Kevin is HOME!

Yesterday was a bit of a blur for me. I was a nervous wreck because I knew I'd have to speak. And, yesterday the chapel was so packed that they had to bring in extra chairs. We were sitting at the front, so when I stood and turned around I kindof lost everything I wanted to say! ha!

It was a great day for Kevin. He was surrounded by childhood friends, family, and family friends. He had quite a group there to see him off into the real world. Four of his buddies he has had since high school came, his parents, my mom, his sister and her crew, and even parents of some high school buddies. The only regret I have of the day was that I didn't think to video him leading the song "He Arose" in the front of the church. Wow - he was really something! When his graduation video is posted to the John 3:16 site, I will share it with you. It really showed the growth and change in him from 6 months ago.

Look - here is the line-up for the day...Kevin's graduation!! hee-hee!

Once we got home, we went out to eat and then to the grocery store because for those that know me, you know the refrigerator was empty. Kevin laughed when he saw it and said I was a guy...I had Dr. Pepper, poptarts, and some french onion dip & chips. That's about it. LOL! But what was really funny was that we were tickled to just be grocery shopping shopping together! How's that for finding some appreciation in the little things...I normally hate grocery shopping! ha!

And, best of all, my wonderful food is back...here is my breakfast this morning...breakfast tacos. His breakfast tacos ROCK! *and, no, I am not at work today...I am sick...cough...cough!

Today is THE DAY!!!

I am up, and I am wired! No snooze button today!! I can't believe I actually get to bring my big bear home today!!! Yee-haw!

Keep us in your prayers as he makes the transition from a boot camp full of support to the ugly real world.

Now, I gotta go finish getting ready and do my happy dance!!!

2 weeks!!

In two short weeks Kevin will be home! woohoo! I brought home the first carload of stuff today - yippee!! It was so good to see him...with me missing visiting last week because of the scrap retreat, well, it made for a long two weeks no matter how much I needed a girls weekend! The moment I saw him all my stress and worries were gone...he really is my bestest friend and soulmate and I am so ready to have his messy self home! ha!

On another note, only two more Saturday classes for my Master's class - thank goodness! I have one class on the 14th and a big project due that day. urgh! Then, April 4th is the final. I looked at the summer schedule and both classes I need to finish ARE being offered. Unfortunately, one is first session and one is second session, so I'll have to be class all summer, but I am going to try to get in because I am ready to be DONE! Wish me luck that they don't fill up before I get in!! :-)

In less than a month...

Kevin will be home!!! Yee-haw! March 15th!! I only visit two more times and then it's graduation!! After that, I will actually have someone to share the ride to Batesville with - woo-hoo!

Handmade Valentine's R the BEST!

*We are just going to hope that when Kevin comes home, he doesn't backtrack through the 'ole blog! heehee! If he does, I'm going to be in BIG trouble!! But, I happen to know through the grapevine that at least 3 of my letters have been shared with the entire camp. So...all is fair in love & war! LOL!

Here is my Valentine on a handmade "card" & I couldn't have asked for a better one!

Dear Lori -
I've thought about this letter all week. How do I explain to you what you are to me? I'm really not sure I can. You have stuck by me through my spiritual (and almost financial) bankruptcy, and you've brought me here where you've saved my life. I came here to salvage my life, but Jesus has restored it and given me a future. A future of hope, prosperity, joy, contentment, and love. I owe it all to Jesus and you.
I want to always put your needs above mine and serve you the rest of my life. I know what our future holds, and it is some good times. We'll have a rough patch from time to time, but that's when we seek and trust God and we can't lose. You are my world. You are my gift from God.
I love you whole heartedly,
Kevin

I just wanted to share this glimpse into our personal journey through alcoholism to show anyone who may need it - there is HOPE! They have to be ready and most of the time, they have to lose everything. Kevin did - if I would've bent just an inch, he wouldn't have gone to John 3:16. He didn't want to go in the beginning. It was too long. My advice to anyone dealing with an addict is don't cave. Stand your ground. You can love them and still be firm in what you know is right. I was able to talk to someone today about John 3:16 and their struggles with an alcoholic son. It confirmed to me that THIS is what Kevin & I have been put here to do with our lives - our purpose to help others overcome and give them HOPE. Without hope, we have nothing!

