Girls Night Out

On Saturday night I went out with some friends. Megan in the picture below planned a surprise for her mom. They met another friend of Megan and her mom. I was able to meet them too. We went to dinner and then to a park because it was such a great day. Here are a few pictures from the afternoon.

First of all just to clearify we had sparkling cherry juice. This is only the second picture that Megan and I have together and we have known each other for 2 1/2 years.

From Left to Right: Libby, Megan and Kali.

What a great afternoon/evening!!!!!!

A new look...

Spring is here finally. If it stays around is anyones guess seems we live in Michigan. So I thought I would give my blog a new look.

I also have this weekend off so I think I am going to give my room a new look too. First I have to start with the dirty laundry.

Then I think I am going to risk it and at least bring up the spring/summer clothes. I might even attempt to rearrange my room too. So as you can see even though I have the weekend off I am going to be busy doing things that I don't usually have time for.

Sunday...

Well I spent Saturday evening cooking. In fact I cooked 11 pounds of chicken and diced it up, 7 pounds of noodles, and chopped up some brocolli. I made two large pans of chicken alfredo. Why you ask... for this group of kids...

Her is the gang minus 13.

The really great thing was that all the kids were able to eat as much as they wanted and the adults (who eat last) where able to eat too. Dinner went well and the kids had a great time.

In the picture you will notice to white girls, they are not usually part of our Sunday's, but they came to stay the weekend with their Aunt Noelle and I. After lunch and dropping off most of the kids at their house we brought two of the girls back to play with Noelle's nieces. Their brother was tears because he couldn't come. Noelle at the request of the kids made snicker lattes. Needless to say we found out one of the kids come out in rare form when she has caffinee and she will NEVER have caffinee again at our house :)

Inclosing it was a great weekend and below are other pictures from this weekend, enjoy.

Destiny and her lego creation.

Taylor pulling Kerby around with a raquet.

Lucy, Jessica, Taylor and Destiny all made t-shirts last night and they were in the middle of putting beads on the sleeves. Their are some true artists in this group.

Lesson 1: Mama Ain't Playin'

Mama Ain't Playin'

Looks like Mama is going to make him stand out there for a long time! Ought to be a pretty good lesson, one not easily forgotten! Don't ya think? He doesn't look very happy, like, maybe the lesson is already working, huh? We need more people like her...

If only we had more parents that weren't playin'...

Maybe we won't have so many drop outs.

Maybe we won't have so many preteens in prisons.

Maybe we won't have so many crimes.

Maybe we won't have so many premarital pregnancies.

When living in the hood....

When living in the hood of GR don't mention to your mother that you and your roommate are trying to save money so you are going to turn off your alarm system because it would save you the alarm bill and the phone bill (especially because we don't use the house phone). She might just have a cow (j/k mom). Truely she does cares and doesn't want anything to happen to me, so we will probably find another way to save money.

The end is near...

Well my mom will glad to know that today I found out that the END IS NEAR!! That is college. If all goes as planned I will graduate in 2010, not soon enough. I wish it was today that I was graduating. I learned much today in my advising appointment. I learned that one of my classes that I took MCC will fill the requirements of one of the courses I need to take at GVSU. Well any ways wanted to leave you with this picture that all to soon I will be doing...


Hallelujah Praise the Lord!!!!!!

Sunny and warm somewhere...

Yes it is sunny in MI, but it is far from warm. I wish I was somewhere that I could do this...




The turtles have to have an UVA light to keep their shells hard and the other day they were rubbing it into my face (not really). 62 more days and I will be able to do that in Sunny Florida. I can't wait.

A taste of being a single parent...

This weekend from Friday to Saturday night, 30 hours I became a single parent of 3 kids. Drew 11 months, Leah 3, and Tiesha 12. I had my work cut out for me. Tiesha was a great help this weekend, which does not allows happen, but it was diffently a blessing. Friday night she cooked dinner all by herself. She did later admitt that it was a bit to much. After dinner the kids all took baths and then we all put our pajamas on and had a pajama party. Here is a picture of the 4 of us at the pajama party.

