March 2nd... off we go...

We got our tickets set for March 2nd, 2009! Whooo!! I'd love to sit and blog about it, but, honestly, we're toooooo busy! We're stuck in Grand Forks because of ice and snow. But we're making the most of it - good-bye parties, baby! :) Next week, we're home to PACK - everything in 14 boxes! Whoo! :) I'll do my best to keep up with a post or two at least every month!

We're so honored to serve and humbled to be called and excited to GO! And out of our mind getting ready / packing... ;)

In love with life.... with Him... and with you!



The pics... some girlfriends and me at Red Lobster... and then Kevy with his youth group up at the Attic! The last one is Blake, my brother, and Kev playing ping pong at the Attic...

Arkansas

Okay... life's been BUSY! So let me just share our Jan with you in the form of pictures!





This last one was in Dec, in Williston, with my side of the family... The rest were in Springfield, MO and Hot Springs, AR with Kev's side of the family! So as you can see, we've been spending time with family before we head overseas for two years!! It was hard to suffer through the 60 degrees in the south after the norm of 20 below in ND... ;)

We love our family! :)

Happy Birthday, Elijah!

Our little guy turned four years old in January! Whoo! Big guy now. We were in Arkansas visiting Kevin's side of our family so he got a southern party - at Chuck E Cheese. :) Kev's cousin has a little girl who was born like a week before Elijah so they doubled up and partied together in Springfield, MO. Pretty fun, but a little crazy. Hannie said later... I never even got to see Sidney open her gifts! The kids had a great time, though and spent the day running and playing.

When we lit Elijah's candle to sing to him, he started singing, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..." Sooo sweet. Love it.

That was the week before his birthday, so he got another mini party the next Sunday on his birthday... Cake and two more presents. I think his favorite part was the Happy Birthday balloon!? :) We tied an extra long string to it since Grandma and Papa have high ceilings! It's gotta be a party if you have a balloon! Whoo!

Each time Elijah opened a gift he exclaimed, "Ah! It's just what I wanted!" Regardless of what it was, or if he'd ever even thought of having one before! Fun kid to give a gift to!

Here's our birthday boy! We're crazy about him!

What's the Problem?

If you ask Elijah what his name is, he'll probably say Superman! He has some jammies with the big S on them and decided that's who he was. Well, we figured we better show him a little bit of the movie if that's who he was going to be. We watched the clip online of Superman rescuing Lois in the helicopter, saving the cat from the tree, catching some bad guys... So now he knows Superman solves problems... Now we need to be ready to have a problem for Eli, er, Superman to solve because he loves to ask, "What's the problem?"

(If you wanna turn it spiritual... maybe you could hear Jesus asking us the same question...)

Psalm 139

Elijah Edward, almost four years old... I got him to say two verses of the Psalm that we learned this fall. (He probably knows it all but to get him to sit and say it...) You'll notice he's got a cold, too! :)

Psalm 139

Here's Benjamin saying the Psalm we learned this fall. (Our fourth grader!)

Psalm 139

We learned this Psalm this fall... Here's our Kindergartner, Ruth, saying it for you! :)

Psalm 139

The kids memorized this chapter this fall and we recorded it to share with everyone! :)

Here's our 2nd grader, Hannah:

when you grow up

Okay, Benjamin has it all figured out. He wants to be a scientist. He's known that for a while. But now, he's focusing in. Nine years old, gotta start thinking ahead, right? :) So he wants to study the Great Barrier Reef. He decided he'll be a marine biologist. Oceanographer. AND, he wants to go to a christian college because "he could meet a wife there and would like her to be a christian!" So he'll go to Springfield, MO, where Uncle Nathan graduated from, Uncle Scotte works, and Aunt Linda works... and they offer marine biology!! Last year they took a field trip to FL to study off the coast! Whoo! So now we're set! Send us a brochure! :) Just today, Benjamin said to me, "Maybe I shouldn't get married... I might be away too much!" That guy.

