"Mom and Dad are getting me a Human!"-Reynolds Rouse

Reynolds has had some very exciting news that he couldn't wait to share with the world.... He is getting a HUMAN!

Yep, that is right!  You may have already heard the big news!  But, Clint and I are having a baby in June.  June 12th is our official due date!  It is hard to believe that as I type this there is a human inside of me the size of an avocado (and boy is this mama to be LOVING some avocados during pregnancy!) Clint and I have LOVED our almost 4 years of marriage with just the three of us, but we can't wait to raise a child together.  I love Clint Rouse so much and can't wait to watch him be the father to our children.

Thank you Lindsay for taking this beautiful photos for us!  You are such a sweet friend and such a talented photographer!  311 Photography <---Check out her blog!

Proud Parents to be!

 Dear Rouse Mouse, 

These two people CANNOT wait to meet you!  You have no idea how loved you are already.  We have heard your heart beat twice.  Your mom and dad were so excited to hear it the second time, that we recorded so we could listen to your little heart each day as we pray for you as you enter the world.  14 years from now if ever you are doubting how loved you are, I hope we can remind you of December 2, 2014 when we got to tell the world you were making an entrance in June.  There was a flood of texts, "likes", "comments", phone calls, tears, and screams of joy!  You are so loved little one!

Love,

Your Mom

#YouWereMarriedForThis

Malibu.  Malibu.  Malibu.  The most beautiful place on the planet.  Malibu.

Clint and I had the great gift to travel across the country to British Columbia to Young Life's camp, Malibu Club.  Not only were we able to be in this beautiful place, but we got to sit, talk, and focus on our marriage.  IT WAS INCREDIBLE!

So, it is kind of confusing... So, is it Malibu, California or is it British Columbia?  Where were you guys?  But, this place is the most remote place on the planet.  To get to this beautiful place you have to 1) Fly to Seattle (roughly 8 hours of traveling) 2) Take a 2 hour bus ride to the Canadian border 3) Go through security and all that jazz 4) Get back on the bus for an hour and a half ride  5) Get on big ferry boat to Vancouver (1 hour at sea)  6) Get back on the bus for a 2 hour ride to Egmont, Canada  7) Get on water taxis to take you to camp (another hour and a half at sea)

But, nothing beats this view pulling up the Princess Louisa Inlet...  Am I right!?

This is Malibu.

 

The beauty of this place is evidence of the Lord's Creation.  The mountains declare His majesty.  There is speechless grace and creation everywhere you look.

The whole camp feels like a tree house.  It is built on rock, so you are always walking on boardwalks.

Here is main street with the store, the club room, the coffee shop, and dining hall.

The beauty of this place is humbling.  But, the true beauty we found spending a week at Malibu was the gift we get to take home: our Marriage.  Our Marriage is the #1 thing we can investment in.  Our Marriage refines us, teaches us, and points us to our maker.

SO thankful for this week to be completely disconnected and off the map to focus on what matters most: Jesus and Clint Rouse.  I still cannot believe that this man who was placed on my Young Life Team in 2006 is now my husband.

The Post When My Dreams Came True

So, I have always been fascinated by photography.  I love taking pictures of people and capturing emotion to be remembered.  I purchased a Nikon D40 when I graduated college in 2009 and have always had the dial set to the green auto square.

So, fast forward to moving to Kinston.... Clint and I met Josiah and Lindsay Corrigan who instantly became dear friends.  Little fun fact, Lindsay is a photographer (an incredible photographer!)  And she was on the look out for a new assistant to help with her shoots, so of course I told her PLEASE!  I did everything but get on my knees to beg for the opportunity to learn from Lindsay... She took me as her assistant!  Which now has led to being an intern with 311 Photography! Check out Lindsay's blog here:  311 Photography.

