Let The Good Times Roll

Scenes from the Bunco social last Friday night.

Kenny's glad to be away from David. Hopefully he can keep his chair on the floor.

Gayla tries to oust Ron from the winner's table

Mac, the game's on the table, there's no secret dice in Shannon's shoes

Stacy rolls the winning roll for she and Frank

Wake me up before you Go, Go

We had a great time reliving the decade of the 80's. Several people brought photos of themselves from then. My how the fashions have changed. Or so we thought, when several of the ladies were able to buy some "vintage 80's" stuff at the local mall. It was a fun night of trivia, name that tune and food.

Crawfish Boil Social

Alan and Shannon Wood

Alan was born and raised in Pasadena, TX. He has one younger brother, Adam. He graduated from Pasadena High School. Alan worked for many years at Astroworld driving the train. He also drove a truck around Houston making some deliveries, was a waiter at Bennigan’s, and worked for a glass making company. After High School he attended Howard Payne University.
Shannon was born in Harlingen, TX. She grew up and graduated in Brownsville, James Pace High School. Shannon graduated from the University of Houston; degree of Economics, minor with Spanish, Music, and Pyschology.She has 2 older sisters, Celeste and Naomi and a younger sister, Stacey. Shannon’s first job was for Burger King in High School for 3yrs, a lifeguard for 3yrs, gave private French Horn lessons around the Houston area during college, and worked as a waiter at Bennigan’s.
(This picture if of Alan and Shannon when they were dating)

They were both waiters at Bennigan’s and had the same group of friends that would hang out together. They were really good friends at first and then he invited her out. They began dating in October 1989. They have been married for 13 years, this past January. They spent their honeymoon in Breckenridge,Colorado learning how to ski.

Alan and Shannon have been in Humble for almost a yr. but lived in Crosby 6yrs.
They have two boys, Zachary 9yrs.and Nicholas 7yrs. old.

Alan is an operations consultant with Refined Technologies. He just took on this job in Jan. of this yr. He travels some and works mainly from home. He has been tremendously blessed to have come across this Christian-based company. He visits different oil refineries along the Gulf Coast with information on safer and quicker cleaning systems/procedures for the towers, reactors, etc.
Shannon is a Group Fitness Manager at QLS Family Fitness Center. She makes sure that all group exercise classes are staffed, fitness equipment ordered, editing the monthly group fitness schedule (over 80 fitness classes a week), and, keeping certifications renewed with all of the 27 other instructors she manages. She teaches, Mat Pilates, Spinning, Yoga, Water Aerobics, Weight Training group classes, and Kids Fitness Classes.

Alan’s new hobbies are learning to play golf, playing racquetball, and dirt bike riding with the whole family.
Shannon’s hobbies are bike riding, dirt bike riding, playing racquetball, and weight training
(yeap! It is a hobby,She loves it!)(OK Shannon, if you say so)

Alan was raised in a Christian home and was saved at 14yrs. of age.
Shannon began attending church with Alan and his family and was visited by the Music of Ministry director and there is where I gave my life to Christ.

Alan and Shannon are very busy serving at HAFBC Alan is the head game guy for the Awana’s program. Shannon plays in the orchestra-french horn and is staffed as a Horn private lesson instructor. You can see her every morning on the platform for both services.

Alan is a mid-morning kind of guy. Shannon is both (way too much energy).
Alan’s favorite dessert is Red Velvet cake and Snickerdoodle cookies. Shannon likes Carrot Cake and snickers candy. They both like CSI t.v. series and both like to watch UFC (ultimate fighting)

Any other interesting facts? (Did you once set a guiness world record? ha, ha)
Alan loves to work on cars, jeeps, trucks, etc.
Shannon actually has done 1458 abdominal crunches in 30mins. Actually to see where she ranked with the guiness world record holder. She needs more work!

Kurt and Cathy

Kurt and Cathy have been married for 17 years and have lived in the Humble area for 12 years. Kurt wasn’t born in the South. In fact he was born in Grosse Point Michigan. He has 2 sisters and they moved around to Pennsylvania and Texas. Kurt graduated from Clear Lake High School and then earned his Bachelor degree from Sam Houston.

Cathy was born in Ft. Lauderdale FL to a large family of 2 girls and 4 boys. She grew up in Florida and Dallas, Texas. She graduated from Irving MacArthur in Irving, TX. She worked as a hostess and aerobics teacher and completed 2 years at University of Texas.

