new lives in Christ...

Today marked Colton's first day of Church Camp, and Reece's last. Reece came home dirty, STINKY and tired. Colton left for camp today ready, excited and full of energy!

This evening, Cayce and I drove to camp to witness the baptisms of two of Colton's close friends, James and Anderson. What a special time this was as we stood back and watched the Lord at work in the lives of all these children. How thankful we are to belong to a church family whose sights are set on things good and pure and holy; and what a blessing it is for our children to grow up enmeshed by this love and goodness.

This picture shows Colton and his "Life Group" buddies surrounding Anderson and James. They are ALL wet because they all jumped into the river (from the dock) following the second baptism in celebration of their friends' new lives in Christ.

campers...

A motley-looking crew leaving for camp today...

outpost preparations...

Colton leaves for church camp tomorrow and that means that tonight we are packing and getting ready. Colton and his buddies decided that they wanted to have "uniforms" for the big "Outpost" game this year - they planned it out down to the littlest detail and Colton volunteered to make all the shirts except for James, who said he could do his own. Of course, Colton's right hand is in a cast so I ended up being the one to make them. Why? Because I am "SuperMom"! :)

He supervised it every step of the way - being very specific with every detail - all the while, calling his friends to iron out all the loose ends: White "Jimi Hunter" t-shirts, white athletic shorts, white tube socks, white head bands, black/white face paint and white spray for the hair. Everyone else at camp would be decked out in camouflage for Outpost, but not our boys... they have planned a "WHITE OUT".

I enjoyed playing a small role in these preparations. It was fun to work together with Colton on the shirts and to discuss ideas. Truly, this child IS my son because this is SO something I would have planned and done "back in the day"... in fact, it's still something I would do! So proud.

dance, baby, dance!

Watching my sweet girl dance today made my heart burst with pride... She had so much fun - and to witness that joy was a great blessing!

showtime!

Two rehearsals earlier today, left us less than two hours to eat dinner and get completely ready for tonight's show... we made it though! Tonight was the first of 3 shows Cecily will perform in today and tomorrow. She shined in her Song & Dance routine from the movie "The Little Mermaid," and of course tonight also marked the debut our Mother/Daughter routine. Together, we performed ballet to Martina McBride's, "I Just Call You Mine". Yes, I wore a tutu in front of a packed house at TPAC; Yes, I teared up; And YES, WE ROCKED!

Dancing on the stage of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center at the age of 39 years and 10 months was never a dream of mine - but dancing together with my daughter is a dream fulfilled.

rehearsals...

Dance Recital Shows start tomorrow night so in the meantime, it's rehearsal time! Today, we attended 2 two-hour rehearsals and 1 three-hour rehearsal at TPAC. Sounds long but it was actually fun, as we got to sit in the theater and watch the other girls dance in between our numbers. Tonight, though, I was tired... amazingly, Cecily was still up for a swim in the hotel pool before we went to bed. Oh, to have the energy of a child again!

movie and a popcorn...

"Toy Story 3" (in 3-D) lived up to the hype - it was a fantastic movie! I laughed; I cried; I took Brock to the bathroom 3 times...

Brock received $25 in movie money for Christmas and since then, he has used it to purchase a kids' snack box each time he goes to a movie. Same thing every time... and he just loves it! He has his very own snack and doesn't have to share with anyone. Problem is: Even a small Sprite can make this child go to the bathroom 3 times in a single movie! Thankfully, he used the last of his movie money today... actually, now that I think about it... this presents a whole other problem the next time we go!

first swim meet...

Reece and Cecily competed in their first swim meet today. They didn't expect a lot from it, knowing they were so new to the sport, but were prepared to do their best and see how it went. It was hot. Very. Very. Hot. And it was long. Very. Very. Long. But we made it through and the kids did great.

Cecily's relay team got 2nd place and she got 11th in the backstroke. She was slow, and she knew it, but she "kept her head up", worked hard and never gave up. Most impressive, however, was that she kept a positive attitude throughout. I was very proud of her!

Reece actually did very well, all things considered. His relay team also placed 2nd and he competed "up" in the 13/14 year old division for it. He placed 6th in the backstroke and also in freestyle. Breaststroke was his slowest but he was very competitive for the first 25 meters; it was just those 2nd 25 meters that did him in. He was worn out by that time and really slowed down. Reece has the potential to really excel at this sport, I believe - but I'm not sure that he'll stick with it long enough to find out!

dirty vs. clean

Cayce and Colton brought Brock a soccer jersey from Germany from their European trip. They gave it to him last Wednesday night and he promptly put it on, exclaiming how cool it was and has continued to wear it EVERY day since. To say it was dirty was an understatement! So thankful for good detergent and a great washer! The jersey is now ready for it's 2nd week of wear...

the best father...

Happy Father's Day to the best dad, ever!!! We love you, Cayce!!

measuring the rain...

Seems crazy that we would care so much about the rainfall in these parts. I mean, wasn't it just a little over a month ago when we suffered from catastrophic floods?! Yet, with basically no rain since, we DO care about the rainfall once again and were ever so excited when it rained again this morning... bringing us about an inch and a half in just 2 days!

after the storm...

Since the floods on May 1st and 2nd, we have had very little rain but today, it poured. Tons and tons of rain - a whole inch worth (in just an hour or so)! I love the way it looks outside after a good rain... so clean, fresh and new...

my boys are home!

Today, at 6:30 p.m., my world travelers arrived back home in Nashville and how wonderful it is to have them back! They were both attacked with hugs from all of us (and a few kisses from me), as well as TONS of questions about their trip. They have talked and talked and talked till they're both probably blue in the face, telling us about the things they saw and did. What an amazing experience they have had!

my tired boy...

