Twelve Stones

Skiing Fun Take 2!

2011-01-29T22:40:00.000-06:00

Soooo, we had so much fun skiing with the youth over New Year's weekend that several of us decided we'd love to go back for a little more time and practice on the slopes! We ended up heading out with the Cooks and the Mathis' on a Friday morning after dropping our kids off at school and then on to Cincinnatti. We arrived at our hotel around 3, unloaded the car, changed into our ski clothes and then headed to Perfect North. We got to the slopes around 4 and did a couple runs on the beginner slopes before taking the crew to the Far Side...Corey and I were the only ones who had skied before the youth trip, so this was a great chance for them to learn a little more. Everyone did so well, just with a few crashes. We had such a great time and are so blessed to have such wonderful friends! It was also a fun way for Corey and me to celebrate our anniversary, since we went skiing on our honeymoon!

11 Years!?!

2011-01-22T22:26:00.001-06:00

Is that even possible? Eleven years ago today, Corey and I walked down the aisle surrounded by our family and friends to say," I do." I don't think either of us could've imagined what all was in store for us and that at this point in our lives we'd have two precious boys, be in the process of adopting our daughter, and be serving together in an absolutely amazing church! We are both so grateful for all the blessings He has given us, and for the gift of each other! Happy 11th Anniversary!

Happy Sweet 16, Deanna!

2011-01-14T22:03:00.000-06:00

One of the blessings of ministry is the opportunity to see those in whom you invest your life grow personally and in their relationship with the Lord. For us, one such example is this beautiful young lady, who was just a young girl when we came to Maplewood 5 years ago, and to whom Caleb was very attached! Maybe only second to her parents and possibly grandparents does she bring joy and pride to my heart...I am so proud of the beautiful young woman she has become and cannot wait to see all that God has in store for her life! Soooo, you can imagine my excitement when I got to help with her surprise sweet 16 party! Her parents did a wonderful job planning something special to celebrate her special day! Happy Sweet 16, Deanna...we love you!

One Body Worship

2011-01-11T21:47:00.000-06:00

I love these guys so much! These women are so dear to me, and an encouragement as we serve together in ministry to the people of Henry County. These three pastors bless me with their love for the Lord and desire to see people draw closer to Christ and to eliminate the division we so often see within the Body of Christ! They have partnered together to see our church bodies worship together and recognize that we should all be working together in order to accomplish the mission God has called us to. This was the second series of One Body worship services we've enjoyed. What a blessing they have been! We look forward to continuing to work together to see the Body of Christ grow!

Ski Trip 2011

2011-01-02T16:00:00.000-06:00

What a fun way to ring in the New Year! We traveled with a group of around 40 youth and chaperons to Cincinnati for a fun weekend of worship and skiing! Our friends, Jarred and Jennifer Morgan came to lead the weekend. He challenged us to "Go Further" in our walk with Christ and our youth ministry as a whole. I absolutely love this group of youth...they are amazing and have so much potential...can't wait to see all that God has in store for each of their lives!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T23:17:00.007-06:00

This year, with Christmas falling on a Saturday, our travels had to be fast and furious! We still had a wonderful time celebrating with family even though it was a little quicker than usual. We are so blessed to be able to celebrate together as the Lord has continued to bless our growing family!

Thank you, God for the precious gift of your Son, Jesus...He is our hope, our salvation, and our life!Caleb wrapped this present for me all by himself! He was so proud, and I thought it was very creative! I love it!

Candlelight Service

2010-12-22T23:04:00.001-06:00

One of our other favorite ways to celebrate Jesus at Christmas time is through worshiping the Lord! We have a candlelight service each year where we focus on scripture celebrating the light He brings into the world and how we should reflect that to the world around us. We also sing praises to Him and celebrate the coming of our Savior! It is always such a sweet, worshipful time!

Christmas Ornament Tradition

2010-12-22T22:53:00.000-06:00

We began a new Christmas tradition last year...we take the boys to Jack Jones' Studio J Pottery to make ornaments. They have such a fun time, and I love having wonderful keepsakes that they have made to grace our Christmas tree for years to come!

Over the River and Through the Woods....To Grandmother's House We Go! AND an Early Present

2010-12-20T22:29:00.002-06:00

Corey's grandma moved to Paducah several months ago, and we haven't been able to see her yet. So we decided to load up and head there for a visit. We had also found out that there was ice skating there, so we met up with some friends for ice skating and dinner afterward. It was such a fun night!
When we got home, guess what was waiting for us in the mail?! Our USCIS approval (US government approval required for adoption!!!) Thank you, Lord for a wonderful, early Christmas present!

Youth Christmas Skit

2010-12-19T22:07:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness...this was so cute! Our youth performed a drama about gifts, what's inside, and how the greatest gift of all was Jesus. They did such a great job, and I must say I was proud/amazed/amused that our guys were man enough to wear bows!And Caleb thought they were so cool....he had to try on the costume!

Cain Family Open House

2010-12-18T22:48:00.001-06:00

As many of you know, each year our family hosts an open house for our church. It is a tradition we have grown to love...everyone gets in on the preparation. What a blessing to be able to celebrate the gift of Jesus with our church family who we love so much!

Sunday School Class Christmas Party and Christmas Musicals

2010-12-11T22:32:00.001-06:00

Wow...God is so good! This is a pic of the adults who were at a joint Christmas party of the young and middle adults Sunday school classes...three years ago, neither of these classes existed! I'm so grateful for all these precious friends the Lord has blessed us with! We had so much fun fellowshipping and had a great time during our ornament exchange. Thanks so much to the Cooks for opening up their home for this group of 50 or more!

Also, this same weekend I had the blessing of playing in the Christmas musical at FBC Martin where my uncle is music minister. It was overwhelming to think how the Lord has blessed me with opportunities to play my French horn in these types of musicals for over 17 years now! He has been so good to provide me not only with the satisfaction of being able to use the talent He has given me for His glory, but also the extra income it provides at Christmas time. He is so good about knowing our needs and our hearts longings and filling them in a way that only He can do!

Christmas with Family at Patti's!

2010-12-10T22:08:00.000-06:00

One of the things I love about Christmas is the time we get to spend with family! This year, we got to celebrate with Corey's extended family at Patti's...it was so yummy, and the time together was wonderful! I am so grateful for the blessing of family! We love you all!

Mrs. Kay's Retirement Reception

2010-12-05T22:03:00.000-06:00

Our precious church secretary of 43 years is retiring. She has truly been a blessing to Maplewood and to many others through her faithfulness and spiritual guidance. We are so blessed to have had such a wonderful lady with such a sweet servant spirit as our secretary all these years! Mrs. Kay, we are praying for you as you begin this next stage in your life journey.

Corey's Marathon

2010-12-04T23:07:00.004-06:00

Well, this was the big day that Corey has been training for so very hard and with such dedication...the St. Jude Marathon! 26.2 miles...what goes into preparing for that? Well, running through an Achilles injury, squeezing in runs on lots of days when you'd rather just rest, and around 250 miles of training runs that took over 40 hours. Yes, it's a lot...and I'm so proud of him! He ran the marathon in 5 hours and 3 minutes and was able to raise $565 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Thank you to all who supported him...way to go, Corey!

Fred and Corey before the race...
Around mile 3...
Halfway there...Mile 13
And then we took a break with yummy peppermint hot chocolate!
Waiting inside Auto Zone Park for the guys to finish...
Entering the stadium...
At the finish line!

Lady in Waiting

2010-12-02T23:01:00.000-06:00

This Fall, I had the blessing of leading this amazing group of girls in a study of the book, Lady in Waiting, by Jackie Kendall. Carol has so kindly hosted our studies the past two times, and I'm so glad for her partnership in this ministry. This was our last night, and we were missing a couple of the girls, but my life is richer for knowing each one of them...I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for these incredible young ladies!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T22:46:00.000-06:00

As we reflect upon the blessings the Lord has given to us over this past year, we are quite overwhelmed. We have wonderful family, precious friends, an amazing church, all that we need and more. We are also very grateful that we are in our new church facilities this year...we were working hard this time last year praying that we'd be in by the spring. And we are also so grateful that the process of our adoption is coming along fairly quickly! Most of all, we are thankful for the salvation that is ours because of the amazing love of our Savior, Jesus Christ! Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! A few pics of the Foropoulos family...I am glad my mom and sister like to get big family pics as much as I do, because otherwise I wouldn't have them. We had such a fun time with all our family, but as you can see I don't have pics from the others. We're so grateful for our families...they are such a blessing to us! Not to mention lots of fun!

Thanksgiving at Joyland!

2010-11-23T22:22:00.000-06:00

On the first Thanksgiving, there were Pilgrims, Indians, and a feast, but I'm pretty sure they weren't this adorable! Bennett and his Joyland friends reminded us all of God's provisions and blessings not just for early Americans, but also for us today! One blessing we are very grateful for is Joyland...it has been such a great place for both our boys to learn educational foundations as well as learn more about God's goodness!

Decorating for Christmas!!!

2010-11-22T22:04:00.000-06:00

This year we decided to decorate for Christmas earlier than usual...this made me very happy :) I love this time of year! We wanted to come back from our Thanksgiving travels and be able to enjoy an already decorated home...so, we fired up the Christmas music and got to work! I put on my 147 Million Orphans shirt so that when our little girl looks back at pictures in the years to come, she'll know we were thinking of her. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this time of year?!

