We are going to be at our niece and soon to be nephews wedding~Ryan & Kacie(Copple)MacIntosh next Saturday the 21st in Centralia, IL. Ryan and Kac have dated for many moons and he is already a beloved member of the Copple Clan. Kacie graduated recently with her degree in Nursing. She has planned a grand affair with many family members participating in the ceremony. It will be a wonderful family reunion.
We are packing to drive all the way from the West Coast to the East. My husband LOVES! driving. He also loves saving money it would take for 5 of us to fly and rent a car. So, I buy new books and music and goodies that the kids cannot open until we take off. Tom has a tradition of all of us getting into the packed car....putting on our seat belts and then just before he reverses out of the driveway...he announces to the kids, "VACATION HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!" If they even think he may forget to say it...someone will remind him..."Dad, you have to say, Vacation has officially begun...!" I am a little anxious to go back at this time..with the floods and tornado's. I'm not a fan of lightening and thunder. Gotten pretty used to this Southern California Sunshine and Beaches. Lord willing the storms will be passed over before we get there. :-) SUMMER IS HERE!
Each year I try to have a different Theme for Father's & Mother's Day. This year I collected various vintage clocks and surrounded the program with things to do with "Time"....my thoughts kept coming back to "Time"..... when I tried to think of what was the most important quality in great Fathering? What touches a kids life the most? And~ more than anything...it is the time you give to others... teaching, laughing, playing, & loving. A child doesn't care if his daddy or grandpapa is handsome, successful, rich or poor. A child is connected, impacted, and enriched by one who gives their time, attention, listening ear and patience to the child on a consistent basis. Time is gone in a flash. Time is not valuable just by filling it up with activity or work or it's swiftly passing moments....its value is in the richness of our relationships.... by what you do, feel, say, live, & love you have for others in those minutes.
Today was a wonderful day....the kids & I and my parents were blessed to watch Tom receive his Masters at a Grand Commencement at Fuller. It felt like an Oxford ceremony. It was the 60th year for Fuller and the largest graduating class in seminary history. When it's all done there will be 800 graduates. There are students from all over the world~Literally! So many cultures were represented, including the Middle East and China where religious freedoms are difficult to practice. People from all over the United States. A very diverse group. Pastor Rick Warren is an Alumni and he received an Alumni award and spoke. Robert Shulers grandson gave his testimony (as he was graduating also) his family was there and he told how a firey pentecostal preacher witnessed to him near Disney and stirred him to be saved and do a work for God...he was very passionate. Several other good speakers and professors that represent various colleges and authors were in the packed out building. Fuller is a fantastic Seminary. First Class. It's required hours of hard work...but it's something to be proud of. They were so kind to Tom and encouraging on his educational journey. I was free to attend some of his classes and the Professors were first class. There were many exciting things going on today. I'm proud of my husband and all of his hard work. We ended up at Wahibs...a Lebenese Restaurant in LA. Tom's favorite type of food and hits the spot for him... anytime he gets to choose where we go. :-) He got to have all of his favorite foods today. And tomorrow is father's day...so the party continues.
We just returned from a beautiful celebration dinner at Newport Beach overlooking the water~ with Tom's professors and fellow graduates. It's been a long journey with him taking some time off through the years for personal reasons or pastoring and building a church. But, here we are at the end of this part of the journey. Whether he's in school or not...he is always reading and growing. But, he has worked very hard and I'm proud of his accomplishments. Saturday is the ceremony. Who knows when he gets rested up he may decide to go for his Doctorate. :-)
I'm so proud of my girl. She graduated yesterday. She is now embarking into her future, which I have total confidence will be wonderful. We've been celebrating her graduation since last October when we took her to England. We had a huge 18th in March....feeding well over 200 guests wanting to include everyone and knowing we would be busy at this time with her and her dad graduating. :-) Took her and 20 guests to her favorite 5 star Restaurant after her graduation...we won't mention dad's tab. :-) He's a good papa!!! New laptop with skype so I can see & talk to her whenever she's away.:-) My husband says I don't do celebration "days"~it's more like a month of celebrating an event. haha She's been nothing but a joy for us to raise. I'm blessed God trusted us with her. She has been a darling daughter and we love her dearly! .
It's my mom's birthday. (all us girls do that...we call her "my mom") lol 'Possessive', huh! I have a fabulously classy mom. She is an artist and musician...interior decorator....she can do anything she puts her hand to do. She created a lovely home for us girls growing up. She's a nurturer and protector of her children. She has always dressed beautiful and laughed a lot. We love to have coffee and talk in the mornings and go shopping together. I had a built in social circle with mom and her 5 daughters as my family network....It was really hard to not feel totally content inside that world. We would be happy on an island of our own.... You knew you had a tribe of people on your side. :-) My sisters and I feel very blessed with a caring, creative and dedicated mother like June Anderson Starr Davis....
