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!

Spring Break Cruise

Our Christmas present to the kids last year was a cruise over Spring Break. We have been counting down the days and were so excited to go see some new places and experience new things.  We loaded up and headed out with everyone happy except Teague.  I'm not sure what he was pouting about, but as soon as he saw Buckee's he turned his frown around!

We were aboard the Royal Caribbean this time so the kids were anxious to see all the different things this boat had to offer.  We arrived in Galveston where the weather was cool and breezy.  The first day was spent get acquainted with the ship and finding the kids' friends.  After we booked this cruise we learned of 4 other families that were going on the exact same boat.  So having friends aboard made it so much more exciting for all of us!

On the ship, the kids tried almost everything!!  The only thing they did not do was the rock wall, but other than that they were everywhere!!

The pool and hot tubs

The ice skating rink

The Flowrider

The slides

The ice cream machine...about a million times!

The Putt Putt course

The basketball/soccer courts

Richard and Koby even won 3rd place in the basketball competition!

Teague loved the towel animals in our room every night.

For dinner it was always fun to get dressed up and go eat fancy food and go to the shows.  We tried to get a picture every night but I think we only ended up with a few good ones!

The boys were not as interested in the nightly shows as Richard and Baylee and I so we went to several shows just us while they roamed around the ship.  Koby and his friends went to the Teen Club a few times just to see what they had to offer!

The meals were very delicious every night and the kids do well with trying new things!  They also do well with eating a ton of desserts.  By night 3 our waiter knew if he brought it, we would eat it so I think we became the dumping ground for all the desserts they were trying to get rid of!  I think at one point we had 12-15 dessert plates on our table!  And we ate every bit of it!!

The time on the ship was wonderful and I am proud that the kids took advantage of all the things they had to offer.  One of the things I love about being on the ship is the fact that I can find a lounge chair and park it for several hours and the kids can just come by and check in periodically.  A win win for everyone!!

Others

It’s been one month into my Word for the year and I am amazed at how much God is moving. I wasn’t real sure exactly how I was going to tackle praying for others daily, but He has shown up clearly. One morning in January I sat down and listed 1-365 and as He spoke a name I wrote it down. I got to 97 before I didn’t hear anymore names, so that is where I have started. Every morning, I look at my list and have that name on my heart. As I do my quiet time, as I listen to my worship music, as I go about my day my heart is turned towards that person. In some cases I get a word or a vision that I share with them, sometimes I’m told to just pray in person over them, sometimes I don’t get anything to share with them and I just pray what He lays on my heart for them all day. It has been crazy to hear and see how the Lord is speaking! And talk about forming a habit of listening!! After only a month I feel I am hearing God in so many different ways. And I am learning real quick that the random numbered day that each person fell on when I was jotting names down 30 days ago is no coincidence at all! Almost without fail I get a response back confirming the God ordained that day of prayer just for them. Crazy!!

On top of my daily prayers, in the last month I have also been asked to pray over people more than ever before. In prayer groups, over youth, in random situations...and every time I just smile and think that God knew this was going to be my word and has scheduled every single one of these situations. I have had confirmation after confirmation that this is the right word for me this year,  but this Sunday I received another. The pastor of our church said that a sign a spiritual maturity is when we begin to fight for others in our prayer life. This month has been crazy exciting and I can’t wait to continue on this journey and see what else God shows me!

5 years!

Today was our first day back and it was a work day.  The entire district met at the high school for a welcome back pep talk, breakfast and service awards.  This year marks the 5th year that I have been teaching, so I was awarded a shirt and during the breakfast they get a picture of all the employees at that level.

As I think back over the last 5-8 years and how I got into this profession, I have to give God all the glory!  My degree is not in teaching, but rather Exercise and Sport Science.  Once I became a single mom I wanted a career that would keep me with the boys as much as possible and teaching was one of those careers.  Luckily, with a bachelors degree I could apply for an emergency teacher's certification and complete all the schooling here in Waco.  I was blessed with the money and time to do it, so I decided to go for it!  As I finished my schooling I sent out my resume to all the schools within a 30 mile radius and just hoped for the best.  I had no experience in an ISD, as I had only taught at Head Start, so I knew someone was going to have to take a chance on me.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would have ended up at such a wonderful district.  I have enjoyed all 5 of my years here and am so thankful of how the Lord paved the way before me long before I knew I was going to be here.  I feel so blessed and am looking forward to many more years to come!

