June 2010

In June, we celebrated Mom's 66th birthday...

...and the 50th Anniversary of Pintlala Baptist Church.

(Jason, Jimmy & Brad)

Leyden went on a three-day mission trip to Perry County, Alabama with our church youth group. She sorted donated clothes for a local thrift store and worked with area children during Vacation Bible School.

Leyden was a teacher's assistant for the 5th and 6th grade class during Vacation Bible School at Mom and Dad's church, and attended the teen class of Vacation Bible School at Mt. Zion Baptist Church with her cousin, Kimmie.

Dad took a little spill in the driveway...

...and we went to Lake Winnie with Uncle Larry, Aunt Faye, and their kids and grandkids.

Scott was house- and dog-sitting for a friend at Lake Martin and he invited us up for the day.

And in between all that fun, Brad and I worked. :)

May 2010

I didn't realize how long it had been since I wrote a post to the ol' blog... it's amazing how time flies!

I'm going to attempt to update you on what we've been doing. In this post, I'll tell you about the happenings of May.

After school got out in May, Mom and Dad took me, Leyden and Leyden's friend, Mallory, to Orlando for a few days. We spent two days at Universal Studios. Fun stuff!

Mallory & Leyden in front of Hard Rock Cafe at Universal

Mallory & Leyden (a/k/a Thing 1 and Thing 2) patiently waiting while I watched the Dr. Seuss show.

Mom and Dad outside Hard Rock Cafe...

...and eating at Planet Hollywood. My parents love to eat at those crazy-loud, fun restaurants!

Me at my favorite spot at Universal... Seuss Landing!

Takin' One for the Team

Last night Leyden had a softball game. When she was up to bat, the pitcher threw a wild pitch and as Leyden stepped out of the box to avoid getting hit, she turned her right elbow toward the plate just enough for it to get hit by the pitch. As the nasty slapping sound resounded in my ears, Leyden's helmet started to wobble and I knew she was crying. The umpire and coaches surrounded her and examined the point of impact - the inside of her forearm, just below the elbow. After a few seconds, she jogged to first base. But after that horrible slapping sound, I knew this wasn't going to be just another hit by a pitch. The next girl up to bat struck out for the third out, and Leyden went to play in left field.

So, Mom got up and got a bag of ice from the concession stand and I called Brad and told him Leyden got hit. As the girls came in the dugout, I gave Leyden's coach the bag of ice and he made sure Leyden put it on her arm. I tried to get a peek at it, but all I could see was an angry red spot. Leyden kept the ice on it until she had to go back in left field. (They only had 10 players, and they really need 10 in this league, so she played.)

When she came off the field, it was her turn to bat. Leyden started crying before she got in the dugout. I went to see what was wrong. She said her arm hurt and she couldn't hold a bat. Coach Andy tried to talk to her and tell her all she had to do was stand in the back of the box and hold the bat, but she kept shaking her head "no" and saying that she wasn't going to bat. There was a lot of "NO!" and a lot of "Just hold the bat, you don't have to swing." I finally told her that her team needed her and she had to bat. (Mind you, the umpire has said "Batter up!" and is waiting for Leyden.) Coach Andy promised her again that all she had to do was hold the bat and she didn't have to swing. So she gave in and headed for the plate.

She stood and watched three go by, all balls. One more and she could walk. Her head coach was at third base and was giving her signals. He made a signal, and Leyden stepped out of the box and started crying and shaking her head "No" as she walked toward him. He said something in her ear and she went back to the box. Turns out, the coach had given the signal for "bunt" that her coach at school uses, and she was confused. She was upset because she knew she couldn't hold the bat to bunt. Mind you, the head coach was already at third base while Coach Andy was telling Leyden she didn't have to swing. So Leyden went back to the plate, and the pitcher threw another ball. Leyden ran to first base.

The pitcher threw a ball to the next batter and Leyden stole second. The pitcher threw another ball (which the catcher missed) and Leyden stole third. The pitcher missed the ball when it was thrown back to her, so the coach sent Leyden on to steal home plate... she scored the run that tied the game!

