Oh the things we take for granted...

While in Honduras there are several things we cannot do or things we do not have that we can do or have in the states and it is the smallest things that we take for granted!!

Here is a list of a few:
1. FLUSHING TOILET PAPER!!! (It's amazing how much you miss it when you cannot do it!!)
2. Brushing your teeth with tap water...sure you can do this in Honduras BUT you WILL be sick!
3. Hot showers...I had ONE warm shower while I was there, the rest cold!! But I just kept telling myself there are so many who cannot even take a shower tonight and when they do get one its cold and usually dirty water!
4. Being able to wear flip flops where ever you go and not have to worry about a parasite!
5. Normal Driving compared to Crazy Driving in Honduras...this is really an understatement and you cannot understand it until your have experienced riding in Honduras!! Let's just say stop signs and lights mean nothing over there!
6. Family...there are so many broken families in Honduras that we see daily. It just makes me appreciate my family and friends more and more all the time.
7. My House! Most houses in Honduras are shacks to say the least. One room houses or cardboard boxes for families of 5-6. Knowing that I have a house to come home every night with a bed, food to eat, couches to sit on, AC/Heat, indoor plumbing, etc. Its the same things we seem to forget about that make a world of difference.
8. Health Care. After being at the hospitals in Honduras, I appreciate our heath care even more. I met one girl who had been in the hospital for 3 days waiting for an allergy shot! The doctors couldn't tell her exactly when she would get it!
9. My Job! Even if I do not always like it, I'm so thankful for it. It breaks my heart to know someone can work for minimum wage in Honduras and still not be able to put food on the table for their family.
10. Being able to order food at a resturant without having to just point to pictures or words! Also being able to specialize your order because the workers can understand what you want!
11. Being able to have pictures of our friends and family! When we would take picture of the kids over there they couldn't wait to see it. For some of them it was the first time they have seen themselves. Which seems absolutely crazy to us but its true!!

I'm thankful for the Country that I live in but I am also thankful for the third world country that I am able to go to help spread God's word!

1 more day til...

HONDURAS!!!!!


I feel like it was just yesterday I was landing back in the states from an amazing mission trip and now I'm off again!!! However, this year is a little different...my brother, sister in law, or mom are unable to go!! This will be my first time to leave the country without one of them...but I'm ready to just be there! My cousin Taylor is going with me. I know that he is excited and we will have a great time. I do not know many people going this year so it will be interesting...however I am going over there to serve others!
I cannot thank God enough for this opportunity! This is my third time to go and I absolutely LOVE IT!!! I’m thankful for my parents who have supported me throughout the years and instilled this love to help others in me. I’m thankful for churches, family, and friends for their financial support. And most importantly I’m thankful for the prayers and for this being part of God’s plan for me in my life.
We fly out of Nashville at 6 AM Friday morning and will return July 4. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!!

This blog will give updates while we are over there:
Childrenoftheking.blogspot.com


Thanks for the prayers!!

Twas the night before Madness...Kentucky Style

Twas the night before Madness and all through the land,

Not a team left unshaken by Jorts and his band.

The posters were plastered on locker room walls,

In hopes that a meeting would not soon be called.

When down there in Tampa arose such a fuss

The whole team from Princeton was sent to the bus!

Then several days later as if right on cue,

The Cats sent ‘em packin, those Mountaineers too!

Then Cal skipped his way to the New Jersey shore,

For a meeting they said was the Cats final door.

But Jorts had a plan as he threw the ball in,

And it bounced off a chest and the Bucs couldn’t win.

Living large were the Cats’ Mr. Knight and his crew,

Then came the Tar Heels with Houston in view.

“Take Three” from the corner said ‘Dre as he shot,

And then Carolina knew Houston was not.

Now Final Four Dancing, it has been a while,

But Cats and their fans, it don’t matter the miles.

Be lookin’ for Kemba, his Conn artists’ too,

The Cats will be bringin’ its defense for you.

On Brandon , on Lamb, and on Jonesy too,

Got Miller and Jorts, and they’re bringing the crew.

Now Liggins and Vargas then go to “The Hood”

The seeding they gave us was much less than good!

So See you in Houston now Mr. Calhoun,

And practice real hard cause it’s comin’ too soon.

The team you will dance with, they just woke up late,

But they’ll have ‘em laced up, they want Number 8!

My Pa!!!

