In God's Name

For those who might be interested...

Tomrrow evening (12/23) from 9-11 PM on CBS is a special called "In Gods Name".
It is a documentary where they have interviewed 12 of the most influential spiritual leaders of our time. My pastor Frank Page will be featured as one of those 12 because of his position as President of the Southern Baptist convention. The 2 brothers who filmed this spent a week with Dr. Page and at our church back in the spring. My prayer is that the truth of who Jesus Christ is and the gift of God's son will be evident in this part of the documentary.

http://alpha.cbs.com/specials/in_gods_name/

You can paste this into your browser to see a preview for the documentary.

Braggin Rights???

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007712190304

Check out this article that was in today's paper.

I cannot figure out how to make this link work so I guess for now you will have to copy and paste it into your browser.

Tylers Birthday!!

Last Monday was Tyler's Birthday. We celebrated as a family Monday evening, and then had a small party with some family and friends on Saturday. It is really hard to believe Tyler is 11. Here are a few pictures from the party Saturday.

I will be back!

I have several things to post about, I just can't manage to stop long enough to do it, but I will be back. I have not left the blogging world.

48%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Austin Dating

Thanksgiving

We had a busy, but very nice Thanksgiving. My brother, sister in law and niece and nephew are here from New Jersey.We have enjoyed getting to spend time with them this week. Tyler and Bailey have been so excited to spend lots of time with their cousins. We ate lunch at my mom's house with them and our friends who joined us this year. We had AWESOME food and great fellowship. We then headed over to my grandmother's house (MaMa) and spent some time there before heading over to Tim's grandmother's house.I have some pictures. Most from the last few days at my mom's and a couple from MaMa's house. I still have a hard time remembering to take pictures, but it seems that when I did remember Tim was always in the picture. We are so thankful for all our family and the opportunity to spend time with them each year. Thank goodness for holidays that force us to stop and spend time with each other.I hope everyone had a great holiday!

We are DONE!

It is official now! The Dolphins lost tonight to the Southside Steelers. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cold out there tonight. Our guys pretty much gave this game away. I don't know what it was. I guess they were too cold. Anyway... Its over. They have their banquet on Monday evening.

OR MAYBE NOT

We just received word that we are still in the playoffs. Apparently the other team played illegal players and had to forfeit their win. So..... the Dolphins play tomorrow night. I will keep you posted!

Season is over!

The dolphins played in the playoffs last night. but lost to the South Greenville Bulldogs. They were a little "bummed", but they fought hard to the end. I do not remember the score something like 37-13. These boys had a GREAT season and learned so much about football and each other. The coach told them last night, out of all the Eastside Dolphins teams only 2 made it to playoffs, and their team finished 2nd in their division,so they had a lot to be proud of. He told them to hold their heads up and they were going to walk off the field the same way they walked on to the field. He also commended them for being good students and all around good kids, not just good athletes.

For me, it was bittersweet (for lack of a better word), I would like to have seen them go further in the playoffs, but at the same time I was ready for the season to be over.

Maybe I will have more time for blogging now??? We will see??

Playoffs and ETC.

The Dolphins earned a spot in the playoffs after winning tonight against the Greer Lions 7-6. If they win the Championship, they will be invited to Virginia. Why? and what that means, I have no idea. That is just the information we received tonight. Personally traveling to VA seems a little extreme for 8 & 9 year olds to me but....? What do I know. I am not sure when the playoff games will be or where, but will keep you informed. You all were probably afraid of that weren't you. HA! Never fear football season will be over soon, and I can blog about Basketball.
Tyler and Bailey are both playing and PRAISE THE LORD!!!! they are on the same team!!
This will make life so much easier. Tyler is very excited. Bailey is still wrapped up in football. Neither one of them has spent a lot of time playing basketball so it should prove quite interesting.

Tapped out Tippy

On most Sundays after church we go to Tim's parents house for lunch. We usually take Tippy with us because they have a nice big backyard where he can run and play freely that he does not have at our apartments. Also, they love Tippy and are kind enough to keep him for us when we go out of town. Anyway.... each Sunday afternoon when we get back from Nanny and Papa's, Tippy is completely worn out. He is done for the day. I happened to catch a picture of him looking especially worn out from today.

Bailey's Birthday

This past Tuesday was Bailey's 9th Birthday. We celebrated as a family on Tuesday evening, and then had a simple,small party on Saturday with extended family and a few friends.

