Morgan's 7th Birthday

Morgan had her 7th birthday party last Friday night and it was fun. She had 5 friends over for a Spa Sleepover - Blair, Sarah, Bailey, Mary and Judith. What a crew.

After opening presents, Eric took the boys out to a movie so the girls could have a little "girl time." We had set up 3 stations - fabulous fingernails, princess pedicures and fantastic facials (I think).

My friend Shea and her son, Dillon, handled the facial station. We called Dillon "Larry" because he was in charge of putting the cucumbers on the girl's eyes (get it - Larry the Cucumber - Veggie Tales???). Hindsight being what it is, I should have gotten a different facial mask as this one was clear and hard to get off but it was still fun. What was hilarious is that we were telling the girls that the facial masks were making them look younger and several ran to the mirror and insisted that they now looked like they were 4 years old! TOO FUNNY.

Two of my girls from our Wed. night 10th grade small group stayed the night and helped with the Fabulous Fingernails section. Kaitlin gave the girls hand massages and Lindsey painted their fingernails. THANKS girls for your help - you rock!

I handled the pedicure station. We had gotten a foot spa that had warm water w/bubbles for them to soak their feet in first as there was NO WAY I was going to be touching dirty, smelling toes!! ;) We then painted their toenails.

Later in the evening the girls made their own lip balm which they LOVED. Thanks Jennifer for he idea, I stole it from what you did from Jordan's party. :)

We had cake a little bit late as I wanted Eric & Drew to be there and my good friend, and Morgan's small group leader, Suzanne, came to enjoy it with us.

After cake the girls went upstairs to watch Kit Kittredge - An American Girl. About 11:40 pm all the girls fell asleep. They woke up again about 7 am and enjoyed the chocolate chip pancakes that Eric made for them.

It was a FUN night!

Why Barack Obama?

Before I get to what I want to talk about, please know that while I did not vote for Obama, the purpose of this post is not a pity party, dread the next 4 years rant. Am I disappointed with the results? Sure, lots of people are but that's okay. The beauty of the American system is that the people, all the people, get a chance to make their voice heard and elect the person they want to represent them. Someone is not going to be happy in that as there will be a winner and there will be losers, it's the way it is. I am glad that we have the freedom to choose our leaders, it's part of what makes the US great.

That said, I have had one main frustration over the past several weeks. When I've asked (or seen others ask) someone why they are voting for Obama I consistently have gotten (or heard) the following responses:

1. Race
2. He's an eloquent speaker.
3. He appears very presidential (seriously - this was a reason)
4. He's very charismatic

Did we really elect a president because he could speak well and looks like a President? I'm hoping not.

So.... Obama supporters, I seriously want to know why you voted for him. What were the issues that you supported him on? Why did you think he would make a good president beyond the responses above?

I'm not asking to give you a hard time nor do I want anyone who did not vote for Obama to reply as this is not a debate. I sincerely want to know what it was that made you vote for him.

Community Bible Study - YOU SHOULD JOIN!

I wanted to let you know about a FANTASTIC opportunity to study God's word and fellowship with a group of fabulous ladies starting January 13th.

I'm not sure if you're aware of a national ministry called Community Bible Study . It is a wonderful organization that helps facilitate weekly bible studies for adults and children around the nation. There is a group of dedicated women who are in the process of getting one started in the Smyrna/LaVergne area. They have met this past summer and again this fall as they studied Nehemiah. The group hopes to be an official CBS group after they attend training this spring but they will be modeling their meetings after CBS and using their materials until they are official.

I joined this group in September and have really, really enjoyed it. I found it refreshing to meet with ladies from all walks of life and study the Word together. Their children's area is much more than just babysitting, the kids go through their own lessons that follow along with what we are study in the adult section. You start your time out in small groups to review your homework from the week and discuss the lesson and then we move to a large group for a short study time together.

The Smyrna/LaVergne CBS will be on Tuesdays at 9:30 - 11 am. The cost is $15 for the semester and $10 for childcare for the semester. They meet at Miracle Baptist in LaVergne (just into LaVergne off of M'boro Road).

I am sending this out well in advance because they are trying to have people sign up early so they know how much materials they need, how many leaders they need and how to prepare for the children's program.

Please let me know if you'd like an application.

Thanks for considering this awesome opportunity.

Well there's some food for thought...

Saw these quote on facebook from a relative of Eric's and thought I'd pass them along:

The Guvanator: McCain served longer in a prison camp than Obama has served in the Senate. Vote McCain!

Thomas Jefferson: "Most bad government has grown out of too much government."

Thomas Jefferson: "I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive."

Thomas Jefferson: "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

With the election just days away...

I don't know about you but I am MORE than ready for this election to be over. I am tired of the emails, news stories, and media crap about all of it - let's just get on with it!

I remember the first election that I got to vote in - I was in college and it was Bush v. Clinton, Clinton won. I went to a small Christian college and all the talk was how Clinton just had to be the anti-Christ and there was wailing at the thought of him making it into office. People were so dramatic over it and I just thought it was silly. That's not to say I was happy that Clinton won, I wasn't, I am a Republican and have yet to meet a Democratic candidate that I'd be willing to vote for, this year included.

Yesterday I got another email, this time saying that Barak was the anti-Christ and trying to scare all that read it. I was reminded of a GREAT post that my friend made a while back regarding the election. I've thought of it several times as I've reflected on the thought that the candidate I don't want to win might actually get elected.

Here it is (hope it's okay if I post this Todd!):

I'm a member of the Republican Party, but I'm not hugely sold on John McCain. And the longer I live and the more I fellowship with persecuted Christians the less I expect our government to "fix" my problems or reflect my beliefs. There are Christians who seem to believe that if the "wrong" candidate wins the election God will be kept from working in our nation for the next four years. My brothers in China and Egypt and other nations have a hard time imagining that belief: their governments are opposed—even violently opposed—to God's work, but He keeps on working. In fact, His family in those nations is growing FASTER than it is here, with our religious freedom and our Christian president.

3 year old + Xyron = 10 feet of craziness

Only a scrapbooker can truly understand my "joy" at finding my 3 year old putting paper into my Xyron 510 sticker maker and using up at least 10 feet of the 18 feet that the cartridge came with.

Serenity now!

My baby girl is SEVEN today!

Today is Morgan's 7th birthday. It is sort of surreal to even type that - where did my baby girl go?? Now she's a fun-loving 1st grader who loves hanging out with her friends and playing with her American Girl doll. She is in Brownies and enjoys going to church. I love seeing her grow up.