Honduras Chili Supper and Silent Auction

2010-11-19T22:49:00.001-06:00

Our Honduras Mission Team hosted a chili supper and auction to raise funds for our 2011 trip. Items were donated and tickets sold for the dinner, and in the end after all expenses, we raised around $2500! Way to go team, and thanks to all who supported us! We're hoping to take around 18 this year!!!

Foropoulos Family Campout

2010-11-19T22:21:00.000-06:00

We'd been wanting to do a big family campout all fall, and this was the weekend! We all headed to Millington to camp at Wave and Dave's farm. We had a fun night roasting hot dogs and making s'mores. Dave even made a yummy campfire cobbler! After a Granddaddy Williams story from Grumps and our Bible story from Ge, we headed to our tents. Wave slept inside with Zane and Bonnie, but the rest of us were outside. It was cold, and at 3 am we heard loud boys' voices...yep, they went in to sleep in the warm house while the rest of us toughed it out on the cold, hard ground in our tents. We had such a fun time...we're truly blessed to be part of a family that has fun together!

Bennett's Soccer Team Party

2010-11-15T22:13:00.000-06:00

To celebrate a fun season of soccer, we had a party at Dairy Delight complete with trophies and ice cream! Way to go, Bennett...we are so proud of you!

Caleb's First 5k

2010-11-13T21:59:00.000-06:00

Caleb and I ran in the Healthy Henry County 5k together! I was super proud of him...we walked most of it (holding hands, hehe) in a cold drizzling rain, but it was so much fun to do it together!
Corey was dealing with an injury in his Achilles, so he wasn't able to run but he did cheer us on and meet us at the finish!

Happy Halloween, Partner!

2010-10-30T21:51:00.000-05:00

These two cowboys had a fun night of trick-or-treating around Paris at the homes of our family and friends! The last several years we have been unable to due to being out of town, so they were very excited!

Maplewood Minsitry

2010-10-30T21:04:00.000-05:00

One of the things that God has really burdened our hearts about while serving in Honduras is the need for us to be doing more to minister out in our community. It doesn't have to be complicated...just show people the love of God by serving them, loving them and just living life with them! God placed a specific ministry on our hearts through several visits to a local apartment complex. We decided to have a fall festival for the families on Oct. 31...we wanted to do something positive and God honoring on a day that often times is anything but. We had around 30 Maplewood members participate and a great turnout from the apartments as well! We served hot dogs, chips, drinks and played games, did a Bible story skit, balloon animals and face painting! It was a blast, the residents were very appreciative and had a great time, but more than them, I think our church family was blessed. I think so many times, people in churches stay withing the walls waiting for the lost to come to us...that isn't what God called us to do...we are to GO to them! We need to share the message of hope and the gospel with those who will never enter the doors of our churches...are you waiting for them to come to you or are you following His command to go and tell?

Survivor Maplewood

2010-10-29T20:17:00.000-05:00

Corey and I hosted the last 5th Quarter of the season for the youth at our home....we had a blast! Around 50 youth showed up after the football game to play, and we even had t-shirts made for the event. They were divided into two teams. The game consisted of three parts. The first was a food challenge with southern delicacies which included...pickled beets, pickled eggs, pickled bologna, prunes and pigs feet...yep. They had to to see what they had to eat, and then the person who chewed, swallowed and opened their mouth first won a point for their team.The second part of the game was a mental challenge. They had a two part puzzle...the first was a 8x5 foot board cut into 19 pieces and tied up in a rope. They had to get all the pieces untied and then put the puzzle together. Once it was completed, they received a clue and had to place the second puzzle in the correct order to reveal the verses that our church mission statement come from.The final part of the game was a physical endurance challenge. They had to balance on these wooden beams and logs to see who could stay on the longest.After each part of the game, the losing team went to tribal council to vote off some of the team members. The last tribal council was the team who won the most of the three challenges, and they voted for who they thought should be the Ultimate Survivor!All the kids did an awesome job...congratulations to Deanna and Griffin who tied for the title of Ultimate Survivor and both won a free ski trip!

Halloween at Joyland

2010-10-29T20:11:00.001-05:00

I know you think that's Spiderman, but it's really Bennett! This was his choice of costumes for the Halloween candy hunt...so cute, and he got some really good candy!

Fall Break Family Vacation

2010-10-24T23:13:00.006-05:00

Over fall break we went to Gatlinburg with Diane, Michele and David. We left after church Wednesday night and Corey came home early on Saturday with the rest of us following on Sunday. It was a quick trip, but we had a great time with lots of shopping, good fun, and beautiful scenery! Our cabin was very pretty, but the driveway was sooooo steep! We got to do several fun things including putt putt, go-carts, and geocaching. It was so nice to have a short getaway and to spend some quality time with family!

Caleb's Fall Party

2010-10-20T22:57:00.007-05:00

To kick off fall break, Caleb's class had a fall party. They had lots of fun! Here are a few pics from the party! Caleb even made sure Bennett got to join in on the fun...he's very thoughtful about wanting B to feel included in things he does! It makes me very happy and proud :)

Honduras Golf Scramble

2010-10-16T22:33:00.000-05:00

Each year, our church holds several fund raisers in order to help cover the $1500/person cost of our mission trip to Honduras. This year, we're hoping to take several more from our church than we have in the past. So, if you would like to donate toward the cost of our trip, it would be much appreciated! Our first official fundraiser was the golf scramble...Jack Pressey headed it up, and we were able to raise about $3000...that's two team members!!! Thanks to all who participated!My favorite team ;)

Party Animals

2010-10-15T22:40:00.003-05:00

The boys were invited to a birthday for their friends Taylor and Austin...it was one of the most fun parties ever! They had a petting zoo, pony rides and a giant hay stack for climbing! Happy Birthday, friends and thanks for the fun!

Of course Caleb took a few moments to talk things over with the guy in charge of bringing all the animals ;)

Thanks Dad!

2010-10-12T22:37:00.000-05:00

Dad had a couple hospital visits in Nashville...we got Krispy Kreme doughnuts! Thanks for thinking of us, Dad!

Pumpkin Painting

2010-10-12T22:22:00.004-05:00

Each fall the boys paint pumpkins...they last longer that way! They love it and always have so much fun. Just a neat little tradition we've begun :)

Sunday School Class Party

2010-10-09T22:10:00.001-05:00

Here are just a couple pics from a Sunday School class party we had at our home...in preparation, Corey and I built the fire pit I've been wanting for a while. It is so much fun having it in our backyard...I'm looking forward to lots of cozy nights by the fire eating s'mores! We are truly blessed to have such great friends at Maplewood...it's always a blast hanging out with this crew!

Ode to a Hairdryer

2010-10-08T21:53:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I know some of you are laughing, but this hairdryer has been with me for over 10 years, so I felt it was worthy of a blog post :)

This hairdryer was a wedding gift from my college roommate, Jennifer, who knew that once I was married I would not be able to use hers anymore, hehe. It was quite a dramatic end, of which I'll spare you most of the grizzly details, but it all happened so suddenly one day...it began with some strange noises, followed by some smoke...I resuscitated it once, and then it ended with flames and pieces of metal falling into the sink. I was in shock and saddened at the loss of my faithful sidekick.

I know it will never be the same, but I did bring myself to purchase another hairdryer...but in memory of my old friend, I went with the same brand, just a new model.

You will be missed Ole' Silver Conair...let's hope this new red one lasts the next 10 years!

Maplewood's Building Dedication Sunday

2010-09-26T22:12:00.002-05:00

Wow, I hardly know how to begin this post or even hope to get all the emotions it brings into words. We have truly been blessed to be part of Maplewood for 4 1/2 years now...most of which has been in the building process, either planning or the actual construction. From the very beginning, our church committed to following the Lord's leadership and giving Him glory for all He would do. Because of this, we felt like the entire process has been dedicated to Him. But on this special day, we were able to celebrate together God's faithfulness with those who have been a part of the process through prayer, financial support, and physical labor. Several of our Constructors for Christ were able to be here for the occasion as well as friends and family.We began the morning with a Meet and Greet so that people could tour the building and also have a chance to catch up on friendships. Afterward, we had a wonderful Celebration Service with worship, a video of the building progression, a testimony, and a powerful sermon...all pointing to God's faithfulness. The worship service included, Great is Thy Faithfulness, Great is Your Faithfulness, Jesus the One and Only, Jesus What a Mighty Name...it was awesome to give God the glory He deserves for completing a task that could've only been accomplished through His power and grace!After the service, the ladies headed to the kitchen to finish preparations for the meal while others remained in the sanctuary for a hymn singing :) There was so much yummy food...worthy of a celebration of this magnitude! As I reflect on the past four years, I know that this time has grown my faith and trust in the Lord. This process has not been easy, but it has been such a blessing! I know that for the rest of our lives, our family will look back to this experience and thank God for letting us be part of His work. He has really taught us that: 1)we can trust Him in any situation...He will fulfill His promises, 2) when His people are dedicated to seeking His will above their own, He can lead us through even the most challenging situations with unity and peace, and 3) I am so grateful that God has called our family to the ministry. It is truly a blessing to be able to serve the Lord and His people full-time. I cannot imagine life apart from the fulfillment that comes through Jesus Christ and serving Him.

Family Farm

2010-09-24T21:52:00.000-05:00

Corey's dad and Sue were in town for the weekend, and we decided to take a trip up to Murray for dinner. While there, we thought it would be fun to stop by the family farm and get a few pictures of the old homeplace. It happened to be a simply beautiful evening, and I was able to get a few pictures of one of the most stunning sunsets I've ever seen!

