It was that day that should NEVER been

Yesterday was the day that should have never been! It ended up being a great day! We were supposed to be a getting our new minivan (I should clarify... new to us!) around 11 so we could leave to go to Minnesota to visit Eric's family. About 15 min. before we were supposed to pick it up they called and say it should be around 1! So our Aviator was loaded up and weust hung out.... we went to the dealer around 12:20 to finish the paper work and what not.On the way to the dealer, mom called to tell me that she and dad were at the ER because dad was working on a job and was using a ladder. He got off the ladder to anwser a call from me, and when he moved the somehow knocked the ladder and the grinder saw fell off and was on and cut his arm. Then spent some time in the ER and then went to the specialist, where they put his arm in a sling and then scheduled him for surgery for today at 6:30AM!

Well around 1they forgot to get the work done to the car. As you can imagine it was not pretty. They promised us it would be ready by 2. We I went to entertain John Hunter at Stake and Shake.... and that lasted a little while. We came back... and you guessed it THE VAN WAS NOT READY! So we waited... with our 2 year old who was trying so hard to be patient and good.** JH playing with Ruff at the dealer**

But Eric and I were so irriated we just didn't care what they thought of him! So it started to become a little bit of a joke because EVERYONE was blow away about how long it was taking. The manager came out and gave us $125 gift cards to Walmart which was nice. And in my mind I already had spent. I really want a arm band to use with my iphone while at the gym (HINT HINT.... dear husband).

At 4:30 PM we left the dealer and went on our way. We pulled off around 6 to get JH something to eat because he had not slept and we knew if he had a fully belly that might help. We got all the way to Gary, IN (which is south of Chicago) and a car pulls over and tells us we have a flat. So we pull off... in a NOT SO NICE AREA! And strart to investiage. AAA is a 4 hour wait... so we pull out our handy dandy iphones and start searching. Well after several stops for fix a flat and air we pulled into a Wal-Mart for them to have tire fixed.

Of course they didn't have the tire we needed, and then they found one. So I got JH out... at the nasty Wal-Mart in the USA and he was COVERED in pee! **JH in front of the tire display at Wal-Mart**
**JH throwing a fit at Wal-Mart, and I wanted to throw one too**

So I changed him and put on his PJ's. So here we are trying once again to entertain our 2 year old who had not napped... and we were tuckered. (GROSS SIDE NOTE... I was trying to entertain JH by tickling him... well he laughed so hard the WORLDS LARGEST BOOGIE blew out and went into my eye. In good ole' Kendra style I freaked out and Eric and to come and pick my son's booger out of my eye... AHHHHH) All that to say the $125 gift cards were gone since the tire was $220! But by 8:30 we were on our way!

JH finally fell asleep and we were on our way... we still had another 5 to 6 hours to go. The traffic was rough... and we were tried. We pulled off a couple of times to switch drivers... and finally at 3AM MN time (4 AM Indy time) we arrived. With a tried family who needed some sleep. I called to check on dad and JH and Eric slept in a separate room that was dark which would hopefully allow them to sleep longer... well at least that is what I told them because my MIL had turned on the electric blanket for me and I was thrilled to crawl into a warm bed.

JH was up and at them so we were too. Eric and I slept for 4 hours total so today during nap we slept... well Eric slept. I couldn't! But I will soon! We are safe and sound in MN, we had a great day with Eric's grandparents and a wonderful dinner! But we are tuckered out... Uncle Matt arrives in about an hour and we are thrilled to see him.

** Going on a walk with Tuff (Pa & Ta)**

Dad is home from surgery, they had t0 repair the main nerves and tendons. It also got his ligaments. The hopefully were able to repair the whole thing. He will start physical therapy soon and will not be able to drive the bike for about 6 weeks. We are so thankful he is ok and pray for a speedy recovery!

Until tomorrow!

It's Offical.... I'm a Mini van MOM

Well after LOTS of looking and serching for OVER A YEAR! We are now the owner of a minivan. Let's say, we own it, however we don't have it. We are picking it up in the morning after it gets cleaned, detailed, new brakes, etc. Actually I have no idea what is getting done to it since Eric made the "deal" happen. However I know I am thankful.

And just to answer any questions.... we are no prego. We ( I really mean I) have wanted one for a while.... we will load that thing up eventually!

