Kids and Time

Kids grow up so fast, and time flies, doesn't it?!
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Seems like it was just yesterday that this first photo was taken of my guys...


And now look...


In the time since I last posted I watched my older son Daniel graduate high school...


Watched younger son David compete in the Ford/AAA National Autoskills Competition in Dearborn, Michigan...



Doesn't he look handsome in his uniform?

His father was quite proud. Can you tell?


Let's see. I also interviewed for a job for the first time in 19 years...teacher's assistant...which I wasn't offered...darn it! I need to follow up on that though.

Organized/taught crafts at Vacation Bible School at my church.

And the last couple of weeks...the last couple of weeks have been spent life guarding kids (nieces and nephews mostly) in the pool. Brad's sister Carole from Nashville came for a visit, and my brother's kids who live in town need some respite from this heat! So this is my excuse for spending lazy days by the pool. My own kids? They are too busy with work and social outings to spend time in the pool.
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Hope you all are having a good summer! And if you are getting lots of rain, please send some this way! We need it! :-)

An Exciting Week

View of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore

"The Pride of Baltimore" - Isn't She Beautiful?

Well, it was an exciting week for the Edwards family last week. Brad and I spent most of the week in Baltimore at Fells Point. Brad had a conference to attend and I tagged along for a nice getaway. We stayed at The Admiral Fell Inn, in the quaint area of Fells Point, and I got to do some sightseeing while Brad attended meetings. Actually, Brad had one day free so he did some sightseeing with me on his free day, which included visiting the aquarium and just meandering around the Inner Harbor. We were fortunate that day to have very nice weather and it was just an overall lovely day.

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But the highlight of the week was getting a call from home to learn that David, son-number-two, with his partner Chase, placed first-in-state in the AAA Ford Autotech Competition. That means he has followed in his brother's footsteps, who placed first last year and went on to compete in the national competition in Dearborn, Michigan. So it looks like we will be returning to Michigan in June.
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We are tickled for David. And I'm thankful for a husband who has passed on his love of tinkering with cars to his kids, as well as an instructor who has spent many hours mentoring my boys.

Chuck Wall, Chase Wall, Instructor Charlie Melton, David Edwards

Pink Roses and Strawberries

What can I say? I like strawberries! :-)

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This was made for one of my favorite people in the world, who is turning 80.

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Happy Birthday Mrs. B!

Keep on Trackin'

I do this type cake so much it's embarrassing. It's the drizzle cake. :-) But hey, it works.

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This was done for a friend I haven't seen in years but whom I keep up with via internet. She was in town and I bribed her with this cake for her boyfriend (a train lover) to get her to come by my house. It worked! :-) The chocolate plaque says "Keep on Trackin'".

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Happy Easter Everyone!

Monday Meditation

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.

~Buddha

Another Florida Gators Cake

I did a cake for a friend's child yesterday. 'Tis tradition. This year I am thankful I didn't have to do anything hunting or wrestling related like in years past! lol
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This year I got to do a simple Florida Gators cake. I've done several of these in the past, so nothing exciting, but "easy" works for me, especially since my cake decorating hands have gotten lazy.
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Happy Birthday Tyler!

Monday Meditation

Good manners and kindness...I don't always get 'em right...far from it...but I do value them and like to think I strive for them. I certainly admire them when I see them in others and appreciate it when these virtues are practiced on me! On that note, I found these quotes that speak to me today.

A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. ~Dave Barry, "Things That It Took Me 50 Years to Learn"

Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength. ~Eric Hoffer

Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use. ~Emily Post

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. ~Author Unknown

Don't be yourself - be someone a little nicer. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not. ~Samuel Johnson

When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people. ~Abraham Joshua Heschel

The best portion of a good man's life - his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. ~William Wordsworth

The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid. ~Author Unknown

Being considerate of others will take your children further in life than any college degree. ~Marian Wright Edelman

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. ~Leo Buscaglia

Kindness is the greatest wisdom. ~Author Unknown