A Perfect Campaign

Thanks Tammy for your creative blog! This is such a wonderful series....we would love to take you to church!!!


LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING™ is a 30-day church-wide campaign, inspired by the Grammy® award-winning song recorded by Tim McGraw that has touched millions with its evocative imagery. Live Like You Were Dying is unique because it creates turning-point moments by causing thoughtful reflection on what really matters. It combines an award-winning song that touches our deepest longing for meaning, with the timeless truths of God’s Word in a learning experience for the whole church. A 30-day emphasis works because it involves everyone and builds momentum through multiple reinforcements. The campaign includes several different elements to challenge people each day of the week. Many pastors have discovered that an annual campaign that unites the church has significant benefits for building a stronger sense of community within the congregation

A CAMPAIGN THAT ENCOURAGES TRANSFORMATION This campaign takes a song of the culture, the deepest needs of people, the truth of God’s Word, and brings it all together during a focused period of time for spiritual transformation. The Bible teaches that we’re not guaranteed tomorrow. So how should we live?

This campaign will challenge your members to:
1. Live with a sense of urgency (1 Peter 4:7-8)
2. Live with a sense of eternity (Psalm 90:12)
3. Live with a sense of priority (Ephesians 5:15-17)
4. Give up the frantic pursuit of the “good life” (Matthew 16:25-26)
5. Make more time for relationships (Hebrews 10:24-25)
6. Offer forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32)
7. Celebrate being released from God’s judgment (Romans 8:33-34)
8. Liberate others from your judgment (Romans 14:13)
9. Do the unexpected in love (Matthew 5:39-42)

Here are of our sermons that go along with the series- (not sure where week 4 is, it wasn't on the web site)
Live Like you were dying- week one~ Pastor Kim Ryan
Live Like you were dying- Week 2~ Pastor Kim & Ann Ryan
Live Like you were dying week 3~ Pastor Kim Ryan
Live Like you were dying week 5~ Pastor Kim Ryan

Our Baby

Everyone including me...Says time goes by so fast....Time with Carter seems to be going by the fastest. We truly cherish him and sometimes forget about him. I know that sounds really bad but when your 2 year old is needing something ( every 3 minutes!) and all he does is sleep you think your forgeting him. I wish at times I could hold him all day and lay in bed with him like I did with Matthew & Olivia. Every Morning I get up before everyone and just hold him.

He is so Sweet and already smiling and cooing at us. We are so in love with him!!!

Carter Loves....Bath time, his Swing, Family, Night time feeding
Carter's only dislike......The hours between 5-7

Man's Best Friend

Our wonderful dog Shadow had to be laid to rest today. What a hard thing to go through as a mom and as a person. She became very ill the last 2 days. She could no longer walk. She lost that special twinkle in her eye and her ability to lick us.

We woke up and got ready to bring her to the vet. We had to prepare Matthew for this. I tried to prepare him but how do you prepare anybody to actually say good-bye? My heart was very heavy as I knelt down to say good-bye to her. I could no longer hold back my tears for her. They fell on her as I wiped my hand across her cheek. They fell out of love for her. Memories of her came back from the last 9 years.

Shadow was the best dog! She never barked just howled and she would howl at our Ice-maker ( She LOVED ICE!) She let Matthew practice his sheep riding skills on her! Maybe that's why he took first place in the muttin bustin :) She held her bladder for 15 hours! ( we got stuck somewhere) She slept by Matthews Bed and ate lego's like they where candy! Actually eating 100 plastic green army men in one night!

She had her spot in our life and completed us. Today I took her blanket to the laundry mat to be washed so we could wrap her in it as we bury her and as I came home and walked through the gate.......I just miss her.

I am going to miss this!??

Here is what greeted me yesterday as I walked into my room....2 smell stinky boy socks! My charming son thought he would display them for all to see like art work on 2 nails that had been there from pictures. My Son, My precious son..............