This song speaks

Today at church we sang this song... it was written by the Worship Leader, Aaron Pelsue. Who my husband so affectionately refers to as "the next Chris Tomlin". However, this song spoke to both of us in amazing ways. We already downloaded the album to itunes. If you want to look it up... Aaron Pelsue Band. It is a good one!

Anyway... here is our church and its worship leader. The music quality is not that great... however, listen carefully to the words. And BE BLESSED!

Mommy's take us to the zoo tomorrow... well today

This morning when I went in to get JH out of his room I told him we were going to the ZOO... he got so excited he started to jump up and down. So we got our clothes on, teeth brushed, our handy dandy directions and off we went. We met my friend Andrea (who went to Asbury) and her two kiddos Callie and Tycen. Let me just say, I knew her in college but thanks to this wonderful blogging world felt like I have known her forever... how fun is that!

Anyway, the kids had a great time. The weather was great... and to be honest, it was good for my soul to see a familiar face in an unfamilar state. We stayed for a couple of hours, went to the dolphin show, saw the lions, tigers, and bears, OH MY... and then headed home. I am loving living in a city where you can wake up, go to the zoo, come home for lunch, nap, and the rest of your day... how cool is that!

So here are a few pics from our Friday Fun day.... Thanks for the invite Andrea, can't wait to play again soon:)
John Hunter and Callie looking at the horses....

Getting ready to watch the Dolphin Show... which by the way was my favorite part!
In the tunnel underneath the dolphin show... how cool is it that there is a dolphin RIGHT there... John Hunter thought it was soooooo cool!

What a great day we had at the zoo....THANK YOU GOD for all your amazing animals!

Potty Training Day #2

So we are officially on day 2 of potty training however I am still of the belief that although diapers can be expensive... they are SO MUCH easier! Yesterday was a good day... we only had 1 accident. Today has been good so far, however we did POO in our Pull Up so that was not fun. We have the cutest baseball potty seat you have ever seen and I made a really cool jar full of M&M's as a reward... but I am still a fan of the Pampers:)

Although the little Mister looks so cute sporting his Lighting McQueen "underwareS" as he calls them, I thought I would list the reasons potty training is for the birds...

1) Another person pee to clean up off the floors at my house (HUSBAND and 2 dogs)
2) The laundry will increase
3) Constant reminding of going to the potty
4) No more putting those sweet little white onesies under ALL his outfits
5) Another step away from my little baby... oh well, guess we will start thinking about #2 (MAYBE.... we should have 1 house and all of our belongings in one state before we think about a sibling????)

Oh well... I will keep you posted on Potty Time at the White House!

Praying for Baby Stellan

Today Baby Stellan went in for surgery at the Children's Hospital in Boston! This poor family has been on my heart:) So everyone was supposed to wear orange today... we did not, but we sent in this picture of John Hunter in orange.... if you want to keep up with her blog check it out here! I am sure all prayers would be appreciated!

Gym, Gym, and More Gym

Today I got up and went to the gym with and head and heart full and ready to go. I have been listening to some amazing music during my workout and it has been such a place of peace for me:) While I was working out John Hunter played in the gym area for kiddos:) I showered and got ready there and it was REALLY nice to not have to get ready with 2 yellow labs and a 2 year old... so some mommy time was greatly appreciated!

After the gym we went to John Hunter gym's, which we kept calling "gymnastics". He absolutely LOVED it. And it was a guaranteed good nap! We met some friends from MOPS there and it was great to have some playtime and some Mommy time. We will for sure be back to the "My Gym" and if there is one in your area I would HIGHLY recommend you check it you. At least for the "pay to play" which is ONLY $5.

After nap we had an appointment for getting our hair did:) We went to Cookies Cutters and John Hunter loved it. He started out by picking his movie "Barney Sing Along" and this his "ride" a tractor! He did really good and I was please with the final product!



Since Daddy is AWAY we treated ourselves to our favorite Mexican resturant... dessert and ALL! What a fun way to end a day that started out at the gym!

Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie

I made this yummy for dinner tonight and thought i would post for those who were interested:)

Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 3 stalks celery, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (add more if you want more of a kick!)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 boxes cornbread mix, such as Jiffy brand
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup of milk
• 1 cup crumbled bleu cheese

Yields: 6 servings

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375º F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chicken chunks and sauté them on both sides until golden brown. Remove chicken chunks from skillet and reserve on a plate.

