The Burton Bunch

Girls Weekend 2011

2011-11-07T20:35:00.000-06:00

The Texas hill country was the setting this year for Girls Weekend 2011! What a blast we had in Fredericksburg the first weekend in November. I still can't believe we have been getting together for over 15 years! It started out with a group of us from A&M- we all met leading Young Life there. Then several of us went to graduate school at UTMB in Galveston....and picked up a few more friends there! (That is where our ONE beloved T-sip friend, Elisa, joined our little group of Aggies. We love you Elisa.) And then along the way, we've added a gal or two. This year, our friend Jeanne joined our reunion weekend....and we loved having her with us!
I am so blessed to have this group of women in my life to sharpen and strengthen me. It has been a blast doing life with these girls all these years....

Lunch at the Peachtree Inn

Jeanne, Kris, Macey, Susan, Jenni, Kristin, Marci, Elisa, and me

On our way to hike Enchanted Rock!

Heart rock.

Macey is always a step or two ahead of the rest of us.

Macey Lou Hoo

Heart cactus.

Dinner at Hondo's on Main Street! Yum.

Macey, me, Jenni, and Jeanne

Elisa, Kris, Marci, Susan, and Kristin

Some rocking' entertainment

We finished the weekend with some awesome worship led by Elisa and Marci. These two should go on the road!

Thanks for such a fun weekend, ladies! Can't wait for 2012...

Halloween!

2011-10-31T10:09:00.000-05:00

Fun Halloween at the Burton house this year! We had 2 famous Sister Rockstars, a strange-looking Red Morph (?), and War Machine. Pretty fun! Luke walked around the neighborhood with the kids and their friends, while I manned the front door....candy bowl in hand, sitting in the front porch rocker, jamming to some tunes on my iPod. It was a fun night!

Tag got his face painted at our Neighborhood Halloween festival! He really didn't want to wash it off before bed that night....can you blame him?

The crazy Burton kids. Gone are the days of everyone matching and having a "theme" that we all dressed up as. :) Oh well! I like big kids and all their zany ideas! :)

War Machine had to have his hair painted too....because his sisters did!

The Rockstar Sisters

Red Morph?? Hmmm. That's 11-yr old boy for you....

Burton Kids...plus a good witch, and handsome dad!

Our sweet friends down the street, the Eoffs....at a fun Halloween party right before all the Trick-or-Treating began!

Our good friend Avery trick-or-treated with the girls!

And our buddy Brett hung out with Logan....

Hope you all had a fun, magical evening!

Pumpkin Carving Party

2011-10-29T22:31:00.000-05:00

We celebrated both boys birthdays with family and friends this year while carving pumpkins! I love that they were both born in October....and that there are so many fun fall things to do around their birthdays. And of course any occasion to make Nanny's famous homemade sugar cookies is a good one! So here are our yummy pumpkin cookies....Always makes me think of you, Nanny.

We invited everyone to wear their Halloween costume "if they dared"....and Granny Boo showed up as a blue M&M! Ha! She is so cute and funny. Here she is with the Rockstar Sisters....

Tag and Elijah....or War Machine and a Nascar Driver!

Olivia the clown and Bauer the Arkansas football player!

Uncle Matthew and his son, the Gnome.

Yes, that's Logan- the Red Morph (??) and his buddy, Brett.

Singing Happy Birthday to the boys....candles in pumpkin bread....yum yum!!

Let the carving begin!!!

This pumpkin cracked me up! Papa Dude was copying Beth's face here...he did a pretty accurate rendering if you ask me!

Jen beginning her masterful Darth Vader pumpkin....

Olivia and her dad carved a Flower pumpkin. Cute!

Logan created an amazing Bat pumpkin! Way cool.

Daniel and Avery carved an intricate Haunted House. It was awesome!

Tag just generally had fun cutting the pumpkins, drawing on them with markers, and playing on the swing set.

Marshall in the fort....another Arkansas star player!

Bauer is such a cutie.

Tag trying to take credit for other people's pumpkins.... Ha!

Elijah and Noah

Faith Anna and Luke carved this awesome Cross!

Jen's Darth Vader morphed into this pretty Sunburst! Gotta be flexible when working with mushy pumpkins. Great attitude girl!

Joshua and his dad made a Legos pumpkin.

Olivia and her flower.

Beth carved this cute smiley pumpkin!

Jack-o-lanterns galore!

Goodnight from Beth and Papa Dude! We loved being with you all.

Remember- God picked you off the vine just like the pumpkin. He scooped all the yucky out of each of us, and replaced it with His light. Let your light shine for Him this holiday season!

Fall Leaves

2011-10-24T10:02:00.000-05:00

I love fall. Look at all my helpers in the front yard! And we even recruited our friend, Max. We had a big storm, so lots o leaves blew down. So blessed to have all this love around me.... plus, jumping in leaf piles is really fun!

Happy 11th Logan!

2011-10-21T22:39:00.000-05:00

My eldest child is 11 today. How can that be? I remember so well when he was born. 5 days late....all 9 lbs and 4 oz of him! And now he is a 5 ft tall, 90 lb, pre-teen who wears a bigger shoe than me! I love his laid-back, "chilled" outlook on life. He is a lot of fun to be with! But I love his tender heart most of all. He really cares for others, is so respectful to adults, loves his brother and sisters, and has a heart that follows God. Now don't get me wrong- he's still a typical 11 year-old boy that needs lots of redirection and motivation (!), but he is head and shoulders above most kids his age. I am so thankful God put Logan in our family...and that the other 3 have such an awesome big brother to look up to. We love you, Logan!

Camping out at our land on Logan's birthday

Cute glasses, Beth!

What a crew!

Tag the Builder....watch out!

Birthday cinnamon rolls!

Happy 11th, Logan. You are one awesome young man!

State Fair 2011

2011-10-19T22:38:00.000-05:00

Luke took the day off, we loaded up the troops, and hit the State Fair running from open til almost close! Whew! We had a total blast, rode our hearts out on the rides, ate our share of corn dogs and ice cream....and then were so ready to come home and put our feet up....and not see or smell another fried thing for a whole year! :) Ha! This is one of favorite things to do each fall.... We loved it!

Corndogs....

....and Big Tex. A beautiful combo.

Tag loves fountains.

The bird show- one of our favorites!

The girls on the swings

All 4 on top of the big slide. Here they come!

Tag and Daddy

Ice Cream makes us happy.

Tag headed for Nascar.

Tag and Beth flying on the airplanes.

Beth was finally big enough the year to ride the Crazy Mouse!!!

That's our 3 coming down on the left....

At the very end we found a roller coaster that Tag could do too. So all 4 got to zoom fast on this last ride before we hit the shows! Tag just loved it!

After that we hit the BMX bike show, the dog show, the pig races, fed the animals in the petting zoo, watched some amazing acrobats.....and then

....this is what we looked like on the car ride home. Pooped! Exhausted! But we loved every minute of it. Until next year, State Fair!

Pumpkin Patch time!!!

