The Crust Family

2012-01-10T13:01:00.000-08:00

Now that Phill has more regular hours thanks to a new job, we have been able to be more consistent in our nightly family devotions. I just love this picture! And, I love how worn our Big Picture Bible is. It has been well loved by all of our kids!
As of late I have been convicted of the importance of my job to be impressing these truths into my kids hearts and minds. Especially as they can not yet read the Bible on their own! What a great privilege and responsibility this is!

My God is so Great!

2011-12-01T06:44:00.000-08:00

My God is so great, So strong and so mighty, there is nothing my God can not do....for you!

My youngest daughter has been singing this song this last week and it has been in my mind constantly. Two, small, but significant things happened this last week that have made this song ever present in my mind.

For the last year I have been cleaning the home of a couple from the Seminary where Phill is attending. This couple has been very thoughtful to our family and have just doted on our children. While I was at their home Mrs. H. had decided that it was time to clean out her craft supplies. Now, she was a Sunday School teacher for MANY years and had amassed quite the store house of supplies. She made it through half of what she had that day and proceeded to send me home with about two large laundry baskets full of things for the kids! Now, if you know me at all, you know I love crafts and so do the kiddos! I was just thrilled! I was even more excited though when I discovered that there was a whole bunch of burlap in this stash of things. I have been wanting burlap for some time now for some new projects, but have been unable to get any! My mind immediately went to the scriptures and was reminded that God knows all that we need and even want, He cares even about the small details!

When Phill and I married 10 years ago, we had the tradition of having a real tree for Christmas. We would either buy one in town or go cut one down in the mountains. Since we have moved to Louisville we have not been able to have a real tree. Last Christmas we were able to buy a cheap tree from Target and it reminds me of a "Charlie Brown" tree every time I have looked at it. I have been greatly missing the big, beautiful trees of Colorado! This year, I realized that I had a pretty bad attitude about this tree and I needed to be more thankful. So, I set out to do just that and be content with our little tree. Earlier this week my sister and I (she is in town for the week and it has been AWESOME to have her here) visited the Attic at the Seminary (this is a free good-will store for all seminary students. It is awesome! ) and I discovered that they had 5 fake Christmas trees, huge ones, free ones! These suckers were expensive when they were first purchased! So, Abi and I snagged one as fast as we could. We have set it up and almost have all the lights put on it (I ran out of lights....I love lots of lights on the tree!) I love it!!! Our new house has these huge vaulted ceilings and it looks great. I will post a picture when we get it completed.

I know that things like burlap and a Christmas tree are really silly and insignificant in the scheme of things, but to me they are a reminder that God is a good God and that he does care and provide for me, even in the silly things I want!

I thought this picture of our Thanksgiving mantle appropriate as I am thanking God for all he has given me today!

My God is so great, So strong and so mighty, there is nothing my God can not do....for you!

He Is Risen!

2011-04-24T16:44:00.001-07:00

Phill's Life Right Now

2011-02-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

This is my husband's world right now, GREEK! This week he started his second semester of Greek and he has been studying these flashcards like crazy. He told me that this stack of cards is close to 400 words that he learned from last semester and that he has a quiz on these words this week. Who gives a quiz over 400 words?!?!? By the end of this semester he will add another 300 or more words to this stack. I am so glad that it is him studying this and not me!

It's Been a Long Winter....

2011-01-31T16:55:00.000-08:00

You know it has been a long cold winter when it hits 40 degrees and your kids break out the shorts and sandals! Ruth and Phillip especially love the warm weather and pretty much ask everyday if it is warm enough to wear shorts. Well, they decided it was the other day and came down stairs dressed like this. They then played outside all afternoon. Meanwhile Phill and I sat in the house freezing just looking at those two. Seriously though, we are greatly missing the Colorado weather, especially the sunshine! Growing up in Minnesota I loved the snow and the cold never really bothered me. Here though, spring can not come soon enough!

Super Bug!

2011-01-20T11:57:00.000-08:00

Along with getting used to a new city we are having to get used to new bugs! There is one bug in particular that seems to like our house. We call it the Super Bug! This thing is a super breed of some type of grasshopper, I guess. It is BIG and very very FAST! And whenever it gets just a little bit warm, they end up in the house. The kids and I frequently find these nasty things in the kitchen and laundry area. And I have become the designated bug killer. A gross job, but someone has to do it and I am usually the one to find them. Here is a picture of one we caught.
Look at its little beady eyes...Phillip swore up and down one day that one was getting ready to attack him and was actually gnawing at him :). I believe it!

Happy New Year

2011-01-09T12:25:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011! It is hard to believe that Christmas is over and January is upon us. Time just seems to go all too quickly these days. Well, we made it through our first Christmas here in Louisville. This was the first time that we have been away from either of our families for the holidays. I must say it was a bit hard, but we had a great time together as a family. This Christmas was one of the most relaxing ones we have had in about 6 years! We spent much of the kids' Christmas break playing games and watching movies. And to top it all off we got snow on Christmas Eve...I guess it was the first white Christmas in Louisville in 5 years.

The highlight of Christmas for us though was the surprise trip my parents made out here after Christmas. It was a blast watching the kids as they found their grandparents standing outside our front door! We had a great week catching up, doing a little shopping, and just hanging out with them. And much to Ruth's delight they brought her buddy, Liza, with them. I am not sure, but Ruth may have been more excited to see the dog than she was her Nannie and Bobbie!

I LOVE this picture!

As I think back over the last 4 months that we have been out here my heart swells with thankfulness to God for providing for us, a bit of sadness as I think about all my dear family and friends back in Colorado that I miss terribly, and anticipation for what God is going to do in our lives this next year. I must admit that this move has proved to be a bit harder than I thought it would. It has stretched both Phill and I in our trust of God and his goodness. BUT, God is good and he has proven this to us over and over and over again in so many different ways. I am learning to truly rely on Him and to not find my satisfaction and contentment with life in my circumstance, but in Him alone. This is one lesson that I guess I really needed to learn :) I am excited to see the new opportunities that God brings to us this year and to just settle in to life here in Louisville a little more.

Our First Thanksgiving in Louisville

2010-11-30T12:47:00.000-08:00

We were blessed to be able to celebrate the holiday with Phill's brother and his family as they are out here right now along with 10 other friends from our new church. We had a wonderful time eating, talking, and playing games. Here are a few pictures of the day and the kids with their cousins, who by the way are leaving us to move back to Colorado in 2 weeks :(

We are so thankful that God has placed us here in Louisville this year and for the family and friends who helped us celebrate.

The "adult" table. We fit 14 adults and 4 babies around it.

The kids table

My adorable nephew and Josiah!

Phill made his first pumpkin pie and it was DELICIOUS!

Phillip wore this headdress all day! It got a little floppy though
when he went out into the rain.

My nephew Owen having a little fun with Josiah.

Crust Update

2010-11-09T06:03:00.000-08:00

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow!

We are praising God this week as Phill started a new job Monday. After a long search and sending out countless resumes, Phill landed a job with a communications company that provides Internet service throughout the country. This whole move has been one of faith for us and I must admit that a few times along the way we have questioned what we are doing. It is not easy to leave the comforts of home, family, friends, and the familiarity of life for the unknown. God has been so faithful to us though. We have found a neat house that fits us perfectly. We have joined a church that we love. And the kids are just blossoming in their new school and quickly making friends at church and school. We still covet your prayers as I look for a part-time job that will work for our families schedule. And as always, our lovely car (can you hear the sarcasm?) is again giving us trouble. God is good and we know that he will provide for us and we are resting in him!

Here are some pictures of the kids....Enjoy!

Pajama run to the Pie Kitchen

Josiah's new favorite food: Ice Cream!

Day at the Zoo, it was a bit cold but tons of fun

My beautiful blessings!

My new craft! I am attempting to be crafty and was able to make these

flowers to hang in the living room for about

$20.

Apple Picking Time

2010-10-11T19:11:00.001-07:00

Last week the kids had a day off from school and the weather was nice and cool, so we headed to a near by orchard for a little apple picking. The kids had a great time picking the apples and exploring the farm.

We had a great day together as a family

and really hope to make this an annual

tradition!

Neighborhood Crime

2010-09-30T13:29:00.001-07:00

As I left the house today to pick the kids up from the bus stop, I saw a police officer sitting outside our neighbor's house. It is not uncommon to see and hear police sirens in our area as we are living in the city. As I was walking by he called me over to ask if I had heard any loud noises or had seen anyone on the neighbor's front porch this afternoon. I told him I had not and then inquired as to why he was asking. It turns out that the house one away from ours was broken into. I have seen this neighbor and his young son frequently as I have been walking the kids to the bus stop in the morning. We are well aware of the neighborhood we are living in and we know that the possibility of crime is pretty good, but I have to admit that I do find this a bit unnerving.

