jessi messy

a letter to Genevieve

2012-01-21T14:23:00.000-08:00

beloved Genevieve,

every time i have started to sit down to write this letter i can barely do it because i start to cry. i know, you're probably thinking, "well, Lord have mercy. why?"

well, it because when i think of you, i always think of my Hero. when people ask me who my best friend is, i always reply with Genevieve Mclin Hopkins. shes my grandmother. SHES MY GRANDMOTHER.

i always have a since of pride when i tell people your my grandmother. like i should sign autographs because we carry the same blood. how proud am i to say that im Your granddaughter. im the granddaughter of a Queen.

maw, my memories with you have been stored up as treasures in my heart. i can't even begin to pour out my feelings towards you because i might burst with joy. Thats exactly what you are Pure Joy. a perfect example .you are the most joyful person i know. its contagious. your constant smile will light up the room where ever you go. people run to you because you show them Jesus and do it so well. your strength as a mother to your 12 children has set a beautiful example to teach us to be strong for our own families. your faithfulness to the Lord has shown me that you can't survive without Jesus. your life has taught me that Jesus has to be the center. you have lived that example and your descendants are so very thankful for your love for Jesus.

i love that you make me feel so special. like im your favorite among the 29 of us. how have you been able to do that? how have you been able to love all of us the same? its because you know the true meaning of LOVE. you know how to love. you know how to be loved. you know and love well because Christ lives inside of you and He LOVED YOU first and your love in return shows us, all 29 of us, JESUS. you always point back to Jesus. you have taught me to love and to love like Jesus. thank you maw. thank you for being so faithful. even in the bad times, at every crossroads, you decided to follow Jesus. In the dark times, and in the good times, you are a woman of God, and that has defined your life.

at times you were larger than life to me. you have been so good to me. you have held my hand. let me cry to you. let me sleep with you. rubbed my back and my feet. let me take care you and you take care of me. you have let me hold your hands. your hands that have worked so hard. you came to my ballgames and i always wanted to play extra good when you were there bc i wanted to make you so proud when honestly you could have cared less about the game, you just wanted to see me play. you always had a meal ready. biscuits for days. sweet tea like nobodies business. avon goodies stored in boxes and you never got mad when we piddled with them. chap stick and gum are always a must. the blue house on 19 has a ton of memories. the railroad track and the woods before it was a place for many clubhouses. you never fussed when we probably didn't have any business back there. dancing with you is a FAVORITE of mine. you're the only 89 year old i know that can still cut a rug! hearing stories about your childhood, when you met pawpaw, and 12 kids later always amaze me. i love how even though your kids are all grown you still tend to them as they are still young. that shows that you always need your mom. no matter what. i love the relationship between you and my momma. that teaches me, kelli and jojo to always have a strong relationship with momma. no matter what. i love when you tell me stories about your mom. i love how you let me take care of you. you let me cut your hair. pick out your outfits when we go to town. you even let me pick out your new glass frames recently. now, thats a day that i will treasure forever!!! one of the best days in my 2011. i love how you support me on my mission trips through prayer. and how when i am away your prayers are the ones i feel the most because i know you are praying for me. i love how on birthdays and holidays you give what we need like panies and lip balm...instead of what we want like junk. you always have given to us whats best. i loved going to church with you as a young girl and sitting next to you in church. i can remember you singing your heart out to the Lord. your hospitality, your kindness, you generous heart has been far better than any amount of $ in the whole world. you have taught my heart to be kind. to be faithful. to be generous .. the list goes on. and for that i am forever thankful.

when i think about you proverbs 31:10-31 comes to mind.

¹⁰ ^[b]A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
¹³ She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate... i outlined this in red because its your favorite color..and its YOU!

im so thankful that God made me your granddaughter. im so glad that He knew that i would need YOU. maw, thank you for always tending to me and my heart. thank you for believing in me and my ideas. thanks for holding my hand when times are tough. thanks for always being there. thank you for walking in the ways of the Lord and for teaching me Jesus. you are so loved. i can only hope that one day i will be just like you. YOU ARE MY HERO!!!! im so blessed because of you. im thankful to our Father who created us to be family. im a stronger person because of it.

i feel like i could write for days about you. and the letter still not be ready to give to you. oh mawmaw Genevieve, you are so dear to my heart and its completely full.

God is good. im thankful for you my beloved grandmother/mawmaw/gen/queen

yours forever. merry Christmas.

your granddaughter jessica kayde white

a quote.

2012-01-16T14:53:00.000-08:00

"A lot of people thought by coming here, after i have seen lots of things that people have here and i don't have in my home land HAITI i was going to hate Haiti or be regretful that i was born there. But i want you all to know that being here in the states makes me love my country more than ever. Cause we have nothing and we are the most happiest people in the world and here people have everything they want and they are most of the time the most miserable people on hearth. Why is that? It's just because my joy comes from the Lord and not from stupid material things and most american people's joy is based on money and other stupid stuff. I am so proud more than ever that i am HAITIAN and yes of course i will go back to HAITI"- michael arris (a friend of mine from Haiti)

after reading this all i could say was "wow, this is so true..and so sad."

im so thankful to able to read this quote and truly believe that material things in life are only temporary. im learning how to understand what it means to store up our treasures. treasures as in relationships and investing in others, making yourself available, saying Yes to whatever the Lord has for you, opening your heart to opportunity, and allowing yourself to be loved.

we must live a life of joy that only comes from the LORD and not only have or do things that make us happy.

The Lord has done great things for us! We are glad! Psalm 126:3

Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always).
1 Thessalonians 5: 16

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.Psalm 16: 11

Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.
Romans 5: 3

Therefore with joy will you draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12: 3

[The Lord God says] And the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing to Zion; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 51: 11

Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Psalm 37: 4

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you who are upright and in right standing with Him]; shout for joy, all you upright in heart! Psalm 32: 11

I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing. John 15: 11

...For this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.Nehemiah 8: 10

This is the day which the Lord has brought about; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118: 24

im thankful for techno.

2012-01-04T21:53:00.000-08:00

so, this week after working late already i have come home to watch Passion 2012. my bed time this week has been about 2am. its been good. i've been to Passion a couple of times (i'm about to be 30 so that means i can't go anymore..i'm to old) and conferences like these really get you excited about heaven. 45,000 people worshiping the ONE true God. whoo hooo. its exciting.

i've learned that there are 27 million slaves in the world today. that's more than history.ever. the leaders of Passion are challenging everyone to raise 1 million $. some think its impossible. i'm going to believe it. there are 6 different organizations that they're raising the $ for. i'm going to join them and be apart of something to raise awareness of slavery in the world today. please join me?

https://secure.268generation.com/dosomethingnow/give/freedom

my goodness. as i'm writing this. i'm listening/watching session 4. i just watched, with tears streaming down my face, musicians (from all over the world) sing "how great is our God" in their own language. holy moly. just a little bit of heaven. it was BEAUTIFUL.

here are some truths/notes that i've taken over the last couple sessions.

*on the alter of our praise let there be no other name--JESUS son of GOD.

*the Cross was enough.

*how i love YOU, love YOU JESUS.

*Christ deserves every single ounce of who I am.

*link up with HIS purposes on Earth

*don't deny the power that raised Jesus from the dead.

*let Jesus do His power.

*the enemy wants to bury me-but based in the authority of who Jesus is- there are not going to be any funeral arrangements. JESUS came to raise us up!

*Jesus is here for us.

*beauty for ashes.

*awake sleeper and rise from the dead.

*Jesus doesn't condemn. He stretches out His hands and touches.

*Jesus is the gospel.

*we can be alive in Him.

*what the law was powerless to do. Jesus did it.

*YOU revive me.

*all my deserts are rivers of JOY.

