Monday Morning Ramblings (through the eyes of the wife).

Over the years I have shared with you all my annual trek back home for "Homecoming". Usually I share pics of my rather large family. This weekend I actually left most of the photography assignments to my little sister. And sense none of us got home before 11 PM last night I am still waiting on the pictures.

I did take a few of the service, so that all of my "new school" folks could get a glimpse into a good old fashioned country church service. I don't know if you saw my post last year, but people underestimate churches in the country. They have some of the most beautiful buildings and sanctuaries that you will ever see (some on a small budget).

In part because members come back each year and "sow" back into their "home" church. We have lost a few members as time goes by, and many of our members are much older, but none of us get to tired to go back. Over the next couple of days as more pics come in I will share with you a few traditions. Today I thought I would give you a glimpse into our annual (79 years yesterday) "Homecoming Service".


First a little background. I grew up going to Union Zion. My grandparents were members and most of my aunts, uncles, cousins, grew up here. I was baptized here at around 9 or 10 ( I don't remember the age, but I will never forget the experience). By my godfather who was the pastor at the time (my grandfather was also a pastor). This is my mom, who is the church clerk, and the church organist. She is a well rounded woman. LOL



This was the guest choir. Man, they could blow...even though they were a "city" church. LOL One of the members of the guest church talked about getting scared when coming around some of the winding roads. The pastor told them they would be even more scared if they were traveling at night (no lights on the road...lol). The guest speaker bragged on our hospitality staff (they start serving you as soon as you walk through the door, and I'm not just talking food). I have to admit they had some great food yesterday (and yes, it included more chicken. But the also offered us Turkey, gravy, stuffing, macaroni with cheese, string beans and the best homemade deserts you will ever eat).


This is my Uncle John (my mom's brother) and one of the many family members who helped to raise me. As a matter of fact if it wasn't for this man and his wife Maryland I would have never met my hubby.



This is the balcony in our church. All of the young people would hang out in the balcony during homecoming. I think we thought it was the "cool" spot, even though it was usually the hottest spot in the church during August. Now our girls hang out there and sneak out in the middle of the service to hang out at their cousins home. When I was young we snuck out and headed down the road to my Aunt "Sweatheart's" (yes that is what we called her) to hang out.


This is our "First Lady". I like her because even though she is the "First Lady", she is not phony. You are more apt to find her in the choir, or in the kitchen helping out the staff. As a matter of fact most of the first ladies in my life (including my grandmother, god mother and the first lady at my home church in the city were all pretty down home ladies). I had great examples to follow.

This is our Pastor. He came a few years after my godfather retired. It took me a while to get use to him, but he has been a great support to Marc (which gave him an A plus grade in my eyes). I'm excited because he along with the rest of my church family (most of which are related) will be visiting us for "Homecoming" next month.

This is my church. I love the architecture of this church. They take a lot of pride in this old building. The pews have been here as long as I can remember. They have upgraded a few things but the building itself looks the same as it did when I was a child.

Another favorite of mine is the stain glass windows and the stain glass mural in the choir stand. Even though I prefer the more modern churches of today I love going home and seeing the traditional church that I grew up in. Well I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my past. We also celebrated my great uncles 97 birthday this weekend. I will share pics as soon as my mom and sister send the pics (hence the reason I am usually the one behind the camera). From what I understand Marc and WABC had a great service. And even though I missed them, it was great hanging out with my family, chilling, laughing and just enjoying life.

The Grand Hyatt Washington DC

Thought I would lighten up the mood around here and share my photos of the Grand Hyatt hotel in Washington DC. I would stay there again in a heartbeat.

The restaurant where you can have breakfast (buffet style). We never got a chance to try them out. Maybe next time.

The view from our room.

The second restaurant in the hotel.

I would love a couple of these in aqua green and lime green!

This was me trying to be a photographer. LOL

One of the three restaurants in the hotel. Maybe next time we will get to check them out.

This was the last day of our trip. All of the WOF ladies were waiting in the lobby for taxi cabs or their cars to come back from the valet.

This reminded me a little bit of the inside of the Grand Floridian at Disney. Except the Grand Floridian has the monorail and Disney parks near by. Can you tell I need a trip to Disney? LOL

Our route each day from the elevators to the main lobby.

We never saw the piano player the whole time we were there. Still trying to figure out how he gets to the piano. LOL

This was the view most of the ladies saw from their room window, and the view we saw each day before going down to the lobby.

Monday Morning Reflections (and thank you's)

1) This has been the longest week of my life. Its taken me a bit of time to get my thoughts together to even begin this post.

2) Thank you so much to all of you who sent us messages, cards, called us on the phone and visited us in person. I can't begin to tell you how much this meant to my family, especially my husband.

3) I am still amazed by your generosity. As Marc stated on Friday....our refrigerator was (and still is) overflowing with food. The joke around the house is that we would be clucking by the end of the week! LOL.

4) We knew that the day would come when Marc's dad would pass away. Alzheimer's is one of those diseases that you just have to prepare for the worst. But knowing all of that and even knowing that he is in a better place, did not prepare us for his death.

5) Marc did a wonderful job delivering the eulogy for his dad's homegoing celebration. I worried that he might fall apart at the last minute because he had spent most of the week making arrangements and receiving family and friends. He didn't miss a beat and by the end of the day I stopped worrying about him. It helped that their were a number of prayer warriors out in the crowd that were praying hard before he got up to speak.

6) The one lesson I learned from this week was that yes prayer changes things, but prayer also can give you strength and power when you don't know what else to do. It also gives you peace. Sweet peace that you can't explain unless you have had that connection with our father God.

7) I also did not know at the time but the WOF Conference was preparing me for the upcoming week. I can't tell you how many times I turned on my Mandisa and the WOF Worship Team music on my ipod. It helped me to sleep at night and to calm me in the morning light. Its amazing to me how God can prepare you in advance for an upcoming storm.

8) There are four special ladies who got me through the week that I will never be able to thank enough. Without their support I think I would have lost it a couple of times. Two of them came to help me clean up the house to receive guest (one literally down on her hands and knees scrubbing my floor), one talked to me on the phone whenever I needed her (even when I interrupted her during her women's church lock in). One friend brought me a ton of food (thankfully not chicken...lol) which in itself was wonderful, but the greatest gift she gave me was a shoulder to lean on after a extremely difficult and frustrating day.

9) Although our vacation had to be canceled we have now come to the conclusion that it just was not our time to go. When I called my friend in Alabama she informed me that they had been at the hospital that week with her uncle who had cancer. The day after Marc's dad passed away, her uncle also passed away. God in his infinite wisdom! Wow!!!!

10) Marc's dad was a veteran of the Korean war and a purple heart recipient. When Marc's bestfriend from high school heard about his passing he made arrangements to be the soldier who would present the family with the American Flag. Its a moment I won't soon forget. And although it was originally given to his oldest sister she placed it in Marc's hands at the end of the day. It will hold a prominent place in my home, forever.

11) There are so many people we still have to thank but I had to mention our home churches and especially our present church family. Woodland Ave Baptist Church is an amazing little church (watch out world they are going to make an big impact in this universe and it won't have anything to do with Marc and I). And even though its been nearly 10 years since we left Mount Bethel Baptist Church, they showed up and showed out this week! Then there is our mother church....Greater Mount Zion. I'm so glad I got to speak too so many of you on Friday. Thank you so much for the love you have shown my family (especially during our difficult times).

12) I have to thank my WIT sisters, Dress Sale Buddies, and last (but not least) my family. Without your support and love I would have not had made it through the week. I love each and every one of you. Marc and I are still amazed by the support system that God has placed in our lives. Thank you DisneyScrap addicts, Scrap Etc Gals in Alabama and to all of my on-line friends who have sent messages. Your love and support has been overwhelming but is greatly appreciated.

13) Next week I hope to get back on track with my Sunday Mind Dump. I have a lot of things on my plate right now as we begin preparing for fall events. I am especially excited about attending Pastor McBath's leadership conference in the fall, planning our Women's winter tea (in which I will speak for the first time), and getting back to being involved with the local Ministers Wives and Widows Association in our area. For the first time in the four years that I have been a member I will actually be able to host one of the meetings at our church.

R.I.P

There will not be a Sunday Mind Dump this week. After returning home from the conference Marc informed me that his dad had passed away over the weekend. Please keep our family in your prayers. R.I.P Daddy Jennings.

Women of Faith Conference

Had a great time at the Women of Faith Conference in Washington DC. Nicki went as our driver for the weekend and did a great job.