Instantly all the thoughts of what "could happen" began to cross my mind, I realized I was headed down a horrible rabbit trail and I needed to stop. I reminded myself that those things in my house that could be taken are just things. Sure, I have many things that I would be really sad to loose, but I have to remember that life is NOT about things.

I guess I am writing about this because I want to ask for prayer. Please pray that we would first of all be protected. I would hate for something to happen when the kids are home. And secondly, pray that God would give me peace and a deeper trust in him and his sovereignty as we are living in a neighborhood that is rough. Lastly, please pray that we would be able to reach out to our neighbors and show them Christ's love.

City School

2010-09-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

The last month has been a whirlwind for us! The trip out to Louisville, KY was very smooth and all the kids did a great job! When we got here we did not have a house and so we spent the first week looking at home after home. One thing I really like about Louisville is all the old houses and we just happened to end up in one! Our house was built some time in the 1920's and while it has been updated, it still has some of that old charm. The location of the house is rather unique too, at least for us. We are located just minutes from downtown Louisville. The neighborhood is a bit on the rough side, but there are many people moving into the area and updating the surrounding houses. I am not sure what motivated us to pick this house and this location. It is so different from any place that Phill and I have ever lived, but it is our prayer that we can be a light to the people all around us though.

The kids have finally started school as well. They are attending an elementary school in the area and so far they love it and Phill and I are liking it as well. Since we left Colorado Phillip has been one big ball of energy! Everything is a new adventure to him and school is no different. He wakes up every morning singing and just can't wait to get to school. When he gets home it is no different, he can hardly sit still to complete his homework. I love just seeing his excitement for life!

Everyday has been a new adventure for us. We are learning something new all the time. Whether it be a new route to some place, especially when we are lost, a new location for a store we want, identifying mysterious bugs in our house/yard, or just how to live and get along in the city. We are so grateful for the unique opportunity God has given us for Phill to attend Southern Seminary and to live in Louisville.

Phill is still looking for and applying for jobs, so we could sure use some prayers that he would find one soon that would provide for our family. I am hoping to post some pictures soon of the house and the kids, so stay tuned!

Here is a picture of the big nasty spider we found at our

house as we were moving in!

Family

2010-07-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

This fabulous lady holding my screaming son is my friend Barb, but to my kids she is Nannie Barb. Barb has worked with us in youth ministry for the past 5 years. More importantly though she has been a grandmother to my kids. Barb does not have grandkids yet, but she will be a great Nannie when she does!
This gentleman next to Ruth is Nannie Barb's husband, Mr. Curt. Curt has taken a liking to my crazy kiddos and bought them a special gift after the 4th of July. Which is why Josiah is crying in the above picture. He did not like the special gift!

Mr. Curt bought the kids the BIGGEST firework I have ever seen! This thing was titled "Seventh Heaven: A Magical Display Beyond Belief!" And that it was my friends :) We had a great time lighting this sucker off. I think the whole show lasted close to 10 minutes.
I love the look of pure joy on my daughter's face!

Nannie Barb and Mr. Curt are just one of many couples in our church who have blessed our family by taking a special interest in our kids and loving them as their own! I am so thankful that the church is made up of people of all ages, and that my kids are loved by so many people outside our immediate family. What a blessing it is to have such a large family! Thank you to everyone who loved on us and especially loved on our kids!

Change is Coming!

2010-06-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

After 5 years of my hubby serving as youth pastor at our church we are making a change. We have decided that it is time for us to move to Louisville, KY so that he can be a full-time student at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. We are excited and a bit nervous about this move. For the first time we will be far away from our families and all that we know. Here are some of the things I am most looking forward to in Louisville: 1. SWEET TEA!! 2. Good BBQ (I think I am going to have to start exercising) 3. Living in the same town as my adorable niece and nephew for 4 months (Phill's brother is out there right now finishing up his degree) 4. Being able to be a part of the Seminary Wives Institute(I get to take mini classes of what Phill will take with the same profs that he has. 5. Just going to church and being a regular ole church member. 6. Exploring a new city and new part of the country.
We are greatly going to miss our family at Faith Baptist. We have made some great friendships that we know will last a lifetime!
As we make this move it is my hope that I can keep up with the blog so that our family and friends can keep in touch with us and all that we are experiencing. So, come along as we begin this new journey in our lives.

33 Weeks and Counting!

2010-01-10T19:10:00.000-08:00

This pregnancy has by far been the hardest on me. I am so uncomfortable, everything hurts, I was way sick early on, and I am outgrowing my clothes. Despite all this though, I am so thankful that God is blessing us with another son. Phillip is so excited to have another boy to play with and grow up with. Sisters are fun, but just not like a brother. So, as I wind down to the last few weeks of this pregnancy, I thought I would post this!

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it was too cute!

•How far along? 33 weeks
•Total weight gain? About 25 pounds
•How big is baby? Not too sure, but should be nearing 5 pounds by now
•Maternity clothes? Uh, YES and the ones I have are starting to get too small!
•Stretch marks? Happily-No!
•Sleep? No! Insomnia and I have become friends. Although, I have discovered that I can take Tylenol PM and that has helped a few times.
•Movement? Yes, especially at night...this could be a bad sign
•Food cravings? Coke, anything citrus type drink, pizza, steak
•Labor signs? I've had some nice braxton hicks contractions, some more painful than others
•Belly button in or out? It is in, but closing up...the kids think it looks funny!
•What I am looking forward to? Meeting this sweet boy that God is blessing us with AND getting to wear my regular clothes again! I hate elastic pants that U have to constantly pull up every time I bend over or sit down!
•Milestone: I am bigger with this one that I was any of the others. This may be my last baby physically...we really want to adopt! Oh, and Phill and I actually agreed on a name-Josiah!

Life Changes

2009-12-03T13:44:00.000-08:00

Wow, it has been a long time since I have blogged! Where has life gone since this summer? As I get older I am saddened by how quickly time goes.

Grace has been in school now for 4 months and I have to say that I miss her more than I thought I would. I guess that is a good thing though. What is even more surprising is that she has told me and Phill that she misses being home with me too. I think that being at this charter school has been very good for her. She has made lots of friends and is learning to deal with others and the world in many different ways. It has also made Phill and I learn how to deal with important life issues too!

Just the other day she was introduced to the topic of sex. Oh boy!!! Phill and I had agreed that we needed to address this topic with her a while ago because we knew she would hear about it soon enough and we wanted her to have the correct information. Not the 2nd grade version. Well, out of my own fear of bringing this topic up I put it off for quite sometime. As we were getting ready to have this special talk with her, I was suddenly overcome with my inadequacy as a mother. There were so many things I wanted to say to her, but what was appropriate and when???? I am so thankful for my husband as he guided me through this new adventure and for some great books that were so helpful! They are titled God's Design for Sex. There are 4 in the series and you can buy them on Amazon for super cheap!

I desire to have a close and open relationship with my girls, but must admit that I am scared and often times do not know where to start. I don't want to get it wrong (which I know I certainly will at times ). I desire to be the main influence in their lives. I don't want it to be their friends and especially not the culture. So, with much prayer and still a little trepidation, I have realized that I have rounded a new corner in life. I am not just in the baby stage anymore....my babies are quickly growing up and we are having to face serious life issues and questions. I guess all I can do is pray, pray, pray, and look at this time as a blessing. I do not want to fear it as most parents seem to do. I want it to be a time of growth in God not only for the girls, but for myself as well. Parenting is a privilege and I pray that even as we face the toughest moments I will remember that!

The Family Under Attack

2009-08-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

'Bumpaholics' Women Who Love Pregnancy
I heard about this from a friend today and was quite saddened by this story especially since we are adding child number 4 to our family. This is just another example of the family being under attack by our culture.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Summer Catch Up Time!

2009-07-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

I realized the other day that it has been 2 months since I last blogged and there has been so much going on in our life that I thought it was time to do a little catch up.

May, as usual was a very busy month. Phill and I were able to travel out to Minnesota for a week to attend the Children's Desiring God Conference with some leaders from our church. It was a wonderful conference and I was so encouraged spiritually by Ted Tripp. Phill and I had an awesome time hanging out with one other and it was a lot of fun to show him were I had grown up. Playing a little putt-putt at the Mall of America!