Dolphins

The dolphins pulled out a win tonight against My Father's House Wolverines (????). The score was 24-18. No Team in our division has been able to beat any team in their division this year, so this was a big win for our little guys. I say little because some of the guys on this team were HUGE!!! I was not there, but Tim said a couple of the boys were adult size. There is no weight limit for boys playing on the line. The weight limit for the other positions is 115 lbs. (I think, maybe a little more or less but...) Remember Bailey weighs54lbs.
They will play a makeup game Monday night against the Greer Lions. This will determine their placement in the playoffs.

Next up church basketball. Both Bailey and Tyler will be playing, and hopefully on the same team.

TFBC Fall Festival

Sunday afternoon our church held a Fall Festival for it's memebers as well as the community. The Lord blessed with beautiful weather. Here is a slide show of some random pictures when I could remember to grab my camera. It would be a sad,sad day if I had to make a living as a photographer. I always miss "the moment". Just not my gift. At least I am a tad bit better than I used to be.

Just in case you were wondering...

Dolphins won Thursday night 13-12 against the Blue Rdige Tigers. They also won today at their bowl game against Furnam Knights 26-0. Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Will post more soon.

Wedding

Saturday evening we attended Meredith and Paul's wedding. Meredith is the Minister of Preschool and Missions at TFBC(also a friend). The wedding was sweet, and Meredith made a beautiful bride. We had a great time and ate WAY too much food.
Here is a picture of the happy couple.

Bennett is Here!

My friend Jana had her 2nd Baby on Monday Afternoon. Jana and I met through choir at church about 5 years ago and became fast friends. We seemed to think a lot alike and had many of the same interests. She is an EXCELLENT photographer, and I have had the privilege to be her assistant on many of her weddings when our schedules allow. You can view the pictures of the new addition by clicking her blog link on the right in my blog list JANA CANDLER PHOTOGRAPHY . Congratulations Jana, Kyle and Big Sister Maddie!

Dolphins 3-1

Dolphins won Thursday night 37-0 against the Upstate Rhinos. The guys really worked together and played like a team should play. We did not have a game the week before due to rain. Bailey was BUMMED, I was thankful for a night at home with no place to have to go.

Charleston

I have been delayed in posting about our Charleston Trip because I did not want to take the time to upload the pictures, but I finally did. We had a BLAST! We stayed on the go most of the time, and naturally I forgot to take pictures most of the time.

On Friday we went to the Citadel. Our friend C's Son is a Cadet, Junior year, and he is quite a "decorated" Cadet. He has many awards and honors that he has worked hard to achieve during the time he has been a cadet. Do not assume that all cadets have these same honors.

Every Friday afternoon the Citadel presents a parade on their campus which includes all of the cadets in the school. This is open to the public, and many tourists make this one of their stops in their visit to Charleston. It was so interesting and I highly suggest it if you are visiting the Charleston area.

After the parade we went to our hotel rested and cleaned up a bit, then headed back to the Citadel to pick up G for dinner. We had a lovely dinner at California Dreaming
and G was so kind to let me and J literally "pick his brain" and ask all kinds of questions about the Citadel, his life there now compared to his Knob year.

After Dinner G showed us a few other places around the campus. It was an amazing day!
Here are a few pictures.


A proud mom with her son


That is G third row by himself


This time he is on the far end of the last row


This is as close as I could get to take a picture inside G's Barrack/ The Quad


On Saturday, we headed to Downtown Charleston for a Carriage ride, some shopping in the Slave Market, and a Cruise around the Harbor of Charleston. After the wonderful weather and slow cruise with the wind blowing in our faces, we were all ready for a nap, so we went back to the hotel and crashed for a few hours. We had dinner in Mt.Pleasant at the home of some of C's friends. They live in a beautiful house near the water just over the bridge. We had a great meal and even better conversation.


Close up of C on the carriage ride



"Ralph"



C and J relaxing on the boat


On Sunday morning we walked across this HUGE Bridge and back. Approx. 5 miles. We were drenched with sweat and completely exhausted, but it was a GREAT feeling.



A view of the Battery from our boat during the cruise.



After we walked the bridge, we stopped by the Citadel to say goodbye to G and headed back to G'ville. It was so interesting, I have been to Charleston many times in my life, but on this trip each day was a new experience I had never had before. Good Times, Good Friends,and Good Memories!

Thanks J and C!

A HUGE Meme!

A fellow blogging friend challenged me to do this interview and post it, and since I have not posted in several days I figured Why Not?? So here it is.....

