America...

I don't think very often about all the blessings we have living in America. I don't think too often about the sacrifices that are made daily so that I can live in this country, wear what I want, say what I want, believe what I want, be what I want. I am so thankful to all the people, past, present, and future who have served our country. I am thankful for their sacrifices. I am thankful for the sacrifices of their families. I had never thought too much about it until my brother-in-law decided to join the army. I am so proud of Nick. He has given 4 years of his life to serve our country. To make sure that my children, and his, have a safe home to live in. Have the opportunities to follow their dreams, their God, and have their own opinions. Nick will come home for good in June. How thankful our entire family is that he survived his tours in Iraq. How thankful we are that he is coming home. I pray we are there to support him and his wife as they transition back to family life. (These are the shirts I made yesterday )

Guess what else I've been doing?

I've been doing this since April 1...but didn't really want to put it on my blog in case I quit...but I haven't! I've been getting up early 3 mornings a week to meet a bunch of ladies for aerobics (that's why in my last post I said sleep in SOME days of the week! But in the summer we don't get together at 5:20, we push it back to 5:45...SLEEP IN???? Not in my book!). Actually we've been doing a program called P90X (or something like that). There are infomercials all over the place for this program...the infomercial makes it seem like some miracle. It's been great, but not miraculous! :o) I have actually gained some weight, but my body is changing! My clothes are a BIT looser and my muscles are really beginning to show signs of being toned! I'm so excited. My friend told me that others who have joined them have gained weight in the beginning due to muscle formation, but then the weight starts dropping off..I can't wait for that part!!!

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!!!!

Can you sing a little hard rock with me?? Oh, yea! School is OUT! I'm just a bit happy about this! Yes, I love teaching, but I also love spending time with my kids. I like being able to be a "little" less hurried. I like being able to sleep in a few days a week. I like spending time with my kids at the pool. I like spending time at the lake with my family, watching them fish and avoiding anything that could POSSIBLY be poison ivy (aka, anything green!). I like watching my kids play baseball, t-ball, softball...I love bringing children and adults together during VBS to connect more hearts to Jesus. I LOVE SUMMER! (Don't much like sweltering HOT days, but nothing is perfect!)
I have been enjoying my first few days of summer break. I've been trying to get my house back into some sort of order. This working full-time (or nearly full-time) thing has kicked my tail, especially the last few weeks! I've even had time to be a little crafty! I discovered that my sewing machine still works! I made a dress for Bethany and a shirt for Abbigail. Both girls wore their outfit on their last day of school. This afternoon I made 4 shirts (same style, but patriotic colors) for my girls and their little cousins, Ella & Ava. I made a cool "sculpture" out of pots for flowers in my front walk-way. (I will try to get a picture and post it soon).
I even got to go out on a date with my husband! Our 13th anniversary is Tuesday, May 26. Since that is in the middle of the week, we went out last night. We went to dinner at a YUMMY Italian restaurant. We did a little shopping and even took in the new Star Tr*k movie. (It was pretty good by the way).
Abbie & Andrew's school has an awards assembly on the last day of school. Abbigail made the All-A honor roll!!! She read more words this year than almost all the third-graders (got the 3rd place award)! Andrew didn't receive any awards, but that's because they only did one award for 1st graders...but he did wonderful in school this year, too. Andrew has had the same 1st grade teacher this year that Abbigail had when she was in 1st. I asked Mrs. G if she wanted to have Miss Bethany in 2 years and she said "YES!" That she would love to have all the Prochnow kids! :o)
From busy school year to almost as busy summer...but it is great for a change of pace!!

Happy Birthday Bethany!!!

Can you believe my BABY is turning 5 today?? I can't! I wanted to show you pictures of her as a baby, but those are on the other computer...here is a picture of her a year ago today... And here she was in April at her dance recital... and at Easter.... I can't believe how quickly time is flying! She is growing up right before my eyes. Each day she gets bigger and more independent, and at other times she just wants to crawl in my lap and snuggle...and I cherish those times!!
Bethany, my third miracle, I love you! You are my youngest, my princess. How I thank God for sending you to me. How I longed to hold another, nurse another,mother another, love another child...and God granted me the desire of my heart. You have such a girly personality, such a tender heart. You are strong willed at times, but no one will be able to push you around! My little lady...I love you!

Doing laundry on Mother's Day...

Yup, that's what I'm doing. Not a very "Mother's Day" activity?? Well, I don't have a choice! :o) Here's why I'm doing laundry (I'm really behind, but that's besides the point!!)