Last month Lindsay allowed me to purchase one of her cameras that I have made the deal with myself to keep it on Manual and become comfortable with setting the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, ect!  Then, to add to the excitement even more... I got to shoot a Senior Shoot with 3 of my sweet Young Life Senior girls!  Lindsay trained me through out the shoot how to choose lighting, how to pose, and how to capture images that Mimi, Charlotte, and Sallie would treasure.

Here are a few of my favorite images of these beautiful girls!


Meet Sallie Sylvester... This girl can make me laugh until my sides hurt and has the best stories.  I am so thankful that we have been instant friends for the past year and a half!  This is Richlands finest right here.... She will be attending Ole Miss (or as of now that is what she is thinking) next fall!  Love you Sa!

Meet Charlotte Snead.  This girl is as sweet as sweet tea with a side of Bo Berry Biscuits.  Isn't it obvious why Char was the homecoming queen this year at APA?  She is not only just beautiful on the outside, but SO beautiful on the inside!  I am so thankful for your gentle spirit and servant heart Char!  Love you friend!

Meet Mimi Piner.  I love this girl right here!  She is my go to girl for all things Young Life.  She can lead a skit with no problem or serve 600 campers a meal at Crooked Creek with no sweat.  I don't know what I will do with out you next year Mimi.  I am glad you will be close and hopefully at N.C. State next fall (now that's my girl right there, GO PACK!)

From where I sit today

I mean... Does it get any better than this y'all? Beaufort, NC is some kind of special to me! On that dock right there is where I knew I wanted to marry Clint Rouse! On that dock right is where we had our wedding pictures made! I love sitting on that dock in all seasons! And now today I sit looking at it escaping the chaos of the fall in Kinston. LOVE the fall, but it is exhausting! (It's kind of a love hate relationship)

But, like I said.. Today has been a gift to hit the breaks and just sit and be still! My day has been filled with reading, napping, journaling, walking, eating delicious crab bisque from Taylor's Creek Grocery, shopping down town (yes, those Wolfpack red toms I got for a whopping $13!). It has been a great day!

As I sit and read in the quietness the has been a theme for the past 3 weeks and I think the Lord really wants me to get it, because it keeps coming up again. It all started at women's weekend... One of Jen Hatmaker's main points was that we cannot make God known to others if we have forgotten that we are known by him. We have to claim our identidy (we are beloved children of the most high God!) before we GO and love people like Jesus would. I mean, can I get a virtual amen?! I am the worst at this because I am always in GO mode! I love saying yes! I love doing God's work! I love feeling purposeful in my actions! But, this was a HUGE reminder that I have to be still! I have to come before God daily be filled with his love. Because if I'm not doing that, what am I giving people?

And then today, the Lord did it again! 

Everyone should go to Amazon right now and peer this book..

IT is so good! I haven't been able to put it down! Chapter 3 just rocked my socks... "Your ministry is not your life" is the title! Wow! But, it is all about Jesus is my life not Young Life not Chick-fil-A...but just straight and fully Jesus! Here is a little except...

"Relationship is more important than responsibility. It's about making Jesus your life and then letting the ministry flow out of that relationship."

OR this excerpt...

I love how the Lord can reveal the same message in different ways to us! But, I hope this post has been encouraging to you today and that in this moment you can know that you are fully loved by God.... More than anything or anyone in this world!

Yikes! Has it really been 3 months?

 Y'all it has been a LONG time and I don't even know the words to say or the update to give. 

So, the last time I wrote was in July. So, I will just give a highlight or two of each month in the life of the Rouse House.

July: 

::country music star Joe Nichols came to Kinston and we got to meet him and some other famous country men wearing cow boy boots with low voices.

::Reynolds is still our pride and joy and 4 legged son who enjoys sitting in the drivers seat.

::chick-fil-A started selling ICED COFFEE! Yes, the ton of Kinston has a delicious ice coffee option. Let's just say I still drink one daily.

August:

::celebrated working at Chick-fil-A of Kinston for 1 whole year! Sweet Clint Rouse brought me flowers, blue bell, and a card to celebrate! He is the best husband on the planet!