In the next inning, one of Leyden's teammates stole home to win the game by one point.

So after the game, when I finally got a good look at the arm, it wasn't pretty. The stitches on the ball made an imprint in her arm. (And it's still there today!) I'm sure it will look worse before it looks better.

I told Leyden that if she had not taken her turn at bat, things might not have turned out the same. EVERY player is important. And it was important for her to face her fear after that horrific hit. I think she was proud of herself for working through the fear and facing it head-on. I know I'm proud of her. She's a tough one, for sure.

PBC Youth - Mission Possible

Leyden's youth group made this video to encourage attendance on High Attendance Sunday. It's hysterical!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FWfImbqnVc

The Diary of Jeffa Porter Hill, SENIOR - Dec. 1937

Emily came to spend the night tonight, and we went through a few things that I brought home from Gran & Grandaddy's house. We were looking through an old cigar box and found a Memorandum book that belonged to our great-grandfather, Jeffa Porter Hill, Senior. He kept records in it of his business, and I'm not sure what that was. The records show the name and city of someone, what they paid for a deposit (anywhere from $1.00 to $5.00), the amount of the sale (from $200 to $700), and the monthly payment amount (from $5.00 to $10.00). He lived at 322 Lincoln Avenue in Pasadena, California. And it's not lost on Emily and me that Pasadena is also home of the Rose Bowl... WE'LL WIN THEN!

Anyway, there was one page in the Memorandum book that had "Diary" written across the top. This is what was written (typos included):

Dec. 17, 1937 Fri

Movie today for atheletic fund. Weather fine

Dec. 18, 1937 Sat.

Got up at 9:30. Started working. Moped all floors. Mamma followed me around redoing it. Done Xmas shopping. Saw Mrs. Smith. Played with erector set after supper. Went to bed at 9:00. Listened to radio until 10:45. Weather O.K.

Dec. 19, 1937 Sun.

Went to S.S. Sang in choir at C. Went to the valley and got a turkey. Didn't go to C.E.

I really enjoyed going through the little cigar box. We also found a letter that my great-grandaddy's brother wrote to him after their mother died. Or at least that's what I think. From what I can tell, great-grandaddy wasn't able to go to the funeral, and his brother mailed him a letter and included a copy of the obituary and a picture of the grave the day after the funeral. WOW. History is amazing. It is awesome to hold fragile pieces of paper in my hands and read the words written by someone related to me that I never met! Perhaps one day soon I will copy the words of the letters onto this blog, and perhaps scan in the picture of his mother's grave and post it. There is an old car in the picture (this was 1930) and I just think it's cool.

Well, I better go... Leyden and Emily are playing Wii Bowling and I'm missing out on all the fun!

Should Pre-Teens Be on Facebook?

Ah, a question of hot debate, even in my household. I have some pretty strong feelings about this subject. If you know me, you know that I don't mind telling you how I feel about something. So it is with this topic.

I believe that rules were made for a reason. God gave us the Ten Commandments along with other guidance in the Bible so that we could make good choices. I believe that God intends for us to follow those words of guidance for a reason. I believe that God also wants us to follow the laws and ordinances of our government.

I found the following paragraph on Facebook's website under "Terms":
"Registration and Account Security Facebook users provide their real names and information, and we need your help to keep it that way. Here are some commitments you make to us relating to registering and maintaining the security of your account:

1. You will not provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission.

2. You will not use your personal profile for your own commercial gain (such as selling your status update to an advertiser).

3. You will not use Facebook if you are under 13.

4. You will not use Facebook if you are a convicted sex offender.

5. You will keep your contact information accurate and up-to-date.

6. You will not share your password, let anyone else access your account, or do anything else that might jeopardize the security of your account.

