Kudos to the City of Rocky Mount for throwing a fantastic Back-to-School fireworks show and evening of entertainment at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex.  Our family greatly enjoyed it!

Goodbye to a wonderful summer.  

Looking forward to great things this fall...

Topsail Island/Surf City

Well, even a cloudy and overcast day at the beach is still a day at the beach.  :D

Enjoyed an afternoon on TopSail Island (specifically in the area of Surf City) last week.  

I've been asked to pray for a lot of things in my years as a preacher's wife.  But that was my first time being asked to pray for this....

We enjoyed watching the surfers, who pretty much looked like professionals.  It was pretty crazy to later learn that most of these kids were around 14 years old: they were barely older than Christopher!

When you're in Surf City, you're always reminded that 

you're in SURF City. 

Even in the restroom at the restaurant.

My merry band of treasure hunters looked for sharks' teeth, and ended-up finding a few little ones.  

But nothing compared with what we found seven years ago when we were vacationing at the exact same place on the beach... (see below)

...OK.  So the last time we were at TopSail Island, this is what we found while walking on the beach:

(Tim's hand)

 That was a long time ago.  

When we were last at TopSail Island, 

Anna was still 3 months from being born, and Christopher (5) and John (2) looked like this:

It was good to be back.

The Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday Anna!  

According to the birthday girl, this was...and I quote...

"The Best Birfday Ever!!!"

Her cake this year was a giant lollipop,
 the kind like we always get when we're on vacation.

 

There were presents to open from Mama and Daddy...

...and shopping to do to spend Nana and Mamaw's birthday money!
We spent ONE HOUR in the Barbie/Disney princess aisles at Target
until Anna had decided what she wanted.
Yep. Miss Anna gets her indecisiveness from her mother.  :D

Anna was allowed to pick any restaurant in Rocky Mount, Tarboro, or Raleigh
that she wanted for a special birthday dinner.  "I know EXACTLY where to go," she said....
(Thanks for the gift card, Kathy and Mike!)

And my favorite picture of Anna for her birthday this year is with her new Cracker Barrel doll.  I didn't even realize I took it right infront of her hospital baby picture!  

It's hard to believe how quickly six years can fly...

A Few More Happy Things from My Trip to WV

I always enjoy driving by my former church and remembering sweet people and sweet memories.
Hello Good Shepherd!

Greatly enjoyed visiting the new Cabella's store in Charleston.  

It's HUGE.

Our favorite part had to be the real stuffed animals all over the building...

The Bible says that when we get to Heaven, we're all given white robes. 

Except for John Barnette.

When John gets to Heaven, the angels are going to take him HERE:

John and Anna had the treat of celebrating their July and August birthdays with family.

And in the end, what great joy we had coming home to Rocky Mount!!! 

Country Roads

Before I was a Tarheel or a Buckeye, I was born and raised a Mountaineer.  Just came back from a few pleasant days there visiting familiar places and familiar faces.

Things that make me happy in West Virginia:

Driving on the Turnpike with my windows rolled down smelling mountain air,
while listening to John Denver sing Country Roads.  

Happy, happy, happy.

Pulling-up in the driveway of the home I grew-up in.

Sitting on my mom and dad's deck listening to cicadas chirp and owls hoot,
 and watching the deer eat in their yard.

Family.  :)

 

Driving by my high school and realizing I never have to sit through Mrs. Davis's Calculus class again.  

Waiting for coal trains to pass while I'm parked at railroad crossings.
This is where I learned the virtue of patience.

Watching barges silently float down the Kanawha River.

 

MOUNTAINS!!!

"The mountains are calling, and I must go." -John Muir