Bucktown

Lately at Starbucks we have been working towards speeding up my store. Well i was so excited because My morning team this last Wednesday had the highest number of transactions in a given half hour than any one else has had in the past 4 months... AND Today i was on bar (which i am not the best bar person... but ive wanted to get better) and beat my score that i made on Wednesday... TWICE IN A ROW!!! I was so blessed by that. My whole team was working so hard and it paid off.

The LORD provided me the strength to finish our Peak and to keep the momentum and speed constant. THANK YOU LORD!!!!

Such a great day at Work. I remembered today why i love my job. Team work, Encouraging employees, and a manager that cares about the partners.

Cleaning House

The past few days i have been cleaning out drawers and the things stored on shelves in my closet. My room has been a disaster because everything has been out and ive been tossing things that ive kept for far to long and have never used. I am a recovering Hoarder!!! I keep everything. Why?! Because i believe that EVERYTHING can be used for scrapbooks :) But it has been very refreshing. I feel so much better because a lot of crap has been thrown out.

In the process I came across this little thing that my mom got me... I LOVE these things :)

Mine sings let me call you sweet heart

In other news i have the best room mate ever :) She made dinner tonight... Hello i feel spoiled already :) Love you Jules!!!

Weddings Galore

Over the last 3 weeks i attended 3 weddings and stood in 2. To start the wedding extravaganza Kristin Sylvia because Kristin Hildebrand :) Then was my Brothers wedding to my former roomie Amber. Its was gorgeous. The weather turned out beautifully, it was an all outside wedding/reception. The reception was held at my parents house and boy did it turn out wonderful! Side note: My parents are truly amazing! They re decorated their entire backyard for Derek and Ambers wedding. From putting a pool in to planting tons of trees and flowers they worked so hard preparing for my big bros wonderful day. Their wedding was probably easily one of the prettiest weddings ive ever attended. It was simple and homey and my whole family came in from Arizona to Celebrate with us. It was perfect. Not to mention my Wonderful Boyfriend was the DJ/MC to the event. So of course that made it all the more perfect. It really would not have been the same for me had he not been there to share it with me. Another Side Note: Cudos and special thanks to Brandon for all the hard work and hours he put into the very last minute playlist and reception set up. He did a great job and i appreciate you putting so much time in for my family! I love that boii. Finally to end the Wedding parade was my Best friend Lauren Azzaro who is now happily married to a wonderful man Jonathan aka Scotty Shepherd. Their wedding was as elegant and elegant can be. After a very rainy day the evening cleared up to leave crystal blue skies for their ceremony. Plus Terra was in town so i got to spend a lot of time with her! Which she of course means the world to me so it wouldn't have been the same without her. So glad she could fly in for it! :)

Needless to say i was very exhausted! Though it was a glorious 3 weeks of celebrating the beautiful love these couples share and the holy matrimony and joining of hearts in GODs name. I was blessed to be apart of them as well as to see them all be over! Thanks GOD for finally allowing me time to catch up on the sleep i so desperately needed!

Remaining content. Accepting gifts. Being Thankful

Today is a new day. A beautiful day. Today I was reminded how often I overlook all the blessings in my life and go about each day with an additude of discontentment and ungratefulness. Oh, how disappointing is this?! I've come to realize how contagious this world is. How easy it is to act like a spoiled brat. How hard it is to be different from the majority of those I am surrounded by constantly. LORD open my eyes! I've prayed this so many times. Today I am revising it. LORD help me to stop quenching my eye lids closed. Kill this evil inside my heart that distracts me from you. Help me to keep my eyes wide open! I want to be better. I have to admit I've struggled with having a heart of gratitude; I have allowed myself to focus more on the negative things in my life like Brandon moving to Austin and not being able to be with him all the time. My financial situation and not being as comfortable or having ad much in my bank account as I used to. Problems with work, not always having Sunday's off. Working all the time. Being so tired and feeling hopeless like I will have to work over 40 hours for the rest of my life. Dwelling on this negative energy. Feeding myself with self loathing and pity. Feeling so sorry for myself and refusing to get over it! I've forgotten my word for 2011... POSITIVE! Well today folks, I will be different! I will have a new state of thinking! I challenge myself to a anti-negativity lifestyle. I will be positive. I will see all that I have been given! I will dwell on the beautiful things in life and refuse to be intoxicated with the problems I think I'm having. The LORD had been nothing but good to me. He has done nothing but continually provide for me. He has been nothing but faithful to me! OH HAPPY DAY! :) The LORD and our Heavenly Father alone has rescued me from this ugliness I've chosen for myself. Darkness will reign no more. The light is shining on me and I feel new again! How Great is our Papa! He is a wonderful GOD! My provider! My love! My life! My everything! So hopeful!

Rain

Dear LORD,

Please bring Rain. It is incredibly dry and is getting warmer every day. We trust you and Love you

In Jesus name i proclaim this

Amen

Hey Old Friend!

Soooo... Since July there have been some pretty awesome changes in my life and 1. i apologize for being a horrible blogger and 2. i dont wanna waste anytime talking about how awful i am as a blogger anymore(We all know this!) so lets dive in shall we?!

My wonderful boyfriend and i have been going strong for 3 months now... Excited, Blessed, Challenged, Joyful, Optimistic and whatever other positive adjective you wanna place there is how i am feeling about our relationship. He is unlike any guy ive ever met. He challenges me and encourages me and cares for me so immensely all the time! I love it, i love him, its awesome and i cant express in words how grateful i am for him in my life. My mom always told me that i should never be someones appetizer. That i deserve to be someones main course. Well, hearing that i was always like "Yea, i know... OK mom..." And since i have been with Brandon i have never felt so appreciated and adored in my life. This guy is incredible and i love sharing life with my best friend! :) He recently moved to Austin(this last sunday) and i have been trying my best to stay positive but it is difficult not seeing my sweet boy everyday. I miss him, but at the same time i am very enthusiastic about our relationship getting stronger and growing deeper in love with him which i know will happen with the distance. I also know that many people have had it much worse, so i am grateful he is just an hour away as opposed to states, countries or continents away. Thank you LORD for that!

Another big thing is that our Foster babies unfortunately had their rights terminated and are now going up for adoption. We are in the process of praying and seeking GODs will for their future. We pray that we will have the opportunity to raise the two girls at least. But i know that GODs plan is way better than mine and i trust completely that whatever he decides my heart will be at peace and i know it will be best for the kids. So if you would join my family and I in prayer as we deal with this it would be greatly appreciated!

