. . . another milestone . . .

Oh, my, what a milestone! Oldest granddaughter, Kitty, graduated from high school this past Sunday afternoon -- and we were blessed to host the event at our home. She requested a simple ceremony, and it is just as well! If you know our family, you know events like this are just asking for nostalgic tears and sighs. This time was no exception! Two of Kitty's sisters, Sarah and Grace, brother Peter, and cousins Callie and Mary graced the occasion with a stately all-string rendition of Vaughn's "For All the Saints". It was quite grand -- Peter even bowed the upright bass (as opposed to the usual bluegrass plucked bass).

Kitty's father expressed his joy and pride in her hard work and character growth, and he acknowledged her sweet spirit and compassion. Then Kitty took a short moment to thank her parents and others who have guided her along these years. She thanked the Lord for His hand upon her, taking her through the hard subjects and helping her to polish her gifts in her more favorable subjects, such as writing and history.

Her granddaddy spoke of his gratitude to her parents for "touching her palate" (Proverbs 22:6) with excellent things and carefully shepherding her to become the wonderful, God-honoring young woman she is today. Then he presented the diploma to her, and the festivities began. Family and friends shared in a lovely luncheon reception, with much joy and fellowship all around.

Her mother, Beth, had produced a memory DVD, which played in a loop in the family room and brought many "Oh, remember when . . .??" comments. It was played to the accompaniment of the Country Cousins music, which made it all the more poignant. Here is a picture which, to me, epitomizes Kitty's personality and spirit: spunky . . . full of life . . . curious . . . compassionate and protective of her family . . . Kitty, where did the years go? We love and and are so proud of you. We can hardly wait to see where the Lord leads you next! What a wonderful life ahead! God bless you, Sweetheart!

Kitty (in blue) with her mama and sisters Sarah (in pink) and Baby Gracie.

One More Time .. .

The lovely "Ladies' Table" at the Stricklen's anniversary party. It may seem funny to have the men and ladies split up, but Molly and the girls didn't know how to organize the seating so that those not at the "guests of honor" table didn't feel slighted. So this was their solution. And it went very well. There was plenty of interaction after the meal, so couples didn't spend a lot of time apart! The girls did a wonderful job of setting beautiful tables (please ignore that folding chair right in the forefront of this picture -- it was a beautiful setting!)

The "Men's Table" -- vintage linens and eclectic dishes made a pleasant setting.

The sweet father of my children and patriarch of our family indulges me with a fresh flower. Happy Fathers' Day, Danny!

The precious Pittman children blessed us today with their enthusiastic singing to the glory of God! "Here Am I, Lord, Send Me!"

Asking your indulgence and patience with my pityful blogging talents! Just take what comes up and enjoy the thrill and challenge of trying to put it in some sort of cohesive order!

What I meant by "Two Special Days" was 1) Chris and Molly's anniversary and 2) Father's Day. We had a wonderful time cooking out after church with the dads and fellowshipping with our home church and family. The older children took some of the younger ones to the woods and picked wild blackberries again. Then Abby and Markie made a delightful berry crisp to top off the hamburgers and hot dogs. Our visiting missionaries, the Pittmans, gave us a stirring report on Malaysia and their vision for serving God in this Muslim land. Fellowship with God's people over a good meal together, after worship, is a wonderful way to round out the Lord's day and be refreshed for a new week.

Two Special Days

Twenty years growing together in love and faithfulness for the glory of God -- Chris and Molly
Mementos of the special day.
Abby serving friends and family.

Molly and Chris celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary this week, and their sweet girls planned a gala dinner party for them. It was adults only (except of course baby William), and the girls and cousins did all the preparation and serving. What a lovely evening celebrating the Lord's blessing on a godly and fruitful marriage!

More Trip Pictures

All of us at the Marine Corps museum in Quantico Va. This is a wonderful place to find out more about the corps. My daddy served his country for three years of his youth in the Second World War. He entered at age 15 and was a veteran of major Pacific campaigns at age 18. Mother was especially touched by the museum.
Mother and I took a taxi to the WWII monument on the National Mall. This isn't bad for a cell phone camera! I was surprised it came out this well. RG had the camera at the Witherspoon school that day, so I resorted to what was available. This, too, is an impressive monument.
DADDY'S HERE!! Chris greets his boys in the Metro tunnel. He flew up from FL to drive his family home. What a wonderful feeling of relief Molly had when he took over the wheel of the Excursion for her in Washington traffic! Daddies make a difference!
Four country girls having lunch in one of Washington's mega-multi-story malls. Mary used the metaphor of the blurry folks rushing by to make some "deep" comments on their blog (here)
http://www.thestricklenfamily.blogspot.com/

Well, actually, it's down quite a ways, so I will just quote Mary:

"Observe the the whiz of people in the background. The people in Washington DC move unnaturally fast, for no apparent reason--It's a plague that its residents catch after living there for more than a month. They MUST make that exact metro ride, or the whole world will stop in its tracks, even if there's another metro 3 minutes later going to the same place. Watch out, or you might get trampled.
Just a Thought--Mary"

But you will enjoy their blog, so visit anyway! I am so thankful for the opportunity to go with my sweet family to the capital. Mother had never been and had always wanted to go, and now she is ready for another trip there (when we all recuperate!) I cannot say enough about the impact the Witherspoon School had on my husband and grandson. Thank God for men of strength and integrity He has raised up for such a time as this. We, families and the church, have always needed men to be our leaders, but I am convinced we will need them more than ever in the upcoming days. Thank you, Lord, for men of vision to follow Your Word and Your ways.