Merry Christmas Recap

 

The Guyton Family has had a great 2012 and we had a phenomenal CHRISTmas.

2012 started off with me being sworn in to serve as a Euharlee City Councilman. It has been an amazing year of serving in that capacity and learning a GREAT deal about public service! I am having a blast and am so thankful to the citizens of Euharlee for placing that trust in me!

Donna is into another year of teaching. She is the most amazing wife in the world and I am amazed that I can fall more deeply for her everyday!

Bailey is in the midst of a great sophomore year! She is growing into an amazing young woman before my very eyes! It was just yesterday that she was born!! She working hard at her goals for softball and just amazes me daily with her talent at a lot of things!

Grif is having a good first year in middle school! He is falling in love with the outdoors and everything that entails! Hunting, fishing, kayaking, camping, whatever involves outside, he is loving and I am encouraging!



 

 

Grif and I got Kayaks for Christmas!! CAN'T WAIT FOR SPRING!

 

 Donna got an AMAZING camera for Christmas and is already using it often!!

Our trip to Alabama was fun, food, games and hunting as always.

 

A couple of other notes: Sunday was 12 weeks (3 months) of being off cigarettes!! That of course will be a goal for 2013 to remain that way!! Other goals for the year: I would like to do a couple of 5K runs, another Triathlon, lots of outdoor time with Grif, no smoking, lots of time spent with Bailey on the softball field, weight below 200, and more time spent in the kitchen cooking with Donna!
I pray 2013 will be the best year ever for the Guyton's and for your family as well!

Happy New Year!

Craig



Are you kidding???

I can't believe Donna is old enough to have a 16 year old!! Bailey got her Driver's License and my sister and brother-in-law have given her a 2005 Volz Passat! Donna and I flew up to Cleveland to get it and had a great time for our anniversary weekend!
Bailey's travel ball fall season went amazing! They played in 3 tourneys and won 2 of them! She went 5-2 pitching and had a great time with her new team.
Griffin is struggling a little with middle school! I am hoping it will keep him from struggling later in school!!
Life is busy and moving along.
Yesterday was 9 weeks non smoking! I hope to keep it up this time!
C

Men in Suits

Anyone that knows me well, knows I look for any reason to wear a suit. Of course, partly because I like the way they look. Partly, because it is a reminder of more formal days gone by. BUT, mainly because if I mark the amazing (good and bad) days in my life, 8 of the top ten and 4 of the bottom 5, I was in a suit!! The 2 exceptions being that I didn't wear a suit to the hospital when my children were born (that would have been a little creepy! And I didn't have a suit on the day I had a heart attack.)
Anyway last night was one of those night that has firmly been nestled into that top 10!! More on that later.
Sometimes God carves out an little extra for you. Gives you something to chew on, that isn't something you planned or thought out. This entire weekend was like that for me! It was like God said this weekend, "I'm going to show that boy just what he means to me!!" and the moment (or weekend) wasn't lost on me!!
Friday after work, my son and I got to spend several hours alone! We don't get that often! He had just come from his first middle school dance! He slow danced with a girl!! So I got some great one on one time to talk to him about how we treat girls, how we respect girls etc! This was just one of many conversations to be had, but it was great seeing his excitement about that day in his life!
Saturday after a much needed hair cut I got to go to a political rally for Trey Kelley who is running for State Rep in District 16. I was one of the speakers. It wasn't exactly the best speech I have ever given, but I did OK. I had a couple of more points I wanted to get in about Trey and I just blanked. He is a great young man and will do a great job for District 16. I hope I get a chance again to express that for him! Then I went to watch the Woodland Lady Cats play in a tourney in Woodstock. I watched their last 2 of 5 games. They won the 3 games I wasn't there and lost the 2 that I was there for! Does that mean I am a jinx? (Don't answer that!!) Bailey didn't get to play except for courtesy running! I am extremely proud of how much she continues to improve, and that makes me disappointed for her when she doesn't get to play! She always handles it with class though, which is impressive to a father! She is the loudest cheerleader when she is on the bench and even though I hurt for her, it is very impressive to watch and easy to have pride in her!!
Sunday was something else!! I don't mind telling you that Sunday Sept 9th will go down as a very special day in my life! (Top 10)!! Donna and I were just overwhelmed!
Sunday started out with our choir back on the risers warming up at 8:30!! Full choir!  Big numbers and great sound!! Then Bible study was incredible! From a new believer sharing with the group to Andrea's teaching style that I had never had the chance to sit under, it was an incredible morning! Worship was amazing! 2 baptisms, our choir rocking it out, David Franklin preaching and challenging our church!! An amazing time of God! Even a short Sunday afternoon nap!
Sunday night at 5 I put a SUIT and headed back to church for my deacon ordination. Donna and I got to sit on stage while the ordained men of the church prayed over and spoke encouragement over us one at a time. A stunningly power time, that God ordained! It truly felt like God was sitting between us the whole time. I can't explain it except to say breath taking!! My granddaddy got to come and closed the service out in prayer! As Donna and I laid in bed recounting the different things that were prayed over us and on our behalf, we were humbled and just sooo thankful!! I was also extremely thankful that 3 girls agreed to sing and be a part of that special night!
I can't tell you how amazing it is that God picked for me in Donna, a wife that is so supportive, loving and amazing! I am truly a lucky man!!
C

