Farewell 2012....

How do you sum up an entire year? There have been years where it would be really easy, not much had changed, everything went the way it did the year before, nothing really eventful to speak of.  Those kind of years are a time of resting from the Lord, and then He says, enough rest, it's time to grow.  2012 was a year of growth for me.  That is how I sum it up. Sounds nice doesn't it?  How do I put into words what God has done to me, for me, and with me?

January 2012 started out with much anticipation. I was looking forward to what God would do, so much had changed for us.  We started off 2012 having just left our home church that I had attended since I was 6 years old.  For some church is just a building that they go to worship and to learn.  To me church was an extension of my family.  Our lives literally revolved around our church. The decision to leave was the hardest Ivan and I have had to face in our marriage of 12 years.  We grieved the loss of the dreams we had there.  We surrendered to Jesus the hurt and pain we held in our hearts.  It was time for a new start.  New starts sound nice but can be incredibly scary. We didn't know what God had for us.  We had to hang out in the "wilderness" waiting for God's direction.  Here was my opportunity for growth. When your comfort and security is stripped away God sees His opportunity to mold and shape me.  Psalm 138:8 "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me...." I held on to this scripture, it was my promise.   There were so many moments I would question God...why are you doing this God?, when will it be over?, will it always hurt this bad?  In God's grace and mercy He would quietly assure me that He was in control and He knows what is best for me. 

March 2012 came another crushing blow to us.  Ivan was denied his SSA benefits.  I didn't understand, I was in shock.  I was confident that God would agree with "my plan" of us getting this decision and having a steady income each month.  I hope you got that hint of sarcasm.  God once again saw His opportunity, growth.  Yes, friends I am this stubborn.  It does take my whole world to fall apart for me to grow.  I have no one to blame but myself. If I was God I would give up but He loves me enough to hang in there. :) I had a meltdown, I cried, I cried again, I yelled, I cried again, I may have thrown some stuff, I slept for a few days. It wasn't pretty, but when flesh dies it never is pretty is it? Dying flesh stinks, literally.  But with each wound God was there faithful and loving.  He would fill me with His love and those wounds would start to build my faith.  Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power that works in us." Another promise from my Heavenly Father.  He will provide, He will do more than I could ask or think.  Ok Lord I'm hanging on to you.

Summer 2012 School had kept me busy, but school's out.  I have everyday to sit and think. Uh oh this is not good.  I'm a busybody, I'm a planner, I'm a control freak, I'm mildly OCD, I'm ...... the list goes on and on.  None of these things goes well with idle time.  It was time for my Nursing school applications.  Oh yes, it was strategizing time. That's right folks, I was going to strategize my way into Nursing school, I would be the one to figure it all out.  Against all odds I would get in.  Of course, I would say, God's gonna get me in, but really, I was the one to do the work.  Once again God looked down at me and probably shook His head and thought "dang she's stubborn."  He once again needed to break me down.  As the denial letters came rolling in, I felt that oh so common feeling, profound disappointment.  But isn't that what we always feel when our plans don't work out? I felt like a failure.  But God....... this was becoming a running theme for me, But God, He would pick me up and quietly whisper  to me, "I'm in control, not you." Psalm 27:14 "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait I say on the Lord!" This is the ONE and only thing that God was asking me to do, just to wait.  Another opportunity for growth. Help me to learn how to wait.

December 2012 was a crazy month for me.  I struggled with the realities we have with our financial situation.  I was facing all of the things that I had hoped would be different by this time.  Each year I think each of us has those things that we say, this time next year it will be different.  When it doesn't change the way you'd hoped it's harsh.  But God is bigger and full of love and grace to fill those pits of disappointment.  Lamentations 3:22-25 " Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness, The Lord is my portion says my soul. Therefore I hope in Him! The Lord is good to those who wait for Him , to the soul who seeks Him." My favorite verses. The have become so real to me this year.

This year has been a struggle, but out of all the challenges I have come out stronger. I am a different person than I was a year ago.  I am thankful to have had these experiences. Of course I can't wait for things to be easier and to be done with these trials. It will happen in God's timing and He is sovereign, He sits on the throne and He loves me!

Luke 1:37 " For with God nothing will be impossible."

