Potato Soup...the New Fashioned Way

If you're looking for something yummy this New Year's Eve....this is an easy, delicious, throw in the crockpot soup. A friend told me about it before Christmas and I made it for my family....I doubled the recipe and it turned out just right to have enough for 2 meals and share with friends. 

Ingredients: 

1 30oz. bag of frozen diced hash browns
1 32 oz box of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken soup (10 oz)
1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz, not fat free)
3 oz bacon bits
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Put the potatoes in the crockpot. Add in the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup and half of the bacon bits. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until potatoes are tender.
An hour before serving, cut the cream cheese into small cubes. Place the cubes in the crock pot. Mix a few times throughout the hour before serving.
Once the cream cheese is completely mixed in, it's ready to serve.
Top with cheddar cheese and some additional bacon bits.

2014 in the Rear View Mirror

The best day...by far..this year...

Wasn't the day we moved into our new house...although that was amazing.

It wasn't the day we got our puppy...although seeing the kids so happy was pretty great.

It wasn't the day I got to spend with friends in Tyler...although after two years apart...that was so special.

It wasn't the day I got to spend with my mom on the quaint historical square of our town....although that was memorable.

It wasn't the breathtaking view of the ocean in Maine...although my eyes could barely take in the site.

It wasn't watching the church minister in our community...but that made my heart swell. 

No...those were awesome days...some of the best I've lived so far. God granted me many pleasurable moments...But this year they didn't beat out what Jesus has done in my heart.

I started the year feeling defeated, torn and perhaps, at best, empty. I had bought into the lies of the enemy. The stupid, pathetic, arrogant lies.

But.. I am not defeated...I am victorious. I am not torn....his Son made me whole. And I am filled to overflowing with His spirit working in me. But I had lost sight. I had allowed circumstances, my own thoughts and even the words and actions of others to grab hold of my heart. I believed lies because understanding the truth didn't FEEL honest. Because feelings lie. The enemy lies. 

I lie to myself. Sometimes.

And I hate it. I hate when satan's lies sound more believable that God's truth. I hate when my mind accepts his lies and embraces a jaded and ugly lie because believing God is just too good to be true. 

But when you lose hope. That's what happens. When you forget who is in control. That's what happens. When you let the enemy climb to a place of authority in your life...that's what happens. When you let people tell you your worth...that's what happens.

I knew what I needed to do. Most of the time we know what needs to be done. We know what is right, what is good for our soul and where we need to go. And so I sat in the lap of the Father a lot this year. Crying, hurt, angry, disappointed and I let Him heal those places that no one else can...not my husband, not my friends, not an apology, not my mom or my kids. We all have those places...that we hide from everyone else. Those hidden places where we don't let people in for fear of what will be revealed. But God sheds light on those dark places. He has his own way of exposing them, cleansing them and healing them. And over the last few months, I've been walking a little more confidently knowing He can be trusted with all those thoughts, doubts, wounds...in fact He's the only one that can be trusted completely.

So maybe you're struggling as we start a new year. Maybe you've had a rough one. Maybe your heart just isn't in whatever God's called you to do. Maybe you feel defeated, torn and empty. Maybe it's time for a climb into the Father's lap. Maybe it's time for His comforting embrace. Maybe you need a reminder that you are His. Maybe your heart can slowly heal too.

I'm looking forward to this next year...staying close to the Father so that I can climb back up anytime I start being tempted to believe the lies. A little more prepared to fight the good fight. Joyful about the future. Anticipating good things and things that aren't so good but that will draw me nearer...and deeper to Jesus....because that is the safest place to be...any day of the year.

If you're struggling, I'd love the privilege to pray for you. Leave me a comment below.

Looking forward to blogging much more in 2015! So stay tuned! 

