Southern Girl in a Western World

Every six months, whether I need it or not...

2009-07-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and family....
I can't believe it's been six months since I last posted. Since I found Facebook, and got caught by it's "tractor beam" of connectedness...it's been really hard to focus on this blog. I've enjoyed catching up on everyone else's blog, so I decided I need to resurrect my blog!

A lot of exciting things have happened in the past six months. Jay retired after 22 years in Law Enforcement, Jayson left Layton Christian Academy where he's attended school since 3 year old pre-K to begin home school and we took a two-week trip of a lifetime to the Mediterranean!

While each of these topics could be the subject of a post, suffice it to say that over the past six months we've been challenged to adjust to a new life together. In the end, I think we have done a good job adjusting....and we like it....for now. It's been great to spend more time together!

Until next time....bye.

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

I know it's been a while since I posted something on my blog...I've been captured by the Facebook tractor beam and having difficulty unglueing myself! I'll try to be better in 2009. In the meantime, I wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year!!!

Here's wishing you all the best in 2009! CHEERS!!!

Happy Birthday Pups!!!

2008-11-29T20:11:00.000-08:00

Our very sweet Lahki turned 1 year old this month. She got some yummy treats, a new little squeaky buddy, a rousing version of Happy Birthday and lots of hugs and kisses! ...oh, that's nothing new!

And of course there were pictures with each member of the family...Daddy with the sweet girl...

Jayson with the new squeaky toy, a penguin, (on his shoulder) and the birthday girl herself.

And mommy and her muppet! Kisses were abundant.

I'm sure she loved her birthday celebration...I know we did!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2008-11-26T23:26:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick post to say Happy Thanksgiving to friends and family! I'm especially thankful for EACH ONE OF YOU, my health, my church and my job! I'm eternally grateful to God who has chosen to bless me in ways I don't deserve and could never earn!

May you all have a wonderful day!

Seattle (Catching Up)

2008-11-22T14:02:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I posted and I apologize. Let's start with the Seattle trip. I realize this is a long post, but we were there for a week! Part of the week was for a conference and the other part was a family vacation. We had a great time.

Here we are on the airplane....on our way!

We checked in to the Westin. Our room was on the 35th floor of this great hotel.

The view from our room was SPECTACULAR!!!! And we were blessed with wonderful weather! I thought it rained in Seattle? Not this week! Here's what we woke up to every morning...a full wall of windows looking toward the Space Needle.

And the sunsets over the water...

I was in Seattle for a conference of my professional association, the American Health Information Management Association. Some of the other department directors were there as well. We hung out with my friend, Nancy, who is usually my roommate on these trips.

On the first day of the conference, the four of us had lunch at this great pub, Von's. Their walls were covered with various taps. Their signature "thing" was to give customers cinnamon jawbreakers. They were SO HOT!

Seattle is a very walkable city! We walked everywhere and really enjoyed it!

We visited a lot of the major attractions, including the original Starbucks! Jay and Jayson were dying to see it! We really enjoyed our visit there. These guys were standing out front singing and selling their CDs. They were AMAZING! They were singing "I Heard it Through the Grapevine".

It's a cool place...but VERY small!

Jay and Jayson bought some "souvenirs" and drinks.

The employees were all wonderful!

On our way to the public market, we found a vintage clothing shop. Jayson was really interested and found this great old Fedora. Doesn't he look great?

And we had lunch at the market. We got a great table overlooking the water. I love this picture of Jayson in his new hat with the ferry behind him. Super!

Every once in a while, down in the heart of the city, we would get a glimpse of Fall...cool temperatures and beautiful trees.

The market was amazing! We actually spent a lot more time there than we had planned.

The food and craft vendors displayed their wares and everything was so beautiful. Here are some of the highlights...

Market Spice is a fantastic little tea store and since Jayson loves tea, it was a must-see. Jayson really enjoyed selecting his souvenir teas.

And...we really enjoyed the FAMOUS Pike Place Fish Market!!! It was wonderful.