An Afternoon with Mr. Steve

2010-09-23T21:40:00.000-05:00

For those who have followed our blog for a while, you know that one of the boys' favorite places is Mr. Steve's farm. Since they were little, he has driven them around on his tractors and let them help him bale hay. This is something they LOVE doing. As they were riding with Steve, Corey and I were watching and commented that we wondered if they were asking lots of questions or just looking at everything trying to think through how it all works. We both had to laugh after they got off after riding for 30-45 minutes when Steve said they talked the whole time...of course they did...why did we even ask?!

Amber's Baby Shower

2010-09-14T21:31:00.000-05:00

I love this group of girls...God blessed me with these friendships as soon as we moved to Paris, and I'm very grateful for each of them. We don't all get together as often now that our "playgroup" has grown up and most of them are in school. But for special occasions, like baby showers, we still make it a point to get together. Amber is expecting a precious little girl, so we all wanted to shower her with pretties...look what I found! I had a fit over this outfit...Amber loved it too! We're so excited for you Amber, Chris and Jack!

Bennett's Leader Day

2010-09-14T21:15:00.000-05:00

At Joyland the thing that all the kids look forward to the most is being the leader...well, Bennett did an awesome job I must say! He helped check the weather, lead the songs, hold the flag, carry the Bible, and lead in prayer...and he took his jobs very seriously :) It is hard to believe how much he's growing up! We're looking forward to many more fun days at Joyland...it is truly a blessing! Another thing Bennett loves is that his buddy Jack is there with him...the two were side by side during circle time...they are inseparable!

Just a Few Pics from a Saturday of Sports

2010-09-11T23:43:00.005-05:00

5th Quarter Scavenger Hunt

2010-09-10T21:35:00.003-05:00

Michele and David hosted Maplewood's second 5th Quarter, a get together for our youth after the home football games, at their home. They decided on a scavenger hunt which was unbelievably fun! I got to be a driver, Corey hung out at Jack's Jones (the Robbins opened up and served hot chocolate to all the youth when they stopped by) and tried all the coffee...we had a great time! Here are a few pics of my group and a pic of the two teams who tied for the win. We're looking forward to several more fun 5th Quarters this football season!

2nd Annual Run, Preacher, Run!

2010-09-10T21:25:00.003-05:00

Here's a picture of Corey and Fred running together...they both had long training runs that day, so they did both of their legs of the run together. This event began last year in order to raise funding for Tomorrow's Hope, our local crisis pregnancy center. It is an amazing ministry that counsels, encourages, and saves lives. I'm so grateful that Paris has such a great resource for expectant mothers who don't seem to know who to turn to in the very overwhelming situation of an unplanned pregnancy.

Watch out Joyland!!!

2010-09-07T21:13:00.001-05:00

Bennett was so ready to start school, especially since Caleb had already been going for a few weeks! We absolutely love Joyland! It is such a great environment where the children learn more about Jesus, scripture, and the basics needed for success in kindergarten. B got to pick out his new tennis shoes for school back when Caleb got his, but had to wait to wear them until school started...this made the day doubly exciting!
Along with Bennett starting school, I began teaching at Faith Tutorial for home school students. I'll be teaching each Tuesday morning from 8:30-12:15...Tennessee History and World Geography! It's really amazing that when we had to replace our car at the end of the summer, I was offered this job. It covers our car payment, and it's in the mornings while both the boys are in school so I don't lose much time with them. I am so grateful that God provides for all our needs! I'm really looking forward to a wonderful year with Faith!

Adoption Update...First Home Study Interview

2010-08-27T15:17:00.000-05:00

We're so excited about beginning the adoption process! We've chosen an agency, America World Adoption, and are beginning our home study with them now. We had our first interview on August 27...it was a joint interview with Corey and me. The boys were there too, but were not interviewed during this one. We're actually going to be keeping a time line of our adoption process on the right column of our blog...you can check there to see where we are in the process! We've also added a "Donate" button if you'd like to be part of our journey in that way. We are hoping to be very open during our process...we know that many of our friends and family may have questions and we want to answer as many of those as possible, so feel free to ask!

Caleb's First Season of Football

2010-08-24T15:09:00.001-05:00

This year, Caleb decided that he would rather play football instead of soccer. A little apprehensive, we decided to let him make that choice himself...he was so excited! He is playing Upward Flag Football, which teaches Biblical principles along with the sport of football...we're looking forward to a wonderful first season! Corey is the assistant coach for Caleb's team...Coach Corey is a busy man this season with two boys playing sports!

Bennett...Soccer Star!

2010-08-23T14:54:00.000-05:00

Well, after watching his big brother play for two seasons, Bennett was ready and very excited to start playing soccer! He was so glad to know that his dad was his coach...Here are a few pics of his first practice."Are we ready for a great season?!" "Yeah!"

Maplewood's Community Open House

2010-08-22T14:39:00.000-05:00

We've been in our new building since Easter Sunday, however we scheduled our Community Open House for August 22 from 2-4...as an opportunity for us to share with those around us all that the Lord has done and to tell of His faithfulness! It also allowed those who attend other churches and would not be able to come for worship to celebrate with us. We still have a few projects we're finishing up. One of those we wanted completed before the open house was our church library. Our ladies who work in the library do such a wonderful job...it truly is a great resource for families! So here are a few pics of the library move-in day and the open house!

Evansville, Indiana Triathlon

2010-08-14T21:20:00.001-05:00

Corey set fitness goals for himself over a year ago that included an Olympic distance triathlon (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, and a 6.2 mile-10k run) this year along with a full marathon (coming in December). He and Fred chose this particular triathlon in Evansville because it is one of the few within driving distance that happen on Saturday instead of Sunday, which is kind of important in their line of work, hehe! It was a great accomplishment, but a very frustrating day for them. They were very disappointed to learn right before the race began that the distance for the run was being cut short (3.1 mile-5k distance) due to the extreme heat. It added to the frustration when Corey got a flat tire on his bike at mile 17...he finished the last eight miles on a flat tire! He was at a personal best record pace on his time before it happened, too. I'm so proud that he continued and finished the race although he was exhausted from the added strain of the flat.It's so much like life...sometimes things don't meet up to our expectations, there are unexpected trials and challenges along the way. However, God commands us to finish the race...to be dedicated and committed to our goal: to live a life that glorifies our Father. Have you given up on the race due to the frustrations you have encountered? Remember, we aren't called to come in first...just to finish faithfully...so if you've stopped, get running!

The boys also got to compete in a kids' fun run...they were super proud of their medals!And I received a wonderful gift from the Lord at the race! As you can see in the pictures, I wore my Honduras jersey. This led to a conversation with this young lady who shared with me that she was adopted from Honduras as a baby! I've never met anyone adopted from Honduras because it is very uncommon...we had just determined for sure that we were going to definitely pursue international adoption and specifically Honduras a few days before. It is a country where adoption is rare (only 10 to American families last year), so I truly believe that God allowed me to meet this precious young lady, who encouraged me so much in our decision to adopt, in order to ease my worries and strengthen our resolve to pursue His will for our family. He knew what I needed. Isn't He just amazing like that?! He blows my mind :)

A Busy, Wonderful Week of Ministry

2010-08-14T00:20:00.000-05:00

The first full week of school was also the week of the Henry County Fair this year. Our church has two community ministries we have planned the past several years. One of those is the Back to School Prayer Breakfast. We host this at the Western District Association office and invite those from churches around our community. We pray for each teacher, administrator and board member in our city and county schools by name on the first Monday of school. It is such a neat way to start the school year! The ladies in our church bring all types of breakfast foods, and then after the breakfast, we take food to all the school and school boards to let them know we're praying for them...Loving God, Loving Others, For His Glory!The next day we set up for our Henry County Fair booth where our church members hand out bottles of water on Wednesday through Saturday night. It is just a way of showing the love of God to those in our community. This year, it was such a hot week, and I think people were especially appreciative. The boys helped us purchase the 1,000+ bottles of water and even worked together to push a full cart themselves...loved the picture! It was such a busy start to the school year, but what better way to begin than by serving others!

Happy Birthday, Clayton!!!

2010-08-07T00:14:00.001-05:00

After leaving Martin, we headed back to Paris for a fun birthday party for our buddy, Clayton! Our boys have been so blessed to have such wonderful friends in the Shackelford boys. Here are a few pics of the festivities at McDonalds...one of their very favorite places!

Time with Family

2010-08-07T00:08:00.000-05:00

We've been trying to find a time to go see my aunt, uncle and cousins in Martin...it finally happened, and Jeremy and his precious fiance, Melissa, were there as well! We had a short but sweet time together...family is truly a blessing from the Lord! Even though we don't get to see them often, I always enjoy the times when we do!

Back to School!

2010-08-06T23:58:00.003-05:00

Caleb started first grade...hard to believe! We did our traditional back-to-school shopping to get his school supplies and new shoes. Then we got to meet his sweet teacher, Mrs. Christy. We're looking forward to another wonderful year!

