Sunday, October 8, 2017

I'm Back!

     Wow! It has been 9 years since I have posted on this blog. NINE YEARS!!! Holy moly! So much has happened in 9 years. I honestly don't even know where to begin.
     Life has a way of chewing you up and spitting you back out. Over the past 9 years, we have definitely felt chewed up and spit out a few times.  Yet, here we are, 9 years later, feeling like we are exactly where we are supposed to be and look back with gratefulness for the lessons we have learned along the journey.  God is good!
     In August of 2014, we packed up and moved back HOME to Indiana.  We lived in Florida for 11 years and although we enjoyed living there, it wasn't home, at least not for me.  I have never slept better since being back home.  It's weird how that happens.  We completely started over, knowing God would provide for us.  We both sensed God calling us back to Indiana, but I had been longing for our home state for a few years and was becoming so homesick.  John could have lived in Florida the rest of his life and been totally happy!  But, he knew my heart longed to be around family and familiarity.  He moved here because he loves me.  He is such a good man.  I am blessed!
     I was able to get a job as a teacher's aide and John started subbing. Eventually, John also worked as an aide in the same school district.  Then, he eventually became fulltime heading up their alternative school.  It's such a perfect fit for him.  He enjoys helping students who are struggling not only in school but in life.  It is definitely an area of ministry that God opened up for him.  God also provided us with a wonderful country church where John was the assistant pastor until this past summer when he became the senior pastor.  I am so grateful that God opened the door for John to be able to still pastor.  Preaching and teaching are what God has called John to do and I think it is just the kindness of God to give both to him in such a short time after moving here.  We absolutely love our school corporation that we work for.  It feels like family.
     Our oldest son, Johnathan is now 24 years old, married and living in Kansas.  He served 4 years in the United States Army and was stationed at Fort Riley in Kansas.  He met and fell in love with Meredith, a 7th grade English teacher near the base.  They had a beautiful barn wedding at a pumpkin farm in November of 2016.  After serving 4 years in the Army, Johnathan is now serving in the Kansas National Gaurd Reserves and is the IT guy at the public library there. I forgot to mention that Johnathan graduated from high school with his associate's degree from Northwest Florida State before joining the Army. He is continuing his education, taking classes as he can.  John and I are hoping for grandchildren in the near future!
     Nicholas is now 20 years old and after graduating high school in 2016 was accepted to Purdue University where he is now a sophomore studying Public Health.
     Kristen is 19 years old and she graduated high school in 2017 and was also accepted to Purdue University where she is a freshman studying Medical Laboratory Sciences and wants to minor in forensics.
     We are so grateful to be where we are, doing what we are doing.  We thank God for all of His provisions for us.  I also am grateful to work with a great 7th grade English teacher who inspired me to start blogging again, along with all of our students who are blogging too.  I forgot how much I enjoyed it!  I will leave this with a couple updated pictures of our family.  Until next time . . . smile, Jesus loves you!


   
   

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Thinking . . .

I know my posts have been far and few in between lately. I was thinking about deleting my blog but I don't want to lose everything I have on here about my dad and his accident and then passing onto glory. So until I can get everything off of this blog and saved into another file on my computer I will leave this blog up but I probably will not be posting anymore to it.
The reason I started this blog was so my family could keep up with us and see pictures of the kids and our everyday happenings. It served us well up until now.
Now, most of my family and John's family has Facebook now and we have been communicating so much more on that website. It has been so much fun and is more interactive since we can instant message one another.
So if you have a Facebook and would like to be friends, just send a friend request to me and we can keep in touch that way. Of course you can always email me! If you need my email address it is lenfestey5@aol.com. Come join us at www.facebook.com . . . . that would be so much fun!
God Bless!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Today . . .

Today would have been my parents 43rd wedding anniversary. I miss him so much.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Christmas Decorations

We just put simple lights up outside. The ones on the porch are from my dad. He gave them to me the Christmas before he passed away. There is a wooden snowman on the porch that lights up that my mother-in-law gave me a few years ago too.



This is the first time we have had a fireplace. It is fun hanging the stockings from the mantel! I love my skinny little pencil tree. It has served us well through the years. It is decorated with snowmen. I can't get enough snowmen. Although I dislike snow . . .weird I know.



Here is our dining room. I put a small tree in there as well. The tablecloth I got at a thrift store for $1. I love it! On top of the curio cabinet is a doll collection my mother use to always put out. She gave it to me about 3 years ago. I really love it!




Isn't it adorable? I think of my mother every time I look at it. I love you mom!



Sunday, November 30, 2008

Monday, November 24, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!



We had our pictures done for our new church directory. I love the one of the children. Time sure flies . . . .they are becoming so grown.
Hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Honesty Pays Off!

Wow, what a shopping experience the boys and I had today. We are having pictures done tomorrow for our church directory so I needed to buy the boys a long sleeved black shirt for our picture. So we went to Beall's and found just what we needed (really cheap too!). While we were there, Nicholas happened upon a $100 bill on the floor and went to Johnathan and said, "Look what I found!" Johnathan, took it from Nicholas and said "Nick, where did you get this? We have to give it back!" Johnathan then looked up and saw a young man pacing nervously around the store so Johnathan asked him if he had lost some money and he said yes! So Johnathan gave him the $100 and the guy asked where he found it so Nick took him to the rack of dresses where he found it and the man was happy to find the other $600 under the rack that his wife or girlfriend had lost while browsing for dresses! I had no idea all of this had happened so when this man I did not know came up and handed Johnathan a $100 bill and told him to keep it I was like "WHAT??" After I found out what had happened I told the man that the boys could not accept this money, and he said he wanted them to have it because they could have kept it all but was honest and returned the money. I told him that we wouldn't expect the boys to keep money that didn't belong to them that we teach them to be honest. He said "well honestly deserves reward so I want them to keep it". The guy walked away and we stood there dumb founded. Although Nicholas had a big 'ol smile on his face! I stlil can't believe it happened!