Of course I got a picture of them throwing the fish. Look closely at the left corner of the nave blue banner and you will see the BIG fish in mid-flight. Pike's has been written up in many leadership journals and they have the employee motivation program, Go Fish! It was a real experience to be there and witness their antics firsthand.

And then we were off to the Space Needle via monorail! That was fun!

I love this picture!

OK, so it's REALLY windy that high up!

After looking at the 360 degree view from the outside, we went inside and got a drink.

Our next stop was the "Experience Music Project" (EMP) next door to the Space Needle. The outside of this building is REALLY cool! This shot is the reflection of the space needle in the EMP building's skin. Another neat pic!

Earlier in the week, our conference sponsored an event at the EMP. Nancy and I attended that event together and had such a good time, I had to take Jay and Jayson back to see it. During our event, I snapped this picture of the guitar tribute.

At the EMP, they have a "sound lab". This area of the museum is dedicated to learning musical instruments. Nancy and I went into the voice lab and enjoyed singing together where we viewed a computer monitor that walked us through a vocal tutorial.

When we finished this we played "Rock Band". Now I know what you are thinking but that is NOT what we played. We had to name our band, the "Icy Hot Sisters" and got on stage in front of a video of 10,000 screaming fans and sang "I Love Rock & Roll"! We had a blast. Nancy played the electric guitar and I sang. It was fun!

Jay and Jayson had a great time doing the same tutorial.

Their favorite part was where you could change the microphone vocal effect. One option was a typical amplification, another was a Mini Mouse effect...but their favorite effect? Of course, it was Darth Vader! We all had to give it a try, but Jay was the best at saying "LLLLUUUUUKKKKEEEE, I AM YOUR FAAAATHER!!!"

Jay and Jayson also had a good time playing with other instruments. I messed around on the keyboards while these guys were playing. Needless to say, we ALL had a good time and yes, I drug them over to "Rock Band" also! In our case, we named our band "We Are Not Scientists" after my brother's band, We Are Scientists (and of course, we are NOT! scientists). Jayson played the electric guitar, Jay played drums and I played keyboards. We all sang! It was fun once again!

One of the best parts of visiting the EMP is that it also contains the "Sci Fi Museum". Now, I'm not your basic sci fi geek....but both my boys are! They love it. And because it's a museum, no pictures were allowed so this is our ode to the sci fi world!

That just about sums up our trip. I hope you have enjoyed our pictures. There were many stones unturned, so I guess we'll just have to go back again! Until the next time...Bye!

Home Sweet Home!

2008-10-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

Going away is great but coming HOME is even better! Last week it felt like I was home for about.....oh, 10 MINUTES!!!! A couple of days after returning from Seattle, we left for Denver to celebrate my little sister's 24th birthday and see my brother in concert.

Of course it was great and my family spent precious quality time together! You know I took a million pictures...I just need a minute to post them. I'll try to get that done this week. I hope you all are having a wonderful October!!!

Look Where I'm Going!

2008-10-08T22:05:00.000-07:00

Here it is! I'm heading to Seattle, Washington this weekend for the American Health Information Management (AHIMA) conference. I've never been to Washington State so it will be fun to see a new part of the country. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures for you so I can blog about it. See you soon!

Can you feel my pain????

2008-10-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

It's painful getting a "nice" picture! Step into my world and appreciate the struggles!

Why can't this be easy?

What is he doing NOW?

OK, this is just bizarre!!! He looks like something out of a sci-fi movie!

What?! Did he just run out of energy? That's nice...but doesn't it look like he just gave up?

OK Mr Photographer and Mr Subject...let's not go through that again. How about a nice picture? I'M NOT KIDDING!

Like I goosed him or something?!?

Well, this is the photographer's fault! This is just wrong! It's somewhere between drunk and evil...neither of which is accurate I assure you.

Finally! Not quite that "given up" look from the set above. I'll keep this one AND I'll keep trying...

