Awwww!

Incredible Thought

"God never pursues His glory at the expense of the good of His people,

Nor does He ever seek our good at the expense of His glory.

He has designed His eternal purpose so that His glory and our good are

inextricably bound together."

~Jerry Bridges~

Trusting God

This, That, and the Other

So I’ve delayed long enough, time for some one-on-one chatting!

Since I alluded to some busyness, I’ll try to do my best at relaying personal happenings. :-)

As you already know, Abby graduated in May. In general, I think May marks the season of many graduations, and this year was no exception! I don’t believe we’ve known more people graduating than this year…at least 10. (You’re probably thinking that’s quite small…for us…it just isn’t!) So, that filled some of our days.

Also in May, my grandma M. came for an extended visit. She was able to see where we live, visit with her great-granddaughter, spend time with us, and also be here for Abby’s graduation. Not only that, but at the end of May, Ab & I attended our church’s young adult retreat at a local State Park. We enjoyed camping, eating around the campfire, coming together for 4 different sessions (the topic for the retreat was “The Names of Christ”), volleyball, and….the Tri-Fecta challenge. Having never heard of it before either, I’ll explain.

There are three phases to this challenge. Since we were already divided into multiple teams for the weekend, each team had to complete a certain phase. The first phase was: build your own raft -- only using the materials given, or off the land, which included 6 trash bags, 50+ balloons, and…duct tape. Mhm, yes, duct tape. So, our teams had a half an hour to work on their raft. We were blowing, taping, and collaborating about the third part of the challenge.
Second phase: race your raft against another team. (Yes, it had to be float-worthy!!) One of the leaders went out several yards from the shore and buoyed a beach ball in the lake. The rules of the race: two people from your team must be on the raft (this I wasn’t so sure about since I was one of the two on the boat…I was afraid embarrassment would call my name!); one of the team members had to take a Gnome from our YAC leader’s hand, which already had a sponge inside it, and we had to safely take it across the lake and back -- trying not to let it fall into the water or get wet, otherwise there would be a points deduction.
Well, the race began! After having the privilege of watching a couple of the teams race, team Emmanuel geared up for the challenge. I went ahead and sat on the front part of the raft, while my friend, Allison, retrieved our Gnome and got into position as the other paddler. With two pieces of wood trim, we paddled our way across the lake -- with hopes of not sinking! Happily, we made it to the buoy and back with no mad underwater accidents. Sadly, we lost that round to the other team.
After we all enjoyed watching & rooting the other teams on, everyone headed back to the campsite for the third part of the challenge: a skit. The rules of the game were that you had to be on marooned on an island, and use two prize words. I won’t take the time to explain everyone’s skit, but they were definitely enjoyable! Afterwards, everyone voted for their favorite skit.

The winning skit!

A fun weekend was had by all!

June came bustling all over and we still kept busy with things. One of which was the annual home school conference we attend. Although we do make it to the local exhibit, we also enjoy taking a jot over to St. Louis for their conference. The speakers are great! We enjoyed listening to Ken Ham, Kevin Swanson, and Paul Jehle; also in attendance were Marshall Foster & Woody Robertson. It was good to see our friends over there as well! That’s usually the only time we get to see them.

Also, we experienced a sad moment in June. My grandpa (whom we lovingly called "Poppy", my mom's dad) passed away at the age of 81. His health had slowly gotten worse over the previous 8 months, so it wasn't a complete shock. It's never easy, though. We miss him!

Over the 4th of July we had a family of friends over to celebrate. We shot off fireworks, ate a lot of food, played Round Robin at the ping-pong table, enjoyed homemade banana ice cream, and to top it all off…played in the downpour! Yep, our 4th was a rain-soaking event during the night hours. But, did that stop us? No! Me and a friend actually had a Roman candle war, and the others lit their fireworks as well! Not only that, but all of us young people decided to be a little crazy and…run out into the rain and get drenched! Needless to say we were totally soaked!! But, I’m glad we did it, good memories.

Now for the biggest news. We've moved! We tried hard to find a home in the country, but nothing was coming through for us on that end. However, the home we did find is located in a quiet, older neighborhood with lots of trees, and privacy. We officially moved in about three weeks ago, with the big help of some good friends. We are so grateful to those who were able to come pick up furniture (piano and all), boxes and all of our ‘treasures’ -- we couldn’t have done it without you!

