Memorial Weekend

Off to Lake Almanor to spend an entire weekend with my whole family (Parents, two brothers and their families). Looking forward to it. Lots of eating, playing games, reading books, bike rides, swimming at the Lake, resting, hiking......good times....

Tuesday Nights

We lead a Life Group on Wednesday nights. I've never blogged about Wednesday nights. I should more.....Wednesday nights are so awesome (not where my blog was heading)....Anyway, so we just started another group last week on Tuesday nights (not we as in Sean and I leading it) Nathans leading it and Sean and I (and Jenna) are hosting it. Its a speaking and leadership group. Really intense. Two people have to get up and speak each week. I am really really terrified of it, like shaking, nauseas, terrified. I am so not a public speaker, whatsoever. Give me a mic and i'll get up and sing in front of anyone, but speak in front of them, absolutely not. I am just so awkward! Constantly tripping over my words. Not eloquant in any way. But God keeps pointing me in this direction, of speaking. I am Moses. Constantly going to God and telling him I can't do it, giving excuses.....I feel for what Moses says to God 110% "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue"....this is my life. I feel like I walk around in constant fear over this...always feeling like the dumbest one in the room, sticking my foot in my mouth all the time. And God says back to Moses (and myself) "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak" I am so thankful for Moses and this passage. I am thankful for Tuesday nights....it will grow me and stretch me like crazy....but I can have confidence that God will be with my mouth, teaching me what to speak. Bring it on Tuesdays!!

1 pool + lots of people over swimming everyday=

46 loads of wet and dirty towels.

Ryders First Swim

Pooling it up!

Today is supposed to hit 101.....I absolutely HATE the heat! I can't believe its already here. Kinda makes me mad. But we have a pool this year.....so that changes things.

My kids have swam in the pool literally EVERY DAY already for the past TWO MONTHS....so the fact that its actually hot out and thier lips won't be blue and thier bodies shivering will be a good thing. The ONLY thing I love about the heat and having a pool is having people over. My brother called me last night to come swimming today.....that makes me so happy. I am constantly telling people to come swim. So a bunch of girls from our Life Group are coming swimming this afternoon. Fun day. I'll have people here swimming constantly from 10-6ish........can't wait......so come on over, open invite to everyone :0) Happy heat....I will probably be cursing it by the end of the day.....but for now, it brings people and fun.

Cow-kids. Pancakes. Crowds.

Man, I stinkin love the annual Pancake Breakfast! Skylar was up dressed and going around searching for a handkerchief this morning at 6:30. She was so excited. So we are all up bustling around, excitement filling our house. We pile in the truck and make it down to Market St where the line for pancakes is wrapped down and around the entire street. Thousands of people. My brother and his kids, Baxters, Amberly, Chelsea. Great morning. I could have pulled up a chair right there in the middle of the street and been in Heaven for the entire morning....almost did, but then theres Sean being my voice of reason, "Babe you gotta move, you can't just stand here in the middle of the street with a stroller.....come on, lets go find a seat", snapping me out of my people watching daze. So we go find a seat, put down 8 huge pancakes (between the 5 of us), drink our orange juice, milk, watered down folgers coffee. Visit with friends and family. Jump up and book it back to the truck feeling full and on cloud 9, get Skylar off to school, drop Sean off at work......now blogging about my aweome morning. Super bummed I forgot my camera to capture the morning. Owell, there's always next year.

Bragging

Jenna moved in with us a couple weeks ago......first, let me just say we LOVE having her around...this is ONE of the reasons why.....she is so amazing :)

Just a little teaser....oh and thats Hannah in the background painting clouds for the God Dreams conference.

Man, I love my life!