Jess & Casey's wedding

Memorial weekend was the weekend of weddings for people in my OT class. I made the trip to Omaha/Blair, Nebraska with a couple of girls in my class to celebrate Jess & Casey's special day. Jess was a beautiful bride and I pray that they will be blessed with many years together.

Jess & Casey 5-28-2011

OT girls :)

The start of the photo booth pictures!

Kayla, Jess & Claire - I love you girls! So happy to spend this weekend with you :)

Peanut's first birthday

This summer has absolutely flown by… Please excuse my lack of blogging!

To make up for it, I am going to use the next few blogs to highlight some of my favorite memories.

I got home from school just in time to celebrate my niece/Goddaughter’s first birthday. She was a ham. I cannot believe how fast the past year has gone. My life has been changed in so many ways with her in it. Here are a couple of pictures taken around the time of her birthday. Notice the romper? Birthday gift from her favorite Auntie :)

Pre-Ecuador

My trip to Ecuador is less than a week away and I can’t help but praise God for this wonderful opportunity that has been given to me. I am truly blessed to have such a strong support system in my life and this trip could not have been made a reality without them.

As I prepare for my trip I am very thankful for every single monetary gift that was given to me… I don’t want to discount any of them! However, there was one gift that seemed to take hold of my emotions a little more than the rest. I mentioned Greg Vollrath in my previous post and the significance he plays in my Godson and Godson’s family’s life. Brock’s parents were some of many who donated for my trip. I opened up the envelope in the mail from them and the amount on the check immediately caught my attention. It was written out for $33. As I saw the amount and read the letter that came with it, I began to get a little emotional. I come from a very small town where everyone knows each other. (If you are from MC and you are reading this, you know how significant the number 33 is to the Benson family.) I also know how important Greg was to Brock’s dad and how important it is to keep Greg’s memory alive.

I truly am blessed beyond measure to be able to travel to another country with my fellow OT and PT students to treat patients at the Damien House. I hope to someday be able to pay it forward to others as a thank you to all of those who have been so generous in helping me to answer the call by providing a means for me to be able to do this.

Godson/Godmother bonding time :)

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to sneak away from the realities and demands of OT school and spend some quality time with my Godson, Brock and his family. It was everything I could ask for and more.

Let me just start by giving you a few fun facts about Brock Gregory.

1. He was named after St. Louis Cardinal Baseball legend, Lou Brock.

2. He was also named after Greg Vollrath. (Greg was my Brock’s dad’s cousin on the other side of the family.) Greg died in a car accident many years ago, but his memory lives on through his family.

3. Brock’s patron saint is Gregory the VII. Why Gregory the VII out of all the St. Gregorys?! Greg (whom Brock was named after) was a huge Larry Bird fan. Larry Bird’s number when he played for the USA was #7.

4. Brock is an almost 5-year-old spitfire that soaks up everything he hears.

I made the three hour drive to Springfield on a Friday afternoon and couldn’t wait to see the little man. I rang the doorbell and was welcomed by a little boy running to the door with a smile and energy that I can’t even begin to explain in words. Brock’s first words to me as I made my way through the door were, “Did you bring your St. Louis Cardinals swimsuit?” Much to his disappointment, I left that one at home. But I did bring my Cardinals beach towel : ).

We spent the weekend hanging out and making up for lost time. We played Pac Man, went to the pool, played Memory, went to Mass together, went to Nakato (my first time at a Japanese Hibachi Grill), made smoothies and ordered pizza… all the things you should get to enjoy doing with your Godson!

My weekend came to an end all too soon. As we said our Goodbye’s and our I Love You’s it made me realize, yet again how truly blessed (and thankful) I am to have been chosen to be his Godmother.

Celie: “You look so handsome, Brock.”

Brock: “Do I smell handsome, too? I put on some of Daddy’s cologne.”

Pool time :)

You'll be here in our hearts, always.

Edge's Obituary. A life well lived. You will be missed!

Dr. David Edgerly

On July 19, 2011, the community suffered the acute loss of a beloved and celebrated husband, son, teacher, mentor, colleague, friend.

Dr. Dave Edgerly, Quincy University assistant professor of psychology, is well remembered for his foresight, compassion, and never-waning consideration for others, not to mention his sometimes shoeless, sometimes booted, often sneakered feet. His infectious laughter and ease with life both inspired and brought pleasure to many in the various worlds he inhabited, from California, to Idaho, to Illinois, whether he donned a hat or not. Through the various manifestations of the professions that he chose (or that chose him), early as a clinical psychologist and subsequently as a professor, and the interactions he had, from the merest to the dearest, his profound ability to connect with the minds and hearts of people was readily apparent, and continually admired and appreciated.