At the beginning of June we took the kids to Idaho to stay with their grandparents for 4 WEEKS! I have to say that during the 4 weeks they were gone I was super busy, but it was too long and Phill and I missed them terribly. For 2 of the weeks the kids were in Idaho Phill and I were busy getting ready for our youth missions trip to D.C. We were however able to take a lot of time for us and even went to the Melting Pot to celebrate our 8 year anniversary!

Then on June 12, Phill and I left for Washington D.C. with 6 teenagers and one other leader for a missions trip with the Center for Student Missions. It was a great trip and we saw God work in the lives of our students on so many levels. I think I will have to do another blog just on the trip as there is so much I could say.

At the Jefferson Memorial

Our team serving at S.O.M.E. (So Others May Eat) a soup kitchen in D.C.

The day after we got home from D.C. (by the way we drove there and back) Phill and I left for Idaho and a little family vacation. It was soooooooooo good to see the kids! They did very well with out us for 4 weeks and all escaped injury until I got there. The first morning we were there I was taking Ruthie off the top of a bunk bed and did not pay attention to the ceiling fan that was going just above her head. Then next thing I know she had blood streaming down her head. Off to Urgent Care we went. She was a trooper and never cried once.

Fortunately we did not have to get stitches, just some super glue and she was fine! While we were in Idaho we spent a few days up in the mountains with Phill's parents. They live in a small town and we were able to do some camping. It was beautiful where we went and very hot!

Our beautiful camp site.

Ruthie saying "Cheese"

Phillip eating marshmallows

Grace blowing out a marshmallow fire.

We had a great time visiting our family, but after 4 weeks of being on the road we were so ready to get home and back to a normal schedule, whatever that is!

Our summer continues to be busy, but we are enjoying our family time and being back together. Plus, we have learned that we are adding another little one to our family around the end of February! We are very excited that God has chosen to bless our family with another life and are all eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new little person. It seems there are many changes on the horizon for us this next year with school and adding to our family but, I am looking forward to all that God has for us.

Death Is Not Dying

2009-05-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had the privilege of hearing Rachel Barkey speak to a group of women in Canada. The thing you need to know about Rachel is that she is dying of terminal cancer. She is a wife and mother of two young children, but more importantly she is a child of God. Her faith in God through this time in her life is amazing! Please listen to her message and learn more about her and her faith at deathisnotdying.com. If you trust Jesus as your Lord, please listen and be renewed in your faith. If you do not know Jesus as your Lord, please listen, hear the the gospel, and find out more about this man.

2009-04-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

Plastic Womanhood
Your Purpose posted on 04.06.09 by Mary Kassian
Barbara Millicent Roberts turned 50 last month. She’s a few years older than me, but from recent media appearances, I can tell she’s in much better shape. Ms. Roberts doesn’t show any signs of aging. Her skin is flawless. She has no wrinkles. No blemishes. No age spots. No loss of elasticity. As always, her makeup is perfectly applied–her hair is stylish and shiny.
Ms. Roberts weighs the same as she did twenty years ago. Her waist remains tiny, her legs long and slim. Her nails are always perfectly groomed. No backaches or bunions keep her from constantly wearing high heels. Clothes are crucial, and contributors to her extensive and fashionable wardrobe include world-class fashion designers such as Armani, Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Dior, and Versace.
It’s not just her appearance that’s a source of envy. Barbara Roberts has a long and illustrious resume. She’s been a rock star, a professional athlete, an astronaut, a doctor, and a presidential candidate. She currently earns about $3.3 billion a year. And she’s popular, too. She’s had scores of friends, and has been romanced for decades by a handsome, long-time suitor. With her beauty, clothes, cars, houses, careers, and independence, Ms. Roberts is the epitome of fulfilled womanhood.
The problem is, she’s not a real woman. She’s a toy. You probably know her by her retail nickname, “Barbie.” And the image of womanhood she portrays is as fake as her plastic skin. It’s sad that the best vision of womanhood the world has to offer is built on artificial beauty, exaggerated sexuality, unfettered consumerism, fierce independence, and unrealistic expectations. Barbie’s image totally misses what true womanhood is all about.
God’s plan for manhood and womanhood existed from eternity past, before the foundation of the world. Scripture explains that He created us to display His glory (Isa. 43:6-7). That was His overarching purpose. Manhood, womanhood, and marriage display the glory of God’s marvelous plan–that Jesus Christ laid down His life as Husband to redeem and purify the Bride He loves (the Church). When God created male and female, He had the relationship of Christ and His Bride in mind. Men are to reflect the strength, love, and self-sacrifice of Christ. Women are to reflect the character, grace, and beauty of the Bride He redeemed.
The implications for womanhood are staggering. This places womanhood at the center of God’s ultimate purpose. It endows it with supernatural significance and meaning. It lifts it from a Barbie-Doll-type existence to a profound level of importance. Womanhood exists to display God’s masterpiece of redemption. Sisters, the vision of womanhood that modern culture entices us with is far too small. Barbie’s beauty is shallow, fleeting, and deceptive. But the beauty of Christ’s holy Bride is spectacular, eternal, and real. (Eph. 5:22-33)
Plastic Barbie or Eternal Bride . . . Which of these two visions of womanhood has captivated your heart?

To see this post in its original context click herehttp://truewoman.com

A Quick Trip to Minnesota

2009-03-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my grandfather had a heart attack so my mom decided that it was time to go back for a visit. The family was planning a big 75th Birthday party for him as well as a 54th Anniversary celebration of my grandparents. We thought it would be the perfect time to go. I have not been back to MN for about 5 years. It was so good to see all my aunts, uncles (my mom is from a family of 11 kids), cousins, and second cousins. The family has grown quite large! Here are just some of the pictures of the first half of the trip.

On our way out to MN. Ruth was a trooper for it being such a long car ride. Here she is after eating something cheesy!

Before we headed to my grandparent's house in Frazee, MN we spent a few days at my Aunt Sonya's just outside the Cities(St. Paul and Minneapolis). Her son Johnny is 10 and my kids LOVE him, LOVE him, LOVE him. All we heard about before we got to MN was, "Johnny this, Johnny that..."

On Wednesday night the kids were Johnny's guest at AWANA. Grace took her book and was able to get a verse signed off.

Here are the kids eating breakfast at a great bagel shop near where I grew up.

Since we were close to the Cities we decided to go to the Mall of America. I loved this mall when I lived there and there were two stores that I really wanted to take the kids to: Lego Land and the American Girl Doll store.

Phillip, Johnny, and Grace in front of a Dinosaur made out of Legos.

Phillip and a Storm Trooper

Grace loves the American Girl Dolls and she was even able to get her Kit doll a new outfit

Even Ruthie walked away with a new baby thanks to Aunt Abi and Mommy. This girl loves babies! She has been carrying this doll around with her where ever she goes.

Right before Abi and the kids and I headed "Up North", we were able to have coffee with Shelley. She was one of our youth leaders in MN and I spent a lot of time hanging out with her. It was so wonderful to catch up with her.

Here I am with my Aunt Annie, she is actually only 3 years older than I am! The day we arrived in MN she was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. Fortunately she got much better and was moved to the Care Center in town so that she was closer to home and could be part of the family parties. Annie has always called me "Sha" and it was such a blessing to see her and introduce my kiddos to their special great aunt!

The kids meeting their Great Aunt Annie!

These are just a few pictures from the first half of the trip. I have much more to come of the family reunion and the kids playing with their cousins.

Youth Ski Trip

2009-03-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago I went skiing with the church youth group. Crazy thing is that I have not been skiing since I was pregnant with Grace. That is about 7 years ago! Last year I tried snowboarding, but I don't count that as it is not skiing. We took the kids to Loveland again as we were able to get lift tickets for $30. That is almost unheard of here in Colorado. The day turned out to be just beautiful. There was not a cloud in the sky and it actually was not too cold. I really enjoyed myself. The last few times I had gone skiing had been pretty awful. I had gotten hurt, sick, and had my skis taken by someone. I was a bit apprehensive about this day, but I looked forward to being able to ski with my good friends Polly and Kari and her girls. And, to top it all off, I was not as bad as I thought I would be. In fact, I would like to get a season pass and go more often. My husband never thought he would see the day when that would happen!

A shot form the ski lift

Kari and her daughter Britin. Kari used to be a ski instructor in Aspen.

Ms. Polly, my other ski buddy. We liked to stick the the blue and green runs.

My sister Abi is a boarder, I try not to hold that against her.

