JB & The Boys

Cancer Cannot...

2011-09-22T17:39:00.002-05:00

Source: creativetryals.blogspot.com via Joy on Pinterest

Getting Involved!

2011-09-19T12:20:00.000-05:00

Ben has made several new acquaintances who are in Cubscouts. So...here we are! He seemed very uninterested in joining until the day of the first informational meeting. Steve rushed home in time to take him and I've been to the scary scout store several times, purchased the shirt, patches, neckerchief, neckerchief thing-to-hold-it-on, belt, belt buckle, & scout guide book. It seems as if this will not be the last trip as there are LOTS of things at this store. Oh, and we've purchased a tent. Oh, MY!!!

Sunday was his first Cubscout meeting. I must say, the sweaty boy that came home with a huge smile and rumpled uniform made it all worth the trouble!

Dad and I love you, Ben! We hope you have some good memories and make some good friends.

Back to School!!!!

2011-08-11T10:30:00.000-05:00

All of my boys started school today! YIKES, it's early! In order to get a little momentum on the school excitement we decided to celebrate with the "I-word" at Braum's. Whohoo! We were all excited about that!

Here they are with backpacks on. We got ready a little early for pics and such and had to wait until time to go.

Ben walked in by himself today and Drew only let me go because I asked.
Dad and I love you boys. Proud of you! Congrats on your first day!

Band Camp

2011-07-26T22:00:00.005-05:00

Ben started band camp this week. He is taking up the trumpet this year and he seems pretty excited about it! We are hoping for a duet by Christmastime with Uncle Eric!

Our First Year

2011-07-26T17:50:00.005-05:00

The above picture shows the 19 people (minus our sweet Susan) who were in attendance the very first Sunday that Commons Church met for worship. We met in our living room and sat on our couches. The kids sat on a blanket on the floor. Steve preached from a folding chair. Corey led us in worship for the first time with his guitar. We have picked up some friends along the way and God has done some really great things. The picture below shows the people who were in attendance on our July 17th one year anniversary. We are in no way about our numbers, but people who love as best they can like Jesus attract others. Fun to see God's work.

July

2011-07-14T16:27:00.007-05:00

July hasn't turned out like we thought it would. On the first day of what was to be a two-week family vacation, Steve had a skiing accident behind his Dad's big boat and broke his face! We have spent a great deal of time in doctors' offices and getting him checked out.

Thankfully his eye is not damaged and he was cleared from the eye doctor and his cardiologist for surgery to fix the broken bones. But in the meantime, we had to wait for the swelling to go down. Steve also had a birthday. He couldn't eat much, so I decided we would have a "broken face" birthday party. We had a houseful of folks and Steve took the jokes all in fun. He was unprepared for people showing up with black eyes, but we decided we didn't want him to feel different. We ate soup and milkshakes right along with him. Thanks to everyone for helping to make his birthday fun!

Turns out that Steve was able to swallow some soft fish and mashed potatoes at Pappadeaux after his pre-op appointments. Happy Birthday, Steve! We'll go again when you can chew!

Surgery day was on Tuesday. It looks like they have him fixed up pretty good. He's recovering nicely with still more soups & milkshakes, movies, books, Commons Church work on the computer & some real dinners sliding down. Thanks to Commons Church family for helping us with the boys and feeding us your awesome cooking. We hope to have Steve back to normal soon!

Hello, Summer!

2011-06-06T16:38:00.006-05:00

Today was the last day of school for the boys.

They have had some really special teachers taking care of them this year and I wanted to tell them thank you.

Mrs. Bogle,

Thank you for your many trips to Half Price Books and Barnes & Noble. We wouldn't have made it through the week sometimes without them. Thank you for making lessons fun and interesting for Ben, and thank you for your writing advice and your encouragement for us this year. You helped (me!) make it through the day many times. We won't forget the fun of Student Council, Safety Patrol (did he take that orange thing off?), and a crazy amount of AR points.

Mrs. Long,

Thank you for taking care of my "party in a child!" He loved school this year. Thank you for encouraging his love of science and reading and for letting him be himself without getting into trouble. Invention Convention and the Cereal-Maker, the Buckaroo Party, and the AR tests were definitely tops!

You were both prayed for way before we knew who you were. Thank you for being just perfect for our boys.

Finally!!!!!

2011-05-21T17:18:00.003-05:00

The Hulen Heights pool is open!!! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There was a lot of hooting and hollering and scrambling for suits, sunscreen, & towels this afternoon at our house.

I've not seen them walk this fast since last Summer!

Uh-Oh!

2011-02-18T19:22:00.003-06:00

These boys are ready for Summer! It was the tiniest bit warm today, but we've busted out the swimsuits and water hose at our house! Beware!

Something to love about Fort Worth

2011-02-10T20:45:00.003-06:00

Who knew? When you have to drag your kids to the grocery store after a long day of school, there is a huge candy stash past the check-out counter. You just slip your coin right in the slot and shop for a minute for your favorite. What a treat!!!!

Drew: orange slice

Ben: orange crush hard candy

Whahoo!

Christmas Vacation: Day 14

2010-12-31T12:39:00.003-06:00

New Year's Resolutions - today is the day you think about such things if you think about such things. I usually don't. But this year I think I have one. We urged our oldest to have more self-control this morning after he hit his brother. I got angry today when one child spilled a Sunkist in the garage and the other stepped on my Christmas tree that was in the way. I didn't say much, but I was extremely frustrated and I snapped at them to "go around" and "be more careful." I'm thinking I need even more than self-control. I need to consciously work toward developing all the fruit of the Spirit this year - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control. That and I picked up Jillian Michaels' 6 week six-pack at Target.

Christmas Vacation: Day 13

2010-12-31T12:28:00.003-06:00

Love is patient and kind. I Corinthians 13:4

Today was full of the after Christmas-puttinguptoys&laundry-blahs. My children are cranky & tired from being off-schedule & I'm a little cranky myself.

Love is patient and kind.