2012 had many answered prayers for me as well.  We found a new church to attend. It is a huge blessing to us and I praise the Lord for His answer to my prayer.  God has sustained us financially this year.  He has provided in amazing ways and I'm priveleged to have seen miracles happen in my everyday life. God has given me new friendships that are a huge blessing in my life.  We have been blessed by God with friends and family that are amazing. He uses them everyday to encourage and strengthen us in the midst of tough circumstances, and we are able to laugh and rejoice with each victory and opened door.  I have been able to attend school for 3 consecutive semesters, don't laugh, that is actually a victory for me. I have always been very scatter brained when it came to school, I would go and then flake out.  God has answered my prayer and given me the drive to keep pushing through.  God blessed me with the opportunity to start babysitting Reagan, she is our neighbors across the street daughter.  We have loved having her in our home, the kids love her like a little sister, and we have had the blessing of forging a great friendship with her parents. They have been a real blessing to us. 

I want to say Thank You to all who have prayed for us and loved us throughout 2012.  We are incredibly blessed. 

To God be the glory.................Bring it on 2013.

Cooking up a storm.....

I have been in a cooking rut lately.  I find myself cooking the same 10 things over and over again. I haven't really ever been a good "recipe" kind of gal.  I really like to just throw things together and tailor them to my own taste.  Recipes always seemed too complicated and I don't like buying things that are new and unfamiliar from the grocery store. I am a creature of habit, it's a bummer, I know.  Anyway, I decided to try and find some simple recipes that included ingredients I know and trust :) So I dove right into the best place I know to find good recipes......can you guess......that's right......PINTEREST!  I'm not the hugest Pinterest fan. I'm not really into crafting or DIY'ing or makeup, or homeschooling, it's not my thang. However, Pinterest is a great place to find good, simple recipes.  So I did some searching and came across some hopeful prospects.  I do a weekly menu on a white board on my fridge.  Each week I put down my dinners for the week and it really helps with making a dinner a no-brainer.  I can plan ahead to make simple dinners on busy nights and more complicated dinners on the nights we are home with nothing else better to do.  I started doing this about 2 years ago and it really helped cut down with the "OH shoot I forgot to pull out some meat from the freezer, let's go to Del Taco."  That was becoming the regular at our house instead of a home cooked meal.  The menu really does help, I would encourage you to do it if you don't already.  Also, when I grocery shop, I buy for specific meals.  I thought everyone did this until I talked to several of my friends and they said that they just buy whatever looks good and hope to be able to throw something together each night.  My brain just doesn't work that way.  I would be too overwhelmed and too lazy to try and "figure it out" each night.  I guess this all seems like a lot of work at first but once it becomes a habit it really makes life alot easier.  So back to cooking,  I found some recipes that I am super excited to try out. I thought I would share them and after I cook them I'll let you know how they came out.  Here they are:

Disneyland's Loaded Baked Potato Soup

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/01/carnation-cafe-closes-thursday-for-renovations-at-disneyland-park/

Chicken and cheese Cresents

http://comfyinthekitchen.com/2011/02/crescent-chicken/

Chicken Noodle Casserole

 

http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-macaroni-casserole-351655

These are recipes that I tried recently that I loved and BONUS my kids loved them too :)

Crockpot Chicken and Cornmeal dumplings

http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/diabetic-recipes/30-minute/easy-recipes-in-a-bowl/

Dessert!!!!   

Chess Squares

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dessert/chess-squares.html

Please share if you have any simple recipes.....and I'll definitely let you all know how these new recipes come out.  Warning: they are not Low Calorie!!!! Lots of milk, cheese, bacon, heavy whipping cream, and butter which means that they are only to be eaten in moderation but will be sooooo yummy :)

The joy of meeting a goal.

