Kailee's Graduation - 3rd Grade

Kailee graduated from the first part of the Montessori program (1st - 3rd class) at River Springs Charter School. She is growing up so quickly. She is an amazing reader and loves it too! I hope she continues to love to read and more importantly I pray she loves to read God's Word. God has also truly given her a gift of compassion and love for people. At this ceremony a classmate was to pick someone in the class to share about and one of the 1st graders picked Kailee. It was a sweet testimony to the love Kailee shares with her friends. 

Every major event in my children's lives is just a reminder for me that they are not mine, I cannot protect them and love them any more than their God does. It is very humbling to realize you don't have any control of... well... really anything. They are His and every part of their lives belong to Him. My spirit loves to rest in that fact and then my flesh fights for control. "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out." ~Romans 7:18 Thank you Lord that You have conquered sin and death and one day I will no longer live in this body of flesh! And thank you for the blessings of watching my children grow to love You more and more.

Summer Camp 2011

What can I say, Summer Camp 2011 was amazing! To study God's Word for 5 days without being interrupted by the demands of life, it can't get better! We came face to face with the bottom line... Where is my heart at? We looked at the holiness of God. Who can dwell in God's presence? The rich young ruler in Mark 10 showed us that we have to give up everything to follow Jesus. The parable of the soils in Matthew 13 made us look at which kind of soil we are. Is it the fruitful soil? Then in Matthew 23, Cosmetic Christianity. Am I religious or do I have a relationship with my Savior? John 3, the story of Nicodemus, showed us you must be born again to have eternal life which only comes from God. And finally a message about real life back at home - "7 Steps To Survive"... my personal favorite... Get Full (be in the Word) from John 10:10.


I am thankful for the many opportunities God gave me to minister to girls who were struggling with what it means to really follow the Lord. What a great thing it is to be used by the Almighty God to speak into others lives and lead them to Him. I am thankful that God counts me worthy through my Savior, Jesus, although I am as unworthy as it gets.


Worship was insane! To hear over 300 people worshipping God at the top of their lungs is really unexplainable! What a beautiful sound! I can't wait to do that for eternity!


Tubing on the boats was a lot of fun despite my injuries! ;) What was more fun was watching the girls fly off the tubes at high speeds! hahaha At one point Kailee went on the tube with the "big girls" and at one point also went flying off the tubes at high speeds. I would have bet that she would have been scared out of her mind and wanted off but she surprised me and wanted to keep going. It was a proud moment! We had a blob this year... it looked like fun until you talked with people who face planted into the water! ;) There was a team that put on the games every time we had session and Jeff was part of this team, little did he know that behind his back there was a game being played on him. One of the games, Jeff had to scare the kids as they lifted up the fabric covering his face (his body was hidden)... Jacob was the last contestant and he brought a bucket full of baked beans on stage with him and as he lifted up the fabric Jeff yelled really loud to scare him and Jacob poured the beans in his face. I don't have a picture of this one but I wish I did! It was probably one of the funniest moments of the whole week for me! Jeff was a great sport about it!


Communion was beautiful! I constantly need to come back to the Cross and be reminded of the sacrifice the Son of God made for me!


All Praise and Glory be to our Great God!!!!

Me not quite aware of what is going to happen next...

See the arm in the water... yeah that's me being thrown from the tube!

Game Day... and wow it was hot! I'm resting waiting for the giant ball! 

Lauren, Lauren, Me and Devin

Jake getting ready to go on Pauley's boat. 

The LSU Tigers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish!

Kailee having a great time on the tube! All smiles!

Still holding on barely... and still smiling!

On their way down! I think I still see a smile!

My handsome husband and master of ceremonies on Game Day!

Jeff thought it would be fun to try the blob!

I don't think he would tell you it was a good idea! ;)

Gymnastics

Kailee has been involved in a gymnastics class for about 2 months now and I can't believe how fast she has picked it up. June 4th they had a day to show off what they have learned and she was so excited! I knew she was very talented artistically but she has some major athletic skills too! It brings Jeff and I great joy to watch God grow her into a godly young woman.

Jacob's 8th Grade Graduation

Friday, May 27th Jacob graduated from 8th grade. It was very surreal to be watching my 14 year old boy graduate and now move on to high school. At that moment I could remember sitting in the same spot watching him graduate from Kindergarten. Wow, I have a high schooler! How in the world is that possible? In my mind I am still 20 years old. Where does the time go? I am probably going to be saying this for the next 4 years also. (Or maybe for the next 10 years, we still have one more to get through school. Although, as Kailee gets older maybe I will start really feeling my age.) Jeff and I are very excited about what God is doing in Jacob's life and can't wait to see how He will grow him to be a man who serves the living God!


"For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations." ~Psalm 100:5

Papa and Grandma

Gramma Bobbi and Stephanie's (Jeff's sister) daughters

Cara (cousin) and Jacob

Jacob's friend, Westin

Jacob and Samantha (cousin)

Jacob and friend, Dillon

Dominic (long time friend and Jr. High Pastor from Calvary)

Lessons from Babysitting.... oh how there are many!

Yesterday, Kailee and I babysat our friends baby girl. It was nice having a little one around the house, watching her smile and coo. Kailee enjoyed the highlights of parenthood, feeding and pushing the stroller (pictures below). She was a big helper during the day keeping baby happy. :) 
I forgot how much work it was just to leave the house with a baby. As I walked out of the house with the car seat and two bags hanging from my shoulders knocking into my children with them, neither of them asked if they could help. I thought to myself, "Wow my children are so selfish! How could they not see me struggling and want to help?" They were focused on the things they had to do to get out of the house.
This reminded me of how consumed I get with my own schedule that I also don't seek to help others around me. And all around me there are young parents who need a break, a rest from all of the busyness of parenthood. I need the Lord's help to take my eyes off of me. I don't have the ability within myself to not be selfish. It is only by the Spirit of God that my heart can choose others instead. The world tells me to mind my own business and to do the things that I want to get done. But God in His Word says "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." ~Philippians 2:3-4

Easter 2011

We decided we were going to attend the Sunrise Easter Service at 6 am on Easter morning. When we showed up it was sprinkling. I was shocked by all of the people from our church who sat in the rain to worship the Lord that morning. We all brought lawn chairs and set them up on the grass. It was such a great reminder that the "church" is not about a building, it's about the people. Despite the amount of rain that was coming down, there was a wonderful feeling of family and fellowship that morning as we celebrated the resurrection of our Savior. After the service we had a pancake breakfast with all of our church family. Then it was off to the grandparents houses. We spent the rest of the day enjoying our families. And of course the kids (and Jeff) got Easter baskets and had an egg hunt. My brother always stuffs the eggs with money, Kailee made $28 that day! I say we have an adult egg hunt! ;)


They are so excited about those baskets, as you can see!

The kids had so much fun wrestling that day.