Odds and Ends

 

#sisterbonds

#sisterlove

 

Amelia and I joined our friends to make some fab art!

These two goofballs showing me what they made, ha!

 

That's better!

We love this place-you paint/stain/make your own frame and backdrop as well as paint the artwork.

 

Yay us!

 

Oh my word.

This girl and this hair.

We made unicorn hair before she got almost 7 inches cut off.

 

Big changes for Luke too before 8th grade starts!

 

Braces!!

He still has the best smile, even with his braces :)

Junior Team Tennis State Tournament

 

July and insanely hot temperatures means it's time to head to Jackson for the Junior Team Tennis State Tournament!

Our team qualified for state again this year but we decided to play up an age division so we played 12 and Under even though a few of our players could still play 10 and under (like Addison).  

We knew it would be tough playing kids going into 7th grade but my team showed no fear!

  

These two cuties...friends since birth.  They played mixed doubles together and played awesome!

 

Coach Karem and I coached our kiddos again this year and we were so proud of how hard they all worked and improved their game!

 

Hanging out between matches is always fun!

 

The girls on our team!

Girl Power!

  

A highlight of team tennis is going out to dinner together!

I think they might like it better than the tennis, ha!

 

 A bunch of goofs!

 

Hanging out with the team!

 

12 and Under Tennis is serious business!

 Here I am coaching my boys doubles.

 

Addison and Sadie were undefeated in girls doubles!

They played 3 tie breakers in one match!

Way to go girls!  So proud of them!

 

And of course, pool time at the hotel is a MUST!!

Yay Treasure Oak!

 

Happy 16th Birthday Amelia Grace!

 

Happy Sweet 16 Amelia Grace!

We are so proud of the young woman you have become! 

Keep trusting God to lead you!  You are on the right path sweet girl!

 

A new wallet and the print was called "Can you Belize?"

We just had to get it for Amelia after her mission trip to Belize :)

 

Hawaii inspired Amelia to continue to play the ukulele :) 

 

Her biggie present this year!

Not quite a surprise since it's been in the driveway since April but she is a good actress nonetheless!

 

Amelia loves her little Hyundai Kona and has been driving all over town with it ever since she got her license!  Woo Hoo!

Sweet 16!

 

Amelia turned 16 this summer!

I don't know how it is possible that my sweet baby Amelia has turned sweet 16!

 

Amelia chose to have her Sweet 16 party at Patio 44 and enjoy a nice dinner with her friends:)

 

They may be 16 but they are goofs.

  

Amelia and Mckenzie have been buddies since they were 4 years old!

 

Amelia and her friend Josh.

 

Love Ashlegh and Amelia :)

 

Goofs!

 

Maham and Amelia have been friends since 2nd grade :)

 

 

We love you Amelia!

So does Luke but he was gone at church camp!

 

Just looking at this picture makes me want to eat cake.

 

Amelia has such a great group of friends, what a blessing on her life.  

 

Church buddies :)

Happy Sweet 16 Amelia Grace!

Addison is Dramatic

 

Addison spent the week at Gulfport Little Theater again this summer to feed her dramatic flair.

The kids perform mini plays at the end of the week.

Addison was put in this scene the day of the performance when an actor called in sick!

Addison knew all the lines and did awesome as a last minute understudy :)

 

The part Addison had tried out for and got was Melvin from the movie Madagascar, the anxiety driven and hypochondriac giraffe.   She played the part perfectly and flawlessly delivered her lines, it was super cute.

 

She also led her age group in a choreographed dance!

Addison had a great week at theater camp!

Amelia's Mission Trip to Belize

 

This amazing 15 year old(and these two amazing 16 year olds) decided to give a week of her summer vacation to serve in Belize!  

Amelia you are amazing and you certainly Declare His Glory!

 

Our church mission team partners with an established mission group in Belize called Word at Work.  So when we send members of our church we work beside the Belizian people.  Their need dictates how our missionaries will serve, so it is different every mission trip.

This trip the need was at Lake Independence Baptist Church

 

Amelia and her group worked with the church to replace the 30 year old roof as well as run a Vacation Bible School for over 100 kids!

 

JOY!

 

Amelia was one of the music leaders of the trip and helped lead the music for the VBS!

 

This was Amelia's VBS class!

She had over 20 three to six year old children in that teeny tiny room with no air conditioning.

The adults on the trip told me Amelia was awesome and never complained once.

Amelia said it was fascinating because it was common place for a five year old to walk their three year old sibling to VBS and then home again as well.  

 

Just hanging out between jobs :)

 

Replacing the church roof.

 

The group snuck in a tubing trip through the caves the day they arrived in Belize.

 

Amelia said the whole trip was incredibly eye opening. 

 

 

This is how the girls dressed for manual labor outside to try to protect themselves from the bugs.

 

Dish duty!

 

This was Sunday and they attended church and Sunday School with the local church members.

 

Hey, what do you know?  It is humid and hot and rains a lot in Belize...feels just like home!

 

Preparing crafts for the 100 vacation bible school kids.

 

Well deserved ice cream break.

 

Goof off time :) 

 

This was how they let the neighboring town know they were going to provide VBS for the kids.  They literally went door to door and let families know, and what do you know, they had over 100 kids each day attend!  God is good!

 

The last day, they got a well deserved treat and got to go snorkeling and hang out on an island.  

When Amelia returned (after a 24 hour delay in Houston due to a tropical storm) she talked for hours about this mission trip and what it meant to her. I know Amelia was a blessing to the people of Belize but this trip blessed her immeasurably.