Brock and I landed back in Nashville tonight at 11:30 pm... he was asleep when we landed. Groggily, we made our way off the plane, only to find out that the plane carrying Ben, Reece and Cecily had been delayed and wouldn't arrive until 12:30 am. So we found some comfortable chairs to sit and wait, and before I knew it, my tired boy was curled up and snoring once more. Long day, long weekend... it's good to be home again.

The Lord Bless You and Keep You...

Today the family attended a private burial for Mommy. Stories were shared, memories re-lived; laughter rung out and tears were shed. We closed our time together by circling around our dear Mommy's casket and singing, "The Lord Bless You and Keep You."

I first learned this song during my freshman year at Abilene Christian University. Then, once I joined the Powell family, I quickly learned that this song would be sung to close out each and every "Family Affair" (the annual family reunion). Perhaps one of my most endearing memories of this song is from a few years ago, as the Powells surrounded their sweet Cora (Cayce's aunt and Mommy's daughter) as she lay in Hospice, dying from Leukemia. We finished singing this song and Cora took her last breath... it was almost as if she had been waiting to hear it.

Today, I have added one more special memory [that will forever lay on my heart] of this special song and the loved ones whose lips sang it's words...

ugh...

Today, RIGHT before Mommy's Memorial Service began, I discovered lice in Cecily's hair. So, after the service and reception were finished, we headed back to the place we were staying and and began the 3-hour process of de-licing her hair and our bedroom. My poor girl was just miserable and so was I... what a day!

an empty swing...

It was odd to see this swing still and empty - because for years, I have watched Mommy sit and swing here. Many times, this is where she sat, waiting for our visit. Or this is where we would come and sit, once we arrived, to just swing and chat. Mommy loved this swing... and we loved swinging with her...

Mommy...

Today at 5:15 a.m., at the age of 102 , our beloved "Mommy" passed away. Cayce's grandmother, and the great-grandmother to our children, she was an amazing and extraordinary woman who radiated God's grace and truth. This picture shows a print that hangs in her home... a perfect description of the lady I also called "Mommy".

texting in greece...

This is a picture of our friend, Jim Parker and his son, Campbell, in Greece. They are on the European trip with Cayce and Colton. Cayce just happened to snap this picture of Jim while he was reading a text on his phone. What Cayce didn't know at the time, was that the text Jim was reading was from his wife, Elisa, telling him to have Cayce call me because Mommy was dying. (Cayce doesn't have cell service in Europe so we have been communicating through email and Jim's phone. So thankful for good friends like the Parkers!)

off to senior camp...

And here go my "bobsey twins" on their way to Senior Camp at the Gentry's Farm. This is actually day 3 for them and what a great time they have had so far!

going solo...

Brock went to Gentry's Farm Junior Camp all by himself. Cecily has graduated up to Senior Camp with Reece this year, so Brock had to go it alone. He was none to happy about this prospect but once we found one of his good friends to go along also, he perked right up and was as excited as always. This will be a great week of playing outdoors, swimming in the river, fishing, paddle boating, feeding the animals and doing crafts. How grateful I am to Allen and Cindy Gentry for providing this amazing opportunity for our children!

my world travelers...

I left Cayce and Colton at the airport today at 10 am. Today they fly to Greece. Later in the week, they will boat over to Italy, where they will spend the remainder of their 10 days abroad. This is such an amazing opportunity for both of them and they are well prepared for the trip. But it is still difficult for me to watch them go, knowing there will be so much distance between us. Being misty-eyed may become the norm for me in this week and a half to come, but that's what moms are good at and I'm just thankful that father and son have this special time together!

game night...

Cecily read about this game in a magazine and asked if we could play it tonight. From gathering the supplies, to setting up design stations to making the teams, she organized it completely herself. Colton and Reece weren't so excited about it in the beginning but it ended up being great fun! We all laughed alot and it was neat to watch unlikely pairings work together on teams. Well done, my creative and "take charge" daughter!

it never changes...

Had some friends over for an impromptu dinner tonight so I made a batch of "pan cookies" for dessert. My friend, Lynne, and I got a chuckle when we walked into the kitchen late in the evening and discovered only the borders remained...

a well check...

Once a year, the kids go to the doctor for what is called a "well check". Colton did his today and he appears to be "well". He had jumped to the 85th percentile in height and was keeping steady at the 70th percentile in weight. Doesn't mean a lot to most, but to a 13-year old boy who is desperate to grow bigger, this was great news. Another mind boggler... he's just 3 inches shy of passing me... I'm so not ready for that.

swim team...

Reece and Cecily (but Reece in particular) have begged for years to be able to participate in summer swim team. This year, I finally gave in and yesterday was their first day of practice. They both came up to me afterward and said they hated it. Not a surprise. To them, swim team was playing, racing and having fun at the pool. They had no idea it was actually "work".

They have a long way to go, but they are not quitting (because I won't let them). Today, they both said it was a little better and I have assured them that as the days and weeks go on, it will get easier and easier. It is impressive to watch them swim laps for over an hour.... I couldn't even do that. And their sleep... oh my goodness do they crash at night! Swim team is going to be good for both of them and I am so proud of them for doing it without "grumbling or complaining" despite how challenging it is for them. Rock on Reece and Cecily!

a slip-n-slide "don't"...

One week later, and now I remember why I always set the slip-n-slide up in the back or side yard (rather than the front). Won't make that mistake again...