Testimony

I shared this past Sunday my testimony on God's provision and direction in our life over the past two years.  I thought I'd share it on here not only to bless and encourage anyone reading this, but to keep it documented for memory sake.

Last year, the Lord began to work very deeply in my life in learning to TRUST HIM. He walked me through lessons on TRUST with relationships, finances, health and even my family's protection and safety.




In the course of this journey that I now see will last until my last breath, I have seen God in HUGE mighty ways and as quiet as a whisper. I also have questioned Him many times.



I'd like to share with you just a few of the lessons and intimate moments of my journey.



TRUST has been ringing lounder than any other word or concept. The beginning of last year was extremely difficult for us as we had incurred a lot of medical debt when 3 out of 4 of us were in the ER 4 times in a few short months. With the medical bills accruing and with paying an insurance premium, we began to both pray about whether we should continue to keep our health insurance. We both had a sense of peace about cancelling our insurance and God specifically spoke to my heart and asked me to TRUST Him to not only provide for our needs but to keep our family healthy too. It was a fearful thought until He asked me WHO better to insure my family but Him? He asked us to release the burden of premiums so we could focus on the other medical bills and I am happy to say that for almost 2 YEARS He has provided for the very minor illnesses which have occurred during that time. It also has forced me to look to HIM first when my family is sick.



God began showing me things very personal to my heart but kept TRUST in front of me at all times.



During that time last year, I read a book called The Power Of Persistance by Michael Catt. It was totally the Lord on how I even got my hands on that book!! God really began to move on my heart about being true and authentic-not just talking about the things of God like the Athenians in Acts 17:21, but "giving attention to prayer and ministry" like those in Jerusalem in Acts 6:4. He taught me and is still teaching me not only the importance of praying-but how to STOP, BE STILL AND LISTEN TO HIM. Prov. 24:3-4



I had a dear friend give me a book that God placed on her heart to give me called The Art Of Listening Prayer. Just reading the cover of the book scared me! I was learning so many new things about prayer, but this book walks you through conversing with Him and asking HIM questions and then WAITING for a response. I journaled the questions and what He spoke to my heart for the first time and I never went back and read the conversations until I was preparing for this. I couldn't believe the dates lined up to almost exactly a year later. It was beautiful to read what was written and truly filled me all over again. The words that continued to jump off the page in all the conversations were TRUST and BE STILL.



The same sweet friend who gave me the book also allowed our family to get away to the North Georgia Mountains for some much needed Rest and Relaxation for Thanksgiving last year. It was an incredibly peaceful week. Tommy brought a bible study he had done with a friend months before and never completed the last day of study. That week he worked on that last day and the lesson was on praying for your family's protection. One question asked was, "When have you felt God's protection the most in your life?" His answer was during the armed robbery at his office a year earlier. He truly felt His presence, protection and power. We talked about it together and remembered that scary time.



As the Lord would orchestrate the days following, the very day he went back to work after that week of Thanksgiving away in the mountains, our family would embark on one of the darkest times we had ever experienced. Tommy was held at gunpoint and robbed at his office for a second time just 15 minutes after he arrived at work that Monday morning. This time it was very personal and more violent. Still, we have NO question that God allowed every part and it turned out to be a great demonstration of His protection yet again. Granted, I was not the one who experienced the crime, but our hearts are intertwined so the fear in him crept into me. For the first time in my life, I experienced the suffocating cloud of fear. It was SO hard to focus. It was SO hard to claim His promises. It was SO hared to TRUST. I wanted to crawl in a hole and not walk through this valley.



I will stop there because to camp out with those feelings and give more detail would only give satan glory and it is a goal of mine to only humiliate him. That's when My Daddy-my loving, personal Heavenly Father reached down to that pit I allowed myself to dig and grabbed my hands and pulled me out. He did so gently but firmly through music, His Word and speaking directly to my heart. He reminded me that I had already been in training for this battle months ago!!



