January 27, 2008 at 9:38 pm
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Get pulled over by a cop! But let me back up and fill you in on the details.

This weekend was another crazy packed out to-the-max one! Friday noon, after Troy’s parent-teacher conferences , we zoomed out of Joplin and headed to Tulsa. We hit several fun places to treasure shop and then met up with Seth that evening. We parked our car at a Walmart, and all headed home in Seth’s truck.

Saturday morning we journeyed once again, this time to Springfield, and dropped Seth off to take his MCAT. (Check out his blog to get the scoop on it!) Troy and I went to all kinds of places hunting for bargains, (but we were continually praying for Seth all this time!!) and now have a new favorite place to acquire some awesome boutique clothing. Seth finished his testing in about six hours, (he felt really good about it) and then we merrily went on our way to Incredible Pizza. We ate a ton of yummy pizza, played some games, won 250 tickets and told Seth to pick out an incredible prize to memorialize the day. After much scrutiny, he picked out three tiny stuffed OU colored bears. They were cute…and I’m not sure why he got three…except that he could. And I like to think that it all has to do with reading The Three Little Bears when he was little.

When we returned home Saturday night, I did up Seth’s laundry and collasped into bed. Unfortunately, my war wound from surgery reared it’s ugly head, and I didn’t sleep very well, but I couldn’t let that get in the way of the next day’s adventure.

Sunday morning we went to 8:00 service then raced out of church (I missed you SS class!) to head back to Tulsa. Luckily, they hadn’t towed off our car at Walmart, and we kissed Seth good-bye and did a little more messing around in the big city.

So, you can imagine by the time we were driving back this evening, we were a little weary. Right when we drove passed the toll booth, a policeman sped rapidly up behind us and followed our bumper for quite some time until we came to an exit. He then put on his lights and we pulled over. We knew we weren’t speeding, so were quite curious (and I was a little nervous ) of what we were guilty of. He had Troy give him his license and insurance of course, but we couldn’t find our current insurance card. So… he had Troy go sit in the patrol car with him. We have an envelope that says INSURANCE CARD that we keep in our glove box, but evidently Troy just failed to exchange our current card with the old one.

Well, the policeman and Troy were behind me in the cop car, just chatting away, and poor little me was frantically looking in all the crooks and crannies trying to find our crazy card and worrying what was going on. After a few minutes, Troy comes skipping to the car (not really, but I bet he felt like it!). I guess our Pike Pass had not registered while cruising by the toll booth, but the policeman looked it up and it checked out all okay. The expired insurance card didn’t seem to bother him. And of course, Troy and him became best buds. (My husband has that effect on people for some reason).

Needless to say, our adrenaline kicked in, and we were quite alert for the rest of the trip home! I do indeed recommend this if you start nodding off at the wheel!

Anyway, it was a great weekend and I know we lived life these few days with reckless abandon!

January 22, 2008 at 8:51 pm
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 Our driveway last night was a hill of glassy ice. Even though it didn’t get up above freezing today, the sun created this awesome artwork of ice on our driveway. These pictures don’t even do it justice…but the pattern is breathtakingly beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this.

January 17, 2008 at 10:35 pm
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I read this today on a forum and I laughed so hard I cried! (There is one crude word that I never use)

==================Sticky First Date ==================

If you didn’t see this on the Tonight show, I hope you’re sitting down when
you read it. This is probably the funniest date story ever, first date or
not!!! We have all had bad dates but this takes the cake.

Jay Leno went into the audience to find the most embarrassing first date that
a woman ever had.

The winner described her worst first date experience. There was absolutely no
question as to why her tale took the prize!

She said it was midwinter… Snowing and quite cold…and the guy had taken
her skiing in the mountains outside Salt Lake City, Utah.

It was a day trip (no overnight). They were strangers, after all, and truly
had never met before. The outing was fun but relatively uneventful until they
were headed home late that afternoon.

