Sedona in May

Brent's Aunt is in town so we took her to our favorite place, Sedona. It never disappoints.

Summit 9

I got to go to Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit 9 in Nashville last week. This was my 3rd year to go to the Summit. I love being with so many people with the same heart and see and hear the different ways people have and are making a difference for children without families.

Live Broadcast of Family Life Today

Very Crowded. It was the largest Summit so far.

Lifeline Adoption Agency's booth. This is the agency we used to bring home Jack.

Steven Curtis Chapman

Bishop WC Martin of Possum Trot, Texas. His little church of less than 100 adopted 76 kids!

Amy Eldridge, the CEO of Love Without Boundaries, the organization I volunteer with.

The Red Bus Project. A traveling thrift shop, proceeds go towards adoption grants.

Show Hope's booth. We've gotten 2 grants from Show Hope to help us adopt.

Nicole C. Mullen and her family.

Jimmy Wayne

David Platt

 I actually got to do a conversation room breakout where I got to share what we are doing in our church with our work in the group homes.

On the last day before we caught our plane back to Phoenix, some friends and I walked around downtown Nashville. It was cold and rainy. Two things we are not used to in Phoenix. We made the best of it. I did change my clothes in the airport though, I was soaked.

Neat old building. Marathon Motors. They made cars from 1907 to 1910.

Ever watch American Pickers? Here's their van!

Made her day...

Lucy is a big fan. Jack's a fan because Lucy is a fan.

Camp Premier

Here's what's led to an invite for Brent and I to go to this event-

Our church volunteers in 5 group homes now. What began as us just spending time with these kids in CPS care has turned into our volunteers getting involved in the lives of the kids, hearing their stories, calling caseworkers, becoming mentors, helping kids age out, and even getting some of the children placed in their homes and out of the shelters. OCJ Kids, the organization that helped get us into the homes, helped me get a meeting with the Director of Faith and Community in DES. We told him what we've been doing and what we'd like to do. He's working on getting us connected and also invited us to the Camp premier. Camp is a movie that I've been following the making of for a few years now. It's drama based on true stories of kids and counselors from Royal Family Kids Camp . The camp is for kids in foster care to get away, have fun and hear about God's love. Our Governor's son runs one of the camps in Arizona. It was an exciting event to see all the people that were invited to the showing just because they love the kids in foster care and are doing something about it. I would have loved to see a guest list to see and learn about all the organizations there.  And yes, we were thrilled to get a chance to talk to Governor Jan Brewer.
  You know, last year Brent and I really thought we ran into her shopping at Walmart, but it felt too ludicrous  to walk up to someone in Walmart and say, "excuse me, aren't you the governor?" But after seeing and talking with her this weekend, I am sure it was her! Ha.

Please check to see if the movie Camp is going to be shown in a theater near you. It's a great movie to support. And if you live her in Phoenix, It's showing here for the next week.

On the red carpet

Reception before the movie. Look! there's Brent in the blue shirt!

my pass

Brent and I with governor Jan Brewer

talking with the governor

our friends, Gary and Tammie Webb of OCJ Kids

Micheal Brewer and Director of DES Clarence Carteer

At the movie, governor in the front row, we are way up in the back, see Brent's blue shirt?

The director of the movie Camp presented the Governor a cast signed poster