Summer....those crazy days

Ryan!  Congrats on passing your board and qualifying so you can now work even more hours with generous 5 or 6 hour breaks in between missions!  Whoohoo!  I am very hopeful the job is more engaging and challenging and interesting even at this breakneck pace.

Cole had a great week at The Edge youth camp at Covenant.  Julia and Claire had a wonderful time in Asheville with her family.  Julia loved spending 5 1/2 days with the Abens in Minnesota.  Nick and I have been toying with house position on a mere 10 acres of land.  So many possibilities...sun angle, road exposure, saving beautiful trees all complicate the decision making process!  How 'bout you Chad?  What's going on in your neck of the woods?

The word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.  (Hebrews 4:12-13)

A few recent pictures to enjoy.

Love, love, love.

Pops loving Claire!  Claire loving sleep and Pops.

Are we buff or what?  We were certainly sweaty.

Swim meet memories?!  Julia following in her bros' strokes.  Great coach!

We salute you most awesome new father!

Two AMAZING fathers and one AMAZING granddaughter!

Till we meet again.  God bless.

Back from Dinny and Phil's!

I'm so full of poignant memories from my time in Woodstock, VA.  I had a ball with my sisters, my aunt and uncle and my cousins!  Dinny found us a quaint, charming and of course historic bed and breakfast called The Inn at Narrow Passage.  Just a short walk from our rooms, we could stand at the Shenandoah river front where we could see the smooth brown rocks on the river bottom...before the rains came down.  Rain is not scarce there and everything is lush and green.   Jann and I had hoped to tube from the inn down to Dinny and Phil's place...a pleasant four hour float.  But after the arrival of a wild storm we were satisfied to cross the river on a slightly swaying suspension bridge that took us high above the swirling, muddy, angry water.

Dinny and Phil and Greg spoiled us royally.  We thoroughly enjoyed sharing our lives with one another for those 3 1/2 days.  We reminisced, laughed uproariously, cried and loved abundantly.  We shared old memories as well as created beautiful new treasure stores.  Greg was our faithful tour guide and go to man.

Lance came for a visit and shared a meal with us.  I think we may have overwhelmed him with all our hugging!  It was so much fun to see pictures of his family and spend time with him!

Marc and his family joined us for another delicious repast and I finally had the pleasure of meeting his beautiful wife, Wendy, and their delightful and charming children, Samantha (actress phenom) and Connor (soccer phenom).  I enjoyed my time with Marc and his family tremendously.

What a lovely time I had.  I hope we all return to that inviting cabin in the woods one day to share our lives person to person once again.  It was difficult to say our goodbyes but we were planning another reunion before we had even left!

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?  You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You made him ruler over the works of Your hands, and You put everything under his feet.  (Psalm 8:3-6)

I am filled to overflowing with love for each of you my dear family.  

A good closing to May.

May was a beautiful, eventful month.  Our last weekend was filled with fun.  Thursday night we were blessed with the presence of dear old friends.  The Scheffters came to stay and look just as they did when they left umpteen years ago.  I have changed plenty with my hair getting so much lighter (blonder did I hear you say?) and Nick's getting less thick (it has such a positive spin when I say it that way). Barb and Ken look like, well, Barb and Ken.  Soooo good to have them in our home!

Friday, Nick, Julia, Cole, Julia, Claire and I, drove to Clemson to spend time with Chad and Donna and go to the Smalley / Charlton wedding on Saturday!

We played outside, adored Claire, then went out for dinner and got caught in a torrential downpour and hail storm--hail yes! (Said with a slow southern drawl) ; )  After dinner we played cards, talked with Aiken friends and adored Claire.

Saturday we adored Claire from a nice early hour (she slept beautifully!), played tennis, went to the student center and bowled and played ping pong while Julia watched Claire finally get a much needed nap. The people sharing her room, along with several others, had been adoring her to excess and robbing her of essential nap time.  Who would want to hug, hold, enjoy, love on that precious little Claire?

Chad's apartment was next on the list of Clemson sights to see and we were impressed!  What a great transformation!  There is a place for (almost) everything and (almost) everything in its place.  Nicely done Chad.  We all trooped in and changed our clothes for the wedding celebration.

It was a lovely, joyous wedding ceremony with picturesque Lake Hartwell directly behind the couple as they shared their vows.  We had so much fun!  The wedding was God honoring and beautiful and so many in our church family were there to celebrate with them.  Claire was an angel throughout the ceremony and was abundantly adored by many during the reception until she finally fell asleep in Mr. Rabon's arms.

It's been reported that Claire may have been overly adored and is suffering the effects.  She's not quite understanding why, when she cries, she isn't instantly scooped up and adored.  I will have you know that she is a beautifully happy baby who is impossible to resist.  She has the cutest cheeks, lips, fingers, toes, eyes, .....you get the picture.  The adoring continues even when she's not even present.

Soon I leave for another adventure on my own!  I will be joining my three sisters in Woodstock, VA for a reunion with the added bonus of time with my aunt, uncle and cousins!  I will update you with pics when I get back.  Until then.....Lord, Your grace is sufficient for us, for power is perfected in weakness.  May we walk and serve through dependence on Your power rather than our own resources.


Much love to all my dear people!