Umphress Family

Kid's Camp Day 1 & 2

2009-07-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

We arrived about noon yesterday. Had lunch, waited for Dallon and Leighton, Pastor Heath and Ali's daughters to arrive and just hung out. The girls finally got here and they and the boys have been like glue to one another, other than swim time. Swim time, girls and boys swim seperate. So we had dinner and then Pastor Heath took us on a little adventure to the Zip lines. Zayvn of course is very excited to go on them however because of his age may not be able too. Renn on the other hand is steering cleer of them. Ali and I and the kids decided to go exploring some more on the golf cart. We turned down this lane which we thought was the Royal Ranger camp. As we kept going we soon realized it was not the right way. Ali backed up and got the cart stuck in mud. We told the kids to go behind and push us out but soon realized that was a mistake when we saw the mud flying and little Leighton was covered in mud. We eventually got it unstuck and made our way back to our places so we could get ready for service.

Rowena made a visit to the kids and was just crazy! Zayvn helped Kevin with the memory verse and was just absolutely precious! Kevin led the service and the Lord touched many children last night. Cousin Eddie is coming tonight and we are expecting the Lord to do great things again. So many memories are etched in my mind and heart. My children are learning lessons about not thinking because dad is the speaker they have special privileges. Zayvn has become the kid's mascot and all love to say hi and give hi fives! We all wear names tags and when it's time to eat we go to the head of the line. Zayvn has used the tag in numerous ways to get a head to other lines or even telling one of the pastors here that he didn't have to go in for service because he had a tag!! Yes, even my dear children even after one day are trying to milk it!

Today was free time in the afternoon so Zayvn wanted to ride the Zorb ball. After standing in line for 1/2 hour and getting all the way to the top he decided he didn't want to do that! Go Karts were next and after walking all the way there he again decided to not do that. After all that it was time to go swimming.

Having trouble uploading pics so those will have to wait.

Kid's Camp #1, Day 1

2009-07-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

What a crazy day it was here. So much to tell but oh so late at night. What I will say is golf carts, crazy rides, stuck in the mud, mud flying and showers of mud. More on that and pics as well. Rowena, craziness, games, seeking God, Holy Spirit, friendships, Keaton, Snack Shak. Those are just a few things that went on here today/tonight. When I'm not so tired I will share more. Just know it's been an awesome day and I'm excited to see what God will do tomorrow!!

Gone to Camp

2009-07-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow the four of us will be leaving for Kid's Camp 1 at Sunstream Retreat Center in Ogden. Kevin is preaching this camp and even has the boys helping him do puppets and memory verse. We are all very excited to go. Please pray for God to use Kevin in such a way that it reaches the boys and girls going. The boys and girls going are 4th thru 6th grade. Kevin will have his laptop up there so I'll try to post pictures if I can.

Zayvn's Birthday Party

2009-07-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

Filling the pinata

Although Zayvn's birthday was on Wednesday we had his party today. Another water party. Good thing this kid was born in July!! We had the swimming pool filled and the sprinkler going. Did some water games with water balloons and then put up the slip n slide. After the slip n slide we had cupcakes and ice cream. Grandma couldn't make a cake and send it all the way here so we just made home made cupcakes and Zayvn frosted them this morning. It was then present time. Finally the pinata came out and the kids went back to swimming and playing in the water. It was a great time had by all!!

Skating Babies

2009-07-10T16:28:00.001-07:00

Fabulous Thursday

2009-07-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Thursday!! We met up with Ed & Linda Payne and their grandson Drake at The Incredible Pizza Company http://www.incrediblepizza.com/urbandale. It was pretty incredible all right. They took an old Albertson's store and made this buffet place along with games and mini golf, mini bowl, etc. I found some coupons online so that was nice. Renn told the workers there that it was Zayvn's birthday so they kept giving him tickets. After about 2 1/2 hours we made it out of there. That was quite the adventure for sure!

This evening we decided to head over to Pleasant Hill Elementary where they have this huge fort playground. The boys had fun playing on it. It was a great evening!

My Baby Is 6

2009-07-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

My baby boy turns 6 today. Unbelievable!! I know people always say "it seems just like yesterday that he was born", but really it does. He was a day old when Kevin and I walked in to the hospital room and he was put in my arms by his birth mother. It was at that moment that I knew this baby boy would be ours. That the Lord was choosing Kevin and I to be his mom and dad. What a joy it has been to see our baby grow into a little boy. He's got a personality all his own and someday he's going to do great things for the Lord. Yes, at times, he can be so awnry but at other times he's one of the most tender hearted little guys I've seen. He's a people person and anyone is his friend! Happy Birthday Zay Zay!! We love you!!

