Laurie's Blog

Me Vs (cough, cough) I Mean With "The Boys"

2012-01-30T14:36:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago Kesia one of my friends I originally met when I worked at 911 called and asked if her son Devin (8) could stay this past weekend with me. I made sure we were going to be in town and made sure Matt was ok with it and I told her yes. The first time I kept Devin he was 2, he has stayed with me a lot and has never been any problem. Then I had the idea that it would be "easier" and more fun if we invited Colby, our nephew (Matt's sisters oldest) to stay too. The two had met and really hit it off at our wedding but since they don't live in the same neighborhood, don't go to the same school, and don't go to the same church they haven't gotten to see each other since. It was a good idea even if I was wrong about it being "easier."

Towards the end of the work week Nathan, Leigh's husband, called Matt if he could get away this weekend. He had gotten to use his boss's condo in Orange Beach and since Leigh couldn't go he wanted to take the brother in laws on a guys fishing weekend. Matt at first said he couldn't go. We had the boys coming and he had another commitment at church on Sunday. I have to say here that Matt is a VERY hard worker. His job is not one where he goes and sits at a desk all day and leaves at 5:00. He travels to Troy (about 45 minutes- 1 hour away) almost everyday and I don't think he has ever left at 5:00. It is nothing for us to be at work at 6:00 or even 7:00 multiple nights a week. Then on the weekends he is constantly busy doing "home" stuff (i.e. painting, building stuff we need around the house, mowing the lawn/ lawn maintenence, etc.) at our house and his house that we are trying to sell. The man hardly ever has any time to relax and he never complains about it. So, I went into planning mode trying to convince him to go so he could just relax and have fun for the weekend. Finally he agreed to go.

The boys left right after work on Friday and me, L, L, and E all went out to eat. We were having a hard time deciding where to eat so we finally agreed on a "progressive dinner." We started out at Panera for soup, then we went to Moe's for dinner, then to 32° for dessert! It was so fun! Ellie is so big now that she just sat with us in the booth's! I wish I had taken more pictures because she had so much fun! At 32° we met Kesia and Dev and my weekend was off!

Dev and I got home about 9:30 and I was EXHAUSTED! I set him up with a computer in the guest room, put a DVD on in there and told him that he could stay up as long as he wanted because we were sleeping in the next morning! I also set the milk and the oj on the bottom shelf of the refridgerator and sat out the cereal, a bowl, spoon, and glass on the counter so if he did wake up early that he could fix breakfast and watch cartoons. I told him he could wake me up whenever he needed me but that if he didn't need me not to wake me up until 9:00! (I will post a link later where you can nominate me for babysitter of the year!) I lit a path from his room to mine with night lights so he could get to me easy and evidently it worked because he would come in there three times before I finally got up (for the last time) the next morning!

At about 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning I woke up to the beautiful morning sounds of Romeo (our dog) throwing up. Lovely. Nothing like getting your weekend off with a bang than by cleaning up dog puke out of the carpet. I got everything cleaned up and went back to bed. About 7:30 Devin came in and woke me up with, "Laurie, there is a bug in my room." So, I get back up go in there and find a ginormous roach. I need to interject here with if I listed the three things I hate worst in the world they would be (in order) 1. Sin 2. Roaches 3. Throw Up. But, being the super woman I am ;), I got a shoe and killed the bug. I will admit that I had to have Devin clean it up and flush it but I had had my fill up cleaning up gross things by this point. I went BACK to bed for a couple of hours and was able to get some uninterrupted sleep. I got up he had his second breakfast and I had my first.

We then got ready and went to pick up Colby. Devin was really excited and Colby was too when we got there! We immediately went to Louise's for lunch then they played for a while in the back yard before we went with Louise and E to the park to burn off some energy. After the park we went to Faulkner so we could watch the basketball game while the boys played in the multiplex (think multiple basketball courts, a volleyball court, and multiple raquetball rooms) that is attached to the gym. This was pretty successful minus a few bumps that are expected when a bunch of boys that age are playing together. After the games we went with a big group to Dairy Queen for dinner. The boys each got to order (and ate and finished!) an adult meal and a dessert! They were really happy but WOW were they "sugared" up! All of my steps that I had taken to wear them out and I just "refueled" their energy tanks! So, we went home and they were BOUNCING off the walls!

The plan was to play the Wii but, of course, I couldn't get the stupid thing to work! Plan B was Uno. Not the same level of energy burning but it was the best my exhausted self could come up with! So we played for about thirty minutes I told them to get ready for bed and they did but with a lot of extra stuff involved! I was thinking there was NO way I would ever get them to sleep. I finally got them in their beds and I went to devin's room first to turn off the light and tell him goodnight. Right after that I walked down and did the same with Colby. When I walked back down to Devin's room HE WAS ASLEEP! I walked back down to Colby's room and HE WAS ASLEEP TOO! They must have been EXHAUSTED (mwuhaha! :) and I was not complaining!

My plan to get a solid night's sleep didn't quite work out because Romeo decided about 2am that it was time to get up for the day and look for Daddy! Grrr... Finally, Sunday morning rolled in and I got up and checked on the boys and they were still asleep! This was a little before 7 so I took the opportunity to get a hot, quiet shower! THEN I finally had to WAKE them up! We all got off to church and stopped and got breakfast and we were still there on time! That, my friends, was a WIN! The boys were SO good during services and they seemed to both have a good time in Bible class! After that was lunch at Leigh's where they both ate and then played outside for a couple of more hours before we all realxed and watched a movie. As the movie was just about over MATT WALKED IN! The boys were excited to see him but NO ONE was more than I!

I am glad I survived the weekend and, most of all, I am glad that both the boys had a really good time and asked if we could do it again! that, my friends, makes it a WIN and me ONE COOL AUNT! Now, I just need a few months to recover and we WILL do it again! This time though, I more than willing to give up the "cool Aunt" title and move back over to being the one who cooks and cleans up after the "cool Uncle" and the boys!

To make sure that the weekend ended on a super good note Matt had planned a fun date night at our favorite restaurant after church Sunday night! We had some really good sushi and even better conversation and quality time. All together I am calling it a very successfull although EXHAUSTING weekend!

The Funny Thing About Dates

2012-01-17T08:34:00.002-06:00

Although I was never alive or at least of dating age when a date was very simply defined I always wished I had been! This "hanging out" and just being around each other a lot while you figure if you like each other always seemed so much more complicated than boy likes girl so boy asks girl out and if girl is interested in boy she says yes and they go eat, to a movie, etc. Then if they have a good time boy ask girl out again and girl says yes. If they continue to have a good time it becomes regular habit and the girl agrees not to say yes to any other boys that ask her out and the boy agrees not to ask any other girls out. As we all know, MOST of the time this is not how it happens for couples and we are no different, it didn't happen anything like that for us.
After Matt and I had been dating for a while we started discussing when it was that we actually started dating. These are the facts: I met him in my interview at the end of October (although some like to say they could see the writing on the wall at this point that seems QUITE impossible to me. I was VERY unhappy in my current work situation and I had NOTHING on my mind except getting this job. I did remember a guy being in the interview but I couldn't tell you ANYTHING about him. In fact, a few days later he would ask me to be his FB friend and I would have no idea who he was.
Back to the facts: I started full time in the beginning of November. Sometime around the second week in January we exchanged phone numbers and started spending time talking in the parking lot for a long time. This is around the same time that I found out that he had just gotten out of a three year relationship just a few days before. Even though I knew at this point I was developing feelings for him, I KNEW I wanted NO part of that. Proving once again that the heart is STRONGER than the mind, that didn't stop us from squeezing every extra second together at work that we could. I found myself missing him when I went home and looking forward to when he walked in every morning. Even though we had exchanged numbers already it took a week or so before we actually started calling and texting each other. Then that started happening a lot and it was over the course of these conversations that we both agreed he needed to be by himself for a while since he had just broken up with someone. We agreed but kept talking, never seeing each other outside of work but talking.
That brings us to January 17th. Thanks to Leigh's urging I invited Matt over to watch a movie that night with me and Leigh. We all watched We Are Marshall and when Leigh went to bed we stayed up and talked for a while. Even though it went completely against our own directions, he kissed me goodnight before he left. I knew I was in trouble RIGHT THEN. The next day we both snuck away from the office in separate vehicles and met at Farmhouse Kitchen for lunch. Even though they have some of the best food I have EVER had there and it has since become one of my favorite restaurants I could barely eat a bite and when Matt held my hand as he walked me to my car after he paid I thought I was going to lose the few bites I had managed to swallow!
We started seeing each other regularly from then on and haven't stopped :) Because there is no real first date per say we decided that the night he came over to our apartment would count as when we started dating since it was the first time we kissed and when we stopped fighting it. It would be a few weeks before our families and friends would find out and a few more before our co-workers and bosses would but the decision has been made and it stands, January 17th is our dateversary! People think we moved fast but if I had known then how good it would be now, I would have hurried things along even more :)

"Scarcely had I left them When I found him whom my soul loves; I held on to him and would not let him go Until I had brought him to my mother's house" Song of Solomon 3:4

The Plan

2012-01-06T13:29:00.003-06:00

A few days ago I was working downtown and on my way back to the office I passed by our old apartment and it occured to me that it has been just over a year since we moved in there! When we moved in to that tiny one bedroom apartment I had just met Matt and he was still just one of the new people that I was working with! The plan was for Leigh to set up the living room as her "bedroom" and then I would have the place to myelf in August when she got married. That old saying "If you want to make God laugh tell him your plans." comes to mind. I'm glad that God has the ultimate plan and He can laugh at mine!

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

Out With The Old?

2011-12-31T01:00:00.000-06:00

For the first time ever, I am really not sure about letting go of this year. Not because I don't look forward to wonderful things in the new year but because 2011 has been SO GOOD TO ME! Here's a quick recap:

In October of 2010 I was able to quit my job with the city and join the living and I got a job working during the day so I could sleep at night! PRAISE! I met a lot of people that I really liked at my new job including the Industrial Supply Manager, Matt.

In December of 2010 Leigh and I moved from our house into a tiny little apartment downtown. The apartment was super nice but super tiny! We knew that Leigh would be getting married and moving in the summer so we grinned and bared it knowing that it was temporary. The plan was for me to live there alone after she got married and moved in with Nate.

In January of 2011 I went through a bit of a change at my new job transitioning from mostly operations work to a lot more sales. I also went out on my first date with Matt from work.

In February Janet and I celebrated our 6 month Kidneyversary and Matt and I celebrated our first Valentine's Day!

In April I went with Matt, his parents, his sister, and her kids to Disney World! SO FUN!

In June we all went into wedding season with Leigh. Her first of nine showers was in June and the countdown to August 25th was on! Also on the first Sunday of June while I was in Trenton for one of Leigh's shower's Matt texted me and let me know that Dirt had just baptized him! We had been studying and praying and I knew he had been doing a lot of studying on his own but this news still came as a surprise and the best news of the year!

In July Matt took me on a riverboat cruise for the 4th to watch the fireworks. I LOVE fireworks and he used them as the perfect backdrop to ask me to marry him! Now we entered into DOUBLE wedding planning mode! We decided on September 24th, 28 days after Leigh and Nathan!

In August Leigh married Nathan in a ceremony that was just beautiful, romantic, and all the things a wedding should be before sailing away on a cruise to the Bahamas for a week!

In September our little Ellie turned ONE! It was bittersweet. She is growing so much which we are so grateful for but at the same time a little sad that she is not a baby anymore. That girl can walk and she can say "Mama" "Dada" "Titus" "Walt" "LeighLeigh" "LaLa" "LoLo" "Matt" "Nate" "MawMaw" "PawPaw" (or her version of these things) and can tell you what a puppy dog says, a kitty cat says, a duck says, and what Santa Claus says. She can walk like a champ and she makes the FUNNIEST expressions. She has developed quite her own little personality this year and A LOT of it! Also in September I got to walk down the aisle to the man I have no doubt God created just for me. We married in a ceremony that was just perfect and had a reception afterwards that was better than I ever could have imagined! We left that day and drove to Atlanta before flying out the next morning to the Secrets St. James resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica! Best week of not only the whole year but maybe of my whole life!

In October we got settled in to our new home and started settling into our new life together.

In November we celebrated Thanksgiving with my entire family in Trenton the weekend before Thanksgiving and celebrated on Thanksgiving day with Matt's family here in town.

In December we went "home" to Valdosta and had Christmas with the Walker's and came back and celebrated Matt's 31st birthday with a lot of our family and friends at Matt's favorite restaurant, Miyako! On Christmas Eve we went over and celebrated with Matt's grandparents and aunt, uncle, and cousins and then went over and had Christmas with his immediate family. Before midnight Christmas Eve we had already received WAY MORE than we deserved! Since we got in so late we just stayed up and waited on Santa and celebrated our very first Christmas together just the two of us at our house a little after midnight on Christmas morning! Later that day we celebrated with my immediate family after Mom, Dad, and Grandma arrived. By the time we went to bed that night we were POOPED! WONDERFUL FIRST CHRISTMAS!

See why I would be a little hesitant to let go of 2011? My life has changed more than ever but all for the better! God has already surprised me by giving me way more that I could have ever even asked for in 2011 and I fully trust that He will take just as good of care of us in 2012 but I am still putting 2011 away as my year ever. So far :)

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

2011-12-27T10:41:00.002-06:00

I must say that either Santa has REALLY lowered his standards or he got me confused with someone else this year, there is NO WAY I was good enough to deserve all I got! I am making myself blog this morning because I want to remember this Christmas! First, this is what our Christmas season has looked like:

December 9-11: Christmas with the Walker side in Valdosta and my high school homecoming.
December 11: Matt's birthday party at Miyako.
December 15: Girl's Night Christmas Party and ornament swap.
December 16: Melissa and her girls came into town and spent the night with us.
December 17: Santa Claus came to our neighborhood and the nieces and nephew came to see him and have a big brunch.
December 18: The Young Professionals class from University had their annual Christmas party and Dirty Santa.
December 22: Office Christmas party.
December 23-26: OFF WORK!
December 24: Christmas with the Sulkosky side of the family.
December 24: Christmas with the Morris'.
December 25: Santa came to our house so Matt and I had our first Christmas together.
December 25: That afternoon my parents and Grandma Garner came in town and we had our Walker Christmas.
December 26: Christmas dinner at our house.
December 27: Christmas with the Bond's.
December 30: My parents will leave to go back home.

I don't THINK I left out anything except THE WORST stomach virus I have ever had (20th-22nd) and passing some kidney (or bladder, yet to be determined) stones (24th-NOW). Even those things had NO CHANCE at spoiling this Christmas though!

I will be posting some actual pictures later but these are some of my favorite gifts I received this year:

A Nikon D3000 camera from the world's greatest husband!

A cooling memory foam mattress topper from my parents!

Some more pieces of my Lenox Holiday Christmas china from my parents!

A Dyson vacuum cleaner from my in laws!

A Waxing Poetic necklace from my in laws!

A Kindle Fire from my in laws!

A steamer from my sister in law!

The two gifts that I CAN'T WAIT to post pictures of are the one's my sister's gave me! This year we decided that instead of buying each other gifts that we would make each other something. Since we are all on Pinterest we all had a plethora of good ideas and we just thought it would be something fun and less expensive. Louise and Leigh both got the crafty gene that skipped completely over me! Louise made a wreath for my front door using Hydrangea's similar to the ones used in my wedding. It is SO PRETTY! Leigh made such a cute hanging calendar that you use dry erase markers to write on and this magnet board that is one of THE CUTEST things I have ever seen! I can't wait for you all to see them!

I need to tell you all that I am quite convinced I am the MOST blessed human being that has ever walked the face of the Earth! To have been blessed with the most wonderful family that I was born into and get to be raised how and where I was and then get to marry THE BEST man that God could have ever created for me who has a family that I just LOVE getting to be a part of! If I started actually counting my every blessing now there is no way that I could live long enough to name them all. I just could never begin to thank God enough!

This husband of mine, this best friend/best nurse/ best helper/ best at making sure the garbage gets taken out/ best gift giver/ most thoughtful/ best provider/ best hugger/ most loving/ sweetest/ best Uncle/ best gift giver/ best cookie decorator/ even does the dishes sometimes husband of mine is the present God really outdid Himself with. I have always had a wonderful family, although I try not to take it for granted and I love them with all of my heart, I have never known anything different. The same goes with my great friends. I have always hoped that if I ever had in laws that I would love them and have a good relationship with them. But, in my wildest dreams I never even knew a husband could be so great so I didn't even know TO wish for it! God took my greatest expectations for a husband and basically said, "THAT is the best you can dream up?!? Thank goodness I was in charge of creating him!" and gave me something SO much more and SO much better!

I was SO, SO sick Tuesday night. Not a I just feel bad and need to be left alone to recover sick....NO, a somebody had to be there to help me and clean up after me, no less pleasant in the world kind of sick! This man was so wonderful. He never complained and never made me feel bad for the high level of grossness that he was having to deal with or his lack of sleep. He put himself in harm's way (I can't imagine anyone in their right mind choosing to even breathe in the same air as me for fear they might catch it) to help me not only LIVE through it but to help make me as comfortable as possible. He had me at the Doctor when they unlocked the doors that next morning and did all he could to help me recuperate from that night of terror. What did he get for all of his hard work? Well, me passing stones and feeling terrible just as all of our guests were arriving. Bless his heart. I know he wasn't planning on pushing the "in sickness" part of our vows so early into our marriage!

All the gifts I received may sound like they are the reason this was the best Christmas ever but I assure you, they were not even the icing on the cake, they were just the sprinkles. I can honestly say that spending Christmas with Matt and my family made for the greatest Christmas. Plus, truth be told, as great as all of those gifts and all the others are, I got the greatest gift back in September.

I hope all of you had just as wonderful of a holiday season as I did!

CATCH UP....Again!

2011-12-07T15:58:00.002-06:00

I am through apologizing for my lack of time and blogging abilities! Just accept me for who I am! ;) I think the best way to do this is to do a quick synopsis month by month!

July

Besides the engagement (already blogged about!) July was VERY busy with birthdays (mine and Leigh's among other's), wedding showers (for Leigh), and lots and lots of wedding planning (mine and Leigh's)!

August

August brought mine and Janet's ONE YEAR KIDNEYVERSARY! We had a little party at our new house and it was amazing! One year is SUCH a huge milestone for a kidney recipient and my family, Janet's family, and a few mutual friends, along with myself were SO HAPPY to get to celebrate with her! I had NO idea when I checked into UAB on August 12th, 2010 how much my life would change and in how many different ways that it would by August 2011! August also brought A LOT more wedding shower's for Leigh and a WHOLE LOT more wedding planning! Finally, after almost a year of preparation my baby sister walked down the aisle in the perfect dress to the perfect music with the most perfect flowers and married the man of her dreams! They then left on what has been described to all of us as THE PERFECT honeymoon! It was a WONDERFUL day! :) And, boy, did we all nap afterwards! ;) Not for long though....September 24th was RAPIDLY approaching!

September

Ah, September! September was filled with showers, Ellie's birthday (already blogged about!) and lots of other things that I can't remember right now because ALL I can remember is September 24th. 340 days after I first laid eyes on him, 248 days after our first date, 82 days after he asked me, and approximately 222 days after I first knew I would, I walked down the aisle and said "I do." to the man of my dreams. It was a perfect ceremony, surrounded by perfect flowers, I was in the perfect dress, and every t was crossed and i was dotted just perfectly but MOST IMPORTANTLY, I walked down the the PERFECT man for me! It was more than I could have ever dreamed of and HE is DEFINITELY more than I could have ever dreamed for! It's so RIDICULOUS to me that I ever thought I could marry anyone else! I thank the Lord EVERYDAY that I live on His time and not my own! I will post another post with pictures but, honestly, it was the most perfect ceremony, down to the smallest detail! I would LOVE to give a shout out to all those that made it possible but that would just be setting me up to fail! However, be looking for a post VERY soon about two of the best friends a person could ever ask for! After the wedding was the HONEYMOON in Jamaica! Perfect and wonderful and I am counting down the days until we can do it again! Again, pictures will follow on a later post!

October

Wow! How chilly weather and the end of the year snuck up on me! This month involved A LOT of getting our house from moved in to lived in, A LOT of Auburn, Tennessee, and Faulkner football, a trip to the pumpkin patch, some more family birthdays, and a lot of readjusting back to the post honeymoon real world! It also brought Matt's second trip down to Valdosta and we had my shower down there! SO fun and it will be referenced in the "coming" blog I already spoke of!

November

More football, MORE football, the beginning of holiday traveling, A LOT of eating, and Ellie's first steps! Having Matt around this year and Ellie a little older REALLY cushioned the awful, no good, very bad year that Tennessee had!

Finally! That catches us up! I missed a lot, I KNOW and if I know myself at all, I know that I probably forgot some really BIG things so be looking for me to revise this post pretty soon! However, I consider myself OFFICIALLY caught up and I feel that I can start blogging when I want now without being overwhelmed with how much I have to catch up on! Maybe you'll be hearing from me more than five times in the coming year! ;)

Interruption

2011-09-18T21:13:00.002-05:00

I'd like to take a moment to interrupt your regular scheduled programming to remind you that....................WE ARE GETTING MARRIED THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We now return to your regular scheduled programming.

Dear Ellie

2011-09-16T13:59:00.002-05:00

Dear Ellie,

I so wish that I was more eloquent with words than I am! There are so many things that I want to tell you but the translation from my heart to the keyboard is not very good. It's funny when I think back to a year ago today. I had worked all night and was so tired and your Leigh Leigh called me and said I needed to get up to the hospital! We were so nervous! I knew I would be so excited to meet you but I had totally underestimated how nervous I would be about your mom (my little sister!) being in labor! I don't think I will EVER forget that moment when your dad sent us the text with your picture saying that you and your momma were healthy! There is no telling how many hours I had spent in prayer for you to be healthy and your mom to have a healthy delivery! To see your precious little face was just the biggest relief ever! I'm not sure if there has ever been a child more anticipated, more prayed for, and more loved than you are, Ellie Jones! I use the analogy all the time that I feel like I was the grinch before you were born and meeting you made my heart grow three sizes bigger! Sometimes I just look at you and am overtaken by emotion! I always thought that I could never love anybody more than I love your mom and your LeighLeigh but then I met you! There is something special about the little girl of my little sister! I was so nervous when I was first introducing your Uncle Matt to the family but I couldn't wait for him to meet you! I knew that you would win him over just as soon as he met you and you did! Now, just a week from tomorrow you will crawl down that aisle (or be rolled down in a wagon :) towards him right before I do! There are so many thing that I want to tell you! Like to always remember how many people you have that just love you to pieces! There will, undoubtedly, be hard times in the coming years but, no matter what the hard times bring, having so many people around that love you is sometimes the only thing that helps. I know this from experience! I also want you to never take for granted having the parents and grandparents that you have! I also know from experience what a gift it is to have good, Godly parents and grandparents! People are lucky to have one really good spiritual role model in their life and you are surrounded by them! There are so many things that I guess will have to wait for other birthday letters but the last thing that I want to tell you is that, no matter what anybody else says, you are 51% Tennessee, 49% Auburn, and you will ignite a riot if you EVER wear crimson! ;) I love you so much sweet baby Ellie, I pray for you every day and will continue to! I pray that you will always be as healthy and happy as you are now. I pray you always keep your eyes on the goal of heaven. I pray for the parents of your future husband that they are making as good decisions raising him as your parents are making raising you. I can't wait to see the plans God has for you!

Love~

La

The Move(s), The Fireworks, and The Ring!

2011-07-05T09:06:00.004-05:00

WHEW! What a weekend! As I mentioned in my last post we got a new house and me and Leigh decided to go ahead and move out of the apartment to save a little money. So, the plan was over this long weekend and also the first weekend we have stayed in town in over a month so we got to moving! Matt's parents have been AMAZING and have put in countless hours in June painting and cleaning and painting and mowing and painting and shopping and painting and did I mention PAINTING?!?!?! So all of the immediate needed living area of the new house was ready to be moved into! My parents drove also threw their hats in for parents of the year by driving down here Friday night just to help us move! Dad and Matt painted Friday night while Louise, Mom, and I went and packed up the apartment. I need to say something about Dirt and Louise here. I moved to Montgomery in 2006 from Lineville under not awesome circumstances and they came and packed me up there and moved me and Leigh into our old apartment. We were only there for a year before we moved into our house on Hill Hedge and they helped us move there. We lived there from September 2007-December 2010. Then they helped us move into the downtown apartment (which was UPSTAIRS) and I still wasn't allowed to lift anything over ten pounds so that was probably the worst move! Then, here we are less than a year later, and we called on them again to move us out of the UPSTAIRS apartment! I know I probably harp on this too much but I REALLY do believe I have the best family ever! They go far beyond "normal" familial duties!

So, now we are to Saturday morning. Now, look, I know how most of you feel about the kidney thing and I understand that but I am being dead serious when I say that if my options were doing a surgery like that again and spending my entire Saturday of a holiday weekend helping friends move heavy furniture an boxes out of an upstairs apartment in the blazing heat I promise I would pick the surgery! Moving is just SO AWFUL! I HATE IT! All that being said, Tiffany, Everette, and Belle Johnson all gave up their holiday weekend ALL DAY on Saturday to do just that! There are no words because we wouldn't be anywhere NEAR as close to being done as we are without them! Friends like that are indeed PRICELESS!

ALL DAY Saturday we moved most of our stuff out of the apartment then went to Matt's house in Dalraida and got all of his furniture and big stuff and then took all of mine and his stuff to our new house. Although I won't be officially moving in for a few months we went ahead and took everything except my daily essentials and a box spring and mattress over there so when I do move in there won't be hardly anything to move! We did the same with Leigh's stuff. We took most everything to their new house and just her living essentials over to Matt's house in Dalraida where we'll be staying. We got so much done but I think I speak for the entire group when I say we were thoroughly exhausted!

Sunday in between services we moved more stuff from the house in Dalraida to the new place. Monday we were up and at it again early and I met Leigh and Jessica, who ALSO threw her hat in the ring for friend of the year, at the apartment and we got the last of the stuff and gave the place a good scrubbing. It's an awesome apartment but I am super glad not to be there. Monday Tom, Matt's dad and Matt worked like dog's getting stuff out of storage and two more truckloads of stuff while me, his mom Rose, and Ellie :) all started unpacking at the new house and trying to get things in order there.

When I first moved to Montgomery I was able to buy some pieces of the most beautiful bedroom suite. I only had enough money to purchase some but always planned on finishing it out later. I had even told my family for the past few birthdays and Christmases that I really wanted the nightstand from the set. Well, the first time that Matt came over to the apartment we were sitting in the living room/Leigh's room watching tv and Matt looked in my room and said, "I think we have the same bedroom suite" I should have known then what good taste he has! :) Turns out we had the exact same set from the exact same furniture store! Together we have more than an entire set MINUS ONE nightstand! SO, I had been telling Matt that for my upcoming birthday that I really wanted that nightstand. Then we got the master bedroom put together and it NEEDED that nightstand! It just couldn't wait! ;) Matt called me from the furniture store and said that the nightstand had been discontinued! BOO! He assured me that it would all work out and even though I didn't have time to dwell on it I was really disappointed about that stupid nightstand!

