Just got back from youth camp. Can't even begin to explain the joy you are given when you get to see one say yes to Jesus, yes to eternity right in front of your face. To pray with them and hug them and let them know you are now their sister. (Sigh) What joy...who am I to be worthy of it?
My heart was most effected through worship as it usually is. I found myself bawling at the lyrics below...my God knows that's how I feel about him. He reminds me. So many treasures my heart longs for especially a child of my own. I long for him more. I treasure him more. Oh how sweet. I have been given that which I long for most....
Underneath the surfaces of all the things I see
Lies a beauty and a mystery
And glory of the King
Standing still I’ll never know
So I’ll search and I will go
It is you my heart longs for
It is you I treasure more
I come wanting
I come wanting more of You
Now this hunger deep inside
Deepens as you satisfy
I come wanting
I come wanting More of you
Wading through the suffering
This journey often brings
To find the open hands of God and all eternity
Standing still I’ll never know
So I’ll search and I will go
It is you my heart longs for
It is you I treasure more
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Best Vacation EVER!
Get ready for some pictures....vacay + new camera = amatuer photographers =)
Wow, I don't even know where to begin. Justin and I agreed this was our best vacation ever. Not necessarily because of the things we did, but just getting to be together. As Justin says, "It was like we fell in love all over again"....aww, what a cheesy romantic! I love him! And we needed this.
This one was of the Sea Lion show we watched. Those jokers are smart.
This was my least favorite part of Sea World, going through the glass tunnel where the sharks swim all around you....this one was looking at me with his beady little eyes before we got his picture swimming above us. If that glass broke, you know I would have died of a heart attack long before the shark could get me.
I know it sounds silly but this was one of our favorite shows. It was called Pets Ahoy and it featured all the little animals doing tricks. There were cats, dogs, a rat, a skunk, geese, doves, and a pig. They were hilarious and Justin is still asking, "Just how do you train a rat?"
And finally we saw SHAMU! Here are some of the coolest pictures Jus got of all the action. I think he secretly wants to become a whale trainer now...
Okay, best story of the day. At all these shows we were going to, they would always announce that the first 20 rows were in the "splash zone" so if you didn't want to risk getting wet, you didn't need to sit there. So Justin and I conveniently sat in row 21 every time and stayed dry all day long =) Until it came Shamu time. Then Justin says with a devilsh little grin, "let's sit in the splash zone this time". Not wanting to be difficult I said okay and picked us out a seat in about row 10. At all the other shows only the first few rows actually ended up getting wet, so I thought we would be safe. Little did I know at the end of the Shamu show the trainers get the whole crowd to yell repeatedly for Shamu...this signals Shamu the he is to go slap his tail in front of the crowd and get the first few rows wet. I saw him do it to the middle section and laughed, then the section to the left, haha, and then.......he started swimming toward our section.......he stopped right in front of us and before I even knew it I saw that huge tail and bam, it was bigger than any wave at Pensacola beach! We weren't wet...we were SOAKED! and that water is a refreshing 52 degrees.....we couldn't help but laugh histerically after that.
Sea world only has one roller coaster, and I am a roller coaster fanatic (Justin...not so much) so right before we were going to leave I got my place in line. I waited and waited and just when I could see the promised land, the announcer came over the loud speaker and said the ride was closed due to bad weather approaching, and then the bottom fell out. We got even more soaked by the rain but all in all, it was a fun day. Not to mention we had a front row seat for ALL the firework shows going on at Disney, Epcot, Sea World...etc. We sat comfortably on our balcony and enjoyed them all at once!
The next morning we got up at 4:30 (3:30 pensacola time) and headed out to a chartered bass fishing trip that Justin had scheduled for us. Justin was like a little kid, apparently the biggest bass ever was caught in this lake we were going to. Unfortunately the weather was just sooo hot and the guide said that the big mamas were hiding out so we didn't get our 17 pounder, but it was still fun!
Wow, I don't even know where to begin. Justin and I agreed this was our best vacation ever. Not necessarily because of the things we did, but just getting to be together. As Justin says, "It was like we fell in love all over again"....aww, what a cheesy romantic! I love him! And we needed this.So, to recap, we left Thursday morning and spent the day driving to O-town, Florida with the help of Alfred (the guy who lives in the GPS machine). When we got there I had to pat myself on the back. Our hotel was friggin' awesome! We were on the 20th floor, which was scary in the glass elevator that went 90 mph. but it served us well in our view.
This was the pool at our hotel, it was humongous (sp?). And came with it's very own water slide, you know we were pushing the little kiddies out of the way to get on it! We could even see Epcot from our balcony...so cool.
This was the pool at our hotel, it was humongous (sp?). And came with it's very own water slide, you know we were pushing the little kiddies out of the way to get on it! We could even see Epcot from our balcony...so cool. Our first day was spent adventuring Sea World. 
