Youth Camp Carwash

With youth camp just a week away the kids are busy trying

to raise their money.

And what better way than a carwash...

...in 100 degree weather!?

...well, I could probably think of a few...

but the kids sure had a lot of fun washing cars...
...well, that probably wasn't the fun part ;o}

It was so H.O.T....record high temp. for the year so far!

But the kids didn't mind the hot temp. too bad as long as they

were wet...and with Bro. John & Bro. Brian manning the

water hoses that wasn't a problem.

Ethan & Jeremy hard at work!

Dalton's wishing this was his truck...he is so ready to be driving!
(just between us...I'M NOT!)
He says I'm too over protective ;o} Oh, well...

Kayla & Landon took care of the tops of the trucks...
they did a great job!

Bro. John makes filling up the buckets look like hard work. ;o}

Jeremy must be finished...

Even with the scorching heat the kids still had a great car wash...

Now...off to youth camp next week...so...please be in prayer for me & hubby.
We will be chaperoning along with Bro. John & Mrs. Mindy at camp
in Mountain View Arkansas...and just to let you in on a little secret....

Kids...if any of you are reading this ....

I NEED MY SLEEP!

So, please parents....send plenty of Benadryl!

J/K~(sort-of) I am expecting a great time!

Happy 11th Birthday Kayla Eden!

Kayla was born at 11:30 a.m. on June 27th, 1998...
weighing 7 lbs 15.6 oz. and looked just like her dad!

I can't believe she is 11!
It just amazes me how time flies by...

Kayla is a mixture of both of us...she has a serious side
like me...and then she has that funny 'sometimes goofy'
sense of humor like her dad!

She loved her babies and carried her favorite one 'Molly"
around everywhere she went...for years!

Isn't she cute!

She is always smiling!

...ALWAYS!

Did you notice the bruised knees?
She's about 30% girly girl and 70% tom boy!

...and she is growing up way too fast.

She loves horses, dolphins, bugs & frogs, the color blue and
isn't scared of anything.

I always tease and say that she's my 3rd boy...I guess being raised
with 2 older brothers may be partially to blame. But one things for
sure, she can stand her ground and probably even throw a punch
better than most boys her age! ;o}

She really loves babies!
I know she will make an awesome mom some day!
She is very creative and funny and always willing to lend a helping
hand. I know God has big plans for a little girl with such a big heart!

I love you Boo!

Happy Birthday!

*Favorite Things Swap*

Kelly at According To Kelly is hosting a:

What you do is...you sign-up with Kelly. She will assign you a partner.
Then you choose 3 (or more) of your favorite things, box them up
and send them to her. That sounds easy enough...right?

You can read more about it and sign-up here.

I'm excited....this is my first favorite things swap!

~A Little Get-a-way~

We spent Thurs, Friday & Saturday in Eminence Missouri.
The Cude family from church invited us to spend some time with
them at their cabin.We had a good
time! ;o} Seth & Courtney from next door came too!

Here are Dalton & Seth taking a break from the sun to
play a few inside games. (Can you tell Dalton

hates his picture being made?)

Don't you just love a porch swing!?

This is where Jeremy spent his time at the cabin ;o}
he always manages to find the recliners.

Ethan is getting the rafts ready for the river.

This is Rocky Falls...I think it was the most fun of all.
The kids loved climbing up the rocks and sliding down
into the pool below.

Kayla probably slid a couple hundred times ;o}


This was taken after Jeremy slipped on the rocks. He decided he
was gonna find a spot and settle down ;o} This was after a
few hours on the river, so if you look closely you can see that his legs
and arms are a lovely shade of red (he refused to put on sunscreen)! ;o}

Time to fight the current!

Courtney & Ethan...

Luckily...I was the only one snapping pictures this weekend!
So, no horrible pictures of me to post...well...there were a
few, but since it is my blog, I don't have to post them ;o}

I wish I had a few pictures of Jeremy when he was bumping into
everything ;o}I think I was too busy laughing to even think of the
camera...he got stuck on rocks, trees, people...yes, even people!
It was funny (hilarious) !

We had a great time...I think next time we go...I want to just
float the Current and not paddle it...I'm SORE!

~Foto Friday~

Today's Foto Friday theme is:

~PICNICS~

Sunday night we had our church service at the park.

It was H.O.T....hot!