With that surrender in our hearts, God directed Tommy's steps to go on his first mission trip just 2 months later to Haiti. It was a disaster relief mission trip that was truly life changing for not only him but for me being left behind as well. That is a whole other story on God's provision and protection.



So now my 2010 journey ~ clean hands and a pure heart.



God wants to show me what that truly means. He wants me to remember that even though things "look good" on the outside, only He knows my heart behind it.



He allowed me to walk through a valley where my character was under attack. I cannot say that my heart's response was pure at all at first. I was wounded and broken. I thought, "God, if they only knew my heart!" But this was not about them. I went through anger, hurt and disappointment but refused to let it consume me. Once again, God had just given me amazing grace and freedom and now it was like I was having to relearn what I had just been taught.



In July of this year I wanted to read a fiction book. I had hardly taken the time to read fiction and I really wanted to complete a book this summer. I checked out a Karen Kingsbury booka nd read the book one day after work for almost 8 hours-I never do that! The book captivated me and I wasn't sure why. I really couldn't connect personally with the story line or the characters. I finished the entire book that day. When I woke up the next morning for my Quiet Time, a small part of the story about a bible study lesson on Luke 6 kept ringing in my ears. The girls in the study were discussing how hard Luke 6 was to apply to their life. So, I turned to that chapter and began to read. To back up a quick minute, the aftermath of the robbery was still with us. The 4 men involved in the crime had been arrested and then released on an OR bond a few days later. In a couple of weeks, they were about to finally be arraigned which brought up anger and feelings that I thought had been released.



So, I read Luke 6:27-38. This was the mirror God used to show me the reflection of my heart. God asked me if I was going to just read it or truly be obedient and embrace it.



The floodgates of tears began to fall- you see, we have never seen the faces of the men who committed this crime. God allowed their faces to be covered and has prevented ALL attempts made by Tommy to see any mugshots. We felt victimized again-we needed to SEE their faces to keep our family safe! TRUST ME. We have had all 4 names of the men since day 1. That day, God showed me that He has not wanted their faces to be revealed to us because we are to TRUST HIM for our protection. He asked me if I was not only going to completely forgive these 4 men but was I going to LOVE them and PRAY for them? He said, I've given you their names- NOW PRAY. Don't seek justice for yourself - PRAY for them!



THAT WAS A TALL ORDER!! That day, I wrote all 4 names on a post it note in my bible on Luke 6. That was a message only God could have given me where my heart could respond. It was painfully freeing to have the chains of bondage removed.



I share this testimony not for my sake but for His glory. My prayer in sharing this is that the HOly Spirit in you has connected with the journey God has had me on to something in your own heart that He wants you to release, forgive and be filled. I am a daily-sometimes minute by minute-work in progress. I don't handle every situation correctly and I don't draw on His grace as much as I should. But I can say that HE IS WORTHY OF OUR SURRENDER, GLORY AND PASSION. Unforgiveness is like drinking poision and waiting for the other person to die ~ Pastor Johnny. I have seen it and experienced it. Submit yourself and ask Him to reveal any unforgiveness in your heart and I urge you to let Him remove the infection, clean and disinfect so you can be whole.



Clean hands and a pure heart-



When I stand before my King, I will answer for the motive of my heart-no one else will and I will stand without excuse. I'm still searching after purity and purpose. I realize now that TRUST is a life long journey. I am just greatful He has all of eternity to walk it with me.

A day of firsts

Oh my oh my.  A day of firsts for Alex.

First decision to go to her school's semi formal dance.  "Winter Wonderland"

First mani/pedi.  Red sparkle polish.

First EYEBROW WAX.  That was hilarious and dramatic all wrapped together.

My baby's growing up!

Thankful...

I want to instill a heart of gratitude in the girls so each year I force encourage them to hand write cards to those who they are thankful for.  They would prefer to send a text or email, but I want them to understand that it is always more personal to hand write a card.

Now it seems like I am cheating, but I thought I'd make a list of what I am thankful for this year.  (if I can keep it at 10!)

