Birthday Celebration

Yesterday in my attempt to give to all that asked, I failed. In my rush to get out the door and get home to the kids, a student asked me for money and I refused out of habit. This was my opportunity to be generous, and I failed miserably. I would like to back up and have that opportunity again.

Today is Sam and Wes' 5th birthday. Some of my favorite recollections is the fact that I was in St. Louis on the morning they were born in a trip on a KC-134 refueler plane. After returning around 1:30 I had just sat down to a meeting to plan the furniture for my office in the new Municipal Building. Fifteen minutes into the meeting Kelly called with news that her water had broken. She called the doctor and they told her to come to Blount Memorial. I have never driven faster in my haste to get home and get her to the hospital. We took the older boys to the Webb's and set off for BMH. Once we arrived they hooked Kelly up to an IV and checked her in. About 5 minutes later they decided she needed to go to UT. They loaded her in the ambulance and they set off for UT hospital. Me, a nervous wreck, flew down Alcoa Highway scared out of my mind. I drove so fast that I arrived at UT before the ambulance.

Sam and Wes were born at 11:26 and 11:41 p.m. respectively on April 15, 2003. They spent 11 days in ICU and we were finally able to bring them home. Zach and Eli saw them for the first time at the door to the ICU a few days after they were born. Since this time they have continued to grow and are now an integral part of our family. They are destined for great things and we have been blessed by their lives.

Although the money is tight, we don't get to eat out much, take exotic vacations, and college funding may be a struggle, I cannot imagine life without either of them. I would predict that Wesley will be a great athlete and Sam will be an accomplished musician. I look forward to continuing to see them grow and blossom into the men that God has made them to be and to live into God's plan for their lives.

Some scripture verses that I am reading right now are from Proverbs 30.

Don't blow the whistle on your fellow workers behind their backs; they'll accuse you of being underhanded, and then you'll be the guilty one!


A leech has twin daughters named "Gimme" and "Gimme more."