Pheasant Hunting and Male Bonding

Yesterday Phil, Rusty, Pat and some other dudes went pheasant hunting in western Kansas near Dodge City. I guess that area is to pheasant hunting what Alaska is to salmon. They had a GREAT!

Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer!

I spent most of my Christmas holiday in Wichita with my family. I had the worst sinus infection I've ever had and went to Urgent Care on Christmas Eve while the rest of the family went to church! I went "a la natural" and Rusty went around singing "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" because that's just what I looked like!

This year all adult members of the family drew names and made gifts. Pat and Melissa get the prize for the most creative! Melissa made Josh a Daddy's Tool belt" in anticipation of the arrival of their first child. Jana laughted so hard she said she nearly went into labor! Pat went into the Alaskan woods and collected birch bark to make a basket for Jana. In the basket was some candy "cara poo" among other funnies. The snowman he sent her "didn't make it."

Phil is reading the poem which Rusty wrote to go with his gift to his father-in-law.


Lesli made me a clock with photos of their family on it. I shall put it on the wall over my desk! I love it! Among the gifts were some great poems! I love this idea!


My sister, Connie delighted me by sending me a wedding photo of my parents she found and had enlarged from a 2"x2" and framed it with a copy of their announcement. I wanted to cry but considering how my head already felt, I turned off the tears! Thanks, Connie! That was a great gift!

Building Frosty

"Does anyone feel a draft?"






And twenty-six years earlier..... (mother of twins is on the left)

Lunch with the Twins

The kids always think it's cool to eat at a restaurant because they get pop! It is always brought to them in a covered container while the adults are in glasses. Han turned to Grandma and said, "WE got pop, but you didn't get one!"



We got to see our twins briefly for lunch as they were on their way to Ruidosa to have a Cryer family Christmas. They will return tomorrow and spend the week with us. Their mommy and daddy will go back to Wichita for a break from parenting.

Meadowlark Lemon

This week we had the priviledge of getting acquainted with the legendary "Crowned Prince of Basketball", Meadowlark Lemon. He came to Clovis as a guest of a friend of ours (Dr. Sistar Yancy) with whom Phil is involved in establishing a Christain Counselling Center. Thursday night we sat down at a private dinner of the most amazing "Soul Food" I've ever had at Doc Yancy's home. I took some cool "up close and personal" candid shots and then later accidently deleted them! What a dork! Friday was the ribbon cutting for "Christian Believers' Counselling Center", at which Mr. Lemon cut the ribbon. Meadowlark, a Spirit-filled Christian, spoke at Faith Christian Family Church. last night and will be at our church on Sunday morning!



I was the official paparazzi for the day taking videos.

One more party at Party Central

When Phil came home from a football game he found out there was an ENMU ladies' lengerie shower/pajama shower doing on at his house! He tried hard not to crack too big of a smile but before it cracked, he was banned to his room to watch TV!


Cristy three a party for one of her friends. About eighteen attended. I got one more chance to tell my wedding night story and everyone laughed hysterically. Waffles were served which were topped with strawberries or peaches and whipped cream.

Party Central

Our three bubbly, enthusiastic, talented children's workers: Christy, Cristy (our "home girl") and Jacob.

Tuesday night we had an opportunity to entertain some MORE angels! Only this time we fixed our favorite Filipino food: pansit and lumpia and Christy Masterson brought another absolutely wonderful Filipino dish: Pad tai. It has, among other things, noodles, chicken, bean sprouts, egg and peanuts! For dessert we had chocolate pie AND chocolate cake, sherbet swirl ice cream AND strawberry shortcake ice cream and wonderful peppermint cookies made by Ida. The flu bug and other circumstances prohibited some of our intended guests from coming so we just called up a few more of our favorite people! We still had enough to send home "doggy bags" (no pun intended since this was Filipino food....hummmm, maybe that's where the expression REALLY came from!) with EVERYONE!