I got promoted to a Shift Supervisor at Starbucks, which is both exciting and tiring all at the same time. I love my job, but there is a fine line between living to work and working to live. Lately it seems the line is blurred and all i do is work with little living on the side. I am grateful for this amazing opportunity to grow as a leader, i just Pray i wont get burnt out!

My car got tagged today in my Apartment complex parking lot.. Right in front of my apt. IN broad daylight... That was not fun, but i did get it off by scrubbing it with windex. I hope the paint didnt fade though because of the windex... We will see!

Lastly my Cousin had her baby today. And let me tell you this WOW GOD story... She was born dead. The first 4 minutes she had left my cousins womb she had no pulse and was not breathing. After those heart wrenching 4 minutes her heart started beating and she is now healthy as ever and extremely alert and responsive. My mom told me how they put the baby on my cousins chest immediately after being born and within seconds snatched her away and began working on her. I am amazed at how faithful GOD is and equally ecstatic to see what little Ava's mission on earth is. It must be something fantastic for the LORD to spare her life so willingly. She has an amazing testimony. I am PRAISING THE LORD that she is ok! What a horrible tragedy that would have been. Thank you LORD for life.

Why Jesus?!

I was doing my homework for the Daniel Bible study that i've been doing for the past 10 weeks, and one of the questions today was about why I chose Jesus.

Ive believed in Jesus for a long time. But the reason i am so passionate about him is because he has proved himself Mighty, Faithful, Trustworthy, Loving, Grace-Filled, Merciful, He alone has guarded me and protected me from harm my entire life. The verses in the Bible are true about him. He is Just. He is Love. Jesus is everything to me because he is Real and he alone is the reason i'm still Alive and well!

Plain and Simple. Jesus is real, He's awesome! I am nothing and i have nothing without him.

Royal Family Kids Camp

Just got back last saturday from RFCK! It was soooooo amazing! I am so grateful that i was able to go and spend time with those kids and love on them. I had a great time.

The LORD really showed himself to me in his faithfulness to provide people or advice or rest, you name it! He was there and he was moving. I am so blessed because i was able to connect with a group of girls (some that were returning campers and others who were brand new to the camp) in a way i didn't expect. We had such an amazing bunch of kids. I love Royal Family Kids Camp cause it forces you to open your mind to the ugliness in the world, but it is so beautiful because the LORD uses all of that ugliness and turns it into something incredible! I saw so many kids radically transformed in those 5 days, kids who wouldn't smile to be beaming by the end of the week. Kids who were afraid of everything to being the most daring courageous of all of them.

It was hard to say goodbye with the knowledge that i wont see most of them again. But i am confident that the LORD has them in his mighty hand. That he is watching over them and that they will be more than okay.

I cant wait til next year :)

PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE!!!!!

Monday night i over charged my bank account. I had 7 dollars to my name, an Empty gas tank, am not getting paid until friday, and was -$5.20 in debt. Sooooo i was freaking out. Not only because i was not sure how i was going to clean all my pools tuesday with no gas, not sure how i was going to eat food cause my apartment is lacking in the food category, and had NO idea how i was going to pay the overdraft fees that Chase bank charges when you go into the negatives...

As you can imaging Tuesday morning for me was incredibly stressful! I was a little concerned. Of course i knew that the LORD has always provided for me and that this time wouldnt be any different. But i did not see a light for some reason. I was so distracted by my circumstances. Then, the LORD began to do the miraculous. My mom out of no where told me to take the truck to go clean pools, my hope began to rise up. I go to the bank and deposit the 7 dollars i have into my account. Then my amazing room-mate Amber pays me for our cable bill... Another 42 bucks... I deposit that an hour later. After I cleaned pools, I got back to the parentals casa and my mom goes through her pantry and starts throwing food at me. My hope is raising even more. Now i am just started to get excited. In the back of my mind there was still a little concern because of the overdraft fees and i was praying all day that those deposits went in my account fast enough to void them. Anywho, i am praying and trusting because at this point my eyes were now focused on the Creator(where they should have been the entire time). I check my account online and i am no longer in the negatives... I am so grateful at this point. But am waiting until Wednesday(today) to check again for the over draft charges...

WELL WELL WELL!!!! Let me tell you... I checked my Bank account today and the list of activity on my account was changed... the charge to my card that took me into the negatives on my account said that it happened AFTER i had deposited that money in my account. So it no longer had ANY record of me being in the negatives. Instead it looks like i was actually responsible and took care of my funds before the fact.

I CANT STOP SMILING!!!!!! GOD IS SO GOOD! The LORD is so faithful to provide. He is worthy of so much praise. I am so encouraged, especially cause there is a lot going on in my world right now. My faith is on an ultimate high right now, i know without a shadow of a doubt that the LORD is faithful, he IS with me, he IS in control, I do NOT need to be concerned at all!

EAT IT SATAN! You will NOT steal my Joy! :) WOOP!

OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!!!!!

It may sound like something so little, But this was not chance, this was My GOD watching out for me and protecting me and providing for me and proving to me that he is so much bigger and better than all my doubt! Oh forgive me LORD for doubting you. You are so Awesome! :)

I had to share. I hope you are blessed and encouraged. Wherever you are whatever youre going through He is LORD! He is in Control! :) He's got your back! Yep, My GOD is awesome!!!

20

Well... I got there. I am 2 decades old now! I knew i needed to blog about my birthday and me getting so old :) But i wanted to take some time to reflect on the past year and share everything that i learned or realizations i came to. Obviously i cant tell you everything i learned cause that would take FOREVERRR but i will share some of the big things :)

1. GOD is for me, he will always love and fight for me no matter how stupid i am. This is one of the biggest things that i learned from GOD during my time with him.

2. GOD is faithful to provide. He proves this to me everyday.

3. Living on your own is expensive

4. Its important to swallow your pride and accept help when you really need the help.

5. I always knew i was pretty independent. But i have really seen growth in me as a person just by supporting myself, the LORD has really used it for good to help me become a stronger person.

6. Having time to yourself is important, to much alone time can be a hinderance.

7. Follow your heart

8. Staying positive is contagious, and people love the positive!

9. Be QUICK to listen, SLOW to respond in anger

10. Think before you speak... Words hurt.

Ill leave it at 10 for now! :)

Oh and my birthday present... I got a plane ticket to go see Terra in North Dakota!! :) I am beyond excited. I cant wait to go visit my second family!