::we saw my favorite band Nickel Creek with our Kinston BFFs, Josiah and Lindsay. It was INCREDIBLE!

(And I had a hot date...)

September:

::mom and I went to women's weekend at windy gap with Jen Hatmaker!

::Kelly Odom got married!!!!

And Clint, Reynolds, and I did a whole lot of this...

Being on the beach! Our favorite place to just sit! We have our best memories on the coast! From falling in love, to getting married!

Well there you have it. I just felt like I needed to get that out of the way before beginning with life today. So thankful for you if you are reading this! 

Cow Appreciation Day!

Want to know what my favorite day of the year is at work? Cow Appreciation Day!! I mean, you dress like a Cow and you get free food, does it get any better than that? Am I right??

As a Marketing Director it is our dream... you get to decorate the entire store in black and white and give a lot of food away for FREE.  You see your regular customers coming in to eat decked out looking like our dearly beloved Bovine.  You get to be creative in what you wear to work.  Team Members get excited to decorate shirts and everyone is in a happy mood not wearing their normal uniform.  And, did I mention free food?

This was my first Cow Appreciation Day in Kinston, and it was a blast.  In Raleigh, you would see herds visiting up to 9 Chick-fil-A's a day just getting a TON of free food (I still love and miss you Raleigh and Cameron Village Chick-fil-A) , but in Kinston there is only one option, we are the only option in Lenoir county, we are the only option in 3 surrounding counties.  We are THE Chick-fil-A. So, people are so excited to see THEIR Chick-fil-A on this special day.  To have their favorite Team Member whom they know quite well serve them in their spots.  So, it gives us a fun excuse to go a little above and beyond!

So, tonight I am getting to sit for the first time since waking up this morning....but, I am still smiling thinking of families dressing up their new born baby as a calf or the elderly couple that eats breakfast with us every morning putting their bed sheets around their shoulders with black spots to look like a Cow.  Today is the best day.

Here was my outfit with my prized shoes.  I would like to thank Walmart for the white Keds, Sharpe for my black permanent marker, and some red ribbon for my laces.  These shoes may have been cute, but they HURT.  But, isn't that what they say, "Pain is worth the Bovine."

So, did you visit your Chick-fil-A today?  What did you wear?  And, what was your experience?

Get on the BUS!

There it goes!  The bus from Kinston, NC to Brevard, NC.  Hundreds of cars will pass this bus on the highway today and not realize the excitement behind this bus.  This bus is filled with High School Kid's who have been pursued and prayed for.  And this is the last obstacle to getting them to Young Life camp, you just gotta get them on this bus.

Mornings like this morning give me goose bumps and brings tears to my eyes because of the INCREDIBLE week everyone on this bus is going to have.  These kids are about to hear the complete Gospel story about Jesus and his GREAT love for us.  Would you join me in praying for Lenoir Greene Young Life this week while they are at Carolina Point?

Campers:   Cheley, Macy, Ryan, Carolina, TJ, Lizzie, Colleen, Claire, Carolina, Alia and Alexus, and Marthe 

Leaders: Mary Nell, John and Ashle, and Clint

Pray Everyday

•       For fun, quality, shared experience with risk, adventure, and safety for leaders and kids they’re leading

•       For the club speaker, program, assigned team, property staff, work crew, and summer staff serving us

•       That high schoolers would be honest, vulnerable, and real in Cabin Time

Sunday

Pray for the ‘wow’ factor when pulling into camp and for cabin unity as we go through the obstacle course together that night.

Monday

Pray for more cabin unity during the volleyball tournament that morning and for open eyes to the clear picture of Jesus that is being sat before them.  Pray for the relationships between leaders and kids to be already strengthening, and for fun times in the cabin.

Tuesday

Pray for people to be engaging and that we would be moving towards camp unity doing the pool Olympics that morning. 

Wednesday

Today they hear the message of sin, but then participate in the ‘night that never ends’ which we hope is their first exposure to the alternative, full life with Christ.

