Okay, so when I started this blog I thought that I would have a lot to say, obviously I don't. Here is a brief summary of what's been happening in my life:

- I've done some Christmas shopping
-One of my roommates is getting married this Friday (11/13/09) - that has kept us all busy
-I've decided to try and go on 2 mission trips next year
-We are having 2 Youth Alive camps next summer :-)
-My niece, Sara Beth Hooten got saved - she said that it felt like she had angels and butterflies in her stomach and Jesus was tickling her heart!!
-Decorated the house for fall (ready to decorate for Christmas)
-Went to see Mary Poppins on Broadway - awesome
-Went to see Star Wars in Concert, my nephews LOVED it - my sister, not so much.
-My kids in Awana are doing great!
-Received my autograph picture in the mail of me with Sean Hannity and Oliver North
-Trying to plan a special banquet for Tim Lee Ministries (more details to come)

Well, that about sums it up for now. I just can't seem to want to write to much right now. Maybe I need a topic. Give me some topics and we'll see where it goes :-)

The Joy of the Lord is my Strength

WOW, I have had an amazing weekend! Saturday night, on of my dad's friends took our family and some other Marines and their families to III Forks to have an early celebration of the Marine Corps birthday. We had a great time and talk about some good food! Everything was superb.

I had helped to plan the night, so at the end of the meal the waiter (do you call them waiters in fancy restaurants?) came to me and asked if I got the bill. HAHA. I almost burst out laughing. Yeah, dude I am going to be able to pay for 22 people to eat at III Forks. I could maybe swing 10 people at I Fork.

Anyway, we had a great time and it was so great to see my Dad surrounded by other Marines and have this time of celebration.

Yesterday, September 27th, my Dad preached at Lavon Drive Baptist Church in Garland. I grew up going to this wonderful church! Lavon Drive had worked and worked to get visitors there. They had over 1000 ride to church on the buses. The auditorium was packed out, including the balcony. Dad wore his dress blue Marine Corps uniform and gave his testimony. When the invitation came, he lead people in the sinners prayer, if they wanted to accept Christ. When he was done, he asked that everyone who prayed that prayer raise their hand, and like I've seen him do on so many other occasions, he began counting hands. 1, 2, 3, 4....15.....25......40...........60 (at this moment, I couldn't believe it, it was amazing)..............85..............100...............130...................YES, 139 people accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Each one of them left the auditorium and went and met with a decision counselor and filled out a decision card! Then we found out that they had more saved in the children department. A total of 204 people accepted Christ yesterday on the campus of Lavon Drive Baptist Church in Garland. Plus, it was my sister's birthday (Happy Birthday, Jana) and my nephew, Andy, got baptized! Talk about an amazing day!

The Beasts

I normally get home from work around 5:00. Yesterday, at 1:00 I had to run by my house to pick something up. When I walked in the door my dog, Gunther was leaping off of the couch and Corrienne's dog, Kip was laying on the couch. They are NOT suppose to be on the furniture and they know that!

I hollered at them to get down. They got down and Kip went and stood in the doorway of Corrienne's room and peed in the floor!!!! I could not believe it. They do not use the bathroom in the house. They are very house trained. They even ring a bell that hangs on our back door when they need to go out. I got so frustrated and the more frustrated I got, the more he went and the more he went the more frustrated I got. I put him up in the laundry room and I put Gunther up in the bathroom. I cleaned up the mess and left.

On my way home, I was thinking that I would get home and let them out and then love on them a while and get them a treat. I was kind of feeling bad for getting on to them.

I got home and I let Kip out of the laundry room and I let Gunther out of the bathroom. I went to the backdoor and let them both outside.

I walked to my bedroom and I smelt something funky coming out of the bathroom where Gunther had been. I just thought to myself "Man, Gunther really needs a bath, he made it stink up in here!" I opened the bathroom door and I was going to turn on the fan. What I saw next made my heart sink and my blood boil. We just got BRAND NEW bathroom rugs for this bathroom and my lovely canine had decided to leave me a nice little (big really) poopie present on one of them. We had the old rugs for a long time, never once did he poop on them. However, the poop was arranged in such a fashion where I would have been able to pick up the rug and dump it in the toilet and then treat and wash the rug.

I went and got Gunther and called him into the bathroom. I was going to put his nose in it and turn him outside. He had another idea and that was to PUT HIS PAW IN IT. So now I had a very messy rug and the poop was no longer a nice neat pile, but rather ground into the rug. Then he ran out of the bathroom and I had little poopie paw prints all over the place. I turned the dogs back outside and began to clean up.

As I was cleaning the mess in the bathroom, I slipped and nearly fell on what was about half a gallon of pee. Oh the humanity! I could not believe, it just kept getting worse and worse. I walked to the garage to get some more cleaning supplies. You have to walk through the laundry room to get to the garage. Kip had been in the laundry room. Yep, you guessed another gallon or so was waiting for me there. At this point, I was almost laughing, not quite, but almost.

