Playing Catch Up!

Well, I have a LOT of catching up to do and I think the best way to explain what has been going on in my life lately is to show you through picture form. Sooo, I am just going to post some pictures with captions and catch you all up the best way I know how! After all, I am a camera queen. Enjoy! :)

Back in late January, Laura, Casey, and I went to see Twilight. Casey obviously didn't care too much, so we didn't care to include him in the picture :)

Here we are, best friends since 1st or 2nd grade--still an ongoing debate :)

Also, in January, is a very important birthday boy! My wonderful husband Casey! He turned 26 this year, and I have to add that he is 3 years and 3 months older than me...don't want people thinkin' I'm an old person, too! :)

The night of Casey's birthday was the first night of cLife's dNow (disciple now). Our theme this year was Celebrity. Here is a cool picture from that first night. Look closely and you'll see the CELEBRITY letters.

Another special birthday is in February! The day after Vday my mom had her bday! I won't say how old, but I will say she is getting close to the big 5-0! Ha ha. She's not there just yet though :)

Casey & I gave her some red kitchen canisters like mine that she envied and a cool basket for her living room that she wanted.

Then, about 2 weekends later, Casey was asked to be the speaker at a disciple now in McAllen, TX. Here are some pictures from our trip!

Casey being silly in our room before speaking

The students worshiping!

Getting ready one night

Casey speaking on the first night. He did a great job!

One night in February we met Charlie and Ginni at Bowl-A-Rama in Rowlett for a couple of games! Charlie won the first one, and I won the second one. We went to Pancho & Lefty's afterward for dinner! Yummy! :)

Here's a picture of Team Coats as Casey likes to refer to us.

Here's one of Casey's famous curve balls, and don't forget that I took a bowling class at A&M!

Charlie throwing one of his many strikes! I had one of Ginni, but she erased it!

Our friends, Charlie & Ginni :)

Now, we're finally in March. The first weekend in March we went to our first wedding in cLife's new building. The reception looked awesome! Here's Casey and I...check out the decor behind us!

I want YOU to pray!

This weekend Casey and I are flying to McAllen, TX for Chris DuPree's Disciple Now. Chris DuPree was my asst. youth minister when I was in 11th and 12th grade. He was also Casey's boss when Casey was the asst. youth minister at Mimosa Lane and Chris was the head youth minister. Anyway, now Chris and his wife Kristy live in McAllen, and Chris is the youth minister at a church called Baptist Temple. Chris asked Casey to come to their disciple now and be the main speaker!!! Casey was honored of course, as this is his first time to be hired as an event speaker. We fly out tomorrow at 9am, and so I had to take a personal day off of work. I don't mind. I had a three day work week thanks to this and a staff development day on Monday! Woo hoo! We will get back on Sunday around 7:30pm.

I need to buy a book to read on our down time because I am sure I will have a lot since I am not the speaker :) I am thinking about The Shack or just a Francine Rivers' book that I already have, but haven't yet read (I have a couple of those). I really wish that I could read the Twilight sereies for the first time, but I just need to get over it. I just have to say to myself, "I have already read it. I can't go back in time. Get over it Lauren."

Speaking of....in a few minutes I am leaving to go see Twilight with Rachel at the dollar theater (I know some of you are actually laughing at me right now for being so obsessed). I am glad to be going with someone who cares because last time I felt like I couldn't like it because Laura and Casey kept snickering! Ha ha!

Here is a picture of my fantasy hero.

Anyway, back to this weekend...Casey has been working really hard on his 4 talks for this weekend. So, I ask two things of you. 1) pray that the kids are open and receptive to God working in there heart and 2) pray that Casey is in tune with what God wants to say through him.

Pray for this guy! He needs it! :)

Disciple Now

This weekend was awesome! We had more than 300 students for the weekend, and it was more than we expected. The total number is somewhere around 315. We had a dozen students accept Christ and many, many more make decisions to follow Him, whatever that may mean for them.

Thursday night was our kick-off! We had a comedic hypnotist come to the church, and lo, and behold, I was hypnotized. There is a video, and I am going to try to get it on here somehow! Pretty funny, and a really interesting experience!

Friday and Saturday were awesome, and we got to watch students from 7th-12th grade worship! I loved dNow as a student, and I love it as an adult! Great times. Casey says that dNow is his very favorite youth event--above youth camp and everything else.

This morning we had over 500 people in the 9 o'clock service (due to all of the high school dNow students in the first service and middle schoolers in the second)! All regular chairs, fold-out chairs, and standing room were full. (We normally only fit 350 people in the sanctuary, so this was quite a few more people!) We had 2 awesome kids give their dNow testimonies (which drew tears to the eyes of many), and 2 awesome couples, who opened their homes to our students, speak. It was great!

Casey & I love cLife and are so happy to be apart of such a special event!


Ps. A special shout out to Casey, whose 26th birthday was Friday night! I think of him as a trooper to share his birthday with 400 people, but he thinks it is cool. More power to him!

Random blog full of nothing worth reading...

