Life couldn't be any better.

First of all, I know that saying it out loud probably will probably jinx but it has to be said (or typed, as it may be). I actually really do believe that life couldn't be any better and I just came to that realization (better late than never!) First of all, I have to tell you HOW I came to that realization. Wednesday night Leigh and I went to watch the Biscuits (the Montgomery AA baseball team) after 5:30 service and met up with a friend of ours, someone that had just graduated with Leigh last May. I asked him how he was enjoying the "grown-up" life. He answered me that it was actually great and, without even thinking, I replyed, "just wait. it really isn't all that it is cracked up to be." That is when he asked me what wasn't so great about it. That's when I realized just how slow I am.

My life is GREAT! Too close almost to perfect! First, is there ANY way that I could have a better family? Don't even bother answering. I know as well as I know anything that I do! I would be blessed immeasurably if that was the only thing I had in my life! (More to come on that subject) Second, I also am blessed with the best friends! This is easily provable. For any of you that know some of the not-so-great parts of my life you know how great my friends are. They are certainly, without a doubt, placed in my life directly by God and are too numerous to even try to name. And to tie the first two together, most of my family doubles as friends! On top of those two things (as if anyone deserves anymore), I have a job that I almost never hate and very often love that pays me well enough to pay the bills. I live in a great house in the best little neighborhood. I have almost perfect health and so does my family (something that I will never again take for granted!) and very close to no real drama in my life!

Why do we as humans always seem to jump to see only the bad. As I write this, I literally cannot think why I even answered that way! Don't get me wrong, I LOVED college, just like I loved high school and had a great childhood, but time marches on and I LOVE my life now! Now here is where the blog gets a little lengthy. I need to elaborate on my wonderful friends and family.

As most of you know, I am going to the Philippines on a mission trip with my dad, grandparents, and a cousin this summer. It is something I have always planned on doing and somewhere where I am really needed. This is a quick synopsis of what happened. When planning for the trip I had to make a budget of how much money I needed to raise. I looked up airline tickets about 3 months ago and budgeted a little over the $1200 it said that my ticket would cost. When I went to buy the ticket two weeks ago, the ticket was $1900!!! Where in the world was I going to come up with the almost $700 I needed SO quickly! My quite brilliant aunt (a shout out to KaKa =^) came up with a great idea while I was down there! She gave me some money to help and said, I didn't even know that you were going! She told me I should let more peole know that I was going via mail and e mail.

So, when I got home I planned a lot of overtime (trying to do as much as I could myself) and wrote a letter. I sent it out to the Palmer clan (my extended family that includes family going back to my great great granparents' 12 children's decendents) and a few friends from home and church. I sent them out Tuesday morning when I got off work, would you believe that I got a check in the mail from a friend THE VERY NEXT DAY!!! Here we are less than a week since then and I almost already have the entire amount! It is something that I would have to have seen with my own eyes to believe! Almost all of it has come in less than $50 incriments and a lot of it has come from people that I haven't even seen in years! I have chill bumps and tears in my eyes just telling you about it. If that doesn't convince you that A) I do indeed have the best friends and family in the world and B) in the power of God, I don't know what would!

In winding up, I can't let Mother's Day pass without mentioning some very important people. One of the best things about my childhood was how many "Mothers" I was blessed with. We grew up very close to my aunts and NaNa on my dad's side so they played more of a motherly role than they did a grandmother/aunt role. I can't imagine who I would be today without the influence of my ginGin, KaKa, and NaNa in my life. They are three of the strongest Christian women and best mothers in the world! Next, my Grandma Garner exemplifies everyhting that Proverbs 31 speaks of. My life is certainly better for just having knowing her and blessed beyond what words can define to have her as my Grandmother. She raised two women who actually couldn't be any better mothers if their children had come with a manual. there is no way that happens by fluke. The last but, certainly not least, is my Momma. Those of you who have known us since I was a child know that I gave this woman as hard of a time as a child can give a parent. I was rude, bull headed, and a brat at almost every turn. She deserved much better. But, just as I was coming to see her with that almost perfect 20/20 heinsight (sp?) she suffered from her stroke. I remember drving up to Chattanooga just praying that I would get a chance to do things different. Of course, I haven't had a chance to be a better kid growing up (I am still working a few kinks out of my time machine!) but God did give me a second chance to tell my mom how wonderful she is. I still fail at times but I do try. I know now that I could not have had a better mom. She always has prayed for us, guided us, taught us, and loved us. Anything good that I am, I have to attribute to her. I honestly believe that if I ever become a mom, if I can be half of what she was, my children will have it pretty good. Happy Mother's day to my Mom and to all of the Mother's who have and still do play such a huge roll in my life! Thank you!