Shelby and I in the lodge. Last year we took boarding lessons. She went back to boarding and I gave it up! I don;t think my body could handle all those falls anymore.

Ruthie Happenings

2009-02-25T13:22:00.000-08:00

As Ruthie is almost two, we thought it was about time for this little girl to get her wild hair cut. The mullet just had to go!! Here are some pictures of that day.

Walking into Ms. Amy's before the big cut!

She sat so still and did not move once! Is that even heard of out of a 2 year old?

The end result. She looked so much older with all that hair off. She will occasionally touch her hair and say "cut, nice". Too cute that one is.

Lately, Ruthie has wanted to wear her boots ALL THE TIME. It does not matter if it is 70 degrees, bedtime, or if she has nothing else but a diaper on. She seems to be developing quite the fashion sense!

Lastly, after a very short nap, Ruth woke up very grumpy and needing to go back to bed. Well, she did in the middle of the living room. She curled up on the floor and slept just like this for over an hour. I wish I could sleep that soundly on the floor in a ball.

Be Couragous, President Barack Obama

2009-01-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

Gracie

2009-01-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

My daughter Grace, even at 6 years of age seems to have a deep understanding of who God is and how He works in her life. She is forever making up songs about God. There is one that she has been working on for some time now and last night during our family devotion time she taught it to us. I have to say that as her mom, I was so proud of her and moved to tears when I heard her little song. She even had a tune to go with it! Which, I will not sing for you as I would do it a great dishonor. I wanted to share the words though. She is still working on the other verses, but I must say for a six year old she has done quite well.

" You are the Righteous God"

by Grace Crust

You saved us from our sin

When we were not saved

You told us everything about You

But some things are hard to understand

You are the only God

We praise You

It has been my prayer since before she and my other children were born that they would love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength! It has been encouraging to see God work in each of their lives along the way. Phill and I are truly blessed!

One Fun Week!

2009-01-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

Since the week is almost over I decided it was time to fill anyone reading this in as to what the remainder of the week held for me. After Phillip stuck the popcorn kernel up his nose things seemed to calm down, or so I thought. The next day I found out that my dryer had decided to stop blowing hot air and was going to blow cold air instead. I found this out after I had put a wet load of clothes in. It took me over 3 hours to get it dried. All was very quiet Wednesday, I even managed to get out of the house for a few hours. And on Thursday it was so nice outside that the kids and I went for a much needed bike ride to the park.

I did hear back on the car today and it is NO BUENO!! As my kids would say, "It is Jacked Up!" It looks like we have some bad intake gaskets, whatever those are, and it will cost $2000 to fix. So, we are going to sit on it for a while and look at some different options as we do not have that kind of money just sitting around.

Even though my week has been kind of crappy, and I still do not have a working car or dryer, (thanks Mom for letting me do laundry at your house) I know that God is in control and He will provide. Anyway, my husband comes home tomorrow and it will be wonderful to have him home!!

What Will This Week Hold?!?

2009-01-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

This week has marked a new beginning in the lives of the Crust family. My wonderful husband who I am so proud of started his first class at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Phill will be back this Saturday and in the 3 days that he has been gone life has been a little more exciting than usual. It seems that every time Phill leaves for a trip some sort of "disaster" happens. We have to find new child care, a kid gets super sick, there is a crisis at the church that I have to deal with....there is always something. Well, this week has been no different.

I was on my way to church on Sunday feeling very proud that I got my self and all three kids dressed and looking pretty good out the door and on the road by 8:00 am. That is a feat even when Phill and I are both here! I was half way to church when my car started acting like it was overheating and I eventually lost all power. I did eventually make it to church with the help of my mom and a good friend, but the car was still having problems. I have no idea if this issue with the car can be fixed. I guess it is a common problem on this type of car. Needless to say I am now home without transportation until Saturday. Then last night my adorable son awoke in the middle of the night sick to his stomach, he eventually threw up. Then my 2 year old woke up as will with a fever and wanting to be held all day. Things seemed to calm down a bit during nap time when I heard my son crying, "It is stuck forever, I can't get it out!" I thought he was talking about the door to his room or a toy stuck behind his bed so I called him out. Well, out he came looking sheepish, his nose red and a bunch of Kleenex. I immediately asked him what he stuck up his nose, to which he avoided my question over and over. I finally took a look up the nose and what was there? A popcorn kernel! I had visions of Thanksgiving 4 years ago when my eldest daughter stuck a kernel up her nose too. That one required a $100.00 trip to the E.R. Fortunately I was able to get the kernel out by having him just blow and out popped not one but two kernels. He has said that he has not stuck anymore up there, but I guess only time will tell.

So, I am wondering what other exciting things will happen this week!?!?! Does any one else out there experience this or is it just me? Well, I must run, my little one has woken up and is crying, it sounds like a sick cry too.

Those Pesky Fitted Sheets!

2008-12-16T09:13:00.000-08:00

For years I have hated, no loathed folding fitted sheets. They usually wound up in a big ball that I just threw into the linen closet. Well, NO MORE!! I have learned how to properly fold those pesky sheets thanks to Molly Piper and her wonderful blog. I would encourage all my fellow fitted sheet haters to check this out and take a look at Molly's blog as well.

My Monkey Child

2008-11-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

Last week my son Phillip totally surprised me! I was standing in the living room and turned around and there was Phillip climbing up the door frame to his bedroom. He climbed all the way to the top, grabbed on to the top of the frame, proceeded to hang for a few seconds and then dropped to the floor below. Not only does he now climb the door frame, he can also scale up the hallway wall. He will put his hands on the door and his feet on the other side of the hall and "walk" up the wall. I am amazed at this boy's strength!! I think it might be time to get this boy into some gymnastics!

Here he is climbing the door

Spider Boy!! Poor little Ruth looks a bit worried :)

Here Phillip holds on to Phill's thumbs while Phill lifts him up in the air. We are trying to get him to hold his arms out like the male gymnasts do on the rings.

Election 2008

2008-11-05T14:29:00.001-08:00

I have to admit that I was very dissapointed by the outcome of the election. I was so hoping for McCain and Palin to be entering the White House this January. But, as I am learning over and over in my life the ways of man are not the ways of our Mighty Lord and Saviour. I guess one of the things that worries me most about an Obama administration is the culture of death this man seems to have. As one of the most liberal senators he has voted over and over to NOT ban partial birth abortions.

Over the last 2 days I have been listening to and reading Al Mohler's blog and radio program. AL Mohler is the president of Southern Seminary where my husband will start in the spring(yea God!). I have found great comfort in what he has saying in regards to the election and the outcome. I would encourage everyone to read his blog entitled America Has Chosen a President (November 5th, 2008) and heed his call to pray for our new leaders.

Father, I know that all my life

Is portioned out for me;

The changes that are sure to come,

I do not fear to see:

I ask thee for a present mind,

Intent on pleasing thee.

~Anna Waring

Life is Busy

2008-10-14T17:35:00.001-07:00

Much has been happening around the Crust household this last month and I have not been keeping up on the blog very well. There have been many things I have wanted to write about and then just never seemed to have the time to get around to it. Life is just crazy at times!
Two big things have happened though that I will fill you in on. The first is that I went to the most AMAZING women's conference in Chicago this last weekend. This conference was put on my Nancy Leigh De Moss and Revive Our Hearts Ministry. John Piper spoke the very first night and then after him a whole bunch of very Godly women spoke about true biblical womanhood. I left the conference convicted, passionate, and on brain overload. I think I left with over 20 pages of notes. I am still trying to process this all and Lord willing, will post pictures and what I learned later this week. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that each of you check out this wonderful God-centered ministry.

For the last month or so I have been feeling so tired and just plain sick. I have not been sleeping and just feeling worse and worse each day. So I decided to go to the doctor to see what was up. Well they ran a bunch of tests, thyroid, anemia, mono, a virus that is a cousin of mono, and hormones, and oh yea, a pregnancy test. Well, I got the results today......and the winner is....MONO! Can you believe it. I had this once when I was 16 and it was awful. I was so hoping it would be something that they could fix, give me a pill for, or would just go away in 9 months! How in the world am I supposed to rest to get better when I have 3 kids, am doing school with Grace and Phillip, and have ministry responsibilities?? I guess all I can say is that God is good and this too is part of his sovereign plan and just maybe he is showing me how to rely on his strength and not my own.

So, that is a short recap of life right now. I am so excited to share about the conference in the next few days!

