A Turn of Events

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. Things got topsy turvey on Sunday night when our friends Matt and Hannah Williams called and told us that Matt's dad had a sudden heart attack and died on Sunday evening. Matt and I both were so sad for our friends and for his family as Matt's dad was a wonderful man and his was a life that was cut short. So we began to make plans to attend the visitation and funeral this week.
So yesterday, Matt and I drove down to Raleigh to the visitation. I drove back with a bunch of the Windy Gap staff and Matt stayed down to go to the funeral today. We had a babysitter cover the kids until Ben (the college guy who is living with us) got off of work and then he took care of the kids (i.e. listening to the monitor) until I got home at midnight.
Matt and Hannah are both YL leaders at North Buncombe High School and were preparing to take kids to camp this Friday with Matt and the rest of Asheville/Buncombe County Young Life. Well, they obviously were not going to leave Matt's mom to go to camp. It wasn't a problem figuring out who would take the guys to camp because Matt has been one of their leaders all year. But the girls was another story because Hannah has been the only girl leader there all year. Last year, Beth Williams was a leader at NB, but she is a baker at Windy Gap and can't get time off, in addition to the fact that she had a major accident at camp this spring and couldn't physically make the trip on the bus this summer. So, I was the last leader that these girls had that was still around. I called my parents and they said that they can take Asher and Lucy while I take girls to YL camp!
I am excited, but sad because I had been planning on taking Asher and Lucy to the beach with my sister, her two kids and my parents. I had to cancel that trip and it sucked because we had been planning on doing it for so long. But I am crazy nervous about going to YL camp with these girls because I haven't been a leader with high school girls in awhile. Also, this is the camp where I met Jesus 11 years ago. REALLY? It was 11 years ago? Crap I am OLD.
Anyway, I am excited to see the place that I have such fond memories of. And I am really excited to see how kids from Asheville receive a place that I already love! It will be really fun too to go with Matt there and share those memories with him since we didn't know each other at such a milestone in my life.
Anyway, I have had to cram in about two weeks worth of work into three days and I am overwhelmed with packing the kids, me, Slappy, finishing projects with work, I have a year-long audit tomorrow afternoon and Matt has been gone in Raleigh all day long. So, if I don't get back on here in a few days, you know why.

Also, here are some pictures that my sister sent me of her kids. I am so sad to not be with them and for Asher and Lucy to play with them all week!



The second picture is one of all the "kids" cell phones that they have bought or been given in the last three years. It is quite a statement on how important cell phones have gotten for adults that kids don't have just one or two cell phones-but Shellie owns nine-NINE play cell phones. I know that there are only eight in the picture. But the nineth is at her in-laws house and it speaks in Italian to the kids. I know that we have at least three play cell phones, a play ipod and if I gave Asher a little computer to play, he would be on the thing all of the time. Just a little future reference for us all...no more cell phone gifts kay? Thanks!