A Special Gift

2010-12-30T14:15:00.002-06:00

This Christmas I had a really fun surprise from some families in Kaufman. When I was getting out our Christmas decorations this year, I made note that I would need to be shopping after Christmas sales for a taller tree for next year. Our ceilings here are a little taller than they were in Kaufman and, in my opinion, you must have the largest tree possible....Christmas Vacation style. For some reason, I guess I mentioned this to J. Murrey of Kaufman, TX. I knew she was quite the shopper and that she might be out and about and find trees on sale and could let me know where to start looking. On our way to Rowlett for Thanksgiving break our boys were invited to spend the night with Blain Murrey and so our families met up at none other than El Fenix in Dallas to make the swap. K. Arrington had also made the trip to EF and as soon as everyone was settled at the table, I was given an envelope that I assumed was a Christmas card...I opened it to find that it was a Christmas card, but it was filled with cash from people from Kaufman with instructions to go and buy Commons Church (and our family) a taller tree for THIS year. It was very much an EXTRA for this year, but it made my Christmas extra special. I felt very loved and remembered and we had a lovely tall tree for church and our home to enjoy. This picture doesn't do it justice. It was beautiful. I've put your names on the tree box so that we will remember this special gift every year. Thank you for your extravagant love.

Thank you: Murreys, Arringtons, Hootie & Grandpa, Costellos, Vensons, Gentzels, Sloans, Froschs, Keiths, Williams, Valdez, Williamsons, Ferrells, McCalebs, Rawsons, Bounds, Richs, Archers, Sunderlins, Groths, Spradleys, Jacksons, & Gibsons

Christmas Vacation: Day 9 - 12

2010-12-30T13:52:00.003-06:00

Sunday we had a small Commons Church breakfast and church service. It was just perfect. Afterwards, we drove to Rowlett to have "Christmas Eve" and "Christmas" with the Leatherwood family. We were able to spend several days with Eric, Allison & Baby Kate (who is not a baby anymore) before they headed back to Mississippi. We celebrated birthdays & Christmas and ate lots of yummy food. So glad we got to see all of you!

Lots of fun & presents.

So much fun it made you tired!

Christmas Vacation: Day 8

2010-12-30T13:34:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas!

For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

We had a wonderful Christmas! We spent the morning at home and then headed to Gainesville to spend the day with Mimi, Paw Paw & the family. We enjoyed stockings, presents & food, but the highlight was a reenactment of the Christmas story produced by Mimi starring all the grandchildren.

Christmas Vacation: Day 7

2010-12-24T22:55:00.003-06:00

Luke 2:1-20

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

I hope you are having this much fun hanging YOUR stockings! Ben and Drew are more than thrilled that Jesus' birthday is finally here! Wahoo!

Christmas Vacation: Day 6

2010-12-23T20:25:00.003-06:00

Steve had to make a trip to Dallas today and brought me back a treat! YUM!

Christmas Vacation: Day 5

2010-12-22T22:13:00.004-06:00

We had a really fun day today! They boys played, Steve worked, and I wrapped a truckload of presents while watching: Elf, The 12 Dogs of Christmas, A Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th Street, The Santa Clause 2 & The Santa Clause. That's a LOT of wrapping!

We also made some Christmas cookies and counted down (several times) until Jesus' birthday.

This one looks particularly good!

Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests! Luke 2: 14

Christmas Vacation: Day 4

2010-12-21T21:14:00.003-06:00

Santa was busy today! Lots of traffic and lots of people. Whew! Glad to be home with the family. Christmas movies and the couch! YES!

Christmas Vacation: Day 3

2010-12-20T20:31:00.003-06:00

Day 3 was full of fun for me! I was able to meet up with some of my favorite Kaufman teacher friends. Thank you Raleen, Karina & Julie for making the drive to meet me. You made my vacation! Charming Charlie's will be a favorite stop for me from now on. The boys got to play lots of video games due to my outing and they have had a blast. I made Kimberly's pumpkin cake recipe when I got home in order to host a Commons meeting. Yum! So glad she shared!

Christmas Vacation: Day 2

2010-12-20T16:31:00.003-06:00

Today was Sunday and it was also Ben's 10th birthday. We celebrated with donuts in the morning followed by a great Christmas Sunday at Commons Church.

Directly after church we drove to Lindsay, TX to celebrate Bezner Christmas.

Afterwards, we stopped for some gas at the Runnin' Red in Gainesville.

Next stop...Movie Tavern in Denton, TX with Mimi. Ben opened some gifts.

We loaded up on junk food and watched Narnia.

The boys were on the edge of their seats. A good time was had by all!

Christmas Vacation: Day 1

2010-12-18T21:20:00.003-06:00

We had a full day! Walmart run, laundry, & Christmas baking followed by an early birthday dinner for Ben!

Indescribable

2010-11-04T18:28:00.003-05:00

I've found that there are a lot of things about church planting that are interesting and exciting and fun and sad and hard - but not many of those things am I able to post on the blog. Thus, the lack of blogging! It is always good for me to remember how amazing our God really is and how indescribable His love for each of us. Enjoy!

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Prayer

2010-10-19T20:30:00.004-05:00

The boys and I have several people on our prayer list these days with serious health concerns. It's so fun to pray with them and see God answer and provide.

Please join us in praying for Beth. She helped us counsel and lead both of our boys to Christ.

We are excited to see God work!

Happy Fall, Y'all!

2010-09-26T20:52:00.002-05:00

Sadly, my pictures will not upload.

We've got our house decorated for Fall and we are completely busy with school, soccer, and church. (just imagine wreaths, books, baskets, candy, garlands, etc. and two sweaty & smiling boys- one in blinding lime green and one in burnt orange- WOW)

Steve has updated on the church quite a bit if you want to catch up on that news.

I'll try to find something exciting to blog about and post some pics soon.

East Handley Tomorrow!

2010-08-22T20:55:00.002-05:00

The boys and I are headed to East Handley tomorrow! Pray for the students and teachers there. We're excited!

Pictures won't upload, but just imagine lunches packed, backbacks bulging with school supplies and new black and white Vans ready to go.

Today's Projects

2010-08-05T18:47:00.004-05:00

Today's projects included:

hanging curtains,

visiting the library,

hanging hats in the closet

and putting away office supplies for Commons Church!
(Thanks Bishops for the goods!)

