I know...its ben another long time since I've posted lol I don't ever get on this thing! Never! I'm always on facebook! :) So catch up on there if ya can!

Long Time No Post! Sorry!

• I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in a long time. It's been a CRAZY! semester, but I'm making it. These are just a few random pictures from the last couple of months and different things that I have been involved in.
• For Valentine's Day I babysat for the Madaris' kids. They were so well behaved and so much fun to be with. They loved to read so it was nice to just keep the tv off for the night and just read to them and play outside with them. And then the couples retreat was fun also! My friend Meredith and I went to Lane and Erica Lashley's to watch their children for the weekend. Rebecca, Rachel and Jared were so much fun to be with. I had my first experience with the Bounce House...and needless to say it's very interesting in a skirt! At first Mert and I just watched but the more we watched the kids play the more we wanted to join in on the action. So we were running through the obstacle courses and sliding down the slides (on a side note: the Bounce House is just an inside place were they blow up all the inflatable slides and obstacle courses and then they charge ppl to use them, it's here in Powell on Callahan Drive) I think Mert and I ended up enjoying it as much as the kids enjoyed it!
• I turned 21, February 23rd, and my parents came down to spend the weekend with me! Which was a HUGE blessing because I was getting EXTREMELY anxious to go home. My brother left for England on March 5th and they wanted to say goodbye to him before he left. So it was a GREAT weekend that we spent with them too. I miss being home sometimes and sometimes I'm glad to be with my friends. I miss my church more then anything when I'm not home though.
• The Lord has worked in my life so much this semester. So many answers to prayer for different future things. My church ended up purchasing the new building and the closing is April 30th, but we still have to add bathrooms and a new front to the building- many long days ahead. Our church is growing though, on Easter Sunday I called my Dad and he was rejoicing that we had broken our record attendance and had 81 in church. Our church just turned 6 years old this past Sunday so that was a GREAT blessing too! It's a rough area to minister to, but we have stuck with it and the Lord has blessed greatly in the lives of the people. My Dad is still having some physical problems with his joints but he is still continuing! Thanks for praying and I hope to post again soon!

RB

Katie, Curt, Justin and I on my 21st birthday!!!!!!!!!!

Curt and Kenny- HOUSTON fans!

Charity and I at the Temple home coming!

Kenny, Katie, and Curtis watching the bball game

Ryan Madaris

Babysitting for the night! Alana Madaris

Christmas Pictures and Prayer Request

My youngest cousin Adam and I wearing our new Steelers Jerseys...He just woke up from his nap in this picture....I taught him how to say GRRRRRRR! When he wears his football pads...It was so cute!

Well it has been forever since I have gotten the privilege to post on here. So I figured that I best catch you up...Nothing really has happened in the past few months. I completed another semester at Crown College and I am now down to 3 semesters left! And I'm very excited about this semester because I only have 14 credit hours and I'm used to 18...so that is a blessing! =) Nothing else has happened so I am posting some pictures from Christmas with my cousins. Hope you had a GREAT! holiday season and a happy New Year!


my brother (Curtis), my cousin (Heather) and I at Starbucks waiting on Ashley (Heather's sister) to get out of work!


Abigail and her giant teddy!

PRAYER REQUEST:

My church is on the verge of buying it's first building! It's an old dance hall Ha Ha! And the street name is Dance Hall Road. So our name would be Faith Baptist Church on Dance Hall Road. When my Dad first told me I sort of laughed at the idea but once I saw the building its perfect or a church building! Lots and Lots of space and a big open area to make a perfect auditorium. Please pray that all the details will work out for it. And that the loans go through and even the consideration of building a new auditorium (it will be a metal building) behind the building itself right now.

MY FIRST COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME!

This is was quite the experience for me! I have never been to a college football game and it was the most awesome thing!?! The Campbell's are members of the Temple Baptist Church and are season ticket holders to the UT games. I have gotten close to them and they asked if I would like to go with them and of course I agreed! So Mr. and Mrs. Campbell and Tony and Rachel Segmany and I went to UT vs. Arkansas State game. It was so much fun!?! I enjoyed it so much and it was the first time that I have ever been to a college game! So I decided to share some of the pictures with everyone.

