Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

We love you!

The Mind of a Kindergartner!

Today was one of those days that my kids made me smile and I really had to try hard not to laugh! Not at them, but because when they answer a question, they answer with complete confidence and it is usually something completely not on subject and totally... out-there.:)

Our Bible lesson was on Moses, and before I began I asked the kids what they knew about him. They all got silent and until one boy raised his hand to answer and this is what he said....

"He parted the ocean with a stick"

I smiled but of course had to reward him for giving a some-what correct answer, I started to call on someone else, but then he started up again...

"...well Moses...Mo.. Mo...ses... Mo.. That was his real name... Mo..."

No, John, his name was Moses, not Mo.

"well Mo...ses (he had to think about it because he almost called him Mo)... he was God's friend. God told Moses he was going to flood the earth...."

I stopped him and told him that he was talking about Noah, not Moses. Again, I went to call on someone else, and he started talking again...

"Moses wassssss... he wasssss... the king... yeah thats it.. he was the king! And Jesus died for him"

It was so cute, because he was just so serious and determined to get it right!

Well I had to tell him that he wasn't a king, but Jesus did die for him (he was happy with getting a little bit correct) and then I just decided to move on and start giving them the answer. We went to the Holy Land Experience a few weeks back and saw a play on the life of Moses, so I asked if they remembered the play we saw on his life. Well they still sat silent, so I explained why his Mother put him in a basket and put him in the river because Pharaoh was killing all the baby boys. And then Pharaoh's Daughter found him and adopted him.. and so on...

John sat there in silence pretty much the whole time while I was talking, but when I got to part about freeing the Hebrews, he said "And then he parted the Sea with his stick, right!?" And I said, "Yes, John, with the power of God, Moses parted the sea so the Hebrews could cross."

Thats all I heard out of him the rest of Bible time and when we were finished I asked him to pray. He was happy to and so then he started....

"God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food. Am-....... (then there was a pause)....and Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross... (and another pause)..and this is how we should pray... Our Father, in heaven, happy is your name, your kingdom comes.. your wills is done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our tresssssppeessess as we forgive those who tressspsss against us. Lead us not into tempt-ation and deliver us from evil. Dine is the kingdom and power and glory forever... Amen"

I could not stop smiling, mostly because I was trying to keep from laughing. I was so impressed that he knew the Lord's Prayer! Even though he didn't get all the words right, I was impressed that a 5 year old had it memorized! It was such a precious moment and it made my day!

Have I mentioned that I love my job! :)

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose."
Romans 8:28

So-me Fair!

I think I angered my blog by neglecting it for a month, because I've tried numerous times to get this posted and each time it says "error" and wipes out half the post! So, one of these days I am going to get it to work! I apologize to those who have stopped by expecting to find an update, but instead found that I had not posted a single thing! It's not that I've been too busy to post, I just never got around to it! During the 4 weeks of my absence, I was able to go back to Nebraska for the week of the Seward County fair! :) I'd never been to a fair before and my first fair experience was so much fun!
There were lots of fun little boothes to walk around and see, lots to sign up for, and FREE ICECREAM!!! :)
Sunday night was the Demo Derby. Obviously it is a big deal in the midwest because it was PACKED! Being from Florida, I haven't seen many demo derby's, none actually, so it was a first time expirence. It was sooooo cool!! I loved it and it was defiantly one of my favorite things at the fair! :)

Trust

The way each tiny flower reaches up to Heaven with trust,

we too,
should lift our hearts to God and know He cares for us.

-Unknown

Bryce's Trip to the Dominican Republic

While I was in Nebraska... Bryce was in the Dominican Republic. He came back with so many great stories and tales of all the things they did. I defiantly think it was a real eye-opening experience for him. He said his favorite thing was going into the different villages and trying to communicate with the people. The kids would just crowd around them and hug them and do anything they could to be on camera!One of the many things they did was hunt tarantulas! EWWW! They would go out in the jungle with a spear looking stick and when they found one, they stabbed it with the stick and then brought it back and roasted it over a fire. No they didn't eat it, but I guess that is just how you kill a tarantula in the Dominican Republic! :)

Something I thought was cool was the way they gave them water! Bryce brought back the "water pouch" they gave them to drink! Its just a bag of water, and to drink it you had to cut the corner off. He said they had water bottles, but they were expensive, and the water pouches were free.

hmmm did they really work? or did they just spend all their time here!! Looks real tough!!! :) They did get to enjoy a day on the beautiful beaches of the Dominican Republic!

Nebraska!!

It's taken me a few days to sort through all my pictures.. trying to figure out which ones to post! I've been so busy since I got home, but I had the greatest time in Nebraska! Seriously, the time flew too fast! I had so much fun and I can't wait to go back!! (very soon!!) Anyways... Pictures are better then words... so here are lots of pictures from my trip!The 4th of July is always a highlight! This year Bethany, Angela and Mr. Rehm were all in the bubble gum blowing contest! It was so fun to watch them! Mr. Rehm and Angela both were in the finals, but if Bethany and Angela had not been in the same semi-final, I think all 3 of them could have been in the finals!

