Sunrise to sunset...

On any given Saturday no one in their right mind should have to wake up to a blaring alarm clock at 3:00 am. But every quarter we make the trek up to Birmingham with the youth of our Ward. We meet at the chapel at 4 am and load everyone into our van. After a 4 1/2 hour drive we find ourselves entering the parking lot and arriving at the Birmingham Alabama Temple.
By the time our session at the temple is over we have just enough time to grab a bite to eat and head back home before the sun sets. All in all its not a very bad trip to make. Especially with a van load of silly teenagers and a couple of "old people" to keep us entertained! What a great way to spend a Saturday!

Back to school...

School is back in session and both Kenny and Jessica are enjoying being back in the classroom!
Nothing starts out the school year right like a rose for the teacher on the very first day!
No reason NOT to start adding up those brownie points as soon as that first bell rings!

Reality bites...

One morning you wake up and you realize that your children no longer require that kind of attention you are use to giving them. They know how to dress themselves. They know what foods they like to eat. They even have the occasion to clean their rooms now and again. And you start to realize that they are also old enough to leave home. Walking right out into that big scary world you hope they are prepared for. That same big scary world that is just waiting to see if they are capable of overcoming the odds and if they can put to practice all the many different things you have taught them over the years.
Lisa isn't quite old enough to prance off to college just yet, but this summer she had the opportunity to fly alone for the very first time and spend a week in El Paso. I have to admit that after her first night away I was so glad she had her dad's cell phone with her and that she was actually using it! Not just to check in with us for our sakes....but to let us know how empty she felt without us there. To let us know how homesick she was. And to let us know how lucky she feels now that she sees that stark contrast between our home and that big empty scary outside world. Reality bites...but it can also sometimes help us see how fortunate we really are.

Transfers and turnovers...

On my birthday the Elders in our area asked if I would drive them over to Pensacola, Florida for transfers. Three of our missionaries were being transfered to different areas and we were getting three new elders to serve in here in Mobile. The mission office is in Tallahassee Florida so the central meeting spot is a large Food World grocery store parking lot off of I-10 right in the middle of Pensacola, Florida.
Its really a sight to see as several large vans and overloaded trailers make their way to this one spot every six weeks. The missionaries unload, shake hands, snap a few pictures, and load back up to head to their new areas. We've helped with transfers every month since we moved here. Its been a fun tradition for our family! One I hope we get to continue for a very long time...

They call it the "leaning tower of Lisa"...

After being locked in Jessica's room for longer than I would've liked I was invited out for my birthday surprise! Arnold and the kids had wrapped their gifts up in large oversized boxes then placed them one on top of the other like a tower. How on earth was I suppose to get to that top one?
Usually I am the one taking all the pictures. Today...it was Lisa's turn. I don't think I'm as photogenic as the rest of the family. I'll stick to just taking them from now on!

Turning forty....

Okay so I only turned thirty nine this week but I am a year away from 40 and this has caused me to think. Think about what I have done with my life. Think about what I am doing currently. And to think most of all about where I want my life to go. They say that the 40's are the new 30's. I'd have to say my thrities turned out pretty well. Let's hope the 40's are just as rewarding. I plan to enjoy close friends both near and far, take advantage of the time I have with my loving family, relish engaging conversations with those that I meet, and tackle head on the next exciting decade of my life. Thanks to those who remembered me this week. And to my family who worked so hard to let me know how much they love me...