Our Youth

So I finally got caught up on my sleep from camp. (No rude comments, you all know how I get when I'm tired!) This was officially my second youth camp. Ever. I never went when I was actually a youth... messed up, I know! Even though this was my second youth camp, it was so different than the last one. I know popularity isn't what we try to teach our youth, but it helps in certain situations. MAN were we popular. (Side Note: a past co-worker's daughter used to call it popalar, makes me laugh every time!)
Boulevard Baptist Church's Youth made their name known this year.

I will start off with a single member of the youth, Paul.

Say, "Hi Paul!"

If you know my husband, Preacher Brice, this story will not surprise you all that much. I have trouble remembering exactly how it all started, because it feels like we've been doing this forever. Brice started the "Paul Cheer" (sounds like the baseball cheer that goes duh nuh nu nuh nu nuuuhhh.... charge!!) and somehow managed to get MANY youth groups cheering Paul's name all throughout the campus, the worship center hall, and the actual worship center. Then some of the youth decided to take it a step further and walk around asking the poor little victims, "Are you Paul? Tell him I'm looking for him. " That Paul guy, what a popular fellow.

Our next little diva, Morgan

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Say, "Hi Morgan!"

Our little petite bundle of laughs definitely did not let us down. Different states can not hold her down. She managed to make the ENTIRE camp laugh by having her story
read during morning worship service.

Story goes...

Morgan decided to take a shower. She was dirty.
Her Roommate left the room in search of other company.
Morgan forgot that she did not grab her towel.
She yelled and yelled her little lungs out for towel help.
No one.
So what did she do? Look around the bathroom... at the.....
moldy
green
soap scummed
shower curtain.

Yes, that's right. True story. Poor thing. And there you go, another popular youth.

If this was not enough proof for you, how about the fact that we won Youth Group of the Day?
Yeah, that's right! This was on the first full day at camp. The youth were SO shocked that they called our church! They were so excited!

And if being Youth Group of the Day wasn't exciting enough, the following day,

Preacher Brice was voted as Youth Minister of the Day!
Personally, they better be glad that he got it. They would have had some very upset and hurt teenagers on their hands! Those kids worked so hard at making sure Brice got it. They love him so much.

This is a picture of Brice answering how he likes his "taters"

Here is the video (if it'll work!) of Brice being interviewed for his Youth Minister of the Day!

All in all, I would say it was a great youth trip

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Lookin' for Letters... Lookin' for Letters!

Well it all started out as an innocent conversation between me and my friend

Letters Katie

about pictures of things that look like alphabet letters. We were at Wheaton College near Chicago IL for our youth camp. We decided to start "lookin' for letters" while we walked around the campus. Letters Katie is so creative, so made us up a song while we searched. It goes "Lookin' for letters, lookin' for letters! Letters letters letters." Thanks to Letters Katie and Preacher Brice, we were able to find many alphabet letters to be used for many different crafts! At the bottom I will show you a picture of what you can do with them! Hope you enjoy!
Maybe you can brush up on your alphabet as well!


This was for baby Breyten William Long. His daddy is a chaplain in the Navy.
He is actually going to welcome the world very soon!

I don't have pictures of the other ones I've done, but you get the idea!

Mission: Change Ugly Chiffarobe

Mission Impossible theme song was playing in my mind the first time I met my new friend Mr. Chiffarobe. He was in the back of the truck, having just arrived at my house, and the music started to play. Thank goodness I watch Psyche. Shawn has taught me a thing or two about envisioning things, and I was up for the challenge. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was a challenge I could not deny.

Here he is..... meet Mr. Chiffarobe

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First thing I did was start sanding down the drawers. To get my motivation up. (In case you didn't know, the drawers are the easiest.) I knew if I could manage that, I could win. Here are the poor drawers after I sanded and restained them. Those poor drawers didn't stand a chance against my brutal, raw, untamed strength..... with sander in my hand.

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After I conquered the drawers, I went for the kill. I had to put that poor dresser out of it's misery. (And my own, I mean hellooo you saw it!)

Here it is with it's new face on. You can't really tell can you? It's like looking at a picture that's kinda cute, but there are a few blemishes in the photo, and you CAN NOT take your eyes off of them. Yes, I am reading your mind (Psych) I know you are looking at the back wall of the chiffarobe. I did something about that also.

