"Fair" Enough

So its that time of year again when the OC Fair comes to town. I absolutely love the fair. Growing up we never had a lot of extra money so my mommy always took us to the fair on days when a can of food would get you in for FREE or for $1. We always made the most of the exhibits, the collections and all the free attractions. We learned at a really young age that having fun doesn't always have to cost money. My sisters and I still abide by this philosophy. All 3 of my sisters and me and our significant others joined together at the fair for a night full of fabulous shows, food and livestock :) We had such a great time!!!!

WEDDING WEEKEND

Me and the lovely bride...

Me and my fabulous sisters!

So this weekend was crazy and very hectic. I was a bridesmaid in my cousin, Rochelle's wedding which was on Friday evening. Everything came together in the end but boy was the day and hours leading up to the wedding insane. Mass chaos overwhelemed the house, but by the time the wedding rolled around things had simmered down and we all had a great time dancing. Its times like these that I realize what an incredible family I have. With no alcohol in our systems, we were able to dance like fools, laugh hysterically and thoroughly enjoy each other's presence....its was a great night!

Catherine, my personal hair stylist (hehehe), did such an amazing job on my hair! It turned out so wonderfully - honestly I couldn't have pictured anything more perfect than how she did my hair! She needs to open a business for crying out loud!

Slow down and smell the coffee...

So this week has been absolutely insane. VBS is right around the corner and there is still so much to do it seems. My 3 online summer school courses are coming to a close in the next few weeks, with a final being today and 2 midterms due by Friday as well as 2 reports due by Friday at midnight. My cousin, Rochelle, is getting married Friday so the rehearsal dinner is tomorrow night. With so much going on it is so easy to let my "God time" sit on the side burner while I get into task most (which I am so prone to do). I forget that these are the times when I must rely on Christ to restore me! Rather, I desire my cup of coffee to sustain my energy through the day. I met this wonderful lady at my cousins bridal shower this past Sunday. She said something that will stick with me forever. We were talking about our common love for coffee and how it meets an emotional need almost. Coffee for us brings a sense of warmth and comfort and calmness in my world when things get crazy. She reminded me of the irony we live in. How often do we seek God's word and seek Him to bring us comfort and to calm the craziness around us. I was immediately convicted. I am reminded of the verse in Psalms 51:12, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."



My prayer is that when I desire for my coffee to sustain me, that I will have a greater desire to seek after God to sustain me. This will be a reminder everytime I go to grab my coffee mug to satisfy an emotional need - that truly only God can satisfy.

I LOVE JULY 4TH!

The 4th of July is one of my MOST favorite holidays. I love the patriotism and the unity that comes from the 4th of july!!! My fabulous weekend of celebration started with an incredible BBQ with the KIDS CREW at Shorelife and all their families. It was such an amazing time of fellowship, fun, food and laughter. I absolutely love my kiddos, but its not too often I get to grow and share with the families and the parents of my kiddos - it was so refreshing. We had about 75 people and soooooo much food. My favorite was that we had a table of pasta salad (I think we had 4 or 5 differed pasta salads). My plate was full of a little bit of each pasta salad. The other table was loaded with dessert (the kids just loved how convenient the height of this table was). The kids visited this table throughout the night to get their fill of brownies, cookies, jello cake and cupcakes. It was a child's dessert wonderland! I am so blessed to have such awesome families pour into my life as I pour into the lives of their kids - and above all, I get to call this work :) God is good!!!

After cleaning up from the park, I was able to catch my breath and regroup for the morning of festivities I had planned. The 4th of July started off early in the morning at the Huntington Beach Parade at 8:30am. I absolutely love the parade and what a better place to be when I am surrounded by some of my favorite people. It was so fabulous! The floats, the bands, the colors and the soldiers - it was so incredible.

After the parade came to a close, Bryan and I proceeded over to his house to enjoy the company of his Aunt Laurie and two cousins, Natalie and Cody as well as his parents, sister and grandparents. We had a relaxing BBQ by the pool - as we enjoyed great conversations while soaking up the sun. It was PERFECT!

Bry and I then made our way down to Uncle Pete and Aunt Marlo's house at the beach and walked down to the sand to enjoy the fabulous HB Peir Firework Show. It was awesome!!!

My 4th of July weekend was PHENOMENAL!!!