Fun Weekend...Cousins, Triathlon and Friends

2010-07-31T21:49:00.000-05:00

Corey had his first triathlon of the season in Collierville...the Sharpshooter Tri. Our family stayed with Wave, Dave and the kids for the weekend in order to be close to the race and spend some time together. We had such a great time...that Friday night, we were able to go with their small group from church to the Baptist Children's Home for a cookout and fun with the children there. Then Waverly and I stayed up until 5 am talking...we don't get to do that much with all our children :) It was so much fun! Then at 5:30, Corey and I got up and left for his race...I was quite tired!This race was a 400 meter lake swim (it looked quite ominous early in the morning), 11 mile bike and a 2 mile trail run. Corey did great even though it was very hot and humid, and it was really neat that our friends Fred Shackelford and Stan and Stephanie Dunagan competed in this race, too...it was Stan and Stephanie's first one! So proud of you guys! Our boys chose to stay with their cousins for this race, but we joined back up with them afterward. Caleb had his first loose tooth and waited for me to get back to pull it...yikes! I do not like pulling teeth. Here he is with his sweet baby tooth smile before...and his big boys toothless smile afterward!Then afterward we headed toward home, making a stop in Jackson to say goodbye to our friend, Scott McSwain. He is moving to Santiago, Chili to teach at a university for a year...we will miss him greatly and pray God's blessings on his time there. We must Skype and make more silly faces soon!We also dropped by for the boys to check in on our sweet dog, Tanner, who has lived with his new family since we moved to Paris...he is well loved and taken care of, but it was really good to see him!

Love these Girls!

2010-07-29T21:38:00.000-05:00

This past spring, I was privileged to lead a youth girls study of the book, Crazy Love, by Francis Chan....awesome book that I suggest you read! Carol Hutson was our host this semester, and she wanted to get together with the girls for a back to school pizza party. So, we met up at Pizza Hut and it just so happened to be a night when the clowns were there!!! Check out our awesome hats ;) She also gave us all Crazy Love t-shirts..thank you Carol! We had a couple who couldn't be there, but we had a great time with those who could. We also introduced the study that we'll be starting in the Fall...Lady in Waiting by Jackie Kendall...can't wait!!!

Big Announcement....We're Adopting!

2010-07-12T21:49:00.000-05:00

Along with all the amazing things we experienced this summer, one HUGE thing happened...God affirmed to us the decision to adopt a little girl from Honduras! We have been praying about adoption for at least a year, and in His timing, we have come to a peace about His will for us. In addition to preparing our hearts for this adoption journey, He has given us one confirmation after another. While in Honduras this summer, we began to realize that the doors for adoption that had previously been closed are slowly but surely beginning to open. When we arrived home and headed to the SBC, we continued to be prayerful, and we received a very clear answer. The SBC has begun an adoption grant for pastors and missionaries to help with part of the cost. There were multiple testimonies given about the amazing impact adoption had on these families. At one point Corey looked over at me, and we just knew we were being called to adoption as a family. God placed in my heart a desire for a daughter long ago...I truly believe that God knew He would bless us with two amazing boys and then use that desire for a daughter to lead us to adoption.

Some of you may wonder why we are adopting. Other than what I've already shared, we absolutely love the picture of God's love and redemption for us that adoption gives. Those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ have been adopted into the family of God. We are now co-heirs with Christ...isn't that amazing? He saw our great need and He reached out and not only met our needs, but has given us the promise of an eternal inheritance. He desired a relationship with us, sought us out, paid the high price of His only Son Jesus...and we were worth it to Him.

Our boys are so very excited about having a little sister! If you've been around them lately, they've probably already told you about it! They cannot wait...but will have to :) The process will likely take at least a year. Some other answers you might be wondering about...We did consider adopting domestically...we actually had our information at Tomorrow's Hope, our local Crisis Pregnancy Center, for several months. We looked at other agencies, but simply felt this is what we are being led to do. We do not have a specific child that we are adopting. We just know that she will likely be somewhere between 0-3 years old. We honestly don't know what the final cost will be...somewhere between $15,000-22,000 probably. Wow! I know...but how many times do people spend that much money on a car in a lifetime without blinking. Honestly, this has been one of the huge faith barriers God has brought us through. We don't know exactly how, but we know that He will provide. He has always provided and been faithful to us when we've followed His will...and He will this time, too. We are in the process of a home study right now. This includes interviews with our family and a visit to our home. It also includes lots of paperwork, background checks, fingerprinting, etc. When we finish the home study, the US government will review our paperwork and have to approve our family for adoption. We will then send all the information to the Honduran government and they will begin reviewing our dossier (all the required paperwork). Then they will match us with a child that fits our request. This can take anywhere from 6 months to over a year. At the end of the process, we will travel to Honduras twice...once to meet our daughter, go through interviews with the government, complete paperwork...And then we'll have to come back home without her for about 2 months. We'll return a final time to finalize the paperwork and then she'll be ours! It seems so far away right now, but I am praying God will allow the process to go smoothly and give us much patience!

I know this has been a long post, but there is just so much to share. Please know that we are all very open to answer any questions anyone might have...we love you all so much and are so happy to be transparent and share our lives with you.

Constructors for Christ 2010

2010-07-11T22:42:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness...I cannot tell you how excited we were to be going to help another church build this year just like so many others gave their time to help us last summer! A total of eleven from Maplewood went to Spotsylvania, Virginia this summer to help Craig's Baptist Church build their new facility. The week Corey and I traveled, we took six. Caleb and Bennett were supposed to go, but the site was just too dangerous for kids, so they ended up having an awesome week with Ge and Grumps for a few days and with Aunt Waverly, Uncle David and the cousins for a few days. We were so grateful that our family stepped in at the last minute in order for us to go. We knew they would have a great time. The guys mostly hung sheetrock during the week...lots of it! Deanna and I kept the site clean and completed other random jobs that needed our attention until we decided to buy overalls in honor of Ray...amazingly we got promoted to sheetrock that day, too! It was such a wonderful week...we truly love Constructors and their heart for the Lord. What a blessing to serve alongside those served us! Here are a few pictures from our week!Haha...don't ask! This picture would NOT turn the right way!
Another really special thing for me was that my Great Uncle Ab and Aunt Wanda lived 10 minutes from our hotel! I haven't been to their home since I was in the second grade, but remember the beautiful farm, riding their pony and helping feed the horses. We were able to visit with them for a couple of hours one night. They called the family over too..it was a wonderful addition to our week!

End of a Season

2010-07-10T22:18:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful t-ball season this year. It was especially fun that Caleb and Bennett were able to be on a team together for the first time ever! They loved it, and so did we :) We played with Tri-Turf Sod again...Mrs. Tina and Mr. Jason are the best team sponsors ever. We had a great time celebrating a great season with a cookout. Mrs. Miranda was up to her baking again...her cakes are always yummy and were a real treat for the party! Mrs. Tina grilled some yummy burgers and hot dogs, and Coach George and Coach Corey handed out the trophies. What a fun season...we're done with t-ball for now, but we'll be ready for next year!

Fourth of July Cookout at the Cain's

2010-07-04T22:03:00.000-05:00

Each year for the 4th of July, our family invites our church family over to celebrate the freedom we have in America as well as the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. We love this time of fellowship, and are so blessed to live here in this wonderful country where we're able to gather like this with our church. We had a great turnout...around 100 people, and the guys baking contest was the stiffest competition to date! The men enjoyed several games of corn hole while some of the other played football. I didn't take a single picture with my camera, so thank you Karen for letting me use yours :) Happy 4th of July!We love silly faces...had to put this one in!

Disney...the Last Day

2010-06-20T21:29:00.000-05:00

Day Four

Happy Father's Day to Corey!!! You are a wonderful dad...thanks for spending this Father's Day celebrating in such a special way with us. The time you invest in us, the way you support us, and the priority you've made our family are truly blessings!We decided to spend our final day at Disney entirely at the Magic Kingdom. We began by heading to Frontierland to ride Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain...both lots of fun! We also went to Adventureland where we rode Pirates of the Caribbean (one of the boys favorites), Aladdin's Magic Carpet, the Swiss Family Robinson's Tree House...We had another rainy afternoon, but stopped for lunch and a bird show (not a favorite) and then headed back to our resort for a nap.We had a long night ahead of us! We watched the fireworks one last time....the fireworks were definitely one of the highlights of the trip! Disney does something really neat for their guests who stay at the resort...Magic Hours!!! Only guests who stay at the part can ride during these times...they are either open early or late. In our case the additional hours this day were from 11pm-2am. And oh, yes...we enjoyed every minute of it! We were able to ride Space Mountain, the Buzz Lightyear ride, It's a Small World, and several others ...all without any wait! We also went to the Hall of Presidents, a haunted house, the Carousel of Progress...again, hehe... It was so much fun! We had the BEST time...this final fun night was such a wonderful conclusion to one of the best family vacations ever! We definitely hope to go again one day.Day Five

We ate a late breakfast at our resort the next morning and then the boys had their caricatures done by an artist. The taxi picked us up and we were on our way to the airport. The boys were so tired...they fell asleep in the cab. Once there, they took time to make friends with everyone around us :) And then we loaded up on the plane and headed back to Nashville. Nanny picked us up at the airport and after a few hugs and kisses, we were on our way back to Home, Sweet, Home...Paris, Tennessee! Whew...what a wonderful but extremely busy couple of weeks! It has definitely been a time of great memories that will last a lifetime...we're so grateful to God for the opportunity to spend this time together as a family!

