VBS and Camp

So last week we had VBS at church. It was a busy week and I haven't done anything (around the house or blogging)! Our church has VBS from age 3-12th grade. Believe it or not we had 22 kids come for the middle/high school class! This year was the largest turn out for that age group! Our theme was "Is He in you", we borrowed it from gatorade. Each night we would give the kids a "token" to remind them of what we talked about that night. Thursday we gave them each a box to decorate (this was our VBS craft) and to put all their tokens in. We played Let's Make a Deal each night to get the night started, played "gym" games, other random youth games, ate snack, etc. We do all the stuff the younger kids do, but better!!! We had fun but it whooped our whole family. Anna & Lizzy stayed home with Grandma Teresa and Aunt Joleen came over one night with Casey & Kelsey to watch the girls! Emma had so much fun and developed a new sleeping in habit! Emma has always been that kid that would wake up at 7:00am no matter what time you put her to bed. My kids usually go to bed around 7:30-8:00pm, but we didn't get home from VBS until 10:00pm most nights! Emma actually slept in until 9:15 Thursday morning! I guess it finally caught up with her!!!

Jody and the youth are leaving for Snowbird (summer camp) early Monday morning. I just decided that I am going to drive up Thursday morning and drive back with the crew Saturday so we can spend the 4th of July with Jody! This week is the week our youth are always gone at either summer camp or on a mission trip (we flip each year) so it's been a while since we've spent the 4th with Jody/Daddy! We are excited to go, but I'm not excited to be home by myself or to pack! It's about 7 hours from here, not too bad of a drive considering last year I drove to Venice, FL, close to 12 hours!!!

I borrowed my mom's camera cord too so I'll be able to post some pics to my blogs, better late than never!!!

Stormy days...

We have phone and internet!!! Due to a storm last week our internet and phone have been out since last Thursday. If you have called or emailed and we haven't responded that's the reason, we aren't ignoring you!!! I don't use our house phone all that much and didn't realize it wasn't working until Thursday night, too late to call and see the problem. Today Jody was able to go by Time Warner and trade out our "broken" modem for a new one and voila...although we weren't completely devastaed not to have internet and phone, it is nice to be back!!!

Before you call...

The girls wave at everyone when they leave our house. Yesterday we we were waving at Jody and Emma spotted a metal rod (a piece of our windchime outside)on the porch, she went outside and got it and I put it up high on a bookshelf until I could take a look and try to fix the windchime. I had to go run errands later on yesterday to the grocery store & bank. I was in our bedroom changing clothes (back of the house) and I heard this noise, can't describe it, I knew it was bad and I came running. I met Anna halfway down the hall whining/crying about her hand. I asked to look at it and what happened and she said "no", generally she only lets daddy check out her boo-boos really closely. Emma came around the corner and said there was smoke and something about a lamp. Evidentally Anna shoved the metal rod (she climbed on top of the bookcase to retrieve it) into the socket of one of our lamps (all while I was changing my clothes). This lamp has 2 places for light bulbs and one of the lightbulbs blew out the night before. I took it out, went to get another one, which we didn't have, and thought I would just buy more lightbulbs the next time I was out. Not thinking I was leaving an exposed socket for someone to stick something in, the lamp is high enough that Lizzy can't reach it. When I heard the story I went looking for the metal rod, I found a very hot melted blackish rod, "powder" all around the lamp, and my tablecloth had small burn holes in it, she is very lucky she didn't get hurt any worse.I called Jody immediately because she wouldn't let me look at her hand and I thought for sure looking at the rod that we were going to take a trip to the ER. But after some coaxing she let me take a look, she has a small burn on her hand, I gave her an ice pack immediately and she held it on there until it was completely melted. Talk about scary...I was very upset realizing the magnitude of what could have happened to her and I was in tears. We have talked with the girls a lot about electrical sockets, outlets and turning lamps/lightswitches on and off, but in this case Anna said she didn't touch anything or do anything that she wasn't supposed to and she was right (technically)...they always find a way to get around what you say, even at 2 years old! I'm positive she learned her lesson and positve this will never happen again!!!

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I just wanted to add to my previos post that Anna is completely fine, she has a very small red mark on the palm of her hand, but nothing else, I didn't want to worry everyone!!!

No more minivan...

