West Virginia Memories

This past Friday, we made an impromptu trip to West Virginia. We had hoped all along to be able to see at least one of David's soccer games. When that prospect was looking bleak, all of the sudden, they won their needed games to be able to play on Friday afternoon where their school was hosting the regional tournaments. Anyway, we found out on Thursday morning that we could go, so we left at 7 a.m. on Friday morning in the driving rain (thank you, Lord for that rain!) to make it to ABC for the 1:30 game. When we got there, it was raining cats and dogs. We decided to pull up at a place where we could just watch from the car. I tell you, it was raining so badly that I could barely make out which team was which, much less which one of the players was David! And Haley, bless her heart, being the supportive wife, sat in the bleachers the whole time with an umbrella! They lost that game, but it was fun to watch what we could anyway.



That night, Haley made a great meal. She is quite the cook! She told me that she has already cooked through almost two cookbooks!! She hasn't even served the same meal twice (well, one of their favorites she has made twice!) And David is loving all that cooking!

We had fun with them and played Rook...they let Donnie and I win, I think! Below is a picture of the piano her parents brought to them a few weeks ago. Haley teaches piano right there in the apartment. You can see their cute apartment. Haley had made all the pillows and curtains. Really cute!

On Saturday morning, the weather was crisp, cool, and gorgeous. We took a ride to go "leaf looking". The picture below really doesn't do justice to the gorgeous colors we were able to experience.

The picture below shows some of the vibrant colors as David and Haley goof off.

Here below is one gorgeous maple that Haley captured from the car window.

We ended our Saturday drive with lunch out and took them back to their apartment which you can see below. David had transplanted some pretty flowers right before they got married and they are doing great. They're getting ready to dig them up, though, to plant some tulip bulbs. He also planted some strawberries. Their apartment is on campus there at ABC. We left there around 1 p.m.....Haley had an exam that afternoon and David had to get back to work. All in all, we had about 24 hours there, but it was a great time. Thanks, David and Haley for your sweet hospitality. We are thankful to the Lord for how He has richly blessed you both. May you continue serving Him with all your hearts, as you consider how great things He has done for you.

1 Samuel 12:24
"Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you."

Mountain Memories

Stopping for lunch (well, really L-U-P-P-E-R --Lunch-Supper) in Mount Airy at the Mayflower Seafood Restaurant.

Grandma and Grandpa in front of Andy's squad car.

Donnie and I in front of Snappy's.

Here we are (oops...I forgot my hat for the picture...excuse my helmet head!) with both motorcycles at Chimney Rock.

Grandma and Grandpa in front of the Harley Davidson shop in Chimney Rock.

Last weekend, from Thursday to Saturday, we made a short trip to the mountains with Donnie's parents. We went on the motorcycles. We started early Thursday morning and made our way to Mount Airy, NC so Grandma and Grandpa could enjoy Andy's homeplace. We spent a leisurely couple of hours there and took pictures in front of Floyd's Barbershop and the Snappy Diner. We ate at the Mayflower Seafood Restaurant.



We then made our way to Boone, NC around 4:45 p.m. or so. That in itself was a real adventure because we went around our elbow to get to our thumb, so to speak. We didn't have a map...we ended up in TN at one point on Thursday night. We had to make it to Boone because I had already made reservations there. By the time we finally made it in on Thursday night, we were wet, cold, and grumpy, not to mention we all had sore behinds! We left Boone (and my, what a beautiful little town that is!) the next morning for a nice ride on the Blueridge Parkway to Linville Falls, Tweetsie Railroad, and to Spruce Pine. That (Spruce Pine) is where Grandma and Grandpa bought their beautiful homemade Grandfather Clock years ago. We visited in the little shop where they bought it. We ate supper at the Western Sizzlin' there and then.....we started on the steep, curvy road of Hwy. 221 on our way to Ridgecrest to spend the night. It was on Hwy. 221 when Grandpa's back brakes went out.....what a scare. But thanks to the Lord for His protection and watchcare over us. Come to find out, the brakes just got overheated from so much use coming down the mountain. We stopped on the side of the road and let them cool off, and we were on our way. We spent the night in Black Mountain at Ridgecrest Conference Center.

We left early the next morning to head home by way of Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. (We had first visited Chimney Rock and Lake Lure years ago with Calvin and June Gibson. We stayed many times at their wonderful mountain home...we've got wonderful memories of those times) Anyway, back to my story, on Saturday we saw some gorgeous sights along the way.........bought some mountain apples at a roadside stand......stopped at a Harley-Davidson shop in Chimney Rock for Grandma and Grandpa to browse around. We stopped in Spartanburg for lunch on the way home. Someone asked when we got home if the leaves were pretty in the mountains...well, they were pretty alright..Pretty GREEN.....they hadn't changed colors yet, but green is fine with me. The mountains are just beautiful anyway....and the sights along the Blueridge Parkway are so wonderful. Like Donnie says, motorcycles were made for mountains! We are thankful to the Lord for allowing us to view His handiwork and rejoice in the wonder of Who He is! We made it home safely Saturday afternoon. Now, where can we go next......?