Faithfulness, Fun, Soap Operas and Older Men

We're starting a series at church on the family. And the first week is on dads. I always cringe because in so many homes dads are absent...some physically and some emotionally and too often spiritually....even in so-called Christian homes. The differences between Christian homes and non-Christian homes are becoming less and less obvious. So as I think back to my imperfect...yet wonderful childhood I was thinking of my own dad and the things that he did to help influence who I am today...for better or for worse...here's some of what I know.

1. My dad went to church. And his family went too. Every Sunday. Every Wednesday. It wasn't a question of would we go to church...ever. He modeled for us even before an accountable age, that it was good to go to the house of the Lord. He modeled submitting himself to teaching and preaching and worship that filled his heart and soul and made him stronger in his walk with the Lord.
Oh...did I mention he also worked on Sundays. Most of my childhood my dad left as soon as church was over and headed to his sales job. He hated working on Sunday's....but he also needed a job....so he worked Sunday afternoons and rarely ever missed a church service. It was his priority. It was important to him. Was he ever tired? Was he ever spent? Was he ever empty? Yes....all the more reason he went to church. He modeled faithfulness. Did he have to? Would people have understood? I don't know...it just never came up. He was his own man though and I doubt what anyone would have said would have mattered much anyway, if he felt like he was doing what the Lord wanted him too. By his faithfulness I learned to be faithful, to love my church, to submit myself to sound Biblical teaching.

2. My dad was fun. He did special things that weren't costly with his kids. Bringing home a candy bar for each of us on Fridays after a good week at school, taking us to a Braves game, videoing every one of our basketball games, shooting hundreds of free throws with us, playing UNO. We just hung out. He wasn't overly involved in any personal hobbies except woodworking and even that wasn't priority.
By this, I learned that life is full of wonderful fun experiences meant to be shared with others, I learned that little things mean a lot and that sometimes just surviving the week deserves the reward of a candy bar.

3. He dated my mom. And by date I mean....like every day. You know how when you were dating and your date would leave your house and you'd walk them to the door and give them a little kiss. Well, my parents did this every single day of my childhood. Except it wasn't just a little kiss....no...cue soap opera dramatic kiss. And of course we were grossed out....but one thing we knew...our parents loved each other. And then every month they would have an evening out. Just the two of them....while me and my brother and sister stayed home and ate TV dinners (which by the way, was a little highlight for us...yes, we were weird). By dating my mom, and loving her the way he did, it made me realize that life long love in marriage doesn't just happen, it's cultivated, nurtured and even scheduled.

4. My dad said no. At a point in my teen years, a guy quite a bit older showed some interest in me. As  most girls would have been, I was flattered and actually returned some of the feelings. There were some secret glances and smiles and notes passed between us.....until he approached my dad. I remember my mom and dad telling me that there would be no relationship. I remember how mad and hurt and embarrassed I was. How humiliated I felt because my dad had spoken directly with this young man. I remember the tears and the journal entries and the frustration I felt. And yet, my dad didn't change his mind or give in or even stretch the rules for me. He said no...and by saying no, he was proving his love for me. He was protecting me. He was handling my heart like someone who really cared. And well.....now as a parent...I can only hope that Bruce and I do the same thing with our own kids. By saying no....my dad was saying a better yes....a yes to my heart being protected and guarded when I was too young and immature to understand. By saying no, and sticking to it, he was showing me that he knew what was best for me, that I could not manipulate him, that my emotions would not rule him. He was saying no FOR me....no to the hurt I might have experienced, no to my sneakiness and no to the foolishness the situation would have brought into our family.

I could write so much more...but I only want to say that when my dad died when I was 18, he had already taught me so much about life, love, God and people. He chose wisely for himself. He chose to be a husband and a dad. And today....through that I see that as an adult, although he isn't here on earth, I have been over the top influenced by him.

He missed the special moments that girls dream of having their dads there for...

Meeting my future husband
My wedding
My college graduation
My children's births
Major life decisions

But he, without even realizing it, prepared me for those things in his own way. His life-way.

