Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Geocaching - New Hobby
I think our family has found a new hobby. It's called geo caching. "Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment." We have only found two so far, but that was with inadequate equipment. Downloaded the full version on my iPhone today, will try it out tonight. JS spent a good portion of yesterday hunting with his uncle and cousins so hopefully he can help us out. He said he found one yesterday that had a snake, yes a real snake, in it. Not in the actual container, but in the place where the container was hidden. Last night we found our second one, but it was tricky. JS even had it in his hands at one point and put it back. Took us 45 minutes and confirmation from someone that had previously found it to realize that was the cache. The hiders are quite sneaky as we are finding out and you really have to think beyond just looking for a "box." You also have to get over looking like an idiot to random folks...as yesterday we were wandering all over a grocery store parking lot and the day before up and down the side of a busy highway! LeAnne left for Camp Hope on Sunday, so she hasn't joined in on the fun yet. Hopefully, she will have as much fun and it will be a great, inexpensive family hobby.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Betty Cannon (obit)
| Cannon, Betty | |
| Age: 78 Passed Away: 2010-06-03 Funeral Home: Mathews Funeral Home | |
| Betty M. Cannon ALBANY — The memorial service of Betty M. Cannon, 78, of Albany, GA who died Thursday, June 03, 2010 at her residence, will be conducted Friday at 11:00 A.M. at Mathews Funeral Home. Rev. Tom Newman will officiate. A native of Fulton County, GA, Mrs. Cannon grew up in Decatur and graduated from Decatur High School in 1948. She had resided in Albany since 1962 and was a chemical sales representative with the Cannon Company. Survivors include her husband, Dallas Russell (Rusty) Cannon of Albany, three daughters, Linda Cannon Pipkin and her husband, Jeff and Teresa Cannon Stewart and her husband, Ronnie all of Albany and Patricia Cannon Luke and her husband, Preston of Leesburg, seven grandchildren, Reiley Pipkin of Albany, Dan Stewart of Bogart, GA, Ron Bowyer and his wife, Hannah of Auburn, GA, Chris Bowyer and his wife, Melinda of Gainesville, GA, Dal Spring and his wife, Jennifer and Jenna Luke all of Leesburg, six great-grandchildren, David Bowyer, Christopher Bowyer, Joshua Bowyer, James Bowyer, LeAnne Bowyer and Langston Spring. The family will receive friends from 10:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. prior to the service at Mathews Funeral Home. Those desiring may make contributions to Albany Community Hospice, P.O. Box 1828, Albany, GA, 31702. To sign our online registry or to send condolences to the family, you may visit Mathews’ website at www.mathewsfuneralhome.com. Mathews Funeral Home Albany 229/435-5657 |
Dot-Dot Stewart (Obit)
| Stewart, Dorothy J. | |||
| Age: 90 Passed Away: 2010-02-04 Funeral Home: Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Directors | |||
| Dorothy J. Stewart ALBANY — Dorothy "Dot-Dot" Jenkins Stewart, 90, of Albany, died Thursday, February 4, 2010. Her funeral service will be MONDAY 11 AM at First Baptist Church of Albany. Interment services will be at 2:30 PM at Sumner Cemetery, Sumner, GA in Worth County. The Rev. Dr. Butch Knight will officiate. Mrs. Stewart was born in Sumner, GA and had lived in Albany for many years. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Albany and worked for 45 years in the nursery at the church. She was preceded in death by her husband Alexander Cleveland Stewart, Jr. Mrs. Stewart is survived by her two sons: Ronnie Stewart and his wife Teresa; Alex Stewart, all of Albany; 4 grandchildren: Dan Stewart, Ron Bowyer, Chris Bowyer, Angie Elliott; 7 great-grandchildren; a brother: Harry Jenkins and his wife Ruby, Indialantic, FL; numerous nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends at Kimbrell-Stern Sunday from 6-7:30 PM. Those desiring may send memorials to Camp Hawkins, c/o First Baptist Church of Albany, 145 Oakland Parkway, Leesburg, GA 31763, or Albany Community Hospice, P.O. Box 1828, Albany, GA 31702. You may sign the online guestbook and share your own memories with the family of Dorothy "Dot-Dot" Jenkins Stewart by visiting Kimbrell-Stern's website at www.kimbrellstern.com. Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Directors Albany 229/883-4152 |
Brief catch-up on family events
Boy, does time fly fast! So far it seems to have been a pretty eventful summer..and it has just started.
We took the kids to Forsyth to meet their grandparents on May 30. All the grandkids were going down to Albany for a week for the annual "Camp Grandma."
