Fourth of July Weekend

Now we just need to buy a boat! How Beautiful!
Our beach crew
Inside What one of the slave homes would have been like
All of these were slave homes
butterfly garden
back side of the plantation home
my mom and I at the entrance to the plantation home






Omar went to Utah and Arizona without me and so I spent my time at the beach with some members from the Spanish Branch we attend. My mom drove up and spend the weekend with me. We also went to Kingsley Plantation. It used to be huge covering most of Northeast Florida. There were a ton of slaves and the owner actually married one of them who was an African Princess and left her everything once he died. It was really pretty - they grew rice, cotton, timber, indigo, and a few other things.

Girls Camp 2008

Me and my 2 other camp moms
The CPR Dummy - isn't he awesome?!
riding the bus to camp - the other mom's thought I was crazy for doing it - I thought it was great - who wouldn't love to sing camp songs for over 2 hours!
unloading the buses - these girls brought more stuff than I did and I had to bring extras of everything in case they forgot stuff!
our stake's 3rd years - there was about 25 of us - the largest group at camp
singing with my branch - I was camp director for the Branch - we sang A Donde Me Mandes Ire (I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go)
This is our 3rd year group - I did not have one member from my Spanish Branch in my group.







Our first time ever Omar and I were away from each other since being married was when I spent a week at girls camp. This camp was a lot of fun. It was up in Georgia in some state park. We were fortunate to not have really any mosquitos. That was a blessing considering how terribly hot it was and we had absolutely NO airconditioning anywhere. It was real hot! We did fun stuff like canoe - my group was so big I never got a chance to go out, made crafts (I finished one of my first crafts ever - I decopaged a jewelry box and it is actually cute), of course all the certifications which I actually taught the girls how to use a compass (incredible since I have no sense of direction and never understood it - I just looked at the compass and figured it out), build emergency shelters, build and light fires without matches, etc. (thank you BYU Wilderness Survival Class) - I was in camper paradise! On our last whole day they brought in the big blow-up toys - the obstacle course and the gigantic slide - awesome! I think the girls were shocked that I played - I even got a battle wound which is still healing. Fun times. I was just amazed by these girls - I had to teach many of them how to crack an egg to cook it - they had never done it before - sad! What are parents teaching these days? But I was also amazed at their desires to be righteous and how each of them struggle in different ways to do the right. They were all so shocked to learn that others who seemed perfect had issues of some kind. It was incredible to see these girls from completely different backgrounds and histories come together and love and support one another. It was a week well spent - exhausting - but good.

Is anyone out there?!

I wouldn't blame you for never reading this blog again - since I haven't updated it since we left for our honeymoon. I will soon put pictures up from our adventure in Honduras.
Quick update...

Since returning I have been a substitute teacher, and received my K-12 PE temporary teaching certificate. I have been applying to job after job with banks, non-profits, schools, front offices, etc. I have had a few things happening - so we will see what we think is best. Omar has been busy getting the office up here in Jacksonville set-up and hiring new people. But luckly for us, we have still been able to spend a lot of time together.

Still we go to Orlando EVERY week - it is always something or other...we spent Memorial Friday, Saturday and part of Sunday in Atlanta, GA. with my aunt Diana and uncle Marshall (and their 3 cute little foster kids) and then spent Monday and Tuesday in Orlando. Both trips were for Omar's work.

Omar and I have been taking a class together - Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University - it is a 13 week class devoted to being debt free and building your wealth. It has been really good so far and is extremely entertaining. We totally recommend it. Our church actually introduced us to taking it - my mom then told us we should do it so we can start these practices while our marriage is still so young.
www.Daveramsey.com

We both have church callings - Omar's is 2nd counselor in Young Mens and mine is Secretary of Young Womens and Ward Camp Director and Camp Mom. So that means I leave for camp in 2 weeks for a week. (Omar and I have never been apart more than a few hours since we have been married - that will be interesting). We are just praying that they don't change his calling to Branch President. A lot of people have talked to him about that since they are looking for a new one. Yikes! No thanks!

Wedding Reception Photos

Here are some more of the long awaited wedding pictures - these ones are from the wedding reception. Hope you enjoy - there are quite a few. You will now have to wait 2 weeks until we return from our Honeymoon to Honduras - fun times.

Slide show of Christ set to music

Mi suegra (my mother-in-law) - that is still very weird to me...sent me this website of this slide show. It is really incredible - it is all photos that I have never seen before and it is set to one of my favorite songs "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing". It is beautiful. I really like this artist becuase I feel like Christ looks real to me - it makes him feel much closer and tangible, more human. Check it out...
http://www.eastvalleyproductions.com/blog.cfm?postID=31
You will have to copy/paste it to your browser - for some reason the insert of hyperlink on blogger never wants to work for me.

Silent Night & 2 Girls in Blue Dresses

Silent Night is the second book that I have read from Mary Higgins Clark. 2 Girls in Blue Dresses was the first one I read. It was short, but a good story. Her books read the same - they are quick reads and not uninteresting, but they all kind of are the same. As the reader you just want to strangle the stupidity of some of the characters and how things just fall into place and work out. I think I will check out some more

The Treasure Box

It took me only 2 days while sub teaching to read this book. It is nice that I could do that during my "planning period". I really enjoyed it. Orson Scott Card just really has a way of hooking you at the beginning and then all of a sudden the story just completely changes and it becomes almost so crazy, it is believable. I always enjoy reading his book. This book really makes you wonder if there are witches all around us and we just don't know it. I always like how he throws in "Mormon" things too - like the character driving by the Mormon temple or something like that. It was interesting how he talked about how the dead live here on earth, but that we just don't see them. hmmm...sounds familiar.