We had never been before so we wanted to make sure we got it all in. Here are some pictures of animals we took (I can't include them all because it's just too many, so here are my favorites):
The dolphins in the underwater viewing tank.
Lord knows why but I just think the manatees are so cute...look at that face!
We had never been before so we wanted to make sure we got it all in. Here are some pictures of animals we took (I can't include them all because it's just too many, so here are my favorites):The dolphins in the underwater viewing tank.Lord knows why but I just think the manatees are so cute...look at that face! This one was of the Sea Lion show we watched. Those jokers are smart.This was my least favorite part of Sea World, going through the glass tunnel where the sharks swim all around you....this one was looking at me with his beady little eyes before we got his picture swimming above us. If that glass broke, you know I would have died of a heart attack long before the shark could get me.I know it sounds silly but this was one of our favorite shows. It was called Pets Ahoy and it featured all the little animals doing tricks. There were cats, dogs, a rat, a skunk, geese, doves, and a pig. They were hilarious and Justin is still asking, "Just how do you train a rat?"And finally we saw SHAMU! Here are some of the coolest pictures Jus got of all the action. I think he secretly wants to become a whale trainer now...Okay, best story of the day. At all these shows we were going to, they would always announce that the first 20 rows were in the "splash zone" so if you didn't want to risk getting wet, you didn't need to sit there. So Justin and I conveniently sat in row 21 every time and stayed dry all day long =) Until it came Shamu time. Then Justin says with a devilsh little grin, "let's sit in the splash zone this time". Not wanting to be difficult I said okay and picked us out a seat in about row 10. At all the other shows only the first few rows actually ended up getting wet, so I thought we would be safe. Little did I know at the end of the Shamu show the trainers get the whole crowd to yell repeatedly for Shamu...this signals Shamu the he is to go slap his tail in front of the crowd and get the first few rows wet. I saw him do it to the middle section and laughed, then the section to the left, haha, and then.......he started swimming toward our section.......he stopped right in front of us and before I even knew it I saw that huge tail and bam, it was bigger than any wave at Pensacola beach! We weren't wet...we were SOAKED! and that water is a refreshing 52 degrees.....we couldn't help but laugh histerically after that.Sea world only has one roller coaster, and I am a roller coaster fanatic (Justin...not so much) so right before we were going to leave I got my place in line. I waited and waited and just when I could see the promised land, the announcer came over the loud speaker and said the ride was closed due to bad weather approaching, and then the bottom fell out. We got even more soaked by the rain but all in all, it was a fun day. Not to mention we had a front row seat for ALL the firework shows going on at Disney, Epcot, Sea World...etc. We sat comfortably on our balcony and enjoyed them all at once!
The next day was our trip to Aquatica, the new Sea World water park. All of our pictures are on a waterproof camera which I haven't gotten developed yet, so you will have to wait for those, and I think they are going to be GOOD! The park was a lot of fun. My favorite part of the whole vacation. We giggled more than I ever have in my life. I liked it because almost all the rides let multiple people ride together, so we got to experience it all side by side. One of the cool things at this particular place was the water slide that puts you in a clear tube and slides you through the whale tank. And then when you get in the Lazy River, you go under this tunnel that is actually an aquarium where you can watch random people sliding through the tank. The only problem is that you were going so fast through the tube that you couldn't actually see if there were whales around you... =(
That night we went out to dinner and spent some time shopping at the outlet malls. Justin's idea! And ate at Planet Hollywood,which is a really cool place to eat, but not so good for conversation, it's pretty darn loud in there.
The next morning we got up at 4:30 (3:30 pensacola time) and headed out to a chartered bass fishing trip that Justin had scheduled for us. Justin was like a little kid, apparently the biggest bass ever was caught in this lake we were going to. Unfortunately the weather was just sooo hot and the guide said that the big mamas were hiding out so we didn't get our 17 pounder, but it was still fun!We went home and took a long nap after that and then got ready for our couples' massages. There are definitely no pictures of that, cause we were too relaxed to even think about it. Then we dressed up and hit the town. 
We ate dinner and then headed to play the coolest Mini golf course ever! And yes, that bottom picture is me getting my very first hole in one, ever! exciting!
We ate dinner and then headed to play the coolest Mini golf course ever! And yes, that bottom picture is me getting my very first hole in one, ever! exciting!I'm sad to say that after that, we headed back to the hotel and the next morning started on our way back home =( but not before we stopped by the outlet malls again.....my husband loves to shop all of a sudden. We spent more money at the outlets than on the whole vacation I think! And now, we are back home and I missed my little Prissy girl so much. Next week is Youth Camp and then my summer is almost over, we start back school on Aug. 11th (teachers anyway). I'll be livin' it up until then =)
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
What a week...
I've spent the last week in Dallas Texas and now I really and truly would like to become a cowgirl. I'm on the search for some rhinestone boots...and yes I will wear them in Florida! I took my Student Government kids to our National Convention there and we had a absolute blast. I'll have to get pictures from all of them and post them eventually. We got to go to the NRH2O water park for a day, six flags over Texas for a day and sooo many other fun things in such a short time period. I was beat to get back on Sunday.
