27 YEARS AGO...

Our latest reunion in Little Rock, Arkansas, at RIVERFEST!

we were all in a "PREPARING FOR MARRIAGE" class on Wednesday nights at church. We were encouraged by the teachers to continue to get together for Bible study or in some manner after the class was over. We all got married in 1983, and did just that. We have vivid memories of our first get-togethers, in small houses and apartments, with our little bits of furniture and trying out new dessert recipes on each other. Those Bible studies were loosely organized, but we formed unbreakable bonds, even as couples moved away. We have 12 children between us now and are watching them leave our nests, one by one. After our first get together at a nearby resort long ago, we eventually met up for vacations in Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, South Carolina, Washington D.C., and New York!!!

What a blessing to have other couples near our age that share a love of God and the church and commitment to marriage! I would strongly encourage you to actively seek out other couples that share these things with you and your spouse to hold you accountable and create a climate of positive growth for each other!



The men enjoying Sour Cream and Onion CRICKETS at The Flying Fish in Little Rock, AR!


Some of our kids, some friends, enjoying pizza in Little Rock!

DON'T THINK "IT'LL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME..."

So yeah. Don't know if you heard on the news or saw it in the paper today but a student at my son's middle school was arrested for threatening students and bringing knives and brass knuckles to school.

My son's response? "OH, THAT'S ____ ______. He stood by me in the concert the other night."

WHAT?!?!?!

So you want to know my response? Well I wish it would have been to pray for that kid, but my first thought was to remind my son to BE KIND TO EVERYONE. DON'T MAKE ENEMIES. THEY MIGHT KILL YOU! This comes on the heels of a similar incident at my nephew's school in Marble Falls, Texas. But it was a loaded gun and we're talking 3rd grade. 3RD GRADE. We're talking middle class America, in the Bible belt. There's a lot of confused people out there. One scripture comes to mind...

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, I THESSALONIANS 5:17

LIFE'S SCARY - PRAY HARD.

ENDANGERED SPECIES...

When my youngest had a bunch of friends over recently, I just had to laugh when I saw all of their bikes laying in the grass! And again, (SORRY!) I am reminded that the next birthday for many of these boys is #15....and you know what that means...

TREASURE IN A SPIRAL...

I can't tell you how many spirals we have in this house!!! Many of them with lots and lots of good paper still left in them. Seems like the teachers want them for every subject. GRRR...and of course my kids want a brand new one when starting a new school year. (I think I just figured out another thing to do this summer; rip out all the good paper in the half-used spirals and put them into a 3 ring binder) But going thru my son's photos and mounds of precious school work for his senior night table, I came across this in a spiral. I think it was written in 4th-5th grade.

WHAT A TREASURE!

MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY TOPIC...

SEXTING!!! I let him skip school today...I don't know if that was the right decision or not. But when he told me what this special all-day assembly was going to be about, I was a little put off that we as parents weren't notified. Er...were we? Maybe it just didn't make it out of the backpack. Anyway, If you see a few middle school boys playing hooky today, you know why. All of them ganged up on me last night in the car and promised me they had no problem with that particular problem and would never do it. I think I'll say a little prayer right now...

THE REAL REASON SHE CHOSE ITALY...

GELATO! Yes, one of the first pics in from my girl in Florence! I wondered why she chose Italy when HU offers seven different overseas programs...but anyway, she is getting settled in and enjoying it!

BON VOYAGE II...

This one is NOT about my child going on trip, but embarking on a new adventure...new life...exciting, new, EXPENSIVE challenges...GRADUATION from high school and looking forward to college.


I now have 2 high school graduates! Here's some fun stuff from the festivities!

BON VOYAGE...

Here's a pic of our college girl so you don't forget what she looks like...she'll be in Italy all summer earning college credit and traipsing around the country! Have fun sweet girl, the dishwasher will be ready for you to unload in August!

THIS MADE MY DAY...

SAD BUT TRUE! Doesn't take much to please us moms. After serving dinner amid the tornado warnings, I was getting ready to clean up and thought, " Oh, boy, gotta UNLOAD that dishwasher before I can RELOAD it. I had forgotten that my dear daughter who is home from college for a few days had unloaded it earlier. I hadn't asked her, she just DID. Anyway, lamenting my chore, I opened up the dishwasher to see it empty. I did the fist pump and said, "YES!" My 14 year old son looked over from the computer and said, "WHAT?" as I'm rejoicing, doing a little dance around the kitchen. "THE DISHWASHER IS ALREADY EMPTIED! SHE DID IT!" To which he replied, "Oh, I guess that says something about us, huh?" Ummmmm, yes...or about me as a mother not getting after you enough to do your chores...

LEADING LADIES...

Been taking a trip down memory lane lately with my graduating senior! Friendships come and go, and I can truly say they've all been a blessing. Wow! Has he had a LOT of GIRL FRIENDS!!! Thought you might enjoy seeing how some of these friendships have matured through the years: PLAYGROUP BUDDIES, SENIOR NIGHT AT MRCC



Brooke and Weston's comedy has been cracking me up for years! The students at EMHS agree, as they voted them "Most comedic" girl and boy this year.



FROM CAMPS TO CRUCIBLE, THEY'VE BEEN WOWING AUDIENCES EVER SINCE!

FRIENDS AND PERFORMERS TOGETHER SINCE 9TH GRADE, BETHANY AND WESTON WERE AWARDED OUTSTANDING MALE AND FEMALE VOCALISTS AT EMHS FOR 2010!

WOW. That took me a while but since I consider this a scrapbook of sorts, it was worth it!

VIVE LA MOUR...

Just close your eyes...no, really. The video was taken by a really shaky-handed person. Not me, obviously! But just listen to the wonderful sounds of the Edmond Memorial High School Boys Chorus at their concert Tuesday night. Seriously, you won't think this is high school. But it is! Check out the awesome soloist at the beginning. I won't be able to say that for a while - I have no idea what he'll want to do in college. So just let me say that, will ya? The end is near...

IN THE TRASH TODAY...

Can you guess? You can see they are about the size of my car tire...one of the few things we had left from the 70's in this house.

LEAKY VESSELS...

Yes, I know, I know, last week I wrote about how MY CUP OVERFLOWS...and now LEAKY VESSELS?




I've been reading a marriage book, LOVE AND WAR, by John and Staci Eldredge. They reminded me of a concept I had not thought of in a long time.

WE ARE ALL LEAKY VESSELS.

No matter what we think will fill us up, it slowly leaks out and we desire more. I run races, plan events, go on vacations, enjoy my children, and what do I want? MORE...It happens with our marriages too.

Let's face it - we are insatiable. We have in each of us a famished craving. An aching void. A returning hunger. If we are not aware of this, and if we don't know how to handle it, our insatiability will do a lot of damage.

The authors remind men that they can have the best sex, but want it again the next morning. Women can have the most intimate conversation, deep soul connection, but want it again the next day. We are all leaky vessels. But there is some good news! Our heavenly Father is like a continual fountain...an everlasting fountain...one that will never fail. There is HOPE!

Psalm 36:9 FOR YOU ARE THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE...