30 years!

Wow! What a group this is! Here is the wedding party and what a party it was and still is. They are starting in the back: Sherrell, Carl's daddy-Tom, Raymond, Ted, John, Alec, Charles, Larry, Jody, Kathy, Dave and Frank. Irene, Marian, Carla, Vicki, Kim and Cathi. In the front are Chris and Pam.

Here are my beautiful bridesmaids: Carla, Cathi, Kim ,Irene, Jody, Kathy, Vicki , Marian and flower girl Pam.
My brother's gave me away. Here they are putting a penny in my shoe.
Here are my friends that served the cake and punch and whatever else was served that day. Karen, Nancy and Linda
Margaret, Debra and Mindy
Here we are on this day 30 years ago. Wow, that seems long ago and then again it seems like yesterday. My bouquet is on a white Bible, given to me by Carl's sister, Marian. A tradition that is being continued with the next generation of girls that marry into this family. My sweet mama made my dress.
Here we are today! I think Carl looks just the same.


Here is the necklace Carl gave me for our anniversary. At our rehearsal dinner, his brother's gave him a ball and chain so he could get used to married life. For this anniversary, on the recommendation of my sister-in-law, Renee, Carl gave me a ball and chain.I am thankful and very blest.

Choose to be faithful today

We all need to read this about marriage and Mark Sanford.

Guess what tune I am humming

With my tiny dabble into fun poetry this past year, my awareness has been raised about meter, rhyming etc. I found a blog about hymnic-meter and really enjoyed it.

I always did enjoy singing Amazing Grace to the tune of Gilligan's Island but never knew why the words fit.

Starting a school

Two of my friends are starting a Classical School. Here is their blog

2 of my favorite things

Every summer two things happen that I look forward to. There are VBS and a visit from my friend, Kym. This year they happen on the same week.

VBS started yesterday. Kaitlin has some pictures that she took, up on her blog.Kaitlin is taking pictures and putting together the slide show, Marisa is working in the nursery and I am working in the kitchen with KimT and Sheryce.

Working in the kitchen means that we count and have snacks set up for the hungry vbsers( is that a word?- vbs ers, better?) plus we have snacks for the adults and lastly, we fix a light supper on Thursday night for the parents of said vbs ers and the vbs ers themselves. It is a great job. Sheryce, KimT and I have a laughing good time as we fix and set out snacks. Sheryce sits in the snack room while the vbs ers are eating. Yesterday we had 'Bugles'. Sheryce showed them how they would fit on your fingers. The children loved them.

Picking out the VBS snacks is a job Kaitlin loves. We go to Sam's with KimT and Kaitlin picks out snacks that I wouldn't let her eat very often. The children love them. Today, I believe we are having crackers and cheese- the kind with the cheese in one little section and the crackers in the other.

Kym and I have been friends for at least 22 years. We met at church in New Orleans. She now lives in Jackson, MS. She takes her children to a camp in Hot Springs, AR and then comes to my house, joins my gym for a week, scrapbooks and laughs with me. I usually try to work a scrapbook while she is here too. This year is it Marisa's 21st birthday album. Kym got here last night and met us at the gym and did water aerobics with Kaitlin and Clare. Kym is an easy guest because I don't clean up for her and she comes and goes as she likes. She said that she has other friends in LR tell her she can stay with them but she says, no. She likes it that I have a table or two set up in the den for her and that she can spread out her scrapbook stuff and I don't care that it is a mess for a week. I am glad that my skill at overlooking messes makes her feel welcome.

This week is one I look forward to all year. Do you have fun summer plans?

new blog

Here it is! My friend Nancy has a blog. I have encouraged her in this vein for awhile. She is on my blog roll. It is called Sweet Connections. enjoy

Tidbits of Life

Just a few random things

I had my first tomato/mayo/salt sandwich today. mmmmm

My Friend, Kym, is on her way to a soccer tourny in south MS. The temp is close to 100. She was wondering what to wear. She asked another mother by saying "Short of wearing nothing, what do you wear?" The other mother calmly looked at Kym and said, "I wear a strapless tube dress with nothing on underneath" Kym was shocked! TMI She was joking about the 'short of wearing nothing'. The other mother was not.

A lizard was on my mail in the mail box. I opened the box and reached my hand in and then screamed. My hero, Marisa, got a stick and got Mr. Lizard out and then got the mail. I am not a big nature girl.

My friend, JanR, is on a family vacation. Their destination is Yellowstone. JanR loves my sweet tea and tea in general. She called me today to say they were traveling through the town of Tea. I'm not sure if the town was in Iowa, Nebraska or South Dakota. Jan thinks, she and I need to move there.