For the next 30 minutes or so, I was picking up poop, cleaning up pee, mopping, re-mopping, spraying 16 cans or so of Lysol, pre-treating rugs, shampooing carpets, washing rugs, lysoling some more, mopping again, and gagging.

Later last night, the dogs apologized to me. I forgave them and we are okay now.

These are the same dogs who ate my flash drive, swallowed my thyroid medicine (including most of the bottle) and tore up some fund raising money (that we were able to tape back together).

BUT, at the end of the day, I love them. They are often crazy and annoying, but they are also sweet and loving. They also bark when strangers approach our house and I like that security.

Life goes on, days continue, and Gunther and Kip live to see it all.

Awana

I have worked in Awana on Wednesday nights for 8 years now. I love it. Awana is a program for kids where we get to play games, memorize scripture and hear a lesson. It is really a great program.

I have always worked with younger kids in Sparks, but this year I am working in Truth and Training with 3rd graders. I moved up because I take 2 of my nephews with me to Awana. Reid is in my 3rd grade class and Andy is in 1st grade. They always have a great time.

This semester in Awana we are giving our missions offering to Bridge Builders. Bridge Builders is a locally based, Dallas ministry. They focus on reaching out to the inner city. I have volunteered with Bridge Builders many times and I love this ministry. Well, because Awana is supporting Bridge Builders and I am connected with both ministries, I was asked, along with my roommate Corrienne, to talk to the kids last night in Awana about Bridge Builders.


I was great. To see these kids really get what Bridge Builders was all about. I loved it though when Corrienne asked if anyone could tell her what a bridge can take you across and some kid yelled out "pizza". HAHA

I've seen and heard some crazy things in Awana over the years. Kids are hysterical. Below is a conversation that I heard 2 years ago while some boys were "whispering" in story time. The names and identities have been changed to protect the innocent:

Sam: Dude, what is on your fingers?
Alex: I don't know
Sam: Dude, it smells really bad
Alex: No it doesn't, leave me alone
Sam: Dude, I think it's poo poo
Alex: What?
Sam: Dude, you have poo poo on your fingers!!!
Alex: (smells fingers)
Sam: (grossed out, making gagging noises)
Amber: ummm, Alex, go to the bathroom and wash your hands...with a lot of soap.

A few years before that my roommate, Corrienne was teaching a lesson. There were about 100 kids in the room and probably 25 or so adults. Corrienne was teaching on missions and how some missionaries go to other countries and some stay here in America. She said "Some missionaries go abroad, who can tell me what abroad means?" One girl on the front row raised her hand. She was the only one with her hand up. Corrienne said "Yes, can you tell me what abroad means?" The child stood to her feet and proclaimed "A broad is a woman who does not dress very modestly!"

I was sitting a few rows behind this girl and I just about lost it, along with every other adult in the room!

Kids are hilarious and I am so thankful that God has placed so many fun amazing kids in my life. Particularly my 6 amazing nieces and nephews, Emma, Reid, Ally, Andy, Sara Beth & Case. They are by far the funnest, coolest, sweetest kids on the planet!
















Reid and me, last year in Awana Andy and me, last year in Awana

The Cat Story (cat lovers, turn away now)

Okay, I've decided to tell a story...and this one if perhaps my most requested story of all time. go back with me to Christmas Eve 1998. I was home from college and enjoying some time with my parents. We were having Christmas with our entire family on Christmas Day. While I was helping my Mom wrap presents and bake pies, I realized that I was a horrible daughter. Here it was Christmas Eve and I had forgotten to get my Mom a Christmas gift.

I went in and told my Dad that I was going to Blockbuster. My Mom loves the movie "Gone With the Wind" and I wanted to get her the special collectors edition that was out at that time.

I got in my Chevrolet Blazer and left the driveway. I turned the corner and just a bit down the road I saw a cat on the side of the street. This dear cat was standing on the curb watching me and my Forest Green Blazer (not a van, by the way) barrel down the street. I saw the cat. The cat saw me. The remember thinking that I hoped the cat didn't run into the road. He stayed on the side of the road right until my car passed him and then like a crazy cat, he darted right out into the street. I felt and heard the thump of my front tires, I then felt and heard the thump of my back tires.

Now, I have to be honest. I have a dog. I love dogs. Dogs do not jump onto kitchen counters. Dogs love to be petted. You take dogs on walks. Dogs are good. I have never had a cat, I have never desired to have a cat and unless I find a cat that looks and acts just like a dog, I seriously doubt that I will ever want a cat. However, I did not intend to kill this cat and here it was Christmas Eve and I'm picturing some pool little child out searching for his cat. Perhaps, posting signs on street post and calling out "here Whiskers".

I pulled my car (not van, can be called SUV or Truck) over to the side of the road and got out. What I saw, I will never forget. The images flood my mind. The cat was still alive. He (could have been a she, I didn't look closely enough to find out) looked at me as if to say "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" All I saw was something that looked really really gross. I wasn't sure what to do.

I got back in my car and drove back down the street to my parents house. I called my sister in law and her mom. Her mom was a vet. She wasn't sure what to do either, since it was Christmas and most places would be closed.