That's what dads need to know today. So many things CAN influence your kids...but you have the choice to prioritize those things. Make the important things the main things and let the other stuff fall to the wayside. Be an over the top influencer in your kids lives. They will thank you later.

Pack it Up!

I am sitting in a house full of boxes. Wishing this house would pack itself. But that isn't going to happen and because I don't particularly like turning into Godzilla's wife, I am trying to pace this packing so that nobody has to see the ugly side of a stressed out wife and mom. One nice thing about this move is the kids are old enough to help some and we're trying to make a little bit of a game of it. So far they aren't hating me.

Here in my house of boxes, I'm trying to be very careful with what I fill each box with. I'm considering each item before it's placed in a box...do I use it, need it, like it, want it???? Is it broken? Can it be fixed? Does it have a hole in it? Tear? Missing a button. Let's just face it....there's about half my current house that might have a tough time making the grade for the new (old) house. But I'm trying to save myself some time on the other end of the move. So with each item being considered. It either goes in the box, in the trash or in the garage sale/ give away pile. 

The same should be true as we evaluate ourselves. Sometimes we need a spiritual deep cleaning. Where we take the time to evaluate the things we are taking along with us as we journey in life. Have we filled our lives with things that have no real value...broken things, things we don't really love, things that weigh us down? In considering what we hold on to, are we tightly grasping things that are not good for us? It's time to let it go (cue Frozen music). God wants to fill our lives with so many things that are good and right. Things that will encourage us, others and help us to shine the light of His glory through us. But when our boxes are so full of us, and stuff (even kinda good stuff), and broken things, and trash and activities, it's hard to make room for the good stuff....and sometimes even when there is room it is so overshadowed by our own stuff and agendas and schedules that we can't see the good stuff for the bad stuff. 

As I pack up, I am feeling a freedom in chunking some of my stuff and I'm feeling excited to pass along some items for others to use too. And the stuff I am keeping...well it has meaning and value in my home. It's exciting to be able to really use and enjoy what you have....and the same is true spiritually speaking. Keep the good, discard the used up, broken and life-sucking stuff and share your abundance. 

Now...back to the boxes!

Comparison

"Comparison is the thief of joy".....ain't that the truth.

I don't remember my parents comparing me to anyone...but I remember from an early age being compared to others....because....I was short.

It happened in the first Thanksgiving program I was in at my school in kindergarten. The song....Five Fat Turkeys Are We (Pretty sure they aren't singing that one any more....it's not PC). Line up shortest to tallest...and immediately all the tallest went to the back row and all the shortest stayed in the front row. and then they arranged us again...tallest to tall and short to shortest. And there I was..the shortest of the short.

That situation followed me pretty much my entire elementary school career. And middle school. And college. Comparison robbed my joy more than once...when I wanted to stand by a friend, or have a better view of the audience or wanted to hear the harmonies better in a choir.

As an adult I've managed to do the self comparison thing at Emmy winning levels. In my twenties...comparing what I didn't have to what others had.....babies.

In my thirties comparing my body image, my parenting style, my home and even my walk with the Lord robbed me of the joy of embracing the gifts that God had given me.

My fortieth birthday came and went with a bang....seriously funny stuff happened and something not so funny happened too. Something clicked (it wasn't my hip). I realized I had managed to have friends and loving family who loved me just the way I am....and even more importantly I had a God who didn't compare my walk with Charles or Andy (Stanley) or Beth (Moore) or Ann (Voskamp). He looked at me...and wanted nothing more than for me to live this incredible life designed just for me to honor and glorify Him with. Through my strengths, my weaknesses and my goofiness and my insecurities. He didn't want me to be comparing my height or weight or parenting or talents or anything else.

And what's happened? Well two years later...God's helping me embrace this girl he designed. I'm still prone to wander, but I am learning to love who he made me to be....

