So I AM a princess... And I can prove it!

After days and weeks of the boys' baseball games, I'm trying to catch up on all my blog reading. Please know it is nothing personal... By the time we get home every night, it's all I can do to get everyone in bed for the whole thing to start all over again the next day.

But Friday was for me. I had a late morning appointment scheduled on the same day as THE wedding, so I was able to take the entire day off of school and enjoy every moment of sweet Wills and Kate's day drinking coffee in my pjs. For at least two to three hours, all of the world had a hope in love and a promise of what is true and good the world...

I continued celebrating into the evening as Mike and I joined many of our friends at a Royal themed gala and silent auction benefitting a local rehabilitation hospital. A cute friend and I took cues from the royal protocol that stated that all ladies were to don hats at the wedding. Not everyone did that evening, and we certainly were quite the standouts...


My attention to detail and protocol must have paid off. The big raffle of the evening was a stunning sapphire and diamond ring in the style of the Royal engagement ring. Albeit a bit smaller than Kate's, it was beautiful. You can imagine my surprise when my name was announced as the winner!


So, yes... when my husband calls me Princess, he's definitely correct. And I have the ring to prove it!

Bevy's Ranking of the...

I have had quite a giggle the past few weeks as I have subscribed to, by far, the funniest blog on the planet: Stuff Christians Like. Whether you are a Christian or not, you must read this blog. The writer, Jon Acuff, is just about the snarkiest Christian male out there. (Sadly, I'm afraid the snarkiest Christian female out there is yours truly...) His comments, observations, and self-effacing humor have me literally laughing so hard I have tears streaming down my face.

One of his last posts ranks up there in my opinion as one of his best. In it, he ranks the seven deadly sins from a man's perspective. If you didn't already click on the above hyperlink and read it, do it now!

Now, aren't you glad you did?

OK, now it's my turn to rank those seven deadly sins - from the girl's point of view.

7. SLOTH: I don't even think we girls have sloth in our vocabulary. With or without children. With or without husbands. With or without jobs outside the home. It doesn't matter as we are always busy with something! We always have a project, volunteer obligation, or event we are involved in. We can't help ourselves. It's takes effort for me to spend a day doing absolutely nothing. So SLOTH, you really don't count.

6. ANGER: Well maybe not the "in your face" anger and bitchiness of Real Housewives of (Fill In the Blank City). That's tacky and trashy with a capital T. When I get angry, I am usually EXTREMELY calm and polite, very cool and calculating. I will have a smile on my face, may utter "Dammit", and then twist that knife so sweetly that you'll never know what hit you. But that's just me.


5. LUST: OK, I agree LUST is most definitely number one with the guys. And I'll even admit that I do think my husband is rather hot and I do love to plant one on him just about all. the. time. However, for me, this LUST issue mainly centers around cute shoes and jewelry.

4. GREED: Very close cousin to Lust. 'Cause only one pair of cute Jack Rogers doesn't satisfy the pedicured toes of this Christian girl!


3. PRIDE: Unfortunately, she (And I give Pride this gender as I really do know a girl named Pride. Very cute and sweet girl. Must be a family name.) has reared her ugly head at me. She's pretty sneaky, that PRIDE. At first, she slithers in disguised as gratefulness. But it doesn't take long for her true colors to show. The pride I have that my home is lovely and inviting. The pride I have that my husband is so handsome. The pride I have in my family's genteel history. The pride I have that I am not a tattoo-sporting, Newport smoking redneck mama of five. The pride that I really don't have too many bad habits - or sins... Oh. Right.

2. ENVY: Yes. I ENVY every one of those anorexic Lilly P. models. Envy, envy, envy!!!


1. GLUTTONY: What's really funny about my ranking of GLUTTONY as number one is that the guy ranked it number 7. Not me. (Which perhaps is the reason for my ENVY. See above.) I'm the girl who can't eat only one PopTart.


