This past week my mom was able to come for a visit during her spring break. She made it Saturday night with no problems and we stayed up plenty late looking at photos and catching up. Even though I was just back to Iowa in February it seems like it had been so long since I'd seen her.


When she was here a year ago for my birthday we went to Starbucks and for the first time she got something, a java chip frappuccino. Even though she loved it, she hasn't had one since. Therefore, we had to go several times so that she could get her fill as she may not have another one until she comes back for another visit.


We did a lot of shopping and quite literally drove all over town several times. Because she wasn't able to be here when I moved in last August, we did some decorative things that she would have helped with if she were here then. I was able to get a bookshelf so that my tv is no longer sitting on a plastic tub and we got new white curtains for my living room to make it more summery. We also bought a bag of plastic lemons which may seem simple, but they really make the room more happy.


We also looked almost everywhere for wooden, rollup blinds for my front porch. We finally found some on clearance at Kmart and after far more struggle than it needed to be, we were able to hang the first one. Realizing our mistake, we hung the second one in less than half the time it took us to hang the first one. I love my front porch but have found that I cannot sit out there without being whistled or hollered at, so I wanted something to make it a little more private while still allowing me to enjoy the space. I am planning to put either screen or bigger flower planters along the bottom where the blinds do not cover.


I had my eye on this photo for a few weeks now as the flowers are blooming and even though it is just across the street, I hadn't gone over to get it. So, my mom went with me and I think I may add it to those I will be printing to go on my wall.

It was so good to have her here and the time always seems to fly by. I was blessed enough to be able to have 2 days off so we could spend more time together. I wasn't planning to take any time off, I just figured I'd leave a little early a few days but both Pastor John and Terry told me to take the time because she is only here once a year.

Yesterday afternoon was hard because we were both thinking about her leaving and trying to emotionally prepare for that. We got to the airport about 5:30 and the kiosk wasn't working so one of the ladies at the desk came over and when we told her which flight she was on she told us that Mom wouldn't make the connection in Atlanta because of a delay here. So her options were to spend the night here, or in Atlanta. Now there's a hard choice!

So, we got her boarding pass for today and left the airport. I think God knew we both needed just a little extra time. We went to Target and then watched a movie and did a few more things around my apartment that we hadn't had time to do. As we were watching tv we saw severe thunderstorm and and tornado warnings for all of SE Louisiana. It didn't appear that we would be in the tornado area, but not long after we went to bed the rain and lightning started.

It just got worse from there. It was like no storm I have ever experienced. The lightning was constant and the thunder just kept getting louder. It was pouring and the wind was up to 60 miles an hour. My mom and I both got up around 12:45 to check on things and I finally had to put a mask over my eyes to be able to sleep. Thankfully my mom was here this morning because she woke me up after I turned off my alarm.

The best thing about the rain is photos like this one, which my mom pointed out. We headed back to the airport for her 12:08 flight this afternoon and found out when we got there that it was delayed due to bad weather in Atlanta which is the same line of storms that was here last night. According to my dad she didn't get out of New Orleans until 1:35 and only by the grace of God did she make her flight in Atlanta.

It has been a great week and I am excited about all that we were able to do and the time we were able to spend together. I look forward to having Andrew here at the end of May and then being in Iowa for John's high school graduation.

SHEETROCK UPDATE - Just to update everyone, there are a few houses that we have been working on recently that have been gutted and re-sheet rocked by the teams that were here this week. We are still waiting to hear how much further the issue goes. Right now, the organization from whom we received the sheet rock has decided not to gut and redo the houses it has built because they say that the issues are not that great based on an independent study. I guess time will tell.

We learned this afternoon a large portion of sheetrock that we (EFCA Crisis Response) received as a donation is actually part of what is being called "toxic sheetrock" made in China. This contains chemicals that corrode electrical wires and other metals and also cause respatory problems. Therefore, many of the teams who are here this week are spending this afternoon and will spend tomorrow gutting the homes they have been painting, texturing and drywalling all week. It is currently unclear how many homes that we have worked on have been affected by this and will have to be fixed. There are at least 4, likely more. In one potential case, the homeowner has already moved back in. Homeowners are in tears and teams are very somber.

Please pray especially for our homeowners, as some were so very close to moving in. Pray that they are able to maintain hope as we work to undo and redo what has been done. Please pray also for the teams, that they would still see how God works even in this time that doesn't seem to make sense.

So with the gentle and persistent nudging of I am back to my blog and a lot has happened since I last wrote.

I went to Iowa at the end of February for the EFCA Central District Conference with Laura and Pastor John. It was a great trip and a chance to see a lot of people I hadn't seen in almost nine months.

On Saturday before the conference I was able to go to Cedar Rapids and see my family. It was a short trip but we managed to pack a lot in.

I also got to meet Max, the newest member of our family. When we got him he had some sort of sinus infection and fleas, so by the time I met him he was on the rebound. Even though it was freezing outside, we took a family walk and tried to take some photos of John for senior pictures, although we just ended up with a bunch of goofy shots.

That evening as we were uploading the photos onto my parents computer I saw the dining room table move and assumed Andrew was still out there, but no, Max had helped himself (all 34 pounds) up onto the table. Silly dog. I guess he has been chewing a lot of things and acting crazy at times and I told my mom he must be feeling better and he's obviously more comfortable now.

Sunday night a bunch of people went to the Joy Williams concert and it was good to connect with lots of people.

Monday and Tuesday were the conference days and that went well. I learned a few things about conferences and meeting with people. It was good to meet other pastors and ministry leaders from the denomination.

Things have been a little more laid back this past week but I've been busy planning for our next round of newsletters and I've been out taking lots of photos. I went to open court last Saturday night and decided to finally start my graffiti series that I have been thinking about for a while now.

I'm also enjoying the wonderful late spring like weather we've been having. It's such a blessing to be able to have my windows open and the fans on.

I've also been using the wonderful weather to deep clean my apartment as my mom will be here in a week. I'm really looking forward to her visit and I know the time will be too short!