Slideshow - December birthdays

family photo Sunday

My "favorite fall photos" would have to include this one of our sons, Josh and Stephen, helping clean up the leaves at Mam-ma Baggett's house in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Slideshow - Charles Timothy

I finally finished editing photos on the gallery from our first visit to see our newborn grandson, Charles Timothy, about 9 days after he was born.

Click link to view photos.

Duke wins Tip-off NIT over UConn 68-57

Duke improved their record by beating the 13th ranked UConn Huskies in the NIT Pre-season Tournament championship game Friday.

Link to recap of game at goduke.com

"It was a big-time game, shots were so hard to come by, open shots. Both teams are very, very good defensively and you know, you get by one guy and it's hard to get to the bucket," Krzyzewski said. "But we rebounded very well and we played outstanding defense."

family time at Thanksgiving

There is nothing quite like getting together with the family is there? We have friends at church who are just as dear to us and friends at work who we don't really know as well, but family times are special. This year we will be spending our first Thanksgiving in our home in Georgia. My mom and dad are coming down from SC with my sister, Loretta. Kenny, Casey and Caden are coming tonight from SC. One of our sons will be joining us - Brandon, Rachel and Charlie T arrived last night from Florida. Thanks to Paula for sending the satsuma oranges from her tree in Jax. And my sister, Debbie and Charlie (April, Jonathan and Philip) are driving up from Florida Thursday morning. Looks like we will have a full house for Thanksgiving dinner.

Hope the rest of our family enjoy their Thanksgiving day as I am sure there will be a lot of family gatherings in California, Texas, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Missouri, Virginia and Louisiana - to name a few states where we will have relatives feasting tomorrow!

IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH: (Psalm 62:1)

family photo Sunday

Layton Andrew, our Pennsylvania grandson, cute shirt, cute photo!

Video - Jennifer Cook plays "Wonderful Peace"

I just found this on youtube tonight and had to post it on my blog! A friend of ours who ministered in Jacksonville with us back in the 1990's, Jennifer Cook has her own youtube channel and her website at thechurchpianist.com.

what in the world!

No. 9 Duke 101, Charlotte 59

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Nolan Smith scored a career-high 24 points in his return to Duke's lineup, and the ninth-ranked Blue Devils routed Charlotte 101-59 on Tuesday night in the second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Click link below to read more...
No. 9 Duke 101, Charlotte 59

No. 9 Duke Defeats Coastal Carolina, 74-49 in the NIT Tip Off

Kyle Singler had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 9 Duke routed the equally short-handed Coastal Caroline Chanticleers 74-49 on Monday night in the first round of the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Duke will play the 2nd game of the tourney Tuesday night. Click link below to view recap of the game:
No. 9 Duke Defeats Coastal Carolina, 74-49 - Duke University Blue Devils | Official Athletics Site - GoDuke.com

family photo Sunday

We were surprised at how much baby Charlie looks like baby Brandon!

Duke thumps UNCG 96-62

Sparked early by Kyle Singler, Duke cruised past spirited UNG Greensboro 96-62 last night at Cameron Indoor Stadium to open its 30th season under Coach Mike Krzyzewski

click link below for recap of the first game of the season for the Dukies!
Duke thumps UNCG 96-62

Slideshow - Favorite Fall Photos

rain, rain go away. . .

Some of us (me included) are never satisfied! Now that we are officially out of the drought in Georgia, we are wondering when the rain is going to end. For the record, we have only had two weeks of dry weather, 5-7 days in a row, since August. Last week was one of those week and it was wonderful. But today we have rain from the remnants of TS IDA and it may not end until after Weds night. Hmmm.

family photo Sunday

Great Grandpa Franklin traveled with us to Pennsylvania to meet Layton!

Layton Andrew, Photo Gallery from October

I have posted pics from our trip to PA to see newborn Layton Andrew, born October 7th to Josh and Janelle. Click link to view all

Slideshow - November family birthdays

family photo Sunday

(Click photo to enlarge)

Great to be a Florida Gator!

What a great way to end the month of October!

We found a blue couch for our living room at Church Ladies Consignment Shop in Duluth last Saturday. A coworker who has a truck offered to help me pick up the couch this morning. Even though it was raining lightly, we were able to pick it up (using tarp to cover the couch). We also bought a wooden 2 drawer file cabinet and a music (record) cabinet. So after unloading the furniture and re-arranging the living room, I spent a some time filing music - octavos, books and sheet music.

