bon voyage!

farewell

2010-10-20T21:10:00.000-05:00

this blog has moved to:

http://johnag.tumblr.com/

What a Show :)

2009-07-17T20:34:00.012-05:00

Our first official summer get away event was a very much anticipated Relient K concert. I had never seen Relient K before, but I had a feeling they would be amazing... and oh... they were! They played pretty much everything I wanted them to and even came out for an encore with "deathbed". There was also a few other bands; Owl City, Deas Vail and Rookie of the Year. They were all very good, it was a night I'll never forget...

What's Going On

2009-07-14T17:37:00.006-05:00

Wow.. It's been about a month since I last blogged. A lot has happened,in the past 30 days.. I had my sixteenth birthday, I finally made it to a Relient K concert and our house is officially done! It's been a crazy process, with tiring nights and tiring mornings, but we finally finished it.

It's been really fun to put all the things I've collected over the past couple years in my own room. I still feel like this is another temporary rental and that I'm going to have to pack up and move out of in a couple of weeks. So it doesn't quite feel like home yet.. But I think it will in time. For now, it's kind of an odd feeling... I think the feeling comes from two things - One, that I've never had my own room and last two years have been spent in a fifth wheel. Two, nothing in my room seems right when I look outside my window at the muddy puddles and the super tall green trees! Seriously... I mean, a huge Indiana Jones poster takes up most the wall with some band posters, a keyboard and bunch of miscellaneous objects purchased while traveling.. But I love it nonetheless!

Oh yeah we've been to two different campgrounds since June 1st.

The first campground we went to in Kentucky was really pretty, but it always rained. The new one is pretty nice and it doesn't rain as much. But neither of them have good Internet reception so, it's slow and sad =P But the one we're at now is pretty nice.. It's got a pretty lake, but only one small bass has been caught by the dad so there isn't much hope fishing there. I heard we're going to change campgrounds soon so I'm excited for a change.

It's so much fun going to a new campground, I get so excited as I dream and hope that the new campground will be better in some way than all the other campgrounds in the past. Even though the chances are usually slim. But I think I can honestly say that change can be good, even when the grass isn't as green on the other side. Like when you're at one campground with sewage and cable, and then next thing you know, you've got to use the "public" restroom.

Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know what's going on. Sorry for not keeping you all up to date for such a long time and sorry in advance if this post has fallacies cause It's 1:00 A.M. and I knew if I didn't do it now I wouldn't get around to it! I've been 1/3 lazy, 1/3 busy and the other 1/3 is the sad, slow internet's fault. If I get the chance I'll try to post some pics of the concert and the house later this week. =D

painting!

2009-06-09T11:52:00.006-05:00

More pictures coming soon!

Birthdays...

2009-05-21T10:41:00.009-05:00

I feel bad... I should have blogged James' and Mom's b-day a long time ago... I thought I lost the pictures from James' birthday, then Mom came creeping up very quickly and now Sarah's is gone! So I'm just gonna make it easy on myself, this is a blog of all three birthday's mashed into one. James' birthday was pretty much playing outside games with friends and family, Mom's day was spent at the Galleria Mall (which was the fourth largest mall in the U.S.), and Sarah's was spent hanging out at the pool and topping the night off at the Cheesecake Factory!

I don't have much to say, except that I love each and every one of these people's very very much! I'm so thankful for all of you and I'm so blessed to have people as awesome as you in my life!

These are random pictures from different birthdays. Sorry I'm just too lazy to organize and label right now.. =)

"That traveling family"

2009-05-15T22:55:00.005-05:00

It's so fun meeting people as we travel.. =)

We visited a new church almost an hour away from our campground and here comes Jimmy on stage to lead worship! It was very cool, the church was awesome! Turns out it wasn't his church, they just hired him to lead worship there for a couple weeks. We met Jimmy and his wife Kelly after the service and they were so nice. We came back again next week and they remembered us, "Oh yeah that traveling family". Hah, we now have a label; check out some of his music at the bottom of the page.. =)

staring blankly, blinded by the jewels prism

2009-05-06T22:06:00.006-05:00

Jewels, Diamonds, Ruby's and every other type of jewelry imaginable was at the Natural History Museum in Houston. I had a lot of fun experimenting with an extremely different lighting... The pictures turned out pretty awesome, I'm proud!

Four Square Rocks!

2009-04-29T21:57:00.003-05:00

This has to be the longest line in our Four Square history!

We've been having a such great time with our family and friends!

The Golden Chinese Acrobats

2009-04-28T21:15:00.006-05:00

Here's the story...

11:46 - Wait in line for 1 hour
12:58 - Obtain 14 tickets, head home
05:34 - Leave for Pei Wei (15 mins away)
06:24 - Arrive at Pei Wei (dang traffic!)
07:40 - Arrive at Outdoor Theatre, Seats are taken
07:41 - "They released the seats because of the lightning!"
07:43 - Mom goes to the people in charge (We have tickets!)
07:48 - No Luck
07:55 - Cram into people's territory "Rude!"!
08:03 - Lady announces that people can give up their seats to the people with tickets if they want to be nice... =P
08:04 - Nobody gives up their seats... figures!
08:05 - Show Starts (Yippee!)