Psalm 121

2010-08-04T23:25:00.004-05:00

I lift up my eyes to the hills -
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip -
he who watches over you will not slumber;

Indeed, he who watches over (Joy)
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you -
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm-
he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming
and going

both now and forevermore.

Look What We've Been Doing!

2010-08-03T20:52:00.012-05:00

A Peach Tea Stand

New School Shoes

Enjoying New Star Wars Shirts (thanks Uncle Eric, Aunt Al, and Kate! - 2 out of 2 days they've been our attire!)

Visiting Cook Children's

Swimming!

Fast Forward!

2010-07-22T21:09:00.004-05:00

Whew! We've sold our house in Kaufman and bought a house in Fort Worth. God made all those arrangements and all four of us are very thankful.

Thank you Doroughs, for the use of your cottage. It was just perfect for us and our transition time.

Thank you to all of you who are praying and who helped us move out and then in. We could not have done it without you.

We had our first service on Sunday. We had 12 adults and 7 kids. This coming Sunday will be our first Sunday with Commons Kids. We have lots of fun planned for them.

Steve has pictures posted and some more about church.

I have internet now, so hopefully I'll be able to post some more soon. I know some have been asking for pictures, so I'll try to do that soon. We've been really busy.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Your e-mails, texts and calls of encouragement come at just the right time.

Things are moving here, people!

2010-06-16T17:12:00.006-05:00

We are suppose to close on our house here in Kaufman tomorrow. Loading up the PODs on Friday. Bored? Come on over!

The Lord has helped us find a house in FW. Thanks to Michael for his hard work and to all of you who are praying with us. It is more than we could have hoped for. It is just perfect for what we need. Closing in FW doesn't happen until later in July. Thank you to the Doroughs for housing us for a few weeks.

I have also been given a job at a school in FW teaching sped. My new principal seems great.

In the month of June, our core team is visiting church plants on Sundays and continuing to have Bible study on Wednesday nights. Steve and I will be continuing some of our church plant training, so we are busy!!! Thank you to family and friends who are helping make this a really fun summer for our kids. They have not missed a beat and they have loved getting to visit with everyone.

Please continue to pray for God's protection and provision for us and our core team and for wisdom as Steve gives leadership to our group.

I"ll try to do a fun kid update soon, but we haven't been able to be near internet consistently. Thanks so much for your prayers!

Quick Update

2010-05-31T21:07:00.007-05:00

I can't quite write the blog about how great Kaufman is and how we love the people here. I tried to start it, but I just can't do it today. So, here's just a quick update for those of you who are praying.

1. We have a house contract! Whoop! Please keep praying that all goes smoothly and for God to provide the perfect spot for us in FW.

2. I'm in my last week of school and the boys are out and hanging with Mimi and Paw Paw this week. Pray for the boys as we transition. Pray for their sweet little friends here in Kaufman. Everyone has been saying all along...."not until summer"... and the little ones are realizing that it is now summer.

3. Steve is officially full time for the Commons Church! Pray for God to be preparing the hearts and minds of people that we will be living around in FW to be open to the Holy Spirit. Pray for Steve as he meets with pastors and community members for doors to be opened.

4. I have a job offer with FW ISD. Steve is looking for a supplemental job. We have no doubt that God will provide for us. Pray with us for provision and great stories to share.

A Prayer

2010-05-18T21:07:00.004-05:00

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

God is doing more than we can ask and imagine around our house.

No, we haven't sold our house. But God is taking care of details left and right that we don't even know to ask for and some that we do.

Thank you, God, for interviews and healing - groceries and babysitting - money and friends that pray. They all show up in such unexpected places and times. Your love is amazing.

Good God Story

2010-05-13T19:05:00.007-05:00

One of my friends had a really good God story this week so I got her permission to share it.

I have a wonderful PRAISE story!! A couple of weeks ago M. found out that she was going to have to take a summer class because it was not making for the Fall. Well it was going to cost $700 to take it because you have to buy a lab and kit and so many other things for the class, which she did not have. When she called me we were discussing several options that she could do and one was get a loan. We really didn't want to take that route but didn't really have any other options. I asked her to hold off on applying for the loan and lets just pray about it and see what the Lord will bring to us. Two weeks later, she goes to work and her manager calls her in his office and hands her an envelope. She opens it up and begins to read the two page letter. It basically said she had a guardian angle looking over her and whoever seeks the Lord they will be blessed. On the back of the letter a receipt was taped to it from the college of the amount of her class. She was just so filled with joy and crying at the same time when she called me. Her manager told her that a very fragile older lady came in that morning and asked for the manager. When he got to her, she asked him to deliver the envelope to M. She doesn't have a clue till this day who the lady was!! Still gives me tears and chill bumps as I tell the story! God is truly an awesome God and no other person has the power to do what He does!!

Thanks, J.A. for sharing your story.

Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Colossians 4:2 (MSG)

What's Been Going On?

2010-05-11T18:32:00.004-05:00

We've been super busy! Here are some highlights!

Drew lost his bottom two teeth. (and had an orange soda)

We had a great Mother's Day! We visited with Grandmommy and Papa at Cheddars and Mimi and PawPaw & cousins at a yummy Nestle's place at Firewheel. I didn't think to take pics with everyone, but we sure had fun!

And I must argue that I have the BEST boys around.

These are my Mother's Day gift from the boys. Love them!

And here is a picture of the Mariachi band that serenaded me in the middle of the night on Mother's Day. (sorry about the bad pic, but it had to be shared)

Well, that's the recent past anyway!

Prayer Requests:
We have shown our house a few times and are waiting to hear back from some of the prospects. We feel confident that God has a plan for this house and that He has one perfect for us in FW. Pray with us for these houses. We also have others in our core team that need to sell houses. Pray for them as well.

Pray for Steve and me as we finish up our jobs in Kaufman. We want to finish strong. We see God moving here in Kaufman and we are excited to see what the future holds for our friends here, too.

Pray for the jobs that are for us and for our core team that God is getting ready in FW.

Pray for God to provide for our needs as Steve's job comes to an end.

Pray for protection from Satan's attacks.

Please join us in praying for healing for Bethany and Matt. They both have some big medical tests coming up this week.

Thank you for joining us in prayer.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me wtih all your heart."

