Mr. Tuxedo

I deleted the first video but it still appears on the page, so look for the 2nd video of Jaden in the tux ~~ it is at the the bottom of the article. Be sure to double-click on pics to see that cute face better!




Our 3-1/2-year-old grandson Jaden is going to be the ring-bearer in a wedding on Saturday. The bride is very dear to us as she was our campus daughter for all of her college years. But we go back with Sarah much further than that. Her family moved to our town and to our church (back home) when she about 12 years old. I got to watch Sarah grow up in T-Town until such time as we moved down here. It was a thrill for us when she attended college here and we watched her bloom from teen girl into a lovely young woman.

As a college student, Sarah enjoyed seeing our grandkids during her visits to our home. As well, Brian and Amy had her over to babysit from time to time. She loved our grands and they loved her.

It was a special joy when we learned of Sarah's engagement in February and a special surprise when she asked Jaden to be the ring-bearer. What an honor for Jaden, and we are thrilled that he will represent our ties to Sarah and her family.

Amy ordered Jaden's tux. It arrived today and she brought him over to show us her little man. He was cute as pie in it so I made a couple of pics and a video as well. Since I did that, I might as well share. :)

Happy Wedding Day to Josh and Sarah. I know her parents (Larry and Teri) are just as blessed and proud as they can be. We look forward to Saturday. I hope Jaden does a fine job as the ring-bearer.

MEDICAL STUFF WEEK

At my annual physical on May 1, my doctor said, "You've never had a Dexi-Scan to check for osteoporosis." I said, "No, I haven't and neither have I ever had a colonoscopy." That was that and he had his nurse schedule both tests for me ~~ scheduling them for when we were back from all of our trips. The time has arrived!!

I am about to leave to have this morning's Dexi-Scan. Then, at 1:00 p.m. this afternoon, I begin the prep for tomorrow morning's colonoscopy. During some of that time this afternoon, my four grandkids will be with me, but I figure they can entertain themselves while I do my "run" every few minutes. I'll let you know how it goes. (Not really!) :)

Report Of Our "Chip Trip"

(More pics follow the article)

We had a fun trip and week at Chip's with our 9-year-old grandson Josh in tow. We left from here at 9:15 on the 14th and got to Chip's at 4:15 (with a stop at Wal-Mart to pick up a few food items being accomplished just before we went to Chip's house.)

Chip is doing GREAT. The church is growing and his student group of high schoolers is awesome. We were in his Sunday School class last Sunday morning and got to hear him teach his teens.

Then in the morning worship service, it started with Chip baptizing 8 new Christians. I hadn't seen Chip perform a baptism before, so it was very touching and very moving. The church does everything "first class" and had video-taped each new Christian giving a short testimony about how they came to Christ. I shed tears during each of those vignettes. Pastor Zach preached a great message. It was just a real good day!

On Sunday night, we went with Chip over to the Smith home. We had not met George and his three kids but were blessed to meet them and get to know them. Sandi (wife/mother) passed away on Mother's Day weekend last month so what could have been a difficult situation for us as strangers was truly a precious time of fellowship.

On Monday through Friday In Vacation Bible School, Chip taught the 5th and 6th graders. We got to hear him teach those kids every day. Richard ran the audio and graphics for the big screen for Chip's class. I served the refreshments to them. He had 50 kids in there!!

After the busy morning from 8-12 with VBS each day, we would go with Chip to catch a bite of lunch and then he would return to work for the afternoon and we had our afternoons free at his house. A time or two, Chip had a lunch appointment with someone but otherwise, we had lunch together.

Most afternoons when we came in, I took a 2-hour nap!!! The big trip had caught up with us!! Also, I had developed a bladder infection while on the cruise and didn't get to the doctor until we got home which was on Friday before we went to Chip's on Saturday. So, I was still ailing somewhat with the infection and was on the antibiotic for that. I think the medication was sort of dragging me down too.

On Tuesday evening, we were invited to the Peck home. Their daughter, Amy, is a senior in Chip's youth group. We had wonderful fellowship and a great steak dinner with them. They had a real cute white fuzzy dog named Arlie. Josh and Arlie had lots of fun together. It is so much fun to get to know many of the fine people in Chip's church.

