Corey Loves Candice

On July 3rd, we made a whirlwind trip to celebrate with Corey and Candice as they entered wedded bliss! We are so happy for and proud of them! Enjoy the pics!

New Glasses

After 7 years, I just bought new glasses. Like 'em?

Born a Beach Bum

July was also the month, the Youree family packed up and headed south to the land of white sand, real sweet tea, and boiled peanuts--a.k.a., my homeland. We "beach bummed" only a few miles from the hospital where I made my earthly debut. But I digress.

Fourteen of us happily lodged at the Beachcomber three-story home located right on Seacrest Beach. Oh. So. Wonderful. We swam, saw stingrays, gathered shells, built sand creations, flew kites, played games, and ate and ate and ate and ate. We took a boat ride to Shell Island one afternoon, and another day visited St. Andrews State Park with its gorgeous emerald water.

Once Colton entered the ocean, it took the entire family to coax him out. Sun up, sun down, Colton was riding his boogie board, i.e. wading two feet into the water.

Gracyn played in the water the first day, but the waves were a bit intense for her. And then there was the whole crab situation. One of my favorite memories is her walking next to my chair as I lounged half in the water and half out . . . she whispered: "Have you seen any crabs?"

Gunnar is the king of penny-in-the pot. Although, the first place prize went to Gracyn, Gunnar's math skills alone win him a spot at the top. Gunnar, I'll be on your team ANYTIME.

Garison donned the goggles to find treasures on the ocean floor and the opportunity to spy many creatures--which I care nothing to know about or I'll never get in the ocean again. :-)

Allie braved her fears and went parasailing--so proud! We also had fun crashing a few stores, of course.

Allie's partner in parasailing crime was Dakota, who took to the air with his step-sis. I also heard that he gave Uncle Bryan a run for his money in Sequence.

It seems that everyone had such a fun, fun time . . . and would be game to do it again in the future. I hope so!

Of course, no Bryan and Emily expedition is complete without a little mishap. Thankfully, that happened early in the trip (you know, get it out of the way). Our flight was twoish hours late, getting us to Florida at midnight or a little after. Then, the rental car line was longer than even imaginable. Speaking of the rental car, we discovered six drink bottles, one hamburger wrapped, and stale bread under my seat. And then there were zero parking spots at the hotel when we arrived at 2:00 a.m. Really, not one. But alas, these are all funny memories now, right?

Kristen

I was in 8th grade, when my dad came walking out to the "playground" at my school where I was hanging with my friends during our afternoon break. Before he got halfway to me, he shouted, "Tina had the baby. It's a girl!" Up to that point, my sister and her husband had kept the baby's gender a secret. Ah, a girl. Kristen--love it.

Years followed and I got to see her grow , even having the privilege of living in the same city with her for nearly 6 years. She's now soon to be 16 (which I cannot believe!), and I am beaming with pride for the young lady she is and who she is becoming.

While we share more than our bed-making preference (if anyone knows me, I've only recently come over to the bed-making side), I couldn't be prouder of Kristen's recent participation in Truth & Peace--a student leadership conference I attended when in high school too. It was a treat for me to pick up Kristen from Oklahoma City after the conference and drive her to my home for a couple days. We watched the BEST Pride & Prejudice movie e-v-e-r, among other special moments. It was just so great being with her, even if we were both so sleepy we couldn't stand it--ha! (She also shares my knack for sleeping.) I can see, even from a distance, how God is impacting her life. And what more could an aunt ask for?

So, Kristen, I'm crazy about you, and cheering for you all the way from Texas. Proud of you. Love you. Miss you.

The Bed

Please pardon the silly post, but I laughed so much when I was stripping the sheets after our guests left, specifically when I removed the comforter off the bed where my niece had slept. Her mom told her to make the bed, and this is what I find. It was so funny, I took pictures for posterity. Ah, to be 15 again . . . .

The Williams' Visit

What a summer! Since my last post in May, it feels like we have been traveling fools. I'll take the next few posts to recap the fun.

Just this last Wednesday we mourned the departure of my sis and her family--not from the earth, but from Fort Worth. They stayed with us for several days.

Oh, the memories we made. Where do I start? How about with the first full day they were here when we got a super-duper clog in our main pipe in the yard, backing up less-than-desirable matter into the toilets and tubs? Or how about the trip to Hurricane Harbor where we paid $19 to ride one slide the entire day because the lines were so full. And what about the lady who thought our towels were fair game. When questioned about her actions, she replied to Bryan, "Oh, I'll be finished with it in a minute. I'm just drying off."

HELLO, THIS ISN'T YOUR TOWEL.

Anyways, why focus on the negatives, right? Besides, we've laughed and laughed about the now infamous Saturday. The following days were filled with good times--Rangers game, the Mint, stockyards, Menchies, and teaching the Williams to play "Penny in the Pot."

Spending time with Tina, Brad, Kristen, and Kullen was priceless. Oh, how I wished we lived closer together.

(For the insiders: "Honey, where's my piggybank?"

"Wishy, wishy, it's your turn."

"The game is the name and name of the game is . . . . "

"And our special guest, George Bush!")

Writing Ventures

For more than a year, I have been writing and editing Bible studies for Access Downloadable Curriculum (ACD). This is a new product line through Randall House of 4-6 week Bible studies only "accessed" by "downloading" them off its website. ACD offers great topical study materials for small group settings, whether it be in the Sunday school classroom, coffee shop, or living room. Below are links to and explanations of the ones I have written:

For Sure: Be Confident You're a Christian--this study discusses the fears and anxieties regarding assurance that are plaguing the Church, provides in-depth learning into the Bible, and understanding what God says on the issue. Don’t succumb to doubts any longer. You and your group can know how to become a Christian and be a confident Christian.

Daybreak--Light for the Gloomy Soul is a study of God’s comfort and truth for those dealing with sadness, emotional struggles, and/or depression. Although not a treatment or cure for the serious and complex issue of depression, this Bible study seeks to recognize the reality of emotional distress and address the spiritual truths used to combat those struggles.

Real Friends searches the Scriptures to understand the role of God as friend, the importance of friendships, what true friendship looks like, and how to be a friend to the friendless. Study sessions will also evaluate practical ways to grow and care for godly friendships.

In Mary Magdalene--Who Was She? group participants will gain answers from history and the Word of God to help them separate truth from tale, understanding Mary Magdalene’s place in Christ’s life and Christianity.

What's the Problem? Studying God's Promises to Battle the Problems of Life helps group members recognize the subtle work of Satan and false methods of “escape” and invites them to choose the real solution to life’s problems. God’s Word is bountiful in truth to bring perspective and victory to any predicament or crisis.