Dallas Summer 2013

We had a wonderful time in Dallas again this year! What a blessing that all the 9 cousins were together for the week. This was the 4th year Nana and Pops have paid for our kids to have swimming lessons and we are always so grateful and love watching them learn.

Hampton celebrated his 1st birthday while we were there!  We are so thankful Amber and the boys were able to come over from Georgia for the week, we missed you Danny!

Of course there was some bounce housing...

Love going to Gateway Church as a family:)  all 4 little girls dressed alike:)

We brought some ZOE friends with us for the first weekend there and experienced our first In and Out burger:)

Gateway has a pretty unbelievable childrens ministry, yet Champ was still paged and I spent the sermon in the cry room with my sis and Brady:)  Canon got some Pirate gear from the ZOE guys:)

Champ did a lot of sleeping on me and I loved every minute:)

Swimming Lessons!!!

We used to put all the kids down for a nap and sit together (us moms with our mom) and eat chocolate, take a nap, talk and talk.  Now most the kids stay awake and watch a movie during rest time and the moms take pictures of all the cuteness and snuggles:)

seriously, he has some major personality

a normal lunch day

sweet happy happy Brady!

this time it was Atley snuggling him during "rest" time

when he fell asleep, she moved over to her cousin to love on her:)

the 3 big girls learned how to dive this year!  still a work in progress....haha

the boys, especially Canon, loved the jeeps!

Angie and her girls on the last day of swimming lessons when the parents get to come:)

My mom and dad came to watch too!

 Champ loving on "his" babies. He was so protective and obsessed with Hampton and Brady!

All the moms:)

Saying goodbye to Amber and the boys:( See you in November!

Thanks for the wonderful time in Dallas! We are SO blessed and we love you!!

a little catch up in pictures from April and May

the end of a chapter

It still seems strange to say this, but

Last night was Phillip's last night of ZOE. 

 

Yesterday he was getting teary eyed mowing the lawn in the morning and I knew it would be an emotional day.  

What sweet sweet years we have had at ZOE.  This was his dream, something the Lord birthed in him and gave him a new vision for.  

Countless times I've been blown away by his love for kids, families, and also his vision for doing ministry.  I've learned and changed as I've sat under his teaching (mostly listening on itunes since i'm the mama at home with the kids!!).  I could not be more PROUD of him. 

And he finished strong!!

This is his verse for ZOE and I just marvel that the Lord gave him this verse and how appropriate it is to end on as well....

Philippians 2:15-16

^"so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky  as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain."

and

John 10:10

"I have come that you may have LIFE (ZOE) and have it to the full." 

I love you Phillip and I"m SO thankful you run with your eyes on the prize, Jesus our Lord and King!!!   

 on the way to ZOE with the kids! They did great, but 10 minutes into daddy's talk Mimi to the rescue and they spent the evening at her house:)

 many many sweet tears!!!  they circled around Phillip and I at the end and prayed over us. 

a moment we will never forget!

 the most amazing cake ever!!!!!

 love the ZOE staff:)!!

sweet Thom girls who've been around since the beginning! Flower girls in our wedding, praying in a circle with me before I walked down the isle, and was so special they were here on this night. 

 Time is marching on so quickly, and while we sit in the sweetness of this night we are also BEYOND excited for what tomorrow brings.

Phillip will be the associate pastor at our church and be head over all ministries.  He is a dreamer and will help dream and create many amazing new things for our church.

ZOE will be turned over to a pretty incredible guy, our very own Matt Hunter!  We have prayed for years that Matt and Lauren would return to STL and take over at ZOE.  We are SO SO thankful for the call on their lives and the new excitement that will be at ZOE with them being here.

Praise the Lord, He is GOOD!!