Happy Birthday to Me

Thanksgiving has come and gone and that can only mean one thing for me, my birthday. I can remember a time when having a birthday was a much anticipated event, my children are still in this stage, Chloe (my 6 year old) has already planned her next birthday party right down to the guest list and it's not till August. After this stage we move to the "toleration" stage. This stage happens right after the completion of all the milestone celebrations, you know 18 and "adulthood," 21 which is another legal recognition of adulthood, and then 25 which really means something because your car insurance goes down significantly. After these milestones what do we have left?

Last weekend while visiting away in Knoxville my wife filled out the visitor card and "politely" noted that I only have two more age boxes left to move into on these things. Is this what birthdays have become, just a chance to move up to a different check box? Still, we tolerate our birthdays, young enough to not be bothered by adding a new number and old enough to put it all in perspective.

Some people decide to stop having birthdays. Kind of like that old country song, "Thirty-nine and holding," they simply refuse to acknowledge that they are getting older. But birthdays come and go whether we like it or not so we had better make the best of them.

Just the other day a lady came into Subway to order party trays for her daughter's birthday party. Now this sort of thing happens all the time except for the details of this particular situation. You see "mom" was 84 and her daughter was turning 60!

I've tolerated birthdays for quite some time now but I think I will start embracing them. They are special, a gift from God.

By the way for those who are curious the answer is 38.

Family Time

This weekend, John Austin, Dad, and myself had a "guys" weekend in Knoxville. We attended the Vols Basketball game Friday Night and the Football gave verses Vandy on Saturday. Enjoy the pictures, John Austin took them all, except the ones he is in of course!


A couple of Eric Ainge "Wannabes"


Enjoying the Basketball Game


Granddad and John Austin at the Volunteer Village


The "Power T" a Tennessee Tradition

John Austin said this was the "perfect" shot, ALL the cheerleaders AND the dance team on the court at the same time!
Photo Credits: All without him in the frame taken by John Austin Skelton

More Family Time

Saturday night the "girls" joined us to complete our family weekend. We went to the Tennessee Lady Vols Basketball game on Sunday afternoon which they won with a margin of victory over 30 points. Before the game the 2007 National Championship team was honored with the "Hoisting of the Banner!"

Hoisting the Banner 2007 National Champs

Waiting for Autographs

Future Lady Vol

Honduran Orphanage

The Family Life Ministry of Waynesboro church of Christ is helping the Honduran Orphanage where Alden and Candace Bass are working. We are collecting board games to send for the children to play with as this is a need they have identified. They can be new or used just make sure used ones are in good condition with all the pieces. Also, the games you donate need to be ones that don't require reading or requires reading very little English.

You can see pictures of the young boys we are helping at Alden and Candace's blog. I have also added a link in my favorite sites to the left.

Right now there are some great Christmas pictues to view.