Snow Day!

Lillian hasn’t seen snow very much in her 3 years.  We were excited to be in VA during the winter at the hopes of making snow angels, snowmen, and snowballs.  But it seems VA got most of its snow before we made the trip north so needless to say we were excited to wake up this morning to a dusting.

We have arrived!

We made it to our training camp!

We have had a wonderful month visiting with family and friends but there’s nothing like having your own family space and a little routine! J 

I went to the doctor this morning and the baby had a strong heartbeat.  It’s always so nice to listen to that!  We then stopped in for a little lunch at Chipotle (yummo!).  Next we headed to the farm!  Our training camp is located on a farm so there is plenty of room for the kids to roam (if they can stand the cold) and plenty of places to “be still and know.”

It’s so good to be reunited with so many families that are heading the same direction as us and are experiencing all the emotions and whirlwinds that go along with this journey.

As I’ve shared before, one of my main concerns this whole time has been Lillian and her transition as we make so many moves.  She is so very happy here.  She met a new friend this afternoon a couple hours after we moved in and they were giggling and playing like they have known each other forever.  I just sat in my room and had a little cry.  God spoils us!

Surprise!

We had one night between our speaking at FTBC and our check in for training.  The Prillamans were gracious enough to take our family in!  Nichole Prillaman (Bulls) and I met almost twelve years ago.  In college I worked a camp called Impact VA! and Nichole was a camper.  We kept in touch and have remained close friends. 

My family arrived at the Prillaman’s around 6 pm.  I was delighted to find the Tanner’s (Erica was my college roommate, and close friend) were joining us for dinner.  We had such a sweet time visiting, sharing dinner, and watching the kids play Wii.

Thank you Nichole for such a wonderful evening!

serious about Wii bowling

they cooperated for a pic!

Erin, Nichole, Erica
together again!

Speaking

We have had several opportunities to speak this month.  I am overwhelmed at the support we have found as we share the vision God has given us.

This past Wednesday we shared with Hollies BC on the Eastern Shore.  The pastor there was my youth pastor years ago.  Many of the members I have known since I was a young girl.  Bruce was not able to make it to the afternoon study b/c his flight was canceled leaving NM.  Thankfully Marce joined me and we had a wonderful time visiting and sharing.  Bruce made it just in time for the evening study!

This past Sunday we were in Stanleytown, VA at Fort Trial BC.  We were blessed to meet members from this fellowship while serving in Port Sulphur, LA with CPR.  Bruce was invited to speak at the Men’s Breakfast and also preach the morning service.  It was so good to reconnect with old friends and be encouraged by them before we head to our training.

Dinner with Friends and Family

Friends of the family, the Heines, invited the whole crew of Askews, (yes, all twelve!) over for dinner before we had to leave.  We had such a wonderful visit and the food was delicious.  Here are some pics from the evening.

Eli played happily on the floor!

The gorgeous view from the back porch.

never too cold for a pic

Freezing!

Coco's Funhouse

It's been cold and wet and we haven't gotten out much since we've been on the Shore.  We are all getting a little stir crazy but Lillian was on the edge.  I made a decision early this morning when she awoke at 4 (she's not tired b/c she hasn't been active enough to sleep well!) that today we would tire her out.  I was a little worried when the sun rose and I realized what a dreary day it was going to be.  I got online and started searching for an indoor playplace.  I found one...it was an hour away but like I said I was desperate.  We loaded three kids and three adults into the boat of a car that my father inherited and took off! :)  We had a blast, all six of us were thrilled to be out.  The babies did great even skipping their morning nap.  And the best part of all, the play place was in the Twilley Center by Lombardi's, a favorite pizza place from my childhood. 

Wheeeeeee!

Eli just wanted to walk

Maddy bounced

Eli bounced

even Grandmom slid

It was a good day!

Fetch

Eli enjoyed playing with Toto yesterday.



Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (a.k.a., Bruce on skis.)

That's a man's burrito, baby. YEAH!

 I arrived on Friday at my sister's house in Farmington, NM and laissez les bon temps rouler! Saturday morning we all piled in the truck and went down the road to Hwy 64 Cafe to carb up on the most incredible breakfast burrito I have ever had in my life. People this is a man sized burrito...not for the faint of heart. I handled it like a pro because, in case you didn't know, I come from a long line of eaters. After that we took a short drive to Durango, CO for some fun snow tubing. We had a blast sliding down the mountain. I think my favorite part was watching little Emma slide down the hill in her own tube like a big girl. Lots of fun. 

