Newest Addition

Our Newest member of the family, born to Laura and Steve.

Family and Fun

Ethan feeds one of the giraffes
Grace and Vanessa enjoy the sun!

Silvia gets a ride from Daddy at the Zoo.

Caitlin surrounded by blossoms!
The water park at the zoo is a favorite for all!
Ethan is having a whale of a time!

The twins are growing like weeds! They talk and sing and seem to have unending energy.



Silvia is less vocal than Caitlin, however she is close behind. They are beautiful babies!

Ethan is almost five, he loves his Gigi and the zoo!

Jason is ever the clown...it makes it hard to get a picture of him without a funny face.

There were 10 in the beds!

Well you know what they say about the best laid plans? Neither do I! But we had planned to have my daughter, son in law and little granddaughter moved into there home this weekend so that I would have space for my Son, daughter in law and three grandchildren to stay while visiting. We worked extremely hard, but we were unable to meet the deadline and so tonight in my rather small home, there are 10 in bed.

Tonight as I thank God for my blessings, I pray that I will be able to make it through the next few days and finish getting the kids into their home and enjoy the ones from West Florida.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Good Bye Norma Jean

Not actual home
As I sat painting the trim in the dining area of my daughter's new home, Good Bye Norma Jean is playing on the radio. I thought how odd that I am at this moment reliving the last 20 years. I think it is often true that certin events in life cause us to reflect and replay the past.

Today, I am thinking this is a song about a beautiful young woman in the the prime of her life who chose to leave the world behind for reasons we might never understand. I was struck by the fact as we are painting and cleaning and doing all the things necessary for my youngest daughter and her husband to move in to their first home and her Dad is not here to help her, he too chose to leave this world too soon. He missed out on so much in life, grandchildren, life events that you earn by growing old.

I also look at this tiny little home, in need of so much work and remember how it was to be young, in love and just starting out. How much we needed family to help with all the things a new home requires; or an old one, that is new to you! It was hard work painting walls, scraping trim, cleaning blinds and windows, but I loved seeing this place become the place where my daughter, her husband and their child will live, grow and learn to be a family. It was extremely satisfying work.

I was also stuck by how content I have become. I won't lie and say my life is where I want it to be, or even where I thought it would be...but I am truly happy. If this was how I was to spend the remainder of my days I would be o.k. Very tired; but o.k.!

The Fires Burn On!

I remember as a child watching the fire trucks race up our street to the home just caddy corner behind ours. Everyone was outside and walking quickly down the road to the home of a single mom and her four children. I stood at the curb with my mom close by watching dark black smoke billowing out the front door and the window of their home. It was not long before the firefighters came dragging a mattress out the front door with a large black charred hole in the middle. As I recall, the second to the youngest child, Ray had been playing with a matchbook. His Mom was at work and he had been left; along with an older brother and younger sister with the eldest, a girl named Mary. I think back about how frightening it all was for me just a bystander, but even now how horrific it must have been for Mary, Ray, Billy and Ann. I remember the hushed whispers of those adults around wondering how someone could go off to work and leave four children at home with a ten year old in charge. "It was just plan luck that they were not all killed", said Mrs. Thomas, our elderly neighbor on the other side.


That was really my first experience with fire and I think the smells and stinch it left hanging in the air made a huge impact on me. This past weekend I was headed to Tallahassee to see Philip. I knew like most that the wildfires in South Georgia, had crossed State lines and was now creeping southward into Florida. I had only gone around 60 miles down I 10 when the sky grew dark and thick with smoke. It continued to look more and more ominious as I headed west. The sky took on a red tint and the smell of smoke was almost unbearable. Visibility dropped to near zero and the north south corridor of highway 441 was already closed. I called Philip with the feeling of uneasiness hoping I could stand the next 100 miles in these conditions. He confirmed what I already feared that the smoke and hazed stretched all the way to Tallahassee.

I was so relieved to finally make it to Philips in late afternoon. I hoped that we would have a clearer day on Saturday. It was not to be. We did however, face the weather and finally stroll the paths of McClay Gardens. It was hot and hazy, but the cool paths lead through tall trees, long grassy paths and beautiful pools. I loved it. As the drew grew hot, the haze enveloped Tallahassee making our enjoyment of the outdoors more difficult. We did go to the downtown marketplace and wander through the booths set up by local farmers and artisans. It was a pleasant day and I was unconcerned even though we heard that I 10 was closed to traffic.

Sunday Morning dawned fresh form an evening thunderstorm and we went to breakfast in honor of Mother's Day. We were not back long when my Dad called saying I might want to call the highway patrol before hitting the road. I did and surprisingly enough was able to speak to a patrolman, who was able to tell me I would have to detour at Liveoak to Highway 90 until I reached Sanderson. I left immediately and was unsure of how long the drive might be. I was not gone long when I ran into thick smoke not even 10 miles out of Tallahassee. I was extremely relieved to find I was able to continue down I 10 all they way into Jacksonville. I heard that I had made it through in only the brief window they had the interstate open.


Even as I go to post the fires still burn and more have cropped up along I 95 near Hilliard and Calahan. This is a time of uneasiness, it also brings back some of the same feelings I had as a small child standing in my neighborhood watching firefighters battle the blaze in my neighbors home. A feeling of fear and uncertianty. For those in the path of the fires, I am sure it is horrific.