Round Two

Meg returned from Pinelake's Base Camp Saturday evening at 6:00. After a delicious dinner of homemade fajitas and an enlightening conversation about her travels, Meg hit the bed. I, on the other hand, stayed up emptying, washing, and then refilling her suitcase for round two.


Our Church's youth group (all three of them) went to a Youth Camp in Florida today (they left at 4:45 this morning). From the looks of this Camp, they are going to have a GREAT time! Staying in a resort, hearing Jeremy Camp, Tony Hunt, NewSong, Tony Nolan, and Francesca Battistelli, having the beach at their disposal, living-breathing-soaking up God...I so wish I were there with them!

It's difficult to grasp that at this time last year, my family was homeless...literally. In trying to move our family closer to the kids' school, we sold our home and set out on a quest to follow God's lead. Little did we know the extent of which our travels would take us.

Living in a camper for a week ~ check.

Living once again in the house at Church ~ check.

Having ALL our clothes in rubbermaid containers in the back of my vehicle ~ check.

Sometimes not knowing where we were going from one week to the next ~ check.

I think back on the stress of last summer and shake my head in wonder. I don't know how, but we survived and are living in a great house just 5 min. from the kids' school. Well, I do know how we managed, by God's grace.

It was crazy, it was stressful, and at times quite depressing, but God was faithful and we are blessed.

Still Moments

Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

In between a very successful youth fundraiser car wash and our Father's Day Supper at Church, my family went fishing Saturday. I was exhausted from washing about a bagillion vehicles but grabbed the camera and took one for the team
(you know me and making memories for my kids).

We loaded up Henry (my Honda minivan) with our fishing gear and water bottles and rolled out to a Church members' pond ... it was so beautiful! This man has a dock that goes out into the water ... and my goodness is his pond stocked!

I grabbed my fishing pole, caught a few fish (Saturday we were on the catch and release program) and then I sat back and enjoyed the view. Gigantic bullfrogs serenading us, crickets responding, the wind gently blowing through the trees, soft grass beneath us, big fluffy white clouds floating over us, the laughter of my kids as they caught fish after fish, still hot as heck but a wonderful, peaceful, relaxing time together.

Just What Are You Teaching Me?

I am blessed to teach a 7-9 year old Sunday School class at our Church each Sunday morning. For good and bad, my students include Matt and Drew and one other boy (remember, we're a REALLY small Church).

So, this past Sunday I was introducing our Bible Story about Joshua and his huge battle. I began telling them about the Children of Israel and Joshua and how they were asked by God to walk around a certain city once a day for six days, and then on the seventh day they were to walk around the city 7 times.

I then asked the kids if they remembered what the name of that city was.

The boys thought and thought, and then Matt responded with, "Sacajawea?"

OK, so I think my family needs to lay off the historical studies and delve deeper into biblical characters.What do you think?

The Steps of Their Father

My sweet husband will do anything to provide shelter, food, clothing, etc. for his family.

He's always had a very strong work ethic, many times working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Brian is very diligent at showing and teaching and sharing with the kids that no job is too menial, as long as you give it your best.

This was evident in their joint venture last fall. Brian, Drew, and Matt decided they would sell pecans ... whole and cracked. Little did I realize that their trip down money lane would evolve into a family affair. I can't tell you how many HUNDREDS of gallons of pecans we gathered. My poor kitchen was transformed into a pecan assembly line ~ plastic bags for delivery, plastic bags to be cracked, 5 gallon buckets to be divided, you get the picture.

I must admit that it was a good learning experience for the boys to be involved in.

And then came this summer and watermelon season.

You guessed it, Brian and the boys once again put on their salesmen hats and have been selling watermelons. Silly me, I thought this leg of their selling journey would be a small business.

Guess how many watermelons Brian bought on Wednesday for the boys to sell?

41

And how many watermelons are left?

7

That's right, in 3 days my little charmers sold watermelons to the young, old, single, families, friends, and strangers. Brian even caught Matt in a new selling technique: when a car would pull into the parking lot, Matt would take them a watermelon, place it in their car, and then ask for the money, that was even before the poor victims had a chance to ask how much they cost or why the boys were selling watermelons ... Matt just took the bull by the horns and made the decision for the customers that they were going to purchase a watermelon. Too funny.

So, here's a few pics of the future Fortune 500:

Happy Anniversary to me! Um, to us!

Today is our 15th wedding anniversary. Can you believe it? I've been married to the same sweet, exasperating, aging, loving man for 15 years! That just blows my mind!

At this time on June 4, 1994, I was decorating Pinelake (the old one) and trying to put everything in its place. I wanted a simple, Christian wedding and got just that.

It was perfect.

The wedding party was to be at the church for pictures at 1:00 and at 12:00 I realized that I needed to leave and get myself ready. I can't believe how simple everything was. I literally ran home, jumped in the shower, got dressed, and then wondered how I was going to fix my hair! Seriously! I remember standing in front of the mirror in my parents bathroom thinking, "I've got 30 min. to get my hair fixed and put my veil on. How can I make this work."

God made my fingers fly and put together something that resembled a bride.

And boy howde, Brian was one handsome devil in his tux!

We had friends and family help with as much as possible. Brian's aunt, a rose LOVER, supplied us with a few beautiful arrangements; the prelude was all hymns played by a family friend on the piano and my mom on the organ; another close family friend sang heart touching songs; two of my buddies from college videotapped the ceremony (a funny note here - when Brian and I were watching the tape after we returned from our honeymoon to Hawaii, we noticed that many of the scenes would fade to black and then return a few seconds later. When I asked my friend what was happening, he replied that he had been in a car accident that morning and that he was blacking out! No lie! When he would feel faint, he would fade out the scene and his friend would take over).

We were so young and in SO much love. We thought we had the world by its tail and couldn't wait to start our adventure together.

Here's one of my favorite hymns that I just had to have played in our wedding ... it holds true then and now:

Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need thy tender care; in thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use thy folds prepare. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, thine we are. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, thine we are.

Sweet Home, from Alabama

Our family just returned from a relaxing mini-vacation in

Gulf Shores, Alabama. We left Saturday morning at 6:15 (I know, it's that whole early bird thing) and returned Monday evening around 5:00.

The temps were perfect, the breeze was perfect, the company was perfect, the sand was not! I wish it was acceptable to take a vacuum cleaner on vacation with you, my poor van sure could have used a few minutes of TLC each evening. I know I drove my poor family absolutely nuts with my obsessive hollering, "Brush all that sand off. Don't sit on the bed until you've taken your shower. Watch out, you're getting sand on my beach towel (that one's a hoot, right?)."

I did enjoy myself. Loved watching all the people ~ we were very lucky and played on family friendly beaches all three days. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't take near the amount of pictures I should have. I wish I had gotten one of Meg with her cover up on, I just don't feel comfortable showing her off in her cute bikini.

This is in front of a Souvenier Shop in Gulf Shores.

The last time our family took a picture in front of a shop down on the beach, it was blown away by a hurricane. So, my sincere apologies if anything happens to this little cutie!

Drew found his calling on the boogie board. He would literaly swim/float for hours on this thing.

The only way we could get him in to shore was for suntan lotion and food!

Matt was SO excited to find a shell with "something" in it. Mama ... not so much.