Thanksgiving

In just 2 more days, my whole family will be together!! My parents, Bryce, Bri & Colton are flying into PHL airport on Tuesday and then we are all headed to New York City! We are staying in New York and spending some time in the city. I am so excited!

I am so excited that we will all be together for Thanksgiving because it has been 10 years since we have all been together. I made so many lists and am so excited to cook all of the Thanksgiving food and enjoy my family. I am excited for them to see our house, where we live and work, and our church!

Hurry up and get here, everyone! Heston, Phoebe & I are so excited! Love you all and see you soon!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope you are able to spend some wonderful time with family friends.

OH, and we are already planning a midnight shopping trip Thanksgiving night. Fun times!

My husband kindly reminded me the other week that I have not updated our blog in FOREVER. It is the truth - sorry!

Things are busy here in the Frey household. The Lord is still teaching us much and we are continually waiting on Him to show us the next direction for Heston and his work. Praise the Lord that He has provided him a job until the next door is opened; I know many are not so fortunate. There are many opportunities, but the doors keep closing. We know the Lord has the perfect door opened and He will lead us to that door as long as we follow His will. We have learned a lot and I am so glad that we have a Heavenly Father who cares about us and loves us and wants what is best for us. Even though we don't always understand, we know He has a pefect plan for us.

I am staying very busy this semester with working full-time and school. I am taking 9 credits this semester and completing my practicum, which is 9 hours per week. After the first night of my practicum I knew I was in the right line of study/work; God made that very clear to me! I am so glad I have the opportunity to see and put my education into practice and look forward to the opportunities that lay ahead. In January I will be half way done with my master's - yeah!

We have been working on some of the finishing touches on our house and Heston was able to put a deck on the back of our house!! It is awesome. I am not sure if I have a "before" picture, but here is the end result!! Thanks, Babe for doing such an amazing job!

Our 5th Wedding Anniversary

I can't believe it has been 5 years since I became Kelli Frey. Yes, a lot has happened, but 5 years has flown by. I love my husband now more than ever and I think we still feel like newlyweds. Part of that may have to do with the fact that we felt like we were starting over when we moved to PA 1 year ago. A lot has happened even since being here in PA for one year. We know God has a plan for us and we are excited to see what that plan is. God is teaching us many lessons and for that we are grateful.

Last weekend we went to Philly to go to the King of Prussia Mall, IKEA and a Phillies game. We had a great time! We had a nice dinner at the cheesecake factory, thanks to a gift card.



Then Friday night, we had a date night and went and saw the new batman movie. That was great! Saturday morning, we slept in, had waffles for breakfast and then headed out. We went to Buca di Beppo's for lunch, which interestingly enough we went to on our wedding night.

Then we headed out to the outlets in Lancaster. We had a great time! We actually met up with some of our great friends as well. We shopped and found some great deals, had a quick dinner at Panera and then headed to Sight and Sound. We saw the production of In The Beginning and it was as amazing as anyone has described. We definitely want to go back again! It made the creation and fall so realistic.









Anyways, we had a great anniversary and we are excited that God brought us together and He chose us perfectly for one another. We are excited for His plans to continue to unfold for us. He is faithful to us and we are eternally grateful to Him.

My Birthday

Today is my 27th birthday. Wow! That sounds old, but I don’t feel old. Today has been a great birthday. It started off with my husband wishing me a happy birthday before he left for work. My boss greeted me with a happy birthday and a gift. Then she took me out to lunch at a Mexican restaurant I have been wanting to try. She also bought Dilly bars from Dairy Queen for the office to enjoy. Yum! I returned to my office and had 2 beautiful bouquets of flowers waiting for me. One one from my parents and the other was from my wonderful husband. Pictures are below. Then I came home and Heston had Papa John's waiting for me =) That was the icing on the cake . Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes, cards, texts and phone calls. I feel so loved!

