Big news

Well big news on the Kurtz front....Matt got the job with Frito-Lay!!!!! Finally a real job with real hours and real pay! MAybe we can be grown up now. The other big news is that I think we've found a house. And the timing is awesome....God just knew that things here were getting just a tad strained and now this house opened up! Praise the Lord. I think we will be here about another month and then we should be able to move in. God is good!

We are heading to Detroit this weekend to see...everyone. We literally are seeing tons of people. It should be tons of fun! Plus we get to borrow Tim and Mindy's brand new van for the trip since our van is sick.....ugh. I hate cars, why did we get rid of horses and buggies again?!?!? Ah well.....but how awesome to have friends that would give you whatever you need, whenever you need it. What an fabulous spiritual gift that is!

Well this blog is so random...sorry I'm a bit scatterbrained today!

You're kidding.....

So this morning I go for my annual pap smear.......those of you women who read this will understand how I am feeling. There's just something about someone looking in places that realy shouldn't be seen. Now, I'm all for it if I am unconscious. But, while I am wide awake and just laying there it is a bit awkward. However, it is necessary I suppose so I will suck it up and do it.

And big news on the hosue hunt.....a house that our church owns is coming up for rent in May......Lord, could this be it????!?!?!?!?!!

Here are the girls, SOOOO excited to be outside they can hardly stand it. We went to the park yesterday and the kids' eyes got so big as we pulled up. "Mom, can we really play at the park??? It's warm enough??? there's no mud????" They flew out of the car and didn't stop moving for two hours. Thank you Lord for Spring!
Yay for Spring part 2

As I walked Noah out to the bus this morning, I spotted this.....it just made my heart soar. The Lord knew I couldn't handle anymore cold, cold weather and that my children would be certifiable if not allowed to run and play outdoors. Bring it on!!!!!
Yay for spring!

The Easter bunny

It is somewhat disturbing to me in our day and time that Easter is no longer sacred. On Wednesday night I looked out over the 30 kids that I work with, all excited about sharing the story of Jesus rising from the dead. It's one of the most significant things in a believer's life!!!!! I asked a simnple question, "Who can tell me what Sunday is?" A little girl answered, "Easter, teacher." * happy sigh* (the warm fuzzies are coming on....) "Ok, good. And who can tell me what happened on Easter?" (Preparing myself for the wonderful, spiritual answer.....) * another happy sigh* "Why, the Easter bunny brought Jesus candy, teacher!" (earth shattering silence as all the other teachers look at me, waiting to see how I will respond to said answer...) "Well.......let's back up....." So we went back through Good Friday and why Jesus had to die and how He rose from the dead (music swelling...) so that He could conquer death.....it was awesome. We've had three kids accept the Lord in the last three months nad as I looked out over the faces who were watching me with (mostly) rapt atttention, I noticed one little girl. She acccepted the Lord last Wednesday night. She came to church for the first time on a Sunday last week. When I hugged her and told her that I was surprised to see her, she replied, "Well I asked Jesus into my heart and the bible says you need to go to church, so here I am." Ah, to have a child's simple grasp of Jesus!!!!! Anyway, back to Wednesday, I looked out and spotted her. Her eyes were brimming with tears and I knew she understood exactly what I was talking about. Praise the Lord for even this one girl who will see Easter through entirely new eyes!!!

Spiritual Awakenings

Man, I am tired this morning. Why is it that when you make huge steps in your spiritual life it is SO tiring? God grabbed me by the throat yesterday and forced me to my knees on an area of my life that has controled my life for a very long time. It all started with church yesterday......

I was just minding my own business, singing on the worship team. Our last song was called, Surrender. It's an awesome song and, as I'm singing it, I realize that I am supposed to surrender. I pushed the Spirit away, thinking, not now! Then we went to small group last night and the very subject we were talking about was the one I needed to release! God is good. So I burst into tears (must be God because I don't usually cry about spiritual things!) and reveal my secrets to my small group. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I always want everyone to think that I have it all together, that I am a good christian, a good mom, wife, etc. But I couldn't keep up the mask anymore. God forced me to get real with my group. And no one condemmed me, they surrounded me with love, prayer and support. God is so good. And this morning I awoke to the sun in my window, a reminder that God's mercy is new EVERY morning. I will struggle with this every day, but I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Being from an Irish family this day has been especially.......green. We always have green milk first thing in the morning (Jonah took one look and said "I am NOT drinking that!) the of course there's the various green food throughout the day, the pinches if,God forbid, you aren't wearing green, and of course the green beer at the end of the day. So Happy St. Pats to all ye Irish and those who wish they were!

*sigh*

Well now Molli has strep....does it never end?! Man, I wish I could earn frequent flier miles from going to the doctor! But praise the Lord for the sunshine and the warmer weather. It has lifted the dark cloud over my head!!! And Sydney has finally stopped yelling for what she wants and is using her sign language! Emma is finally potty trained and I think Molli has lost her binky for good (SHHHHH!) So all in all, I know that I know that God is good and always has me in His hands, which are much larger than mine!

Grrrr

Well no surgery this week, Molli held out to the last minute and then got croup. All in all it has been an awful week in this house. Mom had influenza and was flat on her back all week, Noah and Jonah were home all week with sickness, Sydney was getting better, Emma got croup, and then Matt got sick. And to top it all off, our transmission went out in the van so we now have no vehicle. I am so weary in soul and spirit right now. I'm the closest to depression that I've ever been. The weather doesn't help either. Lord, what are you doing here????What are You trying to teach me???

So Miss Sydney has discovered Dora......I'm not entirely sure that this is a good thing. She does look pretty cute in that little chair staring up at the television like it's the first time she's even noticed it was there! And so it begins.......
uh oh

Idol anyone?

Ok, so there's all this talk about Lost...well I wish I would have seen it from the beginning because I've caught parts of a couple of episodes and it seems really good. This year I promised myself (along with my m0ther) that we would NOT get swept up in and involved in Idol. Of course Aunt Carol moved to town and sucked us all in. We were rather willing, naturally. So is there anyone else out there who is sucked in? (Joce, do you wish you knew what we are talking about?!) I also must confess that Tuesdays are particularly pesky because of another new show that I adore. House MD. This is a brillant show and Hugh Laurie is amazing. I was uninterested at first since how good could a show be where the star was Stuart Little's dad?? I mean, come on. But it is one the best shows I have seen in a long time. Check it out!

So where is the justice when your baby girl has to miss her own first birthday because she is sick?? No cake smashing, no first presents, no nothing. I know she doesn't know that it was her birthday, but I know and somehow that matter to me. We always celebrated our birthdays on the actual day, not the weekend after, what fun is that? Anyone else agree?

Aww 

My Baby

One year ago today this was my Sydney, brand new and pink. I can hardly believe it has been a year already. She is so big and grown up. Why do you think God designed it so that the infant stage was so short and the toddler phase lasts forever??!!! I don't understand that one, but it's sad to me (in an odd way) that there are no more Kurtz babies.......

Worried.....

Two weeks from today is Molli's surgery. There are moments when I know that everything will be fine. Other moments I freak out and can't imagine watching them take my daughter behind those double doors with the intention of cutting her open. God is all powerful and He can certainly hold Molli in His hands and I know He will. I just can't bear the thought of them cutting her open!!!!!!