Stars

Today is a hard day. It's a day to remember, to say good-bye, to hug, the cry, to laugh, to sing, and to be greatful that Jesus conquered the grave. My sweet friend and co-worker RiChelle Redman was killed by a train on Sunday evening. My entire office is traveling near Lubboock today to attend her grave-side service. If everyone laughed as much as RiChelle laughed, the whole world would be a happier place. If everyone was as dedicated and honest as RiChelle, the whole world would be closer to family, enjoy life, and not worry about "The Jones". I will forever be touched by my friend. When I see her again, we won't be concerned about things of this world, but will be worshipping our Jesus!

Here are some verses that I've loved reading this week and I pray for my boys...Phil 2:12-18.

Love Jesus every moment He give you breath

and shine like stars of the universe...for His glory and honor!

Sunday Blessings!

Parker taking some time out to read after church on Sunday morning. See the pile of blankets and air matress...he went to bed three nights in a row without coming out of his room...he LOVES to have sleepovers in the living room so that was his treat! He is quite the negotiator when it comes to bedtime...I've heard that I gave my parents the same challenge but surely that is just a rumor! :)
Loving on my Tate after Sunday lunch at home!

So Big! As soon as Tate hears JuJu's voice, he puts his hands in the air and just grins! It's kinda their thing!

Tate also loves to sit in the computer chair and play with the mouse!

Tate out for a stroll after church!

If this sweet boy could put his bedroom and toys outside, he would pretty much be happy all the time! When the wind blows 40 mph for three days straight, he just doesn't understand why he cannot go outside...poor guy!

We were able to work in the yard and flowerbeds this past weekend...getting anxious to plant...and did some spring cleaning! It is still freezing a couple nights each week so I will stick to my plan and plant on Mother's Day weekend! Bradley and I went to see the ballet of Cinderella on Saturday afternoon. We were walking up to the Globe News Center with ALL girls! He is a trooper--we had three students dancing and he strives to support ALL activities! I think this weekend will be a game of some sort. :) Sunday morning my girls missions group hosted a breakfast for displaced women and their children. While we didn't have the turn out we hoped for, two women accepted Jesus!!!! It was awesome! Most of our guests are homeless, live in a shelter, jobless and/or recovering addicts. Loving on these people is truly a passion of mine. I am so thankful for each of them and for the girls for doing such a wonderful job with the breakfast and Sunday School! God continues to show me that no "mess" is too big for Him. God was a God of miracles in the Bible and I truly believe that He is still in the miracle business!

The Grave is Overwhelmed; the Victory is Won!!

Coloring eggs with William and Jeffrey after a yummy dinner

and a round of baseball in the back yard!
The boys!

Well...with Bradley leaving for church about 7:30 we didn't get a family Easter picture! These are my smiley boys loving on each other after taking lunch to the Cary family! They loved meeting Camden Scott Cary for the very first time! I'm certain there are many play dates in the near future with Camden and Jessica! What a fun way to celebrate Easter by blessing this new family with lunch and fellowship for a short while!

Parker and Tate...Tate's first outing since coming down with what we think was Rosiola....high, high fever followed by yucky rash!

Hunting eggs!

Easter Parade with homemade "bonnets".

Parker's hat was black wtih lion and tiger "fuzz" on top, a cross for "Jesus making my yucky better", baseballs and basketballs all put on with glittery glue! This project is something I will never forget. We had a great time shopping for just the right things to decorate his hat and allowing him to be creative!

Hosanna, Hosanna, the King is coming!

Parker's 3 year old preschool class. Eli and Siri (the twin girls) moved a couple of weeks ago. We sure miss them!

Marshall, Parker and Hank...best buds!

What a wonderful Easter weekend. I was able to attend the youth's Good Friday service and hang out with the Barrett newlyweds and the Rayburns, too! So fun! Easter morning was a wonderful celebration of the hope we have in the resurrection. May we share the Easter story ALL year long!

UPDATE - Parker's name was drawn to attend Carver Magnet Preschool next year! We are super excited about this great oportunity for him.

Breaking Freeeeeeee!!

A little break from regular routines is gladly welcomed around this here household! Don't get me wrong, we were BUSY with fun, grandparents, ministry, cooking, and just being together.

A trip to the Quarter Horse Museum where Parker and Tate (mostly Parker) enjoyed learning about all the different types of saddles, horses, and watching horse races.

Parker loved learning how the riders load up on the horses in the chutes! I think it finally made sense once he watched a horse race. On my "list of things to do in this life" is to go to the Kentucky Derby...not to gamble or any other...but to dress-up and wear a fancy hat and awesome shoes and enjoy watching everything go on! Maybe Parker will want to go someday...

We finally got a break from the snow (for a few days...it snowed as my parents were trying to leave Amarillo at the end of the week) and got OUTSIDE!! I had two happy, HAPPY, boys! We had the best time.

We enjoyed a trip to the park with the Raines, Allen's and Booth's followed by an early rise for church as it was time change Sunday! I don't know about you, but this time change is SOOOOOO hard! It's not the hour of less sleep for one night...it's the getting up in the dark that is rough! We are on the very west side of the central time zone, so the sun is late to rise and late to slumber!! Shopping with JuJu was super fun and taking a trip to the airport is always a highlight for my boys!

Bradley enjoyed amazing snow in Santa Fe, New Mexico with the middle school students for the first few days of Spring Break. They stayed at the FBC Amarillo lodge at Glorieta and traveled to the slops each morning for a long day of skiing! I don't think he had any trouble getting them to go to sleep each night!! Then, he brought that crew back to A-town, spent an evening at home and headed out early the next morning to join the High School Mexico mission trip. There was much concern over this trip this year in allowing the students to cross the border. Howie, Bradley and James did their research, James took a preview trip and followed up with contacts in Mexico, and all was G-O! I did have reservations about everything, but I just prayed and worried...to be honest, I mostly worried! Bradley would call each night and let me know if everyone made it safely back to the Texas side of the border. At the end of the week, when Bradley said, "we're all back safe and sound" I felt a thump on my car. I was stopped at a red light and wasn't quite sure what had happened. A truck had rear-ended me while we were sitting at the red light. My car has a bit of chipped paint but nothing too bad. He owns a body shop so my car will be fixed in no-time! But, that wasn't what I took from the whole thing. I don't think it was a coincidence that the exact minute I received the "safe" news from Bradley that my car was tapped. It was a God-tap. "Emily, if you will just trust me and not worry, talk to Me and not worry, praise Me and not worry, not worry, not worry, not worry, focus on Me, Me, Me, Me, Me....all those details WILL be taken care of! As soon as I got back in my car from talking to the bump-guy, I just laughed. "Ok, God, I get it" was what I said aloud. So...the title of my post, Breaking Free, is more than just Spring Break, a break in our normal routine, stop and be still from the hustle and bustle of like, but it's more about breaking free from worry and thinking that I am in control when I am surely not. Join me!

Mexico Mission Trip 2010

God said Go.

Go they did.

Old friendships reunited.

New babes in Christ.

Growth seen in those previous babes in Christ.

Blessed they were.

Praise the God who said Go.

He is our all-knowing, all-sufficient God

who was and is and is to come.