What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Zest


Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? No.

What would you change about your living room? The whole that our dog chewed up in the carpet. A rug covers it, but I know it is there.

Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? Hold on let me check......Dirty!

What is in your fridge? All kinds of stuff, too much to name. Nothing real abnormal or exciting.

White or wheat bread? Wheat

What is on top of your refrigerator? Microwave

What color or design is on your shower curtain? White w/ Dragonfly embroidery

How many plants are in your home? 1

Is your bed made right now? Yes

Comet or Soft Scrub? Comet.

Is your closet organized? Not really.

Can you describe your flashlight? Uh?? What kind of question is this??

Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? Plastic.

Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? Yep

If you have a garage, is it cluttered? No Garage

Curtains or blinds? Both in some rooms

How many pillows do you sleep with? 2

Do you sleep with any lights on at night? No

How often do you vacuum? At the least once a week

Standard toothbrush or electric? Standard.

What color is your toothbrush? Pink and white

Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? I have a mat, it does not say "Welcome"

What is in your oven right now? Nothing

Is there anything under your bed? Firesafe Box w/ stuff in it.

Chore you hate doing the most? Folding and putting away clothes

What retro items are in your home? ???????

Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? No

How many mirrors are in your home? I am not going to go count sorry!

Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? I am not going to tell you!

What color are your walls? WHich ones? Green shades, Brown shades

Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home? Knives, Baseball bats, etc. if that counts. Lots of things can be used to protect yourself.

What does your home smell like right now? Bath and Body works plug in.

Favorite candle scent? Just about any except rose scented.

What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? I love pickles, but I do not have any right now.

What color is your favorite Bible? Burgundy

Ever been on your roof? No

Do you own a stereo? Yes

How many TVs do you have? Four

How many house phones? Three

Do you have a housekeeper? Me and Tim

What style do you decorate in? French Country

Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? Both.

Is there a smoke detector in your home? Yes

In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip? My kids and dog. (I mean Tim too, but I think he would take care of himself)

Dolphins do it Again!

The Dolphins are now 2-1! They won tonight 25-12 against TR Devildogs. Bailey got to play a good bit more than usual. The "man" Bailey was covering caught a pass and Bailey caught him and attempted to tackle him, BUT... Bailey let go of him when he kicked him in the leg. Bailey is OK. His ego is a little bruised, but he will be fine.

No pictures this week. I did finally post last weeks pictures. They are below the Beth Moore post from Monday, so be sure to scroll on down to see them.

Hope everyone has a good weekend! I have a date night tomorrow night YEAH!

Inspiration for your day!

I read this on Beth Moore's Blog, and thought I would share with my readers.
I was very encouraged by this today.Hope you are too!

From the LPM Blog:

I caught myself doing something this morning that made me think of my own walk with Christ then yours, my darling fellow-sojourners, because that's the way God has wired me. It was still dark outside and I'd just finished my quiet time on the back porch. Our sanitation guys come early so I knew I'd better get the trash out before I missed them. As I was dragging a large trash can down the driveway and out to the curb with one hand, I held the other hand up in the air while I prayed some Scriptures out loud over my beloved son-in-law. It might have been any one of my closest loved ones but I knew he had a Greek test today and I wanted to spend some extra time on him. Suddenly the Holy Spirit made me aware of the sweet irony of what was happening. There I was, dragging a trash can filled with empty dog-food cans, coffee grounds, crumpled kleenex from blown noses, cardboard toilet tissue tubes, dryer lint, a weekend of Houston Chronicles, all manner of to-go food containers and goodness knows what other unmentionables out to the curb while having a holy moment with the King of all Creation.

And I thought to myself, "Isn't that the way it is?" God's Word and His ways were meant for real living. If we keep saving sacred practices for sacred life-moments, we will never truly see our theology collide with our reality. We may feel a tad better at church and more spiritually in-tune at Bible study but we'll never get the fact that Christ meant to infuse Himself into our relentless carpool lines, traffic jams, elevator rides, grocery store check-outs, expense reports, tank fill-ups, and family fights. If we reserve divine moments for divine situations, we are in for long waits and short visits. I don't know about you but I need Him more than that.

Sometimes we think something is wrong with us because our spiritual lives and disciplines are not glamorous. We frustrate ourselves with the wrong impression that other people's are. We don't realize that right in the middle of their quiet times, sometimes they have to jump up and run to the restroom...or nurse the baby...or yell at a barking dog, "Would you shut that up before you wake up every dad-blasted soul in the neighborhood?"

