A Book?

My husband said something to me the other day that I can't seem to get out of my head. He said I should write a book. When I began to laugh, he said he was serious. I then began to offer all of the excuses I could think of...who would read it, I'm not educated enough to know how to properly write, I have so many random thoughts and topics I'm not sure how it would come together and make sense, etc. Every excuse was met with an answer debunking my reasoning!

So, I'm praying about the possibility. I guess I won't know if it's in me until I try. I have, for many years, ranted to my family all my thoughts, opinions and philosophies about children's ministry that maybe, just maybe some of those rants could be put into practical advise for those getting started in ministry. Maybe some of my frustrations over "the church" could help bring us together in a way that would make a bigger impact on the Kingdom of God.

Any thoughts or opinions?

Candlelight Communion

I was blessed to experience communion in a whole new way! Pastor Michael has a tradition here at Whitehouse First Assembly that makes communion a beautiful family experience. Our service started with some acoustic worship. Pastor Michael had all of the kids come onto the platform for him to read them the Christmas story from the Bible. After candy canes were shared, pastor shared a short message and then it was time for communion. All the staff couples had a station at the altar with communion emblems and we invited families to come. We served each family individually; sharing the scripture, a word of encouragement, prayed over them and then asked the spiritual leader of each home to pray a blessing over their family. It was so powerful! There were lots of hugs and tears of thankfulness. We each served communion about 10 times. In all my years of pastoring, I have never had the opportunity to serve communion in "Big Church" and I loved being able to be a part of it! What an awesome tradition and something I will look forward to every year!

Something to Really Think About

http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/462-six-megathemes-emerge-from-2010

Can I Just Brag?

Since moving to Texas, I have had the opportunity to be a part of the Whitehouse Ministerial Alliance. We are a group of pastors from all different denominations that come together once a month with the common goal of winning our city to Jesus. I love how this group plans services, fellowships and ministry projects together with no other agenda but encouraging each other and loving the people of Whitehouse. We had a joint Thanksgiving service and now are finishing the final deliveries for an awesome outreach called Project Joy.

Project Joy not only involves the churches of Whitehouse, but the whole school district as well. We team together and it starts with the schools. Teachers and administrators nominate families that they know are in need. The elementary schools collect non parishable food items, the middle school and high school collect money for gifts. Each church collects a household need such as laundry detergent or tooth paste for all of the families nominated, which this year was over 250 families. Then all food items are brought to one church where it is sorted before making boxes for each family. The money is collected and then the shopping begins. We try to have $20 per child to spend and had over 300 children to buy for! This is a huge project but is so fun to be involved in and team up with so many great people who just want to be a blessing to families.

If more communities worked together like Whitehouse, can you imagine how much more could be accomplished for the Kingdom of God? It's not about this church or that church...it's about showing the love of Christ. It's about pooling resources and being Kingdom minded and taking care of your own community. Love this!

My New City

I was doing some errands for church today and decided to drive through the housing development that is mostly government housing and where I have been told are many kids. As I slowly went over the speed bumps and looked over the layout, God began to stir my heart with ideas to reach out to the people who live there. Like the speed bumps in the road, many of them have had some speed bumps in their lives. We must be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who maybe some don't want to deal with but Jesus died for them just as much as He died for you and me.

I found a small play area where we could easily set up a sort of Sidewalk Sunday School and do some fun events for all the kids. If they won't come to the church, take the church to them! We can help them to overcome some of the generational cycles that keep them dependant on everything in this world and show them how to depend on Jesus...the true cycle breaker!

I love how no matter where we are or where we live, God can give us a passion for those around us if we are open to His leading. If we will have His eyes, He will show us the ways He can use us. I'm thankful to be used by God. Wherever, whenever however He chooses...let me always be obedient.