They were driving back down the mountain, when she gradually began to realize
that she should not have had that extra latte.

They were about an hour away from anywhere with a restroom and in the middle
of nowhere! Her companion suggested she try to hold it, which she did for a
while.

Unfortunately, because of the heavy snow and slow going, there came a point
where she told him that he had better stop and let her go beside the road, or
it would be the front seat of his car.

They stopped and she quickly crawled out beside the car, yanked her pants down
and started.

In the deep snow, she didn’t have good footing, so she let her butt rest
against the rear fender to steady herself.

Her companion stood on the side of the car watching for traffic, and indeed
was a real gentleman and refrained from peeking. All she could think about was
the relief she felt despite the rather embarrassing nature of the situation.
Upon finishing, however, she soon became aware of another sensation.

As she bent to pull up her pants, the young lady discovered her buttocks were
firmly glued against the car’s fender.

Thoughts of tongues frozen to poles immediately came to mind as she attempted
to disengage her flesh from the icy metal. It was quickly apparent that she
had a brand new problem due to the extreme cold.

Horrified by her plight and yet aware of the humor of the moment, she answered
her date’s concerns about “what is taking so long” with a reply that indeed,
she was “freezing her butt off” and in need of some assistance!

He came around the car as she tried to cover herself with her sweater and
then, as she looked imploringly into his eyes, he burst out laughing.

She too, got the giggles and when they finally managed to compose themselves,
they assessed her dilemma.

Obviously, as hysterical as the situation was, they also were faced with a
real problem. Both agreed it would take something hot to free her chilly
cheeks from the grip of the icy metal.

Thinking about what had gotten her into the predicament in the first place,
both quickly realized that there was only one way to get her free.

So, as she looked the other way, her first-time date proceeded to unzip his
pants and pee her butt off the fender. As the audience screamed in laughter,
she took the Tonight Show prize hands down. Or perhaps that should be “pants
down.” And you thought your first date was embarrassing.

Jay Leno’s comment…
“This gives a whole new meaning to being pissed off.”

Oh, and how did the first date turn out?

He became her husband and was sitting next to her on the Leno show.

January 14, 2008 at 1:13 am
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Dear Heavenly Father,

I thank You and praise You for blessing me beyond measure, entrusting Troy and me with Seth and Nate.

I pray that You would protect them from the evil one. I ask that You would help them guard their eyes, ears, hearts and minds from everything that Satan throws at them.

I pray that You would place Godly people in their paths, to help encourage and support them and to keep them accountable.

I pray that they would be faithful servants and men after Your own heart. Please help them be resolute in staying in Your word.

I pray that whatever they do, that they would do it for Your glory and that Your Spirit would convict them of things that do not give You honor. Please give them an extra measure of discernment and the courage to do what is right and good.

I pray for their purity and for their future wives’ purity. Give them the peace in knowing that You have the perfect timing for their future.

I pray as they begin this new semester, that they would work as unto You. Give them a fresh start with clear and eager minds and the stamina to accomplish the tasks set before them.

May they love others mightily…and MOST of all…love You with all their heart, mind and strength.

I ask all this in Jesus, my Lord and Savior’s name. Amen.

January 14, 2008 at 12:10 am
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This weekend was crazy fast but full of adventure and fun. We enjoyed our anniversary get-away and found some interesting bargain treasures and enlightened ourselves with our explorations while dreaming and scheming for the future.

Nate had a successful day subbing for his dad, and I am very grateful for him giving us the Friday off. It is way too quiet around here though! I want drums and guitar and piano music to rock this house. I especially want to hear a certain PRS Paul Reed guitar. Nater has the scoop on that.

