March - April 2024

    In March, we went on our first mission trip with Mission of Hope. We went to the Dominican Republic (Jarabacoa) for a full week. There, we served both Haitians and Dominicans. We went as a family, but was paired up with a youth group from Jacksonville Flordia. After the kids got to know some of the youth, it turned into a great week. The weekend was fairly relaxed and on campus, with the exception of going to Santiago for Church on Sunday morning. The Haitian service was in Creole, but as translated when we got to the message. We had a little girl that sat on our laps for most of the service. She was precious - she became a favorite of Aubrey and Avery throughout the week. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we did SMT: strategic ministry time. We would walk the neighborhood near the church and talk to people on the street or knock on doors to start a conversation with them which eventually led to conversations about Jesus. Both girls got to witness someone accepting Christ during the week. Jay and I also had powerful experiences as well, whether it was by being encouraged, being blessed, or seeing the Holy Spirit work in mighty ways. Then we would go back to the church/school for lunch (peanut butter and jelly) and in the afternoon did a kids VBS camp. This was a special time of really bonding with the kids and getting to know them. One memory was a girl that both Aubrey, Avery, and I connected with said the word "remember" when we exchanged pictures. She wanted me to remember her, and her to remember us. It was a very special moment. Thursday we painted the hallways of a large apartment building. We were busy at work, but got the whole project done. On Friday, we had an excursion day where we went to a river club. I would say the highlight for the kids on this day was jumping from the big rock. The week was powerful and impactful, and more importantly had eternal impacts. I'm so glad we could do it as a family and hopefully won't be the last. 

    At the end of March, I had surgery which was a little bumpy at first, but thankfully got better after the first week. Grammy and Poppy to the rescue to help out around the house, with the kids, and with me. We then celebrated Easter with the family and while I was on the couch, everyone seemed to have a good time decorating eggs, enjoying the company, and eating good food. It is always good to have the family together for holidays. 

    April was pretty low key with the exception of two great news! Aubrey made student worship team at church. She is so excited to be a part of this ministry. Avery competed in state FPS (future problem solvers) and qualified for internationals in Indianapolis. In June she will compete against multiple different counties about air quality. At the end of the month we tried a new adventure - making homemade sushi. We had fun and boy was it tasty! 

    The kids are wrapping up 6th grade - last year of middle school....then head off to junior high school. Wish us luck. 

March 2024: 

Mission of Hope Mission Trip to Dominican Republic:

The church, the school, the meeting place: 

Our quarters for the week: 

"Remember" 

The pastor and his family: 

April 2024: 

Easter 2024: Visit with Grammy and Poppy

January - February 2024

    January we get to kick off the new year with one of our favorite traditions - making homemade pasta as a family. This year we made homemade manicotti. It was a hit! I love the time together, the memories, and I think we all enjoy the delicious food! The very next day kicked off a visit with Nana and Grandpop and got to enjoy a Christmas/New Year's visit with them. Activities included making homemade pizzas, an escape room, bowling, shopping, and a movie. All in all, another great visit. The girls are very lucky to have both sets of grandparents so present in their lives. The kids had a 3 week long Christmas break which was so awesome. I love having the kids home and spending the time with them. Last but not least in the month of January, Avery was showcased in Rodeo Art for the second time with a fabulous masterpiece she created. 

    February came and went! One new hobby the girls have really enjoyed is volleyball. The girls are in AVA with their friend Kennedy and they are learning a lot of new skills. We enjoyed watching their first volleyball tournament in February. We also celebrated Tessa's birthday where we did a scavenger hunt, made homemade slime, and enjoyed a delicious dinner together. We enjoyed another year at the Rodeo. We saw King and Country again in concert - always a great show.  Last up was celebrating Aimee's bday baking a yummy treat for us all to enjoy. 

    Overall, the start of the year was relaxing yet fun!

January 2024:

February 2024: