Just a fun 17 seconds... ^-~

There is only a slight bit of competitive spirit in our children.



You can barely hear me saying over the gorgeous Gulf Coast breezes...
"To think they are racing to sit in the car for 21 hours straight... it's a shock to me!"
btw for the record- Si won :)

Is Radiator Fluid Really Necessary?

** Note: to skip all the Blah Blah, scroll down for pictures :) **

Just a random question really, but as we found out - not once but three times over the course of this weekend -it really IS kind of necessary... especially if one plans to get back home!

Christmas Day we headed to Wiggins, MS, for the wedding of the year! Well, maybe just the last wedding this year, but never the less it was fabulous! KP is now K&SP! It was a beautiful ceremony and a gorgeous 70 degree Winter Day! I love the south!

We had an uneventful trip down... which for a 1300+ mile trip one way is a good thing!

Our white Chevy Conversion van is now affectionately dubbed "The Electric Cloud". It was tricked out with 4 cell phones, 5 IPods, 1 DVD player and a 13" TV, 1 game cube, two 2-plug power inverters, 1 laptop, 1 PSP, and 1 leapster! I may actually be missing something, but needless to say the Jalowiec Clan was Plugged In!!!!! It was fun to watch as the hours clicked away they settled in and one by one detached from their respective techy gadget, and had some serious knock down drag out fights real fun and conversation with their siblings. After a few hours of that, they each made their "nest" and went to sleep. There were pillows and blankets covering every square inch of the interior of the van! Dan and I are So Thankful for technology. What difference driving is with your favorite preachers along! Hours of David Gibbs, Dan Proctor, Ravi Zacharias, Alistair Begg, and of coarse our own Pastor Grace. The time clicked away and we enjoyed the trip. Our brains were engaged and it made the 43 hours on the road beneficial in more ways than just getting from point A to point B and back again!

After we got to Gulf Port and had a few hour rest, the slight smell of radiator fluid didn't send any red flags up until we started to drive the 40 minute trip to the wedding rehearsal. The "Check Gauges" light shone like a beacon of doom, and the engine temp was nearing the danger zone... QUICKLY! We stopped at a little gas station and were pleasantly introduced to good 'ol southern hospitality. After a few gallons of water, we decided to continue the trip and limped it along for the next day... only Sunday morning to discover the small leak in a coolant line had become a bit of a rushing stream. Limp again the few miles to Red Creek Baptist Church for service, and pray for a mechanic in the congregation! This vehicle was going no where in this state- especially 1300+ miles back home! Praise God for Brother Greg! He pulled our van over a gully, expertly removed the broken part, and repaired it with a modified piece! We had a relaxing afternoon in the sanctuary while the repair was being completed, and were on our way! The engine had no water at least three separate times- and who knows how many of the miles getting there we were precariously close to blowing the engine! God is so GOOD and the repair was a success. We were able to drive home safely and without event.

This was a very good "pre deputation" trial run with the kids, the van, and M.A.N.Y. hours on the road... and I am still looking forward to our future "happy trails" and "on the road again" days ahead of us!

We decided to lollygag out of MS, and took a drive along the Gulf Coast. After Katrina, the landscape has still yet to recover. The children loved getting their feet wet in the Gulf, and looking for shells. What a great time! The weather was gorgeous, the sun was bright, and water was cool. Enjoy the pictures!

I am beginning to like feet pictures!

Little Savannah in her Wedding Finery :)

On the coast, a local artist carved many of the devastated Oak Trees
into gorgeous works of art along the highway.

These dolphins were stunning. Almost like they were swimming in the sky :)

Karate Kids!

We acquired two new family members.
We shall see how long they last. Poor babies :(

How about this for the prayer card pic?!
I love camera timers... and even more, older children that know how to use them!

They loved it! Warm and Sunny. Quite a contrast from NY at this time of year.
Definitely a nice break!

"EE TAOW"

It is good to be reminded of things.

