Our Happy Surprise

Our girls are on swim team and we do a lot of traveling for swim meets.  This weekend we are in Corpus Christi for the Jr. Olympics.  We had to be at the natatorium really early, so of course we forget to bring things.  Poor Tim leaves to go back to the hotel and get the stuff.  He’s gone, and he’s gone, and he’s gone…  The girls swim their first two events and he still isn’t back.

Just then my phone rings.  Tim is calling to tell me the car has a flat tire and he is stuck at Walmart where nobody will help him.  I guess he got frustrated, because in a few minutes he calls back and is at Discount Tire.  He tells me they hope they can fix it, because they don’t have our tire in stock.  Oh no!

Twenty minutes later the guy comes to tell him they are pulling the car around and it is fixed.  Tim goes to pay the bill and IT IS FREE!!!!  Tim tells the guy we didn’t buy our tire from them, but the manager says, “Then buy your next ones from us.”  WOW.  Very nice people and outstanding customer service!

PROPS TO DISCOUNT TIRE SERVICE!!!!

My Lie

Last week I RE-learned why you never tell a lie.  I guess my mama was really right. Because today I had to face a little girl and tell her I lied.

So, here is what happened.  Last week I had a class on South Padre Island.  You know, the one all the way down where Texas doesn’t go any farther south.  I have been going to this class for 16 years with no consequences.  This year however, we invited friends to go with us.  They have never been to the island and our family was really going to enjoy showing them our favorite stuff to do.  Monday night I watch the weather and see there is a tropical storm in the gulf.  Will it affect our plans?  Nah, I thought, it will go somewhere else magically.  Optimistically our two families head to Corpus Christi to spend the night and wait to see what the storm would do.

To make a long story short, Hurricane Dolly saved up her wrath to pummel on the island.  The hotel we were supposed to stay still won’t open to the public for another week.  I feel sorry for all those people on the island and am very glad to report there were no deaths.

Now to the lie.  My friend Kristi and I twitter.  Krist tweeted that our vacation plans were blown away, no pun intended.  Our friend Zak twittered back that we should go to Southern California because the weather there was great.  Hmmmmmmm, why not?  Lack of money?  Lack of time?  Lack of planning?  Yup, all of those.  But, as a joke, Kris and I twittered things like: going to the airport (which we did go by on our way to dinner), busy airport with a pic of LAX (I hear that it is a busy airport, but we never said we were there), and many other vague things that might lead one to believe we had left Texas and flown to California.   We snickered the whole time.

Little did we know, the word had spread and people were praying for our safe last minute trip.  Now, if you don’t feel bad enough about lying, try having someone pray for you while you are in a lie.    I thought the whole incident was over until a little girl who came as a patient today looked me straight in the eye and said, ” You didn’t go to California.  I told my friend you did.  Isn’t that a lie?”  I felt about an inch tall.  I had to tell her that it was and I was sorry.  To make it worse, she is my preacher’s daughter.

Don’t you think this story would have made a good Seinfeld episode?

Happy Birthday Mallory

Happy Birthday today to a very special woman.  My mother-in-law.  A year ago today we buried her on her birthday after a very unexpected death.  Her life touched so many people in such good ways.  In the year since, not one person that has spoken of her had anything bad to say.  She was, and still is, a guiding Godly influence on my children.  We will be doing something, or watching something on television and one of my children will say something like, “Grandma really liked this movie.” or “Grandma and I came here a lot and had lots of fun.”

I am very lucky to have had such a great influence in my life.  Thank you Mallory for sharing your son with me, and for loving me like I was your own.  Happy Birthday-you will be in our thoughts more than usual today.

Alaska Pictures

I finally took the time to go through the 6 gigs of pictures and uploaded a manageable slide show. Click the picture below to get to the google album.

Give me your opinion…

We were sitting around during a slow time today brainstorming ideas for the practice. Our office has a “No Cavity Club” drawing each month for our kids 18 and under. We give prizes like movie tickets or pizzas. What about a no cavity club for adults? What would you think if you had no cavities as an adult and got to put your name in a jar for a monthly drawing? Also, would $100 gas card be a good prize? I’m anxious to hear your thoughts. Also, any other variations on the above idea would be very welcome.

My Token Picture

I keep saying I’m going to sit down and write, but with work and Vacation Bible School at night this week, there has been no sane brain time. What am I saying? There is very little sane brain time in my life and it has nothing to do with work or extra curricular activities.

So, all that having been said, I downloaded the pictures and this is the first one I ran across. More to come later. Gotta go take out some impacted wisdom teeth. MUHAHAHAHA!

You know it’s funny when you get shushed in church!

Gotta send some linky love to my buddy Steve Etheridge. Because I read his blog last night at VBS while the kids were having their lesson I got the major evil eye and even a shush! Maybe it was the snorting, I don’t know.  What I do know is that he is a funny, funny man!

Click here to read his blog.

Back Home and Back to Routine

OK, I know I have been slacking.  We got home from Alaska a week ago today and I still didn’t post.  The thing is, the day we got home all four of us came down with this nasty head chest cold thing that is still plaguing Tim.  So, today begins a new week and I promise I will do better with posting and pictures.

The girls left today to spend a week in Palacios with my Mom.  They were so excited they packed themselves without me nagging them.  They even put in toothbrushes, which as you know is something you should never leave home without. 

So, as soon as I download the 6 gigs-yes, I said SIX GIGS- of pictures we took I will start posting one or two here and there.

I Love Alaska!

So, I have been patiently counting the days until my family’s vacation. Tomorrow morning we leave for Alaska. Tim and I went once before on a cruise in 2003 when I was employed by Holland America. It was some of the most breathtaking scenery I had ever seen. I took this picture while we were out boating by a glacier. I have so many more, and they all look like postcards. Not that I’m a good photographer, it is truly just that beautiful.

I will try to blog while I’m gone and post some pictures.

Flooding in Belize

My missionary friends, the Farley Family, have been having a really rough time of it for the last week or so. Remember that tropical storm that went over Central America a few weeks ago? Most people don’t. It didn’t affect our lives so we gave it very little thought. However, for the Farley family it was a devastating blow.

In a country where progress is very slow, a storm that wipes out a bridge can mean that thousands of people don’t have any necessities. For them there is only one way to the south of the country unless you fly or take a boat. Most supplies come to the town by truck on a 2 lane “road”.

I have copied Bob Farley’s letter below.

Hello family and friends,

Today I was able to fly to Dangriga (over the flooded area) to the income tax office and for supplies and then bussed back through the flood damage, that has been impassable until today, to PG. One week ago the area that I have taken photos of was reported to have had ten inches in just a couple of hours and then heavy rains for three or four hours after the down pour. One report says as much as 20 inches fell in one day. There is one photo of a new “low water” crossing that will be good to travel on until the next fast or high water comes down the river. It was raining in the area again today.

Thank you for your prayers. We praise God our family was not in any of the damage. I have been asked to go with Pastor Mario and the Garifuna Church in Punta Gorda on an outreach tomorrow to one of the villages off of the road system that was badly damaged. The local Churches in Punta Gorda have collected food, clothing, and other items to give to those who are still without housing.

Bob Farley
Belize

Click here to see Bob’s pictures

Please pray for the people of Southern Belize and for the Farley family.