The Rains Came !

The heat wave continues and last night was oppressive
even at Kim's pool. We had great hopes of getting some
relief from the heat but things didn't work out the way
we had planned!

We enjoyed some ice cream and cake but before we knew it
thunder rumbled, the skies grew extremely dark, and
the rains came pouring down.

Now a little rain can't dampen our enthusiasm a bit!
What to do? Why not enjoy a game but what game?
Someone mentioned bowling, so.....

We went bowling right there in Kim's living room! What fun!
Anyone who knows me at all knows that I don't like sports
of any kind. So naturally, Kim made sure that I was in the mix
competing with Melinda, Jay, and Brian. The competition was
fierce. Not so much! It's impossible to be fierce when you're
laughing that hard.

After a few gutter balls, some splits, spares and even
a few strikes (yes there were strikes but the graphic
didn't stay on the screen long enough) we had a winner!

Drum roll please! And the winner is Melinda!
I've come to see Melinda's adventurous and
competitive nature! Congratulations also to
Jay, Sally and Brian!

Anticipating another round of showers, we
headed home. Check out the beautiful skies
that surrounded us!

We're Having a Heat Wave!

It's HAZY, HOT & HUMID and  for the past 7 days,
we've been in an 'official' heat wave with 90+ temperatures.

Early in the Summer our team had big dreams of
lots of Friday night adventures! Not even a heat wave
can interfere with making those dreams come true.
Here's a clue to how we enjoyed our Friday night\
together...

Any ideas? Yes? No? Well let me give another clue....

This yummy assortment of ingredients for
ice cream sundaes should help give you a clue!
Any ideas yet?

If you guessed Kim's pool, you're a winner! Last night
was hot and muggy but absolutely gorgeous out by
her pool and as always everyone had lots of fun! We'll
get back on the road for more far reaching destinations
once this hot weather ends. In the mean time, we're happy
where we are!

It's a perfect time to simply catch up! Laurie and Mindy
decided not to go into the pool and simply enjoyed some
girl time together!

Most of the action centered around an exciting game of
volleyball. We have lots of talent in our group! We also
have some interesting scoring methods!

And we're not afraid to simply be silly. Check out Chip and Charlie!

When the excitement of the games and play came
to an end, there was time to rest!

While we play hard, Friday nights together provide us a
time and place of refuge from the stresses and challenges
of every day life. What a priviledge to be a part of this
very special group of friends!

We strive to always live In Line With The Word
posted by Sally

4th of July Fun!

 The 4th of July is a day to reflect, remember and to be
thankful for the privileges and  freedom  that come with living
in this great country!  May God continue to bless America!
It was wonderful being able to celebrate together and what
better place to hang out than at Kim and Chip's beautifully
refreshing pool!

Our photo's will tell you some of the story! After a delicious
lunch, we celebrated Kristi's and Mindy's birthdays too!

We relaxed and just had fun talking about all sorts
of stuff.

Most of the action was around and in the pool, including water
fights with super soakers, water balloon toss, and even
synchronized swimming. It was a perfect day!

Eventually the sun, fun, and laughter wore a few of us out!

We hope that you enjoyed as wonderful day
as we did!

Your In Line With The Word friends
Posted by Sally

Isn't It Funny ?

Isn't it funny how we sometimes suddenly notice something
that's been right in front of us for a long time. Today I had
one of those moments while working on a blog posting.
Let's see if you spot it? Meet Jay!

 Brian!

And Mike!

And my husband Charlie, an
Honorary member of our team.

Have you figured it out? When you do be sure to post a comment!

Grandma Kristi

Saturday's Baby Shower was a very special day for our team
member and friend Kristi! In some ways, I'm sure, it's bitter-
sweet, since her oldest child Samantha will soon become a
Mom and will be moving to Colorado.

Check out the great picture of Kristi and her
two beautiful daughters Sarah and Samantha!
We might have a trend going here! This is the second
picture Kristi has allowed me to take of her and post!

After some early preparations were completed
everyone started to arrive.

It was wonderful spending time with long time friends
like Lori Nogler seen here with Kim....

 and Cindy Robinson. God has called them to new churches
so we enjoyed having time to get caught up!

Anika and her Mom enjoyed a great mother daughter
afternoon together.

Zoey and her mom Brenda had a fun time too! Anika and
Zoey  are both in my Kindergarten Sunday School class.
I think that they both loved being out with all of the big girls!

No shower would be complete without game time
so Kim, Jean and Tara got together to map out a
winning strategy.

Congratulations to soon to be Mom Samantha
and Grandma Kristi! It was a fun afternoon
enjoying great fellowship, a tasty lunch
and yummy treats!

Friday's Refuge

Friday evenings spent together provide us with a
time and place of refuge from the mundane, the
stressful or the simply exhausting events of life.

Last night, we had planned to play and enjoy a dip in
the pool but this week was especially tough for Jay
and Laurie. One of the many things that I love about
our group is that we are flexible and simply shift gears
as the need arises and no one has to say anything. 

Brian manned the grill while Charlie offered support and
no doubt the guys discussed their favorite grilling techniques
and  cooking secrets.

Laurie and Mindy worked on food preparation.

And before you know it, we all enjoyed sitting out on Kim's
back deck to enjoy a nice home cooked meal together.

Mike had a chance to get caught up on what's
been posted on the blog. Imagine he doesn't have
a computer at home!

Dutch hung out with us....

Even Kim's son  DJ hung around and joined us for a while!

As the day was retreating, and we were getting
ready to say good bye, we topped of our evening
together with something really sweet!

Mindy's Yummy Ribbon cake doesn't stand out on this
plain white plate, but trust me it's a stand out! How sweet
a way to end our day!

We plan on celebrating the 4th of July together and maybe,
just maybe, this beautiful pool will be center stage!

Your In Line With The Word friends!
Posted by Sally

Please Pray

Please pray for Jay (front in team picture) and his
family! His mom Ruth passed away very early this
morning. Ruth and her husband John have been
married close to 60 years and together they raised
a wonderfully loving family.

Laurie's (top blonde in team picture) Aunt Sue is in failing
health with cancer and yesterday, she was at the ER
with a blood clot that had developed in her leg. Pray for
Aunt Sue and for Laurie and Brian who are devoted to her!

Jay, Laurie and Brian, we love you all and we are praying
for you and your families! You have been a real blessing to
your families and to us.

I know that those of you who check this blog
are prayer warriors and we appreciate you so very much!