Kurt describes the night he met Cathy – “Cathy and I met at my favorite hangout in Austin, TX(on 6th street) called “Anchovies”(a bar and dance club.) Neither Cahty nor I were living Christian lives at the time and were both into the partying scene. Cathy was living in Dallas and was in Austin for a bachelorette party. I was living in Austin and working as anews photographer at the ABC affiliate. Cathy’s friend introduced us at the club and the rest is history.”

After they married they honeymooned in Cozumel. Seven years after they married they had their first son Kyle who is now 10 and then Hunter age 7. Cathy, was a stay at home mom for about nine years before returning to part-time work recently. Cathy is trained as a paralegal in the law industry and has worked for many big firms in Austin, Dallas and Houston. However, she is currently employed as a legal assistant at a small firm in Humble, working part-time, and still makes it home in time to be with the boys when they get home from school. Kurt is a free lance video cameraman or sometimes called a director of photography. Kurt is not a still photographer who shoots weddings as some may imagine. About 50% of Kurt’s video work is in the corporate world and the other 50% is in the broadcast industry. For example, Kurt may shoot and light a marketing video for companies like ExxonMobil. Then shoot a documentary that will air on the Discovery Network. He worked recently for ESPN at the Astros playoffs and World Series games.

When they are not working Cathy loves tennis, swimming and biking. Lots of outdoor activities. She loves to read books, especially late at night. Kurt, loves biking, baseball and reading. Especially Christian authors like Max Lucado and finds the Bible fascinating as well.

Kurt describes his salvation experience “there isn't enough time or space for me to give every detail concerning my salvation experience, but I will try to be brief...yeah right. Although I was considered a Christian growing up, I never was into church or anything relating to a Christian lifestyle. By the time I was in my teens and twenties I was leading a very loose lifestyle of partying, drinking, womanizing and drugs. I'm sorry, but I must be honest. By the time I reached my twenties I truly doubted the existence of God. I considered myself an agnostic at best. To be honest, I thought I was the captain of my own destiny and intelligent enough to handle anything life could throw at me. I was proven wrong eventually. By the time I was 26 I had tried and done it all, in fact, too much. On the outside I was trying to show the world one face, while on the inside I was falling apart. I met Cathy at this time in my life, and although neither of us were Christians, my life slowly starting turning around. My first step was to read every "self-help" book on the bookstore shelves, still believing I could turn things around for myself, on my own. After many years of this thinking, my life and career was not anywhere near where I had thought it would be. One night, sometime after Kyle was born, I was sitting on our sofa after Cathy and Kyle were asleep, thinking I was at the end of me and just couldn't figure anyway out of my hopelessness. I had read so many "self-help" books and found no help! Sitting on the sofa I had the thought that I actually might want to read the Bible, except, I wasn't sure we had a Bible in the house. I then remembered that my parents had given me a Bible when I was about fourteen, and I had stowed it away in a box somewhere in our garage. I went out to the garage to retrieve the Bible and began my journey to actually read and study the Bible for the first time in my life. My life has changed for the better ever since. Cathy and I started looking for churches to attend and eventually both of us were baptized at the same time in a local church. It has been a long and difficult road for me. Once I realized that I would never be intelligent enough, or strong enough to handle my difficulties in life, I turned to God and said, "you win, let's try it Your way", and I have found He is never wrong. I may be, but He is not! It is still a difficult road at times, but I wouldn't want my life any other way now. I have had an actual miracle in my life, and my relationship with Cathy is phenomenal. I thank God alone, because He is the one that made all of this happen...not me! He has blessed me with a great wife and two fantastic kids. Now, if I would only get my hands off the reins of my career, I'm certain He will open new and better doors for my professional life as well. Thank you Lord!”

Cathy describes how she met Jesus – “I was raised a Catholic and always went to church. When I went to college and as an young adult I did not go to church as often. When I married Kurt and had Kyle I was drawn back to church. I started going back to church regularly, and Kurt started going with me. Although, Kurt didn't get much from the Catholic mass and wanted to look at other churches. I met a friend who was a minister's wife and she invited me to her church which was a local baptist church. Kurt had seen the preacher of the same church on t.v. and liked listening to him. We started attending the church somewhat regularly. I subsequently met several christian women who helped me along my path. One, in particular, told me about Bible Study Fellowship. I started going and soon after, I accepted Christ. This was about seven years ago. I still am so thankful that God opened my eyes and gave me peo ple in my path that helped me find Him. I continue to have that same prayer for my parents, sister and brothers.”