In celebration of my birthday, I decided to list 27 things that I am thankful for:

1. The salvation I have through the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. My wonderful husband, Heston, whom I have been in love with for 6 ½ years, and have been married to for almost 5 years.
3. My wonderful family who I love and miss very much!
4. My wonderful in-laws – I couldn’t ask for a better family to marry into.
5. My wonderful, beautiful black cat and baby, Phoebe Faye Frey; she makes me smile and feel loved no matter what.
6. Our wonderful house that God hand-picked for us. It has been so fun making it our own.
7. My wonderful job that has allowed me to get my foot in the door of a vocation of helping others.
8. The education that God has allowed me to receive, both at Northland and at Lancaster Bible College. I am so excited to continue my education and use the education God has allowed me to have to help others.
9. I am thankful for coffee, especially Starbucks!
10. I am thankful for the ability to read. Yeah for summers when I have time to read!
11. I am thankful for the wonderful friends that the Lord has placed in my life. Of course they are spread out all over the country, but I am thankful for the special times He has given us to share and for the love and encouragement I receive and can also give to each of them.
12. I am thankful for the wonderful church God has led us to. I know that was one of the biggest prayers and desires of our hearts when God moved us to PA that He would lead us to the perfect church that would meet our needs spiritually. He did just that and we are so very grateful!
13. I am thankful for music. I love the worship songs that cause me to reflect on Jesus Christ in ways that stir my soul! I am thankful for the way music can cause me to focus on Christ and Him alone.
14. I am thankful for the ocean and the wonderful peace and serenity it shows me.
15. I am thankful for watching the sunset. It shows the beauty of God’s creation and it is especially enjoyable when I am with my husband.
16. I am thankful for special date times with Heston. I am thankful that after 5 years of marriage, we can still find the time for special dates. Thanks, Babe!
17. I am thankful for God’s Word, the Bible, and for the ability to learn and glean wisdom and knowledge to apply to my life.
18. I am thankful for the ability to pray to Jesus Christ. I am thankful for the way God lays people and situations on my mind and prompts me to pray for them. I am thankful for this special relationship I can have with my Savior.
19. I am thankful for the times I can find a great deal while shopping, whether it is for groceries, clothes or things for our house.
20. I am thankful for the amazing smile I see on Heston’s face when I find the perfect gift, make a good meal, or do something special for him.
21. I am thankful for beautiful flowers. I may not be good at growing them, but I definitely enjoy their beauty.
22. I am thankful for God’s protection of me, my family and friends.
23. I am thankful for God’s provision. He never ceases to amaze me. He has given us so much and we can see His hand a work in our lives.
24. I am thankful for vacations, especially when I get to see my family. After being away from my family for so long, the times together always seem much more special.
25. I am thankful for my favorite foods: Mexican, pizza, tiramisu, and so many others!
26. I am thankful for my health.
27. I am thankful that God has given me 27 years here on Earth. I pray that I will grow closer to Him this year, learn to serve Him better, learn to be a better wife and grow in Him.

Blessings in the form of a rug

The Lord has been teaching Heston and I a lot lately and we are always amazed at his provisions and blessings. I was having an interesting day at work yesterday as my boss if "office-less" and has therefore been in my small space the last 2 weeks. It is not easy, but I constantly am reminding myself that she does not have an office and she is not trying to be in my space but has to. Anyways, I spent quite a while giving over many situations in my life to God and just talking to Him and praying. It was a great time! After lunch, we went over to our old office to pack up our boxes and that was not a fun process as it was hot and it we had no electricity. I went and did my packing and then went up to help her. Long story shortened, she has this rug I have admired since she bought it. I asked if she was going to bring it with her and she said no and asked if I wanted it! I was so excited! I Think the reason I liked it so much in her office was because I knew how good it would look in my house. I told one of my friends about this a while back and we talked about this situation. I thought it was so awesome how God gave me this special blessing!




