New release!!!! Our dear dear dear sweet spirit led friends Rachel and Steven Patterson's band (Branch) and Jeff Berry just released their new C.D.s. The title is "desperate for real". It is absolutely AMAZING!!! I urge you to run out and get one right away!!!!!! Click here or call 325.672.7961. Emily asks every night if Rachel can sing her to sleep, and so she does. We push repeat for number 12!!!! Every song will be your favorite! Plus they put us in their "Thank You" list, and Joel co-wrote song number 6 with Stephen! Jeff's new c.d., "All That's Left of Us" is a cool new sound for Jeff. We went to the release party and it was awesome. We saw so many friends and the music rocked! You can purchase Jeff's c.d. from his site here.

Well, I got timed on my mile...I ran a 10.2 Here's a funny story... a while back I started training for a marathon(coach Murray got me started) and so I was telling some of the students in my work department, and one of the students asked me (when he heard my time which was like a 15 min.mile) Really? Did you walk it? That was pretty devastating... Any who... My fellow boot campers were very encouraging to me!

I did 35 (girl) push ups. Yeah I know thats weak...not as weak as my arms were the next day!! Did you ever see HouseGuest with SinBad? Where he gets the numbing gel all over his hands and he has no control? That is exactly how I felt after my push ups plus all the other arm drills!

I have to say...It is kicking my little be-hiney! Today we had to alternate weights(10 lbs) and jumping rope. Dear God was all I could breathlessly say. Have you tried to jump rope for a solid minute? It's hard!!! But does feel good to have exercise discipline!

Laura taught class tonight for the youth group. I am proud of her! She was not so confident that it went well...I heard it was amazing. She taught on peer pressure.

OH!!! Every Wednesday I eat lunch with Emily. She has been a little distraught about the whole silent lunch issue. Well, I found out the whole scoop on that business! First I just want to say that I really love the lunch ladies(and men) and the lunch monitors! That is a hero's job!!!! Have you been to a school lunch room lately?
CHAOTICNESS!!!

Anyways the whole point is that the reason why they do (10 min only) at the beginning of lunch is so those crazy little angels will eat!!! They just start jabbering away and before you know it when it's time to clear your tray and line up...The little nut balls were throwing a whole tray of food away ans having not taken one bite!!!!
I wonder what that was like after school when little Joey got home starving! His parents probably think something wrong...Eating like he hasn't been fed all day..(cause he wasn't!!!) and not growing at a rate that matches his (supposed) eating habits.

I love going to lunch there! Those kiddies are absolutely precious! I wish I could take them ALL home! They all need patting on the backs...Some a little lower and harder then others!!!! Emily and I just point out all the snuggly things they do and smile.

Joel taught our class solo tonight.(the 2 yr olds-kindergarten) I got to go to a Trophy Club Ladies Dinner. It was a lot of fun, and I was excited to get to meet a lot of women from our sweet little community. A sweet friend named Anna McKinnon invited me.

I missed our little class. I wish you could see a picture of them! I wish I could shrink them and carry them in my purse, where I could just take them out any time I wanted to. Some of them are so darn teeny tiny already they don't need shrinking.
I love hearing their answers and their version of the Bible story. Well, you will just have to come visit our class. I promise you will be blessed!

Guess what!!!! Tomorrow is Birthday Club!!! We get to go to Pei Wei(?) We only have one birthday girl this month. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMI!!!! I am posting a picture from last months party.















Well, we wrote an offer on a house...and didn't get it. Thats alright. I know without a shadow of doubt that God will lead us to the right one! In the mean time please pray for my sanity as we continue to live out of boxes scattered among the apartment.

Praise God for my mom getting wonderful reports of still being cancer free. She only has to go every 4 months now!!! The kiddos and I are going to visit her and my siblings this weekend as Joel will be speaking in Arkansas this weekend. But we will all be back for church on Sunday Mornig!!!! Yipppeeee!!


Well, It's getting late, so I need to close. I pray you are actively pursuing time with God! May you have a blessed day feeling His adoration for you!!

Thank you for your sweet friendship! You truly are a timeless treasure to me!

HI FRIENDS!!!!!

WOW! It has been a long time! I have so much to update you guys on. Well, first things first...

A special HEYYYYYY to Jami and Paige and I know you are saying...ABOUT TIME!!!

Well, lets start with the butterflies, We were gone both times when they emerged and flew off, so we didn't get to see them after they transformed. It was a blast and so intriguing to raise them. Thank you again Barbara for allowing us that special privilege.

Well, God answered our prayers so so so powerfully!! He lead us to Lake Cities Church of Christ here in Trophy Club Texas. The church is absolutely wonderful! God has truly anointed the body of people here!

We asked God to bless us with the desires of our hearts...that being, would He please make it crystal clear without us having to choose, and He did just that!!!
We are in awe!

Joel is just loving his job! John got a great job. Laura and Emily are doing great in school. I help in Wee School on Monday and Thursday, and go to a Beth Moore Bible Study on Tues. mornings in Colleyville.

We are all settling in at church and in our community. We will put an offer on a house here in Trophy Club tomorrow or the next day. Please be in prayer it is God's will we get the house. It's the only house we all unanimously felt it was the right house for us.

We sure miss our friends in Abilene and in California. We praise God that He is walking us through this time of transition and leading us into some new friendships.
One of things I get to be apart of is The Birthday club. It is a group of ladies who meet once a month at a chosen restraunt, and celebrate everyones birthday for that month. We just exchange cards and we have a sign up sheet for who will bring the cake. It is soooo much fun, and I look forward to it each month.


Well, tomorrow I will have completed my first week of Boot Camp! It is an excerise program for women that meets on Mon. Wed. Fri. 5:30am to 6:30am and goes for 4 weeks. Let me just say it has NOT been easy!!!!I knew I was in for something tough when a lady on Mon. about 20 minutes into it, told our instructor(a retired Marine)that he beat his record...nobody had thrown up yet... then about 20 min left of the hour, a lady DID throw up!!!

It is just like in the movies...minus the screaming and cussing in your face! Thank God for that! I don't know if I would be able to handle it! While it is super tough and I am extremely sore,(it hurts to laugh) I am so grateful for it! I seriously urge all of you to try it. Tomorrow we get timed for our mile and count how many push ups we can do. YIKES!!!

John turned 20 in July and we just celebrated Emily's 9th birthday.Laura's 16th is just around the corner. It is so amazing watching our kiddos grow. In fact on Monday morning driving home from taking Laura to school, I had one of those moments where I had an uncontrollable urge to cry, not because I was sad...but because I was sooo overwhelmed with joy that we have been so blessed! God has blessed us with 3 wonderful kids who love and fear the Lord, strive to do their best, and have open communication with us.

Well, even though I have so much more to share, I need to stop for now.
I love you guys and hope thatwe will encourage one another to remember to celebrate the life that God has given us..