Disney Part 3

2010-06-19T20:12:00.000-05:00

Day Three

We decided to head to Hollywood Studios to start out our third day. We were able to ride the new Toy Story ride...lots of fun, but we only did it once. It was our longest wait the entire time there 50 min. or so...which by the way was surprising to us. The lines really weren't that bad! We also were able to meet some neat characters, some of the Little Einsteins, Handy Manny, and then Buzz Lightyear and Woody!!! How exciting...check out Bennett's expression...precious! Then we caught a Playhouse Disney Live show.Afterward, we headed back to our room to let the boys rest...we were all pretty tired at this point! After nap time, we got ready for our dinner at Narcoosee's...wow, what a treat! It was located at the beautiful Grand Floridian Resort inside Disney. When we planned our vacation, we decided to do the Disney Dining Plan. We were really glad we did, but realized that we could have managed quite well with a smaller plan...3 meals + 2 snacks each every day= too much food! So, when we booked our dinner here, the fact that it used two of our dining plan meals each was no big deal. Had we paid cash, it would have been the most expensive meal we've ever eaten. It was incredible! But Corey and I were a little nervous that we were sitting beside a senior adult couple with no children at an expensive restaurant...you just never know how your children will act. What a blessing, not only was the meal incredible, but the boys behaved so nicely that the couple commented what a pleasure it was dining next to us after the dinner was over...whew! Our dining plan included appetizers (Corey and I had the fried calamari...so good...the picture doesn't do it justice, the boys both had chicken noodle soup...with Mickey Mouse noodles!) a main course (Corey had steak, I had lobster, and the boys had filet), and then dessert (B had a Nemo cupcake, Caleb had a chocolate sundae, Corey had creme brulee...two different types, and I had a beautiful chocolate truffle). Whew! What a meal...we won't do anything like it again for a long time I'm sure, but it was so much fun and the presentation of each dish was so pretty!Afterward we took a boat ride from the dock at the restaurant to Magic Kingdom for a few rides. We headed to Space Mountain...Bennett was too short :( so Caleb and Corey got to ride together first and then Caleb and I rode while B and Corey went to ride something else together. We rode the Carousel of Progress again (can't figure out the boys intrigue with this ride, but the kept singing the song all week..."There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day!") And then we watched the fireworks show again...in the rain. It was such a precious memory...all of us just standing out in the rain getting poured on, but enjoying every moment of it together! What a fun way to end the day....only one more day left...hard to believe!

Disney Continued...

2010-06-18T21:29:00.007-05:00

Day Two
After an amazing first day, we couldn't wait for our second day! We began with breakfast at our resort...these Mickey waffles were so cute! We decided to head to Animal Kingdom and Epcot. Our first stop in Animal Kingdom was a safari ride...it was so wonderful! We rode on a bus and were actually pretty close to the animals. We saw lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and lots of others! After that we visited a petting zoo, and we got signatures from Flick, Pocahontas, Rafiki, and Jimminy Cricket! I'm sure there were a lot of other neat things in Animal Kingdom, but it started raining on us again, so we decided to head on our way.
Next we went to Epcot. We went on the ride inside the big sphere and then took a boat ride across the lake to see some of the countries represented. We saw a really neat drum presentation in "Japan" while waiting to eat dinner at the Japanese steakhouse, Teppan Edo. Lunch was absolutely delicious and very entertaining...the boys really enjoy watching the food being cooked in front of us! Afterward we were able to go to a really neat aquarium...the boys loved the dolphins! And we were able to talk to Crush, the turtle from Finding Nemo. Then we saw Donald Duck, Daisy, Pluto, Goofy and....MICKEY! We waited for a while, but it was worth it :) There was also a really neat test track car ride and we saw Kurt Warner getting on when we were getting off! Then we decided to take a ride on the Monorail from Epcot to Magic Kingdom and back...it was a fun way to see Disney from a different perspective.We ended the day with a swim in the pool at our resort...it was a fun, refreshing end to a great day!

We're going to Disney World!

2010-06-17T16:44:00.003-05:00

It has been a dream of mine to take the boys to Disney World while they are young and everything is still magical to them. Imagine my excitement when Corey and I heart that SBC was in Orlando this year! Because we knew we would already be there, we decided to fly the boys there with us to experience the dream ;) They didn't know we were going until the morning we were preparing to leave the hotel we stayed in for the conference, so we woke them up with the exciting news! They were thrilled!

DAY ONE
We arrived in Disney World Thursday morning, checked into the All-Star Movies Resort and then headed strait to the Magic Kingdom. Mom, Zachary and Natiley met us there for day one because they had been in town for the convention with Dad. We had a blast covering most of the rides in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. It actually started raining on us really hard at one point, but we just ran through the rain from ride to ride...I think the boys liked this almost as much as the rides! It was an absolutely fun memory...and I'm glad we didn't mind the rain, because it rained on us every afternoon or evening we were there! We ended the evening with dinner at the Crystal Palace where me met Winnie the Pooh, all his friends, and Tigger too! The boys had little green autograph books that they had all the characters sign when they met them, so these were our first autographs! The wait for dinner was unusually long due to a miscommunication, so when we were seated, the hostess asked the boys which Pooh characters were their favorite...a few minutes later she returned with a stuffed Pooh for Caleb and a Tigger for Bennett!
Right after dinner we headed to Main Street Disney to catch the parade and fireworks show! It was incredible! Everything we had imagined about how magical Disney World would be was exceeded. The castle was stunningly beautiful all lit up! It was truly a dream come true to experience this as a family!Just a little note...Caleb took the last two pictures all by himself with his camera! I was so impressed!

SBC 2010...Orlando

2010-06-16T11:10:00.000-05:00

After a short night's sleep, Corey and I headed to church to prepare for Sunday worship. It was so good to see our church family! Our boys had been in Jackson while we were in Honduras, so Michele had brought them back to Paris and was going to bring them with her to church. Just before Sunday school they arrived, and I've never been so excited to see them in my life! We had big hugs and lots of smiles and kisses!

After a wonderful morning, we grabbed a quick lunch and then changed over our bags from Honduras clothing to Southern Baptist Convention/vacation clothing...whew! By 3 o'clock we were on the road back to the Nashville airport...weren't we just here?!The boys were so excited about their first flight! They generally haven't gone with us to SBC, but with it being in Orlando, we decided to tag our family vacation onto the end of the trip. They loved the flight and even got to sit in the cockpit with the pilot before the flight! We arrived at our hotel late...after 11 pm. We were so ready for bed!

The pastors' conference was amazing! We were able to hear Francis Chan (wrote Crazy Love, which I did with the girls for a book study this past spring) and David Platt. When David Platt was preaching, he said that we must be willing to give our lives in order for the Great Commission to be fulfilled. He said that some would die for the cause, but that it would be a cause worth dying for. Caleb looked up at me and said, "Mom, if God tells me to go, I will. I'll die. I won't even care!" Oh, my...I lost it! What does God have planned for this child? I cannot wait to see...he makes my heart so proud with his sensitivity to other people and to the Lord. And as we worshiped, I was holding him and had my hand raised in praise...he lifted both his hands and his sweet little face up toward heaven and just worshiped, too! It was one of the most powerful moments I've experienced as a mother and as a Christian! I can't really put it into words.

Throughout the conference there was an emphasis on adoption. The SBC is starting the Minister's Adoption Fund to help pastors and missionaries with the cost of adoption. Several pastors and professors shared their families' stories about adoption. The question was posed, "What if instead of being known as the convention who boycotts things, we became known as the convention who cares for orphans and widows as we're called to do in God's word?" Powerful! Stay tuned for more on this very soon....and an exciting announcement! ;)

Honduras 2010...Day 7

2010-06-12T10:46:00.000-05:00

We're heading home! Travel days are always long, but I absolutely love the anticipation of flying and going somewhere new or heading home...there's just something about it that thrills me every time! It never gets old. We got up and ate breakfast at the hotel. We then loaded up the bus and headed from Valle to Tegucigalpa. The drive is beautiful...through the mountains down into the valleys. Tegus is nestled between a lot of mountains which makes for a beautiful view and very challenging take-offs/landings :) When we got to the airport, we saw Lidia's daughter, "little" Lidia there! She is usually with us as well to translate for us, but she now has a job and wasn't able to translate this year. We then said tearful goodbyes to everyone and passed through security. We did a little shopping in the airport and then waited on our plane to Miami. We arrived in Miami and then basically just visited while waiting on our plane to Nashville. We made it to Nashville with no problems, all our luggage and family and friends waiting. We said goodbye Zachary and the Bemis crew then headed off for Paris. Before we even left Nashville, a car cut over in front of us and then slammed on it's brakes after realizing what they'd done. We slammed into the back of them, and then they took off! Crazy! Everyone in the bus was okay...just a little shaken up. Corey was so calm driving. He followed them as they drove through a couple red lights and we got their license plate number. Then we pulled over and called the police. The arrived very quickly and got us back on the road in about 20 minutes. I told the boys once we were home that God had definitely answered their prayers for our safety from the beginning of the trip to the end. We got back home around 1:30am. Home feels so nice, but a part of our heart remains in Honduras...we look forward to returning again next year and seeing our dear friends and the people we've grown to love so much!

