4 Busy Whites

We got the girls up about 7:30 this morning and told them to get their bathing suits on and we told them we were heading out for an adventure! Thanks to a tip (and boogie boards, umbrella, etc) from some great friends (thanks Jeff & Kathleen!), we headed to Carlsbad for the day. We got there early enough to get a great parking place and headed down the steps to the beautiful beach. We have not made it to the beach at all this summer so this was a long overdue trip. It was a beautiful day .... especially considering that when we left home it was pouring rain and lots of thunder! We took a chance and God was good to provide a perfect day at a beautiful location. The girls took to Boogie boarding right away and Doug recpatured his youth and spent practically the whole day chasing waves! We had never been to Carlsbad before and found it to be officially one of our very favorite places now! We spent the whole day there and left about 5:30 and headed for home (after our "dinner" of Cold Stone Ice Cream!).....sometimes it's fun to just freak the girls out!!!

We were all thankful for the getaway and safe travels.

Madison got this adorable haircut and wanted to share it on the blog. We headed over to her school bright and early on Saturday morning to see the classroom postings. She is in Mr. Macro's (pronounced: Ma Crow)class and it's the first man teacher she will have had. She is very excited as several of her good friends from her Bible study group are in her class this year. Blessings to you my Peanut for this school year!

Chelcie is heading to high school and we can hardly believe it! We headed to the school to go through an orientation process that included getting her school photo ID card, getting her PE clothes, her class list and even her books! Her classes are: Honors English, Honors Geometry, World Cultures, Honors Biology, Spanish 2 and PE. It exhausts me just looking at her schedule! She is really pushing herself with the IB schedule she has elected to do. The High School is an IB (International Baccalaureate) school and works a bit differently than a regular school and has some great opportunities. She is taking it one semester at a time for now and is prepping for an IB commitment that comes in her Junior year so we'll see how she fares. We are looking forward to this new chapter with her and especially Friday night football games!

Chelcie is trying out for the volleyball team all this week so we'll see how that goes!

I have spent the last 10 weeks doing an incredible Bible Study by Beth Moore and tonight is the last night. It has been wonderful to remember that I am to continue to believe that: God is who He says He is, He can do what He says He can do, I am who God says I am, I can do all things through Christ and that God's word is alive and active in me! It was a great journey through the Bible as well as a reflection on my life to see where God was so faithful even before I had an active faith in Him! I am so thankful that Jesus never let me go and never gave up on me...Thank you Lord!

OK, the bracelet -- The scripture reference for the bracelet comes from Numbers 15:37-39. The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.

My thread bracelet is about to come apart! Our Bible study leader got these plastic bracelets to last us much longer and to serve as a daily reminder to Believe God!

Sweet story -- I talked about these things with Madison as she was fearful of her flight to Idaho and I gave her my bracelet to wear when she went. She loved it so much and wants to keep it so I had to get another one.