Youth Group Gingerbread Structure Competition

Last Sunday our Senior High students had a competition on best/most creative and well-done gingerbread (or graham cracker) structure. This is what they came up with...from the top: Oklahoma Bombing (5th place), Abe Lincoln's Cabin (4th place), Church (3rd place), Jedi Temple (2nd place), and winning 1st place was the Lemonade Stand!!!

KY/MS Christmas!!

We had two great Christmases last week. Good thing our boys don't really understand dates and calendar skills yet b/c we told them that we would and Santa would be visiting us on Tuesday AND Thursday...once in KY and once in MS!!! Noah thought that was the coolest thing!!! Anyway, we had a great week...kinda fun to spread it out over a few days. As always, Matt and I are very giddy about what we're giving the boys (probably more excited than they are). Noah was so overwhelmed when he came up stairs and saw what was laid out. It took him a few seconds to say anything. Tucker came up and ran straight for his Elmo restaurant!! So here are a few pics that semi-capture the excitement and surprise...

A little update...

Sorry for the lack of posting from the Gurney's. With 3 jobs between us life just doesn't allow much more than texting and facebook. We are starting to sound like the students we serve. Anyway, life continues to move at a frightening pace. Not the typical kind of scary but the unusual awe inspiring kind. Christmas is upon us or at least beside us. Jen has continued to have growing interest in her as a piano teacher. She is now up to 10 and will probably have a few more this spring. That along with teaching has made for some pretty long days. Noah and Tucker are full of energy and testosterone (in seed form). They love all things rough and tumble and love to be up early on sleep in days while hating to get up when they have to. We had a great time in MS over Thanksgiving with Jen's family. We ate, slept and played. Just what we needed. Somewhere right before Thanksgiving, someone stole my guitar and case out of the church. So I am now in the process of trying to purchase a guitar. We will be heading back down to MS next Tuesday to spend 4 days there with my family. Jen's mom and dad will be here in KY from tomorrow night until Friday. So we are trying to take it easy while still being very busy. We do know that the difficulty that we were placed in by God has refined us and continues to draw us to deeper dependence and passion on and for Jesus. So, again we would never have asked for what we have but we have such a good and wise Father who knows what we need even before we ask for it. Sadly we will not be attending Elevate your Refuge as we have stuff sandwiched all around those dates. So here's to all of you: may the joy of knowing Christ and God's precious gift of Himself consume your hearts and minds this Christmas that you may truly cherish the good news of great joy that brought us all into His family. Merry Christmas from the Gurney's.