Monday, May 31, Memorial Day, Ron and I went with Joey and Natalie and their boys to the Renaissance Festival in Atlanta. It was fun and we got some funny pictures. They had a lot of those cut out things where you put your face in them and take a pic. It was amazing how clean the house stayed with them gone. Mainly the fact that there wasn't a zillion cups all over the counter tops when I got home from work each night.
Then on June 3, Ron's grandmother Cannon died. She had lung cancer. His grandmother Stewart died the first week of February. So, as I had predicted at the beginning of the year, it has definitely become the "year of the grandparents." We got up in the wee hours of the morning on June 4 and headed to Albany for the funeral. She was cremated, so that was a new thing for our kids. She is going to be missed. She really cared about all of us and I remember her picking out very specific things that she knew we would like for Christmas.
Came back the next day and that night went to a concert in the park sponsored by our church.
Sunday, June 6, after church we went with Joey and Natalie to Lake Hartwell. They have a boat and our families had a blast tubing, boating and swimming together. We met up with another mutual couple and their boat out there so ended up with two boats and 18 people!
Sunday at church they started a new series called, "No Perfect Families Allowed." The kids really like our church and we have been attending since October 2009 and it has definitely become our home church. So on the way home Ron started teasing the kids. He said, "well guys, I hate to tell you but we are going to have to find a new church." They both started asking "Why?! Why?!" and he replied, "because we are the perfect family, so we aren't allowed." Both started loudly arguing why we were NOT the perfect family. It was so funny listening to all their reasons. Then Ron laughed and told them, "I guess we get to stay there then."
Last night Ron and I went on a date night. We have been doing this much more frequently and loving it! Last night we had dinner at Chili's. I like them because they aren't very expensive and they have "guiltless grill" items that are low in fat and calories. Then I had a free movie ticket so we went and saw Prince of Persia. Neither of us were real impressed with the movie. But it was fun just to go....the theater was nearly empty and we had the "love seat." Ummmm, cozy. And with no kids we didn't have to bother with popcorn, cokes, candy, etc. I am so falling in love all over with him! We have done a lot more as a family together lately too. Nothing huge per se or wildly exciting (other than the sailing trip) but just some fun quality time together.
Looking forward to what the rest of the summer brings...
We took the kids to Forsyth to meet their grandparents on May 30. All the grandkids were going down to Albany for a week for the annual "Camp Grandma."
Monday, May 31, Memorial Day, Ron and I went with Joey and Natalie and their boys to the Renaissance Festival in Atlanta. It was fun and we got some funny pictures. They had a lot of those cut out things where you put your face in them and take a pic. It was amazing how clean the house stayed with them gone. Mainly the fact that there wasn't a zillion cups all over the counter tops when I got home from work each night.
Then on June 3, Ron's grandmother Cannon died. She had lung cancer. His grandmother Stewart died the first week of February. So, as I had predicted at the beginning of the year, it has definitely become the "year of the grandparents." We got up in the wee hours of the morning on June 4 and headed to Albany for the funeral. She was cremated, so that was a new thing for our kids. She is going to be missed. She really cared about all of us and I remember her picking out very specific things that she knew we would like for Christmas.
Came back the next day and that night went to a concert in the park sponsored by our church.
Sunday, June 6, after church we went with Joey and Natalie to Lake Hartwell. They have a boat and our families had a blast tubing, boating and swimming together. We met up with another mutual couple and their boat out there so ended up with two boats and 18 people!
Sunday at church they started a new series called, "No Perfect Families Allowed." The kids really like our church and we have been attending since October 2009 and it has definitely become our home church. So on the way home Ron started teasing the kids. He said, "well guys, I hate to tell you but we are going to have to find a new church." They both started asking "Why?! Why?!" and he replied, "because we are the perfect family, so we aren't allowed." Both started loudly arguing why we were NOT the perfect family. It was so funny listening to all their reasons. Then Ron laughed and told them, "I guess we get to stay there then."
Last night Ron and I went on a date night. We have been doing this much more frequently and loving it! Last night we had dinner at Chili's. I like them because they aren't very expensive and they have "guiltless grill" items that are low in fat and calories. Then I had a free movie ticket so we went and saw Prince of Persia. Neither of us were real impressed with the movie. But it was fun just to go....the theater was nearly empty and we had the "love seat." Ummmm, cozy. And with no kids we didn't have to bother with popcorn, cokes, candy, etc. I am so falling in love all over with him! We have done a lot more as a family together lately too. Nothing huge per se or wildly exciting (other than the sailing trip) but just some fun quality time together.