2011-10-17T18:57:00.000-05:00

I love fall. I love seeing the leaves change color....and seeing pumpkins, hay bales, and scarecrows everywhere. And I love going to the pumpkin patch! This year, we went with of our best little friends, Avery. It was a gorgeous day....perfect for feeding animals, riding a hayride, and just running all over the place!

Our sweet friend Avery

Hayride...Where's Farmer Terry?

Yankee Doodle Tag

I love this picture of all 5 of them! What a fun day.

4 years of Tag

2011-10-15T22:22:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th Birthday, Tag! Can't believe my baby is 4 years old. And an old 4 at that! Being the youngest of 4 kids, Tag just has a older spirit than most kids his age. :) He's been riding his bike without training wheels for months now, loves to ride his big brother's motor scooter....whizzing down the sidewalk at 10 mph!!!, has a bigger vocabulary than most kids a couple of years older than him, and can sing and bust a move like nobody's business! His favorite dance move is the "robot". Ha! He is so much fun. Still loves to cuddle and snuggle, which I love. Sneaks into our bed sometimes dragging that silky blue blanket and puppy he's had since he was born....and of course we just eat it up. I love his laugh, how flexible he is, how he adores his sisters and brothers (he calls Logan is "buddy and bro"), and is all boy throwing any ball with his left hand farther than I can!!! He truly brings so much joy into my world. Love you little man!

Birthday cinnamon rolls

Logan with a bacon tongue...

Opening presents with his sissies

He's been wanting this cool turtle night light that projects a starry sky onto your ceiling at night. It's pretty cool!

My last day to have a 3-year old

2011-10-14T10:14:00.001-05:00

Today is my last day to have a 3-year old. I really can't believe it. These years have gone by so fast. Tag is so funny and cute- brings such joy into our house and our hearts. He has been ready to be 4 for a couple of months now- of course he thinks he's much older than he is with a big brother like Logan. But since October 1st, we've been on the "birthday countdown"....and today he woke up and proclaimed, "One day left!" Brings a huge smile to my face....and a little tear to my eye.

Luke took the kids to school a couple of days ago- and in the car the older ones were practicing some things that were due that day. Logan dutifully recited the first 3 paragraphs of the Gettysburg Address- very impressive! He has worked so hard on that. Next, Faith Anna recited Ephesian 6:10-18....the armor of God verses. Very nice! Beth then said her memory verse- "The heavens declare the glory of God. Psalm 19:1" There was a short pause, and Tag shouted out, "Well I know the Lord's Prayer! Our Father, who art in heaven...."

Luke said it was the cutest thing as he recited each line....keeping in step with his older siblings. I guess he is ready to be four....I'm just not sure I am. :)

Cowgirl soccer

2011-10-11T22:07:00.000-05:00

Faith Anna played one of her best soccer games tonight! She was goalie the first half....and she stopped every ball that the other team kicked! This is a big deal. I get nervous every time she's in the goalie box...not only because those balls come SO fast... but also because she is so hard on herself if she let's one by.
Second half she and her buddy, Avery, were the dynamic duo! She passed a ball to Avery....and AJ scored! Then a few minutes later, AJ passed one to Faith Anna- and she scored! It was quite impressive. The best part was seeing that smile on her face after the game. She knew she had played her best and given it her all. She was really proud of herself. It's so fun to watch your kids grow in confidence and self-esteem. Thank you Lord for being the center of her little heart- and the reason she shines so brightly.

Cowgirls waiting patiently to begin...

Focused goalie

Goalie in action

Look at that kick! It went past mid-field!

Beginning of second half she played on offense- Right Mid

Go #8!

Faith Anna and Avery in the right half of the pic...getting ready to start their magic.

She running....getting into position....to shoot....AND SCORE!

Great game sweet girl! We love you.

7 week old Julia

2011-10-08T21:21:00.000-05:00

Baby Julia is growing like a weed! She is so adorable. We went to visit today and got to hold her for the first time. Jin and Sang are such proud parents. Sang kept saying that she was "an angel" and "a genius"! Ha! Of course she is....

Doesn't Jin look amazing? A beautiful glowing mama...

Her sweet face is as big as Tag's! Jin says she really loves to eat.... :) And likes to sleep all day, and stay awake all night! Sweet girl's gotta figure out her days and nights so her mama can get some rest!

Cute toes....

Little genius angel-girl. We are so happy you are here! Can't wait to see what story the Lord writes for you.

Luke digs pink

2011-10-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

So proud of my guy. He was asked to speak at a Breast Cancer Awareness luncheon today for the hospital called "In the Pink". It was a basically a room full of women, all in pink, many breast cancer survivors....and Luke. :) He prepared a 15 minute or so powerpoint about the importance of breast imaging....and HE ROCKED IT. I was just sitting there in the audience watching him speak...thinking, Wow!...he's mine. Just so smart, so confident, so funny and kind with these women. I invited his mom to come because I knew she would enjoy hearing him too...plus she IS a breast cancer survivor! We were both swelling up with pride...watching a man we both love so much.

The real funny thing is, that in preparing for the talk this past week....all those funny college behaviors came back out in him....briefly. :) Procrastination, not wanting to mess with it, why did he have to be the one to do the talk, etc, etc. Of course we talked about it...and I tried to encourage him. Told him that it wasn't just a presentation, but a chance to shine his light for Christ to a room full...a captive audience. Reminded him that he was doing this as if working for the Lord and not for man. And then just like in those days gone by, the pressure player that he is came out- he pulled it off in the 4th quarter with seconds to go....and smashed it through the uprights. I mean, total home run....with fireworks! He did such an amazing job. And I think his talk was not only relevant and important to the women in the room, but that he actually touched their hearts as well. One lady came up to him afterward with tears in her eyes and said, "I don't' know if you remember me, Dr. Burton. But thank you for finding my cancer and saving my life." Even the key note speaker asked if he remembered her....and said that he performed her biopsy and was an instrumental part in finding her cancer. Story after story just brought tears to my eyes.

And of course, Luke knew how to end his talk well...with humor. His last slide said, "It's worth the squeeze." All the ladies in the room just giggled....knowing that early detection really is.

And probably the funniest part of the whole luncheon- Luke looked across the table at the sweet Nurse Navigator who was in charge of putting the whole thing on- and said he was just wondering why he was the one asked to give the talk today. He said something, trying to be funny, like he figured he had "just drawn the short straw" out of their group of 3 radiologists....although his partners were trying to puff him up and say that she had "requested Luke to speak."
"So which one was it?" he asked her jokingly. "Did you really request me, or were my partners just trying to get out of doing a powerpoint?"
She paused and said, "Well neither, Dr. Burton. The patients requested you. The patients asked for Dr. McDreamy to speak." Ha!!!! I knew they all thought he was cute. Who wouldn't? :)

So proud of you, Luke McDreamy. You did an awesome job today.

