Eleven more Days!

Sooo..yes! I am just a little excited about my upcoming trip! Dear Mr. Sunshine is what I will ENJOY for 9 days!! Oh yeah...now THIS is what I'm talking about!!! :) I so can not wait to soak up the sun! I will be spending a day in the Orlando area and a day in Miami before we head out on this glorious ship! I am very excited that I will get to see some long time family friends that I have not seen in 15 years! I was 14 when I last saw them--such a kid! lol

I am very excited to go on another S.A.M. trip! If you aren't familiar with it, this is a trip that the UPC puts on every year. The trips vary to different places from year to year...but we have met so many lifelong friends on these trips! I'm very excited to get to see old friends as well as make new ones on this trip!

Our cruise sets sail on April 11th for the Eastern Caribbean! If you would like to "follow" us as we're sailing the deep blue sea...here is our itinerary! :)

Sunday, April 11- Leaving Miami, Florida
Monday, April 12- Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
Tuesday, April 13- At Sea
Wednesday, April 14- St. Thomas, USVI
Thursday, April 15- San Juan, Puerto Rico
Friday, April 16- Grand Turk
Saturday, April 17- At Sea
Sunday, April 18- Arriving back in Miami, Florida

I have never been to this part of the Caribbean before, so I am excited to check some more countries/islands off of my list! I think a friend of mine and I might go parasailing! YIKES!! I'm a little scared because I don't know how to swim AND I'm afraid of heights! BUT...it is something that we can both say we've done. Sooo...I think we might try it! Good thing we have to wear a life jacket! LOL Other than that, I don't think we are going to do any other excursions...we're just going to take it easy, soak up the sun, go to the beach, do some shopping, and experience the culture! :) We are all about that! I know...such a rough life! LOL

Trust

I've been thinking a lot lately about Trust. Why is it that we trust people so easily? Trust is a BIG deal and it is VERY important to me. Although sometimes I think I trust people too much. That's sad to say, but it's true. Sometimes you go through things in life (and it may not always be an easy road) but you realize who in your life that you can REALLY trust. Trust is something that deals with things in our life, our minds, and our hearts...and that is something we have to be very careful with. There are some people in my life who I KNOW I could trust my LIFE with...and that says a lot. I thank God for the people that He has placed in my life that are like that. REAL people speak volumes to me. I've seen several quotes the last couple of weeks that really stuck out to me...and I want to share them with you.

"Trust is like a vase...once it's broken, though you can fix it, the vase will never be same again.”

"Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”

"The key is to get to know people and trust them to be who they are. Instead, we trust people to be who we want them to be- and when they're not, we cry.”

"Without trust, words become the hollow sound of a wooden gong. With trust, words become life itself.”

Just wanted to share a little of what's been going through my mind the past few days. These quotes really stuck out to me and I hope it can help someone else as well.

Hope you all have had a wonderful weekend!

Future Keyboard Player

We had Vertical Praise Ensemble practice last night and as we were all getting everything ready, Caedyn started "playing" the keyboard. How cute is this?! Yep-I'm pretty sure he will grow up to be a piano player one day...just like his Dad! :)

All Smiles

It is so fun to see how much kids change...but they grow up way to fast!! Noelle is smiling all the time now. She LOVES her big brother, Caedyn! Here are a few pictures from her on Sunday all dressed up!

First Day of Spring!

Happy Spring!!!

Well, I'm not so sure about being so happy. When I woke up this morning, I was greeted by a Winter Wonderland. What?! Yes, we have about 4 inches and its still snowing. I think the forecast said we were supposed to get somewhere between 6-8 inches of snow. It was 65 and sunny yesterday and freezing and snowing today. Crazy weather! lol But...it is another day that God created, so I must get myself happy! :)

Sooo...just wanted to share with you what it looks like here in Kansas City on this wonderful first day of SPRING! ha!!

This is looking out of our front door...

Aunt Bobbie's Funeral

The Homegoing service celebrating the life of Aunt Bobbie was beautiful! My cousins Colin and Kevin along with their Pastor, Bro Dean, did a wonderful job! Despite the circumstances, it was wonderful to get to see all my family. We have a very large family and all but 5 were there! It was so good to have everyone together again. So needless to say, we got lots of pictures with everyone! But I will say this...to my sweet Uncle Wayne, Larry & Michelle, Mike & Charlene, and MaLinda & Colin, and all the kids....we're praying for you. Hang in there and let God be your comforter! Love you all!!

If you're driving through Oklahoma...it is a MUST that you stop an have some ice cream at Braums. Can someone say Y U M M Y?! :) There is nothing like a Braums ice cream cone!

