Presenting...Mr. and Mrs. Joe Diaz!

Joe and Hope's wedding was so sweet and beautiful! We had a wonderful weekend attending all the wedding festivities and meeting lots of great people. I had never met Hope before but we became fast friends. We knew for Joe to be getting married she must be something special and she is. I know God brought them together to help change the world. We are so happy for them and we are thankful for their friendship! We can't wait for them to come to Georgia and see us!

The bonus to our weekend in TN was the time we were able to spend with the sweetest niece, Avery! She is so funny and we always have a blast. She slept with us on Friday night and I awoke at 3 AM with the heel of her foot on my face which left me with a fat lip! Needless to say, after this experience, I'm sure our children will never sleep with us (when we have them). 

On our way home, we made a stop in Knoxville to see our friends, Jason and Lena, and have lunch. We ate at my favorite spot (not)...Sonny's BBQ. The food wasn't so great but it was nice to see them! Now, we are home, unpacking and ready to get some sleep. It was a very exciting and hectic weekend! 

Avery and Cody

First Dance (I didn't know Joe could dance!)

Joe is finally getting married!

We are in TN this weekend for Joe and Hope's wedding! Joe has been best buds with Cody since they were 12 and we are so happy to be a part of his special day! I will post more pics and details later but for now...I'm off to the wedding!

This pic was taken at the rehearsal and it looks like Cody is giving Joe some very exciting news! Possibly "guy" talk about the wedding night? 

Easter Pics

Of Course Cody is talking! 

Hollie's classic pose

Yes, they are making fun of us! Cody is scary accurate though! 

The Lit Blog is officially up and working! Take a look at blogs about all the speakers and artists! 

Easter

Sunday was a wonderful day! Seeing as Cody and I have been at VL since the days of 20 members meeting in the "fellowship hall", we were overwhelmed at the large attendance and all the visitors this week! The change is beyond belief (as tears fill my eyes) and we are so grateful God is allowing us to be a part of His work! God is amazing! 

Pete started his series on marriage and relationships. The topic was time and how investing time in marriage/relationships brings a great return. It was the perfect series to start on Easter because so many marriages and relationships are suffering therefore making this a "hot topic". We celebrated the resurrection with the awesome realization that we don't have to try make relationships work on our own if Christ is in us! Christ was the perfect example because he gave everything...he gave his life! The following weeks of the series will include topics of money, communication and sex. I can't wait to see how God will use this series to change lives at VL! 

After the service we spent the rest of the day making wonderful memories with dear family and friends! And, of course, we had lot of yummy food! We hope your Easter was a time of reflection and spent investing in your marriage/relationships!

Just a little shout out...Cody, thank you for always giving your time to me! I know you are busy and have so many things that vie for your time but you always give yourself to me! Even though we are "together" at all times, you truly understand the meaning and value of quality time. Thank you! 

Britt fix!

Have you ever met someone you feel you've known forever? Have you ever met someone with whom you have so much in common you could literally be the same person? This strange phenomenon happened to me in choir my senior year in high school. Dr. Stukenholtz made the biggest mistake of his life when he gave the choir assigned seats and placed me and Brittany beside each other! As we talked (which we were scolded for too many times to count) we realized we were both preachers kids, had brothers the same age, loved movies, loved music and had a sincere passion for shopping! Now, Brittany lives in Nashvegas and I never get to see her so when she came home this past weekend I had to get my Britt fix. We had lunch together followed by a late dinner and a movie. It was so great to see her and we had a blast! I think I'm going to schedule a trip to Nashville soon! I love ya Britt! By the way...Cody loves ya too! We can't wait to see you again!

Happy Easter!

Hope you all are having a wonderful Easter! We had a great day and there is more to come! I will catch up on my posts later tonight! 

Lit Conference!!

We are so excited about our conference, Lit, August 7-9 in Jacksonville, FL! Cody has done an awesome job organizing the entire event (and we have lost many hours of sleep with both excitement and panic over everything that needs to be done). This conference has been in our hearts for years and it is so great to see our vision come to life! Our vision for Lit is to see students come together to explore all God is doing in and through our generation. Our desire is for these students to not only have a passion for Christ but for them to do something with the passion that is inside them...change the world! Steve Fee, December Radio and Seth Condrey will be the musical guests! Speakers will include Zach Hunter, Alex Himaya, Jared Herd and of course my amazing husband, Cody! There are a few more surprises coming but you will have to be there to find out! If you are interested in attending Lit or volunteering we would love for you to be a part. You can click on the link if you have any questions and to register or volunteer. God has done so much in our lives as we are preparing for Lit. We can't wait to see how He will use it to affect everyone who attends! 

Video Pics of Friday Night Out...

