Another Contest!!!

Amanda on August 18th, 2008

I talked to the guys at Group, they are the ones putting on the conference I was talking about. They agreed to sponsor this “contest” and give as a Grand Prize- free registration to the Februaury Conference!! They are also nice enough to give away a dinner for two, and some Starbuck’s gift cards as other prizes.

Get thinking….
So, most of our camp seasons are coming to an end. I was wondering how you all refresh with your spouses and your families. I know we are now all gearing up for the fall. It’s just as busy. Even though our spouses may not be gone, they are not always present during the back to school season. What do you all do? Tell us funny vacation stories, encouraging stories, any way you spend your in between the seasons time together that helps you get through it all.

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Something to Consider…

Amanda on August 14th, 2008

I know this is early planning, but I want everyone to consider this…

There is going to be a SYM/Group National Youth Ministry conference coming up.

It is in Columbus, OH Feb 27-March 2, 2009

As far as pricing–the spouse rate for NYMC is $249 per person.

I went last year, and it was AMAZING! I think this could be such a great place for all of US to connect. I would love to meet as many of you as I can and put faces with names! I am not a youth worker, but I loved being there with Jeff and doing my own thing while he went to his own break out sessions. The speakers were perfect, even for a spouse! (Kay Warren is one of the keynote speaker this year.) I loved being a part of what Jeff does and was reminded how much he loves his job and why WE do this and make the sacrifices WE do for each other all in the name of Christ and ministry (sorry to sound so cheesey).

There will be lots for spouses to do, conference wise. My very bestest friend in the whole world, Cathy Fields, is doing her 4-session track (I may even get to use the microphone once or twice in her conference). She does a great job leading us in table discussions and helps with the “I’m all alone” syndrome. I will be leading an affinity group after the tracks each day. I just get so excited thinking about all of us together chatting it up!

I know it is expensive and will take a lot of planning. Maybe some of your churches will pay for spouses? It’s worth an ask. But if not, I still think its totally worth the money! Start praying and saving!!

Anyone who has attended this conference, tell us about it!

Click below for more information on the conference:
http://www.youthministry.com/conference

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One good way to keep your husband from going to camp…

Amanda on August 6th, 2008

Have a baby!

Don’t get too excited I am still pregnant, inching toward the finish line, but still with child. But while Jeff was away last week at his second to the last week long trip of the summer I went into pre-term labor. Everything turned out fine, but during the craziness I couldn’t get a hold of him and being in Utah, he wouldn’t have made it home in time anyway. SO…needless to say he will NOT be going to the last camp of the summer (which takes place 2 weeks before my official due date).

I feel a little bad being the reason he can’t go, but not too bad. I am pretty huge, grumpy and hot all the time. I’d like to trade that for a week at camp.

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The List

Amanda on August 3rd, 2008

About 4 weeks ago I made a list. It looks like this:

Sunday sheets/laundry
Monday dust/laundry
Tuesday bathrooms/laundry
Wednesday kitchen/laundry
Thursday floors/laundry
Friday free day
Saturday vacuum/laundry

I thought it would be helpful for me to stay on task. I was pretty good about it the first week, maybe doing 80%. The second week I was pretty frustrated because I couldn’t keep up with the list, maybe doing 10%. The third week I just ignored the list all together, doing maybe 5%. This week each time I look at the list I laugh out loud, I expect to do maybe 0%, and then throw the frickin list away!

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Think Before you Speak.

Amanda on July 28th, 2008

Today I went to a party. Granted, I wasn’t looking my best. but the LAST thing anyone wants to hear is this phrase: “You look tired.” People, seriously…stop saying this. For one, if I was tired I’m sure I don’t need you to tell me how “tired” I look. For two, If I felt great, I felt like poo after that. No good can come from telling someone they look tired. For lasties, we all know it’s a nicer way of saying, “Hey, nice to see you. You look like crap.”
The next time someone tells me I look tired, I’m just going to tell them they look ugly. At least I can go to sleep and fix my problem.