1.  I am thankful that Jesus Christ would choose to die for ME, a sinner who has nothing to offer HIM that will guarantee my eternity with Him in heaven.
2.  I am thankful for the PROVISION and PROTECTION He has given to our family. 
3.  I am thankful for the storms and trials of the past year...actually of my entire life...as those storms and trials have brought me in a deep and intimate relationship with Him.  When I think of those who encounter trials without a relationship with Him, it makes my heart sad to think that they have no hope to rest in.
4.  I am thankful for the person He is molding me to be.  A LOT less selfish and self centered.  A LOT more sincere and loving.  I don't always realize these things until a situation comes and my response will shock me...I will think...wow that's not how I used to respond!
5.  I am thankful for my amazing husband.  Meeting the love of your life at 17 years old has its pros and cons.  Looking back to see our marriage today, I would not trade ONE bit of it.  The good, bad and ugly has made us closer and stronger today.  I cannot imagine my life without him.  I cannot wait to grow old and be Grandpa and Grandma Baker with him either.
6.  I am thankful for Alex Baker.  What an awesome gift.  She brightens my day.  She challenges my own walk with Jesus as I see her walk being so much farther than where I was with Him at such a young age.  She is not only beautiful on the inside but on the outside as well.  Where did I ever deserve such a girl?
7.  I am thankful for my sweet and funny youngest daughter.  She brings a ton of fun and laughter to our home and is very sensitive to her Mama's needs.  She loves to have a blast at whatever she does.  She has a very giving heart and loves to tell her friends about Jesus.  One of the blessings given to us after enduring one of life's storms.
8.  I am thankful for all 4 of us praying to receive Christ and living a life seeking after His heart.  It has been beautiful to see both girls and Tommy getting saved and being baptized.  Most of all, the growth that has happened as a result of allowing Him to lead and direct our family.  This is a daily work in progress, but we are convinced that there is NO OTHER WAY! 
The verse for our girls~
2 Timothy 4:12
"Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love and faith and in purity."
9.  I am thankful for my parents and step parents.  They raised me through very tough times being so young.  I cannot imagine what it was like to raise a child with age, finances, divorce, etc. being huge factors.  The course of my life could have been much different if they had not endured this huge task.  I am thankful that our relationship has grown closer as I have become a mother. 

10.  I am thankful for our church.  I am thankful for our Pastor who leads with such honest integrity.  I am thankful for his obedience to God for delivering challenging messages week after week to make us disciplined disciples of Christ.  I am thankful for our Sunday School teachers who do the same as well.  I appreciate their honesty and dedication to lead our class for so many years.  Tommy and I have grown and been challenged greatly and are grateful for their friendship.  I am also thankful for the ministries He has called me to be a part of.  All Grace Abound, IllumiNation, WeeSchool and our Sunday School class.  Serving Him in these areas have opened many doors to my heart.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

This year for Thanksgiving we stayed home and had my mom, sister and new brother in law over for a nice feast.  We had a lot of fun all pitching in to make the meal and prepare for our guests.

Alex made the pumpkin gooey butter cake, Pioneer Woman's chocolate pie and sweet potato casserole.

Tommy made the mashed potatoes and homemade stuffing.

Faith made chocolate chip cookies. 

I supervised and made the rest.  :)

It was great to have everyone helping and working together and I think that was the best part of it all!  The food turned out delicious!  We ate at noon and then went for leftovers about 9pm that night.  We tried watching a late night family movie, but I do believe there is a secret drug in the food that knocks you out!  Faith and I did not stay awake for long.

See What I Mean?

See what I mean?  This was from this summer and my oldest has already changed so much!  It is so hard being a Mama and watching them grow so quickly.  I know God has a HUGE plan for her but makes me all the more nervous of her upcoming independance away from home.  I love you sweet girl!!

Where did this girl go??

This is a sweet memory that I found where I videoed Faith on my phone reciting the books of the New Testament.  She was so proud to have memorized them all in about 2 days.  I love to see the girls have a heart to know more about the Bible.  I do miss this sweet girl who seems to be growing up by the second and becoming more and more independent. At least I can remember through video!

