Luke & Jane

Last weekend we went to Steamboat Springs, Colorado for Luke & Jane's wedding. We have been looking forward to this wedding for a long time & the weekend was wonderful. It was so fun to see so many friends & family who came out for Luke's big day. Thanks to everyone who traveled so far to come to the wedding, it meant so much to my family & me.

I love going to visit places where friends have grown up, as you learn so much about people from seeing where they come from. That's how I felt being in Steamboat & seeing all the place where my new sister grew up. I got to meet all the people who have helped shape Jane into who she is today & I am grateful for all those folks. Steamboat is such a cute little town & I can't wait to go back someday.

As my Dad said at my rehearsal dinner (only using different names) & repeated at Luke & Jane's dinner - "we prayed for Luke to grow up & love the Lord & he does. We prayed that he would marry someone who loves the Lord & Jane does. And we prayed that she would come from a family who loves the Lord, and they do." We are truly blessed.

I'll end with some of the lyrics of a song that Jane wrote about Luke & my Dad & the way my Dad raised Luke - it was also their first dance song.

Speechless
It was a moonlit night, stars in our eyes
the rain was falling down from the sky
down on a knees he asked me to be his bride.
Through tear filled eyes I stood before him
trembling from the grace God's given
I nodded yes, I couldn't speak a word.
People ask how I got such a wonderful man
it all started on a front porch with his Dad, he said

Someday son, you'll find your bride
Hold her hand and treat her right
Open doors and pull out chairs
Listen close to all her fears
When times get bad, you'll wonder why
Hold her hand & let her cry
Wait for the moments that leave you speechless

Ten years down the road we're searching,
for meaning in this life we're given
We suffered from a couple broken hearts
I know our love runs deep and has held us
Is it enough, enough to last us?
"member I chose you and you chose me
And asking help from his father once again
On that old front porch he said with a grin....

For the rest of the song go to http://www.101south.com/

Some pictures from the weekend:

A black bear was watching the rehearsal!

The family

Luke gave mom & Dad his first professional jersey


The pretty bride Bekah & I doing flowers for the rehearsal dinner

Mr. & Mrs. Luke Williams

Cody & I at the wedding site

Luke & his boys coming to the ceremony

Sisters

At the bridesmaids lunch

For more pictures go to http://acu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2043359&id=54601483&saved

Back to school

Today was back to school for all of us down in Texas & I think most people were ready. It seemed so weird having such a long summer. For the first time in a couple of years I feel rested from the summer & ready to begin another year of Young Life. Usually when school starts back again my spirit & body are still so worn out from the summer, but this year I truly do fee rested & I can't remember the last time I have been able to say those words. Although we have done so much this summer, having the extra couple of weeks in August was so nice!

Today Cody started school & I went up to the school to do some contact work for the first day of school. No matter how many times I have gone up to a high school I still feel nervous almost every time I go. I am always praying that I will see someone I know as soon as I get there so I don't become known as the weird Young Life girl. Despite my nervousness it was good to be back at school & see kids that I had not seen all summer & I even met some new ones. I pray that our Young Life team will continue going strong & being "Jesus with skin on" to lost kids in Arlington.

Cody had a great first day at school & I know he will be a great teacher. Below is a picture of him ready to go for the first day! He had to wear the school polo today, he wasn't just doing it because he was overly excited with school pride :)

Go get 'um Coach!

Some summer memories:

Best meal of the summer & longest table ever!

One of our favorite places to be in the summer - in the club room at Frontier Ranch on the side of Mt. Princeton. This summer hundreds of folks from around the world heard about the love of Christ sitting right here, I can't wait to go back next summer.

So many great things this summer, bring on another year!

A little vacation

This week Cody & I got a chance to get a much needed vacation together. We had a great time as we got to spend time with family, relax on the lake, eat lots of good food, sleep in, and do some shopping.

We started out our time with Cody's family at lake LBJ. We had a great little cabin right on the lake, it was great! We went skiing, sat in the hot tub, ate BBQ, tubed, etc. After the lake Cody had to go back home to start school and I spent some time with my parents and sisters. It was fun to be home for a few days and hang-out with the family. My sisters and I have taken up a new love of antique shopping ( I think it's mostly me, but I drag them along with me). I made a few good purchases and have been working on painting them and putting them up in our new house.

Life is good right now, it just kind of feels like the calm before the storm. We finally have all our stuff moved and we are just getting ready for school to start, it's about to get crazy!

Here are a few pictures from this past week:

Mom & I with our fancy dessert

Cody & Madison on the tube

Cody & I in the boat

The girls & I at a new shop we discovered

Dad & Bekah with their dessert

Sweet Farewells

Last Sunday was our last Sunday in Grapevine. We are excited about all the new things we will venture into this year, but sad to leave some of our sweet friends who have been so great to us during our time in Grapevine. They had a going away party for us last Sunday night & during the party they played a video with pictures on it from Cody's last five years at Grapevine. It made me so proud to watch the video & see all the kids & families that he impacted. He truly did spend himself & because of it lives where changed. I will always be thankful for some of the folks in Grapevine who loved on Cody so well & then welcomed me when I moved here last year fromTennessee. Here are a few pictures from Sunday night:

Cody & I with our cake, it was so good :)

They gave Cody a nice bag to use for school

Watching old summer videosNow we get to move in the August humidity! Please continue to pray for us as we are moving & Cody starts his new job in less than a week.

Windy Gap

I have been wanting to start a blog for a while not & have finally had enough time to sit down & figure the whole blog thing out. I feel like this will be a better way to keep everyone updated on what is going on with Cody & I rather than sending out emails all the time.

Sunday afternoon I got back from a great week at Windy Gap with my high school friends from Arlington. Windy Gap is an unbelievable place. It is a place where kids feel like they can be kids again & get away from the pressures & craziness of the world. There is just something about the environment that Windy Gap creates that enables people to open up to the Love of God & many times for the first time experience a relationship with him. I am so privileged that it is part of my job to get to go to a place like Windy Gap & take new kids with me every year. I loved being with kids when they see camp for the first time & are "wowed" at the way they are loved & cared for - so many defining moments happen at camp & I am so thankful I am able to be a part of these.

Here are some pictures from our amazing week

We were the red team during the rodeo!

The girls in my pied me in the face during the county fair - it was great!
My friends - Hayes & Rachel came from Greystone to see me

The zipline is always at hit at camp!