A woman after His heart
A wife to an amazing man
A mom to two fantastic kids
A unique pastor's wife
A friend
An antique/junk loving collector
A journaler
A Cheerleader (for my family, friends and church)

And I don't have any other standard except the ones that God outlines for me in HIS Word. And believe me ...that's enough! I've spent too many years wondering if I measured up or if I was doing anything right....Let me tell you...that's exactly where the enemy wants us. And there's no amount of doing things right that will fix that. Only embracing this plan God made and designed for you will really bring you lasting joy and fulfillment. I'm glad for the wake-up call. And for the reminders of what a work He's doing in my life. He is making all things new in me. Something beautiful.

So if you're finding yourself in the season of comparison....lacking the joy God longs for you to have...be encouraged to embrace the person God created you to be ....not for yourself....but because it honors and glorifies our creator.

More at ...https://bible.org/article/who-does-god-say-i-am

Using What You Have

I'm on a mission to use as many of the groceries I have in my house right now before the move at the end of the month. Needless to say our meals are going to be getting more and more interesting as the month moves along. However, using what you have is a concept of good stewardship that I really need to be more mindful of on a regular basis.

As I was thinking about this, I thought even how much more this concept runs true spiritually speaking. Each week I sit under 4 plus hours of sound biblical teaching, have my own personal time with the Lord and then I read more than a couple really inspirational blogs and books regularly. But how many times do I actually use what I'm learning...the Biblical instruction, the good ideas, the use of God's word....it does me no good to have it if I am not striving to apply it to my life. This is an area that I can become so complacent in...much like the groceries that are shoved to the back of the pantry...I know the can of peas is back there....and in a pinch I can use them...they aren't my first, second or even third choice...but if I am super hungry and it's all that's left...I can make do. I CAN eat them. Sometimes I find myself treating my spiritual life the same way. Rating the goodness of the verses, trying everything BUT going to the Word...looking at it with distaste as if it was not good for me.

It's a trap. One set by the enemy to entice us to go towards other fixes for our issues. But the only real fix for ourselves is His Word. It's the best there is. Friends might have good advice and well intentioned counselors might encourage your heart, but in the middle of the night when all that stands between you and your thoughts is the Word of God....realize.. you've got everything you could ever need. Right there.

Back on Track

It's no secret. I love when school starts. The steady rhythm of routine. The promise of cooler weather. The nights home alone as a football widow....LOL. Yep...I love every last bit of it. And I didn't even talk about the food....that deserves it's very own stand alone post.

This fall finds our family in the middle of a bit of craziness. School starts tomorrow, I start teaching piano lessons tomorrow, Savannah is playing volleyball, we're starting new ministries at the church and oh...we're moving. 

You might remember about a year ago when I posted about the 2 acre farm that we hoped to build....well...sometimes plans change. For over a year we've worked hard to pay off the land and to try to decide on houseplans....in fact I think I've pinned over 200 house plans...but nothing ever felt completely right. The idea of building excited me...and horrified Bruce and we had trouble finding peace together. Who knew it would be so hard to agree? (Those who have ever built a house with your spouse are frantically screaming at your computer..."we did, we did"..LOL) So we had just about decided on staying put...slowing down our plans...and just dreaming a little longer. Until I received a text about a 114 year old farmhouse ... be still my heart. I forwarded it to Bruce and his response was surprisingly..."Let's go look at it tomorrow".  After two more looks and an inspection we made an offer, it was accepted and we put our house on the market. And 20 days later we had a contract on our current house. It's all happened so fast! 

We've living in an old house before...the first house we bought was 100 years old...so we are aware that old houses need special care....in fact we have our fair share of painting and scraping and elbow grease ahead of us. But this new house definitely has some things going for it....awesome character, hardwood floors, an in ground swimming pool and lots more. It's got great bones and details. We are so excited!

