Randy and Sue

Just pictures of the boys.......

2010-10-24T07:22:00.010-04:00

More of our Moscow visit.....

2010-10-24T07:02:00.009-04:00

We had an opportunity to meet all of the team here in Moscow on Sunday morning. There was a great time of singing, study, fellowship and food. It was great to meet the group that J&M will be working with during their time here in Moscow. They all made Sue and I feel very welcomed! Luke had a BLAST playing with his friends.

Here is an Noah unwrapped (he liked being bundled).

Jonas and Luke took us on the Metro for a visit on Saturday to Red Square.
Look at these two studs with a stroller!

Sue and I took a tour of the historic St. Basil's Cathedral (background). This is probably the most recognizable building in Moscow.

Luke is an excellent traveler and enjoyed his ride on the subway system.

Luke happy faces!

2010-10-22T15:16:00.005-04:00

More Pictures - less words.

2010-10-22T15:01:00.007-04:00

What can I say?

Jonas and I outside a Metro station in north Moscow.

Sue and Jonas frozen together at Red Square.

Sue and Jonas pretending not to know each other on the Metro!

Sue and Noah
This could have two captions:
"A heavenly Grandmother"
or
"A Grandmother in heaven"

The Williams in Moscow?

2010-10-22T13:28:00.006-04:00

That's right! We came over to visit with Jonas, Melissa & Luke AND to see our newest grandson, Noah. This kid is priceless and will melt your heart. Just look at that face!

The trip: Fortunately Delta flies direct from Atlanta to Moscow. It's about a 9 hour flight that would turn into an entire day of travel if you added layovers. Jonas & Luke picked us up on arrival and they looked great. It had been 10 months since my last visit with Luke and he sure has grown. He is a smart, funny & playful boy just full of energy and is a joy to hang with. He will be 2 in November. We brought lots of toys for him, clothes for Noah and quite a few items for J&M.

Where we are: J&M live in a 16 story apartment building in southern Moscow. We are staying with them for the week. Thank goodness they live on the second floor. Their apartment is quite nice and very comfortable for a family of 4 (adding the two of us does crowd the place a little). Melissa (if you know her, this is what you'd expect) has done a GREAT job decorating and organizing the household and had made it quite a beautiful home for her boys. In addition to taking care of her newborn, she's made sure we have a place to sleep and plenty to eat. We just adore her and feel so blessed to have her part of our family. She and Jonas make quite a team.

Time: I really didn't think jet lag would affect Sue and I so much. At midnight here, I'm wide awake because it's only 4pm at home. So we've been taking turn with naps. We are trying to help with Luke so J&M can get some rest after being up a good part of the night with a newborn. Luke wakes up early and is ready to play. Sue and I tag-teamed this morning and we both had a great time playing with blocks, trains, balls, watching videos & reading books.

Language: Visiting Russia is definitely a challenge for any American much less a naive non-linguist like me. I learned enough Russian (I thought) to get me out of trouble. I was wrong. The Russian language uses an entirely different alphabet so the written word sounds nothing like you think it would. So reading signs, labels, instructions & directions is almost impossible for me. Most of the time we've been outside the apartment, we've been with Jonas. He's learned enough Russian to get him (and us) by. He ordered for us at Subway (yes, they have Subway here) which was amazing to me. He seemed to have no problem communicating at all. I went to the store (on my own) to buy Coke Light (Diet Coke) and, after paying 94 rubles, I grabbed a bag for my purchase. The cashier went off on me about something and all I could tell him was that I didn't understand Russian. After a minute or so, he waved me on shaking his head. After I got back and told Jonas what had happened. It seems I stole the bag. They charge for bags here. Go figure, but lesson learned. Oh yes, tonight at dinner I told the waitress that "I want you" when she asked if we were ready to order. She was very confused and I slowly pulled both feet out of my mouth.

Sights: Moscow is a very contemporary city of over 10 million. It is very much like visiting New York. Most people are nice but they basically ignore you. Doesn't matter. Sue and I can't speak to them anyway. Most people don't know much, if any, English. We've been using the Metro (subway) to get around. Even with the language problems, it is very easy to navigate the system. There is not a lot of "touristy" places to visit here with one exception: Red Square. We had to go nearby to finalize our visa issues so we stopped off for a quick visit (we are taking Jonas & Luke for a real visit tomorrow). There are lots of street vendors and a place called GUM (a mall) right at Red Square. Capitalism at it's finest! For a fee, you can have your picture taken with Stalin and Lenin (look-alikes).

People & Weather: From my perspective, younger Russians seem to be trendy while older Russians look pretty much like you'd expect (a lot of hats here). A large majority of Russians smoke and it seems we get behind a smoker everywhere we walk. As I said earlier, there's so many people moving here and there, they are pretty much indifferent toward each other. There is a lot of pushing and shoving on the crowded Metro trains and most everyone is listening to their iPod or reading. Nobody talks.
It's October and it's been pretty cold here. We've yet to have any snow, but plenty of cold temperatures, wind and rain. As a result, we've had to stay in more than we thought. Melissa's mom is coming for a visit in November. We are hoping that she will have some great weather for her visit.

Jonas & Melissa: We have been rejuvenated. I told Jonas tonight that I felt good about being able to see and experience where they live. When they are this far away, it makes it easier to see that your children are happy and makes us proud of their choices and the direction of their Calling.

RS Annual Meeting - Day Three!

2010-09-02T07:47:00.003-04:00

Day three they finally opened up the exibit hall with the vendors. This is why we are here. We had the entire day to get to see the new products and displays for the upcoming year. This expo focused mostly on wireless phones and the accessories that go with them.

Okay, I'm not sure what AT&T was trying to accomplish here.

Ed "too tall" Jones was here signing autographs with his big 'ole Super Bowl ring.

You can see how big the expo is with all the different vendors.

RS Annual Meeting - Day Two

2010-08-31T23:06:00.003-04:00

Day two was very tiring. We started the day around 8:30 this morning with presentations from the CEO, CFO, CMO, etcetera, etcetera. As the day went on more jibber jabber, oops, presentations from AT&T, T-Mobile, Apple, Sandisk, HTC, Cisco and others about how great their products are. They showed us slides of endless numbers and marketing research that made the whole day very confusing and mundane. Our CEO painted a pretty good picture of the "state of the economy" of RadioShack and I feel more confident.