So....This week Casey is basically a stranger. He is so busy and it leaves me with some extra time. I know what you're thinking...why don't I help him with something? Well, he doesn't want my help! Ha ha. No, I'm just kidding. There just isn't anything for me to do at night....I don't work at the church and he is a bit of a control freak, so if I were to help, he would want me to be at his beck and call. And I can't be. Because I work during the day. And that makes me no good. Ha ha.

I could go with him to his Monday night youth CG (community group) that he teaches in Forney, but my mom always comes over on Monday nights while he is gone. We use that as our time together while Casey is away :) She helps me clean. It's greatness. Laura has been coming over on Monday nights with little Aubrey, too. I love that because I love to hold that little girl! It's my fix to keep me from wanting kids before Casey does. I'll just go take care of Aubrey if I get the itch :) Ha ha.

On a realllly happy note! I get to wear jeans and tennis shoes tomorrow! Woo hoo! If you are teacher that has to dress up a decent amount, then you understand why I am reveling in this! Here is how it happened: The weather system in Forney told us that there was probably going to be some ice tomorrow...last time there was ice on the roads I landed in a ditch on the way to school and 2 teachers slipped in the parking lot and hurt themselves pretty badly. So, our awesome principal came over the intercom and said, "All teachers get to wear jeans and tennis shoes to school tomorrow!" When I went to the office to clock out, I saw her and asked her why we got to wear jeans. She told me that she knew she was going to stand outside in the freezing rain and ice and wanted to wear jeans in case she fell down! Ha ha. So, we all get to :) Yea! Casey was laughing at me for acting like this is the highlight of my week....it is sad, but it is the highlight. That's just a teacher's life. Oh well :)

Watching the Bachelor right now....drama drama drama. Always makes for good television though :)

I Still Loved It...

So, we saw Twilight last night. I went with my husband Casey and my best friend Laura. Laura has read Twilight and part of New Moon and Casey has not read any of them. Needless to say, Casey was a little bored.

Going into the movie, I had really low expectations. I knew that it was a low budget film, and I knew that movies are rarely anything like the book and never quite what you had imagined. Because of this, I liked the movie a lot.

Laura on the other hand said that she thought it was going to be really good because it was such a big deal. She did not know that it was low budget, and so she did not like it nearly as much. She thought it was awkward, cheesy, and said it didn't flow very well.

I do agree with the awkward cheesiness at times. When Edward picked Bella up and started running up the mountain and climbing the trees, I gotta tell you I laughed out loud pretty hard. There were a couple other parts portrayed that I thought were extremely funny after having read the book.

All that said, I still loved it, and I think I am going to go see it again (maybe even by myself so I can really enjoy it, haha)! I also can't wait for the next movie to come out in 11 months! Woo hoo!

Yay for Twilight!


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Mine & Casey's next free night is Friday, February 6th. We are booked solid for the next two weeks. It is practically insane. And it is all disciple now's fault. Don't get me wrong, we both love disciple now, but it takes up our life for a while. For the past 4 or 5 Saturdays (Casey's one day off) Casey has been working for several hours calling kids for Dnow. I wish I could help more with Dnow, but to be honest, it takes all of me to stay afloat as a first year teacher. I had no idea how exhausted I would be after work. I don't even do any work at home. I just try to get as much done at school until I am mentally exhausted and full and then I go home. I feel like a bum at home because I just feel like crashing. I don't feel sleepy, just mentally tired. Kiddos take a lot out of you...they don't even realize that following the rules would help me tremendously. I feel bad for the teachers I had in middle school. Bless their hearts.

Here is our schedule for this week:

Today-3 services at CLife (I only went to the 11 o'clock, but Casey went to all 3 like usual); Casey is decorating for Dnow starting as soon as the 4:3o service is over...I bet he gets home around 9.
Mondays-Casey is home for about one hour after work until he leaves for his youth CG in Forney. He gets home around 9:15 and we go to sleep at 1o:30
Tuesdays-We have our CG. We leave our house around 6:30 and get home about 9. I also have a two hour meeting after school once a month on Tuesday.
Wednesdays-Casey stays at church all day until after Momentum. He usually gets home around 9:30. I go to this sometimes.
Thursday-This Thursday we have our Dnow kickoff! We are having a Hypnotist come to the church-always really funny. (Thursdays are usually our first free night of the week, but not this time!) Casey will probably not get home until really late (maybe 1am) because they spend this night putting all the kids into houses for Dnow.
Friday-DNOW starts! Chaos begins :) Also, this is Casey's 26th birthday, but we won't be able to celebrate for about another week.
Saturday-DNOW all day
Sunday-last day of DNOW; 3 services; Super Bowl Sunday
Monday-youth CG in Forney again
Tuesday-our CG from 630-9
Wednesday-Momentum, Casey home around 9
Thursday-FIRST FREE NIGHT! OUT TO EAT WITH CASEY'S FAMILY FOR HIS BIRTHDAY!
Friday-SECOND FREE NIGHT! WOO HOO! I am taking Casey out for his birthday (it's a surprise where...he doesn't know and he won't read my blog til then cuz he's so busy! haha!:)

We love Disciple Now! It is super fun! It is also super tiring, and I can't wait for it to be over! :)