Thursday

Pray for safety on the hike, and for conversations about the reality of sin that will be happening.  This night, kids hear about the cross and have 20 minutes alone to think/respond.

Friday

The program has all but ceased so that we can be in conversation all around camp about all they have heard this week.  They have another round of 20 minutes alone after hearing about the resurrection.

Saturday

Pray for all of us as we try to think through bringing all of this back home with us.  Pray that they would be leaders in their schools and our community.  Safe travels home.

We are home!

We made it home to North Carolina!  Some friends in Colorado this summer gave me a hard time because it seemed like I was too excited to come home.  Yes, I LOVED our time in Colorado... but, I think it was a HUGE victory that I was excited to come home to Kinston.  

Frontier Ranch was a blast!  We made great friends who we laughed harder with than we had in a long time.  We stayed up late enjoying the community at camp and we woke up early ready to work hard to set the stage for High School kid's to have a real interaction with Jesus.  So, to say I was ready to leave this little slice of heaven in Colorado and return to Eastern North Carolina was a fun feeling!  Here are a few pictures from our last 2 weeks in Colorado:

Clint and I at the last Western Tableau night 

We hiked a 13,000 mountain.  This was the hardest I have pushed my body physically in a while, it goes in the book with the half marathon I ran.

And then one of the coolest events at Frontier Ranch... Check this picture out... Yep, that is a banquet table to seat 450 campers for a delicious last meal at camp. 

  It is a beautiful image of the banquet table that God has prepared for us in heaven as his sons and daughters who call on his name.  This is what I love about the ministry of Young Life... Everything is intentional.  That in a gravel in field the scripture of Isaiah is being demonstrated, "The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish BANQUET for all peoples on the mountain!" Isaiah 25:6



And wow, were we welcomed home!  We are SO thankful for our friends in Kinston who welcomed us home!  Decorating our kitchen to remind us of how much we were missed in our town.  I mean, is the Lord faithful to his children or what?

We came home for 1 night to squeeze our little 4-legged boy and headed straight to Beaufort!  Beaufort was so great, we did NOTHING! We slept, ate, and sat.  Clint needed this break after working at camp and was a great time to just catch up.  Biggie and Betty were in Beaufort with Hannah and Charlie, which is always a blast.  It is hard to believe that a 92 and 90 year old still go fishing every morning for Spanish Mackerel at the beach.  I hope I can receive some of their good genes through osmosis.  I can hope right?

After we took this picture Biggie said, "Is that one of those selfies?  I need one of those instant-grams."

I mean, how cute is he?  Pure Joy!

From the Rockies to the Atlantic!

But, before we leave... Let us take a Family Selfie.  Here is the whole crew from the week: Brandt, Hannah, me, Charlie, Clint, Betty, and Biggie.

It is so nice to be home!  It is a fun time in life to remind ourselves what we are thankful for:
Today I am thankful for our home, our town, our marriage, our dog, our family, our friends, our jobs, our church, my bed, bug spray, good conditioner, Home Style Pop Secret pop corn, Peach Tea, The Roastery coffee brought home from Colorado in my coffee mug, new friends in our town, walks in our neighborhood, hitting tennis balls with my husband and dog, ... and that is just to name a few!

Frontier Ranch: Week 1

What a great week at Frontier Ranch! To sum it up in a few words I would say that it has been: restful, refreshing, and fun!  Week 1 is finished and week 2 begins today!  It is such a beautiful thing to watch 420 campers come on day 1 and then watch them all week and then leave on day 7.

On the last night of camp in Club the tradition with Young Life is to have a "say so."  This saying comes from Psalm 107:2, "Let the redeemed of the Lord SAY SO!" So, if a camper has accepted Jesus into their heart while at Young Life summer camp they will stand up and SAY SO.  It is a beautiful thing to see these High School students stand up and declare they are all in with Jesus!  And, this is why we do this thing called assignment at a Young Life camp.  And guess what, 109 students stood up at SAY SO last night! 109 new believers of Jesus! That is nearly 25% of the camp decided to begin a relationship with Jesus!  And who knows how many campers were intimidated to stand and make that statement... WOW!  This is the night I begin to weep watching leaders have their arms around their high school friends as they say the most important word of their life.