Blubbering mess

2011-09-29T09:36:00.003-05:00

I'm a mess this morning. Tears, snot....you know the drill. I've been teary for days now about Deets- our sweet, ole, chocolate lab. He's not doing so well, and has really taken a turn for the worse over the last week. He has been such a faithful part of our family for the past 13 years- our first child really- and I can't imagine him not being here. He has been such a dear friend. It may sound corny to some, but those of you who have truly loved a pet like this understand. I feel like Luke and I need to start talking about making that hard decision- and it's just tearing me to pieces. And the kids....this is going to be so tough on them. Little Beth just sits beside him and pets him with big, ole tears in her eyes. So if you think of it, please say a prayer that we will love Deets well through this hard process.

Then this week I've been studying in Genesis about the inheritance we've been given in Christ- and how it all started with Abraham back in Gen. 12 and 15. Then today I was reading in chapter 22. I guess I was already so emotional about Deets....but then reading about Abraham trusting God enough to give up his one and only son. It just did me in. God, do I trust You that much? I think that I do, and I say that I do. But do I really?? Down in the deepest, darkest parts of my heart, I don't know if I do. Sure, when it involves easy things, or good things, or things that will bless me or others. But what about hard things? What about suffering and loss? It's so hard for me to wrap my brain around this because I have really never truly dealt with anything like that. So Lord, please give me a heart that trusts in You completely, no matter what.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says to Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge, seek him...and He will make your paths straight.

And then of course trying to understand the metaphor of Abraham being willing to give up Isaac, his one and only son.....and of the Lord, being willing to give us Jesus, his one and only Son.....for ME. I can barely take it all in. That sacrifice....for me. Paying that price.....for me. Oh Lord, I don't deserve it. I guess that's why you call it "undeserved favor"- grace.

I love how Beth Moore puts it:

A holy God can only bless a bankrupt people if He settles an account. We are PAID IN FULL.

Thank you for settling my account. And for loving me....all of us....that much, God.

9-year old FABulous

2011-08-28T21:00:00.000-05:00

The August birthdays in our family came to a close as FABulous celebrated her ninth year of life on the 22nd. I KNOW. I can't believe it either, and I'm her mom. She is truly such a joy. Faith Anna is a servant with a beautiful heart. She is happiest when she's making others happy. And she always has a song in her head! She sings all the time....and has a songbook full of about a dozen original songs that she's written. One of these days, I know she will bless many people with this talent and gift the Lord has given her. She is also just plain fun! I love time with her- she makes me laugh- she's such a crazy goofball. Thank you sweet girl for being such an awesome part of our family. You encourage me with your kindness, your forgiving heart, your passion for God, and your selfless spirit. Happy happy birthday!!

Faith Anna wanted to hang with her sweet friend, Avery, on her birthday. We took the ladies to the American Girl Place for lunch and doll spa appointments. Yes, that's right. Their dolls got their hair done. :)

Avery, her mom and my dear friend, Julie, FAB and I! Fun times at the Bistro.

We celebrated with family and two of Faith Anna's good buddies, Avery and Gracie, a few days later. FAB wanted to make homemade pizza for everyone....so we decided in keeping with this theme, that a "pizza" birthday cake would be appropriate!

Chocolate chip cookie crust, vanilla ice cream, and yummy candy toppings. Can you see the number "9" in the middle made out of strawberries? She loved decorating it!

Luke the pizza cutter...

FAB and AJ

Beth and Claire

Noah and Tag

Gracie and Faith Anna

Uncle Matthew, Finn, and Uncle B

The Cuz. Logan and Peter

Lena, Nat, and Ju-Ju

Nana and Papa B

Papa Dude hanging with the little dudes

Why is this grape so fascinating? Because Papa Dude can make anything fascinating.

Why is Tag wearing a bunny nose on his forehead? Why does Tag do most things? Who knows.

Every nine year-old needs a sparkly handbag from Aunt Nat and Uncle B...

Tag still wearing the bunny nose.... FAB opening gifts with the gals.

Let's light some candles! Bring on the birthday pizza!

Happy Birthday to you....

So the pizza melted a bit while she was decorating it....then refroze kinda tilted-like in the freezer. Oh well! She loved it....and it still tasted yummy. :)

Make a wish, girl. Dream big.

AJ, FAB, and Double G

Lena and Claire

Logan and PJ hangin in the waterfall

Luke- pizza cake cutter extraordinaire! Thank you baby. That ice cream was way too hard for me to cut. :) You got skeels.

I love this guy. So glad he's mine.

Happy Birthday to our Beauiful Faith Anna. Love you more than you'll ever know, girly. You truly are fabulous!

First Day- New School!

2011-08-23T11:30:00.000-05:00

Well, new campus I should say. Same wonderful school, just moved north a bit. And loving it so far! So thankful for this amazing staff, wonderful curriculum, and community spirit among the families.

Aren't they a cute crew? Tag was SO excited to finally get to go to school with the big kids. Can't believe they are all four together! It's going to be a great year....

Baby Julia has arrived...

2011-08-19T20:00:00.000-05:00

Our dear friends from South Korea finally had their baby girl on August 15th...a few weeks late!! Introducing Miss Julia. 8 pounds, 1 ounce. Isn't she beautiful? Mama and baby are doing great! We are so happy for this sweet family. Can't wait to hold her....

Congratulations Jin and Sang! She is adorable...

Beth's YouTube Video

2011-08-15T23:18:00.000-05:00

Luke's dad and stepmom made an awesome video for Beth's birthday. They are really into photography, and took her out for a "photo shoot"! They said she just ate up the camera. Ha! Not surprised. Leonard put it all together with his amazing computer skills....
She will treasure this forever!

Beth is Seven!

2011-08-14T22:11:00.000-05:00

How can it be that my sweet, baby girl with the BIG dimple has been in our lives SEVEN years? I have no idea. Truly- the days are long, but the years are short.

We celebrated with a fun pool party for our little blondie- with two of her friends, Nora and Olivia, and all of our family. It was a fun, relaxing evening spent celebrating the joy this girl has brought into our hearts. Of course we had a pink cake....love that she still loves pink and princesses. (Although she doesn't shout it from the mountaintops anymore.)

Love you, Bethie. Thank you for being the sweet, fun girl that you are. You are so easy-going and helpful....always with a smile on your face! You are Tag's "sissie" and best buddy, Faith Anna's best girlfriend and singing partner, and Logan's little buddy. We can't imagine life without you in it. You remind me of God's sweet grace and second chances all the time. I love how cool and loving you are under pressure- I want to be more like that! You teach me so much, Beth. And I love your hugs and playing with your hair. Happy Birthday, Beautiful....inside and out!

Birthday princess

Our sweet friends, Jin and Sang, and Jin's mom were able to make it! They still hadn't had baby Julia....any day now! My mom loved visiting with Jin's mom.

My dad and Luke

Leonard and Liz

Peter and Logan

Tag in the pool....

...flying!

Nora and Beth

Faith Anna made this for Beth. Sweet, huh?

1-2-3 Jump!

Our sweet friends, the Eoffs. Whitney, Stephen, Marshall, and Bauer

Bauer

Marshall

Time for cake

Happy Birthday to you....

May all her wishes come true...

Sweet cousin Caroline

I love this picture of Nora and Beth...

Tag got real dressed up for the party after swimming...

Marshall's trying to figure out what exactly Tag is. We all were, actually.

