Alive!

It's been a few weeks since my last post, so I wanted to let all of my readers (that I talk to everyday) know that I'm still alive. I wish I could say I've been on a 3-week Caribbean vacation and too busy laying in the sun and sipping margaritas to post, but I assure you that's not the case. And, if it were, I would have totally posted just to tell you how jealous you should be!

Here's a quick re-cap of the last three weeks:

Two weekends ago was the half marathon that I had planned to run, but once I got up to 7 miles or so in my training my knee started killing me. I tend to be irrational in certain situations (those of you who agree, please keep your mouths shut) but having endured one ACL Reconstruction, common sense kicked in and I realized it was more important to be able to walk than run a race. Momma didn't raise no fool! And, what sick-o thinks it's fun to go run 13 miles? Oh wait, that was me. Several of my friends ran and they did great! Hopefully, next year my knee will cooperate and I can resume my sick-o status. :)

Last weekend, Kate's parents, God-parents, and brother were in town. Her mom's birthday was the week before so she flew her God-parents in from St. Louis as a surprise...and boy, was she! Here is a group shot minus Mr. Mike (Kate's dad) because he was taking the picture - try not to look too closely at the (dust-covered) gold "chandelier" that hangs over the dining room table. I promise the rest of the house is this dusty.

One of just us girls -

This past weekend was Easter and I headed to Jackson Thursday afternoon after work. I love going home because I get to see my family and friends, but it's just that - it's home. In anticipation of Easter weekend and what it symbolizes, my heart was just heavy all week. I could not get this song out of my head. To say that I fail and fall short every. single. day. would be a HUGE understatement, but I don't have to live in fear of my failures because Jesus bore my sin and shame...in love He came...and gave amazing grace! He's ALIVE...thank you Lord!

Great Weekend

I decided spur-of-the-moment last week that I would go home after I got off work Friday. I didn't have any real reason to go other than just wanting to. I knew the St. Paddy's Day parade was scheduled for Saturday and even though I'm from Jackson and the parade has been in existence for as long as I can remember, I'd never been. I talked to Lexie and she and Josh were planning to go so I asked if I could tag along. This is us waiting on the parade to start...










I couldn't get over how many people were there - and there were a ton of Sweet Potato Queens! It was great weather and we had a lot of fun.

Later that afternoon, I met up with Lee and her family because they were having a family get-together for her mom's 50th birthday. Happy Birthday, Mrs. Carol! Since I've been part of the family for the last 20 years or so, I was invited. Here's a shot of me and Lee and (one of) my baby girl's, Ella. I can't believe she's already 14 months old and running all over the place. I could just eat her up with a spoon!

I got to spend some time with my parents which I love more and more, the older I get. Bart went to Baton Rouge to take senior portraits for one of my cousins, so I only saw him for about 5 minutes. Hopefully, I'll get to see him when I go home Easter weekend.

Hope ya'll had a great weekend too! :)

Update

It's been over a week since I've "blogged", so I have a lot to catch you (3 readers) up on. Ok, "a lot" may be a slight exaggeration...
I went home (to Jackson) after work last Friday. My boss was out of the office so I skipped out a little early myself. The drive was great and I made it home in just over 5 hours. My (maternal) grandmother had been at my parent's house all week since Mom had her surgery and wasn't working. Maw Maw does not look good at all. She was up and dressed when I got there but had to go lay down within about 20 minutes. She is very weak and spends most of her days in bed. It kills me to see her like that. Maw Maw used to be the type that always had her make up on and her hair fixed just perfectly. She would have never wanted you to see her at anything but her finest. I wish there was something I could do to make her feel better but I know there's not. It broke my heart to leave her.

Saturday morning my friend, Lexie, and I did a 10-K in Vicksburg. We did it last year but somehow in those 364 days, I forgot how many hills there were. Oh my gosh! I didn't think it was ever going to be over. We took a couple of pictures - pre-race - so when I get a copy from Lex, I'll post. Saturday afternoon, Lee and I went to a Spring Market they were having in Jackson. I think it was supposed to be similar to Canton Flea Market, but most of the stuff we saw was really over-priced. Lee bought Ella a monogrammed pillow case and I didn't buy anything. That was definitely one of our quicker shopping experiences!