After church last night we went and had ice cream for Zay's birthday. He was very excited about the Nintendo DS he got from mom and dad! Now him and brother can play against each other!

4th Of July Get Together

2009-07-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

Tony being funny

Mechems

Coopers

Kyle playing football

Renn and Kyle playing football

Rachel & Renn

Russells and Mechems

Sparkler Time

Waiting to watch the fireworks

Because we live on a hill and you can see the city and the fireworks for a distance and because we love to have people over we decided to have a get together at our place. The weather was a little bit questionable and I started to get upset about it but then I got the idea to move the tables to the garage. The rain held off and from about 4pm on we had about 53 people at our house. Some came and went and some stayed the whole time. Most of those that came were from our church. We have some pastor friends that live in Panora, Kelly and Krista, and they came and visited for a while. My cousin Sigrid and Tony were also passing through DM on their way to PA so they stayed for the day too. It was a great time of fellowship and food. Towards evening the kids had sparklers (all other fireworks are illegal here). We gathered on top of the lawn about 9pm and watched them going off all over the city. So thankful the Lord blessed us with such a beautiful view and a wonderful house to be able to do this!!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

2009-07-04T07:19:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful and safe 4th of July!!

My New Boot

2009-07-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

Well, last night I went and did it. The 1st and 2nd grade girls that I teach on Wednesday nights and I went outside for a little bit last night. The back of the church is a big hill that most of the children love to run down. I was standing at the bottom of the hill and went to turn around to tell the girls it was time to go in. As I did that I lost my footing and my ankle went under and I heard this "pop". I got one of the girls to run into the foyer and tell someone I had fallen. Help arrived and we made our way to Kevin's office. My ankle was swelling by the minute so Kevin decided to take me to Urgent Care. Dr. did and X Ray and didn't see any broken bones however they were sending it to radiology because of some concerns from a break I had years earlier. Anyway, it's a bad sprain so I have to wear this boot at least until Monday. Here's a good laugh for you too: The girls and I just started a new lesson. It was on SAFETY!

Mom's in the Park

2009-06-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

What a great Mom's in the Park we had. Go to www.bereanzoomzone.blogspot.com to see all the pics!

A Time For Family

2009-06-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

Last night around midnight we got a call about one of our kids from church. Kyle is his name and he's 10 years old. Kyle has asthma and was having trouble breathing. He used his inhaler and that wasn't working so his mom, Kim, got the breathing machine and tried to use that. Pretty soon it was evident that that wasn't working and pretty soon Kim was on the phone dialing 911. By the time the paramedics got there Kyle was in full cardiac arrest. Kevin jetted out of the house and spent all night at the hospital with Kyle and his family. I'm not just talking his mom, dad and grandparents. I'm talking aunts, uncles, cousins, 2nd cousins, etc. When I went up to the hospital today as I walked into the lobby of the floor he was on there was a massive group of people. As I stood there waiting for Kevin it dawned on me that all these people were somehow related to Kyle. What an incredible sight to see all these people waiting to hear how Kyle was. This family, doesn't matter who it is within the family, will gather at the hospital at any time for any family member. I've seen this happen before with this family but with a totally different family member. What a blessing to see this. Not only did Kyle have his blood family but he had his church family as well.
Kyle you ask? He's responded to his dad by squeezing his hand and opening his eyes for his mom. Doctors were too do an MRI tonight to see if there was any brain damage but we are believing for the best.
Kevin came home and rested a couple hours this afternoon and headed back up to be there for the MRI. If you know Kev, he'll be there all night again just to make sure Kyle's okay. I'll keep you posted on how he's doing so please keep him in your prayers.

Some great music

2009-06-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

I love to listen to Shawn Lewis. He's the leader singer for Hyperstatic Union http://www.hyperstaticunion.com/. I've known his wife Natasha since she was about 4 years old and she holds a special place in my heart. Together they are an awesome couple and I love to hear them sing together. Here's a video of him singing Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. The guitar playing is incredible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LygLHPMBLFM

Here's them singing together:

Swimming at the Pool

2009-06-25T13:22:00.001-07:00

The boys and I were to go swimming today with Ann, our Pastor's wife, and her two grandchildren. She called me this morning and said she wasn't feeling well so I decided to take the kids myself. We went to Country Inn & Suites, www.countryinns.com, in Clive where for $5 we could swim. We were there for about three hours and ended up being the only ones there. The boys were in heaven! Not only was it NOT outside with the blistering heat they had the whole place to themselves!! Zayvn loved the fact that he could go in the hot tub! I'm so glad Ann told me about being able to do that. I may check around closer to home to see if any other hotels do that. What a great deal and fun time.