It's something like a Tony Romo Puppy wearing Buzz glasses and throwing a boomerang. Creative, huh?

Macey-Lou-Who came to visit that night. I love that girl.

Goofin' with Papa B and Nana

Can't wait to see what surprises the Lord brings this next year for Beth! Happy Birthday, sweet girl.

Uganda- Part 3

2011-08-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

Mityana, Uganda

After the World Vision part of our trip, we traveled about 4 hours to Mityana to visit a sweet missionary family from our church, the Pease's. This is Eric and Krisann's 3rd year as missionaries in Uganda. They have two children, Colby and Emily. Colby will be leaving for boarding school in Kenya soon, and Emily is going into 5th grade. From the moment we arrived, Faith Anna and Emily became fast friends! It was very clear that the Lord had orchestrated this part of the trip just to love on Emily and bless her with a sweet friend in Faith Anna.

The Pease's backporch

Emily and Faith Anna

Bob and Leah Young with David, a precious little guy who the Pease's have "adopted" part time from a local orphanage. He is HIV+, has just gotten over a severe case of TB, and is just full of joy. He stays with the Pease family several days a week.

The view from their backyard. Just gorgeous!

The tree house was a big hit!

Eric, Krisann, and David

Emily and Faith Anna- attached at the hip

Krisann, Bev, and I at a carnival that we put on for one of the local schools in Mityana. These children had never been to anything like this before!

Richard and Colby making balloon animals.

Kriann's parents, Rita and Frank, came on the trip with us...and stayed another few weeks with Eric and Krisann after we all left. Loved getting to know this dear couple!

Faith Anna playing games with the kids

Rick Brown helping lead music at the carnival

Bev doing face paint....and arm paint!

Water balloon toss

Chris taking a ride with Timo on his "Picky"

Sweet David. I fell in love with this little one.

One of the highlights of our time in Mityana was the last day- we had the privilege of spending time in the villages with several families- just doing life with them. Faith Anna stayed back to play with Emily and I headed out with Rick and Bev Brown to Emmanuel and Margaret's family. This is Gorrhetti and Annette, 2 of their children.

Bev with baby Grace. She stole our hearts...

This is the mother, Margaret, and Bennah.

Crushing the "G-nuts" (ground nuts) up into a sauce.

The children have to walk about 15 minutes downhill with their Jerry-cans to fetch water several times a day. Here we are at a water well with the children from this village.

Filling our cans with water.

This is how the children carry the water cans back- uphill- now weighing 25-40 pounds depending on how big the Jerry can is.

This is the hardest work I had done all week. These water cans were SO heavy! I can't believe that these children do this 4-5 times a day!!

Grace. She just hung on Bev and I. So precious.

Rick and "Timo"-Timothy. Timo interpreted for us at the village and is one of the young men that Eric has been mentoring and doing Bible Study with. He led worship at our church service in the Pease's backyard, and is an outstanding young man. He wants to study at UTD and then go to medical school. I think the Lord has incredible things in store for this fellow!

Eating some "Jack fruit" in the village. It tasted like a mixture of pineapple and mango...

Bev and Grace

We worked in the village all morning with the women, Florence and Margaret, and all the children. This is Bev carrying matoki on her head! (Looked like bananas, but was actually more like yellow squash.)

The women taught us how to do all of their daily chores- we cut matoki leaves, brought in the fruit, peeled it all, wrapped it in the leaves, made fire, put the matoki on to cook, washed dishes with dirty water, made G-nut sauce, fetched water, played and sang with the children. It was a glorious day.

This is Robert, 15 years old and the eldest of all the children. He spoke English very well and was so helpful to us and his parents. I was very impressed with Robert.

Gorrhetti was my little shadow. She stayed right by my side all day. I fell in love with this little, spunky lady.

Little Florence gathering water.

Krisann with all the children. They just lit up when she arrived at the village.

The Pease family- Krisann, Emily, Eric and Colby. We had a wonderful time staying with this incredible family. They are full of faith and are trusting in the Lord for each day and each opportunity He brings their way to share the gospel. They have really invested their time and devotion into the local people- and they have earned their respect and the right to be heard. I am praying that the Lord will continue the great work he is doing in and through the Pease's.

On our last day in Uganda, before we flew out to London, we visited a botanical garden in Entebbe. Faith Anna got to finally see monkeys!!

See the baby she's carrying on her belly?

So fun! Such an incredible trip. Such amazing perspective gained. Loved the special time I had with my girl, and the way the Lord impressed these precious people into our hearts. I will not soon forget.

¹⁷ “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. ¹⁸ I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. ¹⁹ I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, ²⁰ so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it."

Isaiah 41:17-20

Uganda- Part 2

2011-08-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

The next few days of our World Vision trip centered around these themes:
Chuch Partership, Microfinance Loans, Clean Water, Health, and Education. Here are some of the highlights...

Faith Anna playing with some of the children during the meeting on church partnership

DAY 1- CONTINUED
CHURCH PARTNERSHIP
After we met with our sponsored kids that first morning, we spent the afternoon hearing from several local pastors about Church Partnership. Paul from WV spoke, who is over 4 ADPs (Area Development Project) including ours in Kyalulangira. He talked about how the Church is leading the way in this development...and that World Vision merely supports them. It was very empowering to the locals and really instilled a vision in their hearts for their people and community.

A beautiful church that we met in with the pastors.

MICROFINANCE

Next we headed out into the villages to meet with three different families who had been positively impacted by World Vision's Microfinance Loans.

We were hearing from a local farmer who took advantage of these loans in order to help him get started by buying him several cattle. With the cattle, he has been able to use the income he earns from the milk, cheese, and butter he sells- to not only pay back the loan, but to also buy seed and farming equipment he needs for his farming business. He is now able to provide for his family and send his children to school. All because he was able to borrow the small amount of money he needed to get started from World Vision.

This is another wonderful way you can get involved with World Vison beyond Child Sponsorship. Go to www.worldvision.org and look under the tab called Ways to Give. Then scroll down to Microfinance. They have pictures and stories you can look through to choose whom you would like to help with a loan.

The family sent us with a basket of mangos for coming out and visiting them. Faith Anna tried her head at carrying them the way the locals do!

Faith Anna was always among a sea of children...

Swollen belly from malnutrition.

Paul Johnson, our local Team World Vision rep, with some of the Uganda World Vision team- Jonan, Paul, and Grace.

DAY 2- CLEAN WATER

We traveled over 2 hours to a remote part of Kyalulangira to visit one of the Clean Water Projects at a Primary School. Here the children greeted us with traditional tribal song and dance. It was beautiful.

Afterward, they asked the Americans to sing for them! So Rick Brown and I led our group in a couple of songs. It was a lot of fun.

Here Paul is speaking at a local water committee meeting. He is again empowering the locals to really think through what it means to have clean water in their community. He first asked the committee what their Knowledge of clean water was, then what were they currently Practicing to have clean water, and lastly, what was their Vision for clean water in the future. It was incredible. He is a gifted leader and servant of Christ!