We went to church on Sunday and then I headed back to Atlanta soon after lunch. With daylight savings time, not only did I lose 1 hour, I lost 2 since I was back on EST. Yuck!! At least I didn't have to drive back in the dark. I heart DST, so I'll be glad to give up the one hour of sleep in exchange for more daylight (and eventually warmer temperatures).

I'm running another 10-K this weekend and hoping this one is much flatter. Kate and I are going to the outlet mall to return a few things and then we may be going with some friends to see Elton John and Billy Joel. I'm hoping Billy sings "Uptown Girl" just for me! :)

Have a great weekend!!!

Integrity...For Better or Worse

I realize that if I continue to keep up this blog long-term that I probably won't even remember who these people are, but...I feel that I must step on a soap box for just a few minutes and explain my feelings for the latest "Bachelor", Jason Mesnick. First of all, I have to admit that I have not really kept up with the Bachelor this season. Every time I've watched it from start to finish, I always get mad because they (the Bachelor/Bachelorette) never pick who I would pick if I were them. Coupled with the fact that only one relationship out of how many seasons of the show (??) have stood the test of time. So, here's to you, Trista and Ryan. Thank you for beating the odds and congratulations on your second bun-in-the-oven!

Now, back to the "most shocking season" in Bachelor history. After a 6-week, completely televised relationship with multiple women, you have to give the guy a little credit where credit is due and understand that he may be slightly confused. I wouldn't be able to remember all of their names much less choose one to be my spouse! Maybe there's an IQ test or something you have to pass in order to be on the show, who knows? I panic over the thought of what to eat for dinner - there is no doubt picking a husband would send me completely over the edge. I digress. I knew when Jason nearly threw himself into the Infinity pool after telling Molly that he "couldn't imagine ever saying goodbye to her...but he had to", he had made a mistake. He knew it too. If he was truly in-love with Melissa, he wouldn't have been that highly emotional about saying goodbye to Molly. If you love somebody the way you should love somebody when you ask them to spend the rest of their life with you (ON NATIONAL TELEVISION), you don't cry - or in this case hyperventilate - over spilled milk (i.e., Molly). Fortunately, for him, Melissa didn't watch the show before saying "yes" to his proposal.

"After the Final Rose," which usually shows the happy couple all over each other and discussing wedding plans, took a dramatic turn. We find out that in the six week period that Jason proposed and returned to his normal life, he realizes his mistake in choosing Melissa over Molly. WHAT (gasp!!)??? And, better yet, he's going to break up with Melissa on national television and ask Molly for another chance. The whole time I'm thinking "bless her heart" in regards to Melissa and "surely she's not that stupid" in regards to Molly. After the public break-up has ended, Melissa gathers up what little pride she has left and asks Jason never to call her again - bless her heart. Molly joins the show to learn of Jason's change of heart. She is completely taken aback just like all the other 17 million Americans who have tuned in to watch this sick sherade of love. But, instead of demanding answers and wanting to know why their relationship will turn out any differently than his relationship with Melissa, she really is "that stupid". She starts kissing him and telling him she "never expected this" but is willing to see where things go because her feelings for him haven't changed. Whatever. Why are girls so naive? I include myself in that statement some (most) days. My favorite "Jason" line was where he was talking about his son, Ty, and that he wanted him to know that it's okay to make mistakes as long as you do it with integrity...because getting on national television and breaking a girl's heart is using integrity. Bless Ty's heart too for being raised by someone who is so mis-informed.

I hear that the new Bachelorette will be Jillian who was in the top 3 this season with Jason. Hopefully, she won't make me get on another soap box. :)

10 Years...

I never dreamed the last 10 years would have gone by so quickly. 10 years ago, I was in the middle of my last semester of high school. I was about to leave for Europe on Spring Break with my friends, Lexie and Megan, and all of our moms. I was head over heels in-love with a guy I was convinced I would one day marry. I was beyond excited about graduating high school and going to college and escaping the "same old, same old" routine. How times have changed...

Plans have begun for our 10 year high school reunion and I am ecstatic! Since I live out of state, I can't attend the monthly planning meetings. Fortunately, I'm close to several of the girls who have taken the lead (thanks, guys!) in getting everything lined up and they fill me in. I want to help in any way that I can, but for the most part my "job" has to be done remotely. So, I was asked to work with two other girls from our class to develop a contact list. All I can say is, thank God for Facebook. Over 100 of my friends on Facebook are from my graduating class, so that worked out perfectly. I've gotten a great response so far and have developed a spreadsheet with everyone's name, address, email, and phone number. Unfortunately, our graduating class was roughly 240-something people so there are still a lot of "blanks" to be completed, but we're getting closer.