Later that afternoon while Matt and his dad were out getting stuff from storage and the old house and picking up our new grill Louise and dirt came over to pick up Ellie who had been helping me unpack the kitchen while here mom and dad did a little shopping. Louise was real insist ant that I come back to one of the guest rooms to decide about furniture placement. It was weird because the room isn't even painted yet but I'm still enjoying the process so anytime someone wants to talk about it I'm all in :) Then Matt's mom came and got us and said that I needed to go to the master to look at something. When I walked in there was the beautiful nightstand! With some awesome luck Matt and Tom had been able to find just the ONE nightstand that had been moved to the furniture stores clearance center since it was discontinued! YAY! Now our master bedroom set is complete and it looks awesome! As soon as I get everything cleaned up I will post some before and after house pictures!

Matt had planned for us to ride on the riverboat to watch the fireworks that night so we had to bust it and get ready and eat some bbq with his parents and run by and see everybody at Leigh's before we loaded at 8:30. by the time we got on the boat we were POOPED! We just sat inside and talked. Even though we are together almost all of the time we hardly ever get to do anything just the two of us. We had so much fun just sitting there talking! Before we knew it almost two hours had past and it was time for the fireworks! If you know much about me you know that I LOVE fireworks! The 4th is my favorite non big two holiday! I just LOVE IT!

So, we went out to the deck with everyone else to watch the fireworks over the skyline. It was so perfect! Matt was standing behind me and about half way through he asked me if I was happy. I, of course, answered, "Well, yeah!" and he replied with, "You know what would make me happy?" and I felt him moving! I turned around and he was on one knee with the ring and said, "If you'll marry me!" I said (again), "Well, yeah! Get up! Are you getting your pants wet?!" (It had been raining so it was so wet on the deck!) Turns out the couple right beside us had the same idea and got engaged at the same time! It was just one of those rare completely perfect moments in life.

I know life won't always be as wonderful as it is right at this moment but I am enjoying every second of it while it is! He is, without a doubt, the man that I remember my parents praying for as a little girl. My life is such proof that God's timing is undeniably best!

Morgan Immitating LoLo Preaching!

2011-06-15T09:15:00.002-05:00

Thanks Michelle for helping out your Not-Very-Technically-Savvy friend!

Sorry this video is grainy (shot in the dark with my cell phone) and sideways (I have no idea why) but it is probably my favorite 8 second video EVER! :)

A New House, A Shower, and "The Water", and THE Crawl!

2011-06-10T11:54:00.006-05:00

Seems like life is moving at mach speed these days! I can't believe how ridiculously different my life is than it was less than a year ago! And it doesn't appear that it will be slowing down or staying the same anytime soon!

About a month ago the house next to Matt's parents went into foreclosure and his parents asked if we would be interested in buying it. This house is just gorgeous! WAY nicer than what I ever expected to live in and worth WAY MORE than what either one of us could afford to live in! However, because it was a foreclosure it was made possible. We talked it over and decided to go for it! We decided to paint every room except the kitchen and laundry room so we have been spending every night except Wednesday and Thursday nights (mid week church services and church league softball) working over there! Very tiring but VERY exciting!

Because of that purchase me and Leigh decided to go ahead and try to re-lease our apartment and we are SO thankful it rented! Now we are in the process of moving Nathan into his and Leigh's new house, Matt into his new house, and me and Leigh into Matt's old house. Of course we all have full time jobs and we are out of town EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND this month due to showers, family reunions, and birthdays. No biggie! No stress! :) Me and Leigh will live in Matt's house in Dalraida until she moves into their new house after the wedding and I will stay in Matt's old house getting it ready to be sold until ????

Speaking of showers, Leigh had her first (of TEN if I am counting right :) wedding shower in Trenton at mom and dad's congregation. It was SO NICE! I'm sure she will be blogging about it but she RACKED UP! Those people are like family to us and they truly spoiled her! She is so blessed, we all are, to have them in our lives!

Her shower was on a Sunday in between services. The order of services in Trenton is class at 9:30am EST and worship at 10:30am EST. At our home congregation the schedule (we attend the early service) is worship at 8:30 CST and class at 9:30 CST so we are actually at services at the same time on Sunday morning. Well, while I was in class at Trenton I got a text from Matt. I thought that was weird because, although he had no idea what time class and services are in Trenton, I knew he should be in worship service. But, I though maybe he was texting to tell me he was sick or that he had decided to sleep in and go to late service since I wasn't there.

I have to insert here that Matt was raised very devout Catholic. Ever since I met him he would come to services with me at University but he would also attend mass at his church that meets at a different time. He has been studying the entire time we have been dating. He is very much a student of the Bible and enjoys studying, especially with two members of The Church who were both raised Catholic. On the advise of many we have tried to stay away from much religion discussion for obvious reasons. Because of that, I knew he had been studying a lot lately but I really had no idea where he was in his studies.

Back to the text, I open it and it says, "Would you be upset if I got baptized when you weren't here?" WHAT?!? I was so taken back I didn't even know what to think! I texted him back and told him that, of course, I wanted to be there but NO I would never be upset if he did it while I wasn't there. Then I HAD to ask if he was just inquisitive or he was thinking about TODAY! He said he was thinking about that day and had been thinking about it for a while! I called him after our services and their class was over and he said he wanted to talk to Dirt and they were going to lunch and I said to let me know when he decided. I was SO NERVOUS and SO HAPPY! I carried my phone around like it was glued to me for the next hour or two. Then I had to take Morgan to the restroom and I sat it down for just a minute. OF COURSE, when I got back I had a text and a missed call. I didn't even open the text, I just called him right back. He said, "Didn't you read my text?" and made me open the text with him on the phone. The text read, "I was just baptized :)" He had discussed it with Dirt and they went back to the church building and Randy, our preacher, took his confession and Dirt baptized him! There are no words to describe how I felt! Just a great day in so many ways!

Right after that conversation we left for Leigh's shower. After all the "showering" was done, Michelle took Morgan on a walk through the building and tried to explain what Matt had done. She took her to the baptistery, which she is infatuated with anyways. She is always asking to go see "the water." When they came back in the shower Morgan asked me if I would take her back to see "the water." So, off we went. On the way to the auditorium she is telling me how Matt got "in the water" and how she is so happy. SO SWEET! It meant VERY little to me that she had no idea what was really going on! :)

When we got up there we looked at "the water" some more and then she wanted to stand where LoLo stands (LoLo is my dad and he stands at the pulpit when he is preaching :) I pulled the chair up there so she could stand there and she giggled and played for a minute. Then I said, "What does LoLo say when he is up there preaching?" She didn't even hesitate. She replied by banging her hand on the pulpit (which he never does!) and said in the microphone loudly, "GET IN THE WATER!" HAHAHAHA! I did get my phone out and ask her to repeat it but I can't figure out how to load it on here. SO FUNNY! It was such a fun and happy weekend!

When we got home Louise, Ellie, and Dirt turned back around on Wednesday and left for family vacation in Chattanooga. I HATE when Ellie is not around! They FINALLY brought her back on Sunday ;) But, because Matt and I had taken a little trip to Jackson to celebrate Grandma's 80th birthday and for him to meet that side of the family we weren't going to be able to see her until Monday after work. Ellie will be nine months old this Thursday. She sits up better than almost any other baby I have ever seen, she says "MaMa" and "DaDa" and scoots like a champ wherever she wants to go but the kid seemed determined to NOT CRAWL! Until Monday! She FINALLY DID IT! And boy can she move! And every time she does you would think she has just won the Olympics the way we go on! What a champ! Needless to say, we are BURSTING with excitement and couldn't be more proud!

I hate to keep pounding on the same things but I am just so blessed and I DO. NOT. EVER. take it for granted. I am so thankful for this life that I am getting to live! Stay tuned....

Quick Catch Up....

2011-05-09T17:31:00.002-05:00

OK, I am just going to have to skim over the biggest year of my life so far or I am NEVER going to be able to blog again! It is just too overwhelming! ONE DAY I promise that I am going write about the surgery from my standpoint one day but that day is just not today. Let's see what you have missed since I last wrote...

1. The entire Philippines trip

2. Surgery

3. ELLIE!!!!

4. New job!

5. Leigh got engaged!

6. Matt :)

1. It was amazing AS ALWAYS but this one was topped off by finding out the very day that my plane took off that I was a match for Janet! I honestly believe that everyone should take one trip to a third world country to do mission work. Everyone may not love it the same as I do and want to continue doing it but NO ONE would ever regret going and it will change your life.

2. The surgery is one of the best and the worst things that has ever happened to me. I got to see the best in SO MANY people but physically it was the worst! I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I have never regretted for one minute doing it! The funny thing about it is that everyone thinks Janet received the gift but it was definitely me who is better off than before the surgery.

3. ELLIE! Isn't she the best thing ever??? I mean, seriously! I feel like my heart is literally outside of my body and when she is happy it brings me a joy like no other but when she is upset it literally breaks my heart! That little person is definitely proof of God's perfection!

4. I am no longer working night shift, no longer at 911, no longer working multiple jobs, and am no longer in school. Consequently, I no longer have any money. However, the life I have gained is worth more than all of the money in the world.

5. Leigh is engaged! The proposal was awesome and I am SO GLAD we all got to be a part of it and witness it! She is in the midst of wedding planning and although she is a little stressed she is loving every minute of it! We love Nathan and are all impressed that he can deal with the little Walker fireball! Just kidding! I, obviously, think she is the greatest and no one deserves her but he is a good, Christian man and I hope God showers them with more blessings than they know what to do with! Stay tuned for details on the impending nuptials!

6. Meet Matt. The kindest, funniest, sweetest, adorable, most handsome, most thoughtful, calmest, most encouraging, most helpful, most loving person I have ever met! There is a line from one of my favorite movies that goes, "You are everything that I never knew that I always wanted." Matt is that for me. He's kind of like Ellie because it is hard for me to remember a time before him. Apparently, God's time REALLY is better than my own.

Holiday Cards :)

2010-11-15T16:46:00.004-06:00

So after seeing Louise, Leigh, and Michelle's blogs I thought I would pick out a few photo cards that I liked and that I felt fitting since A LOT has happened for me in 2010! It has been a GREAT year for me and for my family! :)

But before starting let me say that shutterfly is one of my favorite sites!!!

My favorite thing I have made off of shutterfly is the memory book we made for Louise and Dustin after their wedding. We took all their pictures from their wedding and set up their room and had a book like this. She absolutely loved it and it was so fun!

The other thing I love is the calendars. I think with the arrival of little Ellie that maybe a good thing to do to record what she looks like every month of next year! :) She is growing so much and just loved more than words can express!

But on to the cards! I think the following cards would be absolutely GREAT!

I like this one because it has a story and I think that would be a way to update everyone on what has gone on in my life! I will be updating my blog on that soon to let everyone know how everything is going since the surgery!

This is the same thing and I feel like it describes exactly how I have felt this year! WHAT A YEAR!! But a GREAT year!!

If anyone else wants to get some free holiday cards go here!!

Where do I start???

2010-08-29T22:33:00.002-05:00

I said I wasn't going to blog ever again because I had gone too long and there was too much to catch up. But, I have changed my mind. I have got to document all of this because I never want to forget it all. This is the Summer that I found out how much I was loved. You know how people say that they wish that so-so could have heard all of the nice things people say at their funeral before they died? I feel like I have heard all of those nice things or, more accurately, felt all of the nice things people would say at my funeral this Summer. I never want to forget that. I am not sure I can finish it all in one blog so I am going to just try to catch up as I can before I have to get up from the couch that I have lived on the past few weeks.

I'll start with my trip to the Philippines (which seems like FOREVER ago). First thing, Magiboo wasn't there. He had gone to spend the Summer with his mom in Manila and they thought he would be back before we left but he didn't get back. I have since learned that his mom has enrolled him in school in Manila and they don't know if he will ever come back to Salamonge Sur. Things are different there. The courts aren't very involved, there are no social services. I pray for Magiboo everyday and it breaks my heart to think I may never see him again but my only option in this situation is to trust that God knows best. Not too long after I got back there was a typhoon that went through Manila and I just stayed in bed crying and praying and watching the news. That is when I decided I had to give the Magiboo situation to God. We had eleven baptisms on our trip and I met all of the new boys at PTC. I love those boys and my PTC family. I had so many fun times and memories that I wanted preserve but I let too much time lapse. Maybe one day I will pull out pictures and that will trigger things but for now I have too much other stuff on my mind. Part of my heart is in the Philippines and probably always will be.

The next thing that happened in my life that I want to remember forever is my birthday weekend. July 18th I turned 29 + 1 (It's my blog so I don't have to type it!). A few months back Louise, Leigh, and Michelle all surprised me by saying that I needed to take off my birthday weekend and that I needed to pack one dress and one casual outfit. Here are the things I thought. The first thing I thought was that we were going to the Braves game. Almost immediately I realized that couldn't be so because Louise would be seven months pregnant and Louise hates outdoor events because, even NOT pregnant she is the most hot natured person I know and pregnant she is like a walking heater. So I really didn't have an idea for the casual idea. As for the dress outfit, I figured that they had reservations at a nice restaurant in downtown. I was wrong!

We left on Saturday morning (the 17th) and all I knew was that we were gong to Atlanta. Off we go on I85 North and right through Atlanta we went. I was very confused. We ended up going to Adairsville, outside of Atlanta. This is where Leigh's boyfriend, Nathan, is from and where Leigh gets her hair done. Leigh had been after me for a while to get my hair cut and I hate to get my hair cut. It literally makes me sick to my stomach. It's not like I love my hair and spend lots of time on it. It stays in a ponytail 95% of the time. I just hate to cut it. I can't explain it, I just hate to cut it. So, when we pulled up to the salon I started making my case that I would get my hair washed (LOVE TO HAVE MY HAIR WASHED!) and trimmed but I was NOT getting it cut! Needless to say, I walked out of there with about nine inches cut off and a totally new hairstyle. Leigh's reasoning and the idea of how hard the long hair would be to take care of during my upcoming recovery convinced me to just cut it off. I donated the cut off hair Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program. This is my eighth time donating my hair and I now donate through Pantene's program instead of Locks of Love for two reasons. One, you only have to donate eight inches instead of ten and second, they make wigs for adult cancer patients and Locks of Love only makes wigs for children.

Next, we headed back towards Atlanta. We stopped and did a little shopping. Leigh had already bought me a new dress for the trip and I bought some new jewelry and new shoes. The shopping was super fun! Next we went and checked into the Holiday Inn Express that is right off the interstate and right beside the Braves stadium. You probably think that now I thought that we were going to the Braves game but I knew that Leigh had lots of points with Holiday Inn Express where she got rooms for free and this one was convenient to all of Atlanta. When we got checked in we immediately got ready in our dress outfits and back in the car we went. They took me to the FOX THEATRE to see Phantom of the Opera!! If you have never been there, you have got to go! This was my second time to go and I LOVE the theatre! It was just awesome! I fell asleep thinking my birthday (the next day) would have a hard time living up to that day!

On Sunday morning we woke up and had a worship service with the four of us in the room. Then, they broke the news to me that we were going to the Braves game! I was super shocked because I was SO SURE we weren't! So, we got dressed and loaded up the car and then walked to Turner Field. You have to know that I love the theater and I love concerts and I love lots of things. But, there is nothing that I love as much (and have loved my whole life) as I do going to Braves and Vols games! I had always wanted to go to a Braves game on my birthday and what better one to do it at than this BIG birthday! I was SO excited but it didn't take long to realize that it was HOT for a day game at the Braves game! We had awesome tickets but before we could even get to them Louise was feeling the effects of the heat. God bless her. She was so sick from the heat and as soon as we got in the stadium, straight to the medic station we went! Turns out her blood pressure and her sugar were ok and after a few minutes in the cold AC and a cold bottle of water she was ready to go. What a trooper! I hope that if I ever get pregnant I am half as tough and active as she has been! No wonder she looks so good! The game was SO fun and the Braves won big! After the game we capped off the weekend with a meal at one of my favorite places and a Braves game day tradition- The Varsity! Perfect! I will post pictures from this adventure soon!

It is almost one am and this has not been one of my easier days in this recovery process so I am going to wrap this up and take it up tomorrow. I'll pick up in my post twenty's!

What a 36 hours!

2010-05-25T22:43:00.004-05:00

Our friends the Anderson's from Lexington!

We LOVED the sea lions!

ALCATRAZ!!!

Me and Dad on Pier 39 in front of Alcatraz!

Holy cow! In the past thirty-six hours I have found out that I am going to be undergoing major surgery and changing someones life as a result, gotten to give that news (which was one of the best moments of my life), left for a 28 hour trip to Manila, missed my plane by three minutes, stayed without any luggage in a hotel in Atlanta, had a huge breakfast, flew to San Francisco, had a MARVELOUS little mini (8 hours to be exact) vacation, and am now getting ready to fly out to Taipei, Taiwan! That's the condensed version. Let me start back in Montgomery on MONDAY...

So, Louise wrote about me finding out about being a match and telling Janet. After that I was in a RUSH! I hadn't finished packing, hadn't showered, and still had cleaning to do before my flight left at 5:20! I got the call at about 8:30, packed until 10 (when Janet got to work), then went to tell Janet. I got back home about 12:30, which left me 2 1/2 hours to finish packing, clean my house, and clean myself! After a major rush, I got finished just in time to see Louise and Leigh pull up to the house to take me to the airport.

We got to the Montgomery airport and checked my bags in and then Louise and Leigh sat there with me for 30-45 minutes and then I went on through security back into the passenger only area. As soon as I got back there, I found out the plane was delayed. Then it was delayed again. Finally (about an hour and a half late), we got off the ground (that included a 45 minute sit on the runway). When I got to Atlanta, I had come in at the gate that was THE ABSOLUTE FURTHEST from the gate I was scheduled to leave from. Of course. So, then I trekked all the way across the airport by myself to the gate I was supposed to meet Dad and Chris at. When I finally got there I got a call from Dad saying they STILL hadn't left Chattanooga and that we were going to miss our flight to San Francisco and for me to come to the gate where they would be arriving. Anybody want to guess where that gate was? No kidding, just four gates away from where I had arrived, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AIRPORT! So, on I went.

Finally, one minute after we were supposed to take off to San Francisco, they arrived. They ran out and asked if they could call them and tell them to hold the plane and we would run down to that gate. They said no and Daddy bargained with Delta for the next two hours before FINALLY, at about 11p.m. EST we headed over to The Crowne Plaza (courtesy of Delta Airlines). Daddy and Chris went to the food to order and bring it up to the rooms to eat. They ordered me some cheese sticks but I went on up to the room. I never saw the cheese sticks. I didn't see Daddy again that night. I was so exhausted and that bed was SO COMFORTABLE, that I just fell into the bed.

TUESDAY morning (about 6 1/2 hours after I layed down) we got up and had an awesome breakfast with Chris downstairs then went back to the Atlanta airport. Guess what? Plane DELAYED. About an hour later than our original time we boarded the plane ONLY to find out once we got on that we were going to have to sit on the runway for an hour and a half. And, of course, I was in the middle of three seats. Just lovely. After THE LONGEST 4 1/2 hour flight ever, we arrived in San Francisco!

As soon as we got there we went ahead and took a taxi down to Fisherman's Wharf. This was the best option since we all were loaded down with luggage. We found a place on the pier, looking off at Alcatraz to eat clam chowder in a sour dough bread bowl, which is MY FAVORITE!!! SO GOOD! Then we walked around and did a little sight seeing, a little shopping, a took a few pictures. It was down on the pier that I found this LOVELY little fudge shop and did a little shopping there! Whoo! After that we decided we were going to take a trolley and then the subway back to the airport. It was on the trolley that we met the nicest couple! Carol and Richard Anderson from Lexington, KY. Dad was wearing his name tag that said Trenton church of Christ and they started talking to us because they are members of the church of Christ in Lexington! Big shout out to them because I AM NOT SURE we would have made it back without about another $50 taxi ride! They were so nice and when Daddy and I go up to Lexington for a ballgame, we will definitely be calling them!

NOW, as I write this (about 11:45p.m. CST and 9:45p.m. PST on Tuesday night) we are waiting on our flight to leave. It will leave at 1:45a.m. PST and it is a 12 hour flight to Taipei. We SHOULD only be there for about two hours and then FINALLY on our way to Manila! We should arrive in Manila about two hours later, 9:35a.m. Filipino time on Thursday (which will be 8:45p.m. CST Wednesday)! From there it is a five hour van ride and, FINALLY, we should be there! I covet your prayers for these remaining travels! Hopefully, the next time you hear from me I will be typing from Dagupan, Philippines!!

Prayer Requests

2010-05-24T10:58:00.003-05:00

This is Louise writing for Laurie. She is leaving today for the Philippines with our Dad and grandparents. Please keep them in your prayers! They all fly out today and return on June 7th and 8th.

In other news and more prayer requests.........LAURIE IS A MATCH FOR JANET!!!!!! Janet needs a new kidney and Laurie has been going through the testing process and she found out today that she's a match!!! This is how she told Janet she is a match.....

Janet got to work today at 10. She had dialysis this morning and got to work at 10. Laurie came in a little after 10 and handed me (Louise) some stuff and then took some flowers to Janet. Janet asked why she was getting flowers and Laurie said, "That's what you do....you get flowers for people that are going in the hospital. I'm a match!"

We were all so excited and Janet was shocked! She could barely breathe!!! I told her she better not pass out! :) She didn't know what to say! We told her she didn't have to say anything!

Then Janet called Chuck and Rachel and they were both so excited! I don't know that either of them had words either!

Here's Laurie and Janet...soon to be blood relatives!!! :)

And here's Janet's flowers.

So anyways, God has HUGE things happening!!!! You never know when you are going to be able to help someone or when God is going to work in your life!!! Please keep Laurie, Dad, Nana, Papa and Janet and her family all in your prayers!!!

Tales From the Single Side...

2010-05-21T10:33:00.002-05:00

...things I wish I had known fifteen years ago about dating.

So, I read this article titled 'Things I wish I'd Known About Dating When I was 21' and it inspired THIS blog :^)

The following are things that I wish I knew or TRULY UNDERSTOOD back then:

1. Talk is SO VERY CHEAP! Even when masked by what may be real emotions, it is just TOO easy and cheap! Don't believe ANYTHING someone SAYS, make them PROVE IT with ACTON'S! In fact, date a mute ;^)

2. Pay less attention to the "feeling" they give you and more attention to how often they make you laugh.

3. PLEASE LET GO OF YOUR ATTRACTION TO COCKY GUYS!

4. Try, try again SHOULD NOT apply to a dating relationship! If it didn't work the second time IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO WORK the 15th time! Just sayin...

5. It really shouldn't be that hard. Marriage is hard, the first six months of your relationship should be bliss!

6. LISTEN to your family and friends! They aren't blinded by "love", they see only reality. YOU NEED a little reality.

7. You CAN'T go slow enough. Physically, emotionally, in any way TAKE YOUR TIME! The slower THE BETTER!

8. If you're not sure if the guy you like likes you, KEEP IT MOVING! Let him come back when he's sure or move on to someone who IS DEFINITELY SURE they like you!

9. Guys love to talk about marriage. Until you have a ring on your finger, DON'T talk back about it. In fact, play deaf!

10. It is ok to be picky. Just because there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with him, but you just don't feel "it", that is ok. On the other end of the spectrum, DON'T put up with a bunch of garbage because you don't want to be "too picky".

The most important thing that I would tell, would be to truly keep your priorities. Instead of going for those "look at what a great Christian I am" guys, look for the ones that show a true Christian spirit. I'd probably tell to RELAX too!

For those that misunderstood...

2010-05-21T09:44:00.004-05:00

...my last blog, let me clarify some things.

1. IF MY BLOG IS ABOUT YOU, I WILL NAME YOU. I am not so petty that if I wanted to talk about someone I would NOT talk ABOUT them WITHOUT NAMING THEM ON MY BLOG. Thank you all who responded SO VERY MUCH for thinking that I am actually that petty.

2. I am very, very sorry to disappoint you all who thought that I had a perfect life and never was upset and had only 100% happiness in my life. I know, it's very shocking and I, too, and disappointed by that fact. However, I accepted the fact that my life wasn't perfect when I was about 3 1/2. Find some joy though in the fact that I am one of the happiest people I know! OF COURSE I have moments where I wish I had a boyfriend, or times when I wish I was married, or even times when I think I would love to have a kid! I ALSO wish I already had my Master's, had a fabulous job, an awesome closet with an unbelievable wardrobe in it, that are in my dream house with a beautiful, sparkling pool out back, all within walking distance of all of my family!! Truth be told, I wish for the latter A LOT more than I have the moments of loneliness! Some of you may not understand, having completely perfect lives and not wishing for anything better. However, IT'S NOT THAT BAD! In fact, a lot of you have wonderful lives and I don't want you to take offense to this, but I DO NOT want to trade lives with any of you! Maybe Kelly Ripa, but not you ;^)

3. I am going to use my aunt as an example for this point, because I know she won't mind. My Aunt has a gorgeous house in a perfect little neighborhood, an awesome car, a loving Christian husband, lives near her parents and sister, gets regular mani/pedi's, has a housekeeper, and only works part time (for her husband!), she keeps QVC in business, has the most unbelievable pool in her backyard, and her daughter is THE prettiest little thing and is always the best dressed kid in the room! Would you believe that she sometimes calls me and complains to ME (who works TWO jobs AND goes to school FULL TIME and definitely lives paycheck to paycheck) about being busy and tired and stressed out! You know what I do? I listen and I EMPATHIZE. The definition of empathize? The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner. What that means is, I HAVE NO IDEA what it is like to live her life. With all the other great things she has, she also has the responsibility of taking care of a special needs child everyday. I have no idea what that is like. SO, I empathize. Please, feel free to correct me if I am wrong but, none of you reading this are single and can't remember the last second date you went on, can't even remember the last time you had as much as a CRUSH on anyone. None of you also, have NO IDEA what house, what city, or what state you will live in, in a year. Of course, none of you have no idea where you will be working, if you will still be in school, or even where you will be attending church services at this time next year. ALL OF THOSE THINGS. I qualify for all of those things. And as much as love all of you who were concerned enough and loved me enough to offer your criticism over my last very honest, very brave blog and got upset over it, I hope THIS blog has cleared up some things for you. If not, how about you don't read my blog and we go on loving each other and you just don't know some things and we are all happier that way.

As sarcastic and harsh as this may have sounded, I PROMISE it's not. I KNOW AND APPRECIATE how loved and blessed I am!!! But, I do believe that it needed to be said without my emotions and without my lack of speaking abilities getting in the way. Thanks for hanging on this long and I promise my next blog will be more upbeat :^)

(Tales From the Single Side) The Worst Part...

