Trinity Valley Tres Dias #12

That's where I was this weekend. As a team member, not a candidate.

And I must say, working a Tres Dias is just as good -- if not better -- than being a candidate.

I can't give you details about my weekend there, because you're not supposed to give away what goes on at these retreats. It's not meant to be exclusive, but you want the candidates to be surprised with all of the awesome things that happen while they are there.

I would never be involved in anything that goes against the Word of God, and this ministry certainly does not. It is awesome, and lives were truly changed there. Healing took place, people were set free, and the joy of the Lord was overflowing.

It was incredible!

I can tell you a little about what I was able to do, though: serve, serve, and serve some more, and it was one of the best weekends I've ever had.

Not only did I get to share a dorm with some great women, but some friendships that had already been established in my life were strengthened even more. We stayed up way too late, laughing and talking. Well, mostly laughing, and mostly because we were delirious and exhausted, but laughter is good for the soul, right?

I had the opportunity to step in different roles whenever things changed and they needed my help. It was great to learn all the different areas that work to make these retreats successful. I walked the campgrounds a lot, even ran some, loaded things up, took things apart, and served the candidates with a smile. I loved every minute of it!

I was able to see the candidates experience the love of the Lord like some of them had never known, and watching them in amazement was priceless. Hearing their testimonies about what God did in them throughout the weekend made me cry and warmed my heart. I am very excited for each one of them, and I pray that God will continue working in their lives as time goes on.

If you have never had the opportunity to attend a Tres Dias weekend or a Walk To Emmaeus, I encourage you to do so. I promise that you will thoroughly enjoy it. You can find out more about these ministries here and here.

It is finished.

The cookies are bagged up. The wedding cakes are distributed. My suitcase is packed, and I'm off for the weekend.

Have a great one, everybody!

Watching them grow

Right now I am watching my youngest son fill out a sheet of information about himself. We are doing this every day so that eventually these things will click for him and he will remember the information on his own. Things like our cell phone numbers, what his grandparents' names are and where they live, emergency contacts, etc.

When he first started filling this sheet out last week (it's the same one every day), I asked him who he could call in an emergency. He was having a hard time giving me a name, so I asked him if maybe somebody from church could help in an emergency and he told me he would call God.

Pretty smart kid, huh?

We've noticed some great changes with him lately, partly due to diet and supplement changes and off course due to prayer. He seems more focused, and he's asking frequent and pertinent questions. His skin seems to be clearing up as well, which is an added bonus.

An awesome thing happened this morning, though, and I am still amazed. I have blogged before about how obsessed my son has been with the State Fair. This is the first year we haven't gone as a family, and I thought we were going to make it through without any drama because up until last week C hasn't even mentioned the fair.

But then he did. He wanted another stuffed Sonic plush, and he only wants the one from the State Fair. (I found one online for $20 yesterday but he said "no thanks", because it's not from Toy Network.)

So I was trying to figure out how - in the middle of my insane schedule this week- I was going to take a break and drive to the fair with him, and spend the least amount of money winning him a Tails.

Then I remembered that my hubby and a friend are going to the UT/OU game on Saturday and they can go and win him one. They have a much better chance at it than I do, and I honestly don't have the time.

So I started discussions with C yesterday about us not going and Dad going instead to win him one. You have to understand that with him, these kinds of talks last all day. Lots of mumbling and questions and him telling me that he's worried about the State Fair. It is a very big ordeal, I promise.

But last night my husband talked to him about the whole situation and explained that he will try really hard to win, and this morning he woke up without asking any questions. He's happy and hasn't said anything about the fair at all, which is huge!!

My other two kiddos are doing great things, too, but more on that later...

My kitchen smells heavenly

The beginning stages of a pot of gumbo is simmering on my stove at the moment, and it smells incredible in my kitchen. This will not only be our dinner, it will also be a "thank you" for some ladies that are coming over to help me decorate cookies tonight.

120 to be exact.

You see, I have this disease where I often blurt out my offer to perform huge tasks that later on make absolutely no sense. Yes, it's a great idea and lots of women will be blessed this weekend by these cookies.

But what was I thinking???

And it doesn't end there, folks. I'm also taking my son to the State Fair on Wednesday, cooking dinner and dessert for my husband's life group that night, cooking TWO wedding cakes (more on that in a sec), packing to go out of town on Thursday (where the cookies will come with me), and making sure the house is in order before I leave.

Yeah. I'm a little nuts at the moment.

I'm not sure how I get myself into things like these, but I do. And I do it often. (Does anybody else ever do this??)

And out of everything that's going on this week, the wedding cakes are freaking me out the most. This will be my first time (ok second, if you count the practice one I made last week) to make them, but I really, really want them to be beautiful.

Tasting good is not a problem, but I hope they look perfect!

I'm making both cakes (bride and groom's) for a friend of a friend. They will be simple and traditional, white wedding and chocolate groom's. My friend assures me not to stress over this because the wedding will take place on a golf course and the "reverend" was just ordained online a few days ago.

(I am TOTALLY serious!)

But still, this is my baking reputation on the line. I do have standards. :)

I will try to post pictures of the cakes this week, if I can remember in the midst of everything else going on.

Have a fabulous Monday!

Sorry for my absence

I'm wondering what I used to talk about when I first started blogging. I felt guilty if I didn't post something every single day, and my life doesn't seem any more interesting now than it did back then.

Now I feel like I have no exciting news to share.

But I'll share anyway. =)

Most of my time away from this blog has been spent in the kitchen. I have been doing a lot of baking, and since I started using my apron I realize what a mess I make when I make cookies. I had no idea!

I've also been doing a whole lot of gluten-free cooking. Since we put our youngest son back on that diet, I have been playing around with lots of recipes. I have perfected GF sugar cookies, GF banana bread, GF pancakes and waffles, and GF chicken nuggets.

(When I say perfected, I mean good enough for someone who doesn't have to eat GF to still eat it and think it tastes great.)

And because of my picky-ness, I am working with one of our local health food stores to begin cooking some of my GF stuff there to sell. They have agreed to advertise for me, and I am excited to see how many people in my area are eating gluten free these days. I'm sure there are many more people than I know about personally.

I'll keep ya posted on the progress!

I've also started a life group for women that meets in my house every other Wednesday. It has truly been a blessing our first two weeks! We have some women coming that I haven't spent much time with before now, and they are precious women that I am happy to be getting to know.

I'm on my book club book for October, but I am sooooo excited to begin reading the third book in this trilogy. I absolutely LOVED the first two, so I can't wait to get to this one.

My kids are doing great in school, and life just seems to be flying by so very quickly.

But I am still so very blessed.

Hope all is well in your world today. Have a wonderful weekend!