Spring Break 2018-Atlanta

So I'm a little behind...ok, I am way behind...on posting our Spring Break adventures.  Here it finally is...

We have driven through Georgia before, but never stopped to spend some time in the Peach State.  We decided to spend the week in Atlanta and take in lots of cool touristy attractions and enjoy the history. 

Day 1
Our first stop was the Georgia Aquarium.  It is world famous and full of exotic creatures of the sea.  However, we weren't super impressed with the place.  There were definitely some cool things to see, but perhaps it's because our kids were older that we simply weren't taken aback. 

We consider ourselves pizza connoisseurs and love to try out the local pizza places. We went to Max's Coal Oven Pizzeria in downtown Atlanta.  It's a hip, old looking place, with a brick interior and picnic table benches. And their pizza is amazing!!!

After lunch, we walked over to the Center for Civil and Human Rights.  It's a beautiful place full of history that is heart wrenching. That place stirs up emotions and will even bring a tear to your eye.  It makes you angry to see how people are treated, not just in America, but around the world.  It was very educational and I am so glad our kids got to see it.

Day 2
We started the day with a tour of CNN studios.  We were all looking forward to this tour.  I was really hoping to casually run into Anderson Cooper, but our tour guide told us he had just been permanently transferred to NYC.  Boo!  The tour was fascinating!!!  We learned all of the ins and outs to keep a large network running, we saw the offices and gigantic screens, and experienced the hustle and bustle required to deliver the news. 

We headed over to the College Football Hall of Fame, which Craig and Preston loved!!!  Everything you needed to know about college football was in that place.  The boys even got to run some football drills. 

Lunch was at our favorite restaurant chain, Hard Rock Café.  We have visited so many of these places and they always have the coolest music memorabilia.  Honestly, we really like the food, too, even if it is a little on the pricier side. 

We strolled through Centennial Olympic Park, where the 1996 Olympics were held, and went to the World of Coca Cola.  Wow!!!!  We loved checking out the cool Coca Cola memorabilia throughout the decades.  The store had every type of Coca Cola merchandise you could think of.  And of course, there were tons of flavors to try!!!!

 

 

Day 3
We traveled outside of Atlanta to really learn some local history.  Georgia is a very pretty state, green and full of farms. We went to the small town of Warm Springs to tour the former home of the late President Franklin Roosevelt.  It's a small house with very pretty grounds.  Down the road was the pool full of soothing minerals in warm water where he used to swim to help ease ailments from his polio.

We drove to La Grange and had lunch at the best tiny hole in the wall diner called Charlie Joseph's. We found it on Tripadvisor where it received rave reviews.  The food was delicious and VERY cheap!!!!

Our next stop was at the historic home and gardens of Hills and Dales Estate.  We love to tour old mansions and this place was gorgeous!!!

Dinner that night was back in Atlanta at the city's #1 BBQ joint, Fox Bros.  BBQ.  It was delicious, but still not quite as good as Texas BBQ.

Day 4
The last day in Atlanta was spent enjoying more tours.  Chick Fil A was founded in Atlanta so we took the Backstage Tour.  So cool!!!  The offices are very progressive where employees are free to move about and work anywhere they choose in the building.  The founder, Truett Cathy, had quite a car collection including one of the real Batmobile's.  His office was left as is, including the Bible on his desk.  For lunch, we ate at the very first restaurant he started, the Dwarf House.  Such good food!!!

We headed back downtown and visited the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic Site.  There was a lot to see and it was very touching.  We saw the artifacts at the museum, his boyhood home, and the memorial site dedicated to him and his wife.  We also spent time in Ebenezer Baptist Church where he used to preach. In the sanctuary, recordings of his sermon were playing and we sat in the pews to listen.  It was so moving and you could feel the Holy Spirit come alive. 

We ended the day driving through beautiful, historic Ansley Park, admiring the gorgeous Georgian colonial homes, and enjoyed delicious Sprinkles cupcakes. 