These sweet relationships remind me of my Young Life leader, Jenni Cockerham.  Jenni, I am so thankful for you and how you were so intentional with me in high school, asking me hard questions, meeting with me early in the morning, pointing me to Jesus, encouraging me, believing in me to become a Young Life leader, walking through life with me, leading Clint and I in premarital counseling, being a constant reminder of what obedience to the Lord looks like! These nights also remind me of the dozens of friends I have gotten the honor stand beside at "Say So" as their leader.  I am so thankful for all of you sweet friends that the Lord has given me the privilege to love over the years at Leesville Road High School, Garner High School, N.C. State University, Meredith College, and Parrott Academy.

So, here are a few snap shots of my favorite things from this past week...

Favorite thing #1: The BUSES are here!! Welcoming all the Campers to Frontier!  P.S.: Most of these campers have been on this bus for atleast 2 days! AH!

Favorite thing #2: It is so fun standing at the top of camp waiting for the buses to come to the top of the hill before going down into camp! (P.S.: This is like the classic Frontier Ranch picture at the main entrance)

Favorite thing #3: Have I told you how much I love my husband?  I love Clint Rouse more than anything on this planet and I LOVE watching him in his element... aka leading Young Life!  Clint is a Head Leader at Frontier, so he is upfront a lot and I get giddy watching him reminding myself that I get to do life beside this man for the rest of my life.  Okay, you can throw up now... ha!  But, here is welcoming the campers to club.  And, how awesome is this club room?  Yes, that is a mounted black bear and mountain lion.

Favorite thing #4: The night that never ends!  On this night there is event, after event, after event!  By far the best night at Frontier!  Campers dress in all western gear and enjoy a square dance and carnival!

And, yes we wear more than carhartt overalls while at camp... It just happens to be what we are wearing in every picture we take...

48 Hours

I cannot believe we have only been at this beautiful place for only 48 hours.  528 hours to enjoy at Frontier Ranch.

With Clint being on Young Life staff in Kinston the school year is FULL of events and relationships.  Then the summer comes around... Young Life slow downs in our town, so Young Life places Young Life Staff people like Clint at Young Life camps across the country to work for a month.  Clint's job this summer at Frontier is to be a Head Leader, so in a nut shell this means he will be the leader of Young Life leaders here that bring their High School friends, he will keep the schedule, and make sure that kid's are behaving.

 I learned a CRAZY fact yesterday about Young Life camping... so, yesterday over 100 Work Crew and Summer Staff (High School and College Students) who volunteer for the month to serve in roles like: cooking, serving food, laundry, life guard, landscaping, etc... Can I say it again that they VOLUNTEER, they pay their way to come, to work for free this month.  Okay, so anyways... Each week there are roughly 400 campers that come and fill these cabins at Frontier.  That is a 4 to 1 worker to camper ratio.  There is no camp, hotel, resort in the world with that kind of ratio.  I love how Young Life does camping in  such an over the top and excellent way.

Frontier Picture of the day:

These days have been so beautiful: mornings full of sunshine, then the clouds role in in the afternoon, and then it cools off and is nice and crisp and clear at night time.  This is the view from camp looking on to the Rocky Mountains.

So, since I have all of this incredible time to rest and be still I wanted to share with you what I am filling my time with.  I recommend all of you to visit your local book store or go to Amazon to download this book:

Jesus the King!  It is the BEST book I have ever read.  Timothy Keller is brilliant as he walks us through the book of Mark giving such great history and detail of the Gospel.  I have been reading it in the form of reading a chapter of this book and then reading the chapter in Mark that Timothy Keller explains.  This book has made my time with Jesus a time that I crave!  I will share a few experts that I love later this month.  But, if you are needing a "pick-me-up" in your Quiet Times, go buy this book!