(L to R: Me, Leah, Drew and Tiesha)

By 11:00 pm every one was in bed and so was I... thinking I might have to get up in the night with Drew I knew I need to go to bed early. Lets just say the night was very restless and it was not due to the baby. I was up 5 times with the dog. Drew woke up about 6:45am ready to begin his day. Leah followed by about 8:30am and we had to wake Tiesha up at 9:30am.

After getting dressed I had planned a few surprises for the older kids. More like time kills to get us through the day. We started out going to a clay art studio to glaze some poetry. Two hours later we were head to our next surprise. McDonalds with a play world. After eating the girls went and played for awhile. At about 2:30pm we were home and the two younger kids went straight to bed. Truthfully I was ready for bed at that time too, but I told Tiesha we would do something, just the two of us. So she decide she want acrylic nails and that is just what we did. By the time we finished the other two kids were up and it was time for supper. Once again Tiesha helped with dinner. Once dinner was over and baths were done. Mom and dad walked in the door and I was ready for my bed and as far as Sunday I did almost nothing all day just to get caught back up.

How do single parents do it??? I just don't know. It was a great weekend and if asked to do it again I would.

P.S. Does any one read this or am I just typing to type. Leave me a comment sometime if you read my blog. Thanks!

Summer Possiblities (post 2)

Well I have been accepted to join Grace Adventures staff this summer. I now have to make a decision weather to do it all summer or just for the original 3 weeks. They have asked that I do it the whole summer which is what I would like to do, but I have to speak to my former employers to see if that will work for them. I just ask for prayers that this will all work out for the best.
Have a wonderful day and check back for more post at a later date.

Summer Possiblity...

getting closer to working out. Tomorrow Afternoon I have a meeting with Ben from Grace Adventures We are meeting at 12:30 PM so if you would just pray that all will go well and that I won't be nervous that would be great. I will let you know more as I find out more. God bless!!!

Super Bowl Sunday...

For the Super Bowl Noelle and I went over to a freinds house to watch the game and eat. We had much more food then we really needed, but it was all yummy! My conturbution to the food was this...

If you can't see it the top fruit pizza is a football helmet and the bottom fruit pizza is a football. I was proud of my artistic ability with food, but not everyone apperciated the design. I hope you all enjoyed the event saftly.
Congradulations NYG!!

Surprise...Surprise...

Winter hits Michigan again... Tonight I had to babysit about 30 minutes from my house on a normal day, but tonight it took me 45 minutes to get home. I had to laugh on my way because when I entered the "S" Curve every buddy was just driving where there was an open space. In reality it is kinda a scary thought. Well don't tell the kids but we are all hoping for a Saturday off tomorrow.

Another thing I find ironic is when the news channels warn us in Michigan that it is going to be Michigan. You would think that we would all just be able to figure that from December to April give or take a month winter whether is going to happen.

Noelle and I also took the animals into Campau today so stay tune and I will have pictures for you.

Boys will be ...

All I can say about boy's weekend is that... Boys will be boys!!!!



The boys thought it would be fun to wrestle each other so Terrance went to get Marshawn and Marshawn picked him up and the Kerby decide to save Terrance and Marshawn got him too. Marshawn (M) Terrance (L) Kerby (R)




Then they decided to go to the kitchen and race cars across our hard wood floors.

But I must say they are a pretty good group of boys and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

Life happens...

I know it has been awhile since I updated and I will not tell you about how busy I have been or the things I have been doing. Instead I will tell you that Sarah will be joining us for Christmas this year and I can not wait to see her. (This does not usually happen with the kids down here).

I will be leaving on Friday night to go home for the Holidays. Chances are I will not get an opportunity to update again, but I will have many pictures after the Holidays of Christmas with the kids, and Christmas at home. Oh did I mention that I will be in a wedding at midnight on New Years Eve- Day. So hopefully I will have pictures from there too. Well I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Remember the true meaning of Christmas.

A prayer request...

Yesterday's in church I received an answer to prayer from GOD through Jim Samra (Calvary Church's Pastor). That prayer was "Why did you have to take Dad and Why has someone I love had to suffer in the last 6 years?" I am not going to tell you the answer, but if you would like to get the jest of the message check out Noelle's blog (just click on her name).