Add another 2 tablespoons of EVOO, the onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 5-6 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking start the sauce: In a medium-size sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat then stir in the flour and cook until light brown, about 1 minute. Whisk the chicken stock and hot sauce into the butter/flour mixture and bring it to a boil. Simmer the gravy until thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Return the reserved chicken chunks to the skillet with the cooked vegetables and add the gravy, stirring to combine. Transfer everything to a 9x11" casserole dish and set aside while you prepare the topping.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, prepare the cornbread according to package directions. Stir the blue cheese crumbles into the cornbread mixture and drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the top of the casserole, covering it completely.

Bake the pot pie until the cornbread is baked through and the filling is hot, 20-30 minutes.

Proud to be an American

Uncle Matt is on American soul and we could not be more thrilled. He shipped off in September and he has been greatly missed. Now we are just counting down the days till we get to spend some time with him. His ship USS Sullivan's docked yesterday and my MIL Vicky and SIL Sarah were there to greet him, along with his girlfriend (whom I have never met...)

Matt we are so proud of you, we love you, and we look forward to seeing you soon. When we ask John Hunter what he wants to do with Unc he says, "play tennis, baseball, football, basket"hoops", and hockey!" So get your sports bag together.... we will see you soon!!

***** PS.. this is a picture that Aunt Sarah took of the ship coming in...
how proud does it make you to see all those young men and women in white... anxious to get home to the Land of the Free and the Home of the BRAVE????*****

A few days home...

John Hunter and I went home for a few days this week and we had a great time. We got to see some friends and spent some good time with Gigi and Granddad. Also, I spent a LOT of money on different doctors. I had a crown put on (not the princess one) on Thursday... and THIS morning I was eating a biscuit and it fell out.... NO GOOD!

We have had a few busy days at home here and tomorrow we have RAIN coming so we will be missing the sunshine. We also have a birthday party after church tomorrow:)

I am so sleepy so I am going to let the pictures speak for themselves!

Ok so this picture above might need some explanation... Carson ran out of the play area in Fayette Mall all the way down by J Crew.... AHH... this is Jen retrieving him:) Like we have ALWAYS said... it needs a gate!

Q & A Kendra Style

*** This photo has NOTHING to do with this post, however I found it on dad's computer and LOVE it. It is from dinner one night at Disney***

We have been a Gigi and Granddad's since yesterday, and are going home tomorrow... however we have had a great time with friends and family! But I am so sleepy. Today was a sad day because it was John Hunter's last day of Great Escape... when I went to pick him up all the teachers were crying:) So that got me started!

I have pics to post but I left my laptop at home...so get ready. Tomorrow mom and I are going to a mother/daughter brunch for MUMS then I have to get a crown put on... and not the princess kind!

However my friend Darby has inspired me with a get to know you better... so I am opening up my comments to any and everyone to ask what more they would like to know about me, my family, my God, etc. Keep it clean and kind... and I will do my best to respond:)

Easter 2009 Recap

It want to start my recap with another one of my devos that I wrote for church....

In John 20 we find Mary Magdalene has gone to the tomb, but the stone has been rolled away. In utter shock she is fearful that her LORD’S body has been stolen, and then He appears to her. He quiets her fears (vs. 17) and instructs her to tell the others. Can you imagine how she felt, the gammed of emotions that took over? Her Savior, the one she saw on Golgotha, the one who conquered the grave, and the one who called her by name is now standing in front of her. Now if that is not a “hilltop experience” I don’t know what is?

Have you ever had an experience like that before, one where you stood in disbelief that the Savior who conquered the grave was calling out to you? I know I have. Easter is one of my most favorite times of the year. All things are new, growth is starting to form, and there is reconciliation in my soul, that the grave was conquered for me (and you too!) If you ask anyone who knows me well it is not Easter without the hymns. The songs of old (and new) and resonate within singing about the power of His death, and the glory of His resurrection. This week we are going to look at 5 different songs that will give us that “hilltop experience” with our LORD!

What better place to start than with my favorite? “Up from the grave He arose”

Up from the grave he arose; with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;

he arose a victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.

