My last birthday which really turns out to be the first of the next half of my century mark was ....amazing....thanks to prince charming! He surprised me by promising to fulfill my biggest dream which filled my #1 spot on my bucket list. He has been surprising me for the past 32 years but this one was the king of all kings! The grand pooba of all poobas! Prince Charming truly beat his record on the "surprise" factor scale! HE did his homework and listened to my dreams and he made them happen! His gift was a trip to the HOLY LAND! Now for most people going to some war stricken country in the heat of the desert and the stench of flea ridden camels, this type of trip would be the last thing on their bucket list. But for me, it was a dream come true. Not that I wasn't a bit concerned for the safety of our heads but because this is the land of our Lord. This is where my Savior walked and the history is remarkable. The countries of Jordan and Egypt and Israel are drenching with ancient histories and priceless treasures of the world. I am not a scriptural intellect or a scholar of any type but I do know the whisperings of the spirit and I have felt a yearning for some time now to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. I was told that to feel Christ's spirit in the Holy Land, you would need to bring Him with you and I did find this to be true. After the 8 month waiting period to finally embark on our 2 1/2 week journey, I immediately felt a tug between the stirrings of my heart and the excitement of being in unfamiliar and dangerous territory with people and customs that were so strange to me. In the end, the trip was the most amazing and memorable thing I have ever done. I thanked my Father in Heaven every single night with my whole heart for the blessing of being there at that time. I can't explain it any more than to say that I know God hears my prayers and wants to bless me and for that I will be forever grateful. (And having a Prince Charming to facilitate my dreams is a bonus!) Let's begin:
Here is a copy of the relentless schedule that we were tried to follow for the most part~
We traveled with Fun For Less Tours and were very satisfied with the overall trip. Michael Wilcox, noted author and speaker was our guide for most of the trip. We also had Lindsey Tyndall as our tour director, part owner of Fun For Less Travel Tours. She was a doll!
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I KNOW THIS MAY SEEM TO BE SKIPPING AROUND BUT BEFORE I BEGIN THE HOLY LAND
PICTURES, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T START FROM THE REAL BIRTHDAY BEGINNING.
LAYTON AND I WENT OUT TO ATLANTA TO PREPARE FOR A DRIVE OVER TO MISSISSIPPI FOR OUR MARTIN/RAY REUNION. WHILE WE WERE THERE, CAMI AND FAM SURPRISED ME WITH AN EARLY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION! |
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| 50 PRESENTS |
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| AND AN AMAZING BOOK WRITTEN BY EACH OF MY KIDS- 50 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT OUR MOM! I KNOW I LOOK DUMB BUT IT WAS SO FUN! |
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| THEN WE WENT FOR ICE CREAM |
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| JUST FOR ME? |
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| THANKS GUYS! |
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| CANTON MISSISSIPPI- BRETT HAD A FRIEND THAT MADE THE SIGN FOR US! |
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GRANDMA AND GAYLE DROVE UP - BRETT, MOM AND DAD FLEW INTO MS
AND DROVE UP WITH THEM AS WELL. |
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| GRANDMA EXIE IS 94 (OR 95?) |
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| ERIK, UNCLE JAY AND BRETT |
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| THE REUNIONS ARE THANKS TO BONNIE WHO STARTED THE EVERY OTHER YEAR TRADITION! |
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| SUMMER IS PHILIP RAYS WIFE |
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| LILY IS 1 MONTH OLD |
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| SHERRY AND JAMIE LEADING "BY AND BY SWEET JESUS" SO FUN! |
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| MOM WON FARTHEST AWAY |
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| GRANDMA WON OLDEST IN FAMILY |
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| PHILIP RAY AND I WERE IN CHARGE THIS YEAR |
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| AND THEN LAYTON STRIKES AGAIN |
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| LOVE YOU GRANDMA |
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WE FLEW OUT OF JACKSON AND MAN WERE WE TIRED BUT THEN... WE CAME HOME TO
YET ANOTHER SURPRISE! LACI WAS AT OUR HOUSE WAITING TO MOVE TO SF WHILE DANIEL
HAD ALREADY DRIVEN WITH THE UHAUL THERE WITH HIS DAD. SHE AND THE REST OF THE FAM WERE WAITING TO SURPRISE ME WITH A HAPPY BIRTHDAY! THANKS LACI FOR ALL YOU DID TOO. SHE ALSO PUT TOGETHER HOURS OF COLLECTING VIDEO OF EVERYONE WISHING ME A HAPPY BIRTHDAY! |
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| GWYN IS 5 MONTHS |
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AND THEN THE BIG REVEAL. I BALLED LIKE A BABY AND WAS TOTALLY KNOCKED OFF MY ROCKER
TO THINK IT WAS REALLY SO- WE WERE GOING TO THE HOLY LAND!
THANKS SO MUCH TO A GREAT FAMILY AND A WONDERFUL HUSBAND FOR MAKING
ALL MY DREAMS COME TRUE! |
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| A FEW DAYS LATER WE DROVE OUT TO SF TO TAKE THE GIRLS TO THEIR NEW HOME! |
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| LONG LONG DRIVE BUT FUN FUN 50TH SUMMER! |