Looking forward to what the rest of the summer brings...
Friday, May 21, 2010
Progress & Perspective - How You View It
Kind of had one of those "ah ha" moments today.
I was feeling like I have been treading water and not making any real progress in some areas. Would think there was progress then have a set back or start to struggle with the same issues again. Over and over, what was starting to feel like a vicious cycle. To the point where even when things are going good, it had me always slightly on edge, knowing that it wouldn't stay that way. Just kind of wearing on me, discouraging me and making me start to lose my perseverance. I have progressed enough to realize that with everything in life, this too shall pass. But get tired of waiting on whatever the current situation is to pass. You know the times where you just want to throw up your hands and say "I give up!" Yes, it WILL pass, but I'm tired of fighting and feeling like I'm not making any progress. Was talking with someone about that today and she was saying that often in the middle of something you can't see your own progress. Sometimes you have to step back and view it from a different perspective.
It made me think of working out with my personal trainer. I've had a personal trainer for a couple of months now. We train twice a week at the gym. The very first session I had with her I thought she was trying to kill me! Nearly threw up and couldn't believe how out of shape I felt. This week we met again, and like every session I left totally exhausted and feeling still out of shape (though at the same time I felt good and had that good kind of sore feeling). Started getting discouraged with the fact that I leave every session very conscious of how much work I still have to do and not feeling like I'm making much progress since every session is so difficult. Here is the part I had forgotten....she changes up the sessions...they are never the same...and they are, in fact, getting harder. Her job is to constantly push me harder and further so that I actually make more progress. But it wasn't until I looked back on my first session and did some of those exercises, the ones that originally I had thought were killing me, and being able to do them OK, to realize that I really have been making progress all along.
That was where I had my "ah ha" moment. Just like I couldn't see the progress at the gym during my current work out session, I can't always see my personal progress. To see my gym progress I had to go back and see where I used to be and compare it to that. Same thing with my personal struggles. During them I have a hard time seeing progress. But stepping back and seeing it from another person's perspective or remembering how I have handled similar situations in the past, then I can see that I really am making progress. In the past I might have made rash decisions or over reacted to a similar feeling or situation. Today I thought it through, could see far enough ahead to realize that this would change and took a proactive step by talking it out with someone who could help give me a clearer perspective, encourage me and give me advice. That is progress! Actually a lot of progress for me, who tends to bottle up or mask how I feel with most people and not actually deal with it or overreact and possibly do something stupid.
Does that make how I'm feeling right now any easier? Not really. But does it encourage me and give me the perseverance to keep at it and not give up? Absolutely!
"So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time." Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
I was feeling like I have been treading water and not making any real progress in some areas. Would think there was progress then have a set back or start to struggle with the same issues again. Over and over, what was starting to feel like a vicious cycle. To the point where even when things are going good, it had me always slightly on edge, knowing that it wouldn't stay that way. Just kind of wearing on me, discouraging me and making me start to lose my perseverance. I have progressed enough to realize that with everything in life, this too shall pass. But get tired of waiting on whatever the current situation is to pass. You know the times where you just want to throw up your hands and say "I give up!" Yes, it WILL pass, but I'm tired of fighting and feeling like I'm not making any progress. Was talking with someone about that today and she was saying that often in the middle of something you can't see your own progress. Sometimes you have to step back and view it from a different perspective.
It made me think of working out with my personal trainer. I've had a personal trainer for a couple of months now. We train twice a week at the gym. The very first session I had with her I thought she was trying to kill me! Nearly threw up and couldn't believe how out of shape I felt. This week we met again, and like every session I left totally exhausted and feeling still out of shape (though at the same time I felt good and had that good kind of sore feeling). Started getting discouraged with the fact that I leave every session very conscious of how much work I still have to do and not feeling like I'm making much progress since every session is so difficult. Here is the part I had forgotten....she changes up the sessions...they are never the same...and they are, in fact, getting harder. Her job is to constantly push me harder and further so that I actually make more progress. But it wasn't until I looked back on my first session and did some of those exercises, the ones that originally I had thought were killing me, and being able to do them OK, to realize that I really have been making progress all along.
That was where I had my "ah ha" moment. Just like I couldn't see the progress at the gym during my current work out session, I can't always see my personal progress. To see my gym progress I had to go back and see where I used to be and compare it to that. Same thing with my personal struggles. During them I have a hard time seeing progress. But stepping back and seeing it from another person's perspective or remembering how I have handled similar situations in the past, then I can see that I really am making progress. In the past I might have made rash decisions or over reacted to a similar feeling or situation. Today I thought it through, could see far enough ahead to realize that this would change and took a proactive step by talking it out with someone who could help give me a clearer perspective, encourage me and give me advice. That is progress! Actually a lot of progress for me, who tends to bottle up or mask how I feel with most people and not actually deal with it or overreact and possibly do something stupid.
