Is it REALLY August?

Well it's been a long long time blog friends.  I can't believe that tomorrow is the first day of August.  With school starting August 18, it feels like summer is pretty much over. I have been serving in Haskins for two years now...how time flies!  I will be 35 on Sunday!  What's wrong with this picture?  

Meh.  All in all things are just fine.  It's been a wonderfully busy summer and I intend to keep it that way to the very last moment.  

The Wedding and Trip Home

The wedding, which was the reason for our trip, was a wonderful event.  We were grateful to be included in the rehearsal dinner on Friday evening and were able to catch up with member's of Kathy and Barry's families we hadn't seen since we moved from North Carolina.  Andrew and Lindsay (the groom and bride) were glowing the whole weekend. 

On Saturday we took the boys to the Dallas Train Museum and the Planetarium.  Both were excellent and we enjoyed them very much.  We had an authentic Mexican lunch at a restaurant we found while driving around and were serenaded by a Mariachi band while we ate.  

The wedding was at the Dallas City Center Saturday evening.  Once we navigated to the correct parking lot and found our way to the elevators, we made it to the wedding.  It was wonderful.  I was so proud of Kathy presiding at her son's wedding without losing it once!  Everyone and everything was just beautiful.  The reception was in the same building, but on the 42nd floor! The view of the city at night was stunning!  We had a great time eating, drinking, and dancing. There was an impromptu performance of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody that was not to be missed.  We made it until a little after 11PM and the boys were getting tired so we called it a night.  

Sunday morning we enjoyed brunch with the wedding party again at the hotel in which we were staying.  The food and company were wonderful.  We said our "see ya soon's" and hit the road for home.  Unfortunately by early afternoon Caleb and I both had a fever and were starting to feel pretty rough.  I'm still not sure what bug we got especially since I was already taking antibiotics.  Alas, we got home just in time for the 10 inches of snow that landed here.  Caleb seems back to normal and I am getting there.  Aside from the last minute sickness it was a fantastic trip.  

Thursday and Friday

Our travels yesterday brought us to Duncanville, Texas around 3PM.  We went to Cheryl's cousin's home.  Marlin gave us a quick tour of the Wycliffe Bible Translators facility where he works.  What awesome work they are doing to spread the good news to people around the globe in their native languages.  Amazing!

We then all loaded up and went to the historic Ft. Worth Stockyards for the cattle drive.  It was very cool.  Real cowboys and long horn cattle being driven down the street.  We learned a lot of interesting history at the visitor's center and walked around the rest of the area.

We ate supper and had coffee with Marlin and Denise and then headed into downtown Dallas to our hotel.  We stopped in Kathy and Barry's room to see the wedding party for a few minutes and then went on up to our room and headed to bed for the night.  Cole was not feeling great last night, but seems to be fine this morning. 

We are headed out in a few for some breakfast and then off the Dallas Aquarium.  

Headed South

We spent last night in Texarkana.  We will arrive in Dallas later today and have plans to see the daily cattle drive at the Stockyards this afternoon.  

It has been a fun trip.  We left Sunday afternoon from home and drove to Louisville, KY (actually Sellersburg, IN just across the river) to my brother's where we spent Sunday and Monday night.  Daytime Monday was spent visiting my brother's restaurant, The Main Eatery, on Main Street in Louisville, and seeing the sights within just a few blocks. 

The Louisville Slugger factory is there, as well as the riverfront with the big paddle boats including the Belle of Louisville that has a huge calliope that plays every hour.  We spent a good part of the day in the Louisville Science Museum having a wonderful adventure.  Cole was very upset when it was time to leave.

Tuesday we continued our trek Southward making a stop at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.  We all thought it was very cool to be so far underground and to listen to our echo.  We stopped in Jackson, Tennesee at the Casey Jones Train Museum and ate dinner at his restaurant.  Tuesday night was spent on the NE side of Memphis.  We went swimming in the hotel pool before bed and again in the morning before we left.  

Wednesday we went into Memphis and walked around Beale Street and went to see the ducks in the fountain at the Peabody Hotel.  We ate lunch on Beale street at a restaurant named "Pig."  I had the house specialty ribs that were quite tasty.  We waved as we passed by Little Rock and made our way to Texarkana.

It's been a fun adventure so far, and we have so many plans for Dallas.  I'm not sure how we are going to fit everything in along with all the wedding activities, but we're going to try!

Thanks Dr. Bill

Last weekend I was honored to become the Godfather of Evan James Stutz, my best friend's baby boy.  The baptism was at St. Luke's Methodist Church in Orlando.  The place was huge!  It has a glorious pipe organ, one of the handbell choirs rang, it was marvelous.  Evan didn't fuss a bit during the baptism.  "Dr. Bill," the Senior Pastor preached a wonderful sermon.  It was really a blessing to just be in worship, and to feel like I was worshipping.  Often when I go to worship somewhere it is to find out what others are doing in worship or there is some other purpose.  I have a great deal of difficulty turning off my "third eye" that is always analyzing and often prevents me from just worshipping.  It was a real gift.

Catching up

I'm constantly amazed at how quickly time flies.  I couldn't believe how much time elapsed since my last post. The holidays were a great joy.  Watching Caleb and Cole at the various family Christmas celebrations was a hoot to say the least.  It was great to spend time with family, and for the New Year, to reconnect with some friends of old that I had lost touch with. 

The webmaster for the congregation's website is working on some updates for the new year. We are starting a blog started at blog.stpaulhaskins.org.  Posts there will mostly be congregation related...prayer requests, announcements, devotional thoughts, etc. Nothing is posted yet, but feel free to bookmark it and see where it goes.  

On January 2nd I took my sister Jacki to Chicago to see Wicked.  We had a GREAT day.  I had seen the show in NYC last summer, and this cast was just as good.  Not to mention, by PURE LUCK we got tickets in the 4th row center stage.  I could count the threads in the actor's costumes.  WOW! Jacki is a long time Wizard of Oz lover, so when I drew her name for Christmas I knew this was the trip we had to make. My friend Vicki often makes reference to Wicked as a source of inspiration and transformation in her life.  I agree.  I get it.  Jacki loved it.  We were both "changed for good!"

I am working hard this week to get two weeks worth of work done.  Next Tuesday to Thursday I am at the Synod's pastor conference.  Thursday night Cheryl and I deliver the boys to Grandma and Grandpa in Columbus and then fly to Orlando for the weekend so I can become the Godfather for little Evan Stutz.  I can't wait!

Thanks Mom

Well today is the seventh anniversay of my Mom's sudden and unexpected death.  I remember that day so clearly.  I have been having a really difficult week emotionally.  With the news about Randy earlier this week and other life circumstances... I have been dreading this day all week long.  But...God is good all the time...and with several inches of snow and ice everything is cancelled.  Instead of struggling through leading worship and trying to not look miserable, I get to spend the day home with Cheryl and the boys and look out my window and enjoy how beautiful it is.  I think it's a gift from Mom.  She always took care of me.  I miss you and love you.