I shouldn't be blogging...

So, I'm just going to post this video and get back to work! This is a John 3:16 video that will show you how good Mr. Kevin is doing. Remember when these guys arrived at John 3:16, they had nothing to smile about and now look at them! Sit back, watch and just relax! (and yes, that is him in the first picture busting out a wall! heehee!)

Check it out...

I give up on trying to get the video actually ON my blog...I'm just going to send you over if you are interested. John 3:16 Ministry was on the Jonesboro news last night (about 40 second clip). They are helping with clean-up in Hoxie from the ice. Anyway...go to the news site below and check it out. The videos are to the right. Also, if you are interested, type John 3:16 into the search bar and it will show a video called Offbeat with Bob that highlights what John 3:16 Ministries is all about. Enjoy!

www.kait8.com

Notes of life lately...

**I had to make myself just breathe and slow down tonight. I am feeling very overwhelmed lately. It just seems like I have zero downtime. At work, I feel behind on everything. I love my job, but it is impossible to ever be completely caught up. After full work weeks, I have full weekends. I need a break!! And, I might have to take a day off work to just get caught up! I knew it was getting out of control when on scrap night, I wasn't focused on a fun night with the girls, but was already thinking of everything else I needed to get done. Not good! So, tonight, I made myself just leave everything and veg on the couch for mindless tv with Jax. I have to calm down...it will all get done (eventually)!

**On another note ~ while I am stressed over little things, family in the northern part of Arkansas is still without power and may be for at least 2 more weeks. Keep my parents, Kevin's parents, my Aunt & Uncle, cousins, and my Granny in your thoughts and prayers. They are ALL still without power - since last week! They all now have generators, but it is still not fun! Kevin's parents even had a tree fall into their bedroom and have a nice hole in their roof to deal with. And, meanwhile, all we got here was a rain...just hours away. Crazy!

**It is now February and I can say Kevin will be home SOON!! It is looking like either the 8th or 15th of March. Yippee!!!!!

**Service at John 3:16 was very inspiring and moving this week. The director actually led the service. He has an amazing testimony. He shared his story with us, and I literally had tears rolling down my cheeks throughout the service. God is so good and forgiving. He took this man who was an addict and stealing from his kids to pay for cocaine and lifted him out of that life to start a camp for others with addictions. He is able to reach these men like no one else could because he has walked in their shoes and made it to the other side. That is just one story of overcoming addiction. There are so many more. There is hope. If you love an addict or know someone that does, don't give up. Keep praying. Don't give up, but don't be afraid to give tough love either. That is what it took to get Kevin where he is today. There is always hope!!

Burning up the roads again!

This weekend was busy and awesome! I'll keep it short - or try to! And, I am mad at myself that I either forgot my camera (Friday night) or forgot to take pictures (Saturday!)...ooopps!

Ok - Friday was awesome for several reasons. The first being the most obvious - there was a camp meeting at John 3:16, and I got to see Kevin!! The other great part of that is the meeting was put on by Newport. This is where Kevin and I grew up, so we got to see some people from High School and Church that we haven't seen since we graduated. One of which was one of my best buds in high school. (and as an aside - it goes to show that alcoholism can hit even those you least expect it to. This guy was one of my good friends that I ran around with when I was tired of being "bad" and just wanted to relax and not have peer pressure. He never got in trouble or drank in High School. As a matter of fact, we would always go for milk shakes! ha! Anyway, turns out he was in rehab for about a month for alcoholism right after college. It can happen to anyone.) But enough of that, it was just great to see him. oh, and here is why I'm mad I forgot my camera - Kevin played the bongo's at the end of the night with the band that plays at John 3:16!!! I will have to get it next time!

I could keep going about Friday, but I'll move on to the Saturday highlights. Autumn had another Upward basketball game. I just cannot get good pictures at these games. She did make her first basket! yay Autumn! (and it was right after I stopped videoing - I had zero camera luck this weekend! ha!) Here she is chillin' and waiting on her turn....(#42).

