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Grammie's REAL Birthday!! Happy Birthday, Grammie!!!!

I was able to work in the nursery this Sunday for my mom, and we just had two cuties-- Daniel and Asha.

Daniel and Asha in the jungle :)

Takes lots of focus to pop that weasel! 

After church Dan, Carrie, Daniel, Stephen and I took Grammie out to lunch to celebrate her birthday. It was delicious-- followed up by some frozen yogurt! (of course!)

I'd like to believe the reason we are glowing in this picture is that we are angels...
I think the truth is that the picture is very, very overexposed.
Nonetheless, this was a priceless memory!
Happy Birthday, Grammie!! I love you so very much!

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Daniel and I like to take our vitamins together.... we do this and toast to Grandma Kline and good health. :) She would be proud!

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COW APPRECIATION DAY!!!!!!

Best day ever. Best restaurant in the world serves the best food in the world, and we dress up as the best animal in the world and get the best free meal in the world. It's just the best day in the whole, WIDE world! I figure if I don't get to work at COWS (Camp on Wheels-- now known as Grandview Ministries), I might as well dress up like one for a few hours!

So, to celebrate this best day of the whole wide world I went to Chick -fil-A not once, but twice... and yes, dressed up like a cow both times!

Little D before heading out to lunch...

The Bundricks helped us dress up and came to lunch with us! :)

Perfect work lunch-break outing :)

And if lunch wasn't enough, we took GRAMMIE out for dinner!!! ;) (Daniel paid!)

Daniel and me with Maegan Pitts... :) Prettiest COW ever!

"Daniel, what does the cow say?"
"EAT MORE CHICKEN"

So all in all, a GREAT day celebrating cows, and free chicken at the BEST restaurant in the world! ;)

(PS, after Chick-fil-A, Daniel took Grammie and me on a date to the Anderson airport, which is now known as "Grammie's Airport." :) We had toooo much fun!)

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Thursdays... Thursday, Thursday, Thursday.

I must say one of the highlights of Thursday is swimming at the lake. But I need to branch out.

Bryan and Rachel Burton took me out fishing on Hartwell tonight, and it was an absolutely gorgeous night to be on the lake! We decided we would tell everybody that I caught about a 17lb fish, but I just don't know that the story would be believable seeing that in the 20 times I have gone fishing in my life, I've caught about three (and only one was bigger than my hand). :) So, no fish, but GREAT memories!!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONROE!!!!

Today is a very, very special day. My dear brother is turning another year older. Though we wish we could start turning a year younger, it is inevitable that we all must grow up at some point or another.

So, in honor of his birthday, I would like to write a poem.

"Monroe, you are the Best"

Monroe, you are great,
You really are the best.
Monroe, you are my only brother,
You really are the best.
Monroe, one time you hit me and I had Rachael outlined the red spot on my back to tattle tale (that was a little too long of a phrase, but don't mind the form here)
You really are the best.
Monroe, that red spot went away-- don't worry!
You really are the best.
Monroe, I used to cover your back growing up. You have alot to thank me for. :)
You really are the best.
Monroe, remember the time when we helped your friend run away and I hid in the back of the car under the blanket because I was scared of the dark, but you made me come with you because you were scared to drive?
You really are the best.
Monroe, Oh man, I remember the time that you threatened that boy in my class for being mean to me...
WOW, you REALLY are the best.
Monroe, remember when I used to have a crush on all the boys on your baseball team?
You really are the best.
Monroe, do you remember the time that the violin went through the bedroom door?? (oooooops!)
You really are the best.
Monroe, you married Katie.
YOU REALLY ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!

Monroe, hope you enjoyed that. I do want you to know (Katie you can pass this along) that I am so very thankful for you and the role you have played in my life. You definitely have made life more memorable for me :) and have made things MUCH more exciting! I'm so happy for you and Katie and the life that God has blessed you with, and I look forward to spending more and more and MORE time with you both in years to come! I love you so very much and thank God for giving me the best brother I could ever have!

You really are the best! :)

Katie was the best addition we could have ever asked for... :) .

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Happy Surprise 80th birthday, Grammie!

This year Grammie turns 80, so the family wanted to throw a surprise party for her. We went to the Galley in Anderson and many of her dear friends came out to celebrate. MOST of the family was there (those who live far away couldn't make it :(), and every single friend of hers that we invited (and there were probably 20!) came! That tells you that my Grammie is a very loved lady.

