JROTC

Marshall is in JROTC this year. He tried out for the raiders team and made it...he loves it. His team is going to Nationals this weekend and Eric is going to get to share his testimony on Sunday morning with all the teams who are there. We still can't believe the opportunities that He keeps getting!! I am so proud of both my boys...Marshall and my main man!!! Here is a picture of Marshall and Lindsey at the last meet.
Below is a picture of Lindsey and Hunter....aaaahhhh aren't they so cute!

Football Game with Grand-daddy Put!

My daddy took all three of the oldest cousins to the football game this past Saturday. They had a blast. They cooked chicken on the grill and did a lot of people watching. They walked the campus and Lindsey decided she definitely wanted to go to Clemson...she will need a scholarship! Then they all experienced their first college football game. It was awesome!

I thought the picture below was awesome....When I was growing up daddy had an old Clemson shirt that we all wore at one time or another and Daddy eventually made it his painting shirt. Lindsey got her hands on it and wore it to the game...with all her jewelry of course! As Jeremiah says, "Lindsey in't the life of the party...she IS the Party!!" I would agree! She was happy to pick out another shirt from a shop there in Clemson though! But I still like the picture below!

So what happened at AMTC?

This is a picture with Carey Arban and Lindsey on the last day.

Lindsey and I got home after a very long delay at the airport.....we got home at midnight and I had to get Benjamin packed and ready to leave for elementary camp the next morning. Lindsey slept in her bed then started repacking to go to Washington for 4 days with SLU.....It has been crazy to say the least. I have been decompressing for over a week!

I have lots to share over the next few days...but Lindsey did amazing...she received 3 call backs from NY 1 from Atlanta and she won a $1000 scholarship to the NY Conservatory! The proof is on the next month or so...she has already been contacted by some of the agents....where will it go now...well we will see. She hopes to get some work here in the Atlanta market with print work or commercial type stuff. She would LOVE to do something with Sherwood films...we will see what the Lord has in store! She is open...she made Eric and I very proud with the way she represented us but more importantly the way she represented the Lord! Weather she was interviewing with a big wig from NY like Barry Shapiro or signing autographs she didn't miss a chance to talk about Jesus and encourage others. And yes it was very weird to see her sign autographs!!

Bus pictures

Lindsey and I walked about 7 miles yesterday so today we decided to try our hand at public transportation. It was great. It is a great place to people watch...Lindsey made me use antibacterial stuff as soon as we exited the bus. She is funny! And you have to scroll to the next blog post and see her funny video! I look like I have been hiking in the hot sun all day but I thought it was funny of her. Have a great day!

Bus Stop

Lindsey and I ventured out on our first ever public bus ride. She wanted to shop a little this afternoon. She keeps me laughing and this is an example of her off the cuff.

AMTC Saturday

Below are some random photos..for your enjoyment. Our long walk. The beverages we have enjoyed this week! Me looking at an incredibility busy schedule. Lindsey looking cute as usual! Tomorrow is the big day for speed networking with the agents and managers..pray for us! And for those of you praying for the ministry....Eric spoke this morning at a mens prayer breakfast and a 60 year old man who is the father of one of his HS buddies was saved! He also had the joy of leading his cousin to Jesus while he was here visiting! And we got paid this week! :)

Movies

Lindsey was in 3 competitions today...great job! She doesn't seem nervous at all! We will know about call backs tomorrow night!

I want to tell you a little story....

I walk into a very crowded room alone....people are very quiet and the speaker stands to speak....He is funny at times....angry at times...sad at times...but every time he wants to show any emotion he uses Lindsey's name as his choice of words...now he doesn't know her personally but he continues to use her name in ugly profane ways. Out of the corner of my eye I can see her standing in the back of the room...listening...watching to see what I will do....will I leave...will I just listen to it even though I know she can hear it..I know it must hurt her feelings...what will I do......Now of course that is NOT a true story but if it was...you would all think I was a really bad mother for not leaving the room! And you would certainly think I was wrong if I KNEW that her name was going to be used that way and yet I still went!

This is why we do not go to see movies that use GD or JC in them....I find these words so profane...offensive. I love the Lord so very much...I believe that he hears and sees everything that we hear and see and I can't sit idle by while His name is being tossed around. I do not say this to be judgemental....everyone draws their line somewhere. I know some who will not even sit through shows that say..OH MY GOD...if that were our conviction...we couldn't even see children's movies. That isn't a slam on the families that have different convictions....just sharing where we are! Just food for thought!

Also I wanted to let you guys know that the Lord is continuing to supply. Eric is starting to book his speaking engagements in the schools and we couldn't do it without you all and your prayers!!

AMTC Thursday

Ok...so as you know we ended up leaving the Gaylord...for a little step down...to the Super 8.....The lady and her daughter who were supposed to room with us...left to be with someone else in a free condo....which is all fine except we do not have a vehicle. She assured us that she would come and get us and take us back to the hotel and she has a few times but she runs late and we do not like to be late.....so we have been walking...it is about 1 1/2 miles..which isn't bad but in Orlando in July...need I say more?

Now for the great part! Today as we were walking and sweating...for the 3rd time..Lindsey and I had an amazing conversation about how far people in other countries walk to hear the gospel and how this is an acting competition for pete's sake! Lindsey also told me about how she has been praying that the Lord would help her to remain humble through all of this and believe me this is an atmosphere full of egos. She told me that she is glad we were walking because it has built character and what satan probably meant for evil..the Lord meant for good! Worth it..you bet!!

AMTC

Oh my word....it has been a LONG day!!!well I am just going to tell you that in my very humble but accurate opinion...as my pastor says...Lindsey was outstanding!!!! She stood with such confidence and expression and did her monologue. She got huge cheers and whistles....after she was done we were sitting in the hall with hundreds of others and one of the judges from NY walked right up to her and told her what a great job she did and then just walked away. She was so sweet to the other girls who were nervous or girls who came up and wanted to talk with her....I was very proud! I was not allowed to take pictures while she was preforming but I did take one of the competition hall....and I might have accidentally on purpose filmed her performance....I felt like a rule breaking spy...but a mama's got to do what a mama's got to do!

AMTC Day 1

The pictures below are actually in reverse order....thumbs up from Lindsey because we are in a clean hotel! Pitiful face because of the horrible hotel along with a picture of the room that does NOT do it justice! And she and I on the plane!






Oh my goodness...you would not believe our first day here!!! We started at the Gaylord Palms Resort..yesterday...after flying in for free!!..thanks RD. We met our roommates for the week....very sweet mother and her 13 year old daughter. We were relieved because when you are sharing a room for a 8 days with someone it could be really awesome or awful! the Gaylord was over the top beautiful...but we are ignorant "high end" travelers! We were getting a "deal" because of AMTC for $149 a night off of the normal $340....so we go to check in and they start adding things like....spa fee..now this may sound good because there is an amazing spa at the Gaylord..but the spa fee is for the use of the gym and the pool...thing about it is it isn't optional! Then there was the fee to have a teeny tiny refrigerator in the room..again it comes with the room it isn't optional....a fee for the transportation to and from Disney...we are NOT going to Disney! After they were done it was $200 a night!

This may not seem like a big deal but for 8 nights on a shoe string budget it was HUGE! We found out that we didn't have to stay at the Gaylord although they would like for you to...so we decided to leave....I wish I could go into the whole story but it would be really long...but it is really funny! We started changing hotels at 11 this morning...we were briefly at a scuzzy Days Inn...Lindsey was in tears...we changed hotels in the rain lugging 3 HUGE suitcases across 6 lanes of Orlando traffic...long story but we didn't have a car...Now we are in a very clean..save hotel for less than half of the other one and we even get free breakfast in the morning :)I am thrilled to have this time with Lindsey! Pray for her tomorrow is her biggest competition!

Blessings

Well it is now less than a week until Lindsey leaves to go to AMTC.....she is so excited and I am excited for her and for time to be with her! She is so gifted and she is already using her gifts. She loves to use drama to reach others whether she is in the drama or writing and directing it for middle school.

She has worked for the past 5 months to save every dime that she earned toward going to AMTC. We have helped and so have grandparents. We got it all except for the travel. So we sent out 200 fliers to local businesses as AMTC recommended....not a single response??!!! This wouldn't be so bad but the postage alone could have paid for gas there! So we began to pray! Lindsey was so sweet about it...she would say, "Lord you have opened EVERY door so far..I am trusting that if you want me there you will continue to open doors and if this is the end...help me to see your hand."

One of Lindsey's good friends gave her an envelope and basically told her that while she was sitting in church the Lord had challenged her to give Lindsey her babysitting money from the summer? She went on to give an amazing testimony about how talented she thinks Lindsey is and how Lindsey has always stood for what is right and she thinks that the Lord is going to use her and she wanted to be a part of making that happen. What teenager does that??? The one's who are all about more than themselves!!

We were planing on driving Eric's car down...now let me just tell you why I dreaded this....I hate to drive! Especially 8 hours!!! Both mine and Eric's cars are high mileage and Eric was worried about such a long trip. His car's shocks are gone so I was worried about a headache? My car is in a little better shape but it gets 12 miles to the gallon..yep you saw that correctly. We couldn't afford a rental so off we were prepared to go. Someone told me that I might try bidding on a flight. Sometimes the airlines will try to fill the plane at the last min. but I couldn't find the site so I asked if anyone on facebook knew where I could find the site.....you will have to tune in later to hear what the Lord did!!! :)

pictures

Remember that Lindsey was going to a photo shoot with a photographer from NY...well they came in...and here are two of them....crazy! She did not want me to post them...she didn't want to seem prideful.....but well I AM proud of her!!!!

Fashion show

Pictures of my girl in a fashion show at the church for young girls and their mama's. The point being that you can dress really cute and modest! Always proud of her!

prom

This is a picture of Lindsey...16 with her daddy. The last dance of the prom is reserved for parents and their children. I love my man so much! I love that Lindsey loves and respects him so much! I don't know why the picture is cut off?? :(

New camera

Lindsey asked for money for her 16th birthday and combined it with her own babysitting money and bought a really nice camera. She loves to take pictures and she has a really good eye for the unusual shots. Above is Emily being very patient while Lindsey takes pictures in the bathroom...I love the last picture. I hope Lindsey can work on this talent and use it in someway since she loves it so much.