Murphy's Law

Tomorrow morning we're set to head out of town for a family reunion that we've been looking forward to for months. The summer, so far, has been relatively busy but fun and healthy...until Friday.

We've seen three doctors since then. I have a random staph infection, Mackenzie has swimmer's ear and today Max spiked a fever of 102. Ugh.

I've got antibiotics for Mackenzie and myself. Hopefully tomorrow morning Max will wake up fever free and feeling fine. Otherwise, it will be a very long trip.

Please pray for us!

Radical

Last night at a prayer meeting we sang a verse of a praise song that said, "Thank you for saving me from my lonely life." It got me thinking. God has definitely saved me from a lot of things...a lonely life is not one of them.

I don't honestly remember ever feeling really lonely. I guess that's because I know I'm never really alone. I've questioned God, but never doubted him. Try as I might to get angry at God sometimes, I just can't. In general I am a very happy person.

This led me to the thought that I have sometimes felt a little less than radical in my Christian walk. I don't have an amazing conversion story. I've know and followed God (to the best of my ability) all of my life. Not very exciting testimonial material.

Then it hit me. My life IS radical. How many other people out there can say these things? From the day I was born I was brought up in the love of God through my parents, family, friends and associates. I have walked the walk for as long. I don't always, or ever, do it perfectly, but I always try. I always have.

That, my friends, in this day and age is RADICAL. My parents have been married for 42 years this year. Nelson's parents have too. Amazing. My life is blessed and that's what makes it exciting.

So maybe I'm not great testimony material, but my life, that's GREAT material!

Just Keep Swimming

I watched something interesting today. There was a little boy at swimming lessons who was doing really well...until he realized he was swimming in the deep-end. Suddenly fear overtook him and he stopped swimming, looked desperately for help, and started to sink.

In the interest of mothers everywhere, I feel I should let you know that the boy was fine. The teacher was right next to him. It wasn't that I was worried. I was stunned by how fear paralyzed the kid.

He was strong, doing everything he was supposed to be doing...until he became afraid. Suddenly I found myself wondering how often I've let fear do that same thing to me.

How many times have I been going along swimmingly (pun intended), and then let fear sink me? More than I care to admit I'm afraid (pun here not intended, just happened=)). Hopefully, from now on, when I feel afraid, I'll remember that little boy and just keep swimming.

Twelve Wonderful Years!

Two weeks ago, Nelson told me to keep our anniversary weekend free, but he wouldn't tell me why. Yesterday we left the kids with his parents and he whisked me away to the Wilcox Inn in Aiken.

It is located about 30 minutes outside of Augusta which meant we didn't spend much time getting there but we still felt like we were getting away. It was wonderful.

We arrived to find we had been upgraded to a deluxe suite. We got our suits on, grabbed some drinks, a newspaper and magazine and headed to the pool...where we spent the next 4 hours. We talked, read, swam, napped, relaxed and then repeated.





We went inside only because we had dinner reservations at 8:30. We ate in the inn's quaint restaurant, complete with live music and candlelight. We had a man at the table next to us take our picture. He was a part of a two couple group who had both been married much, much longer than us. They celebrated with us anyway...even though it took him several tries to get this half-descent shot.


This morning we woke up on our own time. Nelson grabbed us some plates from the breakfast buffet and brought them to the room. Then we went out to the pool where we did some more relaxing.

I love that I love being with my husband more today than I did on the day I married him (and I didn't think that was possible). I feel so blessed to be married to the man of my dreams. I am overwhelming grateful for the life we've had together and can't wait to see what the future holds.

Nelson, thank you for the last twelve years, the last two days and for the years to come. I love you!

Signs I Might Have a Champion on my Hands

A champion for this show at least.

Dawson asked me this morning, "Mama, can I please have some banana bread?"

I gave him a quizzical look and reminded him that that wasn't what we made.

"Oh, I mean can I have some kiwi squash bread?"

I Am A ...Runner!

Our training group ran in a cross country 3K today and it kicked my butt...literally. I have visions of myself doing well in one of these races one day. I dream about something just taking over and pushing me past the other runners, up the hills with no end, towards the far, far away finish line.

Instead what happened this morning was me taking off with hopes held high and then losing those hopes somewhere on the dirt hill that I had to walk up. I crossed the finish line defeated. That course killed the dream.

As I was leaving the race I picked up a running log they were giving out. This was the quote on the last page:

If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far.
It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you've been running
for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no
membership card to get. You just run. John Bingham

I needed that. And, this season, I'm going to own that. Please hold me to it!

A Colorful Summer

I'm still having fun with my flowers. I've been waiting patiently for over a month to see what color the day lilies I rescued from the side of the road will be.
Yesterday they bloomed and they are truly lovely.

From the looks of things, the black-eyed susans will be next. They are another neighbor's trash that I popped into my garden. I can't wait to see them.

I'm even more anxious to see what will come of these little flowers. Soon and very soon there will be delicious, red tomatoes hanging in their place. Yum!

It's almost time to pick these guys. I have no idea what I'll do with them as I'm not a fan of peppers in general. However, they too were given to me and I think it's fun to watch anything grow.

And so I was in a colorful mood today when Mackenzie called from her play date to ask if her friend's mom could put a colored streak in her hair. This is a process that is totally foreign to me and so I was hesitant. Her friend's mother assured me that it would be temporary and wash out in a week or two.

What the heck I figured. Why not? It's summer after all. And then she came home...

and it was slightly more than a streak. Oh boy, I thought as she walked closer. Perhaps I should have considered the fact that today is Thursday and I seriously doubt this stuff is going to wash out before church on Sunday. Are bandanas still in style?

Well, live and learn. She's only 9 once. Seems the colors around here are turning up in a lot of unexpected places.

Bittersweet

Today I finished up my last day of school. I expected to feel a bigger sense of relief but instead I found myself rather sad. You see I'm not going back next year. It's not that I don't love teaching, or my school, or the staff. It's just that we need me to contribute financially to the family and working at my alma mater does not exactly fit into that equation.

It's kind of crazy that the thing that's keeping me from going back next year (besides that minor fact that I still have a baby at home), is part of what makes it so great. It's what reminds me that the teachers who teach my children are there because they love what they do and they love my kids. You don’t get that in many schools these days.

It was a bittersweet kind of day.