Women's Retreat

Ok Blogger family, I know...I haven't posted a blog in like forever. I have been totatlly distracted by my Women's retreat with my church and then with my new passion....photography. Therefore, I have a lot of catching up to do.

I had the privilege of working with a phenomenal group of ladies this year to help plan our Women's Retreat for our church. Our theme this year was Friendship. What does it look like to have a healthy friendship with another female? It was a great time of reflection on my own heart and evaluating friendships in my life. And just let me tell you that God has really done amazing things for me over this past year in many of my friendships. He has brought restoration to friendships, He has made strong friendships stronger and more intimate....He has truly blessed me in the area of friendship. There will be more on this in the weeks to come.

Anyway, to the fun stuff of the retreat....the PJ party that we had that night. How can you get a group of women together, talk about friendship, and not have a PJ party?

I just thought I would share some pics from our little Extreme Makeover contest. We put the ladies in groups of 5 (it had to be groups where you didn't know everyone). Then there was 1 volunteer from each group. The other 4 in the group were given various supplies to do the make over. The key was that the 4 ladies were only allowed to use ONE hand and it had to be their non-predominent hand and put the other hand behind there back. And here is what you got.....

The last couple of pictures are of the final contestants, or should I save, brave souls?? If you notice the lady to the very far right....that's the pastor's MOTHER IN LAW! As you can imagine, she definitely got the highest cheers from the crowd. She really took one for the team.

And yes, we did decorate the pregnant girl's belly! How could you not do that???
Much love to you ladies that were there. For those of you that weren't, hope to see you next year!

Love to match

If there's one thing my boys love to do...it's match. Even though many think that I dress them alike for my own pleasure (which I do), they really like to be matching. Especially when they have on cool jammies like these. These jammies came from their cousin Lil' Jon. They LOVE LOVE LOVE them. They actually have started asking to wear them every night.
As you can see from the pics, they love to show them off! Which makes for a fun photo session in our house. Mom loves to take pictures and they love to ham it up for the camera.
I just love seeing PJs on kiddos. It's one of my favorites. They just seem to look so cuddly in them.

So what does Ella do....

during the soccer games??? Well, at this game, she stole a little boys hat and put it on her head. I'm just sure that her little head was hot from the sun beating down on it! Got to admit...she's pretty cute even in a boy's hat!


What makes this the cutest? She knows that she is being cute and stinky all at the same time. Look out Mom and Dad...here comes Ella!

Cole's 2nd game

Well...Cole ended up having 2 soccer games this past weekend. The post about Cole's Debut game took place on Saturday morning. Cole's 2nd game was on Sunday afternoon at 2pm! Yelp, that's right! 2pm is right in the middle of nap for most of these little 3 yr olds...esp for Cole. As you can see in this first picture, he is yawning, the little boy on the right is melting down and the 2 kids in the middle can barely stand up! Poor kids. Let's just say that this game was a COMPLETE DISASTER! We were lucky to get 5 kids on the field to play. Oh wait...there was a point in the game that we only had 2 players on the field. It was at this point that Cole actually decided he was going to play and turn up the heat. He didn't even graze the field until half way through the game. He was so tired, he just wanted to sit in my lap.
But he must have got a second wind or something, because he went out there and finished the game strong. Let me not exagerate too much...he didn't score, but he got several good kicks in. The other team however, scored over and over and over and over (get the picture?). Course this little team of boys were in their 2nd year of playing soccer together with their coach. We didn't stand a chance. Our whole team is completely new...not to mention the coach is completely new at this as well!
But look at that great kick! He was pretty proud of himself with this kick!

Cole's Debut Soccer Game

Well, his day had finally come. Cole was ready to play in his first soccer game. It took him about a week to get over the fact that he was not going to be playing on Reid's team. He didn't understand why they couldn't be on the same team. But we worked through that, and it was his turn.

He lined up like such a big boy out there with Coach Dad.
Then he was somewhat listening to Coach Dad's pep talk and advice! I think he already knew what Coach was going to say.
The next step...Coach asks everyone where's the goal?? Cole was ready to point the direction he needed to go. At least he knew which direction to kick that ball.
And what do you know? He kicked that ball! Yes, it's a pink ball. They played an all girl team and the girls wanted to use their pink ball. The poor boys on Cole's team!
All in all, he had a great time playing soccer and was already looking forward to the next game. He is slowly getting himself into the game. He will do things in his own time. But in the meantime, he sure looks cute out there in his uniform running after that ball and kicking it when he can.

Reid's 2nd Game

Reid began his second game with little will to actually play! However, something clicked in him and he stepped it up a notch...well, at least for a little while. Toward the end of the game, he started his showing off routines. But all in all, for his age, he did GREAT!

Now mind you...check out the kid behind Reid that's on the other team. Can we say: "Are you a little older than the rest of these 4 and 5 year olds???" Hmmmm!!!

He was determined to get this ball...or wait...was he trying to kick it in the mud puddle that was there? All of the kids would purposely kick the ball in the mud puddle before going the direction they were suppose to go. Every boy on that field had mud on them from head to toe! But they had a blast doing it.

THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR FIRST GRANDDAUGHTER

I just had to put this on my blog. This was written by my Uncle Charles and Aunt Charity about my cousin Eric and the loss of their first baby. I just thought it was precious reading his words and wanted to share with all of you.

THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR FIRST GRANDDAUGHTER

The events of the last week have left Charity and I drained emotionally. We were expecting our first granddaughter this February. But unexpectedly, the Lord had other plans for her. Eric and Leslie were expecting their first child and so was all our family! After four months of pregnancy, tests showed the baby had developed Cystic Hygroma. They gave them no hope. You can only imagine the depths of agony and grief they suffered -- while hoping against hope. This week the doctors could find no heartbeat.

This puts a perspective on the subject of life in the mother's womb. While we have always believed that life is formed in the mother's womb. We believe God is the giver of life. The moment God breathes life into a body is the moment there is life for eternity.

We believe God controls life and death of every single person that is ever born. God doesn't give us His reasons for His decisions to give life. We just have to accept what God's decisions are.

Those of us who have an inquiring mind would like to delve into the mind of God in these matters. Every life from time has been planned by God. I know there are many who have plummeted into this matter of life and death.

What I want to say, our first granddaughter today is in the care of God. All I know, now today, she is no longer a child and she is perfect. Since I haven't been to Heaven, we are only left to explore the idea of what heaven is going to be like in eternity.

Eric and Leslie had to make some decisions about this matter, and they did just fine. Choices are not easy in these situations of course, and many of us have our idea about what we would do, but no one knows until you are in the crisis of faith yourself. I have learned Eric and Leslie did just wonderful. Eric said, "why do the things that grow your faith have to hurt so bad?"

I want to thank many friends and our family who have entered into this experience with us. Thank you for crying with us and praying for Katie, Eric and Leslie, and the rest of the families who love them. Thank you for your continued prayers for Leslie's recovery.

First, Eric tells me his church family have been just wonderful in their support and care and prayer. They have been there for them in prayer and physically. What a blessing of Christian fellowship.

Secondly, I want to thank our church family who were in our church in Altoona for their support and prayers. It's been eleven years since we were the pastor, but they are still considered our church family. Hardly a day goes by that we don't give thanks for all those wonderful folks. Personal friends I might say. They are not only our friends but our children's as well.

Thank you all for your love to Eric and Leslie.
Drafted by Charles Whisnant, proof read by Charity Whisnant