The Growing Caldwell Family

A big part of being in God's Light is going on choir tour! A 10-day bus tour to a different destination each year with stops along the way to sing at churches and do some sightseeing. Sarah Graves was so excited to go and we were really happy for her. This year's trip went to Mt. Rushmore and included a visit to Chicago and a few other stops that we didn't make on our trip.  With lots of advice from others who have gone before and packing and repacking several times to be sure it was just right, she had her rolling duffle and carry on ready! So excited for the adventure ahead! A big joy is seeing the bus pull in and watching them sing for our church. The music was beautiful and so touching after 35 years of doing this for the youth at Smyrna First! We were all there to greet her and Pops brought flowers.  While the kids were away, the parents got together for dinner and sharing notes on what was going on with the kids on tour!  

Charlie and I had a really fun weekend traveling with Jeanne and Olivia to Baton Rouge to celebrate Pops' retirement!  The airport was the first part of our adventure! Flying on an airplane was exciting! Our first stop was to have lunch at Cane's! Charlie knows it's one of my favorite places and for some reason there isn't one anywhere near Atlanta.  He was so excited to see Lovie! A week apart is a long time when you are used to being together every day! He had to show her his wiggly tooth! GG watched Charlie and Livy while we went to the retirement party hosted by Classic. GG planned so many fun things for me! She had movies, silly string, coloring, games, and lots of strawberries! They had a great time and were sound asleep when we came back to get them! Dad made a wonderful speech, received a really sincere award for all of his service, and they even honored mom for all of her support with a trip to New York to see a Broadway show...

I know those aren't the song lyrics, but I had that stuck in my head during a recent trip for a work conference to Santa Fe, NM. This was the first time going to this conference without the kids. I missed them a lot, but also enjoyed the time to attend my meetings and dinners without rushing back to the room. They are more grown up now and did great without me!  The bear was part of the room decor! My hotel was nice and I fell in love with the city! We did a walking tour and checked out some local art and shopping. We also had a great dinner at s place where the servers also perform show tunes! Santa Fe is one of the first places the Native Amwricans began bringing chocolate in from Mexico. They were drinking the chocolate mixed with chilies. We visited a chocolate house to try some! I missed Aaron and the kids like crazy! I was so happy to get in Friday night and be with them! They were happy to see me and very happy to get their prizes - an Elsa Frozen Fever doll and a Paw Patrol...

I made it home yesterday afternoon and I am so glad to be back.  My sweet girl was anxious to hug me and told me that she loved me! Overall, it was a good trip.  Mom and I enjoyed some time together.  We made time to see a movie, "What to Expect When You're Expecting."  It was really cute and I recommend it for something light and fun.  We also found some good restaurants, including a cajun restaurant that actually flies their seafood in from Louisiana!  The town where we were is small, but we were in a downtown area that has been revitalized with some cute restaurants and shops and the weather was great for being outside. My days were long and spent working the hiring event and meeting candidates for the customer service representative jobs in the new call center that will be opening in August.  I am proud to work for a company that is creating jobs even when it's tough to do so. One of the things that drove me nuts was everyone being so worried ab...

We finally had a chance to meet Sarah Graves' new cousin, Austin!  Austin is eight months old now and as busy as Sarah Graves was.  Sarah Graves liked Austin and did well with him.  He liked her toys and she was pretty willing to share with him.  She gave him lots of kisses and liked to push him around in his walker.  She really is a sweet girl. 

While we were in Shreveport, we had pictures taken with Grancy and Austin.  Grancy (with Ms. Margaret Ann's help) made adorable matching outfits for Sarah Graves and Austin.  The pictures came out really sweet.   Two of the cutest kissing cousins!  Getting a toddler and an infant to both sit and look at the camera was no small task!  I love the sweet look on her face and the cute twinkle in her eye.  I thought this one was so sweet of her offering cookies and milk to Santa.  At first, I was worried that she might have a fit wanting cookies, but she didn't seem to notice them. This was a proud Grancy with her two babies.  We are lucky to have such a sweet Grancy!