2010-05-12T11:07:00.002-05:00

You know, there are a lot of things I love about being single. I'm not kidding, I think about them all the time. I love having my own time, not having to share my bed, deciding what to with my own money without having to consult with anyone else, I love not having kids nagging me and throwing up on me all the time, I really could go on and on. That's not the point though. The point of this blog, is what I don't think about very often and that is the worst part of being single. The worst part is not having anybody there. I don't mean that to make you feel sorry for me or tell me how many people I have there for me. You shouldn't feel sorry for me because I, honestly, prefer my life to 99.9% of other people's that I know much about. And, of course, I know how blessed I am with the friends and family that I have. The truth is though that I don't have "a person". I have sisters who have significant others, parents who have each other, and the best friends and aunts and grandparents who all have significant others. It was different when Leigh and Lisa were single too. They were my "people", you know the person you immediately think of when something bad happens, something good happens, or if you have a question about something. It's a two way street, someone who is married or in a relationship can't be a single persons "person", everybody only gets one "person" The thing is, is that I don't have many really exciting or disappointing times right now and I rarely question things. I think this is hitting hard because I don't know ANYTHING about my immediate future right now and it is driving me CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!! My EVERY WAKING MOMENT is being filled with thoughts about what am I going to do??? What am I going to do about my job? Where am I going to live?? WHAT do I want to do?? And ON and ON!!! So....blog world, you became my "person" for me to unload a little today. Thanks! :)

(Tales From the Single Side) I love....

2010-05-10T23:18:00.000-05:00

Faulkner football
football time in Tennessee!!!
baby clothes
motorcycle riding
March madness
Braves games
mani/pedis
massages!
blasting the radio with the windows down and sunroof back!
heated leather seats!
eating at the Cheesecake factory
well, eating period
live music
going to the Sheakspere festival
Thanksgiving and Christmas
having a tan
traveling

To answer the question that I field AT LEAST once a day, I will get married when I find someone that I love more than these things!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T15:09:00.003-05:00

Funny "Single Side" story first...

I told all the mothers I came in contact with this morning at church servcice. FOUR people told me, "Thanks. I wish I could say the same to you!" I kid you not! The first one I thought was kind of weird but FOUR different people, REALLY? Geez! People really think that they can say anything to single people. It was humorous the first time, the fourth time I was looking around to see if someone was punking me, trying to get my reaction!

I wish I didn't have one billion things to do today and could have gone to Chattanooga to see mom or at least had the time to write a super good blog about her but, I do. I didn't want to let the day pass without telling you all how blessed I am. I love that lady more than life itself and try not to let a day go by to thank God for letting her still be here with us! Mom, I love you and appreciate you everyday but just wanted to share it with the world today!

These are a few of my favorite things...

2010-05-03T11:45:00.004-05:00

Tales From the Single Side...my ad

2010-04-21T11:31:00.003-05:00

So, in my Effective Communications class we were talking about the difference in what we perceive ourselves to be and what others perceive us to be. We had to write a "personal ad" telling all about ourselves and then have others in the class write ones about us. It was VERY interesting! So....this is going to be an interactive blog! I am going to write a "personal ad" about myself and what I think I am attracted to and what I want THEN you do the same (about me) in the comments. Oh come on! Humor me :^)

Single, white, hard working, Christian female who loves sports, family, Summertime, music, reading, quiet time, eating. Female does come with emotional baggage and is know to suffer with bouts of severe sarcasm. Female is known to occasionally lose her temper and is always up for a fight when it comes to defending her "people". Female loves to travel and hates to work out. Female is a huge Tennessee fan and thinks someone being an Alabama or Florida fan is actually a character flaw. Female is considered by some as stubborn. Female cries at ALL sad commercials, movies, TV shows, and books but very rarely cries in "real life". Female loves to do mission work and work with children. Female has commitment issues but, at least, can admit it. Female DOES NOT seek someone to "complete" her. Female feels she is already "complete", she is just seeking someone to "enhance" her. Female is seeking a single, white, Christian male who makes her laugh and is a hard worker. Those are the only important criteria. However, female, IDEALLY, would find someone who loves going to football, basketball, and baseball games with her. Someone who can bring some spontaneity and fun into her life. Someone who can love her family as much as she does, even with their few flaws. Someone who is not obsessed with their car, body, or any other possession. Someone who IS NOT a Momma's boy!!!! Someone who is a REAL MAN! NOT some girlie man! Female probably NEEDS someone who is tough and will stand up to her when needed. Female wouldn't be mad if said Male looks and talks like Matthew Mcconaughey ;^)

p.s. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the man who set all the standards for the men in mine, Louise, and Leigh's life! Happy 54th birthday to Daddy, hope you have AT LEAST 54 MORE healthy ones!

Prayer Request

2010-04-16T11:50:00.002-05:00

This is not an easy blog to write. I don't like letting anyone know that I might fail at something. It's probably my biggest flaw in life; I would rather not even attempt something rather than fail. I told someone today that I have never even put in a job application where I didn't already know that I would be hired. I would rather stay in my miserable job rather than be put in a position where I could fail. Which all leads me to my prayer request. As anyone who knows me or reads my blog knows, I am miserable in my job. The stress is aging me and molding me into a person I don't like and the hours are literally taking years off the end of my life. I work at least 60 hours a week, am forced to miss a lot of church services, and have very little "life". I feel like I miss out on something every single day. A job opportunity has come up at Faulkner with the Alumni Association. I put my application in yesterday and would really, really, really appreciate it if you could take one minute to say a quick prayer for me. Although I have a lot of people fighting for me and supporting me I have run into some roadblocks due to my lack of experience and education. I think this job would be more of an answer to my prayers than I had even dared hope for. It would be almost dream like AND make it possible for me to live in the same city as little Lizzy Lou (which, honestly, keeps me awake worrying about). I think that, not only, would I love the job, I think I would be awesome at it! I really do. I have never really wanted a certain job before. I have always just looked for something that would pay the bills and I wouldn't hate. I really want this job. I am trying to remember how blessed I am to have the jobs I have and that this won't be the worst thing that has ever happened to be if I don't get it but I just can't remember the last time I actually wanted ANYthing this much. Anyways, thanks for taking the minute to read this and REALLY thank all of you who take the time to pray!

Tales From the Single Side...It's Just Like Anything Else

2010-04-05T14:51:00.003-05:00

...dating, that is. Or, having a crush, or being in a relationship, or being in love. It's just like any other habit. Take fingernail biting, for instance, there are people who bite their fingernails constantly. It is, obviously a gross habit (not to mention an unsanitary one), but if you are in the habit of doing it, it is almost impossible to stop. However, if you use hot sauce or a product like No Bite, you can kick the habit. Smoking, drinking, picking your nose, dragging your feet, whatever the habit, it feels almost impossible to quit until you actually do. Then, you go hours then days then weeks then months to eventually years without doing it again. Here is where the problem comes in. Once you haven't bitten your nails for years, it is REALLY hard to start back up. The desire is gone. And now that you don't do it anymore all you can see are the negatives from it. See where I am going with this?

Dating or "being in" whatever is exactly the same. There was a time in my life when I went from relationship to relationship to crush to relationship to "love" to...well, you get the point. Anyways, it has been a long time since I have been on a date. No, put a time period on your version of "a long time" and double it, maybe triple it and then you have an idea of how long I am talking. The one date that I can actually remember going out on was terrible. Let me give you my version of terrible:

Guy works with girl. Guy has hardly ever seen Girl but talks to her on the phone pretty regularly and finally asks for Girl's phone number. Guy asks Girl out many times but Girl is always busy and doesn't particularly want to go out with Guy. However, Guy finally backs Girl into a corner. So Girl gets ready to go out with Guy who is a super nice guy but she's just not into him. Girl does not feel like you have to go on a date with someone to know if you are into them or not. However, what's done is done and Guy picks Girl up. Guy didn't plan the date but rather asked Girl where she wants to go. This already is going down hill because this is one of Girl's pet peeves. Girl picks a restaurant and a movie. First, Guy and Girl head to the restaurant. Guy asks Girl if she likes a certain Christian artist. Girl tells Guy that she doesn't really listen to much Christian music, actually she likes talk radio. Guy can't believe and spends five minutes lecturing Girl on how she should listen to Christian music. Next Guy asks Girl if she has read "The Five Love Languages" This is not the kind of book Girl would read for fun. The title bores Girl. "No." she answers. She has a friend who read it and liked it but it is not really the kind of book Girl reads. She prefers fiction. Guys spends the rest of the ride to the restaurant on how good the book is. Next there is a fifteen minute tantalizing conversation about what Guy and Girl will be ordering that I will spare you. The Guy asks Girl if she ever gets to watch or read Joel O'Steen (sp?) stuff. ***sigh and eye roll*** "No." Girl's nerves aren't good enough to watch Joel O'Steen. (She leaves that part out and just replies "no."). At this point Girl advises Guy that she won't be able to make the movie afterwards because of the time and then tries to change the topic. She tries politics, sports, ANYthing besides religion. Don't get me wrong, Girl is a Christian and does in fact love God. She just can't take anymore religious talk on this first date! Changing the topic DOES NOT work. EVERYthing somehow manages to work it's way back to religion. Finally, dinner is over and Guy and Girl get in the truck to go back to Girl's house. Guy asks Girl if there is anything else that she wants to do. Girl quickly replies "no." and says she really doesn't have a lot of time. Next, Guy says (and I couldn't make this up), "Have you ever been to that Family Christian book store?" Girl now believes she is being "Punk'd" and starts looking around the truck for the hidden cameras. Guy seriously asks Girl if she wants to go walk around the Christian bookstore. Girl has to answer that she has been there but would rather just go on home. Thankfully, the date ends soon. And ends without so much as a hug or even a false promise of another date. However, even a year later, Guy still seems to be under the delusion that it went well and keeps asking Girl out.

Terrible. Geez. If you think it was hard to read about you should have been there! It does have to be said here though that Guy *name changed to protect the innocent, is one of the nicest, sweetest guys I know and deserves someone way better than I am and I hope he finds her (soon).

Back to my point, I'm sure after my last heartbreak there had to be a time when I wanted to have a crush on someone again or at least the "butterflies", even if I wasn't ready to actually jump back into full relationship mode. I can't remember such a time but since I am positive I am still alive and am not gay, I just assume there was. However, since so much time has gone by, all I can remember are the bad points to dating. The bad dates, the rejection, the neediness of another human being, the irritating habits of men in general, the questions and thoughts that take over your brain and allow you to think of nothing else, and the strain on your free time. So, I have decided to jump back on the bandwagon and try to find someone to go on a "date" with this Summer. I can't force myself to have the "butterflies" or really be interested but I can force myself to give it a fair try, even if it is only to get myself back in the game.

Ick. The thought makes me sick (literally hurts my stomach)but, it has been pointed out, how grossly "all about me" I have become and I am trying to branch out a little. Maybe God will surprise me (in a good way this time!) Either way, you have to get back in the saddle sometime, right?

Confessions of a 29 year old...

2010-03-23T14:53:00.002-05:00

OK, so for those of you who don't know me well enough to know this, I have some REAL anxiety about my next birthday. Not like the funny, make-a-joke kind of anxiety but the makes me hyperventilate a little, brings a tear to my eye kind. So, I have been trying to figure out the root of all of this before that dreadful day in July rolls around. I think that it's honestly the fact that I am not where I thought I would be. Please, spare me the marriage and baby sob story, it's not the big clock ticking. I never had a real plan but I feel like NOTHING is different in my life than it was when I was 22. Obviously, I don't have the marriage and kids, but I also don't have a real career, or I don't do a lot of traveling, nothing. So, that thought makes me think that maybe I am just stuck and can't remember all the differences so I am making a list of the things about my life RIGHT now. Here goes:

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY LIFE RIGHT NOW:

I LOVE living around Louise and Leigh. I love our family time and that I get to see them most everyday.
I LOVE that I make enough money to usually cover all the bills and can buy most anything that I want. (Usually being the operative word in that sentence)
I LOVE being a member of the University CoC.
I LOVE working with Faulkner football.
I LOVE that the last few years me and Daddy have gotten to go see so many Tennessee games. I LOVE this time together.
I LOVE my dvr. Shallow, possibly, but true none the less.
I LOVE sharing the 31 thing with my Mom. It's just fun to have something like that to do together.
I LOVE talking to Gin most mornings.
I LOVE getting to go to the Philippines with my grandparents every year. I LOVE going to the Philippines. AND, I LOVE getting to go with my grandparents.
I LOVE gummy vitamins

THINGS I HATE ABOUT MY LIFE RIGHT NOW:

I HATE working night shift and sleeping during the day.
I HATE the aforementioned birthday that is looming.
I HATE the shape I am in right now.
I HATE how busy I am.
I HATE that I never get to see any of my friends.
I HATE how many things I have to miss out on with my family and friends because of work.
I HATE the electrical system in our house.
I HATE going to school every Monday night and HOMEWORK!

THINGS I DREAD RIGHT NOW IN LIFE:

I DREAD moving from here and my family and my new niece or nephew. DREAD IT. I know I have to because I can't live the rest of my life just living here because of them but I DREAD it BIG TIME.
I DREAD changing careers, I know, again, that it's crazy but what I do has become a lot of who I am. Even though I hate the stress and the shift work, I love the family of emergency responders and the fact that I am doing something that actually makes a difference.
I DREAD moving to a new place. Here there are people that need me sometimes and I honestly love that. I hate the idea of moving somewhere alone where no one knows me, much less needs me.

MUSIC I AM LOVING RIGHT NOW:

I Need You Know by Lady Antebellum
My Best Days by Danny Gokey
History In the Making by Darius Rucker
American Honey by Lady Antebellum
Wrong Baby Wrong by Martina McBride
Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Buble
Whatcha Say by Jason DeRulo
I Pray Fro You by Jaron & the Long Road to Love
Smile by Uncle Kracker
Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You by Kellie Pickler

things that are ALWAYS in my kitchen now:

Maple and Brown Sugar Quaker Instant Oatmeal
Simply Lemonade with Raspberry
Simply Orange juice
Fuze Cranberry Raspberry
JollyTime 100 calorie bags of kettle corn
Smart Ones and Lean Cuisine meals
Progresso Light soup
FiberOne bars
Nature Valley bars
Thomas Multi Grain english muffins
Weight Watchers cream cheese
Skinny Cow desserts

MY TO-DO LIST FOR THE FUTURE:

Go back to the Philippines at least once every year
Go back to Greece
Go to Moscow, the Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Australia, and about a million other places but those are off the top of my head. I'd also like to retrace one of Paul's missionary journey's.
Buy a house
Pay off my car and student loans
Have a job I love and pays plenty
Go on a vacation. A real, week long, don't have to get out of bed or put on anything besides a bathing suit kind of vacation.
Do yoga regularly
Go on a cruise with Leigh
Teach a high school girls Bible class
Have an organized house
Be a Tennessee season ticket holder
Go to an Olympics
I will be able to forgive and forget

Who knows how much of this will be different and/or accomplished in 5 years, to be honest, I can't remember a lot about how life was 5 years ago. Maybe though I'll be able to read this five years from now and remember what life was like now and be more appreciative of where I am then.

Tales from the Single Side part III...

2010-03-12T10:20:00.002-06:00

...What A Girl Wants (feel free to teach your young boy children this!)

I read this article today, titled 'What Women Want From Men'. I'll give you the Cliff Notes version.

Women evidently want:
1. "Return Her Messages"
2. "Kiss Her for No reason"
3. "Dance With Her"
4. "Dress Up for Her"
5. "Remember Random Milestones"
6. "Take on an Activity With Her"
7. Propose a Visit to Her Family"
8. "It's the Little Things..."

I don't even know where to start with this! Maybe I am not the type "woman" this article is written about or maybe everybody is right (hold all comments similar to this though...because I will fight you on it!) and I am TOO PICKY (NO SUCH THING, but I guess that is just an opinion- even if it is RIGHT!) but these seem RIDICULOUS!

"Return her messages"??? If he has to be told this, odds are he has OTHER things he needs to learn before getting to "what a woman wants", you know like, "how to be a decent grown up human"

"Kiss her for no reason" Um, what are actual reasons TO kiss someone? And would you want to be with someone who has to be told TO kiss you?? Don't you want to be with someone that WANTS TO KISS you? Or is that just another CRAZY thing I want??

I do like "dress up for her" I know this is possibly crazy because I don't love to dress up and I am not asking for a guy to buy a tux and wear it everyday but I LIKE to see a suit on Sundays and I think dress pants and a button down shirt looks really nice on most guys. I can go with this one.

"Remember random milestones" and "take up an activity with her" are kind of to each their own. I kind of would like a guy to remember little details, not because it's what I want, but because it's important to him. And, I love the theatre, ballet, and the planetarium. Odds are, most guys won't love any of these but I don't want to drag him there. Just every once in a blue moon I would like him to take to one because he loves me and the world can every once in a blue moon just revolve around me. Again, I don't feel like he should have to read this in some article, I feel like he should want to make me happy every once in a blue moon. Crazy me with the high standards.

"Propose a visit to her family" bothers me the most. The article goes on to say that do this "even if you're not particularly fond of her busybody mother and father, suggesting a visit (EVEN JUST A YEARLY ONE)"... Are there women who really are willing to settle for this? I mean are there women who love their families who are willing to settle for this??? Good grief! I mean, even with all of their faults, if you can't love my family, there are too many things wrong with you to even warrant a second date! Second, a man has been hitting up that crazy crack pipe too much if he thinks I am visiting my family only once a year! Who does that? I can't even discuss this anymore without raising my blood pressure!

THESE are the things THIS woman wants in a man:

1. A Godly, Christian man who will help lead me to Heaven.

2. Someone who makes me laugh!! A lot!!

3. Someone who loves my family (and, really how could you not?)

4. A real man! Not someone scared of bugs or cats or that spends more time getting ready in the mornings than I do.

5. Someone who doesn't like to fight but won't let me run over them.

6. Someone who likes sports (and VERY PREFERABLY NOT an Alabama or Florida fan!)

7. Someone taller than me (I totally realize how petty this is...)

8. Someone bigger than me. (I don't even feel like I have to explain this one)

heartbreak

2010-03-05T09:53:00.002-06:00

I had a real funny post to post today about something that I had read but then I was given some news that lead me in another direction.

I realized something today about heartbreak. It is almost always accompanied by shock. Think about it. Someone dies and the timing of it often shocks you. Someone in your family or circle of friends gets diagnosed with a serious disease and you are so shocked. Someone cheats on you or breaks up with or leaves you and you never would have believed it. Why is this? Why aren't we better prepared for heartbreaking things? OR why do the people we expect least hurt us the most? These are not questions I expect to be answered and I hope that you aren't looking for answers further down in this blog because I honestly don't know one besides to blame Satan.

Most of you who know me know that I have had my heart broken more than once by a boy. A couple of times left the most lasting scars though and these were the times that, still to this day, I have a hard time believing that they did the things they did. I can honestly say, I never saw either one coming. I am still in shock over those and, goodness knows, they have been a minute ago. In those cases, the shock has gone on much longer than the heartbreak did.

When mom had the stroke, I was first shocked and then the heartbreak set in. It was (and STILL IS) shocking to think of a perfectly healthy 45 year old who has never spent a non-chilbirthing day in a hospital as able to have a debilitating stroke. How could you NOT be shocked to see your perfectly-healthy-the-last-time-you-saw-her-mom suddenly laid up in the icu unit of a hospital unable to even speak or walk??? Who even had time to be heartbroken at first, shock consumed so much?!?!?!

Today I found out some very disturbing (seems inappropriate it so understates how I feel) news about some friends of mine. They evidently have had an affair. I just COULD NOT be anymore shocked!!! And there had even been rumors before and I STILL couldn't be more shocked. I would have put this man in the top of the Godly men I know. Such an evangelist!! And, she....I mean, not her! I just can not believe it. Neither one of them. I can't believe they would risk their a) SOULS, b)families, c)jobs/livelihoods, d)SO MANY strong friendships, d)their reputations- NO ONE had a better reputation throughout their respective brotherhood or community than these two! I just can't fathom it. To say I am in shock right now is the biggest understatement ever.

There really is no point to this blog besides for me to ramble "out loud" and to ask you all to please pray for these two people, their families, the Godly work they have been so involved in, and all who were hurt by them.

Fun weekend! Lokking forward to a fun week!

2010-03-01T11:07:00.003-06:00

me and Ash at her going away luncheon on Friday. (note to self: find a better picture of self and Ashley!!!)

This weekend has been so fun! On Saturday I got up and went shopping with Leigh and Nathan and then we went out to eat at The Street cafe (YUM!) with Ashley and some of her friends. Ashley has been the best friend that wasn't bound to me by blood the past few years. She was the trainer for Faulkner football and the only girl to keep me sane in this office full of boys! She decided a while back that in order to fulfill her goal of being a full time missionary that she was going to need to go back to school to get her nursing degree. She then figured out that the only way to get that done was to do away with (as much as possible) all living/boarding expenses. So, the decision was made that she would "retire" from athletic training (and obviously Faulkner) and move back home to Indiana where there was a softball coaching position waiting on her and she could live at home for free. Then, she will begin nursing school full time. I am so amazed by her all the time but this is just one more amazing thing! I cannot imagine voluntarily turning my entire life upside down and not knowing really what the future holds! She is such an inspiration to me and, although I wish her the very best, I am just going to miss her like crazy (and probably go crazy since they are replacing her with ANOTHER boy!!!) The dinner was really fun but, obviously, very bittersweet. After dinner, we went home and got our guest bedroom put up and got the Christmas stuff at least moved into the guest bedroom. Next stop, all the way to it's rightful spot in the laundry room!! :)

After work Sunday morning I came home and got ready real quick and then went to Krispy Kreme and bought two dozen doughnuts. I was real early and went into our classroom and set up a coffee pot, and a water boiler, alone with some tea bags, hot chocolate packets, cups, sugar, creamer, etc. with Nathan's help. We just got a new Bible class teacher for the young professionals class at University and since then our class size has jumped from about twenty to about thirty-five! The teacher is Matt Vega from Jones School of Law and if you are in the area, I HAVE to suggest you come! You will see why our class is growing so! Since we have been having so many visitors and because we have just talked about it for so long, I just went out and purchased a cheap coffee pot and stuff so we could have it in that class room. Funny thing! I don't drink coffee and had NO idea how to make it! Obviously, everything but how many scoops to put in is pretty simple. Let's just say, 14 scoops is BY FAR too many! That coffee looked like syrup! HA!

Sunday for lunch Louise and Dirt, Michelle, Justin and Morgan, and Nathan all came over for lunch. We had chicken casserole, cheese potatoes, peas, mac and cheese, and rolls with homemade oreo ice cream for dessert! It was great food and even better company! After all but Nathan left we went were SO SO SO EXCITED for the USA vs Canada Olympic gold hockey game! I got dressed in red, white, and blue and we settled in, ready to celebrate! If you watched you know that at about 4:40p.m. CST, with about 24 seconds left in the game THE UNITED STATES SCORED TO TIE IT UP!!!!!!!! AWESOME! EXCEPT, University's church service starts at 5:00p.m.!!!!!!! After MUCH debate on whether to follow on our cell phones (we had the nursery!) or to avoid all contact with the outside world and watch it on tivo after services, we decided to do the latter! Let's just say, as much as we loved the nursery AND two of our favorite people were in there (Kensley and Morgan!) it was still a VERY LONG hour! But, at last we ran out and headed for home with Kensley, Jenn, and Fipps in tow! Fipps (Corey) is our Offensive Coordinator and we just LOVE that family! They have recently started coming to University regularly and we are just LOVING IT! They came over and watched the end of the game and the closing ceremonies with us! We were really bummed that we lost but a fun night was still had by all!

Needless to say, that after being up for 29ish hours I was pretty tired but I got started watching the new show, 'Marriage Ref' that came on after the closing ceremonies and IT OWNED ME! SO FUNNY and DEFINITELY making it to the regular scheduled programming for our house! While I am on the subjects of TV shows and fun things this week, I am SO, SO SUPER EXCITED about Jim and Pam having their baby this week!!!! (I know, I know, they are just TV characters but I just LOVE them!)

Late last night my parents made it in and they will be here all week along with NaNa and PaPa! I JUST LOVE Lectureship time! We are all about to go to lunch and then I am making dinner at my house tonight before class. After class, another coach, Chad and his girlfriend Macey are coming over to have a little Bachelor finale party! YAY! The rest of the week will be filled with regular old work and school but with all my family here to make it so much better! I am so excited and I hope that you all have as great a week as I am planning!

picture of the day!

2010-02-23T11:35:00.003-06:00

I stole this picture from Michelle's blog from when they went to the zoo. (In case you missed it, that's Louise and a STORK! Come on, HOW GREAT is that?????)

One of those days...

2010-02-18T09:49:00.002-06:00

...ever had one? You know, where every slow drive gets in front of you and you seriously consider the literal cost of just ramming their car with yours? Or where you just want to comment on every single person's status that reads (something like) "I just love my wonderful life, my wonderful kids, my wonderful husband...even my poop is wonderful, everything is just perfect!!!", and say, "Really? No one's buying it and you sound like you are just trying to convince yourself and it really annoys the rest of us to have to read your stupid status everyday." OR (along the same lines) want to just delete those who's statuses make you want to slit your wrist everyday or think that they are thinking about it everyday! Or you try to catch up on your tivo a little and the stupidity of The Bachelor (which is OBVIOUSLY NOT new to this episode) makes you want to throw your shoe at the TV? OK, maybe you haven't exactly but you know! So, in honor of this and because I am having a major pity party for myself today, I am going to list some of the things I am perturbed about and counter it with things I am happy about. For my own mental health. Read on if you'd like but PLEASE save your "it could be worse" comments. I OBVIOUSLY know this.

1. I hate this city. I was going to list all of the things I hate about it but it is much easier to just list the things I love and DON'T hate about it. I love Faulkner, University CoC, the fact that three of my cousins live close, and that I get to see my sisters everyday!

2. I hate this weather. There is NOTHING I like about cold weather. It makes my hair bad, skin bad, makes my shoulder and knee hurt almost constantly, I STAY cold, and I stay in layers so I feel free to eat all I want and gain weight. Plus, this year God decided, evidently, to REALLY mess with all the "global warming" people out there and has added in snow, which is a 911 dispatchers NIGHTMARE!

3. We are in a book club with the church and are currently reading Francine River's Redeeming Love and I have always heard how wonderful it is and I think it's awful! I mean, I get the story and all but real life is horrible, WHY would I want to spend my very precious free time reading about more horrible? Maybe it's because I see the crappy side of the world a lot more than most people because of work but I want to read happy stories where people fall in love, endure through hard time and come out better people, and that END HAPPY!

4. The Bachelor. I know, I have total control over recording and watching this stupid show but it always brings me back in like the proverbial "bad wreck on the side of the road" I just CAN'T believe that there are women who are SO INCREDIBLY STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually, I guess the thing that really bothers me, is that I DO BELIEVE IT and it irritates me SO MUCH!!!!! Stupid, stupid, stupid! I WOULD LOVE to be a contestant on this show and him try to pull some of this stuff over on me OR have FIVE MINUTES with these girls to talk some sense in to them!!!!

5. I know I have harped on this too much and I do believe that God has a plan for keeping me here even over my persistent prayers other wise but, I HATE MY JOB!!!!!! I distinctly remember saying that I loved my job (LONG ago!) but, for the life of me, I CANNOT remember WHY I would have said such a thing!!!! I hate the STUPID callers (which IS 90% of them) about their STUPID (NOT 911 WORTHY) problems (that they usually have brought on themselves!) I despise some of my bosses, I think the entire place is run like crap and that Braden (who is one month old) could make better decisions and run the place better! I hate the uniforms and I feel like hate isn't a strong enough word for how I feel about working night shift. I hate how it makes me feel, hate how it makes me look, and I HATE missing out on SO much! I even HATE the uniforms!!!!