Field Trip !

2010-04-15T21:27:00.006-05:00

The kindergarten classes at HEECC are visiting the Dallas Arboretum this week for a field trip. I went with Drew's class today. It was beautiful. It was a great reminder that God is in control and He knows my needs.

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Matthew 6:28-29

Couple of Updates:

2010-04-12T20:28:00.003-05:00

#1) Drew Bezner was baptized on Sunday! Whoop! We have put him off from becoming a Christian for over a year in order to make sure he knew what he was doing. We've had conversations, read books, met with the children's pastor, and read more books. It finally became impossible to hold him back. During FBC Kaufman's recent revival, Drew got up from the pew spot he had been twisting in the whole sermon, gave me a "don't you dare stop me" look, took his Daddy's hand and stormed down the aisle. We met at the back and while Steve was explaining (again) what it all meant...Drew quickly filled in the blanks saying," yeah, Dad, I know all this....I JUST talked about it with Mrs. Beth YESTERDAY!" So, he prayed to ask Jesus into his heart. Greatness. So then we've been counting down the weeks until he could be baptized (had to make sure all the grandparents could be there). It was a great day. The only thing that would have made it better would have been had we remembered to tell our siblings that we were having a baptism. We are so busy that we plumb forgot. We love you siblings! Please forgive us!

#2) Our first Commons Bible study was great. We had nine people. We shared ideas, Steve led Bible study (he did GREAT by the way...of course it was GOD but it was awesome to watch), and prayed. We are excited to see what God has in store this week. We are praying for God to be with the people in Fort Worth that we are going to be meeting and that He would be working on their hearts now before we even meet them.

#3) I have officially resigned my wonderful job in Kaufman. It was a very sad thing for me, but necessary for the school here to go ahead and move forward. I am enjoying my last few weeks in this school district very much. It has been a wonderful place to teach. I highly recommend Kaufman ISD to anyone in the area. They love kids here.

#4) If you are checking in for prayer requests, the ones listed several posts back are still very very on the top of our thoughts. The selling of our house, to us, seems very important. We are hoping that it would sell soon. Join us in praying that God would help it to sell soon, and for us to be patient if that is not His will. Ultimately His will is what we want. We feel like we are following God's will by starting this church. (It wasn't our idea!) So, we know in order for that to be successful, our house needs to sell. We are praying that all the glory for the selling goes to God. Thank you for joining us in that prayer.

#5) Diet Peach Tea Snapple has become our new favorite drink. Try it out!

First Bible Study!

2010-04-06T21:10:00.004-05:00

The Bezner house has been busy! We've had a great spring break and a wonderful Easter- and I pretty much stink at updating due to lack of computer time. But I have been aware of what I listed before as prayer requests and those are definitely still the things that we would ask for prayer about.

We have an exciting evening tomorrow as we have our first official Commons Bible study. We will be meeting at the home of Kimberly and Thomas in Fort Worth. Please join us in praying that we listen and follow closely as God leads us.

I'll do my best to update soon and let you know how it went!

From my point of view:

2010-03-14T18:40:00.006-05:00

There is one question that everyone asks me these days.

"How's that Fort Worth thing going?"

That Fort Worth thing is our life and it's all-consuming. It's a prayer with every breath. So it's funny to me when someone asks. Of course they don't know and are curious about what may seem like a crazy decision. (Quit your wonderful jobs and leave your amazing friends and church family and move to where you know one family. Get new jobs. Meet new friends. And start telling people about Jesus.) That does sound crazy. But when you know in the middle of your soul that God has called you. REALLY called you, it's the only thing that you can do.

So, our lives are rocking along here in Kaufman and the time is going by quickly. Things are moving along on the new church plant. God is real and the way we know we are doing what we are suppose to do is that Satan is really enjoying getting into our business in our weak spots. I thought it might just be us. But it's not. He's getting to our core team too. I find myself praying and asking everyone that I run into to pray for us. So that's where this blog comes in. I'm not a big "look at me" person and I don't really have access all that often to Steve's computer with time that I can blog. But I thought just perhaps that a few of you who stopped to read might be interested in some specifics to pray for. And so I thought I would share a few requests and maybe pick up a few prayer warriors along the way. We need them.

Prayer Requests:
1.Protection from Satan and his attacks on our family and the families that will be helping us in Fort Worth. House selling and buying, busyness, relationships, health of children, and death are all things being dealt with with our few families right now.

2.We are specifically praying for our house to sell. We have not shown our house since it went back on the market. We have faith that God will take care of this, but we are asking for patience as we wait on his timetable and not ours. We are praying for the people that move into our house to be good friends to our neighbors and that they come to know Jesus if they do not already. We pray for the house that God has picked out for us in Fort Worth that it be by people that we can learn to love and share Jesus with and be friends with.

3. Jobs: I have a wonderful praise in that I have a job with Fort Worth ISD. I don't have any details yet about the job, and for me being the planner I am learning to put that in God's hands. I'm praying for Him to place me in the school that He wants me in. Steve is also looking for a job so that it will not be a stress for us to pay bills. This may not be in God's plans as so far he has not gotten good leads so far. We are considering the possibility that God may need him to be full-time pastor from the beginning and that is going to require much prayer and faith on our part. But we've made it for months on one income before. I have no doubt God will provide. Pray with us!

4. We are praying for our children. They are doing amazing so far. They pray with us for Fort Worth and for the things we need to happen in order to get there. Our prayer is that this is a growing time for them. That they see how we handle these situations and that they see God at work. We are praying for the schools they will go to, for the teachers they will have, and for each of them to make a new and special friend when we move.

5. We are praying for the people of southwest Fort Worth. That they be open and receptive to us when we get there. That their hearts even now are being prepared to hear about Jesus.

6. We are praying for the people of Kaufman and for FBC Kaufman. They have been our backbone and our life. We pray that God continues to bless them and grow them.

I am not completely selfish in my prayers. I have more thanks and praises than anyone would care to read, but I tell Jesus about them. I also have many many friends that I am praying for; too many to list. Many of them I am praying for because I read their blog. Thus spurring me on to give this a try. I would be honored if you would let me pray for you in return. You can send me an e-mail at jbezner@kaufmanisd.net.

Thank you for reading this far. And thank you for your prayers.

Hmmm....

2010-02-23T22:00:00.005-06:00

We've got so much going on these days, it's hard to know where to pick up. We've had birthdays and Christmas and Texas SNOW since I've last written on the blog. We've also packed up our entire house in a POD and unpacked it the next day. We've had a broken stove, broken washing machine, broken car, broken treadmill, and our refrigerator sounds like the space shuttle about to take off, so I've no doubt it's next.

But in the middle of all that, daily, all I can think is of how thankful I am.

I'm thankful for my boys. For Drew who is always wanting to laugh and for Ben who's always up for a good story. And for Steve, who is my best friend.

I'm thankful that we are all healthy and that we have a house to live in and that we have food in our space shuttle refrigerator.

I'm thankful for friends who are supportive no matter what, for hand-me-down jeans, and for notes left in my box at work.

I'm thankful for parents who take time to drive to basketball games and for in-laws who drop everything to come and help with any task.

I'm thankful for in-town grandparents and teenagers who are willing to babysit without much notice.

I'm thankful for a church family here in Kaufman that loves us and is praying with us through major life-change.

I"m thankful for brothers and sisters and their families that are lifting us up in prayer.

I'm thankful for the families who are praying and thinking of being a part of The Commons in Fort Worth.

I'm thankful for the Denny's kids-eat-free on Tuesday nights.

Thank you, Jesus. I am so very thankful.

God and the Envelopes

2009-11-01T20:21:00.004-06:00

I don't know how you do finances in your family, but Steve and I work off of the envelope system. Every two weeks we go to the bank with Steve's check and get out a certain amount of cash in SMALL bills (small is important later) and we divide them up among envelopes that say Grocery, Haircuts, Clothing, etc. and we use that cash to live on. The other money goes into the bank for tithing, savings, bills etc.

So...there are times when certain expenses come up that are unexpected and it is in those times that I say," Ok, God, we've got this expense...where is that money going to come from?" It is amazing to watch God work this out.

I had one of those experiences this week.

Ben outgrew all of his jeans (except one pair) overnight. So...usually what I do is pray, God, we need (blank) item of clothing and I don't know where it is going to come from, so I'm gonna give you a week to provide before I use the envelope money. Usually when I pray this prayer someone walks into Steve's office with a bag of hand-me-downs but that didn't happen this time. This time we went to a youth worker meeting at a friend's house and as we were walking out the door, my friend said, "Oh, wait...I've got a pair of jeans that Ben left here a few weeks ago when he spent the night." They just so happened to still fit as well. Yea, God. Thanks!!!! So now I have 2 pair that fit. I waited and prayed a week this same prayer in hopes that another pair or two would show up. Meanwhile Ben wore dirty jeans (please don't judge) and I did a lot of laundry to keep the jeans that fit washed up. So...this weekend, I told Steve I've got to go to the store and buy Ben some new jeans. (My mom says that we only had two pair of jeans when we were little, but she must have been SUPERMOM. I just can't keep two pair clean and boys are messy. ) So...I survived a week on 2 pair of jeans for him and then I was at my wits end and had to go shop for some new.

Steve had just gotten paid, so before I left for the store I had to divide up the money to go into the envelopes so that I didn't spend the grocery money on jeans etc. So, I went to get my purse and get the envelopes and I remembered that I had been working out of two different purses. So, I found both purses and started gathering envelopes to sort money.

When I reached into the second purse to pull out the envelopes, there was a crisp $100.00 bill stuck in between them.

I have no idea when the last time was that I have even held a $100.00 bill (remember we get small bills at the bank.) So, I ran into the house to tell Steve that God had provided once again and happily went to the store to buy my growing boy some jeans.

School Days

2009-09-07T20:13:00.003-05:00

Well, we are officially back in school. We are getting our routine down again and we seem to be doing well so far this year. We were very excited to have a day off today though!

Showing off our backpacks.

Ben's first day of 3rd grade.

Drew's first day of kindergarten.

My back to school flowers from Steve.

Summer Vacation

2009-07-15T12:57:00.003-05:00

Vacation this year was amazing! We had no intentions of getting to go back to Disney anytime soon, but a family in our church gave us a week in a timeshare in Orlando. So, off to Disney we did go! We took my niece and sister-in-law with us and we absolutely had a blast. We spent a week in Orlando and then visited family for a week after that. It was so nice to get to rest and visit with family. We had a great time. Thank you, Ferrells, for making our vacation possible!

While we were on vacation, our kittens disappeared. I am none too sad about that, but I did help the boys make a LOST KITTEN flyer on the computer. They sweated heartily as they passed them out to the houses in our neighborhood. Still no sign of them, but I must admit, I'm not sad about not sticking my hand in stinky cat food and changing dirty cat water and sweeping the back porch twice a day. Please, no one give us any more. We have gotten over it!

Speaking of sweating, it is incredibly HOT this summer. Unless we are swimming, we are holed up in our house with blinds shut and lights off. UGH. It is too hot to do anything! I'm ready for Fall weather with Summer agenda! Is that possible?

Father's Day 2009

2009-06-23T19:50:00.004-05:00

We had a big day on Sunday. Not only was it Father's Day, but it also happened to be the day that Steve got to baptize Ben.

Ben has been asking questions about becoming a Christian for many months, so Steve enrolled him in our church's Now That I'm a Christian class. We had workbook work to do every night for about a month. A week or two into the class he assured us that he knew what he was doing and he was ready to become a Christian. So, on May 1, 2009, a freshly showered Ben sat in his PJs in between Steve and I on the couch and asked Jesus to come into his life. It was an answer to a prayer we have been praying for 8 years. We had several weeks where we were super busy and it wasn't "convenient" for Ben to go down front (petting zoos, meetings, etc) but finally the big Sunday came and Ben went down to talk to Pastor Brent and tell him that he was ready to be baptized. It turned out that Father's Day was the next available Sunday that baptisms were happening and all the grandparents could attend. It was a perfect day. Ben smiled from ear to ear all day. We had ham and all the fixings for a big Sunday lunch and lots of family came to share this special day.

Thank you all for making the trip to Kaufman. It is a day that we will always remember!

