Mission Trip!

This year our family is going to be involved with the Families on Mission program through the North American Mission Board. We will be working together all week as a family doing all kinds of block parties, light construction, visitation, VBS, and work with the Cherokee Indian Reservation. We are so excited to be a part of this amazing program.

NAMB launched this program last year and with Jay's hectic schedule during the summer, we weren't able to be a part of it. We were disappointed then, but now we are thrilled to be a part of a missions trip that is strategically aimed at families ministering together. They allow children as young as 5 years old to come and they provide a place where families can reach out together! The location is only about 2 1/2 hours from our home so the drive won't be that bad either.

Missions has always been a big part of our family life, but most of the time the trips were geared for Jay and I. So, this year our desire was to have a mission trip where we could work together as a family and mentor our children in missions. They provide a motel room for us to stay together, all our meals, worship times as a large group, training for parents and children, and family devotion times every evening to reconnect together. We couldn't be more excited!

If you or your family is interested in Families on Mission, you can check out the NAMB site at www.namb.net for more information. It's exciting to have a place in ministry for the family together...we can't wait!

Scrapbook Weekend!

This weekend I was able to go to Columbus to scrapbook with some friends from college. We all met at Auburn University at the Baptist Campus Ministries. The funny thing is that we all met and married guys from the BCM too! So, not only are we all close friends...our husbands are too!

We had a blast together catching up on families, churches, kids, and what God is doing in our lives. It is such a blessing to have those kinds of friends that have known you for over a decade and love you anyway. I know that I am one of those few people who can say I have lots of friends who have endured through time and location. That's just God!

We ate some wonderful food and worked like crazy on our scrapbooks! It was a great time and we laughed more than I have in a long time. But, more than all the laughs and scrapbooking...we are sisters in Christ. That bond lasts forever!

Shannon and I work on digital scrapbooks this year and we loved it! It made for easy clean up and we got to work on the comfy beds the whole time...that's the way to do it!

Meredith and Amy worked on "real" scrapbooks and they both really got a lot accomplished. Meredith even ran out of pages and had to find new ones in Columbus!

Amy was my college roommate for a while. We have stayed close and we are now both homeschool moms...so we really are there as a support to each other. It was great to get to hang out with her. She is a busy mom of 4, so her time is very precious and I'm glad she could spend it with us!

Our friend Brooke (left of me)could not come because she was really sick. We missed her so much...but next time! Our other friend Amanda is in New York right now and we miss her too! Can't wait to come and visit you really soon, girl! (I have not idea why this photo is so small...it's the same as the others...weird!)

Ski Alabama?

Well, the next day we got up and headed out to the slopes again. This time it was a winter wonderland...of man made snow that is! Look at all the fun we had! I'll post some video later.Here the girls and Jay are with their gear getting ready to hit the slope! It was so cold...I think it was only about 19 degrees that morning!

This was just after Ski School. They learned how to fall, get up, and to snowplow. Then they headed down to see us and show off their stuff!

Since I was unable to help, Jay was on his own with both girls. It was amazing to see how well they did and how great Jay was at teaching them. He would take them to the bunny slope and they would ski down and then take off their skis and walk up to the top again. This hill was the perfect size and they really loved it...though they fell a lot at first.

Sassy, Pal, and Julian enjoyed watching everyone ski...but it was so cold they had to go back to the little lodge and get warmed by the wonderful fire there.

Here Anli goes! She did great and really got the hang of it after a while. I learned with poles, but obviously that is quite a hazzard here on this little slope.

Virginia was the speed girl! I couldn't get a shot of her fast enough. She was turning and she would go all the way until the snow ran out! I was really excited to see her so confident.

After a while the girls need a break for hot chocolate and snacks. They warmed up with me in the little lodge while Leslie and Jay hit the slope. They did really well! This was just Leslies' 2nd time to ski so she did great! Jay was always easy to spot in his yellow jacket!

Look at Dad go! He picked right back up...even though it's been a while since either one of us had been skiing.

Go Virginia!

Go Anli!

This was our spot to watch the skiing. Just so you get the right picture of what true Alabama skiing is like! We are some of the few who can say that we have skiied Alabama!

Hiking Fun!

On Saturday, we woke up and headed over to the ski slope about a mile from the cabin. Yes, there is one ski resort in Alabama if you can even imagine it! We headed over there to check on the progress of making snow. They weren't making any then, but the temps plunged into the teens that night and we were able to ski on Sunday.

Here is a glimpse at the only Alabama ski slope! The next day is was really a transformation when they began making the snow.

It may have not been cold enough to make snow...but it was cold to us! Virginia decided to improvise!

The three cousins stop rock climbing just long enough for a photo...aren't they adorable!

Since we couldn't ski that day, we spent the afternoon hiking and rock climbing. It was a little slower with my broken toe, but it was so much fun! Here the girls put their climbing classes to good use. They were amazing climbing those rocks.

Virginia makes her way to the very top!

Anli takes on a very challenging rock...even Leslie couldn't get up this one! And as you can see she's crazy because she took off her shoes to get a better grip...talk about cold feet!

We saw this cool tree and had to stop for a picture! Can you tell it's cold...I have on like 4 coats! Jay even has on ear muffs. It was very chilly!

Sassy and Pal enjoy a photo with the grandkids.

Here's Leslie and Julian at the top of one of the rocks...he loved climbing too!