OK, now things I am happy about:

1. I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOTHING BAD can compare to the happiness THIS brings me!!!!!!!

2. I am SO grateful to have A job with good insurance and able to pay all of my bills every single month!

3. I got to go to my first ever Lady Vols game at Thompson-Boling arena in Knoxville!!!! It was definitely something that was on my "bucket list" and it was SO FUN!!!! I have yet to visit Knoxville when I wouldn't describe it as one of the best times of my life!

4. I love my Faulkner football family! I love the coaches, players, and Ashley! They ALWAYS make me feel better, no matter how crummy my night was! And, they can always be counted on to MAKE ME LAUGH!

5. I love that I was raised to have a real relationship with God! I ALWAYS feel like He is REALLY with me, I often find myself talking to Him like He is sitting beside me! Because of this, I know that of all the crummy feelings and bad days I have and will have in the future, the one thing I don't ever have to contend with is loneliness. I am SO grateful for this!

Hope you all are having a better day than I am and, don't worry, I am going to bed soon and will wake up in a better mood!

Tales from the single side....Part 2

2010-02-07T20:15:00.000-06:00

I think I am going to title this second installment, "Things NOT to Say to Single People (that have actually been said to me!!!!)

1. "You need to move to where all the good, single, Christian men are!" (Is there a range somewhere that I can sit up in a tree stand of sorts and shoot them down as they run by????? And if there is, would I want to pick up my entire life to up and move there just to do that????)

2. (A conversation someone was having with me and my sister) Leigh: "I love him! He is only 31, I don't think that is too old for me." Person X: "You have to wonder about someone though that is 30 and not married. I mean, what is wrong with them that they aren't married already if they are that wonderful?" Me: "Really??"

3. "How is it that someone like you are still single?"

4. And along the same lines, "WHY are you STILL single?"

5. (talking about a guy that I have made the point that I am not interested in) "Can you really afford to be that picky anymore?"

6. (at my little sister's wedding) "You better hurry up or both of your younger sisters will be married and you won't be. You don't want that do you?" (dead serious)

7. "Isn't it time to start compromising?"

8. "You do like boys, don't you?"

9. "Maybe you should think more about the way you dress and do something with your hair and make-up. That would help."

10. And my personal favorite: "Isn't your biological clock starting to tick pretty loudly? You know women have a lot of problems getting pregnant after thirty."

Do you really need any commentary from me on this?

The Start of Another Generation!!!

2010-02-03T08:22:00.004-06:00

So....I know most of you know the news already but, that's not stopping me from blogging about it!

Mom and Dad came in on Sunday afternoon. I had worked all night Saturday night, came home, took a shower and got ready for church service, went to morning service, and then got lunch with Louise (while Dirt went hunting). After lunch Louise went with me to a 31 party. If any of you haven't been to one (***shameless plug***you should! www.mythirtyone.com/laurie31 :^) we always start the party by doing a "Celebrate, Encourage, and Reward" introduction game. During this game, everyone introduces themselves, and then they say something from their life that they are celebrating, then they say something encouraging to the hostess, and then I reward them with something. Well, I always go first and then I go to whichever sister is there helping me. Obviously, this time it was Louise. She said that the thing in her life that she was celebrating was me getting in A in Statistics (which, believe me, IS worth celebrating!).

Mom and Dad got in town during the party and my Dad dropped my Mom off at the party. We all left straight from there and met Dad, Dirt, Leigh, and Nathan at pm church service. Mom and Dad were down to celebrate Louise's birthday (which was 1/15) so we all went to Jason's Deli from supper with some friends and then went back to Louise's house. After our friends left Louise's, I announced that I was leaving to go home (if you are keeping up here, I have now been up over 24 hours straight). Louise stood up and told me to wait that she wanted to show us all the latest project she had been working on and went to the back.

She came back in and gave me, Leigh, and Mom& Dad all cards. No one thought this out of the ordinary because Louise is always making cards. Cards for family, cards for friends, cards for the sick, cards for prisoners, etc. You can look at the cards above. They were super cute and she came up with them all by herself! I read the card out loud and look up and started asking who these were for and Mom and Leigh jumped up screaming. Then it hit me. Life had just changed for all of us. Kind of a huge moment! I am so super excited, Leigh is so super excited, Louise and Dirt are obviously excited, but my Mom and Dad can't hardly contain themselves! If you aren't their facebook friend, you are REALLY missing out! :)

One day, if the baby ever decides to read this, the rest of the post is from him/her.

Dear My First Niece or Nephew,

I wish that I was eloquent enough with words to put into words how I am feeling right now. The news of your impending birth has been the happiest thing that has happened to this family in a very long time. That is really saying a lot because, as you probably know by now, really happy things happen in this family all the time! Here are a few things to help you navigate your way through this family, that maybe you haven't figured out just yet.

First, we'll start with your Aunt Leigh Leigh. Leigh Leigh is probably your best bet to being "the cool kid", especially if you turn out to be a girl. She is going to be the one who tells you all about the best make up and hair products and the best clothes to wear. This advise will probably differ from your mom's and I, and will probably make your dad cringe (because, inevitably, will be the most expensive make up, hair products, and clothes!), but it will probably be most in line with whatever the fashion guru's of the day are saying. You will always be able to go to her and tell her anything without fear of any judgement. However, take my advise, this is the family member you do not want to cross. Boy or girl, she will chew you up and spit you out. She will love you through it all but, you do not want to learn this for yourself! You will be just like the rest of us and always be glad to have her and will find out that her light shines brightest when you need her.

Next, your Grandma (I know that's not what you are calling her but as of this date, she hasn't picked out her name yet!). Wow. Pretty special lady, huh? Have you ever met someone with a better heart than her? My guess is that she has probably driven you crazy once or twice already but that you also have already learned that she is your biggest fan! Funny thing, she was ALWAYS mine, your Mom's, and Aunt Leigh's biggest fan! There is definitely no way that you could have scored a better Grandma. I know this without ever seeing her in Grandma form because I know for a fact that we couldn't have scored a better Mom. What a lucky kid to get a bake cookies whenever you come to visit, drive hours to cheer on your every game, send presents for every good grade, best hug giver kind of Grandma! Don't ever take this lady for granted, you have no idea how close you came to never knowing her.

I think your Grandpa (the name thing goes here too!) is close to my favorite person ever. I believe that he has been a blessing to SO many over the years and we all have known how great he is with kids. There is no doubt in my mind that he is one of your favorite people ever too. No kid has ever NOT loved him! His biggest fault is that he is always stretched too thin. He tries to give everything to everybody and I have a hunch that, once you get here, he may get a little more focused. He has the special ability to make everybody feel like they are the most important person. The cool thing for you, is that you really will be. Also, if you are a boy (or a girl who loves sports!) he will be your golden ticket! He has played and coached almost every sport and will love nothing more than teaching you! I am sure he is already dreaming about it and planning it!

That brings us to your dad. Your dad has become such an important part of this family that it is hard for me to remember a time before him. I am so glad my sister got a Godly, Christian husband and I am so glad that you got such a Godly, Christian dad. Boy or girl, I can't wait to see the first camos he buys you! The great thing about having him as a dad is that you get so much knowledge about so much! He studies the Bible and will all be there to answer any questions and discuss that will you. He knows so much about guns, hunting, fishing, etc! He and your other Grandpa will definitely be the experts to turn to for those things! Not a lot of experience on this side of the family! He also is SO smart! I know you will always have someone to help you through school because he has helped me so much! There is no doubt in my mind that he will be such a great dad because he has been such a great husband to your mom, such a great brother to us, and such a great son to your other grandparents! They are such great people and did such a good job with him, that he definitely learned well!

I think that leaves us with your mom. You really, really hit the Mom lottery with yours. There has never been a kid that has met your mom that didn't love her. For that matter, I don't think there has ever been ANYONE that has met your mom that didn't love her. We have always picked on her, calling her "the perfect sister" but the truth is she is about as close as they come. Your mom has the biggest heart of anyone I know and does more good than anyone else I know. Even though she is my little sister, I have always looked up to her. I know she is my sister and I love her more than life itself so that takes a little away from this admission, but I honestly think I would believe it even if we weren't related. I don't think that if you could choose from all the women that have ever lived or will ever live who would be your Mom that you could do any better. She is the most Godly woman I have ever known and I pray that you realize what a blessing she is. My mom (your Grandma) was the best, most Godly mom ever and I took her for granted and then almost lost her. If you learn anything from me, I hope that it is not just about Tennessee athletics, family history, or sarcasm, I hope that it is NOT to make the same mistake I did. Don't ever take your mom for granted. I know she is all you have ever known, but she really is the best.

In closing, know that we, along with your great grandparents, great aunts and uncles, and cousins all already love you and have been praying for you since before we knew anything about you. I am sure that by now we are great friends and I think you hung the moon but, I know from experience, there is something great about knowing that people, not only will always be there for you no matter what, but have loved you and have been praying for you since before you were even born! Knowing what you are made of, I know you are the greatest kid ever and even though I haven't met you yet, and in fact only found out about you earlier this week, thanks for coming in and making the greatest family ever even better. I definitely love you kid!

Tales from the Single Side...Part 1

2010-01-14T10:21:00.000-06:00

I am going to start a "series" on here called 'Tales from the Single Side'. I know that 99% of you that read these things aren't single and a lot haven't been for a while. And most of you never were single past 25. Things happen to people single over the age of 25, especially those that are members of the church of Christ and these things are just too outrageous/hilarious/ridiculous/irritating not to share.

First in this series is a "how to." Actually, It's a combination "How To/How NOT TO!"

HOT TO and HOW NOT TO set a single person up.

1. Just because YOU like a guy and YOU like a girl, IS NOT enough reason to think that THEY might like each other. Please think about what they like and makes them happy and not just why YOU like them and that they make YOU happy.

2. Just thinking that 2 people would make you and your husband's perfect "couple friends" DOES NOT make them a perfect match for each other!!

3. You know both people that you are trying to set up. Do they have things in common? And not just some stuff, most important stuff. Example: Most important like their faith, slightly less important: the things that mean the most important to them and how they spend most of their time: family, friends, extra curricular activities.

4. NEVER, EVER try to set someone up without their knowledge or tell them JUST AS ya'll are walking in to meet the person. I know, you WOULD think it would be common sense.

5. (this is going to be shocking for some of you, so be prepared) YOU ARE NOT "REALLY GOOD" AT SETTING PEOPLE UP!! You DON'T "have a gift", nor do you "have a really good track record" Sorry to be so blunt but, you aren't and one successful couple does not a "track record" make.

Personally I am flattered anytime someone wants to set me up with someone they love. It's amazing to think that you think enough of me to be willing to set me up with your brother, grandson, son, nephew, great-nephew, cousin, friend, friend of a second cousin twice removed, the guy that is your family mechanic, or the guy you met while waiting for the mechanic, ect. I know that my flattery sometimes comes off as irritation, but the truth is, I AM flattered. I just ask that you, PLEASE, give it just a little more thought next time. I ask this for all single people everywhere.

Here are some examples of people that others have thought were "perfect" for me that, indeed, were not:

(All names are withheld to protect the very, very guilty)

One lady, who bragged about her "track record" recently tried to set me up with a very nice man. A very nice man who is only five years older than I, but appears to be about fifteen. His interests are children (he is a teacher at an elementary school), music (music teacher), and he recently won a grant from the state to make puppets. He does this for fun. VERY nice man. Just to remind you all, I love "my children" but have very little patience for all the other ones in the world. I was fully prepared to give up my dream job because it required some teaching. The extent of my music interest goes about as far as the concerts I give in my car. Puppets freak me out and I love sports.

Another recent set up attempt was by my Grandma (whom I love but cannot accept that I am so very happy single). Her reasoning was that she knows he is a very strong Christian from her congregation and thought him very nice looking and he loves Tennessee football too (she was on the right path, but.....), unfortunately, he is, um, older. Like past child having years.

Some others were a crazy, REALLY wanted to get married NOW guy with a cat. Then there was the recent widower with two children. And let's not forget the Florida Gators fan. So many stories, so little time.

I do hope this post has been informative for you all. Please feel free to comment with any questions and look for the next installment of 'Tales From the Single Side': Things NOT to say to single people!

:) :) :) :) :)

Breaking back in with a great story!

2009-12-07T13:11:00.000-06:00

I've been gone from the blogging world way too long to try to update what all has happened so I am starting from today. And, the story I am about to tell you something that has recently happened to me that has changed mine and many others lives, I pray it might have the same impact on yours.

Background: About ten years ago, I went to Mom and Dad's house for the weekend, in Lineville, where they had just moved and Dad had just started preaching full time. This congregation is small (about 75 members at the time) and Dad did the bulletin by himself on this OLD rinky dink copy machine with articles he had written and little poems, says, stories, ect. in it. Well, there was an anonymous poem in the bulletin on this particular Sunday that REALLY moved me. I cut it out and put it in my Bible. Well, a year or so later, I was writing a sympathy card. Those of you who know me well know that I AM NOT a wordsmith AT ALL. I ALWAYS manage to say the wrong thing and ESPECIALLY when I am uncomfortable (and who isn't when talking to someone who has recently lost a loved one). So, I thought of this poem I had that (and still read quite often) and thought about how it made me feel and I just made a copy and stuck it in the card. WOW! The response I received! She wrote me a letter back telling me how much it had meant to her. I had stumbled on to something here! So, I made a bunch of copies and started sending it with every sympathy card I sent out.

Fast forward about 7 years: Now, I am working at Montgomery 911 and this lady that I work with, her mother died suddenly. So, I gave her a card and put the poem in there. She came to me, days later, and told me that the poem meant SO much to her. She read it at the funeral, made copies and gave it to her family, and said she was having to read it everyday along wither her Bible, just to get through. Well, a few weeks later, her sister died suddenly and within a month of that, her aunt died. After she came back from her Aunt's funeral, she came to me and said that she had read it at all three funerals and had passed out over 1,000 copies and just wanted to reiterate how much it had meant to her and her family.

About 3 weeks ago: Obviously, being in the line of work we are, we are part of true tragedies almost daily. However, we are taught (to survive) we have to leave the situation when we hang up the phone. As cold as it sounds, this is the only way to do this line of work very long. If you get invested in every emotional call, you couldn't last a year. The best thing (I have found) that I can do for a caller is get them the help that they need as quickly and as professionally as I can. Then I always say a prayer for them and the people responding to each call. Then I HAVE to forget it and move on to do the same for the next caller. It is hard to do at first but, it does get easier. That's not to say, however, that some aren't easier to forget than others. Children calls are ALWAYS hard and hard to forget. Well about three weeks ago, we had a 13 year old from one of the private schools here in town, and a pretty prominent, well to do family here in town, hang himself. I can't tell you how glad I am that I didn't take the call from his mother that morning (she found him after my shift got off). Well, he used to have ties to Faulkner through our athletic trainers (he used to be their boss) and Ashley, our football trainer and a family friend of theirs, came in one morning and told me that she just had to tell me about something that had happened at their congregation the night before.

Here is (paraphrased) what she told me: Cole Ellis's (the little boy who committed suicide) mom and dad had come to speak and give their "testimony". His mom told her account of something that had taken place at the viewing. She said that a lady had come up and was hugging her and she figured she was a friend of Mike's (her husband) because she had never seen her before. She pulled back and said, "You don't know me, but I am the 911 operator who took your call." She then told her a little about some of the tragedies that had happened in her own life, and then handed her something. She said, "This is something a co-worker gave me during my difficult times and it was the only thing that truly helped. I read it every day for over a year and still look at it regularly. It helped me so much and I think it will help you too. Don't read it now, wait until you have a quiet moment alone and then read it." She said that later she did have some alone time and pulled it out to read it. Ashley then began to tell me what she could remember of the poem and I couldn't believe it! It was the poem I had given Liz years ago! It just happened that Liz was the one who took the call and went to the viewing and gave her the poem! Then, it had moved Ashley (and evidently most everyone who was there that night) so much that she couldn't wait to share it with me! Talk about going full circle!

Last Wednesday: Well, of course, I have LOVED this story and have shared it many times! Well, I was in a meeting with a supplier (for Faulkner football merchandise) and I started to tell her the story. Well, she started crying (happens a lot though when I tell the story) and she informed me, that the Ellis's were their families best friends and Cole and her son had been best friends! She said (and I will never forget), "Laurie, that poem changed their lives." WOW!

OK, now rewind to the Sunday after Thanksgiving: A friend of mine that was in my Delta pledge class in 1998 and her husband and 2 year old daughter were traveling home from the Montgomery area back to their home (in between Athens and Atlanta). They were near LaGrange when some one, driving WAY TOO FAST, ran up behind them, hit them, and smashed them into the vehicle in front of them. Brian (her husband) was knocked unconscious, Kristy was also but also had a punctured lung, broken clavicle, a broken shoulder, and 4 broken vertebrae, Helen (their daughter) was killed on impact. Brian, who became conscious at the scene, was rushed to the hospital in LaGrange while Kristy, still unconscious, was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center. Iwill blog more about this later, but I wanted you to know why I was writing another sympathy card.

This past Friday: I was trying to find the impossible words to say to my friend who was laying, paralyzed, in a icu unit and had just found out that her only baby, who was to turn 3 on the 23rd of this month, had died. I was sitting in Louise's office and she was helping me come up with what to write. There was one of Faulkner's dorm mother's also sitting in there and she said, I know the perfect thing you should put in there! Me and Louise looked at each other and Louise said, "We know exactly what you are going to say!" (she is a member at the same congregation Ashley is) She later told us she thought "No she doesn't!" And, of course, we did! She told us that she had been so moved by it that she had tried to find it on the Internet and had found out that it was on the memorial stone at the Oklahoma City bombing site! So, now I have sent it on to Brian and Kristy and I can only pray that it brings them just a little comfort to their unimaginable pain.

I really, really wanted to share this with you all because we most all have experienced the loss of a loved on and it is very easy to recall the terrible pain that inflicts.

Before you ask, I pasted it below :)

I said, "God, I hurt." And God said, "I know."

I said, "God, I'm so depressed." And God said, "That's why I gave you sunshine."
I said, "God, life is so hard." And God said, "That's why I gave you loved ones."

I said, "God my loved one died." And God said, "So did mine."
I said, "God, it's such a loss." And God said, "I saw mine nailed to a cross."

I said, "God, your Son still lives." And God said, "So does your loved one."

I said, "God, it still hurts." And God said, "I know."

(on the original copy I had Psalm 121 is quoted right beneath it.)

I Remember...

2009-09-11T09:15:00.003-05:00

...I hope you do too.

I will always remember getting ready in my Faulkner apartment for my 8:00 a.m. (CST) Anatomy and Physiology class and watching Headline News while I was getting ready. Robin Meade broke in with a breaking news alert and showed the pictures of the first building that had just been hit. I thought, momentarily, how sad. The pilot probably had a heart attack or something and then said a prayer for all the people affected. I then went on to class.

When I walked out of that class a kid, Jack, ran up to us and said, "The whole world is under attack." We asked him what happened and he started to tell about the planes hitting the WTC. I stopped him and belittled him a little for being so melodramatic (he was a theatre major) and told him that I saw it this morning before I went to class and no one thought we were under attack.

He then took us into the Nest, where there was a tv (and a crowd gathered watching it) and we saw for ourselves. I quickly went back to my apartment where I met up with my roommates, Lisa and Kelly, and we watched the footage. I just remember thinking that I needed to talk to my family, for some weird reason, to make sure they were all ok. They were all in the south, far away from NYC, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania, but, somehow, it didn't matter. Daddy called just about then and I cried for the first time.

(This isn't really a "blog" nor was it intended to have emotion attached, I just wanted it to forever be saved what my account was from that horrible day.)

God bless America.

Grief

2009-08-19T18:25:00.003-05:00

I know these pictures are small but since I don't have a scanner I had to bootleg them off of Summer's blog. The first one I think just describes Matt more perfectly than any words could and the second one is Matt with some of his best friends from GCS. From left to right, Adam (who was killed in Iraq a few years ago), Matt, Blake Hunter, Mike Johnson, and Matt Malone in front.

I am well aware that I haven't blogged in a month and can't even remember the last time I read a blog. There are a lot of things that I have not had time to blog about in the past month, my birthday, Dirt's birthday, my vacation, Mom and Dad's anniversary, and going back to work at Faulkner. And, I will eventually. But right now I have got to blog about how I am feeling because, thank God, the feeling fades into something different very quickly.

I believe that grief is kind of like child birth. God made us to where we can't REALLY remember grief because we would never be able to go through it more than once if we could. You forget the the way you hurt so badly that you can't concentrate on anything else. You forget how you feel like someone is in your head screaming "WHY?" making the rest of the world sound like Charlie Brown's teacher as they try to carry on conversation with you. And how you even have to remind yourself to breathe. You can't remember that you can drive four hours and make seven turns and never remember any of them. Or that you can drive by yourself for two hours in the middle of a hot summer day in south Georgia before you realize that you haven't turned on the radio or even the air conditioner. I also believe you can never pray like you do when you are consumed with grief. And I believe that even when I look back and read this and try to remember how I really felt I won't be able to understand my use of the word 'consumed'. I thank God that the feelings fade and that the memory of them fade.

After I worked at Faulkner yesterday I drove down to Valdosta and buried my friend Matt today before driving home to work tonight at 911. Matt is the second classmate that I have buried and I just can't believe it. My school wasn't like other schools. There were only about 100 people in the high school. If you weren't a part of it you can't understand that it is less like schoolmates and more like family. Of the 100ish people that were in school with Matt some 10 years ago, probably about 50 were there to bury him today.

I have been to some very hard funerals and, the reality is, I will probably be to some more in my life. None have been, and I can't imagine any being, any sadder than this one because of the facts. The most important of those facts being that Matt leaves behind three little boys fatherless, ranging in age between 7 weeks and 6 years old. If you have read this please say a quick prayer for my friends family and especially those little boys. This family has more healing to do than I can fathom, I can only be grateful that God is in charge of that healing.

Leigh!

2009-07-22T16:09:00.002-05:00

I know I am terrible about doing this on time but I can't go without celebrating my baby sister's 24th (I know! UNbelievable!) birthday! Without further ado, here are 24 things about one of my favorite people in the world!

1. When she was little she was always too short and skinny for her age but she NEVER has had a problem defending herself!

2. Boys have always loved Leigh! It's funny that she now works over Cornerstone when, it wasn't too long ago, that she was practically their little mascot.

3. She once got suspended from middle school because the teacher walked in and she had a little (punk!) boy up against the wall, completely off the ground, giving him the business. Her excuse to mom and dad? She had told him if he did it again that she would beat him up. He did it again. Well?

4. She has had more "best friends" than anyone else you know.

5. She is almost a perfect mixture of high maintenance/girly girl and tom boy.

6. She shares a birthday with will Ferrell.

7. She has inherited a love of Fox News from her big sister. Bill O'Reilley is her favorite.

8. She absolutely LOVES Disney and ABC Family movies.

9. She was the most accident prone kid.

10. Her first "accident" happened before she even turned one, when she broke her collarbone, trying to break out of her crib.

11. She works with the prison ministry at our home congregation and does an amazing job!

12. She loves Disney World like a little kid does.

13. She is definitely the bug killer at our house!

14. We have lived together in Montgomery for three years.

15. Her favorite color is green.

16. Just as always, she LOVES green dinosaurs!!

17. Her arrival was the reason that I was shipped off for my 5th birthday! (her birthday is just two days before mine)

18. She once put together an amazing scrapbook for my Mom's 50th birthday.

19. She always gives the best presents!

20. She could eat Mexican food every single day of her life.

21. She will not try "new foods"

22. you ALWAYS want her on your side!

23. Funfetti cake is her favorite.

24. She is one of my favorite people in the world and I feel so blessed to have her in my life!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEIGH! I HOPE THIS IS YOUR BEST YEAR YET!! ILY

VENT!

2009-06-23T16:18:00.003-05:00

These are the things that I am super frustrated about today!

1. That no one else but me will move the rug in front of our door when it slips to the side. TWO other people live here but they just step over it instead of pushing it back so no one trips over it!

2. My face is peeling! For the love!

3. Bad drivers in Montgomery! YOU are going to cut ME off and then give me the finger when I give you a courtesy honk?!?!?

4. Jon and Kate's getting a divorce.

5. Last but MOST important, I was just at Wal Mart and got in the shortest line (FOUR people in front of me) and it was obviously WIC day! All four people in front of me used WIC and one bought TWENTY FOUR individual servings of Ramon Noodles and FOUR packages of steaks!!! THEN, while I was gathering my bags, the cashier asked the lady behind me if she was using WIC and she said YES! I am ALL FOR helping those in need! Really, I am. However, there is SOMETHING wrong when I am in the minority by NOT being on WIC AND more wrong when I leave Wal Mart thinking, "I need to either quit working or get knocked up!"

2009-06-14T00:53:00.002-05:00

Tonight me, Kristen, and Barry went to the Biscuits game. I was so excited because I had taken the night off (night sleep!!!!) AND it was fireworks night! I REALLY love fireworks and was extra excited because it was Military Appreciation Night. Our section had to race the section next to us by passing a huge Alaga syrup down the entire section. We won and all of us got these tiny bottles of syrup. As you can tell, Barry and Kristen were REALLY excited to get theirs! I wish that I had pictures of the people sitting in front and behind us....wow. :^) It was a super fun night and I am just loving having Kristen here! Next post will probably be from our family reunion....I'm SO EXCITED!

VBS 2009

2009-06-11T09:44:00.004-05:00

Let me just start by saying, I LOVED VBS as a kid. I had one of those great mom's who took us to every VBS within a 60 mile radius and it makes up some of by best memories as a kid. Now, I had to preface with that so I didn't sound like such a butt when I said I HATE VBS as an adult (and I use that term lightly!) Look, I actually think all sane adult humans do, there are just a very few who are brave enough to admit it out loud. I always am involved only because I want these kids to have the same good memories that I have and I know that for me to have those memories there were a lot of adults who had to endure through volunteering at VBS so I choose to also. I love the idea of VBS. But me, Louise, and Leigh along with only five other adults were responsible for all THIRTY-TWO 1ST AND 2ND GRADERS! What can I say, there are only a very few "bad apples" but it's like the fighting in Vietnam was, they all look alike so it's hard to tell which ones are the enemies! Actually, there were some pretty fun times and the whole show was UNBELIEVABLE! The teachers that taught the class and decorated everything were amazing! however, I am glad it's over :^)

The older kids getting ready for the last night!

Cannan Field

Noble Field

The locker room at Noble Field

Noah's Ark/ the boat Jonah was thrown off

The "adults" that took on the 1st and 2nd graders. From l to r front to back. Kristen McCants, Leigh Walker, James Powers, Leslie Adams, me, Louise Jones, Lance Tucker, and Chrsi Brodie

Football Camp!

2009-06-10T07:39:00.007-05:00

Me after two fun filled days of football camp!

Coach Baker helps Lee show em hot to get it done!

Ryne is well over six feet tall, Cameron is pushing three!

Maybe a future Eagle?

Yeah....what can I say? I love them!

Faulkner Football camp 1st-5th graders

Cameron was one of our favorite campers!

That's Dev's mean face! "THERE'S NO SMILING ON DEFENSE!!!"

Dev studying how Parker is getting it done!

This is Lee, Coach Baker's nephew. SO STINKIN CUTE!!!!!

That's me going down our own home made slip n slide that ended camp!!!! SO FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The boys having some fun after the kids left!