Get Lifted

So i know these guys, they are pretty skilled! I think they should make it not only because they are pretty cool people, but they are in it for the right reasons. They are called Get Lifted. Watch their newest music video, the link is below :)

http://vimeo.com/24525803

Primping

Me and my sisters getting ready for a fun night out on the town! Amber(left) was so kind as to pamper Emily and I by successfully doing our hair and make-up for my grandparents 50th anniversary surprise party. This is the final product on our hair and faces... Obviously Amber and I would have changed our clothes into something a little nicer :)

Arizona

I haven't been to my hometown in 5 years, so i was super excited to come and get to see everyone! I literally have been able to see each member of my family with the exception of two that live in Colorado and one cousin who unfortunately was not able to come to our pool party. My family of 5 and my soon to be sister in law flew into Phoenix on Saturday and that night went to surprise my grandparents for a 50th anniversary celebration my mom and aunts put together for them. I was so proud of them, they have been working on this for a LONGtime! It turned out Beautifully! :) Thennn on Sunday we spent the entire day with my moms side again at my Aunts house, we swam, we ate, laughed, and made more memories! I also got to see cousin Nathan (who i haven't seen in FOREVER!) and his lovely wife and beautiful daughter! :)

Oh and another thing... I LOVE ARIZONA WEATHER!!!! I forgot how much i missed the dry heat. I have never been a fan of humidity... Though Texas is home, i will always love Arizona heat better!

Worship worship and more Worship!

TODAY IS SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! I was up as a backing vocalist today and boy did we have a million curve balls thrown at us this morning. From adding new songs and changing half of the set, practicing that set and then at the last minute changing it again to the original set list, to sean adding songs to the set spontaneously! There were many technical, instrumental, and vocal mess ups... But PRAISE GOD Worship is NOT at all about how we sound or the smoothness of our worship set! His presence was moving in RCCC today. His great love and faithfulness was so encouraging to me. I love how the LORD uses the inconvenient situations to show his glory and righteousness. He is sovereign!

Overall i left today so blessed and encouraged because our GOD is an awesome GOD! He is so faithful to provide and each day that i am reminded of my unworthiness i am also reminded of his holiness.

Thank you GOD for love! :)

1 Corinthians 13... How my GOD Loves and calls us to Love :)

Looking Up

Rumors of the Rapture taking place today have spread like wild fire... Kinda pitiful how everyone wants to live their own life; paying no attention to GOD or his will for their lives... But the second that they hear the world could be ending they start paying attention to him. This is proof that our GOD is a patient loving accepting forgiving mighty awesome endless powerful GOD. How great is his love for us that he allows us to take advantage of him and all his creation, yet has a longing to be with us and for us to trust him. He is so quick to forgive and hold us even when we have turned our backs completely on him.

I wish i could say i wasn't one of those people. But so many times i tell him "No really GOD, ive got this one!" Yet when my plans fail and leave me broken and on my knees he is so quick to run and hold me. Wow, i am so unworthy!

Lord, Help me be better!

Grace

Today was a GORGEOUS day! I was so blessed to spend my whole lunch break outside my work and enjoy GODs Beauty. I read Romans 8 over and over again and was humbled by the truth that my GOD loves me and has forgiven me completely of my past. What an amazing Creator we have. I am so grateful i am not living the life i once was, Jesus is my savior! My life is so free now... LORD forgive me for forgetting all the blessings you've provided.

GOD

The love of my life. My rock and my salvation. My redeemer. My Healer. My everything! I was so incredibly encouraged today while havin my time with the LORD. I am in the middle of this Bible study on Daniel and wow has it taken me for a spiritual ride. Some weeks i have felt so close to GOD and others the enemy has used to attack and tear me down to the core. I am so grateful for this study though, no matter how hard it hurts to hear where i need improvement i know that the LORD is using this to grow me into the Woman he has called me to be. He is using this to better me not only as a follower of him but as a future wife and mother.

Today i had to stop and rejoice because of the amazing promises that are yet to come. How amazing Heaven is going to be and the truth of how strong our GOD is!

Hebrews 12:28-29

"Therefore since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship GOD acceptably with reverence and awe, for our GOD is a consuming fire!"

Psalm 62:1-2

"My soul finds rest in GOD alone; my salvation comes from him, he alone is my rock and salvation. He is my fortress, i will never be shaken."

I LOVE THAT! He is all-powerful and all- knowing. He alone is my security! I find none in anything or anyone, but HE ALONE will provide the security that i need.

He is and always has been and always will be faithful to provide.

I think im going to get Jehovah Yireh in Hebrew writing tattooed to my ring finger... It means the Lord Provides. He has really been showing that to me lately and reminding me of his amazing love for me.

What a great GOD we serve! He deserves all the praise and so much more!

Fake-N-Bake, Home Teeth Whitening and Asthma

These things have been a very common thing for me lately... My stomach is 2 shades from being black, i think i need to back off the human oven for a little bit! Its getting gross :) In 20 years i am going to be that woman that everyone helps across the street because they think i am 80 when in all reality i will be a 40 year old wife/mother with children that are ranging from 18-2. What am i doing to myself?! Definitely NOT me in that bathing suit.

I bet this little device that whitens my teeth is going to have major negative side effects like the browning or losing of teeth. Yet i still have this stupid blue light shining in my mouth as i type. (Twilight Teeth, you drool all over yourself. but it works!)

Its a good thing looks dont matter right?!

Then there is the infamous inhaler.... I dont know what the effects of todays Asthma appointment is going to have on changes in meds and what not but i am praying that they give me something that helps me breathe better. It has definitely been horrible the past few weeks. LORD willing they can just replace my lungs :)

Simple Things

Nothin like Jesus, Omelets, freshly cut mangos and a huge cup of coffee to start the day!

Gotta love the simple things

"Today is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24

Bin Laden

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110505/ts_yblog_thelookout/obama-bin-laden-sea-burial-was-respectful

I just watched this interview with the president and i was very pleasantly surprised. I am in complete agreement with him for the first time!

Doesnt matter what your politics are, Bin Laden did terrible things... But he is still a person, and no one deserves to be disrespected publicly with pictures of their bodies or videos of their death being put on display for the world to mock. Everyone knows what he did was wrong... Im grateful that the LORD allowed justice to be done, i am also grateful that our nations leader was respectful of Bin Laden as a human and didn't allow us to stoop down to a terrorists level.

