Junior/Senior Banquet

This is a bit overdue, and I know I haven't posted for a while! Sorry!
Last Friday night was Heston's Junior/Senior banquet. It was held at the premier center in Iron Mountain. It was fun, especially since we got to sit with our friends, Vivian and Kraig.




Heston & Kraig

Julie, Scott, Heston & Kelli

Heston, Kelli, Vivian, Kraig

Kelli, Shawna, Heston

Kelli & Kim

My wonderful Husband

I just wanted to say that I have a wonderful husband. He is such a wonderful man who works so hard and gives so much. He is kind, thoughtful and compassionate. I am thankful that the Lord led us together and that He has allowed us to grow closer together and closer to Him. I am thankful for his leadership in our relationship and for desire to serve the Lord in his life.

Last week, Heston bought me a special gift, just because. It was a beautiful right hand diamond ring. I have always wanted one and he found one and surprised me! He said it wasn't much, but boy was he wrong...even the thought behind the gift was enough for me to realize what a special husband I have! Thanks, Babe...I love you very much!

Then, I came home from work yesterday, and Heston yells "something is done, wife" (that is his name of endearment for me "wife") and I go into the main bathroom and he tore out the old floor and laid down the new floor, all in one afternoon. What an amazing man! I am so thankful for him and his hard work. I am also thankful for the skills that he has. He has saved us so much money with the little repairs that he can do on our house. He is also in the process of building a retaining wall on the side of our house. It looks great already! The entry way floor is the project for this weekend.

The Lord is taking us through some things that are really causing us to trust in Him completely. I know this is where He wants us and often times God uses different circumstances in our lives to cause us to rely on Him and trust in Him completely. We are thankful for these times and are thankful that God is in control and He knows what is best for our lives. I am so glad we can rest secure in that!

Update

Well, I haven't written in a while. Heston finished his student teaching this past Friday. He is so excited to be done! We went out for Chinese food to celebrate.

Heston spent Saturday installing a water tank to help with our water supply. We have a decent well but the recovery time is very slow. It seems to have helped!

Sunday we drove down to Green Bay and I dropped Heston off at the airport because he was traveling to Oklahoma for a PR trip. It was a basketball tourament for 1,000+ teens. He just got back late last night. I missed him alot! I enjoyed shopping in Green Bay on Sunday and then having some of the soccer girls over on Tuesday night.

Today we are headed down to Milwaukee to stay with our frinedsRuth & Steve. Heston has an appointment at 7 am tomorrow morning at the VA hospital with a surgeon to see whether or not he will have surgery on his back. We are looking forward to the weekend away, spending time with our frineds, and celebrating Haven's first birthday!

Spring Break is next week, but we will just be working. Maybe one of these years we will go somewhere for Spring Break!

Good Quote

Nothing is too great and nothing is too small to commit into the hands of the Lord.

-- A. W. Pink

Praise

Since Heston has been student teaching the past 7 weeks, his paychecks have been very small since he can only work about 10-15 hours per week instead of his usual 40. The Lord always provided for our needs, and we were able to get some extra money over Christmas since Heston was able to snow plow while we were in Colorado. But this past weekend we received a rather large check from the military in regards to Heston's schooling. The Lord is awesome and it is so neat to reflect back on how He has always provided for us, above and beyond what we can ever imagine. I praise the Lord for that!

By the way, Heston only has 9 more days of student teaching! Praise the Lord!

5 years ago today

Five years ago today, my wonderful husband and I began our relationship. I remember being in the library and my friendSharon Jordon pulled aside my other friend, Elisabeth Ashmore, and told her that Heston liked me. Of course, Elisabeth told me, but I didn't know what to do. You see, I knew that Sharon kind of liked Heston. Later that day, Sharon asked if we could go to the Grind. We sat down and she told me that there was a boy that she thought I should like. I was trying to evade the question because I knew where she was going and I kind of knew how she felt about it. She was adamant that she wanted me to like him and told me that he would be calling me later that night. I remember being in my room and then Heston called and asked if we could go to a basketball game. We then walked and talked and went over to the rec hall and talked some more.

There were alot of other things that happened and I am not 100% sure the order of everything, but previously, I had asked him to fix my headlight because I knew he was a "fix-it" kind of guy. He graciously went out in the freezing cold and fixed it. I offered to take him to coffee, but he politely declined. This was before I even knew he liked me. I remember another time we were in the rec hall playing Rook and my teammate left so I asked him if he would play on my team. Apparently he was xtremely nervous, but he did end up playing. It seems like such a long time ago, and it was, but I am forever grateful that the Lord brough the PERFECT man into my life in His own timing.

