Happy New Year

It's a new year so I decided the blog needed a face lift, along with a little more content. I started this blog really as a way for me to remember life as it happened. I wanted to be able to look back and see what REALLY went on. As you can tell by scrolling down the blog, I have not been very good at it. Hopefully, this will change this year.

Since I am so far behind, let me hit the high notes of the past 7 months.

-Camp Atlanta was awesome! Stayed at FBC Woodstock in the corner crypt with the lovely Sherri Parmer. My girls were awwwwwesome! Got to minister at a women's shelter called My Sister's House. We had much fun playing at Whitewater, Six Flag's water park. Sorry to the many ladies who rafts got flipped, etc. It was all in good fun! The best part tough was getting to lead one of my sweet girls, Courtney, to the Lord! Our SS class had been praying for her for a couple of years so it was a hug answer to prayer and how awesome was it that God used me?! Totally blessed!

-In Auguest we went on the 3rd annual Elkins family vacation. This year we went up to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area. It was so much fun! We stayed in a beautiful cabin with Dan's parents and his brother and his family. The highlights were Dollywood (can I say their waterpark is AWESOME!!), Ripley's Aquarium, and just hanging out with the family. We had some really great ice cream one night too!

-Katelyn turned 4 on August 19th. We had a ballet party with 6 of her friends. We decorated picture frames, jumped in Papa's bouncy house, ate awesome cupcakes, decorated by moi, and just had fun! I love seeing Katelyn with her friends! They are sweet group of girls!

-Katelyn started school this year. She is in Pre-K at FBCJA. She LOVES going to school. She looks so grown up in her little uniforms! She has great teachers and administrators and we are so blessed that she can be in school there. She and Daddy share special Daddy/Daughter times in the car on the way to school and then Mommy and Sissy pick her up. It works out great!

-Halloween was fun! Katelyn was Angelina Ballerina and Caroline was a lady bug. They were adorable! We went to a fall festival with the Nocks (Katelyn's best friend's family) and the Harmons and had so much!

-Thanksgiving was a blast! ALL of Dan's family (all 4 generations) gathered at his parents house for Thanksgiving/Christmas. The kids had their own little table and did pretty well overall. The kids (and us) got spoiled rotten with all the presents. We had a great time but by the end of the week, I think everyone was ready to be back to normal routines and homes.

-Christmas was spent with the Spurlin clan this year. My brother and his family were able to come down for 4 days so that was great! It had been over a year sonce the siblings had seen each other. We actually had an opportunity to have an all adult dinner (thanks Sarah and Emily!) It was nice to spend time with my parents and my brother at J. Alexanders. Katelyn and Caroline got a trampoline from Nana and Grandpa so that was a HUGE hit. All the cousins came over and jumped around one morning and loved it. There are going to be lots of fun times on that trampoline. I can already tell. :)

-Dan had his annual New Years Discipleship trip this year. He took 105 middle schoolers and adults to Miami to work with 3 different churches. They put on block parties, handed out invite cards, put door knockers on doors and pretty much worked ALL day long telling people about Jesus and living out their faith. From what I've heard, it was a GREAT trip that the kids won't soon forget. Me and the girls stayed behind at Hotel de Spurlin. Elias and Brannon had a sleepover on New Years Eve and then we had our traditional lunch of jowl, black eyed peas, rice, and greens. I didn't partake of the greens or peas but it was good nonetheless.

So, I guess that brings us to the present. God has been teaching me and showing me some things that I will share in a later post but I'm excited for this year holds. I hope your 2011 is even more blessed than your 2010!