Nacogdoches weekend

college friends from SFA
Darth Vader, Batman, and a future basketball player

My sister with her boys, Benjamin and Harrison

Halloween weekend Gabriel and I went to East Texas. Wayne and I had decided it would be best for he and Micah to not go because we have learned Micah does not do well in big group situations. We spent Friday night with my sister and her family, then went to Nacogdoches on Saturday for Homecoming at SFA, my college alma mater. We didn't actually go to the football game, because I couldn't see any point in taking a two year old to a football game. So I met up with some friends for lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant in town and then Gabriel and I went to a park so he could play. Later in the afternoon we went to the Baptist Student Ministry building for an ice cream fellowship. The first picture is from there. I wish I had taken more photos that were a little closer, but keeping an eye on Gabriel was enough of a task.

We went to Lufkin that night and spent the night with the Haley's (Jim & Barbara) and went to church with them on Sunday at Carpenter's Way; I hadn't been back there since our wedding day. It was great to see them, as always. I lived with them for about 6 months while I was finishing my last teaching year before I went to GGBTS in the fall of 2000. I met Jim & Barbara back in 1995 because I was leading a disciple now weekend and my group stayed in their home. Barbara and I started meeting for lunch every now and then and she quickly became a dear friend and mentor to me. I got to know them even better when I lived with them as usually happens when you live with someone. They hosted my family when Wayne and I got married.

I also got to visit briefly with Tom and Donna Willis who are close friends with the Haley's. The Willis's were also very special to me, taking care of me in different ways while I was in college and afterwards.

We have stayed in touch over the years and they have always been and will always be very special people in my life. It's amazing to me to see the way God puts people in your life and forms friendship mostly because you have the commonality of knowing Christ.

On Halloween day, I went back to my sister's. We met up at a mall and went trick or treating in the mall. They had a Halloween "costume" that Gabriel borrowed, a basketball player. I think it had been Benjamin's uniform last year. I just didn't want to bother with a costume this year, maybe next year! Gabriel was so proud when they would drop a piece of candy in his bucket. We got there toward the end of the time, and most places had run out of candy, but a little is better than none! It was fun.