Made it to Dallas around 1:45 am and picked up my sister Darla and my cousin Kevin from the airport. We decided to stay at a hotel instead of driving all night (thankfully). This is our view of Dallas from our room on the 15th floor! Beautiful! The pic is blurry because I had to take it through the window..our window didn't open so I wasn't able to get a good picture.

Being goofy at 2:30 in the morning. We were up talking and laughing until 4:00 am. It is a night we will never forget. :)

Like I said...we were being goofy! ha!! Kevin cracks me up!

The next day, we finished up our drive to Louisiana, but first...we stopped and ate lunch at Pappas! Yummy!!



Ok, I know I'm odd...but I loved the menu with all the lights around the top. lol

Lots of cokes in glass bottles.

Kevin and Darla ordering lunch.

BBQ Chopped Beef stuffed baked potatoe! YUM!

I loved all the old signs they had all over the restaurant. So cool!


We stopped about half way through from Dallas to Shreveport and changed drivers. We found Dublin Dr. Pepper...and OH MY...this was my first time to try it....it is definitely THE best!!!

After the visitation, most of the cousins went out to eat at Applebees. So much fun being together! This is Todd and Julie.

Paulette and Jeff

Nathan and Sandy

Benjamin, Victoria, and Bethany

Mason and Brianna

Kim and Kevin before we all "laid hands" on Kevin's salad. LOL

Me and my sister, Darla.

Brent, Benjamin, Benjamin, and Jared.

At the funeral home...she had a TON of beautiful flowers!


The flowers on top of the casket

The "white rose" was a symbol from Uncle Wayne...he called Aunt Bobbie his White Rose. So sweet!

Back in the family room after the funeral.
Ashlyn, Robyn & Jeff, and Mindy & Ken walking to the gravesite.
Family walking towards the gravesite

The family at the gravesite.

Kevin and Bro Dean doing the prayer at the gravesite

Prayer



Some up close shots of all the beautiful flowers! So pretty!



I love this picture!!
My sweet Uncle Wayne and my cousin Paulette!

Kevin and Jeff...they look like they are in a serious conversation. lol

Uncle Wayne

Madeline...wearing Aunt Bobbie's hat.

Some of my family...my niece Ashlyn, Dad & Mom, my sister Robyn, and I.
Me and "my Kevin" (cousin)
My sister Darla and I with our brother Jeff.

Afterwards we all went back to Bossier United Pentecostal Church for a wonderful good ole Southern meal that they prepared for us! Even the rolls are better in the South! ha!

Paulette with cousins: Charlene, MaLinda, and Michael

Paulette and Julie with Uncle Wayne, Me & Julie, and Julie & Todd.

Paulette with her brothers Kevin and Nathan, Darla and Paulette, and Kara & Mark.
Me and Daddio, Paulette and I, and Paulette and Dad!

Justin and Wendy, Michelle and Paulette, Paulette and Larry, Mindy and Ken
1. Michael found the prize Dr Pepper! lol 2. Lenae and Ashlyn 3. Zachary, Quinton, Lydia, and Luke and 4. Katelyn, Madison, and Lauren

1. Aunt Ruth Ann and Bethany, 2. Benjamin, and 3. Uncle Paul and Brianna

1. Uncle Paul with Great Aunt Mae, 2. Great Uncle Archie, and 3. Madeline and Victoria wearing Aunt Bobbie's (their gma) hat and shawl.

Sisters!! Robyn, Darla and I

1. Paulette and I, 2. Ken and I, 3. Me and Julie, and 4. Me and Charlene

1. Kara and I, 2. Charlene and Victoria, 3. Colin and Jeff, and 4. Mom, Larry, and Uncle Wayne

1. Me and Uncle Wayne, 2. Us again with Mom

Uncle Jerry, Kim, and Me

Ok...this is becoming a tradition with the four of us. lol This is my sisters Darla, Robyn and I and our cousin Ken...we look soo "sweet" in the first picture....but...then....there is our C R A Z Y side in the second picture! ha!!

1. Victoria and Darla, 2. Charlene and Mike, 3. MaLinda and Me, and 4. Victoria and I

1. Darla and Robyn, 2 and 3. Mom and Kevin playing the piano! For old times sake! We love singing around the piano! and 4. Ashlyn giving her Granddaddy Eskimo kisses!

The next few pictures are of Darla and I with Granddaddy before we left. I am so glad that we got to see him too while we were there!! I so heart him!!




Then Darla and I headed back to Dallas so I could drop her off at the airport, we did a little shopping then had lunch before I headed back to Kansas City! Can you beleive we didn't even stop to get Whataburger?! What is this world coming to?! ha!!