I got back into my car and headed back to the scene of the crime. When I arrived on the scene, there were several people there. The feline had been taken to the side of the road. A lady around 50 years old sat on the curb holding the said cat. The cat was still alive. I walked over to this lady, fully prepared to tell her that I was very sorry but I was the one who hit her cat (even though technically her cat hit me, but whatever). When I got closer I saw that the woman was weeping and holding the cat very tight. I told her that I had a towel in my car (not van) if she would like to use it. She said that would be great. As I walked to my car I thought that this woman is crazy. She is weeping uncontrollably. She is going to kill me.

I took her my towel and as she wrapped up her precious cat, it took it's last, hung it's head and died. She wept louder. Then she said in an angry rage "The problem with the people in this neighborhood is that they just need to slow down". Well, that comment didn't help how I was feeling. I wasn't driving fast. I saw the cat and was relying on the cat NOT to dart out in front of me. I determined through other things that were said that morning, that I could not tell this lady that I killed her cat, because my earlier assessment of her was in fact true, she was crazy.

The day after Christmas, I was upstairs getting ready when I heard the doorbell ring. I listened as my Mom talked to someone at the door. Then the door shut and I heard my mom laughing uncontrollably and calling me to come down stairs. In her hands was my towel, all washed and Downy fresh (it went in the trash). There was also a gift bag with a cat on it. In the bag was tons of goodies, like bubble gum, candy bars. Each one was individually wrapped in cat wrapping paper. There as also a card, on cat stationary, which had my name and address in puff paint on the outside. The card read:

Dear Amber,
Here is your towel. Thank you for helping me in my horrible time. We had Frisky for 8 wonderful years. He gave us 8 years of purrs, head rubs and love, love, love. Thank you again.
Love,
(HER NAME)
and her now 5 cats not 6

What Do I Say....

I have never blogged before. What am I suppose to say? Should I talk about the events of my day, if so that would be boring. Should I talk about the events of my week, if so, that would be less boring then just the days events, but still nothing to waste your time reading. Perhaps I should tell a story of some crazy event in my life, that would be interesting...but how do I pick which story. This is hard and I feel as though it's a lot of pressure. I don't know why I feel like it's pressure, I mean so my friends read my blog, big deal, but maybe...just maybe I mean what if, thousands of people begin reading my blog. Then tens of thousands, I am offered deals from different companies wanting to advertise on my page. Then comes the book deal and I start traveling and doing public speaking. I am suddenly internationally famous and a household name. Man, talk about pressure.

I guess I could just tell you a bit about myself. I am 30 years old, but I don't feel like I am 30. I feel more like I'm 23 or so. Thirty doesn't exactly sound old to me or anything like that, but it doesn't sound young either. I want to try new things! I want to look back on the past 30 years of my life and pick out the moments that really mattered. I want to focus on the moments that I made a difference to someone else and I want to have many more of those moments in the next 30 years.

I am single, never married. I do have a desire to marry but I want to wait for the right guy and the right time. I know that God has some amazing things in store for me. And hey...if you want to set me up on a blind date, just let me know...I'll check my calendar!

I have an amazing family! My parents are wonderful and hilarious. They don't mean to be so funny, it just happens for them. They ask me questions like "How do I make a different picture my background image on my desktop" or I will tell my mom that I am home alone and she will say something like "oh, no one else is there?" HAHA, I love them and they are wonderful. They are always there for me!

I have a brother who is married and he and his wife have 3 boys. My sister and her husband have 3 girls. Yes, 6 nieces and nephews. When Christmas rolls around I consider the possibility of going to the bank and taking out a loan. They are amazing kids and I love them dearly. Two of them have been told by doctors that they have ADD. The doctors also said that they are more likely to get ADD from an aunt or an uncle then a parent. Oops, sorry about that.

My brother, sister - in - law, sister & bro - in -law, are all pretty close. On a typical summer Friday evening we will all be mooching food at my parents house and enjoying the pool! Great times.

I have 2 roomies who are wonderful friends. My roommate Kelly, is getting married in November. She and her fiancee were going to elope to Vegas but I talked her into having the wedding in my parents back yard. We have discussed where the guest should sit. I think we're going to build a giant glass top for the pool and put piranhas in it. Chairs will be placed on the glass top and we will see who really loves them.

My other roomie has been my roomie for about 9 years. It seems like FOREVER. We are more like sisters at this point. She is a great friend. She is a Christian school teacher. Her last name is Bottom, and even though I've known her for about 11 years I still think that it's a funny name. She had a kindergartner get upset at her one time and call her Miss Hiney.

I have a dog named Gunther and my roommate (Bottom) has a cow named Kip. Okay, Kip is a dog too, but he's a beast. He is the fattest dog on the planet.

Well, I do realize (after just reading what I wrote) that so far we are not off to a riveting start. I apologize if I lulled you to sleep, unless of course, you have insomnia. In that case, you're welcome! Sometimes I think I have insomnia, but that is neither here nor there.