The New Journey

I'm on a road of discovery right now. With a new group of kids to pastor, I must not fall into the "children's church formula" that would make life easier. What I mean is this; as a person who has been a children's pastor for more than 20 years, I have to be careful not to fall back on or rely on past successes to minister to my new congregation. I have to discover where they are in their faith journey, how mature they are in God's Word and what needs do they have socially, physically and Spiritually. That takes time, effort and being very intentional. Life would be easier if I just mapped out the coming year without really praying it through and allowing God to show me where He wants or needs these kids to go. At the MOST, I have them 7 years in children's church. Seven years to lead them to Jesus and through His Word in a way they can understand. Seven years to prepare them to go to the next level with the youth pastor. Seven years to build a Spiritual foundation that will be firm and steady enough to add worldly weight and pressure. Seven years to help them understand what we believe and why we believe it. Seven years to get them plugged into ministry and teach them to be servants. Seven years...sounds like a long time but remember that's only a couple of hours a week. I have to make them count!
So...the road to discovery has some bumps and pot holes but it's a road that must be traveled to achieve what those precious kids really need. I choose to make the road fun and not a burden. It makes it even more satisfying when you can look back and see how they got from point A to point B. What an honor it is to love kid's to Jesus.

In the Beginning....

God created the team meeting. Well, not really, y'all know it was the heavens and the earth! But here in Whitehouse it is my new beginning and it started with an entire children's department meeting. What a great evening of opportunity. I was able to share my heart and just a bit of vision casting. I don't want to overwhelm people with too much too soon but they were all on board and ready to see what God has in store for our church and community. I am so blessed to be in yet another church that sees the urgency of reaching kids for Jesus and is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish much for the Kingdom of God.

It was also very cool to have our lead pastors and student pastors in attendance; supporting, encouraging and showing unity with the new gal! If you are a staff pastor reading this and have such unity in your church, make sure you tell the team how much you appreciate it. Not every place has that and it sure makes a difference in how ministry flows and builds together.

I got teased a bit for my acrostic about my role as the children's pastor. I used T. E. E. M. and Pastor Michael chalked up my spelling of team to my Iowa education....ha ha! In leading this new team, I want to
T - Train/Teach each member in the position they serve in. If they feel educated, they have more confidence to do their job.
E - Equip each member with the resources and materials needed to make their job easier and more effective.
E - Encourage each one. We all need a pat on the back, a "hang in there", or a well done!
M - Mentor each one who would like to go deeper in their walk, or fulfill a call to ministry. We must duplicate ourselves!

Of course, we had to eat! I love to feed people so a dinner meeting is always good. It was fun to have the servants from nursery, preschool, children's church, discipleship, Royal Ranger and M'Pact girls all around the table sharing food, fellowship and excitement to be doing the Lord's work for kids.

Great things are ahead and I know I must continue to grow in my life before I can be the leader God has called me to be. Thanks Lord for all you are doing in us, through us and despite of us!

TEXAS!

Here we are in the Lone Star State! We arrived in Tyler last Friday night to our new duplex and crashed after a long day of driving from Tennessee. Saturday morning brought a great crew of peeps from Whitehouse First Assembly to unload the truck. We were even treated to a yummy soup lunch from our new pastor's wife, Angie! Many thanks for all the help but let me back up the truck a bit.

It was tough to leave such a great church family at Union City First Assembly. Our two years there are precious times of making lifelong friendships and new life lessons. We are so thankful for our time there and the doors that the Lord opened. It was not always easy with some struggles along the way but it is a time I wouldn't trade for anything. I learned a lot under Pastor Tommy's leadership and will sure miss the awesome team there. We never dreamed we would only be there two years but I count them successful for the Kingdom of God as I know we witnessed many lives forever changed.

The people of Whitehouse First have given us a terrific welcome and are very excited to see what God has in store for the kids and families of this community. Pastor Michael is gonna be awesome to work with and our youth pastors Danny and Celeste have an awesome group of students that I'm looking forward to getting to know. Look for updates on what's happening in Texas and I'm excited to be serving in yet another great church!

The Giant Haystack

The Giant Haystack is back! On Sunday, October 31, from 3-5 PM…FREE hot dogs, drinks, a bag of candy for every child AND lots of prizes. This Obion County community family event is right in the backyard of Union City First Assembly of God, 1810 Pleasant Valley Ave. All kids ages 3 yrs. old- 6th grade will climb in the haystack for a 5 minute mission to find a specially marked ball to redeem for a prize. Back this year…a .25¢ cake walk for all ages and a free kid’s craft table! Everyone is encouraged to register for our family gift basket with something for the whole family! The drawing will be at 4:30 PM, or after the final group in the haystack. Invite your friends!