We got engaged 6 months later, on August 28, 2002 and we were married a year later on August 2, 2003.



Whenever Heston tells people how we met, he always talks about how he asked Shyla who I was, and she told him that he should get to know me. I met Heston the first day or so of class that we had with Dr. Zichterman, Guidance Counseling. I thought he was nice and all, but the guy never even talked to me. We would both get there early, he would wave to me, then sit 1 or 2 seats away from me for the whole entire semester. Apparently he liked me this whole time but never even said anything! Crazy guy! I laugh about this now. He pulls out details of that fall semester that I had no idea he was even paying attention.

Heston, I love you very much and thank you for being a wonderful husband. I have enjoyed these past 5 years with you so much and look forward to many many more! Thank you for all that you do for me and for loving me. You are a wonderful person and I am so proud to call you my husband, my best friend!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Happy Birthday, Grandma! I hope that you have a special day. I miss you very much and wish we could see each other more often. Hopefully I will be coming home in June when Bri comes home from Zambia.

Thank you for being a wonderful Grandma. I think my favorite picture of you and I is when you made us matching shirts (the red ones with little flowers) and you also made me a jean skirt with white fringe on the bottom. I wish I had access to that photo because I would scan it in. Maybe I can find it and to that later.

Thanks for all of the letters and notes that you send and for the little things you send up with mom when she comes to visit.

I hope that you have a special day and that your surgery goes well tomorrow. I will be praying for you!
I love you and miss you very much!!

Grandma & Brianne


Grandma & Laura

Lord, Change us--Change Me

Here is a devotional that came in my inbox this morning and I thought I would share. It really encouraged me to make the changes that would reflect my relationship with Christ. I took a Grad Class with Dr. Zempel last week and one of the requirements was to do a project where you choose a topic(s) to work on in your life. I chose the topic of self-discipline and had 5 categories underneath: 1)Reading my Bible 2)Prayer 3)Eating healthy 4) Exercise 5) Cleaning my home. I am hoping that the accountablility of this project will help to make each of these things a habit in my life. I love practical projects such as this one! Anyways, here is the article:

Lord, Change Us -- Change Me!, by Tom Norvell


God said, "I will also put a new spirit in you and change your way
of thinking. I will take out the heart of stone from your body and
give you a tender, human heart. (Ezekiel 36:26 ERV)

Lord, change us. Change me.

How can I remain the same when I've seen what I've seen and heard what I've heard and experienced what I've experienced. I cannot remain the same. I am not the same person. You have changed me. You are working in me and around me to make me more like You. Lord, change us. Change me.

I have heard about children being neglected, abused, kidnapped, ignored, aborted and discarded. Because I have heard these stories I must change.

I scan the channels on my television, and I see the faces of children starving to death in a land far away. I hear of programs designed to help these children, your children, and help is being given. I want to do what I can to make sure they are not forgotten. Because I have seen and heard these stories, I have been changed. Lord, change us. Change me.

I heard that crime continues to rise. Robberies. Home invasions.
Abductions. Murders. Rapes. Some are considered almost acceptable. Some crimes are too horrendous to mention. Because I know these things I am not the same.

I am not the same!

I know that families are falling apart. A husband walks away from his wife and his children. A wife tells her children, "I just don't love your daddy any more." Somehow that is supposed to help them understand why she does not come home at night. Because I know these things happen, because I know some of these people, I have been changed.

Because I have stood with my brothers and sisters and poured out my heart in praise and honor to You, I am not the same. Because I have publicly committed my life to You, I am not the same. Because I have surrendered my heart to You, I have been changed. I am not the same.

Lord, change us. Change me. Continue to put these truths in my mind.
Put these experiences in my path. Put Your people in my life. Show me what it means to worship You. Continue to convict me that I must continue to change so that I can become more like Your Son. Help us to continue to change until we fully become Your people.

Lord, change us. Change me.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

My Grandpa Huffman turned 84 years old yesterday! He is a very special person to me and I am so thankful for him! He served in World War II and married my grandma shortly after (They will be married for 60 years in June).

They had 3 kids, of which my mom is the youngest.

He worked at NWA in Minneapolis until retirement. They then moved to Oceanside, CA for 10+ years. We LOVED to visit them there. They moved to Colorado in 2001 (I think) to be closer to my mom & their son. I love having them so close and it has helped us to build an even more special relationship.

He is such an example of a studier of God's Word and prayer. He knows his Bible so well and shares it with us. He always tells us that he is praying for us, and he is.