My Church

5 years ago my Dad was burdened to start and independent baptist church in Lewisburg, PA (about 20 min from my house that I live in now) We lived in West TN at the time and when my Dad told me, I was devastated! I spent 2nd grade to 8th grade there and I had all of my plans made for high school and college and what I wanted to do. God had other plans for me! =) We moved to PA August of my 9th grade year and Started a new church, Faith Baptist Church, in March of 2002 in Lewisburg PA!
We found a building in the side of a chinese restaurant (that was a miracle because land is EXPENSIVE) and we had our first service March 25, 2002 with 15 people! The church is being blessed and we run between 60-70 every Sunday! I became the church pianist at age 15 and my brother became the music leader at age 13! We have seen so many things happen and we have been through many trials and tribulations. We are still looking for a pianist now that I am at Crown and my brother will be here in the fall, the Lord willing, and my Dad is having a hard time losing both of us.
Our church has been wanting to buy land for quite some time now and land is (in the area we are at) round about $100,000 and acre! Which is CRAZY! We knew God would either supply the need or show us where we could find the land that we need. About 5 months ago my Dad ran into a man that was selling land about 5 miles away from where the church is now. He made offer after offer to Dad but God started working in the man's heart and the Lord willing our church is going to purchase 35 acres of land from that man for $1,500 and acres =) The church unanimously voted to purchase the land and the Lord willing we are going to build on the land this summer. The Lord is great! And no matter what He brings you through He always knows what is best for you! =) Pray for my Dad as many decisions will be made within the next few months concerning building!

My Birthday!

My parents always buy me one big gift for my birthday and I picked to go to a UT Women's basketball game (of course!) But everyone knows my luck with things like that and there one home game left was on a Sunday =\ So I didn't get to go but I decided that I would really enjoy going to the Dixie Stampede! Amber never had been there before so it made it interesting. We got there early and listened to the bluegrass band and sang "Rocky Top" and had to keep composed when "Sweet Home Alabama" came on! =) We had a waitress named Fabeola who dumped sweet tea all over as Amber yelled and we both laughed and laughed! Everytime the fireworks went off both of us about jumped out of our seats because we were so scared! Wow! We had a really good time!?! Pretty much we embarrassed each other to death but I wouldn't have it any other way! But here are just some of the pics that we took. Some of them were a little dark. But the NORTH side won! and I got a flower from one of the horse riders and it was just an awesome birthday! Happy Birthday to ME! =)

Family

The greatest thing in life to me is my family. I only have one brother, but we have so many memories together growing up and being best friends. I am 2 years older of course so when we got into trouble it was always my fault because I am the oldest and I know better =) and Curtis would just laugh and say "Yeah don't you know better!" But I wouldn't trade him for the world!
My Mom has 3 sisters and a brother and I have 11 cousins on her side of the family. Her youngest sister (Tara) has 4 children: Jackson (7), Abbigail (5), Caleb (2) and Adam (8 mon.). Then there is Patti and she has 2 children: Collin (8, he is adopted fromRussia) and Kara (6), her husband was tragically killed in a car accident leaving her a single mom. The kids are more like nieces and nephew to me and mean the world to me!?! I miss them so much while I'm at college. My Mom's only brother has 2 girls that are the exact age of my brother and I. Ashley is 3 months older than Curtis and Heather is 3 days older than I am. This always makes for an exciting time when we all get together!
My Dad has 3 brothers and a sister. His oldest brother (Dave) has 5 kids, and the youngest one (Sonya) is at college with me in the room right next to me. His only sister(Ruth) has 3 sons and 2 of them are with me at college and they are always fun to be around. His youngest brother(Mark) has 2 kids at Bob Jones. I do not get to spend as much time with the Bixler side but we have a great time when we do get together! =)
My Mom and Dad are the greatest encouragement to me that I could ever ask for! My Dad calls me every morning to tell me he loves me and that he is praying for me as I go through the day. I can't explain the feeling of knowing that my parents are behind me in everything I do and that they love me no matter what and pray for me everyday! I love them with all my heart!