Back to School Ice Cream Social

Our church prays for each student and teacher, and all the support personnel as the new school year begins.  This has been a tradition for several years.  Different men, involved in schools somehow, take turns praying for preschoolers, elementary kids, junior high and high school kids, college kids, and all those who work with them.

John was given the assignment last night to pray for the homeschoolers.  As "principal" of our school here at our house, he was qualified as a school leader and prayed for the small group of homeschoolers at our church.

At the end, we have an ice cream social!  Or, as the preacher put it, "Let's get these kids sugared up for school in the morning!"  (paraphrased, but that's pretty close to what Bro. Frank said!)

Luci with Rachel.  I told Luci to "sit still!" and this is what I got.

 Betty scooping up her homemade ice cream.  It was great!

Luci looking too grown up in her mod dress.

Luci with Lyric

JT even stood still for me!

And the happy (?) JT with Bryan this morning, on the first day of a new college year.  JT's taking a dual-enrollment course, which means he is still in high school and the course counts for both college and high school.  Pretty neat!  Bryan is ready for his new year of study, or maybe he's just fooling his mama. 

I think it's pretty nice that they both still pose for me.

Here is the very first time Bryan posed for me:  His very first day of Kindergarten in 1997:

and now he's almost as tall as that hutch! 

Sometimes, at least one of my children needs a reminder that I am a real teacher (okay, sometimes I need that reminder, too!):

Notice that it says it does not expire--it is a teaching certificate for life.  Texas quit giving those out not long after I got this.  So thankful to have it!

How we are helping...

You can help, too!  Check out this site from our church:

Turning Point Ministry

Check out these sites, too:

Samaritan's Purse

Josh Willingham Foundation

Red Cross

Here is what we've been busy with this week.

First, we took items to our church--that was Thursday, immediately after the tornadoes. Here is Luci with Rhett (Josh and Ginger Willingham's oldest--no relation to us, but we'd be happy to claim them).

Bryan went to Tuscaloosa with a group from our church.  This was yesterday, Monday.  Here are some shots he took with his cell phone.   Here is some furniture the guys brought down.

 Do you remember seeing the Tide--Loads of Hope commercials about Hurricane Katrina?  Bryan was happy to see Tide set up here, too.

Getting items ready for give-away.

Bryan's group had to come home the "long way."  Normally it is a two-and-a-half hour trip down to Tuscaloosa from our town.  Straight down, through some of the worst-hit areas.  Since there is a curfew on many of the roads between here and Tuscaloosa, they had to come home the "long way"--it took an extra hour.  Bryan got home after 9 pm.  Thank you, Randall, for dropping Bryan off on your way home instead of taking him all the way into town to church.  That saved us a 50-minute round trip to town to pick him up.

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Today we went to the Friendship Center at our church to help sort and put away things.  Lots of things that people are donating are just useless to folks out in the field--come on, people, why on earth are you bringing WINTER clothing?  Summer is almost here, and this is HOT and HUMID Alabama.  THINK, People!  Also, don't bring worn-out things, or dirty items!  Please THINK.

So, we put away winter clothing and hung up other items.  Luci worked harder than she ever has, and did a very good job. JT helped her some, when she would let him (where does she get this stubborn streak?).  (these were taken with my cell phone)

 Mrs. Diane (in the background) got the men to build some hanging racks to fit in this new trailer (bought by these men!  WOW) and Mrs. Diane set up a "store."  Tomorrow morning, she and several others are heading out to Hatton Community to give out children's clothing.  Later they will go back with clothing for adults. 

 Some of the men who worked on the shelves.  They are taking it easy now, but they really worked hard, and did a fantastic job.  John (on the right) supervised--he is having surgery on his shoulder tomorrow and can't do much right now.

 Of course, Sonny had to get silly.  Here he is right before he sneaked up on the others. 

Today has been hard on Luci.  It has been raining all morning.  Pouring at times--we got over an inch of rain today (totaling more than 8.40 inches since last Monday!).  Today John was going to meet us at the church building and take Luci with him to go shopping (Mother's Day is coming!).  Luci would not leave my side.  She cried, and cried, and cried.  She was worried that something bad would happen to me, or to her, while we were apart.  The weather was scary to her.  We reassured her that it was only rain, that the weathermen (all of them!) said NO TORNADOES today.  Prayed with her.  Nothing helped.   So she stayed with me and worked with me while John had to wait until I was done--he waited over two hours as I hung up clothes.  (I think he enjoyed the male companionship in the other part of the Center, though.)  By the time we left the Center, it was just sprinkling hard and she willingly got into John's truck.  I got to go home by myself.

