If

I memorized this poem many years ago. I've thought about it many times throughout my life, remembering one line or another while traveling this journey. It contains many valuable life lessons....if...if...we can apply them. Enjoy...absorb...digest...hope it makes the 12 inch drop from your head to your heart.~S


If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you but make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating, and yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, and stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings and never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
--Rudyard Kipling

Happy Birthday Katelyn!

Hope you have a great day!
Tom, Stephanie, Chandler & Clay

My race pictures finnally arrived!

I have been waiting for a few weeks to get my race pictures in and today is the day! I will be running my second 1/2 marathon March 2, and I am looking for my first 1/2 Triathalon within the next 6 months. I will keep you posted!

Life Just Happens...but that's OK!

This morning I woke with an old song on my mind that was written by Joel Hemphill that I haven't heard in years. As I lay in bed and went through the lyrics, I wondered why I thought of that song...then I got out of bed and life happened. It seems like life has been happening a lot lately. Sometimes you feel like you're riding the bike of life just enjoying the scenery and suddenly your front wheel flies off and you go flying over the handle bars to land on your head. If you're not unconscious, then you're definitely bleeding and in pain. Why it seems like only a few days ago I hugged both of my boys and said you know life really sucks sometimes. Then today happened...oh well I must remember....We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; (2 Cor. 4:8-9) How we face the challenges of life has much to do with how happy we are at the end of the day. Oh yes, and I must not forget the song that I awoke with....Consider the lilies.

Consider the lilies; they don't toil or spin, And there's not a king with more splendor than them. Consider the sparrows; they don't plant nor sow, But they're fed by the Master who watches them grow.

We have a Heavenly Father above with eyes full of mercy and a heart full of love. He really cares when your head is bowed low; Consider the lilies, then you will know.

May I introduce you to this Friend of mine who hangs out the stars, tells the sun when to shine. And kisses the flowers each morning with dew, but He's not too busy to care about you!

We have a Heavenly Father above with eyes full of mercy and a heart full of love. He really cares when your head is bowed low; Consider the lilies, then you will know. Consider the lilies, then you will know.

Busy Week ahead...

I must admit that I have been think about writing something but it seems everytime I get a chance to log on something comes up. Last week Stephanie and I got back from our cruise and I hit the ground running. Tuesday afternoon we had baseball practice then Wednesday morning I boarded a plane heading to Orlando for a lunch meeting. I finished the meeting late in the afternoon then started out on a road trip to Tampa. When I finally got to my hotel room late that afternoon I just sat in front of the computer trying to play "catch up" on so many things that I have put on the back burner while we were on our trip. Thursday I spent working with clients in and out of the operating room and stayed with them till 8pm or so then headed back to the hotel for more computer work. Well I guess that is what they pay to do!!! haha

So much is going on in our lives right now, that I am trying to not let things interfere with my time with Steph and the boys. It seem like every time I get back from a trip Chandler has grown another inch and Clay has come up with a new way to make me laugh! I think I have the two most fun boys to just "hang out" with. (I better enjoy it while I can... one day they won't like me!!) Saturday, we had the challenge of buying Chandler some "practice" cleats and it is so hard to find "molded" cleats (non-metal spike) in a Mens 10 1/2. I don't know where he gets his height from. I always say he looks a lot like the "Fed Ex" man!! haha

Well this Wednesday I am heading to Jacksonville, FL then a quick road trip to Tallahassee. I should be back Friday morning just in time for another fun filled weekend. I will keep you posted on things as they unfold!

until then...

Heading back to Reality

Well, we are off the ship and sitting in The Admiral Club in San Juan trying to catch an earlier flight home. (Believe if or not, it looks promising for a Monday!) The trip was short but sweet. We flew into San Juan this past Thursday and just "hung out" around Old San Juan and tried some "local cuisine". I will say that Plantains are not my thing, give me good old "southern potatoes" any day! Friday we slept in trying to catch up from the weary day before. We left for the dock around noon and had to wait about 30 minutes before they let us board. After we settled into our cabin we immediately searched for some food and remembered why cruises are so much fun! The food is always fabulous! After lunch I had to find the gym... Believe it or not, there is another "speedo" bet in a few weeks. (not very bright of me to schedule a cruise right be fore the weight in!!) The first night was pretty uneventful. I decided to wake up early Saturday morning to catch the sunrise, and I am thankful that I did. It was a beautiful morning with the sun coming up through the clouds over one of the islands. After a run at the gym I met up with Steph before heading to our first port of call ... St. Kitts. This island was nothing to really "rave" about even though the water was just beautiful. We pretty much just hung out at the pier and shopped. We came away with a few good items but was saving our energy and money for our next port of call in St. Maartin. Sunday morning we docked in St. Maartin and had about 10 hours to do about what ever we wanted to do. This island was incredible. It reminded me of Cancun, Mexico. I think we spent more time in the market place than we did in the "recommended" shops. For lunch we found a local place and had grilled lobster... Oh my! Fresh lobster over looking the Caribbean... You can't beat that!!! That afternoon after just lounging around on the deck basking in the warm Caribbean sun, we dressed for dinner and tried to keep ourselves from getting sick because of the rough seas and the rolling of the ship. Earlier in the cruise we went to the art gallery to kill some time and check out some of the paintings. While there we signed up for a free painting giveaway. Believe it or not, I won! I had a choice of six different paintings to choose from and narrowed it down to just two... the art dealer (whom we came to know from an earlier meeting) just smiled and said just take "both" of them, that way you do not have to choose! Not a bad deal for a 10 second guess.

There are so many things I want to tell you about, but there just isn't enough space to write it all down.

We you get the opportunity, please feel free to call me or Stephanie so we can fill you in the "Pros and Cons" of taking a cruise out of "San Juan"! Trust me... Too Funny!!! P. S. "Brush up on your Spanish"!!!!! ;-)

Mini Vacation Here We Come!!!

Currently I am sitting in the airport in Norfolk, VA waiting on my flight which has been delayed! (I know that's hard to believe!) The weather here is a nice 40 degrees and home is around 31. Stephanie and I leave Little Rock in the morning on a 5:40 flight heading to San Juan. We should arrive to the Island around 4pm. Our plan is to just hang out at the hotel in San Juan for the first night then head to the dock for the ships departure at 8pm Friday. I am really looking forward to getting away just the two of us!