Ladies Day 2012

After weeks of planning and preparation, the big day finally arrived - our 7th annual Ladies Day.  I do believe it was a great success - 120 ladies in attendance!  Ladies from several area congregations joined us for a morning filled with fun, fellowship and Bible study.  Sarah Fallis from the Dallas area was our speaker and did an outstanding job!  Our topic this morning was "Let you relationship with God blossom."  

We decorated with a spring theme, and I think all the decorations turned out super cute.

Alice and Becky sat at the registration table and made sure everyone signed in and got a name tag

Courtney and Hailey eating breakfast.

Courtney and Laverne -  Rod's great aunt.  She lives in Antlers and we don't see her that much now that Nanny and Popa have gone.  It was so good to see her.

Amy gave the welcome

Just look at that crowd!

Courtney read scripture

I loved having my mom there!

                           

Courtney and Molly Bybee, who just turned 94 years young last month

 

Court and Ave's

Amy and Avery

About half way through Ladies Day, Avery decided she would take a little power nap.

Little miss Laila was our youngest lady in attendance

For lunch, we had chicken salad, vermicelli salad and frozen fruit salad

We had to add a couple of tables out in the foyer so everyone would have a seat.  That is a great problem to have!

Ladies Day 2012 another big success!

Makin' Music

This past weekend Courtney, my mom, and myself all loaded up and headed north to Tennessee to see Michael and Makin' Music.  Makin' Music is a theatrical event hosted by the social clubs of Freed.  Students work together to produce the show.  The social clubs on campus compete against each other and try to win the title of Makin' Music champion. 

We got into Jackson, TN around 10:30 Friday evening.  Michael had a show that night, so we didn't see him until Saturday.  I am sure he was thrilled that we showed up at his dorm bright and early to Saturday morning.  We wanted to spend a couple of hours with him before he had to get ready for the shows.  My mom had never been to Freed, so we gave her a little tour.  She loved the fact that the bookstore carried Vera Bradley purses, which happened to be on sale. 

Michael had to meet with his group at 11am on to start preparing for the 2pm show.  So Court, my mom and my self headed back to Jackson to do some shopping.  Our hotel was right across the street from a mall that had a Kohl's, Ross, Marshall's, Books a Million - what else could we ask for?  I guess a Target close by would have been nice.  We did go to the mall about 3 miles away to satisfy Courtney.  We then went to Longhorn Steakhouse to eat before heading back to Jackson to see Michael in the 7:30pm show.  After the Saturday night show is when they announce the winners.  Michael's group, Phi Kappa, received 3rd place.

Each club marches in, one at a time, before the show starts.  We stood outside and watched most of the clubs make their entry.  Michael is the next to the last one in the line .

Michael is the third one back on the far row

Each clubs performance lasts about 7 minutes

In between clubs, there were a group of students that would come out and sing a couple of songs.  Towards the end, the three girls sang a medley of Adelle songs and they did a really good job.

Intermission

 This group received 2nd place

And this is the group that won first place

Michael came and stayed with us in Jackson after the Saturday night show.  Here we all are before church Sunday morning.

We went to lunch at TGIF Friday's before heading back home Sunday afternoon.  One of Michael's roommates, Eric, and his girlfriend Ali went with us.

It was a wonderful weekend and I am so thankful that my mom was able to go with us!  We had a really good time!  And, to top it off, I came home to a CLEAN house!  Thank you Rod Richardson.

Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes

This past weekend we went to Lads to Leaders which was held at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine.  This was our first year to participate in Lads to Leaders - in years past we have participated in LTC (Leadership Training for Christ).  Lads to Leaders is a program that prepares our youth and helps develop their overall leadership potential.  It offers year round events that help the youth be more involved in the work of the church.  Our youth have worked very hard over the last several months and all of their hard work paid off with MANY awards.  It was a GREAT weekend!  I always look forward to this weekend each year!  I took a lot of pictures, and believe it or not, I did weed through some of them.  But, as usual I will post way to many :)

When we got to the hotel Friday afternoon, Butler came to hang out with me and Courtney.  He thinks we are cool.  Or maybe he just likes to play games on my phone.  Either way, we enjoyed him.

We ate at one of the restaurants in the hotel Friday night before the awards ceremony

Big kid table

Little kid table

The hotel had several trains set up around the atrium, and the little guys enjoyed watching them

Hailey and Courtney before the awards ceremony

The awards that were handed out Friday night were for pre-convention events, most were non-competitive.  Most of our kids participated in several events such as GIFTS, PEARLS, Know the Books, Year-Round Bible Reading, Year-Round Song Leading, Good Samaritan (service work), Oral Bible Reading, etc.

Courtney and Hailey....being Courtney and Hailey

Receiving awards for Good Samaritan

Courtney receiving her award for PEARLS

The girls receiving their awards for GIFTS

the boys receiving their awards for GUARDS

This sign shows that we had 38 seats reserved for our congregation.  I know we had at least 43 there at one time or another

Hailey and Courtney with their awards from Friday night

Saturday morning Courtney gave her speech.  The speeches and songs of praise were divided up by grade.  Little did I know Court was giving a FIRST place speech!!!

All of our girls that gave speeches.  Each girl competed with other girls in their grade

We had a few minutes between speech and bible bowl.  So we went back to the room.  Butler came with us and we had a little egg hunt.  I would hide them from him, and then he would want to hide them from me.

He had a little help from Courtney.  They hid them in hard places!

Then it was time to head back to the convention center for Bible Bowl. 

Colton, Bryson, Hailey and Courtney were one of 3 Bible Bowl teams we had

Courtney leading her song of praise

Our kids before the awards on Saturday night.  For some reason, Reese is not in it - we had 23 kids there!

So very proud of our girls for getting 2nd place for group scrapbook!!

Ryan got 1st place in his grade for song leading!!

Hailey received 3rd place for 10th grade girls songs of praise

Courtney received 3rd place for 11th grade girls songs of praise

Autumn received the Bartimaeus award.  This award is given to a special needs child who participates in an event.  Autumn did not want to go on stage alone, so Courtney went with her.

 and Autumn was SO EXCITED to get her trophy!

 Courtney receiving her 1st place trophy for her speech.  I was so excited while they were announcing it, that I couldn't get my camera to work to take a picture. 

 11th grade high scores for Bible Bowl 

 The elementary Bible Bowl team

 The high school Bible Bowl team

 After the awards ceremony

If I remember correctly, we had FIVE 1st place trophies.  All the first place winners will compete in "Winners Circle" next year with other 1st place winners.  We had many 2nd place and 3rd place winners as well!

 Autumn with her trophy

 Several of us stopped by the Java Roast for some ice cream before heading back to our rooms

 Courtney made friends with this 19 year old boy from Freed Hardeman that just happens to know her brother.  He was there all weekend passing out information about Freed.  Maybe we will see him next weekend when we go to Tennessee.

Sunday morning

The Phillips kids

Me and my girl

Mandy and her girls

Courtney and the hotel pet

We got home around 1pm on Sunday and the Easter bunny had come to see Courtney

 And then Avery came to see us :)

 And Charlie had to come over and check out all of Courtney's trophies, ribbons and awards

To sum it up, it was an AWESOME weekend with AWESOME people!