*YOU are the treasure i could not afford.

*i'm alive.

*the war is over.love has come.Your love has won.

*Your will.Your way.its my joy to say.

*daughter, your faith has made you well, go in peace- Jesus...Luke 8:43-48

*He stopped long enough for her.

*you can not go unnoticed.

*He made himself available.

*He made her clean.

*He came so that He could be touchable.

*let us draw near.

*Hes the master. we can't explain everything.

*you're faith has made you well.

*reach out and grab hold.

*clean me.

*Jesus is going to use rescued people to rescue people.

*we are His workmanship.

*we are saved by grace for a purpose.

*how can i be used?

*He set me free--how can i make a difference?

*we don't need to fear what HE defeated.

*FREEDOM

*don't fear the darkness, take the light into the darkness.

*the enemy is NOT going to win.

*show me what i can do, i have a responsibility. for Your glory.

*Your river carries me home.

* IT REALLY IS A GLOBAL CHURCH.

IT REALLY IS A GLOBAL CHURCH

turn your eyes upon JESUS.

2011

2012-01-02T10:16:00.001-08:00

JAN:

*the whole month was pretty much spent at my sisters loving on david patrick. what a joy he has been to our family. i think my sister is still in shock over HIM.

* oh, and i had blonde hair.

FEB:

*on 2/2 my best friend delivered a baby boy Jonah Paul Wax. it was an exciting day for friends and first time g-parents.

*there were also lots of slumber parties with the nieces and other friends that we LOVE.

most weekends for the next couple of months were filled with family fun!!!!!!!

*i had a friend boy that was hanging around as well and he added alot of fun to our lives. we are no longer bf/gf but, he still hangs around and i don't mind his friendship.

*with the new dart house and the new dart boy i really could not stay away from there!!!

MARCH:

*we celebrated kelli and dads birthdays.

*slumber parties were still happening and softball started. bc my sweet sister had her hands full with baby boy, i was picked to be the coach of evie and bella's team. i was EXCITED!! i love the game of softball and teaching a bunch a 8 year olds sounded like a blast so i gladly stepped up to help out. i loved it!!! we didn't win every game but, if a trophy for "most improved" were to be given out, we would have been given it.. i loved every minute of the season. it was a joy to coach these girls..there were no major injuries except for one to the eye. mrs. evie claire was playing pitcher and a line drive to the eye. it was a scary moment for all of us but, everything was fine and she played the next game!! she proved to be very tough.

*addie played t-ball and most of the time really could careless to what was going on... but, she loved running the bases!

*hunter is the best baseball player i know. seeing him play brings so much joy.

April-May:

*cami and ali made ZHS cheer and were so excited! (like they weren't going to make it) they have turned out to be amazing cheerleaders and im amazed by all the flips & flops that they can do! im soo proud of them and the sweet teens that they are!!

*my cousin drew, aunt sib and uncle lane came in from Cali. its always awesome to see them! after they stayed here for a week or so, they took my queen back with them to Cali for the rest of the summer. i was sooo sad to see her leave but my cousins in cali were so thrilled to spend some time with her. im thankful she got to go.

*we fished alot in april. most were catch and release. fishing is a family favorite and we all seem to be pretty good at it. thanks to our amazing daddy!!!! we did some camping out as well. family memories that will never be forgotten.

*softball was still going on and we probably had only won one game by this time but, it didnt matter to us. we were having fun!!

*josie rosie turn 3 and oh my, she is a hoot.

*i turned 29 on the 28th and sweet baby levi was born. what a fun day!!! eryn and matt are such fun parents. im proud of them!

*i was asked to be apart in a d-now weekend at feliciana baptist church and i met some amazing girls that weekend. still to this day i get to see them often and share life with them. its been very challanging and ive learned so much from them. the Lord has used them to show me so many things. its been fun to hang out with teenagers!

*we played our last softball game in may and only lost by 2 to the best team in the league. needless to say. i was super proud of my girls! GO OILERS!

*i spent ALOT of time with my family during these months. WE always have a blast together and i didnt want to be anywhere else except with them!!!!

JUNE-JULY

*june 3-11 was spent in gressier, Haiti to serve alongside megan boudreaux and respire haiti.

what a trip. words can not explain the love i have for this place and the people. (i wrote a post about this trip ... read below)

*june 30-july 5 was spent in tennessee with a bunch of teenagers. justin, the youth director at fbc asked me to be a chaperone and at 1st i was scared to death. i honestly did not want to do it. im intimidated by teens for some reason and i knew it was going to be very challanging. it turned out, i love teens and i learned a ton from them. it was a great trip!!! im super thankful that i got to go!

*my cousin mikki had casen cooper. and hes a little doll baby.

*july 20-26..Disney World with shan, kaitlyn and kaitlyn. it really is MAGICAL. so very thankful for the trip.

*brother turns 35. (i think)...and he also had some test run on his thyroid. most likely will have his thyroid removed in 2012. he seems to be confident about this and is putting his trust and worry in the Lord.

August-September:

*august 7-14. laguna beach with family and friends. deacon came with us this year and he did awesome. this is something that i always look forward to. its always so much fun hanging out on the beach all day with all the kids and laughing our heads off!!

*i was able to do some "doulaing". super thankful for the experience.

*tropical storm lee hit so, we went mudriding.

*friday night football with shan--"we love the coach".

*cami and ali cheer games..

*lsu games. the tigers had a GREAT season and on Jan 9th they play for the championship!

*ACL with lana. so dang fun. austin was a blast! and i even got to see kathryn davis!

*had a couple camp-outs under the moon.

*hunter decides to go to Silliman--go wildcats. he was excited about his new move and showed us that he could do it! its been different for him and he is learning alot. im very proud of him.

*cami and ali went to their 1st dances. both and zhs & shs homecoming. they were beautiful!! "PLEASE do not grow up"

OCTOBER:

*evie and bella turned 9. they are the funniest girls i know. they got their ears pierced and im pretty sure they were the happiest girls in the world on that day!

*more football.

*saw mutemath play. holy moly they're good.

*SYTYCD tour in Nola with friends. so much fun and watching them dance made me wanna quit my job and take dance lessons all day everyday!

NOVEMBER:

*needtobreathe came to the varsity. i shared this night with rebecca blair. we had such a good time!

*thanksgiving week was spent in gressier, haiti with a group from FBC. this trip was super special. super special.this week showed me that its possible. anything is possible. hearts were changed forever.

*hunter turned 16. i feel old.

*watched hunter play basketball for silliman. so fun.

*mom and dad have been married for 39 years and mom had a bday. they are so loved!

DECEMBER:

*worked alot.

*focused on advent.

*spoiled my nieces and nephews.

*deacon turned 4. he is my favorite 4 year old!!!!

*david patrick turn 1. he is my favorite 1 year old!!!

*wrote a letter to my grandmother. she is my rock.

*christmas eve was spent at my sisters and all 10 of my aunts and uncles were in town. it was a beautiful night and lots of tears were shed. tears of JOY that is. kelli read a few letters that were written to maw. we read the story of Jesus' birth together and thanked HIM for family. *Christmas day was at moms where we read letters to maw as we all sat around the table. tears. tears. tears. she is one special lady and we are all so very thankful for her. it was a beautiful time. im thankful for family. they make my heart full. THANK YOU JESUS.

2011 was spent mostly with family. it was the best. i have the best. they are the best. im so thankful for them and i am the person i am today because of them. they are the iron that sharpens me. they encourage me in Jesus' name. they carry me. they make my heart smile. they make my heart full. im thankful and extremely blessed to be the daughter of baba and pepper white. the sister of kelli/david and jojo/jerrykay. the aunt of hunter,cami,ali,deacon,madelyn,evie,bella,addie,josie,and david patrick. and the granddaughter of my queen, Ida Genevieve Mclin Hopkins. im thankful.