God's timing has been impeccable (always is) in this process. And we weren't even looking. I'm thankful He knows what's best for us...even when we don't pay particularly good attention! In fact...I pinned the top house on pinterest last year, the bottom picture is the house we hope to be in at the end of the month: 

So....September for the Stinson's is going to be crazy....But we are embracing it....trying to stay on track with school and everything else....and we're busy packing up boxes...everyday. We will be the best kind of tired at the end of this month!

Mom Lessons

I was talking to a friend today about VBS and because we are moms and we can multitask we also talked about a hundred other things too. I know...we are genius.

In the middle of our conversation we started talking about how quickly our kids are growing up...like so quick that the words..."Even so, Lord Jesus come"... came out of one of our mouths. We were talking about the guilt most moms....even us, feel when we aren't able or don't choose to play with our kids or do something with them when we have a spare minute or two ...or maybe even an hour.

Let me be clear...I'm not talking about neglect. I'm not talking about leaving your kids for hours and hours and not providing for them properly. I'm not talking about being an absentee parent.

I'm talking about the obsession of occupying every spare minute of our kids time. I'm talking about feeling false guilt when we aren't entertaining their every waking moment with games and movies and shopping and amusement parks and travel and sports. It seems in our efforts to be good parents we've equated good with entertainment...with busyness....with an unbalanced perspective on what's good for our children and with a distorted and yes, even unbiblical view of parenting.

Growing up my mom was the epitome of a homemaker...she worked in our home everyday to be sure it was well taken care of, our yard was landscaped due to her green thumb and she managed to raise three productive kids, was the caretaker for my down syndrome uncle and worked and served in our church and community. What she didn't do....was entertain us 24/7. She was a wife and mom and her responsibilities in those two areas she took very seriously but I don't remember her playing blocks or dolls or Lego's or spending her waking hours stressing over how we were going to spend our summers.

What she did do....Once a month she made the trek to SAM's to buy groceries. SAM's was about 45 minutes from our house and most of the time I accompanied her on these trips. We'd do the shopping, just the two of us and then we'd stop at McDonald's and buy and large fry to split and two drinks. I remember it like it was yesterday....Driving the navy blue Chrysler Fifth Avenue through the drive through....sharing the fries on the long drive home and sipping my coca-cola. I remember us talking and I remember her making me feel so important and special during those trips. I remember conversations we had like it was just yesterday. It cost $2 and 1.5 hours roundtrip. These SAM's trip transformed my adolescent years.

I remember her service towards others....and how she allowed us kids to be a part....from senior citizen trips to Helen, Ga...and helping at the crisis pregnancy center and coordinating our nurseries at  church. But it wasn't just her....she encouraged us to serve too. As we grew older, I remember my brother and I both willingly being involved in bus ministry and the homeless shelter....and now I realize that it's largely due to the example she set for us. She showed us the joy you receive by serving others. And these are my special memories....and now they've become mom lessons. Lessons that speak louder than her basketball game attendance or vacations....although they are memories that fill my heart with much fondness. Those memories of how she made me feel....important, special, valuable, loved, cherished, cared for....those are the memories that I want my kids to feel towards me...and towards the Lord.

And I know all kids receive and give love differently but at the end of the day I don't want it to be filled with so much activity that my kids can't hear my heart towards them or God's heart to them. I don't want them to look back on childhood wondering if I loved them because they were smart of athletic or if God loves them just because they are "good". I want there to be memorable moments when they heard the words from me...."You're amazing...not because of the goals you scored or the grades you made or the speed of your pitch. You're a fantastic kid because you're created and fashioned by a God who loves you and wants you to know Him!" After all...if they learn that lesson, haven't they learned the most important lesson?

So if you're a mom like me, trying to figure out how to make the most of long summer days and the too hot days of July...maybe we can join together to commit to have those sweet talks and conversations and maybe we can give that one on one attention with a cold ice cream cone or a coca-cola or evening a large fry from McDonald's. Maybe we can agree to slow down..just a tad....and remind our kids that they are special and unique and individual...created by a God who desires a relationship with them. Maybe we can model loving Him and loving others. And maybe we can serve together with them...once or twice this summer so they can see the world is bigger than just their little circle...so they can see what's important goes way beyond good grades, busy schedules, the World Cup, and the safety of their own nest.