After VBS on Wednesday, the three of us went to Cheeburger Cheeburger with Chip and were also in the company of Chip's friend who is also his intern at church and his girlfriend. (Andrew and Angela). After lunch, Chip returned to work and Grandpa Richard and I took Josh to visit Huntsville's Space and Rocket Center. He loved it!!

Capshaw didn't have church on Wednesday night because so many adults and all of the kids were involved in Bible School, BUT Chip still had his Student Ministry Worship Service. We went and enjoyed the service. We got to hear the student praise band, and then Chip preached. It was a wonderful service with their student auditorium packed out.

On Thursday after VBS, Chip had a lunch (ministry) appointment so we went back to his house and had lunch there. We met back up with Chip at the church at 6:00 for the "Family Night" at VBS which was held in their Student Life Center. Again, it was a good time to meet and get to know some folks.

Friday was the last day of VBS. We were tired, but it was a "good" tired as it was a great week of ministry. Preparation~~Dedication~~Decoration~~Presentation~~ the VBS was the best I had ever seen and we thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it.

We left Huntsville after lunch with Chip at Friday (went to a Japanese Hibachi Restaurant and always enjoy their meals) and got home at 8:30 p.m. Brian and Amy had us over for a piece of apple pie. It was so good to see the family!! Belle and Jarrett were away at camp when we left to go to Huntsville so we hadn't seen them since that Sunday on May 25 when the family took us to the airport to fly up to Anchorage. Boy, it was good to see those kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After missing 4 weeks at our church, it was a blessing to be back today to see our brothers-and-sisters-in-Christ and to hear our dear Pastor Jackson.

Here are a few pics from last week:

Chip's group of 5th/6th graders on Monday at VBS. The number grew during the week:

The "yellow" team (one of four groups) in Chip's class competing in a relay race:

Having lunch with Chip, Andrew and Angela at Cheeburger Cheeburger:

Josh at the Space and Rocket Center listening to our tour guide as Grandpa listens, too:

Josh on the last day of VBS with Phillip, one of his VBS teachers. The boy in the green shirt is Michael, Josh's new Capshaw friend and the little boy who lost his mother on Mother's Day weekend.

Our "farewell lunch" with Chip on Friday before we returned home:

HAIRCUT BUDS!!

Josh went with Grandpa and me to spend the week at Uncle Chip's house and to attend VBS there. One day after VBS and after lunch, Chip decided he needed a haircut., Josh decided he wanted a haircut like his Uncle Chip's. I called Amy and asked if that would be okay and received her permission for Josh to get his hair cut.

Josh was one proud kid and loved looking a bit like his Uncle Chip:

We're Home.............

We have spent all but 2 days of the past month on the road celebrating Richard's retirement. We had a fabulous time with John and Jeanette on our 2-week Princess Land Tour and Cruise in Alaska. At the conclusion of the cruise, we spent another day and evening in Vancouver, BC and took in the sights. Richard and I then rented a car and drove down to Bellingham, WA ~~ the town where my mother was born, grew up, and lived until a handsome sailor whisked her away after a brief courtship. Richard and I met six of my mom's first cousins ~~ all girls ~~ and people that my mom never knew. We saw the high school from which she graduated in 1939, the cemetery where my grandparents are buried, and just enjoyed our visit immensely. At the end of our trip, we spent a day in Seattle (froze to death!) before flying home and arriving the evening of the 12th. On the 14th, we took off for Huntsville to spend a week with our son, Chip, and to work in the VBS at Capshaw this week. What a fabulous time we had!!! I think we heard Chip speak some 7 times and watched some young people's lives transformed during the week of VBS as he taught the kids who had just completed the 5th and 6th grades. We returned home from Huntsville last night.

It was so good to see Brian, Amy, and the kids upon our return. We had had Josh with us all week so I know it was grand for their family to be reunited. We enjoy Josh immensely and he had a wonderful time at VBS.

We had to re-enter the real world this morning with a trip to the grocery store to get some things for our empty refrigerator!!!

We are excited to now be able to get into a good "retirement routine" as we find our new rhythm of life. We want to enter into more ministry and finish strong in this life.

As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz: "There's no place like home!!"

Back on This Blog But Still Out of Town

Good Morning from Capshaw, Alabama , which is located in the greater Huntsville area. We had one day at home after our 2-1/2 week trip to Alaska and then took off to come up here to visit Chip and help in their Vacation Bible School this week. Our 9-year-old grandson, Josh, is with us as he is our only elementary-age grandchild and therefore able to attend VBS.

