The saga continues...

I left off just telling about how I decided this was the trip God wanted me to be on. So now what do I do? How do I possibly raise $3400 to go? What will my family say? How will I tell them? There were 1,000 questions that surged through my head...although I can honestly say...I was concerned about money, but never felt like I shouldn't go. I think I just knew this was the trip I was meant to go on.

So what are the ways I fund-raised for this trip? You name it I probably thought it! Oh by the way, did I mention that Jayson was having to raise about $2800 at the same time. Let me just say...money is our problem...not God's. "What He favors He funds" that is what a friend told me and I can say now...that is sooo true!

God provided and then some. He used so many of my friends, co-workers and even a family member to help raise the funds! In my mind I wanted to believe people would step up and help me go...but to be honest, I know I was doubting it would happen that way! You better believe He did!!!!!

Some other fundraisers I did were: I have an incredible neighbor who taught me how to make some awesome hot sauce...so I sold that! I also did what I could when the church had fundraisers, I had a garage sale, and I sold suckers! There were so many other ideas that never come to fruition, but there are more trips to come in our future I can raise for!

I have a lot of stories to tell and ministries I want to share, but I want to tell it from the beginning. This was just the next step in this story and the next one will be the traveling involved to get there....whew!


ON A STATESIDE NOTE...LOL!!!

School starts for the kids on Monday.

Me usually the week before school starts:

is decorated...ready...lessons are at least on their way at worst!

Me this year:

blank room and what are lessons?..lol! Okay so I am exagerating on the lessons a bit, but not the room. I just sit in and look around and cannot think of what I want to do with it. It's like I have writers block for a classroom...ugghhh! I will post a picture of what I do when I finally decide and do it!

The kids are excited! I am excited! Ready or not here it comes!

Here's some pictures from Jayson's trip:

A heart divided...the beginning...

So how it all began...

Last summer my pastor decided he would offer a mission trip to Malawi, Africa. Right away my husband and I just knew God was calling us to MOVE. For so long we have just said we wanted to go be "doers of the Word"...but now we had the opportunity. We signed up!

The trip would consist of each person having a translator and going to remote villages and spreading the Gospel. Can you imagine getting to tell people who had never heard the name Jesus that He lives and He loves them and He sent us to tell them there is life beyond these hard times.

Then, a little later, my pastor's wife decided she would sign up to go to Uganda, Africa to visit orphanages and love on orphans and neglected children. Btw, they are adopting from Uganda.

Shameless plug...you can follow their heart for adoption, their already beautiful family stories and help fund their international adoption on their blog (www.thelorickfamily.blogspot.com).I highly recommend purchasing one of their CD's of Jenna singing...

...it will not disappoint. Okay, so Jenna's gonna kill me for that plug, but I just could not help it! Love you Jenna! Cannot wait for Kenzi!

So right away I knew this was the trip God planned for me. There were 9 of us from Malakoff who answered this call.

I really plan on blogging more...so besides the day to day blogs I hope to be putting on here lots of stories and pictures from mine and Jayson's mission trips this summer to Africa. Where we left pieces of our heart!

It's SNOW fun without chili

So what ingredients do you need to make a great weekend?

First, let's start with NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY! What? That's right folks, they canceled school for us on Friday due to low attendance. They believe the flu and weather is to blame, so no school today to disinfect the schools. : ) Let me just say I cannot afford to miss any instruction days, but I am so grateful for the break!

Second, SNOW...'nough said! All week long I have been thinking `if it's going to be this cold it needs to at least snow`! So I am going to be honest, all I really wanted to do was stay in bed and watch it out the window...it was so nice...warm bed, beautiful white snow, sleeping when wanted...however, my kiddos AND HUSBAND had a different plan. Let's play in the snow...Let's play in the snow...Let's play in the snow! So guess what we did...you got it...



At neighbors house on trampoline




Aren't they sweet

Last, but certainly not least...CHILI! My husband made me my favorite dish of his...chili. I have been asking for it since the very first cold day, but it is never cold enough he says...so today I said,"It can't get any colder than this!" So he gave in and I got this...



MMMMmmmmmm....

Oh yea...one more thing! DESSERT! A few months ago I had this incredible dessert with a few of my bible study girls. It was so good. I have been meaning to make it ever since. Today was that day. I had a helper the whole time. She wants to do EVERYTHING! She must hold everything, pour everything, stir everything...can you say "control freak"...of course, I have no idea where she gets it! ; )










Oh yea...and tasting it...lol!

So now you know! I hope everyone enjoyed the snow and the weather. I know we did. Blessed is the word of the day!

Remembering...

Do you ever have those times when you get to take time and remember someone you love who you do not get to see anymore?

My daughter and I had an idea to have oranges...but what are oranges without sugar? So we decided to eat us some oranges and sugar. There's one person in particular who loved sugar with EVERYTHING. In fact the idea of sugar with my oranges was her idea. She and I shared this love of sugar together. We always loved the same crazy stuff. That person is Granmama...who we call Mama! This was my husband's grandmother. She died a couple of years ago.



That is a picture of her and my husband. They truly had a special bond. He still thinks often about her and still loves her greatly.

So I could not possibly eat that delicious snack without honoring Mama's memory and saying that we still love you so much and treasure the memories we have.





That is my baby girl...so as you can see I am passing on the love of those before me through our love of sugar. lol!

I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3

Thank you God for allowing me to know such an amazing woman who was and is loved by so many and made a lasting impression on each of us.

Family, Friends, Fun, and Fellowship

This Christmas season was full. I have so enjoyed the time I have had to be with my family.
Every year it starts with the weekend before Christmas day...all my Mom's side of the family gather together to eat, visit and open gifts together. It is a tradition my Mom's mom started and my Mom and her 3 sisters have continued even without Granny. It is one of the traditions I love most during Christmas. They rotate whose house it will be at and this year it was in Austin.


