Gladly the cross-eyed bear...

Well this past Sunday I had my Maryland debut of acolyting! It's been a long road to this point... When I was growing up at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Bryan, Texas girls were not allowed to be acolytes (not just at that church but all churches way back then). As my older boys grew up at St. Mary's By the Sea Episcopal Church in Pacific Grove, CA they were able to be acolytes and so were the young girls in the church. One Christmas when the boys were with their dad for the holidays someone called me in a panic saying they didn't have enough acolytes for the Christmas Eve candlelight service. When I told them that the boys were not in town they asked me if there was any way I would consider doing it. Of course I jumped at the chance. It was one of the most special experiences in my life, I got to be a torch barer, and I didn't even care that the girl I was walking beside down the aisle was at least a foot shorter than me and that she was so young she fell asleep during the service. It's a very beautiful church, inside and out and the candlelight service was one that a lot of folks attended who weren't members, it was well known to be very special and the church was packed. When Easter came around, I was blessed to be able to serve side by side with Justin. I was 35 years old and finally got realize a childhood desire. Some things really are so much sweeter when you have to wait. Recently, I volunteered along with another person to oversee acolyte service at our church which had fizzled out a couple of years ago. And this last Sunday, being Memorial Day weekend, and another service having Confirmation for the kids who are all acolytes, I stepped up to the plate (actually, I ran and I think I might have elbowed a few old ladies) to make my Maryland debut. It's just such an honor, I mean, I was carrying the cross! I guess you'd have to be there but it means enough to me to want to share. It's never too late for your dreams to come true... P.S. Not a good picture, Paul was trying to get it before disrupting the flow out of the church.

The process has begun...

We are starting our traditional Annual Family Summer Fun Game. Every year we go through the same process of "where are we going on our summer vacation?". The obvious is, though not so to us, go to Oregon and see my family (blessedly, my family is coming here later in the year). We only have one trip for Paul, Matt, and I to go on (good luck getting Justin to take a day off from work) each year. Last year Matt and I went to Oregon for two weeks at the very beginning of the summer, but last year was...ummmm...differn't. The guys love the beach, I love Texas, but Texas in the summer is not a viable option, so...I want to go here, yes, above IN the picture, but not in Florida which might as well be Texas as far as I'm concerned, weather-wise and without being, well, Texas. We like to go out of state but not drive very far. I found this photo while I was "working" in my studio today and it reminded me that I need to be pondering this subject. How blessed can one woman be that this is what I'm fretting over (well it's not all but this is supposed to be a mostly-uplifting blog)? Realistically I know we'll be going to the beach like we do every summer...and then I remember, keeping things very relative, to thank God that it won't be in the Middle East...

Happy Birthday Baby Ben!!!!!!!!

First came the momma, my first baby-love, my niece, Maya. When I met her the first time I fell hook, line, and sinker for her. I had never known a love like that before in my life, baby-love. Then she grows up and marries a hairy-legged (albeit handsome, smart, nice...wonderful, really)fellow and produces this little bundle of beauty, Ben, one year ago today.

Da 'rents...

Daddy and Ben...

Mommy and Ben...

Have I ever mentioned how time flies...?

Texans meeting in California

Going through old photos today I found this one from 1986 of me and Frank Beard, the drummer in ZZ Top. He, his family, and the Gibbons brothers had come to The Peninsula to play golf on a break from the concert tour they were on. The Beard family stayed at my parent's inn, Forest Lodge, in Carmel and my mom arranged for me to get this photo-op with him (but only after a couple of mis-fires like the time she said, "Oh there was the nicest man here last week, said something about having some Grammys. What was his name?". Quincy Jones!!!! We had a long chat about running names by me before they leave.). I was way too nervous to enjoy this. I had just had Justin and was totally feeling new-mom-frumpy-sleep-deprived-and-out-of-place. Breast-feeding, so not drinking like when I met Clint Eastwood. You see I was ready, though, as I already had all their albums (remember those?) because I was and am still a huge fan. Also being a big fan of irony, I enjoyed meeting a fellow Texan in Carmel! He was telling me how his wife's sister was attending Texas A & M at the time...Jesus just left Chicago and He's bound for New Orleans...

Amy Inspire Companied me!

Seeing Amy's bubble bath that ate Milwaukee reminded me of this picture of my babies at 4 and 2 in their bubble bath. This has always been a favorite of mine. And, yes, Mildred, it is almost 20 years ago~yikes~time scoots by. They are 23 and 21 now, whew...