The Story of This Summer

Wow, I can't believe that it is already August! This summer has flown by! My summer has been absolutely amazing! In January I felt like God wanted me to spend time with my family and so I asked Shauna Young, the children's minister at my church in Lubbock, if I could intern with her this summer. She said yes and so I have been able to spend the most time I have since high school with my family.

The internship has been great! Last summer I interned with the children's minister at Oak Ridge COC in Weatherford. It was a small church that I completely fell in love with and am still good friends with many families there. This internship was with Monterey COC which is a much larger church. It was good to have gotten experience in both a small church and a large church. I love Shauna and have enjoyed spending time with her and all of the other staff at Monterey. Thanks Shauna for mentoring and being my friend this summer! It has also been great to reconnect with old members that I grew up with and to make new ones through this internship. I love ya'll!

 

                                                       My wonderful boss Shauna!

                                          

This summer I also had a "job" hanging out with Natalie 3 days a week. We have had so much fun doing things like singing our elementary song, going on walks, and playing doctor. Natalie is a beautiful, precious 14 year old. She is a great swimmer, Girl Scout and friend! Tonight was my last night with Nat and I'm going to miss her!

                                                       Nat and I at the Science Spectrum!

One of the bonuses of being home has been getting to hang out with my old best friends! It has been just like old times!!! I also have met some new friends which has also been great!

                                           Some of my new/old friends, Karla, Audrey, me,
                                  Jana and Em. We made our own stir fry for Emily's Birthday!!!

At the beginning of the summer my parents took me to Europe for my graduation present. They took me because I graduated a year early from college, and because it was a great excuse to travel! We spent time in Washington DC, London, Paris, Vienna, and Hungary. I loved England's old buildings; had great, crazy, scary adventures in Paris; loved how clean Vienna was; and loved spending time with friends in Hungary. In Hungary we visited our exchange student that we had when I was 6, and her family. She has a 4 year old little girl who we were able to meet!

Dad & Mom by the Washington Memorial. Mom LOVED having her picture taken...ha

Our fav. spot! World War II Memorial...right by W. Memorial and Abe. 

Mom & Dad by the London Bridge

Me with a London Tower Guard

                                  THE Eiffel Tower, Cool! This is right after Mom broke her rib & arm and before my dad got robbed.

Dad & I in The Louvre, I got lost from my parents in by the Mona Lisa for a few hours. Oops!

The whole fam next to the Arch of..something...in France

Mom & Hanna...she is just pretending to be unhappy :)

Hanna in one of her many awesome outfits!

Oh yeah Vienna. I forgot about it because we were only there for a short while due to a robbing.

The day we got home from Europe I drove to Abilene. From there I went with a family from Abilene  to Six Flags. I had fun with the whole family and especially liked hanging out with their brother Jay. He was very entertaining; speaking Spanish to strangers, offering to steal cars for me, and so forth and so on :)

Jay and I were super heroes!!!

Me with the kids!

A few weeks later we had VBS at Monterey. The theme was "Backstage with the Bible" (or something close to that). The ladies who produced this event did an amazing job. It was pretty much a huge concert for Jesus! I was privileged enough to be buddies with a little girl named Knatalie. She is a 5 year old little girl with Autism. I had so much fun walking around with her, learning how to make her smile, and playing outside with her. She is such a blessing, an angel from God. I also have loved spending time with Stacy, the special needs minister, she is awesome!

Knatalie...she loved to cuddle :)

Later that week I went to VBS at Oak Ridge!!!! It was sooo exciting to visit all of my Oak Ridge family!        I was a group leader and was able to hang out with some of my favorite kids...they are getting so big...and it's only been one year! I also spent time with several of the families that I was close to, which was great. And I was lucky enough to visit on the weekend of my minister's baby shower. His wife Lisa is having twins!!! Thank you Oak Ridge for not forgetting me!

Delaney & I hanging out after VBS

Some of the kids washing feet!

Last but not least, last week I went to Pine Springs with Monterey. Whenever I got there they needed an extra counselor and so I became both counselor of Blue Jay and teacher. It was a great week (I'll write more about that later).

Some of my lovely campers!

3 of the girls from Monterey!

Thank you Lord for a wonderful summer!

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1