A Trip Up North

I was able to go with my family up to the North Shore for a day. We had a wonderful time together. Dan, my sister's husband, grilled salmon for us for dinner and we had fun talking, laughing and watching some football.

The next day, we ate breakfast in Grand Marais at the Blue Water Cafe. Their breakfast is so delicious! Because it was overcast and drizzily outside, we drove on the Gunflint Trail and looked at leaves. We took a trip up North last year and it is amazing to compare pictures of Laura from one year ago.

I'm so thankful for my family. The Lord is so good and has blessed me with wonderful parents, sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces and a nephew :o) It was great to get away for a day and spend time enjoying nature and spending time with my family.

we are still alive

well, it's been over a month since our last blog entry and part of the reason for that is because Tim has been so busy studying and working that we haven't had many opportunities to take pictures. Also, because Tim is so busy, we haven't really gone anywhere.


Below are some pictures from family birthday parties over the past month. The first party was for my uncle. He is picture below with his lovely family and my aunt's imfamous cheesecake. Yes, it was a great birthday! :o)

Laura, Mayu and Max the dog

Laura and her most common expression :o)

my Grandma basting the beef wellingtons. birthdays are always a big deal!

next we celebrated Bethany's birthday. She is such a sweetheart!

as you can see, I'm thoroughly enjoying Bethany's chocolate birthday cake - complete with fresh raspberries :o)

Bethany surrounded by her gifts and cake!

Finally, I just wanted to give everyone an update on how things are going with my pregnancy. The baby is doing fine. I'm about 28weeks along and due at the end of January. (so I have about 3 months to go and I know they are going to fly by fast!!!) We are waiting to find out if it is a boy or a girl, however we do have names picked out. As of right now, if it is a boy, we are going to name him "Andrew Timothy" and if the baby is a girl, she'll be "Sophia Grace".

Bethany, my sister-in-law, has been a huge help to me over the past months. I'm so thankful for her and her midwifery training. So many people have given us baby items and they've given me maternity clothes. What a blessing!! The Lord is so good to us!! I have my glucose test on Thursday morning - where I have to drink the icky orange liquid. Blah! Other than that, everything is going very well with us! We'll try to do better at keeping up with our blog. -Marilyn

Picnic Time

The weather has been so beautiful the last couple of weeks, and we've definitely been enjoying it! Tim and I attended a picnic that his school was hosting. We had such a nice time getting to know the new students and catching up with old friends. After the delicious lunch we all headed to a field to play some games. Above you see a father helping his daughter with an egg relay race.

Tim had a blast running around doing the relay races and playing an intense game of soccer. I sat in the shade and cheered him on.
Above is a picture of the group gearing up for a game of tug-of-war. Dr. Straub, one of Tim's professors is at the end of the rope. He was a great help to his team and they ended up winning :o)
Here's a quick picture of me with my baby bump. Below, Tim is getting on his cleats - he came prepared just in case someone decided to start a football, soccer, or ultimate frisbee game.

Below, Tim and Dr. Bauder, the president of the seminary, pose for the camera. We are so blessed by Central Seminary and it's desire to teach and train men and women to know and study God's Word. Tim is extremely busy this semester and it's a growing and stretching experience for both of us, but the Lord is using it in both of our lives to keep our focus on Him and to have a greater dependence on Him. -Marilyn

Over the Mountains and thru the woods . . .

It's been a while since our last post and I just wanted to share with you some of the beautiful pictures from Tim's trip out west to Oregon. His mom's side planned a large family reunion out in Oregon where most of the family already lives. Marilyn was unable to go, so Tim trekked out west on his own.

The scenery is incredible in Oregon and Tim was able to not only see the mountains but also enjoy the cold ocean waves. He and the rest of the family camped on his aunt's large property in the country. They busied themselves with fellowship, volleyball, Memoir 44, blackberry picking, and just relaxing. Together they enjoyed pancake and scrabbled egg breakfasts each morning.

On Tim's first day in Oregon, everyone headed to the coast for a day filled with cold ocean water, sand football, sand castle building and some warm sun rays.

The family also dined at Mo's - a restaurant that had some great shrimp! Because Tim's cousin is nicknamed Mo, everyone signed a cup for her from the restaurant since she was unable to be a part of the fun.

Josh and Bethany, who have almost been married for one year now (it's hard to believe how quickly time flies!), were able to also go out to Oregon for the reunion and they had a great time as well. They live down the road from us in MN, so we enjoy getting together with them. They are always a great blessing and encouragement to Tim and me.

A picture of the Kurtz Gang

Tim was able to ride the train from Salem, OR to Seattle, WA in order to catch the plane home. It's such a blessing the way the Lord worked out all the details for Tim's trip. If you ever get a chance to ask him about it, you should. It's a long story - otherwise I'd tell it here. But it's great to know that God is watching over every detail of our lives and He is in control of every situation that comes our way. -Marilyn

The Dakota County Fair

Recently, we journeyed to the Dakota County Fair with our dear friends. It was a great time of talking, eating and enjoying all the sights of the fair. I usually go to the fair for the food, but surprisingly, Tim indulged more in the food than I did.



Ashley and I have been friends for many years and she and her family have been such a blessing to me. I'm such a blessed person having such wonderful friends in my life!

A New Job!

God is so gracious to us. This week I got a call that a security job had opened up at a office building complex not far away. Unfortunately, there were 5 other applicants also interested.

This Thursday I interviewed for the job and an hour later they offered me it to me! Praise God! I start training after we get back from a short trip to Oregon. The hours are 3-11 pm Monday through Friday (fits perfect with my school schedule). I am thrilled, too, that I don't have to work on weekends.

Thank you everyone that was praying for us. Now we are better positioned for the arrival of our baby at the end of January. The Lord knew what we needed and provided at the right moment. -Tim

Fellowship in August

Wouldn't life be lonely without good friends? Great times with friends have been frequent so far in August for Marilyn and me.

A new couple in our church, Jake and Alyssa invited us over for dinner recently. Jake is holding Abe their flamboyant cat.

Abe sure knows how to play up to people. Although, I must have been allergic to his hair because I was rather stuffed up by the close of the evening.

I gave the coals a good marinade of lighter fluid to get them going strong.

We ate on the balcony and then headed indoor for a nice game of Loaded Questions.

The next evening we were entertained by Josh and Bethany in their home. The white lasagna that they served melted in our mouths! It is so exciting to witness the remodeling progress that they have made on their house.

On Friday we had the Dickies to our place for dinner and games. Dave and Erin taught us a dominoes game they called "Chicken Feet." Afterward we duked it out in a number of rounds in Phase 10.

On Saturday night, I played volleyball and then we enjoyed a bonfire at Josh and Bethany's. It was so cool to meet scores of new people that they go to church with. We laughed and fellowshipped past midnight. Praise the Lord for the encouragement of friendships.

Let me change the subject. Last night I finally justified ordering a new phone since my cell buttons have become almost impossible to press. I look forward to this Samsung Rant that I found on internet special and discounted due to a cell plan bonus. It was virtually free for me!

This evening (Monday) starts our short softball playoff stint against our rivals, Prior Lake Baptist. It will be a great game and we pray that the weather holds up. I pick up my work for Hidden Fence of MN today and hope that I can also finish my painting project this week. Before long, classes start again. God has been so good to Marilyn and I. We trust in his continuing care for us and our little one. -Tim