We had homemade ice cream, grilled hotdogs and

tons of fun!

Here are the youth boys playing a sweaty game of football.

Hubby's preaching from the picnic tables...

I just love having picnics ~ I can't wait until next time!

Let's see your picnic or cookout fotos!
Twin Powers Activate

I Stuck My Foot In My Mouth

Have you ever had a case of 'foot in mouth'?

Normally...

I don't :o}

(okay...maybe sometimes)

...but yesterday was an exception ;o}

We are planning a trip to Current River...& I was in bad
need of a new bathing suit. In our town there is only a couple of
places that sell swim suits and I had already been to them
twice or more and still no swim suit....I tried a couple on...but those

dressing room mirrors always make me look 15 pounds heavier!

...and everyone knows how much I hate going to Jackson to shop

...it's like it's Christmas every day there....

There are people everywhere, crowded food courts, long lines

and how most of them got their drivers license is a mystery to me!

So, I was determined to find a suit in town...and Wal-Mart

was the only place I hadn't checked.

As I was picking through the suits... trying to

find one that I could tan in at home (when no one
is looking) and something cute to cover it all up with ;o}
(when someone is looking)

Now, realize this...I have a tendency to talk to anyone that
I come in contact with....especially when I'm shopping ;o}

Now, picture me thumbing through the suits with a
disgusted look on my face. I notice a lady across from me
on the opposite side of the same rack doing the same...
Then I saw it...the ugliest swim suit I had ever seen...it was bad!

I grabbed the hideous swim suit off the rack and held it up
where the lady could see it...

(it was awful-turquoise & gold with little buckles placed in
inappropriate places)

I said, "I would love to talk to the person responsible for
this...Seriously? Who in their right mind would wear this?"

She laughed and we both went right along thumbing through the
swim suits. As I started to walk away from the rack Ethan brought
my attention to the Lady's cart...and what do you think was in it?

Yep~you guessed it, that same exact, perfectly awful swim suit!

I was so embarrassed!

Good news is...I looked back a few minutes later and she

had put it back on the rack ;o} I probably saved her from making

"the #1 worst beach body" you see on the front of those

magazines in the check-out line at Wal-Mart :o}

Getting Back on Schedule

Today was our first day back to the regular 11 o'clock

schedule! We are meeting at the old middle school for

now. It has a huge auditorium with old, wooden theater

seats that squeaked...

(a lot)

(every time someone wiggled)

(even the least little bit);o}

For some reason I forgot to get a picture of the front of the bldg...
I guess I was in a hurry for lunch ;o}

Dalton & Eric on stage before church.

While the Children's Church teacher is out of town I get the job of
filling in...today was great though...we were in the old choir room
And what makes it so great is....IT'S SOUND-PROOF!

Whoo~hooo! It's just no fun at all if I have to
keep reminding the kids to be quiet....Seriously,
who can do Father Abraham and be
quiet at the same time?

This was my group today...

Don't they look so sweet? Well....looks can be deceiving ;o} j/k

Kayla with some of her friends from church.

This is the auditorium...I snapped a picture just as people were coming in.

My boys with some friends from church.

I am glad we are back to a normal schedule...well, we're getting
there. ;o} We are still waiting on insurance
and all that STUFF. They are possibly going to
condemn our old church bldg. Be in prayer for our congregation...
my hubby and the other leaders of the church.

Have a great rest of the day!

~Foto Friday~

Today's Foto Friday theme is:

~Summer~

I want to see some fotos that just scream

S-U-M-M-E-R!

...and what says summer more that ice cream cones in the

hot summer sun?

Sticky fingers, ice cream melting down to your elbows...
hair stuck to your face...no worries...
sounds good to me!

Let's see some fotos!

Writing for the Lord

Twin Powers Activate

Fun at the Fair

The fair is back in town! Well...not our town ;o}

Every year we go to the Murray fair...mom likes to take the

grand kids so we pile up in the truck and head to KY.

Here are a few pictures from last night...

touching the ground!

Ashton looks squished ;o}

I love the fair...
I can't ride much because it makes me so sick...
but I love the food ;o}

I have to tell you about Ethan's little secret admirer...
her name is Ashley...:o} It took a while for
Ethan to realize it...but this cute little blonde haired girl had
been following him around all night. She finally realized he sure
wasn't gonna say anything to her...so she made the first move and
asked my sister if they were going out. (my sister's 16 ;o}) Once
she found out he wasn't taken she moved in for a little conversation.

