Jean's Shower and Eric's Bday

It's already been a whole week since our family shower for Jean and Serena. Sadly, my battery died before the party got in full swing. Must be time to upgrade the camera, the battery doesn't last nearly as long as it used to!

I had to put up with a little harassment from my dear family. Somehow I didn't notice the baby shower invitations I bought were bordered with blue until I was addressing them. But it was kind of a silvery blue. And there were pink stripes on the back of the card! I guess I've just had too many years of gravitating to blue instead of pink!

Here's Jody, Melissa, Hope, Janelle and Anisa admiring Serena.

I wonder if it was the distasteful view of soiled diaper that caused my camera to give it's dying gasp. Dear niece Jody came up with the game of guessing what kind of chocolate candy was melted on the diapers. I had to sniff with my eyes closed. It just looked hideous. Hope couldn't look either, she said it made her sick. And as the mother of nine children, she has changed more diapers than any of us!

This picture of Serena was from a couple of weeks ago. She is so beautiful!

This weekend we finally got our family together for a birthday dinner for Eric, who has been 21 for two whole weeks now. Had some more family join us for homemade ice cream after dinner, and were fortunate enough to catch Dawn and Tavin just as they arrived in town. Twelve people did not fit on our deck, and accentuated how great it will be when Will gets out patio project done!

Here's the birthday boy Eric, who grows more handsome all the time. He moved into a house with three friends the beginning of the month and is quite enjoying it. A few days after he moved in, he proudly announced to me that he had eaten for less than a dollar the previous day - cereal for breakfast, ramen noodles for lunch, and his roommate gave him free pizza for dinner!

We know that God has great things in store for this special kid, now a man, who we love so much!

Exciting Times at Target Part 2

Feeling happy and excited from the wonderful news from Ashley, I headed back to the baby department to fulfill my purpose for being at Target: to purchase a baby swing for my sister's new baby. My SIL Carol was going in on it with me. I looked them over, and of course the one I really wanted was a little out of the budget. This cool swing not only swung, it also could be a rocker or a jumper. I called anther SIL Anisa but of course, she already had purchased a gift. After all, the shower is tomorrow. She is always prepared.

While I was telling her all about this cool swing and wanting to find another person to go in on it, a genial looking middle-aged gentleman with gray hair waving near his shoulders approached me with a wad of cash in his hands. "How much do you need?" he says. "I'll be happy to give it to you." Startled, I politely declined and finished my phone conversation with Anisa. He still stood there with this huge wad of cash.

"I mean it, I'm happy to share this with you," he said. "I just won it yesterday in the lottery. Just tell me how much you need!"

I thanked him very much but told him I really wasn't comfortable taking money from a stranger, and I had other family members I could check with. (Surely I'm not the only one who waits til the last minute to buy a gift!)

He told me he would be nearby and to come find him if I changed my mind. "I think it's important to invest in the lives of children!" he said.

I bought the cheaper swing that's JUST a swing, but later on I got ahold of a niece who hadn't shopped yet either and she was happy to chip in. So I'll go exchange it tomorrow!

If I the rich gentleman is still wandering around waving his cash, I may solicit him for school supplies for children at my school....or college money for my boys....and my hubby wants me to mention that he'd really like a laser level...

But I feel pretty comfortable with my decision to decline money from a friendly old guy walking around with a big wad of cash!

Exciting Trip to Target

Today as I headed into Target I heard a girl say "Mrs McAnulty!" and saw a couple of former students sitting on a bench. I headed over to chat, and what a wonderful chat it was.

About 10 years ago, the Christian mother of this girl (I'll call her Ashley), came with a friend to a Bible study at our church. She had just found out she had ovarian cancer. Fast forward a few years, and I worked at Memorial Middle School. "Ashley's" brother went to live with their dad because their mother was dying of cancer, and he registered at our school. The mother soon died, and in spite of our efforts to help the boy, he got involved with drugs and got expelled from school. A few years later, Ashley came to our school. Dad was not very attentive, and Ashley was headed down the wrong path too. Knowing that she had a godly mother, and having lost my mother as well, I always had a soft spot for Ashley and prayed often for her and her brother.

Ashley went on to high school and continued to be involved with drugs and the wrong people. I'm not sure if she dropped out or got kicked out of school, but she didn't graduate.

When I saw her today, she looked great, so different from the sullen angry girl I knew in middle school. She told me she got her GED and was getting A's in her classes at Linn-Benton, and also working at a local restaurant. As we were talking she mentioned a friend who I know is a out-spoken Christian. They certainly hadn't hung out together in middle school! I mentioned that I hadn't realized they were friends and she said they are best friends now, and she has given her life to Jesus and given up all of her old bad ways! She said her dad also got saved, "But he still isn't quite living like he should!"

I was so excited! I told her I have been praying for her and her brother, and I know her mother's friends have been praying for them too. Her mother has been gone for seven years now, but I feel very strongly that God honors the prayers of a mother for her children. Then another Christian friend who used to be our library aide came along and I got to tell her that Ashley is living for Jesus now!

It was so exciting to talk to her and see and hear the changes that have taken place. Praise God that he heals broken lives!

Another camping trip

We spent last weekend up at the posse camp. Half our entertainment was watching Zeek chase Doug's dog Penny around as he tried desperately to be her friend. (Zeek, not Doug!)She wasn't impressed. When she wasn't running away, she was sitting there growling fiercely at him. Since he seemed to think he could get through all the small spaces she ran through, it got a little exciting sitting around our little circle sometimes as he flipped over tables and chairs chasing her around. She wasn't even impressed when he pranced around her in a half circle carrying a big stick in his mouth.

Will worked his magic with the Dutch ovens again. He cooked a wonderful roast beef in the bottom one and a delicious blueberry cobbler in the top one. We had a great potluck Saturday night. He also impressed everyone with his own home made sprinkling device to wet down the area.

The creek was a lovely place to hang out and practice rock skipping skills. Here are Doug and Anisa, Galen and Carol and Scott and Becky.

We girls waded bravely downstream, with the water nearly up to our waists in spots. Anisa figured out how to use the timer on my camera and stacked up some rocks for a "tripod". You'd never know she ran through the rocks and barely settled in before the camera clicked, would you? She did a lovely job.

Camping with family is so relaxing and fun. I must admit we all think we are pretty cool!