Cumberland Lake

Since before Jason and Becky were born, 32 years, we have been boating with Chris and Susan Wiley. We have never owned a boat, just went along with them! Early years we would stay with Susan's parents in their mobile home and walked through the woods to a cove. From there we would be picked up by the boat and dropped off at the end of the day. We "dropped" a ski in the cove while trying to learn to slalom. We laid on floats there and floated around to cool off. We all skied and all learn to ski on one. Those were the days of youth and energy! Today was a different story. Clyde and I haven't skied for a long time (several years) and Clyde and I both came up our second try. He went a little longer than I, and I went a shorter distance than I have ever skied....not too much to brag about, but we did it! Chris and Sue still looked like pros!
The weather was great, the food on the boat good, and we met Joe's fiance' Stephanie. She is a doll and very nice. A very cute couple. I will post a few pictures of our day.
Thanks Chris and Sue for all the fun lake trips through the years! We love you guys.

A Lake Outing!

I took this after Becky came back from getting her "back to school" haircut...so cute! I am very proud of Becky. She has always had a "heart" for the hurting. Her mission trips showed that. She would have brought several of the children home from Haiti if she was allowed. I know her family, Matthew and his family, will be better for she and Jason taking him into their home and hearts. We all need to pray daily for Matthew to grow up with love in his heart and for Austin to know they did this out of love. A lot about love...that's the sermon Jon preached last night! Sermon notes at the bottom of this blog.

If you happen to have checked out my blog since Tues., you will have noticed no new entries! Well, I lost my camera....tragic for me. I take it with me everywhere I go. It's not an expensive one, but I have taken photos since Jason and Becky were babies. I even made my own version of a scrapbook (wish I had used the "right" type of paper, tape, and added cute "add ons" and I would be rich by now! I did have all their teachers, through elementary school, sign it and pasted their photos on each page. It was good recently going through and reading notes about their life as they grew up.

Anyway, back to my camera...it was lost and now it's found!!! I couldn't remember where I placed it, but (now that Clyde found it) I remember putting it in the center compartment of the Avalon. I even recall (now!) that I thought to myself "self (that's what Austin would say) don't forget you are putting it in here!" Well, I forgot. So, today, as we are heading out for Cumberland Lake with the Wiley's (this goes way back, but it's been a LONG time since we've went boating) he found it in the car!! Yeah. I will take photos today and post them tomorrow.
I always write a note to my kids as I leave town, usually not for a one day trip, however. But I AM going out on a boat after all and I AM 55 years old (don't laugh, I know this isn't like doing something courageous, but it is big for me). So, I will say, I love you guys....Austin, you're Nana's little man. When we leave each other, one of us will call out "I love YOU more....from the grass to the sky", or something silly like that. This was before Maggie and Matthew came along and could understand the words! We don't mean "I love you more than mommy or daddy, or I love you more than Maggie or Matthew", just I love YOU more than YOU love me! So, saying all that, I love all of you more. Be safe, see you there. You are family, don't forget each other.

We have the best parents any family could have...we all love them dearly.

Last night we went to church so we could get on the road early for the lake. My thoughts on the sermon....number 3 for our "IT" series. We walked in with Fred and Michelle and he noticed pretty quickly there were no musicians on the stage, no mics, no keyboards. Just one old looking sofa. There were no bulletins either. Just back to the basics. Soon (no singing) Jon came on the large screen and spoke. The message was

"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love"...Gal. 5:6

It is a radical commitment to a radical generosity.

Be the church, go into our city and serve. Do radical ACTS of love. We're on a mission to radically love this city...Go do it, go make someones day. Be the person Jesus loved and died for today...you won't ever regret loving another person. These were the points I recall from Jon's sermon.

First Day Back!

Yesterday (Tuesday) I went back to work full time and got home around 4:40. I made my daily call to the court house to find out that, indeed, I did have jury duty today (Wed....first day of school). I was very bummed. I have only been called one time in 3 1/2 months...this is my last month to serve.
I called a sub, sent emails to my closest co-workers, principal, and typed up my plans, sent them to Beth to print out and give to my sub. Then today, during a break this morning, I called in to tell Barbara that I was still there and if I didn't get picked, I'd be back in. However, out of a large crowd, 31 got picked. Then out of 31, 13 of us got chosen. Then after we met all day, before we went to the jury room, one was let go. The rest of us deliberated, then went on to the end when a sentence was given.
I got home, after meeting Clyde for dinner, around 8:15. Long day....well, tomorrow is another day. I look forward to MY first day of students!

