A Weekend Trip to Mesa, Arizona

Zach and I spent the last couple nights in Mesa, AZ with his grandma Lois. Just six hours away from where we live, Zach has quite a bit of family and how fortunate we were to make a trip to visit (and meet) them. One of his cousin's he hadn't even met and she's 8 years old! Many years have passed since he'd seen most of them so it was a small reunion for all who he was able to see. We drove through Joshua Tree National Park and there were tons of boulders in one part of the park. All sorts of cactus' to see and it was a sight to see; Spring in the desert. We're experiencing new kinds of beauty and we're really enjoying that.

Lots of tall cactus's instead of trees, ha ha.

Left to right: Cousin Michael with his girlfriend Danielle, Uncle Anthony, Cousin Danielle and Aunt Patty. :) Grandma Lois is taking the picture (she insisted).

Laure, my mother-in-law was visiting her mom, Phyllis who happens to be Lois' neighbor when she lives in AZ during the winter. It was neat to see her and I had a wonderful time with her and her mom. We had a girls day out and went to a lunch theatre and watched Singin' in the Rain and it was a real treat!

It looks beautiful out there but it was really only about 65 degrees and even though the pool was heated, it was still a little chilly. But...to say we went swimming in March was pretty cool ;)

It's blurry but it was the best shot we got of the Hoover Dam. One of these days we need to spend some time seeing all there is to see out there, it's a place to marvel at because the construction is so enormous it is unbelievable that man made it!

Until our next adventure, that's a wrap!

A Weekend in Dillon, Montana

I was blessed with the opportunity to visit my dear friend Kitty in Dillon, MT. I haven't seen her in four years and after a year of prayer, God provided at Just the right time. Kitty opened her home to me when I was taking time off from college and a couple months later, God called me to Tennessee.

The watercolor of the panseys is just once example of Kitty's giftedness in painting. She was an art teacher and enjoyed it with a passion until her body could no longer sustain long days. She was born with a crooked spine and despite physical limitations, she shines in many other ways. She is gifted with compassion and love for people and I am one of many who have been touched and changed by her.

I was also able to see some college friends who now have a family with two children, John and Meghan with their son Joshua and Tearsa. We had a great time of fellowship over a meal at good ole Papa T's :D Not to mention, John helped make some adjustments in Kitty's closet so she could better reach the hangers, Praise the Lord! That will make All the difference for Kitty!

Dickens! And boy is he ever! Ha ha! This is Kitty's 'new' pet and he needed a cleaning on his back end so I wrapped him in a towel while Kitty did the work. :) He didn't like it too much but we were absolutely impressed with his tolerance and cooperation.

He was about to find out why we taunted him into the bathroom, Muwaha haha!

And last but most certainly not least, my sweet friend Sandy! She has a remarkable story over God's healing in her physical body and I'm so grateful we were able to get together for lunch. We had a rich time of sharing the good things that God is doing and has done in our lives. We both walked away filled with joy and encouragement. Praise be to God!

There is much more to tell about the three days in Dillon but instead of writing a big paragraph I'll share just one instance of God's blessing and favor over the trip. The ticket turned out to be only $50.00 which was an incredible praise in itself but once I arrived in Idaho Falls, my friend Dave, who I hadn't seen in Years (and a crazy story of how we even became friends) picked me up, bought me dinner (thank you Dave!) and handed me the key to his spare car for the weekend! That was a last minute surprise and a blessing beyond measure! And he wouldn't even let me pay for any gas! The entire trip was blessed like that, it was one thing after another. The whole point and purpose of the trip was to serve and encourage and it turned out that I received both of those things too. Hallelujah!