Summertime fun!

2009-06-18T14:00:00.006-05:00

Whew! We have had a busy and fun summer already and there is still lots more to be had.

The boys have gone to VBS at church and Steve and I helped with Jr. High Superweek at the same time. We hadn't played kickball in years, but our team won with much rejoicing and sore legs the next morning! We had great fun.

Steve and I also traveled to San Antonio so he could get some school board training. Steve was in class all day, and I got to sleep late and shop with my friend Jennifer. We shopped till we dropped at The Quarry and the San Marcos Outlets. We also got to hang out with Cindy Rich and Julie Wages from church. Lots of good food and fun times were had by all. At night we had great San Antonio food. We had fun seeing friends and getting into a Mariachi war with the Rhoades family. Bezner/Murrey Team: 3 Rhoades Team:1.

During the San Antonio trip, the boys were on the second annual Grandparent Trip with Mimi and PawPaw. They went camping in a trailer with a bunch of the cousins. They swam, tubed, rode in the boat, panned for "gold", rode golf carts and cooked over the fire. They were spoiled and dirty when they got home. They had a fabulous time. Thanks, Mimi and PawPaw for the great trip!

This week we have gone swimming at Hootie's house a few times and have picked blueberries in Edom. The boys have spent two nights with friends (thanks James and Murreys for the invites!). I've done a scrapbook from two summers ago, done every stitch of laundry in the house, looked up every blueberry recipe I can find and we have helped at two Jr. High Bible studies.

Things are crazy, but so good. I love the Summer! Thank you, Lord, for all your blessings!

Blueberry Hills Farm in Edom, TX

Swimming at Hootie's!

Only In Kaufman...

2009-06-07T14:00:00.004-05:00

do you come home and see this in your neighbor's driveway!

School's Out (Almost!) For Summer!!!!!

2009-06-02T21:11:00.004-05:00

Whoohoo!

One more day of kids followed by one more day of Teacher Work Day! I'm so excited. Summer is coming!

We've had a great school year. Ben has made straight A's in second grade and is excited about third.

Drew is PUMPED about being in kindergarten next year. He is now asking every day about being in school. He has several school shirts picked out already.

Steve and I are excited to have one less daycare bill starting in September. Yea!

We are also excited to exchange t-ball & homework for swimming at Hootie's house and outings with the youth.

The boys have VBS and a Grandparent trip with Mimi, Paw Paw and all the cousins next week so things are starting off with a bang.

We are so excited and we can't wait to see what the Summer holds!

Swine Flu Update

2009-05-07T10:39:00.003-05:00

The Swine Flu is proving to be very productive for the Bezner household!
Tuesday: house & closets cleaned, t-ball played, homemade tacos eaten, Stacks Family visited, ice cream eaten
Wednesday: floor store visited, blinds bought, Ikea conquered, Wednesday night church attended, one set of blinds hung to test them out, LOST watched (by Steve), more ice cream eaten (we have to get rid of it somehow!)
Thurs: floors in kitchen measured by floor store, electric screwdriver found, blinds being hung, hand-me-down Mario shirts being tried on and worn, pirate ship for playroom being put together, financial advisor being seen

Whew! A good break is being had by all!

April Showers Bring May Swine Flu?

2009-05-05T13:00:00.003-05:00

It's been months now without a computer that I can sit on the couch with. So...no blogging updates about JB and the Boys. Sorry family! We've been super busy and LOTS has happened.
So...here are some updates in a nutshell:

Steve is still busy busy with youth and church work and various papers he is writing. He has started working on the yard and fixing up various things around the house that need fixing. He mentioned this morning that it might be time for me to get the kitchen floor replaced!!!

Ben is still doing great in school. He is really enjoying reading and is currently working on the first Harry Potter book. I finally found something that takes him more than 30 minutes to read. Yea! He is also loving karate still. He has advanced to a green stripe belt. He went with his karate class to a tournament on Saturday all by himself. He won 3rd place in sparring (who knew?) and he bought himself a dragon holding a sword to hang on his wall. Mom was SO proud. :)

Drew is also doing well. He is proving to be a challenging 5 year old...pushing mom to really dig for some behavior strategies! He now has a behavior chart across his wall that seems to be working well for him. YEA!!! He is also playing t-ball for the Wild Hogs. (The bbq place in town is the sponsor....and we live in Kaufman. Don't make fun of his team name!) He loves it and we have fun watching his little team.

I am now mom to two new kittens these days. They are black and white orphans that were found in the church dumpster. Yea for me! I got to feed them with a syringe and teach them how to use a litter box and eat kitten food. For those of you who know me well, you now know that I LOVE my children. Nothing else would make me take care of orphan kittens. I have several friends I would have dumped them on so they would not have died, but they would not have been living in my house/garage for several weeks now had my children not been in LOVE with them. BTW they used the potty all over the leaves in the garage so they are now officially OUTSIDE kittens. I think they like it.

So...enough about kittens....last night I got a call around 9:00 that said school was cancelled until May 18 due to a case of swine flu. WOW. It feels very strange to be at home. So....all the laundry is done, I've cleaned my closet, the playroom is clean, the floors are cleaned....and it's only 1:24 pm. We have an eventful 2 weeks ahead of us, I'm sure. I've been on the internet some looking up creative Mother's Day gifts for the respective Grandmothers....Maybe this year we'll actually have time for cute gifts! I've been sitting at the desktop so I thought I would update.

Everyone should wash their hands, and if you are off work due to swine flu...have fun!

Fun in the Sun in January

2009-01-07T20:53:00.004-06:00

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T16:25:00.001-06:00

Today has been so great that I have a headache. That happens when I'm really excited.

We've had a great December. We've had lots of fun with our boys talking about Jesus' birthday and why we decorate and why we give presents to each other. They are pretty fired up about life in general.

Today I've been to the store twice to get those few last-minute-idea-cherry-on-the-top gifts and I think I have FINALLY wrapped everything.

Steve came home from work for a few hours and has just left to get ready for the first of two Christmas Eve services and the boys and I will be there shortly. Our house is clean, presents are wrapped and hidden, suitcases are partially packed. Tonight we'll have dinner together after church and hang our stockings, have Christmas in the morning then we're off to Mimi's house for more Christmas. We'll head to Grandmommy's Christmas too and see Uncle Eric and Auny Allison and of course, baby Kate....(who isn't a baby anymore.) Life is pretty perfect.