I had dinner tonight with some very good friends from North Carolina. They are Boyd and Lynda Sosserman from Sylva and Tony and Monica Curtis from Franklin. These are some seriously good people and they were good company for the evening. We had a really nice dinner but, of course, we talked RS all night. I'm the guy with hair.

Lance Armstrong was our guest speaker. I took this picture of the screen since we were pretty far back. He explained the details of the Livestrong foundation for cancer research. It was very interesting and all the women swooned. (Some of you may have to Google "swooned").

They are having a silent auction for merchandise to benefit the Livestrong foundation. One of the items up for auction, believe it or not, is two tickets to the Final Four in Houston in 2011. I just told Sue last week that I wanted to go. I am high bidder at the moment. I'll remain silent about how much I am willing to spend. That would be awesome to win and is the highest priced item on the tables. They are also auctioning a brick from the old Yankee stadium, a jersey signed by Lance, tickets to a Dallas Cowboys home game, two iPads, high end cell phones & a Tony Stewart autographed NASCAR drivers helmet. But, I'm after the Final Four tickets.

RS Annual Meeting - Day One!

2010-08-30T22:59:00.008-04:00

I just finished up day one of the meeting. Today began with a council meeting at 8:30 and finished up with a general session than ended at 6:30pm. It is very tiring to sit around all day.

I had the opportunity to sit across the table from all the RS executives and we all had an opportunity to put our 2 cents worth in. Will it make a difference? I don't know but it seems they are trying to make RS a first class operation.

The hotel is sponsoring an Alice in Wonderland theme for the month. I went around and took some pictures of the grounds during an afternoon break. I thought you'd like to see the place. It is similar (but smaller) to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Luke and Nicklas would have a good time here! Look at the model train.

Go Jackets!

BTW.....they have a nice spa and gym here. I made it to the gym this morning for a 45min workout before my first meeting.

Also, I really wish Sue had come with me. This is a great place but not much fun by yourself. I have a lot to do to keep me busy, though.

Sue...Boyd and Lynda said they miss you!

RS Annual Meeting - Arrival

2010-08-29T23:07:00.010-04:00

I just arrive at the Gaylord Texan hotel for a 4 day meeting with RS staff and vendors. Looks like a rough place to hang out. Right?

The flight only took 2 hours and getting out of the airport just about as long. I forget just how confusing the DFW airport and roads can me. Jennifer knows what I'm talking about.

I got to the Atlanta airport around dinner time (6pm). Every resturaunt was packed so I resorted to eating at Burger King. Mistake! I will be hitting the gym shortly to try and work off that crummy meal.

Here is a view from my balcony! You can see the place is huge. This picture is of the inside of the hotel area. I have an advisory council meeting starting at 8:30am and I'll finish day one about 7pm. I really don't like sitting around all day but hopefully we can all be productive and iron out some issues. There's lots of vendors here for the week and lots of prize drawings.

Here is a view of my room. Darn it. No mints on the pillow!

RS Annual Meeting -

2010-08-29T23:07:00.000-04:00

P90 Day 45

2010-08-23T23:11:00.002-04:00

Well there are a couple of things I am surprised at:
1) I've done this for 45 days.
2) I've done this for 45 days and now I enjoy and have to do it.

Actually, I am 4 days behind in my daily exercises (I should be at dat 49) but I did finish the 45th day today. Can I tell a difference? Sure can! I could barely do 3 pushups when I started and I did 30 in a row tonight. I was so winded when doing the cardio the first night I had to pause the DVD. Now I run straight thru (level 2). I would say that I am a solid level 2 (out of 4). I put in the level 3 sculpting DVD last night and completed most of the exercises but I think I'll wait another week before moving up to level 3. The 100 crunches every other night are a breeze now. It was hard for me to even lay on the floor to begin with. Level 3 moves to 200 crunches and I'm actually looking forward to that. I can no longer wear my size 40 pants. These are my newest pants, too. If this keeps up I'll be in a size 36 by the 90th day. My 38s are actually too big for me right now. Wohooooo!

I mentioned earlier that I have to do these excercises. I used to poo poo other people saying they were addicted to exercise. I am a long way from addicted but I get restless at night if I don't exercise. Also, I find myself stretching and doing table pushups while at work. I keep getting restless and the exercise is a way to release all that tension.

In other news...............
Robert and Jennifer threw a birthday party last Saturday for Nicklas. He had a big blast. Look on my FB page for a link to the video or go to Youtube and search for "Jungle Jumpers Nicklas" and you'll see it. It was so funny that he started crying when we all sang "Happy Birthday". Jennifer used to do the same thing. The only thing that would have made it better was if Luke was there to jump on all the "blow-ups". He would have had so much fun. Maybe we can find some place in Moscow to take him on our visit. We plan on spoiling him in a big way!

Jonas, Melissa & Luke made it to Moscow this weekend. Last message from Jonas was that the apartment was GREAT and they were excited about moving in. It will be good for them to have their own place for a while.

Thanks for reading.

-Randy

Day 30 P90

2010-08-05T22:41:00.005-04:00

Okay....just finished another sculpting workout with the P90 and I have to say it is getting better. If you can count you can see I'm a couple of days behind in the program. There are some days that work and commitments take up more time than I can afford. I checked in the forums online and this seems to be a common problem. I feel fortunate to only being down a couple days.

I use the iPod and turn down the volume on the TV so I don't hear the same thing over and over.....much better now. On their scale of 1-4 I would say I'm a 1 1/2 right now. The exercises are much much easier for me now but I really don't think I'm at level 2 and certainly not ready to tackle level 3. Anyway, I've been substituting two things: 1) 2 hours of volleyball on Wednesday nights for the cardio. I am making up the crunches on Thursday nights. 2) I substitute the Fat Burning CD for one night of cardio. It has a lot of the same routines but it is a bit higher level of workout.

I am down to 218lbs as of this morning (remember, I started at 234.5). I can actually see my ribs now....LOL. BTW, the Yoga is still very very hard for me but I'm getting there.

One thing I've learned. DO THE STRETCHES! I didn't put much stock into the stretches but it really does make a difference in the quality of the workout. It's like "how low can you go". Lower with the stretches...definitely!

This is new territory for me. I joined a gym three and they enjoyed my money while I went home and sat around and ate the wrong foods. This has been fun and I am even amazing myself. I actually sprinted about 200 yards on a power walk this week. I mean sprinted. That's probably not a big thing for you? But for me? That is huge and it felt great.

On another note:
I miss my son. I miss my daughter-in-law. I miss Luke! There's no two ways about it. Being a dad and grandfather is both rewarding AND difficult at times. They are on my mind constantly and I'm so looking forward to seeing them (and Noah) in October.