We don’t get to see Cathy & Kurt every weeke in ABS because they are the teachers of the 10:50 AM second grade class. Cathy also serves faithfully and diligently in the FAITH team program.

Kurt is definitely a night person, and would love to be able to sleep in every morning, but that rarely happens. Cathy is a morning person, or I used to be when life wasn't so busy.

Kurt, is not a big fan at all of desserts. Kurt is what you would call a "main course" type of guy. Kurt will ask for second and third helpings of the main course and forego any desserts if needed. Cathy is the dessert person. Her favorite is key lime pie.In conclusion, Kurt doesn’t know what God has in store for him with his future but, he hopes that someday God will use him the way He has used Ron Ledbetter. In Kurt’s works “I would be pleased as punch if God would allow me the opportunity (someday) to teach in a manner the way Ron Ledbetter does. Or, that God would use the creative gifts He has given me in video photography and production to further His kingdom's purpose.”

Christmas social

Mayette tries to decide if this is a cruel joke
A meeting of the minds
Mac reunites with a distant relative
Stacy, Valarie, and Cathy visit with Tracy.
Hair transplants are not in the budget for Greg this Christmas
Everyone looks on as Tracy steals the gold purse from Stacy. George is just wondering why he isn't opening ANOTHER present.

George and Sharla Cole

George and Sharla Cole were both born in Houston, TX. George grew up in New Caney, TX. He has 2 older sisters and one younger brother. During his teen years George worked at Sonic and graduated from New Caney High School. Sharla lived in Ocean Springs, MS until she was 11 and then the family moved to Splendora, TX. Sharla has 2 older brothers. Sharla worked at camps and then worked at Kroger as a cashier. She graduated from Splendora High School.

It was love at first sight at the Porter Exxon early one Sunday morning. Sharla and her friend were getting gas and just before they pulled out, George and his buddy pulled in. The guys invited them to Metro Bible Study that they attended at First Baptist Church Porter. Well, maybe it wasn’t love at first sight because it was 3 weeks later that Sharla and her friend went to Porter First Baptist. George’s friend spotted the girls and they all began to talk.

After the wedding they went on a 7 day cruise for their honeymoon. They visited the Virgin Islands, St Croix, St Thomas, San Juan and St. John.

George and Sharla celebrated their ninth anniversary on September 28. They have lived in the Humble area for 7 ½ years. They moved here in 1998. They like to spend time with their 2 boys Scott(4) and Shawn(2). They try to get away camping as often as possible because the boys really enjoy spending time with mom and dad.

When they’re not getting to play with the boys George works as a Systems Support Engineer. He manages the Network and Servers for DHL's Regional office in Houston. Sharla works at HAFBC as the early ones teacher. She also watches children at their home other days. Thursdays are just for her and they boys though.

Last year Sharla went through the FAITH training. (Poor girl, She was trained by Ed and David) but she rose to the occasion and loves going out to people’s homes to evangelize.
She also works in the nursery once a month in the 9:30 hour. Scott goes to Awana and praise kids on Wednesday night.

George attended First Baptist Porter for a year and a half and then gave his heart to Jesus when he was 26 years old during a revival. Sharla was a little younger when she came to know the Lord. She was 13 and working at a camp and several people in her bunk house were saved. She realized that Sunday that she lived in a Christian home but didn’t have a personal relationship with Christ. She asked her dad to walk to the the front with her and she asked Jesus in her heart.

George is a night person and Sharla says she’s not a night or morning person. She prefers the afternoon. They share the same opinion on their favorite Desserts, pecan pie and cheesecake with strawberries.

Sharla’s favorite shows are Any Julia Roberts film and Seinfeld. Caddyshack any Alien movie tops George’s list.
The pictures below are of a recent camping trip. Thanks George and Sharla for being the guinea pigs on the site
The Cole Family, George, Sharla, Scott and Shawn
George and Shawn (Scott in the Background)

Sharla and the Boys
Batman &Robin (aka Shawn & Scott)

Ladies Night Out Nov.3

We had a great time talking and sewing on Thursday night. We met at J.Christopher's in Kingwood for dinner. After eating some great Italian food we made cosmetic bags. Everyone did a fantastic job and finished in under 2 hours. Each person took home a completed bag and they all looked great. I'm posting a few pictures of the evening. If anyone who attended wants to leave a comment just click the comment button below.