Entering the Giant Haystack:

3 yrs. old – 5 yrs. old (preschool) 3:15 and 4:15 if needed

Kindergarten – 2nd grade 3:30 and 4:30 if needed

3rd – 4th grade 3:45 and 4:45 if needed

5th-6th grade 4:00 and 4:45 if needed

Wow, I'm painfully behind in blogging! With Facebook in all of our lives, sometimes it's easier to just make a quick comment and move on but when I write in my blog, it stirs my creative juices in other areas of my life.

Summer was awesome as far as ministry goes. After Kid's Camp, we prepared for back to school as in Union City the kids were back at it on August 2! And I thought Iowa started early! We had our second annual "Round Up Sunday" where we try to round up all the families that have been MIA over the summer months. It was a fun day with a western theme, horseback rides in the church yard, costumes, roasting hot dogs and making s'mores, lots of pictures, and success in getting reconnected with some awesome kids! Our team did a great job in the plans and execution of all the activity.

School also reignites "Lunch Dates with Pastor Lori." Every Sunday at the end of service, we draw a name out of a metal lunch box and that child will get a visit at school for us to have lunch together. We take pictures and talk and just have a little one on one time. I LOVE the opportunity to see the kids outside of the church and meet their friends. I always get to find out something I didn't know about my date before that day.

We have two vases that set on our stage every Sunday. They have a bouquet of foam stars in each that represent each child who came to an altar of repentance and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior this year. This last week, we added numbers 40 and 41 to the cases! Praise God that the Holy Spirit moves in the hearts of kids, too. One of the salvations was a young man who I have had the privilege of mentoring since last school year. He just started coming to church and prayed to accept Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for Your favor in our schools.

We are gearing up for the third annual "Giant Haystack" fall celebration! It's gonna be even bigger and better than before! Tons of candy, prizes, a cake walk, crafts, free hot dogs and beverages, family pictures and probably gonna give away a couple of bikes again. More details to follow but save October 31st for a great family adventure.

I'm so thankful for each person who God has brought to help us minister to these awesome kids at UC 1st. I believe in them and believe they are truly making a difference in the lives of these kids. I'm thankful for a husband who supports me in so many ways. And I'm most thankful that the Lord asked me, an ordinary person, to be His ambassador to kids.

Kid's Camp 2010

This, I believe, was my 16th year of attending a Kid's Camp! That statement should speak about how passionate I am about the camp experience for our kids. I LOVE camp for myself also....not the rickety bunk beds, the 100 degree heat, the smell of sweaty children...I love communing with my tribe, swapping ideas, hanging out with my kids away from "life", meeting and networking with new people, watching the way kids socialize, learning things about my kids that I may have never known during a Sunday service, and most of all the intimate time at the altars with kids that I love and want to help be life long followers of Christ.

I am passionate that camp is one of the most valuable investments you can make in the spiritual growth of your child. They have five days with no TV, cell phones, parents (good or bad ones), or other outside distractions. They are in an environment that is made for them, all about them, honoring them, and doing all with a ton of fun. Without all of the other stuff from their lives, they can focus on God and tune into what He wants to say and do in their lives. I could go on and on about why I believe in the camp experience but I think you get it.

This year at Camp Jackson in Goodlettsville, TN, we took 10 kids who really wanted to be there and had come to camp knowing God was gonna show up for them. I have taken many different sized groups to camp from 3 kids to 62 kids but have never taken a group that was 100% ready for God to speak into their lives. I also had the most amazing male councilor go along. Mr. Brian experienced his first kid's camp and I do believe he is now addicted! He not only had a blast but did a fantastic job with our boys. None of them have a Godly man in their home and so they got to see how a Godly man acts and how he is to handle himself and how real men love and worship God. I know that was almost as valuable as the time they spent with Jesus. Brian is gonna be an incredible children's pastor.

One of our boys had his first real encounter with Jesus at the altar. Tears of repentance and cries for emotional healing came from this young man who lives in absolute dysfunction. One of our girls received her call to ministry and another was filled with the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues! Can I tell you how honored I felt to witness these two young women of God have these life changing encounters? It brings me such great joy and excitement for what is in store for them. To watch their faces as they cried out to God and then see Him answer is absolutely priceless!