And, yet, right in the middle of real and un-sacred living, something sacred does happen. Though human eyes are blind to the sight, the cloudy pillar of God's glory really does fall upon us and we, and our trash cans, are enveloped by His Presence. And He is pleased that we got it. That we got Him. And He got us. Right smack dab in the middle of living.

That's what got me thinking. If God is not about dragging our trash to the curb for pick-up, what on earth is He for?

"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

You are deeply loved today.

Game 2 Pictures

Bailey covering his man




Coach Travis with the huddle



Exercises!

Dolphins 1-1

The Dolphins lost tonight to the Taylors Falcons 28-19. The Dolphins did not play anything like they are capable of playing. Oh well. They are kids. Bailey said, "The coach can't be mad at me, I did not even have the ball." He is truly a team player. Always encouraging the guys, cheering, giving them high fives and pats on the back. He is just happy to be a part of the team never complaining about being tired, or the amount of time he gets to play. He is not the best player on the team, but I have to say he has to be the best "sport". I can brag because this is my blog!!!
I have some good pictures from tonight, but I will probably not post them until after the weekend.

Seriously Random Thoughts

I am leaving Friday morning for a girls weekend with 2 great friends. We are going to Charleston. One of the girls has never been, so we plan to do some fun "touristy" (is that a word?) things like a harbor dinner cruise, carriage ride and etc. I am really excited and have been looking forward to this trip for several months.

I wish I knew what the weather will be. It would certainly help me decide what to pack. Oh well I will figure it out.

By the way.... The weather has been absolutely WONDERFUL lately. I LOVE IT. I hope it stays this way for a while.

Football slideshow

Tyler's Game

I have posted many pictures of Bailey playing football. I thought it was time to post a few pictures of Tyler playing his game. He is a star player of this game. HA!
So, for those of you wondering why there are fewer pictures of Tyler in various situations and activities??? It is because this is the position you most see him in. All the pictures would look the same just different clothes and scenes. My 2 boys could not be any more different. They both bring so much joy to our lives in 2 TOTALLY different ways. Tyler says he wants to play Basketball at church this year, and Baseball this spring. We will see....
Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Dolphins 1-0

Just a few pictures from tonight's game. The Dolphins won 20-6 against the Blue Ridge Tigers. I will make a slide show with all the pictures soon. Sony had a booth set up where you could use one of their very nice cameras during the game. Take all the pictures you want, then when you returned the camera they gave you a CD of all the pictures you took. All FREE! It was really neat, and of course made you REALLY want to go buy one of those cameras. Marketing Genius.




Bailey is the one with his hands on his knees.

Blogger's Block

When I began this blog, I thought I would post very often with random thoughts that popped into my head. After all, those who know me know that I am not typically at a loss for words. Hence the name of the blog, Babblin'. I can do some babbling let me tell you.
However,(let me chase a little rabbit...my pastor says when you see the word however in the bible you better buckle your seat belts because something big is about to be said. HOWEVER, in this blog it means absolutely nothing) lately the only time I have anything to post is if we have done something that warrants taking pictures and I post a little explanation of the pictures.

I guess I have never really been a writer, maybe this is the problem? I have even been to those sites that "prompt" your blogging creativity. I look at them and nothing happens. I am not inspired. What is wrong with me??? Is Alison at a loss for words?? Oh the many people who would be praising God for his miracles.

SO...until a thought is born ....

Sky Top

Today we went with friends to Sky Top Apple Orchard in NC. Due to the late freeze the apples are very small and there aren't many to be had, but we had a great day anyway. Its a great place to visit and picnic.

A Post for Papa

Does my blog look better now Papa??

Clemson vs. FSU

All the males in our house are watching "THE game". Bailey is a USC fan with his Papa Landreth and Tyler and Tim are Clemson fans. Needless to say there is some serious "banter" going on in our house right now. Oh the joys of football season. This is the first year the boys have really been interested enough in football for me to really tell I am in testosterone land. OH well, it could be worse huh? It is actually really cool to sit back and watch the 3 of them enjoying this together.

10 things I have wanted to do but haven't done -YET

These are in no particular order, just how they popped into my brain. I really had a hard time thinking of things. I guess I don't like to sit and think about things I haven't been able to do, rather be thankful for the things I do get to do. Don't get me wrong, I have my "pitty parties" too, but it is not a state of mind. God has taught me so much in the last 4 years or so. I am so thankful for my life. I have been blessed beyond measure. SO... Why are you posting this you say?? Only because I started this post on a whim and I don't like to leave things hanging (usually) and I am finishing it.