Does that make how I'm feeling right now any easier? Not really. But does it encourage me and give me the perseverance to keep at it and not give up? Absolutely!
"So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time." Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
Last Day of School
I can't believe how long it has been since I blogged about anything at all.
A couple of weeks ago we went on an awesome sailing trip, sailed up the inter coastal waterway off the coast of Savannah and went to an island in St. Catherine's Sound. We slept on the boat at night and explored the island during the day. We saw a sea turtle, tons of dolphins, horseshoe crabs and jellyfish. It was a blast and a great family experience!
Today was the kid's last day of school. James Stephen is now an 8th grader. LeAnne will move up to middle school as a 6th grader. So hard to believe my "baby" is now a middle school kid. It was hard for me today as I left her elementary school realizing that I probably won't ever be back. JS started there in PreK so I have been at that school quite a bit in the last nine years! She had a 5th Grade Honor's Program at school today and got three awards. One for having all "As" all year, one was a Certificate of Achievement from Duke University TIP program (Talent Identification Program) and the "big" one was the President's Education Award for Education Excellence for Outstanding Academic Excellence, signed by President Obama and the U.S. Secretary of Education. You go girl! So proud of both of my kids. They are growing up fast though. I have loved every second of being a mother.
A couple of weeks ago we went on an awesome sailing trip, sailed up the inter coastal waterway off the coast of Savannah and went to an island in St. Catherine's Sound. We slept on the boat at night and explored the island during the day. We saw a sea turtle, tons of dolphins, horseshoe crabs and jellyfish. It was a blast and a great family experience!
Today was the kid's last day of school. James Stephen is now an 8th grader. LeAnne will move up to middle school as a 6th grader. So hard to believe my "baby" is now a middle school kid. It was hard for me today as I left her elementary school realizing that I probably won't ever be back. JS started there in PreK so I have been at that school quite a bit in the last nine years! She had a 5th Grade Honor's Program at school today and got three awards. One for having all "As" all year, one was a Certificate of Achievement from Duke University TIP program (Talent Identification Program) and the "big" one was the President's Education Award for Education Excellence for Outstanding Academic Excellence, signed by President Obama and the U.S. Secretary of Education. You go girl! So proud of both of my kids. They are growing up fast though. I have loved every second of being a mother.
Monday, March 8, 2010
O2 - "I AM"
Friday night I went to O2 at 12Stone. I always look forward to these. Just an incredible time of praise, worship and communion. And typically I feel refreshed and renewed after them. This time was no different in that I knew how much I needed this night and came expecting God to move. But I also knew I felt so bone dry that it would take a lot to feel refreshed. Satan had just been having a hay day with my thoughts and continually whispering to me that I was unworthy. Unworthy of God's love and unworthy of God's forgiveness. It seemed like all day long Friday it was a constant onslaught. Enough to where I started to forget about God's grace and feeling like I had to DO something. So much so that at lunch break I drove past the hospital and saw they were doing a blood drive. I pulled in and donated blood, knowing that the blood saves lives and hoping that would somehow make me feel better about myself. Finally it was time to head to O2.
The theme for the night was "I AM." They had a door on the stage to represent Jesus as the door. And all around the worship center they had doors laying on stands and with markers and they opened it up for people to come and write on the doors one word describing who God is to them. I wrote "steadfast." Through all my ups and downs, times of chaos, and my wishy washy attitudes and actions at times, He is unchanging. He is the rock, my unchanging place to run to. No matter what I've done, said or thought, it doesn't change how He views me. He is always there, waiting, with outstretched arms. Even the times I don't necessarily feel it, it doesn't change the fact that He is there. How comforting to know that even if my world rocks around me, He is the steadfast One!
Later in the service it was time for communion. Though I was praising God for being my steadfast One, Satan continued to harass me throughout the service. So much so that I had decided that I wasn't even going to participate in communion. I watched as person after person went forward for communion. I wanted to go but felt burdened and bound and unworthy. Communion time passed and the next song began. They sang Lift High (by Steve Fee).