As great as the message was I was not expecting to have to apply it to my life already again. Grandma (my mom's mom) is been ill for the last few months, but we could not figure out what was wrong. My mom has spent the last 3 days in Freemont. Today I called her to see how Grandma was doing and she started to cry. Grandma's kidneys are failing, so Mom and Aunt Pam have to decide weather or not to put her on dialyses. So I just ask for prayers that they may make the best choice for my Grandma. I will keep you up dated.

JUST PRAY PLEASE!!!

Operation Christmas Child (post 1)

Last Sunday Noelle and I were sitting in church when they announced Operation Christmas Child or Shoe boxes. I turned to Noelle and said is there anyway we could do this with the children to teach them to give to others. She said, "I have always wanted to but it always been an issue of money." This year we have had an out pouring of financial support for Sunday's that we decide to take some of the extra we have right now have the children put together shoe boxes.

Step one earlier this week we sent out a letter to all the children explaining what items they could bring to church Sunday that would help fill the shoe boxes.

The one family that neither Noelle or I thought would bring something brought this...




Step two was going shopping. After lunch at church today Noelle sat the kids down an explained to them what we were going to do. Then we invaded the Dollar Tree with 16 kids and 2 adults. Each kid picked out at least one item for the shoe boxes...


and I think we made out pretty good. What do you think??

More steps to come next week...

Now member of Facebook and Myspace

Wow it is hard to believe that it is already November. The one really great thing is that there is no snow on the ground yet.

Last night I had a friend invite me to be on Facebook. I always said I wouldn't get on those sites, but I am now on both Facebook and Myspace. It has allowed me to connect to some old friends that I figure I would never hear from again. It is interesting seeing where people from high school are now. I am very careful of what I put on it, because you here of potential employers checking out these site to get insight into who they are hiring.

Well other then that not much has went on this week.

TO COME...
Sunday Noelle and I are taking the kids that go to church with us shopping for items to fill shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. So hopefully I will have pictures and reactions to the project for you.


May God Bless you today!!!

The ways God has shown Himself to me...

After talking with a friend and sharing the ways that God has impacted my life recently I decide that I need to journal them some where. So that I could look back at them and see how God has been there for me in the past and how He is here for me now.

The ways...

1) How going through a major event in a friends life has strengthen our friendship and has truly been an answer to prayers.

2) Losing someone has shown me that what I wanted was not the best for her and how in the end God has worked it out for the best. (I was just her life to plant the seed now it is someone elses turn to make it grow.)

3) Turning to prayer when a situation is out of my hands drives Satan right out of the picture and I grow closer to God.

4) Realizing that my glory does not need to come from earthly sources, but I will receive my glory in heaven. That it does not matter what others think, God's opinion is the only one whose matters.

5) When I trust in Him and follow His will He will provide. In this case giving what you really do not have and receiving funds to supplement and even exceed your wildest expectations.

What an awesome time it has been. Daniel 2:23 summarizes my gratitude to God, "I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: you have given me wisdom and power."

Hang out with friends

Is this not the cutes dog you have ever seen??? This is Mel and Mary's dog Roy. This picture was taken by Terrance.


Terrance was the only brave one. He was the only one that would feed the goats. The goats were fighting over who would eat from his hand.


Mel and Marry had a bomb fire for us and we roasted hotdogs on the fire. The fire was a little to hot for Tia and Kerby so that is why they are so far back.


This is cool dude Kerby. He thinks he is so fly, but he is only five.

Well this is how I spent my Friday night and it was wonderful. The weather was great and the company awsome too. Later this week I will post about my Sunday back home.

Going Home...

Sorry that I have not posted in a while, but last week was a little busy. I found out that the girl I have been mentoring is moving away (like out of the state), which makes me sad, but her mom said that you would send her back to Noelle and I on Holidays. We will see what happens.

This weekend I went home. My family was invited to a wedding, back here in GR, but we decide not to go. So instead my mom and I rented a couple of movies. We rented "The Prusuit of Happiness" and "The Ultimate Gift." If you have not seen the movie you need to it has a great moral and could be pretty real. Sunday Mom, Karen and I went to Mt. Pleasant and did the Parade of Homes. It was very interesting, but I am not sure that I would do it again.