Emma and Eli: March 2017

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In the 17 years that I’ve lived in Atlanta, I’d not had much opportunity to travel back home to Memphis for work…until the first week of March!  I was blessed to be invited to join the Christian School Leaders Roundtable that meets in Memphis and I was so excited for a few days at “home”.  Everything about what the Lord planted in my heart regarding the call to Christian education started with incredible teachers, coaches, and administrators when I was growing up in Memphis.  I landed in Memphis early Thursday morning and drove out to the conference that had kicked off with dinner the night before.  I missed the first session to be home at NCCS to announce the state basketball tournament game.  Unfortunately we lost…but I’m so glad I didn’t miss it!  I had a few extra minutes Thursday morning, so I dropped by Simple Focus and surprised both my mom and my brother-in-law…what a treat to see them both!  The conference was amazing and I’m so glad I was able to go.  Definitely filled my cup!  In addition to the great conversations at the conference, staying at my sister’s house and catching up with her family, and my Mom was a treat!  My niece Nora and my nephews Simon and James are growing up way too fast!
I was so happy to return home to my crew that Saturday.  Clint is ALWAYS amazing when he has the kids all to himself.  They have so much fun…but are always so sweet to welcome me home with lots of excitement!  Emma is my assistant golf coach again at school this spring, so we are back out on the golf course a few days a week working with our 8 awesome varsity girls golfers.  They love Emma and she sure does love hanging out with the big girls!  Our school hosted a capture the flag competition that somehow included pieing people in the face…particularly me!  Nick Smith made sure that I had a really great pieing experience…his laughter made it worth all 4 times that I had to wash my hair to get all the whipped cream out!  Our family headed over towards Bells Ferry Road to check out IC Hot ice cream at the recommendation of several friends.  It’s a little pricier than normal ice cream…but it’s a cool experience and it tastes really good!
Emma and I were very blessed to be given free tickets to see Steven Curtis Chapman on his “Songs and Stories” tour at the Strand in Marietta.  104.7 the Fish gave out only a few free tickets and that was the only way in.  Thanks to our sweet friends the Bitners and some of their connections, we were sitting right next to them on the 5th row in the center to hear SCC tell the stories behind so many of his songs that we dearly love!  Clint and Eli go to church on Wednesday nights where Clint teaches FPU after they have Guys Nite Out dinner.  Emma and I went to Taqueria Tsunami on the Square for Girls Nite Out on the way to the concert.  After the show, we got to meet SCC and I showed him a picture of Eli because the Lord used the Show Hope presentation at another SCC concert to begin the journey for our family to adopt our precious son!  What a powerful moment!
For Christmas, Clint got Emma and I tickets to go to iFly to try out their indoor skydiving experience.  We went on a Sunday after church and our awesome guys were right there taking pictures and cheering us on!  We really enjoyed it and can’t wait to go again!  Emma participated in the speech meet at NCCS where she quoted Proverbs 3:1-6 from memory.  What a cool opportunity to hide God’s word in her heart!
The last week in March is always Spring Term at NCCS.  This is a time when all of our Upper School teachers and students head out to live out the Great Commission all around the world.  I was SO EXCITED that Clint joined us for the first time by helping lead the ST17 Haiti team.  I have been to Haiti a few times in recent years and my heart has totally been captured by the Haitian people.  It was such a joy to have him there with me to see what it’s all about!  Emma and Eli were so precious to be super excited for us to go and we are so grateful for Clint’s Mom, My Mom, and our sweet friends Kelly and Erin who watched our kiddos that week.  Emma even vacuumed the whole house to help get ready!
March was packed with lots of special opportunities for us to have fun together and to enjoy this precious family that the Lord has blessed us with.  I love that we love having fun together!
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