Prayer Need

Yesterday, we learned that my mom has breast cancer. We are experiencing a flood of emotions right now, and we're so thankful for prayers for her and our family. I am also so thankful that my mom has a wonderful relationship with God and that He is in control. Please pray for the doctor's wisdom as they discuss a treatment plan and for my mom's physical, emotional, and mental strength. Please also pray for my dad and my sister and the rest of our family.

My friend Megan shared this verse with me:
Isaiah 43:1-3:

"But now, this is what the Lord says- He who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

24 weeks!

Christmas Letter 2009!!!!!!!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

It's once again our favorite time of year, when we celebrate the birth of our Lord, break out the Christmas music and the peppermint hot chocolate (or mocha for Dave), go crazy decorating, and enjoy thinking about ways we can bless family, friends, and those in need. Our tree is up, and we are enjoying the yummy smell it gives our home. We are looking forward to the kids' Christmas play at church this weekend and all the time with family this month! We are also enjoying one last year with everything set up the way we've always had it, as next year we will probably have a crawler to think about as we decorate!

2009 has been a very busy, fulfilling year for Dave and me. I cut back to working just a couple afternoons a week for another real estate agent at Windermere in January. This relieved a lot of stress for both Dave and me, as we are not both "on call" 24 hours a day now. It also allowed me to get more involved with women's Bible study at our church and continue helping with youth group. Our first nephew was born in May, so we are having fun being Uncle Dave and Aunt "Mamy" to both Sophie (2) and A.J. (7 months)! We enjoyed a wonderful family vacation with the Bertolinis in Disneyworld this last Spring and a relaxing week in Eagle Crest with the Davis side in August. In between vacations, we also had a week of VBS (where Dave transformed into the "crocodile hunter"--complete with blonde wig and a clean shaven face that I had never seen before!), a high school mission trip to Tumalo, Oregon, and a nice visit from Dave's grandparents and uncle.

Dave once again had the opportunity to speak at Hartland Christian Camp in California. This year, he did their winter camp in February. He has stayed busy with youth group and men's ministry and also filled the pulpit several times this summer and fall while our senior pastor took a short sabbatical and went on a missions trip to Peru. In September, Dave began taking classes at Western Seminary in Portland to work towards his Masters of Divinity. He hopes to be able to complete this 3 year program in 5 years while continuing to work full time. (we'll see what God has in store!) He has really enjoyed the classes so far, though the homework load far surpasses what we remember from our undergraduate classes! We have been very blessed by the recent hire of a part-time j-high pastor, who has taken over j-high youth groups and rotates Sunday morning teaching with Dave. He and his wife have been such a blessing to us personally and to our church! Without the j-high responsibilities, we kicked off a college/young adults group at our home on Sunday nights this fall. We've been studying the book of James. It's been nice to continue the relationships with our recent graduates and get to know some we never had in youth group. Dave is also in charge of our new "connection program" at church to make sure anyone who walks in our doors gets connected in some way to the church body for encouragement and accountability.

When we are not busy with church activities and planning, we have been working on getting our spare room ready for our baby girl who is due to arrive the first of April! We are so thankful for your prayers for her healthy development and for us as we prepare to be parents. It's been exciting this last month to feel her move and begin decorating her room with little girl things!

Like so many this year, our family is going through some tough times right now. We praise the Lord for His faithfulness and ultimate plan even when we can't see it, and we are so glad to know that in our weakness, our Lord is our strength! We thank God for each one of you and pray He fills you with peace this Christmas!

With love,
Dave, Amy, and Baby Bertolini

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Our new Christmas Village-a gift from Mom and Ashley :-)!

Our biggest/most beautiful tree ever :-)

We LOVE Christmas!

Thanksgiving!

So much to be thankful for this year! With the current economy, I have been very aware this year of just how many material blessings I take for granted on a daily basis! I am so thankful for our beautiful home, providing us with a warm, dry place to live...our comfortable bed-again with warm blankets, our jobs, the money to buy necessities and some extras, working vehicles, and on and on the list could go. I am working on being more prayerful for those who don't have as much and having an increased attitude of giving this year--as really, none of "my" stuff is mine. Rather, God has blessed me with it for this time, and I should be using it to bless others!

