AGD Contest/Give Away

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I'm taking some photography classes right now. Angie Seaman is an AMAZING photographer who has a unique artistic style, which I adore. When she offered her first class, I didn't waste anytime hopping on board. To say that I've learned a lot, is simply an understatement!!

Angie is having a contest/give away today. We are supposed to post pictures of somewhere in our hometown showing an "AGD" sign. So, welcome to Mansfield, Angie!! You'll be visiting my church....Crossroads Christian....

I encourage you to hop over to see her blog (just click on her name above). Angie would love for you to participate in the contest as well!

Just take a picture of something/someone in your home town with a sign

that says something like "AGD was here".

Post the picture in your blog, then link it to her's.

If you do so, leave me a comment!

This could be a lot of fun!!

We had VBS this week, so we've been living up here. But it was a great week, and if you saw the post from yesterday, you know that God blessed our family in the BEST way possible!! I thought I'd share a "few" pics from this week. VBS this year was "Son Rock Kids Camp" so we decorated with all types of animals that you might find while camping out in the wilderness!!

The kids brought various items through out the week to stock our "Helping Hands" ministry.

(Does this look like Michael Jr. or what???)

To God be the Glory

First let me say that Kate is doing better and better with each day.

Thank you for all of your phone calls and prayers!

Now, we've had SUCH an INCREDIBLE day!

We started off the morning at VBS and then met up with some out of town friends at

Chuck E. Cheese.

Jackson and Micah Collins were visiting their grandmother this week and so

we got to meet up with them for lunch and a few hours of fun.

Ethan just LOVED Micah and just kept trying to give him some love.

But Ethan and Micah (age 5) probably weigh close to the same,

so Ethan kept pushing Micah over. Very Humerous!

Then, this evening our church took over 2400 people to a Rangers game.

We all had matching red T-shirts. It was fund to see sooo many people from our church there!
Here's my crew waiting to get into the stadium.
It was a great night to be there 'cause it was $1 Hot dog night!!
But don't worry...I still managed to indulge in some Garlic Fries.
Need I say more?

These two had a CRAZY great time!!

Can you see all of the red shirts in the background? Cool, huh!

I don't think the Rangers won, but we had a great night, none the less.

And THE BEST was yet to come...

After getting home and taking showers,

Connor prayed and asked Jesus in heart.

NEVER, NEVER under estimate the power of children

learning/memorizing scripture...

Connor was been "obsessed" with his verse from Monday...

1 John 3:1 "How great is the love that the Father has lavished on us, that we

should be called children of God."

It's a little different translation, but how crazy that it is the verse

I choose for this blog...

...and God used that verse to make the love of JESUS real to my 7 year old son.

On Tuesday, they learned Isaiah 41:13 and Connor realized that with Jesus you

don't have to be afraid because HE is always with you.

And then today they learned Romans 10:9..."For if you confess with your mouth that

Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Connor believes that Jesus died for him.

He knows he will never leave him nor forsake him.

And he knows that NO MATTER WHAT, Jesus now lives in his heart.

Praise Jesus for cameras...this is a moment I want to remember for as long as I live.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

Monday

First and foremost, please continue to keep Stellan in your prayers. We need to pray for complete healing, wisdom for his doctors, and peace for his family

We started VBS this week at our church, so this will be a busy week. But this is definitely one of my favorite weeks of the entire summer. (However, this year we are expecting to have rain everyday. It makes "game" time the extreme challenge! HA!)

And to top it all of, my afternoon we spent at the doctor's office with Kate. She's a sick little girl right now. We have to do this EVERY four hours for the next three days.

Kate's been struggling with a cough for several days...actually almost a week. We weren't seeing much improvement with over the counter meds. And today when she was taking a nap, Michael and I both realized how extremely fast she was breathing. We took her to the doctor within the hour.

Her oxygen level wasn't where it needed to be and the doc said her pulse was DOUBLE what it should be. Her heart was racing.

And although this is NOTHING in comparison to what Stellan is faced with, I got a small glimpse of what it feels like to have a child who's heart is beating faster than it should.

We had to do a total of three breathing treatments before we ever left the doctors office AND they gave her liquid steroids to help get her pulse/breathing under control.