The day of the 4th was very long, but fun! I didn't run in the race this year, but I still went to cheer on all the runners! So my day started at 7 am! I walked around town a little bit and looked at all the booths--there are so many neat little things! I went to the Water Fight, which is always a "cool"experience! :) And, of course, the Wissmann's concert at the Civic Center! Right after the Wissmann's it was time for the parade! So we all stood on the corner and watched!
The fireworks were at 10, so we played a little ultimate Frisbee until then! The park was beautiful! It was still hot, but there was a nice breeze that made it very enjoyable to watch the fireworks!
Water balloon fights are always a must! And on a hot summer day, the water feels so-o-o good!
This was a trip filled with many "firsts" One day my grandpa took me out to our farm and I got to see the beans get sprayed by a plane! That was so cool!
And while I'm on the subject of beans... I went rouging! That was defiantly something I'd never done! But I actually thought it was fun! :) It was something I'd never done before! (You don't really have theopportunity to ever go rouging in Florida!) Honestly I'd never heard of it! :) But It was fun and I enjoyed the experience ! I also went milking one night! And yes-- I actually helped! Well.. kinda! :) I don't think I was much of a help, but I did do a little bit :)

I got to spend a lot of time with the Wissmanns while I was there! There is always something fun going on when your with the Wissmanns! :) All the "firsts" I experienced were because they forced me to do them! :) NOO I'm just kidding! They didn't force me to do anything! But I got to do those things because they let me tag along! :) Thank you guys!!
Another "first" was going swimming in Lake Pawnee! All the years that I've gone to Nebraska, going swimming in a lake had never crossed my mind! I didn't even know a lake existed in Nebraska! haha It was so much fun, and defiantly different from the lakes here in Florida! There was no sand at the bottom, just mud! haha I was kind of grossed out at first, but I got used to it very quickly and by the end of the day I didn't even notice it! :)

Our last night was a late one! :) Well.. most nights were late, but the last one was really late! (or should I say early?!) We talked for a while on the porch after supper, and then started playing games! We played Ultimate Uno, 4 of a couch, Alaythia and I finally finished our marathon game of Ace--we played the same game almost all day-- and Occupational charades. Occupational charades was the funniest thing ever! My camera died within the first minute and a half of the Sumo Wrestler act! I was so bummed! But just trust me... it was HILARIOUS!!

Kaitlyn loved this picture, so I thought I'd post it! :) This was while playing 4 on a couch! Everyone is in their own little world lol... The last day we got to make jewelry for Bethany's Birthday! :) It was so much fun!


I'd like to say a special 'Thank you' to Kaitlyn for coming up with me this summer! It was so much fun flying with you and I really enjoyed it! I hope you had as much fun as I did! :) And to the Wissmanns for having me over so much and for all the Nebraska things ya'll dragged me into! :) Love ya'll!!

Thank You, God, for quiet places far from life's crowded ways, where our hearts find true contentment and our
souls fill up with praise.

-Emilie Barnes

Off to Nebraska!!!

Kaitlyn and I are ready to go! We're sitting here in the airport waiting to board our plane!

Daddy!

My dad (Brad ) found this article this morning when he was cleaning out his filing cabinets. Its from his High school newspaper! How cool! Apparently my dad was more of an athlete than I thought! :)


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I'm leaving for Nebraska TOMORROW! :) YAY!

Guess....

Where I'm going in 5 days!?!?! :)

Hint: It is a completely land-locked state!
:)

I love my job!!!

I absolutely LOVE my job! :) I defiantly never thought I would say that about a job, but I love my job at Kids on the Move! I love going in every morning and seeing the smiling faces of my kids. I love the random hugs just because...I think those are my favorite! :) I love all the little pictures and bracelets they make me. Trust me--after just a week I've accumulated 6 or 7 bracelets, and lots of colorings and pictures! When I was younger I used to make bracelets and anklets and necklaces out of string, and this week I've learned some really cool new ways to make them! :)

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. Psalms 9:1

Photo booth fun with Shelby and Gabby :)

My little cousin, Shelby, loves the photobooth! :) We've taken tons pictures on it! And my dog, Gabby, well.... She doesn't like it so much! haha She just won't sit still and I end up having to hold her head still! :) But anyways, I had so many I thought I'd share a few...

First Day of Work

Today was my first day of Work at First Baptist Church of Windmere's "Kids on the Move" program and I loved it! It was so much different than my previous experience at Disney on my first day and I'm so thankful for that! Kids on the Move is like a day camp for kids whose parents work during the day. We go on field trips and have special events every week, which is really cool!

I can tell I am going to be much happier working! I get to be around kids all day and teach them of the love of Jesus Christ, I get to play games almost all day, and it is 5 minutes from my house! How much more could you want? :) I am so thankful that the Lord provided a job for me doing something I really enjoy! Yay!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day, to the greatest Dad in the World! I love you Daddy!


Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord

Ephesians 6:4

Where's Gabby?

