Trip to Folly Beach

Vicki's mother was is town for a visit and they invited me to the beach for a few days.  We had a wonderful time and I really enjoyed getting to know her mom better...I hadn't seen her in many years.  We went to folly beach and it was hard for me to believe that I've never been there before considering how much time we've spent in Charleston and at area beaches such as Kiawah and Isle of Palms.  Folly reminds me of Cocoa, Florida...very quaint and picturesque. 

This is the pier just a few yards from the condo.  We took several walks on the beach and the first time, I was stunned to see hundreds upon hundreds of starfish washed onto shore.  It was the same way the next day!  I remembered the story about the man who was picking up starfish and throwing them back into the ocean until another man came up to him and said, "You are wasting your time...there are so many of them!  You can't save them all!", to which he replied as he picked up another one and threw him back into the ocean, "Well, it made a difference to this one!".  So I was throwing starfish back in like a madwoman.  Poor Vicki was so patient while I picked up tons of dead ones and took them back to the condo to preserve them. 

Isn't that story much like our command to share the gospel?  How can we possibly make a difference to all those lost souls?  One at a time, my friend; one at a time.

Some of the cute shops in the area!

This little girl reminds me so much of Bailey...well, all Malteses seem to have the exact same personality and the exact same behavior traits.  i.e., they are truly a one person dog...they hate to be groomed but can't stand to be dirty...they will bite you if you come close to the one they love...they have terrible teeth...and bad breath...they will attack a dog 100 x's their size to prove their prowess...what's not to love?

These are our good friends, Ed and Vicki...we have been friends for a long time...have been through thick and thin together...the older we get the more we love them...good people.

Vicki and I love to talk, talk, talk...and laugh, laugh, laugh...(more like giggle)

The Loggerhead Restaurant is right across the street from Ed and Vicki's condo...yummy food!

Kinda chilly in the evenings, but still fun to be out at Loggerheads.

You can walk everywhere in Folly Beach from the condo...great shopping and tons of fun restaurants a few blocks away.

The condo has been gutted...Ed and Vicki have had fun decorating!  I love the picture of the Cooper River Bridge; the photographer ran out into the middle of the road, laid on her back and took the shot!  Yes, traffic was coming!

The view out of the condo is so pretty!  This is where everyone comes to surf!

It is amazing how comfortable these high back adirondack chairs are!  I ought to know...fell asleep in one.

My bud and I

Gymnastics Reunion...for our family to enjoy

A gymnastics reunion for the Columbus North Bulldogs is being held this June in Columbus, Indiana.  There has been a whirlwind of action going on in Facebook where pictures are being posted, so I've taken a bunch to submit and thought I'd write a post about what it was like, from my perspective, to be involved in Garry's world my last year of college.  Garry and I both were involved with the Baptist Student Union and Fellowship of Christian Athletes; he was the college jock and I was a singer.  We met one evening when I was singing at FCA...he was president at the time.  It was a nice enough meeting and I was interested in Garry.  A friend of mine named Tracey worked with me at Dee's Student Shop on Campus Corner.  She told me over and over again for over six months that "Garry is going to call you" [the guy she was dating was a friend of Garry's], but not a word!  What I took for a lack of interest on his part was simply 'fear'!  One day at practice, a group of gymnasts were organizing an evening to take their dates to a cool restaurant in Oklahoma City.  They asked Garry who he'd like to take knowing that he was interested in me, but that he was afraid to ask me...they actually picked him up in tandem, hauled him into the office and forced him to dial the number while they waited, making it clear that he could not leave until he did.  So he dials and I answer.  He asks me if I'd like to go out to dinner with a group of his friends and I nonchalantly tell him that I have to spend time with him first before I'll go out with him, and then I would consider...well how's that for quasi- bursting someone's bubble?  Gentleman that he was (is), he comes to my apartment and my roomies greet him.  He has his letter jacket on, is drop-dead handsome, and hands my roomies some eggnog he brought over to share with us.  They were as smitten as I was.  It was early December, White Christmas was playing on the television, and Garry charmed us all.  He and I stayed up until the wee hours of the night talking, and I knew without a doubt that this was the man I would marry.  True to my gut-feeling, we were married by the next December.  We had a blast on that first date and it was nothing but great times ahead...I was in several productions and he was in his busy competition season.  I was forunate to get to visit the gym often during workouts...best time in the world...rock music screaming from the speakers and the best looking guys on campus strutting their stuff.  I memorized every movement Garry made, from the way he always rubbed the horse one time before he mounted to the hand-chalking and high-fiving whenever he completed a good routine.  I remember one time all the guys jumped on the horse so I could take a picture and when I said 'cheese', they all turned their profile to me...in unison...it was priceless.  I got to go to the Big Eight Championships, which Garry won on pommel horse, and that was so cool...I met his parents for the first time...I tease them all the time about how they wore color-coordinated outfits...I thought that was the coolest thing at the time...my goodness, they were only in their 40's then...but I fell in love with them and have been blessed beyong measure with kind, loving in-laws whom I admire with all my heart.  Garry's brother, Terry, was next in line.  He was and still is the greatest big brother!  I didn't meet Perian until the summer but I remember looking at her high school graduation picture thinking she was so beautiful...I couldn't wait to meet her. And David, the baby brother, was as sweet as could be.  OU won the National Championship that year, two times in Garry's four years. We've been married nearly 34 years now...uh uh...no way! Celebrating Ben and McLean's 3rd birthday put that all in perspective!

The first picture is obviously of Garry at OU, but it is one of my favorites and that's why I began with it.  The following shots are in high school and then progress to OU.

You've heard of the expression 'tongue in cheek'...this pictures shows that perfectly!

This is one of the big signs I made for the Big Eight Championship...it is bigger than it looks and it hung on the side of the rails so it could be seen from the floor. 

These kind of hand-made signs were put all over...

Garry has graduated in this picture (I still have a semester to go) and we spent the summer at Garry's home in Columbus.

So handsome!

Mary Elizabeth's Dedication...part three of three

On to the next day of celebrations, and this was Mary Elizabeth's dedication ceremony.  At this event, the church promises to provide encouragement, support and love to the families of the children who are dedicated and the parents dedicate themeselves to raising their children to know and serve Jesus.  The families gathered in the playroom for pictures before the extended family left to find their seats in the sanctuary.

The stained glass windows in the church are so pretty....

...as are the architectural details of the interior...

I was so disappointed that I didn't get very many good shots of the ceremony, but a lady from the church took lots of photos for the families...

Following the service, the church provided a gourmet meal for all the families...the church body provides a great deal of love for these young ones.

Late that afternoon Anne and Gene greeted many guest who came to celebrate with them.

Mary Elizabeth can sleep through anything...well, she has had to learn that skill with two older brothers!

                                                                               The meal was delicious!

Gene built a cover for the top of the boy's train table and that is what was used for the coloring table for the children at the birthday party...for the dedication party, the lid came off and the children who came played with trains and other toys.

Kids always enjoy sitting together for any reason!

                               Mary Elizabeth is such a sweet tempered child...she can play by herself
                                                  for hours...but she sure loves people!

Sweet Mary Elizabeth, Nonna will be praying every day for you and your love for Jesus!