We studied Matthew 6 in church today. Randy focused on how you spend your money…which is a clear reflection of which value system you are in. Four points were:

1. Money is temporary.

2. There is no security in it.

3. Money seduces your heart.

4. Invest in the Kingdom and God will take care of you.

Tonight we had 16 auctions go off, and listed 16 more. I sent all the invoices but have none of them packaged to ship, so tomorrow will be busy with that task. I enjoy meeting people from all over the world through eBay. I always try to put the little extra in ordinary so they feel like they are getting extraordinary service. We’ve had a few bummer transactions, but for the most part, it has been a fun and rewarding experience.

Well, now it is tomorrow (12:07 a.m), and our whirlwind weekend is just a memory!

Hello new week!

January 13, 2008 at 7:43 pm
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This is my anniversary present from my sweetheart! He sure has good taste! (And yes, he got the bargain queen an awesome deal!)

January 10, 2008 at 11:16 pm
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Well our big chili feed was a success… and I am pooped…but it was a pleasure serving this group. They were so appreciative and we found out after the fact that a lady that was in the crowd was a nurse who was a part of the medical mission team to Africa with our son Seth last summer. I wish so much we could of let her know that we were Seth’s parents.

We discovered this when were taking leftovers to my folk’s house and my brother just happen to pop in. Steve headed up that mission trip and had gotten together with her earlier in the day when he learned she was in town. He didn’t know that we were cooking for the group…so shucks…that is why we didn’t make the connection.

Tomorrow young Mr. Kinast will be teaching for his dad while Troy and I slip away to embark on secret adventures. It will help distract me knowing that Nate is leaving once again to the big U of A. But there is something comforting knowing that he is just a little over an hour away and if I really wanted to…I could see go see him at the drop of a hat. I miss having that feeling with seeing Seth, but we have committed to see him at least once a month. It is about a four hour trip to OU, but the Sethie hotel accommodations can’t be beat!

My brain is fuzzy, so I will say good night and maybe have some spectacular stories to tell from this weekend!

January 9, 2008 at 9:59 am
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This moves me every time I watch it.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cyheJ480LYA

January 8, 2008 at 8:17 pm
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from chopping about 10 pounds of onions this evening! Troy and I spent a romantic anniversary evening cooking hamburger with onions and green peppers for a ton of chili that I will make tomorrow. We have the privilege of cooking and serving for a big group from Pioneer Bible Translators Thursday evening.

This is the first time I have cooked for a crowd (other than hosting a couple of extended family meals over Christmas) since my surgery in October. It feels good and I am so thankful to have the good health to start serving in this capacity again. I couldn’t do it without my sweetie though. In fact, as I am writing this, he is cleaning up the mess.

Happy anniversary my beloved…we make such a good team!!

January 7, 2008 at 2:03 pm
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Twenty-four years ago today, (Troy really robbed the cradle!) I was putting the finishing touches of preparation for my new life together with the man God made for me. Our wedding was not a traditional one, but rather a ceremony right after church, officiated by my father, and witnessed by our church family and friends. It was really just until a few years ago that I thought I might regret not having the large wedding with all the bells and whistles. We were so young and poor (not in our eyes) that we put the money we would of spent on an elaborate wedding towards setting up our first household.

We have quite an interesting story behind our romance which we’d love to share with you anytime. I am ever so grateful for the prayers of my parents which I believe helped direct and save me for the man of my dreams. And I am so humbled and thankful to my heavenly Father for blessing me with the most selfless, caring, loving and FUN man in the world!

Eighteen years ago today, I was beginning to feel the slight pangs of God’s gift of life preparing to make his earthly debut. I remember crying with the onset of those labor pangs, knowing unlike my first birth, what the next several hours lay ahead for me.

At 5:31 P.M. the next day, I was crying again, but this time with indescribable happiness (and relief) of Nate’s arrival. And now, that miracle which seems like just a few eye blinks ago, is proclaiming my baby an adult. He is ready…I am not.

I am so blessed beyond measure to have the most incredible anniversary present ever..our trust that God has given us and absolute joy and delight…Nathan Trey Kinast.

So, tonight is for celebrating these two awesome and life changing events in my life!!