hume 2012

last week was pretty great.

we headed up to hume lake with around 200 other rockharbor peeps

as our elementary-high school students all experienced summer camp.

we had the opportunity to stay in a cabin there with 3 other families-

a total of 10 adults and 7 kids.

(and jackson was the oldest....)

there were definitely moments of total craziness, but overall... it was super fun.

while we were there, 

our little charlotte monroe turned 2 1/2.

i can't believe my little baby girl is getting so big.

and crazy.

seriously.

this little girl just slays me.

it was fun for everyone else to truly get to experience all of her fun personality.

the kids had the best time.

they loved getting to  play with friends all week,

whether it was hanging by the lake,

or learning how to jump off big rocks,

(they started on this little rock, and then my brave little bella jumped off a big rock 3 times!)

(she jumped off the rock in the center :)

feeding ducks,

hanging in the dining hall with friends, 

(this is tanner.  my girls are in love with him.)




exploring the wildlife,


or trying to catch tadpoles,


getting REALLY dirty,


making towers with our food,


jumping off diving boards over and over
(and perfecting her 'princess' dive")


exploring with friends,


and riding boats with daddy.




mommy even learned to paddleboard!
(weird iphone turned me green.)


it was so great to have a week to get to know
some of the amazing students that make up this youth group.
our kids totally loved all the 'big kids'.


one of the highlights of the week
was when jeff got to baptize one of his students in the lake.
it was so awesome to be a part of that, and talk to our kids about it afterwards.

all the students rounded up and prayed for him.
it made my heart happy to be a part of that.

we truly loved our time with friends and students 

at hume lake.

jackson is already asking, "when are we going back?"

see you next summer, hume!

awe-ful

i really love my husband.

there are a lot of days i wake up and can't believe this awesome guy married me.

almost 11 years of marriage, and he just keeps getting better.

with three littles running around,

it can be hard to get good time together,

and even harder to do ministry alongside each other.

a few weekends back,

jeff was invited to hume lake to speak at their junior high winter retreat.

in the almost-six-years since we've been parents, 

i have been unable to just be a wife when he is speaking at a camp.

i always have the kiddos, which means they are in bed while he is speaking

(and i'm sitting in a dark room with a flashlight trying not to wake anyone!)

since it was supposed to be snowing and we'd be in a one bedroom,

we decided it would be best to not bring the kids for the short weekend.

so we dropped them off in fresno

(thanks jr & mom!)

and headed up the hill. 

just us!

i cannot tell you how wonderful this weekend was.

obviously, just being with jeff was wonderful.

real conversation!

hand holding!

no forcing vegetables on anyone during a meal!

of course we were surrounded by junior high students,

which meant eating meals surrounded by boys

playing jeff's favorite camp game, "apple fork"

(you'll have to ask him.  i'm always afraid of losing an eye)

also a fun surprise,

one of our high school students from davis was there!

she is all grown up, graduated from college, 

and working with junior high students in slo.

it was so sweet to get to catch up with emily.

we are so incredibly proud of her!

(hello bad lighting! but emily is still the cutest!)

but the most wonderful part of the weekend 

was the opportunity to really do some business with the lord.

'quiet' times for me are rarely quiet with kids everywhere.

 i rarely get a good chunk of time to just really focus on what it is he has for me.

i am grateful to be at a church that is really challenging me 

and pushing me in my faith.

i have been learning a lot about myself recently,

and i think god is really working on me.

not always easy, but good.

the theme of the weekend was

'living an awe-ful life'...

a life in awe of the lord.

the verse they studied was romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

over the course of four sermons,

jeff focused on being in awe of god, the need for obedience, god's mercy for us, and living a life of worship.

it always amazes me that god uses my husband to challenge my socks off.

during every session,

i was convicted, encouraged, and motivated in my faith.