Birthday Dinner at My Mom's

2008-10-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

If you have known me for any length of time, you know that I celebrate my birthday the ENTIRE month of October. As a matter of fact, I started celebrating my birthday in September this year with a family party and a celebration from the staff at work. I'm sure you aren't really surprised...it was just a matter of time before I expanded beyond October. I'll be posting some entries on the various "birthday" activities. Essentially, anything I do in October that is "fun" I count as part of my birthday celebration! Why not?!

My mom always makes all our birthdays a special event. For me, there were many years we weren't together so it's really nice when we get to celebrate now. In our family, we typically have "family birthday" on the Sunday closest to the actual birthday. This year was no exception. My mom makes our favorite meal, which for me is typically roasted tenderloin of beef with homemade BBQ sauce...but this year, in light of my new dietary endeavors, I wanted to try something new (shhhh....be patient....I'm getting to it).

Here are a few shots of the evening...

Jayson took this picture with his phone. The boy has a good eye! I really love this picture.

Here's the lady responsible for it all (yes, the celebration...um, and ME too!) No one can decorate like my mom! She can take the most ordinary things and make something beautiful out of them - it's her gift. In this case, she made a beautiful birthday table!

OK, so who hasn't seen pretty flowers? I'm trying my hand at taking "interesting" pictures for you all. I hope you like them!

Seriously, they really were beautiful!

This is my favorite "flower" picture from the table setting. My mom gave me some suggestions for getting a great shot and this turned out to be my favorite. It's now the screen saver on my brand new laptop PC (birthday present from my dear sweet husband). Before you think "aaawww...isn't he the best?" Well, yes he is but his motives are not so pure. You see, if I have my own personal laptop, then I'll stay off his computer thereby allowing him MORE time to play WOW (World of Warcraft)!!!!! Ugh! Still, it was a nice present and it will allow me to post more timely blogs. :)

One more table shot...okay, now on to the food!

There's little more my family likes better than a GREAT meal....and this certainly qualified! (I can hear my little sister salivating all the way from Kentucky! Hmmm...can you really "hear" someone salivate? Well, trust me...she is!)

We started with a variety of Mediterranean appetizers and a most lovely cocktail...the "French 75". This cocktail is made with fresh lemon juice, sugar and gin...all topped off with my favorite....CHAMPAGNE! What's a birthday without champagne? I seldom drink it (or anything for that matter) but I always love it when I do!

Our dinner began with this incredible salad made with mixed greens, pears, oranges, candied pecans, gorgonzola cheese and dried cranberries. All this lightly dressed with a light, homemade raspberry vinaigrette.

Then we enjoyed the main course, which didn't photograph nearly as good as it tasted. I'll have to graduate from flower photography and work on "food stylings" next. Anyway, the main event included roasted salmon with a glaze of sugar-free apricot preserves, fresh ginger and soy sauce (ok, it's simply DELICIOUS!), rice pilaf and the most comforting...green bean casserole.

Here's the greatest 13 year old boy I know! He really enjoyed my birthday dinner too!

And for dessert....the coup de grace was Cheesecake Trifle with fresh strawberries, peaches and blueberries. It was lovely!

On to the presents! Once again, look how pretty! Um, wait a minute! Who's that cute little lady peeking at me? Ok, back to the presents...My mom also wraps a stunning package. Seriously, she makes everything she touches "special" and my presents were no exception!

There's a running joke in my family because my mom ALWAYS picks the most perfect presents. I LOVE her taste and I honestly can't remember ever getting a gift from her that I didn't like. Despite that track record, my mom ALWAYS includes a gift receipt and starts the disclaimer with "if you don't like it, it won't hurt my feelings if you want to return it..." We've heard this disclaimer so many times, she can't even get through the first three words now without an eruption of shhhshes (I'm sure I just made that word up...you know, when everyone is saying sshhh at the same time). So, just take a look below at what she got me this year....

Isn't this jacket cute? It's decked with "bling" and "hardware"...awesome! I told you she has great taste!!! And the necklace and matching earrings (not shown) were gifts also. Seriously! Isn't this the cutest?