America will rise above!

National Day of Prayer

Happy National Day of Prayer everyone!!! Tonight i went to church thinking i was going to a missions meeting about Japan, but i definitely got the date wrong... Looks like the LORD really wanted me to go to prayer night!

I love how when just a few believers gather together in prayer and worship the LORD shows up and does miraculous things. He has a mission for River City. I believe he is starting a movement and i am soooo excited about where all this is going. Im blessed to be apart of such a loving church family!

Thank you LORD for blessings <3

Daydreaming

LORD knows this is where i wanna be right now. Cant i just live on a deserted island where money doesnt exist?!

Power in Words

So lately ive really been watching what i say, not because im constantly talking inappropriately or anything along those lines.. But i am one that will openly tell you how i feel when i am feeling it. Well, im doing a Beth Moore study on Daniel and the first week she hit on the power of words and how important it is to really watch what you say because satan cant read minds. But he does hear what we speak, so when we are openly talking about what we are struggling with or how discouraged we are or how bad this day sucks and stuff along those lines, it opens the door for a whole lotta nastyyy to start pouring in.

Well, i was challenged by that... So i took it upon myself to practice it! Ummm, i dont think ive ever seen the results of a discipline like this so fast. The past week in a half or so ive been a lot more positive and less prone to a bad attitude. Having bad days are not as common. Or if something rough happens when i watch my tongue and seek the LORD in those times it has honestly made a huge difference!

Anywaysssss, i just thought i would share that because i figured "Hey, if it helped me maybe it could help someone else!" So there ya go, i hope that encourages you... It really does work!

Oh, and i recently encountered the customer that doesnt like me at Starbucks... I ended up giving her her drink for free cause a co-worker was using the register and she actually smiled. I was very blessed by that! :)

Today has been a long exhausting day! I am going to bed... Peace

Beautiful Days :)

Lately the weather has been exceptionally beautiful. It starts kinda muggy and humid and gross but by the time it should be really hot and even more gross GOD has really been throwing me a curve ball because the sun will be out, and it is all breezy and just lovely! I wish i could live outside. But its also mosquito season and ive been getting eaten alive, so ive been admiring a lot by looking out the window!

Sean started a new series today on Ruth... OH BABY! It is already incredible. I love it! I have been constantly reminded of GODs presence in my life, and his faithfulness to provide even when things look down. I have been so amazed by him. Ive never seen this side of him before; but i am loving every minute of it!

Ive been convicted lately about prayer cause, not gunna lie ive been pretty crappy at staying on top of that lately... But the past few days i really felt a tug to pray for this one customer at Starbucks who seriously Hates my guts. Every time she comes through the drive thru and i am working the register. (which is everyday i work the register... by the way) She literally gives me a look like "Great. You Again!" I dont know what i did to this woman, but she despises me, ask any of my co-workers! They will tell you! Anyways, ive been thinking about her a lot and the LORD really laid on my heart to pray for her. So i have been and surprisingly i think about her all the time so i find myself praying for her ALL THE TIME! And then in those times i start to think of other people who i know need prayer. SO now i am in this cycle of praying more and more each day. Which is a good problem to have.

GOD is to good to me. I see how unworthy i am of his love everyday. But i am so grateful that our GOD is a forgiving gracious GOD who lives and breathes with us and in us.

I hope you are blessed this week!

Easter Weekend

Ok so this Easter was by far the BEST Easter ever! I dont know if its because i am at a different place spiritually than i have ever been before or what but whatever the reason, i loved it. Worship was ROCKIN! Seans Message was about second chances and it was just so encouraging. I will never understand Christs love for me but i am so incredibly grateful for his sacrifice. After being at church most of the day i went to the parentals and we did the annual egg hunt and enjoyed a lovely feast as a family :) I made everyone get back in their church clothes so we could take a family picture :) Below is my beautiful family Dad, Mom, Me, Derek, My future sister-in-law Amber(isnt she lovely! She fits right in with the Brandner clan) and my baby sister Emma in the front! I am so incredibly blessed to have such a close family. I often take it for granted... But i realize the LORD has been good to me! To him be all the Glory and Praise!!

I hope this easter was more than the candy and pastel colors for you too :)

Maddie :)

I cant believe i havent posted about Maddie! Derek got a new dog... Great dane... She is beautiful and i love her so much! She is only 9 weeks old and already at least 20 pounds! I took her for a walk last week and she went half way and i ended up having to carry her home because 1. She may be a baby, but boy is she a Diva... And 2. She was wayyyy tired. Pretty sure she was panting for at least 2 hours AFTER we were done walking. I cant help but love her! I am totally and completely smitten over that puppy.

I say this as she sleeps so peacefully next to me :) Oh the Joys of being Aunt B <3

Here is my Niece

Christ is RISEN!!!!!

What an amazing day it has been so far! :) GOD has done an amazing work so far, we had such a great turn out. Nothing is better than worshiping our KING with fellow believers. So many new faces... So encouraging to me! I love my church family so much.

A great song for ya :)

Blessed Redeemer by Casting Crowns. Really listen to the words! Jesus' Amazing character shines through the truth behind the lyrics.

Heres a link for you:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyD1FSC3d08

I hope your Easter was more than Pastel Colors and Chocolate! What an Faithful Mighty GOD we have.

WOW GOD!

So yesterdays post i wrote right before worship practice. Well, i start praying and reassuring myself and trying to stay positive. I get to practice and i kid you not... One of the first things that was said to me was about how Natalie wanted me to come over for dinner because she knew i didnt have any food and the thing that got me was "I am here helping to provide for you!" Immediately i started crying. I knew that was from GOD clarifying to me that he is my provider. Then Franny told me she was taking me grocery shopping and that made me cry more and she didnt ask me if i wanted her to she told me she was taking me and she wouldnt accept no for an answer.

I dont do well with accepting help. Or asking for it.

But GOD is so faithful to provide. And yesterday he moved so quickly. I was not expecting that and i had told myself that i wasnt going to let the bad news i received yesterday affect practice, that i was just going to go and worship and then go home and everything would be fine. Well, GOD had a different plan. He brought everything to the surface and im glad he did... He knows best!