(you can listen to all jeff's talks here.  and you should.  they are that good.)

go down to week 5 and then download all the 'jeff bachman' amazingness.

god really did a work on my heart at hume.

january had been rough, and my attitude was bad.

i needed that refreshing reminder of who GOD is, and in that- who i am.

am i living my life as a sacrifice to god?

do i consider how to worship god in my everyday life?

am i acting out of obedience to god- sacrificing my desires to him?

do i remember the mercy he showed me on the cross?

too often,

the answer to those questions are 'no'.  

i am thinking about ME far more than i am thinking about god.

i loved when jeff said,

'having a right view of who god is allows us to have a correct view of the rest of our lives.'

i hate that so often i allow my circumstances to shape my view of god,

rather than the other way around.

the worship over the weekend was incredible,

and so many of the songs spoke directly to my heart.

one song in particular stayed with me throughout the weekend and beyond,

echoing what god had been speaking to my heart.

how i want it to be the lyrics of my life.

i'll stand with arms high & heart abandoned,

in awe of the one who gave it all.

i'll stand, my soul, lord, to you surrendered.

all i have is yours.

being a wife, a mom, a friend, a daughter, a customer, a driver, a co-worker...

every bit of my life is called to be a gift back to my creator.

we are called to life an awe-ful life.

a life of sacrifice.

a life of service.

a life of worship.

i am so grateful for the weekend with my husband at hume lake.

so thankful to be reminded of what is truly important.

and so ready to live an awe-ful life.

hume lake photos when there is no one around to take a picture of you together ;)

more details....

before starting this, i'd like to apologize to everyone who had to hear we are moving from the blog, a friend, or facebook.  we had so many people we wanted to tell personally, and the time crunch simply did not give us the time to do that.   

we have been overwhelmed by your love, support, and encouragement as we make this huge life transition.

thank you for the calls, messages & texts...

i apologize if i have been unable to respond to them- 

it has been a crazy week.

many of you have asked for more details on our move, 

so i thought i'd share how it all happened and where we are now.

3 years ago, i went on a trip with our then-kids connection team of mary, brooke, & jen.

we headed down south to check out 3 different churches' children's ministries.

the first two churches were nice, but not really 'us'.

then we went to rockharbor.

after spending the morning touring their facility and meeting with their team, 

i was in love.

i remember leaning over to jen in the backseat of mary's prius and telling her,

'that place felt like home'.

it is a church that we have always admired and respected, 

and seen as a place that held tightly to god's word.

there is a very short list of places/churches where jeff & i have said 

we would be willing to move.

rockharbor was always on that list.

but even when jeff came home and told me about the opportunity there, 

i truly believed in my heart there was no way we were leaving the well.

jeff left for israel and i spent 2 weeks just trying to keep 3 kids alive.

when he came home, we immediately left for pondo camp.

while at pondo, jeff met with a few people from rockharbor.

it really wasn't until after that meeting that the possibility of the whole thing even was on the table.

that was the beginning of july.

a few weeks later, we went on a quick overnight trip down.

jeff had the opportunity to meet with some key parents 

and preach at their 7 & 9pm (so late!!) services.

we absolutely loved the people, the staff, the church.

again, it felt like home.

needless to say, this sent my little head into a total tailspin.

the how? why? no way! started screaming in my head.

but then i decided to just pray.

i prayed in the shower, as i cooked, played with my kids, drove, laid in bed... pretty much constantly.

jeff did the same.

while the obstacles still seemed overwhelming, 

my heart, my mind was all confident that God was doing something new in our lives.

so jeff accepted the position of high school pastor at rockharbor church.

he will have the opportunity to be a part of their 7 & 9 pm services 

(i'll be sleeping!)

and get to preach occasionally... which he loves to do.