Will I miss the teething nights and the fact that more water ends up on the floor then the bath tub? Will I miss the whining and the complaining? Will I miss shoes all over the place and more laundry to do then what is in the drawers? Will I miss the dogs barking and the phone ringing with a kid crying and the door bell ringing? Will I miss the no-organizing that goes on? The smashed peas all over the floor because some kid doesn't like them? Will I miss the fact My 11 year old thinks I am no fun and reminds me daily? Will I miss hot pink fingerpainting all over the house? Will I miss pullling back the blankets on my bed a finding a handful of goldfish crackers smashed?

Everyone tells me I that I will. They tell me that I should cherish moments like that because I will miss it.

How do you that? How do you keep from exploding? How do you keep from yelling? How do you cherish chaos?

What I will miss.........The laughter, the tears, the hugs, the way words come out , the chubby cheeks and the way they think they have mastered the eating with a spoon skill. I will miss the fact that they fit on my lap with my arms around them. I will miss the words momma...I will forever miss the newborn smell. I will miss the way they take the time to hold and count their breath in my bath tub. I will miss covering them up at night. I will miss them when they leave our home.......

A Snow Day in March

I awoke to my 2 year old yelling that is is snowing and she wanted to go outside with her boots. I really didn't think it was going to stick around however it did. Oliva was so excited to find out that her friend Kayleigh was coming over to play but more excited that Jenn was coming with her. Jenn plays with the kids as if she was 2. We got out the Play-doh and had some fun. I am not a play-doh fan...I have a tote of it that has been pulled out 3 times in 8 years. I did find that containing it to a cheap baking tin is really nice.

Here are the girls playing. Matthew making his snow angel. He was bummed it didn't snow more and it was not a school day. I remember in 5th grade we sooooo wanted a snow day!

Kayleigh had fun trying to " catch " snowflakes in her mouth. She was going to get one!

Ms. Olivia.....She always has fun until...someone pegged her with a snowball. ( Sorry no pictures of that :)

And really this thing about Global warming!?????

Live like you were Dying

If you had 30 days to live what would you really do? I know most of us are really busy and don't put that much thought into that question. We ask ourselves and then we come up with a few things that we would like to do. Now for the next question...What would your loved ones say at your funeral? Why am I asking these questions? They are questions that we are covering in church. The series is " Live Like you were Dying" It is so good!


What would they say about me? Would my children know how much I adore them? Would my friends know How I cherish them? Would they know the quality in them that I love? Would my husband know that he is my Hero and I am honored to be his helper in life?

I got these flowers from a friend the other day. About 5 years ago she showed up with a bouquet at my work. She had seen a lady selling them and thought of me. I remember to this very day how flattered I was and how she showed me she cared. I have another friend who always brings me coffee and just treated me to a pedicure. I went to get my haircut and found out that another friend had called and arranged with my "hair girl" to pay for it. WOW! What blessings. I love my friends.

My Grandma died 1 year ago this week. She had tons of friends and growing up I watched her make friends with the whole town of Sumas. I wished I would of told her everything I admired about her. How she made friends. How she decorated for every holiday. Never forgot a birthday, and How much I loved her.

We all get busy. That is just a fact of life. I guess I am scared they will get up and say if I would of had more time with her I could have told her or if I had to ever say that...it would make me sad.

Tell the people around you what a blessing they are. How your life would be different if they weren't in it.

Easter Fun

We are creating a routine that would allow me to have a thriving home versus a chaotic home. The last 7 weeks I have been getting by with the old routine and trying to cram another human in the mix has made for some interesting times. We did make it to our church Easter Egg hunt along with the rest of Lynden. One look around it made my home feel "normal" if you want to see chaotic just attend next years event. :)

Matthew was able to work the snack bar this year. His bible study does this as a way to raise money for his mission trip.

Olivia had fun with the carnival. She was able to ride the train and fish for ducks.

Sunday we went to my parents house for an egg hunt and then to Jeremy's parents for dinner.

Weekend Randoms

Okay What is the deal!???? I go in to get tabs and I walk out 81.57 Later with new plates. I was blown away that I had to purchase new plates because mine had been issued in 2001 and you need to get new ones every 8 years! Pathetic!! I tried to convince the guy mine where fine and not broken. He didn't feel like changing Washington state rules! I have to pay tonage on my van because it is not considered a van. That's Messed up! It is a van......Anyway to make a buck!