Honduras 2010...Day 6

2010-06-11T22:23:00.004-05:00

We got up this morning and ate breakfast. We then loaded all of our stuff up and left Comayagua. We traveled to Tegucigalpa to drop Scott off at the airport. I've been so blessed to have him in my life...it makes me sad to think that he will probably not be with us next year. He is leaving in August to teach at a University in Chile for a year. I know God has great plans for you, Scott! While there we got to see part of the Penalva family...they are dear to us and have been a very special part of our team in Honduras in years past. After we left the airport, we headed toward Valle de Angeles, where we shop and are spending the night. We shopped for a couple of hours and then loaded up and went to eat at a restaurant in Valle. It was a nice open air restaurant. When we pulled up, the Matticas (our missionary friends from previous trips to Honduras) were there to eat with us. It was such a blessing to get to see them and also to talk with some new friends, the Mohegans, who are serving with El Ayudante and will be part of our ministry in the future. We then headed back to the cabins and told another one of our translators, Sarah Rivera, goodbye. She and Grace, our other Honduran translator are both translating for another mission team next week. Our cabins for the night were a little more rustic than we've stayed in in years past, but we were exhausted and went to sleep pretty quickly...we were all pretty excited to get back home to our families, but also sad that our time in Honduras was coming to an end. This last day before leaving always gives me such strange, mixed feelings.

Honduras 2010, Day 5

2010-06-10T21:35:00.000-05:00

Day five started with us ministering to children at an orphanage...honestly, they ministered to us. They were such precious children. This orphanage is run by a Christian couple... the man who runs it is in his 70's. His wife died several years ago, and he married a Honduran woman who is his helpmate at the orphanage. They also run a school and a church, and his wife is principal of another school, also. They have told us that when we return, they would love for us to present at both of the schools...several hundred children! This couple is so loving toward the children in their home. We sat and talked with them both for a while and could tell that they truly loved these children. Afterward we went in to see the children. The children recited a lot of scripture that they had been taught. Then they sang several praise songs for us. They even sang several of the songs in English. After that blessing, we sang a couple of songs and did our skit for the kids. They loved it. They wanted Scott to sing a solo for them, so he sang "El Me Conoce," which is "He Knows My Name" in English...kind of neat that this is the hymn of the month at Maplewood this month. One of the verses says, "I have a Father. He calls me His own. He'll never leave me, no matter where I go." What a blessing to know that God is a Father to the fatherless, and that He has adopted all of us into His family as co-heirs with Christ! I think that to some extent, these children have a far better understanding and appreciation of this than many of us do. We ended our time of worship together singing Amazing Grace. The children would sing a verse in Spanish, and then we would sing it in English. What a powerful experience! The guys went outside and all played soccer with the boys, and the girls stayed inside and we made balloon animals with them and put barrettes in their hair. We gave them all school supply and hygiene bags as we were getting ready to leave, and we fitted them all with a new pair of flip-flops. We left anything that we were not going to need for the rest of our time with the orphanage. We left a bunch of flip-flops, a few school supply bags, several suitcases, and LOTS of candy!We went back to the hotel and ate lunch before heading out to Comayagua Plaza. This plaza is home to the second oldest cathedral in Central America and the world's second oldest clock tower. First, some went to tour the cathedral while others went shopping and site-seeing. This is one of the places where I feel we have a major impact...each year we are able to give out many tracts in this bustling town square. There is a constant flow of people in and through this area. It is really neat to see our group spread out and almost anywhere we look, we find either someone reading a tract we have given them or talking to one of our group members. There were a couple of boys that kept coming up to our group. One of them did not have on any shoes, so some of the group pulled out a couple pairs of flip-flops and gave them to him. He immediately put them on. They also wanted, not just one tract, but one of each of the tracts we had! Their persistence with this effort ended in them accepting Christ as their personal Savior. I actually had one of the tracts the others didn't, and they had not had a translator with them earlier. As we sat and talked through it with one of the translators, they asked Jesus into their hearts! Then Jessica bravely approached a group of young ladies and asked if we could share the gospel with them. A couple of them were Christians, but have not been living the way they should. And one of them said she just liked the world too much and wasn't ready to make that commitment. I was so proud of Jessica for sharing...and I reminded her that we aren't responsible for a person's decision, only for sharing the truth. Then as we were sitting there, an older lady approached us, and DeDe asked her if she had a relationship with Jesus. She said yes, but her grandson did not. So DeDe was able to talk to him, and he accepted Christ. What a blessing to see my friends and church members doing exactly what Christ has called us to do...sharing the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ! We have been able to see 10 people accept Christ through one-on-one evangelism.Afterward, we headed to the mall and the supermarket to pick up food that we wanted to take home. We then went back to the hotel, got cleaned up, and headed to Pizza Hut. We ate wings, pizza, and dessert...the whole group, mind you...for $52...amazing. The employees came out and sang Happy Birthday to Jessica...she was very embarrassed...it was fun ;)

Honduras 2010, Day 4

2010-06-09T00:10:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday, Jessica Alexander! What a way to spend your 16th birthday...I pray it has been a day you will never forget and that you will continue to serve Christ in the years to come and that you will grow steadily in your walk with Him!Today we were scheduled to share in the town of Ajuterique. The mayor had invited us back the last time we were here and had scheduled for all the schools and many others to meet with us at the town square. For the past several days, he hasn't returned the calls of our coordinator, and when we arrived there was no one gathered. It was somewhat disappointing, but we just prayed and got to work. We played soccer with the children and made balloon animals to attract a crowd. When we were making the balloon animals, the children literally began pushing and pressing in on us. It brought to mind the scripture where the crowd was pressing Jesus, yet he saw the needs and lovingly met them. We're told in scripture that when he saw the crowds he had compassion on them. As best we could, we tried to love the people and meet their needs as overwhelming as the task appeared. By the end of the day, 6 people accepted Christ as Savior, and we had given out between 200-300 tracts! God truly blessed our efforts and answered our prayers!This afternoon we went to a church here in Comayagua where we did our program for the children and their families. They were absolutely precious children! After our presentation, we found out that the church was relocating! How neat, seeing as we have just completed a relocation with our church. We were able to travel with a few of the church members and their children to see the new church site, prayer walk it, and then pray with them. Also, Zachary was able to give a trombone to the church. They were so blessed and said that instruments are very expensive here. He said that he would begin praying for someone to develop a talent to play it in their church.

Honduras 2010, Day 3

2010-06-08T16:16:00.001-05:00

Today was such an incredible day! We were very blessed to go to CasAyuda this morning to minister to the special needs children there. I was so touched by their sweet smiles and joy! We did our introductions, Bible story skit, and songs first. Then we did the noise maker craft with them...because many of them are deaf, we thought this might not be a great craft, but they can still feel the vibration and all of the children love it! After that, we fed them hot dogs for lunch...they waited so patiently as we served them. It was amazing to me to see how well mannered and thoughtful these children are. At one point I had a few tears rolling down my cheek, and one of the deaf children motioned to me to ask why I was crying...I told him I was just happy to be there with them. How sweet that they would notice and be concerned for me. It was very humbling. After lunch we went outside to play soccer and Red Light, Green Light with them. Afterward, we gave out school supply and hygiene bags to the children. It was such a fun morning for all of us.This afternoon, we went to El Ayudante's ministry center and painted the dorm rooms. It is really exciting to think that the first teams will be staying there in July and that we will likely be there next year!Then this evening, we went to the mall to use the internet cafe and get some coffee, and while standing in line, two little boys, Daniel and Christian, approached Corey and me to ask for money for food. So I took them to a restaurant in the mall to get something kind of like a quesadilla. They were so hungry they ate every bite of those big things. Their clothes and shoes were worn, so our team was able to take them to a store to get Honduras soccer jerseys and new shoes. It was a fresh reminder to me that no matter where we are, we are to be looking for needs and meeting them with the love of Jesus Christ in us.

Honduras 2010, Day 2

2010-06-07T21:52:00.001-05:00

Today has been a wonderful day of ministry in Honduras. We began with a school in the mountains in a village called Lo de Reina where we did a presentation that included a skit where I told a Bible story featuring Scott as King Nebuchadnezzar, and Zachary, Taylor and Jack as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. It also included the other team members as the flames in the fiery furnace and Jordan and Gary as the guards...yes we looked as funny and silly as it sounds, and the kids love it! The children there are precious and really enjoyed the balloon animals and noise maker crafts half of the team made with them. The other part of our team played soccer with the children...I hear it was a pretty rough game, haha. Corey has a knot on his shin, and apparently Scott knocked a kid over...When Scott apologized, he said, "It's okay...it's a game, what do you expect!"...well, in Spanish ;) At the end of our time at the school, we handed out school supply bags and said our goodbyes.
We went to El Ayudante to see the site and eat sandwiches for lunch. It was really neat to see how much it has changed since we were here two years ago. The medical center walls are completed, and we will be putting a finish coat of paint on the walls in the dorm rooms tomorrow.

This afternoon, we traveled to the squatters village, which is basically several acres of land where people have built "houses" on land that doesn't belong to them in hopes that if they stay long enough, the government will make it legally theirs. It is hard and incredibly shocking to see the conditions in which they live the first time. Many of the homes are made of sticks, plastic, scrap metal...whatever they can find, and they have dirt floors. It sounds strange to say, but the homes have now become more permanent than the last several times we've come. There were a few nicer homes made with cinder blocks. While there we gave out many pairs of flip-flops and hygiene bags. It was also neat to see how God has answered our prayers for these people to come to a saving, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Most all the people we encountered were attending a church there in the village. We were split into three groups, so I don't know all the interactions the others had, but our group included Corey, Zachary, DeDe, Scott and me. In the three trips I've been here, I don't think I've ever gotten to go with Corey, and it was really special for me to also be able to experience today with my little brother!
We met one woman in particular who really stood out in my mind. Her name was Lucillia. She was an older woman with an incredibly warm smile and kind eyes. She shared about how God has been part of her life and thanked us so much for coming. As we prayed for her, she prayed for us as well. One of the groups was giving out hats, and they ran out...Jordan took off his prized Atlanta Braves hat and gave it away to a man who didn't have one...I didn't see it, but Becky said it brought her to tears. He has grown into such a gentleman...I've even noticed his thoughtfulness toward other team members these past few days...you should be very proud, Connie and Lee! They were all so very grateful for the gifts we brought them and the encouragement we were able to share.
We are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us tomorrow as we go to CasaAyuda, a school for special needs children, half are deaf and the others have other special needs like Down Syndrome...pray that we are able to effectively communicate the love of Jesus to them.