7. You will not transfer your account to anyone without first getting our written permission.

8. If you select a username for your account we reserve the right to remove or reclaim it if we believe appropriate (such as when a trademark owner complains about a username that does not closely relate to a user's actual name). "

When I look at number 4, I shudder... if our pre-teens are using Facebook in violation of these Terms, how many sex offenders are doing the same thing? You think I'm overracting? I did a little research. Check out this article about the number of sex offenders that migrated to Facebook when they were kicked off of MySpace: http://techcrunch.com/2009/02/03/thousands-of-myspace-sex-offender-refugees-found-on-facebook/ and this later article are about Facebook's sex offender cleanup: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29289048/. If Facebook is running them off because of their sex offender status, reckon they'll come back under a pseudonym? Read this article about a sex offender who posed as a teenager and killed a 17-year-old girl: http://www.newser.com/story/72710/sex-offender-held-in-uk-facebook-murder.html and this article that tells how sex offenders groom their prey faster online than they would in the "real world": http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091209193906.htm. This article emphasizes why parents should be diligently supervising their children online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-553348/Millions-girls-using-Facebook-Bebo-Myspace-risk-paedophiles-bullies.html.) Eye opening, huh?

There are a few issues with Facebook and pre-teens that disturb me. One is that even though parents forbid their children to use Facebook, some children are creating a page without their parents' knowledge. This creates a problem because there isn't a responsible adult monitoring the child's use of Facebook or their privacy settings. Another issue is that parents of children under 13 are allowing (and even assisting) their children to create Facebook profiles using a false birthdate, which clearly violates one of Facebook's rules. Another issue is that parents are like me - too busy to supervise their children's online activity daily - so they just don't supervise them, or they become "friends" with them on Facebook and obtain the child's password so they can check periodically to see what the children are doing.

First of all, if children are forbidden by their parents to use Facebook because they do not meet the minimum age requirement, and the kids get a page anyway without their parents' knowledge, shouldn't they be punished for deceit as well as breaking rules? Not just the rules of the parents, but also the rules of the website itself? This would be the case at my house, without question.

I believe that kids need to know that there are consequences for their actions. How will they learn if we don't teach them? And what are we teaching our children if we knowingly help them break the rules on Facebook by lying about their age? That it's okay to be deceitful when it suits us? If we really want something, it's okay to lie? Well, is it okay to give alcohol or tobacco to a minor? I believe most parents would say, "No." A rule is a rule, and it is in place for a reason.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard that "everyone else is doing it!" and "my friends' parents let them do it!" I don't care if every single parent at my daughter's school allows them to use Facebook, my daughter will not be allowed to use Facebook until she reaches the age of 13. I am strong-willed, so it is easy for me to stick to my guns, but I know it's hard to be firm as a parent when you know that your child is being "left out" because they aren't participating in this or that. Just remember that if all the other parents were letting their kids drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, you probably wouldn't jump on the bandwagon. The dangers of Facebook are just as real as the dangers of underage drinking and smoking. There is probably a greater chance that nothing bad would ever happen to your child, but I don't like taking chances with my child's safety.


Kids younger than 13 don't typically have the maturity to be on a website that gives them the opportunity to share personal information. I know, I know, your son or daughter is the most mature 9-year-old you've ever met. But kids are curious by nature, and very naiive. They may explore Facebook and stumble onto something dangerous. A lot of kids will accept a friend request from anyone who asks, or send friend requests to all of their friends' friends, whether they know them or not. Who you may think is little Johnny or sweet Jane could be a sex offender posing as a child to gain access to information about children so they can do what they do... and God knows I really don't want to think about that. But God entrusted us with children not so we could seem "cool" to them or be their friends, but to look out for their best interests. This article has some good tips for parents with children on the internet: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Keep-Children-Safe-Online-at-Facebook&id=3558136.


I know that parents can access their children's pages and you can befriend your child on Facebook and see everything they do, but if they're under 13, that means the parent is aware that the child is breaking the rules of Facebook. I don't want to be that parent.

I also know that there are a lot of parents who are too busy to check their children's pages often enough to actually know what is going on. There have been stories of racy pictures and too much personal information being shared, with privacy settings set in such a way that "friends of friends" can see it. The scary part of that is, many young people on Facebook really don't know their own "friends", much less the "friends" of their "friends".