Dress up days.............Olivia loves to change her clothes and today she had many random outfits.

Christmas in Palm Springs.....

.....For Christmas our wonderful parents purchased us a trip to Palm Springs for the whole family ! What a blessing and what a great way to recover from just having Carter.

We woke at 5am to head to the Bellingham Airport at 6:30 to leave at 7:50...now my husband ignores the warning " be at the airport at least 2 hours before your scheduled filght" he reminds me that it's only Bellingham and there is no need 1 hour is fine....okay, so you all know where this is leading....yep, one huge long line 5 suitcases , golf clubs, 2 adults , 1 11 year old, 2 year old & her carseat and an infant in a carseat...They are boarding the plane and we are still trying to get boarding passes...the call to move to the front of line and by pass the Las vegas flight is now being made...Here we are !! Whew...boarding passes in hand rushing to get on the flight...STOP!! We have security to get through...Did you know that my 2.5 ounce Victoria secrets lipgloss has to be in a baggie or I lose it!?? I am not losing that lip gloss! It is my favorite.

Now imagine all of us taking off our shoes and getting the grey bins to empty our stuff...7 grey bins we are putting everything through until they ask me all sorts of questions...what's in the bottle? Breast milk...Please take it out...okay Where is your lap top? in the bag...Please take it out...okay 7 grey bins turned into 11 before we where done! This leads to a back-up situation on the belt.

Okay everyone have shoes? We run to the boarding gate...Check Carters Car seat bundle him up and go to the plane...hey..it's my cousin so we have to stop and hug and As I look up here comes the flight crew down the ramp to look at the baby...Okay, now the whole plane is staring at me...Let's just get on and go.

On the flight Olivia cried a few times nothing to bad but enough to make me worry about the passangers giving me dirty looks. The lady behind us had her 19 month old cry the WHOLE TIME!!! I am sure many people thought it was us until we went to get off the plane and during the "Rush to stand up and get no where" they realized it was not us. We landed in Palm Springs and it was 81 degrees!

Our trip was great, Many days at the pool, lot's of family, time with my Niece and brother in-laws and my only sister in law :) Love you!... Some days where consumed with Carter but I had so much help. Nothing is perfect so I am sure I don't have to go into detail about the few meltdowns we encountered.

Jeremy and his Brothers
Notice how he is so Happy...Now look behind my head, he was trying to do " Rabbit Ears "

we had a playground right next to our room.....

Jeremy & Matthew spent one day at the going on a Ariel tram ( I passed this up,heights & me don't get along) They loved it.

Water Fountains at our Resort...............

Family Pool time...Sorry Mr. Carter You where sleeping.....

It was time to go and I was sad to leave...Nothing beats waking up to Sun everyday. You can't be crabby when you look outside and is not gloomy & raining. We had the same " Crazy rush " at the airport when we where leaving and that's when It hit me....We are a family of 5 and I need to adjust and get used to pure chaoticness....I thought it was crazy before...it just got worse and I must smile and endure it.

The plane ride was good..Carter slept and Olivia cried for about 20 mins....When we got home it was so COLD!!! One of our bags was sent to Canada on an Air Canada Flight and delivered the next day to our door. We where all in bed by 8 pm that night and even baby Carter only woke up once........I wish I could say I was happy to be home :)

Thanks Mom & Dad for the thoughtfulness!

Happy Birthday!

I love birthdays and think they should be the best day of the whole year! Jeremy is 34 Today and Last night we hung up Happy Birthday Banners on his store window so when he went to work he would know that we love him very much!
Happy Birthday to such a wonderful Man!! We are so Thankful for you and all you provide for us! A wonderful home, Great Support and a a loving hand with our kids. Thank You! Olivia signed her name in orange and Matthew right next to that!

Muddy Waters delivered a Breve with Happy Birthday Stickers all over it ! Thanks Donna & Crew for thinking of him!