Well, it's been a busy spring, that's for sure! In case you haven't totally given up on my blogging, I've got a boring personal update post for you. Cute and funny stories ahead, I promise, so keep reading! First of all, for the exciting news, we've managed to move into a beautiful house!!! We are in heaven, loving our new place. After losing our home to foreclosure several years ago, we began renting an apartment, that while spacious (as far as apartments go), was old and not in the best shape. We'd resigned ourselves to possibly living there a good long time until our credit had recovered.

Now, while I'm not complaining about the apartment, it did lack any sort of a yard. Our building shared a parking lot with the bar below our apartment and the police department next door. Imagine telling your kids to go play in the parking lot! So, while our apartment was decent sized, it was still difficult to entertain 5 kids there during the winter, or long rainy days.

Well, 2 weeks ago on a lark I looked at http://craigslist.com for home rentals. There happened to be one just down the street, a 3 bedroom new house for $1800. Out of curiousity I made an appointment to see it. After viewing the home I told the guy showing it to us, "I'd like to say first, that $1800 is more than we'd like to pay. Can you do better? And before you answer, I must tell you that I have 5 kids, 2 cats and credit that is lucky to rate an F grade." He called me back that night with an offer of $1500 a month. I was stunned!

I figured, who else is that desperate to rent their house? So I began making some serious calls, and we began visiting homes. No one, absolutely no one, turned us down. We finally settled on a beautiful house on the lake with a giant backyard, 5 bedrooms, and a very large deck on both the front and back of the home. It's been heavenly!!

I love being able to send the kids outside to play! I bought a 12' trampoline with enclosure for the backyard, and the neighbors have great kids our own kids' ages. So, what a dream come true - a blessing!

I've also adopted a new pet - Henry the rooster. He lives on my parent's farm as a free range chicken, and I never knew how awesome silly chickens can be. He's actually much smarter than I'd have guessed. Now, when I come over to their house he sees my car and comes running to me. He then follows me all over the farm like a baby ducky. If I haven't visited in awhile he comes up to the house and looks on the deck to see if I'm there. He was 2 years old when I began to tame him last fall. Now he is a wonderful friend and such a pleasure! He'll sit on my lap while I read a book, and once began snoring when he fell asleep. Did you know chickens can snore?!?

On a sadder note, but still a reason for thankfulness all things considered, my parent's cat was hit in their driveway by their own car. I bought them the cat 8 years ago, and we all think of him as a wonderful loving pet. I took him directly to the vet and it turns out that for such a tragic accident he was very fortunate in his injuries. No broken bones, no internal damage, just a 10 inch gash that required lots of stitching and medicine. So thank God he was so easy to fix up and save.

Well, that's the whole heads up for now, with more to follow later, and some interesting Soldiers' Angels news coming up as well!

This summer my church is going on a mission trip to Lima, Peru. Most people signed up for the trip last January. I felt led then to find out more information, but didn't. Guess I was being stubborn or something. I'm not a missionary, what on earth could I do? I couldn't imagine myself being useful in this way. But God kept bringing it up, and finally last Sunday I decided to listen. I joined the rest of the group to sit in on the monthly trip meeting (planning and what have you for the trip).

The official deadline for joining the trip was last Feb, so I felt pretty safe that I'd made sure it was too late to go, and I could at least say I'd done my best when I finally decided to go learn more about the trip. But, as it turns out, I was wrong. I'm not sure why God would want me on this mission trip, I've never ever been on one before. But, if He really means it and wants me to go, I will.

Next step is, fundraising for the airfare and whatnot. My husband and oldest son can go with me on the trip, provided the funding is enough, and since I have no idea what to expect at this point I'm just doing my best to plan for success with the 3 of us going and learning together. The cost is $2400 for each adult and $2300 for my son. A whopping total of $7,100.00! Not including lost wages for the 10 day period we are gone. That seems an astounding amount of money to me. I'll tell you this, the only way we would possibly be going is if God really wants us to and provides the means to do so. There would be no other way.

So, I guess at this point I'm willing, and will wait to see if He is serious.

If you would like to help with funding for the missions trip, I would appreciate it! Half of the money is due in 10 days - by the 15th of May! (Because I waited so long - definitely will be God's work if this happens) You can make your check out to Grace Church and mail it to me:
Holly Aho
214 1st ST E
Jordan MN 55352

You can also donate directly online here: https://public.serviceu.com/payment/default.asp?OrgID=1585&PaymentID=2858&&&
Make sure to let me know if you make a payment this way so that your missions giving is added to my fundraising totals for the trip. Email me at holly@sablogs.com.