Last year I posted her birth story, you can check it out HERE (click "HERE" for link) if you want to.

I love you Morgan!!! Happy 7th Birthday.

My little ladies man

My second born, Drew, is quite enamoured by the ladies it seems. There have been several young (and older) ladies that have drawn his attention in the past several months, and this at the ripe old age of 4.5 years old! We are in SOOOO much trouble!!!

Aside from his Momma, of course, the first young lady that Drew thought was pretty was a girl named Emma who helped out during his VBS this summer, I believe she's in 9th grade now. He came home and gave me a sweet smile, blushed, and acted a little shy when he told me that he thought Emma was pretty and he liked her. I mentioned to her that Drew had a little crush on her (not in front of him, of course, he would have been mortified, he was embarrassed when I mentioned it to his father) and she thought it was cute.

This morning Drew informs me that he's going to marry Madalyn (don't worry Rachel, it's not his cousin Madalyn LOL!). He tells me that she is in his class. When I asked her why he was going to marry her, he got really shy and then told me that he thought she was pretty and that she wasn't a family member, we had a talk a while back about how you don't really marry anyone in your family. He gave me another one of those embarrassed, shy smiles and started laughing (I'd say giggling but isn't that a term to use for girls laughter?). When I picked him up from school today I asked him who Madalyn was and he pointed her out, giving me another shy smile. His teacher noticed and realized immediately why, I'm guessing because she's noticed his crush too.

Tonight he tells me that now he has 2 girlfriends - Madalyn and my neighbors daughter, Maya. Maya is only ONE YEAR OLD!

It seems that my little Drew, with the big brown eyes and handsome smile, is going to be quite the ladies man. I don't remember even noticing the opposite sex in this way until I was much older.

I better always be his best girl!

Great Aunt Cara Lee

Today (Tuesday), the Mueller family said an unexpected good-bye to a strong, faithful, beautiful woman of God. Eric's Great Aunt CaraLee passed away this afternoon leaving behind a husband, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a huge extended family that loved her so much.

I first met CaraLee about 12 years ago when I came to work for Bartlesville Wesleyan College, now Oklahoma Wesleyan University. She was very active in the church and part of a HUGE family - the Mueller clan. Little did I know that at some point in the near future I was going to be a part of that same family.

During Eric's first year in Bartlesville, he lived with his Aunt CaraLee and Uncle Duane. They were instrumental in his life during a big turning point for him.

During our wedding CaraLee & her sister-in-law, Charlotte, helped prepare our rehearsal dinner, putting together a wonderful meal that all those in town to celebrate with us could attend. I have many pictures of them working so hard to make that night special for us.

Over the years we have been blessed to spend time with Duane and CaraLee. I remember the times that they helped by providing a place to stay, helping us with house purchases (Duane is a builder), and giving lots of Godly advice. I enjoyed hanging out at CaraLee's house, watching her quilt, as we talked.

Duane & CaraLee have been incredible witnesses for the cause of Christ, not only in our lives, but in the lives of countless others. CaraLee was steadfast in her pursuit of Christ and eager to share His love with words and through practical service. I can and have learned much through her example.

She will be missed greatly.

Owen is THREE!

My baby turned THREE today!!! I am not sure where 3 years has gone. We are visiting my family this week and it was special to get to celebrate Owen's birthday, on his actual birthday, with my family. Here's one picture from the day.




Also, last year I posted Owen's Birth Story - you can check it out HERE if you want to read it.

$12,000 in 48 hours...

I know that many of you know Alison & Brad Bynum and their adorable daughter, Norah. God has really blessed them with that little girl and they are preparing to welcome her brother or sister to their family.

They are trusting God to help them raise the $12,000 they need in about 48 hours to aid in the adoption of this new baby.

CAN YOU HELP??????

Please consider it - check out Alison's blog at www.ADOPTIONPHOTOBLOG.com

Pray, pray, pray for this family!

Pray for a new friend

Okay, I wouldn't normally share this particular information on my blog but it is in the context of how I met my new friend today who needs your prayers.

So - today was my "big" day. Thanks to good genes (I love you Mom & Nan-Nan), I have been blessed with some issues of the female variety that have caused me some real problems this past year. After 2 ultrasounds, my Dr wanted me to get a mammogram at Baptist Hospital that would check out one particular area of concern and give the dr. a baseline mammogram to use for the future. I can't say that I was terribly excited about going but it had to be done. I got to the Breast Center at Baptist and was shocked to see a waiting room of over 30 people at 8:30 am. I finally get brought back only to be in another waiting room with another group of women.

Now, I was already nervous and hearing these ladies talk about their experiences with breast cancer wasn't making my anxiety any less. A few of them got called back and it was just me & a few others. One lady in particular looked very anxious and close to tears. She then started crying as she told us that she had just gotten diagnosed with breast cancer and that today was the day of her surgery. She was overwelmed, scared, and very upset.

I was thankful that God gave me a peace at that moment and I was able to talk to Cathy a little longer. Before she went back we were able to pray together for her surgery.

I have been so focused on my own issues lately that I haven't really stopped to think that there are others, often times right around us, that need a hug from Jesus too. I'm glad that He reminded me of that today.

So - please pray for Cathy from Sparta. Pray that the dr. (also my dr) got all the cancer out today and that it hasn't spread. Pray also that she is encouraged and that God gives her peace.

THANKS!!!

PS - after 4 hours & 4 extra pictures just to make sure I was clear (can you say OUCH!), I was given the "all clear"!! What a relief. God is good.

Check it out!

You may have seen my previous post showing you how I enhanced my guest bathroom using Uppercase Living products and I am so excited about my latest project that I have to post it.

SEE:::::::::



It was SUPER easy. I just bought a canvas, painted it, put the monogram on (one solid piece, easy!) and then attached the ribbon. That's it! It looks wonderful on the wall in my dining room.

I'm finally having my Uppercase Living party on Tuesday, Sept. 30th (the previous one was cancelled b/c of kidney stone surgery). If you are interested in coming, please let me know!

My biggest pet peeve

Okay, I'm sure you don't really care to hear about one of my biggest pet peeves, but I'll put it out there anyway.

Tonight we had the turnover meeting for our homeowner's association. Our neighborhood is now done being built and is in the hands of a homeowner board with the assistance of a management company. There are about 130 homes in our neighborhood therefore 130 possible votes out there. How many people came to the meeting??? If you count one homeowner per house (married couples only count as 1) then probably 30-40. That means 100 homes decided not to participate. MORE THAN HALF. I get that people are busy but I know for a fact that many people didn't go because they just didn't care to be there, not because of other commitments.

