Overwhelmed

I won!! God is good! The people of Euharlee gave me the most votes in the election and I am amazed! I can't wait to get started. There is a lot to do!


We had a great day of waving and sign holding at the precinct. A lot of folks stopped and talked to us. Lorraine sat with me for most of the day and then Donna came up there after work. I got to talk to Councilman Eubanks and Councilman Worthington a lot over the course of the day as well! It was just a blast! Of course, if you know me, you already know how much I love campaigning! It was a great campaign and a great way to culminate it!


At 7 pm, we all removed our signs, and went up to the front door of city hall with 15 or so people who wanted to know the results! When the city manager taped the slips of paper from the voting machines to the front door, a few people went up there, but I stayed back. I heard someone congratulate Councilman Worthington and then I heard someone mention my name!!! I was excited. Donna and I walked up there and she tallied the three totals from the three voting machines and I had gotten the most votes! Overwhelmed is an understatement! We left and went over to Elizabeth Street to see the vote certified and look at the absentee results, and when all was said and done, I had 206 votes of the 338 people that voted! Right at 61%!! Donna and I were pumped and went out to dinner to celebrate!! It was an amazing night that I doubt I will ever forget!!


C

What a blast!!

The campaigning is over and now all that is left to do is set up the poll tonight with signs and stand out in front of the polls on Tuesday! Voting day is almost here and I am excited. After last year, I have no confidence in how everything will turn out, but I am hopeful! I am thankful for all the people that have supported me! It is truly humbling!
There is something so cool about knocking on doors to introduce yourself and discuss issues relevant to your community with people. The things you find, while knocking on doors could be made into a book! Some people don't want to be bothered, which is understandable! But, when you knock on a door and the person that answers it has a genuine love for the community and wants to ask you questions and give feedback, it becomes well worth the effort! I know a lot of people running for office, don't do that anymore and rely on signs and ads, but I think that type of conversations and involvement is sorely needed in our communities today!
Anyway, thank you to my neighbors in Euharlee that have allowed me in your homes to talk about our city! I will do my best if elected, and that, is my one and only campaign promise!
More frequent posts after the busyness of a campaign is over!
C

Fall happenings

Hurricane Irene brought much needed rain to Georgia and with it ushered in some lower fall-like temperatures! I love it! I love all the seasons, which is one of the reasons I love living in GA! We get a full dose of all 4 seasons! My favorite seems to be the change though! The week or two between the seasons that you get the hint of whats to come, while still enjoying the last little bit of the former! That is where we find ourselves in GA right now. Crispness in the AM like fall, with warm afternoons like summer! It makes me happy! God knew what he was doing, didn't he?
School is in full swing and the kids are doing good, not great yet, but it is coming! Bailey's softball schedule is winding down, and while she hasn't gotten all the playing time she would like, or any mound time, she is getting to see what it takes to play at a varsity high school level! I hope that inspires her to work hard during travel ball season! Grif's start at football hasn't been a bang either. He is afraid of the contact right now! I think he will get over that and I think he will start to love football, but the jury is still out??!?!? Both kids have a class that they are struggling with as of now, but like I said, that will change!
Donna's classes seem to be going well, and B12 shots will hopefully help with energy levels. I would love to tell you that we are all up in a romantic season in our lives, but I would be lying. The daily grind tends to get in the way of that along with nightly trips to some ball field, we rarely even eat at the same time. I am hoping that to some degree, the daily grind, will hold some romance! Maybe, the daily struggles fought through together add a lot to a marriage!
**Big Announcement**
I am running for Euharlee City Council!!
I qualified last week, and am looking forward to meeting people that I have yet to meet and working on the city council. I have always loved politics, and would love an opportunity to be part of lasting solutions for our rapidly growing city! I ought to be fun! I covet your prayers and support!
C

Jacob Hawkins is the bomb!

I forgot to add this with my other post today, so you get 2 postings from me today!! A couple of weeks ago a young man that you may know, Jacob Hawkins, brought his new boss through Cartersville for a few hours to speak to the rotary club. He took Newt Gingrich to the Booth Western Art Museum in Cville and the Speaker was very impressed with our little town! So much so, that according to Jacob, they are going to try to plan another visit to see the Tellus Museum.

While they were through here, Jacob introduced me and I got a picture made with Mr Gingrich and got my book signed! It was a very cool day for me, and even more so for Jacob!

Congrats to Jacob! He is a very smart young man that I am proud to know!

And good luck Mr. Speaker at your debate tonight! Knock em dead!

C

In the fall routine

Temperatures are still summer-like, but we are into our fall routine now. School has been back in for a week! Bailey is learning how to study and finding that high school honors classes are going to be tough for an athlete! She made the JV softball team and their first games are next week.
Grif's "senior" year of elementary school has started well. I haven't had to referee a single disagreement between he and his math teacher, yet. Donna says he is doing well calling her Mrs. Guyton and such.
My workouts are back to normal now! Thank goodness! I gained too much weight over the summer, and am ready to get back down below 200! We'll see how long that takes. Work has been good for back to school and now I am hoping we stay steady for the rest of the fall!
Back to the grind....
C

"Summer" is almost over

There are MANY more HOT days left in Georgia before the gentle temps of football and hunting season roll in! But, for families that have teachers, summer is almost over. Donna and the kids start back to school next week! Obviously, we will steal a few moments in the sun to swim or tennis or something!
Last year we had an opportunity to sneak away with some friends for a trip at the real end of summer and I might just have to make that happen again!

Grif and I took my dad to a Rome Braves game for Father's Day and of course Grif got another ball!!

Donna and I walking on the beach hand in hand and below is in front of Boss Oyster!

This is everyone on vacation in our house at Sunset Beach on St George Island.

Fun times!

I'm in the middle of trying to get a part time position at Budweiser. I'm trying to decide whether or not to run for Euharlee City Council. I'm helping put together a marriage conference at church. (I put this list up, so if your prayer list isn't long enough you can choose one of those to pray for!)

C

Summer relaxation?

Yeah right! Summertime when I was a kid was sooooo relaxing. You literally wake up eat and leave the house to play until someone called you for dinner. Then you would go back out and play until the street lights came on. Go in, go to bed a wake up the next day to do it over again! I also got to work in the garden with my granddaddy in the mornings before he left for his 2nd shift job with G.E. (of course, the occasional playing hookie from the garden to wet a hook somewhere was mandatory!!) But, as an adult, summer is definitely NOT that relaxing!
After working all day, I find myself at a ball field, or church, or yard work calling, or or or or ..... There is something always calling my name. Not to mention with work VERY slow at the office, I find myself probably more stressed than I have ever been. Scary times in our economy today! Anyway, I am looking forward to a vacation with my family more than I can ever remember! Looking forward to a long 4th of July weekend. Looking forward to family time, with no ball field, or yard work, or office work, or even church work, just time with my family surveying the vastness and beauty that God created for us, that I rarely take enough time to breathe in!
Also, coming soon....I will be doing a book review on "Billy Graham in Quotes". A book by Franklin Graham, that I got for free from booksneeze.com. If you join booksneeze, they send you books in return for your review. Kind of interesting, so I am giving it a try.