Fabulous Weekend

This was one of the best weekends ever. On Friday night, a local club was hosting a fundraiser for their club projects. Due to the never-ending rain, it was moved from the winery to a member's barn. It was one of the nicest barns I have ever seen. I'm pretty sure no livestock has ever entered through those doors! The event was called a "Bucket Bash," and we had a delicious supper of shrimp, salad and baked potatoes served in a sand bucket. It was a darling theme. There was also a band, and since the weather had cleared, we got to eat outside. Aside from the surprise lightning scaring us half to death, we had a great time. Jill and I left a few minutes early to catch a late movie. We saw "The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" with Matthew McCaugnahey. It was a cute movie, and he was handsome as ever.

On Saturday, the sun was was shining, so we enjoyed a day in our yard and spending our day as a family.

On Sunday, I got to eat breakfast at church with Lee. Some of the Dads served the moms and kids. We were each presented with gifts the kids made. Lee made a flower and painted a canvas for me, which is just precious. At home, he and Matt gave me their gifts. They got me a hibiscus plant, that my neighbor, Jason, will hate because I plan to plant it at my mailbox:-) They also got me Michael J. Fox's book, Always Looking Up. Then, Matt and I cooked supper for his mom and family. The weather cooperated for most of the day, so Matt enjoyed hanging out around the grill with the other men. We had a fun afternoon with the Hayes family. I left the crew here and headed to Obion County for my brother's baptism. He and his family have recently started going to the church where I went as a little girl, and it's the church where I was saved and baptized. (Actually, when I went there, we had no baptismal, so I was baptized in Reelfoot Lake.) I knew it would be an emotional night, but I had no idea the blessings that were in store for me. I pulled into the parking lot behind the people who always picked me up and took me to church. I was overwhelmed with emotions when I saw them. "Would they remember me? Should I introduce myself? Should I just keep walking?" It had been 15 years or so since I've seen them. We both exited our cars at the same time and when our eyes met, there was an instant connection. There were lots of hugs and tears and chatter. We walked together, and they wanted to show me the new all purpose building before we went to church. When I went there, there were probably 50 or so people who attended. There wasn't much need for an all purpose building. I knew that was not the case when I walked into the sanctuary. It was full of people, some who were members when I went there. I couldn't believe I was so filled with nervousness on my way there. I didn't know if I would remember anybody or if they would remember me. Every bit of that vanished the moment I walked in. The sanctuary had been completely remodeled to accommodate the growth over the past few years, but I instantly felt like I was "home" and that nothing had changed. The songs were old songs from old hymnals that I haven't heard in years. It felt so good to hear those words and songs again. There were several specials sung, and two were from teenagers that were insanely good. I sat there in that pew, surrounded by family and friends, and it was such a blessing. I panicked after the first song, when I realized I didn't have any tissues. So far, I had been able to dab away the tears in a fairly graceful manner, but I knew that wasn't going to be the case for long. So I asked my sister in law if she had any, and she said no. I knew I was in trouble. After the first special, I was a mess. Daddy finally came to the rescue and remembered he had a hankie in his pocket. After the beautiful music and stirring message from their pastor, it was time for the baptisms. I get emotional over any baptism, but this was my brother! I tried to pass my camera to Shay, because by the time it was Joe's turn, I could no longer see. There were several people who were baptized, so I was pretty certain that by the end, I was going to have to leave immediately. The pastor did a great job and presented a very moving service. My 18 year old cousin, Chelsea, thought I was a wacko for being so sentimental, but she didn't help matters. I had just received her graduation invitation a few days before, so I was pretty emotional seeing her and knowing that she is about to head off to college. Her mom told her she would understand one day why we were so emotional. She just shook her head at us. True to the southern Baptist tradition, when there is a function, there is also food. I had to take a few moments to compose myself and clean myself up before going to the fellowship hall to visit. It was such a fun time reconnecting with some old friends and meeting new ones. It was evident that the Lord is working in Walnut Log! I was so proud and humbled to see how the church has grown. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. It was the perfect ending to my already awesome weekend.