Hannie has wanted to be some kind of teacher for a little while now. 1st or 2nd grad, or a dance teacher. She practices her teaching skills on her brothers and sisters whenever they'll let her. I think she'll be a great teacher, if that's the direction she goes. She's also has always wanted to be a mommy.

Ruth decided a week or two ago that she'd like to be a veterinarian. This week, she said she can't decide... Vet or Police Officer! Heh. I could see vet because she loves animals and is actually very interested in blood and owies! :) When I asked her why she'd be a Police Officer, she said, "To looove people. And to send some to the dungeon!" :) I see.

Of course, we had to ask Elijah what he wanted to be. Benjamin's trying to talk him into being an Oceanographer... Then they could study together. (Benjamin also thinks maybe his future wife will study with him... if he meets her while studying in MO!?) Ruth was thinking he likes trains. Hannie just waited for him to answer. And when he looked around at us, he finally answered. "I want to do whatever Mama does. I want to stay with her!" Ah. Mama's boy. :)

Then Ruth looked at me and asked... "Mama, what do you want to be?" I told her I already was grown up! Ha. They had to think about that. I have a degree to teach and I get to be your mama right now... And now we're planning to head overseas to be missionaries...

When do you grow up?

tea party

Kev's Mom and Dad came to visit. So the ladies decided to have a tea party. Grandma Sharon, Grandma Lala, Bestamor (my grandma), my girls, and I all had a little tea party with apple cider and hot chocolate and little cookies. Yum.

While we partied, we all tried to think of a Bible story that we'd heard lately or one that we really liked. Let me share with you what was picked:

-Ruth and Bestamor both picked the Christmas story. Jesus coming to earth.
-Hannie picked the Prodigal Son and Grandma Lala said that was the one she thought of, too! When the Father throws out his arms and says Welcome Home!
-Sharon said David and Goliath where the little guy does big things.
-I picked the one where Peter was in jail and the angel got him up and brought him out to the street, just like that!

After all the good stories... Ruth and Hannie sang and acted out I'm a Little Tea Pot!

It was a good tea party.
God is a good God! :)

Happy 8th Birthday, Hannie!!

Our baby girl, Eight years old! On October 29th, we called Uncle Blake in the evening to come and watch Benjamin while we went to the hospital. After a long night waiting and waiting, rocking in the rocking chair... Hannie finally came! At 11:00 AM the next morning! (We hurried to get a babysitter and then ended up waiting all night for labor to really kick in...) The first thing Dr Greek did was lay her, all crying and loud, on my belly. I kissed my baby girl on the gooey, bald head and said, "I love you, Hannah!". She was 8 pounds even, just like Benjamin had been. Daddy went home to get Benjamin and after he came to see his new little sister (he was 19 months old...). At the hospital, Daddy went and got him one of those tiny boxes of cereal, Fruit Loops, and Benjamin sat in a big hospital chair and watched VeggieTales, Rack, Shack, and Benny (that Daddy brought from home), while everyone oohed and ahhed over his little sister.

We brought Hannie home the next day, on Halloween, and on the way home we stopped by the gas station for pop to go along with teh KFC my parents were picking up! (With Benjamin, we had everything "perfect" and memorable... with Hannie, we were more practical! Ha!) She slept in her car seat while we ate chicken! Whenever Benjamin passed by her he'd say, "Hi baby Annie!"

Hannah was born beautiful and is growing more and more beautiful as time goes by. We love that little girl! Our young lady!


This year, Hannah invited a few friends to the bowling alley with Papa Eddie and Grandma Sharon. Papa James stopped up there for a while, too! We had taco soup that night and played Operation, the new game her friend got for her! Then a week later, on her actual birthday, we went to Grandam Lala's and Papa James' place to open presents and eat pumpkin pie blizzard cake from DQ. Yum. (We also stopped school at 11:00 to blow party horns and eat strawberry candy!)