Camp has it's games, crazy times, swimming, sports, concession stand, carpet ball, constant noice and of course chow time. It has it's first crushes, squabbles, constant noise and the afore mentioned sweat issues. It has it's lack of sleep, mosquito bites, dirty clothes, unclaimed underware, lost pillows and did I mention lots of noise. But camp has Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God's Word, worship, fellowship, friendship, inspiration, growing, hearing God's voice, healing, repentance, forgiveness and love. I can't wait until next year!

To see more pics, check out my Facebook page or become a fan of Building 2-52 on Facebook.

Iowa

My brother Dan, sister Julie, me and brother Norman
Dylan and Jakob
Sister's boyfriend Mike, Julie, Norman and Shelley

Niece Kilee, Jakon and Dylan

My mom and Julie

Our beautiful great niece, Lillia

Two of my BEST friends, Lana and Judy with Randy

Our wonderful son, Keaton, beautiful niece Amanda and our wonderful daughter, Micaela!

Amanda and Lillia

One of Keaton's best buddies, Jacob

Randy and I had the opportunity to go back to Iowa for a few days. The main reason was for me to perform a wedding for two of my former kid's church kids, Jeremiah and Monica. The wedding went very well and it was such an honor to be a part of it.

We stayed with some of our best friends, Mark and Amy Main and their cutie girls, Isabella and Lisi. I also got to do both kid's services at our old church on Sunday morning and it was such a blast to work with Scott and Angela Albers once again! It felt like old times and is always great to reconnect with good friends and church family. Micaela came up for the weekend and Keaton was back from the campground so the whole family was together!!

Sunday afternoon, Mark and Amy hosted a BBQ for us so some friends could come a see us. Some had new babies we got to meet and all of the other kids have grown... it is hard to believe we have been gone long enough for they to have changed so much!

Monday, June 21, was our 30th wedding anniversary!! We spent the day driving to Sioux City to see my family which I hadn't seen in two years. It was a short visit but I'm so thankful to get to see everyone again. My twin nephews have grown soooo much and my niece had graduated from high school this spring. I even got to see my dear friend Pastor Laurie Rich who lives right down the street from my brother. Laurie has been a friend for about 20 years and was a mentor to me when I first felt called to be a children's pastor.

I'm so thankful to the Mains for their hospitality and to the Team at home who made it all possible to be gone.

Sports Camp Success

Our Mega Sports Camp could not have gone better this year. Our final night, we had 21 kids ask Jesus into their hearts and lives! 21 kids saved and making Jesus the answer. This top picture was most of the kids that got saved. Each one a miracle, each one with a plan and a purpose that God ordained from the beginning of time, each one with the potential of changing the world for the Kingdom of God, each one precious in God's sight and and in my sight also. My "divine appointment" girls were among those who were saved! Isn't God awesome!? Thank you Lord for allowing us to be a part of something greater than ourselves.

Mega Sports Camp

I'm so excited about how things are going with this year's Mega Sports Camp. Not only are we having lots of new kids and lots of fun, we have an amazing team of people who are serving kids this week with their whole hearts! I am so blessed!

One extra exciting thing is that my afore mentioned "Divine Appointment" girls are here at sports camp! They are the sweetest girls and I told their grandmother she could pack their bags and bring them to me anytime.

We have two more days of camp and I know God is going to do some awesome things in the hearts and lives of kids!

Do You Believe in Divine Appointments?

I do! I try very hard to be aware of when they take place. I had one such divine appointment last week. It started out as a quick stop for some dinner after a busy Tuesday. We went to a local pizza place and it was "kids night" so it was kinda busy. I passed a table of three young girls and a lady that I thought was probably their grandmother. One of the girls stopped me and asked, "Do you work at _______?" (Insert a local school name, which I won't say for safety issues.) I answered, "No, but I'm at ____ occasionally because I have lunch with some of my church kids. Do you work at _____?" She laughed and said, "No, I'm in the 2nd grade there." I introduced myself to the girls and their companion and made some small talk and then proceeded to get my pizza.

As Randy and I sat back down at the table next to theirs, the girls kept engaging us in conversation and asking questions about some of the kids from their school that go to our church. They were in 3rd, 2nd and 1st grades and each seemed to know every child I named off. The 2nd grader came over to our table and began to share her life story. They live with their step-grandmother who was with them. The grandfather died a couple of years ago. Their father was in prison for drugs and their mother had deserted them when they were babies and did not know where she was. They go to their biological grandmother's house every other weekend in a small town near by. They had such a sad story but were three of the sweetest girls and had such joyful spirits.

