting concerned (notice I didn't say worried but it really on verge of "worrying"). I spent last night searching the internet. Everything was looking way out of range. But I thought let's try Eagle River (about 15 miles from Anchorage). Basically only two hotels, one didn't look like it would work at all but maybe the Microtel would. First I called the Holdiay Inn Express where the men had their retreat in January. I wasn't feeling real good about it because they had to pay $100/day for their conference room and it was more like a board room (so I heard). I wanted a place that we could set up chairs like you would for church and have the electric piano...but if that's where we were suppose to be. Don't think so. They would give us the rooms for $89 but the conference room at this time of the year was now $139. Unlike the Best Western's new management, this lady was really nice so I told her I'd get back to her. I then moved on to calling the Microtel. The lady was fantastic. She asked me what deals I had gotten from Best Western in the past. She gave us the exact same deal. We blocked off 6 rooms and I can turn back two rooms the week prior. They usually charge for more than 2 to a room but she won't charge us. They have a continental breakfast (Best Western didn't). Brother Nowling and I drove out to check the rooms and the conference room. They are great. Not fancy but nice. The conference room is smaller than the one at Best Western but it'll work fine for us and we can have our coffee and tea. The lobby has a nice fire place with leather sofas (real quaint). The hotel is only 5 years old. Yeah it's not in Anchorage, but come on, 15 minutes away. There's restraunts all around it, there's a Walmart, grocery stores, gift shops, it's a great town. AND it'll allow the Anchorage ladies to feel like they've gone somewhere too. I really hope no one complains that it's not in Anchorage. But you know what, I truly feel it is a gift from God. Two phone calls is all it took. God knows what we need and knew I was running out of time to have search for a place. He is so good.

By the way, the dates are April 18-20; cost is $85 (lunch and dinner on your own); Sister Georgia Williams is our evangelist. We'd love to have anyone that feels led to attend to come on up. We're going to have a great time in the Lord.

To top that off, I've been really praying for Joleesa to be able to get McDonald's covered Friday night so she can go to youth convention in Bethel. It wasn't looking to promising, but PTL, she just called and she got it covered. Have I said God is good!

Now for Brother Nowling to get Saturday covered. It'll happen, because God is Good!

Please rememeber the convention. I know God is going to bless because THE LORD IS GOOD!

I'm So Glad It's Saturday

It has been a VERY stressful week at work. I've been tagged the online queen for selling the most online dollars out of anyone. This week came back to bite me because of the Iditarod. It's a long story but I spent the whole week dealing with upset customers who were'nt seeing their ad. Because of the Iditarod the traffic on our site spiked so high that though they were getting what they paid for, it didn't seem like it because they couldn't see for themselves. Anyway, yesterday I put in 10 1/2 hour day trying to get caught up with other things. I was ready for the weekend.

Today is the first Saturday I've been home with no plans but clean house and do the state books. I slept in until 9:15 am (and I'm still tired). I think the stress is wearing me out. I'll probably even take a nap today. It feels so good to just "chill".

We've been in the high 30's and 40's with sunshine so the snow's been melting (the poor dogs on the Iditarod are really having problems).

Next weekend is youth convention in Bethel. I'm really looking forward to that. Please pray Brother Nowling can get someone to cover so he can go.

Please pray for our ladies retreat. I'm getting very frustrated with the hotel. We (Brother Nowling's been helping me). They're under new management, at first they said the conference room that we use for our services would cost us $300 per day (ugh I don't think so). But then they said if we commit to a minimum of 5 rooms we could use for free and they just needed something in writing confirming. I sent the letter with how I wanted the room set (like I did last year) and she calls saying they thought we only needed the room for a couple of hours and they didnt have the staff to set things up. HOW did she ever get that idea. No problem we'll set up, but she continued to say they'd have to charge the $300 a day. Of course I told her couldn't do it. If the room is empty anyway why with the commitment of 5 rooms can't we get at least for this year? She said she'd be back to me in 2 hours, had my work number but called home. UGH. I still don't know what's going on and I can't get a hold of her. Please, please pray. We're going to have a great ladies retreat as I have had so many obstacles put in my way.

Well I better get some cleaning done. Have a great day and better Lord's day tomorrow.