I had to share with you! GOD is awesome and so faithful... I will never understand his love for me! But im sure glad i have it

Oh silly Finances

Found out today of a major pay cut that i will be receiving through my main source of income... Unfortunate because i will definitely feel the pain of that one! Lately ive been very comfortable with my financial situation because i have always had left overs to go and do as i please and i could be very generous and not feel the sting of it. Now, as i realize i am going to have to make serious sacrifices... I am trying to stay positive and remind myself that GOD can do a lot with a lot... He can also do a lot with a little. I know he is going to provide for me. Maybe not in the ways i think or want him to, but he has always given me what i needed! I have faith that my faithful GOD will stay constant and unchanging and provide for me just the same.

I hate money, not only because it has divided people so easily and destroyed relationships; also because it toys with my emotions and stresses me out so easily. I dont want it but in the culture we live in it stresses how much you NEED it to survive and to be happy. One thing i know for sure is that money has NEVERRRRR made me happy! Never!

So i am sticking with GOD in this trial... Money, you aint got nothin on the creator! You will not steal my joy!

Beth Moore Study

Today was the first week of 12 that i will be having a Bible study with a bunch of awesome ladies from my church! :) I am super excited. The study is Beth Moore's (which i know already makes it incredible) Video study on Daniel... I have to say i am so excited and looking forward to the upcoming weeks. Today she talked about mainly historical stuff and mentioned how GODs word is Timeless and meant to fit every generation. She totally opened my eyes to see how the word is relevant to me right now in the 21st Century! I think it is awesome thinking of how literature written in 650BC is relevant in 2011AD! GOD is so cool!

Anyway just to share with you the main things i took away from today...

I am living in a Babylon of my own. This world that we live in is equivalent to the Babylon of the beginning of times. Babylon is a way of thinking; a philosophy of "I am, and there are none above me" It is a depiction of our broken sinful world.

One thought that has stuck with me today is "We were assigned to this world by GOD. satan has assigned the world to us." She also said something that i swear she was speaking right to me! The idea that we have been placed in our own Babylon. We have been placed in it at this time for a reason. I have been assigned to this life, this place, these trials i face at this time and at every moment in my life for a reason! There is purpose and reasons behind each and everything we face. It gives life more depth i think. Rather than just constantly going through the motions, taking time to break it all apart and see GODs face in everything we have done, are doing, and will do. (Sorry if i totally confused you...)

Exciting things are happening! I am so grateful for this study. It came at the perfect time! GOD knows best :)

Jesus

For the past few weeks ive been seeing Jesus in new ways which is really exciting for me, our GOD is so huge and we will never be able to fully grasp his awesomeness; but i think its really sweet when he reveals new sides of himself to us! Today in particular made me laugh out loud... I was preparing for College group tonight and we are going over Matthew 21 and a few other verses from various books that relate to Matthew's chapter. Well as i am reading i get to the part where Jesus is speaking to the pharisees about Johns baptism and he asks them one simple question to follow their question on what authority he is under. I think it is amazing that our Jesus who is so gentle and full of love and grace is equally bold and wont take no crap from anyone! :) Jesus is Meek... He is incredible! I had to share!!

Stronger- Mandisa

So, i am currently obsessed with Mandisa's new song Stronger :) Not only because it is currently relevant in my life but because Girlfriend knows how to throw down! So if you dont listen to Klove or have NO idea who Mandisa is then YOU HAD BEST be lookin it up on Youtube :) Definitely worth the 4 min.

In Starbucks news i am definitely starting to get into the groove of things... I know ive been there for over 3 months, All im sayin is im definitely getting mad coffee makin skills! Not braggin or anything... Just sayin :) I really do love working there, I find that the times when we are slow are great blessings and i use them to catch my breath and rejuvenate for when all of San Antonio wants coffee at the same time!

In Apartment news our AC had definitely gone out again... For the 6th time... So thats frustrating but not enough to make me wanna raise hell in the apartment office. It takes a lot to get me seriously heated(by heated i mean furious... cause i am definitely very heated physically right now. My apartment is a sauna!) I love love love love love living on my own! I am super grateful for it. I get to see my family reasonable amounts but i left on great terms so seeing them is an added bonus :) Though i do miss living in the country very much! There is nothing like it and when i am married i am DEFINITELY going back to the country living. I hate living in the city... In the center of it all. Yuck... I am convinced GOD made me to be surrounded my nature not buildings. I anxiously await the days when i can spend most of my time in a rocking chair next to my husband or walking through nature :) Ok now im getting giddy :) haha

In misc. news i have grown to love my church way more! Its so great to be connected to a community of believers/family that encourage and uplift me in the dark times. I have really been awestruck by GODs faithfulness. Everyday he shows me how he loves me and he is ALWAYS faithful! Something he alone can be. Its incredible. Oh, and i am seriously considering moving to California in about a year... To pursue acting of course! :)

I hope all of ya'll are blessed ;)

GOD Speed Brothers/Sisters in Christ!

Blessed :)

The LORD is faithful to provide :) This is the statement i have been proclaiming for the past several hours. He has been so good to me. I cant stop smiling :) AHHHH SO EXCITED!!!!!

As some may know a few months ago i auditioned for a short film and got the part of Ashley Sterling a minor role... But a role in a film none the less. Just grateful for the opportunity to dive back into acting, i never really expected for it to go anywhere HUGE.... Holy Toledo... The LORD is faithful to provide!

Ever since i can remember i have always wanted to be an actress in film. ALWAYS... Ive been acting since birth basically. My mom was a director and she would always cast me as the little girl whenever a little girl was needed. I fell in love!

Anyways, back to the juicy stuff :) I sat down with my director today... Not only has the show been SAG approved (Screen Actors Guild) which is a HUGE honor... But, we made it to TV!!!!! Our TV series will be promoted on Nickelodeon and MTV... Hello Opportunity! Can you say PRAISE GOD!!!! Not only that but i am now officially a SAG member myself. SAG meaning Hollywood knows about our show... SAG meaning i am stepping into the world of Professional Film... SAG... Me; a nobody, is a SAG member. I will also be paid for the TV series which i was NOT expecting!

I feel so incredibly blessed. The LORD is faithful to Provide :)

No Regrets

Just sittin here with my feet up thinkin about how much better life would be if i lived without regretting. Without spending time wishing i had changed the way i responded to things or how i could have done things differently.

Like Monday. I worked out for the first time in a while. I decided to go on the tricycle in my little gym... I was on that thing for 20 minutes and i thought i was going to die! For the next hour i really wished that i had slept the extra hour instead of waking up early only to feel like my life was ending. It was horrible. But the rest of the day i was walking a few inches taller because i successfully beat the crap out of myself!

