Happy Birthday Katelyn and Joshy :)

So Kate and Josh are 20!!!!!! YAY! I thought you might like to know that :) Well here are some pictures :D

Annie

Garrett

Nate and Laura

Laura

Garrett

Annie and Laura

Garrett

Wherever we go that's where the parties at!

These trees might be beautiful, but they STINK! They smell like dead fish!! I almost died taking these pictures :P! And some other pics that i took, that i thought you might enjoy!

Perry the Platypus!

STINKY TREE PICTURES!

One of my favorite songs by Newsboys!
Whenever i hear this song it reminds me of God's glory! {first part is my favorite :)}

Click HERE to see the music video

He Reigns

It’s the song of the redeemed
Rising from the African plain
It’s the song of the forgiven
Drowning out the Amazon rain
The song of Asian believers
Filled with God’s holy fire
It’s every tribe, every tongue, every nation
A love song born of a grateful choir

It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

Let it rise about the four winds
Caught up in the heavenly sound
Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals
To the faithful gathered underground
Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation
Some were meant to persist
Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples
None rings truer than this

And all the powers of darkness
Tremble at what they’ve just heard
‘Cause all the powers of darkness
Can’t drown out a single word

When all God’s children sing out

Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
All God’s people singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

Iraq

Man oh man, how life has changed! Here is a QUICK update! And a surprise {to answer your questions about the banner at the top of this post}! Well this July my family and I are moving to OK for major mission training. Then once that is over, we are moving to Africa, yup you heard me. Africa! And yes my whole family {well except Josh :( } Most people ask me 'How long are you going?' and this is always my answer 'We are moving there for life' {that's a long time!} Then once i'm old enough, i'm {PLANNING} on moving to Iraq. Well here is where the story begins! A while back, Kate and I got in a accident {We were ok!} and one of my friend's Kay-Lee, said to me 'I guess God has something planned for you.' and He did! And that just gave me so much encouragement! {So thanks Kay-Lee ;p}

I went to this conference called Renown, and they were having a time where you pray for different countries, and it came to Iraq. And so i sat down a began praying with Katelyn. And I started crying, i cried all night, and i felt God talking to me, and Kate said 'Well i guess God is calling you to Iraq.' and He was! After that i got the opportunity of meeting Heather Mercer! {which she has a movie coming out! http://www.kabul24movie.com/ Which i am so excited about :D} And i just talked to her, about Iraq and how i felt. And, yes i cried. But i told her how i felt. And so I went to Renown this year , and Heather was speaking {which i was EXCITED about!} and she brought one of her friends from Iraq. And i was able to meet him :) He was so nice. I also got to hear him talk, and that was really interesting. And again i felt God talking to me saying 'Go.' and i'm not going to disobey God, no matter how many people think i'm crazy. So for all of y'all who are wondering why i'm going, there it is. Someone once said

'We're not going because we LOVE the people, or because they deserve to hear about God, or deserve heaven (any more than we deserve heaven). We are going for God's glory, because He deserves the glory of all the nations.'

I might be crazy, but i'm crazy for God. :)

How He Loves By John Mark Mcmillan/David Crowder Band {One of my FAVORITE songs!}

This is a WONDERFUL song!! I love it SO much! Here is the story behind 'How He Loves'

One night during a prayer meeting, a youth pastor was praying and said, "Lord, I would give my life today if it would shake the youth of the nation. " Later that night, he died in a car accident. John Mark McMillian, a friend of his, soon after his death, became a youth leader and then a youth pastor. Nearly three years later, McMillian wrote this song. McMillian believes that God's gonna use this song and this story to shake the youth of the nation.

CLICK ME TO WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO!!!

LYRICS

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

That He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh ow He loves us.

Raspberry Shortbread Cookies

This is so yummy, and easy :)

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 350.
In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in extract; gradually add flour until dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour - (You don't HAVE to do this step, but you can). Roll into 1 inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Using the end of a spoon handle, or your thumb, make indentions in centers. And added raspberry jelly in the center (make sure the valley is deep enough, or the jelly will run over) Bake for 14 - 18 min. Cool. Drizzle with glaze.
I usually double the glaze!

LET IT SNOW!

I have never seen real snow before until last week! It snow 2 times in 1 week..It is so beautiful :D Lovely indeed! The other day we got 4 inches of snow! It just reminds me of how beautiful God's creation is. This is one of my favorite quotes, i don't know who wrote it, or where i heard it from, but it is just beautiful,

Winter is like a white canvas, ready for God to paint it in spring


Isn't that just beautiful! And so true when you look at some of the pictures i took :) Enjoy,

Katelyn :P

Garrett

Katelyn

Me, Melissa

Nate and Garrett

Annie

Laura

Benji

And of course when there's snow you just have to build a snowman!

Not the best snowman..We said he some what looked like the Grinch...