The Moon Festival

In addition to volunteering on Tuesday, it was also the Moon Festival. This is a Chinese Holiday. Families will go out under the moon, and look at it, barbecue, and eat round snacks including moon cakes. You are supposed to think about those that you love, including those that have passed on. We learned alot from Emily, she said that you are not supposed to point at the moon because then the God of the Moon will cut off your ear. So, being the rebellious family we are, we pointed at the moon to prove that our God is the God of the moon, and that he wouldn't cut our ears off. Anyway, Emily also had moon cakes for us to share. They definitely are a required taste. They are very dry, and have red bean, or green bean paste on the inside, and in the center is an egg yolk. We all tried them, but none of us asked for seconds. Emily was so happy to have the moon cakes. I'm so glad that she was able to share this holiday with us, and teach us what it is all about. We are really learning some invaluable lessons from her.

The Humane Society

Noelle is involved in Keepers at Home which is kind of like girl scouts, except is grounded in the word of God. Her group volunteered at the Humane Society on Tuesday to help the animals. My fear was that Percy, a dog that my children, especially Noelle, have fallen in love with would still be there. When we pulled in, I saw Percy up on the hill, someone was walking him. We of course played with him for awhile, then went in to do our service project. The girls, and their brothers made decorations for the Humane Society to hang up, and they fed the dogs some treats. Of course Noelle gave all her treats to Percy. We had a fun time volunteering, but our hearts were sad again to leave Percy behind. We met Percy about a month and a half ago, and Noelle walked him for a fundraiser for the Humane Society. He was the sweetest dog, and he never pulled on the leash. He loved on all three of my kids by giving them big kisses. I could really sense that Percy was a special dog, and that he deserved a great home. I'm not the only one who sees this, the shelter staff can also see how special he is, but for whatever reason, families just keep passing him by. I mention him all the time to my friends, but so far, no one has come forward to get him. If you might be interested in Percy, please take a look. I promise, you won't be disappointed, he is that one in a million dog that people dream about! http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=8720080

Happy 16th Emily!

Emily turned 16 last Tuesday. She didn't want to have a party, so we fixed a family dinner, and Tricia came over and we celebrated. Emily wanted an ice cream cake, so of course we got one from Dairy Queen. We presented Emily with her gift. We wrapped it in lots of boxes til she finally got to a small box and unwrapped the new ipod nano. She was so excited. I was just glad the box made it from Shenzhen, China as quickly as it did. Tricia gave her an itunes gift card, so she could download songs and movies. After dinner, some friends from church came by and kidnapped her, and took her out for more dessert. I hope she had a great birthday, seeing as she didn't get a car! Happy 16th Emily, we love you!

The Wedding

It's kind of funny, Becca actually brought Tig into our family, but as soon as he arrived, it didn't take long before he was part of the family. My kids took to him right away, and they have always loved Becca. So, Saturday was a special time for all of us as we watched them make a commitment to one another. There were times when we worried that the details of the wedding wouldn't work out, but in the end, it all came together perfectly. I have been worried for awhile now about Eleenah walking down the aisle. I wasn't worried about Noelle, she is a professional flower girl that started her flower girl career at 20 months. If she could do it so perfectly then, then we knew she could do it now. Hunter worried me a little, but we talked alot about it and he was clear as to what his job was. Eleenah though would just say, "Flower girl, Yeah!" So, orginally when I stared at the $395 dress that the bride loved for the girls, I was really wondering about Eleenah's status as a flower girl. However, thanks to Debbie we got the exact same dress for alot less! (Debbie is my dress hero!) So, we talked about all the worst case scenarios with Becca, and she didn't mind, so LeeLee was to be a flower girl. I was so proud of all three of them! They all did an amazing job and LeeLee loved all the attention she got. So, on Saturday, my son, Tig and my daughter, Becca were married! It was really sweet as she began to cry while saying her vows and he reached up to wipe away her tears. It was at that moment that I could really see the love that they have. I am so proud of both of them, and I'm really glad that they won't be leaving the family yet! There are so many great pictures I could put on here from the wedding, but I will limit myself and put a few of my favorites.

Rehearsal Time!

My definition of family over time has evolved and changed. I used to see family as the people who had a direct bloodline to my own, or people who had married into it. Now I see family as those that are there for us, the ones who stick by you, that include you, and genuinely seek to know you and your hearts desires. Now that I define family in this way, I realize how blessed I am. Our life is full of family we love and cherish. Part of our family includes our college students. As we prepared for Becca and Tig's wedding it was as though we were giving away our own daughter. We felt honored to have them include us so much in their plans and in their ceremony. These are some pictures from the wedding rehearsal that I thought were cute.

War Eagle!

It's football time! I love Auburn football! The kids were front gating on my car before the game. They are all so cute dressed up in their football and cheerleader outfits. Joining my guys is Anna and Drew. They are great friends to our children. In spite of my enthusiasm and excitement about football, it looks like we are not going to have a very good season. I always admire our guys. We really have a first class group of players that for the most part are really wonderful role models and are of great moral character. I attribute alot of that to what the Lord does through Chett Williams. So, whether we win on the field or not, we always still have a winning season because our boys evolve into men as they learn to love and trust the Lord. It just doesn't get any better than that!