Anniversary Trip to Carlsbad/LasVegas

I am going to try to bring you up to date on our Anniversary Trip to Carlsbad/Las Vegas compliments of John Deere. Norman and I flew out of ATL on Friday to begin our trip. We arrived at the airport around 6:30am. Our flight was a little delayed due to heavy fog. It was a little over 4 hour flight. I decided to watch Becoming Jane a movie about the life of author Jane Austin. I plugged in the headphones to begin the movie. I kept changing the channel to try to get the sound for the movie but to no avail. Finally I realized I was plugged in to the wrong seat. Oh well. The movie was good and helped to past some of the time. We arrived in San Deigo around 11:30 Pacific Time and caught a shuttle to the Four Seasons Resort in Carlsbad. It was a beautiful drive. The resort was very nice. Lots of pretty flowers inside and out. We had a dinner at six with all the JD folks. Met some very nice people and renewed some aquaintances from previous trips. After dinner we were entertained by the USO. It was very patriotic and we enjoyed it. On Saturday we had a delicious breakfast and then went on a Wild Animal Photo Caravan where we got to feed the giraffes and see lions, rhinos, zebras, gorillas. That evening was the awards banquet for the JD dealers. Once again the food was delicious. Today we took a shuttle back to the airport to pick up our rental car for the week. We are staying in San Deigo. We spent the day at Balboa Park which was really a neat place. It was built in 1915 for the Panana-California Exposition. It has many interesting museums several which we visited. They had a little village of houses from many different countries including Ukraine. Each house had different artifacts from that particular country along with samples of food. Each week a different country performs on the lawn there. We also enjoyed a pipe organ concert by Dr. Carol Williams. It was a benefit for the Humane Society with a dog show/parade that followed the concert. The organ had over 4,000 pipes ranging from 32 ft long to about the size of a pencil. I am including several pictures. Thanks, Sara for letting me use your new camera. I love it but I let the battery run out so I did not get any pictures from today. Thanks, too, Karin for suggesting Balboa Park. It was GREAT! Tomorrow we will be doing to the world's largest zoo which is here in San Deigo.

On Sunday afternoon Norman and I traveled to Rome to attended the induction of Samuel and his roommate Larry to the Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society at Shorter College. They were the top students in the business department(20 out of 301). The ceremony was very nice and short. Then we all (Larry, Kay, Harold, Norman, Samuel and I) went out to dinner to celebrate!! Today Samuel received the Top Business Student Award which means he has the highest grade point average in the entire business department!!! Way to go, Samuel (you know you love reading my blog) We are so proud of your accomplishments at Shorter. (I would post pictures but I forgot my camera)

Early Sunday morning Norman and I went to see Josh and Luke run in the ING Half Marathon. It was amazing how many people were participating in this event. I was so proud of both Josh and Luke for doing so well. Luke was running for Scottish Rites, the hospital where he works. The highlight of the race for me was when he stopped and gave me a big "Luke" hug and shook his daddy's hand. It made my day. Thanks, Luke.

Today Parker Reid turned 4 years old. It seems like he has been 3 forever. I don't know why but we have always thought he was older than he really was. He is so smart and funny. He is one tough little boy who has had lots of bumps and bruises but always gets up and tries again. He did not talk until he was a little over 2 years old but boy when he did, he just immediately started talking in complete sentences making good sense. He rode a bike with no training wheels at the age of 3. He is now playing baseball. I am so proud of Parker Reid. He is my favorite 4 year old. I love you, Parker Reid!! Happy Birthday.

A Message from Maddux

As you all know yesterday was a very hard day for our family. My heart, as I am sure all of yours as well, was breaking for Summer and Josh. I am a DOER(nice word for OC) - I wanted so much to be able to fix it, say something comforting, do something that would ease the pain. After work I decided to drive over to check on her and just to give her a hug. She was in bed resting and as I tried to find words to say or think of something to do I couldn't help but notice Maddux. He was right there on the bed with her. He just kept trying to get as close to her as he could. He didn't say a word... he just kept licking her tears away. So many times we as humans feel the need to say something we think will comfort, console or advise someone. We struggle to come up with words but sometimes there are no words.

All this week my devotionals have been about-Being still and meditating on God's Word. A couple of weeks ago I got a book by Beth Moore entitled Be Still and Know that I am God. In it it talks about Lectio Divina which is Latin for "divine reading". It sounded a little deep for me at first but it has really been good for me. It has a short devotional/thought provoking passage and then you have a passage from the Bible to read aloud four times, pausing after each time to think about what God is saying through His Word. It has been amazing! I would like to share with you part of the reading from Day 3 "What does it mean to "Be still and know that I am God?" First, He's asking me to be, not do. We are a do society, (well the writer of this book could have just said Mary Jo Norman right then and there because it sure sounded like she knew all about my business, anyway)and God has called us to be. Stillness is not just something physical. It is spiritual and emotional. Secondly, Know what? - "know" means to believe to the utmost. If I am being still and knowing that He is God, I can rest in the fact that "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" Psalm 91:1". Most of the time I am doing all the talking, not giving Him an opportunity to get His word in edge wise. I am so busy giving Him my "to do list" that I don't take time to be still and meditate on His word but when I do, He is right there with just the words I need!!!!!! Thanks be to God for his Words. Thanks for letting me share this with you. I love you all and apppreciate your prayers for us.

My Aunt Sarah

Yesterday was my Aunt Sarah's birthday!! I tried to call several times but she has a very busy social calendar. She is always doing something for someone. If I told you how old she was you would not believe me anyway. She is amazing!!! She has always been very special to me and even though we did not live close to one another when I was growing up she was always very much a part of my life. Every summer my cousin, Cheri and I would go to St Petersburg to visit her. We would stay in the Sea Castle, play shuffle board and when we got older we would find the love of our lives(we thought). She always made our visits extra special. At Christmas she was very generous in her Christmasy envelopes from the bank. I am so thankful she lives next door to my mom and dad now so every time I go down there, I get a double visit. She loves my children and my grandchildren and they love her as well. She keeps them supplied with popsicles and treats. She is a very special lady and I love her very much. Happy Birthday, Aunt Sarah!!!!

For All Young Mothers

Winter is almost over and I know you cannot wait for warmer days where the children can get outside and play, where the noses will finally stop running and you can have a day where you are not locked in the house with 1, 2, 4 or maybe even 6 screaming, fighting, whining kids yelling MOMMA!!!!!!!!!!!! As spring begins to show its little signs of buttercups and daffodils let me give you a few words of hope and encouragement. Just as winter turns into spring, these long days of child-rearing will turn into adulthood. Your little ones will be grown-some married, some in college, some working, etc. And all the hard work and perseverance of long days kooped up in the house changing diapers, making lunches, telling stories, breaking up fights, washing clothes, making cookies, doing homework, giving baths, saying prayings and getting that last glass of water before bed will have paid off and you will be so blessed to be able to share special times together with your adult children. You can have dinner with your daughters and lunch with your sons. Your sons will bring you flowers and buy you gifts. Your daughters will do your shopping, listen to your thoughts and help you through the times. Your cup will overflow with love, joy and pride. So "Let us not grow weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." Galatians 6:9

Thank you Sara, Ryan, Summer, Josh, Luke, and Samuel for blessing me in so many, many ways. I love you all. MOM