Time really flies!

Randall #37

Saturday was Randall's last Berry College home game. The senior day recognition was nice. It just blow's my mind how fast time flies. I remember him playing Tee Ball, Coach Pitch, Live Pitch, Levee Ball, High School Ball and now, College Ball is winding down. It's been a trip! Lasting friendships made that bring the fondest of memories. We've watched baseball through some of the hottest days in Kenner, Louisiana and one of the coldest at Lee University in Tennessee. I've watched as he hit home runs and felt his frustration when he struck out. Knowing that all the scenarios in between taught him life lessons that God would use in his future to bring out the man God wants him to be.

Dad has coached him every step of the way.

Miss Em is one of his most loyal fans and always will be.

Hello, hello, Jenny are you out there?

How high's the water Mama?

Sam and I enjoyed the calm after the storm this evening. The mules decided we needed a little company. Sam spent some time looking for arrow heads where he had torn up some stumps. He was successful in his venture. I walked down to the "little" creek that runs through part of our pasture, to say the least it is full.

Taking time to appreciate home

What a beautiful morning it is!! Finally, the temperature feels like spring again and the birds are going nuts around our bird feeder. I think the movie Bambi calls it "twitterpated".

Being at home for the past week has opened my eyes to the incredible space God has given to me and my family. We have a beautiful yard full of flowering trees and space to spread out when kids come to play. The woods beside the house are just deep enough for young boys to imagine they are deep a jungle but safe enough for a little girl to skip through and pretend she is in the magic garden. The tree that holds the tree house is the one that was tangled in a muscadine vine and Randy thought would never make it. But now it shades the tree house and a swing that overlooks the backyard. We have sat in the swing many times and dreamed about how we wanted to change our house or what life will be like when the kids move on. We have worked to get grass to grow and fussed when mowing the lawn took too long.

Inside our home we have photos of family members. Those we still see quite often and those who have gone on to be with Jesus. We have family furniture that was passed down from home to home and trinkets that remind us of places we have been. There are clothes in abundance in every room (not where they oughta be) to remind us that we always have something to wear. In the kitchen, the pantries are FULL. No one goes hungry around here, just look at us - teehee. In this house the temperature is always comfortable and the roof doesn't leak. Everywhere you look there are modern technological conveniences that make life easier.

The house is so quiet until late in the evening and then it starts. "How was your day", "Did you pass your test", "Was work rough today", "What's for supper", "Can I have money for gas", "Guess what", "Who did that" (this one gets asked over and over :) and "Will you be at the game tomorrow". The answers are usually familiar. Answers that we trust and rely on.

When everyone is in bed. It is peaceful. No fear. No anxiety. Just sleep.

The greatest blessing of all is that God allowed me the opportunity to see this for myself. Funny thing is that it took surgery to make me stay in this one place long enough to see the awesomeness of God's provision...right here at home.

The Lord is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words. I sought Your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your word. Psalm 119:57-58 NASB.

Suck it up and count your blessings...

Do either of you ever find yourself engaging in a behavior that you cannot tolerate in others. I do. Unfortunately rather more often than I care to admit. Lately it has been whining...yep, throwing my own personal pity party. How can I get so caught up in the day to day grind that I fail to see how truely blessed I am? Somehow I manage to though, with frightening regularity. Things have been rather tough at work and instead of seeing it as a challange and an opportunity to grow I have just been feeling oh so sorry for myself. I should be ashamed...and I am. I have taken on the responsibility of the Diabetic Treatment Center and while it does increase my work load it has really been such a priviledge to work with the ladies in the department (who are truly an amazing group). Plus it has opened up a whole new clinical field for me to immerse myself in and learn about which I truly enjoy. Another area of my job I have been allowing to stress me out is the task of covering House in rotation with the Nurse Managers. Wow, what an eye opener. Once again I have only been dewlling on the negative aspects of this new role. It is totally different from what I usually do. It is hard not to worry about every little decision I make. It is a job in which you are so sledom able to please everyone (that part is very hard for me). But if I put all that aside and look at what this experience has truly done for me the positive far outweigh the negative. I have learned a whole new side of the hospital. I have been able to work more closely with some of the amazing nurses we have at the hospital. And most of all I have really grown as a manager.
How can I go though life with all the blessings God has poured out on me and still manage to feel sorry for myself? I have a really great job where I work with wonderful people. I have the most amazing husband in the world. I have a sweet loving daughter. I have a warm comfortable home. I live in a country where I am free to worship God openly. And while I did not grow-up with sisters who share my blood, as an adult I have been blessed with two beautiful sisters of the heart.
So next time you ladies hear me start to whine about how tough I have it just say, "Suck it up and count your blessings."

It ain't easy!!!

Okay, my friends want to stay in touch and they decide blogging is a good way to do so. The account is set up one week before my "H" and "T". I am recovering at home and decide that I can learn to blog while I have the time. It is amazing how lost I got trying to set up this account. Finally, my daughter comes in to save the day. That's her purpose in life...to save the day. Sad thing was that I already had an account and was getting really upset at the person with the same username...uh, me.

I have had a very interesting week. My family is incredible. My husband has been extremely wonderful to me as I recuperate. He literally waited on me hand and foot all week. Em fell in line right behind him to allow him to go out of town to a baseball game last Saturday. They have cooked, cleaned, did the laundry, laughed, cried and held my hand. R and B (my son and his lady) provided comic relief while baking cakes.

My dear friends Andie and Jenny were there for me when everybody needed to be elsewhere. I have to say it is the best feeling in the world to have these ladies in my life. It is wonderful to know that they are just a phone call away.

I can't say that these past few days were the easiest in my life but they definitely confirmed God's promise that He would never leave me nor forsake me. He came to my bedside and held my hand in the form of a loving husband, adoring children, caring family members and 2 crazy ladies I am so proud to have as friends. Love you guys!

Old Married Couple

Well, Sam and I have just spent another quiet evening together. It is so strange just being the two of us. Most days I come home put something on for supper and spend a little time working in the yard. We eat supper together at the table and talk about our respective days. When we have finished piddling around we sit in the living room and watch some TV. Very much the old married couple. I have just been amazed at how quickly we have adjusted to our "empty nest". I won't say that I don't miss Ansley...I do very much. But it is kinda fun being just the two of us. We talk more and have truly grown closer. Speaking of missing Ansley I will be in need of some major support when she goes to Ecuador. She will be gone almost the entire month of June. She is really looking forward to this semester being over and having a couple weeks to relax before she leaves. Brittany Stephens told her last week that she is not going to LSU next year. She has applied to Shorter for the summer and my understanding is that she is going to go to there next year and then transfer to a bigger school the year after. Ansley is so excited to have her close for a while. I look forward to seeing her more too.
Oh well Ansley just called and Sam asked, "Who is this?" He's being so mean...classic Sam.