Hayden's graduation

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
Lewis Carroll

Where does time go? It doesn't seem possible that the little girl whose early arrival guaranteed that her birth date would be linked in memoriam with the onslaught of Hurricane Gilbert. That baby born in the midst of a Hurricane while grandma (aka. Gammie) flew THROUGH the Hurricane to meet her first grandchild has now graduated from high school. Little did we know that the timing of her birth was a foreshadowing of things to come. As Hurricane Gilbert snaked and flung itself along the coast finally coming ashore where it wasn't predicted to hit, our life with Hayden has turned out to be quite the same. Just when we think we are headed in one direction, Hayden is good to throw us a curve, and we quickly launch off in a new direction. Life with our first-born has never been boring, and what a blessing she has been. She has been my closest friend and strongest ally. Though at times our relationship has come under scrutiny for being too casual or comfortable, I wouldn't have traded one day for it to have been any other way. When she heads off to college I will feel like I am missing an appendage. I have virtually had Hayden by my side my whole adult life, with her being born three months after I graduated from college, I have never been anything other than a mom.

I discovered the writing of Edna St. Vincent Millay as a freshman in college 25 years ago, and they stirred something in my soul. All these years later, I read this same poem and find its words applicable to Hayden's life to. She will find her way!!


”Such as I am, however, I have brought
to what it is, this tower; it is my own;
Though it was reared To Beauty, it was wrought
from what I had to build with: honest bone
is there, and anguish; pride; and burning thought.”
Edna St. Vincent Millay

So, little Hurricane Gilbert baby is now Hurricane Gilbert young lady. I am sure we can expect to have a wild ride through college, but what a ride it will be. I cannot wait to see what God does with her life and pray that she will yield to His will.

And thanks to ALL OF YOU who made the trek to be here and to those of you who had a short distance to come...all of you. You all hold a special place in our hearts. And though we grow tired of having to relocate, with each relocation God has blessed us with the friendships of all of you. We have been blessed beyond measure and we give thanks to God for you. And for those of you would couldn't join us, we give thanks to God for you, too. You were in our hearts.

Phew!! What a Week

The week started with Maggie's ballet recital pictures and ended with Hayden's graduation. In between, we had ballet recital rehersal, the recital itself, Hayden's graduation rehersal, and her actual graduation. Couple that with Hayden's forgetting to pick up her cap and gown which through us into full-blown crisis mode. We were also informed that Hayden had no place to live on campus and would have to come to North Georgia as a commuter student, which thankfully, after three days of numerous phone calls, was resolved, and she will have a place to live. Mark's dad had to have surgery on Thursday, and the boys left on Friday for a two week sports enthusiast's vacation. Mark all the while was in Chicago and was racing against the clock to get back in time for Maggie's recital. He made it!! Although I should be sad over the upcoming departure of Hayden and the absence of the boys, I am really enjoying the quiet of this morning. Stillmess does the soul well. So, here are Maggie's pictures from her first ballet recital. She did great and she wasn't scared at all. At first she didn't want to wear her hair up in a bun, but when she saw that everyone had to do it, she accepted that it was the plight of being a ballerina.

It's not the big things in life, it's the hundreds and hundreds of little things

Just wanted to share some pictures that offer a glimpse into a day in my life. Sometimes I get soooo tired and ask myself, "Does this really matter?" And then I have these moments when I almost audibly hear a resounding "YES." What would life be without little girls sitting at the window drawing, without children climbing on me and without baby hugs, and without children turning a plastic container into a swimming pool. I am the luckiest of all because I am touched by hundreds of little miracles everyday. I just have to open my eyes to make sure I don't miss them.

Baccalaureate Continued

Hayden is REALLY going to GRADUATE. Today Was BACCALAUREATE

Well, I have been holding up pretty well in light of the fact that my oldest daughter will be graduating from high school in a few weeks. Today it hit and suddenly became real when we went to Hayden's senior luncheon and then to Baccalaureate. As all the parents chatted about their childrens' future plans, my mind scanned back over the past 18 years with wonder and amazement that this day has finally arrived. It is bittersweet, knowing that Hayden is growing and taking her first step into her adult life while realizing that her place and role in the family is also forever changing. Baccalaureate was very special as we got to bestow a blessing on our child and end in prayer. Thought we would share of few pictures of the day.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ANGELA

I really am blessed. I get to take care of beautiful children everyday. That means I get to witness a little magic every day and marvel at the little things. To see the world through the eyes of a child....what an awesome privilege. Today I had Ryan Ashton and Lia, as well as Grace Ingram, who is the little sister of one of Maggie's friends. Maggie and her friend went to see Suessical Musical and I stayed home and held down the fort. These are a few of my favorite pix from the day. My personal favorite is Grace Ingram trying to "curl" Ryan Ashton's hair. All the while she was saying, "Hot, Hot..." It was hysterical.