He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose

The God who loves you and knows you by name defeated death. He arose. And I love the line that says “with a might triumph o’er his foes”. I have ever felt like you were being attacked? Oh I know I have. Through the power of His resurrection He has defeated the evil one. With Christ on our side on one can touch us. Isn’t that comforting? Isn’t that victory? That’s Easter!!! He has risen, and we need not fear as Mary did, because He is for us. And as His word says, “If Christ is for us, than no one can be against us.”

We celebrated this Easter knowing the power of the Risen King. I loved the fact that John Hunter really didn't know the bunny but ever egg that was empty he said, JESUS IS ALIVE! We had a great Easter day that started with worshiping the LORD! The service/worship was excellent. The Sr. Pastor fell ill so the associate preached and he was great. Just a side note he is Rich Mulllins brother! It was so fitting to be at the nail piereced of the Almighty this day!

After Church we went and ate at a wonderful stakehouse (thank you gigi and granddad for lunch) The food, company, and fellowship was full of lasting memories!

After "brunch" we headed home for an Easter Egg hunt. John Hunter had such a fun time and when he walked through the door he found another basket! He loved it...

We said a tearful good-bye to Gigi and Granddad, although we will see them Tuesday miss them already.... we all took naps, watched the Masters, ate dinner, and are heading to bed!

To recap the day... nothing could be better than today! UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE!
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SIDE NOTE: I had a just had to put this picture in.... last night when we were playing Gigi did not make a wise choice so to drive home a lesson. We sent her to TIME OUT. It was a hoot to watch John Hunter respond to her being there. However, when she was asked to get out, she said it was the best 2 min. of her day because she got some peace and quite:)

Happy Easter.... He is Risen:)

Here is one picture from this Easter Morn at church... more to come later:)

Easter Devo....

Easter of 1993 I had an experience of a life time. Our family was on spring break in Las Vegas, but we took a weekend trip south to the Grand Canyon. We woke up very early Sunday morning to be a part of the sun rise service looking of the Grand Canyon. Even at the young age of 13 I still remember marveling in the majesty of God, the vastness of the canyon and the beautiful sunrise that could only be masterpiece done by the Master.

We gathered on the canyons edge and there was a Scripture reading followed by a small sermon. Then at the end of the service, and group of people, no one really knowing each other, gathered and sang the words of the following hymn:

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

A glimpse of heaven on earth is what I encounter that Easter. Have you ever had a moment like that, knowing that you belong to something greater than yourself? I can remember looking over the canyon and seeing the sun appear with strokes of vibrant orange and streaks of radiant red. Here I was a young girl at one of the wonders of the world, knowing that the same Maker of this canyon was the same Maker who knit me together in my mother’s womb.

So today as you remember Easter, remember Him. He is alive today, just as He was that first Easter morn. Look around as you go about your day, look at the ways He loves you. Can you see it in the sunrise, or the sunset? Do you see it in the laughter of a child, or a cup of java, can you feel His love as He quiets your anxious spirit? Or do you see Him as you sing praise to your Maker? Whistle the words, “Love’s redeeming work is done!” It is finished, He has redeemed us! This hill was for you and me! And today as you see the hills wherever He takes you, know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the He loves you. There is no one who will ever love you more, and He will NEVER love you any less, You are His child, the apple of His eye, and when all is said and done, “Christ has opened paradise!” Alleluia!!!

Enough Said

A Good Day

Today has been a great day! We got up and got the house cleaned, opened the windows, watched the Masters, made a cake, and even rested! It was a good day! Eric and I also joined a gym today. I am super excited. I love the gym itself, and the childcare facility is amazing. In the mean time... I am hoping this makes me motivated to work out, and it will give us a chance to get out of the house:)

Before we met Eric at the gym John Hunter and I went to the park across the street from our neighborhood.... I let him play and then went into the baseball field and ran the bases... HE LOVED IT!

After the gym we came home and "Larry" the neighbor brought us over an Easter lilly and my heart was thrilled. However I realized it was not from Larry but address to me. So when I opened the card it read, "To Mommy. Happy Easter.... Love John Hunter." Seriously, have you ever seen anything sweeter:)

So today on this Maundy Thursday I leave you with this video. May you think about the sacrifice that was made for you... you are LOVED:0)