It is hot, just in case you didn't know.

I wish I did

I am white through and through.  I like to think that I can keep a beat but more often than not that is not the case. 

In 2006, Andrew took me to the World Baseball Classic in Orlando, FL. Baseball has been taken out of the Olympics.  This a venue that has been created so that teams can still play.  We had a great time.  My favorite teams to watch were Dominican Republic and Venezuela.  Not only did they have the most major league players on them but the crowds were very, no VERY, interactive.  We had very good tickets but we were the only Caucasians in our area.  I know this because there was always a beat going in the stadium and those around us were always moving EXCEPT Andrew and me.  I mean we could move but not like THEY could move.  I mean they moved in places that I don't have places.  I can only dream of moving like that.  

I thought of this last night as I was at the pool.  Kaitlin was taking an evening Water Aerobics class with Clare.  Marisa and I went with Kaitlin and we were enjoying just sitting, reading and people watching.   Kaitlin's class starts after several swimming lessons are finished.  I watched several mothers get their children ready to go home after their lessons.  One hispanic family caught my eye.  

Music is played over the speakers at the pool for Kaitlin's class.  Last night the music was all music similar to the macarena.  The hispanic family was all moving.  They all had the beat.   Even as the mama combed out her daughter's hair they moved in harmony.  I was so impressed.   It was beautiful.  

I am glad we are not all made the same, that would sure be boring, but I do wish I had a few moves.

Do you have moves?

Anybody for a trip to see Mickey?

My friend, KathyB, said that the reason people like to go to Walt Disney World is that it represents a picture of heaven.  I agree.  I love WDW.  I love all the wonderful memories  of being there and frankly, I need to go back because life is hard right now.

The husband of the wonderful couple that sit behind us in church is in the hospital.  He has been in failing health for several months and has been in the hospital for almost two weeks.  They have called in the family.  Ralph is in his 80's.  Just about everything is failing.  Elizabeth is so heart heavy.  She asked the doctor almost daily if she could take Ralph home but they couldn't get him stable.  Ralph didn't just want to go home he wanted to go to his favorite restaurant in Searcy and then the next day he wants to go eat in Arkadelphia.  One place had catfish and the other was steak.  I love Ralph and Elizabeth.  If ever I have to not sit where I usually do, I have to let E know.  She said the one time I didn't, she spent most of the service trying to locate me in the sanctuary. 

Zach and Dori got married last June.  They were in our college and career group before they got married.  They have been to our house often and we even have celebrated holidays together when one or both had to work and couldn't make it home.  Dori is from Albania so our church family is her family.  A few years ago Zach survived an obscure cancer that strikes young men in the 20's.  Most of the doctors in our church had to look up the cancer because they had never heard of it.  There is a 20% chance of surviving the cancer the first time and the odds go way down if it re-occurs.  It has re-occurred. Zach knows what is ahead for him.   Zach is the same age as my son, Andrew.  

My friends, Dan and Lynda, lost their son, Ben, 11 months ago today.  He died shortly after the high school graduation of his brother.  This year his sister graduates from the same school.  The same activities will be involved.  It has to be surreal to be doing this all over again but with a big hole in your heart.

Derek Thomas once said at a Missions Conference that sometimes we must storm the gates of Heaven for our friends because they sometimes are unable.

I am praying Ps 18:1-2

I love you, O LORD, my strength.  The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Join me in praying for Ralph, Elizabeth, Zach, Dori, Dan and Lynda and their families.  Thank you

Pictures!

My tech support woke up! I got a new camera. Here is my first picture.

my children

new baseball staduim in St Louis

John by the Arch The Admiral-we rode this every summer, now it is a casino All Star stuff in motel- game in St Louis this year We ate breakfast here

Marisa loves the Twlight Books. Andrew loves to tease. Marisa likes Edward therefore Andrew loves Jacob. This seems so like something my brother, Charles would do. photo taken in the mall before the mall cop told me I couldn't take pictures there Grandma talking with Carl and John

I thought this was such a cool idea. They didn't have the regular guest book but a beautiful coffee table book. We all picked a page and signed our names. Lots of family visiting Andrew and Ezra. Andrew had this much hair when he was born so it was such fun to see a baby like Andrew. Kaitlin and Tessa Carl relaxing Sweet Taylor Tanner loved hanging around and on John. John and Andrew are holding Tanner while Thomas and Kaitlin tickle him. Lest you think this is torture, Tanner asked for it to be done again. Tanner, Uncle Larry and Andrew all matched. Thomas and his new clothes, I am sorry it is so dark- his new shirt matches the curtains. After we realized that, we had a Gone With the Wind thought- we could have made him clothes out of the curtains!