We survived!

I lost my blog focus again and forgot to post that we survived (for 2 hours) in the cold snowy mountains!  What a story to share...

My sweet husband really wanted to take his girls on a fun camping experience in the beautiful North Georgia mountains.  We should have known when the deer hit the side door of our van that it was not the right time to go camping.  :(

So, after the deer accident we decided to truck along up the mountain to the GPS coordinate that we had saved for our prime camping spot.  Along the way, we noted the dark clouds that hovered over the upcoming mountain.  The GPS took us on quite the scenic route where I do believe we went to Tennessee and North Carolina and then back around until we realized that we were pretty lost.  All the while, it was SNOWING, SLEETING AND RAINING.  The snow was accumulating and I just kept remembering that God was with us and if we got stuck at least we had a van full of warm sleeping bags and plenty of food!

At about 9:30PM, we arrived at our destination.  :)  Now, the Lord was really testing my ability to submit to my head of household.  Where my old Mandy self would have really given him a real hard time (or ran home on my own) I was in good spirits even though I had a pretty good feeling it was not going to work out.

When we arrived,  it was of course pitch black...remember we are in primitive BEAR country.  So with the help of our headlights and lanterns, we all 4 worked together and pitched a tent, got a fire going, peeled potatoes, cut up onions and cooked dinner on a small gas stove IN THE SLEET AND SNOW.  Yes, at this point the girls thought this was awesome.  Can you picture me...scarf around my head and many layers of clothes sitting at a table peeling potatoes all the while sleet is covering the table??  A sight to see! 

After Tommy finished frying up our dinner, I went into the tent and attempted to lay down.  It was so cold!  Maybe with living in Georgia for the past 10 years has really changed what I define as cold.  It was about 30 degrees and wet even though I grew up with temps getting down into the teens and single digits.  I couldn't do it.  I didn't want to say it, but I knew I couldn't sleep on the ground.  I made my mind up that I'd just sleep in the van.  Then Faith started...very dramatic...I can't do it Mama...its too cold.  Party over.  When Faith starts the whining it is sometimes a point of no return.  Poor Alex.  She was so disappointed.  She really wanted to tough it out with her Daddy and have something cool to tell her friends at school.  :)

So, while I sat in the warm van with my little cold daughter...Alex and Tommy broke down the campsite and loaded up the van and we headed home.  I drove home and of course our reliable GPS took us the wrong way home where we went through more unnecessary mountains and finally reached my warm house at 4am. 

Now, some might say this was a dumb idea.  I say that it is a memory that my girls will probably tell their grandchildren!  *With more exaggeration of course*  The BEST memory I will have from this event is hearing my non planning husband say...Next time I think we should make a plan!

I.am.scared.

I'm scared.  My sweet hubby has decided to take us girls up to the North Georgia mountains for a PRIMITIVE CAMPING TRIP.  Nope, the Bakers have NEVER been camping.  We will not sleep on something soft.  Nope, the ground...in a tent.  No potties.  No showers.  No people.  Just us and the mountains and the animals.  And to make it all the more exciting, there is a chance of SNOW flurries THIS weekend!  I just hope we don't end up as a story on Animal Planet!

I will update you all with our journey when we return home.  I am calling for intercessory prayer for us that we do NOT see any wildlife that is much cuter behind glass at the zoo and that I have a lot of unusual hot flashes to keep me warm!!  LOL

I love my husband.  He is so excited.  So are the girls.  Mama is scared excited too.  :)

The Bakers Went To The Mountains

We are off again...

We have been in the North Georgia mountains for the weekend.  We love it up here.  After just posting about the Orlando trip, it seems like we've gone from one extreme to the other.  Beaches and wetlands...to hiking and mountaintops.  Once again, to admire the artistic hand of God! 

The weather is cooler.  (love it!) And the trees are beautiful!  The best part of Georgia for us is the trees in the fall.  We are at a friend's cabin taking a break from the busy life and learning to stop and rest for awhile.  No phones, TV or internet....the house is all asleep and I can't so I am trying to pass the time with an internet card getting this blog up to date.  You will see in a minute why I can't sleep!