Summer winding down

It has been a LONG time since I have updated! Summer has been crazy busy!!
The kids are now both back at school! Bailey in 10th grade and Grif in middle school! Donna didn't like the fact that Grif is in middle school! He is very excited and likes all the new experiences so far!
Bailey got to pitch in her first Varsity game on Saturday and threw a 1 hit shutout! We were very excited for her and proud of how hard she is working to get better!
Being a part of the interim worship team at church takes up more time than I had originally hoped it would, but it is going well so far. The team has gotten a lot of positive feedback on the worship sets that we have done over the summer!
City Council is going GREAT! I enjoy serving the city! It is far more rewarding than I could have ever expected!
Donna is back at school and is looking forward to a great year!

1955 Bel Air convertible that I got to drive the bride and groom away in!

Our niece got married this summer and I haven't had a chance yet to post the pictures, so that is why there are so many pictures this time!!
C

Prayers and Life

There is a lot going on!! (Isn't there always?) Anyway.....
We are praying for 2 families in our life! The Startup family has a child in Egleston. Copeland quit breathing and his Mimi performed CPR and brought him back! God has had his hand in that whole situation!! We are praying for complete healing for Copeland with no lasting effects!! If you would like to read Will's blog, click this link:
http://willlaurenstartup.blogspot.com/ (you may want tissues before you start!!)
We are also praying for the complete healing of Bob Collier! Melanie was Shep's consultant on his campaign and I got to know Melanie and Bob through that process! Bob's cancer has come back, and only God can fix it! I am praying God will do just that and give Bob a beautiful testimony to share with the world!

Bailey's softball team won their tourney this past weekend!!! Woohoo! We played extremely well and I hope this is just a little of what is to come!

Grif is full on into VBS this week and playing outside as much as possible!! I remember those days as a kid very fondly! I hope he does as well later in life!

Work and City Council are going well. Church is going extremely well considering we are sending two pastors off into the mission field! My prayer is that our church family will work hard to keep things going in the right direction while we are searching!!

This weekend is the Euharlee Que Festival!! Many craft and food vendors and great activities for the kids! Come on out and enjoy Euharlee this weekend!!

Spring Happenings

SCHOOL is out!! woohoo. Yeah, if you could hear the tone in my voice when I say woohoo, you would catch the sarcasm!! It is very difficult to get out of bed in the morning to head to workout and then the office, when everyone else in the house is getting some serious sleep! Jealous.
Spring is always very busy for us. Grif's baseball season has ended though and it is a little easier! They didn't win a game, but he got better. Grif seems to WANT to be great, without putting the work in to be great. I'm trying to instill in him that without the effort, results won't be good, but he doesn't get it yet!
Bailey is doing well at softball and now school summer practices have started as well, so there are days when she has school practice in the morning and travel ball practice in the evening! She DOES understand that results match effort and she works hard! Makes a couple of parents proud!

