Family

• No more classrooms, No more books, No more teacher's dirty looks!!! Brad is DONE with Seminary! Bring on the fundraising!!!
• [After four long years at RTS, I graduated with an M.Div. on the 19th. Carrie's parents flew out for the occasion and stayed with us for a week. We took another fun trip to New Orleans while they were here.]

• Who is addicted to Downton Abby? Cause We are hooked!!! I can't wait until the fall. I am going to need some friends in Cali to watch it with.
• Last day of VBS *sniffle sniffle*! We have had such a great time!! I am going to miss having something to do every morning. Plus getting to see my friends every day! Oh man, back to everyday life!
• Nothing like standing at the coffee pot waiting for a cup when a cockroach crawls across my foot. DUDE! It's on. Smashed with flip flop with two hits! I'm a little wild in the morning!!! ;0)
• I am really so over the bugs here. How many more days? Please Lord, less than 90.
• Free dinner at Chick fil a. Thank you VBS! One dinner done, four more to go! ;0)
• [Carrie stayed home with the kids while I attended the PCA's General Assembly in Louisville, KY. This was a great opportunity for me to share the vision for planting Grace Presbyterian Church in Clovis, CA.]
• After a week of being a single mom, I am so glad to say, Brad is HOME!!!! This was a long, tough week. To all my single mommas out there, I whole heartedly applaud you! It is a high calling to care for sweet children alone. Keep up the good work! As for me, we are all stuck like glue today! So happy to be reunited! ;0)
• Went to our friends farm today. We picked blueberries, peaches, zucchini, and squash! My table looks like a farmer's market! I am in heaven! Fresh veggies and chicken for dinner and blueberry cobbler for dessert; muffins in the morning, and jam on the way! Oh, how I love the summer!

• Kids went to bed last night at 10:45, and they were up and moving at 7:00. Seriously, this is why we don't let our kids stay up late. They have no concept of sleeping in. Can I get an IV of caffeine please, this cup of coffee isn't doing squat! Only consolation, the fireworks show was INCREDIBLE! Mississippi's secret. It only took us four years to figure it out!!
• Breakfast for dinner! YES!!! Kids going to bed early! YES!!! Getting to read my book uninterrupted! PRICELESS!
• Trying to pack two girls for camp, and they are DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!!! Dude, I just want to pack them up myself, without any help. Back off people, back off!!
• Dropped off my big girls at camp (sniffle sniffle) and the littles cried all the way home for them. It's going to be a long week for them AND me! They aren't used to being separated for so long.
• Anyone up for a play date? I've got to distract these people!
• Morning one without my girls, not sure what I was thinking. First off, I thought about them all night hoping they were okay, dying to know how their day went. Second, DUDE all my morning helpers are gone. Cate asked me to wake up the tv...which is Maddie's job, I had to get cereal for the littles... which is usually Lauren's job, change diaper, get juice...all before coffee was done brewing. Yikes, I have shot myself in the foot! How many more days til they come home? ;0)
• It's raining again today! So stinky that the girls are getting rained out at camp. I am sure they are still doing plenty in spite of the dreariness, but I am ready for some sunshine!
• Alright, the gig is up. I finally see who are the real mess makers of this house. Let me just say it's NOT the two littles here in the house!
• We love Chick-fil-A!
• We're getting the girls in about an hour! Can't wait to see them, but I think they are going to be a little sad to come home. Camp is pretty awesome. I need to figure out a way to get them back here next year. Anyone want to share flight miles! haha!
• I'm not sure what I am going to miss the most when I leave; being sticky when I sleep OR finding the most random types of bugs walking around in my house (giant cockroaches, giant centipedes, giant pincher bugs, giant beetles, blue lizards). Hmmm, it's a tough choice.
• And the packing begins.....
• Okay, packed three boxes, big boxes, and I don't even see a dent...I mean NOT a dent...even in the area I am packing in! I then tried to go out to the shed to get smaller boxes for books and things. Umm giant wasps flying around over head AND the boxes are in the back. NOPE, that will be Brad's job. Lame day to start packing.
• Seriously, my man ROCKS! He got up early, not before the rooster crows, but still EARLY to get at the wasp nest in the shed. He laid into them like no ones business! There were at least ten wasps that he nabbed and a few got away. But it's done, and he now can check off wasp annihilator on his list.
• Packing is in full gear and my house is TRASHED! I think it's going to look like this for the next few weeks!

Grace Presbyterian Church - Clovis, CA

In March of this year we set out to raise $225,000 for the church plant in Clovis, California. Over the next four months we raised $125,000. On July 8, we started a campaign titled $100k in 100 days. The idea is to raise the rest of our total budget just in time to begin ministry on October 15.The Lord has blessed our efforts tremendously and we now have 83 days to raise just $70k. We'd love to finish the campaign a month early.

Please let us know if you would like to partner with us in this gospel ministry. You may pledge to give monthly, quarterly, or yearly (one time gifts are also happily accepted). Please contact me if you would like to receive a pledge card or visit www.GraceClovis.us to make your commitment online. Read more about the church plant at www.GraceClovis.org.