Random....

My busy life continues....I will post some photos soon of our StadiumFest event at work - it was a great event!!!  It took a lot out of us as a staff - but it was well worth it..photos and more info coming soon!

Random thoughts here...

• Since I got a DVR I have been watching shows I never watched when they were on tv - so I will find a show, start it from the beginning and watch it till the end.  I have watched King of Queens, Everybody Loves Raymond, The OC, Cold Case, One Tree Hill...love doing that.
• I started a new show...The West Wing - love it!  I do not agree with their liberal views - but it is written so well, the characters are funny and I love "seeing" how the White House might or might not operate - its on Bravo.
• I have also started over Beverly Hills 90210 - the original version.  I watched this when it was on in the 90's and I loved it - I had a poster on my wall of the cast.  I never finished it because it was on for a million years - but I thought I might try it again.  However, I never realized it was so cheesy - wow - I don't remember it being that stupid and the acting being so bad when I was 14 (its on Soap Net if you want to watch)!!
• So, wow - I am watching West Wing as I type and who just walked into Sam Seaborn's (aka Rob Lowe) office - none other than Brandon and Brenda Walsh's dad himself - Jim Walsh!!  My two worlds have just met.  Ha!!
• Its been wedding season lately - I have gone to many, many weddings showers and most of the weddings.  Congrats to Bre/Marshall Ford (married in March), Holly/Chad Graham (married in April), Colleen/Phil Earnest (married in April), Elisha/Jared Budlong (married in April), Jacy/Dustin Myhand (married in April), Kristi/Josh Malone (to be married in May), Rachel/Noah Echols (to be married in May), Elizabeth/Tyler Brown (to be married in May), Jennifer/Daniel Vines (to be married in May), and my little sister - Nicole/Ronald Pierce (to be married in May)....told ya it is a wedding season!!!

Hope you and yours is well!!

More soon :)

Wedding Bells Are About To Ring!!!

We had our first wedding shower for Nicole and Ronald's upcoming wedding.  It was a lot of fun celebrating with her.  We're almost a month away till the big day!!!

it took three to open this gift!

the groom after the shower was over eating the cake

the maid of honor Candice

the bridesmaid, maid of honor and bride

and the other bridesmaid

sisters!!!

Brandon's Birthday Party

Brandon had his first "friend" birthday party.  We had it at the park - fun times!!

March Snow

I have been horrible in 2009 about uploading photos...life has been too busy this year.  Hopefully I will get a little better by the summer!!

These photos are from the March snow...

Brandon decided to hit the snow

Brandon and Tracy

Tracy and Ella

Snow Angel

Happy Birthday Brandon!!

Today is Brandon's 5th Birthday! I cannot believe he is 5. He came into our lives at 11 months old and it blows my mind to see what a little boy he is. He has changed our lives in a wonderful way. Our family loves more and lives a more fun filled life now thanks to that little guy.

5 things I love about Brandon...

1. He calls me Gina Pooh
   
2. He is all boy
   
3. He loves his sister and mommy deeply
   
4. He has gone through so much during his short life but still has that wonderful smile through it all
   
5. He loves learning

Happy Birthday Candice!!

Today is my sister, Candice's 26th birthday...
26 things I love about Candice!

1. She has grown into a beautiful young woman who loves with all she has


2. She loves her animals - Juliet the dog and Pongo the cat


3. She loves her mom so much she fights to sit next to her at dinner


4. She loves laying out on the beach as much as I do


5. She loves to cook


6. She has worked hard for everything she has


7. She is a great aunt to Brandon and Ella


8. She loves her family with all she has


9. She loves music


10. She and I used to fight like cats and dogs - we have some funny memories from our fights - love those - they make me laugh


11. She is a great school teacher


12. I admire her for going back to school and continuing her education to make her life better


13. She plays a mean game of Phase 10


14. She loves trying weird foods that no one else will


15. She is fun to shop with


16. She loves being a hostess


17. She has a tender heart and does not want to hurt anyone


18. She loves to sleep late


19. She is always the last one to finish eating


20. She loves to travel


21. She is adventurous


22. She loves literature


23. She takes care of everyone


24. She loves the movies


25. She is adamant about not listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving and fusses at me when I do


26. She is a great sister and I love her very much!

Happy Birthday Candice!!

