Category Archives: Sports

La República Dominicana

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“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men & things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.”

One of my favorite Southerners, Mark Twain, said it best. Traveling makes you modest, makes you question your comfort zone, and ultimately, makes you ponder your tiny place in this vast and ever-changing world. And that’s a good, healthy thing.

The Caribbean view from the plane en route to the Dominican Republic.

So, we got to La República Dominicana on my 44th birthday. My first impression upon arriving was disbelief at the inefficiency, like having to take a bus from the tarmac to the terminal check-in … you know, all 100 meters of a journey.

Then paying a guy $10 to enter the country, and having to hand over the government tickets to another dude some two yards away. Now there’s make work! I think that airport needs to invest in some automation.

But all turista complaining aside, our time in the Dominican Republic was enjoyable and stress-free. Sure, we made a few mistakes, like tipping the airport baggage guy way too much, or buying an 8-pack of tampons for $8 (gasp!) because I thought I had forgotten to bring mine, and purchasing for some pricey cigars that turned out to be Cuban knock-offs.

Rebeeler on la playa in Punta Cana. Gracias for “quince” great years, mi amor! If you can put up with me for 15, certainly we are in it for the long haul.

Honestly, haggling, in my opinion, is just the worst. I like the competitive and equalizing factor of “here’s the good and this is the fee.” But in other parts of the world, price is debatable and fluid, depending on the circumstance and possibly even the consumer’s country of origin.

This is no slight at those who can barter and haggle well. It’s just that I’m so accustomed to the competitive and consumer-friendly forces of goods as far as the eye can see and at the best possible prices, that it is always hard for me to get cope with such hyper-inconsistent exchanges.

Interestingly, Americans aren’t the only fat ones. It seems the rest of the world’s beach dwellers — well, at least the ones from South America and Europe, from which most DR turistas hail — are rather robust, too.

A Dominican artistic impression of Conan O’Brien. Now this work of art is certainly worth a good, healthy haggle.

String bikinis are an unfortunate trend at the beaches in La Altagracia region. Even though it is mostly the Dominicans who are the fittest and most exquisitely beautiful, modesty was replete on la playa. Hey, at least the turistas don’t have negative body image issues, as do many Americans.

In general, non-Americans know multiple languages, like our concierge Eugenia. She was Bulgarian, but was fluent in English and Spanish.

Also Anna, the Ukrainian lady who pitched a vacation package to us: she spoke Russian, of course, as well as English, French, and Spanish. And Lisandro, our Spanish-speaking guide on the wonderful local excursion, also spoke English and French, and was in the process of learning Russian.

Bávaro Beach from a catamaran before muy cocktails, a sunset swim, & a lobster dinner. That’s just the way things roll in La República Dominicana!

Moreover, the turistas we met from places like Montreal, the Czech Republic, Uruguay, Russia, and Slovenia, spoke impeccable English, even though they usually would humbly say they only knew “pequeño” (a little).

And Stephen’s español was just amazing. He gets rusty, sure. But once he lets go and relaxes, hearing him communicate with locals is like listening to a symphony of sometimes discordant, yet mostly harmonic musicians, playing the earthly tune of man. Communication in its purest form.

Therefore, I’m going to be a student in Stephen’s weekly Spanish lesson with the boys. It’s going to be difficult for me, I know. But if there’s one thing that homeschooling has taught assured me, it’s that I’m a lifelong learner. So, if I have an open enough mind to overcome my math phobia, why not tackle a foreign language (or two) while I’m at it?!?

If you got no pesos, this is how poor turistas can work off mamajuana shots & El Presidente cervezas!

Other than linguistics, we had many beach-bum days filled soft sand, seaweed swimming, palm umbrellas, endless cocktails, perspiration galore, and people-watching. Time was not much of a concern — quite an odd feeling for most Americans, but very necessary and therapeutic, since relaxation is the main objective.

We adventured outside of the resort on occasion, like our visit to a local farm to tour the home and property, and lands where coffee, cocoa, tobacco, plantains and other tropical fruit are grown. It was incredible getting to meet Dominicans, who are typically friendly and kind, as well as hang with other cool turistas from around the world.

Our tour also took us to a mountainside restaurant, an elementary school outside Higüey, and La Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia. The church, which is the largest basilica in Latin America, was architecturally pleasing, but also a tad disturbing as it had Mary as its centerpiece, rather than, you know … Jesus!