So, my birthday advice to you is to celebrate ALL MONTH LONG when it is your birthday!!! Hey, as my Da always says....having another birthday is "better than the alternative!" Why not celebrate the life God gave you!

That 70's Show...Homecoming Week!

2008-10-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that Jayson is in 8th grade this year and attends Layton Christian Academy. Recently, for Homecoming Week, they had "70's Day". We ravaged Jay's closet for a blazer that looked terribly out of style and scored with this cordouroy jobby. Anyway, he looked smashing! Just before we walked out of the door for school, he donned his shades and struck a pose. What is a mother to do? I took a pic of my strapping handsome young 'un!

Have a happy day!

Happy Birthday To Me!!!!

2008-10-02T15:41:00.002-07:00

happy birthday to me!
happy birthday to me!
happy birthday to meeeeeeee-eeeeeeee
happy birthday to me!

Leon is leaving!

2008-09-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

Our Pastor and friend, Leon Shelton is leaving Washington Heights after 20+ years! He's decided to pursue other interests. So, his last day is October 12 and it's coming up very quickly! Quicker than I care to think about...

Over the years, I have really appreciated Leon's gifts. He is such an amazingly talented man! As the old saying goes, he has the ability to "get blood from a turnip". Seriously, he has taught, mentored, shaped and encouraged many people over the years, helping them to realize their God-given gifts, both spiritually and musically.

He's a visionary. For 19 years, he's produced our Christmas Dinner Theater and many other special events. My mom, my husband and I have participated in several of these productions. It's always fun to see the vision God puts in Leon's head come to life. This will be his first year as a consultant to the dinner theater. It's good that we will still benefit from his insight.

I cannot describe the void that will be created by Leon's absence. Through his work over the years, he has touched so many lives...and...he's changed me. I will forever value his friendship! Although I will miss him terribly, I'm excited to see the great things God has in store for him and I'm sure we'll stay in touch.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Deeper Still Conference

2008-09-28T02:25:00.000-07:00

On the first weekend in September, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the Deeper Still Conference in Las Vegas at the Harold & Mack Arena on the UNLV campus. I went with a group from our church and we all had a great time. As I was packing, look who jumped in and thought she was going on a trip!

The Deeper Still Conference features three speakers, Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, and Priscilla Shirer, representing three different generations. Representative of women in their 30's, 50's and 70's and all that those stages of life entail, these women seek to impart wisdom, encouragement and love grounded in the truth of Jesus.

I attended the Las Vegas event. I must say, I've never been to Vegas and not seen one single slot machine. However, if you go to Vegas for a Christian women's conference....it can be done! The truth is...I didn't miss the gambling environment one single bit!

There were about 5,500 women in attendance at this event and about 125 in my group. Here we all are gathering for a group photo outside the arena.

As sisters in Christ, we shared time in praise and worship led by Travis Cottrell and the Living Proof Live worship team! The music was incredible and I enjoyed every single minute of it!

This is a view of the praise and worship inside the arena.

We also made time to connect with old friends....this is Julie. She works at Weber State University and has led the Women in Motion group for several years now. Women in Motion is a fitness program designed to get sedentary women up and walking. The goal of this group is to have each member participate in the Ogden Marathon by walking at least one mile. For the past two years, I have completed the half marathon (13.1 miles!) event and no matter how you slice it...13 miles is a LONG way! Anyway, as I said, Julie is the backbone of that program and she's such an encouragement to many women, including me!

And we had time to build new friendships. Here I am with my roommates. From left to right, we have Margy, Sondra, Phyllis and me. Although I've known OF these ladies for a long time, I didn't really know them personally. We all had a great time together. Margy, Sondra and Phyllis have been friends for MANY years and it was nice that they let me tag along with them for a few days. I really enjoyed the time we spent together.

