Archive for the 'family' Category
Megan Diane Cope (born August 26, 1984)
There is a very private place where my granddaughter and I go: to the Jeep. It’s a place with rockin’ music from Pa-Pa’s iPod, a cool tin container to put coins in and then dump them out and then put them in and then dump them out, and with a secret compartment that contains an “illegal substance.” (Note to my son the doctor: I know, technically, that little girls don’t need gum. But I give it in such small quantities that I think it can’t possibly do any harm. Plus, I usually try to keep soft candy instead. Just happened to be out again.)
Here are a few shots from today. (She’s returning to NC with Mommy tomorrow.) The last look on her face might convey the sense that we both know it’s a bit naughty.
If you picked all four #1 teams to get to the final four — well, you did well! I picked UNC to take it all. I still like that pick. Sure would have liked for Davidson to hit one more three at the end against Kansas!
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I had a wonderful, quick trip to Pepperdine last week to speak in convocation with my sister-in-law Pam. I was once again impressed by the number of students there who have a passion for God’s mission in this world. I hated to miss the Tulsa workshop, though I sat it out as part of my attempt to regain sanity in my life — but I heard from my parents that it was strong.
This whole granddad thing is working for me. Some of you remember when this blog was about more than my granddaughter (significant things like guacamole, how to throw a two-seam fastball, etc.), but it’s been a while. This week I’m planning to discuss two very different books: one about Duane Allman (of the Allman Brothers Band) and one by N. T. Wright (of course!).
For now, here are a few pictures with the birthday girl.
Happy birthday to this precious little girl! Three months ago she lived in Houston; two months ago in Guatemala; one month ago in Peru; now in Abilene; and soon in Durham, NC.
It was a Duke Day.
Not only did they annihilate #15 Belmont (71-70) . . . but we found out that Matt, Jenna, and Reese will be moving to North Carolina, where Matt will be doing his residency in internal medicine at Duke.
HERE are a few pics from match day.
Matt last lived there when he was two years old. I was preaching for the Pine Valley Church in Wilmington. We have a great memory of our visit to Duke and to the Cole Mill Road Church in Durham.
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Don’t miss Garrison Keillor’s “A Pagan’s Thoughts at Eastertide.”
Sweet Megan would have been 23 today. And, of course, we still miss her terribly. Happy Birthday, my dear!
All right — I didn’t get the Grand Junction trip for my birthday, thanks to a 4-3 loss in the championship game. So the consolation prize was that we got to come to Pensacola Beach, which I wrote about in my very first blog entry four years ago. It’s still being rebuilt since Hurricane Ivan hit, but we’re so thankful to be back.
Here are a couple shots — one of Chris and his cousins on the putt-putt course:
Memories from the quick trip to see Reese and her parents:
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We won the opening game of Sectionals last night in Ft. Worth, 18-4. The game ended at midnight. One thing that made it slow was that the good folks hosting the tournament didn’t have any baseballs. We had to use a couple good balls the team from Wichita Falls had. (Ours were all beat-up practice balls.) But any time both were fouled off we had to wait until they were brought back. It was one step above street ball. Still, lots of fun.
All-star baseball continues. Monday night our game ended at midnight. Last night we were done by 9:30 in time to watch the fireworks display beginning just beyond the horizon of right field.
This is from 2004 (and it seems so long ago, now that it’s the summer before our youngest enters high school):
“I’m embarrassed that you’re not embarrassed.†Those were my Beloved’s last words to me before we kissed and went our separate ways this morning.
God love her — she’s outnumbered. Since Megan’s death, it’s been one female and three males in our house (at least when Matt’s home from college).
This morning the issue was Chris’s insistence on wearing his worn-out tennis shoes rather than his new ones to elementary school. The old ones would be rejected by any charitable organization. If we mailed them to sub-Sahara Africa, they’d mail them back. There is not a stitch left on the toes, so they’re basically flip-flops with a lid.
But Chris’s argument is that it’s more important to save the tread on his new tennis shoes for Saturday basketball games. Better to look homeless at school than to take a chance on slipping in an AYBA game.
And it’s an argument I buy. Makes perfect sense to me. Diane looks at me, shaking her head. On one hand she’s upset with me for agreeing with him; on the other hand, she merely pities me for being so shallow.
She just doesn’t understand our priorities.
It’s the same problem we face with trying to explain to her why we keep a basketball goal in the living room to play HORSE. (â€Over the family photos . . . off the wall . . . against the TV . . . nothing but net.â€) Or why we play soccer indoors when it’s cold outside. Or why we always know where our baseball gloves are but can never locate this morning’s paper.
Some day, our 5th grader will be in college. Who will I be able to kick a soccer ball in the living room with then?