We arrived on Saturday at 4:00 and that evening went to dinner with Chip at PF Chang ~~ a fabulous restaurant. On Sunday (Father's Day), we had a wonderful church service which began with Chip baptizing 8 new converts. We had never witnessed Chip performing a baptism so that was a huge blessing for his dad and me. We had a lovely Father's Day lunch and a nice relaxing afternoon. Capshaw didn't have church on Sunday night but we were invited over to the Smith home. When we were last here on what was Mother's Day weekend, a dear lady in the church passed away. Pastor Zach and Chip were there in the home with the family when Sandy passed. The Smiths have 2 teenagers and Chip has been a real help and encouragement to them during this month since their mother's passing. Anyway, we were invited over and went to watch some of the NBA game with George and his family. What a dear Godly man and 3 precious kids who miss their wife and mama. The little Smith guy is Josh's age. It was great that Josh could make a friend and know a friendly face on Monday morning at VBS. And that's exactly what happened~~~ Michael and Josh hooked up and enjoy the Monday VBS session.

After Bible School and then lunch at "Dip and Dog," which is a new deli and ice-cream shop very near Chip's house, the 3 of us returned to Chip's house. He had a noon to 7:00 p.m. outing with his teenagers. On his way back home on Monday evening, he brought pizza home for our dinner. We enjoyed some fellowship with him and then all went to bed.

Tuesday morning....... we came to the church an hour before VBS to start so that I could get online (first time since last Saturday morning!). I hope to have time today to upload some more of our Alaskan Trip pics. I have been posting them here as well as on my www.northtoalaskaandbackagain.com/ blog. I do hope to have time to work on those today if we can hang out here at Chip's church after VBS.

Gotta get ready for VBS. Richard is doing the audio/visuals for Chip's class of 5th and 6th graders and today I am serving their refreshments. FUN!!!!!!!!

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

HOME FROM OUR TRIP!

We had never been gone from home for 2-1/2 weeks before, and it is good to be home tonight! I will be back to writing some "Susan's Stuff" ~~ enjoying God's blessing of Richard's retirement, our family, and our friends. We look forward to seeing what God has in store for this season of our lives. Feel free to take a peek every now and again to see what is going on from my perspective.

Blessings,
Susan

We Are Having a Great Time in Alaska!

The trip is fantastic... If you want to read our journaling along the way, the URL for that blog is northtoalaskaandbackagain.blogspot.com. ~~Susan

PACKED UP AND READY TO GO!!!

We are 99% packed and 100% excited to be taking off in the morning. Brian, Amy, and the kids are going to drive us to the airport at 7:30 on Sunday morning. It surely will be hard to say good-bye to them, but we know the 2 weeks will fly by and we'll be back home before we know it.

We have a blog in the works that we hope to be able to keep up and journal our trip as we go. The URL for that one is http://northtoalaskaandbackagain.blogspot.com/. We'd be honored to have some "air-chair travelers" along with us. Feel free to bookmark that blog and check back. And please, please, please PRAY for us ~~ and we'll be praying for our family and friends everywhere.

North to Alaska!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PRINCIPAL AMY

Amy ~~ our 32-year-old daughter. Wife, mother of four, and principal of hundreds. What a joy it has been to watch Amy's life unfold and to see her excel in both spectrums of her life. After teaching for 9 or 10 years, she was promoted to principal of grades 4-6 a year ago and just today completed her first year as in that position. I'm sure there were many struggles along the way because that is the nature of a new job, but I never heard her say one negative thing about her job. I did hear her say countless times how much she was enjoying it.

The Grandkids came home with their yearbooks a few days ago. When I finally got to thumb through one, I was struck by Amy's lovely "portrait" near the front of the book. My little girl ~~ all grown up ~~ a professional woman, but more importantly, a Godly woman.

I post her picture tonight in thanksgiving to God that He blessed her first year as principal. She has to work next week (to close out everything for the summer) and then will have 6 weeks off~~ 2 with Brian and their kids and then 4 as mommy-of-the-day while Brian works at his equally fascinating job this summer. I know Amy will enjoy setting aside her professional hat and wearing her favorite hat~~ that of full-time wife and mother for a few weeks.

Get the loose ends tied up next week, Amy, and come home to 6 weeks of family fun and blessing. May God richly bless you and yours, my Darling Daughter.

Love,
Mother