I woke up this morning to Hubby grabbing my shoulder and commanding "DON'T MOVE!" I tried to sit up, and he wouldn't let me...remember his arm was on my shoulder. I couldn't even roll over! He yelled for Abbie and Andrew...that's when I felt something on my feet. Apparently the little dears were trying to surprise us with breakfast in bed. Toasted bagels (with peanut butter!) and a cup of milk were on their little lap trays...which were ever so gently placed over our feet while we were still sleeping! Hubby heard something and rolled over, spilling his tray all over the bed, that's when he grabbed me! So...I'm doing laundry on Mother's day! They meant well...they really did. Abbigail even cried, she said she just wanted it to be PERFECT for me! How sweet is that!
Bethany made me a card and a gift at school, Andrew made me a book, and his class had all the moms join them for a Mother's Day luncheon on Friday. Abbigail's teacher didn't do anything for Mother's day, so she wanted to do something herself...so sweet! Hubby told me earlier this week that he was going to take me to Alco on Sunday to "look at all the MD cards"...so I wasn't expecting much!! But he did come through! He got me a beautiful bouquet of roses and a sweet card!
I remember those years we struggled with infertility, Mother's Day was so very hard. I wanted to crawl in my bed Saturday and not get out until Monday. So hard to celebrate everything you WISH you had, but don't. I pray today for all those women (and men) who struggle with the pain, loss, emptiness of infertility or infant/child loss. These are some of the most painful things I have ever experienced...and even though I have been blessed with my three wonderful children, I will never forget those struggling now.

Oh, and HAPPY MOTHER'S Day, Mom!! You're the BEST!

Prayers for my dad...

I know I posted this in my LONG post the other day, but I just want to ask once again that you keep my dad in your prayers tomorrow as he goes in for a knee replacement. Thanks!
Bethany took this picture of him the morning after we came back from San Antonio...I didn't even know she had my camera, and she took about 30 pictures, little turkey!

Pictures of San Antonio

I wanted to add some pictures of our recent trip to San Antonio. While it was a lot of meetings and learning, we also had an evening or two of "free time." One evening we went to the Riverwalk. As we sat on our bus, we saw the rest of our collegial group going down the steps to the Riverwalk...but we couldn't get off our bus yet. By the time we got off our bus and crossed the street, we could not find them! Hubby and I walked and walked and saw the beautiful Riverwalk...waterfalls, shops, restaurants, etc...finally we decided that we weren't going to find our group, so we picked a restaurant. The host said to go upstairs, that there were more tables up there (it was a patio overlooking the Riverwalk, PRETTY!). As we sat down and opened our menus, one of our group pretended to be a waiter! They were there all along! They were just getting their food, but we joined them and ordered our margaritas and food...we had such a good time getting to know our group in a less formal atmosphere! The guys all had to compare their phones... :o)!LOVE the hat Dek!

After dinner, our group followed us back around the Riverwalk to a store I had spotted...and I got a geautiful purse! Any of you who know me know that I'm just a bit of a "purseaholic"!!! I don't have any pics of my purse, but take my word for it...LOVE IT!!!Our group...Can't wait to see these awesome people again!

Forgot something...

I forgot something in my L-O-N-G post! I started Christmas shopping today! One of our local stores had their jewelry 70% off! I had seen a pretty little cross that I had been thinking about getting for Abbigail...REAL jewelry, not kiddie stuff! No, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on it, but at 70% off, it was reasonable to buy for a nearly 9 year old. I decided to go ahead and get one for Bethany, too (one is silver, one is gold...now, which girl gets which necklace?). While I was there, I spotted letter necklaces (A for Abbigail, B for Bethany, duh!) with TINY little diamond chips...and at 70% off...how could I resist? I mean TINY! The final price was less than $10....so, each girl will get a necklace for their birthday, and one for Christmas...which necklace do they get for which holiday...I don't know!!
I can't believe my baby will be turning 5 years old in just 12 days!!!!

We did survie!

