BRUSSELS BOUND!

That's right!! Its finally here!! We leave this evening for Brussels! This time has gone by so quickly!!

We are super excited to see what God has in store. Our team has signed up for Kamakazie Kindness where we will go through the city everyday looking for ways we can serve people; whether its giving someone a flower to brighten their day, sweeping a storefront for a store owner, we want to look for people's needs so we can learn their names and hopefully hear their stories.

I love our team! We are small but mighty! We have a blast whenever we are together, but we also have prayer warriors on this team! Please pray with us over the next 2 weeks while we are gone.

Pray for:
- team unity
- that we can step way outside our comfort zones
- the hearts of the people in Brussels we will be serving
- safety while traveling
- our relationships with the CA families we are serving with

I hope to be able to post quick updates a few times while we are there to let you know how we're doing and what to pray for!!

But for now...Brussels here we come!!! :)

Father's Day a little early

The weekend before Father's day I went up to NYC to my brother's place to celebrate Father's Day. It was a great time hanging out with my dad and brother. We went to a BBQ Block party for lunch in Madison Square Park and then off to the Yankees game! Both my dad and brother are huge Yankees fans. The new stadium is amazing!! Here are some pics:

 

Walking from the Subway

 

Walking into the door
 

Dad and Kyle checking out the retro beer cans

 

It was a rainy day so the field is covered. You can see the field from inside the entire first floor.   So you can get your food and not miss the game! This is standing behind home plate.

  

The view from our seats

 

  

Failed attempt of a self portrait of the 3 of us

 

Dad and Ky enjoying the game

 

Dad and I trying to stay dry under the umbrella

 

Sibling love....and he's actually smiling!!

The next day we went to the Highline Walk that just opened in the city. It used to be the above ground train that ran through the city.

 

The old tracks

 

Walking along

 

The Hudson

 

  

Pretty flowers

 

And a bumble bee

It was a great weekend and a great way to celebrate Father's Day.

Update

Wow...I can't believe its been almost 2 months since I last posted!!! I'm still alive, don't worry! Things have been insanely busy. Let's see...

Work is good...busy...the kids have all moved up and we've been figuring out what the summer is going to look like.

I was able to get away for a week to the Outer Banks with my friend Amy and her extended family. It was a great week away!

SPACE has been keeping we really busy. I leave tomorrow for Brussels...the Baltimore trip leaves Saturday...and the NOLA trip leaves on July 4th! All our trips are pretty early this summer. I'm glad for that. I will actually get a summer to hang out instead of spending it preparing for a trip!

I'm sure a lot more has happened...but thats all I got for now! I will try to be better when I get back...

The Road to Brussels...

That's right! I'm heading to Brussels this summer!!! I've mentioned my friends the Doyles to you, that I met at Connect in Hungary two years ago. Well this summer I'm traveling back over to Europe with 5 others for Serve the City Brussels. Serve the City is all about serving people in need in practical ways. Every need has a name, and every name has a story. Serve the City wants to know people by their names and stories rather than by their needs.




June 25th I will board a plane with Andrea, Trevin, Robyn, John, and Chad and head to Brussels to serve until July 8th. We are hoping to learn and experience STC and bring it home with us to replicate it within our surrounding communities.

To tackle the high cost of this trip we are doing several fundraisers. Andrea and I did some yard work for money. We learned how to thatch a yard. It was hard work, but we had a lot of fun!!

 

The lawn bags were HUGE!

I had some trouble getting out of the bag! 

All our hard work!

Please pray with me for our trip. Pray for unity among the 6 of us, for safety in our travels, for our fundraising, and for the people who we will be serving.

Showering my dear friend Rachael...

My dear friend Rachael and I have been friends since high school. She is so near and dear to my heart...we even have the same birthday!! Rachael is pregnant with her first child, Brooke, due June 4th. Friends of her mom threw her a baby shower the other week. It was so great to see her and some other friends from high school. The shower was during the few days of our summer like weather...so it was a hot one!!

 

Mommy to be!

Tiauna and I...we were the only ones there from high school who weren't pregnant!

This was Rach's favorite book/song growing up. Now she can read it to Brooke.

I knitted a baby blanket for Brooke...my first one ever!! 

Me and and the preggo girls...Jen, Rachael, and Becka

Grandma and Mommy to be

They are going to make wonderful parents! 

Hip and Purple 

(our high school nicknames for each other...don't ask)

Learning when to say no...

Saying "No" is something that I am constantly learning to do. I love to help people and do things for them...but too many times I have said yes to things that I really shouldn't have. I read this blog post today by Mark Batterson, the paster at National Community Church and author of the book In a Pit With A Lion on a Snowy Day. If you haven't read it yet...do it! Its a great read!!!

Friends and the Wii...

I have been blessed with some amazing friends. Whenever we get together there is always fun and laughter. Bryan bought Rock Band the other week...so we ecided to try it out! I learned quickly that I am not a Rock star! It was a great night! Here are some pics to enjoy...

 

Bryan Rockin out on the guitar!

I gave the drums a try with Jeff's help...I was PATHETIC! 

Steve-O giving the guitar a go!

Brian looking like a Rock Star! 

Leslie and I gave singing a go...she was much better than I was!

Jeff, Bryan, and Brian...Rock n Roll! 

I was much better with the guitar...and Les was good on the drums! 

Meghan loved her man's singing!