Robert and Ezra

All the girls except Esther

Grandma and 13 of her grandchildren and 2 of her great-grandchildren.

Yes , we ate corn

This past week we went to Iowa for a family wedding. Alex and Esther got married. Kaitlin was the photographer. I'd love to put pictures up and I hope to but part of my tech support is sleeping and the other half is at work so we will post pictures soon.

We left Thursday after John got home from his summer classes. Our destination was St Louis. It was a wonderful, uneventful trip. We didn't realize that John had never been to St Louis. So we toured downtown. Carl even parked by the water front and Kaitlin, Marisa and John ran up the stairs to the Arch and took lots of pictures. Andrew and Taylor flew in at 11pm and rode the hotel shuttle over to our motel. I could kick myself for not thinking to call friends we have in St Louis to let them know we were coming. Next time.

Friday we left at 8am bound for Iowa City, Iowa. We made it there in the early afternoon. We drove up to our motel and one of Carl's brothers was sitting outside of it. Most of Carl's family was staying in the same motel! That was unexpected and added to our fun. We ate lunch at the mall and then headed to the rehearsal. Alex and Esther wanted a small wedding with no attendants. They often chatted with Kaitlin before the wedding about pictures and such. One question they asked was what do attendants do in the wedding. Kaitlin said that they move the bride's train, hold the flowers and the rings. Esther got a dress with no train, had a vase at the front of the church for her flowers and the pastor had the rings. Very clever thinking I thought( that's a whole lot of thinking don't you think?)

The rehearsal dinner was at the church. We had grilled hot dogs and hamburgers with all the trimmings. It was a great family time. All of Carl's brothers were there but one and all the grandchildren were there but one. We were a party of 31 and that is just family. How cool is that?!

The day of the wedding we were at the church at 9 to get pictures of the getting ready. Sarah fixed Esther's hair and make-up. Sarah is married to Alex's older brother, Charlie. She is an artist with a curling iron and an eyeliner pencil. It was fun to watch. We took all the pictures ahead of time that could be taken without the bride and groom seeing each other. The wedding was at 1. It was beautiful. I liked the congregational singing. I just looked for my program to tell you what we sang but I can't find it. Maybe when tech support wakes up she can help with that too. After the pictures in the church of all the family's the couple went to the reception which was in the fellowship hall. We had cake, nuts and mints. Alex's grandmother on his mother's side made the cake. It was delicious. It was chocolate and white mixed.

Alex and Esther left the reception in our car with Carl driving and Kaitlin in the front seat. Esther wanted some pictures made at special places around Iowa City. After that photo shoot Carl took them to Alex's truck that had been decorated well by Andrew and William.

I had hoped that all the family could eat supper together after the wedding but I wasn't really in on the plans so I went along for the ride. Boy, was I surprised.

We went to a restaurant near Amana, Iowa. They had a room set up for us. After Carl's brother, Raymond said the blessing, Carl stood up. He talked about how almost 30 years ago- our anniversary is June 30- at his rehearsal dinner his brothers had put a ball and chain on him so he could get used to married life. He wanted to present me with a ball and chain of my own and then he gave me a beautiful pearl necklace. I am still stunned. Pictures to follow- lots of sleeping going on here. I knew nothing. Carl had arranged for the place to eat and had picked out the food and got the gift wow and wow and wow.

On Sunday we left at 7:30 to get Andrew and Taylor back for a 1:30 flight out of St Louis. We got home about 6.

My nephew, Thomas also flew to the wedding. He left from Atlanta on Thursday and flew to Cedar Rapids, IA. He checked a bag. I am not sure where his bag flew to. It never arrived while we were there. Thomas wore cousin Willy clothes to the wedding on Saturday and after that he went shopping for some clothes. As he was at the airport to fly home with still no suitcase, the plane got a flat tire. Aunt Marian and Uncle Sherrel drove and got him and he rode back to Atlanta with Meredith. As they were driving, he got a call- his suitcase was in Cedar Rapids! The last I heard the suitcase had been to Mongomery, AL and back to Cedar Rapids. Thomas had a great attitude about the whole thing. He would joke that he brought clothes that all looked alike and now I've heard he is going to ask for all the frequent flyer miles for himself that his suitcase has!


Kaitlin's blog has pictures Here too

enjoy!