At church, school, etc. they are always looking for volunteers, they NEED volunteers to provide the services that they do, that we all enjoy, yet they are often lacking in that department. At the same time there are an abundance of people who will tell you about what is wrong and what needs fixed yet very few that are willing to step up and be part of the solution. "We need to do this" really means "someone else needs to do this."

The presidential election is the WORST. Only 40-60% of those that are of eligible voting age actually do so. WHAT????? There are people in other countries who could only dream of voting for their leaders and we sit here and choose not to exercise the freedom we have to do so?? Really? So, are only 40-60% of the people complaining about how things are going??? I don't think so.

I am a firm believer in this, if you are able to be apart of the solution and you choose not to because you just don't want to burden yourself or take precious time out of your schedule to do so, don't complain (note, I'm not talking about those that are already involved and can't over commit themselves with something new - you can't do it all, I get that).

If you don't vote you have no room to complain about what the chosen leader does or doesn't do. You had no voice in electing them and therefore, to me, you have no voice in complaining either.

So, there you have it. Agree, disagree, that's how I feel.

PS - If you choose to not vote in the election, don't tell me, I don't really want to know.

Sports Fanatic

Our kids, minus Owen, are at the age where they can participate in organized sports. I'm glad for the opportunity for them to do a team sport, I truly am, but I have to tell you, I'm a little over-whelmed by the level of commitment and time involved at such a young age.

Why is it necessary for a 4 year old (playing on a 5/6 year old baseball team b/c of his birthday) to have 2-3 games a week with 2 practices (unless they fall on game days)? Does that seem a bit much to you? It does to me. I can see one or two practices with one game on Saturday but 2-3 games per week?

Drew really wants to play football when he's old enough but from what I understand they have 3-4 practices a week that are 2 hours long plus they have to travel around the area for games.

When I was a kid, it wasn't like that, at least as I remember it. I just don't get it. Why is it necessary to be so hard-core with little kids? I fear letting Drew do all the athletics he wants now and decide he is tired of it later.

I heard about a young man from the area that was a very promising athlete and was on his way to a college scholarship in his chosen sport. Well, he quit in his junior year because he was burnt out, he had been playing since Kindergarten.

So, as a parent how do you balance your child's desire to participate in sports without getting sucked into the craziness that seems to be starting at such a young age?

What are your thoughts on this?

1st grade here she comes!

NOTE: Okay, so I am a bit behind in updating this blog with actual photographs. I've had computer issues, health issues and have just been plain busy. I apologize to both set of grandparents & other family members.


Morgan started the first grade this year. She was excited because she got the teacher that she really wanted. Here's a pic of her on her first full day of school.

Before school starts party...

NOTE: Okay, so I am a bit behind in updating this blog with actual photographs. I've had computer issues, health issues and have just been plain busy. I apologize to both set of grandparents & other family members.

The night before school started for Morgan, she had a fun night at Justice making t-shirts,getting her hair & make-up done, listening to Hannah Montana & The Jonas Brothers, and just hanging out.

Priceless...

69 days + over $1000 (out-of-pocket, after insurance) + 3 x-rays + 1 CT scan + 2 trips to the ER + 1 surgical procedure = ONE large kidney stone that has FINALLY PASSED!

Oh my goodness. I am SO glad that this is finally over.

After getting lithotripsy done yesterday morning and being in excruciating pain last night for several hours, the infamous kidney stone is out!!!!!!!! The minute it came out I felt instantly better. I'm a little sore from the lithotripsy but not bad at all.

WOOHOO!!!

GNO

If you're a GIRL & you need a NIGHT OUT (don't we all) and you live in the SMYRNA area then you MUST come to GNO at First Baptist Smyrna!



Read all about it:

The daily grind for a woman is full of appointments, expectations, errands, meetings, practices, phone calls, and the list goes on. Simply put...your schedule is on overload.

What if you had an evening where there were no demands, no expectations, just an evening to be with old and new friends. An evening where you can be with your friends, have fun, play games, get up and move and then top all of that off with a chocolate fountain!

Girls Night Out will be that and more. You can purchase your ticket and pickup invite cards in the concourse on Sundays and Wednesdays beginning August 31. Tickets and info will also be available in the church office Monday through Friday. For more call 615-459-3311.

Tickets are SUPER AFFORDABLE & not having a babysitter is NO EXCUSE (check out below!
Cost $10
Special price of 2 for $15, details at the GNO booth
tickets go on sale August 31 on Sunday and Wednesdays in the Concourse and in the church office
Childcare is available during GNO for $3 per child ($9 max). You can register for childcare when purchasing a ticket. Deadline for childcare registration is September 14.

Happy Birthday ERIC!

My hubby turns THIRTY today! I know, I know, I robbed the cradle (by 4 years, if you're wondering). I couldn't help myself. :)

If you see Eric around, tell him HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY!

The Lego-Man is also thirty today: LEGO DUDE TURNS THIRTY (CLICK TITLE)

China Confiscates Bibles

I was doing my normal rounds of websites and came across this story on foxnews.com. It caught my eye for several reasons, one of which being that I happen to know the person being interviewed, Pat Klein.

Take a read and learn about China's "freedom of religion".

LINK ------> China Confiscates Bibles from American Christians.

Butterfly Garden

Every time the kids saw the commercials for the Butterfly Garden they would beg me to buy them one. I finally gave in and we got our Butterfly Garden in the mail. Then we sent off for the caterpillars. This has been interesting. About a week ago the caterpillars made their chrysalis's and we moved them from their caterpillar home to the Butterfly Garden. This morning they started to come out. This is pretty cool. I don't think I've ever seen this before. I'm kind of sad that Morgan is at school and missing this part of things but she'll be excited when she finds out that we now have butterflies. I am trying to take some pics but it's hard through the white mesh of the Garden.

I saw several of these kits on the clearance aisle at Wal-Mart the other day and I would definitely recommend it - it's fascinating.

Beijing Olympic Preview

A friend of ours put together a video highlighting the things you can expect to see during the Beijing Olympics and the things about China that you won't see. It's a MUST WATCH. Thank you TODD for letting me share this here.

Uppercase Living

My good friend, Suzanne, has recently started selling a fabulous product from Uppercase Living. You seriously need to check this out. They have a wide range of products that you can put on your wall (as seen below) and use in many other ways. It's VERY versatile! The thing I love about it, it's not permanent. If you were to paint something like this on your wall it would be time consuming and harder to cover up.