While practicing as a clinical psychologist in Boise, Idaho, Dave healed and encouraged, and the effects of that healing are ever present. His passion for teaching began while teaching at Boise Bible College and College of Idaho. After leaving Boise, Dave served as professor and faculty athletic representative at Quincy University, where he was unassuming and accessible, and therefore was regularly sought for his knowledge and insight through his often open door.

Dave received his bachelor of science degree in psychology from Northwest Nazarene College (1976), his master's degree in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary (1980) and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fuller Graduate School of Psychology (1984). While at Fuller, Dave was the honored first recipient of the John P. Davis Memorial Scholarship Award for being the most outstanding student in demonstrating commitment to the idea that what matters most in being a psychologist is who you are as a person.

As a teacher at QU and at Quincy Notre Dame High School, Dave strove to hold students' dreams until students could begin to not only imagine, but realize those dreams for themselves. His fierce dedication in doing so made him a genuinely cherished teacher, as was made evident by his being selected by the entire student body to be the recipient of QU's annual Excellence in Teaching Award (2006), as well as his being selected by the then-graduating student body as the keynote speaker at QU's 2009 commencement ceremony.

Dave was an exemplary human being first, which caused his many other gifts to follow naturally.

Dave is survived by those he treasured, his wife, Dr. Chelona Edgerly; his mother, Betty Edgerly, and the countless grateful recipients of his penetrating love and spirit. Dave's life was defined by his spiritual journey, and to know him was to accept an open invitation to sojourn to the center of your own human nature.

SWINKEY, MO

This post was written by a family friend, Sarah Quinn Deien. It was too good not to share with everyone :) I'm proud to say my Dad is the Deacon at this little country church. It really is a place like no other!

SWINKEY, MO -- “What is Swinkey?”

It’s a question I often get. Swinkey is not a “what” but a “where.” In fact, it’s barely a “where.”

Swinkey is a little church community a few miles outside Monroe City, Mo. on Highway 24. On the map (if it makes the map, and most times it doesn’t) it’s called Indian Creek. Everyone calls it Swinkey though, after one of its original settlers. I’m not sure of the current population, but the last “census” put the number of residents at 18. If you go to church at Swinkey, that makes you a Swinkian, which would push the population considerably higher.

I come from Swinkey. Anyone who does is proud to say it. Our biggest claim to fame is the Swinkey picnic, which we just celebrated. This is the oldest continuous picnic in the state of Missouri. For more than 150 years, people have traveled to Swinkey for a fried chicken meal. It’s just good old-fashioned fun, and for many kids, the event is bigger than Christmas. A visit to the picnic means the kids will come home with scads of trinkets they’ve won at games or got in a grab bag. These days, it’s a bunch of cheapo stuff ordered from Oriental Trading Company. If you’re looking for quality at the picnic, you’ll find it at the meal and the in company, not from the prizes. Swinkey is also gaining a reputation for its challenging fall corn maze.

Those of us who hail from Swinkey like to think there is no other place in the world quite like it. I’m biased, beyond a reasonable doubt. I guess, though, Swinkey is like other tiny little villages where life centers around the church and the neighbors. A casserole is the cure to anything that ails you, whether it’s a death in the family or child birth. Swinkey women who have babies can expect homemade, home-delivered meals for a month.

Though it seems like time stands still in Swinkey, it has in fact changed a lot, even since my childhood. Most of the women don’t get to stay at home to raise their children any more. Not many of the men can farm full time. The kids are raised on the internet, computer games and iPods. But, like so many other small communities, it’s the spirit that makes it home, even if it’s not a place on the map or a detour on the information superhighway. Swinkey is not a “what” or really even a “where.” Swinkey is a state of mind.

Take care~Sarah D.

Gone, but not forgotten.

Quincy U lost one of its greatest professors yesterday. You could always count on Dr. Edgerly’s smile, kind words and laughter if you spent any time at all in the Science building at Quincy. He was an avid supporter of the athletic teams and made sure everyone knew how they were doing. He also was very supportive of our trips to Haiti, and I knew I could always count on him to promote our cause. I will always remember the great lessons he taught me about life, the importance of my education, and the wonderful ways of good ol Qunicy U. You were a kind and wonderful person and you will truly be missed. You have changed my life and I am truly blessed to have known you. It was an honor to have been your student. My heart goes out to Chelona. He loved you dearly and I can’t think of a single day of class that he did not mention your name.

RIP Dr. Edgerly. Quincy was a better place because of you.