"Health Agent" and "Foreign Alien"

AHHH-CHOO! excuse me, just dusting off this ol' blog. It has been awhile hasn't it?

Now, you're probably wondering what on earth the title means, right? (lol) The first phrase Merritt can take credit for dubbing and the other one is mine (of which, I'm not exactly proud of. Let's just say I was ready for bed when I pronounced that oh-so-clever epithet). Little sissy's phrase has a funny story attached: Mom and Merritt were riding in the car the other day when they stopped near an ambulance at a red light. Merritt has been identifying various vehicles such as trucks, buses and garbage trucks in a non-chalant way. Anyway, she noticed the ambulance and tried to recall it's proper title but all she could think of was "health agent". :o) So, to all me EMT friends in Merritt's eyes you're really agents of health.

Because of the time lapse between this post and the last I have amassed a fortune of photos that I'd like to share (actually, I've been contemplating beginning a separate photography blog). So, go grab yourself a good cup of something for you might be here awhile! :o)


Let's start with the Supps visit. From the moment we greeted them in our driveway till the time we waved goodbye we didn't stop talking (great to catch-up on what's going on the lives of our Connecticut friends -- now we know what y'all have really been up to since we've moved!), laughing, praying, "hiking" (we may not have hills here in Florida but sand can be a real work-out too...), and yes, playing a game or three of CatchPhrase. :o) We're so glad (and grateful) they came to visit us! Perhaps other friends would follow their esteemed example...

We went for a walk in Hammock Park ("hammock" expresses the tone the park exudes precisely - so relaxing). Here's a few pictures from our excursion.

Julie and I talking... We came across a cute little tortoise while there (only a girl would call a tortoise "cute"!). Just look at those "puppy dog" eyes!

Ladies chatting in the kitchen. What a surprise, huh?

Last but not least, here's a picture of the Supp and Owen girls together (Merritt is obviously tired of all the photo shoots).

Merritt and I have been busy nurturing our little cantaloupe and sunflower seedlings. We hope to eventually harvest something from them -- no doubt an excellent learning experience, but hopefully some edible fruit too. Besides cantaloupes and sunflowers, Mom and I have been busy with a minor landscaping job involving the front of our house. Petunias, Snapdragons and "Monkey" grass are just a few we're using. Thankfully, nothing has died yet...

Just this last week I (Chelsea) had the opportunity to waitress at a local restaurant again. This is no ordinary restaurant: the price is fixed, there's seven courses to work through, an entree option includes huge prawn, and a slide-show presentation on where the chef obtains chocolate (awesome pictures). Very fine dining indeed! You can take a peek at it: www.savantfinedining.com. Fortunately, the first night I worked there were no faux-pas, I had a squeaky clean record. But the following night I had a bad case of "dropsies". Thankfully, the fork didn't impale the man! My fellow co-worker and sus-chef, Julian, is from Mexico and a very agreeable person. We decided that when I work there he'll help me with Spanish and I'll assist him with English. So far we've discussed homonyms, the Bible and simple greetings. I have difficulty grasping the pronunciation of certain words in Spanish, so I generally ask him to write it for the purpose of having a visual. I feel so productive after working there! :o)

Bright Lights was last Friday (March 17th) and several of the girls showed up in green shirts, earrings and hair elastics - I wish I'd gotten a picture! That evening the lesson was on self-control and we had a great time discussing different issues girls face in cultivating this virtue and what the Bible says about it. After the lesson we broke into two groups and attempted to put our assigned verses to song -- for spur-of-the-moment they did great!

Oh, this was interesting. Last Bright Lights meeting (not referring to the above mentioned) we convened at Clearwater Christian College to hear an evangelist. This evangelistic attraction is that he's a "one man volleyball team"; having played over five thousand games and only losing a fraction of them. His gospel presentation was strong, engaging and vivid, although his voice was a decibel or two too loud for me. At one point he mentioned how we all need to take responsibility for our witnesses and be lights to those around us, I wanted to nudge the girls and say: "Amen!" :o) After his presentation our little group congregated at the college's cafe to chat and share prayer requests. We ended-up playing a short game of Monopoly and scooping the bottom of the ice-cream barrel, compliments of the cafe. You know, it is so much fun to assist in memory making!

Last weekend Cale and I spent the evening at CCC (Clearwater Christian College) attending a late-night improv' show, which happened to be a fundraiser for a family in need. We got headaches from laughing so much! Ahhh...I'm still trying to recover.

We've been swimming, Merritt has be playing BoggleJr. by herself (even though she can't read!) , Delaney has been searching for a puppy, Cale has had games, volunteer work, and school; Dad has been super busy with issues at work, and Mom has been running our house like a well-oiled machine (I love watching a pro at work!). So, everything is still just about the same.

I visited a blog the other day that contained a real pearl of wisdom. The writer, a young married woman, was contemplating the greatness that stems from the simple, but rich life of being a quiet house-wife who lovingly does her job and how the world deems it unworthy to pursue (that sums it up rather inadequately, so how about visiting her blog: http://rowannrose.blogspot.com?). Here's the excerpt from the blog: "What brings meaning to life lived in quiet? To a wife who lives to please her husband and her God? The world shakes its head at all she could have been. She smiles, knowing she has found all she was ever searching for. No talent, no gift, no life is ever wasted when poured out in love for another."…the greatest of these is love."" - Elizabeth

I often visit our blooming citrus tree, sitting underneath it's branches. The scent is so refreshing, not in the least bit over-powering. My mom would sometimes tease us when asked, "What's for dinner?" Her reply would be, "Air, take a big bite." When your nostrils are pleasantly feasting on the aroma of citrus, it's almost as if you could fill yourself on such a diet.

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for visiting!