As you can see...I had to be the designated spectator, cheerleader, videographer, and photographer on this trip! But, it made things a lot easier when you get these kinds of hugs! What a sweetie!

We went home that evening and just relaxed by a raging fire and celebrated the birthday girls. We had wonderful homemade pizzas and cupcakes...and presents of course!

What a perfect end to a perfect day!

Christmas in Mentone!

The day after Virginia's birthday, Jay took off work and we headed to a cabin we had rented in Mentone, Alabama. It was on the "brow" side of Lookout Mountain, which means it was literally hanging off the side of the mountain where you could see for miles! It was gorgeous!

We had invited my family since we hadn't celebrated Christmas with them. My grandmother has been in and out of the hospital, so we hadn't had a weekend where we could do presents and just relax together. Also, both of my sisters' birthdays are in January along with Virginia's. Holly, my youngest sister couldn't come since she is in college but the rest of us had a BLAST!

We spent Friday just relaxing at the cabin and opening Christmas presents. It was so relaxed we thought we might wait until after Christmas to do this every year. It was so much better than the rush of the holidays!

The girls got wonderful personalized luggage from my parents! They loved having their names embroidered on them...and my mom likes that she can tell their clothes a part now!

My mom is a pajama fanatic...so am I! My friends laugh because even when we go away for a retreat or a girls' weekend I get my jammies on at like 8pm and jump in the bed. So, Christmas is never complete without wonderful new pajamas!

The girls gave Julian a pirate set and that was the hit of the weekend! They played pirate's treasure all day every day. It was so cute to see them all three playing so well together. I don't think we had a cross word from any of them once all weekend. Isn't he cute?

We gave my mom a platter we made at All Fired Up. It was so sweet because we used the girls' hands to make the farm animals my parents have on their 11 acres. Mom loved it and we had fun making it too!

We had a great Christmas celebration together that first night...but more fun is to come...stay tuned!

Virginia's Birthday!

Virginia's birthday was 11 days ago and we had such a wonderful time celebrating her 7th birthday. Every other year the girls get a big party with friends, but this year was Virginia's home party year. We have just as much fun, but we try to go or do something just as a family to celebrate.

This year we spent her actual birthday at the mall. She loves to go and eat Chick-fil-a and ride the carousel. So, we headed over there after Jay got off work and we had a blast!

Here she is enjoying the carousel...and the furberry that Anli gave her. They had so much fun!

Now it's time for the presents! Anli gave her a little stuffed animal she wanted called a Furberry. She was very excited. And we have her...

...a big gift card from GameStop. This was her biggest wish because just like her daddy she loves video games. She got a DS for Christmas so she was able to get some games for it today!

For her cake she wanted a cookie cake with icing...wow did they pile on the icing! And, no there are not candles on the cake...but we pretended there were anyway!

We had a great time and went home to pack for the cabin. We also rented a cabin for my whole family to celebrate Virginia and Leslie's' birthday together! I'll post on the cabin tomorrow. I can't believe that my baby is 7 years old. What a joy she has been and we're excited that this year will hold her baptism! We are so blessed that she has accepted Jesus Christ! That a year this will be!

I'm working on my post...

I worked yesterday on a long post...but blogger freaked out and it was gone! I just didn't have the energy to do it all over again. But, I will be posting this afternoon about it...so check back soon!

Snow, Birthdays, and Broken Toes...

Due to a broken toe and a wonderful trip to a cabin in the mountains, I haven't been able to blog this past weekend. I'll post this week on all the fun we had over the past week!

Happy Birthday Virginia Grace! Thursday January 17th my baby was 7 years old! I can't believe how big she is getting. I'll post more photos of her birthday tomorrow...they are still on my camera!

Last Wednesday was an eventful day in our house! At about 10:30am I got up from the computer and was running into the other room (who knows why!) and hit my toe on the table leg in our sunroom. I knew it wasn't a good thing. I felt my toe through my sock and it was so broken I didn't even want to take off my sock to look. But, I had to see how bad it was...and it was bad! I have never broken a single bone in my body...so this was all a little new to me.

It was painful...but no tears! So, I called Jay and he came home to help me get to the doctor. I knew there wasn't much to be done for a broken toe...but it just looked so yucky! They said for me to come in immediately since I could "see" that it was broken. We had xrays and they said I had to visit the orthopedist today. All is well and I have a beautiful new shoe to wear for a few weeks while the break heals. It broke all the way through the bone and it is bent in the wrong direction. They have to check me in 4 weeks and evaluate how it is healing and if they will have to correct it with surgery...if it is still angled the wrong way.

But, the wonderful part of that day was the amazing SNOW that we had! I mean it was gorgeous. And Jay carried me down 3 flights of stairs to go enjoy the night with the girls. We had a great time making snowmen, snow angles, snow fights, and catching snoflakes on our tongues. It was amazing...a wonderful present for Virginia's birthday!

This was when it first began snowing...the girls were eating snowflakes. Little did we know that the snow would just keep on coming!

This is our snowman...Frosty. They made him a wife, but it was too dark to get her.

The girls enjoy the beautiful snow!

No snow is complete without snowangels! It was a blast!

Anli took this picture of my sweetie and me! Perhaps I have an aspiring assistant!

I will be posting the rest of the week about our time in the mountains with my family. It was such a wonderful time and we are so grateful that God allows us these precious moments together!