9/11 - Never Forget

"Will it happen again?"

"Would they do it today since it's September 11th again?"

Wow.

How do I answer these questions with the honesty my teens deserve? We've talked about this subject a lot lately.

Our conclusion?

The best way to make sure it never happens again is to never forget that it happened in the first place.

30 years and counting!

Exactly 30 years ago on this day, we met.

I'll apologize to you romantics right now... because I'm not talking about my Prince Charming.

Nope... I'm talking about my best friend, Stephanie. I've told you about her before and bored many of you to tears with stories of our adventures. Indulge me on this special day and let me tell you again about our story.

Stephanie and I met on the first day of 9th grade. We rode the same bus and were the two "new kids" in a very, very small private school, which meant "blending in" was not possible. Maybe we became friends out of that desperate situation. (Hey, it was high school and we were girls - that makes it a desperate situation!) Or, maybe it was because we just truly liked each other. Either way, I believe God intended for the paths of our lives to cross and we've been best friends ever since.

Together we've been through high school, college, boyfriends, break ups, engagements and weddings, trying to have babies, having babies, raising families... and all the highs and lows of life. We know each other intimately and love each other deeply. We started using the acronym "YBFA&F" (Your Best Friend Always & Forever) somewhere along the way and still use it even now to close letters and emails. It's even been engraved on jewelry. Apparently our hearts beat on the same frequency as it is uncanny how many times we'll be thinking of the other, only to have the phone ring and hear a voice on the other end of the line saying, "Hey, you - you've been on my mind!"

Today, I am celebrating my BFA&F and thanking God for the very special blessing of our friendship. I love you, Steph!

In honor of today, tell me about your best girl friend. Who is she? How did you meet? How long have you been friends?

Confessions: Something to think about.

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the industrious out of it. You don't multiply wealth by dividing it. Government cannot give anything to anybody that it doesn't first take from somebody else. Whenever somebody receives something without working for it, somebody else has to work for it without receiving. The worst thing that can happen to a nation is for half of the people to get the idea they don't have to work because somebody else will work for them, and the other half to get the idea that it does no good to work because they don't get to enjoy the fruit of their labor."

(Ten Secrets for a Successful Family by Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1996, p. 138)

The sun is setting on summer...

We are making some changes...

Trading late nights for scheduled bed times.

Giving up sleeping in for early morning alarms.

Exchanging bathing suits for school clothes.

Replacing free time with studying.

Swapping outings with friends for classes with teachers.

Docking the boat and riding the bus.

But, we're also looking forward to...

Seeing school friends we haven't seen all summer.

A regular routine.

Football games with fabulous halftime shows.

Cheerleading competitions in a new division.

Band and drumline competitions.

Dance recitals and drama events.

Visits from guests and family over the next few months.

And especially...

Cooler weather. Some rain. (Please, Lord... any day now. Please?!)

School starts tomorrow!!!

19 years and counting!

It's hard to believe that another year has passed since I wrote this post last year. A lot has happened in that one year...

We watched our favorite vacation spot be destroyed.

We survived wild pigs and skunks.

Kat became a teenager - she's been rehearsing this role for years, you know!

We entered the world of competitive cheer. Texas-style, no less!

We retained the title of "Parents of a member of the best drumline in Texas" - outdoors and indoors!

Mom retired, which allowed her and Dad to spend the holidays and beyond with us.

We lost Granny - grief and relief.

History was made with the inauguration of our 44th president - on my 44th birthday.

We created more family memories on the boat.

Kat went away for her first church camp.

We added another driver to the family.

Burrito experienced his first mission trip.

We experienced it all in this nineteenth year. Together. I wouldn't want to live this life we have or share these experiences with anyone else. I love you!

Happy 19th anniversary, Bud!

Confessions: I'm livin' it!

"You can't write about life if you aren't out there livin' it!"

Well, dear readers (all three of you)...

I can assure you I've been out there livin' it. One of these days soon, I'll start blogging about it again, too.

So, what have we been up to this summer?

So glad you asked!

• Band camps
• Cheer camps
• Church camp (This was the first year for Kat!)
• A newly licensed driver in the family (It's a strange feeling to see my car being driven away by my oldest with the youngest riding shotgun!)
• A girl friend (Burrito's, that is! Not Bud's, I don't let him have one anymore!)
• A family vacation at the coast (Galveston... *sigh*)
• A mission trip
• A trip to Ohio to visit my side of the family
• All day at an amusement park
• A quick visit with a best friend
• Swimming at the neighborhood pool
• Sonic runs for late night ice cream
• At-home movie nights
• Most recently, the ramp up for the impending school year (Sadly, two weeks from today!)

And guess what? I have pictures of most of the fun. Oh, yes... I have plans to share them.

Stick around... (please???)

Cleaning Day

I should be cleaning the house. But it's much more fun to be cleaning up the photos on my hard drive. I mean, who wouldn't rather look at this:

(Fall 2000)

Or this:

(Winter 2000)

Or this:

Or this:

Instead of this:

Or this:

So, what are you doing this fine Monday?