Of course there was time for instruction. Each speaker instructed us using stories from her own life, her sense of humor and her unique perspective on God's Word. It was a time that ministered to many of the women I spoke with and answered questions for those who came seeking. I think it's always amazing how God will meet you wherever you are and reveal himself to you if you. Many of the women, including me, were moved to tears on more than one occassion as God revealed himself in the most remarkable ways.

Our event planners were marvelous and left nothing to chance. They scheduled time for us to attend a local worship service - worship LAS VEGAS STYLE!! And boy, was it. There is an incredible church in Las Vegas (I'm sure there is more than one incredible church in Vegas, but this is the one we attended) called Central Christian (http://www.centralchristian.com/). Below is one of several entrances.

Since I didn't take any pictures during the worship service, I'll just tell you that musically, it was everything you would expect in a Las Vegas concert and more. I'm not sure it was particularly worshipful, for me...but I would say it was presented with skill and excellence.

This church has implemented many of the concepts our leadership has discussed. It was really an incredible, friendly, warm and wonderful environment. Inside, they had a bookstore that rivaled Barnes & Noble. It was incredible!

They were also fully stocked with CDs of amazing Christian artists, both local and nationally known.

Their coffee shop was also amazing! They served not only coffee, but many other specialty drinks.

This church is unique because of its organizational structure. This is also something our church is considering. Central Christian is one church meeting in several different locations. On this particular Sunday, they were launching a new venue in addition to their "online" church. Everyone I spoke to was very excited about the growth of their new venues.

I really liked the way Central Christian visually depicted their mission on the wall as you enter their worship center. It seemed very effective and artistic to me. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and I would agree.

As part of their celebration, they were hosting a "block party" for all youth, jr. high and above. This event was well attended and featured bands, games and a way for youth to get connected with each other in a relaxing and fun environment....BLOCK PARTY LAS VEGAS STYLE!!! Yes, that is a rock-climbing wall and a bunge-bouncing thingy (sorry, I don't know the real name of that device!) in the background.

And a quick pic of the band. Yes, these young people are SERIOUS musicians!

Lastly, back inside the facility, this is one of the entrances to the kids' area. Seriously, it looked so fun it made me want to go check it out.

Central Christian really has some great ideas when it comes to attracting children and making church fun for them. Here are a couple of their logos for kids' programs.

Once the service ended, we embarked on the long journey home. Here is some of the beautiful scenery Southern Utah has to offer. The red rock formations are unique to the Southern Utah/Arizona/Nevada area.

We stopped for a quick lunch in St. George, Utah and I took the opportunity to snap this pic of Sondra and me. It was sad to think the weekend was coming to an end.

On a potty break stop, I noticed this beautiful creature and thought you'd like to see a shot of him! Sweet, huh? Um, I don't know if you can read the sign but I'm going to need you to stay off the animals...ok?

Finally, the bus ride home provided some quiet time for reading and reflection. A friend gave me the book, The Shack, and I started it on this trip. Although it's an unconventional take on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it's well worth the read and thought provoking to say the least! Pick it up if you get a chance. It will really make you think!

Overall, I couldn't ask for a better experience! What a great weekend of solice in the midst of a lot of chaos! I can't wait for the next time!

Bath Day!

2008-09-28T02:16:00.000-07:00

So it was bath day! Lahki is such a great dog. She loves her bath and even gets curious enough to check out the shower when someone is in it! Yes, that can be a surprise! She's so sweet though. Jayson called her a "puppy burrito" on this day. I just couldn't resist showing you her cuteness!

You Are What You Eat

2008-09-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite TV show! It's "You Are What You Eat" on BBCA (BBC America). Holistic nutritionist Gillian McKeith is the star of the show. She's a petite, blond no-nonsense dietary nightmare who goes into British homes and helps overweight, underactive, sugar, salt and fat-loving Brits get off "take-aways" ("take out" for us Americans) and processed foods and get on to fresh, healthy eating.

