Winding up

Erich and I have enjoyed such a wonderful summer with travels to the west coast and middle america. One of our most favorite things to do is to visit friends, reconnect, and share inspiration and the stuff of life....
This year brings about transition as I finish my grad program and continue to teach while Erich pursues growth and expansion of our Reliv business. We really enjoy doing business together- helping others and opening the opportunity we've been given to others. Life is so short... what a treasure it is it have something (amongst many, many other things that we want to do together)that we can pursue together. We have a hope and a future that is bright. Thanks to all the friends that have made this summer so very special. We look forward to many more times together in the future as we work towards greater time freedom and growing finances to support more of the amazing life-giving/ social-justice providing works going on...
Check out some of the cute kids we've been blessed to encounter along the way:

Happy Birthday ERICH!!!

happy birthday to you!
I love you my husband and friend!
I thank the Lord everytime I think of you...
and there are many moments in which I am thinking of you...
Thank you for your warm acceptance of all my quirks (and also your unacceptance of some of my demands)
Thank you for pursuing God and pursuing my heart
Thank you for your openness and honesty
Thank you for your insight and intuition
Thank you for your slow-to-speakedness
Thank you for your love and affection (I can't wait to have a red-headed baby with you!)
Thank you for all the experiences we have had already as lovers and friends and for the many more that are sure to come.
I know we have a hope to cling to that does not disappoint and a love to gravitate towards that never fails and a life source to drink from that never runs dry

Annie and Flan Goodness

This is my dear friend Annie. She is such a beautiful, wise, creative-cooking creation! Annie and I spent Friday morning in the kitchen together. She taught me how to make flan.
This is my very first flan... notice the glistening juiciness oozing from the perfectly baked custard. This dessert is my absolute favorite- a melt-in-your mouth divinity.
The only problem here... I have no one to enjoy this flan with! I am the only one eating off of it..... and as you can see I have already made quite a dent in the flan. Alas...

Youth Leadership Forum

Here is Brian, my personal escort the entire week! : )
Last week I devoted myself to an exhausting, eye-opening experience as I worked as the "head volunteer" for the youth leadership forum. YLF is a camp-leadership forum in which adolescents with disabilities learn to become self-advocates and gain a voice in the political arena. We spent the week at St. Edwards campus in Austin. We took a day-trip to the capitol where the students had the opportunity to engage in a mock hearing where representatives of various house and senate leaders responded with relevant direction/information for these students testimonies. This experience was one that I chose in an effort to fulfill the 135 hours (outside of my normal teaching environment) from one of my graduate coarses.
You can check out YLF@ http://txylf.tamu.edu/about.htm
A few highlights include: the many laughs, talent show night, the dance, group #4, blind baseball, visiting the capitol