It was so cute...
I know, I'm his mom and I shouldn't think it's cute...but guess
what I was thinking in the back of my mind the whole time?

We live in Tennessee and she lives in Kentucky ;o}

I just had to post this picture...even though Ethan will strangle me once he sees it ;o} Caleb wanted to ride the swings...but he was scared to ride by himself...Ethan volunteered toride with him, his feet were actually

More Precious Than Gold

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that

perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto

praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 1:7

This is such a tender subject..
Life is so unpredictable...at times so full of heartache,
disappointment, valleys, trials...

Sometimes I feel like I spend most of my time in valleys.

I have been asked this question over and over," Why

does God allow terrible things to happen to us?"

Come to think of it...I've even asked it a few times.

One thing I am slowly learning is that there is a reason

behind every trial...even though from my perspective

it looks like the pieces of a puzzle that have been

thrown all over the floor.

Sometimes, I think we as Christians...or at least I do...

forget that God sees the whole...COMPLETE...finished

work of art. He knows how and where each piece fits in.

As my hubby once said,"He has better seats"...;o} He can

see it all from the balcony and not just a little bit here

and there like we can.

If we never know the reason for trials until we reach

Heaven, we can be certain of one thing....that God works all

things for good, for those who love Him. The Bible tells us so.

I must admit...

I am not a person who sweetly accepts my trials.

Not at all! Not even close...(picture a three year old kicking

and screaming on the floor and you may be getting close) ...

any time trials are flung at me, I have an instinct to

duck and run...I admit it...I hate trials....I hate when things

go wrong...I hate not knowing what's around the next

corner and being in control of what happens ~ I'm human. ;o}

So, when I see a trial being thrown my direction I try to ignore it,

sometimes I manage to miss it, and either it falls at my feet, or

hits me in the head with more force than it initially had to begin with.
Then, sometimes it keeps coming back at

me like a boomerang until I catch it, and am forced

to deal with it....Sometimes it comes out of the clear blue sky

with no warning and knocks me to my knees...

But I think that each throw is a test...a challenge....

an opportunity...to be the woman God wants me to be.

Maybe through my trials God is seeing what I'm really made of...

or maybe he's revealing it to me...

Hubby says, "Your reaction to the problem

determines how long you stay in the problem."

Wow~that hurts doesn't it...

Maybe God's just seeing if I am willing to be tried....

Perhaps it is a test to see how obedient I am to His

perfect wisdom and will....Maybe He's trying to mold me

and make me more like Him....chipping away the pieces that

do not reflect Christ...

Perhaps I should be grateful that He loves me enough to

work so long and hard on me!

So, my answer to the million dollar question ...

Why does God allow terrible things to happen to us?

I don't know...

But I do know that I am willing to let God be God.

He knows the reasons, and He's in control and that's

good enough for me.

With God's help, I am reaching the point where I thank Him for

everything...even the trials.

Don't misunderstand...This doesn't mean that I enjoy

or even half-way understand them...not even close!

...but I know God will see me through each and every trial....

and that He is using them to make me more like Him.

~Foto Friday~

Today's Foto Friday theme is:

'Least favorite parts of your home'

Leslie at Writing for the Lord picked this topic...

so let's see some fotos!

Here's mine....This is my kitchen floor...I love the tile...

...I love the white grout.....but it's impossible to keep white!

When we built the house I gave specific orders 'NO WHITE

GROUT!' I had the perfect tan color picked out that matched

the tile...but since we were living out of town at the time, it was

impossible to be on top of everything...soooo, when I got

the chance to check on the house....the kitchen floor was

all in and the grout was so very white ;o{

I think it looks beautiful...but I get so tired of srubbing the floor...

I know you can stain it...but I am kind-of use to the white now.

I have tried sealing it and re-staining it white...but I still end

up on my hands & knees~any tips out there?

Writing for the Lord

Twin Powers Activate

Summer Fun...

The kids have had so much fun in the pool! Here Ethan,
Courtney, Kara, Kayla & Seth are trying to fit in the
(tiny) boat without flipping it over. Hmmm~I wonder if
that's in the Guinness Book of world records?