Joe and Julie's latest acheivements

Julie is proving to be a star in her French course getting lots of 100's on her tests. She has also been assigned to advanced seminar which gives her time during school to work on whatever she wants due to her outstanding performance.
Class President Joe was presented an award today for his outstanding achievement on his summer job and was also given a hat by the women at the University of MD college here on the base.

A Day in Washington

Here are some pictures a friend of mine took in Washington on Sept. 12th The conclusion of the Tea Party across America. Steve Theis is the Photographer. Mike and John are two of the guys I meet with each Saturday morning for a time of prayer and accountability.
I hope you enjoy. Click on the link above "A day in Washington"

Happy Anniversary

Yes Happy Anniversary; Something I say with mixed emotion. Today is the day that Mom and Dad married. A day to celebrate. This union brought 7 children into this world, Lyn, Jim, Deb, Bif, Eileen, Rick and Tim, which in turn brought 12 grandchildren and now a fourth generation of kids. It would take too long to list each of the 7 siblings by all the nick names so I won't bore you but you will probably remember most. Feel free to list what you remember in comments.

With this remembrance there were many times of joy, laughter, love and yes pain. The obvious one today is the death of our father, on this day, his wedding anniversary. There have been other losses none less harmful than the other but a hurt that touched each of us at many levels; some deeper than others or different than others, but no one greater than other.

It's a sad day for me but I have to give thanks and remember the good in each of them. No one had a wink of the eye like dad.; could break a "Fuller Hair Brush" like mom, a vocabulary like Lyn, a smile like Tim or the fearlessness of Bif. Yep it is a time to remember the joy.

The good news is we are all going to join them one day. Jesus said "In my Fathers house are many mansions". I look forward to the time our family can all come together in a house provided by God and to think it will not be a three bedroom one bath rancher, LOL. We will not be lined up at the bathroom door at eight o'clock to go to bed. Dad will not have to lay brick and do odd jobs to feed us and thank God mom will not have a Fuller Brush nor a stove to resurrect. Now don't get too theological on me, but new bodies are promised, boy am I ready for that!!!!

So you see we have good, bad, funny memories to hold onto and we can choose to cry or smile with the expectation of times to come. Although sometimes hard to smile, today I choose to do just that and I hope you will too.

With Loving memories,
Jim

PS I am glad that poor grammar and bad spelling is not a sin........Other wise mom would make me go to bed at 7:00 for a month of summer and my sisters would not let her forget. Do you think we will have to go to bed in Heaven?

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Joe and Donna!!!!! This must be a party week. Joe if your Dad loves you he will give you his wallet and let you go shopping, on line of course. Donna just go shopping!!!!! ;-)

I don't like spiders and snakes

Now the snakes are not a problem. They are all hanging out by rivers and woods and places I don't wander around that often. The spiders on the other hand, consider September to be the month they move indoors. Some would say it's them moving into a warmer place for the winter, but it is 70 - 80 here these past two weeks, and the spiders are trooping in like they own the place. Get them a collar and a leash and these guys could be your second dog - they are big!

Oh I know they're harmless - these are second cousins of the daddy longlegs. But I don't like them. In fact, I am afraid of them on some deep, visceral level that leads me to scream whenever I see them scurrying across the floor. At least the rest of the family is accommodating. They immediately leap into spider killing mode. (No lectures please - I really don't care about all the good stuff they do. If they would stay out of my house, I would let them live a long and happy life. I do not bother them in their house, they shouldn't bother me in mine!)

Happily, it's pretty much all over by October, November at the latest. They disappear. I don't trouble myself wondering where they're camping because they don't venture into sight. As it should be.

What critters are heading your way these days?

We need a caption for this photo.