Easter weekend–He is Risen!

We had a fun-filled, family weekend to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus!

My Kansas grandparents hosted Easter with my mom’s side of the family, so all of the siblings and cousins were together to spend time – and to enjoy Grandma’s amazing food. (Why is it that I can make her recipes to the exact recipe and it still doesn’t taste the same? I think she throws some Grandma-magic spice in, although she won’t admit it. ;)

One of the events we participated in was the annual Easter egg hunt. All of the “kids” ages 21 to 30 enjoyed a Easter egg hunt thanks to Aunt Tam (for filling over 400 eggs with candy) and Grandpa. (You really like finding Grandpa’s eggs because it means money – and this year, Subway gift cards!)

We got all lined up for the hunt – then had to be  just a little bit silly. :)

Then, because they love pity me, the pregnant one, they let me take three steps of a head start. And guess what…this lady got 82 eggs! I almost beat Josh (the non-relative) so really I won. :)

It was a great weekend and so great to all be together. One of the best parts this year was having Miss Maelle with us! I don’t think she was put down for one minute – she got lots of love this weekend.

Hope you had a Happy Easter to celebrate Christ being Risen!

A perk in my week.

Work has been a little consuming this past week getting ready for board meetings, committee meetings, FFA convention, workshops, students events I’m mentoring, strategic planning planning, CommonGround planning, and gearing up for Ag Week next week.

But I did have a perk in my week…beautiful, springy flowers from RFD-TV!

Five other things to be grateful for this week:

5. A great new Bible study to dig into this week on really listening to God.

4. Spending time shopping with Mom last weekend. :)

3. “All-you-can-eat dairy-products” Day. That’s what I call the Nebraska Dairy Convention.

2. A warm afternoon walk with a friend and our dogs.

1. A weekend to look forward to in Manhappiness!

Happy Friday!

Details 2013

I am a shoe person.

And when I say that, I mean I don’t like walking around barefoot – I wear shoes all the time.

It could be because my parents are shoe people and always wear shoes around the house, although I don’t believe my siblings do…(I’ll have to ask them). Or it could be because I have extremely high arches in my feet and it just hurts them to walk barefoot without my orthotics.

I preface my story with this because as I was putting on my house shoes (aka Crocs) this morning getting ready after I put my socks on, I felt like there was a large lint ball in my sock, but I figured it would move enough when I put my boots on later.

It didn’t. But I needed to get out the door so I just walked on it. Walked on it 4 blocks from parking to work. Walked on it around work in the morning and walked on it to a lunch meeting 4 blocks away and back.  I finally took the time to take my boot off to get the large lint ball. To my surprise, I found this pin. Yes, I was walking on that all day.

My first thought was to call myself an idiot. I was! That was an idiot move – why didn’t I take time to just figure out what the problem was this morning when it first bothered me. I didn’t take the time.

I wasn’t going to resolve to do anything this year (except drink more water – more of a health goal than anything), so I decided this was a good lesson that teaches me to pay attention to details – and take the time to get something done at the time it needs done.

I also want to do things that are meaningful to people I care about. I recently received a subscription to Taste of Home’s simple & delicious magazine from my friend Lori. She didn’t’ have to do this, but she did because she is such a great friend.

Lastly, I want to dig into to God’s Word and focus my heart on Him.

So here’s to 2013!

Trains and fire

When I was home in Colorado a couple of weekends ago, there was quite a bit of excitement. The railroad tracks go right through our ranch and around 11 pm on Friday night, Dad received a call that we had a fire near the tracks East of our house.


It is so dry back home and as soon as he heard fire, he and Joel, who works on the ranch, ran up to the tracks and used shovels and brooms to help put the fire out in several areas.


It was hard to get a picture of the fire, but this is kind of what it looked like from the house.

The next morning, this is what it looked like.

We later found out that the full coal train was dragging something that caught on our road crossing and derailed 21 cars. The BNSF crews came and worked for a 48 hours straight over the weekend moving the wreckage, bringing in pre-maid pieces of rail track, and getting the crossing fixed. 

This was all that was leftover when they got the tracks fixed. 

You've all heard of the scary fires going on in Colorado right now. Just north of the F Cross ranch near Last Chance (where my dad grew up), a fire broke out by a passing motorist driving along Highway 71 after a flat tire sent sparks flying. 


The flames spread fast and it was reported 45,000 acres were scorched in a nine-hour period. Sadly, a couple of homes and a fire truck where engulfed in flames, but no one was hurt. 


Here is a picture my uncle took of the fire, followed by a picture the day after of the black landscape.

We especially need to pray for the rest of Colorado with the High Park fire and the Waldo Canyon fire. I found some eerie, devastating pictures on the Denver Post's blog. Rain (not thunderstorms) would be very much welcome in all of the state and most of the Midwest!

Be glad

Happy dog.

Who wouldn’t be happy with this great weather and green grass! Thank you, Lord, for the day you’ve made.

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24

Follow Jesus | He is Risen!

Happy Easter! Jesus Christ is Risen!