It's fun to celebrate our girl... Happy Birthday, baby!

full circle

In the book of Joshua, he talks about how at Gilgal they set up stones of remembrance. Later on the Bible talks about them coming back to Gilgal and, indeed, remembering... Beth Moore points out in one of her studies (sorry, I'm not sure which one now...) about times in our life when we come full circle and have a moment of remembrance from experiences in our past. I had a moment like that this past Sunday.

We're back in our hometown now and back at the church where we grew up. It happens to be missions week here this week. So, of course, they had some good missions songs and the sermon was about the sending out of Paul and Barnabas. I stood there, back in my hometown church, where Kevin and I met while leading worship in the youth worship band, thinking about missions. We're in the middle of worship when the next song that starts up is a familiar one to me... one of those oldies but goodies...

Here am I
Send me to the nations
As an ambassador
For You
As an ambassador
For You,
My Father...

Ask of Me
And I will give the nations
As an inheritance
For you
As an inheritance
For you,
My children...

And I had such a huge flashback. There Kev and I were, fifteen years ago, standing up on the platform, ourselves leading that very song... Here am I, send me to the nations... And now here we are, being sent - to the nations. I totally had a full-circle/Gilgal moment. Who knew as we sang that song way back when... that that was just what God had in mind to do.

Now to hear, Ask of Me, and I will give the nations as an inheritance for you... takes on a whole new meaning. Lord, give us the nations as our inheritance. Let us get to heaven surrounded by people we've had the honor to encourage in You!

Full circle.

(Somewhere I have a pic of our worship team... not on my computer, though! Rats...) :)

Daddy knows everything

Benjamin was working hard at his Math one day, and not particularly enjoying himself, when I came into his room to help him. We went over the same problem a few times trying to understand it. Then Benjamin looked up at me and said, "I wish I were Daddy!" "Why?" I asked. To which he replied, "Because Daddy knows EVERYTHING!" Oh, to be who your kids think you are! While I do admit that Kevin actually does know almost everything... it might not be totally everything! Heh. Just that day he was having some trouble with the sites he was working on and frustrated with his thesis... But in Benjamin's eyes, Daddy is who he wants to be - Because Daddy knows everything!

Here's a shot of the the boys watching a Williston Coyotes football game!

forget it

We were having supper together with Grandma Sharon and Papa Eddie when they were here to visit and Ruth was telling Grandma something important while Elijah was trying to get her attention to tell her something very important, as well. After a few loud attempts of, "Grandma! Grandma!" Lijah turned away from her and said, "Ah, forget it!" He got a few chuckles out of that... Sounds so funny to hear a little guy say something that sounds more grown up!

(Here he is wearing Benjamin's bike helmet and feeling pretty cool...!)

chin tappin'

When Ruth gets to thinkin' hard, she starts tappin' her chin. Kinda like Pooh bear. "Think, think, think..." Tap, tap, tap... Should we watch Hermie and Wormie, or VeggieTales? Tap, tap, tap... with her eyes kinda looking up... :) Too cute!

Balaam's donkey

Papa Eddie and Hannie were having a discussion the other day about who they'd like to talk to when they get to heaven. Papa said a few guys like Daniel and David. He wanted to ask what it was like in the lion's den and if Daniel was scared. Or to ask David about facing Goliath... Hannie thought for a minute, then told Papa she wants to talk to that donkey that spoke to Balaam! :) What would it be like to talk to a donkey? How'd the donkey feel when he got squished up against the wall when the angel blocked the path...? Hannie's lookin' for the donkey when she gets to heaven! Papa can look for Daniel!

church

Right after I wrote my last post, I turned around to have some Beth Moore, Stepping Up devotion time and read from Philippians chapter 1:

I thank my God every time I remember you
In all my prayers for all of you
I always pray with joy
because of your partnership in the gospel
from the first day until now,
being confident of this
that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you,
since I have you in my heart;
for whether I am in chains
or defending and confirming the gospel,
all of you share in God's grace with me.
God can testify how I long for all of you
with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Just what I was thinking about you, my church family. Me and Paul... we love the church! :)

mount rushmore and little house on the prairie

Okay... I had to share a pic or two with you of our trips in SD this month. We tell the kids that they are getting in on some pretty good field trips! :)

One stop we made this month was to Mount Rushmore. Benjamin thought it was the bomb and we're thinking maybe we'll go back sometime in the winter?? We went there the Saturday before we spoke in Lead, SD.