Broken people call His name
Helpless children praise the King
Nothing brings Him greater fame
When broken people call His name
Lift high, your chains undone
All rise, exalt the Son
Jesus Christ, the Holy One
We lift our eyes to You
Sinners all exalt the Son
Your ransom paid and freedom won
We will see His Kingdom Come
When sinners all exalt the Son
[Repeat Chorus]
Lift up your heads
Oh oh oh lift up your heads
Look on Him
Lift up your heads
Oh oh oh lift up your heads
Look on Him
Lift up your heads
Oh oh oh lift up your heads
Look on Him
Lift up your heads
Oh oh oh lift up your heads
Look on Him
Lift up your heads
Oh oh oh lift up your heads
Look on him
Lift up your heads
Oh oh oh lift up your heads
Lift high, your chains undone
All rise, exalt the Son
Jesus Christ, the Holy One
Lift high, your chains undone
All rise, exalt the Son
Jesus Christ, the Holy One
We lift our eyes to You
We lift our eyes to You
When the choir got to the part "lift high, your chains undone, all rise, exalt the Son" I realized that my chains were undone. Satan was lying to me and making me feel the weight of them, but I was NOT bound by them. All I had to do is shrug them off, stand up and lift my head!! So at that point I made my way down and partook in communion. Thankfully, I still had time because shortly after that they removed the elements of communion.
At the end I did feel some of the typical refueled and refreshed feeling, but I guess the weariness of the struggle all day, all week for that matter, made me want even more. And the neat thing was, at the end they asked us to come back and write "more" on the doors if we wanted to press in for more. He is the I AM, but there is always more of Him to know, to reach for, to grow in.
I woke up in the middle of the night Friday night and again last night with that song playing in my head and me singing along in my mind. I was singing it in the shower this morning! Thank you Jesus, that you have broken my chains, I can lift my head and praise You! Help me remember that my chains are undone, if I'm burdened by them, it is because I am holding on to them, not because You haven't set me free!
The theme for the night was "I AM." They had a door on the stage to represent Jesus as the door. And all around the worship center they had doors laying on stands and with markers and they opened it up for people to come and write on the doors one word describing who God is to them. I wrote "steadfast." Through all my ups and downs, times of chaos, and my wishy washy attitudes and actions at times, He is unchanging. He is the rock, my unchanging place to run to. No matter what I've done, said or thought, it doesn't change how He views me. He is always there, waiting, with outstretched arms. Even the times I don't necessarily feel it, it doesn't change the fact that He is there. How comforting to know that even if my world rocks around me, He is the steadfast One!
Later in the service it was time for communion. Though I was praising God for being my steadfast One, Satan continued to harass me throughout the service. So much so that I had decided that I wasn't even going to participate in communion. I watched as person after person went forward for communion. I wanted to go but felt burdened and bound and unworthy. Communion time passed and the next song began. They sang Lift High (by Steve Fee).
Broken people call His name
Helpless children praise the King
Nothing brings Him greater fame
When broken people call His name
Lift high, your chains undone
All rise, exalt the Son
Jesus Christ, the Holy One
We lift our eyes to You
Sinners all exalt the Son
Your ransom paid and freedom won
We will see His Kingdom Come
When sinners all exalt the Son
[Repeat Chorus]
Lift up your heads
Oh oh oh lift up your heads
Look on Him
Lift up your heads
Oh oh oh lift up your heads
Look on Him
Lift up your heads
Oh oh oh lift up your heads
Look on Him
Lift up your heads
Oh oh oh lift up your heads
Look on Him
Lift up your heads
Oh oh oh lift up your heads
Look on him
Lift up your heads
Oh oh oh lift up your heads
Lift high, your chains undone
All rise, exalt the Son
Jesus Christ, the Holy One
Lift high, your chains undone
All rise, exalt the Son
Jesus Christ, the Holy One
We lift our eyes to You
We lift our eyes to You
When the choir got to the part "lift high, your chains undone, all rise, exalt the Son" I realized that my chains were undone. Satan was lying to me and making me feel the weight of them, but I was NOT bound by them. All I had to do is shrug them off, stand up and lift my head!! So at that point I made my way down and partook in communion. Thankfully, I still had time because shortly after that they removed the elements of communion.
At the end I did feel some of the typical refueled and refreshed feeling, but I guess the weariness of the struggle all day, all week for that matter, made me want even more. And the neat thing was, at the end they asked us to come back and write "more" on the doors if we wanted to press in for more. He is the I AM, but there is always more of Him to know, to reach for, to grow in.
I woke up in the middle of the night Friday night and again last night with that song playing in my head and me singing along in my mind. I was singing it in the shower this morning! Thank you Jesus, that you have broken my chains, I can lift my head and praise You! Help me remember that my chains are undone, if I'm burdened by them, it is because I am holding on to them, not because You haven't set me free!
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