I really enjoyed all of the speakers and especially enjoyed the music. Our favorite had to be Mandisa. The girl rocked the stage this weekend.

We were humbled by the presence of Steven Curtis Chapman. At the end of his time with us he sang the Cinderella song.

One of the first songs I ever sung solo after graduating from high school was a song that Sandi Patty did. I am still amazed at the range that gal can reach with her voice. Friday morning I got to see her up close. The last song she sung still gives me goosebumps!

It was fun yet slightly weird to see and hear Lisa Welchel from the Facts of Life. I still think of her as Blair. LOL

We heard an inspiring message from several men (yes, there were men at the conference). Including the President of World Vision Rich Stearns.

My favorite speaker hands down was Patsy Clairmont. That little lady kept me in stitches. But her story about a friend who died from cancer cut close to home because of my friend Gail.

Each lady who went to the event was touched in some way by at least one or more of the speakers. Sheila Walsh story of struggle and triumph captured my attention, so much so that I picked up her latest book "Let Go" to read.

We enjoyed the conference so much we are already booked for 2010! Apparently we were not alone because over 1300 women had already signed up before the end of the conference.

Planes, Trains and Summer Reading!

Since I will be getting on a plane in a few weeks I thought I should stock up on some good reading just to keep my mind occupied. We all know how much I love flying....not! By the way, thanks Michelle for the idea. I didn't jump on the Twilight train (I am more a harlequin romance kind of gal then teen vampires). But for the past few years I have become a big fan of of the Beverly Lewis novels. I find the Amish culture fascinating, and the stories of their lives intriguing. I have traveled to Pennsylvania many times, and have even been to some of the places that Beverly talks about in her book. So I almost feel like I am there when I read. Yes, I know I am a bit off. Who would choose the love life of an Amish girl over a hot romance with a vampire? Me that's who! A few years ago my mom introduced me to her books, and then a few years later my son gave me an entire series as a gift. Now whenever I come across her books I have to grab them. Saturday I added a new author to my library. I just noticed that the books are large print addition (these old eyes aren't what they use to be). I already like Wanda E. Brunstetter and I haven't opened the first book. LOL So that's what I am going to do to stay calm on the plane. What do you do? Or are you one of those crazy people that like flying from the air suspended by your ankles?

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife).

1) I'm showing this picture (I just happen to be standing in front of the cruise center) because even though I am not going on a cruise right now, I will be on one next year!!! I'm so excited I can barely hide it. Next July I will be on my first cruise trip ever along with several family members headed to Canada. We are still trying to persuade Marc to go. So far he's not biting.

2) Speaking of family. There has been a lot of family time around here lately. And for that I am very happy. I'm starting to get it! Ministry starts at home. LOL

3) The week started out with me watching my oldest daughter getting pinned. She is now a Independent Mary Kay consultant.

4) Friday and Saturday we went to the sneak peak of the Bill Collector. Had the best time hanging out with my family. We took up an entire row of seats (they are a pretty supportive group). My mom even surprised us after saying all week that she didn't think she could make it up here for the showing.

5) Saturday Marc and I spent part of the day at church. I try to now go in early to now to do any media stuff I need to do before Sunday. Speaking of media, Nicki has been doing a good job running the powerpoint presentation for Marcus sermons (hoping to one day have a more updated way to do this). It took a while for some of our seasoned members to understand the need for a projector and screen, but secretly I think they are enjoying being able to see scriptures and sermon notes in large print.

6) Just this morning Marc and I started discussing filming some of our announcements for Sunday morning service. We will probably start this in the fall after summer vacations have ended. We will be looking for some volunteers to get out in front of the camera.

7) I'm pretty excited about the upcoming weeks, starting with this weekend. Some of the ladies from WABC and I are headed to DC for the Women of Faith Conference. Its the first conference I have been to in some time. As a matter of fact I don't think I have been to one since I attended a "Women Though Out Loose Conference" hosted by Bishop TD Jakes. That was over 15 years ago!

8) My next trip will be to Atlanta/Birmingham to visit some family and friends. Its been three years since I got on a plane. The last time was when Marc surprised me with a trip to Hawaii. The only problem is that I hate flying. Maybe that's why he didn't tell me until 2 days before the trip!

9) I learned a very valuable lesson this week about communication and sharing the vision you have for a ministry with others. Its a lesson I won't soon forget. Marc made me realize that if you don't explain the vision (in detail, making it plain) to those you are working with then they may never catch the vision!

