The Ramblings of Denira

This morning, my brother-n-law Jarrett called us to let us know that He was being called into the ministry by God and he was accepting that call!! We’ve seen it coming for awhile and just knew that it was a matter of time before Jarrett confirmed it! We are so excited and proud of him. I am so thankful to have gotten to marry into such an awesome family!! Here’s a picture of Jarrett and his girlfriend Allie who has been such a blessing for Jarrett. She’s one of my small group girls and I couldn’t think of any better person for each of them to date!! Please keep him in your prayers as he starts this amazing journey!!

This weekend was all about the animals! Friday night we went and saw Evan Almighty with Chris and Melissa. It was a great movie and a must see for everyone! Saturday, Bobby and I took our neice and nephew to the zoo. It was so much fun hanging out with them, despite the hot weather. Rhianna and Christian had a blast!!! All the walking and excitement wore them out though, the minute we pulled out of the zoo parking lot, both of them were sound asleep!!! Bobby and I LOVE being Aunt and Uncle!

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is my dear friend Deena’s birthday!!! I’m so excited to be celebrating this birthday with her. This time last year…..Deena and I would not be celebrating anything together!!! Although I’ve known her forawhile, I don’t think I said 2 words to her until this past December, when she came to lead worship at the Girl’s retreat that I had organized for our girls in the student ministry. Since then Deena has joined our leadership team and has become one of my best friends. I’m sooooo thankful that God has put her in my life. Deena came in my life at just the right time, when God knew I needed a friend like her the most!!! We’ve shared a lot of fun times and I can only look forward to more…..like desert at the Melting Pot tomorrow night!!! )

Happy birthday Deena!!! I love ya!!!!

Sunday was Melissa’s birthday, but since we are celebrating this weekend I waited till now to post this. Melissa is such an answered prayer in my life. We met about 5 years ago when we were in another friends wedding. We started going to church together, eventually became roommates and have been inseparable ever since. We have shared so many huge events with each other. Each other’s engagements, weddings, graduations, vacations, and who could forget our almost fatel trip to Trinidad.

Melissa has stood by myside in some of the hardest moments of life and has never let me down. Melissa and Chris are family to Bobby and I. There is never a dull moment when we are with each other. Our husbands have even made the comment that they know when they tell one of us something the other one will know all about it. Bobby is my bestest friend and with out him I’m not whole, but Melissa is my other part!!!

I love ya Melis and couldn’t ask for a better best friend!!!

I woke up this morning and had to pull myself out of bed (as i do most days). I walked throught the living room and there in the floor Bobby had left me a sweet little note telling me how much he loved me and to have a great day!!! Bobby is great at doing sweet little things like this that lets me know how much he loves me!! God blessed me with an amazing husband and I am so thankful for that! Not only is he a great husband, but he’s a great friend, brother, son, and youth pastor!! He’s some pics of him getting slimed on the mission trip!

*spending time with Deena and Holly on the drive down
*seeing my husband baptize my brother in law in the ocean
*getting to baptize Natalie and Holly
*watching as my husband led 8 children to the Lord
*sitting around the circle at night and listening to all the students share their “God Moment” of the day
*watching Jarrett do the pee wee herman dance at Broadway at the Beach
*concert at pirateland on Wed
*quiet time in the morning on the beach
*talking with Allie about how amazingly interesting the book of Genisis is
*being able to watch as our students grew
*seeing 5 of our own and 1 we didn’t know baptized
*watching Delanie share Christ with the French guy we met

FUNNIEST MOMENTS (will only make since to those of you who were there)
*Jarrett and the pee wee herman
*Holly trying ot stretch a tarp out by herself during a tropical storm
*Cleaning lady in the bathroom
*Bobby’s shadow
*Matt’s song
*Riding around in the van with the girls running from the storm
*Deena looking for her phone upside down in Holly’s car
*Deena skim boarding
*Bobby attempting to skim board
*Tim Baird…need i say more?
*shaving cream
*******this list could go on and on!!!!!

We got back from the mission trip last night!!! It was a great trip…and as tired and dirty as i was yesterday when we left…I was honestly sad to come home! As you can see from my previous post…the trip started out pretty interesting. Deena, Holly and myself, spent all day Saturday putting up tents for our group…just to have a tropical storm hit right as the students arrived!!! i must say that our tents were put up so good that they did not blow away in the storm, however some collapsed due to the amount of rain that had feel so quickly. thankfully the campground did have a shelter that they allowed us to sleep in on picnic tables! Sunday we awoke to better weather…..plus a lot of wet stuff in our tents! thank God for Kelty hiking bags…because despite the puddle of water my stuff was swimming in……none of my clothes got wet!!! (other’s weren’t so lucky!!!) oh and did i mention that I got bit by a spider and had to go to the hospital because of how bad it was!!!! All in the first 2 days……but after that it was smooth sailing! More details to come!!!!

Tropical Storm + 9 water resistant (not water proof) tents that fly away + lots of dirt + a lot of bored teenagers + falling branches + bad music = our mission trip experience thus far!!!!