I will update this post with Suzanne's website when it goes live, until then, check out her blog SUZANNE'S BLOG.

OHHH - Edited to add - I am going to be having an Uppercase Living party the first week of September!!!! Put it on your calendars - I think it's the 3rd or 4th (whatever is the Thursday).

I put this in my guest bathroom downstairs (rather, Suzanne did - THANK YOU!)

Grrrrr..........................

To be honest, I'm having one of those days. Just thought I'd put that out there.

Birthday in July!

Living so far away, we don't often to get to celebrate birthday's with family. Aunt Marcie decided that she wanted to have a little party. Instead of "Christmas in July" she had "Birthdays in July". I thought it was a clever idea.

World Hope International

A ministry that our family has been very involved in over the years is World Hope International. Both our family and my brother & sister-in-law's family sponsor a child through World Hope and our extended family is very active in helping where they can. One of the areas of need is to provide student & hygiene kits for children of all ages. World Hope provided a list of items to include in each kit and you can fill as many as you want and send them in.

On Thursday we went to Aunt Marcella's house and they had a project set up for all the cousins to do. The kids put together a bunch of different kits for kids. The ones pictured below are the Older Student Kits.

I think it's so neat that my Mother-in-Law and Aunt put the time into this and are teaching the kids, with more than just words, what it means to serve & love others.

Cousin Camp-Out

We are spending some time visiting our Missouri relatives (Grandma & Grandpa, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.). Tonight is our Cousin Camp-Out. The kids have had a blast together. Here are some pics of them making their Cousin Camp-Out t-shirts.

Different perspective

Death is not a subject I care to talk about or think about to be honest. I struggle with it at times. I know we all have to walk through death before we can enter the eternal life that God promises us but I still just don't like the subject. To be honest, it scares me. How will I get there? Will it hurt? Will I be old or young? The list could go on and on.

Well, I've been reading this blog for about a year now and it really gave me a different perspective on death and dying today. You see, the author, a Christian pastor's wife and author was diagnosed with a brain tumor back in Oct/Nov 07 and she passed away on Monday. Her husband has kept up her blog as she has been too ill to write and today he wrote about her death. You should read it - it's amazing.

CLICK THIS LINK ---> Christian Love Stories - Kristy Dykes

WOOHOO!

Well, today ended up being a great day. It started out a bit rough as I was pretty sure that I was going to end up having surgery to get rid of this kidney stone (the ongoing saga of my life since camp). The xray tech told me that she thought the stone was still up pretty high so I thought that sealed the deal. I'd already made peace with the idea so that was okay.

I got a phone call from the dr. tonight and he said that the stone was almost in my bladder and he didn't think that surgery was going to be necessary and that it would pass soon!!!!!! PRAISE GOD! Do you know how happy that makes me????? YAYAYAYAY!!!!

Another good thing - I lost my prescription sunglasses at church yesterday and was BUMMED. I went by today and the wonderful facilities guy, Jim, went and looked for me and HE FOUND THEM!!!!! It seems like a small thing but it was huge to me today.

So, there you have it - two good things, one day.

YAY!

Morgan's beach trip

Morgan comes home tomorrow and we are SO EXCITED!!! It's been a long week without her but she's been having such a great time.

I just received an email with a link to all the pictures (194 of them - thanks Lisa!) and I wanted to share a few of my favorites.

An alligator in the ocean

Morgan has been on vacation with her best friend, Bailey, for a week. They went to Florida to spend time at the beach. We are really good friends with this family and felt very comfortable entrusting our child with them for a little over a week. When it was in the planning stages, a week didn't sound bad at all but it seemed like forever when I dropped Morgan off at their house to leave on the trip! It's hard being away from my baby girl for 9 days!!! I miss her & so do the boys.

She'll be home in 2 days and we are SO EXCITED! I can't wait to see all the pics from the trip and just give her a great big hug and kiss.

What's with the title of this post? Well, the most interesting conversation with them has been when Lisa, Bailiey's mom, told me about one of their evening trips to the beach. The girls didn't have their bathing suits on so they were just walking in the water when someone started shouting to get out of the water. Lisa, baby in tow, ran up and got the girls out of the water. Why did they need to get out of the water? Just 10 feet away from them was an ALLIGATOR in the ocean!!!!! It was obviously a bit lost and I guess it kept surfacing and swimming on down the beach. Can you imagine?????? She said the girls weren't even scared. Me, on the other hand, well, I could have waited to hear that story until they were home, safely in Tennessee. :)

If you think about it, will you be praying for safe travels for them tomorrow? They are driving straight through from the Tampa area to TN. LONG TRIP!

Thanks!

Nevermind

Accidents!!!

Seriously - my son is FOUR 1/2 years old. WHY, oh why, does he still CHOOSE to pee in his pants? Why, oh why, does he still CHOOSE to poop in his pants (not as often as pee thankfully)? And when will he be able to go all night in underwear?????

This is frustrating. At this rate I'm going to keep Owen in diapers for the rest of his life, I can't do this again!

Camp Whatever 2008

I have come to do this post several times over the past week and a half but just can't seem to get it out. There is so much that I could share that I'm just not sure what to share.

Camp was an incredible experience. I haven't been back at a church camp since the one that I attended back in the summer of 1991 where I accepted Christ, I've never been the same since. I had just completed my junior year of high school and went to camp for all the wrong reasons. I simply wanted to get out of work for a week despite having spent much of the past 6 months questioning things about God. I will never forget the first night of camp. My friend who invited me to camp dragged me to the front row. I stood there during the opening worship and something just clicked. The way I've always described it was like the blinders fell off my eyes and I knew, I just knew, that God was more than words on a page in a book but a real, living God who loved me and died for me. I stood there and could do nothing but pray over & over in my head, "God I want you in my heart. God I want you in my heart." It seems surreal to even type it out as I am so far removed from that day and wonder if I'm remembering it right. I know I am and that moment is one of those times in life that I wish I could relive, it was amazing. So you see, it kind of felt like things had come full circle in my life coming to camp as a counselor. I know from experience that God can and will use the intense camp experience to bring about radical life change for Him. I wanted to be apart of that happening to someone else.

Typically the powers that be don't put you with your small group when you go to camp. One of the goals is to have each student have 2-3 key adult relationships during their middle & high school years. Giving them a different camp counselor can provide another adult for them to trust and to have pour into them. I'm thankful that I did end up getting all my girls though. As a first time camp counselor, it was much easier to be with girls I already knew than to have to figure new girls out. In addition, the week gave me so much more insight into our girls (I co lead with my friend, Megan) than I had before. I feel like Megan & I can be even more effective as small group leaders now.