I confess, I have been one of those sugar, salt, fat-loving people! Fried food seems to be a stress reliever but I've noticed there are a lot of things that taste better than fried foods. So I love to watch her work with people who turn their lives around. I have learned a lot about vitamins (and it's cute the way she pronounces vih-tah-mins rather than vye-ta-mins).

As Jayson and I have watched many episodes, we've witnessed the complete turnaround many people have made. Not only do they lose weight but they have more energy and a renewed zest for life. So, the Telfords have adopted the philosophy of eating out less (which you KNOW is hard for me!) and including more "whole" foods. For us, it's not even about losing weight (although that's a side effect) but rather about eating fresh, tasty food and eliminating the crap! We're focusing on more fruits, veg (as she says), whole grains, white meat and fish. I know this healthy diet isn't "breaking news" to anyone, but it's a nice commitment we've made in the Telford household. Week 1 down and going very well!

We aren't following the "letter" of Jillian's plan but the "spirit" of her plan. Many of the British foods aren't common in US grocery stores but I'm planning to hit the whole foods store to incorporate more of her suggestions.

During the first 8 weeks, she really advocates you get off dairy. I don't drink milk anyway, but I love cheese and enjoy yogurt. One of the neatest things I've found recently is Rice Dream Shelf Stable Non-Dairy Beverages. Both of the flavors below are yummy!!!! Chocolate Chai and Vanilla Hazlenut are geat and a nice base for whole fruit smoothies. There is also an Almond Dream beverage which, when mixed with brown rice and raisins, makes a mean rice pudding! No sugar needed! I'm going to continue experimenting with these beverages for treats. They are really delicious!!!!

OK, so here's to healthy eating! I'll keep you posted.

Card Making 101

2008-09-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

I belong to a Card Making club. Every other month, each member creates a card design and makes that design for each member of the club. We exchange them like you would a cookie exchange. It's a really fun thing to do. I enjoy the creativity of creating designs and the deadline ensures I'm focused enough to get it done...rather than thinking, "One day I'll make cards...."

On this particular month, I was trying a new technique I read about in a magazine. It included tissue paper and water. Of course I had my own "special" ingredients who couldn't wait to craft...
1 curious kitty
1 sneeky little PUPsicle

Because I was in a hurry to try the technique, I opened the tissue paper on my bed and that caught the attention of two furry little creatures! Pups tried her hand at brushing water on the tissue paper (or eating the brush...whatever!) while kitty looked on...trying not to appear interested.....AT FIRST!

When kitty moved in on the action, there was a little competitive crafting banter between my helpers!

Laying ON TOP OF my tissue paper was not helpful! Neither one of my furry little helpers were contributing very much to this project. OK, she tried hiding UNDER the paper....um, that didn't help either!Finally, the technique was complete and Pupsicle gave her approval. However, after letting the project sit the required amount of time I'm sorry to say it didn't work. Back to the drawing board. Needless to say, we all had fun! Here are some of the designs I've created.

Overnight at the Red Moose Lodge

2008-08-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Jay had a two-day conference up the canyon at the Red Moose Lodge. Jayson, the muppet and I were invited to spend the night with him. It's such a pretty place, I wanted you to see some pictures. One of the things I love most about Utah is that you can drive about 20 minutes and feel like you have retreated to the most peaceful, serene place in the world. Red Moose Lodge is one of those places!

The pictures of the lodge are from their website. Here is the lodge in Autumn. Beautiful!!!

And here in the winter....

There is actually a tree in their lobby. It's a small place...quaint, quiet, restful, beautiful....

What a fun, quick trip out of the ordinary! We certainly enjoyed it.

Even Muppet herself had a good rest!

Here's hoping wherever you lay your head tonight, you sleep like a dog!

Missions Luau....ALOHA!

2008-08-04T18:32:00.000-07:00

The night after I returned home from the conference, our church sponsored a missions luau. This was a combined celebration and report from some of our missions teams. Our church has supported missions to Japan, Guatemala, Romania, Mexico, Africa, Cambodia in the past 12 months. Only 2008 trips were featured at this event. It was fantastic....great reports, fantastic spirit, excellent food, wonderful hula dancers and even a fire dancer!

