Faithwalkers 2009: Changing Lives

Once again Luke and I attended our annual Faithwalkers conference. Traditionally held at Lake of Ozarks in Missourri, this year brought us a change of venue to Omaha, Nebraska. We outgrew the space that Tan Tar A resort allowed so we enjoyed a new location.

The theme this year was Changing Lives. Luke and I left incredibly refreshed and encouraged from the time. Truth, testimonies, and fellowship were all part of the wonderful expereince.

Though being a mother of 2 changes the dynamic of faithwalkers, I was greatly encouraged to attend. I tried to keep one ear open the messages from the children's room, but for the most part my encouargement came from spending much time talking with Meg Rude, seeing great examples of leaders in the faith, watching other moms raise their kids, worshiping the Lord, fellowship, eating meals together, and just being there to see the growth in size, the faith of individuals and the number of people the Lord has brought to himself in the past year.


Meg and I spent considerable time together. Leighton and McCabe played and ran around a lot. Meg did a lot of feeding the twins, Rex and Myla. And we all spent a lot of time enjoying the company of one antoher.

Quinn and Leighton liked to 'fix' the windows by using all the play tools that Leighton had.

They also enjoyed looking for buses and trucks.

Here we are in the Dining Hall. Leighton and Quinn are giving one another a 'pound'. Both of the boys spent a lot of time in their strollers with their siblings close behind.
Here are my adorable boys being good sports at the conference!
Here are a few priceless pictures of Leighton getting a little tired as nap time approached. So cute!


It was a great trip/conference for our family. Luke has continue to prove to be a great leader for our family as he has marched our family into the center of a local church, humbles himself to its leaders, and has commmited himself and our family to knowing the Lord more and more on a daily basis and through refresing conferences like this.

We look forward to the upcoming faithwalkers in 2010!

Playing Together

Leighton and McCabe really do love each other. Leighton brings McCabe toys, he tries to cuddle with him and he likes to make him giggle. At Faithwalkers we spent some afternoon time in our hotel room and the boys played so well together!

Meeting Hayden

We all got to meet 7 month old, Hayden for the first time. My sister and Brendan were in Minnesota to celebrate Christmas. All the boys were playing so nicely in this picture.

Merry Christmas

Precious Boy

McCabe is so precious. I enjoy these close-ups so much. I just can't get enough of either of my boys and could stare at these pictures for a long time and just list countless things I am thankful for. His bald head is slowly starting to grow in some fuzz on his head. His dark hair is going away and he is growing blonde hair like Leighton.

McCabe loves to bite or chew on anything and everything that he can get into his mouth. Teethers like this one, give our fingers a break and keep our clothes dry!

I just liked this expression and his big blue eyes.

Papa's Christmas Train

Leighton loved to watch the Christmas train go around and around the village in Grandpa's Office. He learned how to turn it on and off and would just sit and watch it.

Papa loved to share his train with Leighton. Although McCabe is in this picture, it was Leighton that spent countless hours watching it.

Baking Bon Bons

Leighton is a great helper. He loves being involved in whatever I am doing. He loves to do laundry, he loves to do dishes, he loves to mix and bake. It is fun to have him around. We usually make a little mess but it is worth it for the hours of fun. He helped Grandma Ludemann mix the bon bons, roll them into balls, and he even helped clean up by doing dishes. He is always so busy and copies a lot the activities that he sees. It is amazing how much he picks up on some things, but stubbornly refuses to pick up on the very things we intentionally try to model for him and teach him.

Sledding and Snowmen

Leighton and I built his first snowman at Grandma and Grandpa Ludemann's house in Minnesota.

Luke and Leighton were able to go outside a couple days. I was thankful for Luke's willingness to go play with him, so I could stay in the warm house and eat Christmas cookies!

Adorable Outdoor Man!
Happy Sledder!

Excited Explorer!

Poor Leighton would come inside sweating ....

and poor Luke would come inside freezing cold, red cheeked and with a runny nose.

Christmas

Unwrapping presents was very exciting time for Leighton. He loves all of his new toys! It was nice to have some new gifts to bring with us to Faithwalkers because they kept his attention better than his older toys.

These tools will be great for Leighton as he helps Daddy around the house.

My Cuddler

McCabe LOVES to be held! We have been learning that McCabe loves to be held. He doesn't like to sleep alone, he doesn't like to sit and watch. He is content when he is held. Lucky for him I LOVE TO HOLD him! Even though it can be hard to get things done, It feels good to be wanted to desperately!

Here are some pictures that capture McCabe communicating that he wants to be held!

What a sweetheart!

Snow Day

Over the last 36 hours, it has snowed 15 inches! We are stranded. It was quiet a blessing to be able to relax together as a family. Luke and Leighton got some much needed wrestling and bonding time!

Proclamation of Thanksgiving

This past year has brought forth numerous reasons to give the Lord praise for his gracious work in our lives.

I could list countless answers to prayers, unexpected blessings, and amazing displays of the Lord's character in our lives.

I think Abraham Lincoln said it well in his Proclamation of Thanksgiving when he said, "No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy."

I also wanted to share another excerpt from Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation of Thanksgiving. This proclamation that made Thanksgiving 'offical' tells us a lot about America's history and the Charachter of Lincoln. It highlights the purpose of the Thanksgiving Holiday as not just a day to be thankful, but more specifically, a day to be thankful to our Lord and Savior. He humbly stated, "It has seemed to me fit and proper that {blessings} should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience."

The reason Lincoln was so amazed at God's goodness was because the Lord was Merciful to a nation that was very much imperfect and fallen. While being thankful for the Lord's mercies, Lincoln humbly asked beleivers to consider, with humble penitence, the disobedience of people, and the nation, against the Lord.

It is a perfect analogy of the Gospel. In reminds me of Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God has always been a God of great mercy. He demonstrated it by dying for our sins on the cross and he still demonstrates it today by his work in our lives even though we don't deserve or earn it.

Please join us in offering praising and adoration to GOD today and everyday this upcoming year, for who He is and what He has done.

Fall Family Pictures

I absolutely adore my family! I am so excited about sharing my family pictures with all of you. My incredible husband & precious children make these pictures priceless.



Aren't these three boys so cute! Luke, Leighton & McCabe are so incredible. They are such a blessing to my life and I cannot fully express how much I love them.

Brothers!

Leighton and McCabe are so cute. It can be hard to get a picture of the two of them together, but this morning we had a little bit of success. McCabe loved the camera!
Leighton, as you can see in the picture below, would rather have been exploring the new christmas decorations. He rebelled against the idea of a photo shoot but I was able to get a few good ones.