By 3 pm, I was ready to settle down to watch the Florida-Georgia game. The Florida Gators defeated the Georgia Bulldogs in style - taking advantage of a few Georgia bloopers to roll to a 41-17 win. The game was over by 7 pm and then the "trick or treaters" began knocking on the door. I guess they were watching the game, too! At 9 pm we turned off the porch light and now I have to decide what to do with all of those left-over tootsie rolls :)

Duke No. 8 in Preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll

Duke No. 8 in Preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll - Duke University Blue Devils Official Athletics Site - GoDuke.com

Click link above to read the article at GoDuke.com

The Blue Devils will start the season at no. 8 but I predict that after a few weeks, they will be moving up in the poll. This should be a good year for the Dukies, with Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer returning.

it's just around the corner

The Duke basketball team poster for 2009-2010

Wow, it's hard to believe but November is almost here (Sunday) and we get to turn back the clock (an extra hour of sleep) and college basketball season begins in mid-November. Yes, the Dukies play their first game on Nov. 13th. Is it just me or does the season begin a week earlier every year? Oh, for those who missed it, the NBA season began on Tuesday, and the World Series began tonight, and we are in the middle of football season! Hard to keep it all straight!

Slideshow - Charles Timothy

1st slideshow of our newest grandson (by one day) from photos taken last weekend in Florida. We were able to make a short weekend trip to Jacksonville (Oct. 17-18). I included some special photos taken by a photographer friend Saturday afternoon. Rachel has about 100 photos posted on her FB site.

family photo Sunday

I could not decide on one photo of the week, so I decided to post pics of our three grandsons born in 2009. Ethan is a little over 3 months old, and Layton and Charlie are 2 weeks now. The blessings of the Lord...

Slideshow - Layton Andrew

After traveling the last two weekends, I am finally getting around to posting some pics of the grandsons. The first slideshow is from our trip to PA to visit Layton and family!

makes you think twice before taking the flu shot

The winner of this weeks "CAPTION THIS" by Gary Varvel -

For some more good laughs,

Check out the runners up at Varvelblog

my birthday tax has been paid

When I renewed the car tag on Tuesday, just in time for my birthday today, I was able to request the HOBBY ANTIQUE VEHICLE tag. After I put the tag on the car, I told Cindy that the value of the car just went up:) Our 1983 Chrysler LeBaron convertible has just over 60,000 original miles. It only had 49,000 miles when we bought it from my co-worker 9 years ago. Not bad for a 26 year old auto. And Cindy said recently that she will keep driving it to work as long as God keeps it running!

Video - Charles Timothy and the Trumpet

We enjoyed our short weekend trip to Florida meet Charlie T, and I took this video clip during the photo shoot on Saturday.

family photo Sunday

Our Wisconsin girls are growing up! Stephen and Leah posted this recent photo on FB.

(L-R) Sophie, Natalie and Meredith

Video - Layton Andrew

A short video of Layton sitting out in the sunshine with Mam-ma and great-grandma last weekend.

Welcome to the world, Charles Timothy

Our third grandson was born Thursday in Jacksonville, Florida. Welcome to the world, Charles Timothy Franklin! Charlie decided to come early, almost beating his cousin Layton's entrance into the world the day before. Congrats to Rachel and Brandon! Baby and Mom (and dad) are doing great!

We are in PA this weekend to visit Layton Andrew. Layton came home at 3 pm Friday and we were here by 2 am Saturday. Babies are so cute and precious!

family photo Sunday

I like this cute picture of Meredith that Leah posted on facebook recently! She is one happy girl!

Welcome to the world, Layton Andrew

Our oldest son emailed these pictures of his newborn son, Layton Andrew. Congrats to Josh and Janelle on the birth of their son yesterday, October 7th, just after 3 pm. He weighed 8 lbs 11 ounces, 21 1/4 " long and has dark hair like his sister Brielle did when she was born.

Grandpa Harris holding Layton on day two.

Photo gallery from the Duluth Fall Festival

Happy Fall, Y'all!
Check out my photos from the Duluth Fall Parade and Festival at this link.

a marine comes home

Our local paper published the story of Marine Cpl. Charlie Leak who was shot in Afghanistan on July 28. The article recounts the events leading up to the injury and his return home to Georgia recently.

To read and view the slideshow, click on this link to Portrait of a Marine

The history of the Purple Heart award dates back to the American Revolution, circa 1782, known then as the Badge of Military Merit. Bedrossian estimates the number of overall Purple Heart recipients at 1.7 million, including a handful of Civil War soldiers. Estimating the number of recipients in more recent conflicts such as Afghanistan is next to impossible, in the wake of paperwork snafus and a general lack of tracking, Bedrossian says. A November 2008 study by "National Geographic" estimated the number for Afghanistan vets at 2,743.

In the hierarchy of military decorations, the Purple Heart falls roughly nine slots from the zenith, the Medal of Honor. Nonetheless, Bedrossian calls it the most recognizable decoration, the most identified.

"(The medal) was for the common man - not for the officer, the rich fellow," he says. "There is a sense of honor there. You perceive it differently because there was a sacrifice."

family photo Sunday

"Smile for the camera"

Our grandson, Ethan, will be 3 months old October 9th.

Slideshow - October family birthdays

Video-this bug needs some shocks

Another video from the Duluth Fall Festival Parade last Saturday.