It was over 17 years ago when as teen counselors at FBBC that my husband and I sat in a Sunday morning service and first saw this video. (It is 20 minutes... PLEASE take the time to view it! It will be more than worth your time!)

This past Sunday, our present teen pastor showed the same video to another generation of students. I can only pray it had the same impact on some of them as it once again had on us.

When we first saw this, we were in the first year of our marriage. It promted us to be fully on board of prayerfully and financially supporting missionaries . It was one of the most impactful and beneficial things that happened to us a newly married couple. It was a catalyst to engage our hearts about missions. We both saw the world as a big place that is desperate for the truth of the Gospel. We both felt compelled to obey God by getting involved in the Great Commission. Little did we realize what those first steps of obedience was preparing us for!

Dan is in his F.I.N.A.L. semester at NSBI. WOW!! It really has been an exciting time. Preparation is service, and we understand that so much now. There has been growth in our marriage, in our lives individually, as well as in our walk with the Lord. We are learning more and more what it means to trust God in all things... well most things! (To say all is presumptuous... as I am sure they would be words to be eaten at a future date!) We are still in awe at the desire of God to use us - we feel so inadequate! Nothing compares to the thrill of seeing God work in our lives.

While there will not be an official roll out date, :) our prayer card is almost ready to be printed! We received the initial project via email yesterday, and our hearts were pounding as we waited for the file to load! When we clicked it to open... we held our breath! I told Dan it was like he was asking me to marry him all over again! We hope to have the final changes done soon, and have them printed by the hundreds! So Exciting!!! Until then, I am going to share with you a few of the pictures that were taken to finally get "The One" to be used. By the way, we aren't using any of them! Not one if the 157 pictures. So sad!

More of a police line up than a prayer card pic!

My Gangsta Family- oh my!

This one was a contender- but we all look a little pale against the orange...
sorry Orange Girl!

Si playing Peek-a-boo... They never really grow to old for that game! :)

A Picture for our Christmas cards

Love the Socks!
So Precious!

"Oh this is such hard work!"

"I am Done!"

Hello? Is anyone out there still?

I have been very up to date on everyone's blog... except my own! I love google reader, but now that I don't have to go to my blog to reach all of the other one's, I feel less compelled to add to it...!

Well, there are some updates on the Jalowiec front here! We are meeting with a graphic design friend who is going to help us get our prayer cards and our letter ready to start out deputation plans. We have three different lists of churches that have been given to us. We are not excited about the leg work involved with regard to cold calling and trying to speak to a pastor. I pray we don't often have a name wrong on our lists! Having worked for a major retail chain for many years that has involved "cold calling" patients to let them know their order is ready will hopefully help! At least I know how to accurately dial a phone. I will definitely be glad for that skill that I learned in the secular world! Ha! Getting a calendar to put meeting dates onto seems a bit presumptuous, but little happens without belief! I think a nice appointment book is a great gift idea for a certain man in my life!

Speaking of... I am so thankful for my husband.

Many men have no clue nor desire to be handy in the least. It may stem from inability or a lack of motivation, I have no idea. What I do know is, Dan is professionally trained as an optician. Not a mechanic or an electrician, not a plumber or a small appliance repair man. BUT... he attempts and succeeds time and time again in these areas! I cannot add up the THOUSANDS of dollars he has saved us in repairs on the vehicles and in the home. And not because he had all of this macho-man gusto and confidence going into it. But because he figured he would "take a look and see". Yesterday, he repaired a gas leak on our van. It turned out to be something straight forward, but I would have driven it to the first repair shop I could find! He has repaired struts, shocks, brakes, clutch parts, windows, wiper motors... the list is endless! Another bonus, he often has one or two of our boys out there with him- training them to be men that will wow their wives one day! Just the other day my bread machine stopped working. I was thinking to toss it out and get another one somehow. No need! Josiah asked if he could "take a look and see"... (I have heard that phrase before!) and with in 20 minutes he returned it working like new. Bagels anyone?! :)