We had a great memorial day weekend!! Grif and I rented a kayak from Euharlee Creek Outfitters and went for a ride down the Euharlee Creek, into the Etowah River all the way to Hardin Bridge Road. We had a BLAST!!! Sunday, I helped lead out in worship at church and it was INCREDIBLE worship!! Sunday afternoon we all just rested! Donna and I went with some friends to eat and had a great time!
Monday we relaxed all day and had a neighborhood cookout in the evening! Which involved a corn hole tournament! Bailey and Donna finished in 3rd place!!! Grif and I went undefeated and won!!
We had a great weekend full of great memories! I hope the rest of the summer is as wonderful!
C

Wonderful spring!!

Baseball for Grif is in high gear, as is softball for Bailey!
It unfortunately is the time of year that Donna gets stressed over her kids taking the CRCT!
Work for me is very slow, which is a little scary.
We are getting to spend a lot of time doing things that we like to do together (which generally involves a ballpark somewhere!)
I have taken a one-third role at church of interim music until we find a new music minister. A little scary, but a lot fun.
The City Council is going great and I am enjoying my time there more than I could have ever dreamed, so I am very thankful for this opportunity!

This past weekend Donna, Bailey and Lorraine headed to Alabama for a wedding shower, so Grif and I got a great guys weekend in! He had a ballgame Friday night! Saturday's game got rained out, so when the day cleared off pretty nice, we headed to the river to wet a line! No fish, but we had a blast together! Probably need more of those outings with him!!

That about covers it!
C

Struggling a little!

We all go through stuff in life! No doubt being able to lean on God, friends and family helps during those times. I have the best wife in the world to partner with in these times and that makes a lot of stuff bearable!
Bailey had her first ever "serious" trouble! She is learning a valuable lesson. It has broken our hearts to have to discipline her, but discipline is as much of love as hugs and kisses! Having Donna to hold to, cry with, and snuggle up to has made this week better!
Many other things to mention.... A lot of time and energy going into City Council right now! Our worship pastor is leaving to become a lead pastor at a new church! That is amazing for him and our church to be planting a new church, but from a choir leadership perspective I can't help but be a little concerned over our ministry! I'm trying to give those concerns to God, but right now I'm hanging on to the fear with both arms!!
C

February busy

Continuing our life theme right now.... the Guyton's are busy!
Bailey's travel ball is gearing up (first tourney on March 10th). Griffin is about to start baseball. Both are working hard in school. Bailey is heading to Savannah this weekend for All-State.
I just got back from Athens and the Georgia Municipal Association's newly elected officials training. I had a good time meeting people, but it was an overwhelming amount of information!
We are trying to find a weekend to slip over to Birmingham to see the newest addition to the family, but are struggling with finding the time.
My workouts are going well, and therefore my health is doing very well right now.
Life continues to be good and God continues to bless us beyond what we deserve!
C

Warm winter days!!

It has been beautiful in North Georgia for "winter"!! Above 60 degrees during the day! I'm actually wearing a short sleeve polo shirt today! (if you read this in Cleveland Janet, sorry for rubbing it in!!)
Grif's basketball season is over and it won't be long until we are full swing into baseball and softball! I hope to enjoy a month or so down time first!
I have a trip coming up for Newly Elected Officials training and we are looking for a weekend when we can sneak over to Birmingham to see our great niece!!
My January cardiologist visit went extremely well!! He was very happy with my blood numbers and my heart looked "beautiful" during the echo-stress test! He was pleased and so were we!
Bailey and Grif both have some improvement to do in school! I wonder if the mid-year doldrums have set in? Either way, I've got put a boot to butts to get the doldrums out!!
I'm looking to see if there is a political race that I can get neck deep in this summer!! A couple of good possibilities, but we will see.....
I'm looking forward to a great weekend chilling with the family!
C

Start of 2012

Well, we started out the year with my swearing in to the Euharlee City Council!

Donna, Mimi, Bailey, Griffin, My Mom, and My Dad all came out for the event.

It was really uneventful, but it was very cool! I continue to be humbled and excited for this opportunity!

Steve Worthington and I being sworn in together by City Attorney, Boyd Pettit.

School is back in. Both kids received their report cards. Grif with all A's and Bailey with only one B that she assures me she will bring up to an A!!

Bailey has got me hooked on a book series called The Hunger Games. It is incredible and hard to put down! Which isn't too good when I have plenty to be doing!! Ha.

We have been out of town for New Year's and will be glad to be back in church this Sunday! I get to lead the children's music upstairs!

Happy New Year everyone!!

C