Ab & I also had the privilege of helping out with our church’s VBS this year -- a first for both of us. I was in charge of the 5th graders -- it was so good to meet them! I must confess that I was starting to freak out the night before the first day, but everything turned out okay.

Last week both my sisters attended Jr. Camp. Ab helped and Molly was a camper. They both really enjoyed it! That's the first time either one of them had been away for that period of time. Thursday evening the camp hosted a Family Night for all the families of the campers, counselors, and staffers. It was awesome to hear the team's cheers back and forth!! Ohh...I loved it! We also got to watch the skit that they perform every year -- it was great! By the end of the week, we had two, blue face painted girls who were very tired. But, they loved it!

Shwew! I hope that doesn’t wear you out! That’s the trouble with dragging your feet, everyone else gets the dust!

I’m sure many of you are busy this summer, too! Drop me a note sometime to let me know what you’ve been doing…

Happy Summer!

All the Way

All the way my Savior leads me,

What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy,

Who through life has been my Guide?

Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,

Here by faith in Him to dwell!

For I know, whate’er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well;

For I know, whate’er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,

Cheers each winding path I tread,

Gives me grace for every trial,

Feeds me with the living Bread.

Though my weary steps may falter

And my soul athirst may be,

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see;

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me,

Oh, the fullness of His love!

Perfect rest to me is promised

In my Father’s house above.

When my spirit, clothed immortal,

Wings its flight to realms of day

This my song through endless ages:

Jesus led me all the way;

This my song through endless ages:

Jesus led me all the way.

~Fanny Crosby

Summer goin' by too fast?

Busy?

Hmmmm....I think! Yes, life has been VERY busy around here! Okay, maybe not so busy as the lady above...but trust me, life has been full.

I'll try to post more sometime and give you the latest and greatest, but for now I just thought I'd pop over to say a few words.

My, my, my....

So, I should probably get another post in here before the month's over...one just doesn't seem to cut it in the blogging world! However, you can tell I've changed my background (so out-of-the-norm for me, right?!). I think Blogger made a great move when they decided to offer more background designs, as well as the freedom to personalize it more. Although the scene I've chosen doesn't exactly scream "cute"...it does say summer!

I know I've promised you pictures of past events, so I'm going to give you a small glimpse into the evening of Abby's high school graduation. She had the special opportunity to give one of the two senior addresses. Ab did a great job and didn't even really say, "um". She praises the Lord for all He did and how He helped her with the speech.

The Graduate with her proud parents

Little Chloe girl and Aunt Ab

Delivering the speech

So, how has your summer been? This upcoming month is going to be crazy!! So, in the meantime while you wait for my next post, would you mind sharing what some of your most favorite things are about summer??

More to come!

Boy, do I have a bunch of pictures to post! From Abby's graduation to recent shots of Chloe...just keep your eyes peeled!

Of rice and cell phones...

Yep...you girls got it right -- my phone got wet! We had been playing ultimate frisbee in the rain one evening and my phone was affected by it. (It was even in a plastic bag!!)

I had never heard of this miracle cure for cell phones beore, but can say that it works! So, the next time your phone falls in the ocean, lake or sink...take the battery out and put both the phone and battery in a bunch of dry rice. You'll save money! :-)

???

Can anyone guess why in the world I have my cell in a cup of dry rice???

A Blast From the Past

For some reason today I decided to scoot my “treasure chest” out from my closet and scour through my old mementos. (Umm, I have to interject something here, though…I’ve come to realize that some of them could hardly be labeled as “momentous”!)

Amid my humble cache...

~ A Teddy Town bear couple figurine -- broken and patiently awaiting a good fix with glue
~ One of those flyer pins my dad gave to me from one of his flights (no he's not a pilot, he just went on a trip!)
~ A bunch of letters, old invitations, and graduation cards
~ A Precious Moment figurine
~ A before and after picture from the Orthodontist…those teeth were not a pretty sight!

Still, there were a few items that I thought I would highlight and share with you all.

