1+2+1=4

During my morning hike with my cousins today, up in the Claremont hills, we were making our way up the hill and sure enough...there was a DEER crossing the path! Yes, you heard me...a deer! How cool is that?!!! We were super close to it, its just too bad I didn't have my camera with me. It was so peaceful, just mosying on its way through the brush trying to find some breakfast :)

[that's 1...]

THEN...

So today I saw my very first coyote! Yep, that's right...my very first one! I was pretty excited, and very glad that I was inside a car and safe from it! After our hike, we drove to Cathy's office so she could pick up some papers she needed for the day. As we were driving into the parking lot, there was the coyote running across the golf course - with golfers stopped in their tracks watching it run by/inbetween them. I thought it was pretty cool!

THEN...

As I was leaving my cousin's house tonight (midnightish), there was ANOTHER COYOTE running down the center of 11th Street! Um, hello!!!!...can we say STOKED! So cool to not only see my very first coyote today, but then to see a second one! Awesome!!

[that's 1+2...]

and THEN...

As I continued my drive home tonight, totally amazed that I had just seen another coyote, I nearly ran over a possumm that was in the middle of the street! GEEZ, what's up with all the wildlife today??

[that's 1+2+1=4]

...4 wild animals in ONE DAY!

Anyway, I thought it was a pretty cool day seeing all the wildlife! :) I'm reminded of how awesome God is, just by seeing the creatures He created right there in front of me...these animals that don't usually all show up in one day, ya know? The beauty of the deer crossing the path seeking food...the coyotes running through public places on a journey of their own...and the possumm on his nightly prowl seeking survival - Life in all shapes and sizes is all because of our Almighty God. How blessed was I today to see part of His beauty right before me! :)

Psalms 42:1
As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for Thee, O God.

I will leave you with this thought...if you find time within the next couple days, I encourage you to read through Genesis 1 just as a reminder of God's Creation and how mighty He is! We all know the story, but sometimes we just need to reflect on it again and just take time to truly appreciate even the little things that He created, like the gross possumm I saw today, the beautiful deer, and the scary coyotes! All created with a purpose unknown to me, I am so glad that I was able to appreciate God by seeing them. I hope you too will be blessed and touched by things you see this week. Please take a few minutes to read through this chapter, it won't take you but a few minutes and I think you will be glad you did. I always find it nice to sit outside in nature (backyard/frontyard, anywhere you want) while reading it so that I can soak up all the goodness as I'm reading. You'll see, as you're sitting under the beautiful sun & sky, and the breeze sweeps by...its pretty impossible not to feel His presence! :) I pray you feel Him walking with you during your week!

Take time to appreciate the little things!! :)
No matter how little they may be to us, they are big to God!

Romans 8

At church today, Pastor Josh Matlock gave a great sermon on the passage of Mark 6...when Jesus Walk on Water. Everything about the service today was touching. I truly felt God's presence there, and a tugging at my heart. During the message Josh mentioned another passage, Romans 8. I spent some time this evening reading through the chapter and prayed about how I can change some things in my life and live less of the flesh [the world] and instead live according to the Spirit of God. I encourage you, my friends, to take some time to read through this scripture as well! I hope you too will find this as a good start for the new week and motivation to get on the right path if you aren't already. I know I struggle all the time to make the right decisions, and often fail. But I've been so blessed by this day, with the great sermon, amazing Christian friends that I was able to see at church and have lunch with, and God's Word and Spirit that give me life! I hope that I can be a friend that you need this week and I pray that you will all feel His touch on your life! I love you all and look forward to hearing how God is working in your lives! :) Please, do share!!!

I will leave you with this verse...
Romans 8:38-39
[38] For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
[39] nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I LOVE YOU & GOODNIGHT!

Links:
Bethany Baptist Church
Romans 8...Deliverance from Bondage/Our Victory in Christ
Mark 6:45-56...Jesus Walks on Water

BUNCO!! let the good times roll...