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The “Good” Life…

Amanda on July 23rd, 2008

Which makes me more “White-trash”?:
a) Loving to shop at the Wal-mart.
b) Calling it the Wal-mart.
c) Having a skull sprinkler head and pulling it into the alley so the kids can ride their bikes through it (naked).
d) Putting bubble bath in the kiddie pool and calling it a real bath.
e) Having black feet from walking outside with no shoes on all day.
f) Drilling a hole in our picnic table and placing a regular umbrella in it for shade.
g) Playing on a slip and slide in our FRONT yard.
h) Owning 1985 green aluminum folding chairs and using them in public.
i) My husband sitting in the green aluminum folding chairs in the alley with no shirt on.
j) My 4 year old son sneaking a pee in the bushes (of our home).
k) Having a fire place screen that is an adjustable baby gate.
l) Killing 14 flies inside my house in ONE day.
m) All of the above?
This list scares me a little. My life is fun and simple, but I did just check to see if my house was a double-wide and if there was a car parked in our yard.

We’re really livin’ the good life!

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Private Time.

Amanda on July 20th, 2008

My son, who is 4, is learning about “private time”. Private time can be time spent alone, or with another person, but just you, no tag-alongs. He is discovering the power of this time and the necessity of it as well. I don’t know if it is because he can sense the baby’s due date is nearing, or our time is getting busier, probably both. But everyday Dylan asks for some private time with just me or just dad. He needs some time to be near us, just him. Molly is not allowed and this time is respected. Once he just wanted to sit together on the couch, no talking, just sitting and snuggling. Once he wanted to sit on the couch alone. The other day he wanted to have a “serious” conversation, which consisted of him making absolutely no sense at all using big nonsense words and an adult sounding tone of voice. Today he wanted his dad to play legos with him while he sat on his lap.

Private time usually doesn’t last long, about 5-10 minutes, is all his little attention span can handle. But I realized that during this special noted time Dylan is recharged and I feel connected to him as well.

Don’t we all need “private time”? It really is such a simple time, time alone for you, time alone with just your kid, time alone with just your husband, time alone with God.

It’s just so simple. Why do I always avoid it? (”I don’t have the time”, “my schedule just doesn’t allow it”) Why do I try to make it harder than it is? (”I don’t have a babysitter”, “there’s nothing to do”, “it takes too long”) In this moment it seems crazy to make excuses for something so simple and so necessary.

The wisdom of a 4 year old.

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Mom Jeans…

Amanda on July 13th, 2008

I am COMPLETELY out of style. I don’t know if motherhood sucks it right out of you, or if I never was in style before. But I really am out of it now. My confession is this:

Have you ever had a dream that you know is not going to happen, EVER. And you are realistic about it in your real life, but you keep thinking in the parenthesis of your mind, that it might, maybe happen. But really it won’t. I think…that Oprah will come to my house as I’m sitting on the couch while my kids are napping. She will kid nap me and take me to her Make-Over Show. Her team of highly skilled make-up and style goo-roos will transform me into the fashion model I feel I am on the inside.
That’s it. That’s the dream.

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Pulling an All-nighter…

Amanda on July 7th, 2008

and its not even a youth event! My husband has decided recently, in the past month or so, to not only continue to “soft” snore, but to do it a little louder and now has added a clicky sound that he makes with his mouth and his throat. It’s awesome! I think the only thing that will cure it is if I tape his mouth and nose closed when he sleeps. I’m no expert, but I think this might kill him. Being 4:18 in the morning, and I have been up since 2ish, its still not such a bad idea!

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Refreshed…

Amanda on July 7th, 2008

I just got home from a refreshing mini-retreat in Palm Springs 120 degree heat! It really was refreshing. Not the heat when you are almost 8 months pregnant, but the time we spent there. It was a Student Ministries Staff and Spouse retreat. We do it every year and I think it is the greatest thing our church can give our youth leaders. It was so fun to feel apart of Jeff’s team and connect with the other wives (and husband :) ). It was also a time that the Student Ministries team was able to affirm and appreciate the spouses not only by including us, but while they did a little meeting we all went out and got manicures and pedicures and had lunch together as a gift. It was refreshing to just play together and be reminded how much we enjoy each other and to see how much our husbands love their jobs. It seems much easier now to support him (not that I didn’t before, but you know…it gets hard). It was just good to feel connected again.

How do you feel connected with your husbands job/ministry?

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