Throughout my life, my parents encouraged me to keep a journal. I was faithful with it until about five or so years ago and then moved away from it almost altogether. (I try to pick up where I left off…but it is rather tiring to catch up on 6 months of news!) While skimming through them, I was intrigued by the things that I chose to write about: friends I happened to talk to at church that day, birthday presents I got and what store I was going to visit. Wow. At least no one can accuse me of not journaling!!

The second thing I thought I would share with you involves two flower bouquets from past birthdays. For my Sweet 16th birthday, my parents bought me a bouquet of light colored sweetheart roses. I’ve considered placing them somewhere in my room for decorational purposes. We’ll see! The other bouquet I pulled out of my treasure trove was from my 18th birthday. (I actually have a blurry but informative picture.) For that birthday my family took me to Bravo’s Italian Cucina (beautiful place by the way), and my brother gave me two tickets to see Andre Rieu in concert.

Then...

Now

Last but not least, I have something for all my former (and present) American Girl buffs out there! I don’t know what you were like when you were 10, but for me and one of my other friends -- we LOVED American Girls stuff! I looked through their magazines, cut & pasted the dolls in the magazine onto colored paper, played with my actual dolls (Samantha, Kirsten, and Addy), and succeeded in pulling out Kirsten’s braids and tangling her hair into a complete frizzy mess!! So, what do I have to offer my fellow AG fans? PAPER DOLLS!! Yes, a very old set of Samantha paper dolls & clothes!! I had completely forgotten about them until I found my folder today!

Hope you enjoyed some of my paraphernalia! :-)

GREECE

Hello fellow traveling buddies!

Okay, so after our time in Ireland (which wasn't given the attention it needed!), we flew our way to the land of Greece. Isn't the Mediterranean Sea so blue?! I love looking at it against the white buildings. And you have to agree, the view from our hotel room (down below) is quite spectacular!

The weather's a bit warmer than the Emerald Isle, wouldn't you say?

I hope our stay is pleasant and that you are able to enjoy a swim sometime!

She's growing up!

*Chloe*

Sick & tired?

I dare say you are -- of my mad slow blogging skills, right?!?!? Yes...I think I am too. This trip around the world has been a little difficult...mostly because I don't take the time I need to in order to research everything. Arghhh....

So, we're going to wrap things up by tomorrow night by only learning about 1 interesting tidbit of Ireland. (Hopefully you all don't bean me with one of those fine bone china teacups you picked up in England...wouldn't make a happy tour guide.) ;-)

Hang in there...almost ready to take flight to a new place!

Lamb of God

Your only Son, no sin to hide.
But You have sent Him from Your side,
To walk upon this guilty sod,
And to become the Lamb of God.

Your gift of love, they crucified.
They laughed and scorned Him as He died.
The humble King, they named a fraud
And sacrificed the Lamb of God.

Oh Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God!
I love the holy Lamb of God.
Oh wash me in Your precious blood,
My Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God!

I was so lost, I should have died.
But You have brought me to Your side,
To be lead by Your staff and rod,
To be called a lamb of God.

Oh Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God!
I love the holy Lamb of God.
Oh wash me in Your precious Blood,
Till I am just a Lamb of God.

