Summer Haircut!

We shaved the boy before I left last week on my girls getaway. Caden loves it and has been begging for a shave for weeks now! Poor guy got cursed with my thick head of hair and his head gets so hot!

Ministering to a Family in Need

Okay, I emailed this to lots of people and even put it on Facebook...so here is the deal with our crazy lives the last few days!


As some of you may know, God has led Cory, the kids, and I to minister to a family in our community that is in great need.

Here is a little background about this family:
The mother has 7 children, ranging in ages from 16-5. Their home burned down in mid April and lots of people in our church pitched in and got them furniture, clothing, appliances, etc. to get them set up in a new home.

We were some of those people. But this time, God had more in store for us. Instead of just donating a few items to the family, God kept telling Cory to check on them. He probably talked to LuAnn (mom) 5 or 6 times over the next few weeks. She would call if she needed something or he would call to just check on them. Our family was able to help her with a few minor things during this time.

After talking with our Sunday School class, Cory got the idea to spend more time with this family and really show them God's love. So he organized a cook out with our class and the family one Sunday after church. On May 16th, he went to church, picked up a van, and went to pick up the family. LuAnn, her husband, and all 5 of the younger kids.

Since then he has continued to pick the family up each Sunday for church. We take them out to lunch and have even let them come play and get a shower at our home. I am not sharing this to brag and say "look what we have done," but look what GOD has done!!! Each time we spend money feeding them, buying them shoes, etc. God has brought us blessings, either financially or spiritually!

Recently this family was evicted from their trailer house...not their fault! So we took the kids in to live with us for about 4 days. Once again God took care of everything. We had people buy the kids new clothes, provide food, entertainment, etc. Because they can't live with us forever, we have arranged for them to be in a hotel for at least a week while we figure things out...THANK YOU to all who donated $ for this.

Many people have asked us what they can do to help this family SO HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP...

Immediate needs:
1. Rent House - they need a temporary place to live while we get a more permanent home for them. We have leads on the permanent home, but need time to get it worked out.

2. Transportation - they have a fairly new Pontiac Grand Am that hasn't run in about 3 months and has a couple of flat tires. It needs to be towed, looked at, and fixed.

3. Dressers - once they get a home, they need somewhere to store their clothing. This is the one item of furniture they didn't get after their 1st home burned down.

4. Child care - Mom works 5 days a week at Sonic from 4pm -12am...so the kids are alone with their 16 year old sister. Could use some planned activities to keep them busy.

5. Clear Burned House and Level land - they owned the home that burned, so we can put a new home on the land once it is cleared.

6. Build a new home - this is our ultimate goal...no real details yet but praying!

We want to have some kind of fundraiser for them to help with rent, building materials, and building the home but are in very, very beginning planning stages. So pray about this too!


THANK YOU SO MUCH for being the body of Christ!!!

Creation is Crying Out!

While driving back from Guymon this past Saturday, we saw the most beautiful site!

There was a small storm in front of us and we just got to watch it unfold. There is no way you can look at this glorious rainbow and not believe in the promises of God! He is so good to us and I was reminded yet again!


I was also reminded of one of my favorite songs by 33 Miles...

THERE IS A GOD...33 Miles

There's a beauty to the dawn, a rhythm to the rain
A silence in the soul that I just can't explain
There's a breath of life I breathe, a beating in my heart
A magnificence, a scary sense of what lies past the stars
Beyond what we can see behind the mystery
I know that it could only be

(Chorus)
There is a God; this is the proof
That all around the evidence is speaking the truth
From the center of my soul to the edge of the universe
Creation is crying out believe it or not
There is a God

There's a debt that has been paid, a grace that I've been shown
A hope that I've been given that I have never known
There's a love that conquers darkness a peace alive in me
There's a life that's not just here and now but for eternity
Beyond what we can see behind the mystery
I know that it could only be that

(Chorus)

I believe it; I believe it
There is a God
I can feel it; I can feel it
There is a God
And the more I find the less I need to see
I've never been so sure, so sure of anything


I serve an AWESOME GOD!!! Thank Him for His wonderful creation today and go serve Him too!

What Are We Doing?

I don't really have the words yet to verbalize what has been going on the last several days here at our home. Hopefully I will have something together soon to share with you what God is up to!

I will just leave you with this picture. Note all the shoes...normally I can't stand just Cory's shoes by the door. He usually has a pair by each door and last night I realized I had all these shoes by my front door every day since Saturday! The only shoes missing are Carter's and Cole's!!!

God is awesome and amazing and I count it a privilege to serve Him and be the hands and feet of Christ!!!

How Cute are We????

Happy Friday to all!!!

Swim Lessons

For the past two weeks the boys have been taking swim lessons everyday. There are 4 other students with them and they are all about Caden's age. Carter is by far the youngest, but I wanted him in there so we tried it out.

The first two days of lessons, I had to get in the pool with Carter. I did a little swimming with him the first day then just was in the water near him on the second day. The third day, I didn't wear my suit and took Cole with me so he couldn't lure me in the water with him. I have to stand on the side of the pool near him so he won't just hop in like the older boys. But all in all he is doing well!

Caden has really improved. For only being his 3rd year of lessons and not doing them at all last summer I am pleased with his progress! He can swim well under water if he chooses to and doesn't seem the tiniest bit scared of being in the deep end!

Great progess! We are heading to Guymon this weekend, so hopefully we can test our skills in Grammie's pool!

Two cuties waiting for their turn.

Caden doing the "alligator" swim.

Caden jumping in the deep end.

Swimming to the side and back.

Carter taking a turn at jumping.

Everytime he gets his head wet, he immeadiately wipes his face and ears.

More swimming for Carter.

Wrapping up and drying off!

Slip N Slide - Carter Style

Here is Carter's version of events...






Also here is one of Carter that is so cool to me because of the water droplets in the picture. Ignore the booger though!

Slip N Slide - Caden Style

We got our slip N slide out Tuesday AM and the kids had all kinds of fun. I was also playing around with the camera so I got some pretty neat shots. At least I think they are pretty neat!

Here is Caden's trip down...