Beach Week

Monday, June 30, 2008

Yes...it is finally that time. We are headed to the beach this week, and I could not be anymore excited! Life around the Varden house has been quite busy the last few weeks, and we are both in need of a little of break. Keith actually left this morning to head down early and play at a youth camp with Stephen. Keith and Stephen are both part of "The Generation Band" and play each Wednesday and Thursday night for the youth and college ministries. God is moving in a huge way with these guys and He has actually opened so many new doors for all the guys involved in the band. Not only has God given them the opportunity to begin playing for church camps, but He has also presented them with the opportunity to begin the process of making a CD. Side Note: They are playing for the Union Hill Beach Camp, so please pray God moves in a mighty way in the lives of these youth!

Since I am incredibly scared to stay by myself my mother is actually going to spend the next few days with me! This means Chinese and Mexican food and chick flicks. Then...on Thursday we are headed to the beach! This will actually be my first vacation to take with my brother and sister-in-law, so I am really excited! Like most siblings, my brother and I did not get along very well as we are growing up. Jonathan and I are 6 years apart, so about the time I was at my annoying little sister age, Jonathan was beginning to hang out with all the cool baseball players, and he and his friends loved to see how hard they could make me cry. This lasted until I was about 12 and then he realized I was actually growing up. As the years have gone by our relationship has gotten so much closer, and I consider him one of my best friends. I also have the most incredible sister-in-law!

Samantha is also going with us to the beach. Ryan (her boyfriend) is playing baseball in Idaho right now, so we will just have to have fun without him! There are no major plans for the beach...just to read, tan, and eat great food! I am officially going to leave all of my school books at home and just relax! I cannot wait! I will post lots of pictures of our trip when we return! Until then I pray that everyone has a blessed week! Love Wins!



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Lake Trip

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

We managed to make our first lake trip this past weekend. Keith and some of our friends headed up to my parent's house on Friday. The weather was suppossed to be absolutely horrible, but it was one of the prettiest weekends of this summer. I absolutely love the lake (Keith not so much) because it just feels like a mini vacation. I know that it is only 30 minutes away from home, but when you are there you feel disconnected from the world. We usually spend the mornings on the front porch rocking or sitting in the swing. Life seems much slower there...I just wish we could go more!

We woke up on Saturday and my wonderful mother fixed us all a Southern breakfast. We had eggs, sausage, biscuits, and some good gravy. It was so good! Then we all headed down to the water. Keith took us all innertubing...it was very painful. Keith has been known to be a little rough, but I think he reached a new point this weekend. Mallory and I were on the tubes and Keith was being really rough...long story short some how Mallory and I got thrown off and severly rope burned all at the same time. Mallory's arm looked horrible and I had it across my left cheek and under my nose. It hurt so bad, but no one was critically injured. Keith continues to say that it wasn't his fault, but I think otherwise.

The severe burns started after lunch. I promise it does not matter how much sunscreen you apply you always get burnt. Keith and I managed to do very well this time. I was a little tender on my shoulders and Keith had some serious pink cheeks.

Stephen and Pilgreen managed to ski with millions of boats and seadoos all around, and Keith proved that he stil had it! When Keith was younger (17/18 ish) he could wake board like no other. He could turn flips and get some serious air, but now he doesn't have that much time to practice...so he can't do all of that anymore. This weekend he tried, and he looked pretty good. He tried his flip at the end but did not quite make it...but he came really close!

After the conclusion of our wonderful lake trip, we celebrated Father's day with Keith's dad. Keith's parents left on Sunday for a 2 week vacation in Mexico...seriously! So please keep them in your prayers as they are away.

Sunday afternoon we headed out to City Stages. I can honestly say that I was not at all excited. I did not really like the idea of being out with tons of people in the heat of the day, but it turned out to be incredible. We actually just went to see The Basement and Daniel Bashta on the Coca-Cola stage. It was hot but it was incredible! There were hundreds maybe even thousands (I am not too good at estimating crowds)of people praising God. There has been a lot going on in my spirtitual life, and I feel that God is moving in a mighty way. He definitely has a plan for Keith and I, and I feel now, more than ever, that He is beginning to prepare me!

Overall, it was such a great weekend! I am looking forward to my next lake trip which will be...THIS weekend! Keith is headed out of town and I am going to spend a little time with my parents. I am also taking my 6th grade girls Sunday school class to the lake on Friday...it is going to be crazy, but I am very excited and so are they!

