Our Week at Falls Creek!

We had an awesome week at Falls Creek this year, with 147 people! Praise God! (I was thankful that we were 3 short of 150 so Brian got to keep his hair!) Many people made decisions for the Lord! I took the girls and they were so good! Mackenzie loved hanging out with the girls, and came home thinking that she was a teenager! Madison didn't get far from me very often...she is going through a big time "momma" stage. I always thought that would be so sweet (and it is), but it is exhausting for me...I can't do anything without her on my hip! Most of my time was spent taking care of them, but I did get to spend some time with our teenagers too, which I love. God is doing great things at STBC!!

In my own life this past week, I am learning to let go of things that I can't change, and focus fully on my relationship with the Lord. How much more peace and joy will I have in my life if I will just do that?! God has also given me a wonderful friend in Kari Romoser. I am so, so thankful for her encouragement and friendship! I love that lady so very much!

I was very surprised at how well the girls slept at Falls Creek! We would go to the Tabernacle in the evenings and then come back and I would give them baths and pretty much put them right to bed. Madison was so tired that she laid down and went right to sleep! Mackenzie did pretty well too! We are so blessed to have our own room, with a bathroom and BATHTUB! That is incredible at Falls Creek! One night I went to a fellowship for Youth Minister's Wives, and I realized after listening to them, just how blessed I am to have such wonderful accomodations! We had theme nights every night and I tried to dress the girls accordingly...twin night, neon night, Disney night (that one was easy!) and date night. I wasn't sure if the girls could make it the entire week, but they did! G-Ma and Pa came and picked them up on Friday at 11:00, so I did have one "free" day for me! As soon as they were gone though, I missed them! Things like Falls Creek are always fun, but I am always ready to get home! I love my own bed, my shower, my tv, my own space, my computer...materialistic, I know, but its the truth!

I am so glad that the girls will have memories of Falls Creek as they grow up. What better way to start teaching them about Jesus, than by taking them to Falls Creek?! I will end this blog post with this story: One night during worship in the Tabernacle I said to Mackenzie, "Did you know that the whole reason we come to Falls Creek is to worship God?" and she nodded...then I said, "One of these days, you will ask Jesus into your heart!" and she said, "But mommy, Jesus is already in my heart!" I almost cried! I love my babies so much, and I am really beginning to pray about their salvation, whenever that time may be.

Here are some pictures from this week!

Mackenzie's personality shines in this picture! I'm so glad we all get to experience Falls Creek!

STBC Falls Creek 2010

One of the rare occasions that Madison was happy with someone other than me!

This girl loves to color!

Mackenzie sang several songs in the microphone in front of everyone throughout the week. I think this one was the ABC's and I know she did Jesus Loves Me. She is not shy at all and I hope she stays that way.

They won the award for "Cutest Twins!"

Mackenzie loves Kari! She means so much to our family!

Crack me up! Mackenzie's probably thinking, "What are we looking at?!"

Rebecca, Heather, Keeley, Madison and Courtney at the Tabernacle

This is in the lobby of the Tabernacle. We spent quite a bit of time there during the services! Mackenzie loved playing with the wet rocks from the water fall.

This is how we spent a lot of our afternoons...it was too hot to go outside! What would we do without portable dvd players?!

Mackenzie hung out with Abby French a lot! Two cute girls!

Neon night!

Mackenzie went to the girls' dorm, and came back wearing glasses, a necklace, all kinds of hair clips, bracelets and shoes that weren't hers! I think the girls had fun dressing her up!

We had to buy Madison a Disney costume before camp started! She makes an adorable Snow White! Now she can play dress up at home with Mackenzie too! Of course, the headband lasted about 30 seconds!

This cracks me up...I was trying to take a picture of them together, but that is difficult since Madison is on the move! I asked Mackenzie to hold onto her and this is what she did! Madison is looking at me like, "Mommy, please help me...she's choking me!" LOL!

This was totally not planned! Jill Wilson was the witch from Snow White on Disney night.

I laughed because Mackenzie wanted to have her picture taken with everyone dressed up in costumes! I think she thought she was at Disney World again, taking pictures with the characters! Rachel and Rebecca were the Mad Hatter and Alice and Wonderland and they won the prize for best costumes!

Kamryn, Madison & Abby! This is what Madison's face looked like every time someone else held her. I hope she grows out of this stage soon!