Hummers!!!

I just walked out back to pick the last few blackberries and received a gift! I was carrying the camera in case I saw my daily visitor. I was pleased to get a couple of shots of this little bird. So cute!

2nd week of "IT"!

I am thankful for a young minister that has a passion. He aches for the homeless, for the lost soul, for they that mourn, and on and on. Yesterday our sermon series on "It" was titled "IT is Love and Love is IT". Is there anything better than love? My notes from the sermon sum up like this...

Our mission is to 1. Help people fall in love with God 2. Help people follow God...

We want to make our church "new" like the 1st church. "IT" is....radical love to the homeless, the sick, the forgotten, the poor...WHAT WE LOVE SHOULD NEVER REPLACE WHO WE LOVE". Jon also said "Your stuff can't get you into Heaven, it can keep you out of Heaven". IT is all about a new YOU. IT is a commITment to a radical love (to complete strangers). Love supports, sacrifices, love never fails. **when you get close enough to share a person's pain, you are close enough to show them love.

Of course, these are the points I took with me that I can actually remember. There was SO MUCH more and not everything I wrote can be exactly as Jon said, but I hope close!

No pics from church...but I will post a few from the garden.

Both my sister and my friend said something about their flower pots not doing as well now as at the beginning of the summer. I sure think that's the way it is for all of us. As we all know (but don't always do!), just shear them back (a good haircut) and keep on watering and the "love" will improve them a lot. Sometimes it's just not worth the work....so for those, I would toss. However, I have one that is special to me. It was the prettiest hanging petunia I have ever received! It was given to me by Becky for Mother's Day in May. It was full and perfect....only for me to let it die. I didn't take a picture at its worse, but Clyde said to throw it away. I could NOT do that. So, I gave it a haircut, fed it and watered it...it's not big as it was, but it is coming back. Here is a picture of it, and of a few other container flowers that are making it through to the end of summer.

Camping out!

We decided to take the boys camping yesterday afternoon until today (Sat.). The Horse Park was full and Boonesborough had a bunch of spots, so that's where we went....two adult tents and one for the boys! The spot Becky chose was perfect for kids and tents. Lots of shade, the playgrounds were beside us, a short walk to the bath house, and a place for the boys to ride their bikes on blacktop (right beside us). The weather last night was cool and perfect for a fire. Uncle Jason even visited for a night by the fire and to watch the boys play.

Home on Sat. for us, London and an afternoon at the pool for the Keiths. Tonight we tried a place on the river called "Riptides" and it was a thumbs up all around. The atmosphere was fun, the food great. So, we will try there again.

Camping at Ft. Boonesborough!

Perfect Day!

This is my last Friday morning at home before school starts for another year of learning at "The Mill"! The day could NOT be more beautiful. I have been outside since 8:30 or earlier....wet from the dew, but now 11:45 is dry and sunny. I got a few close up pictures of the hummingbird that visits daily. The butterflies are out in full form. I started the morning spraying "Sevin" on the Crepe Mrytle and knockout rose bushes...still being nibbled on by the Japanese beetles. I also picked a couple of cups of very ripe blackberries....I don't get many, but I get a few cups every few days...enough for a cobbler.

Yesterday Maggie, mamaw, Aunt Martha Ross and Nana ate lunch at Abuelos...thanks for the treat Aunt Martha. MJ loves dipping in the salsa and sour cream; hope her stomach has a strong lining! After lunch, we played at the mall play area and she did great. Two ladies kept commenting on her smile! Then we got a big oatmeal raisin cookie and apple juice and headed home for a nap. Mom (Becky) and Jessica had been at work (Woodford Co. High) all morning then had to leave school for cleaning, etc., to be done in their rooms/hallways, so they finished at home. I left Mag with them...hope she napped.