Lauren's Journals in Portugal

Lauren's Journals in Portugal

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

THIS IS LIFE || another snowy day

 
Yesterday...

 
Calm...


 
Look at that sky!
 
TODAY:

 
-Evan-
Boom! Look at the GORGEOUS snow!

 
hope you don't get tired of seeing photos or hearing about all this snow...
cause I will probably RAGE about it through this whole winter!

 
Today- it's roaring.

 
simply stunning, EH?



 
Outside my window...


 
Only GOD can do this...

 
spot the cars...
 
it has made me think...
 

does any other season of the year show this much of God's handy work??

The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
                   Psalm 19:1

Saturday, January 4, 2014

PREP = snow camp = Ministry = life change!

 
 
Welcome to the Great White North




 
Building the tube hill...
many hands = light work



 
Liz and I got the privilege of testing the card board sled hill
testing it for perfection- total of eleven times down the hill!

 
the final round was quite the finale!
complete with half the world's snow down my back!!
..I suppose Liz had even more so, being in the front...
oh that work can be soo fun!! 

 
Getting the job done in one day that normally takes two or even three..
Talk about men!
Here is some mighty men, working very hard!

 
The icicle was glowing so beautifully-- until the girls chopped it down...
yes, I suppose, safety first-


 
 
 
all this prep and more-
today we painted and cleaned,
swept and decorated,
 sat in listening to prep sessions and clogged our arteries with food that will give our heart an arrest!
"ain't called CARDIAC GRILL for nuttin'!" 
 
..all this to make it the best 48 hours ever!
 
soon our campus will be buzzing with activity formed by many teens and their leaders, for an intense time filled with fun!
games!
skits!
food!
Bible!
snow!
Salvation!
Sleepless!
 
check out: Recharge2014!
you can be involved with all the fun!
come hang out with us!
the purpose of it all...
Let God be glorified!
And the Gospel spread--
May each soul leave stepping closer to God.
>whether that is beginning a relationship
>or growing one that has been struggling...

How are you doing??

Friday, January 3, 2014

CHRIST CELEBRATION || ...home for the holiday's

 
Photos from my break at home--
 
Had such a wonderful time with family and friends,
being at home with my mum, and just resting!
 
...tried to get lots of photos,
but I so often got caught up in the moment that I forgot--
like my brothers wedding, that was the high-light of my time at home!
It was such a wonderful wedding.
 
 
The first day back it snowed!!! but then it was quickly gone...
and didn't appear until the day I had to leave...

 
Josie- helping set up for the wedding
 I went home a couple days earlier than the rest of the staff for my brothers wedding. 
 
 
Car wash!!
 
 
THE BIG DAY!! December 11, 2013
Linden and Lani's special day...
 
getting ready... 
 
delicious homemade cupcakes!
Lani's mom made and iced every single one!
With help from dad and her sister...
and Lani's brother, Jenson, just helped eat them!


 
Taking photos--
Smile!
 
 ---Carly---
 
After the wedding we had some of our family,
Darwin and Beth and their four stay with us for two nights-
Their children are a crack up!
Some like hanging out in the wood box!!
can't say I don't blame them much, it's usually the strangest things are the most fun!
 
 
 


Date with my mum-- Chipotle! BoOmM!
 
 
 
So sweet to visit our neighbors...

 
Cheese ball snow man- how cool is that!?
 
 
Made a new flower- crochet and knitted together-
they are for order on my blog lauren's knits
 
 
 
Made my laptop a new cover
 
 
and of course! what did you expect!?
I had to knit while I was at home--
Worked on some orders (the dish clothes and lots of other things not pictured here...)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 













||ZOE||
 
too precious...
 
 
Sophia
 
this is how we do it!
 
Shopping with the Girls--


  
 


 
 Wee hoo!! Giddy up pony!
 
 Went to Dayton University's Library where they had all these different Nativities set up, plus more!
Super cool! They were made in all different countries and made out of all different materials-
wood (all different woods), paper, nuts and bolts, house hold items, fabric--
pretty amazing....
 



 
I love the cows face... pretty cute!










the little sheep were always the cutest!
Even when they are made out of wire scrub brushes!

 
 
Ice-skating with friends
 





 
 
...Christmas Day...
you know it's Christmas when...
egg-nog and "It's a Wonderful Life" is everywhere you look... 



 
First time ever seeing "It's a Wonderful Life", really neat- I recommend!
...Christmas tradition starting right there!
 
 
 
Youth Group
Ice-skating and Ginger bread house making
 
We made a ball pit- epic!
 



 
Cute little ginger bread Nativity
 
Christmas with the whole Fam!
 




pizza around the Farming Game!
 
 
Thank you for sharing my joys with me!
I pray that as all your families got together,
that Christ was celebrated-
and not gifts.
not even family was celebrated.
It's only because of Christ and His decent as a babe to this ugly world-
His purpose to save us, that is the only reason we CAN celebrate!
 
God bless every one of you!
And may this year be filled not with New Year's Resolutions to be broken..
But filled with the constant
Joy
Hope
Peace
& Love
that our Savior gives all the whole year round.
'