We watched this video at church this morning and being the Twitter-nerd that I am, I wanted to share.

Today’s Inspiration

Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.  I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. – John 12: 44-46

Sunday Peace

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7

Christmas Advent

One of my six goals was to make an advent calendar. Realistically, I didn’t have time to make/sew a calendar, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still celebrate Christmas and Christ’s birth with an advent!

I am actually going to do two advents. At home, Ronny and I will be doing a Bible verse advent calendar that I got from Happy Home Fairy with a free printable advent calendar that I can cut and put in my new fun little jar from IKEA, and read the Bible verse from every day.

I also found a great Countdown to Christmas advent calendar from the wonderful Women of Faith blog. The Countdown to Christmas is an online, clickable advent that allows you to click the gift each day that says “open me” to see the devotional, holiday fact or even a gift!

I encourage you to participate – in one way or another – to remember the reason for the season and to stay a little more leveled during this time of year that is so focused on material things.

Japan Day 4: Tsunami Aid

Our team rode the bullet train north of Tokyo to Sendai. We then traveled by bus to the Tohoku area Minami Sanrikucho, Shizukawa area where we visited a very damaged town after the earthquake and tsunami that occurred March 11.

Imagine traveling through the Japan countryside, through beautiful, green rice paddies and tree covered mountains when you turn the bend and see the coast. You can easily see the water two miles away because what once was thriving coastal cities, is now a layer of debris, mostly flat except for the piles that workers have begun to sort the wreckage.

The earthquake and tsunami 129 days ago and the disaster area is still very devastating to see. Buildings flattened, cars crushed, hundreds of boats inland. It was a very emotional sight. Our team was able to stop near what was the Shizukawa Hospital and take some pictures of the area that was now rubble.     

There were boats everywhere. Notice the three story building behind this boat and the car sitting on top of it. The tsunami tidal wave was just taller than three stories.

After this sobering experience of seeing the destruction, our team went to a hotel in Udazu, a fishing village on the coast, that was spared. The hotel owner opened up the hotel as a shelter for people from the area - some full families, some individuals. This shelter was open to feeding the people staying there, as well as local cleanup workers to come and enjoy a free meal.

The team cooked U.S. sirloin steaks that were donated by many U.S. companies through USMEF for the relief effort. USMEF has partnered with trade organizations like food service, wholesale, processors, etc., to lead the cooperative relief effort. They have gone to more than 30 locations, served more than 93,000 servings of beef and pork and have a goal of serving more than 100,000.

All of the evacuees were very grateful for the U.S. beef, as many of them did not have meat for more than one month after the disaster. It was humbling to walk through the line of evacuees waiting for the beef bowl lunch and receive handshakes, thank you’s and big smiles.

What really affected me about this day was that not only were these people’s homes taken away, but their livelihoods as well – all in 15 minutes of what was the tsunami! As many of these people were in the fishing industry, it will take time to redevelop the industry in these areas until infrastructure is redeveloped.

I have many more pictures posted on our team’s online Flickr photo album.

Project Pillowcase

This is my second year to be involved with Project Pillowcase.

Last year, I made eight sweet little dresses, made from pillowcases, to send to the Philippines. The Rescue Ministries have been taking over clothing to children that live in the dump site and on the streets that do not have clothing and daily needs. I believe this is an awesome ministry and I'm glad I can help just a little bit by using my sewing hobby to help.

This year, my goal was to make more than eight, so when I got to twelve and my fingers were sore from handling all of the fabric, I sent them out the door!

I think my favorites ended up being the rainbow one (from some kid bedding, but super cute for a dress!) and the K-State purple one. :) I bought all of the pillowcases from our local thrift store for 25 cents each, and have been acquiring the elastic and ribbon needed for the past few months. So for those interested in the project next year, it's inexpensive and well worth the effort.

Please join me in praying for these dresses as they travel half-way around the world to little girls who desperately need them, and need Jesus' love, as well as the people that will be sharing that with them.

Living He Loved Me

I've been singing this song by Casting Crowns all week after hearing it sung as a special in church, so I wanted to share it.

Living He loved me,

Dying He save me,

Buried He carried,

My sins far away.

Rising He justified!

Freely Forever!

One day He's coming,

Oh Glorious Day!

 And what more perfect of an occasion to celebrate Christ's Return than this Easter Sunday!

A pretty big number

A recent study found this number: 100,500… the number of words an average person consumes – meaning reads or hears – every day. The amount we read has tripled from 1980-2008 thanks to the internet! (Source: By the numbers, University of California, San Diego.)

I blogged on Nebraska Corn Kernels and Ag on the Forefront about using this number to advocate for agriculture. Read about it here. How many of a consumer's 100,500 words consumed per day had anything to do about ag? They should be hearing ag's great story about how their food is produced.

What are you consuming your 100,500 with? Hopefully something meaningful, educational and relevant. With all of the crud out there today on the internet, TV, junk emails and more...a lot of time is spent consuming that crud and taking time away from the good stuff. Make this your challenge today to consume good from what you read, hear and say.