Seriously, though, why do they put two in the little foil pouches? And then, after the first two pouches are eaten and the time comes for the third, I have to go ahead and eat the fourth. 'Cause it just looks so lonely in that box all by itself! A box of PopTarts never lasts longer than a few days for me. That's why I rarely buy them. And then, only the low fat variety - like that helps!

Stupid deadly sins! If only they were really this pretty!

The Dogwood... and Two Pieces of Dead Wood

The legend of the dogwood tree:

It is said at the time of the Crucifixion, the dogwood was comparable in size to the oak tree and other monarchs of the forest. Because of its firmness and strength it was selected as the timber for the Cross, but to be put to such a cruel use greatly distressed the tree. Sensing this, the crucified Jesus in His gentle pity for the sorrow and suffering of all said to it: "Because of your sorrow and pity for My sufferings, never again will the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a gibbet. Henceforth it will be slender, bent and twisted and its blossoms will be in the form of a cross -- two long and two short petals. In the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints -- brown with rust and stained with red -- and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns, and all who see this will remember."

Of course this is legend, but beautiful symbolism of the Cross. The Truth we know is that...

"The cross was two pieces of dead wood; and a helpless, unresisting Man was nailed to it; yet it was mightier than the world, and triumphed, and will ever triumph over it." - Augustus William Hare

It's a Master Treat

It's interesting how many people from all over the east coast are blogging, Facebooking and Tweeting about the Grand Dame of golfing events: The Masters. I could go on and on about everything YOU COULD READ ABOUT ON THE INTERNET. But I'll just give you a few of my stories and observations...


We happen to live just over the Savannah River from Augusta, where the tourney is played. (The official name of the club is the Augusta National Golf Club.). My husband has been going for years to the tournament, which is held Thursday through Sunday. The practice rounds are Monday and Tuesday, with Wednesday's Par 3 following. Interestingly enough, he has never been to those - only the tourney. Sniff, sniff. Poor baby!

The entrance to the club. On any given day in Augusta, you can see people standing by the sign getting their picture taken. The fact that the entrance to the "enclave" is on one of the busiest roads, full of chain restaurants and shopping strips, is rather ironic.


Before we were married, almost four years ago, I had never been. I don't come from a golfing family. My father is a big hunter and fisherman and never got the thrill of hitting a little white ball for three to four hours.

I did, however, have the chance when I was in my twenties. This guy who I went out with ONCE and never got the hint I was NOT interested in him AT ALL called to invite me "to the most beautiful place on Earth". (I'm not joking. Those were his words.). I was so turned off that I made up an excuse that I had a meeting at church (Again, not joking. That was my excuse.) and couldn't make it. Looking back, I have to agree with all my guy friends who were appalled that I didn't go. "There were thousands of other people you could have hung out with! You could have dumped him there!" Stupid me.... that would have made a much better story.

The first time I went, Mike and I had only been dating only a few weeks. It's was a rainy Saturday. Of course I was dressed for my date: cute Lilly skirt, white polo style shirt, Jack Rogers. You get the idea. Did I mention it was RAINING? Mike drove me to his shop and told me to run in for these precious rainboots. Was I in love? Cute boy, day at the Masters, and cute rain boots! Of course!


These boots were such a hit, in fact, that when we stepped on the course, one of the CBS correspondents who was covering the "life style" segments of the Masters approached me to discuss my outfit. She LOVED the boots! And I was on national TV!

A couple of years later, the couple who we go with was approached by some golf magazine to cover what she wore! I promise neither one of our outfits were that amazing in our opinions. It's just how we do it.

But now I live a hop, skip and a jump away. I've been a few times. It really is stunning. The azaleas... The hundred year old oaks... The pimento cheese and egg salad sandwiches.


That and a coke will only run you $2.50.


The food is a steal...


Because the merchandise isn't! Just some of the loot from over the years (not including cups, chairs, umbrellas, etc). Bet you can't guess which three items are mine! (Hint: they are all the same color!)


Hope this gave you a peek at my Masters experiences. Too bad I won't be there tomorrow. You know my husband will. Lucky duck...