So yeah that was pretty much our hectic Friday night! The show was awesome, once I got over the fact of being soaked... =)

Cotton Gin & Blue Bonnet Pictures

2009-04-28T20:32:00.005-05:00

A couple weeks ago we visited the oldest operating cotton gin in the U.S. It was about an hour away in Burton, TX and was a pretty interesting field trip. We stopped on the way back and got a few pictures of the Blue Bonnets, they're so pretty!

The Afters Concert!

2009-04-22T22:10:00.003-05:00

A couple weeks ago we went to a free "paper bag" concert for The Afters; it was awesome! I loved everything about it and they sounded even better in concert. The only thing that stinks, is that it seems with me I always become more intrigued to a band when I see them in concert. This isn't necessarily bad, but I finally start searching through my iPod and find songs that I wish I knew before I saw them in concert... I also start to look them up on wikipedia and get a feel for where they came from how they started out.. that kind of stuff..

It might sound a little weird, but I'm sure that's how it is with a lot of people... maybe? =)

Here's some of my favorite pictures

"Yes, I Still Paint Easter Eggs."

2009-04-18T11:56:00.004-05:00

I wanted to show off my Easter eggs!! I don't think I've ever gotten as creative as this year. I used tape.. to make cool designs with my eggs.. They look amazing! So yeah I just wanted everyone to see my eggs.. =)

Our Easter was awesome! We went to a very good Easter Service. Then we had some super yummy Chinese food at one of those places where they make the food in front of you... so good!!! After that we came back to our trailers and just hung out.. had a little hunt for the kids.. It was lots of fun!

I watched "The Passion" for the first time this year and it gave me such a better picture of Easter.. I was so glad that I watched it. It really helped me to see how far Jesus went for us... to pay the debt for our sins.. and yet we didn't deserve to have our sins paid for.. But Jesus did it for us because of his wondrous love for us!

I can't help but post another song! It's an amazing song of Jesus' "True Love" for us. It's called "True Love" by Phil Wickham. You can listen to it at the bottom of the page in the music player =)

True Love - Phil Wickham

Come close listen to the story
About a love more faithful than the morning
The Father gave His only Son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Fathers Broken Heart
Tears were filling Heaven's Eyes
The day that True Love died, the day that True Love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died

Search your heart you know you can't deny it
Come on, lose your life just so you can find it
The Father gave His only Son just to save us

The Earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt The Fathers broken heart
Tears were filling Heaven's Eyes
The day that True Love died, the day that True Love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died

Now, Jesus is alive

Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Oh, He is alive
He rose again

When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died

Come close listen to the story

"You Could See Me?"

2009-04-07T14:30:00.002-05:00

Haha.. Rachel was having a good time getting ready for the Afters concert tonight by blasting the Afters music and dancing. Noticing that the windows were opened she thought that someone might be watching and getting a good laugh out of it! So randomly it made me think of the scene from "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and it fit perfectly!

...Enjoy!!

Tennessee Update!

2009-03-26T20:35:00.006-05:00

I thought you all might like to see the TN panorama view! If you look hard you might be able to see the brown roof on the right in the middle... That's our house! The Durrua's is to the left of our house, It's kind of hard to see. I also posted some pictures of the new tile in the house and Mom and Dad's Bathroom!

Feelings... Run to God!

2009-03-20T22:12:00.015-05:00

Florida.... hmmmm.... Once we passed Exit 77 I felt the feeling of home again. It's a very weird feeling to come back to a place that you've lived most of your life. In some ways I miss it and in some ways I don't. When we first got here I got the feeling that I wanted to move back and go through the door of 9239, but now I have the feeling of wanting to leave it all... even though I always seem to miss it.

Sometimes I think I forget that I need to run to God with these "feelings". A lot of times I try to fix these feelings by using my mind to help me think of something else to get the "feelings" off my mind because they can sometimes make me "unhappy" with what I've already got. Of course this is NOT what I should be doing. I guess most of the time I forget that God wants me to go to him with everything. Even with something that I might think is silly like "feelings". God cares about everything in our lives and wants us to communicate with him.

The funny thing is that there was a plate thing at Aunt Cathy & Uncle Don's and it had John 6:35, "Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." This verse kind of sums up my situation... The feelings I had this week of missing Florida at first and then ready to leave the last day can be helped out by running to God because when you run to God, you will no longer be hungry nor thirsty.

One other funny thing is that the songs at the bottom of my page were all chosen when I first made my blog and this is the second time that I used one of the songs to help display the way I feel about something. Last time it was with the song "A Better Way", this time it's the song "Run to You". The lyrics are pretty much exactly how I've been feeling about the whole subject lately. Here are the lyrics.