(and i may be biased, but i think he's pretty amazing).

we are so excited to join this new church family.

and the amazing weather, beautiful beaches, and disneyland so close doesn't hurt!

while we are excited about the future,

this month is so hard.

we LOVE the people here.

saying goodbye is not easy.

tonight is jeff's last wsm.

he has been here for 6 years and absolutely adores his students and leaders.

this sunday is my last day with kids connection.

it is so strange to close the chapter on such a huge part of your life.

we are currently attempting to pack up our home,

(seriously... packing with 3 kids is sheer silliness.  you pack it, they unpack it....)

prepare for the biggest yard sale ever

(august 20th... we are pretty much selling EVERYTHING!)

and then loading the uhaul the evening of august 24th.

august 25th we drive to our new home.

our new church.

our new life.

right now, i am feeling a little overwhelmed with how much there is to do.

my to-do list (which i normally love)

has stretched into several pages.

there are so many people we want to have time with, but the reality is... 

we only have 9 more days (counting graduation/yard sale/etc.)

i apologize in advance if we are unable to hang out.... 

packing/sorting is a full-time job right now!

know that we love each and every one of you.

you have impacted and shaped our lives, and we are forever grateful.

we look forward to continuing relationships... just from farther away.

in the meantime, please pray that we can sell our home here!

God has graciously provided a sweet little house for us in irvine to rent.

(i'll tell you all about it tomorrow!)

 but we definitely can't afford to have a mortgage and a rent!

if you know anyone interested in buying a home, here is the link to our listing.

it is a really lovely house!

bittersweet

in the fall of 1998, i was a student at fresno state.

i was in a voice class with a friend, scottie.

he invited me to go on a retreat with his church.

the speaker on the retreat was a guy from texas, brad,

and his new wife, jen.

on the retreat, i quickly clicked with jen & another girl, stacy.

we left the weekend as fast friends.

the following summer, brad & jen moved to fresno 

to take on the college ministry at northwest.

after years of searching for a church, i finally felt like i was home.

the remnant ministry 

became college life

which eventually became the well.

jeff & i married in 2001, and 10 months into marriage felt called to ministry in davis.

but a piece of our hearts were always at the well.

in 2005, we had the opportunity to return to fresno,

and jeff got his dream job.

leading the youth ministry for the well.

for the past 6 years

(but really 12)

the well has been our home.

the people our family.

our heart lives here.

we moved into our house 2 years ago. 

 i had already figured out which rooms the kids would have when they were teenagers.

jeff was going to get old and gray doing ministry alongside his friends.

i had it all planned out.

sometimes God has different plans.

this summer, God put an opportunity in front of us.

a whole new set of plans.

a new life.

at first, i said no way.

i kicked my feet.

i said it would not happen.

but then, i decided to pray.

to still my mind and listen-

listen to the One who is truly in control of my life.

i don't know that i have ever prayed this much in my entire life,

so earnestly sought the Lord's direction.

 i am confident that He has provided that for us.

it is with a myriad of emotions that i tell you-

we are moving.

jeff has accepted a position at rockharbor church in costa mesa.

(i will post more details soon... but not today.)

i am so excited for him.

for us.

for what God is going to do.

as excited as i am for the future

is how broken-hearted i am to leave.

my church

my family

my friends

my home

my support

my heart

it is all here.

but God is calling us to go.

and i want to be faithful to where He is leading

because i know His plans are always so much better than mine.

so i ask for your prayers

as we try to sell our home

find a new one

pack up our lives

finish up two ministries

enroll jackson in a new kindergarten 

(and try to prepare him for change)

and say 'see you soon' to the people who we love so much

sometimes life is bittersweet.

but i'm thankful for a God who is faithful.

always.

feels like home

yesterday we arrived at rcp.

