Woman's Retreat was Great.. Went over Col 3 and thinking things above. Even tho we are going through hard times- we can look at what is true and know that God is there with us. Just like Phil 4:8 says... "Finally brother, whatsoever things are true...... think on these things!" Yup... that is so true! :D So while we were getting out picture taken- this cat popped up and wanted in on it. Later, this same cat kept jumping into a lady's car- guess she/he didn't want to stay there. haha.

Invitations turned out great!! Made them each different but with the same information. I can't wait to start working on a scrapbook for some people.. Just need to print up the pictures for one wedding, and also wait for the other wedding pics to come my way. I also got my 2nd page done for my Asian trip! I Love it tons. I have been looking through the scrapbook magazines that i have gotten over the years and just seeing what new thing i can include to my own ideas. :D So far- I have gotten into this square thing.. enough that i am including it to anything and everything right now. That and the whole diamond thing in a row..

I love my friends! I love hanging out with them and just spending time with people older than 3rd grade. I am ALWAYS surrounded with kids that a break from kids is ALWAYS a great thing. Tho- there are plenty of time i just want to be left alone and read or just catch up on sleep. {pic} Here we are after BCM {power was out but came on just as Brian was talking}. Sriana and Leah wanted their picture taken and so Saul was taking it for them-- yeah it took a while. haha. They are so silly! Leah is still growing and learning from her past- and Sriana is very encouraging- and Saul is just silly {i don't really know him too well}.

The kids are doing well.. I got to watch them for 3 whole days. I now know that i don't want to be a single mom with 3 kids and a crazzie dog.. it was very tireing. But even tho it was tireing- there were so many precious moments that i wouldn't change for anything.. Like all the laughters, all the sweet sayings {Jameson had told me that he loves me}.. and just chillen while we watched a movie before going to bed. {i don't remember what movie we were watching in the pic there.. maybe it was How to Train your Dragon}.

We also had some yummy meals together, and i keep learning how much Jameson LOVES ketchup... enough to eat it with his broccoli and say it tastes like ice-cream. Um... im pretty sure that it doesn't, but good for you! We read alot of books. One time they both fell asleep during the 1st book.. so sweet! We went to the park, and took a bath, and enjoyed time making up games. Delaney missed her mom and dad- so i had her make them a card and write in it {yeah, i had to help her with some of the spelling- but she did great on her own otherwise}. I love seeing how much the kids are growing and learning.

So this month i am also babysitting another kid {who happens to be good freinds with Delaney and in the same class}. Nikki {freind} surely is a wild one, but she is ever so sweet and loves to play with people. She also forgets very easily {like when her mom comes to pick her up and she needs to clean up- she will often start playing again.. haha}. Even tho the girls can get SUPER loud, i do love hearing them giggle and laugh at the silliest things. {pic, we went to the park and this is at the dock area}

I think the best thing about kids is that they can say things without knowing what they are saying and yet be ever so true. Like Delaney saying the other day how much God cleans people's heart when they let Him. She didn't undertand why she said it- but yet it is ever so true.

So in the youth group, we went over the story of Barak- and how much of a chicken he was b/c he asked a girl to come along with him to fight off a place. Tho- the place ended up being dead by a girl names Jael {who killed the king in his own tent}. So Katie asked the kids to crave the pumpkin... on one time the kids made a chicken, and on this side they made a cross. I thought it looked mega awesome.. so as i was cleaning up the mess- i took this pic. :D Yeah-- i love taking pics. This is just so awesome... We should honor God through everything- even on Holloween.. We can crave crosses or whatnots and let people know the Love of God. :D

Recently, i have been studying out Romans. I read a chapter, then read some other books that i have on Romans, and also look at the cross-references that is in my Bible, and read the notes that i had taken and even the notes on the bottom. {pic- this is what my Bible looks like on a busy page}. I am now on Chapter 4... i am just studying it out slowly. I totally forgot about my Woman's Study program thing- so i have to catch up with that I already am done with SS class reading- since i had to teach it and well, 1st week noone showed up and 2nd week Mark and I didn't get too far into it since he had wondered what Mary were which. Crazzieness! But it's alright!


Now this handsom fellow is my son. This is his 1st year picture that i had been given just after his 1st birthday. He is now 1yr and 7months old. Last i heard, he is talking and walking around and looks alot like me. I am very glad that he still has blue eyes {can't tell in the pic}. Juan has brown eyes and usually the dominate eye color wins- so i guess Hazel is better!! :P jk.. I saw a pic on someone's Flickr page that looks so much like Elijah- but it wasn't {unless Elijah was in India and has 5brothers..- which he doesn't}. I was able to tell the whole adoption story to the ladies during the retreat. Some of the ladies was telling about their hard times {since someone asked "what short of hard times are you going through?"}... Someone who knew the story said that i should tell my story {which only made the people who didn't know it be very curious about it}.. i wasn't going to tell them bc i didn't want to focus to me on me, but i felt an urge to tell it- so i did. Afterwards a lady came up to me and said she was very proud of me and she started crying {so i hugged her since she needed it}. I always give the glory to God whenever i tell the story- because He is the One who knew what is best for Elijah and provided everything and even gave me the strength to go through it. Yeah- it is hard, even now... but it's not super hard as i thought it would be because God gave me the strength and also bc i know that i can see pics from time to time. :D I can watch him grow up- and that is indeed very important to me. Just because i am not in his life doesn't mean that he can't be in my life right now. :D I Love Him and am looking forward to hearing from him when he is older. :D

So i guess there is a ton of drama going on with my family right now. I am just glad that i am not in the middle of it. I forgive those that are in the wrong, and i love them tons. They will learn from their mistakes sooner or later. I am praying for them and do hope for the best in them. Maybe greed is in control of them right now- but they will see that life isn't about things, it is about serving God and loving Him alone. So.. i am praying that some people will forgive them continueously and love them. They don't have to be buddy-buddy, but they can still love them. Sure "shake off the dust"- but still pray for them and love them. Jesus did... if He didn't- then He surely wouldn't of died on the cross for them. It's as simple as that! Well- I love my family.. even tho there is this big drama going on. Thats all i can say on the matter.. bc i don't really know what all is going on besides what i've been told.

Anyways.. thats life for you! This weekend is going to be a blast.. Bowling and basketball this Saturday.. Yays!! There will be pizza and cake {even if i have to make the cake-maybe cupcakes-myself}, and tons of fun. i hope that i don't get any presents.. why? because i will already have the best present- spending time with my friends.. and even my best friend Kjerstin-- Yays!! :D I miss her loads. I don't know when she get in town, but i do know that she will be here on Saturday at least.. Yays! Wow.. i am getting old... i am going to be 1/2 of 50 this year-- Crazzie!! Well- i'll make the best of it just like i made the best of being 24. :D