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| Amy with husband Scott |
Game
On: The Path By
Amy Gleason
8:46am
September 11, 2001 Fort Greene, Brooklyn
I
heard it, but at the time I didn’t realize what I’d heard. I was actually still
asleep, having flown back into the city from Minnesota late the evening before.
I didn’t know a plane had just crashed into the North Tower of The World Trade
Center. I remember lifting my head off the pillow, wondering, “What the…....was that noise!” I dismissed it and
went back to sleep. The
phone rings...
Several
minutes later, my mom calls from her office in Omaha, asking me if we’re
alright. Yes, why? Where are you? Home, sleeping. My head was confused and
fuzzy from sleep, until she said this:
 |
| Amy with daughter Sophia and son Wyatt |
“A
plane crashed into The World Trade Center.”
I
screamed for my roommate, Kim. My knees buckled. I scrambled to find the TV
remote. Kim comes into the room with a look of utter disbelief upon her face.
What? WHAT?
You
see, Kim and I met and became friends at work. She was a sommelier and I was
doing an internship in a world-renowned wine program at Windows on the World.
WOW was legendary in New York City and around the world. WOW was located on the
106th and 107th floors of the North Tower of The World Trade Center. Although
neither of us had worked there more than several months, we knew people. We had
friends there that morning.
9:03am
September 11, 2001 - I
was still on the phone with my mom when she told me another plane hit South
Tower. We couldn’t get any television coverage at our apartment. Not having
cable, our signal was transmitted from towers atop The World Trade Center. So
we turned on the radio, desperately trying to find out what was going on. It
was like Orson Wells and The War of the Worlds; frightening and surreal at the
same time, not knowing what the truth was...were we in a dream? Could this
possibly be happening?
Yes,
it was happening...I
finally assured my mom that we would stay home, not set foot out of our
apartment and I would be in touch when I could. The local radio coverage was
our only link to what was happening a couple miles away. And then suddenly, we
learned it wasn’t just NYC they were targeting.
9:37am
Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon...
9:59am
The South Tower collapses...
10:03am
Flight 93 crashes into a field in Somerset County, PA...
10:15
The Pentagon E-Ring collapses...
10:28
The North Tower collapses...
That
hour was incomprehensible. The only thing I clearly remember was standing right
in front of the stereo receiver, knees buckling as the announcer screamed in
horror while she watched from an uptown office as the South Tower begin to
crumble after burning for 56 minutes.
The
next minutes, hours, and days are woven so tightly together into my memory that
it’s difficult to say what happened when. I remember everything, yet those
memories come back in such random flashes, it’s a challenge to describe them so
they make sense to someone else. What I do remember was how insanely,
ironically gorgeous that autumn day was. A perfect blue sky,
cloudless...interrupted by dense, thick black smoke that persisted for days and
weeks. The next few days, rainy and gray, making search and rescue
extraordinarily difficult. Gathering medical supplies to donate, making food
for exhausted and unbelievably brave members of the FDNY & NYPD, buying dog
food to nourish the K9 rescue unit, meeting with surviving members of the WOW
staff, those blessed to have not been at work that morning. Cringing to this
day when a plane flies overhead.
I
didn’t know God on September 11, 2001 and it wasn’t until several years later
that I accepted His grace. What I do know is that living in NYC that day
changed me forever and in many ways, defines the person I am today. I believe
the experience, the memories in all their vivid and horrific detail, paved a
path for me, a path to God, a path to a family and a path to a life lived as
fully as I can, never forgetting. ***
“Mentor’s
Favorite Things…”
“One
of my favorite things to do is pick up (and eat!) the fresh, house-made chips
and salsa from Jacobo's Authentic Mexican Grocery on 24th & Q St. They are
addictive, and definitely worth the drive! I have a number of friends and
neighbors who have caught on, so now if one of us is making a "Jacobo's
run", we are usually picking up orders for the group! If you go, keep in
mind they are closed Mondays, and only take cash!” - Laura Weber (2/4 Mentor)
“One
of my favorite family vacations was when we loaded up our 5 kids into a motor
home and drove them out to California to see the ocean. At the time our kids were ages 3-13
and we joked that it was our "Griswold Family Vacation", but it was
one of most memorable and fun vacations we have ever taken. My husband and I decided that we
would not have an itinerary for this trip, but that we would drive until we
were ready to stop and when we got to California, we would find a beach and
park ourselves for awhile. What
a treat to be able to put our watches and schedules away and just enjoy one
another. One night, we
parked our "traveling home" in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Colorado and made pancakes and
eggs for dinner. After dinner, we
played a fun game of football in the parking lot. My kids still think that is
hilarious and we laugh as we cherish the memory. We saw and experienced so much of the countryside
during that trip, stopping in Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico before
arriving in California. It filled my
"mother's heart" then and continues to bless me today as I remember
the sweetness my family shared together during that adventure.” – Christine
Burkland (2/4 Mentor)
Time
Out To Cook
No-Bake Energy Bites (Elizabeth Perkinson 2/4)
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
No-Bake Energy Bites (Elizabeth Perkinson 2/4)
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
***Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly
incorporated. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled,
roll into balls and enjoy! Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated
for up to 1 week. Taken from http://smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/2011/08/no-bake-energy-bites-recipe.html
Game
Stats
SPRING
is the favorite season of 20% of our moms!