Thanks to him and his early teasing, all of us grandkids love coffee!! He laughs about it to this day.


He always use to give us licorice sliders. All of us kids will remember those!

Remember the "no kissing on Tuesdays"? Well, I can think of several times where we got him. Remember that one time at Starbuck's?

My Grandpa is a wonderful man and I am very thankful for him.


Happy Birthday, Grandpa! I love you very much!!

Christmas Pictures

Here are some Christmas Pictures. I know it is late, but that is okay. We got back to WI on January 3 and we haven't stopped since!! Heston started student teaching 2 weeks ago and we had a grad class last week where we had about 50 pastors here on campus. It was a great week! I will share pictures of our banquet later.

Bri, I am sure that you will enjoy alot of these pictures! I am not sure if Mom was able to email any of them to you.

We all had a nice Christmas breakfast with Grandma & Grandpa Huffman and Aunt Brenda. After that Dad read the Christmas story and then we opened presents. After Christmas dinner, the cousins came over. It was a great Christmas! And yes Bri, we all slept under the tree; we missed you!!


Christmas Breakfast


Kelli & Heston Christmas Morning


Dad


Mom


Bryce


Colton


Aunt Brenda & the boys


Grandma Huffman


Grandpa Huffman


Kaylee, Karissa & Kara


Kara


Lesley & Colton


Karissa & Great-Grandpa looking at his new flashlight

Happy Birthday, Heston!

Today is Heston's 27th Birthday! I made him cupcakes to take with him to his 6th grade class at Faith, where he is student teaching. I am also making him a shoofly pie for his birthday cake. He LOVES those! Then it will probably be out to Chinese for dinner.

I am thankful for such a wonderful husband. This is the 5th birthday that we have spent together. Heston, I love you now more than ever and I am so very thankful for you! I love you very much and I know you will love your present!

Date Night

Heston took me on a date to our favorite Italian restaurant, Maggiano's. It was the restaurant where we almost got engaged (see explanation in comment section) and also where we had our rehersal dinner. We had a great time together and some great food! To go along with tradition, we got our picture taken! Thanks, Babe, for a great date! I love you!

Wisconsin? Nope...Colorado!!

We left Tuesday morning for Milwaukee, WI. We had a wonderful time with Ruth, Steve & Haven. They took us to one of our favorite restaurants, P.F. Chang's. Thanks guys!! They dropped us off at the airport and we flew to Minneapolis. We arrived on time, but were told that our second flight was delayed. I called my mom & she said that Denver was supposed to be getting 1-2 feet of snow!! We weren't sure if we would make it, but we arrived in Denver around 11:45 pm, just mere hours before the "Holiday Blizzard 2006!" We wok up the next morning to about 17 inches of snow. It snowed and snowed and snowed some more. We ventured out to the grocery store to get some essentials and some baking ingredients. Mom & stayed home the whole day baking and watching Christmas movies. The boys, including Heston, went out plowing! Praise the Lord for that extra money! I think we ended up with about 28 inches of snow. It was fun being stuck at home and getting some holiday baking in and also sledding at the park with my mom & Colton. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!! Have a very Merry Christmas!
Our Street

Colton, my little brother, Snowboarding

Mom & Colton

Daisy May playing in the snow!

Praise!!!

Praise the Lord! Heston passed all of his classes!

Final Exams

Please pray for Heston as he takes his 3 final exams for the semester. He has 2 exams today, one in Foundations of Education and one in US History. Then on Wednesday, he has a final exam in Teaching Social Studies. He is not feeling well so it was a bit of a struggle to study last night, but we are praying that his hard work will pay off and that he will pass all of his classes!

Hope you all have a good Monday!

Early Christmas Presents

My husband is just like a little kid when it comes to presents. He received my present in the mail yesterday and he was SO excited! He made me close my eyes while he put it in the car and then he made me go inside first and stay in the kitchen while he put it in the back bedroom. Then he wrapped it up and put it under the tree. A few minutes later, he asked if I wanted to open my present! I said "no" and that I could wait. He was the one who couldn't wait! We went to town and he bought me another Christmas present that we have been wanting for our house for a long time: an over-the-range microwave. He really wanted me to have it and I must admit, it was on my Christmas wish list.

We went home and installed it and I went and wrapped the present that I got for him and put it under the tree. He asked when he got to open his present and I said he had to wait. He said "fine, then you can't open your Christmas present!" Finally, after going back and forth a few times, I said that after we cleaned up the kitchen, we could open our presents. He was SO excited. We were both convinced that we knew what the other got for our presents, so we wrote it down: I was right; he was wrong! Anyways, here is a little glimpse into the Frey household of Christmas.