I miss my wife......

2010-07-26T23:36:00.003-04:00

While Sue has been out of the country for the last week, I've been holding down the homefront. I've had a little bit of extra time on my hands so I made a little video to show her how much I've been missing her. Actually, as you can see, I've had too much time on my hands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B64QzLPUvic

P90 Day 15

2010-07-20T08:09:00.002-04:00

I have never been one to commit to any kind of daily excercise routine. So this is new territory for me. After moving up a size in my waist, I decided it was time.

I am still working with the P90 program although I have to say that Tony is getting pretty boring. I still listen to him (with music off) because he does bring "form" to my attention. I think that's the most important part of the routines. I think it's funny when he talks about his "superior" balance then falls over on the next routine.

I've added another dimension to the cardio workout. I do a 2 mile power walk around our neighborhood. We have a couple of really steep hills and I get more heartpounding cardio doing that than the P90. The circuit workout kicks my butt so I am staying with it as-is for now.

I am struggling with two parts of the cardio. First, I simply can't do the yoga excercises. I really have tried and I know its important but I simply don't bend the way he does (or come even close). Second, the jumping jacks and hopping hurt my knees and insides. I do the alternate moves....step, step....but that doesn't seem to do much. I'll keep at it, though as best I can.

Anyway, no more weight loss but still at it and I am feeling a ton better.

(I miss my wife. She is out of the country for 10 days)

P90 - Day 10

2010-07-15T13:32:00.003-04:00

Okay, I am making my first attempt at using a workout program and having fun. Since I haven't been updating the blog, this seemed a perfect place to post my progress.

I purchased the BeachBody (Tony Horton) P90 90-day workout program. Interestingly, I purchased the P90X but after further investigation found out I physically can't do the program as a beginner. I will have to work my way into it. "What?", you say! Yeah, yeah....I can be somewhat of a couch potato. My work days are pretty intense and there is little "sitting" time. I am on my feet about 8-10 hours a day so when I'm home I do sit a lot.

I started a low carb diet the middle of May 2010 with a beginning weight of 234.5lbs. What a fat boy! I was physically feeling bad, tired, back hurting & knees aching. Since starting I've been mostly eating under 40 grams of carbs a day. It really does make a difference. I'm not as hungry and I don't eat as much volume. But I do miss the bread and sweets. Do I cheat? Of course, every once in a while (but I did turn down brownies at J&M's).

Sue and I setup a home gym in the basement complete with TV, DVD, yoga mat, weights, chair, punching bag (not for P90) and dehumidifier. This is the perfect environment for me to only be an embarrasment to myself while I work out.

Back to the P90! I am on Day 10. The program consists of two sections; Cardio and Sculpting. Since there are 4 phases you'd think there are 4 videos? NO! There are two. Phase 1-2 is one video and 3-4 is the second. So it seems the workouts are going to get monotonous. I am to switch to the 3-4 video once I feel comfortable that I'm a level 2 guru. That'll probably be 45-50 days into this program.

Level 1-2 seems harmless enough. However, when I'm done........wow......what a workout. I lag far behind the "gym rats" on the video so I am definately a Level ONE. There are a lot of stretches and actual Yoga moves that I can't do...yet. However, after 10 days I can actually stand with my feet wide of sholder and bend over and put my fingertips on the floor. That is a milestone for me.

Status: After 10 days of excercise and dieting (low carb) I am now at 220.5 lbs.

I'll keep the updates coming. The goal is 205 which is certainly obtainable with the program. At 205 I should be a running weight so I can begin the next phase.

-Randy

Oh yes.....no before and after pictures. Don't worry!

Growing up.....

2010-02-02T22:25:00.004-05:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about how much time has gone by and at lightning speed. Sometimes I want it all back 'cause it seems I missed so much. Just yesterday both our children were little like the grandboys are now. It won't be long before Robert & Jen and Jonas & Melissa find this out. It's hard to believe how big N & L are now.

It's funny, but today I ran across a video/song by Ben Folds that expresses these thoughts. "Everybody knows it hurts to grow up". Especially for parents.

"Still Fighting it"
Click to watch the video.

Out of commission for two days!

2010-01-26T04:17:00.002-05:00

Sue and I have pretty much been out of commission for two whole days. Early Sunday morning I came down with the flu (with all the usual nastiness). What made it so bad was I was just getting over a case of strep and sinus infection. Anyway, Sue had to take me to the emergency room Sunday morning because of dehydration. There I received fluids, anti-nausea & pain medication. While sitting with me at the hospital, Sue started showing the same symptoms so we shared the medication prescribed for me. We stayed in bed most all day Monday and watched a lot of really bad boring TV.
As usual, she went out of her way to take care of me since I am a big baby when it comes to "problems of the gut". We should join the world on Tuesday.

The new year is here....

2010-01-06T22:54:00.006-05:00

2010! Wow. How did this happen? Time is flying by so fast. It seems we just celebrated the new century and here we are 10 years later.

Nicklas and Luke just celebrated their second Christmas and we had a great time with them. The holidays were busy for all of us. Jen & Robert & Nicklas were sick with colds and flu for much of the time. Jonas & Melissa & Luke spent a lot of time traveling to be with family and were absorbed in preparing for their overseas trip. We were all together on Christmas day and that meant the world to Sue and me. We cherish the time we get with our children and our grandsons and know that God has blessed us beyond measure.

Jeff and Randy Road Trip!

2009-11-16T08:47:00.003-05:00

Last weekend Jeff and I made a trip to Louisville to see Charles and Linda. Charles has called Louisville home for as far back as I can remember. This small town has changed little over the years.

Charles was busy cooking away when we arrived. He takes pride in all his meals and really likes to cook for others. We had a good lunch of chicken 'n dumplings, fried cornbread, fried sweet potatoes, beans and bananna pudding (bananna pudding is a staple in our family). This is the way my mom cooked while I was growing up. After lunch, there was lots of talk about food, eating healthy, recipies & doctor visits. From that lunch you can tell that eating healthy was only a small part of the conversation.

What a surprise! He had invited Charleen (his daughter) and her mom (Marie). My dad's sister Frances dropped in for a while. While we were waiting on Charleen, he called Margaret (Bobbie) Beckam to come over. She is his neice and it was great to visit with her since I hadn't seen her in about 14 years!

Pictured below: Charles, Linda, Jeff, Charleen, Bobbie, Marie and me.