.. so i copied this. but wanted to share it.

2011-08-29T18:31:00.001-07:00

Pursuing Meaning

	Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. Philippians 2:16

	Most people aren't looking for ways to make their life as pointless as possible. Everyone wants to have a life with meaning. We all want to feel like we are worth something. Some of us find worth in what we do and how we look, but we all long to be found worthy. I have found plenty of ways to do useless things. Instead of preparing for a Bible study, I watch reruns of my favorite TV shows. Instead of praying, I aimlessly surf the Internet. Not all that is "useless" is necessarily bad. For example, instead of helping someone at home, I often go for a run outside, which is important for my physical health. But does it help my spiritual health, if I am avoiding service in order to do it? The problem comes in when I don’t hold firmly to God's Word--I get my priorities out of order. I compromise my standards in order to look good and make people accept me. My desire to be physically fit sometimes outweighs my desire to serve God. But all these acts are futile if I am pursuing them for the wrong reasons. My worth is not based on what people think of me but on what God thinks of me, and my faith and service to him. Why is it that the ideals of this world seem to have such a hold on us? How do we make sure that our lives are not worthless? In this race of life, how do we finish strong? We hold onto the Word of God. We step outside of ourselves and serve those around us. Instead of looking for ways to make yourself look better today, whether that's physically or otherwise, look for someone in need around you. Spend your time ministering to that person. Then you will find that your work is not in vain or useless. If you are following Jesus Christ, your central purpose each day is to live for him. "Hold firmly" to him--the word of life.

RESPIRE HAITI

2011-08-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

school being held inside the church....
location of where the NEW school will be....
darling Gaberielle...my heart.

im here to tell you alittle bit about the community of Gressier,Haiti and a non profit organization by the name of RESPIRE. in creole this word means breath. and the verse that stirred Megans heart to name her non profit this is from Job 33:4. it reads: "the Spirit of God has made me and the Breath of the Almighty gives me life."

now about megan.. shes 24. from Lafayette, a Tulane graduate. and now lives in Gressier and she is the founder of Respire. this nonprofit was created to empower,educate, and encourage orphans and children in Haiti.

i met Megan at my church in january when she came to share about the nonprofit she was about to start. at this time i had already been to haiti so i could not wait to hear more about what she was going to do there. our conversation lasted awhile because of the similarites our hearts shared. next thing i knew i was planning my trip to Gressier. this past June i shared 10 days with megan.

and this is where it gets hard to talk. its not easy to talk about a place where you are surrounded by desvesation. where every where you look there are families packed in tents. children having to walk miles to the only well in the town for water thats not even that clean. parents struggling wether they can keep their children or not. seeing kids becoming slaves for the family that took them in. going into orphanages that are packed completely out and struggling to stay open. hearing about a government that is so curupt it makes you sick. seeing people bathe in the streets after it has rain bc thats the only water they can get. knowing that 77 of the 97 kids at the school are slaves and knowing that school is an escape from slavery for most kids. the list goes on. it makes my heart break.

this is where we are called to step in. as Christians, as the church.to love our neighbor.

-Respire feeds about 700 children every saturday.

-Respire also provides medical attention to most of the community.

-right now, there are 97 kids that meet everyday for school in a church building. their classrooms are divided up by standing chalkboards. imagine that. 97 kids in one building. its really loud,crowded and not to mention hot.

-most of the kids come to school on an empty stomach and its hard for them to focus so, respire has a plan to provide breakfast for each student as they arrive to school.

-now here we tend to take education for granted. and these kids of this community are starving for it. they travel miles on foot to come to a place where they know they are loved. the teachers want so bad for their students to be safe and get an education to better their lives. it cost under $2 for a cement brick and under $7 for a bag of cement. we spend milions of dollars on replacing buildings in our own community just so that they look good on the outside. donations for the school is the biggest need as of right now. the school. a place of refuge. a place for a future. a place of hope. education. the school is hoping to be done before november.

-Additionally, the most important idea behind Respire Haiti is to teach each orphan and child that they are ALL children of God and that “God breathed the breath of life” into each of them (Genesis 2:7). To teach each child that they are”fearfully and wonderfully made!” (Psalm 139:14). To feed scripture and truth to each of them and encourage each of these children to LOVE the Lord and know their Identity in Christ and know WHO they are in Christ. (Matthew 22:37)

the people of this community are beautiful and are so thankful for Megan and Respire. the Christians of the community really live in community and its very humbling to see. these people have nothing but have everything in Jesus' name. they are so faithful. They look after each other and love like you would never believe. they live and share life together. they totally rely on the Lord to provide their every need. its very encouraging. ive learned so much from the Haitian people.

Respire has a website and megan keeps up with a blog. i encourage you to look at it and prayfully consider donating. the opportunity to go is always available. The Lord has showed off through this non-profit. He has His hands all over this and megan is in complete awe. its such an amazing thing. i really could talk to you guys all day about this.. its hard to be here when most of the time i would rather be there. but, its also my honor to share with you guys about this and give the Glory completely over to Jesus. Hes the creator of this and i encourage you to be apart of something that is so beautiful. to allow the Lord to use you. open yourself up to the calling of loving your neighbor whether it be here in zachary or across the ocean to Haiti. Jesus will completely blow you away with His goodness!!!

ill finish with a david platt quote from the book Radical Together..

"The reality is that you and i, your church, and my church, all the structures we have constructed and all the stuff we have created could turn to dust, and God could still make a great name for himself among the nations. God does not involve us in his grand,global purpose because he needs us. He involves us in his grand,global purpose bc he love us. so here we sit, with the gospel of God in our hearts, with the gift of God known as the church and with a grand and gracious invitation from God to lock arms with one another in the passionate spread of his glory to the ends of the earth. Lets rise up together as selfless followers of a self-centered God. and lets live-and die as though we believe our highest prize is his global praise. "

www.respirehaiti.org

www.blessedwithaburden.wordpress.com

Thank you for your interest in supporting Respire Haiti

if you would like to mail a check, please send to:

Respire Haiti

215 Karen Drive

Lafayette, LA 70503

its been forever.

2011-07-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

yeah. its been forever. not even sure why i havent written. i guess i kinda forgot that i even had this blog thing. with facebook and gmail i guess i forgot. well.. heres alittle info.

i've been to haiti. twice. and want to continue to go back.

here is something from my journal while i was there the 2nd time. i was sitting i the airport waiting to return home. here are my thoughts:

airport. port au prince. june 11,2011.

- darling orphans.sick orphans. darling sick orphans.
-cried leaving #25. (thats the address to where i was staying)
-kat,rita,meg,trevor = darling hearts.
-depressed people.happy people.restored people.
-bathing in ditches.washing clothes in ditches.
-horrible ran orphanges.money hungry.desperate.
-beautiful land. beautiful sea.
-tap tap rides.
-salsa dancing in the living room. zeke.micheal.kat
-more meds needed.
-roof top sleeping.secret bath room using. bucket flushing.
-no complaining.no whinning.
-countryside orphanage. son of god orphange.
-Gaberial. darling and hard to leave.
- would love to see hunter here.
-david has an idea to build chicken coop and garden.
-school needs breakfast.
-haitians.asians.koreans.americans all in airport. beautiful to see nations coming together.
-PAP. LaColeen.Gressier.
-craziness still.people everywhere.
-Gressier neighborhood: Ricardo and family. Jefferson. BayBay and family. Wimpsey.
-translators: Jacques.Arland.Wilbur.
-Pastor Benito needs a house. leaving in tent now. has 3 kids.
-teachers at the school really seem to connect with misty and the other counselors.
-kids @ school, most are slaves.
-its quiet in here (airport) but, right across the door is instant chaos. instant.
-seeing older people here serving is very encouraging.

im so thankful for this trip. now, going home but really wanting to stay. i could stay. God is in control. COMPLETE.
be patient. patient.
Thankful for the blessing-protection,grace. Jesus is real in every way. I proclaim Him.
Hes might to save. Hes comfort-Hes protection. - Hes Bigger. Hes better. His images are beautiful.
random people that He puts together always works. I love that about HIM. meeting new people is refreshing. He protects my heart. my emotions. Hes gentle. He uses HIs children. He gives rest. He gives strength. He gives joy. He is rest. He is strength. He is JOY.