Presents underneath the tree


Kelli opening her present


My new Kitchen Aid Mixer - Thanks Babe!!


Heston opening his present


Lovopoly: A personalized version of Monopoly


Our new microwave


My beautiful curtains!! Thanks Mom Frey!!

Egg Nog Latte's & Pumpkin Pie

'Tis the season for some of my favorite foods including those mentioned in the titles of this post! Heston & I have been using our espresso machine to make wonderful latte's!! We ate the last of the pie tonight, which is probably a good thing. I made Heston's favorite pie, shoo-fly pie. He LOVES it!!

We had a great Thanksgiving break. The week started out rough as I was sick for 3 days, but I made it into work for half a day Wednesday and then came home and started making all of the holiday festivities. I LOVE making all of the trimmings & desserts. Heston had a side job laying some carpet on Wednesday and didn't get home till late, but we still had to run to Wal-Mart so we ended up staying at Wal-Mart til 11 pm! It was kind of fun, though, almost felt like we were kids again!

We slept in Thursday and I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We put the turkey and ham in the oven and just waited for the kids to come over. We had 4 college students over and enjoyed a wonderful meal and great fellowship.

On Friday we ventured down to Appleton to do some shopping. We had a great time.

Here is a picture of the Thanksgiving table (minus the food & people- oops!)

Here is the mantle that my mom helped me decorate

Phoebe was mad that her daddy wouldn't let her sit at the table!


That night, Heston & I put up our tree. It looks beautiful!! Phoebe enjoys chewing on the branches but hopefully she will get over that.

Our Christmas Tree


My Christmas village & our stockings, including Phoebe's


The Dining room table centerpiece from the Frey family Christmas dinner last year



I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Less than 3 weeks of school left for Heston; Praise the Lord! Then it is off to student teaching for him.

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

Today is my mom's birthday. I wish I could be there to celebtrate with her, but I am thankful that she was able to come up and visit me for a week just last month. I have pictures on my camera that I will post once I get them off of my camera.

I am thankful for such a wonderful mom that loves all of us so much. She is a true pictures of love and sacrifice for her children and my dad and I am so happy to call her my mom. She has truly become one of my greatest friends. I know I can call her at any time and she will drop anything to talk.

Thank you, Mom, for you love and kindness. Thank you for your part in making me the woman I am today. Thank you for your constant prayers and love. I hope you have a special birthday! Let me know when you get my box in the mail! I love you, Mom!!


Mom with her brothers

We are Home...

We are home!! We had a great week in Florida with the Women's soccer team and although we received 6th place, I beleive alot of lessons were learned and it was a growing year for the returners. Here is a picture of the team for you to enjoy!


We arrived back at Northland around 7 pm and made it home shortly after that. It felt like we were gone for a month instead of just a week. Our kitty, Phoebe, was more than happy that we were home! She was on my back, like I was giving her a piggy back ride. She had one paw on either side of my neck and her head laying down on my shoulder. Every time I put her down she "cried". She tried cuddling all night! Crazy cat! She was just happy to have her mommy & daddy home!!

It was great to see my pastor & his wife from Colorado, The Scott's. It is always nice to see people from back home.

Heston went through his last pre-registration today! For this we are extremely excited. We did find out though that one class he needed to take during winterlude is no longer being offered, so we will have to see how we can work that in. Heston doesn't really care if he gets to walk across the platform to receive his diploma, but that is something that is important to me and to his parents. Just pray that he would be able to get all of his classes completed so he can graduate!!

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers as we were away last week and for your encouragement for the girls.

3-0

The girls played great yesterday against BBC. They held them at 0-0 through the first half. BBC got 2 shots within the first few minutes of the second half, but we held them until the last 4 seconds when they got a header. Keep in mind that this is the #1 seed and we were the #5 seed. BBC also won first place at last year's tournament. Let me tell you, though, they were very impressed with how much our girls have improved. We had a "day off" today so the girls slept in and then we had a brunch and then watch our competitor for tomorrow, Tachoa College, the #4 seed. We are hoping and praying that we will win tomorrow night's match so we can play for 3rd or 4th place on Saturday. There have been so many posotive comments from the coaches on how well the girls did yesterday and have much they have improved.

We are off to watch the guys game at 7:30 this evening against SouthEastern Universtity. I will keep you all posted! Thank you for your nice comments and prayers!