Over the last 10 years my weight has been a huge struggle for me. After I had Ally, I never returned to my pre-pregnancy weight. I agree, that weight was too skinny for my 5'8" frame.  I weighed about 125lbs when I started my pregnancy with Ally.  I gained about 35 lbs which is pretty normal.  I was disillusioned like most women thinking that I would pop out this kid and within 4 weeks be back to "normal." That didn't happen and the struggle commenced.  I started to workout and do every fad diet but I just couldn't get down past 135lbs.  I then became pregnant with Benny and only put on 15 lbs during my pregnancy and walked out of the hospital weighing 140lbs.  So I thought I'm gonna breastfeed and workout and I will easily get back down under 130lbs.  I did just that, I started kickboxing a few days a week and I breastfed Benny.  I got to 133lbs and I was really happy with that.  It didn't last long.  The unfortunate thing about breastfeeding is that you can pretty much eat anything you want and still burn major calories everyday.  So when I stopped breastfeeding I didn't change my eating habits and the weight packed on super fast.  I was up to 147lbs within 6 months.  I was shocked at how fast I gained weight.  I had never dealt with that before.  I had "skinny girl" brain where I could eat whatever I wanted and never gain a pound.  My brain needed to catch up with my body.  Things had changed and it was a harsh reality, I struggled to accept it.  I once again determined I would diet and excercise more to lose the weight.  To my suprise I ended up knocked up again with Bailey.  As vain as it sounds one of my first thoughts was "oh no I'm already fat, I'm gonna get even fatter!"  I know to some of you this may be offensive because 147lbs doesn't seem fat to you.  To me, it is not where I was comfortable, I had always been very thin.  So anyway, I gained about 25 lbs with Bailey and weighed about 170lbs when I delivered her.  Here's where things got really tricky.  I walked out of the hospital weighing about 155lbs.  I was totally under the impression that if I breastfed and worked out that I would drop the weight just like with Benny.  6 weeks after having Bailey I started to train to become a group fitness instructor. I was at the gym almost 5 days a week sometimes doing 2 workouts a day.  Initially I lost about 10 lbs. I was down to 145lbs.  I kept up my workouts and 6 months later I started to gain weight at a very rapid pace.  I gained about 15 lbs in a 6 month period.  I immediately made an appt with my Dr. to see what was wrong.  He ran a full blood panel on me and said there was nothing wrong other than I tested pre-diabetic.  I was so frustrated.  Another 6 months went by and I was up to 160lbs, the same weight as when I delivered Allyson. Talk about depressing.  I started to realize that my weight gain had more to do with my emotions and my psychological state than it did with what I ate and how often I worked out.  I was dealing with some really hard things in my personal life and I realized that I was depressed.  I eventually topped the scale at 170lbs.  I was so disgusted with myself, how could I let that happen? I was completely powerless over food and I stopped excercising. I was in a really dark place.  About a year later I decided that I had enough and started to take a homeopathic pill that helped with depression and weight loss.  It was called 5-htp. It is an amino acid. Within 2 weeks of taking this I felt so much better.  I told my mom it was like someone took a black hood off of my face and I could see the sunshine again.  It made me very nauseas and gave me headaches but it was a fair trade off for how much better I felt.  I took it for about 6 months and lost 10lbs.   I was down to 160lbs but I still was very unhappy with the way I looked.  I always dreamed of being back at 130lbs.  It seemed impossible, it seemed so far fetched.  There were many times that I told myself this is the way it is going to be. I just have to get used to looking like this.  I don't have the will or the discipline to change.  I met with one of my best friends for dinner and she looked amazing.  I asked her what she was doing and she told me "low calorie diet and running."  Now I have known her since birth and for her to run was just a down right miracle! I thought to myself "if she can run, then I can run."  That week I put on my shoes and got on the treadmill.  The first month I couldn't even run a mile without stopping.  I hated it!!! I absolutely loathed running.  It was so boring and it hurt! I would curse in my head and be totally mad the whole time.  I kept at it.  Not very consistant though.  I would do 2 days a week maybe 3 on a good week.  I started to get better at it, within a few months I was running 2-3 miles without stopping.  I really hated the treadmill though.  I finally decided that running outside was better suited for me.  Running outside hurt worse, and it was much harder than the treadmill. But I loved getting out of the house and having some time alone.  It was therapeutic.  I started to really like running.  I never thought that would happen but it did.  I would look forward to my runs.  I started to run consistently 3-4 times a week and 3-4 miles each run.  The bad part was I was still eating like a pig! So I ran and ran and ran and ate and ate and ate.  My weight stayed pretty consistent around 155-160lbs.  In January of 2011 I had to have my appendix taken out and I was forced on a liquid diet for a week.  I lost almost 10lbs, it was amazing. I was too drugged up to care that I couldn't eat.  Best diet ever!!! hahahaha.  At that point I decided it was the best time to try dieting to see if I could get the rest of the weight off.  Unfortunately it was an epic fail.  If you go on a liquid diet your body is starving and when you start eating again it stores everything, so the 10lbs I lost came right back.  I was frustrated and felt defeated and just plain old gave up.  I kept running but no dieting. I ate whatever crap I wanted to whenever I wanted to.  The running basically just helped maintain my weight instead of gaining.  Finally when life fell apart last year, I decided it was time. Time for a change, time for me to gain control over something that had controlled me for 10 years. I had very little in my life that I could control but my weight was one thing I could control, so I did.  I put myself on a very low calorie diet that did not exclude anything.  So I could have carbs, sugar, fat , whatever as long as I stayed within my calorie allowance. I also ran 3-4 days a week, my normal run, nothing more or less. I started to see immediate results.  I lost 10lbs in 2 weeks, 20 lbs at 6 weeks and finally 30lbs at 12 weeks.  I did it!!!!! After so long I finally reached my goal.  I lost 30lbs!!!!! I have been able to maintain my weight for almost 3 months now, which I was never able to do before.I finally realized how important it is to change my eating habits. You can't excercise away bad eating habits. To maintain I eat whatever I want on the weekends and stick to 1,000 calories a day Monday thru Friday. I still run 3 days a week.