Mexico was on my mind all week as well. oh to be in 2 places at the same time.
Father, I love YOUR creation.

http://www.mypix.com.br/site/pixblog/o-segredo-da-vida/

2010-01-21T13:48:00.000-08:00

http://www.mypix.com.br/site/pixblog/o-segredo-da-vida/

really wants to be here.

2010-01-18T19:38:00.001-08:00

HAITI.

go to cnn.com and just look at the images.
pray.
pray for comfort.healing.safety. protection.
encouragement.
the orphans. oh the orphans, i wish i was there to hold them in my arms. to comfort them. ..my heart is broken for them. for this place. i wish i could go.

a prayer for hoochie.

2010-01-13T20:41:00.000-08:00

well.. last month i went to Galilea and my parents dog-sat for me. during this time Hoochie got away and my dad spent 3 very nerve racking days looking for her. he walked and drove the whole town of zachary. when i got home.. they had to tell me the news. "we can't find hoochie" i was very upset, but could not be really mad at my dad. i felt sorry for him bc he felt horrible and was very sad about this. i spent the next couple days looking for her.and nothing. sad. very sad. she really was a sweet dog. but at times i felt sorry for her. i didnt get to play with her as much as i wanted to.
i am believing that hoochie isnt on the side of the road somewhere.. im believing that some sweet family with awesome kids have picked her up and has welcomed her into their family. this makes me feel better about the situation. this is my prayer. and i think the Lord has taken care of her.

Shutterfly | Shared Picture Detail

2010-01-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

Shutterfly | Shared Picture Detail

i love my friends.. this was our about our 10th year to have our annual Christmas party!!
we always have a blast when we get together. theres nothing like a bunch of good friends!
thanks to madeline for opening her house up this year.. i can't wait for many more of these parties...
hopefully we are still doing this when we are 80!!!!!

full of thanks

2009-11-18T15:56:00.000-08:00

evie and hunter accepted Christ as their Savior.
kelli and david joined the church.
thursday was my first time to go back to community group..whoa!
to be in the car with hunter, cami and ali and they WANT to listen to K-LOVE
my mawmaw.. oh how she brings so much joy.
mom and dad, theres no one like them
for my roommates
that i found my winter boots.
the store dirt cheap, its really been a blessing (i have cool stories)
warm water in the winter.
the ring community church. loving me and loving galilea.
feliciana baptist church. allowing me to speak about galilea.
knowing that Christ will come again.
for the meteor shower Tuesday night.. Jesus placed the stars.
for my job and the girls i work with.
friends that get me and my heart.
families that foster care and adopt
jeremy cowart for introducing Help-Portrait
Mexican bus line that leaves from Houston and goes straight to Monclova
phil wickhams music
well...lots of music.
aucoins catering, they deliver great food at work
sister, brother and their families!!!!!!!!!!
knowing that Jesus Heals.
all because of Jesus love im forgiven
my uncle victor is doing so good!
janet throne and her classroom
marsha daniel, sherri winkler,lana
the girls that are coming to galilea with me!
fresh vegetables
fresh fruit
my dog hoochie..shes fun
bety, irma, tina and abi (the ladies that live at galilea)
the revelation house
joy, even in tough times.
comfort
small conversations.
the small stuff.

i can't hold it all inside. the Lord is so good to me. the Lord is good to US!

"a message"..by coldplay

2009-10-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

"A Message"

My song is love
Love to the loveless shown
And it goes up
You don't have to be alone
Your heavy heart
Is made of stone
And it's so hard to see you clearly
You don't have to be on your own
You don't have to be on your own

And I'm not gonna take it back
And I'm not gonna say I don't mean that
You're the target that I'm aiming at
Got to get that message home

My song is love
My song is love, unknown
But I'm on fire for you, clearly
You don't have to be alone
You don't have to be on your own

And I'm not gonna take it back
And I'm not gonna say I don't mean that
You're the target that I'm aiming at
And I'm nothing on my own
Got to get that message home

And I'm not gonna stand and wait
Not gonna leave it until it's much too late
On a platform I'm gonna stand and say
That I'm nothing on my own
And I love you, please come home

My song is love, is love unknown
And I've got to get that message home

..when i read this. i tend to think about The Message. meaning Gods message to us: to love HIM first.to love one another.to love the loveless. that He will never ever leave you. that we are not alone. that He loves us oh so very much. that we can't do it alone, we need Him. we need Him. to live by faith and to know that He is in control. to trust Him. to trust Him.

excitement.

2009-10-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

im so excited about this weekend.
* dear friends wedding
* hang out time with lots of amazing friends
* lsu vs. fla = tim tebow being in town, of course i want lsu to win but... tim tebow is HOTT!!

2009-09-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

wow. i just love how Jesus is so dang sweet. and how He loves us so much. we people who are so undeserving of His great love but, yet He reaches down and grabs us up into His everlasting big ole arms and loves on little bitty us.

i tend to get alittle worried about somethings.. but why? He is the creator of the universe and He holds me in His hands.

why don't i just believe?

Just believe Jessi...HE wants me to just believe and trust in Him.

IM BELIEVING. IM TRUSTING.
el Senor tienes la control!!!!!!!!!!

this bring hope, peace and comfort.
thank you Lord.

happenings....

2009-09-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

so Jesus has been all over my family lately and its been beautiful!!
*moms had surgery and 2 tumors were taken out and after a week we got the results back and NO CANCER!!
*dad had kidney stone stuff...had the procedure, and recovered great!!!
*kelli and david are moved in and the house is just darling. im so proud of them!!
*my uncle that lives in California went in to have open heart "something"...and ended up getting closed right back up bc there was nothing there...hello! miracle!!!
*hunter, my nephew, accepted Jesus as his Savior and it was the sweetest thing. we are all so happy for this.
*kelli and david joined Feliciana Baptist Church and are so excited to see what the Lord has in store for them there.
*my uncle Victor is cancer free!!! doctor could not find anything!! he is still on the road to recovery, learning how to eat again with his mouth instead of feeding tube. wow.. cancer free!

just wanted to share these amazing things.
the Lord is so Good. im in the middle of doing a bible study Esther. its a beth moore that i am doing with FBCZ. its really really good and im learning a ton.
always remember that...GOD knows and HE wants us to be still and Know that He is God!

surprise...

2009-08-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

before i tell you about the surprise. i want to tell you about a really cool friend that we met in galilea. MORGAN POOLE. she is living in galilea for the summer. we all were instant friends. it was so sweet how the Lord just connected our hearts. because of our love for galilea and of course because of Jesus. we all feel like we are going to be friends forever!! (duh, we are!) and we already have future trips and road trips planned!! thanks morgan for loving galilea like we do! we all love you sooo much!!!

it was a great surprise!!

it was loaded down. to the top. if you were sitting on the back row, we could barely see you. we were all squished but it didn't matter. we were all going to our favorite place!

once we got there, we could not wait any longer. we had to tell. so we did and at first they didn't get it. then once they did..WOW!! tears of joy and lots of laughs were shared. they were so excited that they got in it and drove around the yard.

so, yeah. the blue surburban that we left in.. well we left it there!!!
thanks so FBC Zachary. The Ring. and lots of really awesome people who made this happen.
i wish you all could have seen their faces in person..it was priceless.
thanks for being so willing and giving. be blessed.

leaving in a blue surburban.