Skateboard Rescue

If you have tween-age boys, you probably have a garage full of scooters, baseball or lacrosse equipment, and (in our case) a plethora of skateboards and ramps. If so, you could imagine the angst and horror when J came running in the house a few days ago, yelling that S's skateboard had rolled in the storm drain. I went outside the front door to see S on his stomach on the side of the road looking intently down the drain.

He had been skating down the road and had slipped/fallen off, the board racing straight in the drain. Of course I got down to see. What a sight, the two of us, prone on the side of the road, looking down the drain.  Yes, I was lying on the street:  pearls, Jack Rogers, and monogrammed baseball cap.  I was a sight!

At least we did see the skateboard, sitting patiently five feet below us.  Brooms and rakes came out of the garage as we tried to pry and life the board.  Right, like that was going to happen!

Thank goodness for Mr. Turner, who lives across the street.  He came with work gloves and this metal bar, stick, rod (who knows!) and pried the round cover off the top.



S ran and got our kitchen stepladder (YES!  We washed it off afterwards!) and put it down the hole.  Oh my, did it smell down there!  And did he smell too...

Skateboard rescued!

Just another golden (?) day with Bevy!

Kindness, Thankfulness, and a Boy's Great Big Ol' Smile - Part 2

What a day Monday was for my class - and "Charles"... How could Part 1 of the story get better? Amazingly, it does.

When I arrived back at school Tuesday morning, I checked my school email. I received a lengthy one from a parent (Mr. P.) whose daughter came home in tears and told him and his wife about what happened. How only one child attended Charles's party and the big bag of gifts he received "from" the class.

Mr. P. continued that he and his wife had already called some of the other parents in the class and had organized an impromptu SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR CHARLES at the local Bouncy Bratz (one of those indoor playground franchises) for the next day. I was stunned. I got chills. Tears welled up in my eyes. (I'm getting chills and teary even now as I type.)

He had already called Charles's mother and made plans to pick him up from school on Wednesday along with eight other children. Another parent had offered to get cupcakes. Another, drinks.

Wednesday was exciting for those children involved. Whispers and looks between them were evident, if only to me. Of course Charles was in the dark. As I would have, he thought "his day" was over. He even brought one of the toys, a Bayblade, to show his class how it worked. His words, as he stood up in front of the class, were that he wanted to show them "one of the gifts you gave me". Precious...

When school was out, I told Charles that I needed him to walk with me to another teacher's room to help me get something. The other eight students were already waiting there with Mr. P. and a birthday balloon. Charles was so worried that he was going to miss his bus, but I kept on telling him that I promised he would get home. "Charles, have I ever lied to you?" "No, Mrs. W. I know. You're my Number One Fan." (Big smile)

When we walked in the classroom, the children all gathered around him, and the little girl whose idea it was told Charles that because they all missed his party, they were going to give him one that day. Oh, if you could have only seen that boy jumping around the room! He only stopped to meet Mr. P. and stick out his hand to shake Mr. P.'s hand. (I don't know where he learned that, but I know it will take him far!)

Below are pictures from the party. You know I had to stop by! I love how he is sitting in a big chair that looks kind of like he is sitting on a throne! In addition to presents, he also got some gift cards - which he was so excited about! When my own child, J, gave him a gift card from Walmart, again, he stuck out his hand to thank him.

Charles on "the throne"...

So excited with another boy from our class

Charles and J

Charles with Mr. and Mrs. P.

Right before J and I left, Charles gave me the biggest hug. "I love you, Mrs. W. You are the best to me. I just can't believe all of this. I can't believe they did this all for me." He then planted a kiss on my cheek and put his head on my shoulder. I hugged him tight.

No, I can't take credit for the party, or the big bag of gifts earlier this week. I can't take credit for any of it. That was the work of others. I witnessed, first hand, that there are truly wonderful children and families out there. There is compassion and love for others. There is an understanding that children can make a difference in other children's lives.

And for me, there is an understanding that they, Charles and his classmates, can make a huge difference in mine.