"This, the power of the cross: Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—We stand forgiven at the cross."

~~~~~~~~~~

It was your sin that brought Him to the cross.
The mocking Jesus experienced was unprovoked...but He endured it for you.
The suffering inflicted upon Jesus was unmerited...but He suffered it for you.
The weight of the cross was not meant for Jesus...but He bore it for you.
The death Jesus died was not one He deserved...but He died it for you.
The price Jesus paid was not one He owed...but He paid it for you.

Why did the Son of God do this for you? Because He loved you so much, hated sin that much, therefore, He chose to experience, suffer, bear, die and pay the penalty that much for you so that you could be free from the power of death, and become a child of God.
If you have never trusted Christ for the forgiveness of your sin, you are a sinner. I was too, until I received His gift.

Do you desire to be washed from your sin? To be forgiven and clean in the sight of God?
If the answer is yes, then you too can have this gift -- today!

Tell the Lord that you believe in what He has done for you; confess that you are a sinner, and that you want to be forgiven of all your sin, and become His own. Thank Him for His death and resurrection.

Then...live an abundant life as His child!!

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

Romans 10:9

Peanut Butter Toffee Cheesecake Brownies

Brownies are probably one of my favorite desserts! (Although, pretty much anything chocolatey & gooey is bound to find its way to my heart!)

Anyways, last week my grandma called to say she had a new recipe for us to try: Peanut Butter Toffee Cheesecake Brownies. She got it out of the paper and already had a batch in the oven. So, I decided to make them this week. Very rich, but definitely one to put in the recipe box! Hope you enjoy them!

Peanut Butter Toffee Cheescake Brownies

1 box chocolate fudge brownie mix

1/2 c. canola oil

1/4 c. water

2 eggs

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1 8 oz. bag Heath bits
1 c. milk chocolate chips

3 T. whipping cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 9x13 pan. In medium bowl mix brownie mix, oil, water, and eggs. Pour into prepared pan.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese with mixer on medium speed until fluffy; add milk & peanut butter until smooth. Stir in 1 cup toffee bits. Spoon mixture over batter. Bake for 30-40 minutes until set & edges are golden brown. Cool on cooling rack for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 40 minutes.

In small bowl, microwave chocolate chips and whipping cream until melted. Stir to make smooth. Spread over cooled cheesecake layers. Sprinkle with remaining toffee bits. Cool completely. Store in fridge.

Yes, if you haven't noticed -- EVERYTHING bad & terrible is in this recipe...but still good! ;-)

Enjoy!

Go green...

I bet you'll never guess where we are!

Top o' the mornin' to ye!

Ello!

Well, if you've finished your spot of tea, (the rave of Englishmen!), shall we venture out on this lovely English evening and take a quick turn around London? I thought you'd say yes!

Since we've already experienced the tall red buses at the beginning of our tour, I thought that we would forgo that and get some exercise by walking. The weather is fairly mild & wet so make sure you bring your jacket and an umbrella!

Our first stop will be Buckingham Palace. (So maybe my blog header isn't really Lacey's Corner!) ;-) As we step inside this massive piece of architecture we can view the beautiful Grand Staircase.

I'm not quite sure if we're supposed to be in this next room -- the Throne Room...so we'll just take a quick peak and then leave.

Quick! Be quiet and curtsy -- just as we were coming out of the Throne Room, I spotted Queen Elizabeth II!!I knew it was her because her clothes consist mostly of solid-colour overcoats and decorative hats, which allow her to be seen easily in a crowd. Her main leisure interests include equestrianism, photography, and dogs, especially her Pembroke Welsh Corgis.

Now that we've left the palace, we can take a quick picture in front of Big Ben for the sake of saying "Been there, done that"! :-) It's the largest clock in Great Britain. Because of changes in ground conditions since construction, the tower leans slightly to the north-west. The clock is famous for its reliability.

After crossing the London Bridge (by the way, a bridge has existed at or near the present site over the period from the Roman occupatiom of the area, nearly 2,000 years ago. The first bridge across the Thames in the London area, probably a military pontoon bridge, was built of wood by the Romans on the present site around 50 AD.), we are now back at our hotel.

Hope you enjoyed our little visit in England. (I'm thinking that our next stop will be done in a more timely fashion!) But, before you retire, make sure you finish British authoress, Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice" near your bedstand, which she wrote in the year 1813.

Pack up and sleep tight because we'll be leaving (hopefully by Wednesday) for our next destination, which is -- wait, why not surprise you? :-)

Pictures courtesy of photographer, Derry Moore,

The Royal Collection 2010

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and

Wickipedia.com

Bits of information retrieved from Wickipedia.com

Dear me...

well, you're probably wondering what happened to your tour guide by now, huh? (I guess I must have taken a detour on one of those red buses!!) So, maybe by the first of the week I will have another post for you. You've probably discovered all of the fascinating facts about your hotel that you possibly can! ;-)

Soon, weary & bored travelers...we'll be on our way!

England!

Hello ol' chaps! ;-)

I say, you have now placed your feet on the solid ground of England! You must be tired from your travels, so why don't you pop on over to the hotel. Might I suggest one of these as your means of transportation?





Stay tuned for more!

photo courtesy:
www.theredbus.co.uk/about/index.html