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