Thank you, God, for Jesus and for letting us celebrate your birthday. It's so much fun. No wonder my head hurts.

Update on Baby Callie

2008-12-14T22:31:00.006-06:00

Prayer Requests for my cousin's baby, Callie:
1. for Callie to gain weight and quit throwing up
2. for Wyatt to be entertained easily while the family is at home
3. for baby Callie not to get sick this winter
4. for strength/rest for Kelli and Jason and their families

You can read their updates at www.meddersfamily.googlepages.com

Things I am Thankful For

2008-11-19T20:41:00.005-06:00

Thanksgiving is upon us. This time next week I will have almost completed all of my Christmas shopping and I will be anticipating eating anything and everything that is put before me on the following day. (Steve and I have been exercising like crazy to get ready for the feast.)

Every year I think that I might get out that journal with fall leaves on it that I made in MOPS a long time ago...I was suppose to write down things I was thankful for all month long in November. But, hey, I don't do good with babies and that was the very last thing I had time to do when I was a MOP. But that doesn't mean that the list in my mind was short.

That journal is really faded and still empty, but if I were to dig it out from underneath the phone books and cookie tins in the cabinet, these are some of the things that I would write:

Things I am thankful for...in no particular order:

1) Steve...my best friend and husband
2) my HEALTHY family
3) my washing machine and dryer
4) our cars that run with little work ever having to be done to them
5) our gas fireplace
6) my parents and my in-laws who are around and love us and our kids
7) our pantry that has always had food in it, even when we didn't both have jobs
8) our closets that bulge with clothes
9) last night I was thankful for my bed I was so tired I appreciated it so much
10) my big starbucks coffee cup that Farky gave me last year as a joke because it said JOY on it...it's HUGE and my favorite...it holds lots of hot chocolate
11) Medtronic, Dr. Whelan, Dr. Hall, Andy Deer & the people at Heartplace
12) my treadmill
13) our backyard
14) our soft tan blanket that I use every night while I sit on the couch
15) Paula Cox and Raleen Sloan, my "mom"/friend/prayer warriors rolled into each one
16) my great job and workplace
17) my fuzzy reindeer pajama pants
18) my new leather Bible
19) taco soup
20) Big Al

So...I'm getting sleepy and the list in my mind is still miles long. This is just the very tip of my Things I am Thankful For list....I'll try to post more tomorrow.

Denny's or Bust

2008-10-22T16:44:00.011-05:00

Tuesday night after karate our family went to Denny's. Not just any Denny's but OUR Denny's. That's right, folks, you aren't hallucinating....Kaufman, TX has a Denny's. We've been watching it being built for months now and my little family just couldn't contain ourselves. We wanted to go eat there on Monday, but we just couldn't justify spending the money eating out, so we made pancakes for dinner at home instead. At karate on Tuesday night, however, we found out that kids eat FREE at Denny's on Tuesday nights. WOW. We just couldn't turn that down. So, we loaded up and ate at a table for 12 with the Murreys and the Boyds. As you can imagine, a newly opened Denny's in a small town with free dinner for kids on a certain day, it was PACKED. And we knew everyone in there. Pancakes, hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, chicken nuggets, egg beater omlets, syrup, sugar water....YUM. It was definitelly enjoyed by all.

Put a Face on Your Pumpkin!

2008-10-11T19:52:00.005-05:00

Something to Blog About!!!

2008-09-30T21:43:00.006-05:00

Ben lost his first tooth! We've been wiggling and wiggling and Dad finally finished the job. There is already a permanant tooth in place. Ben was quite excited. The tooth fairy had no change, so he left $5.00. YIKES!!! Did he forget that we have a mouthful to lose yet?

Things You Get to do if you Live in the Country

2008-09-27T18:57:00.003-05:00

Kaufman is definitely in the country. We have cows that come up to our back fence; coyotes that howl and keep us up at night; snakes, frogs, and mice around the house; and rabid skunks on the school playground that kept the kinder students inside for weeks. However, there is a big bonus in that you also have friends that own horses. Ben is getting to ride a little with his friend Blain and he LOVES it. Thanks, Murreys, for taking him along.

Fun in the Fall

2008-09-27T18:23:00.004-05:00

Various Things About Us

2008-09-17T21:10:00.003-05:00

I really have no news to blog about. I just keep thinking I should blog since I started this thing, and I'm sure all two of you are bored with me by now! I keep trying to come up with topics, but either 1) they seem too boring or 2) Steve has already stolen the topic from me! He's better at keeping up with blogging than I am.

So, here's the rundown of our lives....

We had great fun with our hurricane evacuees from Tyler. We had a roomful of 25 year old girls at our house. We stayed up way too late and ate way too much ice cream. It was great. Thanks for coming, girls!

Ben is loving second grade and doing a great job. He is still taking karate and loving it.

Drew is also doing well at school, but he doesn't understand that we have to go to school everyday for the rest of the school year. He really liked summer! He's done with karate and looking forward to t-ball in the spring. UGH.

Steve is returning from a quick training trip in Indiana. He's dreaming big and is going to train pastors in India. Wow.

I'm digging into school this year. Got lots of kids. One is particularly interesting. She is five years old and she is deaf. She is also blind. She is also not verbal. She also lives in a Spanish speaking home.

The good thing is that she can hear a little with a cochlear implant. However she is due for a doctor's appointment and I think her device might need a little work. She can also see a little out of one eye. I'm not really sure how much.

I think that she is probably smart. She is catching on to routines and she doesn't get upset too much....She gets upset only when her implant seems not to work and only when we didn't know that her device had volume control and every time it broke we were suppose to turn down the volume.

The next two days I am happily going to a workshop to learn how to teach kids with implants. I can't wait to find out what I wish I had known about 3 weeks ago!!!