Neti Pot

2009-06-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

I've been having trouble with my sinus's lately. Several people have told me to get a Neti Pot. You feel it with saline solution water and then lean forward and over and pour it through one side of your nostril and it flows out the other side. I know, sounds pretty gross, but so far it's been working well for me. The boys wanted to take a picture of me doing it so you could get the "True" experience.

Moms in the Park

2009-06-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

We met at Grandview Park today. You can see a picture at bereanzoomzone.blogspot.com. There was only four of us mom's and I think the weather played a factor in not bringing more mom's out. It was 87 degrees by the time I got to the park. We called it a day when the temp started rising. This afternoon it's to get to 96 degrees but have a heat index of 110 degrees. So, it's awful hot out there. It's an absolute blessing to have a/c!! I am not discouraged by the attendance. I know the Lord brings those mom's there that need to be there!!

Iowa Cubs Game

2009-06-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

Sam, Renn, Elijah & Isaiah before the game

Best Friends

Amaris and I

Kevin and Scott

Hanging out watching the game

Zephan

Eating peanuts another fan gave the kids

Showing off

Tonight was Little League night at the Iowa Cubs. The four of us, along with our good friends the Albers Family decided to go. Renn and Elijah had their jerseys and hats on and brought along their mitts in case they caught a ball. It was fun to watch them. All of us had a great time and it was even fun to watch Kevin looking for our seat as we could see him across one section looking up and down. He finally spotted us but boy, did we get a laugh out of that!! Oh, and the I Cubs won!

Father's Day

2009-06-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Father's Day. As I was thinking about Father's Day my mind scanned the many pictures of those that have been like fathers to me:

My own dad Richard: Although it was sometimes rough growing up I can say my dad truly loves and care for his girls. Not only does he love his girls but the son's he inherited when his girls got married and the grandchildren that came along after. He's Captain Dick to some, grandpa, dad, uncle, dear and honey (which my mom calls him) and Richard. He loves fishing and taking people out on his charters. He's there to help us in any way he can (when we lived closer that was alot)

Dewdad: I lived with him and his wife and four children for about six months. His real name was Duane but I called him Dewdad and he called me TruDa.

Todd: I lived with him and his wife and two kids as well. He and his wife made me one of their own and I love their two little boys. They were a great family and Todd always had a sense of humor.

Rob: He was not only my boss but my youth pastor and a wonderful friend. Still is to this day. He is a great man of God who loves his family, children and granddaughter very much. He called me "The World's Greatest Secretary" and always made my day.

Ray: My precious grandfather, now having a jolly good time in Heaven with Jesus. He prayed for me for years to come to know the loving Father they he knew. His prayers worked and for that I'm grateful. He loved me unconditionally, no matter what. He was a man after God's own heart. He loved his family very much and was never without a friend. People loved to hear him laugh and talk. I loved to give him a bad time, but he knew it was all in fun. I still miss him to this day. Knowing I'll have a reunion with him someday up in Heaven makes me happy.

David: My wonderful father in law who is now in Heaven. I miss him deeply but I was his Peaches. I can't wait until I see him!

Bob: My Iowa Pop. That's what I call him and he doesn't even mind!! I don't ever think I've seen him w/o a smile on his face. Maybe preplexed at times but never a frown. He loves my kids and Kevin and I as if we were his own. He be there for anyone in a heartbeat. He'll help you in a flash and w/o putting up a fuss. I love him for taking us on as his own family.

Kevin: No, he's not my dad but he is the father to my most precious possession, Renn and Zayvn. He's a great dad and loves his kids with all his heart. He tries to make sure he spends enough time with each boy. He's always striving to do his best with raising his boys. He loves Jesus with all his heart and makes every effort to instill that in our boys. I love him for that!!

Happy Father's Day to all my dad's!!

THESE DRATTED HEAD ACHES!!

2009-06-19T18:05:00.001-07:00

Okay, I'm going to do a little bit of ranting right here. I'm so tired of these stupid headaches. Seems like I can't do anything that's going to bring pressure to my head. I had an episode on Wednesday and got that one contained and then while I was at work this morning I got another one. It was so bad that I drove to the church and then Kevin drove me to the Urgent Care. After talking with the doctor the sinus medication that I was on didn't clear up the sinus infection so she gave me a much stronger one and a more expensive one at that! She also gave me a shot so my head would quit throbbing. Kevin got me home and I went to lay down for a bit. I was feeling much better and ready to go help my friend Angela with FPNO. I was on the phone with my landlord and BOOM! just like that I get another one. So, that ended my going to help Angela. I was so mad as I threw myself on my bed and just cried. Wondering why am I getting these stupid, dumb things? I realized that until the pressure from my sinus' are gone even the slightest bit of laughing, bending down, excitement, anything that has to do with my head it's going to come just like that. Hopefully, these pills that I was given will take care of it. In the meantime Kevin says I'm going to have to take it easy. That may mean not going to the Iowa Cubs Game tomorrow night. Well, we'll just see about that. I told him if I have to I will load up on Tylenol to prevent my head from acting up again. My poor Zayvn asked Kevin if mommy was going to die! Okay, I'm feeling much better now that I got that out. I WILL NOT let the enemy get me down. I WILL fight!!

Awards Night

2009-06-18T20:02:00.000-07:00

Last night the Royal Rangers and Mpact had their awards night. Here's some pictures my good friend Angela took since I left my camera in Kev's office. Only Zayvn was there since Renn was playing his tournament game (which they lost).

Updates of sort

2009-06-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

It's been a bit crazy around here. Renn is in ball tournament this week and tonight was to be his first game. It poured down rain this afternoon and they called the game off. So, that means he'll play tomorrow night which just totally throws everything in a loop for us. Not only is it Wednesday it's awards night for the boys and girls at church. I've got a great helper that could present the awards to the girls but I was asked by one of the high school girls to be there since her mom won't be able to. I'll go to the game with Renn, stay until the very last minute and work on trying to figure out someone to pick him up. If he wins tomorrow night then he will play again on Thursday. If no win then he's done. This rain is supposed to be in Oregon, not here!!
I do a kid swap with my friend Brenda on Monday's and Tuesdays. Since I work Monday mornings and she works Tuesdays we decided it would be cheaper if we took each other's kids on the days we don't work. So far it's been going great and the kids are getting along. Zayvn went to a friends house today so there was one less child which made it sort of nice.
Zayvn got his first fat lip yesterday. Boys were playing ball and the ball got thrown to Zayvn and hit him right smack in the face. Looks a little better today but boy I'm sure it hurts.
Mom's in the Park was okay today. We actually went to McDonalds and I was a little disappointed but then I realized the Lord brought the two ladies that came with their kids for a reason. Jillisa was new and she brought her 18 month old son. It was nice to get to know her. I have one mom, Amber, that's been my faithful one from the start, minus last week when she was on vacation. I know the Lord brings those mom's to the park that need to be there and for that I'm grateful. I know it's not always going to be the same mom's that come and if it's just one mom that shows then I need to see the blessing in that.
Speaking of blessings Kev and I are surrounded by so many. Blessed to be in such a great church. God is doing such amazing things! The pastoral staff is coming together and is meshing well. God knew what He was doing by bringing us back here and for once I'm glad. Blessed to be loved by such wonderful friends who have become like family to us. Every day He shows us something new and I'm amazed. So often, we try to hard to make things happen the way we want. Yet, all we need to do is let God make it happen. We are thrilled to be a part of Berean.

Powette Weekend

2009-06-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend was Mpact Powette Weekend. There was 23 of us from Berean that went. What a great time we had and it only poured down rain Friday afternoon. Here's some pictures and you can read/see more on the Zoom Zone Blog at bereanzoomzone.blogspot.com. I also have all the pictures on my facebook as well.

Mom's in the Park

2009-06-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

We had our 2nd get together this morning. What a great time we had!! I took pics and you can view them at bereanzoomzone.blogspot.com. I'm excited because there were more moms today and new faces I had not seen! God is great and doing a great thing!

Headache

2009-06-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

So, after much discussion with Kevin and a good friend of mine I made an appt to see my doctor yesterday. I sort of had a feeling what my doctor was going to tell me to do and that was to have a Cat Scan. I didn't want to do this because those are very expensive and we really don't have the best insurance at this point in time. But, in order to keep everyone happy I decided to have one done. My doctor said because they came on so fast and with no warning and because they were a 10 plus on the how bad they hurt scale I should have it checked out. I headed down to Mercy Capital and Kevin met me down there. I had the scan done and then they told me to wait there until it came through. After about 45 minutes the tech guy came and said nothing too major going on in there except I have a very bad sinus disease going on. So, with all that taken care of the doctor that got the reading of the scan prescribed some antibiotics for me to try and clear up all the sinus junk going on. Hopefully the antibiotice will take care of the problem. I thank the Lord also for nothing major happening in my head. I do have to admith though as I was laying in that scan I just kept thinking over and over "How much is this going to cost"??? I know that Jesus is my Jehovah Jireh, my provider, so I need to leave it in His care and not worry about it. Sometimes that's easier said than done.

Pow Wow Pic

2009-06-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pictures from Pow Wow this weekend that Kevin and Renn went to.