(redwood christian park camp, if you didn't know)

i've been coming to this camp since 1997, when i started as a counselor.

so much of my life has happened here.

in the 14 summers i've spent here i have 

started and finished college

dated jeff

married jeff

lived in 8 homes in 3 cities

been pregnant 3 times 

( i actually found out i was pregnant with jackson here in 2005)

watched my campers become counselors 

made lifelong friendships

this camp holds a special place in my heart

for one week every summer, i get to spend a week doing ministry with people i love

i have seen god do amazing things in the lives of students here

and in my own life as well

i'm excited for this week

to watch my children play in the same camp where i carried them in my belly

to connect with old friends

to watch my husband have the opportunity to share god's word every night

to experience the magic this camp holds

so bring on the camp food

the jello wars

beach day

game shows

campfire

and dessert after every meal

life has been busy

my brain (and body) has been going at light speed lately

so this week i will rest 

in a place that feels like home 

pondo

we're having lots of fun here at pondo.

we've never been here before, so there's lots to explore.

here is the last 2 days in pictures:

logs turned into drums.

running, exploring, hide & go seek.

giant jenga.

mommy ziplining... just for jackson.

watching skateboarders, archery, and the giant swing.

discovering tadpoles.

we heart BOB.

dirt, dust, and more of the same.

pinecones, sticks, and rocks.

laughter, smiles, and giggles.

new friends.

mice in the kitchen.

cottage cheese for charlotte... all by herself.

the 'house' and the big rocks- so much fun to climb.

sharing a house with 7 other people.

charlotte up all night.

camp food.

thanks to all of you who have been praying for jeff this week....

 it is definitely working :) 

he is doing amazing and I am hearing incredible stories from kids and counselors.

to god be the glory!

keep it up- we're here until friday.  

and tomorrow.... i have something very exciting to share!

we're here

jeff got home last night around 6pm.

hooray!

then this morning, we left at 9am.

after 7+ hours of driving.....

(think multiple potty stops, several tantrums, boredom, a mere 45 minute nap for charlotte, and  a lot of snacks later)

we are here.

i had super cute pics from the drive to share, but it looks like we have the world's slowest internet connection.  

so you'll have to wait :)

jeff is speaking this week at ponderosa christian camp in big bear california.

it is a new camp for us, and we don't really know anyone.

i am excited to see how god is going to use jeff to speak to the hearts of these kids this week.

he'll be preaching out of galatians 5- not an easy text!

currently, my husband is suffering from some massive jet lag.

right now it is 6am tomorrow israel time (8pm here)

he woke up at 2:30 this morning and hasn't slept since.

and right now he needs to go meet a camp full of new people,

build relationships,

and explain god's word.

if you read this, will you please pray for him?

pray that god would use him in a mighty way this week.

that he would give him energy and rest in every way possible.

that he would speak through jeff and the word would touch the lives of students.

that this week will mean something.

that students will grow in their relationship with christ because god chose to use jeff at this camp.

a different kind of father's day

today is a little different.

it's father's day, but daddy is not here.

he's currently in israel, walking where jesus walked.  

what an amazing experience.

jackson showing "the airplane daddy is flying on"

jeff has been working on a seminary degree basically since we got married.

that's been awhile.

he graduates this august.

i am so excited for him to get to SEE what he has been learning.

to experience the final piece of the puzzle.

so happy for him.

but while i'm thrilled for him to experience this,

it is sad to not have him here.

now, more than ever, i would like to celebrate him.

daddy being gone shines a bright light on how amazing he is.

life is harder, lonelier, busier without him.

i recognize on a daily basis how lucky i am to raise our 3 children with him.

he is engaged, involved, and has the heart of a servant.

he changes dirty diapers, washes plastic plates, and vacuums up cheerios....

and never complains.

i miss my husband.

but not because he cleans up and plays with the kids.

i miss my partner, my lover, my best friend.

i can't imagine doing this mom thing on my own.

i can't imagine living my life without him.

since we can't be together and i'm not sure when we'll be able to talk,

here's a little something for daddy...

WHY WE LOVE OUR DADDY:

(it says he gives the best snuggles...
someone had different plans for their board then holding still and smiling)

of course, at this age they don't even know all the reasons.

they just know that they have the best daddy in the world.

and i'd have to agree with them.

and if you think about it...
please be praying for the team as they travel in the middle east.

and...would you say a little prayer for me, too, over the next week?

i know i can trust that my husband is in the hands of our great big savior..... 
i just need my crazy, anxious brain to get on board.

thanks, friends :)