What
is the most LOVING thing you have ever done? (in your own words)
·
Staying
at home with my kids (even quitting a job I love to do so)
·
BEARING
CHILDREN!!
·
To
love unconditionally when it is hard to love
·
Followed
my husbands dreams and work desires
·
Served
others in the name of Jesus
·
Continuing
to breastfeed each one of my babies even though it was extremely painful to me,
but knowing it was beneficial to their health
·
Getting
my college group from church to purchase weeks worth of household products for
a family who lost their 45 year old mom
·
Giving
grace to my kids even when I don’t feel like it
·
Letting
my husband take a 4 day trip to Washington for a downhill skateboarding event
·
Cleaning
my husband’s closet
·
Added
to our family through adoption – but one of our biggest blessings too
·
Became
a foster parent
·
Married
my high school sweetheart
·
Breastfeeding
and pumping to feed my triplets, holding and rocking my babies when they wake
in the night
·
Walked
with my husband through cancer
·
Forgiving
and forgetting
·
Holding
my child while they throw up on me
·
Went
back to work after my son was born even though I didn’t want to
·
Being
a nanny to triplets
·
Continuing
to be bold on a daily basis for my children
·
Giving
selflessly to my kids everyday
·
Completely
remolded a room in our house for my husband as a surprise
·
Taking
care of my mother-in-law while she was going through chemo
·
Sharing
God’s love with children through the children’s ministries at CCC
·
Found
Jesus
·
Redoing
my parents basement when they were on vacation
·
Staying
home with my brother when he had surgery
·
Family
teaching for 6 years
·
Planning
my Mom’s 60th birthday party
·
Celebrating
my family members
·
Launching
my children to be adults (because I cried when they left home)
·
Taking
care of my uncle
·
Cared
for sick parents and in-laws as they became very ill and prepared to die
·
Tell
my kids and my husband that I love them
·
Putting
motherhood before work, friends and a social life
·
Having
sleepless nights of all night studying and nursing my child to get up the next
day and do it again
·
Taking
care of my sister and my mom, to some degree, after my dad left us when I was 7
·
Moved
across the country so my husband could get his dream job
·
Giving…giving…giving…
·
Buying
a stroller for a friend who was really struggling with a lot of things, not
just financially
·
Loving
on a friend and choosing to forgive them even though I got hurt badly
·
Giving
things up
·
Donating
money to the poor at Christmas and eating with the homeless we find on the
street
·
Continuing
to discipline my 15 year old when it would be easier to give in
·
Washing
poop and boogers and getting spit up on
·
Supporting
my husband in his quest for public office
·
Spend
time in the hospital with a friend’s husband when she had surgery
·
Taking
care of my sister’s kids when she is out of town
·
Having
3 daughters who I love and adore above all other (except God and my husband)
and loving them unconditionally regardless of their behavior
·
Made
a “heritage album” of my husband’s 100 year old grandma and gave it to his mom
·
Staying
out of family and friend drama
·
Driving
8 hours to Denver for the weekend to help my daughter with her 2 boys
·
Took
my girls to the east coast to visit my husband’s family
·
Mowed
the lawn when my husband had a busy week
·
Affirm
someone’s worth
·
Getting
up every 30-45 minutes with a sick child all night long and reminding her it
was OK and I was not mad but loved her
·
I
hope all I do is done lovingly!