Yes, I agree that there are worse things than Facebook for a child to get into. I also think that I should be a better example to my child as her parent. If my daughter sees me break the rules when it's convenient and follow the rules when I feel like it, what am I really teaching her?

I believe that God BLESSED me with a daughter, and it is my responsibility to guide and direct this gift from God to make the right decisions and lead a happy, productive life. I believe that I am failing my daughter if I overlook the fact that she has deceived me and created a Facebook profile without my knowledge. I believe that I am failing my daughter if I allow her or help her to create a Facebook profile under the age of 13. I pray that by expecting my daughter to be the exception and not the rule among her friends, that she will learn to stand for what is right and not be swayed to participate in what is wrong.

Should pre-teens be on Facebook? No. Is my pre-teen on Facebook? Absolutely not. Will I allow her to use Facebook when she is 13? Maybe. I think each parent should make that decision for themselves based on their situation. The internet is a dangerous place these days, and things aren't always as they seem. I believe that my job as a parent is to protect my child from harm while teaching her how to live.

Diary of Jeffa P. Hill, Jr. - January 1, 1944

I decided to continue my project of "publishing" Grandaddy's diary, so here is the next installment...

Camp Gordon Johnston, Fla.

First day at Camp Gordon Johnston. What a place!!! Eating out of mess kits. Assigned to 340th Harbor Craft Co. There going to make sailors out of us. Arrived at Tallahassee at 4 AM yesterday morning. Stayed at an auto-court and slept until 12 noon. Went down to the bus station and ran into Ray Meeko. He had his car and brought me out to camp. Today I ran into Harmon Connell and Council from N.Y. They both like it down here. Huh!! We went down to the main P.X. about a mile $ 1/2 from here and then down to the Library. Came back to the barracks abotu 1600. It's not so very cold down here even though we're right on the Gulf. Wrote to Juanita yesterday evening and this evening and also sent her a Telegram yesterday. Am reading the funnies and a book named "Retreat, Hell" by William Camp.

Goodnight Sweetheart

A Visit From the Leydens

"Papa Don," Leyden, and "Cousin Alice"

Today we had the pleasure of having lunch with our cousins, Don and Alice Leyden. They were headed back to Virginia and we were delighted that they timed it so they could stop and eat with us! Leyden was out of school today, so it worked out well. I took an extra hour at hour and was able to visit for a while. We made some loose plans for a trip to Virginia in August for Leyden's birthday. It was great to sit and chat for a little bit. I can't wait to go to Virginia and see them for a few days!

Don, Mom, Leyden, Dad & Alice


Alice, Me, and Don

Thanksgiving 2009

I'd like to give a good reason for not posting since Labor Day, but I dont' have one, so I'll just own up to my procrastination and ask forgiveness! :)

For the past couple of years, Brad and I have had the joy of having our parents together for Thanksgiving. Brad's Mom has hosted us, and Mom and I bring food to add to Nana's delicious fare, and it's nice to visit with both sets of parents without having to eat twice on Thanksgiving Day. Leyden eats twice - she visits the Johnsons for her evening meal each year - but she doesn't seem to mind. This year was our first year without Brad's Granny, and it was bittersweet. We all missed her dearly.

The Skippers - Brad, Leyden & Kristi

One thing I could've posted about before now but didn't is Leyden's accident with her right foot. During PE at school, she was carrying a pole that holds up the volleyball net, and she dropped it on top of her foot. She had a deep bone bruise and wore a boot cast for four weeks. Fun!!!


The Wallace/Skipper Clan: Brad, Kristi, Grandaddy, Leyden, Nana, Brett & Bobby
Bobby is Brad's oldest brother, and Brett is Brad's youngest brother. Brad's younger brother, Bruce, lives in Atlanta and did not get to come for Thanksgiving this year. :(

The Hill Family - Brad, Kristi, Leyden, Scott, Carolyn & Jeff

Scott, Dad, and Mom

Brad's older brother, Bobby, didn't get to have his children until after lunch, so we went to his house for a little while so Leyden could play with Kimmie and Chase.

That's our Thanksgiving in a nutshell. Hope yours was fabulous, and I'll try to post more often!