Monday, September 19, 2011

40 Year High School Reunion

Mark and I just returned from our 40 Year High School Reunion in Kilgore, Texas. We graduated in 1971 in a classs of about 230. Mark moved to Kilgore in 5th grade and I lived there my entire life. Our class was special and the friendships went deep......and they still do. Starting at our 10 Year Reunion, we have had a Reunion every 5 years . We've attended all but one, and have loved them all. Our lovely Senior year pics

Jackie, Mark and Danny. Old football buddies from KHS days.
Loved seeing my BFF... Phyllis, who now lives in Longview. We were cheerleaders together our
senior year.
Here we were back in 1971....
and here we are 40 years later.(except for Sandy!) It was close to midnight when this picture was taken and we all look a little tired! What a great group of friends. Can't wait till I see you again!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

7 Days in Utopia

Sounds like I went on a vacation, huh? In case you haven't heard, it is the name of a movie that just came out. The movie buzz right now is all about "The Help" and I love that movie, too, BUT 7 Days in Utopia is right up there with it!! It takes place in a little town in south central Texas called Utopia and the disheartened golfer who stumbles upon it. Robert Duvall portrays a man full of wisdom who directs the golfer down a more meaningful path of life. At the end, they flash on the screen a website you can go to to learn the "rest of the story." You will be missing a real blessing if you do not visit the site. In this wild and crazy world, it is so refreshing to see such a wonderful movie. Go soon and let me know what you think!! Everyone needs 7 Days in Utopia!!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Meet Bella Grace!

Just want all of you to meet my new great niece, Bella Grace. She was born last Thursday and came into this world at a whopping 10lbs.5oz. Her parents are my nephew, Brad, and his wife Amy! Congratulations on such a perfect and beautiful baby girl!!!!

While Amy and Bella were taking it easy at the hospital, I got to hang out with this cutie pie. Brooklyn is three and the official Big Sister. She got to stay with us for three, fun- filled days!
We had so much fun coloring, playing games, hiding eggs, watching movies, going to fun places like Chuck E. Cheese and oh yes, going to the hospital to visit Mommy and Baby Sister. Thank you Brooklyn for coming to visit me. I loved it!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

The Drought is Over!

Unfortunately, I am not talking about the Texas drought, but my own personal blogging drought! I think the heat has really played havoc on us Texans and I know my creative juices just came to a standstill this summer! Whether it was blogging, crafting, painting,cooking,etc, I just didn't have much motivation to do any of it. Much to my delight, I feel like the juices are starting to flow again and I am very thankful to feel the renewed energy. God has been teaching me some wonderful lessons during this time and I praise Him for that. A friend of mine suggested my reading a book called "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. It is a woman's journey of finding the daily gifts that God so abundantly gives us and keeping record of them in a journal. How often we miss the reality of these gifts because of business and self absorption. Yes, I am on my way to listing 1000.....it will be interesting to see how long that takes, but it is so fun to be aware of God's blessings (in the simplest of ways) everyday. No, the Texas drought is not over and we are ferverently praying for rain, but the showers have started in myheart to end the drought in my soul.