My cubicle

I started work this week for real. And it has been a crazy week. On Friday we returned home from White Sulphur Springs. On Saturday I had a strategic planning meeting that took all day. On Sunday we celebrated Father's Day with almost all the kids. On Monday I started work (9 hours) and came home to company. On Tuesday I worked (81/2 hours) and came home to three Ukrainian girls and the company. Today I worked a 'half day' until about two and came home to those same girls...bored and hungry and then friends from DC came over to see them...and the list goes on...I can't believe how busy I have been. This is about the first free moment I've had in days and tomorrow we leave at five a.m. to take the girls to the airport and then go to Pennsylvania for the day. Not that anyone really needs to know all that, I just needed to say it! I feel much better now. : )

A new plebe

Well, we have a new plebe. I guess it was meant to be. After meeting this family the dad and I realized we used to be in youth group together and had all the same friends. Pretty amazing, really. David had to report today, early, because he went to NAPS. He's a kicker and hopes to be on the football team, in which case I guess we'll need to buy season tickets. It would be fun. I Day is on Wednesday and then the fun begins!

Home again

I can't believe how infrequently I've been posting. I've been out of town though and that makes it tough. WSS is a step back in time and that includes internet time! Rocking chairs on the front porch of the hotel are about as high tech as things get.
We did go out to Raystown lake...a manmade lake up in the mountains. It is 29 miles of absolute beauty. Our friends had a 21 foot deck boat. It was great.
Art did a little skiing. Not bad for a fifty-something guy who hasn't done it for over a decade. He even did some time on one ski!
Today we celebrated Father's day late...all of our kids were here except Andy. He deploys to waters south tomorrow. If he had been here it would have been great but it was nice to have all the rest of the kids here. I haven't been able to look at the other blogs lately. Life is just too hectic. Our church is doing a series on 'margins'. I think it might be timely. I have my first full day of work tomorrow, guests coming in the afternoon to bring their son to the US Naval Academy and then three Ukrainian girls the next day. I'm not even sure what happens after that! One or two days at a time!

Where I am

White Sulphur Springs! It's a retreat center owned by Officers Christian Fellowhip. It is a quaint old inn...quaint but a bit ragged after years of use. Lately we have been coming here about five times a year, but after we are off of the council I am sure that will slow down, but it is always great to be here.

I love the beauty of nature around us.

What would this blog be without a picture of the 'man'?
We always have a campfire, though usually it's later...after dark. This year we are blessed with the presence of Dr. Hudson Armerding.
I'll try to post more, but the connection is really slow. But at least there is a connection now!

Mary from Dakar was here!

They came! They really came! I'm usually not hyperactive, but this morning I was acting like a kid, waiting for Mary and family to arrive. And they came! Woohoo!
We rented a boat and took them out on the Severn river...

David is Mary's husband...you can see us reflected in his glasses...
We went to the Naval Academy Museum. These boats were made by prisoners out of the beef and mutton bones from their food. They are amazing...so detailed. I guess true artists will find a way to create.
Jacob came too. He was a great boat driver on the river and a good sport to hang out with us.
It was even better to be with Mary, David and Jacob than I had hoped. I felt like they were old friends.

He's Growing!

Our little puppy isn't so little anymore.

From and to Iraq

Dave, one of our mids, now a FIRST LIEUTENANT!!! is home from Iraq on his R&R. I didn't have the heart to tell him it's really not humid today. It was great to see him. By the way, hello Heather!

But today there was a send off for the Maryland National Guard deploying to Iraq for the first time. The fellow at the back right is the son of a lady I work with. Not an easy time for a wife or a mom. It brought back the memories of sending Andy off. I had forgotten a little.

Yesterday and today

The picture on the bottom represents what we did yesterday and today. We have woods all behind out house. We spent many hours thinning out the undergrowth and clearing some paths and making a spot where we hope to build a fire pit. It was fun! It's amazing what the right tool will do. Yesterday I was working with some old shears, today I had new loppers. They were incredible! I think I'm going to be a bit sore though, I'm so not used to doing that kind of work. Then tonight we went downtown and ate and walked around. I saw this lamp post and thought of the LampPost gang. I love my downtown, even if it is touristy. We see so many interesting people. I can't think of a better place to people watch.

Surprises

Eli came to surprise Betsy. It was quite an endeavor to carry it off. Hopefully it was worth it though!
Now this was a much smaller surprise, but not what I expected to see when I looked out the window!

Two of the reasons I haven't been posting...