What's in a Name!!!!

So, what is in a name.... EVERYTHING! I'd recently gone back to blogging and thought I'd go for something a little different... "On the Porch"....  but then what happens??? Patsy Clairmont announces that she is going to be doing a little something called "On the Porch with Patsy".... yeah. So what is a girl to do?? Go back to the original Blog - Neal at the Cross... and remember why I started to blog in the first place!!!

So here I am... back home, where it all started. I will admit it has been kind of fun to go back and see some of the pictures that I've posted. Some of the stories. Most of which seem like a lifetime ago...but really aren't.

This has definitely been a busy week. Saturday is the Pekin-Eastern Alumni Banquet, and I'm the treasurer for the committee that puts it all on. I graduated from Eastern High school a LONG time ago... 1977! That is 36 years ago!!! Isn't that crazy?! Last year, my class gathered for our 35th reunion...

... yes 35 years... and we had a BLAST! It was wonderful to get to see so many friends. This was about 1/3 of our class... and I think that is great!  But I digress....

The Alumni not only give away hundreds of dollars in scholarships to graduating seniors, but it honors those who have been out of school for 50, 25, and 10 years. This year is middle daughters 10 year class reunion! Only a few of her classmates have decided to come to the banquet, but I am excited to see them! Just a few more of the 25 year class will attend than the 10 year class. And the 50 year class has a little over half of their graduate attending.

This has made me wonder, when my class gets to its 50th year out of school... how many will come to the banquet? How many will even come to a reunion? There was a time when people graduated from a school, they didn't move very far away. They got jobs, married, had kids, and did it all where they were born an raised. That is just no longer the case!

As honored classes searched out addresses so that I could send invitation letters to the banquet, many had a hard time getting current addresses. And the 10 year class just had a hard time finding classmates, period! People had moved. They'd married (or divorced!). They were living out of state. And some were living out of the country. I sometimes find this a hard concept to understand... but this is coming from a girl who lives 52 of her 54 years on earth in the same town.... until this year!

We have become a society on the move, and I wonder if that is really a "good thing"! It has me wondering... where are your roots? Where do you call home?  And if you've moved... and you think of home... is it where you live, or where you grew up? To me, Pekin will probably always be "home".... even if it isn't where I live....

And that brings me back to my original question... "What's in a name?" The answer for me... family history... and at the Alumni banquet tomorrow, there will be three generations of our family present! Four generations have graduated from the Pekin-Eastern schools... I think that is pretty impressive!!!! No matter how far away you may travel from home... never forget your roots... your history... it is part of who you are!

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn

Oh NO!!!!, What is this, and Women of Faith

Last week we had a pretty hefty storm move through, and as Carly and I were helping Rachel get the "grands" out of the van we heard a huge popping noise. When I got in the house and looked out the window this is what I found! Fortunately, the playset was NOT damaged... just a lovely old tree.

And WHAT IS THIS???? Mick found this in the woods near our home. We have NO clue what kind of plant this is, so I am thinking that some of my bloggy friends might have a clue.

Whatever it is, it is kind of cool looking isn't it?

And Friday we were off to Women of Faith where we met up with 50 women from our church and an additional 12,000 of our newest friends! Prior to our arrival in Indy, we stopped off at the outlet malls for a little recreational therapy... one of Carly's purchases...

... these truly amazing sunglasses. And she and Bec managed to put on a fashion show in Rue 21...

Normally, Bec would have just KNIT these hats, but hey... for $6 AND it matched her shirt... yeah....

Our first speaker at WoF was Patsy Clairmont... how I LOVE this woman. She can have you laughing like crazy one minute and bawling like a baby the next. She is truly a gifted speaker and the way she weaves words into stories... only someone truly gifted by God could do what she does....

AND ... yes... Steven Curtis Chapman was our concert the first night. Thought I was gonna have to chain Bec to her seat... but she was a good girl. She DID rush the stage, with Carly close behind camera in hand. (check here to see the picture). He was truly amazing... and I was in tears listening to this man's testimony.

And meet two of my wonderful friends.... Vicki and Sha. This mother / daughter duo are some pretty awesome people!!! My friend Vicki opted to attend the second day of WoF "topless"!!! Yep... she is battling cancer, and is just beginning to get a little "peach fuzz" going... and I was SO VERY PROUD OF HER for leaving her hat in the car! I am so excited to see that her hair is beginning to peek through, and believe that she should wear it PROUDLY like a badge of honor. She is truly an amazing lady, and has raised her daughter to be pretty amazing as well. Sha just happens to be one of the most awesome children's ministers I've ever had the honor of working with!

And who knew that "pop art" could be so colorful??? The lovely "street artists" below are my best sister-friend Rebecca, my oldest daughter Chandra, my youngest daughter Carly and my middle daughter Rachel. They literally almost knocked a couple of guys over on the sidewalk striking this pose!!!

The weekend was amazing... we were all moved... we were all touched by the speakers... and we were all sad to see the fun end... and if you want to join us next year... mark your calendars for August 20-21st!!! It's an awesome time and we would love to see you there!!!