I am also so thankful for our family, as always, and Dave and I are getting excited to welcome the new addition to our family. We are enjoying beginning to decorate her room, think about doing things with her in the future, and as we set up our tree last night, wonder if we'll have to keep her from crawling towards ornaments next year!

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with both sides of our family this year, complete with turkey, pie, cheesecake, stuffing, and some rousing games of Yahtzee! We praise the Lord for His many blessings in our life, and now look forward to celebrating His birth!

Baby's Room

BEFORE (our junk room)

AFTER (the beginnings of baby room)

We are making progress on the baby's room :-)...We sold our bookshelves and weight bench on Craig's List and found a matching dresser and nightstand combo and crib (that's also a pretty good match) to replace them! (also from Craig's List) After A LOT of cleaning/organizing/throwing out/Goodwill run, it's starting to look like a baby's room and makes for a good before and after shot!

It's a girl!!!

Here's the 18 week baby bump picture. And after our ultrasound today, we can say with some confidence (baby wasn't in exactly the right position, but the tech was nearly certain) that it's a girl! Due date was bumped back a few days to April 4th--which is totally okay with me because I really did not think an April Fool's Day birthday would be very nice. It looks like we will probably end up having another ultrasound in a few weeks because the tech wasn't able to get one of the pictures the doctor wants because of how baby Bertolini was sitting. Now we get to start thinking of nursery ideas and what little girls need! We've known so many people that have had boys lately, we had kind of been thinking that way (assuming it was something in the water!). But God had different plans, and we look forward to raising the little girl He has blessed us with! And with all the boys in our church, we're already getting offers for an arranged marriage!

Halloween/Josh's B-day Celebration

So my family came over for Halloween and to celebrate my brother-in-law, Josh's birthday. We had a nice time and took Sophie aka: cute little pink poodle, to our church Trunk 'n Treat. She didn't really understand the whole trick or treat thing and was kinda overwhelmed with all the people, but she looked adorable (as you can see) and managed to get about 4 pieces of candy--which was probably just the right amount for a 2 year old! I'm sure she'll have it all figured out next year and can teach her brother A.J. and her new cousin!

Pumpkin Patch!

Today, I got to go to the Pumpkin Patch with my sister Anna, niece-Sophie, and nephew-A.J. We had a great time navigating the hay maze. Sophie surprised us with her sense of direction! Anna and A.J., unfortunately, got stuck in the hay maze when the stroller was too bulky for one of the corners. However, Anna used her muscles (very well toned from hefting that porky, oops, I mean precious, baby of hers :-) ) and managed to shove the stroller through!
A tractor pulled hay ride took us to the pumpkins where Sophie had lots of fun pointing out the "icky" ones that had gotten smashed. We did, however, find a nice one to take home. Such a fun day! I look forward to taking our baby next fall and getting cousin pictures with the pumpkins!

Our family is growing

Well, something I didn't mention in our summer update is the discovery that we will be having a baby sometime this next Spring (end of March/early April). It's an exciting/terrifying time in our lives! Exciting, because babies are always a wonderful miracle, and it really is cool to think that the little guy or gal is a part of me and my sweet husband. Terrifying because let's face it, being sick all the time, then getting fat, and then having to go through the worst pain known to mankind all before bringing into this world a very real person that we will be responsible for is a pretty overwhelming thing! We are praying that our baby is developing well, and that he or she will accept our Lord at a very early point in life and live for Jesus. We are also praying that we will be good parents and that God will give us the wisdom and strength to do the right thing, even when it's hard! We are so thankful for the support of our wonderful, godly families and friends and know that God has truly blessed us.