When my Papi died, Grammie did not stop living. She began even more to pour her life into serving other people. She is constantly loving on people, taking them bread or tea, or whatever goodies she has made that day. I have seen an example of a servant in her life that I would like to follow. She is such a wonderful lady, and I thank God for putting her in my life.

Life is always so exciting with her- and I look forward to so many more memories over the next 80 years! :)

She had NO CLUE! GREAT expression as she saw the room full
for the first time! "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!"

Pictures from when dad's family was younger... so much fun to look back and see how people have changed!

Carrie was reading a note and poem from Sarah Louise. We missed Rach, Matt and co, Sarah and Monroe and Katie! Sarah wrote a little note from all of us. We are blessed.

We had a sweet time sharing special memories and thoughts with Grammie. Such a wonderful lady!

PART of our immediate family... 

ALWAYS good to see Sara Margaret. :) Best friend right there.

Thankful for Grammie's life, and thankful that God chose to put her in MY life.

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Happy 4th of July!!

Every year since I can remember the 4th of July has been celebrated with family, and hash has been a key element in that celebration.

When I was young, all of my dad's family (Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc.) would go to the farm where Grammie lived and we'd spend all day out there running around catching frogs, climbing trees, getting into to trouble of any shape or form. While we ran around like hooligans Papi would be sitting around a fire with a cast iron pot cooking hash. He would start the fire early in the morning and cook it slow and steady. We'd all sit down and enjoy the meal  (complete with Grammie's sweet tea :)), and then came the PARADE we had been waiting all year for!

Grammie had an old yellow racing convertible and all the grandchildren would pile in dressed in all of Grammie's fun parade STUFF, Grammie would put on her clown nose, we'd grab handfuls of candy and up and down the looong driveway we would go throwing candy to our parents.

See... we are big kids here. Way too old to enjoy this? Nah... Wish I had other pictures so you
could get the full effect! :)

This seems so silly, but this is a tradition we enjoyed waaay past our childhood... then again, we're all kids at heart. :)

THIS year Dad did the hash- he has carried on the tradition. And most of our family couldn't be at the 4th of July gathering (because of a surprise party for Grammie on the 5th ;)), so we invited some friends  to join us! We had a GREAT time...

Mom, Grandma and Carrie

Lee and Carli came by... you can NEVER grow out of fascination of sparklers!

Daniel was looking for the bean bags

This is his head on the other side of the corn hole board hole... (that was confusing) so cute!

Daniel was enjoying his hash!

Zhixin and Tingting... my running and swimming inspiration :)

Tingting and I dominated this game of corn hole...

Daniel had some advice to give our team.

Sweet Grammie joined us! I love this lady!

Carly was trying to SQUIRT out the firework!! ;)

Daniel's first experience holding a sparker. :) What fun memories to capture!!

Thankful for the freedom we enjoy in America and the sacrifice of SO MANY to give us that freedom. More importantly, thankful for the TRUE freedom we have in Jesus Christ.

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I love my church.  I love that God is working and that I am growing through the teaching of the Word. I'm thankful for the reality of Christ, and the heart of a pastor who is transparent before the Lord and transparent before the people.

God has blessed my life with the family I have at UBC...

I have been reading a book called "Respectable Sins" by Jerry Bridges for Sunday school, and it has been a tremendous rebuke and blessing. I'd encourage everybody I know to read it-- so easy to understand and soooo so so so practical.

It's so easy to tolerate simple sins... anxiety, frustration, anger. I struggle particularly with anxiety. I hate not having control of my life. The funny thing is that while I feel like I can sometimes manage my time and I can remain in control, even then I am not at ALL in control!!! God is! So easy for me to forget.

God is real. That real God is sovereign over my life. That's awesome.

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After swimming a few of us stayed at the lake all morning long, then came back to my house and made blueberry pancakes with FRESHLY picked blueberries. MMM... what a great morning!

This is what the doc was covered with... banana peels, cracker wrappers and water bottles. Nothing better than a nice, long run and swim mixed with the sun!! (IN CLEMSON!) :)

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Jules... is moving home!! :( Bittersweet, but so thankful she can be home with her family! Victor threw a goodbye party for her and we had the best of times playing games and hanging out. I am so thankful for that girl and her influence in my life, and I am excited about what God is going to do in her life in the next few months and years. It's an exciting time for all of us. It's the point in life where there isn't much direction, so the end picture is still unknown. While that is hard for me at times, it's also such an awesome thing-- and exciting! To know that God knows and I just need to walk with Him today, and one day I'll look back on my "adventure" and see one great story!

So happy for you, Jules! Love you! Thankful for you. :)

God has blessed me with wonderful friends!