2009-07-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

whooo hoooo... leaving tomorrow and i can't hardly wait. im sooooo excited, if you can't tell. i have been missing Galilea like no other and i can't wait to share hugs and lots of laughs. also.... well. i can't tell but i'll have lots of pictures to share when i get home.

be praying for our safety and for the Lord to prepare the way.

other prayer requests:
uncle victor. momma. mawmaw. aunt sub and jodi driving in from california. kelli and davids move into new house.

i love you all. and im soooo very very very very thankful. The LORD is GOOD!!

viva la vida

2009-07-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

so, me and 7 of my dearest friends loaded up in a borrowed (thanks mom) explorer and headed to the woodlands. we left around 12ish.. entered a rain storm around 3ish and let me tell you,the lightening in this storm was like nothing i have ever seen. they were striking down like 5 feet from the car. we are all screaming and then we were like, "oh my gosh that was amazing"..we all had chill bumps. it was really awesome.

after eating at a really cool "not so mexican named" mexican resturant..we headed over to the pavilion. while we waited..lots of pictures were taken and a few dance moves between phil and chase were shared. finally...COLDPLAY. and holy moly..we were screaming. chris martin and the band did a beautiful job. i kept telling myself. self...don't ever forget this moment.
good friends. good weather. good music. good people.

GOD blessed us by holding back the rain and the wind was so sweet. im so thankful that i got to share this time with some pretty cool people.

VIVA LA VIDA.

a little love

2009-07-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

"Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love
Listen to the music of the moment maybe sing with me
I like peaceful melodys
It's your God-forsaken right to be loved love loved love love"- jason marz

be your YOURSELF.
you'll find it.

UP the movie.

2009-07-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

wow. pixar did it again. another excellent movie.

so much was learned from this show. really.

never give up on your dreams.
always be adventurous.
love your mate with all your heart and soul.
take care of the ones you love.
learn the best from kids.
take note of your dreams..and do them.
take care of the elderly.
in the end stuff really doesn't matter.
even when you can't..you can.
always go above and beyound the call of duty.

these things are HEAVENLY.

2009-06-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Mozzarella Sticks (5) : Snacks & Sides : Menu - SONIC® Drive-In

2009-06-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

thoughts:
LSU won.. and will hopefully WIN tonight! for the CHAMPS
its hott.
my heart is still sad. but getting better hopefully.
kids make my heart smile.
family in from cali. they are so cute.
my uncle is sick and it makes me sad.
i want to be a mid-wife.
i really really want to be at Galilea soon. i miss them.
Jesus reminds me daily that He is in control. sometimes its just really hard.
im thankful for HIM. for His comfort.
new music = Tyrone Wells and Justin Young.
i can't beleive its already july.
i dream daily to have an orphanage. a haven for kids.
sometimes my thoughts are in spanish, and i like it.
im kinda on a diet. well...
family is so sweet. im so thankful for them.

2009-06-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

summer time.
today it was close to 100 degrees. it was so bad considering my air in the xterra does work that well. even when i lived in mexico (even during the hottest months) it did not feel as hot as it was today...
today Hunter and i went to BR .. he did really good on his report card so i rewarded him with a pair of the coolest tennis shoes i should say. he promises to take really good care of them. im so proud of hunter. honor roll. hes just a really cool kid. i even had to do some shopping for myself and for a friend who is getting married soon. he did'nt complain one time.
today i saw some twins (about 6 months old) at the mall and i was looking at them thinking about our twins. they do grow up sooo quick. its hard for me to even remember our twins when they were that young. after hunter and i ate i walked up to the worn out mom, who did have help from her momma, and said make sure you enjoy every minute bc they grow up soo quick. i was kinda sad as i walked away. cami and ali are NOW 12 and evie and bella 6. dang. time flies.

a couple friends and i are going to nashville this weekend. it will be a good getaway from everyday life. a nice road trip. a super cool friend is getting married. a good reason for us to go!

so, my mom has 3 sisters. one has already passed away. one lives in california and one lives here. well, the one that lives here is moving to missouri where another brother lives. im really sad..its going to be different without her here. she was my babysitter as a kid .. so she was kinda like my other momma. dang. i think i am just realizing that she is leaving. and probably will never come back here to live again. im sad for my mom and the rest of the brothers that are here. and especially for my maw. but, bott deserves the best. she loves missouri and her health is much better there!!! im so happy for her and Jim. bott is ready for the country life!! congrats Bott. this is what you have been waiting for!!

i miss mexico. i could write forever on this subject but... well, maybe another time. i just miss it sooooooooo much and want to go really really soon.

buenas noches luna.

im a fan

2009-05-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

i love the idea. the guy who started the thing is a hottie. the fact that some really cool kids across the country are getting a pair makes my heart happy. i think everyone should buy a pair. they are so ugly that they're cute. and honestly really really comfortable. they were a birthday gift from my mom, and since then i have bought another pair at a benefit held a the red star and i got to do some painting on them!!!

WHOOO HOOO!!! TOMS

2 of my favorite people

2009-05-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

this weekend ruben came and we had such a great time..here is picture from anna grace and elizas birthday party!!

its one of my favorites bc it has my favorite people in it!!

ida genevieve hopkins and esteban ruben monroy franco

wishing i was somewhere else.

2009-04-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

well this week for the past like 6 years i have been in MEXICO.
this week has seemed alittle strange bc i am here and supposed to be there.
but, as most days i feel alittle weird... bc i always feel as if i am supposed to be there. but, i know that the Lord has me here with family. friends, back at work for a reason and i am blessed!! things have been really good!!

anyway..have a great week.. be blessed this week as you think about the real meaning of Easter!!! Jesus is so sweet!!

thank you Lord.

playlist

2009-03-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

im so excited my playlist. now it will be more fun to follow with music!!
all these songs are special in some way.

anyway, AMPARO is here! everyone is so excited to have her here. she is staying with jamie and i and shes excited because she has her own space.
she will hopefully be here for the next 6 months. while she is here she wants to try to get a work visa so that she can start working here under her degree. she would love to teach so we will be going to differnt schools to see what can be done! Lord willing, everything will work out!!

Things with my family has been really good! my uncle received great news. the cancer is not in the brain!! he will start chemo and radiation soon. Thank you Father!!! my aunt is here from Cali and its been fun for my mom and other aunt. just like kids again!! the LORD is taking care of my family through HIS mighty comfort.

i would like everyone to be in prayer for mexico. as you know from the news..there is alot of bad things happening there. please pray that these "bad" people would see the Lord and be convicted of the wrong doings. pray that the christians would not back down and stand tall during this battle. THE LORD shall overcome..He will overcome and His promise will be shown!!!

have a great weekend.. and remember that the Lord is in control.
Be Blessed!

one of the best.

2009-03-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

my mardi gras break was spent in Galilea with some of the most amazing people on Earth.

the Stagg Family. Jenn, Rich and their 3 boys , Amber,Becca, and Jamie. we had an AWESOME trip.

first off, words really can't explain Galilea and the love that i have for this place and how i feel when people fall in love with this place like i do. it just does something. it connects. theres a bond like no other. we were only there for 2 full days and the things that got done and the way there were done was pretty much unbelievable. this group rocked. every thing was done without complaining. it was just Good. the kids were soooo impressive. to see them interact with the NINOS totally blew my mind. there was no 2nd guessing. they stepped in and it was comfortable. the hugs and smiles that were shared between them were really sweet. almost like the NINOS had instant trust and felt like thats these kids are my friends and we will be friends for a long time. i loved just sitting back to watch this. It made my heart smile!!

thanks to this group for all that they did. for being so sweet. for stepping in and getting the job done. for trusting in me..even when things didn't make sense. for loving Galilea and wanting to continue to go back. for loving on kids that have had it hard. but, mostly for loving them with eternal love that only comes fromt he Father. HE ROCKS!!

thanks to the people who donated without you and your willingness to support most of the projects would not be possible.

here are a few words that i think about when i think about this trip:

humility. tuff. non-stop. service. bonding. long-term. able. a want. friendship. helpful. impressive. trust. prayerful. believing. being obeident. a lotta LOVE.

i am so thankful. i feel like this is a vision and a prayer that is coming to. the Lord knows exactly what He is doing. im trusting in HIM. HE has amazed me. im humbled.

Lord, thank you. thank you for being the KING.

2009-01-28T10:29:00.001-08:00

i love my family and i am so thankful for them!

not really knowing what is to come.... but trusting in the ONE who does!!

this past weekend was really good.

my brother and his family got their house moved on their property.. its so nice! finally a 5 bedroom. everyone has their own space. i am so very proud of them!! they have worked so hard on this and finally get to move in. the kids are so excited!

ruben came to visit. we had a great time. on saturday mom, dad, ruben and i went to the bass pro shop. my dad loved showing ruben around and telling him all about "louisiana wildlife". ruben really loved it too. he was so impressed with the decor! on sunday we went to Kelli and Davids church where Bobby Jindal was the guest speaker. YES, Bobby Jindal. Our Governor. He was so awesome, so sweet, so funny. i have to say that i am proud to be a Louisianaian with a wonderful Governor.
after church, we BBQ'ed and played all day. ruben had a great time! i am so thankful that he was able to come!

i have been doing a bible study (its a 30 days of prayer that my church is doing) .... anyway, this study has be awesome! we are studying John 15. Learning to truly abide in Christ and what it means to abide. its been a learning time for me. if you want to check it out you can go to the rings website. http://www.ringcommunity.org/

happy 27

2009-01-14T19:56:00.000-08:00

FELIZ CUMPLEANOS... RUBEN!!!!!!!

espero que tu tienes una bontio cumpleanos.

i have 2 really cool friends.

2009-01-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

http://virb.com/chasesmith/videos/58142

they made this sweet video for me. i can't stop watching it and i cry everytime.
thanks rebecca and chase. you have no clue how much this means to me.
im thankful.

2008

2009-01-05T20:52:00.000-08:00

1st two weeks in january:
played with Deacon (born Dec. 22)
said goodbye to family and friends (way harder then i thought it would be)
packed for mexico

january 22:
moved to Casa Hogar Galilea. Monclova,Mexico
hard. hard. hard. no spanish. attacked. I made it. Thank YOU JESUS.
january 29-next couple weeks:
Broke ankle. no spanish. mexican ER. boot thing. crutches. strong arms. bonding time with bety.
being served instead of me serving them. humility.
febuary:
Esteban ruben monroy franco. awesome kids.loving galilea.spanish getting better. cast up to my knee. stronger arms. routine.building trust.
march:
home. mom meets galilea. lana too.over 100 people in galilea at once. sooo cool. mom falls in love with galilea. home again. best friends wedding. good family and friend times!
april:
new addition, Josephine Paige Dart. vacation to monterrey,mexico city.quaterrro with ruben. Fernanda is born. awesome time. awesome time.really awesome time. back to galilea.
may:
more awesomeness. spanish getting better. kids are the best. groups from the states come.weekend fun. movies. baseball. bowling.
june:
hot.summer time in monclova. new kids. love. haircuts. late night soccer. Emily is born (i think it was this month). late night tacos. jamie and rebecca come. they fall in love with galilea too. english classes. kids are smart. swim at the pool. sun burn.
july:
sarah comes. make jewelry.jump on trampoline.still hot.
august:
back to la. sad. beth moore in san antonio. (shes amazing)
september:
family time. dart kids. white kids. beach with mom and rebecca. fun. still sad. no clue what is going on. houston.
october:
sassy scissors dos opens. awesome loyal clients. awesome friends. ugly bety for Halloween. (i looked just like her). more weddings.mawmaw turns 86.ruben comes.
novemeber:
back to galilea for the weekend. good trip. mom and dads surprise dinner. thanksgiving. good family times. new addition=HOOCHIE. (shes cool). more weddings.
december:
cold.snow.wow.gift buying. advent conspiracy.back to Galilea.sweet trip.still love this place.
Christmas. new years eve. friends. wedding rehearsal. fun.congrats eryn and matt

WELCOME 2009....im ready.
im thankful. the LORD is good.

Galilea for Chirstmas

2009-01-05T20:43:00.001-08:00

so, on Dec. 19th. me,amber,rebecca and ryan got in the mini van and cruised 10 hours to eagle pass,texas..slep for a couple hours then cruised right on cross the border and finally made it to Casa Hogar Galilea....

we had a wonderful time. it was so AWESOME to see the kids. thanks to some really awesome people at the ring ...we were able to get the kiddos some presents. they all loved their gifts!!!

it was a short trip but really every second means the world. the kids absolutely have my heart. i love Galilea and the people there. i am so blessed and so very thankful for Galilea!!

2008-12-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

we had a photo shoot with these darling boys on saturday.... we had such a great time... these boys are have such sweet hearts and they are all loved dearly by the ring community church.

heres HOOCHIE

2008-12-09T11:40:00.000-08:00

we all have pretty much fallen in love with her. she has been a really good puppy and has brought much laughter to our household.

im thankful for her.

funny how you can be thankful for a simple little puppy.

5 POINT

2008-12-01T19:20:00.000-08:00

hunter KILLED deer, a what??? A DEeR . a what?? A DEER.. OH... JUST a 5 point!!!

he was so excited... but, maybe he can go for the 10 point soon!!!!!

GO HUNTER!! GO HUNTER!!!! we are PROUD OF YOU!!!

hey at least you are doing better than PAWEE and your DAD!!!

MY TWO LOVES...

2008-12-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

BIG PRINCE WHITE AND LITTLE PRINCE WHITE

THEY BOTH ARE STAYING THE NIGHT TONIGHT AND ITS BEEN ALOT OF FUN. DEACON IS JUST THE CUTEST THING IN THE WORLD. HE LOVES DAD AND HUNTER SO MUCH! WE ARE ALWAYS SO GIDDY WHEN HE IS HERE.

WE LOVE TALKING ABOUT HOW IN A COUPLE YEARS HUNTER WILL BE DRIVING BUT HE WILL HAVE HIS LITTLE BROTHER TO PACK AROUND TOO. HE'LL HAVE TO TELL HIS FRIENDS,"SORRY GUYS, I CAN'T GO UNLESS DEACON CAN GO TOO!"

HUNTER JUST LAUGHS!!

HUNTER REALLY LOVES HIM AND I CAN SEE A REALLY SPECIAL REALTIONSHIP BEING FORMED AND HOPE IT LASTS AS HUNTER IS TURNING INTO A TEENAGER.

HUNTER IS A GREAT BIG BROTHER.. NOT ONLY TO DEACON(1/2 BROTHER), BUT.. ALSO TO: CAMI AND ALI (SISTERS) KATY (1/2 SISTER) MADELINE (STEP SISTER) AND JOSEPH (STEP BROTHER) .. YEAH, ITS ALITTLE BLENDED BUT ITS ALL LOVE

hoochie...