15 years ago this summer I lost one of the one most amazing people in the world…my granddaddy!! I was only 10 years old, but to this day he still is one of my favorites and always will be!! He was MY PA!! And I would let you know really quickly he was all MINE!!! At such a young age you do not realize how important and what kind of impact people leave on you, I’m so thankful for this impact!! I was the second oldest granddaughter and the only one out of four granddaughters that was always around my Pa…therefore I was “special” or that is what I told myself. My Pa would have done anything for all of his grandkids and he did! I can remember the days I got to spend with him and it was just ME AND HIM!!! Man, I was a luck gal!!! My Pa delivered newspapers so sometimes in the summer I would go with him, which meant getting up super early but I was willing since I got to be with him. I’ll never forget one time he let me have a coke and a swiss cake roll for breakfast…shh I don’t think my mom knows still to this day!! Ha ha It was great!! He was also his grandkids number one fan in everything, especially sports! He was always at my brothers baseball games and he would let me take multiple trips to the concession stand during one game…mom wasn’t too happy, but that was his job right?? There were days that I had to go to a day care for half-day and it was pure TORTURE!!! But when he could, my Pa would come and get me so I didn’t have to stay there!! He would take me to his house and it was always around nap time, we were the best at taking naps!! He would get the long couch and I got the little couch and we would watch TV and fall asleep!! My grandmother still lives in the same house and I cannot go into the living room without thinking about naps with Pa. For some reason he always had tons and tons of pennies, I never really knew why he always had them and why he had sooo many, but I loved playing with them. My brothers and I would always play with the pennies and we would have them all over my grandparent’s house…oh the things we could do with pennies! My Pa was my “rock” I loved that man so much I cannot even put it into words. He was my only granddaddy (my dad’s dad passed away while my dad was still in college). I would always help my grandmother when she kept my baby cousins and Pa would always give me money for helping. I usually spent it and didn’t really think anything about it…but for some reason the last $10 he gave me I kept. At the time, I had no idea it would be the last, but now I’m so thankful I kept it. I kept it until I wanted to buy something that I really wanted and that I could keep forever. I finally decided that I wanted to but these sunflower pictures ( that summer I was in the process of redoing my room into sunflowers) and 15 years later they are still hanging in my room and the day I move out they will go with me and I hope to keep them forever! It’s a small piece of my Pa that I can always have along with the precious memories. I still remember vividly everything that happened the morning he passed away, he was on a paper route and had a heart attack and didn’t make it. I was at my cousin’s house on my dad’s side. My dad called their mom and told them what happened but she did not tell us kids, but just said to bring us home. So Matthew and I knew something was wrong so we got home my dad told us…IT WAS TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Andrew was already at home because he had a baseball game the night before and my granddaddy was there at the game. So my mom, brother, and dad were the last that saw him other then my grandmother. I just wanted my mom but she was at the hospital, I just remember sitting with my brothers on our front porch bawling our eyes out! All 3 of us were extremely close with our Pa and we loved him dearly! The days to follow were hard on the entire family. My mom is the oldest of 8 kids, big family!! So the visitation was forever long and the funeral was at our church and it was packed!! My Pa was very well known and knowing how many lives he touched was very comforting to our family. Even though I only knew him for 10 short years, I cannot thank God enough for allowing me to have such an awesome Granddaddy!! I’m a daddy’s girl, but I was a HUGE Granddaddy’s girl. We made some awesome memories together and I know without a doubt he looks down on me every day and he was watching after his little Jenny Wynn Wynn ( this was my nickname, his version of Jenny Lynn Lynn). I cannot wait for the day that I am reunited with my Pa!!!!

It's a girl!!!!

Ash, Adam, Family and Friends bitting into their cupcakes to see if they were filled with pink or blue...they were filled with PINK!!!!!!!!!!! Sweet little Gracie will be here in August!!!

Thankful!

Well I’m back in the blogging world; yes it’s been a WHILE!! Sorry!
First, I just want to say that God is GREAT…ALL the time!! I’m so blessed to have such an amazing family and friends! I can’t put into words just how blessed I am. I love that I’m on spring break right and I can take time to see some of my best friends and my family.

I started my adventure of spring break travels by heading to Florence, AL to see Ash (and Baby Rut) and Adam. When I got to Florence, I went with Ash and Adam out in Adam’s boat- fun times!!Then Ash and I went to eat…yes Mexican of course! I’m so glad that baby Rut loves Mexican too! Ha On Wednesday I was able to spend part of the way with Ash at her school with her awesome little kiddos! They were precious!! After school Ash was going to the doctor to find out if she was having a boy or girl!! Thankfully she was able to find out so that night after church, with family and friends they were had a gender revealing party!! This was so much fun! As we all patiently waited to bite into our cupcakes to see if it was filled with pink or blue!!! Such a fun way to find out with family and friends…and the cupcakes were filled with…PINK!!! YAY BABY GIRL RUTLEDGE IS ON THE WAY!!! I cannot wait to meet Gracie!

I’m so thankful for Ashley and Adam- they are two amazing people who really would do anything for anyone. God has blessed them and their families so much. I know they are going to be the best parents for little Gracie. This baby has been loved since day one and I know that God is taking great care of her. She is for sure an answered prayer!! God is Great!!!! Just pray that most importantly she is a healthy baby!!



Gracie Girl- You have the most amazing parents who loves you so much!! You are such a blessing to them and many more people. You also have some amazing grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins! I (along with everyone else) cannot wait to meet you!! Love you sweet little girl!


(Yes Ash, I stole this from FB!! Everyone else has a pic so she needed one too!!)


My next adventure leads me back to Columbia to see my great friend, Haley!! She is amazing! I don’t get to see her very often, but I’m very thankful for our friendship. Being able to see her and hang out for a little while was great. I got to her house about 11 and needless to say we stayed up until 4 AM!!! WOW I haven’t seen this time on a clock in a really long time!! I’m definitely not a college student anymore!! But I was worth it!! There really is nothing better than getting to spend some quality with time some of my best friends!!




Now that I have made it to Mayfield, I’m leaving again Saturday to see my brother and sister in law! I’m so thankful to get to spend time at home with my parents also. However, it’s freezing up here! I was so excited about being about to spend time with my dad fishing, but the weather may change that!!









God is great!!! And I cannot thank HIM enough for my amazing family and friends!!!!

God's Masterpiece

This is a video we saw at EU...very touching!! Loved it!