2♥♥8 Recap

I wrote this weeks before new years, then I had to wait to post it, and now I am posting it 8 days too late... go figure! Oh well! Better late than never! :)

2♥♥8

♥ February 1-3
Winter Camp with the Youth! It was such a blast, and we cannot wait for this year's! The speaker is our former youth pastor from CCBC! We are so excited to get to visit with him and be fed God's Word by him... he is awesome!!! (I just wish his wife could come too!) :)

♥ February 24
Paul left for his week long mission trip to Honduras

♥ April 7
We celebrated 1 year of marriage

♥ May 21
Maria Sue Chapman died. She is one of the adopted daughters of Christian recording artist, Steven Curtis Chapman. You may not think this should make my recap, but it is significant because it is when I first truly understood what being brothers/sisters in Christ meant. I mourned with them, and at first felt weird, but then I realized that this is what it means to be siblings in Christ. They are my family and I can mourn with them and pray for them, as well as all my other siblings in Christ. It was a very cool lesson from God, in a very tragic moment.

♥ June 29
We left for summer camp with the youth. Summer camp all around was amazing! There God had very special plans for me. He led me to sell my ring and He called us to only adopt our children and not to have birth children. Follow the above link to read more! :)

♥ August 1
We bought our first house!!! (We had to wait until it was built, but we signed here).

♥ August
Paul and I were asked to take over the middle school ministry at CCBC, (Tbone).

This picture is cool because Kristin, (middle), and her husband used to be the Tbone leaders until they took over the high school ministry. Then Kristi and her husband were the Tbone leaders but moved so we were asked to take their spot. Before we took over Tbone, we helped out the youth pastor in the high school. So this picture at the time was Tbone leader's wives of the past, present and future! ;) (photo taken May 08)
When we took over Tbone, Brooke and her husband took over our spot in the high school. I guess it is some unwritten rule that the youth team has to dress alike, (notice both pics... above we are in red, white and blue, and here we are all in a similar shade of pink). By the way, this happens all the time. Unplanned. :) (photo taken October 08)

♥ August 8
Got a nasty anonymous comment and the blog had to go private. I HATE that this is private, but I have no choice. Besides, when we finally get to adopt, and if we adopt in this area, I do not want the birth mother to be able to track her kids, ya know?

♥ August 17
I wrote my first ever poem, and my writings continued through the week… in all I wrote 6 poems, 2 songs, and 2 children’s books, (which are being published!!!)

♥ September 2
Started classes at CBS, College of Biblical Studies. We took the free Bible Study Methods class, and it was AMAZING!!! Paul is continuing classes this semester, and I SOOOO wish I could too.

♥ September
Ike hit. We evacuated to San Antonio and stayed with my dad.

Here Jersey is making his own hurricane in a pond in my dad's backyard. :)

♥ September 26
I had a Health scare and it was a wake up call! I started eating better and exercising. I have lost 15 lbs, (at least... haven't weighed in about 2 weeks so it could be even more), and I am off all medications. I feel amazing!!! Follow the link to read the scary details...

♥ October 20ish
Found out my books were picked to get published!!! I was SOOOOOOO excited!!! Once they are ready to be sold you know it will be blogged about!!! :)

♥ November 14
Jersey won the Perfect Coat photo contest. I entered this picture for a contest where the winners would have their pictures on the bottles of the brand's shampoo. Jersey did not get top 3, but out of thousands of entires, Jersey made honorable mention! He won about a 3 year supply of shampoo products, among other prizes.

Picture taken June 08

♥ November 19
My picture of Jersey was picked by Photo Laureates for the "Best of 2008 Photography Anthology." My mom bought me the anthology for Christmas... still hasn't come in yet. When it does I will blog about it. :)

Picture taken May 08. When I took this, I knew immediately I loved it! It was a complete accident I hate to admit!

♥ December
Our house was completed, had to wait weeks to move in though. (only 5 days now)!!!

Here's to 2009! We are so excited to see what God has in store for us this year! :)