A friendship that continues to bloom

My friend, Ms. JoAnn, stopped by last night with some hostas she wanted to share with us. What a fun surprise visit! She's been a special friend for more than 10 years. The first year we came to Chatt. on a missions trip we worked on her house and we've been friends ever since. She makes the most delicious pound cakes! She likes to think of herself as my other mom :-) She's been through so many physical challenges but she continues to persevere with a ready testimony of God's goodness and power!


And how 'bout them roses in the background?! My new favorite backdrop!

Our weekend trip to Hilton Head

Click here to view these pictures larger

UTC Graduate!!

Joe graduated from UTC on Sunday! He had a great college career and finished with a 3.87 grade point. We are praising the Lord for His faithfulness and provision and care for this amazing young man. It was not an easy thing for him to move down here at 15 years of age and start a new high school. It was a different culture for him in so many ways. But the Lord saw him through to this day and He has no intention of letting him go now! And here's another huge blessing! Joe received news today that Hertz Equipment Rental has offered him a great job with benefits in their sales office. It should be a job he can do this summer and keep this fall when he starts grad school at night!! Here's a few pictures from Joe's special day.........

Sunday Brunch

Joe's graduation was at 2pm so it worked out perfectly to have brunch at 11 am on Sunday. It's one of my favorite meals to put together! We had 2 kinds of egg casseroles, Spiral Ham, Crock Pot Tater Tots, Cheesy Grits, Fruit Salad, Cinnamon rolls, Almond Blueberry muffins.....doesn't that make your mouth water?!

It was a sweet gathering of family and friends!

Company!!

Doug, Dad & Mom VanderWoude came to Chatt last weekend to help celebrate Joe's graduation from UTC. It was Doug's very first visit to our beautiful city - well, not quite so beautiful since it rained almost the entire time he was here! But it was fun showing him a few of our favorite spots! And just so good having all three of them here - what a gift that they would make the long drive! What's our number 1 tourist attraction on a Friday night?! Of course, the Mtn. Opry and the locals didn't disappoint! It was "interesting" entertainment to say the least and we had lots of giggles over it!

Dan and Bre arrived late late Fri. night so we had a house full! Here's Brea & Grandpa trying to decide what flavor to order at Clumpies on Saturday night.

Grandma did the "Love Tester" at Clumpies and almost blew the thing up!! Whew!! Who would've guessed?!

I made Doug stand in front of the fountains for this pic - he's not a fan of having his picture taken :-) Someday he'll thank me! Well, maybe not.

Yay for Family!! It's been a spring of first time visits - Nancy and now Doug!!

Introducing.....TESSI!!!

Tessi is Joe's new puppy and she is a cutie! She's a black lab/border collie mix and is about 10 weeks old. Joe & Bailey came over with her last Friday night. During dinner we put her in the pack n' play and she did great. After dinner I took her outside on our skanky lawn. She started licking the end of the garden hose and wound up with a muddy nose and then I wound up with a dirty shirt when I picked her up. Oh, the joys of puppies!!

Today Joe built her a little doghouse:-) It's so fun for him to have a sweet little companion!

Catching my breath

The house settles into itself after a weekend of house guests, laughter, conversation, cooking.....and the sun finally reappears after days and days of rain.....Joe is officially a college graduate and says hello to that new stage and goodbye to Bailey as she makes her final move to Nashville to work and prepare for four years of pharmaceutical school....today's golf tournament was postponed for two weeks due to the aforementioned rain which makes it possible to type this at 8:20 am in my jammies....we are leaving for Hilton Head on Weds. and a Covenant grad family is moving in here while we're gone....looking forward to this unexpected mini vacation in a new, beautiful place....the washing machine hums downstairs.....the birds sing sweetly from the freshly washed trees....so thankful for mom and dad and Doug's presence here....and the short but wonderful visit of Dan & Brea....anticipating seeing the Indy kids and grandkids in two weeks.....

It is alot to be grateful for....and I am!