Emma-boo

Sunday was great. I really enjoy Brett's passion for the Word and his vision to reach the nations. That evening he gave me the entire service to speak about our amazing Father and His plan to redeem the nations. Needless to say, I went late but it was good. The people were very responsive and had many questions about where and why we are going overseas to share to Good News. It was a very good time.




Monday rolls around and we decide it would be a great idea to go skiing. I had never been snow skiing so I was pumped. We checked the weather and it is perfect- clear skies, little wind, and 45 degrees. We get all of our gear together and head to the mountain. 

me and my little sis.

"Brett, it doesn't look clear on the mountain."
"Brett, it looks like it's snowing on the mountain."

your boy!

So much for perfect skiing weather. Wind, snow, and cold. We pay for our lift tickets and the two beginners (me and Rachel) start our lesson. It went well so the instructor told us it was time to catch the lift and make a run down. We get up there and off we go. Of course there were falls (some very comical), bumps, and the irritations of learning. I finally made it down the slope and waited. "Forget this, I'm going by myself. This is taking too long." So after fifteen minutes of lessons and skiing half-way down the mountain with the instructor I set off on my amazing skiing adventure. I made my way back to the top and stared  almost straight down into the snowy deep. Wind howling, snow and sleet accumulating in my beard I felt like a man. Not a regular man, a man's man. After pausing for a few seconds with my best conquering pose I did as I have done since I was but a wee lad- I said to myself, "If I'm going to do this, I need to just jump in." So I did. Screaming down the hill, cutting through the snow like I've done this a thousand times I thought to myself, "You go boy!" Then the inevitable. About halfway down I hit a snag...too much speed and just a taste of overconfidence. As I flipped and flopped down the hill I must have looked and sounded like Homer Simpson..."Doh! Doh! Doh! Doh!" It was at the same time thrilling and terrible. I eventually got better and for the next four hours I had one of the best times I've had in a long, long time. Thank you God for the opportunity to enjoy my family and Your wonderful creation. BL

Sprinkle Toast and Pancakes

When Grandmom asked Lil what she wanted for breakfast Lil without pause answered, "sprinkle toast and pancakes."  Sprinkle toast (aka cinnamon sugar toast) has been a big hit since we arrived on the Eastern Shore.  I've made it before but for some reason she's now made it a favorite.  The pancakes part is a no brainer at grandmom's.  She makes THE BEST pancakes.

starting with the "sprinkle toast"

helping grandmom make the pancakes

cheese!

even Eli enjoyed the pancakes,
but was annoyed with the picture taking :)

Seasoning Salt :)

Apparently Lillian was taste testing in Grandmom's spice cabinet earlier this week.  Check her comment below...

These sprinkles...NO GOOD!

Eli and Maddy Playing

Elisha is two months older than Maddy and they have had a great time playing with each other's toys the past week and a half.  They have enjoyed each other and we have enjoyed watching!

Hard at play!

but cooperative for the photo op!

Apartment!

Since we left Shreveport it's been kinda strange.  Whenever Lillian gets really tired and weepy she cries, "I wanna go home."  Well for the first time in her little life I have no answer for that.  I think I may have even cried with her! :)  You don't realize how much security a 3 year old finds in home and routine until you no longer have it!  But now I have started to tell her that home is where Mommy and Daddy are and we can be happy wherever we find ourselves.
To be honest it's been hard for me too.  It's wierd to not have a place we call home.
But all this changed today!!!  A teammate called this morning before church to let us know their old apartment, which they loved and Bruce has visited, was available for rent and the landlord was willing to hold it for us!!  We are so excited!  It's in the neighborhood we were hoping to live in, it has a fenced in yard for the kids to play, and it's across the street from a great park.  (there are many other pros but i'll spare you)
One of my biggest anxieties about moving was apartment shopping.  This is a huge answered prayer for me!  Doesn't God spoil me!?
We have a home.  I've never seen it but I know it's there.  It's a good feeling.

January Birthdays

I was very blessed to be on the ESVA for my sister, Marce's birthday this year.  I can't remember the last time I was able to celebrate with her.  It was a very sweet time.  Her birthday wish was for us to do dinner without the kids.  We went to a restaurant in Onancock and had a fancy time.