Until next week...

We pray that everyone has a blessed week!

A Relaxing Weekend

Monday, June 9, 2008

It's time for my Monday blog, and I must tell everyone about our relaxing weekend. We were able to spend Friday and Saturday at Keith's parents house. They have a beautiful back yard with a pool and the weather was beautiful. Keith got fried on Friday, so he did not enjoy the sun as much as I did but we still had a great time. We cooked out Saturday and spent the rest of the day swimming and sunning! Jack Johnson was the background music and life was wonderful.

We spent Saturday night celebrating one of our friend's big news! Ryan got drafted to the CUBS! We are all so excited for him. He is actually leaving today to begin his life as a baseball player. Samantha (Ryan's girlfriend and my old roommate)is going to become my tanning friend. We have already made plans to spend the end of this week at the pool. So good luck Ryan with your firt week! I promise to take care of Samantha. Don't forget us when you famous and GO CUBS!

Sunday was busy...as always! God has blessed us with a such a wonderful church. He has given us both such a great opportunity to spread his word to the youth. God is moving in a such a mighty way that we are left speechless...it is so wonderful. After church we headed to lunch and then back home where Keith was able to continue the relaxing weekend. He spent the rest of the afternoon alseep, and I did what I always do...I studied! We had an evening swim party for the Jr.High kids. Keith proved to me that he is still young! He was doing double front flips, back flips, and ganers! Thank God he did not get hurt!

Today...I am at work and Keith is golfing! I would be jealous but it is almost 100 degrees out there, so he can golf all he wants right now!

Life is Good!

Summer...so far!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Well it has been a crazy start to our summer...here is a little update!

School is so busy right now it is incredible. I am trying to finish as fast as I can, so my semesters are jam packed full of more nursing classes. My weeks are pretty much filled with reading and trying to complete assignments on time. I did manage to pull off some pretty descent grades on my first two tests, so I am rather pleased with the way things are going. I think that I am settling into my groove, so things are beginning to go a little smoother. The only problem is that by the time I have completely settled this semester will be over! I am very excited though because next semester I will take my first Graduate course! I will be one step closer to being finished, and I cannot wait! Keith is also getting ready to start again for the summer. He will be traveling to Louisiana twice this summer for classes. He has a few more days off before the hard work starts!

Enough about school here is a recap of the past two weeks!

Sumer, Keith's cousing, graduated from highschool. I know that I am only twenty one but I felt very old as we watched her walk across the stage. We are incredibly proud of her...so congratulations Sumer!

On May 26 the youth group that Keith works with left for camp. We took approximately 140 students and three charter buses to Tennessee. I stayed in a cabin full of 6th and 7th grade girls who were terrified of spiders, but needless to say they all survived! I cannot begin to explain how wonderful this week was. We had close to twenty students accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This camp could have not been any better! The students and leaders were able to experience God in a whole new way. The setup was simple, cell phone service was impossible, and the world seemed to vanish for a week. We were all able to experience God without any distractions...it was beautiful!

The twenty students who accepted Christ definitely made the week, but the students also got to experience many other things! One very adventurous thing they all experienced for the first time was no cell phone service! I love these kids, but it was so funny watching them stand in this big field with their cell phones raised to the sky. At times, there would be 25 kids out searching for service.

This camp had many outdoor activities that everyone enjoyed (including Keith and me). Each group spent a day either playing painball, running the adventure race, swimming at the water park, or riding down a 1000 foot zip line on the high ropes course. It was so much fun and luckily no one was injured! I did play paintball for the first time. Ohh my goodness...I don't see why this game is so popular...it hurt so bad! All and all the week was wonderful. The kids are already asking to go back next year!

By the way, Keith also got to raft down the Ocoee while we were in Tennessee...cheater!

This next week is quite peaceful compared to the last two. Their is a little school stuff to catch up on (the internet service at the camp was horrible!) Keith is also planning on taking up kayaking as his next hobby...it is definitely going to be interesting! The month of June is going to be rather slow. Keith leaves to play at a camp for another youth group at the end of this month, and my brother, sister-in-law, and I are going to meet him down at the beach towards the end of the week! I cannot wait!

Well...JP there is your blog update! I hope that everyone has a blessed week!

Love wins!