I know...rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated! We did make it home from San Antonio...better late than never! Let me tell you...air travel STINKS! Or, maybe it is just the airline we chose. Or maybe it's trying to fly out of a very small airport....whatever the cause, it was no fun!
After canceling our original flight, we had to fly out a day early. On Monday, we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to get things ready to go, showing my parents around town, etc...and we got a phone call that our 5:00 flight was canceled and that we needed to be at the airport in less than 2 hours to catch an earlier flight...and we live an hour away! Talk about STRESS!!! We made it to the first of 4 flights that day. No direct connection here. Not even the one transfer we had booked...yes, we went UP and DOWN 4 times!! Three separate planes! We left 2 hours earlier than planned, and arrived in San Antonio 2 hours later! It was midnight when we arrived and then caught the shuttle to our hotel. We were blessed that we didn't have much on Tuesday until evening, we slept a lot!
The conference itself was AWESOME! At pastor's conferences, the wives sometimes feel like tag-alongs...not terribly important, just added on as a second thought. This was different. The wives (called partners) are an integral part of the program. I felt very important and cared for. I was greated with a hug from one of the leaders of the program...and while hugs make some people uncomfortable, I'm a hugger! Getting together with other wives of pastors is always a wonderful experience. There is just an instant bond...an instant connection. We hae a unique roll, experience unique challenges and blessings. We were put together with what is called a "collegial" group...a small group that we will be with for the next 4 years. The men get together 3 times a year (I think) and the women come with the guys for the yearly conference, and have a partners retreat on our own once a year. We get along so well with our entire group! What wonderful people! We have two couples from California, one couple from Texas, one couple from Arizona, and a man from Illinois (I think that's where he was...his wife chose not to come because she was worried about people trying to put her into the pastor's wife cookie cutter...not happening here, so we are trying to get her to come next time!!!) and us!
We learned so much...mainly looking at our gifts, passions, abilities, and where God is already using us. I felt so affirmed in my role not only as a wife and mother...but also as a teacher/director. My ministry is so important and such a gift. We learned a lot about ourselves and our partners. We were able to spend time together just studying and praying. We were to try coming up with a family mission statement, and we did! We took the kids to the lake earlier this week and chatted about it with them. Here it is:

"A joyful family of integrity that shows the love of God through service."

So...what do you think? "Joy" was a word that kept coming up in my week. Joy...the ability to be joyful doesn't mean you are always happy....joy is being able to remember what is important (Christ's love) even when things aren't going your way.
After a wonderful week of study, learning, pondering, and time with my husband, it was time to go home. We missed our children SO much, and were ready to see them! We arrived at the airport in SA to find out that our flight was already 2 hours delayed! Luckily we had already planned on a 2 1/2 hour layover in Denver, so we would still make our connection...many of the PLI couples on our flight were not so lucky. They had to make other arrangements and some ended up staying in Denver over night and not getting home until a day later. By the time we got to Denver, we were hungry...and we had an hour, but wanted to check into our next flight befcre we ate...good thing! We had forgotten to figure in the time change. We were to board our next flight 5 minutes after we checked in! EEK! McDonald's drive-through at 11:30 pm never tasted so good!
I heard my mom getting ready the next morning..she was even getting the kids up and ready so that we could sleep a bit more. She didn't remind them that we were home. I sat up on the couch just as Abbie was coming down the hall. She stopped dead in her tracks for a moment, then she RAN full force and wrapped her arms around my neck and didn't let go! SO WONDERFUL to hold my babies again! Soon, Andrew heard us and came running down the hall. I think he became airborn about 6 feet from me and landed in my arms. He wrapped his legs around my waist and his arms around my neck and squeezed so hard I couldn't breath! Dad was coming down the hall with his walker, and Bethany was right behind him. He kept going from side to side so she couldn't get around him...such a tease! As soon as she could get around him, she came running, too. She then became my leech, and didn't let go for a long time. It was nice to be able to give each of them their own time, not having to love on them all at once. Oh, how I missed my babies!
I cannot thank my parents enough for taking a week out of their lives to take care of our children. I didn't worry about them at all...I worried more about my parents than my children! Speaking about my parents...my dad is having a knee replaced on Monday. Please keep him and my mom in your prayers...His LONG hospitalization from a year ago still weighs heavy on our hearts and we just want him home!! Pray that the surgery is a success...and that he gets the mobility and strength that he needs...and that he recovers QUICKLY! :o) I LOVE you guys!
Besides all the "normal" (is there such a thing?) stuff going on this week...my preschool had enrollment. Right now, we currently have 59 students enrolled for the current year. After only two days of enrollment, we arlready have 65 children enrolled for next year! Our preschool board will meet this week and finalize how many children we are going to have in each class...I think we already have a waiting list!
So, yes...busy week...great conference...wonderful time with my husband...and wonderful to be runited with my children! God is good!!!