More Weekend Moments

Listed below are the final pictures I'll post of our time in Goldsboro on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. The picture right below is of my sister-in-law Jan (mom of four, married to my older brother Joe, and living right there in Goldsboro) and Renee.







This picture is Daniel McCracken (my nephew) and Lori, his wife and then James and Stephanie.

The picture below is James and Stephanie's three darling little stairstep boys.

The picture below is another angle of us eating outside in Daddy's "barn".

This picture is of the little boys playing with Daddy's new puppies.

Weekend Moments

This past Friday afternoon, we traveled to Goldsboro to Mom and Dad's. We somehow managed (?!!!) to get there right in time for supper. We had gone to meet our nephew Samuel's new wife, Yaelle. You will see a picture of them below. Also, Daniel and Renee came down Friday night, too, so we had a good time visiting with them. My brother Melvin, and his wife, Sheila, came in Saturday morning and stayed a few hours. It was great to see them. That afternoon around 3ish, we sat down to a great Frogmore Stew that daddy prepared outside. My sister-in-law, Janet, and her daughter, Jennifer also came in and we spent a few minutes of fellowship with them. Also arriving in time for the feast was Mel's son, James, his wife, Stephanie, and their three busy little boys. Our nephew, Daniel, and his wife Lori, got there too around 3. It was great to visit if only for a little while. When you're far away from family, even little tidbits of time together becomes sweet and memorable. We didn't even get to be there 24 hours, but it was a wonderful time. Mom and Dad always outdo themselves to make everyone at home. I hope that when I'm in my seventies, I'll be going strong like they are. Since I can only post 5 pictures at a time, I'll add some more tomorrow.


The picture above is of Samuel and Yaelle. She is a sweetie! She didn't speak alot of English, but she truly has a servant's heart. You could always find her jumping up to help clear the table, or be doing other tasks as needed. She loves to cook, so she's girl after my own heart! It was great visiting with Samuel, too. He is in a Christian school in the South of France and has been quite busy opening up two companies. He has one cleaning company in which he employs several people that have had drug dependencies in the past, and he is helping out by giving them a chance to earn a living. Way to go, Samuel! We love you and Yaelle and will be praying for both of you.

This is mom and dad after our Friday meal. Thanks for a great weekend!

The picture above is my brother, Mel, and his wife, Sheila. He wouldn't look into the camera...he's camera shy! hahah Mel, I know you are reading this. Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit. You guys look great! I'm proud of you!

Saturday afternoon, Donnie and Daniel enjoyed a game of "hillbilly" golf....it was golf balls connected to each other by a string and you had to "throw" the string at the opposing goals and see if you scored! Looked kinda silly to me, but they had a great time!

This is beautiful Jennifer....as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She's in nursing school there in Goldsboro. She and Jan came by for a brief visit.

I wanted to also post some happenings in our family over the weekend. My sister Christy and her husband Andre, live in France with their six children. The children are all growing up fast! Christy is my baby sister. Anyway, her oldest son, Samuel, got married this past Saturday to Yael (not sure of the spelling). So, one of these pictures is of Samuel and Yael. They are honeymooning, actually, here in the States. We hope to see them while they are here. Christy's second-born, but oldest daughter is Rachel. She got married a few years ago to Matthieu. I've added a picture of them, too. Christy's third child, Laura, got married in May to Raphael. You will see their picture in front of a chateau...which is actually where they are living Then, you'll see a picture of the whole family at Laura's wedding in May.

These next several pictures are from the post-wedding shower our church gave to David and Haley. For some reason, I have not been able to post these in order. I'm still learning, though. This is Kenneth and Reatha Dorrell and their darling little granddaughter, McKenzie. She is doing so well since her surgery.

This is little Madison standing beside the running "David/Haley DVD" that played during the shower. Isn't she cute? I couldn't figure out how to make Madison as "light" as David and Haley.

David and Haley left late Monday afternoon. We hated to see them go. They start a full week of classes and work on Tuesday. Pray for them as you think of them. They got home around 11:30 p.m. on so Monday night. We had a great time while they were here...it's just always hard to say good bye! For those of you reading this blog, I posted several pictures below and they came in as different days...sorry about that. I'm learning! Love to everyone!

David and Haley at the reception...greeting...and talking with folks.
This is Jerry and Susie Poston...blurry picture, and again, the photographer is at fault!

This is David and Haley with Mrs. Ada.

Hello Everyone....thanks to Kimberly Bonnett for two more wedding pictures. She took a bunch at the wedding and these are two of my favorites. Cort is hugging his new aunt Haley.
Here's another one of the beaming bride and groom!
David and Haley came in Friday night to spend the weekend. On Saturday, David helped his dad trim bushes in the yard and do a lot more yard work. Haley and I had little errands to run. But, in the afternoon, they went for a spin on the motorcycle. What fun they had!
Our church had a "post wedding gift card shower" for them on Sunday night. Haley and I stayed at church all afternoon and fixed food. Donnie and David stayed helped set up tables. Mrs. Monette and Jackie came in the afternoon and we decorated the food table. Here is Mrs. Mae...she wanted to do the cake for them. She's done cakes for all the boys and their wives and she wanted to make sure she could do one for David and Haley. She's been like another Grandma to our boys. We all love her!
This is Denise...sorry it's a little blurry (must be the photographer...uh, that would be me!). During the shower, there was a running CD of David and Haley's life together up to this point.

