What a crazy summer!

What a crazy summer we are having. I thought I might recap June and July.

Polly:
June started with me getting a new job! I am the new FACS (family and consumer science) teacher at MacArthur Jr. High. My dream job, but one major problem....I don't have a teaching license. Luckily, there is this wonderful little program call the Non-traditional licensure program. I have a degree in FACS just not the teaching part. The NTLP allows me to start teaching while getting the teaching license. I am in the program for 2 years. 3 weeks this summer and 3 weeks next summer. Then, one Sat. a month for the next 2 school years. There is a ton of work that goes with it, but it is better than going to school full time for a year and not getting paid. I am pretty worn out, but excited too. There is another small problem with this whole FACS thing. I don't know how to sew! My focus in college was family relations, not sewing! I may need a few of you to give me a crash course this fall! This week I am cleaning out my classroom and trying to figure out what I am doing! PRAY!

Chris:
Chris is on his last official youth mission trip right now! He is spending the week with the Dry Bones ministry in Denver. It is the perfect way to end his youth ministry career. He loves this trip and this ministry. June began with the announcement of Chris' position change at SW. He is moving to Associate Minister in September. This was a really big decision that was prayed over for months. He loves youth ministry, but has been struggling with God calling him to a different ministry. His gifts have changed over the last few years, but God has been telling him to wait and be patient. I truly believe that God has prepared Chris for this position and prepared the church for Chris to be in this position. We are both going to miss youth ministry so much. It is all we have known as a married couple. The great part about this change is that he isn't leaving youth ministry because he doesn't like it anymore. He is leaving because God has prepared him for something else. This is Chris' tenth summer as a full time youth minister and in that time he has made a enormous impact in God's kingdom. I am continually amazed at how he allows God to work in him and how he allows God to change him. Please pray for him and for the teens. We have been praying for God to bring us a great new youth minister!

Jake and Isaac:
Bless them! They are hanging in there and probably have no idea how their lives are about to change. My mom (gigi) has been here for the last 2 weeks helping out with babysitting. I really don't know what we would have done with out her. The boys love when she is here and they have hardly noticed that we have been crazy. Please pray for them this fall. Isaac is starting the pre-k center. This will be his first year to be in school full time. Jake will be in the 1st grade at the International studies magnet school. I am so excited about their schools and know that is right where they need to be. Pray that they get great teachers and find some good friends!

We are blessed and are excited/nervous for what God has in store for us this year. We already told Greg Brooks that we are probably going to need our 4 free sessions at the Better Life Counseling Center! :)

Thankful Tuesday on Thursday

Thankful Tuesday!


1. Only one more day of my 3 week class!!!!

2. I passed all of my tests!

3. Chris leaves for Dry Bones on Saturday. I am not excited for me, but very excited for him. He loves this trip and loves the Dry Bones ministry. This is his last youth trip and he is taking the kids that have been at our house for huddles all year.

4. Isaac decided to have a Shark birthday and I found shark stuff at Deal's for $1!

5. Casual Friday in class! I have had to dress up every day for the last 3 weeks. I know that really isn't a big deal, but I used to wear jeans and t-shirts every day to work!

6. I stopped at Chick-fil-a on the way to class today and got chicken mini's. Special Treat!

7. Gigi is still here and doing all of my "mom" duties! Yeah Gigi!

8. My husband is just so cute! What a guy!

9. Because I am teaching, Isaac is getting a discount at the pre-k center!

10. God is good!

WOW!!

Here are a few pictures of the boys enjoying WOW!

Love the WOW t-shirts!

Hi! I am well rested and feeling a little more normal today! We are starting to recover from another fabulous year of WOW. For those of you who don't know what WOW is, it is VBS on steroids! Four nights of crazy Jesus fun! There really are no words to describe how huge and how wonderful it is. WOW is for everyone. Birth-80 years old! I think that they said that it took over 400 volunteers this year to pull it off. There is drama with full sets, activities, crafts, singing, etc...! Big fun!

This year the teens had to move to Jonesboro High School auditorium because we had completely out grown the teen center. It worked out wonderfully and averaged 200 students each night. It was a great year and I am so proud of Chris and all of the work he put into it. It was definitely an emotional week for him, because this was the last big teen event for his youth ministry career. I think he went out Great! A big thanks to Abbey for the video that she made. She taped about 40 teens thanking Chris for everything that he has done over the last six years. It was great and was a real testimony for the legacy that he is leaving. I think that subject will require its own post in a few more weeks!

blogging

I really wanted to blog today. But friends....I am just too tired! The class I am in and WOW have worn me out. I need sleep. Lots of sleep. I shall be back with you later in the week. Good night friends!

Quotes

Quotes from Isaac:

"Jake, your hair makes you look like a Dude!"



Isaac - after he just got in trouble:

"I wish I lived somewhere else! Like Kansas City!"

Hanging out in the playroom watching Star Wars.

4th of July

We headed to Nashvegas for the 4th this year. Our good friend Debbie Cook has always wanted to be in Nashville for the 4th, so this year Chris and I and the Brooks went with her. If you know Debbie, you would know that she has had an amazing year and has accomplished things that most of us would never even try. Click on her link to check out her journey. We are so proud of her and are feel honored to be able to journey with her this year. GO DEBBIE! Here are some pictures of our weekend!

Chris is having a lovely time!

Debbie having fun trying on some cowboy hats. Trying to find her a cowboy!

I tried to get Chris to buy these for us. I think that we looked pretty cool!

Greg and Carolyn....they are just so cute!

Waiting for the fireworks on the Shelby Street bridge with 100,000 other people. Yes, I did say 100,000 people!

Thankful Tuesday on Wednesday

Lots to be thankful for this week!

1. The leak is fixed! All concreted in and ready to go! Check previous post for the "before" pictures!


2. We get new flooring in the hall and living room because of this little problem!

3. I think that I passed my praxis 1 test on Monday.

4. Southwest had a bowling night Sunday night to raise money for all of the mission teams. Our lifegroup went and had a great time. Here is one picture. I will post more pic's later! It deserves its own post! The picture isn't the best. We were "glow bowling".
5. We are heading to Nashville tomorrow to celebrate the 4th of July with the Brooks and Debbie Cook.

6. So thankful for Ms. Deb and Dr. Doug! They have feed us 2 nights this week and let us sleep at their house so we wouldn't lose a child in the giant hole!

7. I got my haircut and highlighted yesterday. I just love that Todd! What a guy!

8. My mom is coming in a week! Yippee Gigi!

9. The boys have played really well together this week. That has been a huge blessing since we have been so crazy!

10. Life is good! God is good! We are all good!

Water Leak

Thought I would post some pictures of them jack-hammering our hallway floor up! We had a hot water leak under the foundation of the house.

This a picture of Chris Moore, our handy plumber. I put this one in here for Dana!

This is the final product! It ended up about 3 ft wide and 4 feet deep.