Oh, and I thought this was cute - they make this grand entrance with the announcer and the foggy smoke screen. heehee!

After the game, some of us went with Mom to look at a horse trailer. Well, she bought it! A 4-horse trailer with living quarters in the front. It is nice!! I would show you, but, yep, forgot to get a picture! Jeez!!

Sunday, I was back on the road ~ day 3 in the car! Off to John 3:16 again, and it was another great visit. You know, we are almost to February and then I can say, "next month, he comes home!" yeehaw!

*Mom, I will post a video or two tomorrow of her game! :-)

It's Santa!

I've been traveling Arkansas again since Friday, so I'm going to backtrack and tell you about Friday first! :-)

Friday was a good day!! I had my most successful school Christmas party in 11 years of teaching - awesome room mom this year!! AWESOME! We had a craft station, a game station, and a food station. They rotated through in small groups and PARENTS ran each station - fabulous!! Plus, I got some really good teacher gifts! ha!

At 2:25, I breathed a sigh of relief that I had finally made it to Christmas Break! Woo-hoo! Two weeks off!! I loaded up all my loot and headed out of town. Stop 1 was the Christmas program at John 3:16 Ministries....and guess who was Santa for the kids???

Recognize that face? hee-hee! Kevin made a great Santa!! One kid was in such awe that he just stood in the aisle jumping up and down! ha! It was a great program and a good start to a holiday filled weekend.

After the program, I headed to Mom & Dad's to spend the night...tune in tomorrow to see pics of our Christmas Adventure...and an adventure it was!

My Praise Report

Every Sunday at John 3:16, the residents and graduates stand up and give their individual praise reports for what they are grateful for that week. So, in honor of them, here is mine:

This week I am grateful that Kevin has made it to the half-way point in his stay at John 3:16 and the positive changes I see him. I am grateful that Kevin had his court date this week and got that behind us. That is the closing of a chapter in Kevin's life. It was good to be reminded of how bad things had gotten, so we could truly appreciate how far he has come in the past three months.

I am grateful that John 3:16 came into our lives, because it reaches far beyond just Kevin and his addiction. I have benefited and grown from this experience too. John 3:16 has been an inspiration for me and has shown me how to live for God and with God in my life. Before this, I just went to church on Sunday, but I didn't live it. Now, I not only read my Bible nightly but I reflect on what I've read and ask how it pertains to me and my life. I seek out more material to read. I am not afraid to talk about God to other people. I have started going to a Bible Study. And, this is just the beginning of what John 3:16 has done for me. So, maybe you can see why when I say we may move to Batesville, it isn't ALL for Kevin. I feel a pull to be near this place that brought so much peace into both our lives. I praise God daily for John 3:16 and answered prayers!

Pros & Cons

Well, the cat is out of the bag that Kevin & I are discussing a possible move to be closer to John 3:16. For those of you that don't know, John 3:16 is a 2 hour drive from where we live now. We decided to look into a few things this week and make a pro/con list of relocating. Basically, this is our list....(what is funny is that our lists were almost identical!)

Pros:
1. The biggest pro was being closer to John 3:16 (I gave this one a weight of counting as 3 pro's in one). By being closer a) Kevin has more support in his addiction b) we will both be able to give back to a place that has given us both so much c) John 3:16 is like an extended family
2. We would be an hour closer to our families. (As in, my Mom would be 45 minutes away and when kids come into the picture, I can easily call for help!)
3. small town atmosphere (We are both originally from a small town - actually the football rivals of the one we are debating moving to....hmmm?)
4. Cost of living is lower.
5. Crime level is lower. (Kevin argued this point, but crime has been on my mind lately.)
6. Dry county with a much longer drive to the nearest liquor store. We live in a dry county now but the liquor store is 2 miles down the road at the county line.
7. Job opportunities are better for Kevin because that community is SO supportive of the graduates at John 3:16. He already has job offers.
8. Kevin would have access to the concessions trailer at John 3:16, and we all know his dream is to cater and run concessions. (and I want to help him sling BBQ someday!)
9. We could have a fresh start!