Gracie's Tea Party

2008-10-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

This year for Grace's birthday she wanted a tea party. So, we made up a bunch of invitations thinking that not everyone would come. Well, EVERY SINGLE little girl that we invited came!! In all we had 16 little girls and their moms. It was very crazy but, a lot of fun. My mom and sister were a HUGE help. For 4 hours before the party we made small round sandwiches-peanut butter and jelly, cucumber, and ham and cheese. Plus, we made two butterfly cakes. I am not at all a cake decorating person so these cakes only turned out because of Mm and Abi. As for tea, we had punch. Grace does not like tea, but she likes tea parties. Overall it was a perfect day and Grace and her little friends dressed in their finest had a great time and I think this will be a party that Grace never forgets.!

16 sweet little girls dressed in their finest!

Grace getting ready to blow out her candle

The butterfly cake. It only turned out because I made the batter and let the more qualified people decorate it!!

I Have Discovered Something New About Myself.....

2008-09-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

I ENJOY POLITICS! I never thought that I would ever say that but, this election has me excited. I have become addicted to FOX News and I can't get enough of the political happenings. I even have a Sarah Palin button attached to my purse. By the way, my husband things I have lost my mind :).
With my new found excitement in politics I have done two things I never thought I would do: 1. Attend a political rally, and 2. Work at a phone bank. This last Tuesday my friend Kari and I went to the Victory Headquarters for John McCain and for 3 hours called undecided voters to see who they were voting for and what the issues are that are affecting their vote. In three hours I made 168 phone calls. I had a lot of people hang up on me and overall the people I spoke to were fairly nice. My friend Kari on the other hand had some NASTY NASTY people chew her out! I can not believe how rude people can be. I would really like to go back and do more volunteering before the election, not sure what I will do the next time, but I had a good time Tuesday night.

After I attended the McCain/Palin Rally 2 weeks ago I never got around to posting the pictures and sharing my experience so here is the recap on that.

When we got to the rally sight there was a line a mile long to get in. We were given some VIP tickets from a friend who works for the RNC and so we checked to see if we could get in past the line. Low and behold we were able to get in before all the other 13,000 people who attended the rally. The first thing we saw was the McCain plane.

We were able to sit in bleachers right next to the podium about 20 yards from where McCain and Palin would speak. We sat around for about 3 hours before things actually started. During that time I learned just how staged politics is. Many of the signs that are shown in the coverage are made not by the people holding them but by a group of people for the RNC. Here is a picture of just how close we were, I could read the teleprompter

Here is a sign that my dad adjusted

Finally, here are some shots from the rest of the day.

I have to say that the best part of the whole day was watching the Secret Service. Those guys are so cool! They were walking all over scanning people and talking in their sleeves. And man do those guys dress sharp. I wonder who they have picking out their suites and ties?!?

No matter who you are voting for, I would encourage everyone to get involved in politics one way or another.

Tag, You're It!

2008-09-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

I got tagged! I don't usually do these, but thought this would be fun!
Thanks to Carolyn for tagging me...

TEN YEARS AGO....
Ten Years Ago I was 19 and was a sophomore at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to major in and dating the most awesome guy in the whole world. We had been dating for 1 whole year!!

MY TO-DO LIST TOMORROW
1. Get up in time to do my devotions before the kids get up. 6a.m.?!?!?
2. Shower and get ready before the kids get up
3. Make breakfast-cereal anyone?
4. Review AWANA verses and pray for the day
5. Begin school: Math, Phonics, L.A., Music, and not try to pull all my hair out!
6. Make lunch
7. Put ALL the kids and maybe myself down for a nap. I love nap time!!
8. Dink around on the computer
9. Make dinner and spend time with my family

SNACK THAT I ENJOY
Molten Lava Cake or Ice Cream

THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WERE A MILLIONAIRE
In no particular order . . .
1. Pay off mine and Phill's school debt
2. Pay for ALL of Phill's Seminary
3. Buy a car that holds more than 3 kids
4. Give to the church and different ministries
5. Go on a European vacation with my husband
6. Buy a place in the mountains to vacation to and offer to other pastors to use
7. Go to Hawaii-Can you tell I want a vacation! :)
8. Put money aside for the kids' college

PLACES I'VE LIVED(in order)
Minneapolis, MN
Brooklyn Park, MN
One other place that I can't remember
Eagan, MN
Apple Valley, MN
Longmont, CO
Greeley, CO
Colorado Springs, CO
Castle Rock, CO

Tag you're it! If you would like to get in on this email me at mamacrust03@gmail.com. I would love to see your list!

Can a Woman Lead the Country?

2008-09-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

I have been addicted to FOX News for the last week. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the RNC and all the coverage about the McCain/Palin ticket. I have to admit that until the announcement of Sarah Palin as the V.P. choice I was not too thrilled about the election.

I knew that I was not going to vote for Obama, and I was not too excited about McCain either, but at least he is Pro-Life. Like many Christians, I have been reading and discussing all the coverage concerning Sarah Palin and her ability to lead the United States as a VP. As a Christian the issue is further complicated by the fact that though she may be VP of the United States, she would not be permitted to be an elder or pastor at my church. Others question whether should she take the position being a mother (especially the mother of a Down Syndrome child).

As for questions concerning the dynamics of Church leadership and secular leadership, I will defer to my husband and his blog where he has posted on this issue . He has very clearly stated what I believe on that matter. As for Sarah Palin taking the position of VP as a mother, I ask "Why not?" No one is asking Obama, Biden or McCain this question. God has not just called mothers to take care of families but fathers as well. In fact it is quite clear from Scripture that the primary role of leadership in homes and families should be taken up by fathers. Why then, is this question not being asked of men in the campaign? Or is the role of taking care of one’s children only the responsibility of women and mothers? So, these are just a few of the things I have been mulling over in my mind. In the days to come I am sure that I will have more.

Tomorrow morning I will be attending a McCain/Palin rally in CO. I have the privilege of attending as a "VIP" thanks to a member of our church who works for the RNC. I am ecstatic!! Tomorrow I will have more to blog and hopefully some pictures too!! On one last note I have to say that only the Lord knows the outcome of the election and He holds all things in His hands. No matter who wins (I of course pray McCain/Palin)I can rest in the fact that He is in complete control!

Darth Mater Birthday Party

2008-08-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we celebrated Phillip's birthday with his friends. I actually think there were more adults than kids, but it was a lot of fun! In the past we have done the big lunch, cake, and games thing. This year we kept it very simple and I have to say, I LOVED IT! Phillip invited his little friends, two of which were boys. Phillip only has one little boy friend his age so it was difficult to make it an all boy party, but the girls did have fun as they could play with Grace. Even better though, Phillip and his friends were able to torture the girls with their light sabers! So here are some pictures of the day! Oh, and Aunt Abi-thanks soooooo much for the drum set. We JUST love it! (Just remember that paybacks are so not fun!!!)

Phillip and his friend Colby

Ruthie trying out Phillip's drum set! Musician in the making

Phillip wanted Star Wars cupcakes

Enjoying the cupcakes

Phillip with all his WONDERFUL toys

Happy Birthday Grace Elizabeth!

2008-08-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

Today my beautiful girl turned 6!! I can not believe it, where has the time gone? Grace has thus far been the biggest surprise of my life. Phill and I were only married 5 months when SURPRISE, I was pregnant. It came as quite a shock as we were still in college with 2 years left and we were definitely not planning on having kids that early into our marriage. God, in his infinite wisdom had other plans. Plans that have brought me much joy! We gave Grace her name for 2 reasons: we knew that it would take the grace of God to raise her, and we saw her as a gift of His grace to us. The one thing I love most about Grace is her love for God! She seems to have a special, tender relationship with God even at 6. Sometimes she has the sweetest, most God honoring prayers that bring tears of joy and awe to my eyes! I can't wait to see what God does with her life!

In honor of her birthday we planned the whole day around her. For breakfast Phill made her favorite; Eggs Benedict and for lunch we went to the ever fun restaurant, Red Robin! Then for dinner we had a little celebration with Aunt Abi, Nannie, and Bobbie. This year for Grace's birthday we decided to get her ears pierced. She thought it was THE GREATEST thing in the whole world! She was extremely brave, did not cry, and hardly flinched when her ears were pierced. So here are some pictures from the day:

Finding out she was getting her ears pierced.

Getting the ears pierced!

Phillip's gift to Grace: A Genuine Star Wars Light Saber! What a thoughtful brother!