Charles feeding the scraps to the dogs.

2009-10-21T19:05:00.004-04:00

Nothing you do for children is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us, hovering, averting our eyes, and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted. - Garrison Keillor

There never was a child so lovely, but his mother was glad to get him asleep.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Finally a new Post!

2009-10-21T17:22:00.003-04:00

Jennifer emailed me today to say that my blog needed updating...that it is too old. Well....plllbbbbb. I know! I am terrible at keeping this up so I will try better.

The best thing to talk about are the two grandkids. Everyone around me is sick of hearing about them (except Mindy). They will have to get over it. The only other thing I've been doing is work and eating and sleeping.

More Old Photos....

2009-07-19T22:11:00.002-04:00

While looking at pictures we also found one of Jonas at 8mos. Amazing!

A really nice weekend.

2009-07-19T21:54:00.002-04:00

This was a great weekend to re-charge for the coming week. I can't remember when we've had better weather in July. It seemed as though a football game was going to break out Saturday afternoon. We spent the day Sunday attending the church service, taking a nap & then painting the deck at the lake house.

Also, we found a couple of pictures of Jennifer at roughly the same age as Nicklas. Here are their pictures.

Think they are related?

Last Sunday's Service

2009-07-17T15:33:00.003-04:00

Sue and I traveled to Lebanon, Ohio last weekend to be a part of the IMB appointment service for Jonas and Melissa. Let me start by saying how proud we are of both of them and their commitment to serve. We know this decision was made after much prayer and the job ahead will be a difficult one. They are both so committed to their beliefs and with much love they will be successful in spreading the Gospel to the people they meet.

We were able to keep Luke last week while they attended a conference. He was a good traveler up to Ohio and home. It's going to be tough now seeing him when they move. (sigh!)

Urbancrest Church sponsored the service this year and they treated us so very kindy. The congregation turned out to be a big part of the service and threw a party for eveyone there (See Jonas and Melissa's blog for some pictures). Melissa even commented that they treated them "like rock stars". We were awestruck at the kindness and "opened arms" of love.

The service was very inspiring and it was a treat to hear Dr. Rankin's challenge to the appointees and to the church. Each of the appointees had a few minutes to share a bit of their testimony about their calling. Jonas and Melissa drew the short straw and had to go last. Of course, everyone's testimony was a tear-jerker and by the time J&M got to speak even they were emotional. That's what we love so much about them...it was obvious.... the love they share for the cause of Christ and the people they will be serving.

One of the songs they sang in the service was performed by the choir, praise team and small praise band/orchestra (they only had 5-6 people in the orchestra). The sound was amazing and very inspiring. The song is titled "Not Unto Us". It was the first time we heard this song but it is certainly one of the most beautiful in music and lyrics. I've been hearing this song in my head all week so I looked it up and, sure enough, there is a video on YouTube! This video is almost as good as the performance last Sunday. You have to hear it live! This is one of those songs that make you want to jump in praise. Enjoy! (there is a short introduction that is not necessary.

2009-07-09T23:00:00.001-04:00

Click on the picture for a supersized view of this good looking kid!

Thursday with Luke!

2009-07-09T22:40:00.001-04:00

We have sooooo enjoyed having Luke this week. He's been great and had a lot of fun playing, singing, exercising (Baby 1st TV) and visiting. Luke came by the store again today for a visit and got to see Mindy. She was just short of kidnapping him from us and Luke really took to her. Mindy is a baby magnet; they all love her. Tomorrow Nana plans to take Luke to the pool and for a ride in the "red wagon" with Oscar.

I just woke up and I'm ready to play!

Playing with Nicklas.

Helping cousin Nicklas explore.

Drooling all over my new toy!

2009-07-08T20:03:00.001-04:00

Yep, she WAS mad.

Out and about...

2009-07-08T11:29:00.004-04:00

Luke and Nana came by the store for a visit. Actually, Luke was here to see Mindy. She was out on delivery and missed them.

She will be mad.

Having fun around town!

He's Baaack!

2009-07-08T08:21:00.009-04:00

I'm having a ball with Nana.

Playing with his new toy from Gammy.

Listen, Papa. I have to tell you something!

Luke is here for a short stay while Mom and Dad attend a conference. First, he visited Gammy (Melissa's Mom) for a few days and had a great time. She left him with us Tuesday morning and he played with Nicklas for a while and they were happy to see each other. We've been playing, napping, eating & having fun. We will post pictures often.

Paul

2009-06-17T22:37:00.002-04:00

Sue and Paul went apartment hunting this afternoon and found a place near his new job. Paul has been living with us for several weeks since moving back to Georgia. Job hunting finally paid off with his recent hire at Fry's Electronics. (Yes, he's working for the competition.) He is finishing up his second week working in the wireless department selling wireless phones and accessories. Today he found out he is being moved to the appliances department which is where he wanted to be in the first place. So that is excellent news for him.

Since he is currently without a car, he will be walking to work each day. There is a bus stop at his new apartment but it does not run after 7:30pm so he may be walking if he works late. The plans are for him to move in to the new apartment the weekend of our beach trip.

He's pretty excited about the new job and seems to like the apartment complex. So this is a real plus for him.

Boring Wednesday!

2009-06-17T12:30:00.003-04:00

Business has been a little off lately and today is one of the slowest we've had in a while. Vacation is only a few days away and I'm looking forward to spending time with the family. I'm not much for the beach but I am in to spending time with my wife, kids & their spouses, grandsons and NOT WORKING. So it will be a great week anywhere we go.

Since it is slow I've been looking for more interesting music videos. Again, I found another one that you need to watch. This was recorded 32 years ago. What a great song. I was only 14 when the song first came out in 1970 and it has always been one of my favorites. Yes, that really is Elton John!

Let it rain........

2009-06-01T15:44:00.004-04:00

Lake Hartwell all but dried up for us over the last part of 2008 and I have to admit that I was pretty negative about having enough water for lake use this summer. Hartwell reached a low of 24 feet below full pool around the first week of December, 2008. Due to the corp attemps to help the lake recover and good rainfall we are now just under 4 feet of full pool. Look a the difference 6 months of normal rain makes:

2009-05-22T04:32:00.004-04:00

I will eventually post something else other than stuff about music. But since it's my blog.....well, you know. Of all the oldies music I like, I have to say that the Beach Boys never made the grade. All the songs about surfing and driving groovy cars and racing just never did it for me. They were America's answer to the Beatles but I felt they failed miserably. Their best surfing song was 'California Girls' which is okay but, again, is about surfing. Not much of that goes on in Georgia. There IS one song that really stands out and honestly is their best. I did a little research and found out that this was one of the first pop songs to have God in the title and Brian Wilson struggled with the idea. I think it is a really nice love song and was way ahead of it's time. I was 10 when this song came out in the summer of 1966. Let me know what you think.