First Annual Grandparents' Weekend

2008-09-01T20:09:00.002-05:00

Ben and Drew have been gone all weekend.
And they have been having a blast.
They left Friday afternoon for a trip to a park in Oklahoma with Mimi, PawPaw, Samara, Jordan, Aunt JJ, Uncle Kenny, Jake and Allie.
They all stayed together in a cabin and travel trailer.
They cooked hotdogs, marshmallows, and a country breakfast over a campfire.
They swam in the river and the lake and went riding and tubing in the boat.
They played games and went to the playground and read comic books.
They spent time with cousins that they don't get to see very often.
They had the BEST time.
They said they plan on doing it every year.

Thank you, Mimi and PawPaw for the wonderful weekend.
The boys enjoyed it so very much.

First Day of School

2008-08-27T16:55:00.004-05:00

School's back in business. Three days in and everyone still thinks it's great! Ben started 2nd grade and Drew has started his last year of daycare. He is excited because his class is in the same building as Ben's. There was much separation anxiety from each other the first few days so this information helped. We're off to a great start.

The Poofy Hat

2008-08-23T14:06:00.003-05:00

Congratulations, Steve!

2008-08-17T17:37:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was a very exciting one for the Bezner household. Friday night we had tickets to see Lyle Lovett in concert. It was a great show as always. We even had time to eat at Mi Cocina beforehand thanks to Stephanie Frosch for having jumper cables when my car wouldn't start, which foiled my plans of leaving campus at EXACTLY 3:30-on-the-dot-so-I-would-have-time-to-pack-and-get-dressed! Steve, as always, came through for me. He got my car started, we quickly drove home, got dressed, packed and then we picked up Chad and Kristi and Renee and headed to Fort Worth. We had exactly one hour before concert time. We ate (thanks to our quick waiter) and made it on time and a good time was had by all. Even Chad. I think. Steve and I then drove straight to Waco because....DUM DA DUM....GRADUATION was on Saturday morning. It was a family affair. Steve's parents and brother, my parents, and our boys were in attendance. The boys really enjoyed graduation. They had a new gameboy game for the occasion and they only looked up when I made them so they could watch Steve walk across the stage. Maybe when they are older they will remember it. If not we've got pics. I'll try to post some soon. Steve looked great. He got to wear the puffy hat and velvet all down his robe. It was a fun weekend. Congrats, Steve. I'm proud of you!

The Story of Callie....in a Nutshell

2008-08-11T16:53:00.008-05:00

Last year on July 3, I was standing on my mom's front porch when she came running out of the house with the phone in her hands and a big smile on her face. Her sister was calling telling her that my cousin, Kelli, was pregnant with natural quadruplets. You can imagine our shock and excitement. My cousin, however, unfortunately for us, lives in Fargo, ND. So we were excited but were very far away as were lots of other family. Fortunately for us, they started a blog to keep friends and family updated. LONG story short, the babies were born at 24 weeks on November 4, 2007. They were precious, but ultimately only one survived. Baby C, or Callie Ranelle Medders spent almost 7 months in the NICU at a hospital Minneapolis hours from their home in Fargo. Kelli lived in the Ronald McDonald House close to the hospital while Jason (Callie's dad) had to return to Fargo to work and visit on the weekends. Their 2 year old lived in Fargo back and forth with Jason and Kelli's parents. Callie and Kelli got to come home to Fargo on May 30, 2008. We were so excited! She has been home since then and has been doing well until this past week or so. I got a call today from my mom that they are having to send Callie by Careflight back to Minneapolis (the Cities) in order for her to be closer to her specialists. Her heart and lungs are having a hard time working correctly. The prayer requests today that the family is asking for are:

1. Pray for: Callie's lungs to function as they should.

2. Pray for: Rest and strength for the entire family.

3. Pray for: Wyatt (who is 3 years old) to understand all that is taking place in his little world.

4. Pray for: The doctors and nurses that are treating Callie both in Fargo and Minneapolis.

I know many people in Kaufman are aware of Callie already. Thanks for keeping her lifted up. If you are hearing about this for the first time, join us in praying for this sweet baby. We love her even though she is hundreds of miles away and we have never gotten to hold her or kiss her sweet cheeks!

meddersfamily.googlepages.com

Summer Vacation!

2008-08-04T09:11:00.008-05:00

We had a great time on vacation! Mimi and Paw Paw invited us to their timeshare which happened to be at a lake in Dadeville, AL this year. It was lots of fun. They took their boat and we rode in the boat, tubed, fished, and ate lots of good food. Following that we drove to Orange Beach, AL and spent some time with Uncle Eric, Aunt Allison and Kate on the beach. The boys LOVED the beach and had a great time fishing there as well. We just happened to stop in San Marcos on our way home. We had a fun dinner with the Brewers and the boys spent time at Cabellas while I shopped. It was a great arrangement for everyone!

Summer Week 2

2008-07-17T08:35:00.003-05:00

Directly following my Galveston trip was Bible School. Kids, Jesus, cookies, punch. No pics, but you get the idea.

Week 2 of Summer Steve preached at a youth camp in Colorado. The boys and I got to tag along. We went to a great zoo, went whitewater rafting, and went the the top of Pike's Peak. It was REALLY freezing up there!

Busy Summer Fun

2008-07-16T16:32:00.009-05:00

My Summer started out busy! The day school was out I went on a trip to Galveston with the girls in my Sunday School class. We stayed in a really neat house on Crystal Beach. It was LOTS of fun. Here are some of our fun pics.

Can JB Add a Photo to the Blog?

2008-07-16T16:27:00.001-05:00

Yea! I did it!

I came inside yesterday and this is what I found! Wolverine and the Blue Power Ranger sans teeth!

God is SO GOOD

2008-07-14T01:20:00.003-05:00

Thank you to those of you who prayed for Drew this week.
It made a difference.
He has a concussion but no bleeds in his brain.
Thank, you Jesus! God is SO GOOD!

Hey, Steve! Here's my secret Blog!!!!

2008-07-13T16:59:00.002-05:00

I have not currently been a blogger and I do not have a facebook page, and I am constantly getting berated from my friends about both. So....here's my first ever blog. I'm not sure if I even know how to post it. We'll see soon enough. If I can figure it out, I plan on posting about my boys and funny stories that come up. I'll hopefully catch on. After all, I'm not totally out of it....I can send a fast text message!