She has a long road to recovery, but we're thankful that we got her to the doctor when we did. Our prayer at this point is that her body will respond well to the meds and that she won't begin to develop any infection. If she does, the doctor warned she'd end up with pnemonia.

For now, she just wants her daddy close by (and me occasionally) :)

Blog Hop - Favorite Recipe - 4th of July Pie

Since I posted a picture of dessert on my last post of "Show Us Where You Live", I'd thought I should share that recipe:

Ingredients:
1 pie crust
1 qt strawberries
4 squares of white chocolate
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup milk
1 small instant white chocolate pudding
1/2 cup blueberries
cool whip (if desired)

Bake pie crust at 425* for approx 10-12 minutes. (Don't forget to poke with a fork first!!) Set aside 8 strawberries and slice the rest. Set them aside. Slice the 8 in half. Melt white chocolate. Cover (dip) the strawberry halves and set aside to harden. Brush the remaining white chocolate on the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Whip the cream cheese, beat in milk slowly, then add pudding. Once you have a creamy mixture, layer the SLICED strawberries on the bottom of the pie. Top with pudding mixture. Arrange the 16 chocolate covered halves around the outer layer. Fill in the middle with blueberries. May can garnish the edge with cool whip, if you like.
Enjoy!!

Now, for those of you who thought we had fallen off the face of the earth...I assure you we have NOT. It's been a whirl wind around here lately. Last week we all joined Michael in Tulsa where he had business to attend to. We had a great time as a family and really enjoyed hanging out with one of his co-workers and his family. We ate at Savastano's. OH MY GOODNESS. We've eaten there once before, but this was the first time I had the ultimate pleasure of having their supreme. Sweet Heavens!! So, I'd thought I should share:

This was BY FAR the absolute best pizza I've ever had. But due to the size (it stands about 3 inches high) I could only handle one piece. It was probably one of the most expensive pizzas I've ever had, but worth every single solitary cent!! I wish I had their recipe fo' sho'!!

After returning home from Tulsa, I was out of town for several days at my annual scrapbook retreat. While I was there I had my first hot rock massage. Very Relaxing! I had a great time with my sis, cousin, mom, and some friends. And I'm just soooo very thankful that my sweet hubs lets me go every year. It is a treat!

THEN, after I came home on Sunday, we left for Houston. We had a crazy fast trip, and now we're back at home. I almost feel like a stranger (not really). I can't wait to sleep in my own bed tonight!!

Three Things About Me

Todays blog hop is to tell three things about yourself. So, although some of these were mentioned yesterday, this is what is on my mind:

1) I am currently enrolled in TWO photography classes and LOVING every minute of it! (Although I'm goin' a little crazy, too!)

2) After traveling to Rogers, AR (Bentonville...HI Kelly!) last month, I find myself asking my husband quite freqently if we can move there. There is beautiful scenery. And I really took notice of the slower pace of life there.

3) The last week of July is VBS at our church. I am the director over Elementary for the second year. We will probably have over 1000 children in attendance. It is a HUGE task...but sooo incredibly rewarding!

I Think I'm Loosing My Mind....

I'm not sure WHAT I was thinking when I signed up for two photography classes that overlap for two weeks. YIKES. All I wanted, was to learn how to use this...

...on something other than "AUTO". The instructors and classes are INCREDIBLE. But while I was out taking pictures tonight I realized that I couldn't remember what pictures I needed for what class. All of the criteria got so mixed up in my pea sized brain that I was ready to scream!! (Of course, maybe the tendency to scream had more to do with my four children at dinner...who knows.)

Anywho, don't be surprised if I don't post much this week. We're traveling with Michael and then later this week.....it's my annual scrapbook retreat. Amen.

I CANNOT believe that it's almost mid-July already! I'm excited that my much loved scrappin' time is here...but a little sad too. The retreat is followed by our VBS...then a mini family reunion...then a little get a way at The Cliffs...then school. Holy Nuts.

Show Us Where You Live

This week Kelly is hosting Show Us Where You Live - foryers/Entry Ways.

When you walk up to this front door...

...you'll enter to this...

If you look up, you'll see this...

And looking down from the stairs....

To your left is our home office (Michael is working..."hello, honey!")

To the right is our formal dinning room.

The table in the foryer has one of my favorite pictures!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wish you had time for a piece of this...

...maybe next time! :)