Dern Kids!!!

Last week was Car's first father's day and our first time helping coordinate youth camp with a "baby on the hip". It was five crazy days and four sleepless nights full of face painting, Bible studies, late night pranks and amazing music. Well it wasn't just those things that made it special... it was a week of firsts.
Santi got into the pool for the first time, I gave a couple of workshops, kids got caught doing stuff they shouldn't, and then at the end of the week the most amazing thing happened.
There was a sort of peace amidst the chaos. Like that bull in the china shop, but imagine that same bull sitting still while everybody runs around it trying to figure out how to get him out carefully. These teenagers all of a sudden seemed to have a more defined sense of direction... now they still don't know what they want to do in life, but they want to do it with God's peace, not whatever fake peace humans pretend to create.

Wild Things

We took our VBS kids to the Sedgwick County Zoo on Saturday as a treat for their faithfulness and dedication in coming every day and inviting lots of new kids. Our group totaled 70 on the final count and let me tell you, it was like taking a zoo to the zoo! Our kids were so lively and excited they could hardly contain themselves at the entrance. This was also Santi's first trip to the zoo and despite his short months he was just as enthused by all the animals as the rest of the gang.
I really liked the decorating style for the "tiger village" and came away with some great ideas for Santi's room and an outdoor playroom or family room of sorts.

Ran into bliss

My family and I did the 2 mile River Run (sponsored by Bank of America) last Saturday. I haven't really exercised in a little over a year, since i found out i was pregnant with Santi. It was really fun and we finished it off jogging over the finish line, holding hands, kissing happily under the glaring sun. Santi slept through the whole race in his jogging stroller. He woke up afterwards for the pictures then to eat and right back to sleep.
Carlos surprised me with the entries for the race. It was kind of my inauguration for a reintegration into a semblance life as it was before Santi. We may be a small family but bliss reigns when we're together. For me this is happiness, this is Love...

I'm in class right now

and i'm wondering whether our forefathers really wanted us to come to this when they sought freedom to worship here in this free land. Dr. Grubb is telling us that we're worship leaders whether we want to be or not (Stevie gives me something like a haha smile over her shoulder)... NO I'M NOT!! (Well that's what my mind is screaming anyways)
It's hard to accept, but as a pastor's wife i've come to realize that people really do look to what i'm doing as a model, look to me as a leader. That's a scary thought for a small town girl who makes no scruples about speaking her mind as frankly as you've ever heard.