This is one of the rain collection storage containers that World Vision is installing in the ADPs. It works with tin roofs draining down into gutters that then drain into the containers. This primary school had everything in place but the gutters. They were hopeful that the rain gutters would be arriving soon so that they could begin collecting in the rainy season.

Saying goodbye to the kids at the Primary School

We then traveled to see an example of a "dirty water source". There was actually a little boy at this icky pond with his yellow jerry can, collecting water for his family. I couldn't even believe it.

Another important function of World Vision is education. Educating on things like straining and boiling the water that they drink, and getting drinking water from wells if at all possible.

Walking to see another community's rain collection device that they already have up and running.

This collection system already had the gutters installed and was fully operational. It has already helped so many in the community- but there are still so many without clean water. I began to feel frustrated, overwhelmed, and discouraged....that even though they were doing such good, there was still such a long way to go. But this is not how the World Vision staff believe. They believe that change happens one child, one person at a time. All they need is one glimmer of hope to envision positive change. That challenges my faith so much! Romans 4 talks about how Abraham hoped against all hope....and it was credited to him as righteousness. That's how this staff views clean water in Uganda.

Here is a YouTube video about a clean water project WV did in Kenya...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxBPp9bzBvs

DAY 3- HEALTH
We went to visit an Outpatient Health Clinic that our church, The Heights, and World Vision together provided the funds to build.

Such a beautiful, clean clinic- only a year old. We were there on child immunization day. So moms from villages all over traveled with their little ones to have them weighed, their growth charted, and to have their shots. This is just another great example of how WV is supporting the local community in sustainable projects that will stand the test of time.

Faith Anna with 2 of the clinic nurses.

Moms and babies in the waiting area.

Weighing babies.

I even got to give shots!

Isn't this a beautiful mom and baby girl??

While I was giving shots, Faith Anna was leading all the kids in some serious games of Simon Says...

This was the old health clinic.

Very dirty inside, and wouldn't meet the health codes anymore. They still use it for overflow patients, though, and to house the medical staff that comes in to work.

Grabbed a pic with my cutie girl on our way home...

I love this pic with the little one's tiny feet poking out from sister's back.

Another sister helping carry the baby on her back.

They hang the fish to dry because it keeps longer.

In the afternoon, we visited 3 families that had HIV+ family members and heard how World Vision organizes support groups and provides HIV+ counselors. One such counselor, Jolie, lived in Viola's village. So we made a stop by her house to say hello.

Jolie is the lady in yellow. She is HIV + and has chosen to become a counselor to help educate others and support their families through this disease process. She was an incredible lady who promised to watch after Viola and her family.

Viola's house

DAY 4- EDUCATION
On our last day with World Vision, we visited several schools and saw what a huge impact WV is making in the schools and lives of children through education. It was incredible. From supplies, to uniforms, to school desks, World Vision is there supporting the local community and doing all they can to get the children in school. Above is a Primary 4 math class we visited- similar to our 4th grade. There were 53 students crammed into this small classroom- but all so respectful to the teacher, paying attention, and doing their best.

One huge take-home I gained from this trip is how central CLEAN WATER is to eliminating the cycle of poverty. When there is no clean water source, children are fetching water several times a day, from sometimes miles away. Dirty water not only leads to disease, but it also takes so much of their time that they aren't able to attend school. When they can't go to school, they can't get an education. Without an education, they can't get jobs and earn an income. With no income, they aren't able to provide for themselves or their family- so they go hungry and are in poor health. No jobs also increases the amount of milling around, which increases things like promiscuity, which increases the incidence of HIV. And on and on and on and on.....

If we could all just help our neighbors to have clean water, so much of this cycle could be broken. We take for granted turning on the faucet and clean water pouring forth. Showers, dishwasher, sprinkler system, garden hose, washing machine, toilets, cold water from the fridge- we think we have an endless supply. But what if we didn't? What if we started living like we didn't? What if we started living with them in mind? Check out this video about what life would be like without clean water....

http://www.worldvision.org/#/home/gallery/dirty-water-5-1191

Team World Vision is another way you can get involved. They are a sponsor of the Dallas Half on October 22 and the White Rock in December. If you want to stay in shape AND raise money for clean water in Africa, sign up to run or even walk the 5 mile on October 22.

You can let your friends and family know, and they can sponsor you. Here is my link if you'd like to partner with me for clean water!

http://support.worldvision.org/site/TR/TeamWorldVision/General?px=1134143&pg=personal&fr_id=1381

Thank you so much! More from Africa next blog...

Uganda- Part 1

2011-08-03T17:54:00.000-05:00

Child Sponsorship Day

On August 1st, we arrived from London into Entebbe, Uganda. The first part of our trip was spent at the World Vision National Office in Kampala. We had a briefing and orientation by the National staff there, which was fabulous! Then headed to our hotel near the village. The next morning bright and early, we headed out to meet our sponsored children- it was such a joy to get to spend time with them and their families!

This is 6 year-old Jonas. He was such a little love. Played non-stop with Faith Anna and just wanted to be near us. He came with his dad, pictured below. The sweet lady standing next to me is Cissy, his World Vision Child Monitor. She interpreted for us that day....and is also the one who checks in on Jonas and his family each month. It was wonderful to meet the person who writes us letters giving us updates on Jonas and his family!

His very own soccer ball!

Jonas loved this nerf rocket toy that Logan picked out for him.

Everyone loves bubbles.

Faith Anna was showing him where he lives...and where we live all the way around the world!

This precious girl is Viola. Our Beloved Women's group in south Dallas have collectively sponsored her. It is an amazing blessing to watch women who either are or have been homeless at some point in their lives....women who live in shelters....women who barely have enough to buy groceries or pay rent....scrape their spare change together each month to find $35 to sponsor Viola and her family. I love to see them looking beyond the needs of themselves, and reaching out to someone else in need! It's a beautiful thing.

Viola loved her new baby doll....and her sweet mama loved this potholder weaving kit.

Beverly Brown is my dear friend, mentor, and one of the leaders of the Beloved Women's group.

This is Josephat. He is 8 years old and lives with his grandmother. He was all smiles and so excited to play with Faith Anna!

Showing a picture book of our family to Josephat, his grandmother, and Maureen- his Child Monitor.

He loved the rockets too! Logan really knows what little boys like....

Grandma loved the necklace we brought for her.

World Vision has provided Josephat and Jonas' community with so many things- from school uniforms and supplies, to clean water wells and a new health clinic where children can receive immunizations. It is amazing to see how the Lord is working through World Vision to empower the local people to use the resources provided to make a better life for themselves, fight disease, and come to know a Saviour that created them and cares so much about each one.

Grandma in her new rain poncho!

Faith Anna never missed a beat with these kids. She ran right in and became one of them- regardless of race, culture, socioeconomic status.....all she saw was love. Oh how I wish we could view life and others through the eyes of a child! That's why Jesus said for us to come to him as a little child- with that same child-like faith that our crazy society tries to take from us.

Viola's family with an extension of the Beloved family- Shelley, Bev, and I.

Faith and Viola

Josephat loved his "motor car".