Ashley, Marce, Erin

 Killian's birthday was just two days later.  We all went to Pizza Hut and then bowling. 

Killian was so cute wearing his birthday hat he got at school. 

It was Lillian's first time bowling and she was so excited.  This was also the first day she was able to hang out with her cousins AND it snowed!!!  Fun times!

Lil, Jon, and Rachel

 

and the Lord added to their number...

The Lord surprised us this Christmas with an unexpected gift.  We are pregnant!  Baby LePoint #3 should arrive mid/late August.  My pregnancy will not allow us to attend our training in Vancouver so now we will go straight to Central Asia in April.  We are very excited about this!

2011, Day 2

Today we were able to visit Port Sulphur Baptist Church!  I have not been back to Port Sulphur since we moved a year and a half ago.  It was so good to reconnect with our 'family' there.  Lillian was unsure at first but quickly warmed up and ran off to the back of the church with the kids after the children's sermon.
This evening Natalie and Evie came to play.  Evie is only Lillian's best friend in the whole world!  They had such a great time playing and I enjoyed catching up with Natalie.
I'm not much for late night but we had late night visitors and it was such a sweet time.  I am reminded of Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Boyd, James, Bruce (not cooperating), Ben

Crystin and Erin
I hope I didn't promise not to post this...it was midnight!

New Years 2011

We were super excited to spend New Year's at the Pullin home.  They are very special to us.  Todd and Karen opened their home to Bruce and I when we were just dating.  They live kinda halfway between NOLA and Shreveport in "the greatness" a.k.a. Branch, LA.  Bruce and I would meet in Lafayette for dinner, spend the night at the Pullin's and then wake up super early in time to drive back to our cities for work :)  O the things you do when you are in love!  Their home sits amongst rice fields and has a huge wrap-around porch where you can sit and admire "the greatness."  After living in the city for years I sometimes forget how much I love the night sky.  The Pullin's porch has a great view of the night sky!  It's actually where Bruce proposed to me!  We were supposed to get a picture today but I forgot :(
We enjoyed a great New Year's lunch with their family today!  It's great to be back in Cajun land.  We have missed you!

Dan with his big bro Curt

Dan refused to have his picture made with us

After lunch we continued our road trip to New Orleans.  As we were getting off the spillway bridge driving into Kenner (a suburb of NOLA) Bruce and I looked at each other and we were thinking the same thing.  It's good to be HOME.  It's strange to me but for these four LePoints New Orleans is home.  Lillian woke up when we were driving onto campus and I have not seen her that happy since we started packing. (This is all very difficult for her.  She does not understand what is going on.  Tonight when I put her to bed she asked if the apartment we are borrowing on campus was our new home.)  We ate a yummy dinner and KING CAKE!!!! with the Guys this evening.  It's so good to have this time with friends.  I look forward to tomorrow!

Packing...

On Christmas Day it hit me like a ton of bricks, I have been trying to pack for weeks but haven't been so successful and in my mind I would tell myself "it's ok, you don't really have to get to it until Christmas is over."  The day to which I had been procrastinating had finally arrived.  I was scared to death!  I decided that Christmas Day is not a day to be stressed and Sunday is a day of rest so I wouldn't think about packing again until Monday and then it was time to get to work!
Monday we tried to pack and we did get some stuff accomplished...as much as you can with a sick baby in the house.  Bruce or I was holding Eli all day.  And you couldn't hold him and sit down, you had to stand.  I knew something was not right.  We all had colds we could not shake so Tuesday packing was put on hold for Dr visits.  Eli had an ear infection.  He got a shot and an antibiotic and Bruce got an antibiotic as well, for a sinus infection.  My woes were called a virus and you know there's not much to do for that but tough it out!  We all went home that afternoon and slept.  Wednesday we were back to work full force.  In the morning we had both kids while packing and it seemed I was doing more for/with them than I was packing so they happily went to Grandma Joy's.  For the next day and a half Bruce and I packed, threw away, carried to Goodwill, or gave away everything we had.  It was stressful and emotional but had to be done.
We still have work to do in March when we return to Shreveport to be packed and ready but I was proud of all we accomplished.  Our possessions fit in a small corner of the garage.  It was strange to see it like that.  In a way it's freeing and at the same time super scary.
The Honda Civic we are borrowing from the Gouldins is currently packed down with our stuff for the next 3 months and we are off visiting friends and family until we start our training January 25th.