so it has been about a bazillion years since i have actually updated on this old school thing that we call xanga! I know that some of you guys still rock this thing hard, and are loyal to it, but i thing called facebook occured, and i am i guess more into that, so if you want to know what is going on in my life, join facebook! its pretty cool!

SO much has gone on since my last past! My mom had her GB surgery reversed. I know that a lot of people (including myself) didn't know that i could be reversed but it can, and she had it done. she is doing good, just kind of sore, and taking it easy right now!

the biggest news is that i will be going to thailand for 5 months next semester! I am so pumped and so excited! I leave january 10th and come back may 21! it is giong to be awesome! i am going with the imb (international mission board... www.imb.org) and will be doing college and youth ministry over there in a village called Mahasarakham! It is in the northeaster part of thailand and is in the isaan region! I am so pumped! however i am about 1200 dollars away from my goal. if you read this and fill lead to give, that would be amazing and so appreciated! anything helps! my email is lord_send_the_rain@msn.com, you can email me and get info on sending stuff! i have never in my life thought that i would be in thailand for 5 months, but i know that this is what God has me doing, and it will be difficult at times! but what better reason to be gone from my friends and family than sharing Jesus Christ's salvation with others!

So much is going on during that time, it is kind of overwhelming, but i trust that God will get me past that so i can praise Him all the more! Like, my step-mom is supposed to have a baby (yep another one, and she refuses to find otu what it is, so i can't tell if i am getting a brother or sister probably a sister, but i will love either one regardless), lexee's birthday is 3 days after i am gone, logan's birthday is around then, Chris's, tony's, my mom's, my dad's, katelynn, kameron, alexis, sarena's... but even though all though those things are important and i want to be there for them, the need for Jesus is so prevalent all over, and takes importance over that! so, i trust God will work everything out!

I turn 21 in a little less than a month, nothing big about that, just another birthday, but, its all good!

anyway, that is just a little update on what has been going on in the life of ricky!

tomorrow is lexee's and my 2 year, so i am excited about that! its gone by pretty fast!

anyway, thats about it!

love

rick

so i know i have not updated in a while, and its not coming tonight i can tell you that because im exausted..

i had a good weekend, just chillin, hanging with buds, camping, oh the good times.. busy weekend though, but i am tired tired tired...

so here is just one picture of my niece emily and my new niece myranda...

we went camping with some of the boys last night, here are some pics..

and lastly, i spent the day at the boys rance with arnie dillo (work mascot) and santa clause... it was actually pretty fun! here are some pictures from that!

and only to find out that this person was the arnie dillo

so i know thats sick but i really did enjoy it! all the kids (well some cried) but most happy to see the arnie dillo!

it was good stuff!

i really miss this amazingly beautiful girl! she comes home in 10 days! and i am ABSOLUTELY EXCITED!!!

goonight fools 

so as i wait for my ipod to finish updating some stuff... i just have a few things to say...

first.. i leave friday to go see my beautiful in Colorado.. i am soo stinking stoked! it is my first out of state travel by myself, i get to see lex, and on the 14th our one year anniversary... how awesome is that!?!?! we have some great stuff planned for when i am there, including a train ride up pikes peak, just to name one! its gonna be grand!!!!

secondly... i will try to update soon on the condition of my mom... thank you all for praying for her...

and thirdly... i just want to leave you with this...

IT'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDD!!!

go cowboys!!!!

today my beautiful left to go to the Focus on the Family Institute in Colorado Springs, CO until december. The last few days, i have just been so concerned with spending as much possible quality time with her as i could! i am going to miss her, and already do, i think due to the fact that i know she is gone, and it will be until november that i see her

I am excited that God has given her the oppurtunity to go, and learn, and grow in Him through this awesome experience. At the same time, selfishly, i wish that she were here, or i there, by her side. I do stand along side her in this experience and support her 100%!

i believe that this is going to be a time of growing for us as individuals, and growing more into the man and woman God desires us to be. I also believe that this will help strengthen our relationship. it is hard for me to explain everything i feel on this thing, so if you are interested, just call me or message me or something and i will better try to explain..

friday was spent at school and work, and then the football game, and then lexee's suprise party at franco's/jessica's until like 2 something in the morning!

and then saturday, lexee and i went on a nice date! i picked her up from her house and it started at the a-1 market where she wanted to check some stuff out.. and then we had a beautiful dinner at bonsai, and we seriously had the best cook in the world, his name was bruce... then we ran by my house and saw this man playing the most insane AIR GUITAR we had EVER seen! then we went to starbucks and talked amongst traffic and crickets, but what a great time and conversation it was! then we went to my house so she could see the girls before she left. which i am very glad she got to! she loves my girls soo much, and i know they mean a lot to her, which is AWESOME! because my girls mean SOO much to me! then we went back to her house, and hung out and she packed... and i tried to help with whatever!!!

