Happy New Year's Eve From Us to You!

This is as exciting as it gets for us tonight. We are in our den, with our gas logs on. The wind is COLD and blowing HARD....and yeh, we know other people are dressing up and going out. But we like it right here. We are warm, happy and in our sweats. Are you people out partying REALLY having a good time?? Happy 2009!
(Oh and yeh, that's a sippy cup in his lap. Yes. It. Is,)

MY THREE GIRLS!

Christmas Cousins!!

LOOK WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS!!
and I'm not talking about Santa!!!


At Jack's MeMaw's house

Way Back Wednesday...On Thursday!!:)


This is as far back as I could go...50 years!!! It's me!!!

Christmas Cards!!!

One of my very favorite parts of Christmas is receiving Christmas cards!!! I love going to the mailbox and getting *old fashion* mail! Love it!! For years and years I have heard from friends that I don't hear from any other time of the year! It's a special time to keep in touch! This is our card this year:

This is our daughter G and son-in-law A's Christmas card:

Is there a cuter baby girl under the tree??

More cards to follow!!!

It's Going To Be a Charlie Brown Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas in a Small Town

I still don't think of myself as a *small town* girl..though I've lived here for most of my adult life. I was raised near the *Queen City* and still love the atmosphere of a large city. But small town it was to raise our children, and we're still here! It WAS a great place to raise children. Everyone knows everyone and there is often a sense of *family*. Some small towns lose their desire to be a better place. They often lack in funds to keep their town alive and updated. Not so with this small town. The Arts Council is very alive and very active. (As I type, we are planning a Children's Museum for 2009). There are many beautiful buildings and many have been restored to show their original beginnings. Maybe I'll show those in the future. But, for today, I wanted to focus on the *windows* of a small town. The downtown businesses all decorate their windows...much like the Queen City did back in the 60's. The pictures I took don't do them justice, as they are lit at night and are so pretty!

Wordless Wednesday!

Thankful For All These Things....And More!
Baby girl, E.C.


Big Kids!
My Parents....Don't they look great?!
Precious Nieces!

I am truly blessed! I could post picture after picture of my blessings. Often times I ask myself, "Why was I chosen to be so blessed?" I am so thankful to the ONE whose grace allows me the blessing of love and family. Thank you Lord for choosing to bless me.

Wordless Wednesday!!

He's Turning 31.

How Can That Be???

It seems like just a short while ago that he was this:



........And then this:And this...........




...............And now he has this:


And all along, we loved him.
Still do.
Happy Birthday B! We are proud to call you son.

Wordless Wednesday

I'm Hooked!
On THIS:

In the form of Diet Coke...
With pellet ice...and a lid....and a straw.
But other than that, I'm not picky about it!
At least it's not a milkshake. Right?

I spent my summers growing up at a summer camp, on Lake Lure, in the North Carolina mountains. We recently had a banquet honoring 60 years of camping at this camp! Before the banquet, I was interviewed for a video they were putting together. One of the questions asked was "What has Camp Lurecrest meant to you?" My answer: "Everything". Chapel still looks the same...except no sawdust floor now!!

Spending my summers there, first as a camper, then as a staff member, and in recent years as a volunteer in the kitchen and office, has molded and shaped my life into what it is today. It is at camp that I met my savior and it is at camp that I learned about His grace. I have lifelong friends that I met at camp. If you've ever been on staff at a summer camp, you know the bond that develops working together 24/7!

Yeh, I know, camp makes you do crazy things!!!

This is the view from the boat dock.......Good morning Lord!

Treasure hunt on the volleyball court!!

The BLOB! Nope...Never have. Never will.


View from Chapel

I am so very thankful for my humble beginnings and for the Lord meeting me right where I was. My life was and is in His hands. He used Camp Lurecrest as a means to my heart. I am forever blessed!


Me...2nd row third from right! (click on picture for better view)
www.camplurecrest.org

Wordless Wednesday

BEACH BUDDIES!!!

There just aren't many things in life dearer than close friends. After God and family, close friends rank way up there in importance in my life! I have a group of girlfriends who mean the world to me. We go way......back. And we've gone through LOTS of things together. Some were bad. Most were good.

Sometimes we allow a visitor...my daughter, G, visited us on this night!
Our BEACH BUDDY title began when we took a beach trip, over 20 years ago. It's been an annual spring trip! It's on these trips that we play, and laugh, and really share our hearts. We also have a motto:
*What happens at the beach, stays at the beach!*

For me personally, I owe my BB's big time!! They have been to all my kids weddings....and they were ALL out of town! That includes all the wedding showers and baby showers too........That's what friends are for...and I'll be at all theirs too!
How about you? Do you have friends that mean the world to you?? Tell them. It will mean the world to them! Love you BB's!

Wordless Wednesday

Election

Plain and simple: I support McCain/Palin.

One More Wedding!!!!
May 2008

This is the last wedding of all the *big* girls. We have two generations of cousins in our family.....thus, the *big* girls and the *little* girls (and boys)!

In the last wedding post, I wrote about my sister Vicki, and her oldest daughter, J's wedding. This wedding is her youngest daughter...another J!!!
This J has had her wedding planned in her head for years!! She pretty much planned her whole wedding herself and actually made a lot of things herself! The color choice was green and she carried that color theme throughout the wedding! Her tables were quite unique, using fresh green apples and green split peas!!

J's new husband, R, is a runner. I stand in amazement at his abilities....not only in running, but in pleasing J!!! She loves him to pieces...he's a great guy! Because he's a runner, his gift to his groomsmen was running shoes...with green, of course!


Their cake was made by a high school friend...It was beautiful!!!
The girls and the flowers were gorgeous...........
It was one of the prettiest days for a wedding that I ever remember.
God blessed our day and the wedding couple.
J and R, we could not be more proud of you!
Props to Joy (photographer):http://www.truetolifephoto.com/

In Honor of Halloween!!

Several years ago, one of the nieces wanted a Wizard of Oz theme for her birthday. She assigned each of us a character to dress up as. I'm hard to see, but I'm the wicked witch........way over on the right!!!!!!! Don't ask why she assigned me that part! I said DON'T ASK!!!!!!!!!click on the picture to see larger view!

Another Wedding!!
February 2005

A little background here: My older sister, Vicki, and I are 21 months apart! We had our first babies 2 1/2 months apart. Our kids grew up together and have always been very close cousins! When Vicki's oldest daughter, J, decided to get married to N, we were all very excited! She fell in love with N while doing a DTS (discipleship training) with YWAM (youth with a mission) in Seattle, Washington! He has been a God-send to J in many ways! Anyway, back to the wedding. In September of 2004, J and her mom, Vicki (my sister) came to my house to spend the day. We all went wedding dress shopping together. I took my camera and took pictures of J trying on her wedding dress and included Vicki in the pictures. So glad I did.Tragically, Vicki died of a massive heart attack, just a few weeks later. As we mourned her death, we planned J and N's wedding. It was very bittersweet.

J had always wanted fresh tulips in her wedding...and she got what she always wanted! The tulips were beautiful! She had them on her cake........

........and her bouquets were FULL of them!!

The bride and groom. First dance as husband and wife!We are all so proud of J and N! And now they have M and J....... that's a post for another time!!!