Found her! On my bed fast asleep :)

Lake Day

Okay!!! I'm back for real this time! Summer is in full bloom and we've been enjoying our days out of school! Today Bryce and I were out on the lake with some friends, Logan and Lauren Cole. I just got my new camera, so I brought it along and took some pictures!

BB and Lauren on the tube.

I hadn't been tubing in a long time and I'd forgotten how much fun it was! :) BB, Lauren and I had a great time!

This is Bryce's friend, Logan, tubing. When I tell you he is good at tubing, I mean it! If there were such a thing as professional tubing (haha) then he could be a professional tuber! He out on a show when it was his turn! He could make himself go really high and he would do tricks! He never once fell off either! This looks like a bad fall... but this is Logan doing a barrel roll with the tube! It was so cool!

Bryce 'scurfed' instead of tubing. Scurfing is like surfing, but you are behind a boat! It is all new to me--this is the first time I've seen him do it. The rope was tied up so he is real close to the boat. He starts with rope and then throws it in when he feels like the wake of the boat is carrying him. It was really cool! Maybe I'll try it one day :)

I'm still here!

I have been very unfaithful on my blogging lately! It has been a long time since I last updated! Well the Truth is... I've been with out a camera since the last day of school, when, sadly, my camera broke. :( So all my pictures since then have come from my moms camera. Luckily my camera problem was fixed! A family friend got us a great deal on a really nice HP digital camera, and so now I have a camera! So hopefully now I will be more consistent in my blogging and get a real update up real soon!

Camp Orlando

It has taken me all day to get this posted. I've been unpacking and doing laundry for most of the day! Camp was so much fun! The theme of the camp was 'Make every second count!' And it was based off a TV show called 24. The services were awesome, over 40 kids were saved!! Praise the Lord!!! We had a service in the morning where Ben Trueblood was the speaker. And the night services were lead by the Senior pastor of our church, Pastor David.


We had free time from 1 to 6 everyday. They had tons of activities! We could swim, play volleyball, basketball, or football, there was a rock climbing wall, there was paint balling, and one day there was mud wrestling! I defiantly was not planning on getting in the mud pit, but while I was taking pictures, I was attacked by a group of people and dragged into the mud! We played tug-o-war too!

We got out of the evening service around 9:30 and then had something called 'late night' One night they had big blowup things, another night we had a talent show, and the last night we had a birthday party for Pastor David!

The services at night were amazing. Pastor David is such a great speaker, and he touched the hearts of many students! His messages were very deep and had a major impact on me! I can't even put into words how much had an impact on me! At the end of the week more than 40 people were saved, and were baptized Friday night! Because we were in a church, there was no Baptismal pool, so they were baptized in a 'horse trough!' When each person was raised from the water we all cheered and shouted and rejoiced with them! It was so exciting!I am still recovering from the lack of sleep from all the late night talks and early mornings! It was was all worth it, to see all the lives that were changed by Camp Orlando! Our God is so awesome and He has opened my eyes up to so many things this week! The main focus of our cabin leader was to help us deepen our walk with the Lord to prepare us for next year. I came away from camp feeling more closer to the Lord than ever! I am so glad I went to camp this year!
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18

Camp Orlando

My brother and I are leaving for Camp this morning! We are going to Camp Orlando with our church! It's going to be a blast! We will be back late Friday night!

Katie

Happy 19th Birthday Katie!

I am so glad you are back home for the summer! I missed you so much! You are the greatest cousin anyone could ask for, and I look up to you more than you know! Your love for the Lord shows in everything you do. You have the most paitence of anyone I know, and you always have a sweet spirit! I love you, Katie! I hope you have a great birthday, and many more to come!

Graduation

Ahh! I Graduated! :) The events of this weekend are still a blurr. I have been so anxious-excited-nervous-sad that I don't remember many details about my graduation! Crazy--I know! But Luckily I have pictures that jog my memory of all the fun and exciting things that happened this weekend!



The Senior Walk of fame opened at 4 o'clock. It was so fun to see every one's displays and look at all the pictures from the past.

At 5 there was a dinner for the families the the graduates. This ice sculpture was one of the many spectacular decorations!

7 o'clock came too quickly. As we waited outside to enter the church--reality hit--and we realized this would be like last time we would all be together as the Senior class of The First Academy. All the teachers were lined up down the walk way, as we walked through the infamous 'Tunnel of Tears.' We were able to say goodbye to all our teachers, even lower school. Surprisingly I didn't cry.

From this point on is where things are a blurr. I remember waiting for my name to be called behind the stage, and taking pictures with everyone, but when my name was called I don't remember hearing anything he read about me!


The closing remarks were given by Pastor Uth. This was the saddest part of the whole ceremony. Pastor Uth has been meeting with us once a month since the end of last year to pray with us, and see how we are doing. This part was not in the schedule, but he called us all to come to the alter where we had started our journey one year ago and he prayed with us one last time.

After was just a big celebration :)My little cousin, Shelby, and I

My Family

And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28