then sunday, went to church, and gave lexee a surprise pack with some random stuff that i thought she might need plus a good picture of my girls that i had taken and framed for her. then she left to target and the mall, and i went into big church, like 5 minutes into it, i had convinced myself that i wanted and needed those minutes with lex... so i met up with her.. i love to shop with her, so that was great... then we went out to my aunts for a little while, and ken and crystal and her b/f sam met up with us. then lex went home, and then i went and ate with her family, which was awesome... and then went back to her house, helped her pack, and then left pretty late... of course i started crying after lexee shut the door to her house, and sat in my truck until i was finished.

then she left at 5:15 this morrning... called her at like 4:45 or something like that... she made it safely.. and is now in her home away from home for now (well, colorado springs that is)...

this time will be good... probably hard at times with her not being here.... kinda puts my love languages to the test haha! but i am excited to hear her stories, see her grow, and be even more blown away at the woman God grows her into even more while she is there!

well, i guess thats all i got... i gotta do some homework, i just felt the need to post..

adios for now! please be in prayer for lex as she heads into this new experience for her.

lex, you are amazing, and i am SOOO grateful there are such things as phones, internet, myspace, aim, all of that!

adios everyone!

i am in the mcs lab here at the good ole ASU, and thought i'd give yall a little update on whats going on, the things going on in my life... the changes, so i will inform yall!

by saying  yall.. i know i am basically meaning... no one, because i know no one really reads my xanga anymore, due to my lack of writing in this bad boy, and some other things i dont feel are worth mentioning.. ANYWAY!

well... my first thing i want to say is that Lexee, David, Michelle, and i (david and michelle=college group leaders @ church) are leaving friday the 9th to go to kenya!!! heck yes! i am so pumped! we got our tickets and some ID tags for our bags in the mail, and it just made it all the more real! i am excited to see what exactly the Lord teaches us, and has us do, outside of what we are planning on doing! and i am just excited to be used by  the Lord! to see those beautiful african kiddos! the thought of meeting them overwhelms me to the point of tears... i can't wait! its gonna be so incredible! we are going with david burk and tseainc... (www.tseainc.com)... check them out if you'd like, its gonna be GREAT!

secondly...i have found a new job!  yall know i have worked in the mall for basically the last year and 4 months or so... hibbett was a very good starter job for me, and paid pretty good for an 18 year old at the time, and them moved on up into the assistant manager position. i was making 7.50 an hour there, which was good for me... but, the only thing, i'd close a lot, and it took SOOO much time away from friends... from church... from family... and most unfortunately, my Jesus... well, i began praying a while back about a possible new job... and i just wanted to be where the Lord had me, a place that i could actually go to church, and be depended on there! not just... oh he can only come every now and then... i feel called to be a leader, and how can i lead by being there 10% of the time IF that! anyway... so yah, i started prayin about that... and talking with lexee about it, and realized a bank job would be perfect! well anyway, i applied at texas bank, and pretty much had the job, but i would take a DRASTIC wage cut, one that i just couldnt handle... i know i dont have to pay for much, but i just honestly really couldnt! i prayed about if that was what God had, and i just really didnt think it was... and gosh i wanted to get away from hibbetts SOO bad! but i decided to trust in Him and not my own selfishness (which is good of course haha!) anyway, just continued praying about it, and a few months later and just a week ago, lexee sent me a facebook message telling me about a teller position at first community federal credit union... the pay was .40 cents more than i was making at hibbett.. plus incentives..paid holidays.... EASY to get paid vacation... and i IMMEDIATELY went, like as soon as i got that message, got dressed (appropriately) and filled out the application on tuesday of last week... well... wednsday... i get a call back... and had an interview thursday... well i interviewed, and told them that i couldnt start until i got back from africa... and God worked it out to where that was fine! and i have a lab from 12-1:50 every monday, well, they said that was okay.. the hours are from 1-6 every weekday, unless i work a saturday, then i get a day off during the week! so God just really worked that out for me. and i got a call back yesterday and got offered the job, and took it! im SO excited! and they have a softball team, like co-ed, and they do a lot of community service stuff.. so thats AWESOME! and i am pumped! praise the Lord for that! a good change coming! and im excited! its amazing how He worked everything out as i remained patient, and trusted in Him! its amazing to see the rewards of that!

so my last day of hibbetts is march 15.. BUT i leave on the 9th for africa, so the 7th is my last day, because i am off on the 8th! so thats amazing! and im pumped! like PUMPED!

so i thought i'd give  yall a little update on life!

everything else is swell! my little sisters are doing good! my dad and sarena are doing good! my mom is doing good... beck is pregnant again.. kinda crazy and a little upsetting, but im excited, another niece or nephew coming... jen is good.. everyone in my family is good!

i do ask however that you do pray for my family! my mom and jen are going through some rough times right now, and my mom is having to take an action that could totally hack jeniffer off.. but i feel and so does my mom, that it is in the best interest of her... and please pray for my dad... some stuff going on with him, although i dont know what it is... and please pray for my nana and raygene and their relationship!

i love you all so much!

my paul ann people, i miss  you and love you!

and JESUS is AMAZING!

in Him...

Ricky