Happy Labor Day

This weekend is Labor Day Weekend. Adam and I have a full schedule just the way we like it. Friday- the Braves game in Atlanta

Saturday-Tractor show with Mom, Daddy, and Sally Ann. Daddy fixes up old Farmall tractors and gets them running again. Then...to the Lake with the whole Hopper clan. Caroline is coming up from Charleston. Liz, Adam, and I from Greenville and the rest of the clan will come from G-Vegas. I love my family so much! The are humorous, loving, obnoxious, and most of all supportive. I cannot wait to be there and ski and float and most of all eat. I hope you all have a great Labor Day and that God bless you and keeps you safe with your families.

Quay

Adam is the children's and youth pastor at our church. We love being involved in both. Sometimes he prefers the youth over the children but thats because sometimes he is not sure to do with the gaggle of giggling little girls that always fixate on him. But he is really funny when they lift up their dresses as all little girls do. He will sweetly say Maddie, put your dress down or lets keep our hands in our laps. HAHAHA its classic. Every Sunday during the children's sermon you bet on one of them being near him grinning. Starting in 2 weeks our Awana ministry will start back up. Life will be in full swing. So we decided to blitz an apartment complex we drive through to pick up kids. Well we didn't need flyers our bus was enough. Kids were coming from every angle trying to get to Adam. Quay is a beautiful soul that grins so big her face cannot hold her smile. Between her and her brothers and sisters everyone in that complex knew what we were doing. God has blessed us with these amazing children to love on. Quay wanted to come home with us. I would take her in a heartbeat. Actually I would take a lot of them home with me. We are excited about what God is going to do through us with this ministry. Thank you Jesus for little children and help me to have faith like a child in all that I do.

Airborne

If you don't know my husband let me introduce you to the adventure seeking, crazy person that he is. In the picture above is Chaplain Helms, still enlisted in the Army, Adam, and Jeremy. Adam and Jeremy meet in Basic Training and have been best friends since. If you were at our wedding you saw Jeremy and his wife Amber sing. Adam and Chaplain Helms had adventures in Iraq that I never want to hear about...

Adam appears calm and subdued until you really get to know him. In July, Adam bought a kayak. He loves it! For his 27th birthday we gave him kayak shoes, watertight bags, something to hold his ipod, keys, and whatever else he can stick in the kayak. This is just one of many thing he loves to do. If he could still jump out of airplanes everyday he would. Something I love dearly about him is that he challenges me to be nuts. I love my feet on the ground. I like rollercoasters but I have to psych myself up to get on them. My aunt has a lake house at Lake Lure in NC. Adam loves to jump from her boat house into the water. I am content to jump from the ladder about 1 ft. from the water. But together I feel like I can jump from the top of the boat house and I can ride the rollercoasters that I actually love now. Anyway this is a random blog, just to say that today I am feeling adventurous and ready to face what might come my way.

Lord, thank you for the adventure of life. I am so happy I am spending it with my wonderful hubby.

I love this man!!

Its Thursday at 10:30 in the morning and I just want the world to know that I love my husband. He is amazing. Last night I was tired, frustrated, and wanting him to love on me. Of course he was there as always. But today I want the world to know that he is my best friend, my encouragment, my protector from things big and small, and most importantly my love. No one could love me better except Jesus. Adam, you are my gift and I love you.

Dear Jesus,

Be with Adam. Protect him, give him wisdom and discernment. Open his eyes to your will for him. Thank you for the love that he shows me daily when I really don't deserve it. Thank you for a loving and energetic husband. AMEN!!

What a day...

My two favorite girls, Sally Ann and Sarah.

Let's see my day began great. Nice morning while I was in the comfort of my home. When I left for work I was pumped for a crazy day. My boss is retiring in September and his last big "event" is a huge dinner. I am talking 250 guests and basically I have planned the whole thing. So, I get to work and I am filling up my big water jug when one of my co-workers says, "um, em, did you forget about today?" I am supposed to be wearing some kind of black, red, or white clothing. (NGU's school colors) But what do I have on? Oh gray pants with a cute little cardigan. Here I go home again. I change, put on a little more war-paint, and head back to get my picture taken for our boss. Needless to say my day was going great.

The day wears on with my running around like a chicken with my head cut off in a great skirt with a red top and the pearls I wore in my wedding. :) Then in comes my gift. Sarah. She is my work study and first child. She calls me Mom on a daily basis, even in front of the school President. Basically God gave her to me to minister to me. Sarah is from Myrtle Beach and is 19. Jesus flows from this child. I should be the one ministering her and yet God shows me through her everything I need sometimes. By 3pm I am crying in my office. Completely overwhelmed. In comes Adam, my knight in shining armor, and by the time he leaves I am smiling again, with Sarah by myside getting all thing accomplished. Jesus has given me Sarah. I don't know what I will do when she graduates. I still have 2 years with her but I know our friendship will last a lifetime.

This evening Sarah and I went to dinner and then I went to church. We had game night...need I say more? I love games! Once again, in my awful day Jesus always makes me smile. Now I am here with my hubby watching the Braves lose, again but I am content and the big event? I gave it to Jesus through me He will accomplish.

Miss SC Teen

Sally Ann has grown up to be such a beautiul gentle spirit. I love her. My husband is hot too!

Let' try this again...

Delight. Enjoy. Seek. I have been going through this words a lot latetly. God is doing a mighty work in my heart. He is showing me, again, that life with Him is daily surrender from Emily to Jesus. I don't think I am a selfish person I just tend to begin my quest to make the world happy when all that matters is Him. He is my happiness.

This summer Adam and I have been non-stop. VBS, camp with Foster Christy, who by the way is amazing. Teen Jam every Friday night...:) in a gym with no air. :) I guess God has taken our new adventures at church to a new level. Our Awana progam starts up soon and I am Co Commander. I can't wait. I love being able to love on all the kids and helping them learn the Word of God. Camp at Garden City Beach was a highlight of the summer. The youth learned so much and rejuvinated their souls. Of course, I over did it and was dehydrated by Tuesday. Yes, I couldn't put weight on my feet and I was alone while everyone was at worship. I knew God would send me someone before I would be desperate. He never ceases to amaze me.

School has started back for Adam. 3 more semesters. North Greenville is great and I love working their and loving on the students I work with.

Sally Ann is a senior this year. I cannot believe it. She has had the best summer ever. Top 10 at Miss SC Teen and a decision on where to attend school on top of growing closer to Jesus.

Thank you Jesus for my family and friends that you have sent to encourage and love me for me. I love you!