Small Group Surprise

This past Sunday night we headed to the Dorrell Home for our small group meeting. This is the first time since September that we've had a chance to attend small group due to our travels - not to mention the fact that Shane was a bit apprehensive about re-entering the group that led to his exposure to H1N1... not cool. But in any case, we arrived a bit tired and not sure what to expect - only to find that our group is AWESOME!! I was pretty excited about it from the beginning, but Shane was a bit skeptical (as usual). You know that feeling when you're trying to force a friendship, or a spiritual conversation just to feel like you're making a connection? Well... we've had experiences like that before with small groups and just didn't want to have the same happen this time around. After we sat down, we were very pleasantly surprised to know that the group had decided on reading a VERY profound and interesting book - A.W. Tozer's Pursuit of God. Shane was excited from the moment he found out. We were anxious to hear what people brought to the table, hoping that we could truly be ourselves and feel like we still somehow fit into the group. I'm thankful that ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE! We had a blast getting to chat with these people, finding common interests and just joking around. There was no hidden agenda, no need to walk on eggshells for fear of offending - just a group of people having discussion about life and how God is changing each of us on a daily basis. I'm grateful not only for our small group, but First Alliance Church as a whole. We are constantly blessed by the preaching of the Word and the fellowship we continue to find. PRAISE GOD!

And on a TOTALLY different note - CONGRATULATIONS to my cousin, Kristen (and her husband, Kevin), on the arrival of their second child, Kate Ann Yaiko! She was born on November 15th around 11:30am in a Hungarian hospital, weighing in at 7 lbs., 11 ounces and measuring 21.25 inches long. Kate is doing VERY well and Kristen is feeling good after the delivery. Unfortunately, as of today the other members of the family are very ill. Their son, Seth, came down with a bad case of the flu and is now in the hospital himself receiving fluids and antibiotics to help his fever come down. Kevin is sick as well, though I don't think he's quite as bad as Seth. Kristen experienced some of the sickness, too - but has been cleared to go home with Kate. PLEASE pray that each member of the family continues to get better as Kate arrives home. The family wants to be together, but this nasty flu is making it awfully hard for that to happen. Here's a picture of Little Miss Yaiko ;)

Anticipation & Other Updates

We leave on Friday afternoon to make the drive down to Orlando, Florida. Why, you ask? Because we'll be spending ALL of next week in Disney World with the DeHaven Family!!! I am so excited about this trip and wait with anticipation for Friday to arrive! Have you ever noticed that when you look forward to something, it takes that much LONGER to happen? Ugh...

In other update news, I was able to fly to NY (thanks to my mom!) for Houghton College's Homecoming a couple weekends ago! My dad was inducted into their Hall of Honor for his accomplishments as a student athlete as well as his continued contributions to the school since his time as a student. It was a great time for him and my family - I feel so blessed that I could be there for it! And while I was there I got to meet Molly MacDonald for the first time. Molly is my sister's niece on the Luckey side of the family and is absolutely ADORABLE! Here are a couple pictures of her from our little visit. (Check out her "Future Highlander" onesie in the 2nd shot!)


Is she not the cutest child ever??! I was also able to visit with my friend, Cherith, for a bit since they've moved back up to Houghton. They are doing great in their new place, and it was nice to be able to catch up a bit while in our old stomping grounds! The rest of the weekend was spent with my family and we just had a blast together. The weather was great and the fellowship was sweet - I couldn't have asked for a better time!

Here's looking to Friday...

"I have a feeling it's gonna be one of those days..."

Why is it that every time I find clothing items that fit me perfectly, they're way too expensive?? This weekend I went shopping with my friend, Kate. After a great breakfast shared with our friend, Natalie (who soon after had to go to work), Kate and I embarked on our Mall Adventure. I call it an adventure because we both did more shopping than we expected to! Also... anytime you go to the Fayette Mall it seems like an adventure because you just never know what you're in for. We started off at Old Navy and ended in Banana Republic. Along the way we also stopped at Express, Gap, and Victoria's Secret... just to name a few. Just minutes into our shopping "spree", Kate looked at me and said, "I have a feeling it's gonna be one of those days. One where you find the exact thing you're looking for, and where pretty much everything fits." Thankfully we both found some great sales on things that fit, and had some coupons to redeem. While we found a ton of cute items, my most favorite was at Banana Republic (of course). When Kate first said she wanted to stop at BR, I thought, "oh boy... this isn't going to be good." The only reason for that thought was the fact that I typically love everything I see in there, but can never afford them. The item I'm referring to is a gray short-sleeved dress, perfect for work, church, fall events... anything, really! Why did I even try it on? Not only did I try on the $110 (SALE PRICE) dress, but another sweater dress that looked fantastic. I wasn't planning to try it on, but Kate insisted - NOT allowing me to look at the price tag before going into the dressing room. I think that somehow my body is shaped in just such a way that the only clothes that fit it perfectly are those that I cannot afford. In the words of the elusive "David After Dentist" - why is this happening to me??

The happy ending to this story, though, is that we found white trouser pants at BR for only $14.99!!! Kudos to Kate for finding them! We each bought a pair and that became the grand finish for the day. We had such a blast together, and although Shane might not like to hear this... I think I'll go shopping with her again! :)

Why do I do this to myself?

So last night we watched the Bills take on the Patriots in the first Monday Night Football game of the regular season. I was pleasantly surprised by the Bills' defense, and pretty happy with Trent Edwards' performance. What I was NOT excited about was McKelvin somehow managing to fumble the ball with only a few short minutes left in the game. How hard is it to get your knee on the ground? Better yet - HOW HARD IS IT TO TAKE A KNEE IN THE ENDZONE? There was no reason for him to take it up the field, especially when he wouldn't have gained any more yards had he actually managed to hold on to the ball! I stayed up to watch the end of the game, hoping beyond all hope that they would FOR ONCE pull it together. I guess I should know better by now... the Bills will always break my heart. Will this stop me from watching them again? Certainly not. Why, oh why do I do this to myself?