Esther...

Here's a few more chapters from Esther...love this study!

• Some crises are too important for saving face.  Saving lives is worth losing face every time.  When was the last time you had to risk losing face to try to save something more precious than pride?  
• In God's economy saving is always worth losing.
• Repentance is not your punishment.  It's your glorious right of daughter-ship.  Your invitation is to restoration.
• As painful as the process may be, that which shatters our superficiality also shatters the fetters of our fragility and frees us to walk with dignity and might to our destinies.  We are not the fragile flowers we've considered ourselves to be.  We, like Esther, are the warrior princesses of God.
• We tend to detach from sights and situations that make us feel badly about ourselves-especially when we feel powerless.  If we think we can't do anything about a bad situation, we'd just as soon not have to see it.  But, if we distance ourselves long enough from real needs, we replace them with those that aren't.  The more detached and self-absorbed we become, the more we mistake annoyances for agonies.
• Sometimes we fear that fighting for what is right will kill us.  Then again, it occurs to us that to stand by and do nothing out of self-preservation is to be dead already.
• You are royalty.  Not figurative royalty.  Not just spiritual royalty.  You are the most literal sense possible the daughter of the universe's King.  You have royal blood in a way that even Esther did not.  The crimson bloodline of Christ flows through your veins.
• Not only are you royalty but you also have been placed in your sphere of influence, regardless of the size you perceive it to be, "for such a time as this."
• We can refuse to walk in obedience to God or cower in fear from our calling and He will undoubtedly still accomplish His agenda.
• We are not called to an easy life, we are called to a purposeful life!
• Sometimes our most important moments come hand-in-hand with our willingness to reveal that we aren't really who we've seemed to be.
• We can protect ourselves right out of our callings.
• There is no denial in courage.  Don't confuse denial with courage.
• You may be one brave decision away from the most important turn in your entire path!
• We cannot have conditional faith - "I believe God will never let this happen to me" and if it does - you're done!
• Most frequent command in the Bible is "don't be afraid."
• God will always offer us the courage.
• It's tough being a woman in the tight fist of fear.
• Satan has no authority to destroy us, so he settles for the next best thing:threatening to destroy us.
• Our natural human defense is to grovel before God and plead with Him not to let things happen.  Our conditional trust not only makes us an open target for enemy torment; it also positions us as negotiators and beggars before God instead of secure children who trust their lives to their faithful Father.  
• Those times when our fears become reality we feel devastated.  We think God is unfaithful and Satan essentially gets what he wants - us to believe that life is over.  Unless our belief system changes, for all practical earthly purposes, it is.  After all, as a man thinks, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).
• The most critical breakthrough of faith you and I could ever experience is to let God bring us to a place where we trust him - period.  We don't just trust Him to let us avoid what we fear most.  We determine to trust Him no matter what, even if our worst nightmare befalls us.  We have no greater victory and can render Satan no harsher blow.
• Our only steadfast defenses against life's certain uncertainty is unconditional trust in a Savior who loves us more than His own life.
• Any time God calls us to die, His purpose is to reveal larger life.
• One reason we desperately need to know our standing in God's eyes is so we aren't consumed with high standing in our own eyes or the eyes of others.
• Embarrassment is our friend when we let it motivate us to change.
• Admitting we have an area of brokenness is a huge step toward wholeness.
• We will never fulfill our God ordained destinies as long as we're straddling the fence!
• Never in our wait is God inactive.
• Whenever God calls us to wait, something is up and we have to trust Him!
• The longer the Lord waits, the harder He's working.
• Our strength will be depleted when we wait on the thing, the person, the event - but when we wait on the Lord it will be renewed!
• It's tough being a woman who can balance passion with patience.