Video of the Day!

2009-05-22T04:28:00.000-04:00

That week went by FAST!

2009-04-27T13:21:00.005-04:00

This last week went by so fast. We drove up on Saturday to meet Melissa and Jonas in Charlotte to bring Luke home. They were so excited to see him after attending a week-long conference. Sue and I really appreciated the opportunity to keep Luke and really get to know him. Sue has been with him several times in NC but there were a few things I discovered about him this week:
1) He sleeps flat on his back with hands over his head.
2) The third toe on his left foot is lower than the others.
3) He boy loves to smile :) I mean it is real easy to make him smile. Needless to say I took full advantage of that.
4) When he is hungy, he is really hungry. You can't get the bottle ready fast enough.
5) When he eats, the hands go over the head and he'll grab whatever he can find and holds on.
6) He likes to watch TV. We would have to turn it off to get his attention.
7) He wakes up ready to play and was our favorite time of the day with him!

Melissa left us a routine (nap/feeding times) for him to follow for the week. She was right-on with his schedule and we followed it as close as possible. She's a great mom.

It is exciting for us to see the two of them grow as parents and we are thankful and proud of them.

BTW, I did change one diaper.

Luke Day Four & Five!

2009-04-23T19:30:00.009-04:00

Luke had a really nice Wednesday staying at home all day with Nana. They played and had a really nice day. Luke is very active and loves to play with all the toys, jump in the swing and watch TV. He's like his dad. He will stare at the screen and you can hardly get his attention.

This picture and video was taken right after bathtime!

Gay and Carly (and their new puppy) came by for a visit on Thursday. You know that with 2 grandmas around he is really on his way to being spoiled rotten.

He has been making us smile all week with his laugh!

Here's Luke and Nicklas getting to know each other.

Luke Day Three!

2009-04-22T04:08:00.007-04:00

We are well on our way to totally spoiling Luke as all good grandparents should. He had a very busy day today starting with Kindermusik, lunch with Papa & a playdate with cousin Nicklas. Nana met Robert, Jen & Nicklas for Kindemusik and the boys had a blast.

Giving Nicklas a hand.

Singing along with Auntie Jen!

Robert, Jen & Nicklas came over later in the afternoon for some playtime.

Luke Day Two!

2009-04-20T21:19:00.002-04:00

Luke woke up this morning ready to play. He got to spend the entire day with Nana. They took a walk and met the neighbors and spent plenty of time playing with all the toys normally reserved for Nicklas. He didn't nap too much today but that's because he's excited to be here. I can tell you this.............Nana had a really nice day! I think Luke is having a blast.

2009-04-20T21:16:00.000-04:00

2009-04-20T21:11:00.000-04:00

Watching TV in his "baby recliner".

Luke is here for a visit!

2009-04-19T21:27:00.006-04:00

Sue and I have been looking forward to this week for quite a while. Jonas and Melissa have a conference to attend this week (without kids) and we get a visit from Luke for the week. We met J&M for lunch today just north of Charlotte to make the baby exchange. The first thing I noticed is how tall he has gotten. Jonas informed me he is in the 92nd percentile for height for his age. After lunch we packed him up and it was off to the lake house for a couple hours and then on to Winder. Luke travels very well and Nana played, sang & entertained him all the way home. We had a moment in the hammock while at the lake and discovered his ears. We are soooo crazy about our grandsons!!

Nice Day!

2009-04-06T01:37:00.005-04:00

I celebrated my 53rd birthday on Sunday. April is so full of birthdays...so many and so little time! Jeff (March 30th), McKenzie, Leanne, Jonas & I all have birthdays within a 2 week period. McKenzie actually has 3 each year. She celebrates her actual day and then has two parties (one for kids and one for adults) on the weekend after the actual day. It gets rather confusing.
We slept in this morning and went to the late service at Hebron. The praise team sang "I Will Rise". That was pretty cool since I had just posted this song on the blog. They bundled the chorus of "It is Well" at the end. I believe they did that just for my birthday. It was very moving and Larry preached a rousing sermon on the power of the cross to get us ready for Easter.
Jonas called in the afternoon and Sue, Jen, Robert & Nicklas took me to eat dinner at Logan's. You might think that's no big deal but I like Logan's and nobody else does. "It's the peanuts", I keep telling them.
Facebook is good about telling everybody about your birthday. I did get lots of birthday wishes from friends new and old. Days like today make me very thankful for my friends and family. I am thankful even though one of them called me an "old fart". Some people have no class but can be great friends.

"I Will Rise" new anointed song!

2009-03-31T21:57:00.003-04:00

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say, "it is well"

These are the opening words to the song "I Will Rise" by Chris Tomlin that is the latest song to make my "anointed song" list. I especially like the reference to "It Is Well With My Soul" (my favorite hymn). This is one of those songs that puts me in a worshipful mood even while driving along in the car. Music moves me and this one is awesome. Watch this really nice video that features this song. I Will Rise

2009-03-05T20:51:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

2009-03-01T04:59:00.004-05:00

There is never enough cake in a marriage!

Another song from Coffey.

2009-02-25T10:58:00.000-05:00

Holy is the Lamb Here's another inspirational song from Coffey Anderson. Listen!

Oh how things have changed.

2009-02-25T10:13:00.001-05:00

Jennifer freaked out last week when she discovered that she had driven about 25 minutes with Nicklas "unbuckled" but in his car seat. I didn't quite understand why she got upset and it was such a travesty but then I realized that times have changed. When I was a kid (I know you're tired of this) parents didn't have all the "helps" from the experts they have today. There weren't as many laws about transporting children or as many books to tell you how to raise a child. I do believe it is safer to have your kid buckled in, tightened down in his DOT approved traveler and snapped in the special carrier and I'm glad these items exist. As parents, Sue and I worked diligently to see that our kids were safe. When we were kids, however, things were much more simple:

1) We traveled in a "carry-all" unbuckled and in the FRONT seat.
2) When my dad put on the brakes he would reach over and hold me back since there were no seat belts in the car.
3) Spread a blanket on the floorboard behind the front seat and you have a nice little bassinet.
4) It was really comfortable sleeping in the back window of the car (and warm, too).
5) Riding a bike without a helmet is much more fun.
6) Learning to swim? My dad threw me out of the boat and yelled "swim"! This is a true story.
7) Get dirty? We played in the dirt just about every day! Our clothes were permanently "brown" from dirt. We played outside and watched very little TV.
8) Diapers were made of cloth and Mom washed a load of them every day. No one picked them up and cleaned them for her.
9) I could say "NO" to my parents but the result would be s swift slap on the bottom and lots of tears.
10) Momma loved on us a ton and discipline came from Dad.