Honduras 2010, Day 1

2010-06-06T19:25:00.002-05:00

We are here in Comayagua, Honduras!!! We arrived safely in the capital of Tegucigalpa with two very smooth flights, only a two hour delay in Miami, and we have all our luggage! I'll do my best to update throughout the week. We are so excited about all God has in store for us, please keep us in your prayers!

I was able to sit by a nice young lady, Pearla, law on the plane to Honduras who was just returning home from a year in Spain where she received her masters in business law. When I told her why were were here, she was so grateful for the work we were coming to do. When I asked her if she knew Jesus personally, she testified about feeling His presence and power in her life over this past year. Then once we arrived at the airport and were greeted by our translators, we ate lunch at Burger King and began the drive to Comayagua. On the way, Lydia, who works for El Ayudante and has been with us every year, shared her testimony of God's promises and faithfulness in her life. She also told us that the seeds we have planted in years past have produced much fruit...What an exciting way to start the trip, hearing stories of God's faithfulness in the lives of other believers!

Finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sweet Caleb...I love you so much. and I miss you today. I've never missed being with you on your birthday this past 6 years and would not if I didn't truly believe that God desires for me to be here sharing with his other children who do not know Him and His love and plan for their lives. I am so grateful for the amazing blessing you are to me...I love you!

Love these Pics!

2010-06-05T22:00:00.001-05:00

Two cute pics from one of the last t-ball games this season...too cute not to post! I love these sweet faces!

Caleb's 6th Birthday Party!

2010-06-04T21:40:00.000-05:00

It just seems impossible that our Caleb is six years old! Time really has flown, and as much as everyone tells you that, it is hard to prepare for the reality of it. It has been such an amazing blessing to parent this precious boy. Caleb has developed a strong personality and loves being a leader and to be in charge, go figure, hehe! But at the same time, he has such a heart for people and sharing about Jesus. I can't wait to see what God has in store for his life...We love you, Caleb!!!

This year, we were going to be gone on his actual birthday (in Honduras), but we celebrated with a really fun pool party two days before and Disney the week after. We had a wonderful time with friends and family at the city pool. Our friend Mrs. Miranda made Caleb an awesome birthday cake...he was very specific about what he wanted...chocolate with chocolate icing with his family, Oreo, and "I love Jesus" on it...Check out her skills! And these are a few other pictures from the party that I loved...enjoy!

Four Wonderful Years!

2010-05-01T21:12:00.000-05:00

Corey, the boys and I have been so very blessed to have had the privilege of serving at Maplewood for four years! We absolutely love our church family and are so grateful for the way they love us and serve the Lord. This past year has shown us even more clearly the beautiful hearts of our people as they've served throughout the building process this past year with diligence, patience and love. We love you all!

"We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us." 1 Thessalonians 2:8

Fish Fry Fun!

2010-04-29T20:49:00.002-05:00

Every year we enjoy celebrating the World's Biggest Fish Fry...right here in Paris! The boys love going to ride the rides at the fair and we have a great time watching the parade with family and friends! Of course we have to take time to enjoy a catfish dinner at the fish tent! This is just one of the many things we love about living in Paris...enjoy the pics! (Somehow I never managed to get a family picture :( but Corey and I were there, hehe!)

Kindergarten Parade, Fall Cookout and Field Day...Whew!

2010-04-23T22:21:00.001-05:00

As the end of the school year approaches, the Kindergarten classes are getting ready for 1st Grade! Part of this was a parade where each of the classes dressed up with a different theme and then walked around the school while the 1st and 2nd graders cheered them on...so cute!Afterward, the kids changed into their Reading Celebration shirts and we had a picnic...Corey, Fred and some of the guys grilled lots of burgers...Then we began Field Day! Caleb wanted Bennett to be right there with him and even had him change into his parade shirt. They played in jumpers, had a petting zoo and several relays. It was a really fun day!!!

It's T-Ball Time in Tennessee!

2010-04-17T22:04:00.001-05:00

The boys had their first t-ball game together. I think they are really excited to be teammates...Corey and I are definitely excited that we only have one schedule to deal with and that he only has one team to help coach ;) They are both doing so well, and we're super proud of them!
Bennett's first at-bat...
He slides home every time...about 3 inches too short...it's adorable!
Caleb at the plate...
This made me so happy...they didn't even know I was behind them with the camera, and Caleb just put his arm around B...so precious!
GO TRI-TURF!!!

Corey's Half Marathon

2010-04-17T21:47:00.000-05:00

Corey has been training for months to prepare for his first half marathon. The Andrew Jackson Half was the perfect one...it was a beautiful day and a beautiful course. He also ran into a friend from college. They run at about the same pace, so it was a real blessing to have someone to run with for the 13.1 miles. We are so proud of you, Corey...you worked so hard to accomplish this goal! Way to go!
Afterward, we all went to Zachary's hockey game...the boys took their hockey gear along with them, too. What a cute pic!The boys were both so exhausted after the late night at the concert Friday and a fun-filled Saturday morning that they conked out in the backseat of the car on the way home...bless their hearts!

Zachary's All-State Concert

2010-04-16T21:38:00.000-05:00

I'm so proud of my "little" brother, Zachary. He is a very talented trombone player and just all around great guy. The boys and I had the privilege of going with Mom, Dad and Natiley to his All-State concert. The concert was wonderful...I especially liked the trombone parts ;)

Crusin' Time!

2010-04-10T22:31:00.002-05:00

Corey and I headed to Jackson to drop the boys off at mom and dad's for the week of Spring Break so we could go on a much needed vacation...a cruise with our friends, the Cooks and the Alexanders! We drove to Mobile and left on a 5 day Caribbean cruise with stops in Cozumel and Calica (Playa del Carmen). We had such a wonderful time relaxing and enjoying the wonderful meals. Corey has worked so hard this past year and vacation came just in time to let him rejuvenate! I don't have time to post all the details, but we were able to have two relaxing days on the ship, a fun morning touring Discover Mexico...a museum about Mexican history with scale models of ancient ruins and other landmarks, an afternoon of snorkeling in Cozumel at the Chankunaab resort, a day of fun renting a Dodge Journey and exploring Playa del Carmen and driving to Cancun for a long walk on the beautiful beach, and a beautiful vowel renewal ceremony for Becky and Bruce's 20th anniversary...so many wonderful memories were made! Here are some pictures of the fun week we had!

Easter Sunday Continued

2010-04-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

After the morning service, we headed back to our home for lunch. We snapped a couple pics before we changed. Special thanks to Nanny for the boys' adorable outfits...she always makes sure we celebrate Easter in style. And I was so excited to get this pic of all the cousins...it's not all that often we're all together and even more rare for us to get them all together in one spot for a picture! I'm so grateful for the fun memories they made during the time we spent together!

Easter Sunday...First Sunday in Our New Building!

2010-04-04T22:25:00.001-05:00

I LOVE Easter...I know I say that every year, but the hope and joy and all that Easter reminds us of makes my heart so full! Jesus Christ is alive! "He is not here, for He is risen, just as He said!" What awesome words!

The morning started with our sunrise service...it was so neat because a year ago we were having the same service on a patch of grass at the property...no building, and not even a concrete slab at that time. This year instead of breakfast in the back of Randy's truck, we were able to have breakfast and coffee inside the fellowship hall and the service out on the parking lot! God has truly blessed us!
Along with the excitement of Easter was the anticipation of worshiping in the new building. God's amazing faithfulness along with all the hours of work and prayer have finally brought us to this day! The service was so very worshipful, and I pray the Lord was honored and pleased with our praise! It was incredibly special to Corey and me to have so many of our family members with us for this wonderful day. We are so blessed to be part of the Maplewood church family...I am so grateful God has allowed us to go on this amazing journey with them. I pray that as we are in this new building, it will be used to serve the Lord, grow disciples and lead the lost to Him so that we can be a lighthouse of hope for Paris/Henry County.

Here are a few pictures from the day...we had over 200 in Sunday School and over 300 in worship! Happy Easter from our family to yours!

A Family Tradition and Easter Family Fun

2010-04-03T22:04:00.002-05:00

Each year for Easter since Caleb was little, the boys have a special tradition of dying Easter eggs with Aunt Michele. It's always fun to see how the eggs turn out...they were very pretty this year! Nanny, Aunt Beverly and Uncle Ferrell were in town also to enjoy the fun!That afternoon, Wave, Dave and the kids arrived so that they could be with us for Easter Sunday which also happened to be the first Sunday in our new building! So, that afternoon Nanny helped me get together lots of Easter eggs for another egg hunt in our backyard for all the cousins to enjoy together! Then they had lots of fun playing outside and having a pizza picnic.

Caleb's Spring Party

2010-04-01T21:37:00.000-05:00

On the Thursday before Easter, Caleb's school had their spring parties. The kindergartners had an Easter egg hunt...I have never seen so many eggs! After the hunt, we went inside for snacks, face painting and a few stories. When it was all over we took Caleb home and began Spring Break!!!We love Mrs. Brooke!!!