The camp that we stayed at was pretty neat, minus the REALLY bad food. How often do you find a camp that has a wave pool, lazy river, wedgie water slide, paintball, lake w/blob on it, high ropes, low ropes, mud course, etc.? We weren't lacking for activities, that's for sure. I have never been so exhausted in all my life.

The camp speaker was Adam Robinson (click on his name for his website) and he was awesome. I loved how he shared things. God has gifted him with the ability to share key biblical concepts in a way that is easily understood and grasped. Dave Hunt (again, click on his name) and his band lead us in worship and it was awesome. The thing I appreciated the most about these guys was that they weren't interested in giving the students and intense emotional experience for the heck of it. As someone who has spent a good share of time in churches where emotional experiences are everything, I appreciated that. Emotions won't save you. I've seen too many people who go from church to church seeking that emotional experience and miss seeing Jesus all together. There has to be a balance there and these guys strove hard to find it.

Around 40 students made decisions to ask Jesus into their hearts, one in my group. How awesome is that? The family of Christ just got a lot bigger and that is so exciting. Tonight about 20 of those students are going to be baptized as a public demonstration of the decision they made to follow Christ. It's going to be AWESOME!

You are welcome to come. If you spent any time praying for us, utilizing the services of the Parent's Night Out, purchased a car wash ticket, etc., YOU played a part in the life changes that these students experienced. Not everyone is called to serve by going to camp, many of you served through the above mentioned means, and ALL are important and necessary (one body, many parts). Come hear about the awesome things God did in the lives of these students. Wed. night, FBC Smyrna, 6:30.

Next Food Network Star

Okay, so that's definitely not me but I felt a bit inspired to try new things out this weekend while watching this show.

If you've never gone to the website www.allrecipes.com, then you need to visit it. You can search by ingredient or recipe and it brings up a ton of options. They are also reviewed by people with comments which I find very helpful.

I tried the following two recipes out this weekend and they were a hit:

Skewered Shrimp

3 T. soy sauce
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. chili sauce
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 lb. shrimp

1. In a bowl combine ingredients above. Pour 1/2 into a lg. resealable bag, add shrimp. Seal bag & turn to coat. Refrigerate 2 hours. Cover & refrigerate remaining marinade.

2. Drain & discard marinade from shrimp. Thread onto metal or soaked wooden skewers. Grill, uncovered over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, turning once. Serve w/reserved marinade.

We did this with precooked shrimp and the marinade part didn't really "take" but the sauce was GREAT (so I heard, I don't eat shrimp)for dipping the shrimp in. I guess you really need uncooked shrimp for the marinade to get into the shrimp. Eric & crew said this would also make a good sauce for sushi.


Sweet & Sour Kielbasa

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 T. Worch. Sauce
4 T. butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 T. lemon juice
1/2 cup water
2 T. garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1-2 lbs. kielbasa cut up

In a slow cooker (or stove top) mix all ingredients together, add kielbasa, cook until hot & onions cooked. It took about 1.5-2 hours on low to get to the desired temperature. We left it on for about 4 hours and it was GREAT! Really tasty! Good appetizer.

Happy 4th!

We had a wonderful 4th of July yesterday! Friends of ours, the Williams & the Currys, came over and hung out with us. Thankfully it didn't rain and we were able to grill out. We live on a cul-de-sac and last year my neighbors all came out and set off fireworks. It was a lot of fun and I was hoping they'd do it again this year. They did not disappoint! There had to be around 50 people outside all taking turns setting off fireworks. SO FUN.

Drew LOVED the fireworks but Owen was scared of them. You can see in the pics below how he was clinging to Eric and then watching from inside the house. Dillon, Drew & Nathan had a great time together (as you can see).

We did, however, miss our girl, Morgan. She is on vacation at the beach with her best friend, Bailey and is having a blast. Yesterday they swam for 6 hours and today they are going to the beach. I wish I could be on that vacation LOL!

Here are some pics:

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

Tonight the latest American Girl movie opened and I took Morgan to go see it. She's been excited about this for weeks so it was fun. The movie is REALLY good. If you have young daughters, this is a great movie to take them too. It's just good, clean fun and that is sometimes hard to come by in movies.

Of course Morgan had to bring her American Girl doll, Regan. The dress she has on is one that my Nan-Nan made for her, isn't it cute?





A small update on me: I'm finally doing better. The stone still hasn't passed but the dr. said it could take 4-6 weeks. I have the option to have it blasted out but I think we'll save that for another option if things get bad again. The kidney stone is a small blessing though because it alerted us to another problem that I had that really needed to be addressed. Turns out I'm severely anemic and need to work on fixing this. It explains a lot, I've had different symptoms the past year that I didn't understand or think too much about but are all explained by being anemic. I want to send HUGE thank-you's to Shea & Suzanne who have really gone above and beyond to help me on Monday & Tuesday when I truly just felt drained and just plain lousy. You guys are GREAT friends and I am blessed to have you in my life!

2 ER's in 2 days

I'm back from camp and it was amazing! When I'm not feeling all drugged up, I will give an update on everything that happened.

It seems I am developing a bad habit of getting sick while at church retreats (I got sick at Collision too). On Thursday morning I woke up with extreme pain on my left side and eventually agreed to go to the ER. It was assumed based on my symptoms that I had a kidney stone. The dr. didn't do a CT Scan at that time though. I was thankful that the extreme pain went away and I was able to finish out the last day and a half of camp with just a nagging pain and a general sense of being unwell. I began to wonder if a kidney stone was really the problem.

Fast forward to last night. Things were pretty painful but manageable with ibuprofen and a heating pad until about 5 am when I experienced the absolute WORST pain of my life. OH MY WORD. I quickly took the prescribed pain killers and then insisted that Eric take me to the ER. I'm glad I went.

If you know me at all, then you know that I am TERRIFIED of needles so I wasn't overly enthused to have an IV in the first place. Imagine my "joy" when it took the nurse blowing TWO iv's before the third one took. Ughhhh. Oh well, after it was put in I experienced the pleasures of effective pain relief and was taken for a scan.

Diagnosis - several kidney stones on my left side, one on it's way to my bladder, hence the pain, one kidney stone on my right side and a urinary tract infection despite the fact that I was already on antibiotics after my Thursday ER trip (they changed my medicine since it obviously wasn't working). Also found out I that am pretty severely anemic so I need to take care of that as well.

