Good Friends Good Times

Bryant and Claire are in our small group and last night we went to their house for dinner. I love going over to their small farm at the base of Signal Mountain. They have goats, chickens, a huge vegetable and flower garden and it all appeals to my country girl roots!

Bryant grilled pork chops, zucchini and onions - yum!! Claire is an amazing cook and makes most things from scratch using lots of stuff from their garden. Our meal was healthy and satisfying. We had salad from their garden and one of the toppings was homemade goat cheese - delicious!

Love this garden! Controlled chaos of flowers, vegetables, raspberries, strawberries....really makes me miss having a vegetable garden like we did in MI! There just isn't a place for one here on Rocky Top!

They currently have 3 kids and 2 nannies - sooooo cute!

Conversation flowed easily and time flew! It was so good to spend an extended period of time with them outside of small group. They're an amazing talented couple. Bryant teaches math at GPS and I hope he's still my friend when some day I confess they lost me at Algebra I :-) He also plays a variety of bluegrass instruments, does woodworking and welding. Claire tends the garden and the goats, does a lot of volunteer work, makes her own pottery. I love their house too which was built to look like an old farmhouse. It was a delightful time!

"Take off your shoes.....When a new person comes into your life like a mystery about to unfold and you find yourself marveling over the frailty and splendor of every human being." Macrina

Presenting......

The future site of the Clarissa Elizabeth Memorial Garden! It doesn't look like much right now but check back in a couple of years and it's going to be amazing! We took out a dying oak tree in the back yard recently and now have this mound of dirt and an empty space. I've decided to make a flower garden in my mom's memory. She loved loved loved gardening and I hope to find some of her favorite flowers to plant in this special space!

Filled with Fun Weekend!

We had a picnic at beautiful Chester Frost State Park with our small group on Friday night. Dale grilled chicken and Eddie grilled rib tips and everyone brought delicious sides! I made a new all-time favorite dessert called "Nutter Butter Banana Pudding Trifle" that I found in Southern Living. We played Corn Hole which was tons of fun! We really love our small group alot! Right as we were leaving Bre and Sarah arrived from Louisiana!

On Saturday night Dale & I went to Bill Hullander's (the founder of Hullco where Dale works) barn for dinner and a concert by The Blackwood Brothers Quartet. Great food and some good ol' Southern gospel! Couldn't help but think that my folks would have loved an evening like this!!

Bre came with one of her yl friends, Sarah, and we had a great weekend with them. Our time included hiking on Signal Mtn., a trip to McKays, ice cream at Clumpies, and Dollywood!

Dale is standing in front of the Blackwoods bus in the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame at Dollywood. FYI Dale Allen loves Dollywood very much!!

An extra bonus of our time at Dollywood is that Bre got to see Courtney who was one of her yl kids at Ooltewah High School when she lived in Chattanooga. Courtney is spending the summer at Dicipleship Focus and working at Dollywood.

Very fun, full weekend!! So thankful that Bre made the long road trip up here!!

Presence

How we love you
and hurt for you
And we prayed for you...

and there were still tears
and that empty space

but there was also

work to do
things to learn
old friends
a mountain hike
raspy puppy kisses

all sent
to remind you

you are not alone

God's ear to your heart
in a myriad of ways