I wish i wouldnt make so many mistakes and that i would think before i: Speak, Eat, Make decisions, and live! I do so many stupid things on a daily basis. Part of that has to do with because thats just who i am... Deal with it... But the other part is because i just go with it and dont really take time to realize what the effect of that is going to bring. Like girlscout cookies... Obvious that choice brings nothing by bigger sizes!

I can beat myself up all day. But all of it is pointless because i cant change what ive done. SO WHY DO I TRY TO! I am grateful for all my mistakes. The LORD has been so faithful to me by showing me how much stronger i am because of them. Gosh, only the creator could make me better by my stupidity! I am beginning to see and appreciate him in a whole new way. Its pretty awesome!

In other news... Baby Chelsea McGinnis is coming any moment now! :) Praise GOD!!!! I am so excited

New Thinking

So lately things (if im honest) have kinda sucked! But this time around the debby downer mood has not followed me, I am so amazed and blessed by all the times ive seen GOD this past week. Everyday i either hear a song, read a bible verse, hear a comment or see something pretty that is a reminder that GOD is here with me and that he is carrying me through this. Even though i continually get discouraged throughout my days, my hope remains in him, because just around the bend there is something fantastic waiting to be discovered!

I will keep my chin up and trust in the one who rescued my soul from the fire!

My encouragement today came from Biblegateway.com Daily Bible Verse.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”~ROMANS 15:13

Mercies in Disguise

Over the past few weeks the LORD has really been doing a work in me. Its definitely not an easy one! But ive found a lot of encouragement and hope from a few songs.

The first one i heard on KLove after i encountered a really tough situation! Funny how he makes everything work out for good, i know this will be no different from all the other hard times! I am actually very excited to see where this leads me. (Kinda hope it comes quick! haha) The second was actually a Rascal Flatts song... Im convinced it was written from GOD to me! If you dont think so... Hush it... haha dont steal my thundaaa!!!

Blessings by Laura Story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZRg-SEQJSE

I wont let go by Rascal Flatts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIIorYfTSTo

One of my blessings in disguise was of course Terra. Papa knew i needed her to be here when it got real hard.

Thankful :)

Ive really taken some time lately to dwell on the many blessings ive been given. I am so grateful for such a great GOD who is always faithful! Always present. Always protecting and guiding me. He is so patient and understanding. Forgiving and loving me in spite of my constant stupidity! He is amazing in every way and i am super grateful that he is so always with me!

Im blessed to have so many people who genuinely care about me. I take them for granted so much, i will NEVER deserve them. I have such great friends and amazing influences. I have learned so much from them. The LORD has used them in so many ways to help direct me and teach me right. They tell me the truth in love, even when the truth is telling me im being an idiot! I love my friends and family!!! I can never express my appreciation or gratitude enough to you. But if you're reading this and you have in some way or another impacted my life know that i love love love love love love you and appreciate you way more than you will ever know! :)

I realized this morning as i was spending time with the LORD all the things he has given me; things i look at every day and pass by as if it was no blessing at all... Like my couch, and dining room table! My car, my apartment! He has given me so much! What a great life he has given me. WOW dont i feel like crap for constantly walking by and not acknowledging his generosity!

Our GOD is an AWESOME GOD!!!!!! :)

Blessings in Obedience

Recently i've been given a task, a task that is not only extremely hard; but one that i've been avoiding for a while now. You know how GOD is patient and amazing all the time. Well, he was very patient with me, let me run my own course into destruction that is totally my fault. He watched and waited for me to turn to him and ask for him to take control. Well finally i broke down like us humans do, i realized i was walking away from the path of righteousness that i have so heavily been determined to follow. I ignored my convictions, and i'm now paying for it.

But the amazing thing, is that when GOD so clearly spoke to me and gave me the solution; though i didn't like the solution because it wasn't what i wanted, he blessed me today in so many ways because i was obedient to it. Today was great; Yesterday i was DREADING today. I cant help but Praise Him for such a great day. The weather was absolutely stunning. I had a great day at work, laughed a lot! (Which i did not expect to be doing much of that today) I felt so alive and free. What an AMAZING and FAITHFUL GOD we have!

I had to share my blessings with you. I am so encouraged. I still feel like an idiot for continuing on with something that i knew was wrong. But i am so grateful for the lesson of Obedience and that i need to listen immediately, rather than when i want to.

I LOVE MY GOD!

Trials

In the stillness of my mind the LORD spoke to me about trials. I was super encouraged; thought i would share with you.

"In this life you have been given many trials. In these trials rejoice; for the LORD has entrusted you with them so that you will succeed in bringing him Glory. Not that you should fail. If however; you do fail, the LORD will not be disappointed. But make haste. For the LORD will give you the strength you need to succeed!"

Finding Hope in scripture

Yesterday was super rough for me. So at College Group Nick Fox gave me scripture. I wanted to share it cause i was very encouraged by it! :) Hope you enjoy!

¹I am the man who has seen affliction
by the rod of the LORD’s wrath.
² He has driven me away and made me walk
in darkness rather than light;
³ indeed, he has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.

⁴ He has made my skin and my flesh grow old
and has broken my bones.
⁵ He has besieged me and surrounded me
with bitterness and hardship.
⁶ He has made me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.

⁷ He has walled me in so I cannot escape;
he has weighed me down with chains.
⁸ Even when I call out or cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer.
⁹ He has barred my way with blocks of stone;
he has made my paths crooked.

¹⁰ Like a bear lying in wait,
like a lion in hiding,
¹¹ he dragged me from the path and mangled me
and left me without help.
¹² He drew his bow
and made me the target for his arrows.

¹³ He pierced my heart
with arrows from his quiver.
¹⁴ I became the laughingstock of all my people;
they mock me in song all day long.
¹⁵ He has filled me with bitter herbs
and given me gall to drink.

¹⁶ He has broken my teeth with gravel;
he has trampled me in the dust.
¹⁷ I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
¹⁸ So I say, “My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the LORD.”

¹⁹ I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
²⁰ I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
²¹ Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

²² Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

²⁵ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
²⁶ it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.

²⁸ Let him sit alone in silence,
for the LORD has laid it on him.
²⁹ Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.
³⁰ Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.

³¹ For no one is cast off
by the Lord forever.
³² Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
³³ For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.