I'm so thankful for my parents being here. They flew in from PA to spend time with my kiddos while I went to camp and it was a lifesaver to have them here this morning when I had to go to the ER.

THANK YOU so much Mom & Dad - words can't begin to tell you how much I love and appreciate you!!!

Camp Whatever!

Okay, I'm almost ready to leave for our student ministry camp, Camp Whatever! I can't believe it's here!!!

Please be praying over the following week for God to move in the lives of the students attending (almost 400!) and for all the counselors. If you think about it, pray also for my family. My parents are flying in today to help watch the kiddos while Eric is at work. I am SO thankful for them!!!

I think the church is going to do some live streaming of stuff at camp - you can check it out at www.fbcsmyrna.or/campwhatever

See you on Friday!

Pink Daisy Earrings

The other day Morgan asked if she could get her ears pierced. She said that she knew it would hurt a little but she would be brave. Last night we talked about it with Dad but he wasn't overly enthused about the idea. I think it was more that it was another sign that his little girl was growing up.

Morgan & I ended up convincing him and away we went to Claire's.

When we got there another girl, 18 years old, was getting her second holes in her ears done and was making it seem like a big, stinkin' deal. Oh my. We walked to the back of the store because I didn't want Morgan to get freaked out by how this other girl was reacting.

Then it was Morgan's turn. She picked out some cute pink daisy earrings and hopped right up in the chair. You can see the nervousness in the first picture but the happiness of having it done in the second picture.

She was excited this morning to put her hair back in a ponytail so that she could show off her new earrings at the Kindergarten party with some church friends.

Check this out

The Voice of the Martyrs National Conference is going on right now and my friend is doing some live blogging from the conference.

So far he's posted about Colombia & Iran.

Go check it out HERE.

Power Lab (VBS 2008)

Well, VBS is almost over, only one more day. Can I just say that it has been SO MUCH FUN??

Yesterday we walked on "water" like Peter. That was a riot. We mixed 24 lbs of cornstarch w/water until it made an almost solid consistency. It looked like water on top but when you stepped on it, it was solid. TOO COOL. I loved seeing the reactions of both the kids & adults.

Today was the day that the Gospel was shared. There were 41 children who made decisions to accept Christ!!! Isn't that awesome???? I am so happy for them, they have no idea the kind of amazing adventure awaits them as a Christ-follower.

Another bright spot in this VBS is the middle-school worker that has been helping me out. I've really enjoyed getting to know him, he has been such a hard worker and so enthusiastic. We've just got so many good kids, students, etc. helping out, we are a very blessed church.

One day left and then it's time to gear up for Camp Whatever with the middle & high school students. I have to admit, I am TIRED. I am SO not a morning person so this getting up, having myself & the kids ready and OUT-THE-DOOR by 7:45 am is catching up with us. I'm looking forward to staying up late and sleeping past 5:45 am next week at camp (hey, don't burst my bubble, I know that I won't be getting much sleep next week either but a girl can dream.)

G'night!

Dehydrated

Owen woke up from his nap this afternoon screaming and saying that his back hurt. He had mentioned his back hurting several other times over the past 2-3 days but we didn't think all that much of it honestly. He wasn't upset or anything any of those times and well, you know kids.

He kept at it and his regular pediatrician was out-of-town so I went ahead and took him to the ER. I am not normally one to rush to the ER but how often does a 2 year old really scream because their BACK hurts? It's an odd thing to complain about for a kid that age so it concerned me.

We got there and the dr. did a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia and then wanted a urine sample to check for a UTI. Well, Owen did not want to pee in a cup so they taped this bag thing on him and we waited. Three cups of juice, 2 glasses of water and 1.5 hours later, he pee'd.

Thankfully he didn't have a UTI but the test did show that he was dehydrated.

Okay, that's a new one on me. I guess because he had a fever yesterday and really wasn't drinking much (yes, we offered drinks), that he got dehydrated. The dr. said that it can cause the back, near the kidneys to hurt.

So - he is home, cup in hand, feeling better.

Mud on your eyes (VBS 2008)

Yesterday started Vacation Bible School at our church. The theme this year comes from Group's POWER LAB curriculum. I am LOVING it!

Last year I had the privilege to be a crew leader and take around 8-10 Kindergarten students. I had fun doing it and it made me even more excited to help out again this year. This time I am doing a Bible Blast room. This is where they experience a hand's on Bible story.

Today the key thought was "Jesus give you the power to help others." The Bible story we experienced was when Jesus healed the blind man by putting mud on his eyes. We met the kids in the hall and blindfolded their eyes. They got to walk around the room not being able to see. Then, we put "mud" over their eyes. Oh yes, we went there!!! Relax, it was just oatmeal, but the kids didn't know that! After Jesus put the mud on the eyes of the blind man, he told him to go wash it off in the pool at Siloam. When I said that I think a few of the kids got a little worried about what might come next. No swimming pools, just wet wipes.

How did we get to the main point? Well, Jesus and his friends stopped when they saw the blind beggar and they helped him. How many times do we walk right past someone who needs help? Why don't we stop more often? How do you think the beggar felt when Jesus stopped & helped him?

The kids had a blast and I think the crew leaders enjoyed this one too! Tomorrow the kids get to walk on water - don't you wish you could be there too?

GOOD JOB to all those that have worked so hard to make this happen. I think there are about 500 children (at least), participating this week so you know it took some major hard work on the part of those at the church. Pastor Allen, Ruth, Becca & everyone else who has helped - GOOD JOB!

Uggghhh - stomach bug

Owen came in our room last night around 1 am with a fever. I was hoping that's where it would end but around 4 am he threw up and has done so several times since then.

There are a lot of things I can handle, but the stomach bug isn't one of those things.

Please pray for Owen's quick recovery and say a special prayer that no one else in our family gets sick!!

VBS starts today and I am thankful for my husband who is going to work from home today to take care of Owen while I go with Morgan & Drew!

Parent's Night Out for Camp - SESSION 4

Friday night was our last Parent's Night Out to raise money for Camp Whatever. It was a GREAT success.

For those of you who haven't seen a previous post about this, here's the "skinny." I help lead a small group of high school girls alongside a friend of mine, Megan. This summer (next week actually), they have the opportunity to attend a one-week camp where they get to have fun while having a life-changing encounter with God.

This is near & dear to my heart because it was at one such camp that I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord & Saviour during the summer before my senior year of high school (June 18, 2001 to be exact!). I am evidence of a life changed because of the opportunity that I had and I hope & pray the same for each student that attends.

