Memorial Day

Mark and I spent our Memorial Day weekend in Wilmington just relaxing and spending time with family. Our sister in law, Amy, is an artist and she was a part of an Art Festival in downtown Wilmington, so we got some great shots of the area. Downtown Wilmington is a huge, historic tourist spot and the scenery is beautiful. It is on the riverfront and there are several historic churches and buildings in the area. We also visited the beach (of course) and spotted the 10 foot alligator (in the picture below), sunbathing at Greenfield Lake. That was quite exciting! Anyways, enjoy the pics!

Feeding the Geese at the park.

Here is our "little" alligator friend we spotted on the back of Greenfield Lake.

Horrible Tragedy

Steven Curtis Chapman is by far my most FAVORITE songwriter and singer of all times. His music is unbelievably powerful to me and just so genuine. Yesterday, tragedy struck his home. His youngest daughter Maria Sue Chapman, who was a 5 year old adopted from China was hit by an SUV in their driveway and killed. I cannot imagine the pain they are going through. As a mom, I truly cannot even begin to imagine going through this. I praise the LORD that they trust HIM and that HE (GOD) PROMISES to give us "peace that surpasses all understanding" even in situations like this. Maria is the youngest child in the Chapman family and was one of 3 that they have adopted from China. Maria had just turned 5 a few days ago, now she is home with Jesus. PLEASE pray for their family during this time.....

David Vs. David AMERICAN IDOL

I have been hooked on American Idol this season and tonight was the final competition between David Archuletta and David Cook. Everyone assumed it would come down to these 2 men in the end and it was awesome performances from both. It is so hard to know who to vote for because they are both so talented. I think they both were equally GREAT tonight, so I voted for each!! I cannot wait until the result show tomorrow night!

Myanmar and China

WOW, what tragic events in the last few days. Myanmar with the cyclone killing over 30,000 (at least), and China with the massive earthquake, killing at least 18,000. Before I had ever traveled overseas it was so hard for me to relate when tragedy struck other nations. After living in Japan for almost 2 years and traveling to several other countries around the world, I feel like I can better relate to the suffering of the people of all nations. The anguish and pain that we feel in America when we experience things such as 9/11 is the same anguish, fear, pain, and loss that all people of all nations feel when tragedy strikes. Thank God for the missionaries and for the people that have carried the message of Christ to such nations. Without Christ there is no HOPE in death, there is no HOPE when you lose a loved one, there is no PEACE to calm the fears. PLEASE..PLEASE pray for the people in these countries as they deal with such devastation and PLEASE if you feel God calling you to go and help, answer His call! Pray that through these events that God will be glorified among the nations and SALVATION will come to those that are lost.

New Camera Pictures

Mark and I just got a refurbished Olympus E-410 SLR camera, and we are getting used to it. Here are some pictures we have taken. The quality is amazing, and just think how good it will be when we learn to use it properly. Lucky for me, Mark reads instructions, because I never do!"I believe I can fly..." Josiah has begun to express himself quite vividly when he is upset as you can see here. God is truly the best artist of them all..... Lunchtime with MOM on Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day

What a blessing it is to be a "MOM"....Have a great Mother's Day weekend ladies!!

Tomato Plant

This year I have planted my first tomato plant, and squash and zucchini. I hope to save some money by growing the produce ourselves. SO...here are the first pictures and we will see how the progression goes. Hopefully, I have a green thumb....the squash and zucchini are just seeds in the soil for now, but this is the BIG BOY tomato plant.

Updated pics

Here are some new pics of our little man who is now a little over a year and a half...TIME FLIES..

New Job

I love running my own business, but lately I have been doing a lot of shows and got a little burned out. Being the only owner, it makes for a whole lot of work and time. Last weekend I was sick and participated in the Southern Women's Show here in Raleigh. It was a great show, but I worked 40 hours in about 3 days, so I was worn out! I will continue to do Unique World Trends, but starting Monday I am going to start coaching gymnastics for 3-5 year olds. YEAH! This will be my stress free, active, do not have to dress up job. I used to coach the same age group and teenagers when we lived in Wilmington at Gymnastics Unlimited and I really enjoyed it. Josiah will be able to take the "mom and tot" class for free, and I was a gymnastic NUT growing up, so that is extra exciting for me. I am already teaching him forward rolls which he LOVES. I tell him to tuck his head and he bends over, puts his head on the ground and gets ready to flip. TOO CUTE. So, if you are in the Raleigh area and have children, come visit Gym Carolina.