Hello Everyone! This is a picture that David sent us this week by email. Isn't it a precious picture of Cort at the wedding. We had the privilege of having him here with us from Wednesday through Sunday. He and Papaw went to feed the fish every day...worked in the garage...played...watched "Gus" again....made popcorn and drank Cokes....went swimming...laughed alot...tickled alot...and had the best time. My job is to fix him food...make sure he takes his naps and brushes his teeth....and make sure he laughs alot. We had a wonderful time with him. He started school yesterday. If you think about it, please pray with us that he'll have a wonderful year in First Grade. He is growing up so quickly!

This is another picture that David sent...and with his never ending humor, he wrote in the email, "DJ, you should have smiled!" This was at the end of the wedding, and I think Cort had intended to "escort" Grandma Miles out, but got timid at the end...thus, the shy little smile. I love this picture of them! By the way, DJ got hurt this week...he was jumping off the pier at Santee to secure a trout line, and jumped onto a stump...he had to get 22 stitches in the "arch" part of his foot...he'll be off of his feet for ten days.

This is an old picture (well, at least 3 months old!) of Donnie and me on the motorcycle. This was taken by Mrs. Winnie. When I saw it, I said, "NOW, I know why everyone we pass on the road has this huge grin on their face!" I thought they were just happy for us, but I realize we look like a couple of nuts, but oh, the sheer joy of riding in the wind and looking skyward and praising the Lord for the abundant life He gives us. I told my husband that I just LOVE the "fifties"...cause nothing hurts, the kids are all grown, and it's a wonderful time to be alive and serve the Lord. You all go out and have a blessed day!

I just realized after posting this, that it is in the wrong order. These first five pictures should actually be at the end of this blog. I'm sorry. I'm trying to learn how to do it, and I realize I have a long way to go.

This was after the wedding, on Sunday, after we got home. Cort was getting ready to go home. This will be the last picture of him holding his little cousin for a long time!

I know it's not winter time, but I wanted a picture of Caily in the pink blanket I crocheted. I hadn't crocheted one thing since I tried to make something for Cort six years ago! I need to do it on a regular basis, cause I love it!
She was smiling, so I wanted to capture that sweet little smile!

This was the last picture I have of Caily at our house before they left for the airport. Darin and Jody were packing and they had put her here and she decided it was comfortable enough for a little snooze! Isn't this the cutest picture?

Can you stand some more wedding pictures? Cort couldn't wait to get his little tux off after the wedding and put on some play clothes so he could play with all the little children. After all, there were nine darling children in the wedding! They had a great time running and playing in the big yard!

Kimberly Bonnett, her mom, June, and sister Crystal and her little boy, Evan came to the wedding. They had been home in WV for a family reunion and were able to make it to Alum Creek for the wedding. That was so nice of them to come!

Here is a cute picture of Darin, Caily, and Great Grandma Haas at the reception. Caily is sleeping away, oblivious to all the hoopla!

David, Haley, and Matt, one of David's roommates from his year at Miracle Mountain Ranch in Spring Creek, PA. In fact, all three of David's roommates (Matt, Joel and Becca--his wife, and Adam) came to the wedding as well as Logan and his wife, Sarah. That was so kind of them all to make the trip. It meant alot to David--he said they are loyal friends! There were also more folks from Peace who came, as well as the Fenners who came from Greer, SC. That was so nice of everyone to make the trip to Charleston.

This is DJ and Cort in their formal attire as well as DJ's friend, Julie.

One week ago today, David and Haley were married. It's hard to believe that all the boys now are grown and gone. Life just flies by. Someone took this shot of us and the boys. I don't have one yet of us and the boys and our "girls", but will post one soon.

This is right before the wedding. Daniel and Darin played the prelude music. The wedding started at 7 p.m., but at 6:30, a rainstorm came up. It lasted about 10-15 minutes and cooled the air up beautifully.

Darin, Jody and Caily....Caily did so well the whole trip. She slept and ate. Jody seemed to take it all in stride without missing a beat. I was so amazed at how calm she seemed with the baby and just seemed to sense if the baby was hungry or just tired. She and Darin are doing a great job and little Caily seems so content. She makes these little sighs of contentment that are so cute.

Daniel and Renee...I tried to get a lighter picture, but this is the best one I could get of them. Renee looked so pretty in her cranberry colored bridesmaid dress. Daniel did a good job of helping with the music.

Here we are with the bride and groom....a precious couple. Haley was so calm and collected the whole time...and David was too. When the rain started before the wedding, I just pleaded with the Lord to stop it so the wedding could go as planned. And in His timing, He sent just enough to cool it down and the wedding proceeded without a hitch. I'll post more pictures later.