I really wish I had video of this!

Cam volunteered to get things started...such the heart of a servant! ;^)

Not much to say about football camp that these pictures don't already say except that I never imagined how cute and fun it would be! I also underestimated how very sore you are the day after you slip n slide! WOW! If you want to see more pictures http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=87502&id=500618172&l=4cad4c656b

there are over 50 here! Also, I posted some more super cute videos on YouTube!

The Days AFTER Memorial Day

2009-05-30T10:08:00.004-05:00

So, we got home from Nashville at about 1:30a.m. Tuesday morning. At appx 3a.m. Kristen woke up sick. She woke us up a few minutes before six saying she needed to go to the Dr. PriMed doesn't open until 7a.m. but we were there when they unlocked the door. She got in about 7:30a.m. and by 8:45 we were on our way back home with the diagnosis of a stomach virus and she was high on drugs. The Dr had given her a shot of phenergan and demerol so she was pretty out of it. However, NOT out of it enough to not tell me that she was about to be sick in my car.

We only had to cut over three lanes of traffic, run one red light, and do one u-turn before we were at the closest gas station. I helped her in and right as we got in the door she told me she couldn't make it in the bathroom. I tried to encourage her in but to no avail. So, I turned around for, I PROMISE, no more than twenty seconds to call Leigh to come help us. Didn't matter, when I turned around, there was Kristen out cold on the floor of the Circle K. Oh geez.
The people working at the gas station were kind of freaking out. I just kept calling her name with absolutely no answer. Ok, calm down gas station employees. Leigh, hurry up. Laurie, maybe you should call the medics. Kristen, for the love, answer me.

By the time Leigh gets there Kristen is still down, the medics have been called, and the gas station attendants still kind of freaking out. Before the medics get there we half way rouse Kristen and get her to the bathroom. When the medics get there we sit her in a rolling office chair provided by the oh so helpful gas station attendants and they start checking her out. Blood pressure is obviously low but everything else checks out. She's pretty dehydrated so we get her a Gatorade and she takes two sips and somehow throws up about 64 ounces. I'll bet you're thinking that we are at the worst part of my day, huh? Not even close.

We do finally get Kristen perked up after the medics give her an iv and I get her home as Leigh goes back to work. About 1:00p.m. Kristen is resting on the couch and I have cleaned my bathroom (in anticipation of the stomach virus that is inevitably coming my way) bathroom and am going to try to rest for just a second. (Insert phone ringing here) "Hey, La, I don't feel good. I think I'm going to come on home." Awesome, Leigh is sick. She comes home and lays on the other couch. An hour later she has her face in the toilet. BACK to PriMed. Luckily, the same Dr is still there. I'll bet you think you know were this is headed, huh? Bet you don't.

We get to PriMed about 3:40p.m. and get back in a room about 6:15p.m. Nurse and P.A. assume she has the stomach bug. Medical school for that, huh? Can we get her shot and go? Nope. Pee in a cup and we're going to take blood. Awesome again. Leigh LOVES needles. This just keeps getting better. After all of that fun the Dr comes in and says how he;s surprised she isn't in the hospital already. Huh? Yep. A severe kidney infection. The good news? there is a 50% chance that you'll get better from today. Bad news? 50% chance you'll end up in the hospital.

Oh wait! Speaking of the hospital. Wondering where Louise is in all of this? She should be helping, right? No can do, my friends, she has taken Dirt to the ER for what appears to be an appendicitis. Good day, huh? The Dr gives Leigh the same shot he's given Kristen and now is going to give her an iv of antibiotics. Yay! Another needle experience. Nothing makes an exhausted, unshowered, big sister feel better than to watch her baby sister have another go round with the needle. So, a round of antibiotics and THREE bags of fluids later, the doors of PriMed are locked and me and Leigh get to leave.

I get her home and in her room and go to check on Kristen. Leigh calls. I run in there just in time for her to throw up on me, herself, her bed, and her floor. Oh. Huh. I've never cleaned up throw up before. In fact, I've never actually been thrown up on before. Did I mention that it's like 10:30p.m. now and I'm EXHAUSTED?!?!? SO FAR beyond tired. One new round of sheets and one more round of throwing up and by midnight they are both in bed. I literally fall asleep thanking God that I don't have children and letting Him know that they have to be better by tomorrow or I WILL have to call reinforcements in. Leigh only woke up twice and Kristen none but I woke up at EVERY little sound! WHAT a HORRIBLE night's sleep!

Anyways, Kristen was feeling better the next day and it turned out Dirt had kidney stones. By Thursday Leigh was eating solid foods, no one had been sick in 24 hours, and I amazingly hadn't gotten sick! Praise! Kristen went to school on Thursday, I went back to work Thursday night, and Leigh is going to work today, Saturday! WE MADE IT!!!!!! YAY! It wasn't pretty and there were DEFINITELY times when I didn't think we all would but WE DID! Hope your week was better than ours!!!!

p.s. there was one bit of AMAZING news from the week......I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNT!!!!!!!
Don't run over to Louise and Leigh's blogs just yet, it's Lisa that is going to provide me with a little niece of nephew. She drove in town to tell me in person. Unfortunately, that was Tuesday and I was at PriMed :^( Please keep her in your prayers and I'll keep you updated!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Memorial Day!

2009-05-26T15:40:00.004-05:00

Me and Leigh with the Stewart boys! Maybe Braden should move closer!

Me and Leigh with the Cameron Stewart family!

Hayden, me, Julia, and Leigh!

me, Leigh, and Hayden with the BRAND NEW Gavin Stewart family!

Me and my new favorite Stewart boy!!!!!

That's a funfetti cake and a Little Debbie "cake"!

Me and Lily were having a moment......

...and so were Leigh and Barrett!

After the showers, the show got under way!

That's the bride sitting in her carriage, VERY patiently waiting out the rain!

Sunday night my supervisor asked me if I wanted to work Monday night. NO! It's Memorial Day and I have plans!!

Monday morning I came home and got ready and about 11 me and Leigh headed north on i65 towards Nashville! We got to Murfreesboro about an hour and a half before the wedding and decided we didn't like what we were wearing so we stopped by Target and picked out new dresses. So we checked out two dresses, one new nail polish, one new pair of shoes, and a bottle of Downy Wrinkle Release. We changed in the bathroom and off we went.

The wedding was on the front lawn of a old mansion there in town and as the singers started I whispered to Leigh that they really couldn't have asked for better weather. That, as they say, was the kiss of death. Next, as Barrett and Lily were wheeled down the aisle by the other flower girls, out of nowhere, there was a big clap of thunder. We smiled as the cantankerous old ladies behind us opened up a umbrella, whispering (well, I think THEY thought they were whispering) to each other how they didn't care if the people sitting behind them could see or not. They had just gotten their hair done and their blouses would shrink! Well, as the groomsmen came down the drive and jumped out of the old pickup truck they had rode up in and the bridesmaids all filed out of the limo they came up in and met to walk down the aisle the first raindrops started falling pretty hard. Then came the horse and open top carriage down the drive riding down the drive with the beautiful bride. And then came the rain. I mean the literal bottom dropped out of the sky!

The bride borrows an umbrella and just sits there and smiles. How great is that? A few minutes later the rain stops and we all migrate back towards the lawn to watch Gary and Kimberly get married! Everyone was drenched and make up all ruined but it was a GREAT wedding! And the reception was even better! It was so good to catch up with old friends and get some good quality time with Lily and Barrett.

Me and Leigh left the reception and Kimberly and Gary and went to Baskin Robins where we met up with Cameron and Stacy and I finally got to meet Hayden. Cameron was long considered my "favorite cousin" (which is weird since we are actually 5th cousins or something like that....his grandmother and my great grandmother were sisters), not because I liked him better than any of my other cousins, we just always clicked. If I thought about it hard enough I could probably count how many times we've actually seen each other since he grew up in Texas while I grew up in south Georgia, then he went to college in Arkansas and I went in Alabama. Now he has ended up only five hours north of me in Nashville. Things were always just easy between us. It didn't matter how long it had been since we had last seen each other there just never was any awkward (which is obviously quite out of the norm for me!) Now I love his wife Stacy and now I finally met his son Hayden! I already love him! We also got to meet our newest cousin, Deidre, who just married Gavin! We already love her too! We also got to see another cousin, Jeannie. It was SO fun and we got to eat Baskin Robins (little did I know how much we should be enjoying that meal!), it was just a GREAT NIGHT! I really wish we could have spent more time with them but it made us look forward, even more to the family reunion next month.

Me and Leigh got back home about 1:30 Monday morning. The story picks up pretty soon after that but this is the end of the happy chapter so you'll have to wait for the next post to find out what went down next! However, the entire Memorial Day was wonderful and SO much fun! It was good to get to see friends and family that I hadn't seen in a while, meet new family members, and get to spend some much overdo one on one time with Leigh.

100th post, 100 things

2009-05-19T03:15:00.000-05:00

So, according to "blog etiquette" (a.k.a. Louise), your hundredth blog should be one hundred things about yourself...so, here you go 100 VERY random things about me...(don't worry, I don't really think anyone will finish all 100...except Momma...I didn't even write them all at once!)

1. I had some things that happened that I wanted to blog about but didn't, just to put off this 100th blog.
2. I always return the buggy to it's rightful place in the parking lot.
3. I am super awkward and seem to live with a foot in my mouth.
4. When watching live tv, my tv is only on Fox News and ESPN 2 (Mike and Mike in the morning)
5. I think the dvr is the most amazing machine ever invented. It has changed my life.
6. There is a 5 year old living in the north of the Philippines that is the son of my heart. As corny as it sounds, it's so true and I miss him so much.
7. The boys at the office call me "Mother Hen"....if it's not obvious, they think I mother everyone too much.
8. I am by no means a animal lover.
9. I'd take the beach over the mountains any day.
10. I hate cold weather.
11. I love the rain!
12. I love sweaters. Not cute dress sweaters or pretty cardigans, old, comfortable "grandfather sweaters"
13. When I read a good story in SI of watch something on ESPN about a player or team, I am immediately a fan of theirs.
14. If I were a pair of shoes I would be a pair of Sperry bluefish. They are everything I perceive myself to be...classic, comfortable, dependable, and tough.
15. I HATE to hear people clip their nails! I believe that it's like pooping, it should only be done in a bathroom, with the door shut!
16. I have visited Greece once and I definitely want to go back, maybe even to live.
17. I love to eat. Maybe better said, I love food. Love is the correct word there.
18. My mom was born to full time Philippine missionaries and now much of my family, including myself, are actively involved in the work over there. I would love to do some full time work over there.
19. I have been a 911 dispatcher for over 6 years now and all but 6 months of that have been on night shift.
20. I love both of my parents equally and think that they are both the best at their respective jobs but, except when I was sick or heartbroken, I was always a Daddy's girl.
21. I wear a size 11 shoe. I know!
22. I have this weird sweet/salty thing when I eat. I have to eat them equally. If I have some popcorn, I have to follow it up with something sweet like some chocolate and vise versa.
23. I have this ability to make people feel really stupid and uncomfortable, without even saying anything. My sisters and the guys call it, "Laurie's look" The worst thing about it, I don't know when I'm giving it!!!
24. To go along with number 23, I have NEVER been able to hide my emotions. ANYthing I feel shows up IMMEDIATELY on my face! I hate that.
25. I am very, very patriotic.
26. Even though I can be a hot head, I very rarely stay mad very long.

27. I can go an amazing length of time on no sleep.
28. I LOVE the Atlanta Braves!

29. I really just LOVE baseball!

30. I have a very loud voice and the more excited I get, the louder it gets.

31. My favorite foods are asparagus, chocolate, chicken casserole, fried cheesecake, sourdough bread, peanut butter cookies, broccoli and cheese soup....I could really go on and on.

32. A good pun OWNS me, every time!

33. One of my dirty little secrets is that I love reality tv. Not the ones where the actually do something, the ones where they just follow people around. I know.
34. I detest dress shoes.
35. I love Sperry's and flip flops, but I prefer to be bare foot.
36. I am a die hard University of Tennessee Vols/ Lady Vols fan!!
37. I love milkshakes even though I could live without ice cream.

38. My two vices are food and the sun/tanning bed. It is very, very hard for me to say no to either one.
39. My favorite color is blue.
40. I can't have caffeine or tomato products due to stomach problems but, sometimes bite the bullet when it comes to chocolate and Italian food.
41. I am addicted to Lipton's Green Tea...Mixed Berry.
42. I store up beauty products (i.e. face creams, wrinkle lotions, face wash, ect.) like a grasshopper preparing for the winter.
43. Mr G's is my favorite restaurant. It's worth a trip to Montgomery.
44. March is usually my favorite month.
45. When I was a kid, the doctors all thought I would be really tall because my hands and feet were so big. I'm 5' 7 1/2" and don't see a growth spurt in the near future.
46. If I ever have kids, I definitely want all boys.
47. Italian is my favorite food with Greek coming up a close second.
48. I hate to run and think it's crazy people doing it for "fun"
49. I do not believe that a salad constitutes a "meal" unless it has meat in it and then only for lunch.
50. No one has ever accused me of being a chef or a baker.
51. I am quite possibly the least crafty person you know.
52. I hardly ever wear make up.
53. I have two sisters, Louise and Leigh and one brother in law, Dustin "Dirt", and we are about as close as siblings can be.
54. I have the utmost respect for firefighters, policemen, military, and heath care workers (and 911 dispatchers...obviously!)
55. I LOVE seafood!!!
56. My favorite part of a man's body is bone structure, particularly, his jaw...how weird is that?
57. I sing in my car with the same intensity that Beyonce sings at a concert. Usually with the windows down. Let's just say that I provide a good amount of entertainment for those lucky/unlucky enough to be sitting beside me at a red light.
58. I will wear a phrase into the ground..."For the love" "Touche"

59. If I could start over I would be a women's basketball coach.

60. I cannot sleep in socks or in pajamas or with someone else in the bed. I used to be able to sleep anytime , anywhere, in any conditions. I'm definitely getting fussier in my older age.
61. For that matter, I cannot sleep under a top sheet or on printed sheets. Look, I know.
62. I rarely use my a/c in my car because I didn't have it for over three years, plus I just love riding with the windows down!
63. I think heated seats are the second best invention ever.
64. I have a horrible short term memory!
65. I usually wear my hair up because I don't like the feeling of hair on my neck.
66. Although I really like grapes and cherries, I don't like things cherry or grape flavored.
67. I'm not totally sold on the idea of getting married but if I ever do the only things that I know for sure are that I want him to be a faithful Christian and I want him to make me laugh all the time.
68. I live with my sister Leigh and my cousin Kristen. I loved the time when it was just me and Leigh in the apartment but now am loving Kristen being here, just as much!
69. I dated a guy that was 19 years older than me for three years.
70. I am deathly afraid of roaches and preying mantis's.
71. I have had seven colonoscopy's. Fun stuff, huh?
72. Andrew Copeland of Sister Hazel is my cousin.
73. I really hate shopping.
74. I gained something close to 80 lbs the first semester I was in college.
75. I have never lived in a house where we had a scale.
76. Even though I have really, really thick hair, it amazes me how much hair I lose every single time I wash my hair.
77. I hate and always have hated brushing my hair. I have a very, very tender head.
78. I definitely have always had a boys name picked out, just in case I ever have one.
79. When I was little I honestly believed that cats waited until we left and went to their own church service in their own little secret cat church building. I can even remember what the cat church building looked like in my imagination.
80. I also believed that when I dug out in our yard and hit the roots that I had to stop digging because I was at the top of hell. I mean, I would be really scared. I have no idea where I came up with this stuff.
81. I had to wear braces on my legs when I was little to make me walk straight.
82. I have scoliosis.
83. I'm pretty much a homebody.
84. You have never met a less coordinated, more awkward person then me and I'm ok with it.
85. I am absolutely terrified of the birthday after this year. For that matter, I'm not really stoked about this one coming up either.
86. I also am terrified of wrinkles. They are so horrible.
87. I do not like spicy food.
88. I hate drama.
89. I love fresh flowers!
90. I have a freckle in my right eye.
91. My eyes change colors with what I wear.
92. I get really attached to characters in tv shows/ movies/ books.
93. I take my family really seriously.
94. People (Leigh) say that I am cynical but the truth is that I am just a die hard realist and have uncommon sense.
95. I love the water. I love going to the lake, the beach, the pool, really anywhere there is water. I love to swim, ride jet skis, ski, lay out, really anything that you do at/in the water.
96. I really wish that I knew how to play the piano and I plan on learning one day.
97. I am really attracted to a guy that can play the piano or the guitar.
98. I dig the cookie dough out of cookie dough ice cream and then throw it away when all the cookie dough is gone.
99. I hate the way lotion feels on my skin. Yuck.
100. I am very loyal. I have a lot of less than desirable qualities about me but even though some off my people would probably say I take it too far, no one can ever accuse me of not being loyal.

K5 graduation

2009-05-16T07:44:00.002-05:00

Not sure why everyone but Leigh has crazy looking eyes in this picture.

Leigh and Tucker's little sister, Gracie Kate

Tucker led the class in a poem

Congratulations to Tucker Clifton!! He graduated from ACA's K5 yesterday, which happened to also be his 6th birthday!!! I remember when Tucker was born but I can't believe how much he has grown in the three years since I moved here!

The graduation was nice but there was a slide show of the three K5 classes that lasted through SIX entire songs!!! They played a entire CD! I do understand that I am not a parent but can't we have a one or two song slide show and then all go to our respective homes and watch pictures of our own kids? Geez.... I am glad that I go to be there and am SO proud of him and all the other graduates!

P.S. I REALLY wish I could have been at GCS for Amelia's graduation! I also remember when she was born and hate that I have missed so much of her life! I AM SO VERY PROUD OF HER and she looked SO beautiful!

better late than never....again!

2009-05-12T00:10:00.004-05:00

On April 21st my Dad turned 53! So....without anymore ado...

1. Donald Frederick Walker was born to Carl and Martha Walker on April 21, 1956 in Nashville, TN.

2. He now preaches and lives in Trenton, GA, right outside of Chattanooga, TN.

3. Before ending up in Trenton he had lived in Lineville, AL, Valdosta and Lake Park, GA, Jasper, FL, Jackson, MS, Lubbock, TX, Knoxville, TN, Charlotte NC, and, of course, Nashville, TN.

4. On August 3, 1979 he married Jamie Diane Garner Walker, his wife of almost thirty years now. He had just met her in November of 1978 and proposed in February of 1979. If you're doing your addition....I was born in July of 1980.

5. He played football while in Jr High but when he transferred to Georgia Christan they didn't have a football team.

6. He played basketball and baseball at Georgia Christian.

7. He played baseball at Lipscomb.

8. Until I was 11 he coached basketball, taught high school, and him and mom were dorm parents at Georgia Christian.

9. He then was a realtor.

10. Then he sold advertising for a cable company.

11. Next, he went into business with my NaNa and PaPa and they owned the first Alltel store in the Valdosta area.

12. When my PaPa got cancer they sold KLW Sales and that's when he finally gave in and became a full time preacher (he had been doing it part time for years!)

13. He has three daughters, Laurie Rene' Walker, 28; Louise Elizabeth Walker Jones, 25; and Donna Leigh Walker, 23. He now has a son (in-law) too, Dustin "Dirt" Jones.

14. He bleeds Tennessee orange (as all good people do!)

15. He always talks about how much he hates to shop but NO ONE enjoys finding a good deal more than him!

16. When he smiles big it looks like he is missing a tooth.

17. He has a numb spot on the side of his chin from a slip of the knife during a root canal. It's pretty funny because if food ever drops on it, he will go forever with it on there if no one tells him.

18. He is VERY MUCH a morning person!!! Unfortunately, NONE of the other four people in our house were or are!

19. He loves the Atlanta Braves.

20. He is the voice of the Dade County Trojans. He calls the football, basketball, baseball, and softball games on the radio.

21. He also has a morning radio show on local radio.

22. I don't think he has ever worked only eight hours in a day or has ever only worked five days in a week.

23. He is almost a clone of his dad!

24. Since he didn't have any boys he passed his love and knowledge of sports on to his daughters.

25. He cannot just sit down and watch a tv show. He changes it at the very hint of a commercial.

26. He is an amazing evangelist.

27. He is on the board of directors at the Philippine Theological College.

28. He was always very good at math and sciences. Even though NO ONE would have accused him of being a good student, he never had any trouble with school work.

29. He was engaged once before he met my mom.

30. When he was at Lipscomb, the social club he was a part of got disbanned and had to remain banned for ten years....to make sure the members were all gone!

31. He is the hardest worker of anyone I have ever met.

32. He doesn't chew gum.

33. We have been able to find nothing that he dislikes enough not to eat.

34. He has a special place in his heart for prison ministry.

35. He shared and still shares that love of prison ministry with Louise.

36. He lives on his cell phone. He shares that love with Leigh and PaPa!

37. He can go on very little sleep.

38. He gets knocked down once a year, every year for as long as I can remember, with a stomach virus. Besides for that, I can hardly ever remember him getting sick.

39. He loves the people of the Philippines.

40. He loves to fish but I've never heard of him hunting.

41. He met my mom while she was visiting family in Jacksonville and he was the youth minister where his uncle attended.

42. He has two sisters, Ginny Holton and Karen Sloan. They come with two brothers in law, Kenny Holton and Ervin Sloan, respectively.

43. He also inherited a sister in law, Beth Giselbach and two brother in laws, Ted and Tom Garner when he married mom. Since then he has gained another brother in law and two more sister in laws, Brian Giselbach, Patty Garner, and Peggy Garner.

44. He has 18 nieces and nephews.

45. He loves Hootie and the Blowfish.

46. He can't play any musical instruments.

47. He can't sing either but (and I absolutely LOVE this about him!) that has never stopped him from getting up and leading singing in a church service.

48. He loves to mix different kinds of cereal.

49. He has a facebook and a myspace account.

50. He loves watch how to shows on the Discovery Channel and historical based shows on the History Channel.

51. He now blogs!!!

52. He was absolutely amazing when Momma had a massive stroke just before their 25th anniversary.

53. He has never met a stranger. Ever.

These are just some "things" that when you put them all together make the most amazing man and one who has been my best friend through my entire life. Me, Leigh, and Louise are so blessed to have him for a dad and, if you have ever met him, you are lucky to have him in your life.

Happy (VERY LATE!) birthday, Daddy!!!!! ILY

Mudge...Momma...JamieG...

2009-05-11T07:37:00.002-05:00

A few hours late but I wanted to get a post in about that crazy lady who I gave the opportunity to be celebrated on Mother's Day :^)

My mom HATES the following things:

*getting up early
*cleaning
*flat dress shoes
*physical therapy
*strokes
*her family not living close

Things she LOVES:

*everything about Christmastime
*Mexican food
*reading novels
*shopping
*jewelry
*shoes
*singing
*spending time with friends
*her family!

Momma (a.k.a. "Mudge") has more qualities than I can possibly list on here but I did want to let anyone knows who reads this how incredibly lucky I am to have the mother that I do. I don't know what I did in Heaven for God to put me in such an amazing woman's womb but anything good that you think about me can be attributed to her. She was the definitely the "law" when we were growing up but she was also the "love." There is no way that I could have had a better mom!

Momma, I love you and I REALLY wish that I had been there this weekend! Thanks for everything you do and have done for me!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Always an Eagle

2009-04-28T10:28:00.007-05:00

Some of the boys watching the slide show of Ryne and T.

David Jones, one of our quarterbacks, sitting behind me and Ash during the service.

Donald Johnson, a coach, speaking during the service.

Todd Oliver, a player and also Ryne's roommate and T's roommate last year, hugging T's dad.

"Even young youths shall faint away and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:30-31

This verse, for obvious reasons, has always been the team verse for Faulkner Football (for anyone who doesn't know, we are the Faulkner Eagles). Friday during Ryne's funeral in Mississippi and yesterday during the memorial service here on campus we heard a lot of different verses used that are supposed to make you feel better at things like that. I'm sure that I will hear some more Friday at T's funeral. But, yesterday after everyone had left I was sitting in the locker room in one of the lockers and I pulled my feet up and kind of hid myself in there. When I looked at the back of the locker that verse was hanging up and as I read it the most amazing thing happened. It made me feel better.

I thought of County Fair (for all of you x GCSers this is like a three week "Gut week" for anyone else, you should be getting a pretty clear picture by now) and Spring practice and watching these boys work SO HARD. I would see them just fall down from being so tired and exhausted and August seemed so far away even to me and I was nice and warm and comfortable, certainly not running until I threw up! That memory is what jumped into my head and, for maybe the first time I really smiled when I thought about them. I just love the thought of them flying around like Eagles all full of life and looking down.

Anyways, Friday morning, after a VERY long week me, Ashley, all the coaches, and some of the players loaded a bus for the five hour trip from Montgomery to New Albany, Mississippi. We arrived at the church building for lunch and got to spend some time with the family. The people from the congregation there were just amazing and there was so much wonderful food. Even with all the football boys there, there was still food leftover! Next we went into the sanctuary where the service was going to be and spent an hour sitting there watching the family have their last moments with Ryne and watching a slide show. It was a very emotional hour and we were already pretty exhausted by the time the funeral finally started. The service was very nice and then we all loaded the bus again and we followed a police car to the cemetery. After the graveside service we went back to the building and they fed us again before we got back on the road. i just can't say enough about how nice they all were.

Skip ahead to Sunday night (after what, at best, would be described as a horrible weekend) and I went out to eat with Ashley (our trainer), Doug (our asst. AD), and Ryne's mom, step dad, brother, aunt, uncle, and cousin. We had already met his dad, step mom, brother and sister, and the Hollis family at the hotel, but none of them were feeling up to going out to eat. It was a wonderful dinner but I was so tired and emotionally drained that I just couldn't go to work and make it through all that had to be done the next day. Sunday was about the hardest day so far.

Monday morning was so busy, I didn't even have time to think about anything or be sad. By the time I had arranged everything and met up with the families in the President's Dining Room for lunch with the coaches, I was already exhausted and hadn't had A SECOND to think about anything else. Lunch was very nice and then we took the families over to the gym. It really looked so good, if I do say so myself, and it was nice for the families to have a little while in there by themselves.

There were about 600 players, coaches, students, faculty/staff, media, and people from the community that filed in the gym. First, President Hilyer got up and spoke and said a prayer, then Cornerstone sang "I'll Fly Away", then Aaron Greenwood, the SGA president spoke, and then four football players spoke. I am SO PROUD of Sean Thom, Bobby Britton, Todd Oliver, and Paul Adams that I can't even put it into words. They did incredible and I know how hard it was for them. I honestly don't know if I have ever been more proud of anyone ever. Next Cornerstone sang "It Is Well With My Soul" before Coach Baker got up and spoke and my pride (and tears) continued. He did so good and had even written a poem for it!