The women of Bethany Baptist Church had a Bunco night tonight. Ok, so before tonight I didn't think I had played Bunco before. Well I had, but not since high school! So needless to say I needed a refresher! It sounded easy enough with the instructions, but I started off losing pretty bad. But after a few rounds, I got my groove with the dice and started to do pretty well! :) It was a great night...there was food, fellowship with wonderful ladies, lots of laughter, tons of BUNCO's yelled out, and great prizes! It was loads of fun! AND I actually did really well! I tied with a couple other women for the most buncos and so we had a roll-off...unfortunately I rolled a 5 and someone else rolled a 6, so I didn't win the prize. But, my sweet friend had won a prize [a ring] that wasn't her style and didn't think she'd wear, so she gave it to me. How sweet is that! :) Thanks ladies, for inviting me to game night! I look forward to many more evenings spent getting to know you better!

dinner with my girlies

Tonight I met up with a couple of my girlies for dinner at the Rainforest Cafe at Downtown Disney. Joy was in town for the week spending time with her family at the Happiest Place on Earth and asked if Beth and I would meet up with her for dinner one of the nights she was in town.
OF COURSE WE WOULD!!! :)
I was excited to see my girls...it had been WAY TOO LONG!
GOOD food
GREAT conversation &
BEST friends!
There's nothing better than that!!!!
I love you girlies! Thanks for hanging out...see you later this summer!

Me and JoyOh, and how cute is Bethie all prego!! :) Congratulations again Beth, I can't wait to meet your little girl in a couple months!

welcome home!

Jeremy and Krista Matlock return home!Celebrating their 1 year of marriage tomorrow [Congratulations!], the Matlocks return home from their missions work in Russia. It was so great to see them again, and learn about what God has been doing in their lives, and the lives of those they've been sharing with in Russia. Tonight was their Welcome Home party in the beautiful backyard of Tom & Judi Matlock. All of their friends and family were there to welcome them home, it was very nice! The food was good, the yummy smoothie/coffee truck drinks were delish!, and the fellowship was wonderful. The only thing that slightly went wrong was the weather. Having an outdoor party with June Gloom was rough today...it was definitely gloomy and actually rained! But umbrellas came out, people took cover under trees and overhangs, and we still enjoyed the time with everyone. You can't let a little bad weather ruin a good time! :) Anyway, welcome home you guys! I have missed you TONS and can't wait to hang out soon! HUGS!!!

get'n some exercise

So this week was the start to get'n myself out of the house a bit more and doing some outdoor exercising! My cousins Don and Cathy asked me to go walking with them up in the Claremont hills on Monday. I decided to go with them, but what I didn't realize was how much of a hike this was going to be. Because we all haven't exercised that much lately, we started off with only two miles...one mile up and one mile down. Hopefully we'll be able to do the whole trail soon, its about 5 miles total. Anyway, it was nice being outdoors and in nature! The view on the walk/hike was beautiful and you just feel so energized after you exercise, don't you?!!

Then today we went on a bike ride on the path that goes from Upland to Claremont (it goes all the way to Rancho too, but we started by our houses). Their whole family went on the ride and I met up with them at the path (right inbetween our two houses). We did the ride, which I think was probably a total of 6 miles or so round trip. We stopped in Claremont and had dinner and then rode back. It was fun! I love riding bikes!

Well, its a start!
Hopefully we'll continue to exercise! Lord knows I need to! :)

Sweet 16

My cousin Shane turned 'Sweet 16' yesterday!
He's just the sweetest boy ever, I love him to death!
Congrats Shane! I hope you have a great time being 16...
hopefully you will get your license this year!
Won't that be fun! :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
I LOVE YOU SHANEY!!! :)On the day of his birthday, we BBQ'd, had some birthday cake, and watched a movie... "Benjamin Button".The boys wanted to go to the theater to see the new movie "UP" in 3D on his birthday, but it got too late so I told them I'd take them the next day. So today I took all the kids to see the movie. It was actually a good one! Very cute! And super cool seeing it in 3D! Check out their cool 3D glasses! :) Well Sweet Shane...
I hope 16 is a great year for you!
You are very special and I love you so much!!!!

girl's night . . . 'IN'

JODY and CARISSA
'my buddy and me' Tonight my friend Carissa came over for a girlie fun night.
We ordered pizzaate popcornwatched movies...
"Troop Beverly Hills" and "Girl's Just Want To Have Fun"
(oldies but goodies)
and we made...
CHOCOLATE
COVERED
STRAWBERRIES!
YUMMY!!!
I just love my girlfriends and am so blessed to have each of them in my life! Thank you Jesus for such sweet friends!
PS...I love you Carissa, thanks for hanging out tonight!


oh, and my girlies joined in on the fun too...
they're so cute!