Kids Triathlon Club

2010-03-30T20:41:00.003-05:00

Ever since Corey participated in his first triathlon, Caleb has been waiting for the day that he would be old enough to do one himself. The youngest race we have found begins at age 6, most age 7, so this summer, Caleb will be able to compete in his first tri! Well, Corey, Fred and Tony Lawrence from our Paris Parks have gotten together to form a kids tri club here in Paris! There are about 10 kids involved currently. Tuesday was the first practice. They are splitting the practices into swim practices 2x per month and a bike/run day once a month. Caleb is so excited (and Bennett, too...I am swimming with him and we're going to take his bike, so he thinks he's training also!).

I am excited that this is something that our family can continue to do and enjoy as our boys grow in order to be healthy and to spend time together. I am thankful to Corey for investing this time so that our boys will be able to enjoy competing in triathlons!

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-03-27T21:14:00.000-05:00

Each year the boys look forward to the Easter egg hunt at church... this year was lots of fun, and Ge and Natiley even came and joined us for the fun!

Office Furniture Shopping Day!

2010-03-22T20:30:00.002-05:00

Corey has been looking for a new desk for himself and Mrs. Kay for several months. The search intensified as the move in date drew closer. We found out about a place in Antioch, TN that has a lot of used office furniture at really good prices...so we loaded up in a truck (and trailer) and prayed that we would finally find what we needed and could afford. God provides...even in seemingly insignificant ways like shopping...beyond what we can imagine. Corey is so excited to finally have a nice wood desk, and Mrs. Kay was so pleasantly surprised when she walked into her office and saw it. It made me happy to see her excitement and Corey's...they've both worked so hard. Check out our purchases!!!

Maplewood Children's Day

2010-03-21T20:13:00.003-05:00

Each year, our church has a special Sunday to allow the children in our church to have a special part in worship. Sunday the 21st was Children's Day at Maplewood! The day starts with a special breakfast for the kids and their parents. The children lead the worship service by singing, puppets, a flag routine to a song...they even lead in prayer and take up the offering! The boys really anticipated this special day...I thank God for a church that loves and encourages leadership in its children.This young man, Cole Culpepper, had an accident Sunday morning after breakfast and cut his arm open. His parents then took him to the ER during the Sunday school hour for 10 stitches, where he told the doctor to please hurry because he had to get back to lead in prayer and sing a solo...it truly blessed my heart to see his dedication and commitment to the Lord and to the leadership roles with which he had been entrusted! Thank you, Cole for your awesome example!

March Construction

2010-03-19T22:09:00.000-05:00

Last week was very busy at the site. With so much to do in order to be ready for our first service in the new building Easter Sunday, we have people out there working almost every day and a lot of evenings.

Diane, Corey's mom, was in town Wednesday and Thursday, and God could not have sent her at a better time. She was so thoughtful to work at our home cleaning and doing laundry while we worked at church.

At the property, the floors were finished in the sanctuary, and we had a cleaning night Thursday in order to get ready for the pews to be installed Friday. We also scrubbed down all the toilets (Diane helped me with this...I told her she was going to have to go back to work in order to get some rest ;), while others cleaned and sealed tile and continued to lay base. The sound and video system installation also was part of the progress as well as cabinet installation in the children's rooms, and part of the tile was waxed...it looked totally different afterward...so pretty!And on Friday, the day finally came...the pews were installed! They are absolutely beautiful, and the whole atmosphere seemed to change from that of a construction site to that of a place of worship. We were in and out all day, but it was really neat that several others were there at the end as well, so Corey, Kenny and Bruce were able to put into place the final pew! And the Mathis clan stopped by too...we were all able to gather together, join hands and pray God's blessings on our church and thank Him for all his faithfulness and goodness toward us. It was a very worshipful time for me...a lot to take in, very emotional, and so exciting!

Bennett on the Site

2010-03-17T22:04:00.001-05:00

Bennett has been very patient with the amount of time we've spent out at the property the past few weeks. All he has asked in return are a few trips to McDonalds and for me to take a few pictures of him...here are a couple of them!

First T-ball Practice of 2010!

2010-03-16T21:50:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe, but Bennett is going to be playing t-ball this year! He has been ready to play since last year. We are super excited that the boys are being allowed to play on the same team...Corey was grateful to only be helping coach one team instead of two ;) I love that he enjoys being involved with the boys' activities...Caleb asked me the after practice, "Why is daddy always my coach?" I explained that he chose to do that because he enjoys doing things with them. Caleb then told me, and later Corey, how much he likes it and that he was thankful that his dad wants to do that...precious! The boys are so happy to be "teammates." Bennett has a lot to learn...he is having fun chasing every ball that is hit, doing flips on the grass and just doing his own thing, hehe. I forget how much they learn during that first year...you can definitely tell he's the youngest on the team, but he actually hit very well for his first practice. Caleb is enjoying "teaching" him how to play. Here are the pics from the first practice of the year!

March Story Hour Fun!

2010-03-14T21:29:00.000-05:00

Bennett and I have had a lot of fun at Story Hour this month...one of the highlights included Aunt Michele joining us for one of the days! Bennett was able to show her how his "school" works ;) They learned about mixing primary colors to make secondary colors and had lots of fun painting!
Another fun event at story hour involved pulling out the duck hats, one of his favorites, for the 5 Little Ducks song...can you tell he's excited?And then I was so very proud of Bennett for the rainbow he drew all by himself...he did a great job on his arches and controlling the markers!I was thinking while sitting in there that we only have a few more of these days left! He'll be in preschool in the fall :( We have absolutely enjoyed story hour so much these past four years...I think I'll miss it as much as the boys will!

Early March Construction Update

2010-03-13T21:40:00.000-06:00

The building seems to finally be coming together to the point that we can imagine moving in and worshiping there...it is awesome and humbling to think how far God has brought us over this past year! Hardwood and carpet have been installed in the sanctuary and cove base is being installed in the foyer, fellowship hall and a few other rooms. We had several work nights to clean, lay tile, and install the base. Here are a couple of pics from the first two weeks of March. I can't fail to mention that Bennett really loved the guys that were laying our floors...they became fast friends! They allowed him to "help" quite a bit the week and a half they were there. It was a blessing because it also allowed Corey and me to get a lot of work done out there as well! God even blesses us in seemingly small ways, but to me, as a mom, it was huge knowing that these people cared about my child and allowed him to feel special and a part of what was going on!

Toby Mac/Skillet Concert

2010-03-07T21:08:00.000-06:00

I have a confession to make...I've never been to a real concert unless you count groups that have performed at youth conferences...take that back, I did go with a friend to see Sandy Patti and the Friendship Company in the 4th grade. That is until Miranda said she wanted to celebrate her upcoming birthday by going to the Toby Mac/Skillet concert and we loaded up for a girls night. It was incredible, and I absolutely loved it! I won't go into a long description, but if you have a chance to hit their tour, you definitely should! I couldn't believe that I left my camera out in the car, so the only picture we got was at dinner afterward...Happy Birthday to my sweet friend, Miranda! I'm so glad we got to celebrate together!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

2010-03-03T14:17:00.000-06:00

Caleb's school has a fun celebration for Dr. Seuss' birthday. On Tuesday, they had parents and other special guests come read throughout the day...it was lots of fun. Corey read that morning before we headed to Jackson, and I got to read that afternoon. In the middle, Corey, Bennett and I ran to Jackson for Corey to have his West TN Pastors Conference, and B and I went shopping with mom and Natiley...short but sweet visit. Bennett wanted me to take his picture with this dog at Old Navy...the glasses were Bennett's...silly boy!On Wednesday, they continued the celebration by having Wacky Wednesday...based off one of his books where everything is, well...wacky! So the students and the teachers got to dress crazy and moved things around the room...Caleb had so much fun...check out his wacky outfit for the day! Miss-matched shoes, socks, clothes, and his shirt and coat were on backward with spiky hair to top it off!

February Construction Update

2010-02-25T22:51:00.003-06:00

Lots of work is going on as we prepare to be in our new facility by Easter...here are some pictures from February. Painting continued, tile was laid, bathroom installations, several work days/nights...whew! It was a busy month! Enjoy the pictures!

Maplewood's Helping Hand Day

2010-02-25T22:23:00.003-06:00

This year Maplewood had a wonderful turnout for Helping Hand...a two month community fundraising effort that supports non-profit organizations all throughout the county. We were able to donate around 165 items and had lots of people there bidding as well. This is always such a fun day and something very unique that is done here in Paris/Henry County. This year's total amount raised after the two months was $253,877! Here are a few fun pictures from the day.

Buckets of Hope

2010-02-23T22:13:00.000-06:00

One of the ministry projects our church was involved in during February/March was Buckets of Hope...we sent buckets with food to Haiti that will help feed a family for a week. Our church was able to send quite a few, and it was a blessing to be able to help the earthquake victims in a small but tangible way. Although we cannot go there ourselves right now, we are responsible to do what we can to help those in need. Caleb and Bennett were very excited to get to help (even though you can't tell from the pictures below, hehe). It really blessed my heart when Corey and I were talking about putting cash in an envelope to cover shipping when they boys excitedly told us that they wanted to pay for it with their own money. They ran to their rooms and each gathered $5...one of sweetest moments I've experienced as a parent. It made my heart happy to see them desiring to give to others without being told or asked!