a hot summer day post

whew, it is heating up here in phoenix!! i was looking at pictures taken in december and we are outside in t-shirts and jeans and riding around with the windows down. those are the things you have to remember when you are sweltering in this intense summer heat. the monsoon season is starting up so that means humidity with the heat. augh! pro: i don't have to water my few hardy plants as often. con: the vicious crab grass starts it's attack. last summer, rob and i didn't attempt to control it's growth and we ended up with a backyard full of weeds that overgrew on our grass and flowers. we had to pay someone to come in and do the dirty work to get it all cleared out, it was too much for us. not this year though, i'm on top of it! :) i am trying really hard to develop a green thumb bc even though i dont have one naturally, i loved a beautiful yard with lots of flowers and "green". i do have to say, i am much better today at gardening than i was this time last year which gives me encouragement.

right now i have my little brother, brian jr., with us for the week. it's pretty awesome. he's grown into such a sweet and polite young little teenager. actually, little is the wrong word bc he's 5'10, 170 lbs! much bigger than me. both of my brothers are bigger than me, not fair! :D

i was a camp counselor at a camp at the beginning of last week and caught a nasty cold. severe soar throat, swollen and tender lymph nodes, a constant cough, constant thick and green nasal discharge, and sinus pressure like i have never experienced before. it started on friday morning and it is now tuesday evening and i am still fighting it. i can take adult germs all day, but kid germs? i guess i have no defense!

well thats about all from this little part of the world!

Summer Camp!

Just a quick update on our summer! Yesterday after church Amanda loaded up her packed bags, and went off with six kids to summer camp! She is being a camp counselor for 3rd and 4th year old girls from our church - there are 5 girls going, as well as 1 boy and Steve Graham, the Refinery's Children's and Youth Pastor. Hopefully she is having lots of fun and enjoying spending half the week up in Prescott, AZ with the gals! 

As far as other things go - my intership is continuing to go well, getting more developed by the week. We had an informational meeting on The Streetlight Project - which is one cause we are fully supporting - it is aimed at ending Child Prostitution in Phoenix. This is a very serious issue, and unfortunately one that is also very prominent. If you'd like to know more, check out http://www.streetlightphx.com 

Also, I got to get up and do the communion talk this weekend, first time for that at the Refinery! It went well I believe, but I'm sure I was a little stiff, need to get a bit more relaxed! That will come with opportunity to get up there, I'm sure! I didn't want my first time to be my last! Ha! I finished up my Spring classes Friday (2 finals were due) so I'm enjoying my first real break yet - I have a month until the next class starts in early July. I'm sure I'll have some books that have to be read by then, but honestly it won't be too big a deal. I'm looking forward to reading this month, that is actually my goal. I want to get back into reading for enjoyment and personal growth. I have a novel that I've been stuck about 1/3 of the way through, I want to get that done! Also, a couple other books I want to wrap up - as well as just spending more time in Scripture, for personal reflection over preparation of class material or homework or even church!!! Just need to focus in on God a bit, you know?!

The ladies of the house enjoying some sun!

Fun Pic of the Day!

summer doldrums

amanda here. so far to describe my summer: lazy!! :D at anytime i could change that and start planning things to fill my days so at the end of them i dont feel so unproductive, but i always tell myself i'll do that tomorrow ;)

anyways, i know once the fall starts i'm going to be go-go-go until may, when i graduate!! whoo-oo!!! the end is near and i am so darn excited. this time next year i will be studying for my NCLEX (the boards to become a registered nurse) and probably anxious/nervous/stressed as ever. once i have taken (and passed) my NCLEX i am hoping to go on a cruise as a celebration. there are two things i have had as rewards for myself ever since i started nursing school: new car and celebrate by going on a cruise. i have never had a new car and i have never been on a cruise. the cruise doesn't even have to be exclusively rob and me...the more the merrier actually. it'll be a celebration! as far as the new car, i probably wont buy brand new bc even though i'm not the most frugal person in the world, i know that the minute you drive that car off the lot it starts to depreciate in value. i'd rather buy used, with less than 10,000 miles and the car seems brand new. my eyes are set on an infinit g 37 coupe, even though i know that wont happen. probably get a nissan murano or something in that category. gotta start thinking of the new additions that will be here sooner than later!

speaking of starting a family...it's kinda surreal that this part of my life, being a mom, is so close. will i ever be truly ready? no. but who is? there are things rob and i want to do before having little ones (like travel to europe) but i know we are going to be the type where we dont let our little ones slow us down, they will just be on the ride with us! i am reading the Duggars book (the family that has 18 kids) and it is really amazing the values, morals, and character traits they instill in their children and how they do it. they are a christian family and the way they raise their children is amazing. i'm reading and thinking "wow, they are truly raising their children to live for and love God" and that is a goal of mine; however, i wonder how i could ever do it. but, that is where faith comes in and i know that God will give me the words when i need them and direction in raising our children and therefore i am not worried.

well, didnt think i was going to go into all that! was just going to write about how lazy and bored i've been this summer :)