Summer's coming to an end, but it's been good!

well, it's that time again when I've been looking at other peoples' posts and am embarrassed that it's been so long since I've written on our page! So, I think I left off in June. We finished the 2008-2009 youth group year with a j-high retreat, which was lots of fun! And we spent the month doing last minute training and preparation for our July mission trip to Tumalo (a small town near Bend.) The mission trip itself went great! We were so impressed with our teens who really stepped it up and put on an awesome VBS, painted the church fellowship hall, did a bunch of yard work around the church and really connected with the kids in the community. We camped on the church grounds and one of the moms and I were the cooks for the week. Needless to say, we were exhausted when we returned, but as always we were so aware of the Lord's work and Him blessing us probably more than we blessed the church in Tumalo.
Our pastor was out of town for the month of July, so Dave had the opportunity to speak for 3 weeks at church and took us through the book of Habakkuk--a cry out to God in the face of unexplainable circumstances and suffering. It was a great series and seemed to really touch a lot of people.
I worked in the church office for the month of July as we transitioned to a new secretary who wasn't able to start til August.
We also had a wonderful visit from Dave's grandparents and Uncle David at the end of July! It was so nice to catch up with them and enjoy some time together!
August has been one of those months where we realize summer's almost over and try to squeeze all the things we didn't get done into it! We've hung out with some friends we haven't seen in a while, which has been wonderful! Dave's been preparing for seminary (which starts next week!) as well as the fall youth group schedule-which is always exciting/overwhelming. We also enjoyed a wonderful week at Eagle Crest with my family!
Okay, I think we're mostly caught up now! Pictures to follow :-) or maybe they come first (I can never figure out where they're going to appear when I post them!

Sorry it's been so long! An update on our lives...

Okay, so anyone who follows our blog realizes by now, I'm really bad at this! I've never been a journaler and apparently online journaling isn't my gift either! Of course our pastor would tell you this "lack of gifting" is the most common excuse for laziness, so maybe that's my problem! Anyway, a lot has happened in the last few months, but I will share just the highlights that I have pictures for--because let's face it, that's the fun thing about blogging!
May was an exciting month because my new nephew was born!!!! He weighed exactly 8 lbs. and in 6 short week has blossomed into a hefty 12 lb handsome boy! Sister Sophie is, for the most part, adjusting well--though Dave and I plan to stick close to help her through the difficulties of being a first born! :-)
Just a few days after Aaron's birth, (oh yeah, I guess I forgot to mention his name! Aaron Joshua Kintigh) we got to go on vacation to Disneyworld with Dave's mom, sister, and brother-in-law! We had a WONDERFUL time and will treasure those memories for a long time. Oh, and if anyone is thinking about going, we got a great deal on a beautiful condo just a couple minutes from the parks that I'd be happy to tell you about! Below are some picture highlights of our trip!
We are now very much back to work. Dave has VBS this next week at church and is in the process of taking on more associate pastor roles. He is also thinking of seminary in the fall. It will be weird to have him doing school again, but we are also excited about what he will learn. I am adding a couple days a week as church secretary to my schedule during the month of July. (A new secretary has been hired, but they need someone to fill in before she starts). We will also be taking a team of high school students to Tumalo (a small town outside of Bend) to put on a VBS for a church that doesn't have the resources to do so on their own. We are looking forward to a visit from Dave's grandparents at the end of July and also during that time, Dave will be doing some preaching, as our pastor is out of town for 3 weeks. Hopefully, somewhere in there, I will have another blog post to tell you more!

A day in the life of my very busy and wonderful husband

I just got home from church not too long ago, and as I am home alone for a bit, I'm thinking about my wonderful husband still at church. Today, he got up at 6:30 (or maybe it was earlier--I don't know for sure, because I didn't want to roll over to check!). After getting ready for church, he went over his Sunday school lesson a few more times just to make sure he was as prepared as possible. Then he left for church to disciple a few high school boys prior to first service. Anyone who has attended our church knows him as the announcement guy for both services. Right after first service he rushed over to the youth center to practice with the high school worship team for Sunday school prior to going back over to the main building, giving announcements and then coming back to the youth center, leading worship, then teaching Sunday school! THEN he quickly ate a PB&J sandwich and is currently co-leading men's Bible study! I'm exhausted thinking about his day, but most of all I'm so thankful that he is using the gifts God has given him to impact so many people! I personally think Dave is a wonderful speaker, worship leader, mentor, and friend, but what means the most to me is what a great husband he is! He is such a great example of God's love to me! And for those of you who are reading this, I would so appreciate your prayers for Dave's continued love and commitment to the work God has called him to, because as this little glimse shows, it's not easy!