Grandpa Bobbie was in charge of wrapping Grace's Gift. Well, as you can see he wrapped the wrong box. When Grace opened this box she was quite dumbfounded as she looked at all the old cards and teeth molds! The look on her face was priceless and we all had a good laugh at her expense. Bobbie ran home and got the right gift-a genuine Tea Party Set. Now we can have our very own tea parties!!

Blowing out the candles of her cupcakes. (Yes, I ditched the cake after Ruth got into Phillip's cake. See post on Phillip's Birthday)

We will be having a "Formal Tea Party" with Grace's little girl friends in a few weeks and I will post pictures of that later on.

Big Day for Gracie!

2008-08-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a BIG day in our house! Grace Elizabeth Crust has lost her first tooth!! This tooth has been loose for over two weeks now and has just been hanging on by a thread. Well, today was the day. Kailie McDaniel was over (she is a student in our youth ministry) and she was talking to Grace about the tooth. Kailie wants to be a dentist/orthodontist so she was messing around with Grace's tooth and trying to convince her to let her pull it out. So, after much coaxing, a TON of orajel, and a call to Kailie's mom (Grace had to see how Ms. Karen used to pull Kailies teeth out) we got Grace to let us try. It was so cute! Grace laid her head in my lap, shut her eyes tight and yank, the tooth was out!! Here are some pictures of Grace and Kailie.

I know this one is kind of gross, but you can see where the tooth used to be. What a brave girl!

Here is Kalie with her first patient! This one will have to go on your wall when you have your own practice! Thanks Kailie for being so awesome with Grace!

Happy Birthday Phillip!

2008-08-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

WOW! I can not believe that Phillip is 4! Just yesterday he was born, so scrawny and small. He has been so excited for his birthday and for 2 weeks at bed time has asked whether or not it would be his birthday when he woke up! So, when the day finally arrived we let him choose what he would like to do for breakfast and lunch. He chose cinnamon rolls for breakfast and wanted to go to Red Robin for lunch. He loved having people sing to him, but I think that he loved the sundae even more!

Phillip very much wants to be like his dad in EVERY WAY! So we decided to get him a tackle box. He loves the idea of fishing, but not having to touch the fish (that is a story for a later post). Phill found him a Cars tackle box (He loves Lightning McQueen) and we filled it with bate and lures. Phillip loved it! Especially since dad was taking him camping, just the two of them this weekend.

We had Youth Group that night so I made him a cake to have at church. As I was getting ready to leave the house, I set the cake on the kitchen table while I had to get a few things together. I turned around for just a minute and that was all the time Ruth needed to cause trouble. I turned around and there she was at the table digging into the cake. I felt horrible! Philip was great about it and said that it was OK, he would still eat it!! So I brought it to church, stuck 4 candles in it and we ate away. It looked awful but tasted great!

After youth group Tom, our Jr. High guy rigged up a pinata for Phillip and Grace. They had a great time trying to get the thing to break. Unfortunately they were unsuccessful, but they did get ALL the candy. Boy, were they on a sugar high all night! But, they sure did have a great night.

As I was putting Phillip to bed I asked him what was the best thing about the whole day. He said it was getting his tackle box, and of course all the candy :).
We are having a Star Wars birthday party in a few weeks. Phillip loves Darth Mater :) and I will post pictures of that later.
Happy Birthday buddy! I love you very much and pray that you will love God all the days of your life and that He will use you to reach many with the gospel!

One Very Busy Summer

2008-08-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

I can not believe that it is already August! Where does the time go? I remember when I was little just how slowly time seemed to go and now, it just flies!
Our summer has been very busy. I had so many wonderful plans of things I wanted to do and get done and have not gotten to any of them. Oh well, I have really enjoyed the time I have had with the kids and I guess that is what matters most! I did however, get to spend sometime with some wonderful friends from college! For 3 years I was privileged to live with one amazing lady, Melissa. She was such a great friend and Godly example! Phill also lived with Rich, her husband for 1 year and has remained good friends with him over the years. It was just awesome to catch up with them and it was like we never skipped a beat even though we had not seen them in 5 years. One night we were able to have dinner with Rob and Larissa (they were also roommates with Rich and Melissa at one point in college as well) and here are some pictures from that night.

So Rich and Melissa, thank you for your encouragement and laughter. It was just wonderful to spend time with you and we can't wait to see where God leads your beautiful family!

Yes, Finally A Man Gets It!!

2008-07-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

So Ladies, Check out this song...these men seem to get it, why can't all men?
Enjoy! And have a great day

Minnestoa TWINS Come to Town!

2008-05-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday afternoon we got the best phone call! Some friends had tickets to the Twins and Rockies game that they were not able to use and wanted to pass them along to us. I was SO excited! Having grown up in Minnesota, I just love the Twins and went to many games when I was a kid. We had tried to go to this series, but were unable to because of our busy schedule. When this call came we decided to go and take the kiddos with us. We had so much fun! The kids loved it and we got to watch some of the game(bringing 3 kids along really limits what you catch of the game, they are so distracting!). Here are some of the pictures of our night.

Phillip and Dad hoping to catch a foul ball
LOVE the cotton candy! This boy had it all over his face by the time he was done with it.
Ruthie's first taste of cotton candy. Boy did she like it!
Grace sporting her blue face. The people sitting around us got a kick out of these three!
The girls rooting on the Twins( I was surprised by the number of TWINS' fans that were there, it was awesome!)

This picture shows just how close we were to the field! Unfortunately the Twins lost, but we had a great time as a family

Proud Parents!

2008-05-15T20:31:00.001-07:00

Why are we so proud you ask? Last night we celebrated the accomplishments of Phillip and Grace in the AWANA's program at church. This is Grace's third year and Phillip's first in the program. Both of them did extremely well!! Phillip completed his first book; which was a feat for him because he really was not into it. In fact, I think his favorite thing about the AWANA program is the game time-such a boy! Grace on the other hand, seems to love the program and memorizing scripture. She not only completed her first book, but a second book as well. The second book was a bit more challenging, but she did it!

While we are very proud of both Phillip and Grace for memorizing all the scriptures in these books, we are more proud about how they are growing in the knowledge of God. They both seem to be very sensitive to the things of God. Daily they are asking questions about who God is("Does God wear underwear?" Yes, I was asked that by Phillip. "How can God be everywhere and here with me?") and trying to understand their own sin and how Christ has redeemed them. I get no greater joy in life than from hearing and seeing my kids want to know who God is and then hearing their understanding of Him work out in their prayers. I am reminded daily that my children are my mission field. Many times I fail, but I would not trade this job for all the tea in China! We are so very proud of you Phillip and Grace!!!!
Ruthie was not too interested in what was going on during the ceremony, she wanted to run around and play!

Mother's Day Tea

2008-05-13T09:01:00.001-07:00

For Mother's Day this year I was truly spoiled! On Sunday morning my children and Phill rushed into the bathroom as I was getting ready for church with the most beautiful home-made cards. I just love it when Phillip and Grace make their own pictures! Not only that, I received a bag with my favorite coffee-Starbucks Vanilla Frappacinos and some very special lotion. After church we were treated to P.F.Changs by my parents. It was so nice not to have to cook or clean up and be able to sit and catch up as a family. The whole day was beautiful and relaxing. Then on Monday, I got an extra special treat! Phillip's preschool held a tea for all the mothers. We were treated to special food, a hand-made gift and best of all.....a foot massage by our kids. It was so cute to see Phillip do this for me. He was very good at it too I might add. That whole day was so special and it is a memory that will forever stay with me. I am so thankful that I have been given 3 beautiful children and that God has equipped me with everything I need to raise them. I may not always do things perfectly, but I know that they are the perfect children for me and that I am the perfect mother for them because we were created by God. I can't think of a better way to spend this day than with my sweet little family!

Prayer of the Puritans

2008-04-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

For my birthday this past year, I was given a book that has become very dear to me. My husband gave the this little book titled The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. I began starting my devotion time each day with a prayer from this book. Here is one prayer that I have really come to love. There is one line in particular that sticks out to me. It is a call to God to make me so aware of my sin that I become tormented. It is my prayer that whoever reads this beautiful prayer will feel the weight of their sin and realize that it is only through Christ and his work on the cross that we can be freed from this torment. So please enjoy and I would recommend that every Christian gets a hold of this book and uses it to enrich their prayer life!

