Random thoughts

I know it is not apparent by this photo, but Abigail is actually on the high dive. She is a pretty brave little gal (I would NOT be up there...no way......no how!!), but she got scared. Maybe because she saw me taking photos??? Probably because it was a good bit higher than she is used to???

But, finally, after much coaxing, she did jump. (At this pool, due to safety issues, you are not allowed to climb down the ladder once you have gone up.) As soon as she 'got it over with' she went right back to the low dive multiple times and with no fear at all. It made me stop and think.....what can we learn from this?

Perhaps, even when we know everything will be okay, we just have a hard time falling into the deep water because of fear....rational or not. God is there....He loves us and He will protect us...but how many times have I let fear keep me from taking a leap? While Abigail was in her comfort zone on the low dive and went back to that immediately afterwards, I wonder how many times I have just hidden and failed to even do the little things that I am pretty comfortable with.

While you won't be seeing me on the high dive or low dive for that matter (I am not a good swimmer), I do hope you will see me taking those steps of faith up the ladder of the high dive...trying something a little scary and out of my comfort zone, knowing that God will be there. And, I also hope you will see me taking those little steps on the low dive too......again, being willing to step out a little bit and do what I enjoy doing and what God wants me to do.

This is Oreo, our neighbor's cat. He is SO funny. He thinks he lives here, and we'll often find him napping in our flower bed or garage if we leave up the door. It is my prayer that our home will always be that comfortable for people too.....that a person feels he/she can come here, relax, enjoy a meal (okay, I DO sneak him some tuna from time to time), and be themselves, maybe even stay a night or longer if needed. God has blessed us with so much...and we feel that if He wants our home to be a haven for others, we will not get in His way.

family fun

I knocked down a few!! For some reason, she wants to bowl left handed, even though she is a 'righty.'
I had a LOT of fun!

Bruce was able to take off from work on Thursday, July 3. Abigail went to soccer camp while Bruce and I enjoyed running some errands together (to get all the necessary supplies for the family cookout). When we picked Abigail up, we had an 'okay' lunch at Cheeburger Cheeburger (GREAT onion rings, but the burgers were not quite the same as usual). Then we headed over to RSA to bowl on base. These photos were taken there. None of us did great bowling....Bruce did break 100 the second game though. We did enjoy ourselves a lot, and I am so grateful for a family that enjoys being together and having fun!!

July 4th...I am grateful for so much!

Am I making you hungry yet???? These are my BBQ beans and they are usually requested at every family gathering. Our celebration on the fourth was no different.
I know these potatoes look a little pale.....this was before they hit the grill. I baked them, then added some melted margarine and topped them with rib rub. Once grilled then we can top them like a regular baked potato.
These are the soon to be cooked brats and hot dogs. We thought the kids might not like bratwurst sausages. Making the brats was "fun". We had to buy beer to boil them in before putting them on the grill. Neither of us are drinkers at all....so we had to call someone who knew something about beer to tell us which kind to buy. Then, when we went to buy it, they needed to card us???? at the grocery store. It was kind of funny considering that there is NO mistaking that we are well above the age limit here.

Abigail and her Huntsville cousins are enjoying dessert after lunch. I am grateful she has great cousins here and in Georgia that she enjoys spending time with.

After our family meal, Grandma and the three grandkids enjoy playing ball in the street between rain showers. I am SO grateful for a Grammy who is full of energy and enjoys doing active things with the grandchildren. She works so hard at being a good Grammy and really being a super influence in their lives.

We had such a nice and relaxing day. After everyone left, we headed out to Bridge Street to see a wonderful fireworks display. Again, this happened between rain showers. We had no more gotten home and settled in until a NICE rain shower started and eventually lulled us to sleep:) We are grateful for the rain and for so many things not even related to the holiday we celebrated today.

Of course, we are very grateful to the Lord for blessing our nation and for the many people who have given their lives or who have made great sacrifices to help protect our freedom in the USA!!

Where did June go?

Just wondering, but where did the month of JUNE go??? Have we really been done with full time school for over a month? Have we actually had a vacation (which was a visit with family in Georgia as opposed to a beach or Disney experience)? Those 30 days seemed to speed by and so many days and parts of days just cannot be accounted for.

Actually that is a little sad to me. As I get older, I find that I cannot remember the details of my days like I used to be able to. Thankfully, I have an eight year old whose memory is not cluttered like mine...so she remembers EVERYTHING....even those things I wish she would not remember. But, to think that unless I read back over a blog or my Joni Erikson Tada day planner, I cannot remember what happened on a particular day or group of days, it is a little saddening....because I guess I did not take time to appreciate the little things that would make that day stand out in my mind.

My prayer is that July will be a bit more memorable. Today was a good day. While Abigail was at soccer camp, I had a chance to reconnect with a former student of mine. MEH was one of my third graders back in the early to mid 1990's, so she is now in her 20's. This young lady has faced a WORLD of challenges both physically and mentally, but she has such a wonderful attitude and wants to be helpful. She calls me frequently and asks if she can help me with anything, but it seems that between her activities and illnesses and our busy schedule here, we don't find too many days that will work. Well, about 2 weeks ago, I realized that today, July 1, would work for both of us. So, I dropped Abigail off at soccer camp, then picked MEH up from her home. She and I worked alongside each other for about 2.5 hours...dusting, wiping counters, wiping blinds, vacuuming.....basically a very belated spring cleaning. I still have some chores left to do, but the mopping and other touchups will still be waiting on me tomorrow. For today, I have the memories of working alongside a very positive young lady while listening to the Gaithers (her favorite) and singing along.

Yes, I think I will remember July 1 for a long time.