Ash's Shower

This last weekend, all the roommates got together. Let me clarify, when I say "the roommates" I mean my college roommates. It includes, three Ashlee(y)s and a Kristen. We joined forces once more this weekend to throw a shower for one of the Ashley's.

Before I share the pics, let me state, the Ashley we were celebrating was my roommate all four years of college. When we first met we couldn't have been more different. We definitely rubbed off on each other after four years. I was the maid of honor in her wedding. It was such a pleasure to get to share this time with her. It was especially sweet since I am losing her to her home state. I am so excited for her and so proud of her. It is amazing to watch how God has grown her into a great woman who will be a wonderful mother.

Elisha: His daddy tells me his name means God is my salvation. Leave it to Michael to pick a name with a strong Hebrew meaning. That man loves languages more than any other I have ever known!
Here is the cake. I was so pleased! It matches her bedding.

Here is the Momma to be. Doesn't she look amazing???

Work it!

Michael with his Spanish version of the hungry dinosaur...

All the roommates: Kristen, Ashley, Ashley, and Ashlee

All the shower hostesses

Ash and Mama Shirley

Measuring her belly, sorry Beck,

Keri won, she did so good!

Cindy, please note that Cindy just had a baby a week and a half ago. Um yeah she looks AMAZING!

What every baby needs: and OU onesie....BOOMER

Everyone at the shower.

This is all the tissue paper from the gifts!!Good roommates fold the tissue paper so you can keep it!

Boot Camp: Post One, Whitney Dawn

I recently read a couple of facebook posts reflecting on Precept Ministries Teen Boot Camp. I was amazed to see the overflow of responses from people who are former bootcampers. And it compelled me to tell my story.

I grew up spending 10 days every summer in Chattanooga, TN at the headquarters for Precept Ministry. Every summer Precept welcomes hundreds of teenagers onto their property for what they call "Boot Camp". Boot Camp or BC as I call it is an extensive camp where students are taught the Inductive Study Method. They spend several hours every day intensely studying the Bible and learning how to apply it to their lives.

The headquarters is nestled in the mountains in Chattanooga. It is beautiful, green, and hot. But I love it.

I first heard about BC at a Teen Conference. I told my parents I wanted to go, and my parents sent me on my way the summer before my 9th grade year. I remember being nervous. I had never flown by myself before. And then they lost my luggage. I was scared and upset. I didn't want to scare my parents so I didn't call home for two days. I still remember BJ Lawson coming to get me and telling me I needed to call my mom. So much for not scarring my parents!

I walked into dorm front still nervous. I didn't know anyone, and most of the students seemed to know each other. I don't remember exactly how this conversation went, but I remember the girl on the bunk below me, or was it above me? She was reading a magazine and talking to the other girls in the room rapidly and with fervor. I imagine she said something like "Hi, I'm Whitney." Somehow it was communicated that my luggage had been lost, Whitney was quick to offer me help with anything I needed. We became quick friends. She was there with other people from her church. They just included me in their group. Whitney was so kind and genuine. She still is!

After camp Whitney and I kept up. Every summer our group looked forward to seeing it each other at camp. We would write, e-mail, and IM to make sure we signed up for the same week of camp.

I'm not sure I have ever told Whitney this, but the Lord used her in a very important way in my life. You see until I went to camp and met her and other people like her, I always thought my relationship with God was okay. You see I was the best person in my class, maybe even my school. I always compared my relationship with God to others in my school. I was doing better than them, so I figured I was doing okay.

It didn't take me long to figure out that Whitney was different. She glowed when she talked about God. She actually had a quiet time like every day! She studied her Bible on her own, not just at church and stuff. I had never met anyone like this, not anyone that wasn't an adult anyway. And she wasn't weird or strange, she was a normal girl that had crushes on counselors (oops sorry Darin), liked to talk about Hanson, and wouldn't go out to Rec without makeup on. She was dynamic and energetic and crazy (but in a good really fun way).