1.Go on a cruise with lots of friends and family

2.Go on a cruise with just Tim

3.Enjoy watching sports as much as Tim does

4.Go on a shopping spree with a $5000 Visa Gift Card

5.Spend the day at a spa with friends

6.Give of my time and money SACRIFICIALLY to others

8.Learn to speak another language fluently

9.Be a stay at home Mom (althogh my work situation works very well for me and the boys)

10.Cook 6 nights in a week so that we only eat out 1 time a week. (I do not know that it will ever happen)

Alex and Jack

My niece and nephew enjoying a day at Central Park in NYC.

Drakes

A couple people have asked me to post some picture of our shop since we recently moved to our new location. We moved in March to a much nicer building and it has proven to be a fantastic move. We feel very blessed to be in this location and know that is was all part of God's plan. It is a story for another time. These quick snapshots do not really do it Justice, but maybe you can get the idea. My photography skills leave a lot to be desired.

I was tagged!

I don't usually do these, but I have been tagged several times so I thought I would finally do this at least once.

I erased the name of this but it is a quiz about High School.

1. Who was your best friend?
Sherri Manwaring and Ben Cunningham



2. Did you play any sports?
NO!

3. What kind of car did you drive?
Gray Nissan Sentra


4. It’s Friday night. Where were you?
Hanging out with friends. Not usually at football games because our team was terrible only won 1 game in 4 years.


5. Were you a party animal?
Yes, but not always in the way you would normally describe a party animal.


6. Were you considered a flirt?
I would say no. At least I did not think so.


7. Were you in the band, orchestra or choir?
Chorus


8. Were you a nerd?
Nope


9. Were you ever suspended or expelled?
No

10. Can you sing the fight song?
Yes!


11. Who was your favorite teacher?
Mr. Martin, Choral Director


12. What was your school mascot?
Wade HAmpton Generals


13. Did you go to the Prom?
I did not go to mine, but I went to my boyfriend's at Blue Ridge High.


14. If you could go back, would you?
You could NOT pay me enough money to go back to high school!


15. What do you remember most about graduation?
Being thankful to see that day and thinking I am so free! Little did I know!


16. Where were you on Senior Skip Day?
At a cookout our school organized for Seniors for Senior Skip Day. Was not as much fun when the school lets you do it.


17. Did you have a job your senior year?
I worked at Eckerds


18. Where did you go most often for lunch?
Outside in the courtyard.


19. Have you gained weight since then?
Yes!

20. What did you do after graduation?
Working for my parents


21. What year did you graduate?
1994

22. Who was your Senior Prom Date?
Michael Eskew


23. Are you going/did you go to your 10 year reunion?
No,I don't think they planned it very well or got the information to people in time.


24. What is your biggest regret in high school?
Not enjoying it a little more. I was so eager to get it over with. I hated school so much from the time I began 1st grade.

I tag Jamie and Jennifer!!!!

Football

Bailey is in all white


Being pushed by the guy in blue shirt


Practice Uniform

Greenville Drive

One of our Drake's customers recently gave us tickets to see The Drive. We had a very nice suite all to ourselves. The Drive lost to the Lakeland Blueclaws, but we had lots of fun.

School Days

It is hard to believe summer is over! Tyler is starting the 5th grade today. (Middle School this time next year, Can you believe that???) and Bailey is starting 3rd grade. It is time for me to get organized and prepared so that we can have the best school year possible, and not just "fly by the seat of our pants".
I guess you can see what is on my mind today!
Hope you all have a great week!

Alive Again!

My computer has been under the weather. The TCPIP was fried. Whatever in the world that means. Luckily we have a "computer geek" friend who can do anything with a computer. So, we are back in business. It is really sad to find how "computer dependent" I am. I will post soon.

Let the prayers begin!

Bailey is playing football for the Eastside Dolphins. Practice started last week. Thursday night they will begin practicing with all their pads on. They had to have 10 hours of non contact practice before they wear all the gear.
Bailey is small, but he is tough. He weighs in at a whopping 53lbs. with clothes and shoes.
He is so ready to tackle someone, I just don't think he realizes that the other teams players are just as excited to tackle someone.
This should be an interesting few months.
I will most defintely post more football pictures.



He's in the back still standing.