Time for a change!

I've moved the blog to detail our new adventure as we transition from Baltimore to Purvis, MS.  Check it out at: http://mslafave.blogspot.com/

the lull is over

See, the things with blogs are, they are hard to keep up. Not really difficult in a physical way but hard to come up with things that you think people are going to want to read or that matter. But, we are approaching a new transition in our life so beginning to post again sounds like a good idea.

MayMester Missionaries Rock!

During the month of May we had 12 students from Hannibal LaGrange College serve in Baltimore at 6 of our churches. They do such a great job of serving and are willing to help out in anyway that they are asked.



But I've got one story that is my favorite from the month. In March of 2008 I went to The Church on Warren Avenue to visit our first incoming team since Embrace started. Somewhere in my travels I lost my portable Bible. It's my smaller Bible that my Mom gave me that I had a lot of highlights in. I retraced my steps, contacted everywhere I had been that night, and still no Bible was found. I was able to narrow it down to the fact that is must be somewhere at Warren Avenue. But have you ever had to find a Bible at a church you don't attend? Churches tend to have spare Bibles everywhere! I had resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to get it back and was really sad about it. But then, Warren Avenue got MayMester misssionaries. One evening after taking them home from an event I mentioned to them I lost my Bible and I think it was somewhere at the church. If they came across it to please let me know and I'd love them forever. Well, they were one day playing charades in the sanctuary. Kasi ducked behind the pulpit while she was awaiting her turn and saw a Bible. She checked the name and it was mine! I'm so thrilled and I do love them forever. Here's a picture with me, Kasi, and my found Bible.

everyone likes macaroni

I decided that I wanted to get back into trying to eat more at home because 1., we are both trying to lose some weight and 2., we're wanting to re-do the budget and get our mortgage paid off. So to make this an easier thing to adhere to I thought that it was time to get back into meal planning. I did a little research on the internet and one site suggested taking 30 index cards, write down a meal on each card, and then choose 7 to make it a plan for the week. No problem, I thought. I got my index cards from the desk and sat down to complete each one. The issue came with I don't think we eat 30 different things- or at least we don't cook 30 different things. The 15 we came up with look like we are 8 year olds- macaroni and cheese with hot dogs, frozen pizza, grilled cheese. We also took everything out of the pantry to try to use up what we have already bought. I guess you have to start somewhere and we did accomplish a plan that starts tonight and runs through Friday. Here's what we got and I'm open to any suggestions for future ideas!
Saturday Dinner- Grilled Cheese/Soup
Sunday Lunch- Spicy Bean and Turkey Sausage Stew
Sunday Dinner- Ravioli/Soup
Monday Lunch- Leftover Bean Stew
Monday Dinner- Tacos
Tuesday Lunch- Ravioli
Tuesday Dinner- Chicken Wings
Wednesday Lunch- Frozen Meal
Wednesday Dinner- Brinner
Thursday Lunch- Betty Crocker Pasta Bowl
Thursday Dinner- Spaghetti
Friday Lunch- Leftover Spaghetti
Friday Dinner- church potluck

We communicate!

A few weeks ago Michael and I participated in the "Not So Newlywed Game" at our church and took home the prize. (Well, the prize was a coffee maker and we don't drink coffee so we technically left the prize at the church.) Here are the questions should you want to play at home:

Questions Asked to the Husband
1. Who would people say is smarter- you or your wife?
2. Which is bigger- you wife's shoe size or ring size?
3. If you were at home alone and had to feed yourself dinner, what would you make?
4. What chore does your wife not do often?

We got 3 out of the 4 of these correct. 1- Jaimee (answers matched), 2- Shoe Size (answers matched), 3- Frozen Pizza/Pizza rolls (amazingly, answers matched identically), 4- I said vaccuming and Michael said Picking up after herself.

Questions Asked to the Wife
1. Where was the last place your husband cut his toenails?
2. Which cartoon chacter does your husband most resemble: Batman, Daffy Duck, Charlie Brown
3. If your husband had an extra couple hundred dollars to spend however he wanted, what would he buy?
4. If the house was on fire, what would be the one thing he'd grab?

Again, we got 3 out of the 4 correct. 1- couch in front of the TV (answers matched), 2- I said Batman and he said Charlie Brown , 3- PS3 (answers matched), 4- TV (answers matched)

March Madness

The winter is passing ever so slowly. Today it is 44 and cloudy/rainy. We were teased a few weekends ago with weather near 70 but it quickly went away.

The past few months have been gearing up for 2009 and that time is now quickly approaching. We had 2 teams in last week, all from South Carolina, and 4 teams in this week from SC, MS, and KY. This is the exciting time when you see the work you've been doing come to fruition.

The team from University of South Carolina/Furman University/Spartenburg spent a day at a non-profit farm that grows food and then gives it away to shelters and other places that have feeding ministries. They did a lot of prep work on the ground for spring.

They also painted murals at one of our churches that is located in a business park. Here's some of the artists with their Veggie Tales/Jonah and the Whale mural.

The other team was from Charleston Southern University. On Thursday they helped at the Rec Center located behind the church. They helped the kids with their homework, played with them, and also hosted a block party with hot dogs, popcorn, and cotton candy.

I like to party

We are gearing up for the holiday's and are excited to be going to Ohio to spend time with the Johnson/Bogue family this year. It will be nice to spend a holiday together since we spent Thanksgiving apart. We had plans to go together to Ohio but Michael needed to go to Florida so he went there while I went to Ohio by myself. My sister, nephew, and I also went over to visit family in Indiana. I had a great time seeing relatives I hadn't seen in years. For Thanksgiving we went to my step-sister's house where I also learned how to help puppies go to the bathroom.








Michael and I went with a co-worker of mine to New York City on Saturday. I survived the cold and the crowds of people to have a great time. We saw the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park, Ground Zero, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and Times Square. It really is cool to be able to make a day trip out of going to NY.

This week Christmas parties abound. We have the Baltimore Baptist Association fellowship tonight, the Embrace staff lunch on Friday, and then a Christmas party for our youth group Friday night. That's a lot of red to wear in one week!