10) August will be a pretty low key month for us at WABC. The only exception will be our back to school drive. I'm really excited about this event because one of our members along with several of our youth will be heading this up. WABC may be small in number but they have big hearts. We may not be able to raise 1,000 of dollars or even 1,000 of backpacks and supplies but that shouldn't stop us from doing all that we can. Right now we plan to target one area elementary school either collecting what we can and distributing it to the school or selected family's who may be in need. In the future we even hope to bless the staff of one of these schools with an appreciation lunch of some kind.

11) Speaking of events I have already started brainstorming for our Women's Ministries "Winter Tea". Its not until January 2010, but its never to early to start planning. I discovered some really cool clip art and photographs on the Microsoft Office enterprise addition yesterday while working in the office (its taken me a while to figure out all of the bellls and whistles on this program). I already created our flyer for the Back to School event and our tea. It doesn't take much to please me (sad but true).

12) Oh, and don't be fooled by the words "Tea" and "Ministry". This won't be grandma's version of a women's tea party. Just saying!

Hollywood Here We Come

I love my family and friends. They really showed up to support Nicki tonight (and it was worth the wait, the girl was all up in the movie screen....lol) that's my child! She has been on tv since she was little (she has been interviewed on the local news several times). I have seen her act, sing and dance in plays at school and church, but tonight I got to see her name at the end of a movie in the credits. I held it together, but we probably cheered the loudest of anyone in the room. Not sure what I will do when its actually on the big screen or better yet on DVD!

The Bill Collector coming to a theatre near you soon (this is for you Tiffany...LOL).

Taking the Plunge

This past month my daughter Quisha took the plunge and begin her career as an Independent Mary Kay Consultant. She decided to follow in her mom's footsteps and run her own business. I'm very proud of her for having an entrepreneurial spirit. Tuesday I got to watch her get pinned and receive her pink rose (everyone knows Mary Kay is known for its pink). I'm not sure where Mary Kay will take her in the future, but I do know from experience that being a Mary Kay consultant is good for establishing your self esteem. The lessons I learned while being a Mary Kay consultant have stayed with me. It was the first time I ever spoke in front of a group. Years later it gave me the confidence to step out on faith and try my hand at other entrepreneurial opportunities. Its a big part of the reason I am able to talk to women in a ministry capacity today. Even the principles of God first, family second and career third has stuck with me. So the next time you see a pink Cadillac, don't assume its just about some facial cleanser and lipstick. Better yet, don't judge a book by its cover. Behind that pretty face all made up with the fancy diamonds, silly songs, and red suit is a pretty powerful woman (she might even be a million dollar women).

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife).

1) This week has been a mixed bag of tricks.

2) I started the week off feeling very overwhelmed because of some of the things that were going on at home. It took me a few days to come out of my funk.

3) My conclusion was that sometime we get busy doing "stuff" and ignore the opportunity to just "rest". I know this from experience and now I'm kicking myself for not taking advantage of the quiet time this week and focusing my attention on God and what he may be trying to tell me.

4) By Thursday I had been in the house the entire week and the walls were starting to close in. A really good friend came to my rescue and I spent the evening with her unloading some burdens, laughing over some old times and planning for some future goals. It was just what the doctor ordered.

5) After some reflection I realized that part of my problem was that I pour so much of myself into ministry that sometime I forget to balance that out with some down time. I'm great at giving this advice to others. How many times have I said it (even here on my blog) how important it is to not get lost in ministry at the expense of time with your family and friends?

6) Friday evening we had some major storms roll into our area. That didn't stop the women at New Life Providence from having their summer fling. I took several of the women from our Women's Ministry team along for a bit of fun. We watched a really good movie and had some really great food. The best part was just getting out of the house for some fellowship and fun. I even left my camera at home so that I wouldn't be tempted to "observe" the event rather then participate.

7) Saturday morning Nicki and I went to have our hair "did". If you follow me on twitter you probably got the footnotes from a message I was listening to on my ipod by Pastor Jeff Kapusta of Lifepoint Church. The message was from a Staff Meeting at C3 Church in North Carolina where Matt Fry is the pastor.

8) Speaking of twitter.....WABC now has a facebook and twitter page. You should have heard me trying to explain facebook to my uncle (who is in his 70's). I didn't even try to explain twitter. LOL

9) Today was Men's Day at WABC. The speaker was a friend of the family. He had a great message for the men (although their were several amens from the women). My favorite part of the service was watching everyone praising and worshiping God. I especially enjoyed seeing the young men of WABC participating side by side with some of our seasoned leaders.

10) My youngest daughter Nicki has been helping out with the media ministry at WABC. Looking at the picture of her we may need to work on her facial expressions though.

11) Today I not only took photographs of the service I was doing the video taping of the message for the day. This is one job I am looking forward to turning over to someone else.

12) There is not much going on this week unless you count the movie premier (which is a big deal in this house) for The Bill Collector. It will be interesting to see how many of our family and friends show up for the viewing this weekend.

Oops.....I forgot to give a shout out to some friends in Corpus Christi Texas who celebrated their church 1st Anniversary today. Congratulations Pastor Jason and Robbie Curlee and Bay Area Fellowship!

The Bill Collector

OK family and friends...you have been asking when the movie would come out and we promised to let you all know as soon as we knew. Well its been announced that there will be a special presentation of the movie on July 24th and 25th at 7 PM at New Life Providence Church Kempsville in Virginia Beach (this is the church that Nicki and TJ attend). Nicki will be at both performances so just let us know and we will meet you there. LOL Admission is free!

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife).

1) Can you believe we are halfway through the summer? Its been a fairly mild summer here which for us has meant a lot of time outside for our family. Which is unusual for us as we all tend to hibernate in the summer away from the heat. This year we have been to the beach, several cook outs and in a few weeks (God willing) on a plane or car to Alabama.

2) The fact that I am contemplating getting on a plane is a miracle in itself. I hate flying and would rather go by car any day of the week (and yes I know the statistics). This time we are considering the plane only because our time is limited and we don't want to spend all of those hours in a car.

3) We have been discussing the Purpose Driven Church at our all staff meetings. It must be getting good because several of the staff have asked us to order additional copies.

4) Well its official, my oldest daughter Quisha is following in her mom's footsteps. She became an Independent Mary Kay Consultant this week. I tracked down my old director to tell her. We had not been in contact for over 17 years! It was great talking to her. She is still in the business and is now a Regional Director.
5) This morning I got word that there will be a preview of The Bill Collector at New Life Providence Kempsville on July 24th and 25th at 7 PM. This is the movie that my daughter Nicki is an extra in. So get ready family and friends to invade NLP on Friday night!!!!!!

6) Saturday morning Marc spoke at a Men's Breakfast which was hosted by several men from our old church. He did his "Don't let your but get in the way" message. Apparently it sounded even better the second time around. The men of WABC showed up to show him their support (even though they had heard the message before). Got to love a group of dedicated men.

7) Several of the women from the women's ministry team will be joining me and the girls for a ladies spring fling at NLP on Friday night. After finding out about the movie premier for The Bill Collector I gave them a choice of which event to attend. They voted to go to both. Got to love a group of dedicated women. LOL

8) Saturday afternoon we attended a cookout of one of the members of our church. I swear I have gained fifty pounds in the last couple of months from all of the good food our WABC family keeps feeding us!

9) Saturday night I went to bed at 11 and slept the whole night (lately I have been having a hard time getting to sleep at night and then waking up early). Not sure what made the difference last night but I even slept through Marc coming to bed and then him getting up early in the AM to study.

10) Today we had several special guest at WABC. The descendents of the first pastor at WABC came to visit and to have two of the younger members of their family dedicated. Woodland has a rich history in the area of Norfolk (it is my aunts home church and I attended services there on several occasions as a child. So sometimes its surprising to even me that my husband is the pastor there). I have even coordinated two weddings there in the past for several members of the family.

* just got word while typing this that my services are once again needed at WABC by a family member who wants to be married in our little church.

11) We also had baptisms today. One of the young men of our church has been waiting for a while for this day. You can see the smile on his face just before he went down when Marc asked him if he had accepted Jesus as his personal savior, did he believe that Jesus is the son of God, and that Jesus died to pay for his sins on the cross. He said with confidence....yes to all three questions. Marc followed it up with a questions he ask everyone at WABC...are you going to do your very best to fulfill your purpose in the will of God. Again he said....yes. After all here at WABC we don't have any pew sitters. LOL

Note: sorry for the weird lettering blogger is acting stupid and won't allow me to put spaces in between the sentence! This was the only thing I could think of doing to make it easier to read.