Drinking vino piño, smoking puros, listening to music, star gazing, having deep conversations, & relaxing on the beach our last night in town.

Our savior, the Son of God, and healer of mankind’s brokenness, seemed an after thought there. Strange how that happens in Latin America, as well as in some other places in the world. But I’ve learned that deifying the mother was a way that Catholics long ago tackled the veneration of pagan goddesses. And it just kinda stuck.

Moreover, Christ has been dealing with castigation, mockery, and misinterpretation since the dawn of man; that’s kinda what we sinners do. But He defeated death and sits at the right hand of God, and His spirit lives in us. So, a little Mary-worship sure can’t squelch His power or waver my faith in any way. It just ain’t my thang.

Now, we got to DR without a hitch, but leaving was another story. The coiled lines were long and unnecessarily slow. All the passengers on our flight were forced to sit on the tarmac for an hour in order that a few folks and their bags could be rechecked due to some kind of ticketing error.

Taking a break in Macao after a long day of exploring the area of La Altagracia & meeting some of the locals. By the way, have I mentioned that the Dominican Republic is HOT, like steamier-than-New-Orleans kinda hot?! Don’t even bother wearing makeup.

And then the Homeland Security guy that “welcomed” us back to the States was so stereotypically rude that it seemed like a spoof. Thanks, ‘Merica. But we survived. I’m just glad my travel-weary husband didn’t punch him, otherwise I’d have a way more subversive headline for this blog.

But travel sure does make your appreciate all your blessings and give you invaluable insights about yourself, the world, and the diverse peoples that inhabit it. Our vacation was an exciting and memorable trip, as well as such a loving gesture from my hubby, who took me there to celebrate early our 15th wedding anniversary.

I truly appreciate the adventure, Stephen, and look forward to our next travels. And thanks to you, too, Granny, for taking care of the 3 Amigos so we could experience this romantic time together sans kids! We certainly couldn’t have pulled it off without you.

Papa & the 3 Amigos have a blast cooking (& hypnotizing!) crabs for our delicious seafood feast w/ family. Thanks for the awesome memories, Papa!

In early August, the boys and I went up to see the Richmond crew and eat yummy steamed crabs. It was a leisurely visit that included lots of chilling with the family, plus, some spur-of-the-moment hang time with three of my old-school pals: Angela, Shelley, and Michelle. So great to catch up with these fine ladies!

In mid-August, we got to see the other side of the family in the mountains, but this time for a sad occasion: Uncle Tommy’s funeral. It was a heart-wrenching trip, since his death was quite shocking. After all, Tommy was a pretty young, healthy guy.

Plus, knowing that his granddaughter, sweet Ella, is too young to probably have formed any lasting memories of him is just a devastating thought. But we are praying for all of those who were closest to Tommy and will miss him most, specifically Granny, Kelly, Laura, Mike, and Dale.

The 3 Amigos have been playing a lot lately w/ our neighbor, Matthew (seen here far right), as well as a cool kid named Nick. It sure pleases this mama that the boys have plenty of neighborhood friends for good-time shenanigans.

But there were some happy times that weekend, like the boys playing with their Carolina kin, Ella, Grace, and Faith, and getting to meet Jovi, their cousin from Minnesota, and Stephen and I bonding with family we don’t see all that often. We were also able to make it to the Houston Family Reunion.

Remember those pukey sleeping bags from our last camping trip? Well, I took the need of having to clean them in a front-loading washing machine as an opportunity to invite the dudes and I over to Meredith’s house. I figured she has the high-tech wares, so why not get some much-needed time in with her and Rorie, all while tackling the overdue task?!

Rorie had a great fun with the 3 Amigos, who she classified as “such loud boys.” And Meredith and I were able to chat while the kids entertained one another. Thanks for a great afternoon of fun, washing, eating Chinese food, and good conversation, girls!

Houston, Zeke, Owen & Gabriel get ready to rock out @ the Folk Fest!

We attended the National Folk Festival last weekend in … Greensboro! Amazingly, our fare city has been chosen as the host of the big event for three years. Very cool.

One of our dearest friends, Steven, his wife, Paige, and son, Owen, came to town to partake in the festivities with us. It was a blast to spend some time with them and get to see some kickin’ live music so close to home.