2008-11-24T22:24:00.000-08:00

on saturday, after work, i packed my clothes and Addie and I took off to Clinton.
On the way we stopped at the New and improved Stage in Zachary and then to Rue 21. Well, addie was really not dressed at all. She dressed herself that morning. She had on a navy blue collared shirt, tight pajama pants with white knee high socks and her tennis shoes. on top of all this she had on her "fancy nancy" black,white and pick pea coat. Ohh.. and her hair still looked like a rats nest. Needless to say, she looked alittle homeless..
Do you think she cared or I?? HECK NO... plus it was Saturday and who cares on Saturday..Right?? i thought she looked darling. and she DID!!! plus.. IT DON'T EVEN MATTER!
while driving to Clinton on Plank Rd.. i spotted a small black puppy. i couldn't help myself but to turn around to go back and see it. well. of course it ended up in the car with us. poor little thing.. full of ticks and fleas. i'm thinking someone dropped her off. once i got to the Dart house.. they took over. We bathe the poor thing about 3 times, getting all the ticks and fleas off of her. Evie,Bella,Addie and even Little Josie loved her. they packed her around like a baby doll and she didn't mind one bit. it really was so sweet how Evie all of a sudden went into "Momma mode" and was taken great care of the dog. how sweet Bella was making sure that everyone had a fair share of holding her and playing with her. Addie just kept saying.. ok little hoochie,moochie,poochie,puddah,podduah-we rescued you and we are your family now.. SO SWEET! Josie just could not get enough, her little hands justa' gettin' it...

so, I guess i have a Dog now. which is pretty cool! my dad is already starting to love her and every once in awhile i see momma reach over and get alittle love.

on the name.. Well, when i was like in middle school our family had a dog named Hooch. the minute my sister saw her she said,"hey, she looks like Hooch".. call her HOOCHIE.. i started to think about it and realized that, thats the perfect name... After all, i did find her on Plank. hahaha!
stay tuned for pictures...

this IS my sisters daughter....

2008-11-22T10:40:00.001-08:00

and yeah. thats mawee, telling addie to say all of these things...

she had me and mom rolling laughing.

I SWONEY.. this kid is so so funny!

JOSEPHINE

2008-11-15T21:56:00.000-08:00

even 7 month olds eat pizza!!!! and she loves it!!!!!!!!!!! PIZZA,PIZZA!!

2008-11-13T12:23:00.000-08:00

sometimes...
things seem unfair.
when you really believe in something.
it gets lost. really lost.
you really can't explain it. nobody else really understands.
i think its going to be ok.
actually, i know it will.
because, i have Jesus.
HE knows. HE understands. HE makes things clear.

girls HOPE

2008-11-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

i have been wanting to write about my dear friend shannon... so i am finally going to do it

SO............................................................... Shannon Meyers

i just want to say how proud i am of her. shannon is working with GIRLS HOPE. i really didn't know much about the program until shan started working there. Girls Hope is a program where girls that do really well in school and have huge dreams but, in the home life there is not much opportunity... SO, these girls can live at the Girls Hope house and pursue their education and have a better future. so, my dear friend Shannon is living at this home and sharing her life with these amazing girls. i think she has committed to one year. Shannon loves the girls so much and does an amazing job with them. she pretty much works as a mom and does a pretty dang good job at it!!! Girls Hope is a Christian organization so, a requirement is that the girls have to go to church. So, sometimes when the girls do not go to their home church , they come to the ring...... this always makes my Sunday.. when all the girls are there!!! i just love it!!!!

so, heres to Shannon, who is making a huge difference in the lives of these amazing girls!!!

i am also so excited because: i have another friend who has an interview with the BOYS HOPE PROGRAM today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

happy birthday hunter!! 13..

i can't believe he is already 13.

i was 13 when the little darlin' was born... and i always tell him that , that was the end of my teenage years. (lol)

now, hes 13 and hes the coolest kid!!!

surprise!!

2008-11-03T20:29:00.000-08:00

tonight was good. mom and dad loved every second of it.

mom kept saying,"this is the best birthday ever!"
happy 54th and 36 years of marriage!! God Bless and many more to come!!!

i love my family and i am so thankful for them!! we are just blessed!

happy birthday and anniversary

2008-11-03T12:35:00.000-08:00

today is moms birthday and her anniversary.
yes.. mom and dad got married her 18th birthday.
tonight we are having a little surprise dinner for them. they have no clue.
im excited!! ill show pictures later.

2008-11-01T16:20:00.001-07:00

now introducing LITTLE UGLY BETTY (josephine)

the darlingest fairies of all

2008-11-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

the Dart FAIRIES.... more like: thrown together old dance costumes, tights,converse,big flower bows, sweet wings, lots of colorful make-up = the cutest things you have ever seen!!

My sister is amazing!!! What a cool MOM!!!

UGLY BETY

2008-11-01T14:19:00.000-07:00

i had such a good time being UGLY BETTY. most everyone knew exactly who i was!!

it was such an easy thing to put together considering most of my way of dressing is similar to betty de feo!!

lana=hippy

angel=Mr.T

jessi=Ugly Betty

melissa=rainbow

i saw a million Micheal Phelps.. a few Sarah Palins and lots of girls wearing things that they probably should have not been wearing (if you know what i mean)

2008-10-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

... just call me BETTY, UGLY BETTY that is. yes, i will be her tonight.

stay tuned---- photos and fun yet to be seen.

eye brows

2008-10-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

so.. my mom does not have thick eyebrows... anyway, today i was teaching her how to darken her brows just enough to make them noticeable. well.. ...

LITTLE MISS "NOTICE EVERYTHING" .. saw mawee this evening. mom said she was minding her own business and ADDIE came to her and said, "Mawee, you have mean eyebrows".. (mom not knowing exactly what addie just had said) asked her ,"what did you say addie?".. and as clear as day ADDIE looked at mom and said, "MAWEE, you have MEAN eyebrows!!"... and just walked off. not another word about. Mom was laughing so hard she could hardly breathe. I mean how does a 3 year old notice eyebrows that were darkened just a tad bit???

GALILEA

2008-10-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

this weekend Ruben and I went to Monclova to visit. It was so awesome to see all the kids again. they were so excited..(we surprised them). I loved being back there. my heart was so full of love for the place and all the kids. but, at the moment i know that its best for me and Galilea to be here, to let more people know about Galilea and the support that it needs. I am going to try to make the trip about once every 2 months.

There is still a need for monthly support. i would also like to set up some sort of sponsorship program for each child. i hope to have more details to come about this.

if you would like to make a donation to CASA HOGAR GALILEA, you can make the check out and send it to:

Beatriz Franco

P.O. Box 6106

Eagle Pass, Texas 78853

You have no idea how much anything means to the people of Galilea.

2 nights

2008-10-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

thats how long little miss bossy pants has been here. me and mom have been dying laughing at her. she is in her own little world and we love it!

things we did while she was here:

~HAD A PUDDIN' PARTY

~PRETENDED LIKE THERE WAS A WITCH BEHIND THE CURTAINS

~CHECKED THE MAIL (SHE LOVES DOING THIS)

~WAITED FOR "HUNTER BOY" TO GET OFF THE BUS

~BEING JUST PLUM BOSSY

~VISITED LANA AT BUFFALO JO
~STAYED IN HER PJ'S ALL DAY

~REALLY BEING SCARED ABOUT A WITCH BEING BEHIND THE CURTAINS.. (EVEN THOUGH SHE MADE THAT UP)

~ASKED ME A MILLION QUESTIONS.

it was a blast!! i love this child.

hearts of dart

2008-10-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

thats the name of my sisters blog and i think everyone should go and check it out. i have the most amazing sister!!

here is the link:http://heartsofdart.blogspot.com/

aren't they the cutest family ever!!

BUFFALO JO...

2008-10-22T10:45:00.001-07:00

here is lana in one of the hott dresses from buffalo jo. she is getting an ad together to let everyone know about a really cool event that she is going to be putting on sometime in November. Its going to be amazing and you are not going to want to miss out! for more information keep your eyes open for the next Neighbors magazine.

i said it once and i will say it again:

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO WANT TO MISS THIS!!

