I am posting some 4th of July pictures which I was going to post on my last post, but I did not get around to it. I am also posting some pictures of our last teen activity we had this last weekend. We have a missionary family who has been here for the past year. They have 3 teens so we had a going away party with pizza, games and pie! They requested Tim to make a banana cream pie and a cherry pie. They both turned out good!
The other set of pictures are from our fun night tonight where we took Megan to the play area at the at the mall. It was our first time to take her there, and she loved it. She loved crawling around and watching the kids play. She found a couple of toys that she loved as well. I have found a great cool spot to take her during the summer. I am so excited!
Life has been very busy here in the Armstrong household, but life has been very good as well!
We took our teens to Amazing Grace Baptist Camp June 15-20. Seven teens were able to attend with us. It was a wonderful week at camp. Tim, Megan, and I all got to stay in a guest house for the week (which was air conditioned!!!). It worked out pretty well having Megan there with us as she still was able to stay on her schedule for the most part. We really enjoyed meeting the other sponsors and talking with them. It was an encouragement to us to hear from them and about their ministry as well. We also had an opportunity to hang out with our teens quite a bit from just sitting around and talking to playing different games with them. I really feel like it was a time where our teens were able to bond with each other and be unified more deeply. The teens also seem to really enjoy the services, and we really were so thankful to the Lord as we heard what the Lord had taught them during the services.
The next week was spent getting ready for VBS. We do a children's VBS in the morning and then a teen one at night. Tim was in charge of VBS this year so we worked together getting everything organized. The people here at church were a wonderful help though with sharing with the responsibilities. My parents were such a blessing to us as they helped us with the ropes of what was needed to be done and such, and just jumped in to help out wherever was needed.
June 26th was my dad's birthday. We were able to spend the day before his birthday with him. It was a special time as we got to grill out, and then play games. I am so thankful to the Lord for helping him get through his small heart attack last month and helping him continue getting stronger! He is a wonderful father and had really helped us in our ministry here in Kansas. Then on June 26th, the church held a bridal shower for my sister. The ladies from the church were so loving in helping her out so much with her new home with many gifts for their kitchen.
June 28-July 2 was the teen's VBS, and June 29-July 3 was the childrens. Both of them went really well. We were very excited about the ones the Lord brought our way to share with them God's Word. It was such a busy time as I was at the church all morning with the Children's VBS, and back again at night with the teens. (Tim had to sleep during the Children's VBS as he work nights! but he kept busy studying for the lessons and such as well) Bless Megan's heart...she did not get to see a lot of us parents last week, but of course she survived. I had a teenage girl watch her in the morning, and then my mom watched her at night. (I have thouroughly enjoyed having Megan all day long this week!! I missed her last week)
Tim had to work overtime on July 4th which was a little disappointing and made our time with him that day shorter, but we were able to go over to my parents house and hang out there that day. Tim slept at my parents house while I hung out with my parents. We grilled chicken for supper, and then after supper shot off the few fireworks we had bought the night before. (Megan was really funny with the fireworks...instead of crying b/c she was scared, she planted her face into my shoulder and clung onto me for dear life. It was so cute. By the end of the night, she was a lot less tense about the noise and was sitting up watching. Tim enjoyed her snuggling with him during the fireworks b/c she usually does not snuggle a lot with her daddy, just mommy! He said we needed to have fireworks more often so he could get more cuddles!!) N-ways, that night, we went to Rose Hill School and watch the fire works display there. It did not start until 9:45. The only thing I could think of is that didn't they know that little kids needed to get to bed and that there was church in the morning! (I thought they would start the show before then, but Megan did well even though she was so tired). Of course I know they wanted to make sure it was nice and dark!
This week is a little bit of a slower week for us and we are very excited about that. Tim and I have both been encouraged just this last week in our Teen Bible Study hearing from the teens what the Lord has been teaching them. IT is just so encouraging to see that some of the teens are growing in the Lord and reading the Word! We praise the Lord for all that He has done in this last month, and are excited about what He is going to do in the future!
Must report this as well...Megan started crawling 2 days before her 8 month b-day. She is now all over the place. We are really enjoying this stage in her life (other than having to tell her no constantly!)
Megan got her 6 month pictures a couple weeks back at JC Penneys....she was actually like 6 months and 3 weeks. N-ways, Tim and I were thankful that Megan was a happy girl throughout the photo shoot. Although, at the end, she starting fussing, I was like, she is done....she is tired of going from sitting, to tummy, to back, etc. So we just stopped at that point, but the photographer had already taken a lot of good pictures.
Wow, I cannot believe it has been a whole month since I have updated the blog. A lot has been happening...I will try not to make this too long...but it will be long...sorry.
We made a trip to Kansas City for a business trip for Tim. While Tim was working, Megan and I hung out at the hotel. We enjoyed being one a little trip, but wish Tim did not have to work. I think my high light of the trip was that we got to take Megan swimming for the first time, and she loved it. She just splashed and splashed. Tim's highlight of the trip was that we got to eat at Chick-fil-a. We both really miss that as we have not seen one here around us:(
Mother's Day was also special. This was my first one with Megan outside the womb! Tim was so sweet to me. He got up and cooked me breakfast. When I got up, I walked into the kitchen, Tim had the table set with beautiful flowers on it as well as some gifts. I had a wonderful breakfast! I got pictures of the table and the breakfast and such, but did not get a picture with Tim or Megan that day...oops...well, I did get a cute picture of Megan by herself. That will have to do.
We had Awana Awards night the second Wednesday of May. That went really well. We had a good turnout (of course, we grilled out hamburgers and hotdogs...gotta come for the food!!!) with kids and parents. Tim had the opportunity to teach a Bible lesson and was able to present the Gospel. We praise the Lord for a year of Awana where kids can come and hear and memorize God's Word.
We also enjoyed a relaxing Memorial Day. Grandpa and Grandma Riffel were able to come and visit that day. Tim and I bought Megan a small pool which we set up. She loved splashing in the pool!! It is like a bath outside! Dad and Tim grilled chicken that day and we just had a fun family day!
We also had an unexpected event happen last week. My Dad went to the ER as he was having chest pains. Long story short, he had had a small heart attack. It was definitely scary for all of us as he was in so much pain. I am thankful though that Tim and I are here in Kansas where we were able to visit him in the hospital and be with Mom and him. We praise the Lord that He protected my dad and that he will be able to resume back to his normal routine after the time it takes to recover from this.
I must say that we are presently experiencing the roughest week we have had since we have been out here in Kansas.... from discouraging times in ministry to buying a house. I told Tim just today that I feel like we have been striving to minister here and serve here and trying to develop ways to even be able to have more of a ministry, and it just seems like this week, we are hitting road blocks and discouragements. As far as buying a house, we had signed a contract on our house, applied for the loan and a grant. We had thought the closing date would be June 18th, but then they called us and told us they had to change it until July15th to give time for the loan and such. We were fine with that b/c that is still before my sister's wedding, and we will still have time to move in and have rooms available to help with company. Plus, we would be in Rose Hill and be like a couple of minutes from my parents house and the church we are serving in. (That is our reason for wanting to get into Rose Hill, to be close to the church and be able to be more involved with having people over and such rather than being 15-20 minutes away from the church.) Well, today, we got a call that the grant money we were applying for is out for this fiscal year, and that we could wait until Sept 1st to apply again for it if the seller would agree to move back the closing date. We were SO disappointed. We are waiting to hear back from the seller's realtor. We really were wanting to get into Rose Hill by the wedding and such, but also, we have already put in our 30 day notice for this apartment, and well, plans now must change. Although, I would never choose to go through a week like this, the Lord is showing us that we need to be faithful to Him...He will ALWAYS be faithful to us. I read this quote on facebook today at the exact time Tim got the call from the realtor giving us this disappointing news on the house. It said "The sovereignty of God is believed as a concept by most believers. However, that belief will be tested in each individual at certain points through life's journey. It is at those specific points where a believer really shows whether or not that biblical concept is rock-solid truth!" My dad has been very encouraging to us this week saying that these are the times that the Lord grows us and matures us, don't let Satan have inroads to this discouragement, and make sure we are encouraging each other. I am so thankful for my dad who has been through many hard times in ministry and is able to encourage us and understand the hard times. (Thanks Dad!!) Please pray for our housing situation...we will keep you updated.
Lastly, on a happy ending note...and I mean a really happy ending note...Karis, Kayla, and Krista are coming in July for my sister's wedding. I am SO EXCITED to see them again and have them meet Megan! Can't wait to have some sweet sister talks and see the cousins play together. Enjoy the pictures
Today, Megan's first tooth poked through! I have been checking each day for while because I figured one would be coming soon. She woke up pretty early today, took a short morning nap, and was on the fussy side. I put my finger on her gum, and I could feel a little poke!! It was an exciting time to a struggling morning! I went and woke up Tim so he could get in on the excitement!! (I am not sure how excited her felt to be woken up, but he was very nice about it.) So now, I am waiting on the 2nd tooth to pop through. She has been fussy the last couple of days and has been waking up randomly in the night just crying. Hopefully once this next tooth pops tooth, she will get back to her normal happy self!!
Megan has also been rolling over from back to tummy a lot...especially in her crib. (Then she gets stuck because she has not mastered the tummy to back yet, so I usually hear her give a little cry out. I have to check to see if she is on her tummy, and if she is I turn her over. She has fallen asleep sometimes on her tummy now, but if she wakes up, she cries out. She is not very good at falling back to sleep on her tummy yet.)
We also recently started her on her veggies! Tim and I ventured out and decided to try to make our own baby food. It went well (I am so glad Tim was willing to help me on it!) We have frozen squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and green beans.) Megan started out with Squash and is now on sweet potatoes. She has enjoyed both of those veggies. I am going to try the carrots next! It is so funny because she knows now when we put her in her high chair, she is going to get fed! She loves to eat.
One other thing that I found really really cute....Megan loves watching her Praise Baby DVD. She has seen us put it in our clearplay dvd player when we set it up for her to watch. Well, today when I was putting in a CD into the clearplay dvd to listen to, she started squealing like she was going to get to watch her movie. I think she was confused when the music came and nothing was on the T.V.
As for Tim and I, we were able to take our teens to a Teen sensation at a camp a couple of Saturdays ago. A lot of our teens were busy that day unfortunately, but we were excited to take the three that could go. We had an enjoyable time there. Two of the boys we took do not have a Christian family, so it was a good opportunity for them to hear the Gospel. One of the boys did respond. Tim was able to go through the Gospel with him. He did pray, but we are not really sure where he is still (obviously since the prayer is not what saves you....and only the Lord knows what is in his heart). We do praise the Lord though that he was able to hear the Gospel. These two boys come to Sunday night Bible study and Awana on Wednesdays very regulary. One of the boys sometimes comes on Sunday night as well to church so we will continue trying to reach out to these boys.
Tim and I are also looking into buying a house in Rose Hill. That is where the church is that we are serving at, and we feel like if we can get into the town, we would have more of an outreach with the community. (We live in Wichita now which is about 15 minutes away.) We are praying that the Lord would open up a door to find one that would work.
Awana is coming to an end here as school is about to be up. We have had a wonderful year with the kids! Tim and I are now starting to plan for VBS and taking the teens to camp this summer. That is pretty much what is happening here in the Armstrong household!