Any amount is welcome, and if I don't raise enough money for us to go on the trip I will still be turning over all funds to make sure the trip is a success for everyone else.

Also - even if you can't donate financially, I would LOVE your prayers in this! The mission trip is July 25th - August 4th. The church has made this trip in the past, and this trip will follow very much like the last one, which you can read all about here!

Grace Church in Eden Prairie will host its 9th annual “We Salute Our Veterans” program to honor veterans on Saturday, May 17, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The program will feature former NASA astronaut Jack Lousma (Colonel, USMC, Retired). Colonel Lousma was in the Marine Corps for 25 years. While working for NASA, he was a pilot and performed two spacewalks aboard Skylab (America’s first space station). He was also the commander of an orbital test flight of the space shuttle Columbia. He has received four honorary doctorate degrees.

The program will include veteran testimonies and recognition, plus inspirational and patriotic music.

Pastor Dean Morin, pastor to adults at Grace Church who organizes the event, remarked, “The war in Iraq has elevated our awareness of the great sacrifice our veterans have made to preserve our freedom. This program will give everyone from the Twin Cities an opportunity to honor our brave military men and women who serve our country. And we are delighted to have Colonel Lousma as our featured speaker.”

The “We Salute Our Veterans” program is a free event. An optional lunch is provided after the program for $8.00 with advance reservations by calling 952-224-3032 before May 8.

For more information about Col. Lousma, click here.

Grace Church is located in Eden Prairie at the southeast corner of Pioneer Trail and Eden Prairie Road, one mile west of Flying Cloud Airport. For directions, go to http://www.atgrace.com/directions or call 952-224-3180.

Today my hubby and I were in the kitchen when he did something particularly clumsy. My hubby is more the affectionately ornery sort, so I kept my mouth shut as I looked at him askance, but the expression on my face must have spoke volumes. He looked at me and said, "I can read your mind, and that's not nice! Didn't your mother teach you that if you can't think anything nice, don't think anything at all?"

I replied, "No, but that explains an awful lot about you."

Is anyone else with me?

What? Let me get this straight. V-8 has a full serving of vegetables. So, if you drink one, why the heck do you need to actually eat your vegetables? So you can get 2 servings? I'm just saying, it's weird! If you drink the V-8, should be fine to order whatever you want, or not eat crappy green veggies. Stoopid commercial.

Learn more or get the code to share this video on your website here:
Soldiers' Angels Traveling Museum

Brandon nominated his mother for America's Favorite Mom. Copy and paste this link in your address bar and vote for her! We'd really appreciate it!

http://www.americasfavoritemom.com/mothers-day-2008/mom/Patti-P-3418

My Mother Patti-Patton Bader
Is one of the most amazing woman in the world, literally. She has done more for me and the entire Military then another mother in the world. And I do mean that to be a fact, not a build up or over dramatic use of the word. She started a organization called Soldier's Angels http://www.soldiersangels.com/ when I was in Iraq...

Read the rest and vote for Patti Here!

Need some advice? Something that will inspire and encourage you without saying anything really substantiative? You need to ask the Barak Obama Magic 8-Ball!!

Go ahead, ask it a question and then click the 8-ball for your motivating answer that leaves the real thinking to you!

Ask the 8-Ball!

Bwaaaaahaaaaaahaaaaa!

...and we are the actors. Or at least everyone at Barnacle's Resort in Lake Mille Lacs, MN are. I just love creativity and cleverness bundled together to defeat stupid ban laws. Like the smoking ban passed in Minnesota last fall. Even though I no longer smoke, I really resent the government telling people how they can behave on private property. Restaurants are private property, not public. If you don't want people to smoke - outlaw it. Not ban it.

Anyways, these ingenious business owners found a loophole in the law. The law allows actors and actresses to light up in theatrical performances. Therefore, all Saturday night customers at Barnacle's Resort are now official actors, with tags and all.

"You are looking at a stage. You are looking at a playhouse," said Mark Benjamin, a nonsmoking lawyer who worked the bar dressed in Shakespearian garb. "Those are not cigarettes -- those are props."

The 'production' includes programs and is called "Act Now!" LOL! The plot/theme of the production? Well, it's a period play obviously, displaying life as it was before the smoking ban.

BWAHHhaaaaahaaaaaaa!

Yep. That time of year again! Happy Birthday to me! And if you want to send me a present...

... Click here! (come on - you know you want to!)