Before the hulas began, Jay practiced drumming to the Hawaiian music on Jayson's back. Jayson was sporting his blue extensions for the last weekend....soon the "back to school" haircut will take over. The leader, Tau, presented leis to our Senior Pastor, Roy and Pastor of Outreach, Jimi.
Now time for hula dancing!

....and time for our pastors to hula dance....way to go Roy, Sally and Pastor Magee! (Oh yes! It does look like they are having fun, doesn't it???)

Pastor Magee presented a message. For those of you who don't remember, Pastor Magee pastored our church for 20 years, married Jay and me and dedicated Jayson when he was a baby. It is always good to see old friends!
....and more dancing....
Now for the fire dancers!

Overall it was a great night of fun and fellowship. We really enjoyed it and learned a lot about the work our missions teams have been up to this year.

Hello Dolly and Heaven!

2008-08-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

I bet you're surprised to see "Hello Dolly" and "Heaven" in the same sentence. These two words describe only some of my recent experiences in Texas. In July, I was blessed with the opportunity to join some friends from church to attend the 2008 National Worship Leader's Conference in Austin, Texas. OH MY GOSH! It was amazing! Think about being SATURATED with worship experiences for four days straight. We heard from some of the most amazing, profound and well known speakers in the Christian community...and the music....all the big names in the business! Don Moen, Paul Baloche, Leland, Chris Tomlin, Tommy Walker, Rush of Fools, Gateway Worship (with my very own favorite Kari Jobe!)....and the list goes on and on. They really made a concerted effort to demonstrate all styles of worship music and it was FANTASTIC!!!! I wish my life was like that every single day! I can only imagine that what I experienced was just a fraction of what we'll experience in Heaven.

So now for some pictures....

Leon, our Senior Worship Pastor is not in this photo (but miraculously made it into the BBQ photos). Pictured here are L to R (me, of course), Kimber (lead singer of Just a Vapor - check her out on My Space at www.myspace.com/justavapor - and all around great girl), Charles (Asst Worship Pastor and all around great guy, fantastic husband and dad), Preston (lead singer of Jagertown - also on My Space at www.myspace.com/jagertown - and crazy funny 27yo guy - he's taken ladies! Sorry!) and Brian (singer/songwriter, 17yo hilarious roommate to Preston - um, sorry young ladies, he's taken too!). All of these folks have tremendous hearts for God and patience with me....driving....in Austin. Seriously! Whomever created the interstate system in Austin should be shot!

Leon took us to the Texas capital (yes, he drove) and it was really amazing! Considered one of the most beautiful capitals in the United States, the architecture is stunning. On the way to the capital, we saw a couple other amazing buildings. Take a look...the first is obviously a church but I never did catch the name of the second...still, we all loved it!

The grounds are pristine scattered with Live Oaks, Pecan, Magnolia and other assorted southern trees.
The floor patterns are made of terrazo and are really beautiful. A picture from above shows the entire floor...and then a couple of close-ups (I love the fleur-di-lis pattern)

Even the chairs and light fixtures reflect the pride Texans have in their great state!

Even in our downtime, we managed to have fun. A quick trip to Guitar Center landed me in a sweet spot. I got serenaded by our singer/songwriter team members.

The conference was held at Riverbend Church. The auditorium must hold about 4500 people and looks like an indoor amphitheater. There were nearly 3000 in attendance at the conference. Here's a view of the stage. We attended several great sessions on a variety of different topics like being a more effective worship leader, songwriting, vocal technique, effective communication from the stage, the heart of worship, ministry through music, etc. There was truly something for everyone involved in a music ministry at this conference. :)

We enjoyed a lot of BBQ! The food was great and we had a lot of fun enjoying ribs, brisket and sweet tea!!!!