The world is a different place today for sure. We have adapted to be safe and that is a good thing. I can't wait to throw Nicklas and Luke in the lake and yell "SWIM"!

Anointed Song

2009-02-03T21:47:00.000-05:00

Matthew West is fast becoming one of my favorite Christian musicians. I really liked his song Next Thing You Know but the best so far is Only Grace. This song is an excellent synopsis of the Gospel in music. My favorite lines are "There is no blame. What happened yesterday has disappeared. The dirt has washed away. And now it's clear, there's only Grace." Watch, listen and enjoy. Only Grace

Coffey Anderson (pronounced cafe) is showing up on GodTube and YouTube with some pretty good videos. Give this guy a camera & a guitar and you've got a worship service. This song does not make my anointed list but is very inspirational. Here's Coffey and All Ye!

If you are a DAD, you MUST watch this video!

2009-01-14T12:30:00.000-05:00

Anointed songs (and one rap song)!

2009-01-14T02:25:00.000-05:00

Many of the songs we are hearing on Christian radio are making their way into church worship services. I like it because I can be reminded of worship even while driving. Many of these songs really speak to the heart and are especially moving. I've been making a list of songs that I consider anointed songs. I have an actual "anointed song list" paper that write down the titles on as I hear these songs. You know what I'm talking about. These are ones that really move you in such a way that causes you to worship whenever and wherever you hear them. They might also speak to you in a way that even the best sermon can't. I consider them "anointed" since it is easy to see God's hand in the writing and performing of these songs. They are just as anointed as some of the hymns that mean so much to us. It takes more than just a catchy chorus to make the list, too. It has to praise, teach, convict or stir the soul. Here is some of that list along with a rap song. Yes, I said it. Rap! Let me explain.

Lose My Soul by Toby Mac
Let's get this straight; I really don't like ANY rap song. Maybe it's because of my age? I can only make fun of rap music. I don't consider this an anointed song but I really have to give this song kudos for the message. You won't hear this in a worship service (contains the word "pimp") but you can soak in the message and I dare you to listen to it and not hear the chorus in your sleep. My favorite line, "Since I got that call, no more Saul, now I'm Paul". It even contains a prayer about 3 minutes in. Really nice. Listen to it now. Click this link: Lose My Soul. Now on the the real good stuff.

In Christ Alone
I was first introduced to this song in worship by John Cotten at FBC. Right from the start you knew this song was something special. This song is fairly new, written in 2001. It is a capsule of the the entire gospel and when sung in worship, you can't help but get stand-up, hand raising excited about what God did for us. I am especially fond of it because of the reference to Romans 8:38-39, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Take a minute to listen and read the words of this inspiring song. Turn it up. Soak it in. Let everyone around you hear it. Click this link: In Christ Alone. This is a really nice version by Adrienne Liesching of Benjamin's Gate.

East to West by Casting Crowns
It's all about Grace! Amazing Grace is the only other song that comes this close to really explaining the Grace that is our through Jesus Christ. You probably won't be singing this in a worship service, but you can really worship all by yourself with this one. There is one line in the song that speaks to me; "I'm not holding on to you But you're holding on to me." That's a beautiful picture of Salvation. The only problem is this song got so much radio play that it lost it's luster (there is another on the list that got "over played"). Take a minute and listen to East to West like you did the first time. Hey, these guys are from McDonough, Georgia!

Mighty to Save by Hillsong United
I can't think of a better song to be singing in a worship service. I first heard this song at a service at Foothills Community Church in Seneca in 2005. Sue and I were blown away by the excitement it brought to the service. We heard it on the radio on the way home and started singing in the car (I annoy everyone when I do that, I'm sure). Hillsong United has a really nice video of Mighty to Save.

I'll reveal more on the list later. What do you think should be on the list? email me at ranshack@windstream.net

Christmas 2008

2008-12-26T14:21:00.000-05:00

What a blessing! We had everybody under one roof for Christmas Day. We played with the babies, played with the Wii, spent quality time together with family and ate entirely too much. It was a dream come true for Sue and me to have both Nicklas and Luke at home and we are appreciative of the efforts of Jonas & Melissa and Robert & Jennifer to make that happen. Melissa's family (Gay, Carly, John & Jason) made the trip over from Duluth to have lunch with us. We really enjoyed sharing Christmas with them. We know it was difficult for them to travel on Christmas day and we appreciate them coming to our home. Heath, McKenzie & Alexis also joined us for lunch. You gotta see McKenzie play the Wii. Paul (Sue's brother) was to be there as well but car trouble meant he had to spend the day at home alone. We really missed having him with us. He and I always catch up on the lastest in the electronics business.

We've had advice from many other grandparents about how great it is to have grandkids. "Great" doesn't describe the blessing of these little ones. I used to "put up" with other grandparents who wanted to show off pictures of their grandkids. I was polite and said things like "How cute!". Now the shoe is on the other foot. I show all my customers this site and the pictures of my grandkids and they say "How cute!". They just don't understand!

With all the babies around on Christmas it made the celebration of Christ's birth just that more meaningful. It gave us a somewhat better idea of the challenges that Jesus' parents faced with having a newborn (but under much more difficult circumstances). Indeed, it would be very difficult to even imagine giving up Nicklas or Luke for the sake of others as God did with his Son.

What a great Christmas Day, 2008!

Grandchildren!

2008-12-15T04:33:00.001-05:00

This Christmas is especially meaningful to us as we celebrate the birth of our Lord. We've had two new additions to the family in the last 3 months and the house will be buzzing this Christmas morning like never before. Nicklas and Luke are still too young to understand all that will happen but it will be first of many Christmas celebrations to come. We are so proud of Jen & Robert AND Jonas & Melissa and the enthusiasm they show in their parenting. We are working on our "spoiling" skills and personally I think we will be World Champions. Bring 'em on!

There is no lake!