We saved quite a bit of money by purchasing the City Pass that includes visiting many of these attractions.  I will definitely look into a City Pass for other vacations.  While we saw some pretty cool things, learned a lot of history, and ate some great food, I think visiting Atlanta once was plenty for us. 

Grief

This past week has been emotionally draining.  I had the misfortune of having to say good-bye to a dear friend.  Although I know I will see her again in our heavenly home, it is hard knowing I will no longer see her again in our earthly home.

Linda was a sweet, kind, loving, and very accepting fellow music therapy student.  We had almost all of our classes together, including studio, where we studied voice under the same teacher.  She was also a non-traditional student that decided to pursue her passion of music later in life.

I will never forget the talks we had.  We shared laughs, stories about our children, relished the memories of our time working with preschoolers, and constantly encouraged one another throughout the difficult school days and lessons of music. Mostly, we shared a love for Christ.  Our best conversations were talking about the goodness of God.

Because she was taken so suddenly from us, I have had to really take time to process this grief.  Her smile is etched in my memory, I can still see her walking down the hallways, and I remember every spot where she sat in our classrooms.  The nights have been restless because she is there and I long for sleep again.  I cannot remember a time I so eagerly wanted to be away from the music building. 

My friends and professors at school have truly bonded and become more of a family over this tragic experience.  There have been lots of tears, lots of hugs, and lots of love shared this past week.  I am extremely appreciative of the people of TWU.

Thankfully, Spring Break is here.  As I drove away from school today, I said one last good-bye to my dear friend.  After having time off, I know when I return, it will be to all the happy memories we shared and I will no longer be haunted by them.  And I will finally have the peace that I know she is experiencing right now in the presence of Jesus.

Choose Joy

This past week I read devotions from a couple different books.  Interestingly, they both had the message of being joyful. Instantly, I could feel a nudging in my spirit.

Heading back to school this past Tuesday marked a full and busy schedule once again.  Both kids are already involved in their sports and practices.  The first volleyball game is tomorrow.  Craig is constantly busy with work.  When one holiday ends, the next one immediately begins in the retail business.  And I have already started to fill our house with music in different languages and genres. 

With this busyness, comes the emotions, the tiredness, the feeling of needing to take a breath.  The busyness also comes with dread, complaints, and grudges.

But God doesn't want us to live a life full of dread.  He doesn't want us to be tired all the time.  He wants us to live a happy life, a life fulfilled, and take time to rest in Him and his comfort. God wants us to find joy in all that we do, even the littlest things.

It's so easy to take for granted the daily routines and responsibilities.  It's easy to go through a day full of complaints instead of thanks.  But by doing so, we rob ourselves of the joy that we can experience in these mundane tasks. 

Not everyday will be great and trials and tribulations will still come our way.  Even people can take away our happiness.  But in those moments, we have to make the conscious effort to find that joy.  And joy is contagious. 

So as God was speaking to me this week, and as part of living a life fulfilled, I made a conscious effort to be joyful.  I was happy to meet new people, I was excited to learn new things about music that I did not know even existed, and I was very thankful for the home routine of practices, cooking dinner, and finding those moments of quality time with the family. 

I can complain and dread it all or I can embrace it and be joyful.

I choose joy.

A Life Fulfilled

The past year came and went in the blink of an eye.  Here we are already celebrating another new year.  New goals to reach, new plans to make, new resolutions to hopefully keep and not break.  On this first day of the new year, it seems the possibilities are endless.

Every year I pray for a specific word from God to guide our family throughout the next 365 days.  This year was no different, but this year seemed to take just a little longer to hear that word.  I remember so well when God revealed it to me and my confusion that came immediately after.

This year, in 2018, we are to live a life fulfilled.  As I was given this revelation and prayed about it some more, God began to clarify it.  After all, it was a statement He had given me rather than just a simple, understandable word. 

God wants us to live a life fulfilled, every single day.

