Good times, good times...

WHEW! What a weekend! This past weekend was jammed full of stuff...and all worth telling. Saturday, we had an "in-house" garage sale. We've got tons of stuff that we will not need when we move overseas...particularly clothes. So we put up fliers and spread the word. When we opened the doors at 8am, there was a line outside! Everything went great and by the end of the day we felt exhausted and blessed!

Sunday started off exciting as Anthony got to play guitar alongside Keith and Kristin Getty. They're modern hymn writers- "Power of the Cross" is a favorite around these parts. In the service our friend Micah performed his first baptism. We baptized 4 college students who have come to know the Lord in the last few weeks and 2 parents of one of the guys. Then, Dr. Danny Akin gave a message on prayer. Our church worshiped, celebrated, and prayed together like I've never seen since we've been here. SO Awesome! Then in Sunday School I (Sharon), as it was our last official Sunday actually teaching in our small groups, got to give a blessing and tell each girl in my group what they meant to me and what I saw the Lord doing in their lives. All of them were there (which is great bc several go to school out of town) and it was a blessing to my heart to get to do that.

THEN...Sunday night we dedicated a new 'campus' of our church. For those of you who don't know, our church is "One Church, Two Locations" and we're expanding to around 6!!! It's an effort/vision to reach the entire city for Christ. It sounds strange, but we have taken it one step at a time. The Lord has been faithful even when we haven't (and still don't) known fully what he was going to do with it. "Highview Valley Station" had a packed out service. They voted Jon Akin (Dr. Akin's son) in as pastor and Dr. Akin gave the message, which was a charge to Jonathan about how to be a pastor and to care for his sheep. It was a wonderful time of worship and celebration and a full-room of people was proof that God was faithfully working to grow his kingdom.

Afterwards we went to Fazoli's to hang out with the college students and there was no shortage of laughter (and breadsticks) as usual.

At the end of the day I sat back and was amazed at how the Lord weaves the Body of Christ together in sweet fellowship. Every Lord's Day in every church should be this way!

Some of the bargain-hunters...

Meagan, one of our college students, trying out the bin marked "winter accessories"...the girl's got style, what can I say?

Tara's impression of what you feel like after you shop at our garage sale. (in case you can't tell, its supposed to make you feel like you're sunbathing on a tropical island)

This is Micah baptizing Janet, one of the students that became a Christian recently.

Standing room only (literally!) at the dedication of "Highview Valley Station."

Micah and Laurie are pumped about their Fazoli's pasta...(just wash it all down with a breadstick bro...)

Austin, Tara, and Lauren...also all smiles at the prospect of cheap Italian food and the bottomless basket of breadsticks

Fun with Science...

Saturday we went on a wonderful cost-effective date, courtesy of PNC Bank, to the Louisville Science Center. PNC employees got in free and got discount tickets to IMAX shows. Fun Stuff. The hundreds of unruly children and a working interactive model of the human digestive system were enough to set the romantic mood right from the get-go. Anthony and I are self-proclaimed PBS nerds, so this was really right up our alley.


The fun started quick...outside the center is a huge satellite shaped thing with lots of mirrors (I know, I'm so scientific). In case you can't tell, Anthony is doing his impression of a hippo. He's making a big hippo in the mirror.

The "World Within Us" exhibition. Cara, Anthony is displaying his oral care prowess. Have you ever seen flossing skills like that?

They say there's a scientific explanation for everything...



Across the street from the Science Center is the Louisville Slugger Museum-Factory. This is the only place Louisville Slugger Bats are made. The bat in the picture is big. Really big.

"If you can dodge a wrench..."

"Sports Day" at a Baptist church can mean only one of three things: softball, ultimate frisbee, or dodgeball. After brushing up on the 5 D's (dodge, duck, dip, dive and, um.... dodge) my team was ready to bring the heat. Let the violence, exclusion and degradation begin.

By this time Micah, who was on the other team and responsible for starting each game, was already halfway down the court before yelling "GO!"

That's Austin at the top puttin' a hurtin' on the other team, followed by me and Toebbe.

Are you ready for the, WWHHHOOOSH, hurricane?

I'd like to say it was an uncommon sight to see Joe, me and Austin out on the sidelines... I'd also like to say that Bigfoot is real and koalas frequently crawl into my apartment to bring me bacon cheeseburgers. A man can wish.

Team Winner (we'll forget the fact that we only won one game). Again, note where Joe, me and Austin are- only this time we're joined by a middle schooler. At least Steve-o is in on the action (he would be the only one doing something in this picture).

Here I am upping the intimidation factor, which doesn't work very well for a couple of reasons: (1) I have a blue cartoon walrus on my shirt and (2) my shorts need to be about an inch longer to meet the manliness guidelines (which do not apply to soccer or rugby players, in case you were wondering). However, I do apparently possess great chest-pass form. Fundamentals are key, kids.

but I have to...

...more than likely this blogsite will have more than its standable share of pictures of our neices, nephews, and young cousins (to avoid confusion we just tend to lump the cousins into the neice and nephew category). This year there are 4 little girls being born (one already has been!) into our family. Increasing the kid number from 5 to 9. Numbers 7, 8, and 9, have yet to make their debut, but soon. Here are some recent shots of a few of them...don't worry, if each kid doesn't get a spot, you'll see them eventually, we're obsessed. Especially once we move out of the country, it may be all that's posted...ever.

This is Kaelyn Joy Diaz. She is REALLY excited about her Uncle MattE's home run with the Braves! Actually, it's probably just that she loves grapes, but I just wanted to bring up the fact that her Uncle plays for the Braves.

Installment #1 of the 2006 girls. Kara Lynn Durrance, born January 16 weighing somewhere around 9lbs. This is Kara with her daddy, my cousin Shawn. Props to Michelle for delivering this hunk of cuteness.

This is 3 year old Jeremiah Daniel, my sister's oldest, and Kaelyn's big brother. I have a better one of him holding a football but apparently blogger can't contain the cuteness of it and refuses to download the picture...sorry you all have to miss it...maybe later...

I realize I already have one up of Kaelyn, but she really is just so adorable...here's another one. On the house.

"Hey Guys! Watch This...."

...and just when I thought flan and sombreros were to be the highlight of the birthday fun. Wednesday at work the office folks threw me a party. Homemade lasagna, homemade eclairs, and homemade goofcake was enough to satisfy any appetite. Yet the true feast was for the eyes. We were pulling extra chairs in from a conference room and Dan, one of the Boyce Cabinet members, tried to be the cool one and 'surf' his chair in...word of warning to you kiddies at home: Wheels don't work on carpet! Poor Dan, but lucky for us Dr. DeKlavon had his camera handy.

Dan, the newest member of the cabinet, shows his humility and gratitude while entering the Dean's office. Genuine. Truly Exemplar.

They invited Anthony too! Thanks ladies!