Then today, she gave me a $50 gift card as a thank you for putting up with her and for being flexible with the office move. Again, another unexpected blessing.

I just wanted to give a shout out to my wonderful husband. He has been working so hard with his summer job and also working on his business plan for the restaurant. I am thankful for how he is working hard to provide for us and also to plan for our future. I am thankful for his encouragement with my graduate school adventures. He is a wonderful husband and I am so glad that God led me to him. I can't believe our 5th anniversary is coming up.

Wonderful Vacation

We just got back from a wonderful vacation to the Outer Banks, NC. We went down there with all of Heston's family and we had an awesome time! We rented a house right near the beach and spent our time relaxing by the pool, playing in the ocean, having great food, and having fun being together. I have TONS of pictures so I will post some here, but the rest are on facebook.

Yeah for summer vacations!

Hello

I just thought I would give an update on what is going on with the Frey family. We are doing well and are excited to see what the Lord is going to continue to lead us and guide us.

Heston's last day at LBC was on April 30. He took a week or so off of work to do things around the house, work on his business plan, and catch up on some other things. He started working with Breyer Construction this past week and has enjoyed being active again. He is not used to the manual labor, but he is enjoying it! We are very thankful for the job that the Lord has provided for Heston.

My grandparent's (Clingerman) 60th wedding anniversary is this summer. They are having a party for them on Sunday, June 1. My aunt asked if we were all planning on coming and due to finances, my sister and I weren't planning on going. However, she said that if we were able to get the time off of work she would help us with the tickets! Thank you Aunt Brenda!! How special it will be for all of us to get together. It will be a fast weekend, but it will be worth it. I will be sure to post pictures.

The next Saturday, we are leaving for the Frey Family vacation to the Outer Banks. Since we have been married, all of our family vacations have been to see family (which is great!!), but we have not gone on a vacation to a random place. We are looking forward to the warm (hopefully!) weather and the beach and also spending time with family. I am hoping to get a tan, too =)

Trip to Georgia

I'm leaving on a jet plane....

Tomorrow night my mom and I are flying to meet my sister in Georgia for the weekend. We are all very excited. Mom is feeling a little better about leaving now that Grandpa seems to be doing better. My uncle will be with him until my mom gets back on Sunday night.

We are looking forward to a fun girls weekend and enjoying the many beautiful sights of GA and of course doing a little shopping. See you both tomorrow =)

Update on Grandpa

Thank you for your prayers for my grandfather. My mom called me Sunday night to let me know that his kidneys are now functioning properly and that the irregularities in his kidneys were due to the medicine for his shingles. They changed his medication that night and my mom called me Monday morning to let me know that he was up, eating breakfast and asking questions regarding his medicine. This is a huge praise as he has not been able to eat much or talk coherently for the past 2 weeks. My uncle flies in to CO on Thursday morning, and now my mom is feeling a lot better about flying to GA to meet my sister and I for the weekend. Thanks again for your prayers! There is still a long period of recovery ahead, but he in on the mend.

Update on Grandpa

My mom called me a few minutes ago to let me know that Grandpa's kidneys are not functioning well now. He is on strong medication to fight the infection of his shingles, but his kidneys are not able to process the medication. They will take an ultrasound tonight and see what the problem is. He does not know about his kidneys yet and he was just saying today, "What else can go wrong". Please keep him in your prayers. He is discouraged and in so much pain due to the sores all over his body from his scalp to his ankles and then also from the bone spurs on his neck. He gave everyone a big scare earlier today as his blood pressure went way low and he couldn't breathe well. Apparently he was dehydrated.

I know God is the Amazing Healer and we are trusting in Him to heal my grandpa. Please pray for my mom as she is at the hospital when she is not at work or else she is with Grandma. Pray also for Grandma as this is very draining for her.

My uncle is flying in this week to spend some time with him so we are grateful for that. Mom & I have a trip planned to fly to Atlanta on Wednesday to see my sister, so pray for wisdom for that. We are hoping he will get better, but we will take it day by day.