Remember Us
To the living, we are gone.
To the sorrowful, we will never return.
To the angry, we were cheated.
To the happy, we are at peace.
To the faithful, we never left.
We cannot be seen, but we can be heard.
So as you push through the tough times, remember us.
As you celebrate life's victories, remember us.
As you cheer our Eagles, remember us.
Remember us, in your heart, your thoughts, and your memories.
The times we've shared, the times we've cried, the times we've laughed.
For if you always think of us, we will have never gone.
Ryne and T, We will never forget you.
BY GREGG BAKER, FAULKNER HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

After Coach Baker spoke, Heath Stripling, another coach led the entire group in "Amazing Grace" before Donald Johnson, another coach, led us in a closing prayer. All the parents were presented with a honorary degrees for the boys, their jerseys, and footballs signed by the entire team and staff. It was just an amazing day. The links I posted at the bottom take you to a recording of the entire service, a clip from the newspaper, and local news links. The story did make it on ESPN, FOX News, and many other major news outlets, but it was all pretty much the same.

http://www.faulkner.edu/athletics/memorial/

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009904280334

Please, please keep these families, friends, and this team in your prayers. There is an unbelievable amount of hurt to fit in such a small field house. There is so much healing that needs to be done that only God can do it.

The post I never wanted to make

2009-04-21T12:51:00.006-05:00

Terison "T" Hollis 11/07/88- 04/21/09

Ryne Wilhite 08/26/89- 04/21/09

Last year, not too long after I started working at Faulkner for the football team, a player died from Huntingdon College, our rival school here in town. I remember thinking how awful it was and actually praying that nothing like that would ever happen here. Today, with tears flowing down my face, I have to report that it has happened twice.

Ryne Wilhite and T Hollis were killed in a car crash on Hwy 82, returning to campus from a friends house in Tuscaloosa. According to troopers, it appears that they fell asleep and veered into an oncoming eighteen wheeler. Both were killed instantly.

I knew Ryne pretty well because he just transferred in in January from Mississippi, where he played for a junior college there, and I did a lot of talking to him and his parents on the phone and during visits. I didn't know T as well but he is one of only a handful of players that has been here since our inaugural season. Both kids were great kids with great hearts. T was a leader on this team and everyone had already grown to love Ryne.

I beg you to please keep their friends and families in your prayers and also the football team and coaches. These kids and coaches have to spend so much time together that they become each others family. The reaction of these kids when they were told this morning will go down as one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever seen.

We are swamped with media today, coming in and out of the office and calling. I really wanted to post more and tell you about how great these kids were but, it will have to be later. Just please keep them all in your prayers.

****terrible time but today is my dad's birthday and there will be a 53 things post about him, just not today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY! I love you!****

Orange and White Game 2009

2009-04-19T14:38:00.003-05:00

Here comes Lane, Smokey, and the Vols!

The boys that accompanied me. From left to right, Uncle Ted, Dev, Braden, and Dad.

Me and Dad

Me and Dev

Me and Dev waiting on the Vol Walk

So, it has become a father/daughter tradition for me and Dad to go to the Orange and White game (every team has their own version of a Spring game....Faulkner's is the Blue and White game, Alabama's and Auburn's in "A" Day, ect., ect.) in Knoxville every year. We have gone the last four years, one year the whole fam went, two years Dev went with us, and this year Uncle Ted (Mom's brother) and his stepson, Braden, went with us. We got there in time to walk around on the practice field (usually it's done on the real field but, due to construction, that was impossible this year), where all the players and coaches were taking pictures and signing autographs. I really wanted to meet Coach Ed Orgeron and see if he really talks like that (search him on YouTube, it's hilarious!) and get my picture taken with him for the guys (they love him too...the only person the wanted me to get my picture taken with more was Layla Kiffin, just google her and you'll see why pretty quick) but it was hot and Dev was hungry so we didn't stick around to wait in VERY long lines.

We went and met Uncle Ted and Braden, who were already waiting on a hill for the Vol Walk and got a pizza. We also met up with Michael Rainey and his girlfriend Anne Marie, who goes to UT and is a huge Vols fan too! I really hope he keeps her around (he's a Auburn fan)! It was fun just getting to hang out and visit with friends and family right outside Neyland stadium. Finally it was time for the Vol Walk, where the Vols and the coaches (and during the Spring game, recruits) walk from their field house to the field and THOUSANDS line the street to cheer them on, bump chests, and high five them on their way.

To give you an idea, last year there were about 30,000 there. This year there were over 50,000 (due to the construction, the fire marshall would only let 50,000 in and there were some very unhappy fans outside the stadium when the game started) people there! Before the game they honored Coach Phillip Fulmer with the Neyland award and I am happy to say that he got about a five minute standing ovation from the crowd. I was so glad, I still don't love the way his "retirement" went down and I am glad that he and the University and him and Coach Kiffin are all getting along. I hope he never speaks to Hamilton again. Dirty old butt deserves it.

Once the game started we saw REALLY excited and spirited coaches and players, some better than expected Offense and some AWESOME Defense! Lane doesn't play around and Coach O and "Dad" Monty REALLY get into it! It was real hot and we all definitely got some sun but it was a GREAT day! It is just enough football to help you get through to Fall. It was great to spend time with Dad and Dev and it feels SO good to have a renewed hope about Tennessee Vols football! After the start the Braves are having (losing five in a row, with the last two being shutouts!), and the way the Vols and the Lady Vols ended their MORE than just disappointing basketball seasons, I need some renewed hope for one of my teams!

Thanks Dad and, IT'S GREAT TO BE A TENNESSEE VOL!!!!!!

Taxed Enough Already! (FOR THE LOVE!)

2009-04-19T12:56:00.004-05:00

Me, Dirt, Louise and Leigh in the back of the T.E.A. party, Montgomery, AL edition!

I LOVE people getting their kids involved! And their signs were SO cute!!!

University Church of Christ representing!

Again, I LOVE the kid signs!

If that didn't make you laugh out loud.............

Dirt and some of his patriotic co-workers!

Yeah! Party like it's 1773!

Just hanging out with a couple thousand of my most patriotic friends!

So, this is a little late but on April 15th Leigh, Louise, Dustin, and myself all went to the T.E.A. party on the front steps of the State House in downtown Montgomery. I have recently decided that all the things that I hate about what America has become is my fault and probably yours too. I HATE most of the decisions that our congress, house, and presidents have made in the past few years. So, what can I say that I have done about it? Let's see... well, I voted. Yeah, that's it. I haven't written, e-mailed, or called my congressman, my senator, or my president. I haven't ever demonstrated or in any way shown my displeasure for the decisions our lawmakers have made. Persecute me for believing in and worshiping my God and what will I do? I'll vote! That'll get them.

I'm not downplaying the importance of voting at all. I have only missed one vote since I turned 18 and I DO consider it very unpatriotic NOT to participate in that right. However, that is not enough! One of the speakers said at the T.E.A. party said, "I keep hearing people say, 'How did we let all of this happen?' Well, the answer is pretty simple. 'WE' were at work!" Pretty true. I can honestly say that I feel like between my two jobs, church activities, ect. I don't feel like I have time to be a political activist and I'm sure you feel the same way. But, the truth is, that it's going to take, those of us who "don't have time" to get up and start getting involved before it's too late!

50 years ago who would have thought that killing babies, killing the elderly, getting pregnant just to use the stem cells that are grown during pregnancy and then "disposing" of the fetus, and gays marriage would be legal? And, who would have thought, 50 years ago, that praying before a ballgame and carrying a Bible in school would be ILlegal? What, then, will be legal and illegal fifty years from now? Who is OK with paying FORTY-TWO PERCENT in taxes, while over FIFTY PERCENT of the country DOESN'T even pay taxes?!?

What is going to be the last straw for you? I kind of had a few straws fall at one time, so it was hard to tell which one was the actual last. One of the straws was when I sat down and figured out that I paid more in taxes in 2008 than I MADE at my THIRTY HOUR A WEEK part time job! That means, I am working a entire SECOND job just to START paying my taxes!!! Another "straw" was when president Obama lifted the ban on spending OUR taxpayer money on abortions, OVERSEAS(http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/23/obama-lift-ban-overseas-abortion-funding/)! Does that even sound remotely right to ANYone? The last proverbial straw was when he went over to Europe and APOLOGIZED for America. I wanted to shout on TV all over the world, HE ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT SPEAK FOR ME!!!

So, (I'm getting ready to step off of my soapbox) I am announcing that I AM not standing by and being persecuted any more! I AM getting involved more and I really urge you to do the same! This T.E.A. party was just the beginning for me. I HATE the response to this by the main media (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G3fvNhdoc0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IeRxVMpyDg if you haven't seen these, you REALLY have to) who blames Fox News but for anyone who is interested in the truth, this is where it actually started (on CNBC, how funny is that!) you can watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEZB4taSEoA

Last but not least, the TEA party was so fun and SO refreshing! Sometimes when you are surrounded by stuff you see on TV, read on the internet and in newspapers/magazines, you think that you are pretty much by yourself in your beliefs but I was assured on Wednesday that I wasn't! And, I LOVED the signs!

These guys!

2009-04-15T11:15:00.002-05:00

No real reason to post except to say how funny these guys are I work with! I am about to be laid off for three months and yesterday and today these guys have had me rolling! Being around boys on a regular basis is such a different experience. Their point of view is SO different from mine and, might I add, usually so misguided!

Lately our conversation has revolved around one of the guys that is getting married in June. It is HILARIOUS to listen to his expectations from marriage! I can see why so many marriages fail....because boys are CRAZY in what they expect! It's a good thing he is marrying such a good girl!

The other thing that has occupied most of their/our time has been some kids stole some of our golf carts and took them for "joy rides", wrecking them, and tearing them up. Well, we have a camera out there but since it was dark, it was real hard to make out the kids. So, for two days the guys and the security guys were all crowded around my computer, watching the video feed. My little regular detectives :^) I wish I had been able to take a picture or better, a video, so ya'll could have heard them figuring it out. Which, I am proud to say, they did.

I really love this job and wish that it was a more permanent thing. Now.....I am off to create memories for my next blog.....The TEA Party!!!!

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T07:18:00.003-05:00

Kristen working hard dying the eggs!

Our supplies are prepared!!

It's hard to believe that just one week ago I was telling Magiboo and all of my friends in the Philippines goodbye. Yesterday, as I was walking through Target looking at the Easter stuff I saw a small little Easter toy that just unexpectedly brought tears to my eyes. The thought came to mind that Magiboo has never had a Easter basket and most likely never will. The tears came with a smile though, just thinking about how much he would love all that candy :^)

Yesterday I went Easter shopping at Wal Mart as soon as I got up. I also picked up my pictures and 127 pictures later and hour had past with me just standing there looking at them. I then came home and went to bed so I could get up early. I got up about 5 and me and Kristen, who is my only family member in town this weekend, went to the salon to get pedicures. How it needed mine was from those weeks walking all over Luzon in flip flops! Then we cam home and dyed eggs! It was SO fun!

When I got to work last night, my secret sister had left me an Easter basket with some of my favorite things inside! I'm am ABSOLUTELY embarrassed to tell you that I ate an ENTIRE bag of mini Snickers! On top of that we had Easter dinner there and I had two helpings of lasagna and of course only one small one of lasagna! Either I am totally glutenous or I REALLY missed good old American dishes (please ignore the fact that lasagna is Italian!)

This morning I came home and made Kristen, Leigh, Louise, and Dirt Easter baskets. Fun stuff. Now I am about to get ready and go to early service with Kristen and then we are going out to eat for Easter dinner! I hope that all of you have as wonderful an Easter as I already have with your friends and family!

Home Sweet Home

2009-04-08T15:14:00.003-05:00

Well, as of about 1:30 this morning I am officially home. Started off my first day back by oversleeping, running late for the Dr, finding out the hard way that someone left the shower on so when I turned on the water I got sprayed with freezing water, getting in the car and finding it on empty and a bad case of road rage with a VERY rude driver! Have I mentioned that my stomach decided that the 12 hour plane ride where I was in the THIRD of FIVE seats would be a great time to start acting up. Yeah, you gotta love multiple trips to a plane bathroom, crawling over people who are sleeping and eating to even get to the aisle!

I decided after the Dr appt (no lice....YAY!) to start my day over. I went home and took a bath and visited with my new roommate (and cousin :^) Kristen for a little while before headed into work about 1:30. The guys were pretty happy to see me, I have to say. Now I have caught up on e mails, am working on our phone messages, and about to go to the chiropractor before Weds night service. I guess real life doesn't break for long in the USA. I must give a shout out to Leigh though, she did make up my bed and put fresh flowers on my nightstand, and even turned on my heater (knowing that I would be freezing!) for me.

I really miss my kids and friends and have teared up many times today talking and thinking about them but it is good to be home. I hope I can remember on long work days, days when I oversleep, and driving with the terribly rude Montgomery drivers, how good I really have it. Thanks so much to all of you who supported us and prayed for us. We couldn't have done it without any of you.

The day of "konnichiwa" and "sayonara"

2009-04-07T01:03:00.007-05:00

These buttons are on the side of the toilet! You can even control how loud you want a flushing sound (that can be used even when you're not flushing!). But, my favorite icon is the spray one!
These Japanese think of EVERYTHING!

There are electronic sidewalks all the way down the VERY long terminals. Also, there is NO sign of any trash or even dust for that matter!

This is the hand dryer. It is SUPER powerful and has a "blue light" that kills germs!

Another view of the toilet! Beware though: stay away from anything labeled "Japanese style toilet" Google it if you don't trust me.

Well, after what, at best, could be described as a rough nights sleep in Manila we headed for the airport at about 7am, local time. Our plane took off about five minutes late and arrived about 15 minutes early. Good thing there are no speed limits in the sky! We are now sitting in the very nice Narita airport waiting for our 5:35p.m. (local time) departure. We should arrive in Chicago about 3:25p.m. (local time) on the same day. It's pretty weird traveling backwards in time.

On the flight I watched 'Frost/Nixon' and it was pretty good. I only watched 'Marley and Me' on the way over here so I am aiming for being awake for two movies on the trip back :^) Here is a weird thing. Daddy had the window seat and me the middle of three seats on the plane ride here. The guy sitting in the isle seat was already there when we boarded. He is a older (like 70's) white guy and I was just happy it wasn't a kid. When we sat down he said, "Didn't I sit next to you last time?" What? Really he did! Last year when I was traveling home by myself he sat next to me! He is a Canadian married to a Filipino woman (half his age) and they have a 2 year old. I found out on this flight (the guy was a talker) that he also has a 50 year old, a 43 year old, and a 39 year old and a FIVE year old GREAT grandson! I don't know which is weirder, his family situation or the fact that out of all the millions of people who make that flight we have now sat by each other on the same flight twice!

Other than that there isn't much to report here beside how much I miss my friends and kids back at the compound. There was a little Asian baby boy sitting across the aisle from us and I spent a lot of time thinking about Magiboo. He is so enthralled by just riding in the PTC van, he would just die to ride an airplane! It's really weird how much I miss him and the other kids. Please keep us in your prayers.

P.S. April 6th marked two years since Adam was killed in action in Iraq. Please keep his family and all of people who have lost loved ones to protect our country in your prayers and also the ones who currently are deployed. We would be nothing without them.

Manila Day

2009-04-06T08:05:00.001-05:00

Well, we were picked up at 9:20 this morning by Brother Roger, his wife Lisa, and Josie. It is about a six hour drive. In Tarlac (about half way between Dagupan and Manila) we stopped and ate at Pancake House (their version of Huddle House, IHOP, ect.) and I had a a really good club sandwich. For dessert we all split this thing that was vanilla ice cream, that had nuts and m and m's in it, it was then wrapped in a waffle and covered in chocolate syrup. It was really good and it was my first meal with no rice! Consequently, we had KFC for supper and they asked what side and I was so happy to answer "mashed potato's!" Joke was on me. They gave you an option of sides but that was in addition to your side of rice! The KFC is connected to our hotel, which is the airport hotel. We are just hanging out in the one room with NaNa and PaPa. We are watching Fox and Friends and I helped open NaNa and PaPa a facebook account! Me and NaNa have been having so much fun looking for people she knows! They will leave here about 9:30 and go across the parking lot (they will take a cab, not walk like we had to when we got here!) to airport, they fly out at midnight. Their route is Manila to Seoul, South Korea to Dallas-Fort Worth to Atlanta to Valdosta. They will arrive at 9:30p.m. local time, Tuesday, Lord willing. We will leave here at about 7a.m. local time tomorrow and fly out at 9a.m. Our route is from Manila to Tokyo to Chattanooga.We will arrive home Tuesday night at about 9p.m., local time Tuesday.
Not much to report today except that I really miss my kids. Magiboo would really love everything even the ride to Manila and especially, the Pancake King and KFC! Boy, that kid loves to eat! Please keep us in your prayers as we travel. I will try to update again from Tokyo.

Manila Day

2009-04-06T08:05:00.000-05:00

The Sad, Last Day

2009-04-05T07:20:00.004-05:00

My last Bible class at the campus of this campaign.

Magiboo and a friend in our "classroom" coloring a picture of Daniel.

Daddy preaching to the "congregation" this morning.

One of the most precious and pathetic kids in San Fabien and definitely one of the happiest!

Magiboo, Sandra, their grandmother, and aunt and uncle's two room "house", yesterday when we drove by he was inside washing his own clothes.

Our final "class" in our back porch "classroom"

Magiboo giving Ate Laurie a little much needed love before we left.

Magiboo trying out his photography skills!

Could I bring him back and pass him as mine? Yes? (That's how I have to ask him everything...."Want something to eat, yes?" He always answers "Yes", he doesn't know what I'm saying but he understands voice inflection and when I say yes, he answers yes, no matter what!

Well, it's all over but the travel now. More than a few tears have been shed and I don't see them ending anytime soon. I am so grateful to have been able to come, as I know that so many are not. I love these people, they are truly my family and I miss them as much when we are apart.

Today started off with me and Daddy being picked up by Indios and Daniel. We went to a new congregation that only has three members and two of them were out of town today :^) There were five of us total including the four of us! She is a school teacher and they meet in the local high school. After that we went back to the campus. I got to spend some time with just Jomar 1 and 2 and Magiboo. Magiboo had skanked a balloon from a wedding being celebrated in the compound and was throwing it up and catching, just squealing with delight. One time it went down and he went down full force for it and smacked his head, right at the eyebrow and stared wailing. Usually he just needs a little attention and TLC from Ate Laurie but even that wasn't enough this time. I went and washed his face off and Julie even gave him a orange (which proved he was really hurting because he didn't even eat it!), and put a cold cloth on his head. Finally I picked him up and we went out to the new hammock and we both laid down and both took a little siesta. The kid has to wash his own clothes, I know there isn't anyone to give him TLC when he normally gets a boo boo. It just breaks my heart, literally. Later Julie called him inside and gave him a bath. I guess he is in charge of giving himself one so they keep a change of clothes at the campus and give him regular baths. I know I leave him in good hands with them but I would still prefer to take him with me.

By the 3:30 time for the Campus CoC service there were about 40 kids for class. It was hot and I was pretty emotional but it was very good anyways. I told the story of Daniel and at then end when I asked how we could be like Daniel and go to Heaven (do what God says or pray would have been an acceptable answer) and one girl raised her hand and answered "We could all die" Well, that is one step in the getting to Heaven process :^) After the tears and the goodbyes at the campus, we went to San Fabien and had a short service before thunderstorms set in. Those kids are so precious and so pathetic at the same time. You can't imagine their poverty. We did get some antibiotic ointment and peroxide to the little girl with the "rotting" fingers. They were starting to turn black. Brother Roger will be keeping an eye on them every Sunday.

As I sit here watching Fox News about a father shooting and killing all five of his own children, someone trapping and ambushing police officers, killing three of them, North Korea launching a missile and it is freezing, literally across most of the US, it's hard for me to stop crying about leaving. If I stayed, I would cry, missing my friends and family but right now it is hard to look past leaving all the ones I love here. PaPa did take me and most of the boys to McDonalds for one last coke float and as we pulled up to the hotel the boys sang "Never Say Goodbye." You can imagine how much that helped!

I now have to pack and do a lice treatment (not sure if I need it or not but we always do one when we leave since all the kids have it) and get really for the long trip home. I'm not sure who was more upset when I left, me or Magiboo, but since he is 5, he will probably get over it more quickly. I wish I would be able to get it through my heart that he, and all of them, are ok without me. My head knows it is really me who needs them more than vise versa.

Josie still has not have had Matt and we really have no further word on her. Please keep her and us in your prayers and we will leave for Manilla in the morning. Hopefully I will be able to blog from there.

The Jolibee Day!

2009-04-04T07:30:00.005-05:00

From L to R (Jomar 1, Rolly, Sandra, Beverly, Sara, Jender, Jomar 2, Jereme, Magiboo, me, Daddy, Josie)

How priceless are those smiles???

This morning we slept in for the first time since we arrived! We weren't picked up until 8:30, whoo! After breakfast we rode out to the campus and there were only 6 kids at the campus. At about 10:30 me, Daddy, and Beverly took Jomar 1, Jomar 2, Ralli, Jereme, Sara, Sandra, Jender, and (of course) Magiboo to Jolibee!

I wish I could explain to ya'll what that was like for these kids. The best analogy that I have heard is someone that has heard of Disney World, seen commercials about it, and heard others talk about and have always dreamed of going....and the moment when they first get to go. Daddy had taken a couple of the others earlier in the week but he didn't know they had never been before and didn't get them anything to eat, just let them play for a few minutes. Insert: Usually I bring Louise, Leigh, Momma, ect something home from the Philippines. I can't even remember what I brought them last time. This time instead of bringing them presents, we sponsored this day. I didn't have to ask to know that's what they would have wanted!

This time I let them each pick out their own kids meal. Three picked out a hamburger steak meal, three picked out hamburger meals. They LOVED it! Afterwards they wanted ice cream but the machine was down so I bought them Jolibees version of halo halo (I won't even go into detail about the grossness) and them let them play while we waited on the adults that had gone to the market. When the adults got there, they ate and when they ordered dessert (it had been about an hour since we ate), the machine was back up, and Daddy ordered them all ice cream cones! This is all Magiboo ate: a hamburger steak and rice, half of his sisters hamburger steak and rice, half of another kids hamburger, a order of french fries, then his halo-halo dessert, then a piece of one of the adults chicken, then his ice cream cone and half of another's! Before we left he asked one of the kids that was saving their hamburger if he could have it!!! Good grief, if there was any doubt he was mine!

By the time that we got back from Jollibee it was 1:00. We sang all the way home and then just sat around and reviewed our Bible stories and sang some more because it was SO hot! By now the boys were up (they had all been up before the sun this morning to see family off and clean up the campus from the party last night, so they had taken a siesta) and Kevin asked me (notice the quotation marks), "Do you want to play touch the body?" "WHAT?", I replied. And he repeated it, TWICE! I looked around, red in the face, and was thinking, "NO! And if I did it wouldn't be right here in the middle of the yard with 20 kids around!" I realized that I was the only one embarrassed and tickled so I said yes and for them to explain it to me. Thank goodness, it's a game very similar to dodge ball. Get it? Don't let the ball "touch the body" :^) I have laughed so hard I have cried over how shocked I was when he asked me that!

After that, Daddy came back from his Bible study and we went and baptized one of the staff members brother! Everyone was SO excited! He was our 43rd baptism of this campaign. Then we said goodbye to everyone and me, Daddy, NaNa, and PaPa ate sweet and sour pork at Cafe Feliz. I will be honest, I had tears in my eyes when we said goodbye to the kids and everyone tonight, just knowing that tomorrow will be our last day with them. Momma used to say that I was never able to fully enjoy the last half of camp, family reunions, ect because of dreading the end of them. That is definitely true today. I am just dreading it. I miss my family and friends but I would stay here in a hot second, if that was a viable option. Tomorrows blog will be written through many tears in my eyes.

We heard from Josie tonight and still no real progress in her labor. Please, please keep her, little Matt, and all of us in your prayers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evNzzucomVg

The Graduation Day...take two!

2009-04-03T09:31:00.005-05:00

Ed, Ronaldo, Kevin, me, Arnel, Jehn Ray, Fernando, and PaPa

Daddy, the VP of PTC, speaking at graduation

Magiboo taking in the construction while enjoying his Halo Halo!

I couldn't resist....how could you?? A little halo halo for Joselito!

GO EAGLES, Philippine style!

Today we arrived about fifteen minutes before chapel so I had a little time with the kids who were already there and waiting. We walked around the campus and greeted everyone . All the faculty, staff, and many of their family members were already busy preparing for our graduation meal. I got to the back just as they were, literally, loading the the goat to the slaughter. They wanted us to watch but it didn't take but one "Baaa" before me and NaNa took off literally running inside.

I need to explain about the difference between the American way of fixing animal meat and the Philippine way. When they serve fish here it looks JUST like it did when they pulled it out of the water, just not moving. Complete with head, eyes, scales, and fins, ect. I have told them many times that I just CANNOT eat something that is looking at me! Americans love meat but they like it NOT to look like it did when it was alive!

Last night me and Daddy went to this really nice bakery and bought three big cinnamon braids for us to have for Graduation Day breakfast. We had that after chapel and it was quite a treat to all of us! Next, I handed out about 25 Faulkner t shirts that Mr. Joey had given me, to the boys, the staff/faculty, and some of their family members. It was bitter sweet because the ones that got them were SO EXCITED, but there were so many that I didn't have one for. Next time my suitcase will be packed with t-shirts, and old kids clothes and kids flip flops! There is no way that I could bring enough for everyone who needs or wants them but everyone who gets one is SO grateful!

After breakfast I went out and had a GREAT Bible class! I was feeling better so I think that helped. We sang, colored, and went over our Bible stories for almost two hours. Then I came in for lunch before going back out with the kids. At 2:00 I tried to send them home to get ready for graduation but, no such luck. About 80 of my kids came to graduation and REALLY did great! They love these boys and cheered like crazy for them when they received their degrees and awards. Also, me, Daddy, NaNa, and PaPa all received an award and went PaPa went up they chanted, "LoLo, LoLo, LoLo!" (grandfather). And when NaNa went up it was, "LoLa, LoLa, Lola!" (Grandmother). When I went of there, of course, there was a roar of "Ate Laurie, Ate Laurie!" but the funniest was when Daddy went up there. Know what they chanted and cheered? "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" I wish that I had recorded it!

I do need to explain that today was the very first graduation for PTC. We had six graduate with their AA degrees and five are planning on returning for their Bachelors. You, along with I, can't imagine how much work these people have put into this and how appreciative they all are of it. That isn't a knock, but with the American mindset we just CAN'T understand! We dont work that hard for anything because we don't have to. When the idea of PTC took place they had $247 U.S. dollars to get it off the ground. It's just amazing and I am more blessed that I could ever describe to you to even be a part of it!

After the graduation there was a massive feast! They killed a pig and a goat and OF COURSE we had rice! they also had bought cokes, which is a major treat over here. They also fed the kids in the back which was such a treat for them but also was really helpful to us! They were told to stay in that kids area while our fiesta was taking place but, of course, little Magiboo made his way over to where me and Daddy were sitting. I had a full plate and told him to go sit behind my chair and I gave him the entire plate. Daddy said if I was going to spoil him I might as well not do it half way and he gave him his Coke :^) That kid is never full because then he went over and scammed another plate off of Josie!

After everyone pretty much went home and everything was pretty much settled down we sat around, what would be like their living room (where we have chapel), in a circle, and were just recapping the day. We decided to sing "I'm Going That Way", one off all of our favorites, before we broke up that night. When we started singing (we had already sent all the kids home), I saw a little movement across the floor and looked up and saw Magiboo standing there. I called him over and he crawled up on my lap and sat there and sang!!! I WISH I had that on video for all of you! The kids knows only the word "yes" and words he learns in Bible songs. He picked up on the chorus pretty quick and kind of just made up words to sing along the tune! It was SO sweet! I understand a little how God takes all the bad of the world with little snip bits of such pure, wonderfulness every now and then.

