VBS Closing Concert

The kids did a great job!

VBS Day Five -- We had a Blast!

What a week we have had. Fun. New Friends. Learning about God. It was a blast!

VBS Day Four

The kids are hyped, the workers are getting tired, and still we had an awesome day!

VBS Day Three

What a Day!

VBS Day Two

Does it show that the Littles were my favorites this year. They are just so cute!

VBS Day One

I love, love, love VBS! Baobab Blast, Day One was a, well, it was a Blast!

Gypsy Maude packs for her return home ...

This trip was my Cricut Gypsy's, whose name is Maude, first trip away from home. She has a quite stylish traveling ensemble that keeps all of her pieces and parts together in one place.

Deja Vue all over again ....

Today, I sit in my hotel room in New Orleans, downing multiple cups of coffee, trying to wake up while I stay glued to the WDSU extended broadcast of Bonnie as she makes her way to the Crescent City. I am reminded of the Saturday before Katrina hit. I was in total denial and made no preparations of any kind: no packing, no preparing of my home, no cleaning out of the fridge. On Sunday morning I was awakened by my neighbors banging on my door and yelling, "This THING is coming right at us!"

Yesterday I walked the labyrinth at Audubon Park. As I walked I thought of my 15 years in New Orleans and I thought of this trip and of re-acquainting myself with the new New Orleans. The last time I walked the labyrinth, it was built into the ground with grasses forming the boundaries and marking the pathways. Now, it is much more permanent and impervious to hurricanes. Perhaps this is a metaphor for me and the coming storm is yet another building block on the way to my complete recovery.

These are homes in the Habitat for Humanity Musicians' Village built by Harry Connick, Jr. These homes look like they have always been here!

New Orleans, day 2

Not exacty New Orleans architecture ... however they are homes for people whose homes were destroyed by the levy break. These are the homes constructed by Brad Pitt.

A few more Quarter shots ...

I am so glad to see the people back! The architecture is amazing. The color, the energy, the sounds, the smells -- so New Orleans!

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Some of the best years of my life were spent in the Gentilly area of New Orleans in seminary. The campus is so beautiful and is recovering quite well from the damage left by Katrina. There are noticeably fewer trees, and the "tree of theology" is gone (sadly), but the campus as a whole is beautiful!

A trip to New Orleans ...

I have a spiritual and emotional care workshop in New Orleans tomorrow, so I am using this as a great excuse to get some spiritual and emotional care of my very own through a trip to the French Quarter. Oh, how I love this place! I simply love just about everything about New Orleans! Here is Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral in the background.

It is all about the food ...

I have a tendency to eat my way through New Orleans -- today was no different. I had a late lunch/early dinner at Cafe' Maspero, followed by beignets and cafe' au lait at Cafe' Du Monde. It is so good to be home -- even if only for a couple of days!

Nursery Rhymes -- Layout #1

Friends from seminary are in Russia adopting two little boys (3 and 1 1/2 years old). They have been granted the adoption and are in their waiting period before they can have custody and bring them home. I am so excited for them -- both the boys and my friends! I am making a scrapbook of nursery rhymes using the Debbie Mumm Nursery Rhymes paper stack and the Cricut Nursery Rhymes cartridge -- how nice that they go together so well.

VBS Prep Week!

VBS prep is in full swing. Don and Matt are getting the set going for us.

New church nursery ...

The nursery is not quite complete, but it was still a hit this morning. One little boy walked in and came to a screeching halt, looked around silently, then in a very low voice said, "Whoa!" Yep, I would say the nursery was a hit to our kids! The common opinion is that our precious little lamb on the wall needs to be a part of a flock. So, there may be some more painting going on.

Another old Lucy pic ...

Here is my favorite picture of Lucy ...

Fat Tuesday 2008 -- such a party girl!