Thanks for your prayers; we all appreciate it.

Prayer Request

Please pray for my grandpa. He went into the hospital early last week due to some intense pain. They sent him home once, but he was back the next day. After he was there for several days they found bone spurs on his neck, which is causing him intense pain. He will have to have surgery but it not an emergency. He has not been able to tolerate the pain well and has thus stayed in the hospital. However, he has now contracted shingles. Please pray for him and my grandma and also for my mom who is trying to take care of them and make sure that Grandma gets the rest she needs. Please pray for wisdom regarding the surgery. He is 85 years old and so the surgery is a big thing. If you think of them, please keep them in your prayers. Thanks!

Rough Weekend

Heston had a rough weekend this past weekend. He hurt his back about 2 and a half weeks ago, but after a very painful week and a half it seemed he was on the mend. He had a full week of work which ended with a sports banquet Friday night. After it was over he joined us for small groups. We stayed late and talked and played games etc. Heston was looking forward to an exciting day of fishing with his buddies now that his back was feeling better.

HOWEVER….

Saturday morning at 8:30 Heston woke up yelling and screaming because he was in so much pain with his back! I thought maybe it would go away but it seemed to be getting worse. So I was half asleep trying to call the hospital and his family to see if someone could come help me get him in the car. We got to the ER around 9:30 and they gave him a shot and a muscle relaxer to try to help alleviate the pain. It seemed to help and then they took x-rays to rule out any broken ribs or fractures. The x-rays came back negative and although they don’t know what is causing this extreme pain, they sent him home with muscle relaxers and pain medication and told him to take it easy for the next few weeks and hopefully it will heal itself. The medications make him very sleep so he slept most of Saturday evening and part of Sunday afternoon. The rest is what he needs, I guess.

Here are some pictures of him and Phoebe enjoying some quality time. Phoebe lover her daddy =)

We would appreciate your prayers concerning Heston’s back and also prayers for our future. We will keep you posted!

Great Evening.

Last night, Heston & I were able to enjoy a great dinner out thanks to a gift certificate we received in the mail to a local restaurant called Austin’s. It is always more fun to go out to a nicer restaurant when you know it won’t cost you too much money. It was great to be together! When we got home, we went out for a long walk up the main street near our house and then over to his parent’s house. It was nice to chat with them for a while and relax. Then we made our way home and watched several flight for life helicopters land on top of the hospital which is only about a block from our house. I have always heard them, but have never watched them land. It was cool because you could even see the people up on the roof. There were about 5 helicopters in and out in a matter of 5 minutes! It was amazing how they could maneuver those helicopters so quickly.

Spring is definitely here and I am so thankful! Yesterday was rainy in the morning but then hit the low 70’s! It was so beautiful!

I just wanted to say thank you to my husband for a wonderful evening out. It is the best feeling in the world to spend the whole evening with my best friend. I love you very much, Heston and I am continually praying that God will continue to lead us and guide us in our future.

Learning Lessons

The Lord is teaching Heston & I many lessons. As you know, the Lord led us away from Northland this past summer for Heston to take a job at LBC. However, Heston will not be retuning to work at LBC in the fall. I think we have known that he would not be going back since this past November, but now his last day will be April 30. It has been difficult to sort through the feelings and questions of why God brought us here if the job opportunity that brought us here is no longer. We have been forced to trust God in an even greater way. We had to trust God to leave Northland as neither of us wanted to leave, but God led us each step of the way and we know that He led us here for a reason. It is hard to understand His ways, but we can rest assured that His ways are far above our ways. These are uncertain times and we are unsure of what the next step will be, but we know God will lead us and guide us as only He can do.

We have found a great church to be a part of and have enjoyed the fellowship and spiritual growth. We are praying about getting involved in the junior high youth group and have joined a small group which has been so beneficial to building Christian friendships and accountability. We are praying about becoming members and want to make sure that this is the church that we are to be members of.