Cons:
1. I would miss my friends BAD! (that includes family friends, work friends, scrap friends - everybody!)
2. I would take a BIG pay cut! (Anywhere from $10,000 to $12,000)
3. Selling my house (not a sellers market right now and I would miss my house).
4. Small town (yes, this is a pro and a con - you get it if you've ever lived in a small town)....no good restaurants, decent movie theatre, not sure if they even have Wal-Mart!
5. Quality of the school district isn't as good as where we are now.

So, there you have it! And, yes, Kevin did say today that I would be the one making all the sacrifices if we moved, and that he didn't feel that was fair. It would be easy for him to move, because the only thing keeping him here is me. That being said, I am the one who brought up moving, not him, because I feel a pull to give back to John 3:16. But, maybe we can do that without moving...no decisions are being made lightly or without thought and prayer.

Any thoughts? Be honest!

Bittersweet

*Jax looks HUGE in this picture...doesn't he? ha!

I took Kevin back to John 3:16 today. We had a great visit, but being together for two days almost made it harder to leave him behind today. Nothing went as originally planned for our Turkey Day plans, but we rolled with the punches! It actually got to be quite funny. In short version, we were given the restriction of not being able to sleep under the same roof because we aren't married. So....we went to Kevin's parents house and while me and the dog got to sleep inside, Kevin slept outside in the back of the Yukon with an extension cord running to it that plugged into a heating blanket. Seriously! LOL! Let's just say, it got interesting with some last minute planning changes, and I was once again reminded how laid-back and awesome my Mom is and how grateful I am that my future mom-in-law and I can work together to keep everyone happy!! :-)

I miss him already, but luckily I will get to see him on Sunday...

If you haven't been to the website in awhile...go! John 3:16

Weekend Highlights...

Friday:
*You know it was scrap night...I got a major Christmas present done, and I wish I could share the details because I am SO excited about it!! But, it's for my Mom and she is a faithful reader. I'll have to tell you about it AFTER Christmas! :-)
*Other Friday highlight was the yummy deer chili that Peggy brought! YUM!!!

Saturday:
*Did a little Christmas shopping - stressed me out. I have no idea how I'm going to buy gifts this year!! I hate to charge them, but it's just going to have to be that...:-(
*Went to Copeland's for a cousin's birthday lunch (Happy Birthday Jared!). Got over Christmas shopping depression with an awesome dessert! ha!
*Went to see Bolt with my cousin's. Loved it!
*Finished my book. (review below - and I looked and I have averaged about a book a month this year - not bad at all!)

Sunday:
*Got to see Kevin for the first time in two weeks!! It was a good visit. We have had some issues come up in the past few weeks that we have needed to work on and today was our first day to get to talk rather than write. It was good for us, and our relationship just keeps growing! I can't explain the warmth and love I felt today from everyone. John 3:16 is an amazing place!!

Weekend Report

I had a great weekend!! I studied Friday night for my final and felt really good about knowing my material, but I was most excited about surprising Kevin the next day!! John 3:16 was having an event for Veteran's and guests could attend. He wasn't expecting me because with my final, I didn't think I could make it. Well, I found a way (thank you Jared for house sitting!).

Saturday, I burned up the Arkansas highways for sure - first I drove to Conway to take my final. A two part final! yuck! Oh, and I had a presentation. I HATE presentations!! But, I made it through (mainly because it was a group presentation!). Then, we started our final. I am a bit nervous because I was the first one finished. And in hind sight, I wish I had double-checked it. But, I really just wanted to get on the road to my next destination! ha!

So...I burned up the roads for the next two hours heading from Conway to Batesville and was so early, I had to stop and shop in Searcy to kill time!! LOL!

Here is the drive going into John 3:16 ~ They added the flags for the veteran's. Anyway...Kevin was SO surprised to see me. It was fun getting to surprise him. The other guys helped me out when I got there because he was in the kitchen and they acted like they needed him to come out and help them with something. When he opened the door, there I was and he yelled and hugged me so big, my feet came up off the ground! ha! I don't think we stopped smiling all night!! It was an added bonus that I got to see him two days this weekend!!

