Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina

Very few things in life beat a great family vacation.  We just came home from ours, to Cherry Grove Beach in South Carolina.  Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip...

Nana gave Anna and me matching sun hats.  Anna wanted to wear hers all week, just about everywhere we went!  The favored activity of the week was catching blue crabs and other various sea critters at low tide in the evenings.  We were catch and release people.

If the boys needed a go-to place to catch a crab, they could always find them hanging-out by the poles under the pier.

Tim caught skates and stingrays, and a whole lot of crabs.  Occassionally he would draw a crowd of folks interested in what he was catching.

I told Tim that if we ever ended-up in a Robinson Crusoe situation, I was in good hands!  

He was quite the crabber.

Below...sunset on the North Carolina/South Carolina border.  We walked there every evening.

My favorite part of vacation, below:

Southern Baptist Convention 2012

 Tim and I had the privilege of being messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans last week.

Pastor's Conference, which preceded the convention.  Above, David Jeremiah spoke, and below Jack Graham spoke.  Both were very encouraging for pastors not to give-up their work.

Our convention had close to 8,000 Southern Baptist messengers this year. 

 Hearing Charles Billingsley lead thousands of people in the congregation - as well as the choir onstage - in singing In Christ Alone was probably the closest thing I'll ever know on Earth to hearing an angelic choir sing!

 Below, it was announced that Fred Luter was our new President.  A very long standing ovation ensued.

 Yes.  That is a real alligator.  

 Tim had a nice discussion with Dr. Flannagan, the President of Luther Rice Seminary.  Tim earned the first of his seminary degrees at Luther Rice.

 Below, Paige Patterson and Richard Land had a good conversation.

 Steve Gaines was interviewed by Talk SBC immediately after he spoke on the convention floor in favor of the sinner's prayer.  I greatly appreciated Dr. Gaines' comments.

 Below, Bryant Wright, this year's convention President.