³⁴ To crush underfoot
all prisoners in the land,
³⁵ to deny people their rights
before the Most High,
³⁶ to deprive them of justice—
would not the Lord see such things?

³⁷ Who can speak and have it happen
if the Lord has not decreed it?
³⁸ Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both calamities and good things come?
³⁹ Why should the living complain
when punished for their sins?

⁴⁰ Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the LORD.
⁴¹ Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven, and say:
⁴² “We have sinned and rebelled
and you have not forgiven.

⁴³ “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us;
you have slain without pity.
⁴⁴ You have covered yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can get through.
⁴⁵ You have made us scum and refuse
among the nations.

⁴⁶ “All our enemies have opened their mouths
wide against us.
⁴⁷ We have suffered terror and pitfalls,
ruin and destruction.”
⁴⁸ Streams of tears flow from my eyes
because my people are destroyed.

⁴⁹ My eyes will flow unceasingly,
without relief,
⁵⁰ until the LORD looks down
from heaven and sees.
⁵¹ What I see brings grief to my soul
because of all the women of my city.

⁵² Those who were my enemies without cause
hunted me like a bird.
⁵³ They tried to end my life in a pit
and threw stones at me;
⁵⁴ the waters closed over my head,
and I thought I was about to perish.

⁵⁵ I called on your name, LORD,
from the depths of the pit.
⁵⁶ You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears
to my cry for relief.”
⁵⁷ You came near when I called you,
and you said, “Do not fear.”

⁵⁸ You, Lord, took up my case;
you redeemed my life.
⁵⁹ LORD, you have seen the wrong done to me.
Uphold my cause!
⁶⁰ You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
all their plots against me.

⁶¹ LORD, you have heard their insults,
all their plots against me—
⁶² what my enemies whisper and mutter
against me all day long.
⁶³ Look at them! Sitting or standing,
they mock me in their songs.

⁶⁴ Pay them back what they deserve, LORD,
for what their hands have done.
⁶⁵ Put a veil over their hearts,
and may your curse be on them!
⁶⁶ Pursue them in anger and destroy them
from under the heavens of the LORD.

Life :)

Gunna give an update on things Brittany. :)

Ive been at Starbucks for almost 2 months now. I absolutely LOVE it :) It is super fun and super stressful at times but its always interesting and gives me lots of good stories. Today i was dared by some co-workers to stick my hand in a pitcher full of ice and water.... I basically rocked it for 13 minutes! Im hard core :) My hand was numb for like 10 minutes after and super red. I love the people i work with, They are awesome! So it makes the job way more enjoyable. But also i am surrounded by people all the time which makes it way more interesting. :) People crack me up!!

Pool cleaning has reached its easy stages... PRAISE GOD!!! After the freeze i was pretty ready to call it quits but i didn't wanna let my Daddy down so i stuck with it like a hoss... Basically i enjoy the fact that i get to be outside a lot, Not crazy about the driving EVERYWHERE and since Texas is so flippin huge it takes me forever to get to my jobs. But GOD has blessed me with beautiful weather these past few weeks so i am super grateful for it!

I miss the foster kids like Crazy. I dont cry every time i think about them which is a great thing. But i they are still on my mind everyday and i wonder how they are. Rumor has it that they are adjusting very well to their new home which is another HUGE blessing and i am soooo grateful for that too! :) GOD is faithful.

Basically things are not as bad as i make them out to be at times. The Lord has definitely blessed me this year with helping me stay positive. Seriously it has been a great year so far in the midst of everything that has been going on.

I said it before and ill say it again... GOD is Good and super Faithful and Amazing and just GREAT! :) I dont deserve him but i am super glad he never leaves my side!

Positively Lovely

2011 is in its 2nd Month! Wow how fast this new year has already been going by. At the beginning of the year i took a 30 Day challenge with KLOVE radio and listened to ONLY christian music for a whole month. During that month i went through major music mood swings, i loved that station and then i hated it. Sometimes i just turned my radio off because i didnt want to hear the same song again. Then other times i was super encouraged by the stories, and i loved how people shared their life stories on the radio. And after about 2 weeks i was addicted! I looked forward to hearing all the great stories about how GOD Wowed people. And hearing the testimonies of how GOD worked in all these peoples lives. I also had a chance to challenge myself in a new way this year. What KLOVE has been doing for the past couple years is that by the end of January you pick a word for yourself that you want to live by for that year. Well i had no idea they did that until this year so i accepted the challenge.

And my word is

POSITIVE

So far its been good. I have been trying hard to find the good in every situation and though i know that 2011 is just beginning; and there will be many trials that fall on my path. I am looking forward to beating negativity and becoming a more positive person :)

Growin up

This past tuesday is 3 weeks of living on my own. So far it has been FANTASTIC! Ive loved most every minute. It has opened the door to a lot more responsibility and stuff like that. I have learned a little about myself but i look forward to all the other lessons that are going to come my way. Life has been CRAZY lately though, i have something every single day of the week which makes of a lot of exhaustion, but at least im never bored. :)

Starbucks has been fantastic. Everyday i can see myself getting better at it. Though i have not mastered that job by any means i feel less like an idiot and more like i kinda have an idea how to successfully do my job! I also love my co-workers. I work with some awesome peeps! :)

Derek and Amber are Engaged!!!!! So wedding planning here i come :) Of course Lauren and Jonathan are engaged too and both of their weddings are this fall, so i have a lot of showers to plan, gifts to buy, Appointments to make, pictures to take and everything else that comes with weddings! But i am loving every minute of it... And i am totally using this as a learning experience for what NOT to do and what TO do for my wedding :) Yayyyyy!!! I am so grateful for the amazing future sister in law that GOD has blessed me with. She is also a great room mate and we have gotten a lot closer in these past 3 weeks! We spend lots of time together... lots of time... i mean a lot. Like tons.

The kiddos leaving was hard, especially since it happened right after i left home so it was kind of a shock for a bit but like everything else in my life GOD brought me through it and i am a lot stronger and better off because of it. Though i miss them a lot and think of them every single day i know that GOD has them in his hands and they are safe and deeply loved! So that gives me peace.

Overall life has definitely improved! It really is amazing how much a person changes with added responsibility.

Im lovin every minute of this journey :)

End of a Story and the beginning of lots of tears!