Oh yeah...and Hurricane Dolly made her presence known with rain bands passing through Austin. I wasn't worried at all until I pulled out of our hotel and IMMEDIATELY began to hydroplane. Seriously! It was like driving on snow. I had forgotten how rain affects the roads in the South. Texas was about 98 degrees and 75% humidity nearly every day (oh, except for the day it was 100% humidity!). At last, we were on the plane headed home to loved ones (and a less humid climate). During our time away, I think we grew closer as a worship team and closer as friends. But, there's no place like home! :)
....until we meet again!

Jayson is home!!!!

2008-07-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to report that Jayson is home from Student Life Camp! He had a great week of fun and fellowship with all of his friends. He's a little "gamy" smelling...but he says it was all worth it. He played crazy word games, worked at a youth camp (Jayson put his weed whacking skills to use and considers himself an expert now), sang, worshiped, rededicated his life to God and in short, he says the week changed his life!

When we picked him up, guess who greeted him first. Yep....his "best friend!" Her world is complete now that he's home. :)

Jayson's pastor, Chad, says they all had a really good time but didn't get much sleep. Jayson reports sleeping 2-3 hours a night! I'm sure they are all in need of some downtime, especially Chad!

Jake and Jayson are also very close. They are in the same worship band. Jayson says they spent time playing "swords" (grasp the opponent's hand and point your index finger; first person to poke the other in the chest with their finger wins) ....Um, Jake won a lot.

More of Jayson's friends...Jayson says Ryan (the one on the left) tried to "kill" him in his sleep! (That's 13 year old for "we had a great time!") Um....Ryan, I'd have to hunt you down if you had succeeded! (Just kidding) I'm so thankful Jayson has wonderful friends who look out for him. Really?!?

Here's a group of the boys. I think they have bonded for life! I have such fond memories of summer camp when I was a kid and I know Jayson will forever remember this week as one of the best times of his life. Oh, and the "life changing" part? Jayson says he wants to be a youth pastor. That just shows what a great influence people like Chad and Jake are on Jayson. He admires them so much. Thanks to everyone who brought my boy home safe and full of fantastic stories (especially Ryan who was not successful!)

I Kings 18:1-40 is Jayson's favorite Bible reference because as he says, "It shows the power of God." He also says Luke 10 is a fave because it shows the joy and happiness God can bring. Amen!

A boy's best friend

2008-07-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

Lahki (pronounced Lucky) is Jayson's new best friend. She is darling! She is a black and tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. These small dogs are precious and originally bred for royalty as footwarmers or to sleep with them and draw the bugs away during the night (ok, we're talking a LONG time ago...). Well, we've had no footwarming or bug-drawing in this house...just FYI.

Famous people who have owned Cavaliers include former President Ronald Reagan, Jayson's very own Jr. High Pastor, Chad, and US!

Lahki became part of our family in June on Jayson's first day out of school and they have been inseparable ever since....until this week when Jayson went to camp and left Mom and Dad to care for the dog. Well, she's a poor substitute for our boy, but we are enjoying her. We can tell that she misses her constant companion and he sent a text telling us that he's missing her too! Jay thought he could teach her computer skills....but the tongue is mightier than the mouse! She won the licking battle!

The breeders named Lahki after her father, Black Knight's Luck (Lucky). Since she responded to that name the best, we decided to keep it. We have all come up with several nicknames for her including "princess", "muppet", "beastly", "goose", "goosums", "PUPsicle", etc.

As you can see, we are very happy with our new "best friend". However, after being the family princess for more than 16 years, the cat is not so thrilled!

Official Launch!

2008-07-13T21:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I've officially decided to join the blogging world! I have enjoyed keeping up with family and friends so much that it just seems like a good idea.

I'll be on the lookout for some interesting things to post. Here are some potential topics you may read about....

The recent completion of a collaborative CD project entitled "Lullabies of Love." I sang on it and served on the creative team.
Jayson left for his very first summer camp experience today! Jay and I are going through withdrawals already!
Lahki, our newest family member. She's a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and she's ADORABLE!
My very first ever worship leader conference in Austin, Texas