I picked the girls up from school early on Friday which is a nice treat for them and we headed up north to Blue Ridge.  I love Blue Ridge.  I love the mountains and the small town shops they have downtown.  I heard someone refer to another as their neighbor.  I wonder what constitutes a neighbor when you live in the mountains?  There is not many who live near someone else...weird.  Tommy and I always talk about whether we could live where we are visiting.  I don't think I'd like living in Orlando.  Way too busy and too commercialized.  Of course the girls want to live anywhere we are visiting.  They think if they live in Orlando that they would have a week of partying like we had when we were there.  Tommy and I think we could live in the mountains.  We have talked about it a great deal...how they probably shop for groceries once a month...how they probably get snowed in every year...how life seems much simpler and so much quieter.  We dream about him finding a local job in the lumber yard and me taking care of the farm house and having dinner on the table when he gets home.  (wait, that already happens...just not the simple lumber yard job)  We can always dream, but that is not the life God has chosen for us.  I guess we could always put in a request!  :)  I love where we live and go to church, I just wonder how long we could live the VERY simple life??  Oh well, I really chased a rabbit on that one!

Anyhow, the girls and I drove up early Friday afternoon and got settled, went to the grocery store, made a pot of chili to welcome my sweet hubby when he arrived after work.  The cabin we stay in is simple but soooo nice and secluded...you feel like there is no one around for miles.  A beautiful view from the front porch and lots of room for the girls to run and explore. 

On Saturday we had a different kind of adventure.  I have always wanted to go to the Apple Festival in Ellijay.  I always hear other talking about going and we've never gone.  Tommy wanted to take me there so we loaded up and headed back south.  We had no idea truly where we were going and where it was...we just followed the signs for the festival.  We arrived in downtown Ellijay and found a place to park for free and thought for sure it would be downtown.  Wrong-o.  We found out that the festival was about 2 miles down the road.  Why we didn't just get the van and drive down there I have no idea...there were a ton of other people lost and parking downtown so we thought there must be some secret as to why others stayed parked there.  We decided to walk.  Faith, who has more energy than all 4 of us put together complained the whole way.  She was tired, her legs hurt, she was hungry, she thought we were lost, etc...  We finally arrived and paid $5 a head and walked into a time warp.  This "festival" reminded me of an outdoor flea market we had back in Oklahoma.  It was not quite the festival I had imagined it would be.  AND it was PACKED crowded!  I was also shocked to realize that with all of the $$ that was being brought in each year that there were NO public bathrooms...only about 10 port a potties.  So much fun to try to get your young daughter to use one of those.  I covered the seat completely and just said...don't even look inside the toilet!  We bought an overpriced lunch of cold hamburgers.  The fries were good and then we did have a delicious apple fritter.  The girls split a funnel cake.  We walked around and found a bull riding machine which was pretty entertaining for a bit.  Faith did rock climbing and did awesome! 
She got all the way to the top and rang the bell!          

 We made our way through the "festival" and then rode a BUS back to the car.  I do think if we had walked that Faith would have went home with another family.  :)



We came back to the cabin to a delicious pot roast and vegetables, watched a family movie and then went to bed.  That's when I experienced something I thought I'd never.  I woke up because my sinuses were congested.  Then I realized I had to go to the bathroom.  I laid in a twilight state debating whether I wanted to get up in the cold and go to the bathroom.  My leg was on top of the covers and I felt something on it.  I laid there a second and then felt something CRAWLING ON MY LEG.  In the dark I sat up and brushed my leg...that is when I realized there really was something and it was BIG.  I thought it was a big spider so I quickly turned on the light to see where it went.  I was about to turn the light back off, thinking I'd never see it when I saw something on the other side of the room SLITHERING ON THE CARPET.  I yelled for Tommy to wake up that there was a snake in the room.  I told him it was a baby snake about 3 inched long and crawled under the bed...I was thinking...WHERE'S THE MAMA?  So, my brave hubby got a flashlight and looked under the bed.  Didn't see anything.  There are 2 dust ruffles on the bed and he happened to look in between the two dust ruffles and there it was.  The most disgusting thing I have ever seen and have ever had crawl on my skin.  A black centipede.  Yes a centipede.  And in case you've never seen one...here ya go...