We hope to rekindle our friendship with Steven and get to know his beautiful family even better. After all, it was he (along with his two older brothers) who was responsible for Stephen and I crossing paths back back in ’98.

Nice photography skills, Houston. Thanks for snapping this pic of Mommy & Daddy w/ our buddies Steven & Paige during stay with us. We look forward to seeing them later in the fall.

Fall baseball at the Y has been underway for a month. The dudes are playing for the Atlanta Braves and are doing quite well. Everyone’s skills continue to improve unabated, and the twins’ focus on the game has gotten much better, too.

Yesterday, I thought the boys’ game was at 12:15. But at 11:10, I happened to glance at my calendar and see that it was an 11:15 game. Gasp! I grabbed a baseball cap and bra for me, opted to skip brushing my teeth, threw the gear in the back of Stephen’s truck, and sped down the street to pick up the kids from trampoline jumping at Matthew’s.

Somehow, we made it to the Y by 11:30. Unfortunately, I had to do my bra-and-hat routine in the porta-potty, but at least I got to witness some rather entertaining baseball, and the 3 Amigos (who are virtually half the team) were able to play the majority of the game.

Can you tell I’m a tad excited to hang w/ Dale Watson & see one of my all-time favorite musicians perform in my hometown?! I’m already looking forward to next year’s fest.

CC, Awana, and piano are in full swing again. Things are going swimmingly, both learning-wise and time-wise, especially since I’m being rather diligent about not biting off not much more than the essentials and a few outings here and there.

Houston says he wants to do CC Memory Master, which means being able to recite all 24 weeks of grammar for seven subjects by late March. It was his idea, so I’m letting him take the lead. He did this for two subjects (Latin and history) during his first year of CC in ’12, and this is his second time around with Cycle 1, so I’m confident he can pull it off!

Last but not least, we cannot forget about Stanley. He had gotten pretty mellow and sweet over the summer, that is, until we had some dental work done on him at the vet last month. Now he’s back to the same old grumpy, ornery critter he used to be. I hope that mean feline likes living outdoors for a while. What a rude, fat cat.

Tarrying in town

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So, we added another few cities — Knoxville, Charleston, and Austin — to our mix of possible relocation spots, before deciding (for the moment) that we think we just might stay around here. Classic, huh?!

The Dillingham dudes stand 5,946-feet high atop Grandfather Mountain.

Yes, we love the mountains. Yes, we are up for adventures. Yes, we are outgrowing our house. And yes, we are seeking like-minded folks.

But yes, we’ve also realized how great we have it here. We are blessed with growing friendships, incredible neighbors, an amazing church, and a supportive homeschool group filled with kind and generous families.

Throughout all of this deliberation, I think our main goal was setting out to create and build strong relationships with other humans. I suppose the most apt assessment would be that we were in search of community.

See, Stephen and I have felt like square pegs for a long time now. And when the rest of the world abounds with round holes, it can feel quite isolating. Sure, individualism is a precious thing, but no man is an island, and most people yearn for social interactions that foster growth.

Daddy & the boys soak in all the beauty of the Blue Ridge. So darn pretty.

But so what if I’m considered a bit of a dissident in one realm of my life and then a little of a renegade in the another? Really, is that anything new? And really, would I have it any other way?!

After all, I’ve always had a rebellious streak. I mean, after realizing way back in middle school the foolishness of following the crowd, I’ve done a pretty thorough job of bucking conformity ever since. Stephen and I always get a chuckle when talking about how subversive our lives really are.

Just a few examples of our counter-cultural ways:

  • we’re married, monogamous, and have more than 1.2 kids;
  • we love Jesus, smoke cigars, drink beer, and occasionally cuss;
  • we believe in liberty, but also in virtue, morality, and objective truth;
  • we’re homeschoolers, who decided to homeschool well before we became Christians;
  • we often have more in common with the tattooed, pierced atheists than we do with church-going folks;
  • we attend a Gospel-centered house of worship, not a self-help church;
  • we delight in debate, disagreement, and discussing opinions that differ from ours;
  • we cling to our guns and religion, but we aren’t Republicans and we don’t say the Pledge of Allegiance.

After the boys & I scale Split Rock, Gabriel & I take a selife in front of some brilliant Flame Azalea bushes, which are scattered about the Grandfather landscape.

