Meeting an NBA Legend

Last night we were honored to be guests at an FCA Legacy banquet here in Kearney.  The guest speaker was Bobby Jones.  My husband was thrilled because he knows of the legacy he left in the NBA.  But I had never heard of him, sad to say.

It was a wonderful thing to hear from a man who achieved so much during his twelve years as a professional basketball player.  He played with such men as Dr. J and Charles Barkley.  And he played against legends like Michael Jordan.  He was a part of teams that won NBA championships, and he was several personal awards himself.  In fact, every team team he was a part of made it to the playoffs during his time with that team.  I audibly said "wow" when I heard that.

But the most impressive thing to me about this man was his genuine humility and ability to see life beyond the fame.  After retiring he went back to North Carolina and became a coach at a small Christian School.  I would guess he probably could have had any number of jobs coaching or commentating after his illustrious career in the NBA.  But he chose to build into the lives and faith of students.  That to me was the most amazing thing about his story.

My husband, who is a huge basketball fan, was so excited to talk with Bobby, get his autograph, and picture taken with him.  We were both so impressed with this very tall man.   It was truly an honor to hear his story and shake his hand.

Her Name Should be Snoopy

It appears that Maggie Jo figured out if she jumps up on her dog house she can see over the panel and bark at the geese and birds in the field.  Huh...she never ceases to amaze us!

Another Weekend of Fun

 This weekend when the kiddos were here we had a great time:

• building forts, 
• enjoying yummy food, 
• playing at Ballocity, 
• going to an all-you-can-eat waffle fundraiser for some students, 
• movie on the big screen at dad's school, 
• church, birthday party for Great-Grandpa's 91'st birthday, 
• and of course, NFC & AFC Championship football games!

Fort Building in the Living Room 

20 Waffle Irons for the Waffle Man Fundraiser

Yum!

Everyone enjoyed their waffles for supper!

I cannot help myself

My family always jokes about how I like to organize.  My husbands family now likes to joke about how I like to organize.  It is true.  I cannot help myself.  To me, there is much comfort and security in organizing my world.

For example, I meal plan.  Each week or so I sit down, take stock of what I have in the freezer and pantry and plan meals based on what I have.  This allows me to use up food before it spoils and keeps my grocery bills lower.  Plus, I know that come dinner time, I have something ready to go and I don't have to worry all day about what I'm going to make when I get home.  Security. Plain and simple.

Now does this mean that if my husband calls me wanting to take me out to dinner I'm not flexible?  Well, actually sometime it does throw me for a loop.  How sad is that?  Sometimes I cannot see beyond my secure organized world to enjoy a spontaneous night with my husband.  But, usually, he reminds me that it is more important to connect with each other and that we don't eat out but once a month anyway.  I do love that man!


But while I do like things organized and like knowing what I'm making for dinner and what house hold task I will accomplish each night, I must constantly remind myself, or have my husband remind me, that this life is about so much more than organization and security.

Jesus did not call us to live a comfortable and organized and safe life.  In fact, quite the opposite is true.  And when I have stepped out of the comfort and allowed for some chaos in my world, that is when I have had the most wonderful adventures with my Savior and my family.  While I do believe order honors God, I do not believe it should take the place of listening to Him and being willing to have MY plans flex with what HE is doing around me.

Christmas 2011

We spent the Christmas holiday with Titus' family in Eudora / Kansas City, KS.  While we didn't snap too many shots this year, we did have a great time with all the family on Christmas Eve and a great, low-key day on  Christmas Day.

Abe with his new BB Gun

Grandma Nancy and all 10 grand kids

Nancy and her four children

Titus & Abe early Christmas morning

Estes Park on New Years Weekend

We spent a lovely night in Estes Park when in Colorado for New Years.  The day in RMNP was windy and cold - but still beyond beautiful.  We visited all the places that mean so much to us.  Where we were engaged, where we were married, the cabins that our family have stayed in for over 30 years.  It was a truly relaxing day.  So glad we were able to make the trip.

The Alluvial Fan - where we were engaged.  

Bundled up for Sprauge Lake

The Cold & Windy side of the lake

Happy 7th Birthday, Abraham!

This last week Abraham turned 7 years old!  To celebrate, we watched the K-State Bowl game, ate pizza, and cheered them on with our friends Keith & Becca!  Even though they didn't win, we had a great time celebrating Abe!  

Abe's Mater Colossal Cookie!

Blowing out 7 candles!