Sweet Home Alabama

We had the privilege of a visit from our Alabama friends. They drove up for a weekend to see us.

The last time our girls were together, they were 2 1/2 years old.

This adorable guy stole my mama's heart. He ate 2 1/2 of her barbeque sandwiches and just kept telling her, "Thanks for those good barbeque sandwiches you made me." That will get you far in life with a Southern woman, young man.

When Campbell Clansman's college friend married this young lady, I got a new friend. Though we had just met once, she came to my wedding and was such a help to me. She has become a dear friend.

Lake Day #1

My brother has a boat. He graciously offers to take us out to the lake when we visit. It's a time where the old (parents) try to feel younger, and the young (kids) try to feel older.

This year one of my girls even tried to learn to ski.

She popped right up on the knee board.

Cute kids + water + bright yellow ski jackets = good pictures every summer. Thanks, big brother.

Dedication

Our baby boy was dedicated this summer in our home church. This is a time where we, as his parents, make a covenant with our church to raise him to know and follow the Lord. As you know, he grew to be a big boy very quickly. Somehow the traditional little smocked boys' suits just didn't work for him. He sort of looked like a linebacker squeezed into linen. I brought back his little plaid tie and kacki pants. Somehow that didn't suit him either. After all, he is a baby, not a businessman. So, once we got to our hometown, I asked my mother-in-law what SHE would like for him to wear. This is her only "Campbell" grandson...a baby none of us expected after her own son hit 40. He's my 5th baby...by the time #5 arrives, you just sort of start to let those decisions rest with those who would treasure the chance to decide. She brought down a couple of things from the past. One of those was Campbell Clansman's own sailor suit. He wore it when he was a tad bit older than 9 months, but when we tried it on our boy, it fit perfectly. So, a 40 year old sailor suit it was. He even has the physique to look like Popeye! More important than what he wore that day was the commitment we were making. We are so thankful for him!

Dr. Bob

Some of you who read this blog will know this good man. For those who don't know him, I'll tell you some things about him. Dr. Bob, a retired veterinarian, came to Turkey for one year to fill a gap for us and teach Science. While there, he and his wife filled far more than a teaching gap. They loved on us, made us laugh, encouraged us. The few of us who remain from the original Turkey crew have all said we aren't sure how we would have made it through that tough first year without this couple. Dr. Bob always has a pocketful of candy and a coin magic trick for my girls. I don't think I've ever had a conversation with him that I haven't laughed so hard I've cried. One of my favorite stories on Dr. Bob is when he was in Turkey with us. He was teaching Biology and some of the guy students asked him if he would dissect a dog in class if they could bring him one that was freshly dead. Sure enough, they found a road kill (sorry to animal lovers...dogs have a rough life in our city). He wanted to preserve it, so he wrapped it in a plastic bag and stored it in the freezer in the teacher's lounge. That was my week for fridge clean out duty, but I was pregnant and had awful morning sickness. Every time I thought of that dog up there, I would laugh, then throw up. My sweet Campbell Clansman did my duty for me that week. This summer, we introduced Dr. Bob to our boy. They immediately hit it off, as I knew they would. Everyone needs a Dr. Bob, someone who thinks you and your kids and your husband are great. Thanks for being that for us, Dr. Bob.

Tom Lee

While in Memphis, we took 'the cousins' (my kids and Campbell Clansman's sister's kids) to Tom Lee Park down by the river. While there we learned a little about Tom Lee, the man for whom the park was named. Unable to swim, he was able to pull many (on a sinking boat) to safety from his small boat. This courageous man has had a sculpture built in his honor. Here the kids are re-enacting it. His monument also provided the only shade miles around!

Picadilly Pull

My middle daughter, also known as Miss Middler, had a loose tooth. It was REALLY loose. Campbell Clansman doesn't 'do blood,' but I think wanted to prove he had the stomach for it, so he asked her to let him pull her tooth. All this was in public, at Picadilly Cafeteria. She said she was scared, he begged, she teased. Then I threw a bone to her...let him pull it and I'll let you have a 2nd dessert. She bit for it. He wiggled it, then out it came. Technically she felt it in her mouth and spit it across the table. All this was in front of all the people who eat at Picadilly cafeteria (that would be those who have many mouths to feed like us or the elderly like we are going to be in a few years). Campbell Clansman gave me a good wink and said HE would take her for her 2nd dessert, that he felt she just might want a cherry cheesecake, one she might want to share with her Papa.

She came proudly back with a bowl of red jello. Atta girl. Love it.

Why I Named Her Charity Esther

Many years ago, I was dating Campbell Clansman. It didn't take me long to realize that if I 'blew it' on this one, I'd regret it the rest of my life. In fact, I soon came to the conclusion that if I didn't marry this guy, I'd likely never marry. After all, how could I marry another guy that I always considered not-quite-as-good as Campbell Clansman? I had made my decision...marry him or stay single. It was during this time that he invited me to a play at the Jewish Community Center in Memphis, TN. The play was called simply, "Esther." We thoroughly enjoyed the acting and the story. The story is of a queen who was chosen for her beauty, who honored her husband, and saved her nation because of her bravery. During the play, CC said something to me (which I think I'll just save for a rainy-day-later-post), and it was at that moment that I realized, "I think he likes me." I thought to myself, in honor of this moment, this memory, this man...maybe I'll name a daughter "Esther" if I marry him. So I did.

So, when my little #3 was on the way, we had our 5th wedding anniversary. We were living in Singapore. Campbell Clansman treated me to a weekend in a beautiful hotel while some friends kept our other girls. We had decided that was the weekend to choose this baby's name. I had forgotten my Bible, so I used the Gideon Bible in the hotel. (That was when we lived in a country that lets in the Gideons!) I was reading I Corinthians 13 in the KJV. Instead of "love," the word is "charity."

Her name is Charity Esther. I think of her name as a sort of bookend. Charity for our 5th anniversary, Esther for the beginning of our relationship.

While we were in Memphis, we stayed near that very Jewish Community Center. Campbell Clansman took her over and took this picture for me. She's a pretty good example of our love, don't you think?