Stephen and I have discussed and prayed much about all this, and we just figured that God made us who we are for a reason and maybe we’re not supposed to fit in in order to glorify His purposes. Perhaps that’s our cross to bear.

And since we have come to appreciate all the incredible folks we know in our hometown, we might just stay put. It just took us a while and lots of reflection to see that the grass is actually pretty green right here.

Sure, we may relocate to another part of the county in an effort to shorten commutes and get a bit more space in the home, especially if Granny comes to live with us. (Keep your fingers crossed!) But we’re leaning toward not uprooting in a major way.

Instead, we will focus on the relationships we have here, try to grow in community, flourish in faith and knowledge, and still have as many adventures as we are able. That’s the plan for now … but knowing us, it can always change.

Yep, great family picture … other than my closed eyes & thunder thighs. Yikes! Still, everyone else looks rather handsome.

We finally took the boys to the summit of Grandfather Mountain — the wondrous and ancient pinnacle we’ve passed so many times on the way to Granny’s house. In fact, she got us free tickets to the notable Western Carolina destination to help ring in her much-deserved retirement!

After crossing the scary Mile High Swinging Bridge, we just let the quiet splendor of the Appalachians speak to us. Man, do I relish the mountains.

We also saw bears, otters, deer, a cougar, and a bald eagle in the wildlife habitat; climbed Split Rock for another sweet view; ate tons of locally made fudge; and (most importantly) got to spend some quality time with our beloved Granny!

Here we have a breathtaking backdrop, my husband NOT making a silly face (which is his usual M.O. for photos), & me … blinking. Sigh. Oh well, it’s still a nice shot taken by steady-hand Houston.

Other happenings:

  • The boys survived and thrived at Mountain Top Youth Camp. I’m especially proud of Gabe and Zeke, who tend to lean on mama a whole lot more than does Houston. Way to go, big boys!
  • Cousin Rick visited for the first time in almost six years. It was a chill weekend, and his rekindled passion for guitar has inspired Stephen and me to dust off ours. We plan on building are now-tender callouses into sturdy, guitar-playing machinery!
  • Gabriel and Zeke had their first piano lesson last Thursday! Their maturity with Miss Julie was evident, and our tripled time at her house was surprisingly calm and productive (i.e., we did school). I pray we maintain this happy pattern.
  • The dudes wrapped up baseball in late May. The Cardinals weren’t the best team, but boy, did everyone drastically improve their skills over the season. Also, a heartfelt thanks goes out to Daddy for getting them to all their practices!

Gabriel proudly displays his hand-crafted bow & arrow on pickup day @ Mountain Top. By that grin, I think it’s safe to say he had a blast @ homeschool camp!

  • We had our community group leaders, Andrew and Lindsey, and their daughter to our house for dinner recently. It was nice to get to know them better ’cause they are some solid folks.
  • Another great person is my pal, Adair, who had us over to her neighborhood pool last week. Her oldest kid, Will, is one of the 3 Amigos’ best buds, and we just so enjoy spending time with their whole crew. Such cool, genuine people!
  • The boys have gotten tight with Dixie, our homeschooled neighbor, who has always been a pal, but never really a BFF. But now, they all eagerly run out to meet each other and play four-square during “school day” lunch breaks, and get together for volleyball and water-gun battles in the evening. Good neighbors, rock!

The boys don’t want to leave camp & keep on playing “Ga Ga” w/ their friends. The game was all the rage for the first few days they were back home, but now Monopoly is again in the top spot.

Last but certainly not least, we went to Richmond to visit Gramsey, who recently had brain surgery! Yes, you heard me right. She had gotten CT-scan for a pain on one side of her head when the docs found a potentially deadly aneurysm on the opposite side.

Her operation went well, and her recovery has been quite speedy. She just has to avoid picking up heavy things and getting her heart rate too high for a while, which is actually challenging for my workhorse mother, but Papa is keeping her in check.

Strangely, the sciatica in her leg and hip, and the probably pinched nerve in her neck and head (opposite side of the aneurysm) are causing her more pain and grief than her post-surgery recovery. We love you, Gramsey, and are praying for your good health!

Liberty in Appalachia?!

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We’re still on the fence about moving to New Hampshire, or even moving at all, for that matter. Things are good, but we’re kinda bored.