Christy (that's right, we had THREE Christy's there), wife of our administrative pastor, brought her own wonderful dish.

For some reason I lost my picture of Elder Cody, our worship pastor but his email the next day was something to "blog about". He wrote: "Thank you for a wonderful meal and fellowship. The wrapped egg rolls were "off da chain." Upon which I answered, " 'off da chain' is a new one for me. Means?" His response: "Off da Chain"” is a black expression that means fantastic, phenomenal, original, delicious, better than anything else in its category….." Wow! My ONLY APPROPRIATE reply HAD to be, "As a worship leader, YOU, are off da chain!"





Special friends, Ida, Sal and Al.



Incredible youth pastor and wife, Cody and Leah. Cody said the lumpia were "AWESOME!"



This was mom's favorite meal so she is always a guest when we fix it. Otherwise, we're in BIG trouble!

Entertaining Angels

We have had the priviledge of hosting several holiday parties. This one was a luncheon for some of the more "mature" members of our congregation. They are all such a blessing to us! Ruby Gordon helped with the cooking and serving. We had rock Cornish game hen, stuffing, marinated green beans, yams with pecans, cranberry salad, homemade rolls and chocolate pie. Thirteen attended in all.




I wish I could tell you the personal stories represented in these pictures! They would amaze you. But I assure you represented here are mighty men and women of faith!!! Among them is a black women with a doctorate who has established a family counseling center particularly for inmates and their families. Also, a man who began his life with no knowledge of a Risen Savior, did time, was a substance abuser and now leads our jail ministry faithfully ministering to inmates EVERY week. (Last week 13 were saved). His wife is an incredible woman of prayer. Well, that is just a few. There will be more to come.

What's even cooler about that?

The six amigos I photographed were amoung the thirteen who gave their hearts to Christ that night! They came looking for me to get copies of their pictures.

Great News About ELevate

hey everyone!! I have some AMAZING NewS!! I'm not real sure how
many kids were at youth last night, probably around 70 - 80, but 13
of them gave their life to God! How cool is that! Man...God is
working! Thank you so much for all that you do, we ARE "changing the
future one life at a time!" Don't ever forget that!

I love you ALL so much!


Pastor Cody
ELevate
"changing the future one life at a time"

"It was a DARK and STORMY NIGHT!







Last Wednesday night Phil and I had a free night from teaching DWI school so we decided to venture out into a blizzard (19 degrees and a 35 MPH north wind = windchill: zero) to "love on" the youth at our Wednesday night youth activity, Elevate (see previous entry for more info) but wondering if any would show up! But how does a "fifty- something" couple connect across age and cultural barriers and be able to begin showing these kids we care? This was the question I asked myself when I came into the room and saw the large crowd that had ventured out into the weather tossing around a football, jamming to music or standing around talking. Miraculously, my camera helped bridge the barrier! As in my previous visit, I had found the kids extremely approachable when I would take their picture or ask them to pose. They loved it!! Most in the group in the first photo shown below are new to Elevate. They came up to me and asked if they could see the large group photo I took to see if they could find themselves in it. I told them to get together and pose for me. Well, it ended up in a photo shoot of the six amigos! They asked if they could have copies. Oh, course I will oblige.

Usually, the last Wednesday night of the month is Andrew night. Hot dogs, et al are served on the patio and games are played. Naturally, this was not possible so all the fun came inside. After an AWESOME time of Praise, Worship and Prayer, there were games and activities on each of the three floors. The sanctuary became a "bouncing basketball court!" The kids had a great time!

Did you notice in the second photo, a kid has an "angelic aura?"

Number ONE of My Top Ten From Alaska

I have posted my Number One of Top Ten Favorites from My Alaskan Adventure! Check it out. (see my link) I will soon begin my "Top Ten Culinary Memories from Alaska", also. So keep checking. Meanwhile, this blog site is being very tempermental about uploading photos. Hopefully, I will soon have the problem solved! Dumb computer!