I haven't dropped off the face of the Earth....yet.

Hi there, bloggy friends! Things have been really busy with the Crew as of late, so that's mostly the reason for the quietness around here.
We went up to Charlotte for almost a week to babysit our precious nephews so that their Mama and Daddy could go on an awesome adventure in Belize (they were in a wedding there). We had such a great time exploring that fab city.
But for any of you that really know me, the very best outing that I had was to the Billy Graham Library. The life and (oftentimes unsung) ministry of his beautiful wife, Ruth Bell is such a huge inspiration to me. I have read her biography and her books over and over again, and I just love how Jesus really shone (shined?) through in her life. She went to be with Him almost a year ago, so I was even able to visit her grave, which is there on the grounds.
I will say that it appeared that I was the only person under the age of 60 there, and I took 2 of the kids with me, so the greeters and all the volunteers were practically giddy when we walked in the door. Hopefully, that day was the exception as far as the lack of young people, because the place really is wonderfully kid-friendly.
We ended up staying for hours because I simply cannot pass up conversations with the elderly. I love their stories and all the wisdom that flows from them. I love to go back to a time that seems so far and long ago, yet really wasn't in the whole grand scheme of things. I love how every single one of them reminds me that this is the sweetest time of my life, and that I would be remiss if I didn't make the best of it. I intend to mind them. Hopefully, I will have more opportunity to sit at the feet of the wiser, because I can tell you that I have never-ever walked away sorry that I took the time to do that. What a blessed morning I had there; worshipful, even....and reflective. Hard to describe.
Anyway, after we got home (from Charlotte), we realized that the computer was having "issues" which weren't able to be fixed until today. It was alright though, because:
1. I have had some amazing quiet times. I am at the start of one of those seasons where I am hearing God clearly, and continually. This is the kind of season that I long for all the time, but frankly, seem a little elusive, so I know that I need to take it and soak up every single ounce with all my might. Teach me, Father...
2. I took a walk with the kids a few days ago, and we found a caterpillar which we decided to make cozy in a temporary mason jar home. Well, that night it decided it was time to form it's chrysalis, and we have been watching a really cool transformation take place ever since.
3. Today, after we went to the pool (and after I got burnt to a lovely shade of crimson) we found a nest of baby birds right outside of one of the kid's rooms. It wasn't long before their beautiful cardinal Mama came by with a little vomit for her babies. Heh-heh. Sorry. Seriously, I have been watching this lovely lady do her thing for hours. It has really been sweet.
So, if any of you are still with me after 2 weeks off, and a post that contains no real rhyme nor reason, I will go ahead and tell you that I am about to make some changes to this lil' ol' blog o' mine. In an effort to not be so "out there" with my bidness, I am going to amp up my security. So what that means to you, is that if you still want to keep up with the Crew's happenings, you will have to email me at westiecrew6@gmail.com, so that I can add you to my list. Warning: This message will self destruct after a few days, making it a whole lot harder to get ahold of me....so don't pull a "Gayle" and not take down my email if you just really can't live without my pointless prose. :)
Ok, off to torture my permanently damaged nerve-endings with some more aloe-vera. Toodles!