Today we sold my van...I thought today would be sad as I drove it for the last time because I really loved my van, but I was so happy to get rid of it!!! We've had a lot of problems with it for a while and it seemed as though we were constantly putting money into it or it wasn't driveable. It had been parked in our driveway for about 6 weeks because we couldn't drive it and we didn't have the money to fix it. A belt broke on the VW this morning and we had to have it towed. As we (the girls, Jody and I) sat at a gas station in Knightdale (awaiting our ride home), Jody and talked about just getting rid of the broken cars (my van and our Toyota) and hopefully that would be enough to get 1 "good" car. The deal was sealed as we rounded the corner to our house and saw the broken van and VW in the driveway. My brother met me at Carmax this afternoon and we sold my 2000 Ford Windstar to Carmax (really our only option). We didn't get our ideal price, but we got something. Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be posting about our new (new to us) car....

High School Graduation

It was 10 years ago that I graduated from Garner High School. I had the privilege of attending a graduation ceremony for some of our youth this evening. It is an invitation only event and each graduate is only allotted a certain number of tickets. Jody and I were thrilled when we got a call from Lauren Faison saying she had an extra ticket for one of us to go! Jody was able to take the afternoon off work so I could go! This class is especially special to Jody and I because they were the first kids in youth group when we came to Stony Hill 6 years ago! This year we had 4 high school graduates, Lauren Faison, Jason Harp, Todd Harrison & Adam Ray. Great kids and I was able to see 3 of them graduate since they attend Wake-Forest Rolesville High School, Adam graduated from Crossroads Christian School! I went with the Faison's so I only have pictures of myself and Lauren. It was hot, there was no AC, but worth it!!! Surprisingly I didn't cry!We wish them all the best of luck in college or wherever life takes them and we sure are going to miss them :-(

Tickle Machine & The Beach

Tuesday Anna went to Dr. Mankin to have her cast removed! It was a great day, no more squeezing into shirts and wrapping the cast so it won't get wet! Anna was excited, although she didn't really know what to expect. They use a machine "the tickle machine" to cut through the cast and it just slides off, Anna giggled and laughed the whole time the nurse was cutting it off. The doctor came in and said her arm looked good and only time will tell if it is healed. She still has to be careful with that arm, but as of now hopefully the bones have caught up in their growth and the tendon has "tightened" up so her elbow won't "pop" out anymore! She is now realizing she was dependant on her cast when she fell down and soon realized she can't do it anymore! Right after her appointment we left to go to the beach with my parents and brother Josh. We had a good time playing in the pools (indoor and outdoor) and walking along the beach! The water was still pretty cold and the girls would only go in to about their knees! We had to watch Lizzy because she loves the water and ran full speed at the ocean when she saw it! She would also just walk into the pool if we would let her! Anna loves the water too, a little more leery, but wanted her life vest off immediately when she got in the pool and for us to let her go in the water. Emma was not liking the pool, for some reason she has become scared to get in over her head, the girl who has taken swim lessons since she was old enough to (at least 3 times). I took some pictures, but I'm still having to borrow my moms camera cord, so I'll get the pictures on here soon!

Hester

A year ago today my youth pastor, Rob Hester passed away suddenly at the age of 37, leaving behind a wife and daughter. He had a tremendous impact on my life as well as so many others, I know he never realized how much...it all started back in February 1997. I was a 17 year old wayward Christian and "decided" to go on a youth ski trip at my grandparents church. That's where I met Rob and his wife Joy, they were on the trip in lieu of a call to the church. I didn't know them or anyone else really, but Rob spoke one evening, gave his testimony and it was then that I realized how foolish I had been, I hadn't been attending church regularly (I was a ChrEaster), did not have the right attitude and was very worldy. But, I had a responsibility as a Christian to share the gospel, kind of hard to do when I wasn't reading my bible, I hadn't been to church to hear a message or around other believers to help keep me accountable! I rededicated" my life to Christ at age 17 and was baptized. I had never been around anyone like Rob or Joy, such devotion to God and accomplishing what they were called to do and it was fun!!! They were real examples of how Christians could and should be. Rob was such a charismatic person and people gravitated to him, Joy was a rock and such an encourager, an awesome team. We were so excited when they had their daughter Kara in 1998 (after a number of miscarriages), in fact I was actually in the stall next to her when her water broke at church!!! I pride myself in being the first non-family member to hold her!!! Ten years later, Jody and I have the opportunity to mold and shape young Christians into solid believers! What a tremendous responsibility, but so worth it. . .the circle of impact. It's often when people die that we realize how much they truly influenced our lives and that we didn't convey that enough. We hurt for Joy and Kara today, Rob is having a blast with his Savior and we'll see him soon :-)

I stole this picture from facebook, taken last year of their family.

Something doesn't look quite right. . .

I forgot this picture was on my phone. . .it speaks for itself!!!