O Thou Most High,
In the way of thy appointment I am waiting for thee, My desire is to thy name, My mind to remembrance of thee. I am a sinner, but not insensible of my state. My iniquities are great and numberless, but thou art adequate to my relief, for thou art rich in mercy; the blood of thy Son can cleanse from all sin; the agency of thy Spirit can subdue my most powerful lusts. Give me a tender, wakeful conscience that can smite and torment me when I sin. May I be consistent in conversation and conduct, the same alone as in company, in propensity and adversity, accepting all thy commandments as right, and hating every false way. May I never be satisfied with my present spiritual progress, but to faith add virtue, knowledge, temperance, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity. May I never neglect what is necessary to constitute Christian character, and needful to complete it. May I cultivate the expedient, develop the lovely, adorn the gospel, recommend the religion of Jesus, accommodate myself to thy providence. Keep me from sinking or sinning in the evil day; Help me to carry into ordinary life portions of divine truth and use them on suitable occasions, so that its doctrines may inform, its warnings caution, its rules guide, its promises comfort me.

I Slept Through a 5.2 Earthquake!

2008-04-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

I know that I have already said this, but I had a BLAST in Louisville, KY this last week. The weather was awesome and the company of ladies I was with was even better. The Together for the Gospel Conference ended Thursday afternoon and Phill and I were able to spend some time together alone. We dropped off Scott and Kari at the airport and then went back to the Seminary for lunch. I have to say that I have never experienced a more peaceful and Godly school. The whole atmosphere reflects the seriousness of God and is reflected in every person that you come into contact with. Phill and I felt so relaxed every time we were there. After lunch we went back to the hotel and just relaxed. Later that night Phill, his brother Rob, and I went out to a really neat restaurant in downtown Louisville that had the best steak and desert!! Then, as we had been doing every night we went back to our HUGE apartment and talked about God and the church with my parents. Life gets so busy and it was refreshing to have time to just sit and talk about the only important thing in life-God!
It was the next morning around 5:30 am that the earthquake hit. I completely slept through it. Phill on the other hand woke up and thought he was delusional. An earthquake in KY?!?! It couldn't be! That morning we found out that sure enough the earthquake hit in Indiana or Illinois (I can't remember). As Friday was our last day in KY, there was one more thing we had to do-go to the Louisville Slugger Museum. It was really cool to see how they make the bats. We even got to see Troy Tulowitski's bats being made while we were there!

So, here are the highlights from my week in no particular order:
1. Hearing Mark Dever preach in person for the first time and being reminded that believing can only come through hearing the Word of God preached!
2. Seeing over 5,000 men walking the streets of Louisville with their Bibles and stacks of books talking about God.
3. Visiting Cave Hill Cemetery and being reminded that God is in control of all things, even my death and that in the end, I want my life and death to reflect his grace in my life.

4. Getting to know Kari Strobel, Jen Hoos, Renee Dixon, and Heather Dyer better.
5. Hearing and seeing the excitement of the guys from our church after each session of the conference. It is so neat to see God working in their lives.
6. Visiting Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and seeing God at work in so many people at this school.
7. Two words baby: SWEET TEA

I can't wait to return to Louisville in the future when Phill goes out for school and the T4G Conference. I would encourage any lady who reads this to encourage your husband to attend in 2010!

Tea and Dry Bones

2008-04-16T15:50:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning we had the privilege of hearing Mark Dever speak at the Southern Seminary chapel and I was thoroughly encouraged! He spoke out of Ezekiel 37:1-4 about God raising up the dry bones of Israel. It was great to be reminded that only through the word of God we are given life. Salvation can only come by hearing the Word and we do not need to add anything to it. After chapel the ladies and I went out to a good old Southern restaurant for some tea. It was a beautiful little place full of tea cups and tea and the food was amazing. Then we did a little sight-seeing at a cometary in town that was over 148 years old. This place was full of history and even had graves form the civil war. I think one of the highlights though was seeing the Old Man's Grave (Col. Sanders of KFC) my kids love the restaurant and so I had to find this grave for them.

After hearing about the dry bones coming to life it was neat to go through this cemetery and see all the different views of God and death that people have. Many people have no comfort and that is evident in their grave markers. Others though had complete and full trust in God. There were a few graves that had the image of a person clinging to the cross of Christ and it very humbly said: "To Thy Cross I Cling." That is the only way that I can make it through life and death, I need to daily cling to the Cross.

After two hours at the cemetery (yes, I guess we are a bit morbid!) we did some traveling around the town, I saw a sign that caught my eye. It said: Burritos Bigger than Your Head. We just had to stop and take a picture. And we even went inside the restaurant to see if this could really be true. It was! The gentleman working there showed us the package of burritos and they were GIGANTIC as the picture shows.

We then headed back to the hotel to have dinner with the guys and hear all about the wonderful conference. It was great to see them walk in with all their books and big smiles on their face. They were so excited about all they had heard throughout the day. Later that night after they got out of the last session we all sat around in out room (that by the way is bigger than my whole house) and heard all about the speakers and the highlight of the day. It is so encouraging to see God working in each of these men's lives and their excitement for God and his Word. Here are some pictures of the debriefing session!

The BEST Ice Cream in the WORLD

2008-04-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

So I got this ice cream the other night that was fabulous!! I had this little tiny cup and the whole thing was 510 calories! Can you believe that? I saw the calorie amount and ate ALL of it bu myself anyway. Oh so good!

My Trip to Louisville!

2008-04-14T12:37:00.001-07:00

For the first time in the 7 years Phill and I have been married, we are doing something we have never done-taken a vacation with out kids or family! Phill will be attending the Together for the Gospel Conference this week and that is what brought us here. We decided to come out a few days early though and take a look at Southern Seminary. In the fall, Phill will begin taking on-line classes here and so we got a chance to meet with some admissions people, a professor, and get a tour. The Southern hospitality has been amazing! So here are some pictures of the campus. There are two of the beautiful buildings. One of the radio studio where Dr. Al Mohler does his daily radio program, and one of Charles Spurgeon's Bible. That was way cool. It was the Bible he used for much of his life and has notes and underlining in it. Too Cool. So check back this week for more photos of my time here in KY.

Sleepy Head

2008-04-10T14:17:00.001-07:00

Over the last two weeks we have discovered that Phillip can fall asleep just about anywhere. This last Thanksgiving he fell asleep lying down in a chair. These are the most recent pictures of him falling asleep on the couch. He has to be pretty tired to fall asleep like this, he hardly ever sits still for even a moment. Plus, many times he will fall asleep with his leg crossed up over the other one. I think that you can see it in one of the pictures. He has slept in this position since he was a baby!

Gracie's Day O' Fun

2008-04-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

This last Monday Phill and I had to go to Denver to meet with Rob regarding some church stuff. Phillip was in school and so it was just the two girls. We have found that taking the light rail up to 16th St. Mall in Denver is a lot easier than driving most times. We thought it would be a fun time for Grace to experience the train for the first time. At each move and bump along the way her eyes got huge! She was full of questions and loved watching the world go by. Once we were in Denver, we met Uncle Rob, Aunt Larissa, and baby Kaurah. Grace had so much fun and even got Uncle Rob to buy her a big chocolate cake! As you can see from the last picture, she was wiped out by the end of the day. I just love the wonder of new experiences through the eyes of children!

Our Baby is FAMOUS!

2008-04-07T15:40:00.001-07:00

Yes, that is Ruth! She has become famous! She is now in magazine adds and on the Babies R Us website! A few months ago she was chosen for a photo shoot for the Boppy company which is based here in Denver. It was a really neat experience, and I never thought they would use her photos, but to my surprise they did. You all will have to check out the Babies R Us website to see that I am not making this up :) http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2864755

Happy Birthday Ruthie!

2008-03-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it has already been one year since Ruthie was born. Where has the time gone? I think that with each kid the time goes by faster somehow. Just this week Ruth has been walking like crazy. She is still quite wobbly, but she sure is trying and after each fall she gets right back up! I have to admit that the approaching of her birthday has made me quite sad and reflective about how much of a blessing children are and how quickly they grow. It is a good reminder to take advantage of and enjoy the time that I have with my children because there will all too soon come a time when they will be grown up and no longer living at home!

For Ruth's birthday we kept it pretty low key. We celebrated with Uncle Rob, Aunt Larissa, and cousin Kaurah last night and then with Nannie, Bobbie, Aunt Abi, and Vanessa today. As you will see in the pictures we got Ruth her very own baby. This little girl just loves baby dolls! When we were walking down the doll aisle at the store the other night, she stopped what she was doing and her eyes just lit up and she started reaching for any doll that she could get her hands on. I think that Ruth is already living up to her name, she has been a true delight to our family, a bit difficult and stubborns at times, but nonetheless, a wonderful blessing.