Daddy made a pretty good Jack Sparrow! And of course Mackenzie was a beautiful Jasmine!

Madison walked all over the place! I'm so glad she learned to walk before Falls Creek so she wasn't crawling all over the dirty floors.

It is such a blessing to me that the teenage girls help out and play with our girls!

Falls Creek just isn't Falls Creek without getting an ICEE! One night after the Tabernacle, I took the girls. Madison screamed every time I took it away from her. I seriously think she would have drank the whole thing if I let her! However,........

...this was the result of taking it away from her! This baby girl has an Attitude with a capitol A! She is sweet, but she lets us KNOW about it when she doesn't like something!

It was wonderful to end the day for the girls with a bath! It was so HOT at Falls Creek!

Daddy stays very busy, but he is good about spending a few minutes here and there with the girls! He is a wonderful daddy!

Daddy had two pretty little dates on Date Night!

Every year at Falls Creek, we have "Date Night" where we match the kids up in pairs of a younger and older boy and girl, just for fun. This was Mackenzie's 2nd year to have John Perona and Luke Romoser as her dates! She had so much fun with this and kept calling them her "Princes!" They are lucky boys to have such a beautiful date!

The boys played Paper, Scissors, Rock to see which one had to be the girl...poor Luke lost!

Daddy had to give a little lecture to Mackenzie's dates! What a fun picture! The funniest part to me is the look on Mackenzie's face...its like, "Dad you're embarssing me!"

Such a happy little girl...as long as momma's close by! She still has little marshmallow arms!

Zach told Hannah that Madison was his second date...she doesn't look too happy about it! I don't know what she's crying about, he's pretty cute!

We had a pie throwing game and when Brian looked at Madison like this, she started wailing...it totally upset her! I don't blame her, that's pretty scary!

Mackenzie kept asking about her "princes" and she wanted to sit with them at church!

Madison knew where the food was...hey, the girl likes to eat!

Mackenzie became good friends with Rhiley!

It takes a LOT of stuff for a week at Falls Creek! This was nothing compared to what the girls' dorm area looked like!

Our group picture the night that Matt Roberson and his band came to our cabin!

Cousins

Mackenzie and her cousin Liberty have become very good friends! Libby is 8 months older than Mackenzie and they play very well together! One day after VBS, Libby came over and spent the day with us! I tried to get the girls to take a nap, but that was just not gonna happen! They were too excited to play together. They played Barbies, colored, watched tv, played in the sand, swam in the pool, and watched a movie! One of their favorite things is to wear matching clothes...Brandi found these cute outfits for them! I had to do a little convincing to get them to take these pictures. I'm so glad I did because they turned out SO cute! Two pretty little girls!

Round One of VBS

Mackenzie's G-Ma is the best VBS Director ever, so of course we wanted to be a part of VBS at WHBC! We got to be there on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and Mackenzie even got to sing in the program! I was so excited about that! It was so much fun for me to watch her in a program at the church I grew up in! There were a few times throughout the week that she cried because she wanted her G-Ma or her mommy. She never has a hard time at our church, but she just isn't used to being at WHBC all of the time. It was exciting that Taylor and Thomas were there, and her cousin Libby got to be in her class!

YEE-HAW!!! Saddle Ridge Ranch VBS 2010!

Madison was a cute little cowgirl!

Taylor and Mackenzie at VBS! They were so excited to see each other!

Not sure what this is all about, but its cute!

Mackenzie and Libby leading the pack!

We got to be there the week before Bible School, when they decorated the stage! It looked so cute! G-Ma really is SO good at being the VBS Director!

Western Day at VBS!

Mackenzie did such a good job with the songs and the motions! She never missed a beat! Some of these were taken during the practice, right before the program.

That little one in the middle sure is cute! (She was the smallest one up there!)

Love the leg pose!

This was during the actual program. While the teachers were positioning all of the kids, I heard Mackenzie start crying and saying, "I miss my mommy!" So I waved her down and sat right in front of her...as soon as she saw me, she started singing and was perfectly happy! I think she may have had a little stage fright too. Right before it was time to go up there, she had to go to the bathroom and she gagged...poor little thing! I think she was nervous, but she did SO good!

Pretty Little Cowgirl! (She wanted to take a picture by the chickens in the background!)

Madison took really long naps after VBS each day...this was at the end of the day and she was DONE!

Well, she got happy when she got to ride the saddle!