(this picture is from today:) The Veteran's service was really, really good!! They did a fantastic job of honoring them. You would have to have a very cold heart not to be moved by that service!! After the service, I spent the night at my Mom's since it's only 45 minutes away. Then, I got to go back this morning!! woo-hoo! If you can't tell by the pictures - Kevin is at about 34 lbs. lighter these days! This is him with his parents today:

I could keep rambling on and on...but I'll stop!! Just keep the prayers coming and keep him in your thoughts.
Check out their website if you have time - they have made updates: www.john316ministry.com

Today's Visit

Every time I see Kevin, he has grown spiritually more than the week before. And physically, has lost more weight (30 lbs. and counting...). He also has that twinkle back in his eye that I love so much. I didn't take any pictures today. We stupidly decided it would be cool to go out on the pond in the canoe. It was a bit windy - we really didn't realize it until we were out on the water. The water kept taking taking up to this far corner that looked like snake territory to me if I've ever seen it. Kevin was working like a dog to keep up out of that area. Let's just sum it by saying - it looks romantic in the movies, but not so much in real life! ha! We are both clumsy, so as Kevin would say I was "as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs!" I just knew we were going to tip over in that nasty water! ha! But, we didn't! :-)

Anyway - we had a great visit, but it goes by WAY too fast!! Next week, his parents get to come too. I look forward to the chocolate dessert Kevin's Mom is making...yum!!!

Kevin Update

I think we can all take a page from Fred's book, the resident dog at John 3:16. Just take it easy...no worries!

Seriously, I have cried over the local news around here. I could blog about it, but it's on every one's mind around Arkansas. I think we are all trying to make sense out of something so senseless...

So instead, I will focus on today and the continuous positive progress of Mr. Kevin!

He was able to move into one of the cabins this week. We sat outside in the camping chairs today and chilled ... like the old souls we are! ha! He has lost even MORE weight and just looks better and better every time I see him. I never doubted this was the right thing, but I wondered if he would take FULL advantage of the opportunity given to him to start his life over. He is using his time wisely and becoming more of the man that God wants him to be. That is all we can ask for! Thank you SO much to all of you that are sending cards and care packages. He loves them and proudly shows me all his stuff each Sunday with a big grin on his face. His recovery wouldn't be possible without all of your support and continued prayers!

BIG HUGS TO ALL OF YOU!!

New day!

Don't even read yesterday's post...I blame it on women's hormones! ha!

Today was a whole new day, whole new attitude and more ME! Today was also a good visitor day for Kevin. He had his parents, my Mom (yes, that is my Mom...I know she looks young! My neighbor didn't believe me when I showed him the picture! ha!), anyway, me and another old friend from our hometown, Jon. And yes, THAT IS KEVIN, in the striped shirt. Doesn't he look good? He has lost 23 pounds now and his hair...oh, I love the hair! :-)

It was so good that Jon came today, and he had the support of someone besides family. Jon is one of his oldest and dearest friends. Actually, back in our day, they put us in classes in elementary school by ABC order. My last name started with a C and theirs both with a B, so we've all been together since 1st grade! Ha!

This last picture makes me giggle because the guy, Andy, who is currently one of his roommates is hilarious! Kevin is gonna miss him when he actually gets to move into a room this week!

I felt so good when I got home and energized from today that I actually mowed the backyard. Hope the feeling lasts for my neighbors sake, and I can get the front done tomorrow! ha!

Visitor Day FINALLY!

I think I sent everyone an email, but I have been known to forget someone. So, in short, today I got to visit Kevin for the first time. He looked great - happy, healthy, and most importantly at peace. He's even lost 20 pounds. I told him not to get too full of himself b/c I was on the pop-tart & cereal diet without his cooking, so I'd loose a few myself! ha!

He even got a haircut and now looks like he did in high school and college. So, in honor, of Kevin - a few pictures of us in college...back in the days when he wanted me to look at him as more than a friend, but it just wasn't the right timing. God had a plan for us, and I know we are on the path to good things! :-) I knew it would all be ok as soon as I saw his smiling face today!

(and yes, he has a yucky dip in his mouth here...gross!)