I am already dreading going home. We have one more full day before it is our last day here and we start the trek home. I just can't believe it, really. Still know word on Josie, please continue to keep her and us in your prayers.

The day with my kids!

2009-04-02T07:21:00.003-05:00

I said, "Smile, like 'You're Happy and You Know It', big smile!" He delivered :^D

Today we went straight to the campus for chapel. It was Fernando's day to speak and he did a great job! He is so meek in real life and he becomes a different man behind the pulpit! After that everyone spilt up to go do evangelizing in different compounds but I stayed behind with "my kids" All the boys went evangelizing but we know each other well enough that we can communicate even though we don't speak the same language.

We learned some more books of the Bible, reviewed over our lessons and memory verses, colored, and, of course, sang our hearts out. Since I had so much time we were able to sing each song as many times as they liked :^) We did that for about three very long, hot, fun hours until it was time for our lunch. After lunch I went back out for an hour or so but Daddy played ball with them and we just sat around "talking", mainly about me, my family, America, and my features (my eyes and nose, the "meat" on my legs, my hair, ect). It was just so fun spending time with them. By then I was exhausted and went inside and slept for about 40 minutes before it was time to practice with our "choral group" performing during graduation tomorrow.

After practice, the Americans called it a day and headed back to the hotel. The four of us had a really nice supper in the hotel restaurant, Cafe Feliz. It was just a really nice time. I am SO blessed to be able to come here. Not just for getting to meet the people and witness all that I do but for getting to spend the quality time with Daddy, NaNa, and PaPa.

The picture I am posting today is of Dan Dan. I LOVE him! He has the quickest smile of any human being I have ever seen! SO CUTE! I have decided that he has to come home with me too. Two might be to much for me but, luckily, Rayla has said she wants me to bring her one too. If there was any way, Tucker would have a new big brother next week! I am already starting to really dread leaving! Also, the video is of us singing the PTC alma mater, which one of the teachers, Ruben wrote. The other is of Daddy playing ball with Magiboo, Jomar, DanDan, and maybe one or two others. They kept yelling, "Daddy!" for him to throw it to them :^)

Still no word on Josie and little Matt, please continue to keep them and us in your prayers.

**The YouTube videos won't post.....I'll put them on here as soon as I can get them uploaded**

The Sick Day!

2009-04-01T07:45:00.004-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcG8plzR4Rk

I woke up very early this morning (while it was still dark) freezing cold and on top of my bed where I had fallen asleep in my clothes and shoes! It was so unusual because I can and do go so often exhausted and just keep going! I took off my shoes and jumped under the covers but never got comfortable or warm really. When I woke this morning with the roof of my mouth swollen and really just feeling bad. I thought I was feeling bad because I hadn't slept well. I wasn't hungry and kept falling asleep while I would be sitting straight up! During chapel it hit me that I was running fever and had a ear infection! That whole side of my face hurts to the touch, my throat and that side of my mouth are swollen and I am running a pretty good fever. Unfortunately, there is no rest for the weary here. I poured some alcohol in my ear, gargled salt water, and took some Echennacia and Tylenol. I still don't feel really great but, what can you do? The biggest thing is that I am just pooped!

We left at 7 to go to another baptism at the beach at 8am. So stinking beautiful! Even feeling bad, it's hard to have a bad day when you start it out that way! Today was Kevins day to speak in chapel and he was GREAT! I don't mean for a Filipino student, I mean just GREAT! What a amazing thing how these boys are growing as preachers! I had to get up after I did the alcohol thing in my ear, after chapel to go outside and do the Bible class. You just can't NOT do it, those kids show up literally at daybreak asking for me and waiting to sing Bible songs and learn Bible facts. Seeing Magiboo and the other kids makes me feel better anyways! I had missed Magiboo because I hadn't seen him at all yesterday! I just love that kid!

Since chapel was late because of the baptisms (the beach is about a 25 minute drive from the campus. During the rainy season there is a river in the compound that we use to baptize, it is stagnant during the dry season) I had Bible class for about an hour and half and then it was time for lunch. After lunch we went to San Fabien, which is where I taught the other day in the goat alley. That was my same class room today and let's just say, although the kids are more than precious, I was kind of miserable in that awful heat with no shade. Arnel was an amazing amount of help and we were out there for about 2 1/2 hours while PaPa and Roger were in a Bible study. It was well worth it though because 2 girls decided to become Christians out of that Bible study! We loaded up the van and ran to another beautiful beach and baptized them! It was kind of funny because Arnel lost one of them under the water!

One of the little girls, probably about 4 or 5, had the worst looking fingers ever! I started to take a picture but it was too gross to show anyone. I had the boys ask her what was wrong and she said that it was an allergy. That's no allergy, I can almost see bone on most of the tips of her fingers! I then had them ask if her mother put medicine on it and she told them that she boils some kind of leaves and puts that salve on it it. I am certainly all for herbal medicine but that's not working! Even to my untrained eye, I can diagnose that, that little girl is in danger of being deformed at best, losing her fingers or even life due to infection, at worst. I got Daddy and Roger to come see and I am sending her family some peroxide and triple antibiotic ointment. Her family are members of our small congregation there so Roger and his wife Lisa will be monitoring the situation. It brings tears to my eyes and makes me sick to my stomach even now, just thinking about it.

Anyway, after that, we had to run to CSI, the Wal Mart like store in the mall to get more candy for the kids. While we were checking out I told the boys to pick out candy bars. They all picked out KitKat's and it was the first time Arnel had ever had one! We also checked on Josie Dos (we have two Josie's), who is in labor. Please keep her in your prayers as she is having trouble birthing this child. Our other staff members asked if they could have their salaries early (they normally get paid on the 5th) because they are all giving 1,000 pesos a piece (appx $20, between 8%-15% of each of their respective salaries). These people have nothing but they are dividing their schedules because the hospital will not admit anyone here without full payment first. I have never felt like I am more selfish with my money. These people are truly the salt of the earth and I am a much luckier person for having them in my life.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers and, especially our sister Josie.

My day with the boys!

2009-04-01T06:39:00.003-05:00

"The boys" from L to R, JR, Arnel, Rodell, John Ray, and Kevin goofing around at Agnow!

PaPa, Me, and Nana on the beach at Agnow!

Different boys than my boys in America, it's time you meet them! There are eight students at
PTC right now and when I refer to "the boys" I am usually referring to five of them. John Ray,
Arnel, and Kevin are three of our six that made up the first class of PT. They are all
graduating with their AA degrees on Friday. Then our two new boys are JR and Rodell. Kevin is 17 and so funny! Him and Arnel, who is 19, are the ones I know the best because
they are the ones who were my helpers and translators most of last trip. Arnel is always
smiling. Next is John Ray, who is 20 and 5'0" might be a stretch! John Ray is ALWAYS
laughing at something and speaks so fast that even when he is speaking English I can't
understand him much better than when he is speaking Tagalog! Rodell is 23 and there is no
way he weighs 100lbs soaking wet and is about the same height as John Ray. He is SO
FAST! When we are playing with the kids I can't believe how fast he can run! JR is 21 and
very quiet and very quick to smile. The other three don't travel with us much and I don't
know very well because they are older and have their own congregations already that they
are usually taking care of while we do evangelism with the boys. They are Ed, who is 36
and single and Renaldo, who is married, and Fednando who is married and has three of the
most beautiful daughters I have ever seen!
When I tell about "today" it is actually my yesterday because when we got back last night I
fell asleep on top of my bed in my clothes and my shoes! Anyway, today started as normal
except early again because we had 2 baptisms lined up for 7 am so we were picked up at
6am. Not a bad way to start the day with two baptisms at the the beach! After that it was
Renaldo's day to speak in chapel. Then me, NaNa, PaPa, the boys, and Daniel all went to
Agnow. I firmly believe that Agnow is THE most beautiful place on Earth. Don't get me
wrong we have some gorgeous places in America and it almost takes my breath away to
think about the beauty of Greece. But imagine a beach with dark grey sand on one side of
the road and literal mountains on the other side! Now imagine there are no buildings really!
A few huts but no hotels, restaurants, condos, ect. Daddy calls it the most beautiful
baptistery in the world.
We drove up the mountain on what barely could be called a dirt road and had a Bible study
on top of the mountain with two girls. What a view! I can't imagine anyone living up there
and NOT believing in God! They decided to be baptized and we had to go ALL the way back
down the mountain and then walk about a mile to the compound on the beach where our
boys regularly hold Sunday service. We baptized them and then I held a Bible class with 49
of the most well behaved, respectful kids and told them the story of Noah. They had ever
heard it before and were amazed! It was well timed because it was pouring and we were
having our class on the "porch" while PaPa led a Bible study with 17 adults right inside. It
was cramped but wonderful!

I forgot to tell you that it takes 2 1/2 hours just to get to Agnow. So, on the way home we stopped at McDonalds, which is such a treat to these boys! The ride home was so fun because me and the boys got to just talk and sing and spend time with each other! We compared American and Philippine things and sang our respective national anthems. It was so fun but I could barely keep my eyes open on the way home!

When we got back to the hotel I laid down on top of my bed while Daddy tried, unsuccessfully, to get on line. I fell asleep, I think before I even got down! I fell asleep and Daddy couldn't even get me up to take my shoes off or get a shower! The next morning I would understand why I was so tired!

The Graduation Day...take one

2009-03-30T07:26:00.003-05:00

The morning started off as usual with us being picked up at the hotel at 7am, but it got
unusual quick! As we turned on the main room of the compound, we saw Magiboo, his
grandmother (who is a very faithful member at the Campus CoC), and Sandra, his sister,
walking towards the main road. Before I continue, it's time I tell you what I know of
Magiboo's story.
First, he is five years old and lives across the street from the campus, with his grandmother,
sister, aunt, and uncle. His father hung himself wen Magiboo was just a baby and his mother
now lives in Manila with her boyfriend. Side note: I already and wishing I didn't have to him, I
have no idea how she was able to do it voluntarily. I also found out yesterday that his name
is not really Magiboo! Magiboo is a famous cartoon character on the tv here, usually every
compound has at least one child nicknamed that! His real name is Joselito Velasco!
Back to today, there Magiboo was walking down the road at 7:45am in a little white
graduation cap and gown! Just imagine THE CUTEST thing you have EVER seen! Today he
was graduating from their equivalent of kindergarten!!! Obviously, we stopped the van, all
got out and took pictures with him! I would love to post them but stupid me left the memory
card out of my camera so they are stuck on my hard drive for now. We then left back
headed for chapel while they went in the opposite direction towards the school, which is on
the main highway.
During the PTC chapel this week they are having a end of the year competition between all
of the second year students, where each will present his favorite lesson. There are six of
the so one will go each day and two on Friday. Arnel spoke first today and as soon as the
chapel was over I found out if I was scheduled to go anywhere. Since I wasn't supposed to
be anywhere special, I asked the boys to take me on the motorcycle down to the school to
see if I could catch Magiboo receiving his diploma. They happily obliged and the 5 of us that
did not have appointments headed to the school.
Let me try my best to set the scene for you. The school (grades K-6) is u shaped around this
giant pavilion. The pavilion was PACKED with the people. If you have never experienced the
over crowding of the Philippines and their lack of need of personal space, there is no way to
describe it with well enough with words. Packed is the best I can do. Also, it is at least 100
degrees by now, AT LEAST! First, they had at least seven speakers. Keep in mind this is
just a kindergarten and 6th grade graduation! Next, they don't just have Valedictorian and
Salutatorian, they also have TEN honorable mentions and TEN runners up! Then they have
what is the equivalent to our superlatives in our year books. As in, most beautiful, most
punctual, and EIGHT other Mosts! After over an hour and a half (and keep in mind that we
are standing in the sun, because there is no room in the pavilion, and that we were late!) the
FINALLY begin giving the diplomas! Since Magiboo has no father one of our PTC boys was
asked by the family to go on stage (the parents accompany the graduating child to receive
their diploma) with him and his grandmother. These boys are the cream of the crop and
making such a difference in this community, especially with the kids. I couldn't have been
prouder if Magiboo had been my own son!
While we were standing there all of the members of the local congregation that were there
kept coming up and thanking me and the boys for coming. I knew that my presence would
cause a stir so I was trying to be as little of a distraction as I could manage. No such luck. I
noticed that almost everyone was looking at many, many were taking pictures, and some
were brave enough to come up and ask to have their picture taken with Americana.
Needless to say, in my scrub pants, old Faulkner shirt, and sweating like a mule, I probably
wasn't looking like the Americans they see on tv! If they minded, you sure couldn't tell.
One lady who is a member at the congregation came up and asked if I would walk with her as
her daughters (who was graduating from the 6th grade) family. Although I knew it would
cause a stir, I did it, because it was a great honor for them to ask me. There were probably
100 flashes in the audience. The girl and her mother were so proud and thanked me
profusely!
Next, we were off to the high school graduation, down the road because we had many
members of the congregation graduating. By now I officially feel like I am on fire, it is so
stinkin hot. They had all of these stands selling everything from homemade halo halo to pop
drinks. I gave the guys some pesos and told them to go buy us all drinks (served in
sandwich bags that you hold together around a straw). They said there was no pop so I
said to get us some of the orange drink. This is where Kevin saved my life! As the guy was
pouring them, Kevin whispered, "Not made with mineral (clean, safe) water." I was thirsty
but NOT that thirsty! They all drank it since they are obviously used to the dirty water but
sent a little neighborhood boy to get me pop from somewhere else. Thank goodness for my
brother Kevin looking out for me!
We soon left back for the campus where it was almost time for lunch. After lunch I had my
Bible class. The kids now all know the first 15 books of the Bible. After an hour and half of
class we walked to two houses of members who were having graduation "party's." One
tradition in the Philippines is to stuff any guest you have with food. These are the most
uncomfortable times while I am here. It is very rude and disrespectful to turn down food but
you also know they wash the dishes with the dirty water out of the pump and see their
cooking conditions. Then you factor in the different foods and it just makes for an
uncomfortable time, especially with as weak a stomach as mine.
We then walked back to the campus to load in the van to ride to water (about 25 minutes
away to one of my favorite compounds, where two of our faculty are from) to baptize two
that PaPa and Daniel had studied with. They were two teenage boys that live in the
compound. In the can were me, NaNa, PaPa, two faculty, two students, the two boys, and
SIX of their family members! Good thing I'm not claustrophobic!
When we got back was the best time of the day. It was about 5:oo p.m. and the sun was
setting, it was finally a bearable temperature, and there was a nice breeze. Me, the boys,
and about 25 of the local kids were outside just playing. Kevin played the guitar, one kid had
a home made kite (made of grocery bags), one kid had a bike without a seat, and we had two
jump roaps. They all ran and played and it was the most at peace I have ever felt just sitting
there and taking it all in. I am not sure who had more fun, the kids or the boys. The kids
around the campus are so lucky to have such good influences who love them and enjoy
them so much. I told Daddy tonight that, if I had children, I would feel as good leaving them
with any of those boys as I would leaving them with my own sisters.
These kids, and really these people as whole, have so little but are so happy. Right then
everything in the world was right and good even though they were playing in mismatched,
broken flip flops, torn old clothes that no American child would be seen in, and with no real
toys except two jump roaps that had to be shared. They were just happy and at that moment
didn't have a care in the world. Also, Danica's boil is almost completely healed thanks to
some good doctoring my Josie!
Finally the dinner bell rang and we went in for our meal. It is now 8:15 p.m. and I am typing
this in the van so I can post it when we get to he hotel and not waste sleeping time with
blogging! We have to be back at 7am for 4 baptisms so we will be picked up at 6am! Whew!
What a WONDERFUL, LONG day! Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

The LONG day!

2009-03-29T07:17:00.002-05:00

I am disgustingly gross and stinky, my back hurts, and I am EXHAUSTED!!! What a GREAT day!!! We started out this morning and went to the Dagupan prison, where I had been last year. This year was quite different from the moment that we walked in because they thoroughly searched our things and then gave us just as thorough a pat down. When we got to the common area, which serves as our chapel, there were probably only 1/3 or 1/4 of the people normally there. We then found out that they were on "red alert". They had a serious threat that someone would be trying to break in to harm one of the prisoners who is scheduled to testify against a famous criminal this coming week. The whole place was creepy today but still four men became Christians!

Next we were off to the San Carlos jail, about 1/2 an hour from Dagupan jail. This jail was much more friendly to us and we had about 40 attend and another 5 baptized but, boy, was it getting hot! By the time we left there it was about 11 and we went for lunch at Chow King :^) and I went and got a watch! I have been SO lost since we have been here regarding the time! Some times I couldn't even guess within 3 hours of the correct time! We then decided that we needed to wait to go to our fourth stop so we would be on time for the Campus CoC Friend Day. We got there about 1 1/2 hours early but about 50 kids were already there waiting!!! By the time it was over we had at least 110 kids and it was 102 degrees F and we had, had our class for THREE hours! I once looked down and my pink shirt was a darker color pink (from sweat) except for the outline of my undergarment!! Gross, I know! We sang, learned about Moses, colored, and played Bible trivia. You also need to know that we did all this without a break because we didn't have funds for snacks and drinks and he campus isn't equipped with public bathrooms! This video is of their favorite song to sing (or maybe mine!), I can't tell you the name because it's a Tagaolg! The jist of the song is My, head, I will use my head to serve God, then insert shoulders, then hips, then knees, and then ankles where head is. The verse that is on video is the last one where you combine all of the things. I will try to video the entire song and put a link to it on You Tube.

Last we went to San Fabien, which is where I went the other day and we taught in the same goat field. These kids are just SO poor! I just can't describe how poor but how enthusiastic the kids are! There was also one lady baptized here, I will try to post her picture later, she is only about MAYBE four feet tall and she is 23! By the time we left there we were stinky, gross, and exhaused but STARVING! We hadn't eaten in seven hours and had worked our tails off! So, PaPa took us all to Chow King AGAIN! What a great end to a great day! It is now 14 hours since we left this morning and I have to wash the stink off me and try to make it to the bed before falling asleep!

Sometimes I begrudge the fact that I am SO tired when we get in because it leaves me so little time and I have to leave so much out! I hope all of you have a great week and remember us in our last week here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a274iPndNyY Magiboo talks about the Walkers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8ysp7Ig4aM Jesus Loves Me- Filipino style!

The Blessed Day!

2009-03-28T05:43:00.003-05:00

Remember when you were a kid and got something REALLY great for your birthday and your mom would tell you not to go tell all of your friends because you would be bragging? Well, even back then and still now, I just can't NOT tell, when something great happens me! Not bragging, just want to share!

On these trips and at home I have been a part of many personal Bible studies. However, never have I been the one leading the Bible study and the one we are studying with make the decision to to become a Christian and be baptized while I was there. Maybe that says something negative about me but I am not dwelling that now.

This morning we were picked up and got there earlier because Daddy and one of the faculty members, Daniel, had a baptism set up at 7:30a.m. They took NaNa, J.R., John Mark, and the only four of the kids who were there that early. I wanted to go SO badly and was kind of upset that I had gotten carsick on the way there and just couldn't. After they left PaPa and another faculty member left for a Bible study. That left only me, Beverly, and Julia. All of you who know me know that I was sitting there kind of pouting that I didn't get to go with Magiboo and the other kids to the baptism at the beach. When am I going to learn that I'm following God's plan, not mine???

Beverly walked in and asked if I would go on a Bible study with them. I asked if we would be walking or driving and they said we would be walking, that it was "close" I knew that the Filipino definition of "close" is much different than the American definition but that was good because I still was to sick at my stomach to get in the van. As we walked down the road she gave em the prospects background. They would be two 14 year old girls who attend worship every Sunday but had yet to decide to become a Christian. They said that they have had many Bible studies and NaNa and Daniel had even been there the day before. So, we get there and they have a conversation in Tagalog and I'm just sitting there with my "I have NO idea what you are saying so I am just going to sit here and nod" smile when Beverly turns to me and says, "OK, they are ready." "Ready for what?", I ask? "The Bible study. You can begin now." she replies. WHAT?? "OK, will you say a prayer to get us started?" (interpretation: I need divine intervention AND a few minutes to stall!)

Long story, short, I went over the steps of salvation and finally asked what was keeping them from being baptized. Beverly translated what I said, the girls had a little conversation with each other, and then they answered Beverly in Tagolog. Beverly looked at me and smile. I said, "What is it?" She answered, "They said nothing hinders them!" God must really laugh at my lack of faith!! It was a AMAZING experience and they were later baptized at the river! Between those two girls and the ones that Daddy and the others baptized, we now have 11 new brothers and sisters in Christ here!! How lucky am I to be a part of this???

Besides for that I had FOUR HOURS worth of Bible class with the campus kids today and got to spend some quality time with Magiboo and his sister Sandra! This video is just a little something I put together so you all could meet my little Magiboo. You'll have to scroll down and mute my music, I have not been able to get on the website to take it off. The other boy in the video is Jomar, who's mother and father work at the campus. Hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed videoing it!

Please continue to keep us and the work in your prayers!

The HOTTEST day.....so far!

2009-03-27T07:46:00.002-05:00

Well, I had been so happy because I had slept SO well from the time that I left. I mean I had slept well on the plane, in Manila, and here, EVEN with the stupid rooster and Daddy's snoring! So last night we get in and I am so tired, or at least I thought I was. I didn't sleep a wink last night!! I was SO aggervated that sometime in the middle of the night I seriously thought about throwing something in the sirection of Dad's bed to make him quit snoring!!! With a clearer head in the morning I was glad that Dad finally got some sleep, even if I did have to sacrifice mine.

When we got to the campus this morning we had the daily chapel with the students and faculty and then I had my first class with "My kids" from around the campus compound. Don't get me wrong, it's imposible NOT to fall in love with the kids from every compound you go to. They could melt even the hardest of hearts with their purity, their love, and the poverty in which they live. However, I DO love these kids from the camups compound the most. I just know them. And I know I'm not supposed to, but I have a favorite :^) Magiboo is his name. He's five and I don't know what it is about him but I think it's going to get harder to NOT stick him in my suitcase every time I leave! I will defininetly post a picture of him and will try to get video before I leave. You'll just see how cute he is, he can't speak a lick of English and I'm doubting many of you speak Tagalog!

Our lesson at class today was Noah and our memory verse was John 3:16. The kids wasnted to learn it in English. So now they know Gen 1:1 in Tagalog and John 3:16 in English. After class it was lunch time and the power went out and it was SO HOT! I know most of you who read this live in the South but I promise this makes August feel like a "dry heat" in south Georgia! Geez, I felt like I was literally melting! After lunch it was just too hot to have class outside so I brought all the kids in the building. We did our Bible class, sang 1,000,000 songs as always and then me and the boys played some games with them. It was SO fun. I think I lost about 10 pounds in water but I made it up tonight :^)

Then we went to another compound and had class. It was a little distracting because it was "bath time" In the middle of the copmound is a little area where the pump is and they all use it to bathe. The adults bathe in shorts and a shirt but the kids just strip down without thinking about ti! One little girl stripped all the way down and then got distracted by our singing and just ran over and joined in, naked as the day she was born! After an hour of the childrens class (and the adults being COMPLETELY enamored with my "perfect" nose ) we walked through that entire compound and invited people to our Friend Day at the Campus Church of Christ on Sunday. Then we went through half of our compound (there are appx 3,000 people in the compound where the campus is).

When we got back to the campus we met up with Daddy and his evangalism team, PaPa and his team, and NaNa and her team who had been to the other half of our compound, inviting people to Friend Day. Brother Roger then drove me, Daddy, NaNa, PaPa, Arnel, Kevin, J.R., Rodel, and John Mark to Dagupan. We stopped at the mall before dropping us off at the hotel. I ate at McDonalds where I had my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE thing, a Coke float! SO GOOD! WHY has no one in America thought to add Coke, ice cream, ice, chocolate syrum, and whip cream?? It's like crack cocaine! PaPa and Daddy bought us all one. I CAN'T figure out why the Americans aren't embracing this idea AND the idea of Chow King, fast food Chinese...BRILLIANT!

Finally we are back at the hotel and I am gross and exhausted! The game plan from here is shower and fall asleep before Dad!! Please keep us in your prayers!

What day is this??

2009-03-26T04:38:00.003-05:00

They LOVE basketball here. Please notice though
their playing shoes. Flip flops. That's all I have
seen them play in!

J.R., Daddy, and Brother Roger taking the confession

of the first baptism of the trip. Not a bad looking

"baptistery", huh?

These are the homes of the women that were

baptised. I honestly have seen bigger tree houses.

Sorry I didn't turn it. This was my "classroom"

I think that there is a time in most every ones life that changes who they are fundamentally. Not necessarily for better or for worse, just changes you. It's not always even one of the biggest moments of your life, it's just the one that changes you. I'm sure that you are probably thinking that I am about to write about how this is that moment for me. Not so much, unfortunately. Like most of us, my life changing moment wasn't a great moment in my life.

The thing about this moment is I haven't really felt like "myself" since then (what ever that undefinable "myself" actually is) It's not that I think about it. I usually don't even realize how far from "myself" I am. Today the thought just crept up on me, "I finally feel like myself again." It even surprised me. I would love to say that it's a spiritual thing but I'm not sure it really is. I can't really put my finger on what it is whether it's not having to worry about going to work, or not having to worry about money stuff, not even having to worry about little tifts and arguments with family and friends, ect. Although I do feel like a lot of these things weigh me down at home so maybe it's a combination of all these things. I've probably rambled but I just wanted to record that thought that I had today. Maybe I'll figure out a way to be "myself" more at home.

Today we started out going out to the campus and participated in their chapel. Then I had my first class with "my kids" from around that area. These are the ones that I met last time I was her and the ones that I would love to take back home with me. After class I sent them home and went in for our mid morning snack. We just visited around until lunch (some of the teachers and students were gone with NaNa and PaPa on a Bible study) and then after lunch we had our second Bible study. Today they learned about Adam and Eve and most of them could quote Genesis 1:1 when we were through. It was a great day. Before I left I sat down with all of the kids and showed them my photo album. By the time we were through I could point to everyone in my "familia" and they would scream out the correct corresponding name. More on this at the end of the blog.....

Next we went with Brother Roger and one of the new students, J.R. to conduct a Bible study that was already lined up. Hopefully, when I post this there will be a picture near this part of the blog of the exact spot of my "class". Picture this grassy ally way covered in trash and goat poo. Why is it covered in goat poo, you ask. Because right along with me and the kids are six goats! One literally wrapped its rope around me during "Father Abraham" and I landed on the ground IN the goat poo! On top of the less than perfect teaching conditions, the kids didn't speak ANY English, understood what can't even be considered as "little", and they knew only two songs and one of them was in Tagalo! Did I mention that it was 798 degrees out there with 800% humidity?? Regardless, it was still an AMAZING experience. We baptized two and the kids knew FOUR songs, Genesis 1:1, and all kinds of facts about Noah by the time we left.

Now for my crowning moment. L and L, this may not be how it is in the states but there is no question how it is in the Philippines! The only background you need to know watching this video is that "maganda"" translates to "beautiful" and that they had no prior knowledge of the questioning! Make sure your volume is up :^)

Day 1, Day 2, What day is it???

