Saturday, June 04, 2011

Georgia Gist

I guess it's my turn, if a bit out of turn. The recent posts have been great, especially on the theme of family. I can't add much to those thoughts, other than to agree that we siblings were blessed with a close-knit and loving family. From that foundation, we gained the insight and inspiration to raise our own families. For my part, all I can say is that my children have exceeded my expectations. Mainly, that's because I didn't have a lot of expectations. I had only faith -- in them. As Gramma Rice imparted to me, "Feed 'em well and make sure they get enough sleep, they'll turn our okay," that bit of wisdom worked. The rest I credit to of them -- Maurika, Abram, Hannah, and Briana. Each is gifted in his or her own way, and each has put forth the energy to realize those gifts.

Over Memorial Day weekend, we visited Bri and family in Portland. We always enjoy our time in their space, admiring and enjoying the life they've built. Here's a photo from our hike to Wahclella Falls -- a fine site east of Portland. As summer comes into bloom, we look forward to fine family gatherings. The Family Picnic promises to be special this year, and we hope many of y'all can be in attendance.

3 comments:

mary said...

Sounds like a fun trip~Hope you had better weather than we did. But we got to watch tons of baseball so it doesn't get much better than that!
MARY

Abe said...

Hey pops. Glad to see you got out to Portland for a visit. Can't wait to see you in August.

Jan said...

What a gorgeous picture - both people and background. I love that area. Wish we had more time when we were there for graduation to hook up with the Bortens but it just didn't happen! Maybe the next time! Glad you guys had fun - wish we could have been there together! Like I said in the text Johnny, I could have sworn I say you driving down the street!