So True!

So I was on myspace, just checking my messages before I go to bed and there was a new post from one of my Life Teen girls that turned out to be one of those random little game type posts. This is what it said:

Here's the deal: if you want to find out what it is you REALLY need, what that mysterious something is in your life that has been lacking, put Google to the test. Go to Google and type - (your FIRST name) needs. And don't cheat by looking for the one you like best; just take the first link Google gives you. Then, add your name to the list and repost. :)

Well, I'm not really much into the posts anymore, but I thought why not just play along for my own entertainment. And yeah, do you want to know what I found!??! It said, "Nichole needs all the prayer she can get!"

OOOH, SO TRUE. Sooooo TRUE!

Upper Room

I'm so excited! (...and I just can't hide it, I'm about to lose control and I think I like it! ...sorry, sometimes you just need an 80's flashback!)

Anyways, we finally started out new Life Teen night called Upper Room last night! Jason (who helps with confirmation) and I are heading it up, but really letting the teens dictate what direction it goes in. Basically this new night was started for teens who want to go deeper, learn more about the Church, and build a community that is centered in prayer, challenges them, and holds them accountable. How great! I've been really wanting to start something like this, but even better, it was put into an action because of the persistence of one of our St. Vincent teens!

We will be starting off with at least 15 minutes of adoration each night and probably be going to daily Mass some weeks since the only evening opportunity for that falls on Wednesdays, too. From the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, we head over to the Life House, pray in, jump into conversation, and then wrap up in prayers - praying for intentions of the group and other intentions given to us by those in Life Teen and the parish! We are hoping to get into some different devotions - Rosary, Divine Mercy, St. Michael Chaplet, etc. Again, I'm so excited!

There was no set plan for last night, but it was more of an introductory night and a chance to see where the interest of the group was and what their expectations were. Six teens showed up, but quite a few more have expressed interest and even made the effort to contact me to let me know they would not be able to make the first night, but were planning on attending...a couple are even changing their work schedules just so they come. It's so great to see the kids putting their faith first! What a great group we are going to have!

With Confirmation earlier this week, much of our conversation was about that experience for the teens and how they plan to live out the sacrament. Then somehow the conversation lead to Reconciliation, which was pretty interesting and it was so neat to watch them ask questions, throw out advice and opinions, and even pull out their catechisms! They make me so happy!

And so cool, the topic they picked for next week....purgatory!

Please keep us in your prayers or better yet, come pray and chat with us!

Happy Cinco de Mayo/Lisa's Birthday!!

So honestly, who needs alcohol when you have friends like I do!? Some friends we met up with were pretty sure we were hammered before arriving while talking to them on the phone...but really, we are just fun. :) Dance parties in the car, free t-shirts, tats, and maracas, birthday ice cream not once, but twice, singing B-I-N-G-O to Lisa's future husband (wink*), getting Lisa serenaded by older men on the street - one with out shoes - to Happy Birthday, and lots more fun and laughs. You ladies are wonderful!

My Boys!!

Have I bragged about my
nephews lately?

Yes?

Oh.

Ok.

Well let me do it again!

I have the two cutests and
greatest nephews ever!

These are my boys!

What I do! :)

After a week with four Sensaria parties, I'm pooped, but having LOTS of fun. Here is a picture from the party at the Dupey:



If you want to hang out with me and let me give you and you friends a foot soak, let's hook it up! We have fun specials and new products coming up, too! Yea!

Jaden Thomas Swenhaugen

I'm an Auntie! :) ...again.

I have been very blessed to gain a nephew through my sister Stacey's marriage and now Our Lord has done it again! Stacey gave birth yesterday to a beautiful boy named Jaden. He weighed in at 8 lbs 13 oz and is 20 1/2 inches tall! :)

The delivery was absolutely amazing and I was so lucky to watch it all happen. Scary, painful, and ABSOLUTELY AMAZING is the delivery of a child. I literally watched him enter our world and take his first breath. The poor tired little thing barely cried or fussed and even now I haven't heard him make much more than a few peeps. :) What a good and happy little baby he is! Stacey and Perry both did wonderfully during the whole process and are so happy and excited. Little Perry met his little brother later that afternoon with mom Amber (now "aunt Amber") and his sister Janessa. It's wonderful to see the two families mesh as one and support each other. LP is very lucky to have such great parents and now both a little sister and brother.

Thank you all for the prayers you offered up for Stacey and Jaden through a very up and down pregnancy and thank you all for sharing in my joy as a new Aunt! Here are some pictures from Jaden's first day out of the womb!!!

Mommy & Jaden

Jaden

Daddy showing Jaden to Grandma & Grandpa

Family!

Aunt Amber & Janessa with Jaden

And here are two of my favorites:

Auntie Cole & Jaden

Little Monkey!!

PS What a great day to celebrate the birth and life of a child AND the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the ban on partial-birth abortion.

Run, Run, Run!

So I'm trying to be a runner :) and we shall see how that goes on May 20th when I race to Beat the Bridge! :) ...it's just an 8K...I'm starting small! I am joining a Wells Fargo team with some friends for the Nordstrom Beat the Bridge event in Seattle to help support Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), which is the largest private funder of diabetes research in the world.

Now, I'll be honest...I'm really mostly in this for the RUN, but it is a fundraising opportunity for a good cause and since I know oh so many charitable people, I figured I might as well shoot an email out, post this on my blog, and give people the opportunity to donate! So if you would like to support the cause of finding a cure for diabetes, than this is a really simple way to do it!

Simply click here to donate: My Personal Page


For more information on programs and the race, go to beatthebridge.org.

Thanks for your support! Anything helps! Even a prayer to make me a better runner would be great!