Let the battle begin...

This summer - wow! Its been a bit crazy for me and my family! First my mom has had a migraine headache since about May 1st due to her fibro-mialga (which is a muscle disease). And today after a biopsy on Tuesday, we found out she has breast cancer. If a heart can stop without you dying I think mine did today. We knew there was a chance this could be what the abnormal group of cells were, but we had just prayed this would not be the case. God had different plans. And I'm not gonna be all 'churchy', I'm frustrated and have fought back tears most of the night but I know I can still trust God. He does have a plan even though I don't understand it at all! I think in a matter of about 30 minutes (from the beginning of the doctor's call till we finished getting out all the details) I asked to switch places about 1000 times. "I can handle it" I told God. "I'm in good health I don't have a muscle disease, I work out almost every day, I haven't had a head-ache for 8 weeks, I could go through surgery and radiation. Take it out of her and put it in me. I have a fighting attitude, bring it on" "I could do it" Thats just it - "I" think "I" could do it. Mom can't...its going to be completely God that gets her through all this! Her muscle disease makes everything 10 times more painful. All we can do is depend on God and his strength, his comfort, his peace during this journey.

Right now the battle seems overwhelming but I pray that God gives my mom the strength, encouragement, and energy she needs day to day. Tonight she needs a good nights sleep and protection from Satan's attempt to consume her thoughts. Help her Lord, to take captive every thought and help us to be the encouragment she needs to point her to the Rock that she can lean on!!

Playing mommy! :)

Last week my cousin and her husband went on a little cruise and I got to keep their 4 kids for a couple of days while they were gone! The kids were so good and I had so much fun playing mom - bottles, diapers, laundry, 'toonies', bubble parties, movie trips, princess books - I loved it all - yes even waking up at the crack of dawn to the sound of a little one crying...it was totally worth it when Harper's arm were reaching up for me when I got to her crib. Although I did love every minute, nap time was wonderful! It was a good two hours of house cleaning and of course facebookin - much needed little break! :) I LOVED playing mom and I just hope one day the Lord gives me the desires of my heart and allows me to be a mom to my own children! :) I can't wait for that day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's a few pictures from the week...

HAPPY 4TH :)

Celebrating the 4th with old friends and new friends and of course fireworks and food! :)

Centri-Kid Camp with the little ones...

Week 2 of camp is done and I'm exhausted! I'm so thankful to have a few days at home to rest and enjoy sleeping in!! After a quick re-packing from youth camp, I loaded my suitcases and off I went with our 3rd-5th graders to Mississippi College for Centri-Kid camp (which is a lifeway camp, the kid version of where Adam works and the same camp Amy works for in the summers). I had 20 girls and several homesick kiddos so it was a week thats for sure! But I got to help with the cheerleading track (activity) which was LOTS of fun! Centri-kid is such a well run camp and the staffers are awesome! I had a great time meeting some of them and loved all the activities and worship times we had!

Me and Billy - the awesome drummer and my scientific methods buddy at Samford :)

The crazy super-heor girl counselors!

The performers on our last night of camp!

RESCUED: Youth Camp 09!

So this past week I got to travel with our youth group as a counselor to Panama City Beach for camp! It was a great week and God really moved! We have 7 decisions for salvation just in our church and not sure how many overall. There were over 600 kids at the camp so it was a bit crazy but good. I had 5 amazing girls in my "family group" and they were wonderful. They immediately started calling me "mother duck" and it stuck all week! We had some great morning sessions and times of worship but also got to catch the rays at the beach!! Overall it was a great experience and I'm so glad I got to go with our youth!!

So I think this is where I got the name "Mother Duckling" - when they got in from the beach I had coloring books and crayons on the table as well as chips and rotel with cookies in the oven! :)

Soaking up the rays...in our one pieces of course!

I Can Hear the Bells...

I experienced my first role as Maid of Honor at my friend Sara's wedding this weekend!! It was SO exciting and sweet! Of course it was outside in the middle of June in Mississippi so it was also VERY hot but it turned out great! The dinner rehearsal was beautiful and although the wedding day was a bit crazy with setting up and taking down all the reception stuff, overall it went really well! Sara has been such a good friend and I'm so excited for her to start her life as a wife :)

Break-ins and a bucket list :)

Summer is finally here!! YAY!!! Since my mom has been sick for almost 4 weeks now my first several days included house duties - laundry (I don't think my dad understood the laundry process....clothes don't get magically put away by the laundry fairy after the dryer buzzes...we had piles and piles of clothes meeting me at the door, literally, when I got home for college), cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping...I can now get in and out of Walmart in less then 30 minutes...which I view as a talent! But I've really enjoyed being a little home-maker...even sewed on a button for my dad...just call me Martha Stewart!

But my mom and I were suppose to take a mommy-daughter trip to the beach with some friends but after taking her to the doctor in Mississippi and still not results I was forced to fly solo to the beach with the other girls! We still had lots of fun though and thankfully had LOTS of sunshine even though it was suppose to be a tropical storm! Thank you Lord for beautiful weather and sweet friends!!

Being REALLY lazy on the lazy river!

Samford and Memphis buddies :)

The cutest aprons ever!

All the girls!!

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset on our last night :) Sunsets are my favorite!!