Babysteps

Just wanted to let you all know that I do intend to post lots of pictures. I'm still trying find my way around "this here new-fangled internet world wide web log thingy." Please be patient with me. Pics of my kiddos--C., B., & A.--coming soon. If you're all real good, I might just include some pics and thoughts about southern funerals. (No pictures of corpses, scout's honor!)

Funeral, Friends & Goodbyes

In a few days, we'll load up our family and head south. We're going out of state for a funeral. A sad occasion but we're also thankful for the opportunity to see much-loved family. Sad & happy, but overwhelmingly thankful. Those words pretty well describe how I feel about the subject of my post today.

I have the most spectacular church family. I don't say that lightly. It's kind of my job to know about churches and the people in them. And one of my favorite people in our church is leaving.

I have written and re-written this post, for about a week. Nothing I can write will do Angeli justice. You have to meet her to understand. I can always count on Angeli to tell me the truth about the important stuff, and make me laugh about everything else.

Angeli may be the only person on the planet that I will ever share an African hut with. She's also the only person I've ever talked to who purposefully made her accent worse so I couldn't understand her.

I'm so, so thankful that our sons are such good friends. Our boys are good for each other and I'm going to do everything I can to nurture their friendship. They put their heads and hearts together a couple of months ago and raised $400 to dig a well in Africa. Not because a person told them to do it, but because God told them. Not too many 12-year old boys encourage each other like that.

Angeli. I'm so happy we met her and her family. I'm so sad they're moving away. And ultimately, I'm just very thankful that we met.

It really is sad when we only see extended family at funerals. And it's wrong to wait until a friend is leaving before you tell her what she means to you.

Sad, happy, thankful, blessed. Always blessed.

My Best Friend's Wedding

Evidently, I'm a slow learner.

Through high school and college, I had this great guy friend. I kept fixing him up with my friends. Seriously, I kept telling all my female friends "You have to meet this guy. He's so sweet, good looking, smart, ambitious--he's the total package. You will love him!"

My friends did like him. If I remember correctly, he dated at least 3 of my very good friends. Thankfully, God kept re-directing him. He's a faster learner than I am.

This very good friend stuck with me. He was the best man at my brother's wedding and the following year, he took me out for my high school graduation.

We dated other people, I started college, he finished. I grew up a little and kept looking for Mr. Right.

One day, literally--I looked at him differently. Wow, this is a great guy! Suddenly, being with him didn't seem so much like kissing my brother.

By this point he and I lived an hour apart. I wrote him a letter & asked him (yes, I asked him!) to take me out for my 21st birthday. He, being the faster learner, agreed.

One year later, on my 22nd birthday, I married my best friend.

He's still my best friend and I'm so glad that a few of my other friends are even slower learners than I am.

Happy 18th Anniversary, Sweetheart. You've always been the smarter one. I love you. (But you knew that before I did, didn't you?)