Just Thinking

Packing...

is really kinda sad. My room that I've spent the better years of my life investing in is being taken apart. I find trinkets of my life past. A strand of long blond hair on my dusty letter jacket, haha not a girls but my own long blond hair. My stuffed animal rabbit who I've had since the day I was born comes off the shelf and is the only old friend to come travel with me to a newer life. Funny that how a simple object like that can be overlooked for months at a time, but now as I bring him down to my level he fills my heart with joy and lights my face with a reminiscent smile. He is my other half, my better half. A symbol of my childhood innocent yet worn down to a blessed memory of happy days. Some things I easily leave behind. Yet others i cling on to. What will it take for me to be content with ridding myself of them all? Hope.


just thinking,
Matt

Moving Day!

Well, today was the day our youngest son Matt moved out into his first apartment. His brothers and friend all came over, packed him up and off they went. Everyone has been asking how we are doing with all our kids being on their own, the whole "empty nest" thing. I wish I had a picture to show you of Chris and I jumping up and clicking our heals in the front yard as the 4 cars drove off :) I am serious, we really did that :) We love them and are thoroughly enjoying watching these new stages in their lives as well as looking forward to this next stage in ours. They are all great sons and watching them become adults has been wonderful. Not to mention we will soon have a daughter!

I have posted pics of our dog Ryo and new cat LiLi. This is Maggie, our first cat. She lives with Tim. We stopped by his apartment so Matt could pick up his coffee pot~ most important.

Matt's apartment is right next to the clubhouse, pool, volleyball court and horseshoe pits. It's a really nice set up.

Volleyball & horseshoe pit

Clubhouse

Matt's new apartment

He took the Foosball table with him, I'm sure he and his roommates will get a lot of use out of it.

The Colony Reunion!

Saturday night we had a reunion with our friends from The Colony. We all met when our kids were very young and played on "The Ninja Turtles" soccer team together.Kevin was 3 and Tim was 5 when they started playing on this team, which later became "The Jets".At one point or another all the Dad's were coaches but Coach Jim was always the "Head Coach".We had to stop and see our very first home. This is where our family began. Chris and I planted the trees and garden you see in the front yard. Wow~ what a stroll down memory lane.

Andy, Kevin, Kyle,Tommy & Brett ~ The "Ninja Turtles/ Jets"

All the parents with their sons.

Parents~Elayne & Chris, Coach Jim & Christie, DeAnn & Bob, Dave & Kathy.

Coaches VS. Players

All the guys played a game of water volleyball. Teams were something like the old guys verses the young guys or better put, the wise vs. the naive . The younger guys didn't like that :) With all these guys being previous coaches and soccer players you can imagine it was a nice friendly game, with no competitiveness ~ right?? We had a great time seeing our friends from The Colony and the kids all grown up. Thanks Jim & Christie, oh and of course Bob, whose idea it was :)
And... Dave and I share the same birthday ( we are the only people each other knows with the same B Day), so Happy Birthday Dave !!!!

A tough week for friends & family

Our hearts are heavy this week as several families that we are friends with are going through very difficult times. One family lost their son Jason in a car accident last week. Today is the funeral, he leaves behind his wife and 2 month old baby as well as his friends & family members.

The other is our neighbor Byron fighting an aggressive cancer that came on very quickly. Please keep these families and my brother Dana, who is getting ready to have open heart surgery in a couple of weeks in your prayers.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
John 8:34

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:7

Sunday Afternoon

Nikki

Chris

Kevin & Nikki

Elayne

A last minute trip to the lake on Sunday. Kevin, Matt, Nikki & Sean took the boat out and Chris and I met up with them a couple of hours later with some watermelon. Later being the key word. The lakes are sooo crowded on the weekends that evenings or weekdays are really the best time to go.

"Cousins"

I thought this was a sweet picture of my niece & nephew at the beach enjoying summer break :)

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!

HAPPY 4TH FROM TEXAS!!

COOL CAT & CORN DOG :)

My brother Harold with his sons visiting from Hong Kong

Harold, Brian and Jeffrey are in from Hong Kong for a visit. We went to the lake last night with them and my parents for a bbq and boating. It was a lot of fun and great to spend some time with them.

Me & my Dad

My Mom

What a great smile Tim :)

"So, do I just hang on and scream"?

YES!

Well, that's an interesting way to jet ski Matt :)

Jeffrey's first tubing experience :)

Watching Jeff hang on for his life :)

I think he had fun!

Pretty sure this was the highlight for Brian, getting to drive the boat. He did really well, I asked him if he has ever driven anything before, he said "just a golf cart".