The cost of camp is $200 per student and my girls have been working hard to earn their money. We've offered babysitting services to a group of parents in exchange for donations for camp. Three of the girls earned a little over 1/2 their total money doing this!

Thank you so much to all those that participated. Your contribution is going to be life-changing for these girls. What an awesome part in their Christian adventure you just played!

Here are a few pics:

Hide-n-Go-Seek

Sometime last week I put Drew & Owen down for a nap. When I went to wake them up, this is how I found their beds:

DREW:


OWEN - wait, where is Owen??


After a bit of looking, I found him under Drew's bed - ASLEEP.

Can YOU help???

Well, you've probably seen my posts about getting ready to go to the Student Ministry Camp Whatever this summer and you know how excited we all are about going. Our group of 9th grade girls has been working their tails off to earn the money to go to camp ($200 per person) and we are SO excited (yes, I'm going too & can't wait).

The student ministry has had such a tremendous response by the kids to go to camp (380 total!!) that they are in DESPERATE need of 10 more camp counselors.

Before you shake your head "no" or tune me out, take a few minutes to prayerfully consider it.

I know that the idea of working with middle & high school students can seem over-whelming and make you feel a bit uncomfortable. I know I was when I started. Sometimes it's in doing something that we aren't comfortable in that God blesses us the most. It's in those times that we have to rely on Him to help us. I've certainly found that to be true this past 9 months as I've worked alongside my friend, Megan, to lead a small group of 9th grade girls. It has been the most challenging, uncomfortable, and WONDERFUL time.

So, think about it - REALLY think about it. Pray about it. If you're a mom with kids, do you have any family close that can watch your kids during the day while your husband is at work? If you're a working person, can you sacrifice one week of your time to be used by God and changed by God?

If you are interested, please contact David McCaman at the church (david.mccaman@fbcsmyrna.org).

I hope to see you at camp!!!

Prayer Requests (2 of them)

Can you please say a prayer (or two or three) today for the following:

1. Friends of mine return home after a month away from home to a house that flooded and all the work that it entails to clean it up. This same home flooded 11 months ago as well. Not fun!

2. Pray for me. Not going into details but I would appreciate your prayers this morning.

Thanks!

Small Group Stuff

My 9th grade small group co-leader, Megan, just had baby #2 yesterday and I took our small group (minus one) to visit them tonight. It was so fun and baby Breanna is BEAUTIFUL. The girls enjoyed visiting them and oohing over Breanna although only three would hold her. I'd post pics of the visit but Megan hasn't posted them on her blog and I'm not stealing her thunder.

We are blessed to have a wonderful small group of girls - they rock!

We NOT Me

On Sunday Pastor Hood highlighted Ephesians 4:1-6 and talked about how the Christian faith should not be about "me" (ourselves) but about "we" (the body of Christ). A couple of things I wrote down from the message that stuck out to me (there were many more but I'm just highlighting a few):

We (Christians) are held to a higher standard because we are a part of something much bigger than us.

It's not just about how things affect us, but how they affect the glory & fame of God.

This passage goes on to give us a snapshot of what walking worth of our calling looks like. This includes humility (as opposed to pride), gentleness (defined as power under control), and patience.

What we sometimes forget, everything that happens is not about us. We are not the center of the world, Jesus is. It's not about ME, US.

During much of the message I was going over a quote that I had just read in my monthly Voice of the Martyrs newsletter which features the country of Colombia. This is a VERY dangerous country to be a Christian in and choosing to follow Christ can be a literal death sentence for you.

Here's what stuck out to me:

"'They (FARC guerilla's) said if they had read these books (Christian literature that was being passed out) before releasing me, they would have killed me.' Celso told us without hesitation. 'But Jesus told me to go. He never said I would come back. Isn't that the life of a Christian?"

Wow. The persecuted church worldwide is the perfect example of what it means to be focused on knowing Jesus and making Him famous. They are the perfect example of being WE focused.

For many in places like Colombia, Pakistan, North Korea, Chine, etc. choosing to follow Christ means that you choose a literal death or the very real possibility of it. It means a life of suffering and hardship and yet they choose to follow.

The could stop there, I guess. They could consider only themselves and the fact that they now have assurance of eternity with Jesus and choose to not share that with anyone else. They could choose to assure their "survival" by remaining quiet and going about their lives but they don't.

They have realized that it's not about them or about being comfortable. Many can do nothing but share the good news about Jesus with others despite the cost. They understand that it's not about THEM but about HIM.

The American church needs a little perspective. Much can be learned from those whose focus is on knowing Christ and making Him known regardless of the personal cost.

Why do you worry?

As a worrier (who is trying hard to not worry all the time), I really thought THIS was a great post over at Living Proof Ministries.

Laundry

It's bad when you spend nearly 3 hours just putting away laundry. It was interrupted by the bedtime chaos but still - THREE HOURS.

Ughhhh.....

Bed time "challenges"

I think my boys have gone off the deep end! The past 3-4 nights have been HORRIBLE during bedtime. Tonight was an all out war. They are tired, Owen especially, but they just don't want to give in. It is making me crazy.

I love that my boys share a room but I have to tell you, I'm almost ready to dismantle my craft/guest room and separate them.

When, not if

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

Pure JOY WHEN you face trials of MANY kinds?? What???? Really??

This was the key passage used in the talk that was given tonight at Crave (high school youth group). One thing that was noted (that I don't think I've ever caught before) was that this verse doesn't say "if" you face trails but "when". See the difference? There isn't a question about whether we are going to face trials, it's a matter of when.

Can I just be honest and say that I don't want to face trials, I'm afraid of them actually. I spend a lot of time obsessing over what possible trials are out there. My biggest fears revolve around one of the following three things:

1. That I will get cancer and die (or just get cancer).
2. That one of my kids will get really sick and/or die (not necessarily of sickness, just die).
3. That my husband will get sick and/or die (same as above).

Seems kind of silly to worry about things I have no control over, but I do. I sit here on my computer and read blogs of women, young moms, battling cancer and wonder why not me. I hear stories about children who die well before their time and wonder why not my children. I don't deserve for things to be going so well, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

My fears have kept me, at times, from running after Christ with complete abandon. Why? Because everyone I see that does faces some earth shattering trial. What might God require of me if I run after Him the same way?

Then there is the other side of things. I have a good friend who is really going through it right now. Her response through some of it is that she once prayed that God would do whatever He needed to do to bring her closer to Him. In the past several years she had gotten relaxed in her faith and now things have turned upside down in her life. It has served to draw her closer to God.

The flip side of my fear is that if I don't run after Christ with complete abandon then what might God do to get my attention.

It's no fun to live in fear, I have to tell you. I ask myself if there is a "safe" zone somewhere in the middle - why can't I just "live" there?

I'll tell you why, I don't want to live a mediocre Christian life. I don't want to live in fear every day of what "might" be.

The verse says that we should consider it pure joy WHEN we face trials because trials produce/encourage perseverance and perseverance is a REQUIREMENT of a mature faith. I don't want to lack anything in my faith. What a waste of life and faith to be lacking in something that God wants to give us.

Jesus, please forgive me for failing to run after you like I should out of fear of what might come my way. Please help me to trust that You have a plan for my life and that you are faithful to lead & guide me. Help me to trust that you won't give me anything beyond what I can bear. I don't want to lack anything that You have for me.

Last day of school

I cannot believe that the school year is already over. Where did this year go????? I took pics on the kids first day of school and, of course, I had to take pics on their last day.

Morgan is finished with Kindergarten and heading into 1st grade. She isn't all that excited though. She wasn't ready for school to end and she loves her teacher so much that she just wishes she could stay in Kindergarten permanently. I tried explaining that she'll have a great teacher next year as well but... I hope that she always loves school this much.





Drew had an end of year program where the kids sang several of their favorite songs. It was TOO cute. Drew wasn't shy at all when they handed him the microphone. :) This has been a good year for Drew at school. He has learned a lot. When he started he couldn't color in the lines, now he can write is name. Big improvement.

Splash Pad is OPEN

Summer is FAST on it's way. Today I took the boys to the splash pad to play for a while. Drew had a blast playing in the water, Owen had a blast running around the outside, looking at the water.

Some good improvements have been made since last year! There is now a metal fence w/latching gate (not at kid level) all the way around the splash pad (last year there was just ropes) AND there is also bathrooms right outside the splash pad (you used to have to walk all the way across the parking lot). GO SMYRNA PARKS (pass along the Kudos Ashley :) ).

This should be a fun summer.

Please pray - Chapman family

What a sad evening.

One of the girls in me & Megan's small group found out tonight that her 5-year old cousin was killed after being struck by a car driven by her brother. It was a tragic accident.

Please, please, please be in prayer for the Chapman family. I cannot even begin to imagine what they are going through. Say a special prayer for their son as he deals with this tragic event.

You can read the story here: ACCIDENT ARTICLE

Keep on pushing that envelope

Anyone else find it disturbing that there is going to be a new show on network TV called Swingtown???

It's about the swinging lifestyle. If you don't know what that is, well, I'm not going to spell it out here. Just had to say that I was really taken back to see an ad for a show like this.

Wow - as a society we just keep pushing the edge of that envelope, don't we???

Before the Throne of God

I had never heard this song before but I saw it while checking out another blog (Beth Moore). Verse 2 really resonates with me right now.

I went to www.youtube.com and searched for Selah's version of Before the Throne of God. It is a powerful song.

Here are the words:

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there! The risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless, Righteousness
The Great unchangeable I AM
The King of Glory and of Grace
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God

Confession of a former NKOTB fan

Okay, I have a confession to make.

In a former life (aka - my 8th & 9th grade year of school) I was a HUGE New Kids on the Block fan. HUGE. Just ask my mom. You couldn't see my wall for all the NKOTB posters on it. I had an affinity for Jordan Knight so the posters were just the group & Jordan Knight. I taped EVERY tv performance and, dare I admit, I even went to a NKOTB concert - twice - two nights in a row.

Head hung in shame.

Do you think less of me now?

Hey - it's not any different than N'Sync & Backstreet Boys of the late 90's and the Jonas Brothers now. Ye without "sin"...

So, the New Kids have reunited for a reunion tour and performed on the Today show on Friday. No, I didn't dvr it (I thought about it but forgot) but I did just look it up on youtube. It was definitely a blast from the past.

I had to laugh when I saw the audience full of women, around my age, with their NKOTB stuff on, screaming like they were back in Jr. High.

That's where I draw the line.

Not going to see the reunion tour! Thought about it though.

Parent's Night Out for Camp - Take 3

Last night was our THIRD Parent's Night Out for Camp and it was a great success! It has been interesting because we've had three different kinds of groups each time. The last time it was mainly boys and last night it was mainly girls - Morgan was LOVING it!

To recap: This summer the students at our church have the opportunity to go to camp for a week in June. This is an AWESOME opportunity for them to get to know Jesus better and have a lot of fun doing it. The cost is $200 per student. The church does a wonderful fund-raiser by way of a car wash. The students sell tickets for $10 a piece (2 car washes per ticket - good deal!) and they get to put 100% of the money they earn through ticket sales toward camp. Megan and I have a small group of 9th grade girls and an additional way we are trying to earn money is by providing a childcare service for parents. This is our third one and it was FABULOUS! So far each student has averaged $25 per night. If they've worked all three PNO, they've earned $75 so far!!!!! That's almost half of the money they needed for camp. WOOHOO.

We are hoping to get at least 1 more PNO (hopefully 2) before the money for camp is due. If you want to be included on the evite, please reply and let me know. It fills up fast!

Next PNO is Friday, May 30th. Mark your calendars!!!!

Some pics:

This has to be the most popular game we bring out - Don't Break the Ice (Ashley - John LOVES this game! It's always his second request, after doing crafts, of course).



We were thankful for a beautiful evening. The kids spent a good amount of time playing outside.



Each night we have a craft project (or two) that we do. This night we were making books (2 pics above). The kids LOVE craft time. A while later all the girls disappeared and I found them upstairs in Morgan's room making bracelets.

Thank you all so much for another successful PNO!

Berry Nice Outing

One of my favorite memories growing up was visiting my Grandparents (known as Nan-Nan & Pop-Pop) and picking strawberries from Pop-Pop's strawberry patch. They'd send me out with a bucket and I'd come back with very few strawberries in it because I would eat them as I picked them. It was my most favorite thing to do.

Imagine my joy when I found out that there was a place to go pick strawberries not far from where we live. We went out over Mother's Day weekend and picked a bunch of strawberries. We were lucky enough to have my mom (Mom-Mom) here visiting so she was able to pick strawberries too. Morgan also invited one of her friends along.

I have to admit, the strawberries weren't very sweet, they were actually quite sour, BUT with a bit of sugar on them, they were great.

Here are some pics: