Boating anyone?

emma
Lake Holston

Grandma Rachel

em's - giggling Hope and memaw

Grandaddy

Dad, Rachel and Hope - under the pontoon boat

mum, Hope and Rachel

Grandma Rachel and her girls.....

Memaw and Grandaddy and G-ma Rachel brought us (little? we need a new clarifying adjective ) Rachel this past friday and spent the night with the Abingdon Shockley's. Just in time for dinner too ( our specialty ). Rachel did make the volleyball team for Blacksburg Middle school and she had practice friday afternoon so she was even more hungry than usual.

After dinner Hope got to go on her birthday shopping trip - ALONE - with cheryl and jim, this has turned out to be one of the kid's highlights of the year, getting to go off without the rest of us! Hope picked the bristol mall and hit Kaybee toys and Claires.... she seemed very excited with her choices and has been playing with baby and stroller ever since and wears a new headband and earrings every day!

Saturday turned out to be a mere 80 degree's and sunny so we decided to make our last summer hurrah and go rent a pontoon boat. We do this once a summer and since this summer has passed faster than a blink of an eye we hadn't got to do it yet. Lake Holston is on the border of Va and Tennessee. The lake is seriously low on water, it's down over 12 feet but the folks at the marina told us where to go and just watch the low spots! We putted all over for 3 hours - took swims - ate some chicken - swam some more and came home.

We rounded the afternoon off with a church softball game - it doesn't matter that their son is almost 40 years old - they still loved watching him play ball! Sinking Spring had a great game and that meant they would play in the finals on Sunday afternoon. Jim, cheryl and grandma Rachel watched and headed back to Roanoke after the game. I know there were 3 little bundles that were trying to sneak into the back but after luring them back home with homemade ice cream - we all hit the sack early - that was a big day!

Sunday started early - I had to speak at both church services for our Moment for Mission, that meant I got to hear our Pastor tell the congregation twice that we is leaving our church and accepting a call to another church in Ohio. David and the girls were Usher's for the late service and were well received by everyone outside getting their morning bulletin. How could that not make someone smile to see the 3 girls holding open the front door to church?

Great cookout for lunch - hotdogs and burgers with blue cheese crumbles on top - go grillmaster Shockley!!! then we headed back to the ball field for playoff's - if S.S. won at 3 they would play at 4 and if they won at 4 they would play at 5 and if they won that game a 4th would follow. Who knew? they had to play ALL 4 games.... it took them almost 5 hours of straight play............. but,.................... they WON! the whole deal! Sinking Spring has never won the championship! We get a big trophy and we got to stomp our arch nemnesis!

Whew.... that was just over 2 days......... lots of happenings!