Ski Trip '10: Warning it's LONG!

So I've felt like I haven't had anything "blog worthy" to write about for a long time. There are things going on, but I'm just not quite ready to release them to the whole wide world. But even as this trip was unfolding I was thinking...BLOG POST!
I'll start from the beginning... About a month ago a family from our church invited us to go skiing with them in Pagosa Springs, CO at Wolf Creek. We went back and forth about going or not because we've been trying to save as much money as possible for some other goals. But in the end we decided we'd go. It's hard to turn down a ski trip where all you have to pay for is gas, rentals & lift tickets. The plan was we'd leave as soon as church was over last Sunday, but Chris was sick so we didn't leave until Tuesday morning. Again after much deliberation.
We skied half a day Wednesday and things were going well. That night we went to the natural hot springs and soaked our sore muscles, it was wonderful! Thursday was going to be everyone's last day to ski so we got up and at it early. Chris and I both decided to get different boots because ours were hurting the day before. After a little while we got our skis on and up on the lift. As we started to get off the lift I heard Chris smack against the icy ramp. I thought to myself, "Great way to start the day!" I'm not so sympathetic, especially with my husband, until I realized he couldn't talk. The ski patrol and lift operators rushed over to him and were asking all kinds of questions and he couldn't answer. That scared me! But as they continued to check him out he came around and we thought was going to still be able to ski. But Chris ended up getting a free ride to the bottom of the hill curtsey of Steve with Wolf Creek ski patrol.

We both spent the rest of the day at the lodge because I was worried about my little husband. The next day was Friday. We knew a storm was supposed to hit Oklahoma so we decided to come home early. We left Pagosa around 2 p.m. and thought we'd be at least an hour or two ahead of all nasty weather. We made it about four hours to Clines Corners, New Mexico.

About three miles north of the gas station that is that town we slid off into the ditch. Chris handled things wonderfully and I really wasn't too worried. A very nice man saw us go off the road and turned around to pull us out. We decided to stop at Clines Corners and go to the bathroom and fill up before heading east on I-40. Much to our dismay the interstate was closed right before we arrived. So we debated our options: wait it out in our car, try to drive 30-ish miles west and try to find a hotel, or navigate around I-40. All the while the storm getting worse. We opted for option #1. A night in our car. Neither of us had ever slept in our car before so we knew we were in for an adventure!

After a lovely dinner from Subway, compliments of the gas station we got settled in for the night. It was funny to watch the hysteria that people were feeling. I mean buying bags of sandwiches just in case we were there for days or something! I've never seen Subway be such a hot commodity before! It really could've been a lot worse! We could've had our youth with us, been left on the side of the road, or I could've been by myself. We made some serious memories! We read a book, we laughed and I self medicated. I soon realized sleep wasn't going to come on it's own so I took a tylenol PM and slept well till about 4 am. We slept in our coats with the car running and a window cracked. The Element really wasn't too bad! I mean it wouldn't be my first choice, but we definitely got a much earlier start on Saturday then we would've otherwise. We got on I-40 about 6:30 Saturday morning. We drove several hours to Santa Rosa, NM and stopped here for breakfast.

I just wanted to be out of the car! Plus this place is the kind of place that my husband LOVES! He wishes he could host Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, I think that is his dream job. We also used this stop as an opportunity to "freshen-up."

We were able to make the rest of the trip without incident. It was a super LONG trip but definitely a memory we won't soon forget. After only 26 hours we arrived back in Sayre. (It should've only taken 10 hours) We picked up our dog, showered, and got to sleep in OUR bed. Never underestimate the power of your own bed! It works wonders! Here we are all clean & ready for bed in our bed. A happy family once again!

You gotta try this!

So a few weeks ago a friend of mine from Facebook was talking about Baked Oatmeal so I decided to try it when my Mother-in-law came to visit last weekend. It's delicious, easy and it's lasted several day. So I thought I'd share the recipe with all of you. It's my new favorite breakfast I think! I'm not a huge oatmeal fan but this is like the middle ground between the crunchiness of granola and the soupiness that regular oatmeal offers. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Baked Oatmeal
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
3/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Baking powder
3 cups of quick cooking oats
1/2 cup raisins (I didn't have any raisins so I used craisins and I REALLY like it)
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
Beat together oil and sugar. Add eggs, milk, salt, baking powder & oatmeal. Beat well then stir in raisins. Pour into a greased pie plate. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Serve warm with butter.

ENJOY!!!

Christmas Letter

MERRY CHRISTMAS FAMILY & FRIENDS!

We hope that this letter finds you well and that your 2009 was a great year. We have had a wonderful year and are looking forward to what 2010 holds for our family.
In October of last year we moved to Sayre, Oklahoma where Chris is the youth minister at First Baptist. When I sent this letter last year we were barely settled in here, but after a year in Western Oklahoma we are at home.
We have had a wonderful year ministerially. We were able to do everything we ever wanted to do over the summer and this fall and have seen a great growth among our students in their faith. We have seen students come to Christ, surrender to the ministry & commit to living a sold out life to Christ - nothing better then that! We have three students that have felt called to go to England or Wales next summer with iGo Students (the mission trip sponsored by Falls Creek) and we have decided to go with them.
We will spend ten days next July in either London, England or Cartiff, Wales ministering to the people there. The reason iGo sends people to those areas is because they are a crossroads of sorts. There are a lot of people groups represented in that area whose countries are closed to the Gospel and/or missionaries. We would ask all of you for your prayer support as we raise $6,000 to cover the cost of our trip and as we go. Also we’d be honored if you would consider supporting us financially as we fulfill God’s call on our life. We are so excited to see all God has planned for our time overseas and for what He will do in our lives, as well as, the lives of the three special students who are going with us. We will be working hard all year to raise money and make sure all five us get to go to Europe safely. If you are interested in supporting us financially you may make your tax deductible donation to First Baptist Church Sayre at 2 Darla Drive Sayre, OK 73662.
Looking back over 2009 it seems to be an uneventful year in comparison to last year! We have worked hard at developing relationships with our students in Sayre and planting our lives in this community. Our prayer is for longevity here. Sayre feels more and more like home all the time. We are blessed with a wonderful staff to work with, a supportive church family who prays and supports us, and students that make us want to do our very best.
Chris is looking forward to the spring because he has been named the Sayre High School Boys Golf Coach. This is a dream fulfilled for him because he gets to be a coach and paid to play golf all while hanging out with students. He is so excited to be the coach of his alma mater’s team that he spent many days and hours in high school investing in.
I am substituting at the high school and volunteering at the church. These things keep me as busy as I want to be. We are still working on adding to our family, but the Lord’s timing for us to have a baby is still not here. We are constantly asking for that blessing and for patience as we wait for His best and His plans in that area. Our only “baby” for now is our dog, Thatcher. We love the little guy and sometimes he is all the kid we think we can handle.
 We are blessed to have you all as our friends and family and we hope you have a safe and happy Holiday season!

-Love- Chris & McKenzie Gordon

Settled

What a difference a year makes! Last year at this time we had just left Lubbock and were living upstairs at my grandparents house in Purcell. Neither Chris or I had a job or any real plans. But all of that changed a year ago today. One year ago we were offered the position as Youth Minister at First Baptist Church of Sayre. After one interview I was scared and hesitant even though it was at least an option.
We had already moved twice in four months and left two churches in as much time. My heart hurt and I didn't know if I wanted to open myself up to the kind of hurt I was still sorting through. Chickasha, our first ministry together, was never ideal. It was a mediocre place with wonderful people who were very comfortable and didn't see much need for progress. Because there was no push or no evidence that anything we did mattered, we didn't do much. Nothing we did was ever wrong, per say, but it was never the right thing either. When we moved to Lubbock we were so sure God was moving us there and that He had big plans for us in a bigger church and a bigger city. I knew it would stretch us, partly because I was 7 hours away from home and family and partly because of how the church was ran. We arrived in mid-May and straight out of the gate were met with one adversity after another, mostly from the same people over and over. One Thursday in September my husband came to me and said he was done. After much prayer, advice, and disappointment we loaded our things and by the following Tuesday were home. Sayre is Chris' home town and so we'd been here several times to visit family and I NEVER thought I'd live here. I'm from a small town but this is a smaller one that is way more remote than I was used to. It seemed so dirty and poor and kinda sad. But after a four hour interview and my husband asking me to trust his confidence that this is where we were supposed to be I submitted to a third move in 2008. On the morning of October 2nd, 2008 we met with our pastor for the second day in a row and he offered us the job and said he needed to know that day. We went to lunch and I tried to think of every reason we shouldn't come while Chris played the opposite role. I was gun shy and didn't think we could make a difference.
But on this side of that crazy situation I can't imagine being anywhere else. My prayers have changed from "move us" to ones for longevity. We talk regularly about watching different kids graduate and this being our last youth ministry because we never want to leave. Our pastor is perfectly suited for our ministry style and is constantly encouraging us. Last summer we were able to do everything we wanted, now maybe we shouldn't have crammed it all into one summer, but still we had never been allowed that freedom before. And we have just finished interviews for a leadership team, which is what we are most excited about. I can't imagine if I'd held on to my fears and if my husband was selling cars or houses or insurance right now. What countless blessings we would've missed out on. Feeling settled does something for my soul, maybe a women's soul, I don't know. It makes me feel secure and at home, if that makes any sense. I'm just so thankful to be home and for the shape our ministry here has taken. It was a bumpy ride but now that we're here it was worth it.

Three Years Ago

Today is our third anniversary. It seems like so long ago, but three years sounds kind of pittily. We attended a 50th Anniversary party over the weekend and I was so inspired by the work and memories that go into a lifetime together. Here are a few memories from our first three years. Only 47 more to go...

Two became one


We bought and renovated our first house
Before

After


Made great memories


Chris finished his degree (I don't know how to rotate pictures on my blog)


Welcomed a new member to our family. Our niece, Emrie Meyer Hays! The love of my life!


Though there have definitely been some bumps in our road there is no one I'd rather make this journey with. Chris is my best friend and I'm so lucky to have married such a compassionate, caring, loving man. He is more then I knew to ask God for. Here's to many more years together!

Holli B

So a lot of my close friends are having birthdays all together and I love telling the world about how amazing all of them are...Todays focus is on one of my best friends HOLLI BREWER. She is one of my oldest friends. We met and started hanging out when I was a freshmen in high school. She is my one friend that I can honestly say I'd do anything with and have done more than I would with anyone other than my husband. She made me breakfast in bed on my wedding day, she and I worked together at my very first job, we have been each others confidants, embarrassing secret keepers, and many other things. She is probably one of my most talented friends. She has started her own photography business (www.hollibphotography.com) a few years ago and she is AMAZING!!! She has since shots tons of weddings, families, and babies. I already have her booked for my baby's birthing shoot, whenever that may happen. Every time I look at her website tears come to my eyes because I'm so proud of my precious friend. She is also a wonderful wife and mother. She was my first friend to get married so therefore she was the first bachelorette party I got to throw. So many fun memories. Holli has two beautiful babies that each time I met them she asked me if they were really as cute as she thought they were. We were always afraid that when we had kids that they'd actually not be as cute as we thought so we made a pact to tell each other if ours weren't. Lucky for Holli B. both of hers were and still are two of the most beautiful kids EVER! Maybe one of my favorite things about Holli is that we never have to pretend to be something we're not. We can always be 100% honest with each other and just be. We both understand that sweat pants can fix almost any problem, that a good dessert covers a multitude of sins, and that best friends are to be treasured. We also lucked out that our husbands became instant buddies, mostly based on both their vast sports knowledge. When we all hang out Holli and I sit and may or may not talk while our husbands flip channels discussing the latest in high school, college, and professional sports with never a quiet moment between them. They are the friends we are always sad to leave. Holli may be the friend that is the most like me and I love her deeply. I really can't imagine what I'd do without her. Love you Hol and I hope you have the most fantastic of birthdays!!!

Tristan Tyler

This post is dedicated to one of my best friends in honor of his birthday...TRISTAN TYLER SHUTT. Some of my best friends from college are boys. In fact, two of them were bridesmaids or bridesmen as we called them in my wedding. Tristan is one of those. Yesterday was his birthday and I wanted to dedicate a blog to him and our one of a kind friendship. Tristan is one of my very favorite people. When he calls or texts me even for silly things, it makes me smile. We have always been able to talk about ANYTHING and for hours at a time. I have so many wonderful memories of Tris. One of my first memories was made due to our German class. It was the first of many classes we had together and for an extra credit project or something we had to go to a German dinner at our professor's house. When I got into the car he asked me if I liked fish. I said not really and was worried that was what we were going to eat. He meant the band, not the food. And from then on it was history. My Junior year, his senior he wrote a continuous rap for me during different classes we both were taking. In true Tris style it was funny and creative and sentimental. After class he would read them to me as we walked to the GC or back to one of our cars. The last rap was so sweet and personal. One of my favortie memories. I saw dances that were reserved only for me. We both kept secrets and used each other's homework as our own at times. We talked all through the night. We studied with scheduled massage breaks. We drove around Shawnee with the windows down snapping along to some music I never knew who was singing. We ate from the GC on money our parents meant to carry us through semesters. We laughed and told stories. We drempt together, cried together, and mostly laughed together. I still treasure the moments we get to spend together. They are fewer and further between now, but all the more precious. I love him like a brother. I'm so proud of all his accomplishments and I admire his incredible creativity. He is a true catch and I think very highly of him. I count myself blessed to be his friend. I love that I can call him on stupid things he does and that he does the same for me. We are totally ourselves with each other. He may be my only guy friend that didn't let my marriage affact our friendship and I love that. He is a kindered spirit. He's sentimental and loves to remember when. If you ever get a chance to meet my friend Tristan soak him up because he is truly one of the most loving and kind people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Love you Tris!