Sixteen Candles

Happy 16th Birthday, Will!

This WILL make you nervous.....

Will loves Thanksgiving more than any other day of the year....it's the cleaning assignments beforehand that he hates.

Shortly after I took this and Will finished up dusting that niche above the front door, he said to me, "I think I'll just jump down rather than go down the rickety ladder. It'd be safer, I think."

REALLLLLLYYYY??????

If anybody knows when adolescent brains develop the synapses connecting their crazy impulses to common sense, please tell me. I'd love to know.

Another year older.....

A delivery from ProFlowers makes turning 46 a little easier.....

Go, Deacs!

Some one (pretty sure it had to be my mom since she's the only one who ever reads my blog anymore) complained that I never post pix of myself, so here's one of me trying my best to be a good Deacon fan at Wake's big game against Notre Dame Saturday night.

With all his buddies back in town, Drew was giddy at the tailgate, convinced this was the social event of the season here in Winston-Salem.

Will would rather be ANYwhere other than a Wake football game, but he puts on his game face if there's Bojangle's chicken and biscuits involved.

Ditto for Ty.

Tricky Treaters

Travel ball

The Carolina Rockies have wrapped up their fall season with an 18-11 record.

We spent the weekend in Myrtle Beach watching Jay and his teammates tough it out in very cold and super windy conditions.

After loads of practicing and 8 tourneys in 3 months, I think Jay's feeling ready to hang up his cleats and pick up a basketball.

At least until February.

Jay is 14!

Completely hard for me to believe but Babe turned 14 today. At 5' 10" and about 140 pounds, he's no Baby Jay anymore, but sometimes...because he looks just like he always has....I can picture him sitting in the bucket swing with a melting popsicle running down his arm.

Love that baby boy of mine.

Jay had Chuck E. Cheese parties for his 1st through 8th birthdays, so it seemed like time for a return trip to see what ol' Chuck E. was up to.

Babe and his buddies had a blast. And the pizza has vastly improved since 2006.

I love the smell of bus exhaust!

Luke and Ty started the school year today at our town's brand-spanking new school, Morgan Elementary. They sported all the new necessities: backpacks, pencil cases and lunch boxes. AND they rode a school bus for the very first time. (A very big deal.)

Luke is in Third Grade with the energetic and charismatic Mrs. Drummond.

And Ty is in Mrs. Coates's First Grade.

Two of many indicators that Ty is going to have a great year: Mrs. Coates's first name is "Bunny"......AND the principal's son is also on the roster.

I love the smell of freshly-waxed dorm floors!

After a long summer of eager anticipation and numerous trips to Bed, Bath & Beyond, Brant moved in for his freshman year at Wake Forest. After unloading his gear, making his bed and oh, about another ten minutes getting settled, he was obviously very much at home on campus. He hugged me and waved goodbye with nary a flinch nor a tear.

Just like I knew he would.

Confidence has never been an issue for Brant.

Me?? I'll save all that for another post, another time. Oh, I'm fine to be sure. I know that I don't have any right to whine given Brant is only twenty minutes up the road. It's all good. He's close by. I get that. But it's still hard to have your first-born move off to college.

I just keep repeating the parenting goal Drew and I set back in August of 1993 when Brant was born. Our goal and our constant prayer, really, was that God would have Brant grow to be brave and strong and independent enough to go to college....to move away from home to study and learn and live on his own.

Well, goal met. And I am thankful to my faithful God.

I love the smell of new shoes....

Will and Jay both went back to school today. Jay was decked out in new stuff head-to-toe; Will's entire outfit came from Goodwill and cost $5.

(Teenagers, right?)

This year Will is a junior in high school studying cello at the School of the Arts. Incredibly hard for me to believe that we'll be touring colleges with him this fall. I think because of Brant's recent college search, Will is even more motivated to find just the right place.

I'm just trying not to think about it.

Jay is in 8th grade back at Calvary. He's fairly-well convinced that he's God's gift to the Calvary ladies. I continually remind him that he has other more worthwhile gifts to pursue.

Please pray with me that Will and Babe will study hard, choose good friends and be good friends....that they will steer clear of trouble and make the right choices....that they will glorify God in every thing that they do, whether it's in the classroom, on the concert stage

or from behind home plate.

Happy 18th, B-Boy......

God Bless America!

Kit is 4!

Kit celebrated her 4th birthday with a little deli ham and some sliced bananas. She waited really patiently like a good girl while I took the first picture, but lost her composure when I left the room to get a balloon! She looks just little guilty in the second.....