Conqueror's Conference

ahhh, twenty-fourteen! you have arrived!

well, I kicked this year off right by attending 5 services in 3 days, haha. Conqueror's was wonderful. very strengthening services! the theme that Jesus chose for the preaching (ha!) was getting a hold of God and growing in Him. incredible! all services ministered to me so much.

and of course, what's a conference without being with old friends and making new ones?! everyone was so kind and friendly! awwww can ya feel the love????

i'll let Mary go into great detail with some of these pics, because I'm SURE she has more to add!
we certainly did have a blast!

first of all, went to bed around 1-ish am on 1/1/2014, got outta bed 3:40-ish am to be at the airport at 4:30-ish am for my flight that would leave Exactly at 6am.

so to sum it up, i was pretty much exhausted.

Mary, Teresa and MJ picked me up and then Mary fed me coffee and biscuits and gravy and we then sent a pic to tease Anali and Hanna .

this was my first time eating biscuits and gravy. yes, I live in Texas.

about to leave the house - me: "so is there a reason your car is partially parked on the sidewalk?"

she laughs!! then shows me her key chain. EVERYTHING makes sense now! LOL

I'll let Mary elaborate about the lack of purse but abundance of hair accessories! and also the "shoutout to the youth group"!

after the first night of church! I was so tired, I literally had to concentrate on not toppling over the pew in front of me when I was standing up. Literally. Elder Abbott's message kept me totally engaged though! So Good.

the view inside of Faith Tabernacle is amazing

pretty courtyard

silly posing at the lock-in!

breakfast friday morning with LPC, the AZ church that I adopted myself into. HA! I had my first mcgriddle ever at this McDonald's! yes, we have McDonald's in Dallas.

Denae and Mary! your CD is so good, Denae!!!

don't be jealous as we show off our banquet corsages!

Jayne and I! LOL at my cheesy grin!

The Golden Corral Banquet

I must say, ever since I had first read about CC, I'd always thought the idea of them having a banquet at a buffet sounded Hilarious. it did not disappoint! and I had a grand time!

I felt like a mom [well it is a youth conference so that makes sense lolol] b/c I wanted to take pics of certain couples

*sniff sniff* they're so precious!

i also took pics of my food, cuz that's how i roll....

first course: slice of chocolate cake and chocolate covered strawberries

second course: salad. also pictured is my apple soda. manzanita!

final course: assorted fruit in syrup. I know, your tummy is growling right now!

Lorraine and moi with a stampede of people surrounding us!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this pic!!! that blue mass is a cotton candy face. Mary's pastor always seemed to walk up at the most awkward moments! this was a Classic Abbott Moment!

LUNCH at Chipotle!

we're all polka dotty!

ahhhh. loooooovee  mountains.

I told Mary to coach me on my posing lol!

saguaro! [you guys, the "g" is pronounced as a "w"!]

made me feel all tiny and stuff

Mary, the desert botanist, informed me that this was called "jumping cholla" [double "l" pronounced as a "y", such as in Spanish words] and warned me to not get near it. OK, considering the wary way she was watching it and the fact that she stood like 10 feet away, I decided to stay back too. but it was so pretty and cuddly looking!

she wants to sell toothpicks made out of cactus spines. maybe these would sell outside of AZ?

LPC's pretty fountain! and a cactus!

last one. had to capture an AZ sunset.

what a trip! my first [and hopefully not last] time in AZ. I had a wonderful time!!