While I was there I had some not-so-fun stuff going on too. I know I haven't talked about it much but I think I am 100% okay with airing my dirty laundry at this point...why not, I wear my heart on my sleeve anyway. As some of you know, I've still been carrying around our baby for a while now. While I was in Dallas some things started to happen and I thought I had the baby while I was there....it's a really hard thing to tell and I won't go into details. So when I got back I called the doctor so he could check me out and see if everything came out alright. Well, he took me in immediately on Monday and did an exam and an ultrasound. The exam showed that my cervix was still closed (meaning my body wasn't letting this baby out) and my uterus was still swollen...that signalled to the doc that I was still pregnant. So we went to the tried and true way of knowing...the internal ultrasound. Once in there we saw the baby was still there, and wasn't detaching. In the words of Dr. Mehta, "That is the most stubborn little thing I have ever seen!". No surprise, our last miscarriage was the same way, it took a month and a half for the baby to finally let go. But that baby was much smaller than this one, and the doctor begged me to let him do a D&C. He said if I didn't, I had a looong road of bleeding and pain ahead of me. I've already done this now emotionally, physically, and spiritually for a long time now, twice in a row, and I knew it was time to give in. So I agreed to the D&C and Dr. Mehta wasted no time. I went in for that little checkup yesterday and walked out 5 hours later just waking up from anethsthesia (sp?)....5 IV holes, a tube down the throat and a surgery later, it's finally over...well, physically anyway.
I'm feeling much better today and actually in good spirits after Justin revealed to me all the crazy things I said when I was "drunk" on the medicine they gave me to knock me out. Apparently the first thing I asked the nurse was, "ma'am, just how many people saw my groceries?" I don't remember asking that or what she answered but when Justin came back to recovery he said the first thing I said to him was, "Baby, can you believe it, only 2 or 3 people saw my groceries!" I guess I am a modest person even in my subconscience?? I do remember waking up (well halfway waking up) and thinking to myself....I have a lot of questions to ask these people. And I have been told that I wasted no time in asking them ALL. I also remember proclaiming my love to the nurse who kept bringing me warm blankets, and it was true...in that moment, I DID love her! Oh there are sooo many other not so brilliant things I spouted in those moments but I guess it was all worth it to finally be able to move on and look forward.
Next excitement on the menu.....Just and I go on vacay! wooo hooo! Sea World, Aquatica, bass fishing charter, and couples massages...here we come =)
While I was there I had some not-so-fun stuff going on too. I know I haven't talked about it much but I think I am 100% okay with airing my dirty laundry at this point...why not, I wear my heart on my sleeve anyway. As some of you know, I've still been carrying around our baby for a while now. While I was in Dallas some things started to happen and I thought I had the baby while I was there....it's a really hard thing to tell and I won't go into details. So when I got back I called the doctor so he could check me out and see if everything came out alright. Well, he took me in immediately on Monday and did an exam and an ultrasound. The exam showed that my cervix was still closed (meaning my body wasn't letting this baby out) and my uterus was still swollen...that signalled to the doc that I was still pregnant. So we went to the tried and true way of knowing...the internal ultrasound. Once in there we saw the baby was still there, and wasn't detaching. In the words of Dr. Mehta, "That is the most stubborn little thing I have ever seen!". No surprise, our last miscarriage was the same way, it took a month and a half for the baby to finally let go. But that baby was much smaller than this one, and the doctor begged me to let him do a D&C. He said if I didn't, I had a looong road of bleeding and pain ahead of me. I've already done this now emotionally, physically, and spiritually for a long time now, twice in a row, and I knew it was time to give in. So I agreed to the D&C and Dr. Mehta wasted no time. I went in for that little checkup yesterday and walked out 5 hours later just waking up from anethsthesia (sp?)....5 IV holes, a tube down the throat and a surgery later, it's finally over...well, physically anyway.
I'm feeling much better today and actually in good spirits after Justin revealed to me all the crazy things I said when I was "drunk" on the medicine they gave me to knock me out. Apparently the first thing I asked the nurse was, "ma'am, just how many people saw my groceries?" I don't remember asking that or what she answered but when Justin came back to recovery he said the first thing I said to him was, "Baby, can you believe it, only 2 or 3 people saw my groceries!" I guess I am a modest person even in my subconscience?? I do remember waking up (well halfway waking up) and thinking to myself....I have a lot of questions to ask these people. And I have been told that I wasted no time in asking them ALL. I also remember proclaiming my love to the nurse who kept bringing me warm blankets, and it was true...in that moment, I DID love her! Oh there are sooo many other not so brilliant things I spouted in those moments but I guess it was all worth it to finally be able to move on and look forward.
Next excitement on the menu.....Just and I go on vacay! wooo hooo! Sea World, Aquatica, bass fishing charter, and couples massages...here we come =)
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