Here’s the crux of it: Do we keep carving out our own niche here as Christians who happen to lean libertarian? Do we go searching for some kind of liberty-minded community in a far-off place in the hopes that our differences wouldn’t be so diverse as to get us shunned? Or are we seeking something that may not even exist?

“Here among the mountains, the pinions of thought should be strong, and one should see the errors of men from a calmer height of love and wisdom.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It sounds like an oxymoron, I know. But like I said previously, many in the liberty movement tend to super-categorize and label beliefs, practices, and lifestyles that run counter to theirs, thinking they know what’s best for all, instead of letting individuals and their families make these very personal choices.

Check out the boys’ $40 TIE fighter Lego set, which they got as a reward for Zeke finally having bladder control at night. Zeke got it for the obvious reason (way to go, dude!), but Houston and Gabriel also earned it for selflessly sharing their beds lo those many nights they had to share a bed due to bro’s wet sheets.

I suppose all humans do that to some degree, but I don’t like the feeling that I’m being boxed in to some kind of one-size-fits-all group that doesn’t let me be free to be who I am, to parent how I choose, to believe what I believe. That’s the point of freedom, right?! Oh how I yearn for live and let live.

In Christianity, we call this dichotomy essentials vs. non-essentials. The essentials are knowing that Jesus is the Son of God, who died for our sins and was resurrected; and through Him, we receive grace, forgiveness, and life eternal with the Father. All else is a non-essential — theological topics of debate, deeper introspection, and often derision.

The battle over non-essentials is what drives so many people away from Christianity, or at least the Christian church. In the Old Testament, it’s what is referred to as The Law.

The 3 Amigos have a fierce battle with their buddy, Bret, the morning after a sleepover. Houston has the best sword, whereas Zeke’s is duct-taped and held straight with popsicle sticks, Gabriel’s is the pitchfork from an old hand-me-down Halloween costume, and poor Bret’s is the stick from a broken shovel. Boys are so resourceful.

These dictates, which are handed down from a governing religious body, end up keeping people so focused on jumping through the hoops of following the rules, and looking “religious,” that they end up losing focus on experiencing and growing their personal and redemptive relationship with God.

You know, works-based stuff, not the life-transforming stuff of changing one’s hard heart. As my pastor puts it, all the world’s religions are about doing outside things in order to achieve an inner conversion. But Christianity is about letting God change you on the inside, which in turn creates the revolutionary outside change.

“Now that I am living in God’s gift to earth, the isothermal range of the Blue Ridge Mountains that runs down the border line of Western North and South Carolina, my mind is geared for production.” – Donald McKay

Similarly, understanding liberty allows people to promote freedom for all, even when they disagree on the many non-essentials of this world. So, what are the essentials of libertarianism, you ask?

Voluntary association, respect for private property, and non-aggression. That’s it. Everything else is up for debate. Period.

Although he missed this particular pitch, Zeke is the best hitter of the boys. This is evidenced by the recent day when Stephen took them to the batting cages, and Zeke hit dozens of balls!

Still wary of moving to the Northeast, Stephen stumbled upon a growing liberty movement in Asheville. Pros: We could live in the mountains while remaining in our beloved Carolina, as well as be much closer to Granny and still not too far from Richmond family.

Cons: Asheville is just brimming with big-government hippies. But hey, right now we live in one of the bluest counties in our state, so why not?!

One other con is that the “official” liberty community’s main tenets is peaceful parenting. Well, the gist there is that even though it sounds nice, PP is not something which I would want to adhere to or condone as my family model on the whole.

“Seen from this point, a bare ridge at the extremity of the open land … we looked up at this blue barrier as if it were some fragment of a wall which anciently bounded the earth in that direction.” – Henry David Thoreau

First of all, it is only through the Holy Spirit that I ever don’t do all the bad things that come so natural to me, like yelling, and being short-tempered, high-strung, and selfish. It’s not my politics that enables me to (sometimes) be patient, calm, selfless, empathetic, and unemotional when raising my three beautifully and uniquely made boys.

Gabriel’s biggest asset to baseball are his throwing skills, and he caught a grounder at the big game. He’s got some work to do on batting, but that’s what little league is all about: having fun and learning!

It’s solely my faith that sustains me, equips me, and gives me strength to handle this thing called parenthood. So, we’re not a child-led family, we are Jesus led. We believe in punishments, consequences, and saying “no.”

