belated celebration

We actually had two special events in the month of June that I failed to write about, and I'm remedying one of those now.

It hardly seems possible that 20 years ago on the 13th of this month, I traveled to University Hospital in Augusta, GA to give birth to my 2nd child. We went to the hospital with the name Heather Brooke picked out, and left with a Stevie Dawn instead. I'm glad....it suits her.

She has grown into a wonderful young woman. She is funny and happy most of the time. She is so talented that my prayer for her is that she will one day wake up to the fact that she is indeed worthy of the praise offered on her behalf. She is very discerning about people...which basically means that she can see right through phoniness..that's right, folks...you think you are fooling her, but you're not. She just plays along with your little games and then laughs about them later!

We were in the mountains while we celebrated, and while she wanted to eat at the Dixie Stampede (they were sold out) she "settled" for Hard Rock Cafe in Gatlinburg. We had a great time, and I hope she lets us celebrate her for years to come!

Happy Birthday, my sweet girl! It's my pleasure to be your mom.

blogstipation

 I can avoid it no more! I have blogstipation. I don't even come to my own blog that much lately because I feel so guilty for not writing. I can't really find any inspiration these days. We did have a good vacation. One day, I'll finish the pictures!

I had training two days this week, and then I've pretty much slept the rest of the week away. Since I don't want this to be a blog about living with that which shall not be named.....I don't really have anything to write about.

Church is good, family is good, work is good (of course, it is summer!)......it's all good!

I hope you are all good. One day, this blogstipation will go away....or maybe I'll be forced to take a laxative for the brain, and things will go back to normal!

our river rats

we're all sticky

Having a great time making and eating s'mores!

cleaning

I hate it. Junk just seems to pile up, especially when we are exceptionally busy. So, I've spent the last week cleaning out closets, drawers, and bookshelves. Our youth group is having a yard sale on Saturday, and I've already sent about ten boxes over for them to have for it. I bet I can conjure up another five or six before I'm done. What happens if I don't get finished before Saturday? Well, the band is having a yard sale, too so they will benefit as well.

It seems like the more I clean, the more there is to clean. Dust just seems to descend on us....it's kinda ridiculous! However, it must be done. Have you seen that show Hoarders? I watched it once, and it freaked me out. I cannot imagine having so much stuff that I can't walk or couldn't get out of my house in case of fire. With all the stuff those people have, their houses have to be a fire hazard.

Houses aren't the only things that have to be cleaned, though. Sometimes we have to clean out our minds and our hearts. Have you ever let bitterness, sadness, or anger just wear you down until your mind was cluttered and you couldn't think rationally? Or so clouded that your prayer life suffered? It happens to everyone. We get something on our mind and it begins to take over our thought processes until it is all we can think about. Isn't it much better to just give things to God and let him tackle the tough issues for you? Kind of like cleaning,  do a little every day and it won't pile up. Give things to God immediately, and He will command your thoughts.

may, in a nutshell

Ahhh...can you hear it? It's the sweet smell of summer vacation! That's right, folks, school is done for another year and the next couple of months are mine. We did have some fun and not-so-fun occurances during the month of May, however, that I would be remiss if I didn't mention. Since today is the last day of May, I guess the time should be now.

The number one great thing that happened was that Stevie got her driver's license. Yep, the state of SC couldn't keep her down NO more...parallel parking and all....she got it. She was so happy, and so were we! It has certainly made our jobs as parent-chauffeur much easier.

Luke and his friend, Sidney, did a duet at some band thing and were rated "superior" which is the highest possible. So, yeah! Luke! He also received a medal for outstanding performance at honor's night at the high school.

Closing the library for the year was more intense than I imagined it would be. However, I will be able to start fresh and anew without the mess I walked into this past August. We got everything cleaned up and ready for a great start.

Unfortunately, Steve ran over our dog...although I believe she actually committed suicide by jumping in front of the van--I just don't think she could take the heat (it's like a thousand degrees here already!). But, that was sad news and we had an impromptu funeral. The kids were upset, and so were Steve and I; she had actually turned into a good little pet. She was still overly destructive, but she was cute and loveable. We have the worst luck ever with pets! So, RIP, Dixie.

We're looking forward to enjoying our summer. Trying to decide where we are going on vacation has been interesting, and in less than two weeks....we will be embarking somewhere...have NO idea where, though!

It's good to be back in the blogging world........see you soon!

And the band played on

The Band that Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic 

I requested this book to review because I've always found the Titanic and its tragic story to be intriguing. Everyone who's seen the movie or studied the story knows that the band played on while the ship sank. They provided entertainment and solace for those who knew that the end was coming.

The author, Steve Turner, researched this phenomenal group and wrote this book about a them. They are a group that could have been pushed to the side as "just part of the help", but with this story and the factual accounts that ensue; one learns the harsh reality that was theirs.

There are moments of extreme tediousness when the facts seem to interfere with the structure of the story. They tend to make the book a tad boring in places. I generally just skipped over those parts and read the chapters I was most interested in. Each band member is given a section along with their employers. Turner also speculates on the cause of the sinking of the Titanic. I believe that if  you enjoy this story and like factual accounts, you will enjoy this book.