I love these boys and their families. After all these years of exchanging letters with them- sending them photos, stickers, and the kids' drawn pictures- to finally get to put my arms around them and tell them how much we love them and pray for them! Amazing. Priceless. So grateful.

If you've ever thought about sponsoring a child- please do! Go to World Visions's website...

www.worldvision.org

And remember, you are not just sending money to a child- you are empowering a community! You are taking the good news to the nations....

London

2011-08-01T15:01:00.000-05:00

Faith Anna and I had the privilege of traveling to Uganda, Africa, the first couple of weeks in August with World Vision. We had a long layover in London on the way there and back....so here are some pics of our fun, quick, sightseeing tours...

Fab chillin at the Hotel Sofitel. So nice!

We have never been to London before, so we had a blast just walking around the city and riding the "Tube" (subway.) The architecture was just magnificent. Such a beautiful mixture between the old world styles...and the newer, more modern ones. Reminded me a lot of NYC...but smaller, older, more historical-looking buildings.
Our first stop was Picadilly Circus- like Times Square in NYC.

Loved the old, red telephone booths everywhere!

We thought about jumping on the red, double-decker tour bus....but decided on foot was probably quicker. Looked like fun, though!

Trafalgar Square

Big Ben in the distance. Faith Anna was so excited! This was the one thing she was really excited about seeing...

Art gallery at Trafalgar Square

There were people everywhere dressed as statues or characters...wanting a little hand-out to take a picture with them. We figured this out, after we took the picture. :)

Love these different styles all put together...

BIG BEN!!!

Parliament.
Couldn't really take pictures of Westminster Abby as it was under construction...

The Thames River- with the London Eye in the background- HUGE ferris wheel.

Loved this sign- reminded me of the Lord's ministry to the ladies downtown...

St. James Park was so beautiful! People everywhere on blankets, picnicking,reading books, napping....it was wonderful.

Buckingham Palace!

Siby, Shelley, Erica, and us...and the Queen.

Beautiful gates

Supposedly, when the flag is flying, the Queen is home!

Gorgeous gardens at the Palace.

Just strolling in London...

Changing of the Guard

This was fun to see a Texas Restaurant in London!

Her Majesty's Theatre

The Tube

We had to take a picture of this because at every single stop on the subway, a recording of this very proper British lady came on that said, "Please mind the gap..." I guess we were tired, but it cracked us up every time! (Instead of "watch your step as you get off the train...")

These were pictures on our way home of London at night.

Big Ben and the Parliament buildings all lit up at night.

The London Eye was beautiful!

Westminster Bridge

Can't wait to come back here with Luke! He will love it. Such a privilege to get to see this beautiful city..

Bay View 2011

2011-07-30T16:30:00.000-05:00

Bay View....Ahhh. What can I say? We absolutely adore going each summer and spending time rocking on Nanny's front porch. And this summer was no exception. Definitely a highlight of our year...

Nanny is doing so well this summer! After 2 broken hips last year (yes, that was 2...within a few short months of each other!), she has made a full recovery and is getting around the cottage without even using her cane. She is so spunky and still full of energy. I love getting to spend time with her in BV. :)

And crazy Uncle Jordan is always so dear to book his trip the same time as ours so we can hang out. The kids LOVE goofing off with him. He is another highlight of our time in BV.

She's just plain cute.

One afternoon, Luke, Logan, Beth, and I went out and played a round of golf. Beth and I had a blast together in the cart. She steered and I operated the pedals. :) She's a ton of fun!

Her main job was "flag girl" and she took it very seriously.

Cold drink from the fountains at the golf course.

Beth loves animals. Especially Omega!

The boys decided to sport "faux-hawks" for dinner one night. Ha!

There's nothing quite like a Bay View sunset.

Beth had to dress up for club one morning- so we found all this fun 4th of July stuff that she put together into a festive outfit. Red, White, and CUTE!

These are the "two Tags". This is the oldest son of some of our good friends up there- Taggert. He is the only other "Tag" we've ever met! And he just happened to be our Tag's counselor in Tot Lot. Pretty fun.

Tag and I went to a Music Munchkins lunch after club one day- we had a blast singing, dancing, and playing drums.

Faith Anna and the other kids (but mainly FA!) worked so hard on this sign for Jordan. He had just received a huge promotion at work- and has become a partner. Go Jordan! We are so proud of you.

I had to take a pic of this wonderfully familiar sign that we see each and every summer at one of our favorite, must-go-to restaurants, The Dam Site Inn. It just makes me happy. I love being lovely.

Nan and I went on a pedicure date one afternoon. I have so much fun with this special lady!

Playing at "Waterfall park"- I think it's actually named Sunset park, but the kids call it the other. Another of our fav places to play and picnic.

On this particular day, after we played at the waterfall, we rode our bikes and scooters all the way out to the lighthouse. Then we paused to throw rocks in the water. This was a really fun day. Luke was playing golf with Boo and Chris- so I had my 4 solo. Probably bit off a little more than I could chew....the meltdowns started shortly after we threw rocks. :) But isn't life more fun when pushed to the extremes? Who wants to just sit around and watch tv?? We like to go on adventures- even if they are a bit rocky now and then. :)

This is Tag's happiest place in Bay View. Throwing rock in the water. I will forever and always think of him doing this....over and over and over. It just never gets old!

Tag's fire-breathing dragon that he had this cute little counselor paint for him at the Carnival. She didn't know what she was getting herself into! She did an awesome job...and he absolutely adored it.

Well, it's official. Logan is taller than Nanny.

Chris and Boo

Fabulous

Beach time!

So thankful to have a place like Bay View- to rest, relax, and spend good time with family and friends. It's one of those places that is so hard to describe in words. You just have to experience it to truly understand...

And what's really cool is that Faith Anna and I got to experience it for a week this summer....but the other 3 kids get to stay an extra week with Granny Boo and Papa Dude....while Fab and I head to Uganda! We are going with a World Vision group from our church to meet 2 of our sponsored children, Jonas and Josephat- we can hardly wait! So excited to see first-hand all the wonderful things WV is doing over there. Get ready for lots of pics.... :) Pray for Luke and the other kids as they stay behind this time and hold down the fort. And many prayers and thanks to our family and friends that are helping out and making this trip possible for us. Living to make the Lord famous....

Beloved...

2011-07-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

In late July, the leadership of our Beloved Women's Ministry was able to get away for an overnight retreat at Maribeth's amazing lake house! Thank you so much for having us. It is a joy and privilege to serve alongside you precious women. So thankful the Lord has called this group together to love the unloved, the poor and needy, the homeless, the brokenhearted, the downtrodden.....yet hope-filled women of south Dallas.

Bev, Marty, Katherine, Jen D, Jen C, me and Shelley

Maribeth with our newest Beloved, Lincoln...Jen and Scott's baby boy.

Beautiful feet that bring good news...

Lake time!

2011-07-22T08:58:00.008-05:00

July brought a fun weekend at our good friends, Bart and Laura's, lake house on Cedar Creek Lake. We had a total blast. Since the water was so low, there was actually a sort of "beach" the kids played in. Really more like a mud bath....hilarious!