We are to live a life to the FULLest.  We are to live a life FILLED with love, kindness, and positivity.  Live in the moment and be present.  Really take in and enjoy those special times with our family whether it's at school events, sports activities, or quiet moments at home. Craig and I need to grow and deepen our relationship even more.  We have been a couple for over 2 decades, but there is always more to learn about and from each other.  We need to put in the effort for friendships. Take time to nurture them and let them grow.  Sometimes our friendship circles will be small but they can be very special.  We need to be thankful for the gifts God has given us and use them in a pleasing way to Him.  We need to refine them and continually work at our craft.  We need to acknowledge we are all different and unique in those gifts and could never compare to someone else.

This will be a challenge because after all, we are human.  There will be some really rough days, some sad days, some days we wish would end quickly so we can awake to a fresh start again.  However, we need to start each day knowing God is giving us that day to make good choices.  We need to be thankful for all the blessings, big or small, that come our way.  When we face those trials, we need to acknowledge God is with us through every moment and perhaps even trying to reveal something amazing to us. 

Most importantly, we are to live a life fulfilled in His Word, His Love, His Peace.  God really wants us to grow closer to Him and connect with Him in all new ways.  Try new Bible studies, dig deeper during devotions, and take to heart the words that we read. 

I cannot quite put into words everything He has spoken to me for this next year.  There is so much and I am so excited.

God is giving us this life and wants us to enjoy it.  He wants us to be content.  He wants our lives to be fulfilled.

The Year of Growth: The Cycle Continues

As we look back on 2017, we see all the amazing growth we've experienced, the pruning that was tough to endure, and the blooms that turned out beautiful.  God has indeed led our family through an interesting journey this past year.

Craig experienced professional growth in a huge way.  He got to experience things he never thought would come so soon in his career.  He has learned a lot, taught a lot, and is excited about the future ahead.  I am so proud of all he has accomplished. 

The kids and I have been through so much with our education, especially these past few months.  We've all had to adjust to new teaching styles and really get our heads in the books (or music, in my case).  But we have made it so far and are excelling in our subjects.

Sports has taken over our household now that BOTH kids are involved in something.  Keeping an organized calendar is crucial for the many practices and games each week.  We have watched them both practice incredibly hard at their sport and their skills have significantly improved.  We are very excited about the Spring season.

Finally, our Spiritual growth has been phenomenal.  God has definitely taken us down a path we did not see coming.  Craig and I love seeing the kids so excited about church, retelling the lessons and verses, and taking to heart what they have learned.  Every week at church, I feel God is showing me something different in a whole new way.  God brought our family to a new church and we have very much enjoyed it and love being able to just sit in His presence.

We have welcomed new family members through births and weddings.  We have been able to travel to 5 different states and see God's beautiful handiwork.  We have enjoyed new friendships and cherish the ones that have been so special throughout the years.  We have grown in so many ways.  Overall, 2017 has been a good year for our family. 

Kaitlyn's Birthday Letter

Dear Kaitlyn,

Well, the years keep passing quickly and  you keep growing up.  We've seen you mature in so many ways and you understand the new responsibilities that come with it.  You are becoming very wise.

We love watching you come into your own.  You are unique, you don't follow the crowd, and you stick to your beliefs.  We have always told you to be your own person and you truly are.

Your faith is very strong and you have a great understanding of the Word and what God commands of us.  You demonstrate kindness, love, and acceptance to everyone around you.

You are extremely creative, crafty, and you enjoy trying your hand at new mediums.  Your work always astounds us and you love making gifts for others.  You have a bright future ahead.

Your newfound passion for volleyball is a joy to watch.  You know what challenges you and you accept them.  Then you conquer them.  Keep striving to be the best.

We pray that you continue to stay true to your beliefs.  We pray that others always experience your kindness when they are around you.  We pray that you keep learning new things and excelling at the old.

We love you and cannot wait to see what this next year has in store for you.

Love Always,
Mom, Dad, and Preston