the weekly recap {July 5-12 Devil's Den & VBS}

Our last adventure with the Geels family was visiting Devil's Den State Park.

These 3 kiddos love to play in the creek!

He loves skipping rocks.

Tim taught them how to search for and catch crawdads.

We also took a 1.5 mile hike.

It was pretty hot, but everyone did fairly well!

Parker wanted to do everything with B Boy all week <3

It's a July miracle - the are all looking and smiling!!!

They left the next morning and we started our week of vacation Bible school!

The theme this year was, Everest- conquering challenges with God's mighty power.

The kids had great leaders, great groups and a great week!

We had nearly 700 kids every day!

Our church helps a tiny community in southeast Arkansas. 

Every year during VBS, we collect school supplies to send to them and we hold a VBS there too.

Our pastor's wife and another lady have this running skit every year to help excite the kids about giving. Their "names" are Mrs. Fruit Salad and Mrs. Hot Tamale. They dress up and are SO funny! It's one of my favorite parts of VBS. This year, Mrs. Fruit Salad could not be there, so my friend, Elizabeth filled in as, Senorita Sopapilla! She did such a great job! It was so funny!

I helped in crafts for the second year in a row. I just love the precious friends that I get to work with every day in VBS!

a happy homecoming and other things...

I'm sitting here on a Saturday evening in July sporting a yucky sinus infection. I started feeling run down earlier in the week and by Thursday morning, I knew I wasn't feeling well. I think my allergies morphed into this sickness. Yesterday and today, I have just felt awful :-(

Not long after we moved to Bentonville, a local blogger found my blog and left me a comment. Her hometown was a town that Tim and I used to live in. At some point, she also mentioned a friend of hers that also lived in Bentonville and writes a blog. That is when I started following Jenny's story on blessingsandraindrops.com. Jenny and her husband were in the process of adopting a daughter from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I have loved reading Jenny's words. She has a wonderful ability to convey so much emotion in what she writes. You can almost feel what she feels. 

Last spring (I think), I was in Bible study and saw a very familiar lady sitting in the room with the other ladies in our study. It took me another week to fully realized that it was Jenny! I was so ecstatic to meet her. She is one of those people who can make you feel like such a great friend instantly. I also met her really good friend, Marci who now goes to church with me! Since then, along with social media and reading her blog, I see Jenny occasionally in town and even bringing her boys to our VBS. This past week, she got the most wonderful news ever. After 602 days of waiting, her precious daughter was coming home!!!! Her foster mother flew with Sylvie and they arrived at our airport Wednesday evening. It was one of the best things I have ever seen. I am just so overcome with joy for them.

We enjoyed our last two days of VBS. We also had lots of fun at family night on Thursday evening. There were hot dogs, inflatables, pony rides, dunking tank, sno cones, etc. In short, a kid's dream!

One of Tim's assistant principal's had us over to her home yesterday to swim in her pool. We had a really good time and the kids had a blast!

Last night, we laid low. Tim made us BLT's for dinner and then we introduced the kids to the first Back to the Future movies. I LOVED those movies as a kid. I believe we are going to watch the second one tonight.

We hit the farmer's market this morning and got some great blueberries, blackberries, cucumbers and fresh eggs. I love summer produce!

Miranda Lambert is in town tonight for a concert. I loved seeing her a few years ago and I know the concert will be awesome this week. I'm super excited, because I scored tickets for Tim McGraw when he is here next month. When we saw him in Little Rock, I was super sick with morning all day sickness, so I am so glad I will feel lots better for this concert!

feeling the need for change

Do you ever feel stuck when you do the same things for a long time? Or that you aren't growing because you are comfortable? I feel like that might be where I am at right now. I feel change really pulling at me. I feel like I am being led to some different things. 

I'm definitely way better with change than I used to be. I was looking through old posts and found this one from almost 5 years ago. I remember all of that so well and yet, it also feels like sooo long ago.

I'm just feeling like things in my life need "shook up" a little bit.  Am I alone in these feelings?

We have had VBS this week. The theme is "Weird Animals" and I just love it so much. The first day we learned that even when you feel left out, Jesus loves you! Day two was even though you are different, Jesus loves you! Today was when life seems dark and hard to understand, Jesus loves you!
I have been in one of the craft rooms and I have been really enjoying working with some great friends! I have been so exhausted every afternoon though. I think it is low blood iron and getting up early. I do wish I was getting some sleep in time!

VBS 2013 [Kingdom Rock] & our week

We have had a GREAT week at VBS!

Our VBS was Kingdom Rock, where kids stand strong for God!

I started taking their pictures every day of VBS a few years ago, so now it's like a tradition.

They are probably so annoyed that I make them stand and pose every morning for a picture.

B Boy had a baseball clinic yesterday, so him and I missed VBS.

More on the clinic below.

Did you notice C's hair?! She wanted it cut shorter!  I think it turned out cute!

A while back, our tee ball coach sent out an email about a free baseball clinic at Arvest Park with the Naturals. I signed B boy up and he was very excited!

The players had them stretch beforehand and went through 4 rotations with each group.

It was really hot outside, but other than that, it was great!

Not only was the clinic free, but he also received a tshirt, lunch, ice cream and 2 tickets to a Natural's game ALL for free! How awesome is that?!  

After we returned from the clinic to pick up C Girl from VBS, we went to the park with some other ladies from church and their kids. It was so great to meet a few more ladies at church that I didn't really know!

Last night, I went out with some friends for dinner and a movie, except we never made it to the movie!  The time got away from us and we had a wonderful talking, eating and laughing!
It was much needed!

I'm so thankful for friends and for an awesome husband who encourages me to do things like that!