2018 Word

My 2018 word is Others.  The Lord gave me this concept back in October when I was praying for a friend and over the last few months it has been confirmed.  The word is not glamorous and it’s going to be difficult to sustain for 365 days, but I’m willing to try.

I find I can easily become self involved in what I want the Lord to do in my life and with my family and I quickly turn inward and miss a lot of what is going on around me.  In Matthew 22:37, He gives the two commandments we are supposed to follow: love the Lord with everything and love your neighbor as yourself.  My goal is to do the second part of the commandment better in hopes that my focus will shift from inward to outward, the way it is supposed to be.  

So for the next 365 day, He is asking me to pray for a different person everyday.  I have started a running list with those that came to mind first and I will also be adding to the list as the year continues as He brings others to mind.  I am looking forward to the praying part of this task, but I am more excited about the listening part of this task.  To form a habit of listening on behalf of others...maybe to share a word of encouragement or help out financially or give a hug or reach out as a friend or maybe do nothing and let the prayer in itself be enough.  All of this can frequently be out of my comfort zone, and I know the Lord has more than I can imagine in store for this year, but I know it will be worth it so I am accepting the challenge.
 
If you have something you need prayer for and would like to be added to the list, message me and I would be honored to pray for you; no specifics needed, just your name!  Jesus was the perfect example of one who lived for others, and I pray this year I will make it my habit to do the same.  Let’s do this 2k18!

NYE

Year #6 at the fireworks store. Troy and Teague were the only kids with us and they did well with helping and working and stocking for the long hours. The weather ended up keeping people at home so we had a lot of time to play and hang out.

   

By midnight it was just us and Ryan ringing in the New Year! Happy 2k18! Closing out one and looking forward to another! Praying the Lord seals all the eternal work we did this year and prepares us for what He has next!

Extraordinary

It’s that time again to recap on my 2017 word of the year...

I enjoyed this year’s word so much. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and grew my faith more than any other year, I think.  As I read back over my journal and see all the crazy things I’ve witnessed this year two things come to mind: intentionality and habit.

This year I was intentional; in every circumstance or situation, I had a sense of the bigger picture and made myself listen to what God wanted for that moment.  That intentionality led me to pray some crazy prayers, send some out of the blue texts, speak when I didn’t have all the answers, give when I questioned the amount...it was all amazing and so rewarding and because I lived in this way I saw physical healings, spiritual healings, strengthened faith, answered prayers! Looking back it almost seems unreal! The verse that keeps coming up over and over for me is James 5:16 - “Therefore, confess your sins one to another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”  That last part...wow!! Every time  I moved when He said move something happened and that last part of the verse would cross my mind. When I stay surrendered and attentive, my prayer is His prayer and it accomplishes much! I also find so much hope in the fact that in the areas where patience is needed in a situation and the outcome may not be seen for years to come, this verse still holds true! Something is always being accomplished, whether seen or unseen!

The second word, habit, also comes into play this year. This year was my second year to complete the One Year Bible. It’s a plan to read the entire Bible in a year. The first year was such a struggle; not so much the meeting with Jesus part, but more of the reading and understanding what I was reading. I pressed through and just kept on with it this year for round 2 and there was a shift. The reading was no longer a struggle. I didn’t understand everything, but I felt like I understood more than the year before! He highlighted Proverbs 1:23 - “Turn to my reproof, behold I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.”  And all of Proverbs 2!! So encouraging!! If I seek wisdom I find it...I just needed to form a habit of seeking it. In our instant gratification world we want immediate results and 2 years is a long time to see results, but if you keep at it, He is faithful! As I start in on year 3 of the One Year Bible I can’t help but think of all the new revelations! Like watching a movie over and over, I know the lines and the songs and even see scenes differently or more in-depth because I’ve seen it so many times, I think the same holds true for reading the Bible repeatedly. Think of all the scripture inside my heart and head, and every time I read it, it just goes deeper and I see things differently and God reveals more. I don’t think I would have encountered all I have encountered this year without the consistent intake of His word.

I pray I will continue to operate out of my comfort zone as the years go by. I really want to keep this word another year, but He has something different for me already, so I will take what I’ve learned this year and continue to apply it in all the tasks He asks of me in 2018!