9

Sweet Teague is 9! He was born bright and early around 7am and has been a blessing since day 1! Tradition dictates donuts on your birthday so that’s how we started the day! The best part of parenthood is watching him grow, both physically and spiritually.  Happy birthday, Teague! You are loved beyond words!

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9 years old

Worship Weekend

A few girls from work and I ventured down to College Station for a worship concert Saturday night.  We started with breakfast in a small cafe in Hearne, Tx.  Then, we went and visited the George Bush Library.  I loved learning all about the history of his life and the things he was involved in and the impact he had on our country.

There were a few quotes that really made me think as we toured and this is the first one:

George was just 19 when he was flying jets and leading missions and escaping from enemy territory.  This quote is so accurate...they were just kids, but they fought like men and many lost their lives for their love of country.  It made me wonder if today's 19 year old men would have the same bravery and courage?   In a society where some parents now save their children from any failure or disciple or consequences... I wonder?  Is our society as strong as it once was back in those days? It challenged me to be more diligent in raising my 4 young men to be honest and strong and brave and courageous...even if that meant using some tough love with them.

The second quote was this one:

Wow!!  We need more of this.  Leaders that listen, a society that listens, individuals who listen...not just talk all the time.  What if we responded in love instead of pushing an agenda?  What if we met someone who disagreed with us and we still loved them anyways?  Loving does not mean we condone the actions if they are wrong, but rather we value that person and pray for them.  It's a fine line to walk, but can be done!  

At the end of our tour we were able to sit in the Oval office as it looked when Bush was President and visit a board room.

Our last activity for Saturday night was the Roadshow Concert at Reed Arena.  There were 6 different artists there to perform a night of worship music and we had the best time.  They all had a different style but the same message.  I always leave filled up after worshiping in a stadium that large with so many people!

Sunday morning we hit the movie theater before heading home so we could see I Can Only Imagine.  The theater we found had luxury loungers that were so nice!!   We kicked back and watched enjoyed a wonderful movie. I highly recommend it!  

It was a fun little road trip weekend with some great ladies!!  I am thankful that the Lord has brought us together and that we were able to get away for some much needed laughter and rest!

Excursions

We made 3 stops on our cruise and did an excursion at each place. In Cozumel we have always done Passion Island.  Richard and I found that spot on our honeymoon and have always gone back because we loved it so much.  Unfortunately, this spot was not on the excursion list this time, so we had to try something new.  The only other trip similar was to a spot called Playa Mia, so we tried it.

The beach was beautiful and when we got there one of the families we knew on board also took that excursion, so the kids were off to play together in no time!  There was a huge inflatable park in the water that they played on first, then it was off to the water boats to try those out!

Afterwards, they decided they wanted to try the banana boat tube ride.  Only one adult was aloud in the boat so Richard went with them and I took the pictures! They said they had a blast and got thrown off several times!

We had a very relaxing day on the beach and having friends there made it all the more fun!

The Hollingsworths and the Dieterichs

Our next stop was in Grand Cayman.  The cruise ship does not have a pier to pull up to at this island, so we have to take the tender boat in, which is always fun!

We had heard that the sting ray excursion was a must do because of the clear water.  We took a 45 minute boat ride out to a sand bar where the water was only up to our waist and looked like swimming pool water it was so clear!! The sting rays came right up to us and the boys loved snorkeling and swimming right down there with them!  There were large ones and there were a few baby ones that were a little smaller.  We were able to touch them and feed them and look at them up close while the worker held it for us.  It was a very cool experience and I would highly recommend it!!

Our last stop was in Jamaica.  We again found a beach that the kids could snorkel in.  This trip was a bit shorter and was cloudy with a shower or two, but it was still a beach in the Caribbean so I was not complaining one bit!!

We also found another family we knew on this excursion!  Friends are the best!!

The Hollingsworths and the Tindles

Each one of our stops was breathtaking!  I wished I had gotten more scenery pictures!  Here are just a few!  We are so blessed that we are able to travel and see the world and expose our children to all of it, as well!  God's creation always amazes me! I am already looking forward to the next time we get to explore the world!