Recent Events...

We attended Portland City Fest down at the Waterfront with some fabulous friends...Mel, Trisha, Mandy and Aaron...GREAT night! We had so much fun and it was terrific getting to know these swell people better. I'd say that a 1 a.m. trip on Trimet proved the bond of friendship quite well! Good times, good times!


We also took the junior highers up to Seattle for a Mariner game. Trisha purchased a stick of chocolate covered strawberries, which Anna really wanted to get her mouth around...but alas...to no avail.

Sunday, was a "Serve Sunday." No normal Sunday services were available and it was an opportunity to put our words of love into action. Our church spread out across our community and worked in the morning at different locations; we found ourselves at a nearby school. That afternoon, a group of our junior highers and staff worked along a downtown street, cleaning up after the yearly Antique Fair. The Chamber of Commerce graciously pays us for this job, of which the proceeds go toward our Warm Springs Missions Trip.

Today, I got to spend some time learning a new skill with a "kindred spirit." My dear friend Stephanie invited me over this morning and afternoon to make homemade applesauce with her and can it, with some to take home as well! We had such a fun day! It was a breath of fresh air. I have been so blessed by her friendship and unconditional love. She is quite the little home maker and country girl, which I adore. We picked some fresh apples off of her neighbors yard this morning and then we went to work cutting up our tiny apples...we cut for a couple of hours and filled two large pots of apples to which she added sugar and a bit of cinnamon and lemon juice. While it was cooking down (and smelling AMAZING) she turned on one of our favorite movies of all time, "Anne of Green Gables" (that's Anne, spelled with an "e")! She put on the tea pot, pouring my cup with a Christmas tea and her cup with Lipton tea and she cut us each a slice of Amish Friendship Bread...everything about our time together really hit the spot! Thanks Steph!

I don't have pictures of our time, but I will try to take some pictures of the canned applesauce...

Josh and I attended a Pastor/Pastor Parish potluck tonight and really enjoyed the fellowship. We have such a fabulous staff at our church...we're so thankful for the support and love.