I shared some up coming events at the church including our Mega Sports Camp and the grandmother seemed very interested. I gave them my card and told them to give me a call if they had any questions. The grandmother gave me their phone number and welcomed me to call them. I asked the grandmother if I could take the girls' picture so I could put it on my office bulletin board so I could remember to pray for them. She didn't hesitate in saying yes even though when you think about it it is kind of a weird request from a stranger! I wish I could put their faces here but don't think it would be a good idea...just know they are three beautiful girls that made my day.

I told them I would be at their school the next day for a lunch date and they promised to watch for me and come and say hi in the lunch room. Sure enough, during the 25 minutes I was in the lunchroom, I saw all three of them and received hugs and introductions to other friends. I was leaving and heard my new 3rd grade friend tell one of my church kids, "I'm gonna start coming to your church!"

I'm so thankful. I can see the hand of God in each part of that meeting; His favor that I can go into the schools, the night we chose to stop for pizza, the fact that I was going to their school the very next day and how they knew each of the kids I mentioned. It will be exciting to see how God will continue to work in this!

Lots of Catching Up

Boy, I'm behind in posting! We had a wonderful Easter at UC First Assembly! 302 people in attendance and a beautiful day for all of our activities. Our daughter, Micaela, was able to come for four days so that was an awesome bonus.

In March, both of our kids had their birthdays. I know some may get tired of hearing about how great I think my kids are, but I can't help it! They are such a blessing to us. They are not perfect but I'm so proud of who they are and how they are serving God.

I had a birthday last week...my last year in my forties! The big 5-0 looms in front of me. It was a nice birthday.

We are preparing for all of our summer events. Promotion Sunday is coming up on May 24. It's an opportunity to celebrate the kids advancing to new areas of ministry - nursery to preschool, preschool to Building 2-52, Building 2-52 to Oasis Student Ministries. We will have a brunch between the two morning services and a short ceremony at that time and also during our 5 PM discipleship classes. It gives parents the time to ask questions, meet the teams, and get info about the new things they and their children can expect.

Mega Sports Camp is scheduled for Sunday - Thursday, June 13-17. Sunday night will be from 5-7 and Monday - Thursday from 6:30-8:30. The camp will offer the choice of basketball, soccer or cheer leading and is for kids entering kindergarten - 6th grade in the fall. There is no cost. Our evening will include a big group time of music, games and a short story followed by individual sports, snack time and a wrap up.

Kid's Camp will be July 14-17 at our AG Camp Jackson near Goodlettsville. Kids entering 3-6 grades this fall are eligible to attend. Cost for the camp is $95 plus spending money. Applications are due April 25 so please contact me asap if you have a child interested in going.

Movin' On Up

It's that time of year when we begin to make preparations for the preschoolers to graduate to Building 2-52, the 5th graders to promote to Oasis Student Ministries and the high school seniors from the Oasis gang to graduate to the College and Career class.

I wanted to do something more intentional to prepare the 5th graders for the huge jump to youth group. It's an even tougher transition for parents to witness as they see their babies entering the realm of a teenager. So to ease the nerves of all involved, we have two "bridge" events for our 5th graders. For our first event last Saturday, we invited them to a cookout and fishing day at our house with our amazing youth pastors, Brian and Corey Moffitt and our intern, Garrett Quinn, along to build relationships and have some fun. Only four of our kids could make it but we hope to get the rest of the crew together again in May, right before our promotion ceremony, so they really feel prepared to join Oasis.

It's a tough transition for me personally because I get so attached to these kids. But I'm very excited for them as they have new opportunities to grow in their relationship with Jesus and discover even more ways to be used by God. Many of these kids will join Fine Arts and find their talents and callings that God has gifted them with.

Mini Mission's Trip

Union City First Assembly of God is a very mission's minded church. We believe in extravagant giving towards winning the lost on home soil and abroad. We also believe that we are called to "Know Christ and Show Christ" especially to our community. With that said, our Oasis Student Ministries have two mission's trips planned for this summer. They are going to Jamaica to work with AG missionaries Gary and Peggy Pyatt and are going to North Carolina to work on a Habitat for Humanity site.