It didn't take much time hanging out with Whitney to make me realize how fake I was. Whitney showed me what it looked like to be like Christ. She measured herself up against God's Word, not other people. That was such a foreign concept to me. God used my friendship with her to wake me up spiritually and show me what a genuine Christ Follower looks like. Whitney encouraged me through her walk to become more like Christ. She gave me the courage to go home and live a genuine life. She was there to support me throughout the year. I remember when Whitney first started telling me about her friend Darin. He was obviously in love with her. I told her. She denied it. I laughed when they started dating my freshman year of college.

Whitney and I ended up going to the same college together. We had special dates at Chili's (that was the only way we could really spend time together). We lost contact for a little while after she graduated and married Darin. (Insert I told you so here) But in the last year or so I have been following her blog My Journey Toward:The Glamorous Life of a Housewife. You should check it out.

Whitney Dawn, if you are reading this in between loving on your new baby boy, please know that God used you in such a powerful way in my life and He continues to. Thank you for being real. Thank you for being frank when it comes to you relationship with God. Thank you for constantly encouraging me to become more like Christ. You have mentored me and didn't even know it!

To the rest of you who are reading this, thank you for being patient with me as I went off onto a very long tangent. Next post will definitely have more to do with BC, because I want so badly to share it with you. That was my intent after all, but so much of my BC experience and memories have to do with my sweet friend Whitney. God used her to to radically change my life and make me more like Him.

To Mom and Dad, thank you for being brave enough to send me on a plane by myself far far away.

Okay, I'm out!

Withdrawals

I am officially having Boot Camp withdrawals. I am sitting here thinking about the excitement that occurs in the classroom, the weird ways to embarrass students who are late back from break, the loud sounds of students in the Kinser Building. Yeah I have it bad.....More to come on this. Until then, check out www.transformstudent.org.

Lisa and Joel's Wedding

Well Folks, it is wedding season indeed. This is the second wedding I have attended in the last few months. I have another coming up in July and then two more later in the year. I have had a great opportunity to get to know this couple. They hosted my Sunday Night Bible Study this semester in their new home. (Joel has been living there until they got married, but Lisa would come hang out while I was there with my Bible Study Girl.) Joel and Lisa are so wonderful. God has placed two very opposite people together in a way that perfectly compliments each other. Their wedding was fun to attend. Here are some pictures below!

Here is the entrance to the reception...
And here is the quite amazing chocolate fountain.
Here is the bride's cake...it was so beautiful!
The cake topper...love it!

Here is the bride and groom cutting the cake!

Here is the groom's cake. Joel painted the details on the corvette flags!Heather and Josh

Kent and Jena

Nikkea's Shower

Okay, so this post is way past due. I apologize!!! Let me start by saying that like everyone in my life is having a baby...like for real! A couple of Saturdays ago all the girls I used to work with got together to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate the upcoming birth of Nikkea's daughter. Here are pics from that day!



She loved the bag from Robin!


So cute! Little washcloths.

This is a bib that I got her...if you know Nikkea, it is just perfect!

Nikkea was so excited! This was her first shower. Very non-traditional, very laid-back, just how I like it.

Here are all of us girls...see I even made into this one! Terra's hubby Ben took this one for us!

Father, I thank you for this life that You are knitting together inside of Nikkea. Father I pray for a safe and quick delivery. I pray that Makenzi would come to know you at a young age. I pray that she would become a Woman of You. Thank You for all that You are doing in the lives of Ernest and Nikkea Lord! We love you! AMEN!

Mom and Dad's House

A year ago this summer my Mom and Dad did the one thing I have always dreaded. Let me back up and say I HATE CHANGE. My Mom and Dad have always talked about someday moving away from the tiny little town I grew up in. Not that they didn't love that house and town as much as I did. Because they did, they just always dreamed of living in the mountains. I could never imagine it. Didn't they understand that was where all my memories were? That was where I remember having every Christmas. It was on those backroads of my hometown that my Mom taught me how to drive. On the last road on your way out of town was where my best friend grew up. My friend Price got stopped at that stop sign the only night I was late for curfew. The sweet smell of fresh cut Alfalfa. The little Baptist church where I first realized I needed Jesus in my life. What were my parents thinking?