Christmas 2010

Our church's Christmas party was last Sunday. 

John and JT



Luci before going on stage

Luci, Heather and Rachel

Waving to her adoring fans

Luci with Rachel W.

So happy it's over!  Luci was very nervous on stage.

A really great compliment

After soccer today, John stopped to visit with Jerry, a member at Cross Point. Jerry told John that, "Sometimes kids, especially boys, don't do very well when Dad's gone. Your boys came through great. They are wonderful kids."

John told Jerry that it was me having them toe the line.

So, Thanks, John and Jerry! You both made my day.

How Many Kings?

Do you believe, is this who we've waited for?

How many kings stepped down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

How many gods have poured out their hearts to romance a world that has torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Only one did that for me.

All for me.

All for you.



This is one of the songs that was sung at the church Christmas party last night. I have never heard it before last night. It's my new favorite song.

Christmas Parties

We've been to several Christmas parties this month--Families with Children from China (the pictures from that are on my other computer, and I don't have access to them right now), JT's Tang Soo Do party (no photos of that), the boys' teen church party, our church party tonight, and the homeschool party last Friday. Whew! I was just thinking tonight that I sure don't get out much. I don't, but my children do. So that means I do get out quite a bit. Just as a chauffeur.

Here is our church party tonight. The kids (3 year olds through 6th grade) did a little program. Luci's down there on the front row. What? You can't see her?
Is this better? She spotted me and gave me a big grin. But first, she stuck her tongue out at her brothers who were down front taking pictures for me.
What Christmas party would be complete without the crazed mother, trying to get everyone in place on time?? John called halfway through the party, telling me he was just about to leave his compound to start his trip home. So nice to talk to him! Another reason to love cell phones. But it didn't calm me down any--the trip from compound to the airport is the most dangerous part of the trip. Which explains why I am up so late doing the blog...so I can keep checking the news online, like a ghoul, to see if there's any news out of his area. So far, so good. Maybe after Wednesday I won't feel compelled to check the news so often. I sure hope so.
Homeschool party--we went to a place called "Forest Jumps." Luci's in there somewhere.
They have these big climbing things to play on.
Kalyn came, too! It was so nice to visit with Kathy.
JT played some games during the party. . .and Bryan acted like a teenager.
On the way to our house in the country is this home. They have their yard covered with shiny things. It's lots of fun to look at, and this is only about half of what they have! The lights are timed with music, and you can turn your car radio to the right station and listen.

The song that was playing when we were there was "Mary, Did You Know?" One of the lines goes like this:

Mary, did you know
that when you kissed your little baby
You kissed the face of God?

I said, "Wow. Those are some powerful words."

Luci said, "Did she have Power Kisses?"

Cookie Sale for Missions

Tonight was our annual cookie sale at CrossPoint. The proceeds go towards foreign missions--this year, to help out our missionary family in Australia. Imagine about 100 kids selling cookies, milk and water to 300 or more parents and friends. It is lots of fun! And a great bedtime snack, too.
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Luci selling cookies with her class. One dollar per bag. She made sure to touch most of the dollars that were spent at her table. She would not get up until all the cookies were sold. I was impressed with her perseverance. She was hanging on for quite a while. Finally I bought the last three bags and then she got up.

Buying cookies for herself.

Look what I got!

Bryan and JT made a good haul, too.

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I got a haircut and perm today. I told Rita,my hairdresser, to do what she wanted: just don't change the hair color. Luci's reaction was not good. She pointed at my head and said, "What is it?! Can you take off the wiggly parts and make it flat again? How will you sleep? Is that a wig?" It did inspire her to paint my portrait...the real me is on the left.
(It's purple lipstick. Not my usual shade.)

CrossPoint Fellowship

We had a big devotional/hamburger cook-out/sprinkler party Wednesday night with our church. Lots of fun! (Feingold families--Bryan grabbed that Vault drink and started guzzling before I could catch him. Everything else there seemed to be Feingold safe, except for the cookies that were served.)

Luci and very good friend Cole.

There were about 100 kids playing on this soccer field--TONS of fun! Luci and Cole in the foreground.

JT and Bryan with two young ladies....the boys have no idea that I "caught" them talking to females.

Luci...in her Army Kid hat. I tried to get another shot of her without that spot of light on her face, but every other photo came out blurry.

It was so fun! The breeze Wednesday night made it feel cold to this drippy princess.