Catalyst 2012 Trip - FRIENDS

Dave and I attended Catalyst 2012 in Atlanta this October.  This has been our third Catalyst Leadership Conference (one on the west coast and two on the east coast), and they just keep getting better.  

On this trip to Catalyst we flew out a little early and spent time in Florida and Georgia visiting family and friends. Over the next little bit I'll blog about some of our experiences on the trip, but wanted to start with all the friends we saw.

• Gary, Jan and their son Sean Nichols (Melbourne, FL).  Gary and Dave (my husband) lived next door to one another as kids and went to school together.  We saw them last year and it was so great to see them again this year.   We met at Woody's for barbecue chicken.  I think it's so neat that Gary and Jan were high school sweethearts and are still going strong.  

Sue Pafford French and her sister-in-law met us all at Woody's.  The Pafford's and Welch's have been friends forever.  Sue's sister, Candy, was in our wedding.

1. Barbara (Berg) Smith and Dave were in high school band together and this is the first time he's seen her since he left Florida in 1969.  I love meeting Dave's friends.  It's helps me put a face and personality behind the stories he tells.   She just happened to be visiting her family in Melbourne while we were there, but she now lives in Apopka, FL. 

Kissimmee, Florida - Michael and Mary Sue Flippo.
It was such a blessing to worship with them at City of Life church where Michael serves as the Music Director.  We knew them back in Cleveland, TN when we were all newly weds.  We had such a delightful visit with them that included tears and lots of laughter.  They blessed our hearts.  We ate together at Fat Boys.

Deland, Florida - W.L and Lyndal Welch.
It was great that we could spend some good quality  time with Dave's Dad and Lyndal.  One of the highlights was the night Lyndal's son, Raymond, and her daughter, Joy & husband Rick came over and fried perch and hush puppies for dinner.  Good food and good company!

Atlanta, Georgia at Catalyst 2012 - Austin and Spencer Hughes, sons of our good friends Doyle and Lawana (Cleveland, TN).  There were 13,000 people at this conference and what are the chances that we would park next to one another in the parking garage and that I would recognize them.  They were such gentlemen to take a picture with an old lady they didn't know.  I loved seeing them.  I think it was a God-thing.

Also in Atlanta, we saw Carole Ann Stubbs.  She and I graduated from high school together (TMS, Cleveland, TN) as best friends.  We've stayed in touch all these years and it was great to see her again.  We met at the Cheesecake Factory (mmmm, red velvet cheesecake) for dinner and then spent the night at her house.   We stayed up late "catching up."   I also enjoyed a wonderful phone conversation with her sister, Kathy.
Hopefully soon, we'll see them both in Alaska.

Rick and Gay Johnson drove down to Macon to have breakfast with us at the Cracker Barrel.  The were just starting their family in Alaska the last time we saw them and now they're grandparents.  We rehashed so many good memories.....it was so fun to catch up.
Just for the record, that is NOT a smile on Rick's face.  :)

Foster (Fawster) and Sheila Bell - Macon, GA.

Even though I knew Foster from my days in Cleveland, TN, it was in 2008 that we reconnected when they took a cruise to Alaska and visited us in Fairbanks.   They're wonderful friends and were so gracious and hospitable to let us borrow their car for the Catalyst Conference and let us stay with them after the conference.  Sheila helped me get my southern drawl back.  Good friends are a treasure!

People we saw that I didn't get a picture of.....

• Patty (Mallard) Lowe (Florida).  She's a high school band friend of Dave's and he hadn't seen her in 40 years.  We had such a delightful visit at Dogs R Us.
• Linda Hnilica (Edgewater, Florida).  Dave knew her and her family when he was still a kid in Florida.  We reconnected with her last year in Chicago.  Linda is a beautiful, talented lady.  We loved visiting with her at Red Lobster.
• The Pastor and his wife where the Welch's attend Sunday evening services.   They were so friendly to us and we appreciate the care they give to the Welch's.
• Beautiful Hannah Flippo (Mike and Mary Sue's daughter-in-law).  Sorry we didn't get to meet Clarke.
• Ronda Flowers in Macon, Ga.  I didn't know Ronda, but know her Mom and Dad, Richard and Carolyn Carter from Cleveland, TN.  
• Jan (Phipps) in Macon, Ga.  She told me that she and my Mom had attended International Youth Camp together (years ago) and that Mom had been such a blessing to her at a time she needed it.  That blessed my heart.   
• We attended a Sunday service at the Avondale church with the Bells.   The people there were so friendly and welcoming.  They made us feel right at home and we were blessed to worship with them.
• We also attended a 75th anniversary celebration at a Church of God of Prophecy in Macon, GA with dinner on the ground......fried chicken, greens, fried okra, black eyed peas, cornbread and lots of sweet tea - plus all kinds of salads and desserts.  

Joni & Glen (GA) - we're so sorry we didn't get to connect with you.   You were so close, yet we missed you.

Wes & Julie Teel (FL) -  we missed seeing you this time.  

Tom & Yvonne Queener, one of these days I hope we can see you again.  

We're so blessed, enriched and thankful for all the friends (old and new) in our lives.

Did you notice that most of our visits with friends involved food?