This is Baby Stella. She was born in July (on my Grandmother's Birthday to be exact...really neat story behind that day). She weighed 1 lb 14 oz. She is truly a miracle baby...and oh so precious. She now weighs 12 lbs. What a big girly!



This is Cameron getting to read the story of Christ's birth before we open gifts. Every year we let a different cousin read. This year my Cam (10 years old) got to read it...Wow! I remember when I was not even big enough to read it and now my baby boy is big enough : ) That is my mom's sister sitting beside him, Aunt Kathie.



My cousin's son Nicholas also read from the bible with Cameron:



I totally enjoy my family during these times. I wish we could so get together more than just once a year, but when we do I cherish the memories we are making.

Then on to Christmas at home. You never know what the year will hold...who is going where, when, how long...so here was the plan this year.

Christmas Eve...Jayson's Mom's house for some more family fun:





There's lots more pictures...but those are some highlights. We went to our church Christmas Eve night to do a candlelight service. I feel so blessed to have a family that honors the true meaning of Christmas. The best gift of all...Jesus!

Now on to Christmas day...we got up early (of course) to open the gifts. The kids had a blast. Then we drove to Tyler to serve food for the salvation army. Then we went to my Mom's house for lunch and gifts.





Can I just say that when you wake up that early...drive 45 minutes and back then fill your belly with my Mom's good food...you get a little sleepy. Notice in the sleeping Jayson picture is White Christmas on the t.v...I love that movie.



This was a year with a couple of firsts...it was the first year we did the candlelight service at church...it was the first year we served food at the salvation army...I know it will not be the last year for these things.

I am so thankful and blessed this holiday season. I am looking forward to this next year. I know that God has some mighty things planned for us and I am eager to listen and obey!

I hope you all feel the warmth of His love!

Bitter Sweet Soccer Day : )

This past Saturday was the last tournament for our soccer season with Kiki. This was her first year to do soccer and she really loved it! Her team earned two trophies and a medal over the season. Today was the tournament of Champions! We drove 1.5 hours to Plano. We had to be there for an 8 o'clock, 12 o'clock, and 4 o'clock game. This means we had to wake up way to early to get there in enough time to find it and have time to warm-up then we had to waste a lot of time between games. We ended up losing all three of our games, but the girls worked really hard.

Here are the two trophies they won this year:




She had a really great time but she was really upset that they lost (which she usually is). I thought it was that they lost three games in one day, she was tired from getting up and spending so much time out, that she had just played her third game for the day, and that she may be a little hungry. So I tried to tell her all the things I thoght would make her feel better, but then she told me it was a lot to do with not getting to see her team mates again this year. She has such a big heart and every one of those girls on her team mean a lot to her. She will miss seeing them three times a week.

So now your wondering what the Bitter Sweet mess was about. Well, it is bitter that my baby girl won't get to see the girls she always looks forward to seeing every week, but it is sweet for me because I will not have to deal with practices and games every week. At least for a few months : ) ! SWEET!

One more fun thing before I leave you, while we were wasting all that time we decided to go to Barnes and Noble. Every one wanted a book and I made an executive decision to not buy a book for each of them today because I know the book fair is in town at Cameron's school this week, which means we will be getting plenty of books soon. So we agreed on a craft to do as group. I bought a book called Capsters to do with them. I knew I would have my two darlings, my nephew, and our favorite friend of Kiki's ever (also our neighbor). So the plan was set in motion. Tonight was Cici's for dinner and Capsters for craft.

Here are some pictures of our capster fun time:









So after a long day of play, fun, and fellowship with family and friends I am reminded of how truly blessed we are to have each other and to have Christ. I know He is uplifted when we get together to love on each other.

I'm back...HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Hi all...so a lot has happened since we last visited. The biggest news and the reason I have not been able to blog is that we bought a house. It is our first time to buy a house. WoW! You would think after a few months things would be ready, however, I am still going through boxes of junk and have to decide if I love what's in them enough to take up space in my new casa. We have one room less so I have a whole lot of boxes from the extra room that I have to go through.

I really love my new house. I took a few pictures...remember...it's a work in progress:


This is my new kitchen...as most of you know...I don't do too much of that cooking stuff...but I'm trying to be better about that : )


This is the dining room...where we eat, play games, and have family time. I love our corner table and how perfect it fits in our new dining room.



This is the new "reading room"...it's really just a space we put a big 1 1/2 chair. This chair is sooo cumfy...the room is out of sorts because I needed to make space for all the family we have coming for thanksgiving. Love it! : )



Lastly...this is the livingroom. There is a sheet on the wall because we have been playing our movies from a projector I got at a math grant for fun. So we needed a white space to project them on...it's like a big screen movie.

Okay, so now you know why I have been MIA (missing in action). Besides the whole teaching gig I have Monday thru Friday...lol!

Now on to Thanksgiving! This year we had it here. We had 13 family members come over to share fun, food, and fellowship with us. I love hearing the house booming with everyone excited about talking to eachother and kids having fun...crazy fun...but fun all the same!

So here are some photos of the crazy people I am blessed to call mine!
First, the annual Athens Turkey Trot : ) Me, Jayson, and Cameron did the 5K (3.1 miles)...walked and jogged. My mom and Kiki did the 1 mile fun run.



Then we come home and get to eat a feast! Here is Jayson's delicious turkey...mmmmmm...Good Job baby...it tasted as good as it looked!


The kids and I made pilgrim hats and turkeys that also tasted great! You guys rock at making candy crafts!





There is so much more to say, but I am tired and I know you are tired of reading...if you made it this far that is! I will fill in all the gaps and try to keep up from now on!

Today I truly feel blessed and am thankful for each of you!