So after I screamed about a hundred times, Tommy finally convinced me to go get something to put it in.  I got a glass jar with a lid and we caught that booger...who STOOD UP while trying to get cornered...Once we got it in the jar, the heebie jeebies came out in me all over again.  I was just short of crying!  I couldn't believe THAT thing with THOSE pinchers was crawling on my bare leg!!  And that it did not bite me when I went to brush it off!!  I give God all the credit for waking me up with congestion, debating on going to the bathroom, just so I could get that thing OFF of my leg and out of the bed!!!  Glory hallelujah, I'm itching as we speak.  Gross!  So thankful that Tommy saved the day!  So, this is why I am up at 1am typing like a mad woman trying to get so sleepy that I slip into a quiet coma.  :)

That was Saturday...Sunday we went hiking.  We drove about 45 minutes to a trail called Long Creek Falls.  A beautiful drive!  Beautiful mountains and river!  We hiked the trail to a waterfall at the end and the water was ICE cold.  The girls wanted to get their feet wet and of course both slipped on the rocks and got their jeans wet, but good times!  Max went on this hike with us and was a trooper.  I think that hike was more walking than he has done all 5 years put together!






We plan to leave tomorrow.  I am so very grateful for this time together and away from distractions not only to focus on each other but to have some great focused quiet time with our Father.  No better place to worship than in the midst of His creation.  What an amazing, majestic Lord we serve!

Orlando Fall Break!

Wow...lots to catch up on!  This is why this blog has been difficult for me to keep up with.  I neglect it for a few weeks and it overwhelms me to think about bringing things up to speed...BUT in the long run when the girls have their memory book it will all be worth it!  (I keep telling myself)

We had a great surprise for the girls this year for our county's fall break.  It is getting harder and harder to come up with ways to surprise Alex as she is getting way too smart!  We have had a trip to Orlando planned for about 6 months that they had no idea about.  Since I encouraged the girls to save their allowance for this week, Alex got very suspicious.  Of course it was a hundred questions a day and it is very difficult for me to be misleading.  So, they both knew they were going SOMEwhere but not WHERE.  A week before we were to leave, I convinced Tommy to tell them where we were going so that they were able to get excited and not ask a bazillion more questions on the drive down there.  They were pumped!!

We planned to leave bright and early the first Saturday of the break.  I got a call from Faith's school at about 11am saying she was sick in the nurse's office.  I honestly thought it was the excitement of the trip and she just wanted to get it started a bit sooner.  I picked her up and knew right away that she was not faking.  She was a very sick little girl!  I had to pick Alex up from school early so that I could get Faith to the Doctor quickly and she was greatly disappointed knowing that there was a setback in the original plan.  We talked about how it is not truly our plan, but God's and He knew what He was doing.  The Doctor did not give me the diagnosis I wanted,  :)  (I was really hoping for strep since it is such a quick turn around with the antibiotics) but said the dreaded work....VIRUS.  Ugh!  I hate that word!!  Virus means...no meds...long illness time and this one was really really yucky!  She was pitiful.  So, we decided to postpone our 6am alarm clock setting and wait to see what Saturday held for little Faith. 

Saturday came and she seemed to be better.  She said she was ready to leave versus her losing all the desire to even go the day before.  So, we packed up and headed south.  We arrived at our hotel room late Saturday night and stayed right across from Universal Studios.  It was a really nice hotel.  Poor Faith...this is what day one's excitement was for her...

On Sunday, the girls would receive their second surprise at the Orlando airport.  We were picking up my Dad and his wife and they were coming out to spend the week with us!  The girls had NO idea that was coming!  They were very surprised and very excited!