I began to pray about ways our Building 2-52 kids could do more for missions. All of our Sunday morning offerings go towards BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge) which funnels money to AG missions all around the world but I wanted something they could do "hands on" that would spark the joy of giving to someone who is hurting and to show they have a mission's field right in front of them. The Lord inspired me with a "Mini Missions Trip."

I called the local hospital and talked with their public relations person. I asked about the possibility of bringing a group of kids to the hospital and present them with some items that they could use for the sick and newborn children they care for. She was beyond thrilled at the prospect and we set a date. I asked what would bless them the most. She said the go through tons of coloring books and crayons. I asked about infant needs and suggested baby blankets for families who may not have a lot of means to provide something new. So after our conversation, I compiled a list of items to work towards.

The kids worked hard to bring extra offerings towards the project and when some of the adults got wind of what we were doing, they jumped on board with some extra items. One lady in our church purchased 20 hard back books called "Sleep Sound in Jesus" for newborn families. She also purchased blankets and sleepers. One other gal told her workmates about our project and they bought coloring books, crayons, CD's of fun kids music and some baby blankets. These are people who don't even attend our church but loved the idea and wanted to help. So cool!

A couple of our Kid's Council girls went shopping with me and we finished the list. We packed it all in pretty gift bags and were ready to show some love to some hurting kids and needy families!

We loaded up the school bus and we met Kara from the hospital in the main lobby and made our presentation. She was so excited to see all of us and couldn't believe we brought over 30 kids and adults along for the event. She told the kids how much it was going to mean to the other kids who would receive their gifts. I think it was an awesome experience for them to see and hear how their hard work was going to show the love of Christ to some other kids just like them. Many of our kids come from needy families themselves and are frequently on the receiving end of our generous church so it was good for them to experience the other side and have the joy of giving. Acts 20:35 remembers Jesus' words, "it is more blessed to give than to receive."

We will be looking for more opportunities to be "the hands and feet of Jesus" in our community and for ways that kids can reach other kids for Jesus. I'm so proud of my kids but mostly I praise God for His idea and allowing us to be a blessing to others and for the generousity of so many people.

Meet the Team

Full Name: Teresa Kay Breeden

Ministry Area or Position: Bus Pastor, discipleship teacher, nursery team, nursing home visitation, Wednesday night worship team (when does this woman sleep?)

Family Members: Husband Mark, daughters Madison, Elizabeth, and LillyFavorite Food: Chinese, especially Chong's in Paducah, and Maryland style crab cakes

Favorite Bible story or verse: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13

Favorite TV show or Movie: TV show - "Little House on the Prairie" reruns and "John and Kate Plus Eight" until the resent divorce :( Movie - "It's a Wonderful Life", "Gone With the Wind" and tear jerker "My Sister's Keeper"

Favorite Music: Contemporary Christian esp. Steven Curtis Chapman, Nichole Nordeman and Mark's originals are some of my favs.

Something special the Lord has done in my life: God has blessed me with a wonderful family. My only dream growing up was to have a family with children of my own. My husband and children are awesome and I am so thankful for them.

What's my talent?: I'm good at accounting and I love my job. That's another blessing to count! I believe my best area of ministry is just helps in general and working with kids is my fav.

Conference

Phil Vischer...the creator of Veggie Tales!

The Donut Man - Rob Evans

Mary Rice Hopkins

I recently went to a conference called Clarity that was in St. Louis. What a great week of being inspired by other children's pastor and leaders, finding new resources and hearing some awesome messages. I had the opportunity to speak with Phil Vischer....Mr. Veggie Tales himself....who has a new video series called "What's in the Bible?", to chat with an Eilers' fam fav, The Donut Man and see another children's ministry hero, Mary Rice Hopkins. Plus oh so much more. I sure appreciate being a part of a church that understands the need for pastors to attend conferences that focus on your ministry area. There is just something about being with people from "your tribe" that energizes and inspires you to keep going and to do better than you ever have before.

Basketball Games

I love to attend my kids' events. It's just so fun to see them in an environment other than church. It reveals a side of them I sometimes don't get to see. I enjoy being able to connect with their families, too, and just share life together.