Changed

Sunday I was reminded and thankful for Christ sacrifice for me! I am also thankful that Christ changes our lives and then uses us to bring about change in lives around us! With this reminder also came an overwhelming sense of responsibility because I need to live my life in such a way that everyone around me sees a different, changed person. I went to church at FBC Woodstock to see my cousin, Morgan be baptized. God is doing such a special work in her life! Pastor Johnny shared about the wrath of God and about being thankful for Good Friday because Jesus took ALL our sins upon himself on that day. We sometimes skip over the significance of that day, focusing more on the resurrection. Because of his amazing sacrifice we can accept Christ into our lives, receiving His grace! I rushed and made my way to VL (www.viningslake.org) and caught the end of the service. Pete was completing his series "Changed" and the service was filled with testimonies of people whose lives have been changed at VL. Cody and I can honestly say God used VL to bring about change in our lives and we love being a part of such a special work!! I hope everyone has a wonderful week! 

Twister in the ATL

Friday night we went to dinner in Atlanta at Shout with some of our dearest friends! The food was so yum and we enjoyed the DJ and conversation. It was our first visit to Shout and the atmosphere was so trendy and fun. As we were eating and eating more I noticed it had begun to rain pretty hard outside but, of course, we didn't think anything of it. Following our meal we made our way upstairs to listen to the DJ and hang out for a while. By the time we decided to leave, the rain had stopped but all our phones were ringing with concerned family/friends informing us there had been a tornado in Atlanta and there was extensive damage. News flash to us! We had no idea! Thankfully we made it out safely and since the weather had cleared up, we decided to go have dessert. I think we ordered one of everything on the dessert menu and we all shared! Everything was so delicious! We had to rush home after a phone call informing us Mrs. Janet had been a victim of a "hit and run". We are so glad she's okay! We had a blast hanging with our friends and we can't wait to go again! I will post some pics later! 

It's a Beautiful Day

Today was so beautiful! The weather is beginning to give us a gorgeous picture of spring with the budding trees and lovely warm weather. Spring is also evident on my black car which is now lightly covered in yellow. I wore my open-toe shoes today and a short sleeved shirt. So exciting!! 

My Mom and I went to lunch with our friends Hollie, Mrs. Janet and Diva Addie. As usual, Addie kept us entertained and the mother's talked about all the upkeep that comes with "old" age. I suppose Hollie and I have a great deal to look forward to. Before the meal even began the subject topic quickly turned to how everyone thinks Cody and I should have a baby. This topic continued to present itself in sly ways throughout the meal! Addie had just gotten her degree in rockstar fashion from Libby Lu University (at the mall) so she gave Mom a makeover before we left the restaurant. She was really getting into it and Mom was tasting the glitter from her lipgloss for hours after lunch. 

After a trip to the job site and a manicure (a must) Cody and I headed to meet his parents and our niece, Avery, for dinner. Cody is totally obsessed with Avery and whatever she wants, when she is with us, she receives! After a long debate over whether or not she would spend the night with us, Cody and I left alone. She couldn't decide and she really wanted us to stay at the hotel with them! I'm now going to sleep especially since our weekend is packed with exciting adventures! More to come as the weekend rolls on! Until then...enjoy your Friday! 

Quick Trip

Yesterday afternoon we drove to Cochran, GA for a speaking engagement with FCA at Middle Georgia College. Upon our departure from Marietta we had the privilege of being stuck in rush hour traffic. Lesson #1: Take it from someone who has lived in Metro Atlanta for 9 years...don't travel during the hours of 6:30AM-9AM and 4PM-7PM. For those of you that rush hour is not an option my suggestion is for you to purchase a helicopter! Ha! Anyway, our 2 hour drive quickly turned into a 4 hour drive because of the traffic. However, neither of us minded because Cody caught up on his podcasts and I caught up on naps! I had never heard of Middle Georgia College and upon our arrival to Cochran I was beginning to believe we had been "punked". We soon found out there is such a place and students do attend the school but the town is extremely small (only a McDonalds and Subway because they closed the TacoBell)!! We learned that MGC is known for it's aviation school and we met quite a few future Delta and AirTran pilots. The FCA at Middle GA is only 2 years old and has grown from 15 to over 65 students weekly. Cody shared about what having a relationship with Christ truly means...LIFE! Not just life in the sense of eternity (even though that is an unbelievable reward) but life right now! We didn't get to hang out long because we had to drive home (we weren't really up for a night in the Budget Inn of Cochran) but we did get to meet a few great students! Thankfully we made it home a lot faster than our trip to Cochran. Of course that might have something to do with the fact that we followed aforementioned lesson and drove between 10:30PM-1AM!! I'm so proud to be able to travel with an awesome speaker and my partner in crime! We have the best job in the world! 

Chill Weekend

Our weekend was pretty uneventful. Of course we went to the movies (we saw "The Great Debaters")! It wouldn't be the weekend if we didn't see a movie! Saturday we slept in and went to one of my favorite places in the world...the mall! Unfortunately, we were at the mall to get Cody's computer fixed (not to shop for spring clothes) which meant we were actually making a trip to Cody's favorite place...the Apple store! The store was packed with people playing and purchasing the newest technology but we were able to get out quickly and without spending $. 

