7 years

So here we are at 7 years...a house, 2 kids, Jeff now tenured faculty at UA, I'm part time at UAB, still pressing on at Hunter Street, growing, learning, navigating the ups and downs of life...Key: Together with God's help. I can't imagine life any other way with anyone else! Happy Anniversary, Jeff! As we say everyday, "you are my gift!". We celebrated by a nice dinner at Satterfields in Cahaba Heights and a stroll around Vulcan and dessert.

Mother's Day

I love Mother's Day! Makes me give thanks for my mom, grandmothers, mother-in-law, and all those who no matter the age have given me wisdom along the way! We headed to Baton Rouge to celebrate Mother's Day and it included a trip to the zoo, church with a nice lunch, visit to Mike the Tiger AND - I got to shop alone and out to dinner with Jeff! Lots packed into a weekend but loaded with fun. The funniest was watching Claire and Joel attempt to Cajun dance while we were all out to eat on Saturday night: PRICELESS!!!

Photo Shoot

Thanks to our friend Lisa Townes who knows our kids and how to catch their smiles! Here's Joel at age 2 and Claire at 4.5 years old...

Claire's First Dance Recital

She was beautiful and adorable to watch! She has been taking dance from "The Children's Dance Foundation" since January from Mrs. Stephanie and has loved it! Sweet girls she has danced with this year! They performed the end of the year recital to a poem called "The Owl and the Pussycat" at the historal Alabama Theatre. Beautiful setting for beautiful dancers to show their talents. Thanks to YaYa and Jim for coming to cheer her on! Here's a few pics of her big debut and her very proud family! Bravo, sweet Claire!

Vision Games 2015

Claire has been taking Gymnastics for about 2 years now! She particpated in the Vision Games today. She was great! We were super proud of her. Here's a couple of clips and a pic...she has been taking gymnastics with Katie, Caroline and Alice (not pictured) since they started together 2 years ago. Sweet friends!

Spring Time in the back yard

Easter Pics and Ponderances

My Easter Ponderance this year stemmed from the Palm Sunday Sermon preached by our pastor, Buddy Gray. It was probably the best Palm Sunday Sermon I have ever heard. I highly encourage you to listen: Palm Sunday Sermon He talked about the 3 hours from noon to about 3pm in the afternoon when Jesus hung on the cross...the time of complete darkness that fell on the earth...the time when Jesus was bearing the wrath of all our sin (past present and future) and the sins of all mankind. It was the only sacrifice sufficent to satisfy the need we had to cleanse our sins and obtain the perfection needed for us to be restored to relationship with God for all eternity ..the initial sin beginning in the garden of Eden and mostly likely for me personally - the moment I breathed my first breath outside my mother's womb! Back to the 3 hours...It was the time when the Father had to separate from the Son because He could not look on sin...Must have been horrific! But the time came and Jesus said, "Into your hand I Commit my spirit"...and He gave up his Life...The wrath was born...the relationship restored based on this communication and the sacrfice complete...I pondered that 3 hours surely did not seem to be very long to bear the wrath of sin of every human being for all past, present an future...seems like it should take much longer than that...but now that I'm a parent, I'm betting 3 hours was about as long as the Father could stand it to be away from His Son and was ready for the relationship to be restored! A 3 hours that felt like eternity to both of them I'm sure! Thanks be to God for the Empty Tomb and His indescribable Gift!!