Kidz Camp 2012

Wow! I am way behind on blogging. We have had so much going on, so I'll just start here.

Oasis Kidz Camp 2012

Last year James and I had the privilege to go to youth camp with our church and it was life-changing in so many ways. This year since we are now part of the children's ministry we were blessed to go to camp with all the kids. It was Makayla's third year at church camp and Christopher was finally old enough to go!
    The theme this year was W3, based on the book, Not A Fan. W3 stands for wherever, whenever and whatever. It comes from Luke 9:57-62. It was fabulous! Although camp is for the kids, I saw the sponsors being touched and changed as well. Verse 62  is where it came full circle for me. Luke 9 verse 62 says.. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
   Wow! You have no idea what this verse did for me! (See blog post, Home is where the Heart is, to get the back story). I have spent the last four years in Amarillo looking back at Louisiana, at our church in Louisiana, at my friends, just looking back in general! I have probably missed out on some awesome things because I wasn't living in the place God put me. That was such a huge lighbulb verse for me! God put us here and has blessed us abundantly. I need to live for him and do the work he has for me without holding the plow and looking back.
     Camp is alot of business and a whole lot of fun! We had a blast, forged some new bonds, and most of all wrote 2 names in the Book of the lamb! We have never been so tired though, I may still be recovering, but I would do it all again!

July 22nd

This was us on July 22nd, 2001. 11 years ago.

This is us July 22nd 2003, 9 years ago. It was our 2nd wedding anniversary and the day James came home from Iraq.

This was us today, July 22, 2012 on our 11th wedding anniversary!

Other than the obvious facts, some weight has been gained and hair colored changed. These two people are far from the two kids in the picture from 11 years ago.

Today was truly all in God's hands! We are normally teaching in our 5.6 class but today decided that it was covered and we would go to Sunday School. During the month of July our church has a combined Sunday School class in the fellowship hall. We got our seats and were talking to some friends. When the lesson began, I was instantly emotional! The lesson was on Baptism, this is the same lesson from last summer that our youth pastor taught  that left me an emotional mess and led me to get Baptized and furthermore give my testimony to our church.

Little did I know this same lesson from the same time last summer that moved me would also move in such a way for James, you see he was working last summer when God put this message in my life.

I should tell you more about the lesson.. they both talked about why our church believes and practices what it does about Baptism and what the bible says about Baptism. For James and I we were both baptized on the wrong end of our salvation. We were both saved and baptized as kids but neither one of us were really saved and changed until about 5 years ago. That is when we rededicated or what I call my real Salvation. We had truly been saved a few years ago but never followed up in Baptism. My time was last summer, his time was today after he said he had heard the same message 3 times in the last several months and knew God was talking to him, loud and clear.

We sat through the lesson and he did say to me at one point that "He is talking to me" but said nothing else, after the lesson was over James was gone! So I went down to our 5.6 class and a few minutes later James came and found me. I could actually hear his heart racing as he told me 'Im going to get baptized today, this morning, right now!" My first reaction was" right now?" "I don't have a camera!" "I'm not prepared!" However divine intervention stepped in and I just shut my mouth and said "OK!" This was his moment with God.

When James disappeared he had actually gone to talk to our pastor and our pastor said to him "why wait?, lets do it now!" And so they did.....

I just thought James coming home from Iraq was my favorite anniversary, that was until today. I am a blessed blessed girl!!

Girl Scout Camp 2012

From January until March every year we hassle everyone we know to buy Girl Scout Cookies from Makayla. The last two years it has really paid off. In 2011 she sold over 600 boxes and this year over 400 earning her lots of prizes and a paid 4 days of camp!
She chose a horse riding camp this year and had a blast! We dropped her off on Sunday and picked her up on Wednesday. Her horse's name was Jitterbug. She did crafts, had a cook-out, sang silly songs, swam, and most of all enjoyed being a kid! Thank you to everyone who buys cookies from us it really does pay off!
Here she is when we dropped her off and then when we picked her up. Notice the hair difference. Ha!

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Makayla is 10 1/2 and was the first grandchild and great-grandchild on either side of the family. Since then, we have had two boys, my brother James has had a son and my brother Jacob has had three sons! We recently found out that Jacob and Amber are expecting their 4th little boy! 5 nephews!!
   James' sister is in college so it will be a long while before the chances of a girl pop up on that side. Don't get me wrong I love my nephews and sons but a little girl to spoil would be nice. I am the only girl with two brothers as well as Makayla. I did have female cousins but Makayla has had no luck. She has always wanted a sister (which is no longer a biological possibility) and this got me thinking about sisters in general.
   I always wanted a sister growing up and maybe that is why I crave female friendships and girl's night out,that special girlfriend/friend relationship you see in movies. Someone to shop with, laugh with, tell girl stuff to. My hubby is my very best friend but there is just somethings I can tell him that He would rather not know! Since having girl's in this family was not part of God's plan for mine or Makayla's lives we will continue being blessed and being the princess' in the family! We do love our guys and I love being an aunt!
   Value your sisters and girlfriends they are irreplaceable!
    

Amarillo Sox Game

Since Makayla is at Girl Scout Camp it is just me and my guys! Last night we went to an Amarillo Sox Game! It was so fun. Our boys were the loudest in the ballpark, of course it was a Tuesday night game in Amarillo so it was not a packed house by any means. James Henry must have yelled "strike him out" a million times. He also yelled "Go Rangers!" a few times!
Christopher ate 2 hot dogs, ice cream and peanuts last night! I am not looking forward to my grocery bill in their teenage years.
We had a great time, we shared lots of laughs and spent some quality time together plus, we love baseball!

4th of July 2012

I love Independence Day! It means so much to me and my family after all my hubby is a veteran and my dad, my father-in-law, James' uncle and my grandfather. Our son is named after a friend who died in Iraq.
I remember the 4th of July when James was in Iraq and how emotional it was. We went to the big celebration & fireworks show on base. It was really amped up since all our guys were at war. That is the year I learned and felt
the true meaning of Independence Day.
This year we had some close friends over and we grilled and did fireworks and really enjoyed the night with some great people. When it was dark and the fireworks were going off and the wind was blowing I couldn't help but think of the 4th of July in CA when James was in Iraq.
I think God that I am blessed to live in this Country.
Some pictures from this year....

"Ta-Da"

I am so excited to unveil my new blog makeover! I am so in love with it and can't stop looking at it. I have been successfully blogging for over a year now and decided that I really wanted a custom look. My new blog is courtesy of Mary at Bright Sunshine Designs. She was awesome and so affordable. There was no stress involved for me and she catered to my every question and thought and the outcome is amazing. I think the new look really suits me!