  I wanted to write this, not to brag, but to inspire you.  I know there were times in my life I needed inspiration. It helped me to see friends of mine reach their goals.  I can't tell you exactly what changed or what clicked with me to finally get there. It's different for everyone.  If you have a goal, keep going, it may take years to get there but if you stick with it, you will get there.  Don't let failure derail you from pushing forward.  Find out what works for you and push through. Find inspiration and encouragement and hang on to it.

What the Heck God.....are you serious?

Yes, this is a line that I have used so frequently in the past year. "What the heck God, are you serious?"  I'm sure He smiles the way I do when my kids question the things I do for them or to them. I know that my plans are greater than theirs and that I can see the big picture and they can't.  This makes my kids vulnerable and naive. I have compassion for them because I know they struggle to grasp why things have to be a certain way.  So I know that God loves me much more than I love my children and that He has much more compassion for my doubts and fears of the unknown.  A year ago everything that was comfortable to us was gone.  In one day a flood of fear and anger and hurt replaced the comfort and security.  You've heard the saying God works in mysterious ways.....well...this was becoming reality to me.  It all started about 8 years ago.  I was at MSJC plugging along with my classes.  I had already been married for a few years and had Ally.  I found out I was pregnant with Benny and I had to drop a whole semester worth of classes because I was extremely sick.  The smell of a cadaver is not okay when you are 2 months pregnant.  I was so sad that I couldn't finish my schooling when I wanted to.  At that time I knew that God was telling me to wait.  He was asking me to stay home with my small babies and enjoy them and to wait until they were in school to go to school.  I didn't like that at all.  That didn't fit into my plans. I fought the Lord on this for a whole year.  I continued to try and take classes. I failed a number of them because I was simply out of God's will.  I finally surrendered to the Lord and realized that I must be obedient.  So I did, for 7 years I stayed home and I waited.  Last January 2011 Bailey was in preschool 4 days a week and the other 2 kids were in school full time and I felt the Lord put on my heart to go back to school.  Having experienced the complete failure of going without the Lord's blessing I was really reluctant.  I prayed and prayed and prayed.  At that time, Ivan was working quite alot.  I didn't know how it would be possible for me to go to school with him gone as much as he was and his schedule was so unpredictable.  I prayed and told the Lord, "if it is your will for me to go to school then please change something with Ivan's schedule." This prayer went unanswered for 7 months.  I just waited. To me, that would be the "open door" that I needed as confirmation.  Then it came, and not in the way I ever imagined.  Isn't God so funny to do that.  He blindsided me.  As I reeled from our new circumstances, God spoke so clearly to me"....I gave you what you asked for."  It was the truth, I asked for a change, how dare I complain?  Yes, these new life changes really stunk but isn't God faithful to complete the work He starts? Yes, it hurts when you are tested by fire and pain, but doesn't God promise strength and blessing in the end? Everything seemed to be crumbling down around me, but yet the one thing in my life that was "working" was school.  God has parted the Red Sea for me. He has done the impossible to get me into classes that were seemingly hopeless.  He has allowed me the freedom to study and attend classses without the worry and stress of how our kids would be taken care of.  They are with Daddy....no daycare....what a blessing.  Do I wish things were different...easier....absolutely.  However, I trust that God has a plan in all of this.  I have faith that God will provide.  I trust that He has not led me down this path to abandon me but that I would prosper.  I have been back in school now for 1 year and God is continuing to get me through.  Hopefully soon I will be able to look back on this crazy path and see all the hidden gems that my emotion and craziness won't let me see right now.  That's my favorite part, coming out the other side and seeing God's hand move and how absolutely perfect it is!