The kiddos left today. I have to admit this morning i forgot that they were leaving today. I moved out into my own place Feb 1st and took a second Job as a Starbucks Barista. So a long with the crazy busy schedule of juggling 2 jobs as well as a social life i have had little time for rest and a lot of running errands and taking care of my responsibilities as an adult. Weird... I am considered a legit adult now. Anyways, i had the opening shift this morning at the good ol' coffee shop, My babies left forever at 9:30, my shift was until 11... Therefore i knew that i wasnt going to be there so we had a goodbye dinner last night at Red Robin. Got the kiddos Ice Cream and i took about 10 minutes kissing and holding them tightly, just cherishing every second of our final moments together. Thankfully i praised GOD for at least being able to say goodbye. Then today came... After the busy morning and most of the exhaustion left my body i remembered... I called my mom and she explained the morning to me in between sobs. She was so great with them. Though she will never admit that; i saw the love and grace she poured out upon those angels with my own eyes. I will never forget the sacrifices she made for them. She gave up so much to love and raise those babies that should never have left their birth mother in the first place. I hope that someday i can be 1/2 the mother that my mom was to them. I learned a great deal from her! What an amazing woman; i have been blessed! It didnt hit me until about 11:15 after talking to my mom. When i realized i was never going to see my little Jazzy again. I was never going to hear her call my name (Bernie as she would say). I was never going to see Ariel wabble over to me only as fast as a 1 year old can walk. I would never feel her squeeze my neck when i picked her up. And i would never get to listen to Clifford stumble through his books or ask ridiculous questions about things that dont matter or hear him laugh. Its the little things that i am going to miss the most. I have their smiles implanted in my head. I cant get their giggles or voices out of my head. My heart is breaking.

But i wont lose hope. I know that this is the time to be praising GOD for the amazing moments and memories that i will never forget. The experience of a lifetime to watch those kids grow. I should be thanking him for being so merciful to my family and to those kids!

It still doesnt make saying goodbye any easier! Please pray for my family! Pray for the kids.

Starbucks Training

Well Folks today was day 2 of training with Starbucks. First of all i am very stoked to have this job, yes i applied because of Terra, so far it has been a blast! The first day was just a 4 hour shift reading paper work and doing a coffee tasting. The coffee tasting was kind of cool, not so delicious, but it was neat to see the process and to hear about the history and stuff. Today however was an 8 hour shift where i did a little book work, cleaned, cleaned and cleaned some more, did 3 coffee tastings and now i have 4 stickers in my coffee passport(it may sound lame but i actually really like the idea of having a cute little booklet full of stickers and descriptions of the different coffee) and i learned how to steam milk! Which is one of the main steps to making most of the drinks! I also learned the hard way that when you drink to much caffeine you get really jittery, random body shake spasms and a throbbing head. Lets just say i wont be drinking coffee on my breaks anymore!

Tomorrow i begin to learn the recipes for the drinks! Lets pray i dont spill myself to much!

I totally love my job though... I work with some pretty cool peeps :)

I know its been an eternity!

I am the worst blogger in the world! I will make it up to you by posting one heck of a long blog with pictures and details about the things that have been going on :)

Ill start with the kiddos. We have had them for 5 almost 6 (jan 27) months. It has been quite the journey. And I have grown very fond of each kid in their own way! As a new years resolution i want to be a more positive person, so i will tell you what i love about each of my babys :)

CJ aka Clifford or Bud as i call him he is a different kinda kid! He is shy in his own way with a lot of energy and a hint of sweetheart all in the same tiny little body. He loves to be loved, but hates to be touched... Unless its by my dad. He has this spirit about him that if nurtured correctly could dramatically impact others! He is a very kind hearted little boy, he cares about people very much and is extremely forgiving! He has a very creative mind, he loves to create things and play different characters. I could see him being a very misunderstood artistic genius someday! My prayer for CJ is that when he goes home he wont follow the leader of the negative male influences. But that he will remember my Dad and the impact he made in his life. That he will strive to be a father and husband who sticks around in the tough times and always strives to provide for his family no matter what.

Jazmine or Jazzy or Jaz or Dora and at times chunk. She is a lovey dovey mushy gushy little girl with a very strong presence of Tough girl. She loves hugs and kisses and being called a princess and beautiful, but if you touch that toy she was just playing with we are going to have issues! She is a joy in my life! Mind you we work a lot with her on playing nicely with other kids but its not rare for her to come home with a scratch on her eye, cheek or nose from being bit, hit, scratched, or something else little kids do when she takes their toys from them! Yes, my Jazzy can be a bully... But you would never guess it by the way she loves to love. My little Diva, i pray that when she goes home she will remember to love and forget hate. That she will grow with GOD and change lives by her strong heart!

Last but certainly not least Ariel. We dont really have any nicknames for her; believe me we tried but none came out right :) She is our little character. No one can change moods as fast as she does! Its incredible... Sometimes ;) What i love about Ariel is her joy. She has this smile that will take your breath away! She also has these little joy attacks where she laughs historically at nothing or she gets so excited to see you that she squeezes your neck as tight as she can... And that girl is strong! :) She is our Joy box :) My prayer for her is that she wont lose it. That she will carry around her Joy and dish it out among everyone she comes in contact with. Believe me its contagious.

GOD has great things for my baby sibs and i have faith that he will provide opportunities for them to live it out!

We also went to Cabo right after Thanksgiving which was FANTASTIC if i do say so myself. I had so much fun hanging out with my family and relaxing by the beach! It was also very eventful and busy. I loved every minute of it! Here are a few pics of our trip... We had themed Dinner parties every night but one, We went to the famous rock scene of Cabo San Lucas. Lovers beach and Divorce beach, Snorkling, Whale Watching, Ziplining, My mom and sister swam with Dolphins, I went parasailing which was awesome! Each day was very eventful and awesome! :) It was the best family vacation everrrr







Then After Christmas for my Dads birthday and New years my grandparents and cousins were in town! We had a blast. We unlike Cabo stayed at home a lot and just hung out as a family. We did a lot of painting and believe it or not i painted two pics... The first was not bad considering it was my first painting, i was much happier with the second! :) But one of the days me and my beautiful Twin cousins and lovely younger sister went to the Mariot hotel and took pics :) Here is a look at how those turned out!





On New years day we went to Starbucks after pics and took John Wayne Shots... We were up most of the night... And we had a lot of energy :)





Now i have very exciting news! I move out on my own with my soon to be sister in law February 1st. I am very excited about it :) Ill post details and pics as i have them :)