End of Summer Baseball

Here are just a few pics of Hud's last game and party. He got to be the catcher. The catcher gear was hot and bulky...but he was thrilled!

 Was reminded this season of how fleeting life is.  One little girl on the team's dad was hit by a car and killed one morning as he jogged before work.  She is 5 and her name was Natalie.  We sat next to her dad one week at the game...and the next week he was gone.  Whenever I look back on the pics of this season, may I be reminded to pray for little Natalie and her mom and 3 siblings.  Jesus, please be the rock of this family...may your servants be your hands and feet to help meet needs in their lives...may your love and peace cover them...help them to know that  they can find in YOU.

 Coach Eric was amazingly generous...he basically rented out an entire restaurant and fed pizza to both of the teams (and their families and friends) he coached. About 75 people.   He also, didn't use the YMCA trophies but bought these huge nice trophies for the kids...with their names on them. 

I don't know if Coach Eric knows Jessu...but something tells me he might.  Coach Eric treated people the way Jesus treats them.  Always serving.  Thank you for blessing Hudson and our family!

Big News!

Robbie has been talking and praying with The church at Rock Creek in Little Rock, AR about a possible position over the last few weeks. 

 We found out TODAY that he is being blessed with the Worship Pastor Associate position there.   This is SUCH an answer to our prayer! 

 We have been praying and trusting God for the past 3 years to give Robbie a place to serve and use his gift!  It has not been an easy wait.  Many frustrating days.
 Looking back I can see ways God has used these 3 years to teach us some important things. 
We have been reminded of where we find out hope...not in our circumstances...but in Jesus' blood.  The more I understand HIS grace the more I am amazed by it. The better I extend it to others.
 We have been encouraged and refreshed in our life  purpose through the time we spent attending Keystone Church.  We are here on earth to serve and lead everyone to a passionate life in Christ.  This church has found an amazing way of keeping that fresh in attenders hearts and minds. My focus needs to be on building relationships and doing "things" that will give me an opportunity to point others towards him.  THIS is my #1 purpose.  I often don't live this way. Giving everything...time, money, resources to help others find life in christ. Keystone reignited this passion in me. 
We have learned to be somewhat better stewards of our finances....out of necessity...which is the only way I would learn this lesson.  We can trust God to provide when we don't see how he will.  His ways are so much bigger than ours. 
We have learned we can have joy even when things here are not our ideal.  

This song really sums up our journey...

Matt Redman - Never Once (Live)

Little Rock Vacay

 Right after an amazing weekend with the Gibbs side, we went right to a fun few days with the Buie side of our family!  Lori's husband, Rob (not to confused with my Robbie) arranged for them to get to be the guest Duckmasters at the Peabody Hotel one morning.  I don't think I could have ever dreamed up such an event! Let me just say...only in Arkansas probably!  Sorry, its just true! Ha!

 The gentleman in the red coat is the DuckMaster.  Here he is explaining what is about to take place and giving them their Duckmaster certificates! You got to be legit!  Note Lawson's reaction....what???

 The Duckmaster is now explaining how this ritual got started to the crowd.  Yes, I did say crowd.  There were probably 50 people waiting to see this Peabody ritual.  It takes place every morning!

 The big moment.  The kids go up in the elevator to get the Peabody ducks and bring them down to the fountain. (They told us afterward one of them pooped in the elevator.  Probably a good reason to NOT put ducks in an elevator!)

 And here they come.  I think Hudson was after one of them!

 Up the stairs and into the fountain! Just like that!

 It actually was a lot of fun for the kids!  And like I said...it was definately something new!

 Then to the gift shop to pick out a souvenir duck.  Hudson's was the baseball duck and Lawson's was the Statue of Liberty.  Love the one with rollers and coffee!

 And more lake time! Yes!  Just about our favorite summer place!

 And an afternoon of golf!

 Summer fun for sure!

 

Gibbs Family Vacay

What a feat!  All 18 members of the Gibbs family at the same place at the same time for over 24 hours! Amazing!  (Plus Eddie's sweet parents!) With everyone living in different towns, with different work schedules, and different family holiday plans...this just doesn't happen very often. 

What a treat! (And just getting everyone in one photograph is pretty amazing too!)

Eddie and Steph planned such a fun weekend for everyone.  First, they rented a lakehouse which could accomodate all of us....a feat in itself!  It was a great house!  Then they kicked off our first evening there with a Mexican Fiesta dinner that included the kids busting open a Pinata full of pink or blue candy to reveal the gender of Nalley kid #3! Eddie & Steph didn't know the gender yet either!  Talk about a big moment!

The kids got after and it and...its a....

We spent the next 2 days eating amazing food, enjoying watching the kids play, and playing on the lake! Perfect! Here are all the girls havin a tea party!

Not sure what Hudson was up to here...but it kinda looks like a sneak attack on the girls!

My mom planned some fun arts and crafts projects for the kids.  It looks like we have our own preschool class!

It is quite an effort to prepare and clean up meals for a group of 20....and the teamwork is pretty amazing! Everyone took turns preparing meals. Although Eddie's mom probably did more than her part! She seemd to always be at that sink! Hope my children SEE family members smiling while serving each other! Beautiful picture of love.

The kids had a blast with with their cousins out on the lake!  Eddie's parents were so sweet to bring their boat down to entertain everyone.  And Ashley's parents were generous to loan us their boat too!  Fun to have all 20 of us out on the lake!

After we got the kids to bed, the guys played a round of pool while the girls chatted.  Then we had some mean games of Balderdash (Gibbs family fav board game).



Ashley was so sweet to make ALL 8 kids matching personalized tshirts to wear while we were there!  Our vacation was just so legit!

All good things must come to an end....and so did the weekend!

Thanks EVERYONE! We had a blast and have great memories of Gibbs vacay 2012!