Father's Love Letter

I read this today for the first time....I'm sure most of you have already seen this....I'm a little slow when it comes to these things. It really was one of the coolest things I have ever read, I have read all of these verses before but never like this. With all that we are going through I needed to read this.

Father's Love Letter

My Child,You may not know me, but
I know everything about you.

Psalm 139:1

I know
when you sit down and when you rise up.

Psalm 139:2

I am
familiar with all your ways.

Psalm 139:3

Even
the very hairs on your head are numbered.

Matthew 10:29-31

For
you were made in my image.

Genesis 1:27

In me
you live and move and have your being.

Acts 17:28

For
you are my offspring.

Acts 17:28

I knew
you even before you were conceived.

Jeremiah 1:4-5

I
chose you when I planned creation.

Ephesians 1:11-12

You
were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book.

Psalm 139:15-16

I
determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live.
Acts 17:26

You
are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139:14

I knit
you together in your mother's womb.

Psalm 139:13

And
brought you forth on the day you were born.

Psalm 71:6

I have
been misrepresented by those who don't know me.

John 8:41-44

I am
not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love.

1 John 4:16

And it
is my desire to lavish my love on you.

1 John 3:1

Simply
because you are my child and I am your Father.

1 John 3:1

I
offer you more than your earthly father ever could.

Matthew 7:11

For I
am the perfect father.

Matthew 5:48

Every
good gift that you receive comes from my hand.

James 1:17

For I
am your provider and I meet all your needs.

Matthew 6:31-33

My
plan for your future has always been filled with hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Because I

love you with an everlasting love.

Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts

toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore.

Psalms 139:17-18

And I
rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

I will
never stop doing good to you.

Jeremiah 32:40

For
you are my treasured possession.

Exodus 19:5

I
desire to establish youwith all my heart and all my soul.

Jeremiah 32:41

And I
want to show you great and marvelous things.

Jeremiah 33:3

If you
seek me with all your heart, you will find me.

Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in

me and I will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

For it
is I who gave you those desires.

Philippians 2:13

I am
able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine.

Ephesians 3:20

For I
am your greatest encourager.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am
also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When
you are brokenhearted, I am close to you.

Psalm 34:18

As a
shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart.

Isaiah 40:11

One
day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes.

Revelation 21:3-4

And
I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth.

Revelation 21:3-4

I am
your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus.

John 17:23

For in
Jesus, my love for you is revealed.

John 17:26

He is
the exact representation of my being.

Hebrews 1:3

He
came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you.

Romans 8:31

And to
tell you that I am not counting your sins.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus
died so that you and I could be reconciled.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His
death was the ultimate expression of my love for you.

1 John 4:10

I gave
up everything I lovedthat I might gain your love.

Romans 8:31-32

If you
receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me.

1 John 2:23

And
nothing will ever separate you from my love again.

Romans 8:38-39

Come
home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen.

Luke 15:7

I have
always been Father, and will always be Father.

Ephesians 3:14-15

My
question is…Will you be my child?

John 1:12-13

I am
waiting for you.

