>Ah . . . Do You Remember These?

> Does anyone remember the Statler Brothers? Max and I loved this group in the 70s and 80s, so much, in fact, that we own all their CDs and have seen them onstage in four different states. In 1983, we planned our entire vacation around going to their annual 4th of July celebration in their hometown—Staunton, VA. The Statlers retired …

>FALL BREAK

>We all need a break once in a while. So today I’m taking a short breather from my novel revisions to bring you some pictures of what we did last weekend. It was fall break for the school kiddos, so Max and I were recruited . . . er, volunteered to watch Scott and Denice’s three kids. Lovely weekend for …

>Welcome to the Family

>On August 2, 2008, Allison Janan Danielle Garner repeated her I Do’s and became Mrs. James Stewart, the lovely wife of our youngest son. It was a beautiful ceremony in the Rose Court Garden at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. There were so many tender, beautiful moments. Lovely music. The sacred vows sealed with holy communion. The gathering of family …

>THE GATHERING

> For more than a year, James and Allison have been planning their wedding. Finally, last week, we packed our bags, boarded airplanes, stuffed SUVs with belongings and children, wedding attire, and wads of extra cash and began the journey west. James arrived first. On a Tuesday. On the day that SoCal had their biggest earthquake since 1996. James and …

>One Week from Today—THE Wedding

>It’s hard to believe that after a year of anticipation and preparation, our youngest son’s wedding is just around the corner—one week from today. James and Allison have had a storybook romance and now are mere days away from their fairy tale wedding. All our lives have been a whirlwind of activities (wedding showers, engagement pictures, gift registration, planning, shopping, …

>Happy Birthday, James

> Today is our youngest son’s birthday. James was a cute kid, wasn’t he? I won’t embarrass him by saying he’s still cute, but he has grown up to be a very nice young man. He hardly ever leaves his socks in the den anymore, and he learned to empty his pockets before putting them in the laundry after I …

>Wedding Fever

> This past year has been a whirlwind of weddings for the friends of our youngest son, James. Over the weekend, we attended that of Tanessa and Braden, two sweet kids who attended our church when we lived in the Panhandle. What made this wedding unique is that Tanessa (the bride) and James (our son) have been good friends since …

>A Graduate of Distinction

>This past weekend our youngest son James graduated from the University of Oklahoma, a graduate of distinction in the College of Engineering. Of course, even if the University hadn’t named him as a person of distinction, we would have. He’s worked hard and made his parents proud, following in his dad’s footsteps with an Electrical Engineering degree. The Friday night …

>Welcome, Baby Girl

> Where do you begin to describe the wonders of a newborn? The silky hair. The clamped-shut eyes that aren’t ready to face the world. The heart-shaped mouth that makes pretend sucking movements even in sleep. Paper-thin nails on ten perfectly formed fingers and toes. A newborn is all of this, of course . . . and more.This week, we …