Homeschooling Debate Rages

2008-03-13T09:11:00.003-07:00

The debate over homeschooling continues to rage in California. Now the National Education Association(NEA-which is very liberal) is weighing in on the issue. On the front page of their website they had a member of the NEA write his thoughts about homeschooler and their parents. This man is not kind! He calls homeschooling parents "wannabe teachers" who struggle just to teach social, disciplinary, and behavioral skills. He also states that as parents we should leave the shaping of our children’s minds, careers, and futures -- to trained professionals. That is, to those who have worked steadily at their profession for 10, 20, 30 years! Teachers! WOW! I find this very scary. I know what is being taught in the schools, but more importantly it is MY job as a parent to train and shape my child's mind NOT the public school systems'. Oh and by the way, the gentleman who made these comments...not a teacher, but a head custodian at a school! Come On!!

I do not want people to think that I am against public education. I was raised in the public school system and really have no problem sending my kids to a public school. Here is the thing-too often I have seen parents let the school raise their kids. They rarely get involved with their child's education because they have bought into the lie that they are not trained in these subjects so they should just leave that to professionals. As a parent it is our job to know everything that is being taught to our children. I guess I am calling for parents of public school kids to be REALLY INVOLVED. Your kids are learning from someone other than you for 8 hours a day, don't you think you ought to know what they are being taught, how their minds are being shaped? Just something to think about.
Here is the link to that article...check it out and tell me what you think.
http://www.nea.org/espcolumns/dv040220.html

Man Cold

2008-03-08T14:24:00.000-08:00

This is so true of men! Enjoy this bit of humor!

Government Trumps Parents' Rights!

2008-03-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

This morning I learned of a very saddening and frightening decision handed down by the California Court of Appeals; the state's parents have no constitutional right to home school their own children. They have decided that only parents with the proper teaching credentials have the right to teach their own children. WOW!!! What I find most scary about this is that if this is upheld by the Supreme Court, it will open the door for the government to begin telling parents more and more what they can and can not do as parents.
As a former public school teacher, I have been unimpressed with the public school's education. This is one of the major reasons Phill and I have decided to home school our kids. What I saw on a continual basis in the schools was the standard of education being lowered so that all students could be considered proficient. What should have been happening is that the bar should have been raised and students and parents challenged to succeed academically. Whether you home school or not, as a parent I urge you to be aware of this movement and to hit your knees in prayer.
Besides, who wouldn't want to educate and be home with these 3 kids all day! You can read all about this at Al Mohler's blog

My CRAZY KIDS!!

2008-03-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

Here are more random pitures of the kiddos. As you can see Phillip has become quite the little gymnist, always doing headstands wherever he can!! Future Olympian?

Am I ready for trying something new?!?!

2008-03-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

So last week, (yes, it has been too long since my last post. Been a bit of a slacker) I tried something new. SNOWBOARDING. I have to say it was quite the adventure, one that took a couple of days for my body to recover. I have skied probably about a dozen times and I am fairly good (as Phill would say I just lack confidence) but I really just enjoy cruising the easy runs. Everyone has been telling me that I should try this snowboarding because it is so much fun and easy once you get the hang of it (thanks Abi!) So, last weekend we took the youth group to Loveland for the annual ski day and I thought this would be the perfect time to try it. There were two other students who also wanted to learn so I would not have to be by myself. We started the day off with a lesson, which for the most part, I found unhelpful and then spent the rest of the day trying to figure this thing out on our own. I have never been so tired and so sore in my life!!! I fell on my behind and on my face too many times to count. I got home and immediately sat on a heating pad! Will I stick with it? I am not sure, maybe I'll give it another chance, but I think I might just be getting too old to learn something new. Thanks to Shelby though for sticking with me on the bunny hill all day! I had a blast laughing at ourselves.

My God Shall Supply All Thy Needs!

2008-02-19T12:42:00.001-08:00

Since New Years, the Crust household has been plagued with sickness. We have had 5 cases of strep (Grace-1, Phill-2, me-2), two ear infections (Phill and Grace), and numerous colds. We have spent a lot of money on Dr. visits and medications, all of which was not figured into the budget. Since I quite working, we have been on a very TIGHT budget and things like sickness just have not worked itself into our finances. God has provided of us in so many ways throughout this time and today He provided in a HUGE way.
A few months ago the local country radio station started a promo where they would double your paycheck (if you weren't working, they would give you $500.) I singed up and listened faithfully everyday during the set times for them to call my name. I never ever thought they would actually call my name! Early this morning I was back at the Dr.'s office to see if I have strep again ( I don't by the way, but I got some meds to keep it that way since Phill has it now) and as I was leaving I received a phone call from a friend saying the radio station had just called my name. I have never won anything in my life!! I called in and of course the line was busy. For 15 min I could not get through! Finally, I reached them and was even put on the radio. It was so cool!

It is amazing how God works, He knew we really couldn't afford to be sick again, yet in His good and perfect time He took care of us. For the last 6 years I think God has been teaching me that He is all I need and that I need to rely on Him for everything in life. I tend to get very freaked out about finances and I am shown over and over how good God is and how he will provide me with everything I NEED, not everything I want. Thank you God for graciously providing!

Picture of my Cuties!

2008-02-08T16:18:00.000-08:00

I thought everyone might like to see some recent pictures of the kids. Enjoy!

Curly Girl Just like my Daddy, Chocolate and Dr. Pepper
Lovin the baby
Bath time Fun
Please let me outside!

The Joys of Motherhood

2008-02-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

I have officially been a full-time stay at home mom now for 6 months. Has it been everything I have dreamed of? NO! I have to admit that at times I have thought that it would be a lot easier to be back in the classroom teaching 15 special education kids. Has it been the best thing I have ever done? YES!!!! YES YES!!! There are many days that I never see the outisde world or have adult conversations, but I would not trade all of this for the world. Every day God is showing me how blessed I am to have three beatiful children who depend on me for everything. As I look at them and see how fast they are growing I realize that the day will soon come when they will not need me. That thought makes me utterly sad and all the wipping of noses and little behinds so worth it. The Godly Martin Luther had some great words about being a parent that strike right to the heart of our calling. We need to remember that being a parent is a great high calling from God. He has entrusted us with His creatures to raise in the admonition of the Lord. I think we would all do well to look at parenthood as Luther did.

Now observe that when that clever harlot, our natural reason (which the pagans followed in trying to be most clever), takes a look at married life, she turns up her nose and says, "Alas, must I rock the baby, wash its diapers, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights with it, take care of it when it cries, heal its rashes and sores, and on top of that care for my wife, provide for her, labour at my trade, take care of this and take care of that, do this and do that, endure this and endure that, and whatever else of bitterness and drudgery married life involves? What, should I make such a prisoner of myself? 0 you poor, wretched fellow, have you taken a wife? Fie, fie upon such wretchedness and bitterness! It is better to remain free and lead a peaceful. carefree life; I will become a priest or a nun and compel my children to do likewise."
What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. It says, "0 God, because I am certain that thou hast created me as a man and hast from my body begotten this child, I also know for a certainty that it meets with thy perfect pleasure. I confess to thee that I am not worthy to rock the little babe or wash its diapers. or to be entrusted with the care of the child and its mother. How is it that I, without any merit, have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? 0 how gladly will I do so, though the duties should be even more insignificant and despised. Neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labour, will distress or dissuade me, for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight."

Parenting in the Pew

2008-02-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

I just completed an amazing book this week that I think everyone who is a parent MUST read. When Grace was 2 years old we began to think about who was teaching her during the church service. After looking through the scriptures about parenting we became convinced that it is our responsibility to raise her and our future kids in the way of the Lord. For us this meant keeping her in the service with us instead of sending her to children's church. I know that most parents would think this was crazy, a rambunctious 2 year old sitting through an hour and a-half long service!! No Way!! I have to admit that at first it was difficult. Grace did not just come in and sit quietly at the get go. Through training and LOTS of talking she has begun to realize the importance of worshiping with all of God's people every Sunday. We still have our ups and downs in the service, but we are confident that both she and Phillip (and eventually Ruth) now are hearing the word of God and learning how to actively listen and participate. I really appreciated how the Robbie Castleman stresses the importance of teaching our children to worship God and how this is our responsibility. Keeping our kids in the service is not just about getting them to stay quiet or awake. The call to worship for children and adults centers on the One who calls us. It is not merely a friendly suggestion but a loving command. God is worthy of our worship and he is watchful when we worship (52). Teaching our children how to love and worship God is the most important gift we will ever give them!

Family Picture

2008-01-31T22:06:00.000-08:00