We then arrived at our condo that we were all 6 staying in for the week.  My Dad and Cathi were very generous in blessing our family with this trip for our Christmas present.  On day 1, we drove to Clearwater Beach and drove down the gulf coast.  It was beautiful!  We love the white sand.  We ate lunch at a great seafood restaurant called Crabby Bill's.  This was Alex's sandwich...can't believe she ate it!!

Clearwater Beach was very nice.  They had a huge public access area and it was not crowded at all.  It was a great time of year to be there since most families were back in school. 

On Tuesday, we went to Universal Studios.  We loved it!!  It was pretty low key and a lot to look at and learn about.  We did not wait in line for anything which was a HUGE bonus.  I have not been to an amusement park other than Six Flags since I was very young.  They have come a long way!  Very nice park and we had a really good time.


On Wednesday, we drove east and went to Cocoa Beach.  We love Cocoa Beach since it is right next to Cape Caneveral.  We ate at a beachside restaurant and then spent the day on the beach.  My Dad, Tommy and the girls all went boogie boarding while Cathi and I enjoyed relaxing and people watching.  ;)  You can definitely see a lot of interesting folks at the beach! 

Thursday was quite an interesting day....I was hoping that Faith had kept her virus to herself, but it reared its ugly head with Alex this time.  We had tickets to go to Islands Of Adventure and we were all very excited.  We had told the girls that they had to ride all of the rides in the park.  (this demand was courtesy of my Mom who did the same to me when I was in the 1st grade...cured me of my fear of rides!)  The girls had been online researching the rides and asking friends at school about all of them.  They were both so excited.  The first ride when you walk into the park is the Hulk.....awesome ride!!!  Alex's face was priceless when she was first strapped into the ride.  She then tried to say she didn't really want to ride when we SHOT out of the loading area which was very unexpected.  I was crying from laughing so hard at her face during that ride.  It was a really great ride and very smooth too.  We decided since there was no wait to ride it a second time.  After that, we rode the log ride (great ride too) and then it hit Alex.  Her stomach hurt so bad she could not stand or sit up.  She tried to convince me to let her stay.  We tried to let her eat some soup and she couldn't.  (for her to turn down any food, you know somethings wrong!)  When she couldn't take it anymore, we decided to take the long hike back to the car and I drove her back to the condo.  She kept apologizing to me for making me miss the park.  She was almost crying for her having to miss it as well.  When we got to the van, she went to sleep and then slept for 4 hours at the condo.  I woke her up and we picked up the rest of the group.  She was so disappointed as her stomach was better by the end of the night.  Once again, we know it is all for a reason!  Here are some pics that were taken of Faith at the park.

Friday was Tommy's 35th birthday and what a way to celebrate than to be on vacation!!  I had arranged for the two of us to have a special dinner at Medieval Times and Dad and Cathi took the girls out on a date to a dinner theater called Capone's.  Tommy and I had a great time and we loved watching the horses.  The food was really good...only no utensils!  Kind of weird, but I was happy when they gave us wet wipes after we were finished. 

Saturday morning, very early, Dad and Cathi flew back to Okieville.  We checked out of the room and then headed to Downtown Disney.  We had a great time there too!  We had a little too long of a time there and we were way too tired to make the drive home once we were finished.  So, we got a cheap room and rested up for the drive home on Sunday.  Whew...what a week!!!

Highlights we will never forget...both Alex and Faith's hilarious faces when riding new rides and then saying how awesome it was when they got off...yucky viruses...late night gator hunts...finding NO mexican restaurants in Kissimmee (except for the lady who said a great mexican place is chili's) jumping in the pool with our clothes on...the alligator that lived in the pond next to the condo...hot tub and steam room...Walmart at 1am...my Dad kissing a bullfrog...2 Ron Jons...living by the GPS...enjoying God's beautiful oceans...the awesome Lego store...so many new and fun experiences...Thank you Dad and Cathi for your generosity and taking the time for us!  We Love You!!