Pics from the Easter Party

Videos from Easter

People received extra points in the Easter egg hunt if they participated in a challenge...

The Purpose for the Party

After everyone ate, we gathered the table from the bedroom and living room into the dining room area and Brock spoke to them a little. He talked about Haiti and what we saw while we were in the Dominican Republic. We chose to give through Compassion International because we trust them so much. The president of Compassion lived in Haiti for 4 years. Also, they have been raising up children there for the last 40 years. Wess Stafford, the President of Compassion, said that these leaders and Christian pillars of the community that have been raised up are poised and ready "for such a time as this." He also said, "The media will leave, but we will stay."

The day before, on my way to make the big grocery run, I was thinking about everything that had happened that month. We had a pipe burst. We had a leaky roof that had to be fixed. Plus, some other things that we did not count on happening. The thought ran through my mind that maybe we should not give as much as we had alloted to give toward Haiti relief. Then, I caught myself! I had a roof and pipes to complain about. Many people in Haiti had lost everything. Then, I heard the Lord's gentle prodding to give more. When the time came to contribute, I was so excited! There is something about giving sacrificially that gets my blood flowing! I had not done that in a while.

When all was said and done, we raised $1,050 for Haiti relief Saturday night. Praise the Lord! I beg you not to be like the press. Let's keep praying for Haiti. We've been praying for Haiti for years. They are so close and so desperate. It was a quicker flight from DR to Miami than Miami to Nashville. They really are our neighbors.

Valentine Party with a Purpose

We transformed the house into an elegant restaurant Saturday night donned with white Christmas lights and candles. We had 4 tables set up with 31 chairs. That was perfect since we had 31 attendees (not including Brock, Barbara, and me). The tables were in our living room, dining room, kitchen area, and bedroom. We draped a curtain in our bedroom hiding the bed. We also curtained off the kitchen. It was romantic and elegant.

We served a 5 course meal. I have to admit. I thought that I had it all planned out. However, it was way more difficult than I thought it would be. Brock hosted everyone by seating them and entertaining them with a little magic. He even had them circle what they wanted from the menu and mix all of the menus up before giving them to us. Then, he was able to deliver the right orders to the right people. Barbara ran around being waitress the whole night. I was the cook and stayed in the kitchen most of the time. It was crazy! I have a new respect for cooks and waiters. I will be the best tipper in the world from now on!

Here are some pictures...

Preparing for Party

We are having a Velentine's Party with a Purpose tonight. We are dressing up and serving a 5 course meal. Our house is being transformed today into a restaurant with candle light and white Christmas lights. We will use curtains to partition off certain areas of the house like the kitchen.

I got a couple of great cooks to help me with the entrees. Brock is going to be the host tonight and Barbara the waitress. I will be working as chef. Here is what is on the menu:
Appetizers-french bread to dip in olive oil and spinach and artichoke dip
Salads-Caesar and house salad (spinach leaves, walnuts, feta cheese, pears, avocados)
Entrees-chicken & rice, vegetable lasagna, or beef stroganoff
Cheese tasting-goat cheese, a blue and cheddar cheese, a unique aged cheese
Chocolate tasting-5 of our favorite chocolates

Our purpose is for Haiti. We are giving through Compassion. Pray that it goes well, and many are moved to contribute.

Christmas Party with a Purpose

We had our annual Christmas party last Sunday night. It was fun! We had a feast of porkloin, grilled chicken, bean bundles, potatoes, cheese balls and crackers, homemade angel food cake and banana pudding, and more. The food was great and the company was wonderful. We had 17 people over.

After dinner, Lindsey Little shared some amazing stories from her mission work in India. She is such an inspiration. Her life is a mission for the Lord. We raised over $500 toward her next adventure overseas. She is having an art show tonight to tell more stories and raise money for her trip next year. Please pray for her if you think about it. She is literally on the front lines.

Then, we did our traditional white elephant gift exchange. It did not disappoint. Some of the highlights were a plunger, a homemade sugar cookie in the shape of Elvis, and a cassette tape from the 80's including "Jessie's Girl." What a night!

Chocolate Tasting #1

We are having a chocolate tasting in downtown Franklin Sunday night. Since Brock's parents left today and some of our other friends are going to be out of town Sunday as well, we decided to have one at our house last night. It was so fun!

Brock's parents got to experience a chocolate tasting. Plus, they got to meet some of our friends. They said that they enjoyed watching us all interact and how different we are. We do have a very interesting group!

Brock began to talk about the purpose for the evening. We are trying to help some friends whose baby has had some medical problems. (The guy is in the group Downhere which is an excellent band.) The bills are stacking up and we are trying to relieve some of that pressure. Before Brock even finished talking about it, the youngest person in the group (2 year old Anna) came up to Brock and said, "Here you go, Brock!" With this, she handed him a $50 monopoly money bill that she had in her little purse. Wow! This really encouraged our group to give!!! Out of the mouth of babes.