Hawaiian Falls Employee Appreciation Event

This evening Hawaiian Falls hosted a special employee appreciation event.  The employees could bring friends and family and participate in activities, drawings for prizes, etc.  Since Caleb worked most of today, he just ran back up for the event with Abigail.  The kids enjoyed some pizza from Sharky's and a snow cone or two.  

The entertainment for the evening was the No Regrets band performance.  No Regrets is a four man praise and worship band at Horizon's Church and two of the members, Che and Jason are part of our Metro Relief family.  Che runs the Overcomer's Meetings at Metro and Jason is over the Outreach/Bus Ministry.  How fun is that!  

Summer Time!!

For our anniversary gift this year Jon and I purchased season tickets for the four of us.  Frankie can't stand Caleb being at work every day, she misses her brother terribly.  With season passes, we can visit the park, say hello to Caleb and give Frankie a little peace of mind! 

Today the girls and I enjoyed the rides, I'm a huge fan of the lazy river!! Our favorite cotton candy maker was working the Snow Cone Shack today, so of course we had to have some banana snow cones!

Do you see the big smile on Frankie's face?  It was a good day!   

Everyone helps his neighbor

    and says to his brother, “Be strong!”

Isaiah 41:6

Caleb's 17th Birthday

My 'little man' turned seventeen today!  The reflective mom side of me would like to offer some profound words on the passage of time.  But words fail me.  What I do know is I have been incredibly blessed to be his mom. 

As our family tradition has been, we began the day with breakfast in bed with the birthday boy.  His breakfast of choice: chocolate donuts and Dr. Pepper.  The day continued with a little Captain America, a visit to the Lego store, and Barnes & Noble.  One stop was the Disney Store, when the clerks discovered it was Caleb's birthday they put his name on their screen and the entire store sang to him!

His day finished up with an evening with friends.  All in all, what a great day for a great kid! 

For you, O Lord, are my hope,

    my trust, O Lord, from my youth.

6 

Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;

    you are he who took me from my mother's womb.

My praise is continually of you.

Proverbs 71:5-6

Hangin' with Our Peeps

What happens at Metro Relief stays at Metro Relief, or gets posted to Facebook, my blog or random social media.  The best part of the blog is sharing our ordinary days with our family who are all in other states. 

Jon's mom often hears the stories of the friends we've made at the pantry and today I took a few pictures just for her!  This is Che' with Abigail, he is the Overcomers Director and a great guy.  After I took one photo, he said one more and then he kissed her forehead.  I was so tickled, I didn't even notice her reaction until I uploaded them to my laptop.    

Caleb, out back! 

Abigail is probably the youngest regular volunteer at the pantry and she and Caleb get special treatment when we volunteer.  Lots of great people looking out for the kids while I finish up paperwork in the office.  

The photo in the lower left corner is a group of about 15 volunteers from today having lunch today after the pantry closed.  Some help with the pantry and others work exclusively with the bus ministry, others work on fund raising and donations.  Many hands make light work. 

The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry

Proverbs 10:3

A Little Volunteer Work & Good Friends

Another busy Monday, the best part about today was that Caleb didn't have to work so he was able to join us for five hours at Metro Relief.  The pantry and bus ministry have been shutdown for the past two weeks allowing volunteers some time off.  The week before the shut down we served 118 families through the pantry, I was really concerned about how busy today would be with some of our guests unable to get help with their food. 

We served about 45 families today, we'll see more through the week on Wednesday and Thursday.  Fortunately several donors came through with some of the pantries biggest needs, toiletries and canned meats! It was great to be back at the pantry with our friends! 

Later in the day, the kids ran over to Ms. Ramona's to say good bye to her foreign exchange student, Ali.  Ali has been here the entire school year and has attended church with us.  She heads back to Italy tomorrow, we're sad to see her go.  Caleb took her an American and Texas flag back in her luggage! 

Tonight was also Teen Bible Study for the PEACH youth.  They are now going through the Answers in Genesis' Demolishing Strongholds DVD series.   

So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them  Judges 9:49

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Today we visited a church in Arlington because we knew we couldn't make it from Plano to Mansfield for Abigail's tournament by eleven this morning.  As it turned out, we had plenty of time.  When we arrived at the tournament the schedules were running thirty minutes behind, then an hour behind, and finally after sitting for two hours the tournament was cancelled.  

Sissy, Caleb and I brought books with us, knowing we would have time to kill while Abigail and Jon and the rest of the team warmed up.  So the three of us sat comfortably in the cafe reading while Jon and Abigail were bored, bored, bored!  

She looks well to the ways of her household

    and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 

Her children rise up and call her blessed;

    her husband also, and he praises her:

Proverbs 31:27-28

Softball Tournament at Big League Dreams

Another weekend of tournament games!  Abigail's Frisco Fusion played in two games and have two more games tomorrow, if they win their bracket they will advance to another one or two games.  

Realistically because her Frisco Fusion are newly formed tournament league they are still learning to play together.  Most of the team is still getting acclimated to the higher level of play, but who knows maybe they'll advance.

This weekends tournament is at Big League Dreams in Mansfield, Texas.  This field has replica fields to big league stadiums, a round indoor club house that over looks the fields, stadium seating and practice indoor field house! 

During the first game Abigail played second base but she was much more comfortable behind home plate on the second game.  

Ball games pic up again tomorrow at 11 am! 

Hanging Out at Hawaiian Falls

Hooray, our first day of no school, no VBS, no church camp, no work, and no Metro Relief!!!  So we enjoyed the benefits of our family passes at Hawaiian Falls.  This was the first day that Caleb actually got to hang out in the lazy river and ride down slides!  

Notice what we are snacking on, yep, that's some of that yummy cotton candy.  Caleb said it would be inappropriate to snack on cotton candy while working but every day he comes home talking about how good it smells.  Caleb even comes home smelling like sugary goodness.

Tonight Abigail does have batting practice, and Caleb ended up mowing for three of his regular customers, but for four hours we were carefree and in no hurry!!! 

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;

    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.  Psalm 32:4

VBS Moses: Night 4

Big finale night!  The Israelites are packing up and heading out of Egypt!!!  

But wait what is that, it's Pharaoh and he has now lost his son, his slaves, his kingdom and he is mad!  He is headed to get those slaves back!  

The Israelites panic but God is faithful and raises the Red Sea allowing every Hebrew to cross on dry land.  When the pillar moves the Egyptians follow only to have the walls of the Red Sea fall in on them.  

We finish up with great celebration by the Israelites, and a final big production song with the entire cast.  

After the play the cast were available in the education building to have pictures taken with the kids.  

For tonight, Abigail and I both played the part of Egyptian sorcerers, and Caleb was a member of Pharaoh's army that charged the Israelites across the Red Sea.
Tonight's story was taken from Exodus 12:33 - 15:18 

VBS Moses: Night 3

Our story continues tonight with Moses returning to Egypt and meeting up with Aaron the two of them delivered the message to the elders that God was going to deliver them.

Tonight's play ran through all ten plagues ending in Pharaoh agreeing to release the Isrealites.  This evening Abigail played the role of one of Pharaoh's sorcerers who duplicated the staff to a snake trick.  Caleb was a giant frog during second plague.  I was a back up singer as we went through the musical numbers including, "There's lots of blood in the N - I - L - E," sung to the "It's lots of fun at the Y.M.C.A." Village People song. 

The singing ability and voice quality in our congregation is incredible!  In my wildest dreams I sound like that when I sing, but the truth is, the back up vocals were recorded and I stood on stage and lip synced!! 

Tonight's story is taken from Exodus 4:29 - 11:10 and 12:29-32