On the road again...

Well, I believe that I am definitely packing a lot in this month off...I have definitely kept the trail hot-and the gas prices are eating me alive!!

The first week I went and chilled in Lubbock at the Towns', and I really enjoyed spending time with them and my adopted grandparents!! Braden is growing into such a young man-he is about as tall as me, his voice is deep-and he has a girlfriend!! I was also blessed to hang out with people like Terra, Randal, Dean, Fraze, Cristi, Matt & Vanessa and people from Broadway I do not get to see very often. Then I went home and my mom and I had a great mother/daughter day to Frisco and went shopping at Sam Moon (woo hoo!), and that was a lot of fun.

This past weekend was LTC in Dallas, and it was awesome, as usual!! This was my first year to actually coach a team and I had a blast. Our drama team from Minter Lane went at 8:20 on Saturday morning (ugh) and they did an awesome job (we received gold)!! I also watched the incredible Broadway chorus-man they sounded amazing!! I was so proud of ALL of my kids from my multiple churches! It was great hanging out with the people from Minter Lane and getting to know some people, watching my B-way kids, and seeing people from Altamesa (like the Kennedy's-hey, Brandon-here is a shout out to you and your family, since you are apparantely blog stalking me! Your twins are adorable by the way!!) :) It is always so much fun going and catching up with people I do not always get to see, and watching all of these kids willingly serve the Lord with their talents-it is a tremendous blessing!!

I ran into one of my good friends, Ron Johns who preaches at Oak Ridge and where my friends Ryan & Lisa are now ministers, and it was wonderful to see them. I had already planned on going to Oak Ridge on Sunday morning for Easter, and I really enjoyed that. At the beginning of Ron's sermon, he said that he had a good friend visiting today-(it was ME)! He said that we went way back (I've known him since 6th grade!), and that he ran into me at LTC and it was a nice surprise. He also mentioned that I was a "dorm mom"-he could not remember what my title was and so he asked me-and sitting in the back of the church I yelled "Residence Director"-it was really funny. I just love them-it was wonderful worshipping with them on Sunday.

Then, when I arrived home my WHOLE family was at my house for Easter and my (belated) birthday celebration-it was so much fun. I only get to see everyone together about 3 or 4 times a year, so it is a huge blessing when we are together. I was able to play with my nieces and nephews, and my adorable cousin's little boy-he is just precious, and growing like crazy! I miss watching all of them grow up...it was so much fun watching them hunt Easter eggs and having a blast! It was such a wonderful day.

Now I am sitting in Artesia, NM (I know-exciting!!) to visit with one of my best friends, and I am housesitting for her parents while they are at a race in Phoenix (I am jealous!!) They are like family to me-I love it-I met Steph my freshmen year of college and we have been friends ever since. We lived together in an apartment my Senior year, and I was her maid of honor in her wedding almost 5 years ago. Their family adopted me as one of their own, and I love them like family and know I can count on them at any time. (I owe my NASCAR obsession to them!!) Her sister also just adopted a baby from Abilene, and I had not seen her yet-and she is just adorable!! I am going to go play with her more tomorrow-yay! I went to their grandpa's 80th birthday party last night when I got in, and that was a lot of fun. I really do feel like part of the family when I come here because they treat me that way.

I have always known this, but it is become ever more apparent and prevalant during this month: I am such an incredibly blessed person in SO many ways. Not only have I been blessed with a wonderful family, but over and over and OVER again God has continued to place incredible men and women of faith in my life at just the right time. I have wonderful friends and adopted families all over the place, and I am so thankful for each and every one of them. It has been great to spend time with most all of them over the last month, so I am really thankful for that time-I am definitely trying to take advantage of that during this time off. I have just been WAY blessed beyond anything I could comprehend, and my hope and prayer is that I can do the same for others! "To whom much is given, much is expected". I pray that God will use me as His tool, and that I will have many opportunities to give back what has been so freely given to me. This is my prayer...

"Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord!" ~Proverbs 16:20