2009-03-25T05:26:00.002-05:00

Good grief. I just asked Daddy what time it was here and he said, "6:25" I replied with, "morning or night?" Boy is my body confused and it's tough to confuse a night shift body! The good news is, WE HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED!!!!

We drove up to the campus today and the kids were literally chanting my name! They (about 30 of the kids from around the neighborhood where the campus is) hung all over me (again with the no concept of personal space) and told me over and over how excited they were for me to be there and how they had been waiting on me! Before I could even go inside and see the new building and visit with the faculty and students they had to sing me two of the "English" songs I taught them last time. One of my favorite little girls has a boil on her face and my heart just breaks looking at her. The faculty at PTC said they are doing all they can to get her some medicine.

The building and whole campus looks GREAT! I can't believe that it is the same place! I will try to post pictures tomorrow of the campus the last time that I was here and what they look like now. The work is really growing at a phenomenal pace here!

If you read my blog last year you may remember the rooster! I am about to take a sleeping pill and put my earplugs in to avoid the rooster and Daddy's snoring :^) Hope all of you are having a great week! Please continue to remember us in your prayers!

Day 1- Manila

2009-03-24T19:30:00.001-05:00

We're here! In the Philippines to be exact. We arrived last night and it was pretty clear immediately why I love this place. It's the people. Since I haven't gotten to see "the people" yet I realize that I'm in a third world country. WAY more people per square inch than Americans can even imagine- Check
People who have NO concept of "personal space"- check, check
lack of hot water- check, check, check
I could go on.....
One thing that doesn't change America or Philippines is how ANNOYING my dad is in the morning! Those of you who didn't grow up in my house CAN'T understand! It's not that he's just a morning person. My NaNa is a morning person and she gets up and enjoys her quiet time before everyone else gets up. My dad, NOT SO MUCH! He LOVES to get up in the mornings but wants EVERYONE else to be up with him!! The man woke up THREE HOURS before our alarm went off. Yeah, we're going to have to set down some ground rules before tomorrow morning!
Today we will make the six hour van ride to the PTC (Philippine Theological College) campus where I will FINALLY get to see everyone! YAY! Believe me, for all of my complaining, I absolutely CAN'T wait to see all the students, the faculty,and the kids that live in the neighborhood!!! Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Hopefully, I'll be able to update tonight!

My luck is changing?

2009-03-24T01:37:00.002-05:00

Well, this blog is being written from Tokyo, Japan. We had a VERY bumby but otherwise uneventful trip over. Here's the best part....we were again on the very back seat, which isn't a bad thing on the big jets, right by the standing room and close to the restrooms. Evidently there were kids on the plane but I never heard them (I know though because they made an announcement about one throwing up in the aisle). There were lots of good movies but I only watched "Marley and Me" (side note.....I'm REALLY not sure that falls into the "COMEDY" category!) before I took my Ambien CR! I wish that Dr Lucy read this so I could give her a VERY big shout out right here! That stuff is better than gold on a plane trip!

We have a four hour layover here and then we'll board for our 5 hour flight to Manila. The flights are packed since most of them were canceled due to the plane crash yesterday at this airport. I am really starting to get excited about being there, I have SO missed my friends and the people over there! I hope you are all doing well and I hope that we have internet so I'll be able to keep in touch! Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

It's a good thing....

2009-03-23T09:00:00.002-05:00

...that I don't believe in "signs"! First of all I stayed up WAY too late last night (Especially considering that I worked Saturday night, went to services and class and traveled up to Chattanooga on Sunday!) to watch Tennessee LOSE in THE FIRST STINKIN ROUND to BALL STATE!!!! Are you kidding me? REALLY? For those of you who don't understand the severity of this....Since the inception of the tournament as it is, NO Lady Vols team has EVER won by any less than 23 points in the first round! No team has ever NOT made the Sweet 16! Great.....glad I stayed up for that.

Skip ahead a few hours and on the way to the airport the man who drove us starts making conversation ABOUT A PLANE THAT CRASHED overnight!! Really? I mean WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO THE AIRPORT!!! For the love. Then we go to get on our little "toy plane" a.k.a. "commuter flight" from Chattanooga to Chicago and we are on the very last two seats. You know, the ones right beside the lavatory door and the only ones on the plane that don't recline any. Great.

Now we are in the Chicago airport waiting in our terminal and up walks my biggest fear.... two screaming children under the age of 4! No offense to any of you with small, screaming children, but I would rather poke my own eyeballs out than ride on a 14 hour plane ride with them!!! I'll keep you updated!

Last but not last, please keep us in your prayers! We leave here in a few hours for Tokyo, then Manila, then a 6 hour van ride to Dagupan, where we stay! Thanks so much and check back, I hope to be updating almost daily, IF I can find internet over there. If not...sorry....one big blog like last time :^(

Hope you have a GREAT week!

...everything's going my way..

2009-03-19T11:38:00.002-05:00

Ok, ok, so EVERY thing might be an exaggeration but A LOT more than anytime in recent memory and I am thoroughly enjoying it!

First, I went back to the "good" Dr. in Chattanooga on Monday and got THE BEST report! I know most people wouldn't consider a virus that is most commonly found in dogs really good news but it is AWESOME compared to the alternative!!! I have parvo. It's not the same strain as dogs get, but a cousin to it and Fifths disease that kids get. He said I wouldn't have had to go through all the misdiagnosis probably if I didn't work third. But one of the major complaints should have been lethargy and always being tired. Well, obviously I didn't complain of that because that is EVERY day with ANY one who works third or two jobs, especially if you do both! The great news is that most patients have NO arthritic symptoms after a year!!! All I can say is that PRAYERS DEFINITELY WORK!! Every diagnosis I have gotten has been something that I was going to have to live with the rest of my life, be on medications for the rest of my life, and was only going to get worse the older I got! I just can't thank all of you who have sent e mails and cards and have been praying for me enough!

Second, as most of you know, I leave Monday for the Philippines and fund raising had NOT been going as well this year as it did last. In fact, there was serious moments of doubt of whether I would even get to go or not! Again, PRAYERS DEFINITELY WORK! I have been in almost constant prayer about this the last month and here within the last week a few people have come through BIG TIME! I would love to write about each of these individuals but I know that none of them would appreciate that. But, to all of you who were able and willing to be SO generous this year you have no idea how much it means to the people over there and probably even more so to me personally!

Probably the next time I write will be from the airport in Chicago so please, please keep me and my dad and grandparents in your prayers!!! Also, my mom will be doing a lot of traveling by herself between Chattanooga, Montgomery, and Jackson, TN (where her mom lives) so I'd appreciate you keeping her in your prayers too! I hope you are all having as GREAT of a week as I am!!!!

Beware of the Ides of March

2009-03-12T10:30:00.004-05:00

OK, so this isn't actually a warning for Sunday, I just kind of like the saying :^)

Actually, warnings aside, March is quickly making a running for my favorite month of the year. It gives you your first taste of spring, also known as "baseball weather", which just makes my entire disposition better. At 911 March usually signals the end of "fire season" and at the football office it means Spring Ball! It also means the return of two of my most favorite things, Tennessee football and baseball!!! Throw in March madness and it's hard not to believe that the worst thing about this month is the Spring fever it brings with it!!!

This year it's even better because it brought three inches (at one time!) of snow to Montgomery and it's the month that I am returning to the Philippines!!! Me and Daddy will depart from Chattanooga at 6:25am March 23rd and will land in Manila at 10:15pm on March 24th, Lord willing. We will spend the night in the airport hotel and leave early the next morning for our six hour van ride to Dagupan, where we will stay for 13 amazing days. We will leave Dagupan on April 6th for the van ride back to Manila and spend the night there for our 9am flight out the next morning. After passing back through Japan (interesting fact....we leave Japan at 5:35pm local time and arrive all the way around the world 3:35p.m. local time on the same day!) and stopping for a short 3 1/2 hour layover in Chicago before returning to Chattanooga at 9:30pm on the 7th! Whew!

While we're on the topic of the Philippines, this has to be said. I have some AMAZING people in my life. To say that two weeks ago I was a little discouraged with how my fundraising was going would be downplaying it. I was VERY discouraged. It looked almost impossible where last year getting the funds together had been so easy. The people in my life have come through though! Family members of course, old friends, new friends, land lords, people that I work with at Faulkner as well as people I work with at 911 have all helped out! Last year 90% of my funds came from 4 sources. This year only 50% of my funds have come from three sources, the other half has come from just $15 $25 $50 and $75 checks from random friends and family. It's been so amazing how people respond. So, if that qualifies any of you, consider this another thank you! You have been an intricate part of my March being so great! If you weren't and you want to be (;^) never to proud to make another pitch!), I am still a few hundred dollars short! Thanks again to all of you who not only helped me financially but who are keeping me, Daddy, NaNa, and PaPa in your prayers as we travel and hopefully win MANY souls for the Lord!

HAVE A GREAT REST OF MARCH!

THANK YOU!

2009-03-03T20:11:00.002-06:00

I am just coming off three days of VERY unpleasant tests and cannot pass out tonight until I send out some thanks. First of all, Leigh was quite the trooper. She stayed with me more than anyone else and there is no way it could be described as fun. Louise and Dirt did their fair share, Dirt even brought me flowers! Mom and Dad were in town and escorted me to all the Dr's appts so Leigh didn't have to miss any extra work and did everything they could to make me more comfortable. I had so many other friends, family, and co-workers who called and checked on me, not to mention all of the prayers going up on my behalf! I would LOVE to thank the Dr's and nurses (they certainly earned their money yesterday with me and my family!) but something tells me they won't be reading this blog :^)

The tests didn't go as well in some aspects as they usually do (I had some "complications" with the anesthesia) but all together it was fine and I'm SO GLAD it's over! I won't get the results back for a few days but I did want to thank those who went through that small "valley" of my life!

Let's hear it for the boys!

2009-02-25T11:32:00.004-06:00

Coach Knapp (Chuck)

Coach Jonson (Donald)

Coach Howell (Eric)

Coach Franklin (Chad)

Coach Clark (Cam)

Coach Briggs (Dean)

Coach Baker (Gregg)

Meet 'the boys' or 'the guys' (depending on why I am referring to them :^). In previous posts I have mentioned them from my office, sometimes from funny things they have done but, probably more often than it should be, because they are driving me crazy! This isn't all of them but this is all that have made the transition from last year and have been here since my first day.

Let me just say, I am not married, I do not have and haven't had for a good minute, even a boyfriend. I never even had brothers (even though I ALWAYS wanted an older one!). I even work with all girls at 911. Before last August there just wasn't a lot of testosterone in my life. Then came the first Monday of August when I walked into the football office at Faulkner. Let's just say...my 6 hours in that office everyday took some getting used to. :^)

The guys are so stubborn, they are very often thoughtless, they only do what I tell/ask them half the time, and they know just how to push my buttons and LOVE to do it! In fact, I have to remind them quite often that I am a girl!! For the love.

Want to hear something crazy? I just love them. They make me smile everyday. Occasionally, they even come out of the wood works with a compliment. When they infuriate me, they know how to turn around and make me laugh (which makes me so mad when they don't let me pout or call me out on it!). No matter what mood I am in when I come in here, no matter how bad and long my night has been they always make me in a better mood.

I wouldn't want to compliment them too much (since it doesn't take too much for them to get get MIGHTY big heads!) but since they're not exactly "bloggers" I can give them their credit here. They are the brothers that I always wished for and I would defend them just as I would if you messed with Louise and Leigh. They are not perfect but I'm so glad that they came into me life or vice versa!

I have a quick cure!

2009-02-13T08:58:00.002-06:00

Ever had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad....year?!?!?! Ok, maybe year is an exaggeration but it does seem that it has been just one crappy (sorry, Mom, I know I owe you a dollar!) thing after another for the past few months. Car dying, cut backs on my hours (hence my paycheck) at work, trouble sleeping, pain I can't seem to get over, what seems like 100 Dr's appointments and tests, and numerous other "troubles" that I won't go into on here, have really had me a little "weighed down" lately. Well, one of my very good friends from work sent me a "quick cure". She wrote at the top she wrote "Proverbs 17:22" and then attached the following. I know most of you haven't had near as many as me (if any...LUCKY!) but if you have ever had one, you will COMPLETELY relate to this. Unfortunately, I have one coming in the very near future but it still made me laugh so hard that I literally cried! I hope it brings a "quick cure" if you are having "a day" or ever "a year" too!

I called my friend Andy Sable, a gastroenteritis, to make an appointment for a colonoscopy. A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through Minneapolis . Then Andy explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient manner. I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn't really hear anything he said, because my brain was shrieking, 'HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!' I left Andy's office with some written instructions, and a Prescription for a product called 'MoviPrep,' which comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven. I will discuss MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never allow it to fall into the hands of America 's enemies. I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous. Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my preparation. In accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any solid food that day; all I had was chicken broth, which is basically water, only with less flavor. Then, in the evening, I took the MoviPrep. You mix two packets of powder together in a one-liter plastic jug, then you fill it with lukewarm water. (For those unfamiliar with the metric system, a liter is about 32 gallons.) Then you have to drink the whole jug . This takes about an hour, because MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind - like a mixture of goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon. The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a great sense of humor, state that after you drink it, 'a loose watery bowel movement may result.' This is kind of like saying that after you jump off your roof, you may experience contact with the ground. MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be too graphic, here, but: have you ever seen a space-shuttle launch? This is pretty much the MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle. There are times when you wish the commode had a seat belt. You spend several hours pretty much confined to th e bathroom, spurting violently. You eliminate everything. And then, when you figure you must be totally empty, you have to drink another liter of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I can tell, your bowels travel into the future and start eliminating food that you have not even eaten yet. After an action-packed evening, I finally got to sleep. The next morning my wife drove me to the clinic. I was very nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure, but I had been experiencing occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage. I was thinking, 'What if I spurt on Andy?' How do you apologize to a friend for something like that? Flowers would not be enough. At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said. Then they led me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside a little curtained space and took off my clothes and put on one of those hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind that, when you put it on makes you feel even more naked than when you are actually naked. Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in my left hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie was very good, and I was already lying down. Eddie also told me that some people put vodka in their MoviPrep. At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this, but then I pondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire Hose Mode. You would have no choice but to burn your house. When everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the procedure room, where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an anesthesiologist. I did not see the 17,000-foot tube, but I knew Andy had it hidden around there somewhere. I was seriously nervous at this point. Andy had me roll over on my left side, and the anesthesiologist began hooking something up to the needle in my hand. There was music playing in the room, and I realized that the song was 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA I remarked to Andy that, of all the songs that could be playing during this particular procedure, 'Dancing Queen' has to be the least appropriate.
'You want me to turn it up?' said Andy, from somewhere behind me. 'Ha ha," I said. And then it was time, the moment I had been dreading for more than a decade. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like. I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment, ABBA was yelling 'Dancing Queen, Feel the beat of the tambourine,' and the next moment, I was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood. Andy was looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt exce llent. I felt even more excellent when Andy told me that it was all over, and that my colon had passed with flying colors. I have never been prouder of an internal organ. ABOUT THE WRITER Dave Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist for the Miami Herald.

Philippine Support

2009-02-10T15:30:00.002-06:00

This is a copy of the letter that I sent out asking for support to help me go to the Philippines again in March. Please, read it and pray about it and pass it on if you know anyone else who might be interested in helping. Thanks so much!

Dear Family and Friends,
As most of you know, last summer I made, what I hope to be, the first of many missionary journeys to the Philippines. What a trip it was! I was involved with over 40 baptisms and taught over 1,000 precious children about God! Two of the girls that first heard about God in our Bible school followed up and have now been baptized! These people are the most warm, caring souls that you could ever hope to meet and are SO hungry to hear The Word! I left a piece of my heart back there, which is why I immediately started planning my return trip before I even left!
On the 23rd of March I will be leaving for another trip, and I literally feel like a kid waiting on Christmas! Again, I will be gone for two weeks, and again, I am in need of any help that you can give to me. For those who are not familiar with my trip last year, you can go to www.blogspot.com/laurierwalker and look in the archives to July of 2008 to read my blog where I wrote daily last trip. I will be doing the same this trip, Lord willing, on the same website.
Our trip takes about 30 hours by plane and then another 6 hours by van from Manila, where we fly in, to Dagupan, North Luzon, where we stay and work. The bulk of our work takes place with The Philippine Theological College (PTC), and this trip I will be able to attend their graduation ceremony! Six young men will be graduating with their AA’s. Since I left in July, the school has moved to the new campus and now has a very active Campus Church of Christ, averaging over 100 people on Sundays! This is a faithful, active congregation where there only an empty house stood just one year ago! Over 30 people have been baptized since opening the doors to this congregation, and it has since become a vital part of the community. This is an amazing work, and it would not be possible without help from people like you!
I love working with PTC and the Campus Church of Christ, but in all honesty it is not the “work” that I love the most and keeps me always wanting to be over there. The thing that keeps me saving, raising funds, accruing leave time at work, and making the long trip over there is the children. These children would crack even the hardest of hearts, and not just because of their detrimental physical states. These are the sweetest children you could ever hope to see! Even though they have absolutely nothing, they are always smiling, always excited to sing Bible songs, and always eager to learn whatever you are willing to teach them. If I had a dime for every time I said “I wish I could take one of them home with me”, I could easily afford to fund my own return trip!
These children and these people do have individual physical needs that need to be met, such as clothing, improved living conditions, medical supplies, Bibles, etc., but the other thing that they need, just as badly, are buildings to conduct worship in, teaching supplies, and, most importantly, people who are willing to teach them the Truth! For airfare, lodging, meals, and a translator, the trip will cost approximately $2,500 per person. A few congregations partially sponsor me, and I have personal savings that I built up over the year; however, I still need a lot of help from individuals to be able to go on this trip. That’s where you come in! This trip isn’t possible without your help! Many of you were very generous last year, and it still brings tears to my eyes to think about it! I wish each and every one of you were able to go, so you could see firsthand how far your giving goes!
I am not only soliciting your financial assistance, but also your prayers. Four members of my family make the trip, and I ask for your prayers for a successful & safe trip. Any amount that you can help with would be most appreciated and is most needed. Checks can be made out to the Quitman Church of Christ (their elders oversee this work), with notation made on the comment line “LRW Philippine Fund”, and sent to 1805 Hill Hedge Dr Montgomery, AL 36106. If you have any questions, please email me at: laurierwalker@yahoo.com, write me at the address listed above, or call me at 334-430-8668. Thank you in advance for any help that you can give me and most importantly: your prayers.
In Christian Love,

Laurie Walker

Poopy Day

2009-02-04T09:48:00.002-06:00

I'm having one. Nothing terribly serious and certainly there are about one million names that I should be requesting prayers for instead of myself so, it's evidently a selfish day on top of poopy. But, I'm thinking that if my name is lifted in a few prayers it will make getting through it a little easier. Thanks in advance and I hope your day is going MUCH better than mine!

Officer Down

2009-01-25T18:22:00.002-06:00

http://www.odmp.org/officer/19753-police-officer-joshua-patrick-broadway

It is with much regret that I inform you that Montgomery has lost another police officer. The officer that was in a wreck on January 15th succumbed to his injuries tonight. Please, please keep his family, friends, and "brothers and sisters" from the dept in your prayers over these next very difficult days.

Even though I didn't personally know Officer Broadway my heart is very broken tonight. I ask that you please remember these policemen and firemen that we often consider a nuisance and remember all they put at risk to keep us and our families safe.

***UPDATE***The link I posted above is to his 'Officer Down Memorial Page' page. Any officer killed in the line of duty anytime in America has a page posted there and you can leave a 'reflection' that will be put into book form and sent to his family. It is a really nice thing that is done and if you have a minute to go leave one it is a very nice memorial. I know I keep emphesizing it but I know that it is hard for people outside "the family" to understand how much the guys and their families give up to protect you and yours. Please try to keep them all in your daily prayers.

It's OK....

2009-01-20T09:13:00.002-06:00

....to be single.

It is a reoccurring theme that I have to assure people of (regarding myself) all the time and this weekend it was also the "theme" of my lessons to a couple hundred high school girls. Each year Faulkner hosts 'Jewels', which is a high school girls retreat. I was one of five speakers this year and had to speak four times on Saturday. My (obviously assigned) lesson title was "Mister Right...Not Right Now: God's Timing", basically...God's timing with His gift of LOVE...

Now, I have taught a few Bible classes to this age, especially at camp during the summers but always in smaller groups and more interactive settings. But standing up in front of four different groups of high school age girls is slightly intimidating, to say the least. I think it went ok but this is just a tough topic. Believe me, I know that it is NOT taught in the church of Christ that it is OK to be a single woman. I could just see them sitting there looking at me like, "Well, good for you but no thank you. I DO NOT want to be 28 and single." Like there is no worse thing in the world. I have had to fight it the past 8 or so years from not only younger girls but older women too!

Great example.....
As most of you know I went home to Valdosta two weeks ago. While I was there a woman I have known almost my whole life said to another family friend, "That Laurie is such a pretty girl, it's just too bad she's not married." Like I WAS pretty with the exception of that big, nasty wart of singleness right in the middle of my face! :^) I KNOW this is not how she meant it (because I KNOW her and know she just thinks marriage is better than any alternative) but I get stuff like this ALL the time. Seriously, one day I am going to have the time to just sit down and blog on quotes of STUPID things people say to me all time!

Anyways, I digress..... The thing I wanted to get across to these girls is just the opposite of what I have always gotten from everyone (VERY IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: when I use "always" and "everyone" I mean 'everyone' BUT my immediate family and Walker side of non immediate). It was a tough sell but I think I got through to a couple, because they came up to me and told me so :)

It was fun and I am glad that I got the opportunity to do it. I was sad though that it kept me from going home for Homecoming and seeing the last of the Walker cousins who will be graduating from GCS. It's kind of a sad day for the Walkers, who have, to say the least, a very long history there. Congratulations to Sam though, who looked BEAUTIFUL!

Last thing and off subject, please continue to remember Officer Broadway from MPD who is still in critical condition after his accident last week, while on duty. Please remember him, his doctors, his family and friends, and his "brothers and sisters" who are all struggling eight now. Thanks for your prayers and inquiries about him.

Prayer Request

2009-01-16T08:24:00.002-06:00

Please, please say a special prayer today (and keep in your prayers) the 21 year old Montgomery Police Officer who was critically wounded last night. He is only 21 years old and is at Jackson Hospital fighting for his life as we speak. It does not look good for him at all but I believe in and know first hand the power of prayer! Although I have never met him personally, he is a part of my family. It's a very weird thing, working in Public Safety. These guys get on my ever loving nerves a lot of nights and goodness knows I have gone toe to toe with more than my fair share of firemen and police officers but I have EXTREME respect for these guys and I know how much crap they go through just to protect the public who is, at the very least, not very thankful. This kid has a family and fiance' and 1,000 "brothers and sisters" who NEED your prayers today just as much as him and his doctors.

Wait for it...Wait for it....HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEEZE!

2009-01-15T12:32:00.003-06:00

25 Things You Should Know About Louise Elizabeth Walker Jones

1. She was born at 11:30 a.m. at South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta, GA.

2. She was the "runt" of our family weighing in at 9 lbs 11oz at birth. She was Mom's only non 10 lb baby!

3. She was born on Martin Luther King, Jr Day or, as it is known in Alabama, Robert E. Lee Day and usually had the Monday closest to her birthday off of school!

4. When she was 5 years old she ran her tricycle off of Grandmother's porch and broke her arm so badly that she had to have surgery. She still bears the scar on her elbow and HATES it.

5. She played a little basketball and cheered a little in middle and high school. Emphasis on a little.

6. She once had a major heat stroke at a cheerleading camp. She seriously almost died.

7. Mom and Dad moved her to a new school in a new state just two weeks before her 16th birthday.

8. She had always wanted a big sweet sixteen party but, obviously, didn't know anyone in their new town so I brought about 20 of my friends from Faulkner down to Lineville for a surprise party, including Cornerstone to serenade her!

9. Lisa (a good friend of all of ours, almost a sister) once chased one of her x boyfriends through the parking lot of the school after he broke her heart.

10. She married Jody Dustin Jones (Dirt) on June 2, 2007.

11. Her heart belongs to prison ministry. She truly loves it. She started in Trenton with me Dad while she was still in school and now teaches at local prisons here through University CoC's program. She writes her "students" every week and spends lots of time in prayers and lots of tears on them.

12. Although she is the kindest person I know, sympathy is not her strong point. She will be the first to cook for you or write you a card but not so comfortable with the "holding your hair" part.

13. She has always been lovingly referred to as "The Perfect One" by her sisters! (And it's more true than she would ever admit!)

14. Another nickname she has, "The Walking Church Directory". Not only can she tell you how everyone is related to each other, what they look like, where most live, and what is going on in most of their lives; she can tell you where they sit in the church building!

15. She has VERY curly hair but would LOVE to have very straight hair!

16. She is the Walker girl that most resembles a Garner, in looks and spirit.

17. Child care was definitely her life's calling. You, literally, could not ask for a better person to ever stay with your child.

18. She is very non confrontational.

19. She does not consider herself crafty but she really is and has taken up card making and loves it!

20. She makes THE MOST amazing pound cake in the world!

21. She is the middle of three girls and is VERY MUCH the peacemaker of the three!

22. She graduated from Linevile High School in 2002

23. She graduated from Faulkner University in 2006 and Faulkner University in 2006

24. Her favorite color is obviously purple!

25. You absolutely could not ask for a better friend, sister, daughter, granddaughter, wife, or Christian for that matter. She is someone I admire and always have. If she's in your life you should count yourself lucky.

Happy birthday Weeze! I love you and hope that this is your best year yet!!

Funny video!

2009-01-14T10:57:00.002-06:00

Kayden and Amelia showing off their cheerleading moves, much to their basketball loving Mom's and La's chagrin! But HOW CUTE and FUNNY were they?!?!?

better late than never.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESS!!!

2009-01-14T10:39:00.002-06:00

Sunday was Jessica's 8th birthday and I just CAN NOT believe it! I remember the day she was born like it was literally yesterday! For anyone who doesn't know, Jess was born to the aunt who very practically raised me! I can't imagine being any more excited for a baby to come into this world than I was Jess! So, as I blame Amy every time a birthday comes around, here are 8 things you should know about Jessica Ann!

1. Before Jessica was born the doctors were pretty sure she did not have Down Syndrome. When she was born and did, her parents NEVER missed a step! They did things JUST as well as anyone who had had months to prepare!

2. She LOVES (that is the understatement of the post!) to swim and is REALLY good! The kid is like a FISH!!! I'm pretty sure that she would NEVER get out if Gin gave her any choice!

3. People always told me how happy and sweet down syndrome kids are and she definitely is! Her laugh could make anyone feel better! (she also has quite a stubborn streak....Uncle Kenny told me though that that had little to do with Down Syndrome and a lot to do with her linage! :^)

4. She participates in Special Olympic bowling!

5. She has the longest, skinniest arms and legs I have ever seen!

6. She spent the first week of her life in the hospital in Augusta.

7. Although she doesn't speak she communicates VERY well! Let's just say you know when she's happy and having fun and you definitely know when she isn't and doesn't!

8. She is the light of our lives. I can't imagine one child bringing anymore happiness into a families lives than Jess has brought into ours!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESS!