Posts Tagged ‘Family’
Posted by Steve and Casey Cretsinger on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010
Our family together on the wedding day
My baby brother was married this summer and I’m thankful that we could be home to be a part of his big day. He and Melissa have been together for so long that it seemed like they already were married, but it’s wonderful to have it official!
The wedding was out of town, so my parents booked a line of hotel rooms and we all got to spend the weekend together. This was one of my favorite parts of the weekend – just the time to spend together as a family. The boys absolutely love being surrounded by their family!
The rehearsal went smoothly – somehow I got asked to be the coordinator – although I know nothing about being one! But, things went well and we all hoped that the predicted storms would stay away for the weekend. It was a tough weekend for Ephraim especially – being constantly surrounded by large crowds and no real way to escape. We had to bribe him with a new Wii game if he could get the weekend calm. We gave him some tips to staying calm and ways to tell us that he needed some space. It seemed to work out well and I know he tried really hard! The other two enjoyed having so much family attention and kept themselves occupied making fun of all the “girly stuff”.
Much to everyone’s amazement the storm clouds rolled away an hour before the outdoor ceremony. It was at a beautiful spot in front of a pond at a park. Everything went smoothly and the reception was a lot of fun too. Our boys were so eager to get out there dancing. They sat patiently on the side during all those slow dances in the beginning, but you should have seen them when the fast songs came on! There was no stopping them! We had to drag Micah off the dance floor to finally go back to the hotel and get some sleep. It was a great weekend with family and friends and we’re so excited for Travis and Melissa.
The boys fooling around at the dress rehearsal
I was so glad to have my sister fly in for the wedding
Ephraim enjoying the wedding cupcakes
Tags: Family, summer fun
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Posted by Steve and Casey Cretsinger on Thursday, August 5th, 2010
Micah getting thrown off the diving board by Uncle Matt - Uncle Matt spent quite a bit doing this that day!
We were able to have a great time celebrating Micah’s birthday! Hard to believe that I am the mother of a nine year old!
Awesome friends, the Latka’s, hosted a party for Micah’s birthday and it was the perfect day for a pool party. We had to drag them out of the water at the end of the day. Friends and family joined us for a day filled with swimming, great food and fellowship. The boys absolutely loved every minute of it. Micah and Malachi have been asking for skateboards since we got home and so they were thrilled to both get a skateboard – with lots of pads and helmets thanks to a very nervous Gramma! They were spoiled with lots of other fun gifts too. It was just a really great day!
Yeah for a skateboard!
Happy Birthday Micah!
Tags: birthdays, Family, friends, holidays, summer fun
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Posted by Steve and Casey Cretsinger on Monday, July 26th, 2010
Happy Father's Day - going out to dinner with the family
Some photos of our Fathers Day…a nice, relaxing day spent with family. Steve and the boys wore matching shirts that we had made from fabric we found at the market. They looked so cute, but Micah informed me that this will be the last time he wears a shirt that matches his siblings! Steve picked out his own gifts from Home Depot – of which I still didn’t get the exact one he was thinking of, but I don’t think he minded having to go back to the store. The boys made him some little crafts, but as usual, they are not into the “crafting” thing. We went to church in the morning and enjoyed a family dinner at Outback later in the day. Much more pleasant than our last Father’s Day in Africa – Outback hasn’t quite made it’s way to Guinea yet!
Daddy and his boys on Fathers Day
The boys and I on Fathers Day
Tags: boys, Family
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Posted by Steve and Casey Cretsinger on Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
So glad to be together again!
Our first weekend home was a whirlwind of activity, but it was great to feel so loved and missed! We were picked up at the airport by my brother, Matt, and parents who were driving our new minivan! How awesome to hug our family and see the vehicle we’ve been blessed with. We spent the afternoon relaxing, catching up on things and very importantly – I had my hair done! We had a family dinner with more family that night. We spent Saturday picking up things we needed at the store and had a great welcome home party that night. So good to see friends after two years! It was a bit overwhelming to step into our huge church after such a long absence. It couldn’t get much more different from our church in Guinea and it was really wonderful to be surrounded so many other believers all worshipping together. It actually brought tears to my eyes. Our boys loved every minute of church and asked afterwards if we could go church everyday!
That first weekend home, we were able to meet with the Doerksen’s and Dueck’s who served in Guinea with us. Pete, Lesley and kids were just passing through Jackson and the Dueck’s have moved there to be on staff at the Bible School. It was so great to see each other again and catch up on how things are going with everyone. There is something very special about being with people who totally understand your experiences and can relate to the adjustments and challenges of missionary life!
Cretsinger, Dueck and Doerksen kids hanging out together
Lesley, Sue and I - so good see these friends again!
Malachi has been thrilled to be back with Uncle Matt!
Tags: adjustments, Family, friends
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Posted by Steve and Casey Cretsinger on Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Celebrating Steve's birthday with the Bryants
Our boys have loved to joke about the fact that I am SO much older than Steve. To them that four month difference has seemed like a lifetime and they love to remind me that I’m the oldest one in our family. Thankfully, Steve’s birthday has come and now we can be the “same number” as Ephraim says.