It's hard to believe that some of the people I saw day-in and day-out for 12 years, I haven't seen in 10. It will be so good to have everyone back together again and catch up! I just hope I can find a date between now and August. :)

My World...In His Hands

When I got up this morning and saw 3 loads of laundry in need of my attention, I thought about skipping church to attend to them. I reminded myself they'd still be here when I got back so I jumped in the shower and got ready. Andy Stanley started a new series today entitled, "He's Still Got the Whole World in His Hands". Sometimes that's easy to forget when our nation is facing one of the worst economic times in its history; when people are losing their jobs everyday. Andy talked about how quickly we give God credit when everything in our world is good but that we don't always remember He's still with us when they're not. One of the scripture references he used was Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him..." and he added that sometimes it just takes a while.

I never thought I'd be 27 (and a half) and still single. I assumed that I'd go to college, graduate, and get married because that was just the next step. Little did I know. Those closest to me know how bad I want a husband - and eventually, a family. If ever I felt like I had a "calling", it was to be a wife and mother. Not a doctor or a lawyer or property manager, for that matter - but a wife and a mom. I've had a fantastic example of what both of those should be. My mom is one of the most amazing people I've ever had the privilege of knowing. She's not just my mom, but she's one of my best friends. She's the first person I call when something great or something terrible happens. She prays for me daily. She and my dad have been married for 36 years and although their marriage isn't without flaw, they are happy and they've overcome many hurdles along the way. For years, my mom played the part of Mom and Dad because my Dad worked nights and we didn't see much of him during the week. After working all day, she still had enough energy to shuttle me back and forth to soccer and softball practice/games; Bart to art lessons; fix supper (even if it was fast food); and read the Bible with us before we went to bed. I can't remember how old I was when we started reading the Bible together but we would read a chapter a night and take turns reading out loud. If the chapters were short, we'd read two. I remember at the time thinking, "ugh, can't we just take one night off" but Mom was faithful to lead by example. We read through the entire Bible twice. She's an incredible woman and I'm so thankful for our relationship and the example she's been to me. Even though I'm not certain of when I'll get married - or who the lucky guy will be (HA!) - I know that "in all things God works...".

Bart (my little brother) is 24 today! I really wish he'd stop getting older so I could too! :) Happy Birthday, Bart!! I'm sorry I can't be there to celebrate your day, but I love you and I hope this next year will be the best yet!

Good News and Bad News

I'll start with the good news: five years ago when I finished grad school, I moved back home to Brandon, MS to start my first job in the "real world". It was then that I also started attending Pinelake Church with the encouragement of my best friend, Amy. We joined a small group together and I had the opportunity to meet some great girls and get plugged in quickly. I almost felt guilty for enjoying my experience at Pinelake so much because my parents were in the middle of making the difficult decision to leave the church where we had been members for 20+ years prior. They began to search for a new church home but didn't have much luck. I invited them to Pinelake but initially they thought it was too big for them. They visited several churches in our area but never felt at home. For the past three years, they've attended Pinelake faithfully each week and I'm so excited that this past weekend they joined! They - as well as my brother - are excited about getting involved and making some new friends. This is a picture of Bart and my parents (Carla and Bruce) at Christmas.









The bad news is that I found out a couple of weeks ago that a sweet friend of mine, Cheryl, has a brain tumor. Cheryl and I work for the same company - she in Orlando and I in Atlanta. I actually met her several years ago when we worked together at a different company (sorry if that's confusing). She had surgery to remove the tumor and the pathology report confirmed that it was cancer. She will start combined chemo and radiation treatments next Tuesday, February 24th. I spoke to Cheryl Friday evening (2/13), and she was such an encouragement to me. She talked about how she was so thankful that God allowed her to have this tumor because for the first time in her life, she was living. I thought about how strong she must be to be thankful for cancer. Would I be thankful for it if I was in her position? Cheryl has a daughter my age and I just kept thinking about how often I take my parents for granted. Please keep Cheryl Gray and her family in your prayers.

My sweet Mom had surgery this morning, but my Dad called a little while ago to tell me she was in recovery and that she did great! I know she'll be glad to go home and get settled later today.

I guess that's all of my news for now. Hope you have a great day!