2008-11-09T13:06:00.001-05:00

We came up for the weekend only to find the lake is virtually gone! Hartwell is now over 21ft down from full pool and continues to drop. There is still about 46ft of usuable water in the lake (around the dam) but most the lake is closed to recreation. The is a small creek running where we normally have 8-10 feet of water. The lake passed it's all-time low on October 21st, 2008. Each day sets a new record. It will take years for Lake Hartwell to recover. Click on the pictures to get a better view. The lakebed is cracked and looks stable but don't try to walk on it. It is really about 2-3 feet of soft mud. As it bakes in the sun, it will soon be hard enough to walk on.

Nicklas in action............

2008-11-06T22:44:00.000-05:00

Nana got some great video of Nicklas as he begins to learn eye-hand cordination. This will be a critically important step for this future Rock N Roll Hall of Fame drummer!!

The lake is now only a creek.

2008-10-19T20:08:00.000-04:00

Due to severe drought in South Carolina and North Georgia our lake house is now located on a creek. The water is gone! As of October 19th, 2008, Hartwell Lake is over 17 feet below full pool and still droping. We are left with about 2 1/2 feet of mud and a small creek. It seems the COE could do a better job of water management but I guess they have to keep letting water out of Lake Hartwell for the others downstream. We winterized the boat today and it will probably be in storage for at least a year. I just don't see the lake recovering for 18-24 months.

About time I updated!!

2008-10-14T22:35:00.000-04:00

I am forgetful at times. Today I realized that it has been quite some time since I updated our blog. Let's see....what has happened since the last post??

1) Jennifer and Robert became parents. YEAH!
2) Sue and I became GrandParents! YEAH!
3) Sue and I celebrated our 30th anniversary. YEAH!
4) We took an anniversary trip to Niagara Falls. YEAH!
5) Jonas and Melissa are about a month away from becoming proud parents. YEAH!
6) Congress decided to bail out Wall Street! OOOHHHH!

This is our first favorite picture of Nicklas William.

You can see it has been boring around here. LOL!!

This Grandparenting is a ton of fun! We can't wait to see Luke!!

Still cooking......

2008-07-17T12:49:00.000-04:00

Jonas and Melissa were down and we had a good visit at the lake house on July 4th. We really enjoyed spending time with them and Melissa has her "baby bump" going. We tried to get her in the water but no dice. No problem with Jonas, though. He is the first skier of the summer. Ask Melissa sometime about her fantastic boat ride across the lake. I don't think boat rides and pregnant women necessarily go together. Leanne, Heath, McKenzie & Alexis came by as well. Jonas, Heath and I worked on a fireworks display for the 4th. We had a great time blowing stuff up and it was nice to have Heath to keep us from burning the place down (he's a firefighter).

Jennifer spent last weekend with us at the lake while Robert studied for his finals. She is still very active but is getting pretty uncomfortable these days. The final month is the toughest but she is a trooper. She still has a few weeks to go and we are getting pretty excited. Robert passed his orals and has a couple of days of testing to complete his Masters. We are really proud of him. They takeoff this weekend for a trip to Waycross for Robert's high school reunion.

Sue is looking GREAT! She started working with a personal trainer recently and is is in the best shape ever. She is starting to really get into the workouts but does get those aches and pains from doing new exercises. I, however, avoid doing any excessive running, walking, lifting or training.

Ho Hummm..........

2008-06-25T21:14:00.000-04:00

Nothing much has been happening since my last post. I'm visiting the doctor quite a bit and they are fishing for the reason I'm having chest and back pain. It has been going on for about 6 weeks now and I've had X-Rays, ultrasounds, cameras down my esophagus, gallbladder exams and other rather humiliating tests. And there are more tests to come! I'll keep you informed.

Sue is working with a personal trainer and she is doing really well. She's very motivated to getting in shape. The promise of grandchildren makes you want to be a better person, you know.

Be sure and check out Jonas and Melissa's site for the newest pictures of Luke.

Jennifer has been dealing with the pains of pregnancy in the third trimester. She's been doing well but having a tough time sleeping. She's been sleeping on the couch with her feet propped for comfort. You gotta do what you gotta do.

See ya.

It's a Boy!

2008-06-18T09:58:00.000-04:00

Jonas called me around 9:30 this morning to announce "it's a boy". Jonas and Melissa found out this morning during a visit to the doctor and seeing the ultrasound pictures. He seemed pretty excited and this is good news for Williams clan. Hopefully, I'll have some to post later or you can visit their blog (use the link below). I'm sure Melissa will update the blog soon. Sue and Gay (Melissa's mom) drove up yesterday and were both there during the doctor visit. It meant the world for them to be included. However, I had to be without my wife for the night (which I hate, by the way). Back to work!

Learning from Amadeus.....

2008-06-12T16:51:00.000-04:00

I've been reading the book "Waking the Dead" by John Etheredge (Jonas gave this as a gift & I highly recommend it!). He talks about guarding your heart and the spiritual warfare that goes on every day for your heart. I don't know about you but usually when I read about "spiritual warfare" I poo poo the idea and skip that chapter. I don't want to get too deep in this and you may not be interested at the moment but stop and think about it. You can get up, clean up, go to work or school, come home, watch a little TV, feed the dog or cat and go to bed - without even wondering how the Enemy might be attacking. My question is, what is the attack? Who is attacking? Why is there anyone attacking my heart? (by the way, the heart is the "real" you - not the outside part that everyone else sees).
I love to watch movies and pick out little gems of Truth. Remember the movie Amadeus? In the movie, Mozart's wife goes to a rival composer with political power. His name is Salieri and he is the villain of the story. She is asking Salieri (a musician but not that good) to look at her husband's work in hopes of getting him a job (they need the money for food). He looks through the pages she gives him and is captivated by the work of his rival. He realizes that Mozart is extremely gifted and feels that his music is the "very voice of God". He is looking at a draft and notices no corrections of any kind. The music was "finished" in his head before he simply wrote it on paper. It was perfect (just like our heart). Salieri is upset by this and leaves the room and goes to his private chamber. There, he takes down a crucifix from the wall and throws it in the fire. Listen to what he says: "From now on we are enemies, You and I. Because You choose for your instrument a boastful, lustful, smutty, infantile boy...and give me only the ability to recognize the Incarnation. Because You are unjust...unfair..unkind. I will hinder and harm Your creature here on earth as far as I am able. (He shakes his fist in the air). I will ruin Your incarnation."
Uh....I get it....this is the just like the heart of OUR enemy! He is out to ruin us and to hinder us from living the abundant life. So it makes sense to me that there is a spiritual war going on for my heart.
Look, I know that even if you've read this far you are poo pooing the idea too. I know you aren't reading the book and probably didn't even want to think about this.. But hey, just think about it every once in a while when watching a movie. In every story there is a villain, right? Dorothy has her Wicked Witch. Obi-Wan has his Darth Maul. Frodo has his Black Riders. The children enter Narnia and have their White Witch. So it makes sense there is a villain in our story who is out to "steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). Remember to be on guard each day and protect your heart. It may be gossip you don't need to hear. It may be a "dirty" joke you shouldn't listen to. It may be a web site you shouldn't visit. It may be a TV program you shouldn't watch. The Enemy will use whatever He can to get to you.