Still Enjoying the Summer!

We have had a fairly mild summer so far (87 degrees). By now you know I'm not big on heat. But because the weather has been so great it has made it possible for me to enjoy the summer and get out a bit more then I usually do. This morning Marc spoke at a Men's Breakfast. While he was out the girls and I went to the nail salon where I got my feet's "did". I use to do them myself but have a hard time reaching them now (not as limber as I use to be....LOL). Later that afternoon we went to a barbecue at one of the member's of the church. Had some great food, talked with a few folks and then came home and put my beautiful feet up! What more can a girl ask for then some good food, fellowship with friends and a bit of pampering?

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife).

1) I don't recall my life being this busy over the summer in a very long time. In a way its been good because its kept me from thinking to much. Its not hard to keep your own life in perspective when so many around you have lost their loved ones.

2) Monday and Tuesday are a bit of a blur. I think I spent most of the time at home chilling. Other then that I can't tell you what I did. LOL

3) Wednesday Marc and I attended the funeral of the brother of the young man that Marc has been a mentor to for the last couple of years. Melvin did a great job. I never actually met his brother but cried like a baby through most of Melvin's speech. I had texted that morning before leaving that something had to done about all of the senseless killing that was going on in our communities. Somehow or other we as the church must do better. That afternoon Melvin showed me what should be done when he asked several of his family members to give up their life to Jesus. 20 people (or more) got up out of their seats and excepted Jesus as their savior. Its a moment I will never forget.

4) Friday Marc and I went on a "day date". We spent very little time talking about church but just enjoyed the sites and sounds of the city in which he has been called to lead. I reccomend it to everyone. Sometimes we spend so much time talking about church that we never take the time to just be a couple (sort of like when we first had our children and our whole conversation stemmed around them).

5) Friday evening we headed to a friends home to just hang out. We ate some good food, watched a few Michael Jackson videos and basically just enjoyed the company of one another. Marc said he may have been laid off from work, but he feels like he has just been on vacation for two weeks.

6) Saturday we spent time with family celebrating the 4th of July. I probably did the most cooking I have done in a very long time.

7) Many of you have asked me about Marc and how he is doing and what his plans are for the future. Still not sure, but next week he starts working as an independent consultant/contractor for the telephone company. He's taking one day at a time and surprisingly he is fairly calm about making the decision to try this on his own. He hasn't ruled out working for another company. That will depend on how steady his contract jobs are and if we can afford to pay our own health and life insurance.

8) The numbers were down today at WABC, I think in part because of the holiday weekend and the start of the summer break ( I debated myself several times on whether I would go to church this morning. Finally decided that if the 99 year old lady from our church could show up to give God the glory then so can I....LOL).

9) Marc announced today that we will finally get a hearing with the city to see of we will be able to move forward with phase 1 of our building plans. Please keep us in prayer.

10) After all of the uproar in the last few weeks I have decided to just take one day at a time, and leave all of my cares and burdens in God's hands.

11) Our vacation to Bama is still undecided at this moment, but I will be going to DC in a few weeks to attend the Women of Faith Conference. I have a feeling this will be good for me (at least I am hoping).

12) I have not been to NLP in over a month! Hard to believe but we have been so busy at WABC that I have not had the time. That will change in a few weeks because I plan to take the ladies from our Women's Ministry Team to their Summer Fling. Its a promise that I made a while back..........that we would go some place special and just be pamphered ourselves. There won't be any foot washing but we get to eat and watch a chick flick! Works for me. LOL

Happy 4th of July

Spent the day hanging out with the family (and eating lots of food). Hope you and your family had a blessed and safe 4th of July.

Harborfest 09

Marc and I went on a day "date" down to the waterfront for the cities Harborfest. In all of the years that we have been here (16 plus) we had never been. But now that we are in leadership within the city of Norfolk I thought this would give us a chance to get to know "our city". We live in the area near the downtown, but if you look at the two cities VA Beach is very different. We spent some time checking out the various food choices (most which were out of our "budget"), walked most of the park area (enjoying the live entertainment, boats and watching the local news reporters interview visitors) and even went down to check out the new cruise port. We even dreamed about one day being able to take our first cruise out of Norfolk to Bermuda or somewhere. There are so many sites within our area that we never take advantage of, maybe its time to explore all of the local possibilities.