I'm blue...

*Sigh*

I'm trying hard to act normal but life is anything but normal right now. I am kind of in shock and trying to keep it all at arm's length but that can't go on for much longer. Auntie is sick. She is very sick. My brother and I are the next of kin and my brother isn't very much interested in the situation. Thank God for my dad. He has been running this show since the beginning and is trying to figure out how to do the best thing for all of us. My heart just breaks thinking about my aunt. I never thought it would be like this. I just thought she would go quietly when her time came. And now here we are. She can no longer live alone. She will have to have rehabilitation. She will need long term care. Physically - she seems to be okay. Getting better and will probably be able to walk, talk, dress and feed herself. Her mind is what worries me. She is disoriented, confused, easily agitated, she is definitely a handful. And forgetful. I have been unable to think of much else since last week. All I can do is pray that the right choices will be made clear to us and that we will have a peace about the decisions we have to make.

School is out for summer! Can you hear the song playing in your head? We have been trying to have fun. There's been lots of swimming going on! Alex is already super tan - the girls aren't far behind. Mary has picked up her swimming right where she left off last summer. It is so exciting to see her swim back and forth. Of course Liv is a very strong swimmer - she never had a lesson in her life but she just learned on her own. My dad came up yesterday to take us out to lunch. We went to Zaxby's and then to Bruster's to have ice cream. It was a good day. Before that we went to Tribble Mill Park for a nature walk. We went off the trail and got lost so the adventure lost a bit of its charm because it took a bit longer to get where we wanted to be but all in all, we had a good time. We saw a deer run right by us and a snake snuck up on us too. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed it. I wish I had taken the camera...

Just Finished....

This is an excellent book! I just couldn't put it down. Exciting, sad, funny, suspenseful....just all around a great read. This is the second book I've read recently that has to do with King Henry VIII and his many wives. Exciting stuff!

Summer...Here we come!

Today was my last day of work and the big kids last day of school. We are officially on vacation now. I am looking forward to lounging by the pool and not a whole lot more than that! Lame? I think not. The kids will be getting fresh air and exercise, I will be getting "adult" time, it's free entertainment. It's all good!

berries, low country boil, graduation

We finally went berry picking at the Strawberry Fields. The funny thing about living right by the Strawberry Fields is that since we see them every single day that there is never really an urgency to go and actually pick the berries! We see everyone having so much fun out there picking and we just drive on by. The farm says that they are having their best season ever and they are bursting with sweet delicious berries.


I daresay they are right! The berries are delicious and plentiful. We just happened to go the day after a huge storm so it was muddy and cold too. We didn't care. And it wasn't crowded either (since it was Friday afternoon). Jay said he has never gone berry picking so we waited until he got home from work and took him (and Ashlyn) along.

The girls had fun stomping through the mud to try to find just the right berries.

Before we knew it, we had filled three buckets!

After picking berries, we went next door to a low country boil. It was a feast! Shrimp, crab legs, sausage, potatoes, corn...we were stuffed! It was a good time - thanks Turners!

Liv's 5th grade graduation was last night. It was a big event at the First Baptist Snellville church. Dad offered to take us to dinner before and it was her choice - Steak and Shake. We met at 5:00 so that we'd have plenty of time to get to the church by 6:30.

We had great seats and we settled down for the ceremony. 243 graduates later...and it was almost 9pm! But my sweet girl came away with an award in Music - for achievement in singing, playing instruments, and composition. We were very proud!

And here she is with Mrs. Davis

I was so happy that my dad came out to support her. He is always there for my kids and I am so grateful for that.

Two more days of school.....

The Sunday Night Blues

Well, it's Sunday again. The last Sunday before school is out. Yeah! School is almost out! Three more days....and it's all over. Today was a long day for me. I got up and out early today since I had to be at my last Sunday morning choir practice. Today was Patrick's last Sunday. It was sad, emotional, blue, tense, and just exhausting. There were tears for a good two hours. Not for the whole two hours but they were definitely there. Jay was sweet to cover my 3rd Sunday class so I could sing in Patrick's choir for the last time. Keri was a basketcase the entire time. I actually stayed with Seth's sermon for the entire time (big surprise there!) and was so pleased when three people actually came forward at the end of the service. One couple officially joined the church and then my friend Gina decided to be baptized. It was wonderful. Her two daughters were brought in to witness the baptism and they were so excited! A perfect ending to the service. Afterwards, we had a SOAR meeting that lasted a good four hours. But we got a lot of stuff done, including putting coloring books together. It was good. Liv and I went shopping afterwards because of course she had to tell me at the last minute that she wanted a new outfit for her graduation tomorrow. We had luck and found one on sale. I have to admit...she looks very good in it!

Saturday we had two parties for Mary to go to. She was off and on not feeling well towards the late afternoon. While we were at a restaurant for dinner, she vomited all over herself, me, the table, the seat...YUCK! Obviously we had to go home right away. But, the good news is that she instantly felt better and has been great today. She did get to sleep in our bed last night so that was a treat for her.

Random Pics

I have a lot of random pictures to post. I've been neglecting my pictures because I generally post from the laptop and the pictures are all on the desktop. So, let's see what I can find to put on here...

These two are of Olivia and Alex at their school art show. We ended up buying both of their framed pictures because they were so proud of their work. And now that I'm looking at that pic of Alex, I see what sticker he was wearing that went through the wash and left a sticky, gooey mess on that green shirt.

Here are some outdoor pics from one beautiful afternoon. We were lounging in the backyard and I spent a lot of time watching Mary. She took a lot of enjoyment from just being busy - picking flowers, pulling leaves off the trees, running in the grass, chasing the cat, "sweeping" the patio - it was endless.

Mary went to her friend Aiden's birthday party last week. There were a lot of classmates there so she was in her glory. It was a beautiful day and we had fun.

Megan, Mary, and Katie

The three in the middle - Aiden, Maryelizabeth, and Mary

Going for a swim...

Well, it's been a very exciting few days around here! Of course, all that excitement was in my head so no one else felt it except me. It's all about me....right?

I was finally baptized into Christ tonight. Full immersion. Not just a sprinkle but a full fledged dip! It was a wonderful moment. Acts 2:38 says, "Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit". I wanted to be right with God. I knew in my heart that infant baptism is not biblical, but that full immersion baptism is. I understand that taking a dip is symbolic of Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection and signifies that I have been reborn in Him. I also understand that baptism is a public affirmation that I am IN CHRIST and that I have been obedient to His word. There were many people tonight that told me that they couldn't believe I had not already been baptized. I kind of felt bad about that, like I had been perpetrating fraud or something. I guess it all had to do with timing, of how the Lord had placed it on my heart, and how I was ready to submit. So, tonight was the night! The best part? Patrick baptized me. It just had to be him. I couldn't imagine anyone else doing it. I felt so at peace about it that I knew it had to be the right thing and the right time.

Here's some pics of some of my friends that came out to support me. Wow! It meant the world to me to have my church family surround me and share the moment with me.

Melinda

Keri and Wendy

My Chase

Thanks Patrick!