Beth and Margaret

Mud Queen Beth

Laura and Margaret

Tag floating with Denton

Mudpies with Ellie

Bart was the smart one chillin on the swing. :)

Fab and Ellie at the mud spa.

Then to rinse off all that mud....they hooked up this super fun slide!

The kids loved splashing around on this.

Bart and Laura were such incredible hosts! Thank you for the yummy meals (Wow!), the great conversation, fun card games, and good company. Excited to meet number 4!! Soon our cute seven will be eight....we can't wait!

Jin and Sang are having a Baby Girl!

2011-07-11T21:08:00.037-05:00

Our sweet friends from South Korea, Jin and Sang, are having a baby girl in August! We are so excited for them. And so happy that the Lord brought them into our lives last summer through the Heights and UTD's Friendship Partners. We had a baby shower honoring them in July- and I was so blown away by my friends, family, and neighbors....who don't really even know them....coming out to support and literally "shower" them with some American love as they are about to welcome this baby girl into the world. Thank you all so much for being the hands and feet of Jesus to these friends of ours.

My mom made her famous chocolate covered strawberries.

I tried my hand at my first batch of strawberry cake cookies- quite festive don't you think? :)

My friend Whitney lovin on Jin

Can't wait to meet you, sweet baby girl! You are already so loved....

Family Camp 2011

2011-07-11T21:08:00.031-05:00

We celebrated our 7th summer at Pine Cove Family Camp this past July! Man, that makes me feel old. :) What a privilege to have been a part of this amazing place for so long. Our kids look more forward to this week than any week of the summer!

The theme this year was "Remember"....remember who the Lord is and what He has done...from Deuteronomy 4:9. Do not forget the things your eyes have seen....teach them to your children and to their children.

Psalm 78- Listen to what we have heard and known....what our Fathers have told us. We will not hide them from our children....we will tell the next generation the things the Lord has done!

My sweet family. I am so blessed!

Faith Anna and Abby Hotchkiss- their class won the spirit stick this day!

Pool time with the boys- Logan with Jacob, Will, and Taylor

Western night....Tag, Logan, and Jacob

Our cute blonde cowgirl

Faith Anna in her freckles and boots

Our ladies with Bethany

Tagger on the swing. He didn't care that it was 95+ degrees....he still wanted a push every time we passed by it!

Blue-eyed cowboy

This little dude melts my heart.

Faith Anna and Abby are quite the buddies....

And Su....

And Hope!

The two Bethies...hand in hand.

My Marlboro man and T.

Anyone up for a little boat ride??

Watching Daddy wake board....

Shreddin it up!

Sunset boat trip with my honey.

Luke and the Hotchkiss boys. So thankful for these friends of Luke's.

And for their sweet wives....my dear friends, Molly and Diane.

Did you know sunsets in Tyler could be so beautiful?

How bout some banana boats?

That's Luke on the back waving. Yes, acting like a goofball.

Right before the crash...

Logan in front, Fab in middle, Luke in back.

Then we changed out passengers for an easier ride....hee hee. Tag's in the lead, mama in the middle, Beth in the back.

We had fun. No crashes for us. :)

Beth decided this was her year for the zipline....

And she zipped on! So proud of her.

She decided while she was going for it, why not try the climbing wall?

Even inspired her sister to try....

....and Tag too!

Cutie dimple girl after the carnival night and some fancy arm paint.

Thumbs up for the 3 year old that passed the SWIM TEST! Yep....first Cove Kid to ever take and pass it! Ha. So typical for Tag. He wasn't about to wear that life jacket- so why not swim the length of the pool? (They don't test until kids are 5....usually.)

Fun family game night....our family had to fill a 2-liter bottle of water on top of Logan's head.

Lana, Abby, and Faith Anna

So excited to get to spend time with this girl in just a few weeks....in Uganda! We are headed to meet 2 of our sponsored children with a World Vision group from our church in August. Can't wait to see the things the Lord is doing across the globe.

I miss Rachel.

The sandpit is always one of our kids fav things at Family Camp!

Riding some horses. Giddyup!

Logan and Will....gettin some sic air on the blob.

Fab on zip!

Logan goofin on zip...

Logan goofin on high dive!

Girls said their backward ABCs for the talent show...

....and Logan jammed out to Light up the Sky and Our God.

Faith Anna played piano too. Brave kids. I love watching them conquer their fears and share the talents God has given them.

Dad's Big Splash Contest....

The "Flying Squirrel" came out and brought the heat again this year. But in his words, "The youngins stole the show." Ha! Are we getting old? No one told me....

Well, we all thought he should have won. Flying Squirrel- #1 in our books.

Shaving cream= happiness.

Last day CQs- "Character Qualities". Always a highlight of our time at camp. Each child's counselor writes down the character traits that they see in our kids and speaks encouragement over them. The kids look so forward to this time!

So long, farewell, I hate to say goodbye! Until next summer, Pine Cove. Thanks for such an incredible, refreshing week. We were refueled, renewed, and strengthened. Grew closer to the Lord, closer as a family.....and HAD SO MUCH FUN!

Take me out to the Ballpark

2011-07-11T21:07:00.031-05:00

Summer has officially arrived with the start of baseball season! Faith Anna tried her hand at softball for the first time with the Thunderbats team, and had a ball! It was a great season for Logan as well, in his third season on the Mets team. Faith Anna was known as "Fabulous" on the softball field- her initials are FAB...so fabulous is just a nickname we have for her. The coach had the fun idea to put nicknames on the backs of the girls' jerseys- so that's what she chose. Pretty cute!

Logan fielding for the Mets at 3rd base.

Heavy hitter!

Tag- their biggest fan.

Go Thunderbats!

Catching at pitcher.

Fun times at the ballpark....

Beach Bound, Baby!

2011-07-11T21:07:00.020-05:00

We traveled to Orange Beach, Alabama, in early summer with my entire side of the family. There were 20 of us! 10 adults and 10 sweet kiddos- guess that's still considered man-to-man defense....but really ends up looking more like zone for our family since our 4 outnumber us 2:1. Anyway! We had a blast. The kids LOVED the beach. This was the first beach trip any of them could really remember....and they ate it up. Loved playing in the sand, building castles, and digging. Loved being with their cousins. Great way to start off summer!

Beth looked so cute in my floppy hat...

Grabbing some shade.

Playing with Claire

Da boyz- Bran and Luke

Cute Nat

Fanna

Matthew, Jes, and Bran

Mom and Dad

Beth LOVED the sand.

Lena helping Tag build a castle.

Da girlz...Fab and Lena

Peter and Logan

Loved it.

Playing with Gran

Boogy-boarding Grandad

Cool dude in the shades

Goldfish and shade....ahhhh.

Bran, Nat, and Jes

Austin

Tag loved it too.

Jen and Mom

Noah and CJ

Catchin some waves

Jen's crew

Did I mention they loved the sand? :)

Impressive!

Sisters burying feet

My Fab

Me and my honey.