"Run To You" - The Rocket Summer

Turn look, look out and see.
Do you see me? Cause I think I see you.
I've been some other place.
The wind that I chase, it all just leads back to you.
Oh how I'm still, so still its burdening, it's still outran.
I knew you when I was young, but where I am right now.
Is where I am.

Run to you, I will run, I will run
I will move, right on through all these things I have done.
And you'll take me back, I don't know why.
I wanna say I'll never do it again, but I can't
But I will try.

Turn and look, look out and see.
Do you see me? Cause I think I see you.
Ive been some other place.
The wind that I chase it all just leads back to you.
Oh how I miss what you miss, but I will fall time and again.
And I will say, that I'm true to you, but I'm a cheat.
I don't understand.

So I'll run to you, I will run, I will run
I will move, right on through all these things I have done.
And you'll take me back, I don't know why.
I wanna say I'll never do it again, but I can't
I wanna say I'll never do it again, but I can't
I wanna say I'll never do it again, but I can't
But I will try.

So that's what I learned this week!

I had a great time with everyone in Florida and hope to see you all very soon! Here's some pictures of our week!

Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo

2009-03-06T22:28:00.007-06:00

Alrighty! We recently attended the famous Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and it was awesome! The fair was really cool, it was practically as big as the fair back home in Florida! I got to ride some of my favorite rides and eat a very yummy jumbo corn dog! It was definitely an awesome night, the rodeo ended with an Alan Jackson performance. I don't know a lot of his songs, but it was still fun to see him perform the ones I knew. I would like to say more but we're in a hotel and everyone's trying to sleep! Here's some sweet pics...

Pray for us tomorrow or today (It's midnight). We're flying to Tennessee in the morning and I can't wait! =)

Field Trip to the Farm & Blue Bell Creamery

2009-02-21T16:01:00.012-06:00

I love field trips! Because no matter what it is... I'll enjoy it... as long as I'm not doing school! So a few days after we arrived in Houston we discovered that the Blue Bell Ice Cream Plant and a Farm tour place (I forgot the name) weren't too far from us. We made a day out of it and it was a blast!

First we went to Blue Bell, it was pretty cool and interesting, but sadly I couldn't bring my camera on the tour so no pictures.. =(

Then we went to an antique store that had some pretty cool stuff, nothing for me. But it was still pretty cool, I especially liked the buildings around the store.

Last we went to the Farm Tour, and it was really cool! The farm has the cow "bell" that is used for all the Blue Bell commercials and ads, so that was pretty cool. We got to take a hay ride through the farm, go through a "hay maze", feed ducks and even got to milk a cow! I didn't milk it because I kinda found it unsanitary, they didn't even give us germ-x or a wipe after.. Go figure! But the rest of the gang didn't mind it... It will diffidently be a field trip that I'll remember!

A Valentine's Day Party.... in a Campground!

2009-02-21T00:00:00.013-06:00

You know, just because we travel, doesn't mean we don't know how to have a good party! We really enjoyed the Christmas party we had a while back, so we thought it was a no-brainer to not have another one for Valentines. It was a very successful party with lots of games, lots of food and lots of love! Over lunch we discussed about how there is no better way to show love than for someone to give their life for you and that's exactly what Jesus Christ did for us! One of my favorite songs talks about Jesus' love for us and It's called "A Better Way" by Downhere. You can listen to the song at the bottom of the page. Here's the lyrics and some pictures of the party.

Downhere - A Better Way

I'm not alone, I really believe
You never go, You never leave
Here and now, You always stay
“I love you” could not be said a better way

It's everything You've promised
There's no greater love than this
From prophets until today
A man laying down His life for His friends
Your sacrifice has spoken, You gave everything
And “I love you” could not be said
A better way

I am forgiven, I clearly see
It's why You came to do all you did for me
Trading earth with heaven, You took my place
“I love you” could not be said
A better way

Because You redeem, I know what's to come
Everything I could lose here, You've already won
So You have my surrender, with passion obey
“I love you” could not be said
A better way

Tenth Avenue North Concert!

2009-02-10T18:54:00.004-06:00

Alright, It's the weekend so I thought I might attempt to catch up with what's been going in our lives. The Tenth Avenue North Concert was about three weeks ago and it was so nice to see them play again. Except now they're better and kinda famous! They actually recognized Rae, so that was pretty cool. Here's a couple pics and a video of them performing "By Your Side".

A Frosty Day in Dallas, TX

2009-01-28T13:55:00.006-06:00

I was looking at my pictures the other day and realized I never posted the Freezing Day we had here in Dallas. So I decided it was about time to catch up. The cold brought a couple of complaints. Frozen Water, No Driving, and James fell down the stairs. Besides that it was a pretty cool day. Sadly I can't upload many pictures because the internet is so limited here. So here's a couple fun ones...

Leeland Concert!

2009-01-27T22:55:00.007-06:00

Rachel and I recently went to a Leeland Concert! It was amazing, they were so good live! Here are two live videos of Leeland performing, "Don't Go Away" and "Sound of Melodies"!

Bowling Night!

2009-01-23T14:37:00.000-06:00