Long over due, Our Trip to Minnesota!

Jeremy and I were invited to go to Minnesota back in October to attend  Understanding The Times (Prophesy Conference) put on by Olive Tree Ministries, with Jan Markell.  The conference was held in Eden Prairie, MN.  Eden Prairie made the #1 small city to live in by CNN Money for 2010.  Fancy Schmancy stuff! 

After we got into Minneapolis, got our rental car, we headed to the hotel to get settled.  Hunger quickly hit us and we headed out to lunch/dinner.  We heard that Green Mill was a good place to eat, so off we went.  Jeremy put on his fake face for me!  What a good sport!

 I was there too!

 The food was pretty good.  I got a French Dip with fries and Jeremy had a burger with sweet potato fries. mmm mmm good!

So then we headed off the church we were going to to check it out before the conference.  Man was it big!

Jeremy and I have really only attended our little church in Podunk so this was pretty crazy to us.

We had to drive all the way out to the edge of the parking lot to get it all in one shot.  It was as big if not bigger than the high schools around here.  I'm betting much bigger.  This was of course just one side of it!

The weather was unusualy nice for the begining of October.  The thermometer reached into the 90s in our car.  It didn't feel quite that hot but certianly into the 80's.

The conference was Friday night and all day Saturday and we were to fly out Sunday afternoon. Inside the church was pretty stinkin big too.  It was a lot like the church in I think its Redmond that the ladies went to a conference back last year.   

 Here is the stage in the santuary

 Here is a 3 frame shot that is stitched together and itstill didn't capture all of it! There were 2 levels of seating almost all the way around.

This was taken from outside the window in the lobby area.  Off to the left there was a little meeting area for sermons or studies outside.

The conference itself was rather disapointing to both Jeremy and I.  I went in thinking things were going to be over my head and I wouldn't understand any of the things they would talk about, but really it was VERY watered down and noone really addressed the current events.  Thats when I realized how special and what a treasure we have in our Pastor.  PK is an amazing gifted teacher and it shows what a rarity his gift really is.  When Jeremy talked to him on the phone a couple times I couldn't tell him enough to tell PK just how much I appreciate him.

After the conference on Saturday afternoon, Jeremy and I decided to see the sights and go for a drive.  Neither one of us had been to the Midwest so off we went.

 

We made our way though a little town called Chaska.

 Once out of town, we discovered what the midwest is really all about...corn.

 Lots of corn!  We were wondering why it was all still on the stalks all dried up when we realized that it was corn for making fuel, not to eat.  Its sad that our food is turning into fuel and not feeding people.  I'm sure there will be hard times to come because of this foolishness.

Once we were headed back to the hotel, we came across this gas station sign.  Gas 2.89, 16oz coffee .99.  I wouldn't pay .99 cents for that garbage they call coffee.  I'll tell you, Noone does coffee like Seattle does coffee!  That was so hard to drink that brown water that they call coffee!!  Now Jeremy will tell you I drink mud coffee.  Yeah well, I like more bang for my buck and like a good strong cup of coffee. =o)

Back on the home front, Grandma Debbi had watched Natalie and Hannah for the 2nd half of the weekend.  She had Hannah's cousin Damien come over to spend the night and had all sorts of fun stuff planned.

Noodle necklaces! This picture looks totally like it could me my older brother and I back in the day!  Craziness!!

They then painted their very own pumpkins!

 Well done! I think we have some picasos emerging!

Funny glasses with Grandma

 Hannah

Even Natalie got in on the fun!

She is my little cutie!! What a sweetness!

Thats all folks!