Another weekend we spoke in Watertown, SD and decided to swing down to the Little House on the Prairie in De Smet, SD. We're not that far in the books, yet, but you still get the idea! :) The kids had a blast there making jump ropes, corn on the cob dolls, petting kitties, and riding ponies! We did recognize some of the things from the books, too... The kids loved seeing Pa's fiddle and of course, the covered wagon...


Both those churches were lovely places to stop, on top of getting to be tourists, too. We have enjoyed being a part of the SD churches. It's fun to be a part of a church family for a day. And always fun to get home to our church family, too. Now we're blessed to have two church families again... here in Williston, and back in Grand Forks. I love the church body of believers!

September crazies

Okay... so I just noticed there's not posts from me in the month of September! We've been so busy that my prayer request for my girlfriends was basic... sleep. Heh.

We've moved from Grand Forks, ND to Williston, ND, which is our hometown. My grandma (Bestamor) is living with my parents now since she'll be 100 in December! So we are living in her house. So this month has been a whirlwind of packing, moving, and finishing cleaning the GF house (check out is tomorrow).

On top of that, I have begun homeschooling! Whoo. I think things are going pretty good so far. We're getting a little bit of a routine going so that helps. We did one week here in Williston, one in Grand Forks, the next here... so that's been kinda wild. Yesterday the kids and I just got back from our last visit to our Burdick Court house. Kev is there tonight finishing cleaning and has a work meeting in the morning.
Kev's work has agreed to let him work from here and go back when needed, which he's thinking might be every other week... It's great that he got to keep his job and do that... but that, too, adds to all the craziness! He's still trying to get his thesis done and wrap up all his ministries at VCC. And he's gone out on the last two weekend itineration trips by himself... He's been in GF while we've been here most of this month! I think he'll be back for most of next week and we're hoping the month of October is a little less crazy for the Crawford family!!

So if you think to pray for us... we need sleep! :)

We're looking forward to October and to settling into more of a routine for the whole family.

On the up... we've been LOVING the fall weather and colors and just being outside. Some of the trees around here are just gorgeous.

And Kev would probably tell you his up... he got his motorcycle license! Now he can say to me, "Wanna ride my hog?" Heh. My dad has been lending him his motorcycle as well as a buddy of his back in GF. My wild bike riding Kevy bear!


There's the month of September in a nutshell for you... Now I'm going to bed!

faith not sight

2 Corinthians 5...
My devotions were taken from the verse in 2 Cor 5:7 about how we walk by faith and not by sight. I thought that's really what we needed to hear as we're transitioning into moving overseas. There's a lot of "what if's" and unknowns. So we choose to walk by faith and not by sight. God has called us and we will walk in faith.

Well that got me to wondering just want the Bible is talking about when it says that. What is the whole chapter about. So I was about to look it up when another thought crossed my mind. Back when Joshua's 10th birthday cam around in May, I read some verses that stuck out to me and I'd forgotten what they were. So I wanted to look that up right away before I forgot about it. I had to decide which of the two things I wanted to look up first... I decided to look back to the beginning of May where my 2 year Bible devotions were...

Guess what chapter it lead me to? 2 Corinthians 5! Heh. They were the same verses! I love it when the Holy Spirit leads you. What a treat. I and a nice moment with the Lord there.

So the chapter the Holy Spirit lead me to when we were thinking of Joshua was about how we'll have a heavenly body and here on earth we long to be clothed in our heavenly dwelling... then it leads into how we walk by faith and not by sight. Pretty cool. Heaven should be what motivates us as we live here on earth, huh? Always hope.