Love you.
-Randy

Nesting......

2008-06-03T21:11:00.001-04:00

Robert & Jen

Jennifer sent me some pictures today of her nursery. I put up a little slideshow of her pictures. It seems that Robert and Jen are setting up the nest preparing for the arrival of LT (Little Turner). They are keeping the name a secret until she gives birth and Jen is really worried she might let it slip out. We think it's great and I'm trying hard not to bug her about giving up the info or even guessing. They are both very excited about this new chapter in their lives. I can't wait to see Robert changing diapers.

Jonas & Melissa

Jonas and Melissa find out on the 18th if they are having a boy or a girl. I think Melissa is convinced it will be a girl. I'm hoping for a boy to keep the Williams name going from the Barton branch of the family tree. Sue and Gay (Melissa's mom) are driving up to go with her and they are very excited to be included. I can tell they will be fighting over time with this kid.

Heath & Leanne

Heath and Leanne continue their vigil at the bedside of baby Alexis. She has begun to gain some weight albeit very slowly. Keep them in your prayers. The daily trips are beginning to take their toll on them and makes it somewhat difficult on McKenzie. Sue kept her today (practicing the Grandma thing) and they went to the YMCA pool for a couple of hours. Later in the day she found Jennifer's Barbie toys and really didn't want to go home.

The last few weeks have been very busy. Last week was the final week of piano lessons for Sue and the year culminated with a great recital held at First Baptist. All her students had the opportunity to perform in front of a crowd of family and friends. It was especially good to see many of the brothers & sisters performing duets as well as one dad.

I am reminded daily of how blessed I am. I am so proud of how my kids have become mature young adults, found their soul mates and now begin their own families. Sue and I constantly talk about how it really hasn't been that long ago we were in their shoes. I watched the last hour of the movie American Beauty the other night. In the movie the dad had been frustrated for quite some time with almost everything in his life; his marriage, his daughter, his job and society in general. Through a strange set of occurrences he finally realizes how wonderful his life really is (just before he dies). I think this movie can mean different things to you depending on your point of view. As a dad, it really tells that I am resoundingly blessed in all the areas that the movie dad felt didn't meet his expectations. Hey, I don't cry at movies but this one really got to me.

2008-05-28T19:34:00.000-04:00

Heath came by with a better photo of Alexis. Now that is one cutie!

Everything is still progressing nicely. She is doing well and will probably be home before we know it.

-Randy

New addition to the Family..

2008-05-27T21:34:00.000-04:00

There are/were 4 women in my immediate circle expecting babies (Jennifer, Melissa, Mindy, & Leanne). Now we are down to three! Leanne had an early arrival of Mary Alexis around 3:44am on Memorial Day. Leanne had been assigned bed rest for the balance of her pregnancy (she was due in July) but she'd have none of that. Alexis weighed in at 3lbs 13oz and is 17in long with jet black hair. She is tiny but doing really well. She will have to be in the hospital for a while to gain a little weight so they can put her is the car seat (they don't make them that small). She has lots of wires and leads attached to her tiny body to be sure everything goes well. Heath calls her his "matchbox" baby. She will almost fit in your shirt pocket.

The nurses I met were knowledgable and obviously called to their jobs. There were a lot of sick babies in the intensive care unit when I visited. Heath shared with me that he and Leanne had a lot to be thankful for. McKenzie is ready to bring her baby sister home and have a tea party. Granny would be so proud.

-Randy

What a great weekend!

2008-05-27T20:30:00.000-04:00

Sue and I did our regular visit to the lake house for the Memorial Day weekend. I closed the store on Monday for a long needed rest. The rest of our crew were vacationing (see Jonas and Melissa's blog) and working (Jennifer & Robert had work and concerts this weekend). We went to Foothills (Rock 'n Roll Church) for worship Sunday morning. Greg is teaching on David's blog - Psalms. That really got me thinking about doing a blog! We'll see how it goes.

The weather was perfect so on Sunday afternoon we decided on a whim to go to Simpsonville, South Carolina for the Freedom Aloft Weekend 2008. What?? It's a festival of hot air balloons. I lost count of how many were there and they all heated up at the same time took off on some kind of chase. We were too busy snapping pictures to worry about the reasons why. I bet this was more fun than a Nascar race!!! Look at the slideshow on the right at all the balloons. It was spectacular.

Later that evening we went to a concert by Natasha Beddingfield (yuck) and Huey Lewis and the News (yeah). Remember them? "Heart of Rock and Roll" & "Back in Time" (from the movie Back to the Future) were two of their biggest hits. We had front row seats that were actually spots on the concrete slab in front of the stage. We paid extra to sit on concrete. This is were the going on a whim bit us in the...well.....you know! We sat as best we could through Natasha but when Huey came out we were all standing for the entire concert. So it really didn't matter.

Monday morning we got the news from Heath about Alexis arriving early. He actually woke me up around 9am. We had been out till 1am the night before and that was tough on these old people.

Monday evening topped of the weekend with a patriotic concert by the Northwinds Symphony of Gainesville. Jennifer and Robert were playing and we were not about to miss it. After a visit with Heath and Leanne we went on to First Baptist for the concert. The evening was dedicated to the attending veterans and they were a proud group. After the concert I got to meet and speak with Mack Abbot. Mack claims to be the first American to fire a shot in World War II. He was credited (along with other Marines) for downing 3 Japanese aircraft on the initial attack at Pearl Harbor. He was all decked out in his uniform and medals and he stood proud. We are losing many of his generation and I was honored to meet him.

-Randy

Getting started.....

2008-05-27T18:57:00.001-04:00

I thought it was about time Sue and I started our own blog to share our family experiences. We are both new to this idea of blogging but we are ready to give it a whirl.