(i know, that was alittle cheezy)

this is an email from melsa...

2008-10-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

Last week, David Manship and Whitney Vann were behind the bar at Mansurs and raised over $2000 for the Capital Area United Way! Please join us this week at Walk-on's to see Cane's Todd Graves and LSU's Verge Ausberry serving good times for a good cause!

melissa rainbow

2008-10-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

im proud of her. she set up this amazing project for united way called SHAKEN AND STIRRED!!!! YES, she has done it all.

tonight is an event at Walk-ons....2 really famous people of baton rouge will be there!!

this post really is not about the event...

its all about MELSA!!! and how i am oh so proud of her! keep up the amazing work melissa.. you make united way and BR look GOOD!!!........................ here she is with evie and bella.

thinking and missing

2008-10-19T22:03:00.000-07:00

these boys still have my heart and i miss them so much. i hope i get to see them soon. not just them.. but everyone at Galilea.

CHUY AND ALFREDO

halloween birthday bash

2008-10-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

saturday night was cami,ali and hunters birthday party. it was their first "boy-girl" dance party. well.. if that is what you want to call it.. BUT i would call it a "text all night on the blackberry and apple phones (yes, these kids are only 11,12 and 13) to the person that is standing next to you..lets keep running back and forth to the bathroom..lets break the glow sticks and put the liquid on our bodies..lets call it a dance party but, only really dance to the line dances..lets throw balloons at each other,,allll nightt.." wow, what a night!! but then again,they are only 11-13....

Everyone had a really good time and thats all that matters!! i figured out that this age group is kinda like in their own little world. i was amused just by watching them! it was FUN!!

my camera batteries ran out so i could not take alot of pictures... but i think i will be ok, because there were plenty of other cameras there and im sure they are going to be posted on every 11-13 year old myspace page that was at the party!!!

pretty toes

2008-10-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

this is my feet today. they got pampered. not only did my feet get pampered but also my soul during the pedicure. i had the best conversation with the Lavorta (the nail technician). i also got my hair colored and cut. in the process of all of this, i started to feel alittle bad about pampering myself. but then katie started talking about how today is "boss's day"... so then i thought.. well. i am my own boss so today i am treating myself for "Happy Boss's Day".... anyway. it was fun and i felt like "something special".. it will be a long time before this type of day happens again! thanks to the girls at avery lane.. i hope i was a good model for your class.

love

2008-10-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

the weekend was FULL!

ruben surprised me with a visit! we had a really good weekend together.

he got here friday night late .. so saturday we rested, ate at Magnolia Cafe and walked around St.Francisville. saturday night we went to my Mawmaws 86th birthday party! there he met the whole family, which can be really intiminating, but Ruben did really really good....he loved mawmaw.. but who couldn't. she is the best woman in the world! i like to call her my best friend.

i think ruben felt alot better whenever we went to my sisters house. addie,evie and bella ran out the door yelling rubens name in their sweet little voices. the best part is that they have never even met ruben but know him oh so well from computer and over the phone conversations. this made rubens heart melt, knowing that he was loved!!

i am so thankful that he was able to come ....

here are some pics to show of our good time together..

NMS cheer

2008-10-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

ali and cami had a cheer game last night. GO BRAVES! all i have to say it that these little girls are GREAT!!

i am soo proud of them!! actually im like the proudest aunt in the whole wide world.

they are turning 12 tomorrow and im so sad. they are growing up so quick.

i took addie with me and she loved watching cami and ali. she thought she was something else because her cousins were the cheerleaders!!

im proud.

million dollar BIKES!!

2008-10-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

my mom "the yard sale queen" bought 2 bikes. the purple one for $3 and the pink one for, i think $4. and how awesome bc pink and purple just happen to be evie and bellas favorite colors... the boyish black one came from our neighbors dump. i added the sparkle tags to the handle bars to make it look more girly.. addie just thinks.. it is the best thing ever!

anyway.. the girls love them. as you can see, they are learning to ride without training wheels. we had a blast watching them today. a few fall downs and scraped knees but everyone is alll -goodd!!! addie already wants to take her training wheels off.. but, shes not there yet..

mom loved cheering them on.. but i think she was most proud of her awesome deals!!!

how someone elses junk has become our darling little girls prizes..

evie, bella, and addie are learning to love other peoples junk!!

LSU TIGUHS

2008-09-30T19:58:00.001-07:00

saturday,, lana and i took evie and bella to LSU for tailgating..

it was such a pretty day but alittle hot..as you can see with their little red faces.

we had such a good time!!

mike the tiger.

pizza.

lemonade.

ice cream.

rolling down the indian mound.

cheering.

afterwards.. mom came and picked up evie and bella. lana and i went to the game.. we watched the tigers win while sitting behind lsu tuba players.

justa' swangin'...

2008-09-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

My sister thinks that i should name this post, "the poor country livin' trailer kids"...

well.. really just playing in the play house. evie and bella got home from school and addie ran to the car to meet them. they have been playing ever since. she misses them for the 7 hours they are gone. like really misses them. i hope and pray that they will always be as close as they are today. my sister does an amazing job and always teaches love.
shes the best mom and i wish she would have another one soon!

(hint.hint. kelli... )

and YES.. addie is in her panties and as always they are on backwards.

2008-09-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

"PURE JOY"

good day.

2008-09-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

stayed the night with my sister and her darling kids. evie and bella went to school so addie and i played dress up. at first she had nothing to do with "dress up"..then i told her that i was going to dress up josie.. she then decided that she wanted to play too....
we took some pictures and i wanted to share them with you. all i can say is that i have the funniest neice in the world.. i was dying laughing the whole time i was taking these.

i love family. they make my heart smile. I'm proud. I'm thankful.

just thinking

2008-09-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

my back hurts.
i slept way to late this morning.
dinner at chimes was AMAZing.
red beans and rice. with good friends
im drinking vitimans. its gross.
but i add a little chocolate to it and it makes it alittle better.
work is slow.
tigers play this weekend.
tomorrow is melsas birthday. mexican night at her house.
im making my special dip.
i miss Galilea. i plan to go soon. and ERMF
the Lord provides comfort and encouragement when things do not make sense.
im thankful. im trusting.

delightfulness...

2008-09-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

addie is here and im so happy. mom went to silliman today for grandparents day and brought her home. she looks darling with her short tail sally haircut.

my other best friend is here. my mawmaw. she is just piddlin around, just wanderin...
she is so fun to be with. we just play and pick with each other.

just a while ago we went to the post office to get stamps. she handed me $3 and told me to get her a book of stamps... i told her not to worry about it that i would get it... i guess she didnt realize that a book of stamps is $8.40 .. wow how the times have changed.. how the prices have raised..

addie is the coolest kid. i have been dying laughing at her since she got here. she loves coming over here because she is the boss here!! and she knows it!

Deacon my little love just got here with my brother .. this day is just great! addie is calling him "little buster".. he is the cutest thing in the world. he is my little heart! my brother is so proud of him. well. what can i say? we are just a blessed family.

2008-09-15T15:27:00.001-07:00

so.. im new at this. but my sister is in love with different peoples blogs and ive been with her all day and its kinda fun. im really not fan of posting your business all to the world but i have some pretty amazing neices and nephews that i would like to share about.
also, i have only been home for about 8 weeks now. i've been living in Monclova,Mexico.
while i was there i lived in an orphanage. it was pretty amazing and the Lord taught me a million things on my journey. i will be posting somethings about this place too. anyway.. my life is kinda crazy right now but i know that whatever happens it will all be worth it in the end. the Lord is good.