I painted the inside walls to Mr. Chiffarobe. It was a makeover. A makeover can not just be an outside thing. If you want a true makeover, it has to be the INside and OUTside.
I know what you're thinking..... whiiiite... give me a little credit, not quite.

and now

for the

grand

finale

I give you Mr. Chiffarobe after his new makeover, in his new home!



I know you can see the poor bottom of the dresser. It was a sad moment. When I picked up the drawer, "gasp" it came out in four pieces, each. But do not lose sleep over it!
Nothing that a little wood glue can't handle! (thanks Preacher Brice!)

Isn't it alot better?! Beautiful!

The Cast of Characters in the life of a Holbrook

This is the cast that has been selected to play in the feature film called "The Holbrook's Life"

The first character is yours truly. Me. Teacher Anna.
Brown hair. Blue eyes. Pretty teeth.

The next character in the movie is Preacher Brice.
Brown hair. Brown eyes. Vivid personality that could bore no one.

This is Daddy Steve. He is the father of Teacher Anna. Whenever we need anything done, he's the guy that's always willing to help!

This is Mama Fran. She is Teacher Anna's Mom. Also known as a "cleaning fairy".
She is also who Teacher Anna takes after the most.

This is the character of the crazy sister of Teacher Anna's. Spunky Sarah. Athletic. Brown hair, Brown eyes. She is the life of the partay.


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This is the brother of Teacher Anna's. Football Caleb. Handsome fellow. Personality like Teacher Anna, looks just like Daddy Steve.

This is Policeman Bruce and Second Momma Debra.

They play Preacher Brice's parents.

goofy+loving= great together.

This is Vivacious Summer.
She is the independent, goofy, spunky sister of Preacher Brice.
She keeps everyone smiling.

Our Journey from a House to a Home

Well, here is how it all started.

We found a house, that we LOVED.

Here it is.

It may look cute on the outside, but don't let it fool you. On the inside, it was not precious. (gives me the chills just thinking about it!)

So, we did what anyone would do. Tear the inside apart!

This tragedy, my friends, was called the kitchen.

This is two different views.

I am sure you would agree with me, it HAD to go!

SO we did what any normal thrill seeker would do, tear a wall down! We decided that wall right there (left) was "bye bye".

After sweat (Brice's),

tears (mine),

blood (well no one was actually hurt).....

This is what became of our itty bitty, pickled oak, shiny green countertop, linoleum floored, huge island, shiny white paint, kitchen.

So, "ta da"! This is our new fabulously stylish kitchen.








No more pickled oak (it makes me sick just typing those words).
No more linoleum tile floor (thanks to Brice and Daddy Steve for the custom tile work!)
No more shiny white walls that I can see my reflection in (don't you love the green?)
No more shiny green countertops! (maybe one day our wallets will agree upon granite)
No more GIANT WALL that blocks the dining room and kitchen.
No more huge island that should have been it's own country.

Oh how I love my kitchen.
I would also like to point out that the china cabinet
you see above was 'specially made just for me
by my Papow Swindoll.
(I mean how many people are lucky enough to say that?!)

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ANYWAY- on to my next mission. The living room.
(sad music playing in the background)

Terrifying, I know.

Just look at it,

the shiny blue paint,

the popcorn ceilings,





the huge fan
(that could have fallen on an innocent bystander's head at any minute!)

and the sad little fireplace that sits alone all by itself.

Did I mention the carpet? Keep those shoes on ladies and gentlemen! (shudder)

What did we do?

Everything.



Helloooo color! We decided the fireplace needed to feel special and have it's own color. It agreed!

The built in cabinets added a special touch. (thanks to Carpenter Travis and Brice)



This picture doesn't have the bottom doors on it, but you get the idea! (use your imagination people!)

Success!


One more major thing to accomplish inside..... wait for it.... the bathrooms. Oh yes, of course we had to change them. Have you not figured out by now that we are no sissies? We fight, and we win.
Now prepare yourself. If you like to see pretty things, you may want to close your eyes. Or if you have had enough shiny blue paint, I'd close them.


























Back breaking work done by my wonderful husband, color choices by me (to try to tone down the man made BLUE marble. Blue, go figure.) and whalaaa! a much nicer place to get clean.

“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.”