hello?

It's been a while.

Summer school is over. Vacation Bible School is over (both at BAC and ESC). The kids are out at the beach with the Bloom Event that is being held for the youth.

VBS. It was good. Both of them. Chaz and Breezy both helped lead the worship portion of the daily sessions. During the BAC VBS they also were crew leaders. It is so cool to know that God is working in them and has given them a heart to minister to children. I know it didn't come from me! LOL My portion of VBS is the registration and first aid.

Since May 3rd, I've attended 5 weddings and missed 2. I'm aware of at least 3 more engagements that have occured in that time frame as well. Two of the weddings are supposed to take place before the end of the year and one next summer.

For the last couple months I have been interested in a guy at the church. He has recently come back to the church. He and I became members at the same time in '02 and he left for a season. The smile is devastating. I finally got to spend more than 2 minutes talking to him on Sunday. It was a good conversation. The subject? The defunct over 30's singles group at church and what we need for a new one. A little personal stuff about work and kids. Although there seems to possibly be an attraction, I got the impression he's not interested in a relationship. So, I can toss that to the wind. Of course, I know, it's not my timing. It's God's timing. I'm ok with that. I've been single this long, what's a while longer? I'd rather have the one that God intended for me than to screw it up again. I am teachable. It only took 3 tries to learn though. *smile*

Things have been tight around the house. No real paychecks between now and the end of August, it's real tight. The rent and the car payment is paid from my retirement check. I have a small check that comes in from some part time work. It's the electric bill, water bill, and cell phone bill that I need to come up with. Oh yeah, food and gasoline for August. Nothing too big. People tend to think I'm overly optimistic. However, I know God has provided every single year since I've been working at the school I know He'll provide again... somehow some way.

My computer is still non-functioning as well. I did 2 customer service surveys for the Geek Squad. After the first one, the manager called me and said he'd order the recovery disks for my computer. After 4 weeks, I still have not recieved the disk. I sent the 2nd survey on the 17th of this month. No response. On the 24th I emailed Best Buy. I recieved the "canned" email response saying they'd contact me within 3 days but it's now 5 days later and no word. Now to figure out what to do. My thoughts have run from contacting the channel 5 consumer department for assistance or seeing if I could start a "urban legend" all by myself. Neither ring true at the moment so I'm being patient. Out of the last 100 or so days, 42 of the days, my computer was with the Geek Squad, 30 days, my computer was not working properly, and for the last 40 days, it doesn't work at all.

I am ready to go back to work. I go back on the 13th. Breezy and Chaz on the 18th. Breezy will be an 8th grader and Chaz will be a sophmore. It is good. At the wedding this past Saturday, I was looking at a pew full of teens and realized how much I love those kids. Makes me want to cry just thinking about it. If I decide to stay with the Health Department after this year, maybe I'll see if I can move up to high school from middle school. Ya never know.

My brother will be home from Iraq for a couple weeks in August. We get regular updates through the blog that his significant other set up for him. He is safe and we are still praying for him.

Prayer. Over Spring Break, I went to our Eastern Shore Campus for a Sunday service. It was suggested that I pray Psalm 91 over my brother for his safety while in Iraq. I missed a couple days that first week but have been faithfully praying it now for 3+ months. I added my other brother, Chaz, Breezy, and my names to it as well. There is something comfortable about reading it outloud with our names in it.

Movies. The base has free matinees on Wednesdays for the first showing. The kids have seen Kung Fu Panda and Speed Racer. I saw Prince Caspian twice. I really like the movie and the soundtrack is awesome. I decided the song "This is Home" by Switchfoot would make an awesome wedding song. Guess I'll file that away for future reference.

I've got my memories
They're always
Inside of me
But I can't go back
Back to how it was
I believe now
I've come too far
No I can't go back
Back to how it was
Created for a place
I've never known

Chorus:
This is home
Now I'm finally
Where I belong
Where I belong
Yeah, this is home
I've been searching
For a place of my own
Now I've found it
Maybe this is home
Yeah, this is home

Belief over misery
I've seen the enemy
And I won't go back

Back to how it was
And I got my heart
Set on
What happens next
I got my eyes wide
It's not over yet
We are miracles
And we're not alone

(Chorus)

And now after all
My searching
After all my questions
I'm gonna call it home
I got a brand new mindset
I can finally see
The sunset
I'm gonna call it home

(Chorus)

Now I know
Yeah, this is home

I've come too far
Now I won't go back
This is home

I am thankful for my children walking with God, a home, a working automobile, friends who love us, an amazing church family, a job, sunshine and rain.

That's all for now. later gators.

stuffeth

It's been busy lately. Sometimes too busy.

Most of my family come into the area tomorrow. We are all getting together with aunts, cousins on Saturday to wish my brother the best. He's headed to Iraq in April to do counter IED stuff.

We got a new car last Monday. At least new to us. It's a 2005 Ford Focus that had 18,500 miles on it when I bought it. I filled it up for the first time on Friday. 27 mpg. Of course, 300 miles in a little over 4 days is crazy!!



I also picked up a camera. I have been wanting one with decent zoom to take better pictures with. I broke down and bought it on Wednesday. It takes gorgeous pictures. Check these ones out.

This was taken from across the water yesterday. It was WAY off in the distance. I was actually surprised when I realized it was the blue angels plane at the front gate of NAS!! LOL

This is Breezy and Chaz. They were sitting on a "couch" that was made out of sand. They had a blast for Easter playing in the sand.

And this is the fire on Perdido Key last night. If you click for the larger version, you can see the firefighter on the roof near the flames. Crazy I know.

Easter was fabulous. We spent it with friends. Breezy and Chaz spent the whole afternoon on the beach playing in the sand with some of their friends.

I've had several interesting conversations about marriage recently. The first was a few weeks ago. A friend and I were talking about someone getting married and I told her I already had the draft for my wedding invitations done. I dreamed about them in May 2005. A few days later, she called and asked if we could get together and talk. Eventually the conversation came around to the invitations. She said she had never thought of me as getting married. When I asked why, she said I seem so content. I told her I am. If God sends me a husband great. If he doesn't, we're still good. She asked what I was looking for in a man. I told her "nothing" and she looked at me like I was kidding. No, not kidding. I told her the only thing I really asked for was someone who knew I had a compulsive need to make stuff. After that, it's God's problem. (My spiritual Mom prophesized that God would send someone to us who loved me like Jesus loved the church and he would love my children like his own.) I figure God's got it under control.

Today, a different friend called me all excited. She said she had a dream last night that she was planning my wedding reception. She said we had the hardest time getting together to plan it because of all the stuff going on. Then she told me what he was wearing in the dream and that she didn't see his face. I laughed and told her it's ok.

Just makes me laugh. :o)

God, today I'm so thankful for my children and the friends you have brought into our lives.

Anyway, it's nearly time to pick up Chaz from soccer practice and head for the volleyball game.

Only 3 more workdays this week! Yah!