Maybe we can learn this mom lesson together.

Boston- Part 2

Truth be told I didn't want to go to Boston. I was tired, physically feeling weak and honestly didn't know what I could possibly do that would help make an impact. And so, I told Bruce...."don't sign me up". Well either he has selective hearing or needs a hearing aid...because the next thing I know our missions pastor is asking me what my t-shirt size is. I wasn't happy. Bruce and I had a fairly short argument   discussion which ended in him saying I'm sorry  "You're going". ( I remember a similar discussion my parents had when I was a teenager living at home....it ended up with "Get in the car, Nancy" and us owning a cat for the next 10 years or so).

So....I packed and got on the van to ride to the airport....and on the van I read these words....

Here am I Lord, send me. - Isaiah 6:8

Conviction swelled within my heart. I knew I had some confessing to do. My attitude had been poor and my heart had not been committed to this trip. So I prayed...and as quick as the conviction the forgiveness came. 

We arrived in Boston late and it was after 1am before my head hit the pillow. We were up and at 'em early every morning for the next 8 days and worked harder than I've ever worked on a mission trip. It was just the nature of the trip..the purpose. 

In my short 8 days in Boston I learned that

1. Bostonians get a bad wrap...they are nicer than their reputation would have you believe.

2. Driving rivals NYC

3. Under extreme pressure, with no traffic, double parking spaces and a friend to help me, I can  parallel park a 15 passenger van.

4. Baptist means nothing there...even if it's a word on your church sign

5. Homosexuality and transgendered lifestyles are opening celebrated and widely accepted. 

6. The Atlantic Coastal region of Cape Ann might be my 2nd favorite place on the planet. 

7. Boston Baptist College Campus is gorgeous

8. They are training the very people who will reach this city and other NE cities for Christ.

9. These students are learning to defend and understand their faith...believe me...in a way that will be challenged in a way I can't even fathom. New Englanders aren't afraid to eat you alive.

10. God strategically place this institution in the middle of Harvard and MIT and Cambridge...in the middle of humanism and liberalism to make a difference.  I want to support this. 

....I want to support something outside the Bible Belt. I was shocked at how shocked I was at the amount of moral compromise and governmental chaos I learned of ....we are so sheltered here in Texas and sometimes it's so easy to get wrapped up in our own little worlds that we forget how the rest of the world lives. They live different. They believe different. They cope different. There is only one uniting voice...only one united way....Jesus. He's the common factor that we all need. This was made more clear to me even before I left DFW on the way to Boston when I had the opportunity to talk to a Bostonian heading home about her faith. In which she said "I just need some hope". We truly do all need the same thing...hope....hope in Jesus. I got to share with her that hope. Who knows if she's decided to follow Jesus or not....but she knows where to find hope.

Sometimes we can get so focused on ourselves...our lives...our families...our hobbies...our churches ...our work...our desires...our problems,  that we forget how badly the rest of the world needs to hear about our hope...our Jesus. This trip was a great reminder that those things are really ALL a person really needs.  

This trip was also a great reminder that the US is full of places that lack the bright Light of Jesus. Because there are fewer Christians in Boston it's important to support the efforts...just the same way we support efforts to reach the unreached in other countries. So many times we make prideful statements that the US is "Christian" or "Godly" and in a weird way regard reaching our own as a lower priority...I beg...plead and boldly say....we are not a Christian nation..we are not Godly. It was never more obvious than walking the Cape Ann boardwalk and seeing our morals in such a decline.  The harbor in Boston that welcomed so many for Biblical freedoms hundreds of years ago is much different today. Different in a very alarming way. We need to help shine the light brighter to these dark cities and I'm thankful for the short 8 days we had to walk along side, work along side and encourage and be encouraged by the staff and families of Boston Baptist College.