Today church was great and the weather was gorgeous! As soon as church was over, we bolted so we could make it to lunch with friends. Cody and I are really starting to get a bad reputation for being late. It seems like we are late for everything with the exception of Cody's speaking events! Today we were late for church and lunch. On a roll! 

Lunch was the best! It seems that life is filled with people that come in and out of our lives. However, there are others we know will always be a part of us, no matter what. Friends that have seen us at our best and worst and still love us. Friends who are honest with us (even when we disagree) and who spur us on to better living. Friends who make us laugh and who we love being with. Friends who, even though we may not see them often, we can pick up right where we left off and never miss a beat. Today, we had lunch with some of those friends. We haven't seen them in a long time but we picked up as if we had seen them yesterday! We talked for hours over lunch and it was sad when they had to leave!! Hopefully it will not be long before we can see them again! 

To all the friends in our lives, we hope we can be a blessing to you just as you are to us! Have an awesome week! 

 

Walmart Surveillance Cameras!

Warning: Do not try this at home! 

The camera person got a bit distracted by the Mickey bags! Listen to the giggles! Hollie asks "Are there any more tags on me?"! Yeah, there are about 5 on the back of your shirt which looks like the material/pattern of baby blanket! The hat is awesome but the best thing is those "new fit", elastic waste pants!! HOT! Can you believe these girls didn't get banded for life from all Walmart locations! Whoever was working surveillance got a real show on Wed. night! Hope you all have a fun weekend! 

Girls Night Out...to Walmart and the Emergency Room?!?

Jenn's purchase from Walmart! 

All the girls at dinner (before the festivities)

The "ER"?

Jill applying for a job!

Easter Outfits!

I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life...EVER! A bunch of girls from VL (the greatest church on earth) went to dinner and that's where it all started. I ate way too many chips with some yummy salsa and spicy cheese dip! We talked about everything you can imagine but the most interesting conversation was the fact that Jenn's foot was the size of a football, she felt like she might be having a heart attack and this might be her final day on earth! After discussing her symptoms, talking to a nurse and a former EMT, calling all the husbands and getting everyone excited we decided we all should make a trip to the ER. We were laughing uncontrollably and so nobody was taking us serious. How fun would it be for 6 crazy girls to go to the ER together for a swollen foot? It really doesn't take much to entertain us. When decision time came, we chose Walmart over the ER. This Walmart wasn't your typical Walmart, it was the most ghetto one we could find and it had a very distinct smell that will haunt my memory for at least a week! You can see our damage in the self explanatory pictures. As for the girls who were too tired to take our friend Jenn to the ER...you really missed out! Maybe next time! Jenn, hopefully you will read this before your life is over because I want you to know that I hope you enjoyed your final moments here on earth and I love ya! 

Happy Birthday Mom!

First, I must begin by saying how great it is to be back in GA with the warm 70 temps! Beautiful! Anyways, I know, I know, we look just alike! There is no denying it! The really scary part about the entire thing is that we act a lot alike. This picture was taken at a wedding this past summer and the funniest thing is my cousin Jenna in the background. Her facial expression is hilarious! Today was Mom's B-day so we went to her favorite place for dinner...Stoney River. Yum! As if all the food and hot buttered "stoney pups" weren't enough we followed the meal with icecream from ColdStone. I will most definitely be going to the gym tomorrow afternoon! 

More Pics from the Snow...

The hottest snow"woman" around!

Our New Friends...Josiah and Mercy...So Fun!

Cody showing them how it's done!

New Hampshire

We had a blast in New England this weekend! We flew in Thursday afternoon and when we went to get our luggage everything made it but the most important bag...the bag with all the toiletries! I seriously thought I was going to have a nervous break-down. Our new friends Andy, Bethany and Shauna thought I was crazy because I refused to leave the room until I got my make-up and hair products. They all commented that "it must be a southern thing". Honestly, what true southern woman leaves the house (especially when they are meeting new people) with no make-up!! I was thrilled to see my bag arrive early Friday morning so I could face the world with southern style. 

Cody did a great job speaking and we saw many students make decisions for Christ! It starting snowing about 10pm Friday night and continued until mid morning on Saturday. It was so beautiful! We played in the snow and everyone kept asking us if we had ever seen it before. We really looked like a bunch of amateurs with our "snow" skiing gear (they said we didn't have to call it "snow" skiing there)! Everyone else was wearing jeans and we had on our waterproof snow pants. It was freezing cold and they were in t-shirts, a few had on sandals and some kids were even wearing shorts! We built a huge snow"woman" and went tubbing with the students. Thanks to Andy, Bethany, Shauna, Josiah and Mercy for showing us a great time at Monadnock camp!