We believe that it’s up to each family to lovingly determine the discipline methods or strategies that work best for them or each child individually. We believe that families are the apex of the personal and that their guiding principles should be decided by only those who dwell within it.

We believe in parental authority: that moms and dads are responsible for their children’s upbringings, educations, and well being. We believe that all people are born innately sinful, hence, our belief in many of the aforementioned items. Many of these beliefs run counter to the PP philosophy, which also touts man’s innate goodness.

But more importantly, we believe that there is not one correct way with all others being incorrect. As long as you have the essentials right, whether it be in your Christianity, libertarianism, or parenthood, all the rest are non-essentials of these mind-and-heart journeys.

Houston is a pretty strong player, but like most kids his age, he can use some polishing of skills across the board. Daddy and I are just excited that he and his bros are putting themselves out there to be part of the Cardinals!

But who says we have to be a part of this particular liberty community, right? As long as people are open-minded and kind and willing to discuss issues that could bring about more freedom in our time (basically, their view of the non-essentials and mine), that really is the best I can hope for in this fallen world.

Plus, did I mention that the leaders of our church community group (the Bible study we have been attending for more than a year now) are thinking about moving to Asheville, too? Lindsey and Andrew are smart, sweet folks who, although quite younger than us, are extremely mature in their faith, so having insti-friends would be a perk for sure!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

Plus, should we happen to get involved with a liberty community that is hostile to Christianity, it would be a great benefit to have our friends there to help keep us on the narrow path. Gotta have accountability and all that.

Simultaneously, though, we could be the salt and light within a secular group, smashing the preconceived notions of what it means to know Jesus, spread his love, and want to grow freedom through Him here on earth and in the hereafter. Hmmm, could be a plan!

Sure, Asheville might not have everything we want. But some other perks of the beautiful mountain city are multiple CC communities, great restaurants, awesome music, interesting people, affordable housing, and a new ADVENTURE!

A moment in sports history: the bases loaded with ALL Dillinghams! Zeke’s on first, Houston’s on second, and Gabriel’s on third … and then the Cardinals go on to win the game 8 to 7. Coincidence? I think not!

Other happenings:

  • The dudes are completely Stanley-obsessed these days. I think our 12-year-old, fat feline definitely appreciates the abundant love and attention, as opposed to the years of toddler abuse and high-pitched tantrums. Thanks for not peeing on the boys’ puzzle anymore, Stan!
  • The 3 Amigos had their first baseball game on Saturday. They’re all on the same team: St. Louis Cardinals for ages 6-8. It’s a coach-pitch, which means each player is pitched to, but a tee will be used if the he can’t get a hit.
  • Stephen finally watched Red Dawn (one of his all-time favorite movies) with the boys. It’s a bit mature for them, but we figured that with near-constant pausing for questions and explanations, it was okay. Plus, it tied in well with our Cold War history lessons!
  • Stephen taught the kids five-card draw, another leap of a maturity, but they have really caught on. You should see them bluffing and trying to keep a poker face … just too cute!
  • The 3 Amigos have had tons of outings both during the “school year” and since CC wrapped up, including multiple playdates, a couple sleepovers, a birthday party, a piano party, seeing play about the Lost Colony, and going to an astronomy event with Daddy!

The boys relax after a tour at the Civil Rights Museum. Inconspicuously located here in our very own city, this is where on February 1, 1960, four freshman from North Carolina A&T sparked a peaceful revolution that would forever change America.

  • Along with some CC pals, we visited the Civil Rights Museum, which is in the Woolworth’s where the Greensboro Four sparked the sit-in movement. It was actually quite a great tour: historically accurate without being too PC.
  • We also attended a baroque quartet performance. We took my community-group pal, Tristan, who is very pregnant and I think appreciated the diversion.
  • Tristan organized a karaoke night for the gals in our Bible study. I rocked out some Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline, which probably came off as a bit strange to the 20-somethings in our crew, but I embrace being the old, classic-country-loving lady in the group!
  • I’ve also had a dinner out with my buddy, Holly, and gotten some major hang time with another pal, Adair. Both of these ladies have become dear friends to me. And although we don’t get to see each other that much due to mama duties (they each have four kids, and Holly is praying for more!), I cherish being even a small part of their lives. Thanks for the fun, girls!