Luke 15:11-32

Love,
Your Dad Almighty God

Family Fun in the Forest

Family Vacation came early this year. We usually go to Ocean Beach for a week in September but this year we switched it up and headed up to Hume Lake the second week of June. We started our journey at 9am on Saturday morning and finally reached our destination at 5pm Saturday night. It was a looooong drive. I found out I'm not very good with long drives. I don't think there will be any cross-country road trips in my future. Ivan kept telling me every hour on our way up "if we were going to the beach, we would be there by now." He loves to torture me. So we made it up the hill and started our week in the mountains. It was much different being up in the mountains. We were stripped of all the comforts of technology.....no tv, no cell phones, no internet. Just the 15 of us in one house.....it could have been a disaster but by the grace of God, it was wonderful !!! We stayed in the most beautiful cabin surrounded by the forest and the fresh air. We were about a mile from Hume Lake Christian Camps. We found plenty to do, hiking, fishing, bike rides, games, and food. Here's a peek at our week........

the caravan has arrived !!!!!
the kids on a hike with Nana & Papa.

Each evening we would make our way down to the camp and get milkshakes at the snack shop....they are the best milkshakes I've ever had.

yeah the kids liked them too :)

It's time for some fishing.....the boys all caught fish, big ones !!!!

Good job Benny and Mikey....you made Papa so proud.

It's the simple things that binds a family together...........

It's a family death march...oh I mean a family hike....silly me.

It's the girls, Kim, Mom, Me, and Linds.

taking in God's magnificent creation......the journey to get there, not so magnificent...but that's another story ;)

It's great to be climbing trees like a kid !!!! And this was a big one.......

I believe that God gave us trees like this to give us just a glimpse at how big He is !!!

such beautiful spot to spend the afternoon.....and yes that is me in the chair trying desperately to get cell phone service.....it was day 2 I was still in the midst of deep withdrawls.

Here we are the last day of our vacation and we still have smiles....that says everything :)
I Love my family.

Breaking Through Conference

I know that so many of my friends and family were praying for the Breaking Through Conference that I helped put together and I wanted to share with you all how it went. April 30th came quickly, much quicker than I had expected. Before I knew it I was at Calvary Costa Mesa and preparing for the conference. This day had been planned for almost a year, so it was awesome and scary to know that it was finally upon us. For those of you wondering how I got involved with planning this conference, here's the scoop. I had Lisa Musil, from White As Wool Ministries come and speak at a Purity Conference that I planned at our church CCSJ. After she spoke at our conference she felt that the Lord told her that she should do a conference at her church, Calvary Costa Mesa. She called me and asked if I would be willing to be on the Board and help plan that conference. I am so happy that I said yes, because this conference was such a blessing to be apart of. So anyway, I drove to Costa Mesa on Friday so that I could help Lisa with all the things that needed to be done. We were at the church setting up until almost 1 am!!!! We got back to her house and got a whopping 4 hours of sleep and then got up and started our marathon day. We started to check in our helpers and then the resource booths got there to set up and everything was ready to go. The speakers and some of the Board members gathered in the prayer room to pray. Nothing is worth doing unless you are willing to get on your knees and ask God to be there.

We were all suprised when girls started showing up early to register. By 9am we had a really long line of girls waiting to check in. It was so awesome !!!! Well, probally not for the girls standing in line but I thought it was awesome ;)

So it was finally time for the conference to get started!!! We had the Holly Starr Band there to kick it off. They did an awesome job. They are the greatest bunch of kids, so fun to work with.

We had 7 speakers in all. They did an amazing job. God spoke so clearly through each one of them. We were so blessed to get to hear about the struggles they have overcome and how they have victory in Christ Jesus.

Outside in the courtyard we had all of our resource booths set up. Satan tried to take them down with the Santa Ana winds but God calmed the winds!!! I about had an ulcer stressing out about the winds but God is always faithful. It was so cool to see the girls going to each booth and shopping and getting their photo taken at the photo booth. We had some amazing ministries that donated their time and resources to be there. It was so cool !!!!!

So that's the short version of how the day went. We were lucky to be apart of a Conference that God put together. We got to see Him move and touch people's lives. I feel so honored to have been able to watch that. Thank you everyone for your prayers !!!!!!!