Our trip to Conakry was in part celebrating Steve’s birthday and the splurges of eating out was a treat we don’t get very often. Our friends, the Bryants, wanted to celebrate the day with our family and so the morning after we got home we headed out to their village. We had a really relaxing time and spent the afternoon chatting and catching up on life. Ginny made a great dinner for all of us and then brought out a delicious chocoate cake. Even with severely limited ingredients it was wonderful and we so appreciate the gift of friends who would do so much for us. The kids and I brought Steve pancakes in bed on the morning of his birthday. Not sure if 3 excited boys jumping on you is the best way to start your birthday, but they were pretty excited to give him the cards that they had made him. He had his birthday request meal for lunch, we celebrated with another chocolate cake in the evening and hopefully made the day a special one for Steve. I know what he’d really love is a trip through Home Depot for his birthday, but just a few more months and he can go there everyday!
Tags: Family, friends, holidays
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Posted by Steve and Casey Cretsinger on Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
An actual restaurant! With amazing food...worth the road trip!
Some people find the hot, extremely bumpy, five hour ride to the capital city a reason not to go. We are not in that group – we’re in the group that happily endures the ride in order to be able to eat delicious chinese food, find yummy fruits and vegetables not found anywhere else, take a nap in air conditioning, and watch our boys happily swim for hours. We really love going to the capital. We have found the perfect place for us. It’s a small hotel with a very accomodating owner! It’s definitely not up to American standards for hotels, but we are very happy with it. No sooner do we pull into the parking lot do our boys jump out and head to the pool. What better way to end a five hour trip than a few hours in the pool. Another family came with us this time because they wanted us to show them around Conakry and introduce them to our favorite places. We enjoyed chinese food, ice cream, grocery stores, book stores, the pool and we both of us couples had a date night while the other couple watched all the kids. It was a great getaway for a few days. Definitely more than worth the drive for us.
All day enjoyment of the pool - Micah and Malachi with the Nico and Isa Galvez
Ephraim and Pablo Galvez
Tags: boys, Family, friends, vacations
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Posted by Steve and Casey Cretsinger on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
Steve is gone most of this week working in another village to build a porch on our friends house. He was pretty excited about getting out there as he and his crew loaded up the work and trailer to start their trek out there. Can’t forget anything for the job – no Lowe’s or Home Depot to run out to. I wish I could say that I was as excited to be being left on my own. My boys know how to wear me out – actually, it’s a combination of a whole lot of things that wear me out, boys included in that. There are nights when I lay awake in bed for hours just thinking about things. It must be heredity because I know my mom does the same thing – or maybe it’s just a general “mom” thing that we do. Are my thoughts rambling as much as I think they are? This is exactly what I do at night – one thought leads to thinking about something else, to something else and before I know it – hours have gone by. There is a lot to think about these days…issues with the kids, issues in ministry, family stuff back home, our travels home this summer…lots of different things. My sister sent me an email yesterday telling me that her New Years resolution was to do away with worry – hmmm, sensing a family pattern???
Putting Ephraim to bed last night he said “I keep forgetting how to be nice. You have to tell me a hundred times! Tell me not to be rude.” I told him that God is always listening and he can ask God for help anytime he needs it. Isn’t it funny how you hear yourself telling your kids the exact things that you need to remember from time to time? With so much on our plate, so many things needing attention and so much drama to our lives – it’s a needed reminder that God has already told me “a hundred times” exactly what He wants me to do with all my cares and worries. Thank goodness for the conversations with kids that keep us on our toes!
Tags: boys, Family
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Posted by Steve and Casey Cretsinger on Friday, January 8th, 2010
The coming of the New Year is a big deal no matter where you live – even if it’s a small village in Guinea! All our friends here had been telling us their big plans for special meals, new outfits and visiting with family. For us, we spent the afternoon with our co-workers – snacking, visiting and playing a few games. In the evening we headed into the village to visit friends and give some gifts. They don’t celebrate Christmas with gifts as we do, but New Years is a different story. I had picked up several little gifts for all the children of “our family” in the village. It was so great to see our boys so excited to give gifts away and it was equally great to see the faces of the kids as they received their small gifts. (more…)
Tags: Africa, Family, friends, holidays, host family, relationships
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Posted by Steve and Casey Cretsinger on Sunday, November 8th, 2009
Enjoying a few relaxing days in the capital.
It came and went so fast that it seems like a blur. One minute we were anxiously waiting to see if they could get into the country and the next minute we were saying goodbye. My parents trip was what we had been waiting 16 months for and then like the blink of an eye – it was already over. I’ve been wanting to write about their trip and give all the details of the fastest week we’ve ever had. But, it sometimes I honestly think “were they ever really here?”. It just went too fast! How did I write about all their new experiences without writing a book? I’ll try to keep this somewhat short, but you might want to sit down and take minute to read all this! (more…)
Tags: boys, Family, goodbyes, vacations
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Posted by Steve and Casey Cretsinger on Monday, September 28th, 2009
After a great day at the beach
I kept telling myself that I would be more faithful at just getting on here a couple of times a week and writing about whatever was going on. But, the days seem to go by quickly and honestly, usually when there’s a free moment at the end, I am ready to just fall asleep. But, I sat here for a minute thinking what I could write about and immediately I knew what God has blessed me with. I am so very thankful for the people in my life. We’re going through a very discouraging time right now – the outcome is still unclear – and it feels very dark in this valley. But, we sent out an email to our supporters yesterday asking their advice on this situation – asking them to be praying for us – and I we have been overwhelmed by the love and support that’s been sent our way. Honestly, I have cried through several of them. To know that we are so loved, so cared for – even from so far away – is truly a beautiful thing. It’s a God given thing. I thank Him that He speaks so clearly through those who love Him. I thank Him for blessing us with such a team of encouragers. I thank each of them for their prayers for us. We are blessed.
Tags: Family, friends
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Steve and Casey Cretsinger Experiencing Tribal Missions in Guinea, W. Africa 
