My Three Jobs...and Updates

It's an exciting day for three of my jobs: Crenshaw Christian Academy hosts the first round of regional playoff games tonight. My goodness, spirits are high today! You should see the students decked out in their camo (it's camo day) and their blue hair -- that is NOT a typo! I wish the team all the luck in the world tonight. You know it's easy to get nervous when the game is not a "normal" one. This team certainly deserves to go on, so I hope they play well.

And tomorrow is another big day -- Greenville Gymnastics will travel to Tuscaloosa to compete in the Bama Rama Meet. I'm praying each girl has an awesome meet. I hope Anna's foot doesn't bother her -- I still can't believe her horse stepped on it! What I really want is for each girl to remember all she has learned and focus. They are all so talented. And Lauren and I are super excited that we have all our girls there on ONE day! It'll be a long day, but we still have part of a weekend this way.

Most importantly, my firstborn had a birthday this week, and we will go to their house tonight and celebrate. I can hardly believe Josh is twenty-eight years old. It seems like only last week that the nurse brought him to me; a few days ago he was counting to 100 every time we got in the car to go to school; only yesterday he was graduating from high school. I am so blessed to have my children and family. What an awesome "job" it is to be a mama!

I'll try to post pictures after these events!

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Ok, time for updates. To put it mildly, this weekend has felt like fruit basket turnover. Grace and I left school a few minutes early so that I could drop her off and pick up the doughnuts we had bought from Daniel for his fundraiser. Just as I was loading them up, Lauren called to tell me Vicki's daddy had been hurt at work and was being taken to UAB. For those who haven't put together how this could upset the fruit basket, Vicki is Josh's wife -- and the one planning Josh's birthday party. After it was decided that we would go ahead with it while Vicki went to the hospital, my plans changed a little. I came home, picked Robbie up, and went to Josh's to help with the setup.

That's when the apples really started to roll (I'm simply continuing with my fruit basket metaphor). Daddy called to see what time the party would start and said he would be on in a few minutes. I thought that a little odd, so I asked about Mama. That's when I found out that my sister-in-law Kathy, who I knewhad become ill Friday morning, had gotten sicker during the day, and had been transferred by ambulance to Mobile. Mama and Daddy happened to be at the hospital, and Mama had gone with David to Mobile.

Well, of course we were worried about Papa Greg (Vicki's daddy) and Kathy, but we had a wonderful time with Josh. He had grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and Vicki had asked Lauren to pick up his birthday cake, which was beautifully decorated for a proud Alabama fan. Kenny & Pam, Kelly & Kevin, Kecia, Stephen, & Tyler, Karissa, Casey & Travis, Grannie and Grandaddy, Papa, and Robbie & I played with babies and ate wonderful food and wished Josh many more birthdays -- all while giving Vicki directions to the UAB parking deck by phone.

And THEN, I came home to check facebook to get updates on my Cougars -- and they LOST!! Fruit basket turnover??!! Heck, the basket was upside down! They should have won!! Oh my goodness!!

Finally, the clock went off at four this morning and Lauren and I drove to our gymnastics meet in Tuscaloosa. The Level 3 team placed third as a team, Becca was by herself on bars, and Anna Blake scored three 9's. Poor Mary Avery got sick right after arriving and had to go home. The meet was awesome -- Bama Bounders always hosts a great meet-- but of course Lauren and I were worried about our sick ones. I kept in touch all day by text, but we were glad to get home and make sure all was all right. Papa Greg was released this afternoon, and Kathy is having tests run and is feeling some better. Thank you, God, for answering prayers!!

Despite all the "upsets" of the weekend, I realize how blessed we all have been. At a time when it would be so easy to focus on the negatives, I am finding lots and lots of positives: Our team has had a 10-0 season; the doctors were quick to see that Greg got the help he needed; Kathy is getting state-of-the-art care and is getting better.;Greenville Gymnastics is making its name known, thanks to some very talented girls; and Lauren and I had a ONE-DAY meet and made it home safely.

Now to set the fruit basket right again...tomorrow is another day.