Well, until next time!  I hope you are having a great time!

P.S.: If you wanted to send us some good old snail mail while we are here is our mailing address:
Frontier Ranch
Attn: Clint and Mary Rouse
P.O. Box 2025
Buena Vista, CO 81211

Well, it's been a month!

Appropriate title right?

Just like that a month goes by and here we are.  It has been a FUN past couple of weeks consisting of trips to Washington D.C., Teresa getting married, Leigh getting married, and celebrating 3 years of marriage.

So, here we go!

We went to Washington D.C. for Clint's Uncles wedding.  It was seriously the nicest wedding I will ever go to.  It was in the Willard Hotel.  I wasn't that familiar with the Hotel, so I Googled it like any other human would do.  I found out that this is the Hotel where President Lincoln had is inaugural celebration when he became president, the Hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his I have a dream speech.  This was quite the historical place to be married in D.C.  It was BEAUTIFUL!  The floral arrangements consisted of Cherry Blossom TREES, they had a great band, delicious 6 course meal... It was great!  Thank you for including us in your weekend Brandt and David!

Here is my Hot wedding date...

Then, the very next weekend... Teresa and Radford got married at Camp Cheerio!  I don't know where to begin with this wedding, it was so genuine, emotional, and beautiful!  Radford was the most precious groom not hiding a single emotion.  I have never seen a groom look at his bride the way he looked at Teresa.  Camp Cheerio was the perfect back drop for this wedding, this is how they met and where they fell in love.  I am so thankful for Teresa as my big sister and it was such a GIFT to be included as one of her Bridesmaids.  Happy Marriage to Teresa and Radford! #HydeyourkidsHydeyourwifes 

Then, Leigh Kellerman got married!!! My best friend on this planet earth! What a fun weekend!  Leigh is that friend that knows me and gets me the most, she can make me laugh harder than any person, she points me to Jesus in every conversation and interaction, she is my sister, my bestfriend, my ROOTS.  We have been best friends for 19 years... (Wow! Feeling old in this moment!) She and Brently are literally the most attractive couple I have ever been around.  I mean, really?  It is going to be a shame to see how beautiful their children look.  But anyways back to their wedding, Leigh was a glowing bride overflowing with Joy!  She was so calm and confident.  Yet, so elegant and silly at the same time.  I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for Leigh!  Cannot wait to live life beside you Whitackers!  Love y'all!

We celebrated 3 years of Marriage!  For our anniversary we boarded a plane and headed to Colorado! It blows my mind that we have been married for THREE years!  It seems just like yesterday that I got to marry my best friend in Beaufort, NC in front of everyone we love!  I love reflecting on that sweet day where we vowed to love one another for the rest of our lives.  It was the best decision I have ever made in my life and I can genuinely say to you Clint Rouse that loving you is the greatest JOY and GIFT in my life!  Happy Anniversary Clint Rouse!  Thank you for how you love me selflessly every day and point me to Jesus as I fall in love with you and Jesus in you.

And now...  here we are in Buena Vista, Colorado for the next month serving at Frontier Ranch.  My hope is it to be able to write more here.  Because let's be honest my only obligation the next 3 1/2 weeks is to rest.  I don't even know what to do with myself!  Clint and I go SO hard in life, some people might find it unhealthy how much we go and do.  So, I now get to sit, bet still, read, go on hikes, make new friends, sleep, repeat.  For example, today is the first day we have been at camp (we don't have campers yet, they come Sunday!)  But, my day has looked like this: I woke up at 5:30am (dang time change...), went back to bed, ate delicious breakfast that I didn't have to cook (thank you work crew!), went on a 3 mile hike (really it was a walk, but these hills are killer for an ENC girl), took a nap, ate lunch, and now I am sitting in our sweet little apartment reading, typing, drinking Chai, and listening to a babbling brook right outside our porch.  I mean... does life get any better?  I wish you could all be here with me! 

I am sorry for the long post, but there was just a lot to share.  Until next time!