Our College Boy.

Well, we moved reid to Knoxville this weekend.
He is transferring as a sophomore; he stayed in Savannah his first year of school and did community college at Jackson State.( Anyone remember my stint at JSCC?) After highschool he was really torn about his next direction, not really feeling comfortable with any school he had looked at, and after much turmoil decided to stay at home. He had a great year and is transferring to UT with not only a great GPA, but a readiness, maturity and focus Even though with Reid it was technically a year late, it still seems pre-mature. It means that we are all getting older. My other brother Dan actually said to me, "Courtney, you are going to be 28! I mean, 28."

Of course, we dont know the first thing about UT. Yes, we always lived in TN, (except for 1 year when I was born) but we have alwyas been bulldogs. I married a bulldog, Dan is finishing up there in May, - please Lord- and so this knoxville thing is uncharted territory for us. It is a big town, and a big campus- and it is 5.5 hours from little Savannah. So, it is a different deal than a tank of gas and 45 South to Starkville. But, his is living with some great guys in a really great house, and he is going to be just fine.

Reid and I are so much alike, and Dan and Lindsey are so much alike. Sometimes I know what Reid's thoughts are before he thinks them. And then we have MAJOR blowout fights too. They usually last 5 minutes, then we laugh and it is over. The thing that he has over us is thta Reid is one of those people that excels at everything he does. He's handsome, funny, an intellect, loves the Lord, kind, he can sing, and can master any sport he touches.I cant help but thinking about the people, (well, all of you), that I met in school. I am exstatic about the opportunities he is going to have. But what I pray for him as he enters college, and life, is that he will see people the way the Lord sees them. That he will place value in his time there, knowing that every relationship is intentional and purposed. That he will develop and grow in the wisdom of the Lord, as he begins to evolve his own convictions and standards. I could go on and on, knowing how those 4 years changed MY life, and how they will shape his.

the windy city

Jason and I celebrated our second anniversary with a combo trip to chicago and then to St Louis, where Jason was in our dear friend Robert Scanlon's wedding. We had such a great time! I thought it was going to be rough when I was on the plane and the flight attendent sloshed tomato juice all over me... to which Jason said..."Something stinks".... but, the smell faded when I was within sight of Michigan Avenue. Jason is always in charge of our room and board on trips, and he rented this great condo, 1 block off of the Magnificant Mile. This was his 1st time to Chicago, my 3rd, so we did some touristy stuff. We dined at the famous Gioradanos Pizza, which was just unreal. Jason says it was the best pizza he has ever had... it is a little too much for me. I would much rather have the flat New York Pizza instead, but when in Rome.....
We went to Navy Pier, and to Millenium Park, and ESPN zone to have dinner and play games. Jason beat me at everything except 1 game of air hockey. On Tuesday Night we went to see Wicked- Have you seen it? Incredible. We both LOVED IT. And get this, we sat beside people from Mississippi! He was a youth pastor in a neighboring town to Jason's parents. The world just gets smaller, doesnt it?

On Wednesday night we took the" L" down to Wrigley to see the Cubs play- it was an incredible game; they won in the bottom of the 9th inning. We went crazy when they won. I think this was the highlight of Jason's week.


Thursday was our big shopping day. Neimans, Nordstrom, H & M, then we took a cab over to the Wicker Park area. A friend had tipped me on it, and it has tons of local boutique shopping and dining. Jason bought a t shirt from the TShirt deli that said "More cowbell", and wore it on the plane home. He actually did better than I did with shopping. We got to the airport and his baggage weighted 57.0 pounds and he had to empty it into mine. FYI: jeans weigh approximatley 3 pounds.

Friday morning we were off to the Lou, where Perry and Nicole Walton picked us up at the airport for Robert Scanlon's wedding. Jason and Robert became dear friends their 2nd year of medical school, and Robert was in our wedding too. We did rehearsel dinner that night, wedding at 2 pm pn Sat, party bus around St Louis for pictures until 6:30, dinner and dancing at the reception until 1 and then off to bed sometime aorund 3 am. Whew.

On Sunday we hit the out of town brunch with the bride and groom and then hit the road back to Jackson. We had a GREAT week, but are welcoming some normalcy back into our lives.

My beloved.

"So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way."

I am so thankful for my helpmate, my best friend, my beloved husband Jason. Happy second anniversary!