Day with Anna and Sophie!

Sophie mopping Aunt Amy's floor! What a deal :-) Oh, and she is very good with her "babies". Here she is feeding the monkey. Pushing baby and monkey around the house for a ride and showing baby the backyard. We had a fun day keeping up with our busy toddler!

New Haircut!

Okay, so I'm really bad at trying to take pictures of myself, but I think you can get the idea!
This past weekend Dave spoke at Hartland Christian Camp in Badger, CA for their J-high Winter Camp. I got to spend the weekend with my parents in Oregon City. We both had a great time. Dave spoke 6 times over the weekend to 100 kids and enjoyed an awesome tube run in a couple feet of snow! He said it was beautiful at the camp. His topic was Romans 12 and overcoming evil with good. I had a very nice, relaxing time with my parents. It was good to be able to hang out and catch up with them. My dad barbequed us a delicious steak dinner to make Dave jealous! My mom was very gracious and helped me a lot preparing the decorations for our church dinner/talent show next weekend (I will take pics and hopefully do a post about that!) She also gave me my new haircut :-). Dave was surprised when I met him at the airport with my new look!

Behind the Times!

Wow, I cannot believe it's almost the end of January and this is the first I've written since our Christmas letter! Sorry about that!
Well, here's a quick update on our family.
We enjoyed being snowed in for a while in December and had a hard time transitioning back to work. It was very nice to have the extra time together. We played a lot of games and read a lot of books!
Christmas was a wonderful time with both families in spite of plans being changed due to weather. We went up to the Davis side for New Year's Day instead of Christmas to give time for the snow to melt. Dave and I were thrilled with an assortment of books, games, movies, and clothes for Christmas. Dave also got a couple of "Restaurant Recipe Cookbooks" that both families are excited to fully experience :-)!

Dave and a few men from church have recently started up a men's ministry program. Last Sunday was their first men's Bible Study. They are working through the book, Disciplines of a Godly Man. They had a great turnout and a good discussion on the first chapter. We look forward to the men's ministry taking off at Grace and are so grateful for the way God blessed this effort.

In January, I started a few new jobs--I am now working as an assistant to another realtor in my office a couple days a week instead of being an agent myself. This means I can't personally represent buyers or sellers, but I can refer them to Yolanda and receive a referral fee. It also means I don't have to pay the monthly dues or advertising fees, which in this economy, is VERY nice! I am very much enjoying the change of pace and not having to stress the finances. I'm also nannying one day a week for a friend's little boy (Bronson Deets) and putting a few hours in for my parents testing their software program. I am so thankful and aware of God providing each of these opportunities for me this year. I was praying about what to do and each job was offered at just the right time. God's timing is an incredibly scary yet wonderfully freeing thing!

Last weekend, we had our first 2009 J-High Retreat! We joined 4 other Dallas churches in putting on the retreat for 95 students. Dave and another youth pastor spoke on coming out of the darkness into the light. On Saturday, we bused the kids up to the Lloyd Center and went ice skating and shopping (That was one of those stressful afternoons that I spent constantly counting to make sure my charges were all there!) Overall, it was a great time, but boy were we thankful for our bed when we got home!

Other than that, things have been pretty routine with youth group 2x/week and Sunday School keeping us busy! Dave is looking forward to a church Super Bowl party next weekend, and I am excited that my family will be coming over on Saturday to celebrate Anna's 23rd b-day! Sophie is apparently saying quite a few words now, and of course her baby boy continues to keep her tummy growing! I am a proud auntie!