About three or four years ago my parents shocked me beyond belief. They called me a told me they bought land, not only did they buy land, but they bought 13 acres in the mountains of New Mexico. My parents had always told me they wanted to retire in the mountains.

It took them until last summer to finally move. They waited a year before they even started building the house. My oldest brother was their contractor, my Dad did alot of the work himself.

So let me take you on a tour...

First you drive down the gravel road. I don't need to tell you the address, they are one of two houses here...my Aunt and Uncle own the only other house.

Go ahead, walk on through the front door...

On the left is the living room. Go ahead and try out the "big boy" furniture (that's what my mom calls it). She wanted furniture big enough that my over 6' tall best guy friend could feel comfortable. He loves that couch.

Toward the right you will see the AMAZING kitchen. Yes more than one person will fit in this kitchen! Double oven, cook top stove, and granite counter tops. Ohh it is a dream to cook in! However everytime I go home, my Mom has moved all of the cooking utensils AGAIN!

Here is a shot of the stove....

If you continue to turn to the right you will see the dining room. Let me say at this point that I am so glad my parents went with an open house plan. It is so fun to have this house filled with people and not feel like you are running out of space. *Side note, the table in this picture belonged to my great grandparents.

Okay, now lets check out my parents side of the house. Here is what my mom calls "The Cowboy Bathroom." The picture is my grandpa who we lost this last February.

Now let's check out my parents room. Their bathroom is to die for! I wish I had a good picture of it, but none of them do it justice....so just imagine a two sink, garden tub, walk in shower tiled and granite counter top bathroom.

Okay, now to the guest side of the house. First we will see what mom calls "Greg's Room"...as you can guess, this is where Greg gets to sleep when we visit my parents. Humm. do you see a color theme in our house?

Turn back around and head back down the hallway....

Make sure you stop and see my bathroom. I love it. I have a whirlpool tub and double sinks...

My Dad laid this tile. Please notice my favorite Bath and Body Works....that they don't make anymore! Oh..and you can't miss my froggy sitting on the shelf.

Okay, now back out the hall and take your first right. Here is my room. I feel a need to apologize here. My parents can't decide if they are going to buy a new bed for my room and honestly I just can't make myself decorate my room until then....because I really want to get a new bed spread and all that jazz. I of course have picked a different color than the rst of the house, I want to do brown and that really pretty icy almost teal blue. Oh, don't miss my reindeer pant hanging off the end of my bed! My mom laughs at me everytime I wear them, but I am greatly attached to my reindeer pants.

As you head back toward the kitchen you will walk by the "breakfast nook"....don't miss it!

Now let's check out the back deck. I know I know, you want to see the view....

Okay...here it is. This is the view off of my parents back deck! Yeah it is amazing. And no, you don't get cell phone reception out here (Greg and I love this fact!).

This is a more dry New Mexico.... Same mountain, same terrain, less rain.

This is my Aunt and Uncle's house, you can see it from the back deck!

Okay, now some more personal pics. Here is my beloved Gregory eating icecream off the mixer. Ohh my Dad makes the BEST peppermint icecream (sounds weird I know...you just have to trust me). My Dad always takes cooking requests when we come home. Greg always requests this special icecream. Here is Greg and I on the back deck....see how LONG my hair is. It doesn't look that long when I fix it everyday in the mirror.

Littlebeth

"I'm praying for you and thinking of you today" - Me

"Thank you! I'm here now. Ready but nervous!" -Littlebeth

What is this is something you are probably asking yourself right now. This is the text message between me and my best friend this morning. The Lord gave me a best friend at the age of 4, since then I have forever been blessed by her. Today, she is having her second child. Nathan is breech, so Elizabeth (better known to my family as Littlebeth) is having a c-section this morning.

Right after this text, I called her to pray over her. I knew she would be nervous. Please be thinking about her today. Please pray for Littlebeth, her awesome husband Ryan, their incredibly adorable daughter Adalyn, and Ms Mary and Buddy (my other parents otherwise known as Littlebeth's parents). Pray for the doctors and nurses who attend to this sweet family!

Thanks guys! Love you all!