The
Christ Community Church MOPS Facebook page has 124 followers!! Are
you one? Join in and see updates and engage on Facebook with your MOPS friends
between meetings:
Be A
Team Player!
Have
any interest in helping with Compass Ministries after school program? Contact
Jenny Berg at jennyb@cccomaha.org to
see how you can be more involved.
Go
Play Around Town
(Websites:
http://www.momsofomaha.com/, http://vacation.visitomaha.com/, http://www.visitnebraska.org/)
First Friday Family Date Night at Omaha
Children's Museum! The Museum will be
open till 8 pm on Friday, April 6th.
This month's theme is "Star Wars."
"Bunny Brunch" at the Maple St.
YMCA on April 6th! Have brunch with
the Easter Bunny, and enjoy a story and craft, too. From 9:30-10:30. Please pre-register.
Easter Bunny & Spring
Storytimes
at Shadow Lake Towne Center, April 6-7! The Easter Bunny will be roaming Main
Street with honorary bunny ears for the kids. Peeps the Storyteller will perform, too. Bring a camera for photos with the
Easter Bunny.
"Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That
Type"
at the Rose Theater! This musical
theater production runs from March 30 to April 15. Recommended for kids ages 4 and up.
Announcements!!
ONLY TWO
MEETINGS LEFT FOR EACH GROUP! SEE BELOW!!!
April 20th(1/3)
& 27th(2/4): Marilyn Amstutz/Janice Cummings on Intentional
Parenting
***APRIL 27TH
- Bunco Game Night!!! Our final Night Owl! 6:30-9:30pm in the MOPS room
(EC188). Snacks: 1/3 sweet & 2/4 salty
May 4th(1/3)
& 11th(2/4): Last meeting…Celebration morning!
Prayer
hotline: Have a prayer need? Please send it to: prayer4mops@gmail.com
MOPPETS
Thank
you for serving your 2 days in MOPPETS! It is VITAL that you show up on your
assigned days so we can continue to provide a quality program for our children.
If you have a conflict, please switch with another MOPS mom and contact our
Childcare Coordinator, Michelle Brewer (michelleb@cccomaha.org), ASAP of the
change. Please refer to your directory or your DGL for contact info. When you
arrive at the church, check the posting by the nursery check-in table to find
where you have been assigned to help. Thank you for your cooperation! This
months assignments are listed below:
April
11th - 1/3 Steering
(9-11:30)
Chris Berkey
Wendy Sewell
Kim Sorenson
Lauri Quiner
April 18th – 2/4 Steering (9-11:45)
Chris Berkey
Wendy Sewell
Kim Sorenson
Lauri Quiner
April 18th – 2/4 Steering (9-11:45)
Lindsey
Bitter
Deana
Loibl
Jennifer
Doetzler
April
20th – 1/3 Meeting (8:45-11:30)
Cassie
Cowles
Meredith
Ehrnberg
Jen
Rauscher
Kara
Clemens
Mary
Cavell
Kathleen
Russell
April
27th – 2/4 Meeting (8:45-11:30)
Tracy Krelle
Whitney Julian
Shannon Swaney
Alicia Kurzenberger
Marlene Cameron
Jennifer Chambers
Shannon Hoegh
Amanda Kirkpatrick
Sarah Steenhoek
May 2nd – 2/4 Steering (9-11:45)
Tracy Krelle
Whitney Julian
Shannon Swaney
Alicia Kurzenberger
Marlene Cameron
Jennifer Chambers
Shannon Hoegh
Amanda Kirkpatrick
Sarah Steenhoek
May 2nd – 2/4 Steering (9-11:45)
Amy
McEnroe
Natalie
McNair
Stephanie
Heinauer
Mary
Cavell
May
4th – 1/3 Meeting (8:45-11:30)
Kathleen
Russell
Angie
Timm
Sharilyn
Toney
Liz
Fogle
Michelle
Shaughnessey
Leigh
Dunn
Sarah
Bouman
Shauna
McCoy
May
11th – 2/4 Meeting (8:45-11:30)
Kylie Shada
Martha Elvir
Shauna LeGrande
Stacy Meyer
Kristin Goolsby
Michelle Kazor
Kelli Hasenjager
Kim Sorenson
Kylie Shada
Martha Elvir
Shauna LeGrande
Stacy Meyer
Kristin Goolsby
Michelle Kazor
Kelli Hasenjager
Kim Sorenson