We were able to see Northland’s Men’s volleyball team play in a tournament at LBC 2 weeks ago. It was WONDERFUL to see familiar faces and enjoy the fellowship with the Herron’s. After they left Heston & I both teared up as we miss NBBC so much. We allowed ourselves to wonder what would have happened if we would have chosen to stay at Northland. But they we caught ourselves and reminded ourselves that God brought us here to PA and away from Northland for a reason. It was especially fun to see my good friend Jamie’s little brother, Chris. He has grown up a lot!

We would covet your prayers as we seek the Lord about what to do. We know He has a plan for us and we can rest in that. We have several opportunities and trust the Lord to lead us down the right path. We will keep you all posted as the Lord makes His will known.

Easter Weekend

The Easter holiday is always a special time for Christians. This year, I was able to attend a Good Friday service for the first time. I was so excited! Our pastor read the Scriptures that led up to Christ’s death, but it was done in a way that it sounded like it was coming from someone who would have been present at each of those times. It really personalized those passages and made me see it in a different light. We observed the Lord’s supper, which was a wonderful experience following the reading of that particular passage of Scripture. We also observed baptism. That was also a special time as it is symbolic of Christ’s burial and resurrection. It was a wonderful experience and it was only dampened by the fact that Heston couldn’t go with me. He hurt his back on Thursday and wasn’t able to get out of bed to go with me. He was a trooper and made it through the weekend, even though he was in a lot of pain and is at the doctor’s now trying to find out what exactly happened.

We had a good Easter with Heston’s family. It was good to be with family on Easter as it has been just the 2 of us or a few friends for the past several years. I didn’t take any pictures but I am sure others will be posted. Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!!

Please Pray...

Please pray for a 4 week old baby at my parent's church who is in critical condition with RSV. I know the family will covet your prayers. Thanks for praying.

Let it Snow!!

I feel like we are getting our first official snow storm of the winter. We have had plenty of ice storms and dustings of snow, but not much accumulation!! I am looking out the window watching the HUGE snowflakes come down. I attempted to go to work this morning, but I was slipping and sliding everywhere even with my 4 wheel drive on, so needless to say, I turned around and came home. I was a little emotional when I came home because it is the worst feeling in the world to not be in control when you are driving! I am glad I made it home safely.

I am now at home attempting to do some work via remote access. I only have access to my email, but am able to get some stuff done. My wonderful kitty is asleep on my lap keeping me warm.

My grad class tonight is cancelled and I am wondering about tomorrow mornings class. I can't say I would be disappointed.

I think the Lord knew I just needed a day to relax and be away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Hope you all have a happy and safe Friday!!

The Old seen as New...

Have you ever been in church and heard a familiar song yet it seemed like you were hearing it for the first time? I had that experience this morning. We sang the song "I have decided to follow Jesus", which has been true of my heart for many years, but it was an amazing experience really listening to the words, realizing the sincerity of those words and having that special time along with my Savior. I think being in a new church has helped me to see a lot of things that I have always known and believed in for what they really are. My relationship with Christ is the most important relationship in my life and because of that relationship I have eternal life. It is neat to have reminders of God's promises to me.

Colorado Pictures

Heston & I had a great time in CO. We had a long flight out there and are definitely purchasing straight through flights the next time.

We were able to spend lots of time with family and friends and even got to enjoy the snow CO got by sledding. We were definitely the oldest "kids" on the hill, but we had a really great time! Tom & Crystal and their dog Kuna met us as well as some guys from their church.

We had a second Christmas with family on Sunday and that was really fun. Grandma & Grandpa and the cousins came over as well as Aunt Brenda.

We got do do a lot of shopping and we were also able to eat out at Maggiano's thanks to a generous gift from a friend.

Hope you all had a wonderful season and enjoy the pictures!