Photo Shoot

Ok so four days of blogger not working for me, and four days on a cruise means lots of catching up to do for Tina!! Even though it says I posted this on the 29th, it finally made it up on the 7th.


Last Friday (the 29th) my mom convinced me to tag along while she and Matty went to take pictures of my dad's work equipment. Somehow I ended up taking all the pictures. It was quite the day riding all around town with them. Here are some of the lovely pictures we took.


















After the equipment event we decided to go shopping for Matty. He needed some shorts for the cruise. Well while I waited for him to get ready I decided to try and scrunch my hair. Good Times!!









Tina I hope these posts make you feel like the distance is smaller and like you are a part of my everyday. I miss you guys! More posts to come soon!!

Rainy Day

It took me 11 1/2 hours to make it yesterday but I'm here sitting in my room today. It rained on me almost the entire way home and then there were two accidents and I thought my car was going to run out of gas on me, but I made it. Now it's time to unpack, catch up with people, shop, repack, go to the pig show and then the cruise. Oh it's getting so close and I think it will be a blast.

Homeward Bound

And so the road trip home is about to start. The tears have been minimal up to this point but we shall see how it goes once I'm actually on the road. I know they are coming. After saying by to the Rouses last night I kept thinking, man I wish I could see them just once more. I can only imagine the tears that I will come once I'm fully awake and my see ya laters to the Burchards set in. I will greatly miss everyone in Charlotte but I'm sure I will be back soon, so that makes it a little better. Thanks Rusty and Tina for opening up your home and lives. I have enjoyed it. 

Stating My Case

Do you ever have those situations in which you pray about and kind of know the answer, ok you totally know the answer, yet you still keep stating your case. That's where I find myself today. Last night I got real honest with God and just broke down. I have a friend who I have learned so much from, don't go a day without thinking about them and whom I love so much and after my next statement you will probably doubt that and that's ok I don't doubt it at all. I find myself wanting to run as far away as I can from them. I keep stating all these reasons why its no big deal for me to stop fighting for the friendship, good ones you know, like distance, busyness all the ones that I know are ridiculous but make me feel better.  Because when I get down to it I'm telling God I don't want to fight because it makes me vulnerable and in the past it hasn't worked out so well. Stupid I know, but it is the battle I am dealing with today. I'm trying so hard not to let past relationships effect this one yet it's easier said then done. So please pray that I would keep fighting for it, besides I know that if I ran I would end up bringing more pain on myself then they could ever inflect. 

Whisper Mountain Slideshow

Peace Outside The Bath House

One of my favorite places to be is at camp in Robbinsville. As sketchy as the little town is, it has grown on me and it is a place I find myself longing to be at. Well yesterday my longing was over after a 4 hour drive I arrived at camp. It was so great to be there and see David, Marty and the Millers and to see the new office. After lunch I went up to the cabins to sit in the stillness and quietness.

I sat outside the bath house for a good hour just praying and thinking and clearing my head. The bath house porch has become one of my favorite places on camp. This summer I had some really good conversations sitting in the chairs either with the other staff members, Moma Thacker or with campers. I reflected on the past summer and all that happened and just thanked God for the millionth time. I can't begin to explain the community that Whisper Mountain created for me this past summer and still is to this day. Nor could I do justice to any of the people God brought into my life, their amazing or the lessons I learned. It was such a blessing to just sit there.
So I sat and prayed for this upcoming summer for the full time staff and their families, for the summer staff, for the campers and everything in between. I have such a peace about this summer and I am so excited to see what God has in store.
By the way you should all check out camps website for more information www.whispermountain.org

Dinner Rules

Well today and tomorrow I have the Burchard kids while Tina and Rusty are away in the mountains. Tonight I make Pizza's and ask the kids if they want green beans or corn to go with it. I know what a perfect meal, right!?! So Abby and Paige reply corn and Carter says green beans. I decide to solve the problem by making both and then proceed to tell Abby and Paige they have to eat at least three green beans and then telling Carter he has to have a bite of corn. Now the girls weren't happy with their green beans but they managed. Carter on the other hand looks at me like this is the worst thing ever. We finish eating and Carter still has his corn on his plate. So knowing that he likes to be a booger and work his way out of it I lay down my authority (this rarely happens) and tell him it's a bite of corn or straight to bed after his bath. The scene that unfolded was ridiculous I think he told me like 8 times that he didn't like corn or that he's tried it and then tells me he can't. Ten minutes after his sisters have cleaned their plates and left the table he finally eats a bite of the corn topped with a green bean drenched in ketchup. 

Now that little bit was funny in and of itself however the flash back in my head made it priceless. Growing up I'm sure you had rules at your dinner table. Rules like, waiting for everyone to be done, eating everything on your plate, asking to be excused and so on. In my house my mom had one major rule and this rule made my cousins dread eating at our house. You didn't have to eat everything you just had to try at least ONE BITE OF EVERYTHING. (That and you had to eat the crust on poptarts)  I remember many a dinners one of us trying to get around this rule or sitting at the table for what seems like forever hoping that she would change her mind. So as I sat there tonight waiting Carter out, and not just letting him of the hook, I couldn't help but to think my mom would be proud. That and then she'd laugh as my dad said "your acting just like your mother."