Fun trip! See you next year, beach. Thanks God for the beautiful sounds, sights, and smells you created for us to enjoy!

iSway 2.0

2011-06-08T22:12:00.015-05:00

The girls danced their hearts out once again this year at the 2011 spring dance recital, iSway 2.0. Beth danced in ballet and jazz numbers...and was deemed the "best shimmy-er" of the night! Faith Anna danced in ballet, tap, and hip hop numbers and totally lit up the room. Fun night. Precious girls. Sweet family and friends supporting our ladies.

Dancing completion....here comes summer!

Beth's ballet
This is her all-time fav pose!

Faith Anna's ballet

Pretty blue eyes...

Beth's jazz. Perfect skirt for shimmying, eh?

Fab's tap

Fab's hip hop. She really loved this new class this year! And she can bust a move.

Tag didn't want to be left out of the front porch photo shoot- so he got all dressed up for you. Actually, these were just his normal clothes that day. :) Gotta love him.

Once again, my brother, Brandon, outdid himself with his mega-fancy, no-flash,-big ol-long-lens camera....and took these amazing action shots of the girls! Thanks, B.

Love that dimple...Beth is standing on the far left end.

Graceful arms...

FA- front center. The one with the "tabletop arms". :)

Here it is...the SHIMMY! Look at her go! Even the girl on her left is pausing to admire Beth. :)

Hip hop nation...

Ending pose- Fab in front center.

My sweet family supporting the chicas.... Thank you!

Faith Anna and Ellie

Grandparents rule!

And rule again!

Claire...our future dancer.

And again! We are so blessed to have 3 sets loving on our kids.

Boys. Cousins. Cute.

Lena and Aunt Nat

Girlies with two of Faith Anna's good buddies- Avery and Ainsley

What a special night! We are so proud of both of you. Loved watching you girls light up the stage. Keep shining that light for Christ. People can't help but to be drawn to it....

Pine Cove rocked his world!

2011-06-08T22:11:00.002-05:00

Logan loved his week at Pine Cove Towers! So thankful that he got to spend time with amazing counselors, his good buddy Jacob, learning about God's word and how He has rescued us!

Logan and Jacob

Sleep Walker Texas Ranger and Logan at CQs....character quality ceremony....I love this!!!

5th grade boys in Thunderfist 1

Tag was so excited to see his bubba. He missed Logan soooo much.

Thank you God for our boy and this sweet privilege of getting to go to camp.

My boy is gone...

2011-05-30T23:52:00.002-05:00

Logan left for his first ever week away from home....at Pine Cove! He was so excited when we took him yesterday. Grown quite a bit from when we first started talking about it back in early spring and "he wasn't quite sure if he could be away from us for a week". But God has grown his little heart in just a few short months....and he was ready to go. And Luke and I were ready to let him go. I know he will have the time of his life this week- having fun, meeting new friends, watching his counselor and wanting to be like him, and growing in his relationship with Christ. If you think of him, please pray that it would be an amazing week not only for him, but the other kids there as well, and that God would use and strengthen the counselors too as this is their first week of camp! Thanks so much friends....

Creekfest

2011-05-27T21:31:00.012-05:00

Our neighborhood banded together to put on the first annual Creekfest....an event that raised money for YoungLife. It was a great afternoon of fun, facepainting, snow cones, great food, awesome live music, and great friends. And all donations went to a wonderful cause!

Faith Anna and her BFF, Avery....

Face painting...

Puppy and butterfly

Checking out the cool fire engines...

Fun times on the creek!

May Wildflowers

2011-05-27T21:31:00.007-05:00

Just some fun shots in the wildflowers one evening after Beth's soccer practice. Logan was at his baseball practice...so we were missing his sweet face. Love these precious kids and the beautiful creation God has given us.....just to make us smile.

Logan- Our God

2011-04-17T13:37:00.003-05:00

Logan's been at it again.....

Here he is playing Our God by Chris Tomlin. His guitar teacher, Logan Walter, is the lead singer in the band Dutton....who just released a new CD called Welcome Home. Check them out on iTunes!!

Nathanael Green, Revolutionary War Hero

2011-04-17T13:36:00.009-05:00

Logan's 4th grade festival celebrated the Revolutionary War time period. He chose to be General Nathanael Green. We all learned so much about this mosted trusted general under George Washington. He did a great job!

Put em up, Jackson!

Grandad and Gran came to cheer him on...

And Granny Boo....

The 4th grade class

And Papa B...

We just love Coram Deo Academy and their classical christian education....such an awesome school teaching an incredible world view...and encouraging our kids to be a positive change in this next generation.

Love you Logan!

The Power of One

2011-04-13T23:04:00.006-05:00

I had told you at the end of the year that I was about to start a new book called The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay. Well......

little did I know that this historical fiction novel would rock my world. I finished it this past spring and it was by far the best fictional book I have ever read.

Set in South Africa during World War II, the story of a 5 year-old boy named Peekay unfolds. The first chapters are so hard to read, especially if you have children and can only imagine your little one having a childhood completely void of love, laughter, acceptance, trust, and carefree things as a young child should. But what a story of finishing strong!

Peekay overcomes incredible obstacles and builds confidence through the avenue of boxing that takes him to high places. This is a beauiful story woven through the coarse hardships of love, heroes, and trust found.

Heroes jump off the pages....like Hoppie Groenewald, a guard on the train who shared his love for boxing with Peekay- and is the first person who believed in him.

Like Doc, or Professor Karl von Vollensteen, who taught Peekay how to research and discover scientific things, how to play and appreciate music, and how to love.

Like Geel Piet, Peekay's boxing coach who suffered through extreme racism, and eventually paid his life for this cause.

Like Ms. Boxall, librarian and teacher, who instilled a lifetime love for learning in Peekay.

And like Rasputin, a Russian miner who took Peekay under his wing at the end of the book....and who literally saved Peekay's life by sacrificing his own.

As a Christian, there are also so many challenging issues regarding religion and how others view Christianity. It was actually a wonderful reminder that it's our actions, not our words, that speak the loudest. And also that God has called us to be a people of love, not of judgement, condemnation, and a set of rules that must not be broken. Oh how we could change the world if we simply loved first....

This book is so richly written, you will hardly be able to put it down. Just when you think the author can't go anywhere else with the story, a whole new theme emerges. It is incredible. Life-changing.

I hope you can pick it up sometime. But be prepared to see life through a different, better, lens when you've finished it. Oh so good!

After that incredible read, I had to take a few weeks off just to process it all. I didn't want to start another book yet until I felt like I had really soaked it all in.

And then my sweet friend Julie gave me The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas. Another historical fiction set in the 1860s across the frontier from Iowa to the Colorado Territory. An amazing story of a woman's strength, courage, love, faith, and heart break. I flew through this one as it's a much shorter read. But I have to confess, my heart was broken too by the ending. Still a moving, poignant read. Just some sadness....

Now I'm about to start the Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. Can't wait!

Logan jamming on Guitar

2011-04-10T13:56:00.002-05:00

Logan has been playing guitar for a couple years now....and it is so fun to see him find something he really loves! He played this song for chapel at his school on Thursday, and one of my friends said I should video it and post it to YouTube. My first attempt at YouTube! So here it is...Light up the Sky by The Afters....