I'm already ready to return. 

Boston....Part 1

Frequently featured on HGTV's House Hunter's Show is the little town of Hyde Park, situated right outside of downtown Boston. It's also the home of Boston Baptist College. It's pristine streets of century old homes are million dollar delights. It truly encompasses everything New England. 

On our recent trip to Boston, our church invested some time, money and sweat equity into the campus of Boston Bible College. Let me be clear from the get go...I've never worked harder in my life that I did those days. Here's pictures of the work we did...(and there are a lot of them...but I took over 800 so please understand that I can't help myself) and also some pictures of our site seeing. We are a group the can work hard and play hard. 

Our Central Baptist Boston Team

My dorm room for the week...
I needed a chair to climb into the bed!

Our $500 of food for the week.

Our kids after church at West Metro Baptist

Bruce O....chief tiler for the week.

Mulching Mulching and more Mulching ....4 dump trucks full

Bruce S...Mulching

Holocaust Memorial Downtown Boston

Mike and Mitchell....Chowda in a bowl

Sweet Linda...she spent a lot of time on her knees 

Savannah scrubbing walls in the empty dorm rooms

Neverending game of phase 10

Expert Pine Needle Raker

Sweeping Sweeping Sweeping

Our Dorm...we painted all the halls and the foyer

Taking old wood off picnic benches

Fenway Park and a Red Sox Win!

Trouble Makers....LOL

We made 100 Welcome Back Packs for the college students

Savannah helping Mitchell or supervising...I'm not sure!

Linda...scrubbing the floors in the cafe

Tucker...vaccuming or dancing...not sure!

Vice Pres of Student Operations and
Boston Baptist College...Randy Ward...
I know...impressive!

Mike at the Red Sox game....always smiling!

Mitchell's sister in law....supervising!

This is what it's all about....teamwork! Karlette and Tucker

More Teamwork...Sam and Thomas

Lory and Linda...with Randy...They cleaned the tool room!

Carter...mulching

Be afraid

Some of the ladies helped pick out the furnishings for the room
the guys were tiling. 

Mrs. Betty...waiting to unload the loot from shopping

Sanding....sanding... and then they gave me a belt sander and
I ended up in the next county...it had some get up and go.

Have I mentioned they mulched .. A LOT!

Bruce made a quick visit to Don South Sr. while we were in Boston.

Wednesday Night church at Ocean Springs Baptist

We celebrated our 21st anniversary ....
Tucker took our picture on the way to breakfast....wow..I look like I
need a diet coke!

Lory...Scrubbing down chairs in the cafe

Mitchell..Grouting

Heather...wiping down doors

Thomas hauling wood for the picnic tables

Heather's Hauling Too!

Finished floor in the apartment....
David Dodd, Bruce O, Mike McCoy....
Great Job!

At The Old North Church

Inside The Old North Church

Dog Tag Memorial

Paul Revere Statue with the crew

Lime Rickey at Mr Bartley's Gourmet Burger's at Harvard Square

My lunch...Bunker Hill....turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce on a bun

Savannah and I just hanging out at Harvard

Lory, Karlette, Linda, Gina and Betty

Carter, BruceO, Bruce S., Tucker, Thomas, David, Mike and Mitchell

The boys

The girls

Rockport, MA

My family

Rockport

The view leaving Boston

Savannah and me at Plymouth Rock Beach Area

Karlette at Friendly's...gooood ice cream!

Lory likes her ice cream too!

Plimouth Plantation

View from Cape Ann

Mitchell

Lori

Bruce and the Kids

Mrs. Betty

Cape Ann....love this shot

Shopping district at Cape Ann (Rockport) was beautiful

Savannah and Tucker

Bruce O with his boys

Beautiful People