Birthday Girls

Hey Everyone,

Wow! Another birthday already! No, no, Lily's not turning three just yet, Connie's turning .... uh, scratch that. October 5th is another special day around here. We will celebrate Connie's birthday quietly as we did Lily Grace's. No fanfare, no bands, no parades, just some good ol' family time together. Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday, Dear Connie, God Real-ly Loves You .... Wow, see Austin, I can sing really good! Don't laugh, you're next. I think I'll join the church choir!

We probably won't eat as much cake as we did for Lily's birthday (we're still eating Sunday's cake! Sorry Morgans and Jamiesons, it wouln't keep till we could see you again). Lily Grace was so funny when we gave her her birthday cake Sunday. I don't think she knew what it was. She just kept looking at it and then back at us as if to say "What do you want me to do with this?" Then we all ate some and she was right in the middle of it. Notice the reflection skirt in the picture - looks like she's wearing her cake!

It's been a little difficult lately to get time to think, much less write (I just can't say 'blog' - it's not in my dictionary! See, if it were, it would probably say - keep it short, Jerry. And I simply can't do that). We have started our Upward Basketball and Cheerleading ministry at Isom's Chapel and we're really busy with that. Maybe I'll start a blog, I mean web log, for that? We're struggling with Upward a little, with many things going wrong. Participation is way down this year. So I prayed and asked God to give me a Word of encouragement. I then opened my "One Minute Pocket Bible for Men" (if you don't have one of these, get one as soon as you can!) and to my surprise the page I opened to was about opposition. The catch phrase was "Opposition is really the proof of progress." Many verses of scripture were there to encourage me. I asked for a word, and God gave me a Book of a million words! Where we think small, He thinks big!

Austin has been busy with church (he helps with Upward and plays drums in the praise band), schoolwork (he's doing really good work and is very diligent), and football season (hard to believe half the regular season games have already been played). His Beta Club is busy planning their spring trip to New York and Washington, DC. Connie's really looking forward to the Big Apple. I'm excited about DC - I go there often on business, but don't usually get to see anything but the inside of the Metro and a few buildings downtown. Austin's probably more excited about DC too, since he likes history so much.

Lily Grace has just been chillin' out with Memaw. You know, vacuuming, sweeping, washing clothes, cooking. No, not Lily, Memaw - that's a toy vacuum cleaner from Ms. Amanda, Emily, and Will. But it actually does work a little. It's wonderful to have Memaw here every day, my clean sock drawer runneth over and the roast beef is awesome! I hope she's enjoying it as much as we are. Lily's had a cold this week (doctor said give her Robitussin). She's getting better, but ... great, first thing she learns to share is a cold, now Connie has it!









I pray each of you are blessed with His grace as much as we have been with the addition of Lily Grace to our family. She absolutely melts our hearts and re-forms them each day with her smiles, kisses, and the little mischievious things she does. Watching her learn something new each day is a miracle from God, Himself. I pray also that God would bless Lily's birth parents with other children and that they are able to be a family together, that they too might know the joys of walking among His many blessings.

Love,
Jerry, Connie (Birthday Girl), Austin, and Lily Grace,
Green, Party of Four