My Best Friend

I just had to write a special blog for my friend Robin. September 9 is her birthday and I wanted everybody to know just how special she is to me. Robin and I have grown up together. Our parents became friends when we were too young to remember. Our families went on vacations together and we spent many Christmas's with them. I can honestly say that every memory I have in my life Robin is a part of. I can remember as children our parents would get together and we would plot the whole night about how we were going to talk our Mama's into letting us spend the night with each other. We also grew up in church together. We were baptized together in 1985. We were together through school programs, football games, proms, graduation, Panama City after graduation and then college. You guessed it, we lived together when we went to Auburn. We had so much fun and those memories at Auburn when Robin first met her husband John are some of the fondest memories I have. When we graduated from Auburn our families were all there together just like they had always been. Robin married John in 2000 and I was so happy for them. I'm sure people remember that I started crying at the reception and didn't stop until they left for their honeymoon!!! As the years past and I moved to Columbus, Robin and I still talked most everyday. When Robin gave birth to Emma Kate in 2002, I remember flying through my work day so I could leave Columbus and get to Montgomery before she was born. The years kept coming and we still stayed close. When I met my husband Shannon I don't think anyone was more happy for me than her. She was of course there with me when Shannon and I were married and she was there when Laura Katherine was born. " A little trivia" Laura Katherine and Emma Kate have the same birthday. How weird is that!!!
Even through the busy days of work and children we have managed to talk almost everyday. Some times multiple times a day. The past few months have been really hard on my family and Robin and her family have been right there with us feeling our pain and giving us support. Robin truly has been there through everything in my life and she was able to be with me when my father passed away in July. I can barely type right now for the tears but I wanted everyone to know how special my friend is and how special she and her family are to me. I love you Robin!! Happy 33rd Birthday!

A little country in the city

OK, the weirdest thing happened last week. The girls and I were playing in the living room when all of the sudden I saw a shadow come over the door. I looked out and there was this huge hawk at my front door. He was so big and beautiful. He landed with a mouse in his mouth and just sat there. Being city dwellers we did not know what to think. I mean we were amazed. All that stood between us and him was a glass door. LK and Emma were amazed. They tapped on the door to get his attention and he just sat there and stared at us. All I could think was I hope he doesn't think we want his mouse and attack the glass door. (You know us city people!! We don't do strange animals.) I mean this thing had 1 inch claws on it!!! (Shannon later corrected me and said they were talons) I don't care what they were all I could think of was our next door neighbor's teacup Chihuahua and how he could be that bird's next meal. Anyway, it was a little something different for our day so I had to share some of the pictures we made.

Laura Katherine and Seth

I am such a bad aunt! My nephew Seth came to visit Labor Day weekend and I have not blogged
one pic of LK and him playing. So here are some of them. They are all action shots. Those two will not sit still long enough to let me take a good pic. All though they aren't the best pictures in the world I cherish everyone of them. They are definitely best buddies.

Yep, that's right, we have pigtails!

I am so excited! LK finally let me even attempt to put her hair in pigtails. I was beside myself. I live for cute hair and my precious child will hardly let me touch her head!! ( I know I am the only mother with a child like that!!) I do have to admit, I bribed her with a Dumb Dumb but who cares I got to play with her hair for about 25 seconds. I know these are not the best pigtails in the world but I was just glad I got her hair up. I had to take some pics of the big occasion because it could be 5 more years before I get to do it again. What was even better was that she liked them and would not let me take them down. It's amazing how the little things thrill you when you have kids.

Rainy day and nothing to do...........

It has been raining alot here the past few days. We are very thankful for the blessing of the rain but we are offically bored!! LK and I have been in the house alot lately and I think it's safe to say we have cabin fever. The girls don't seem to mind being in the house as much as me though. They play and play. Today they were running around and I decided to snap some pics. They are all action shots so bear with me. They love to do "ring around the rosies" and they love to chase each other but that usually ends in some injury when they play chase in the house. All was well though and even though we couldn't really go anywhere today it was a good morning staying in.

I am Thankful

I know I haven't blogged lately. There really hasn't been too much here to blog about. I didn't know if I could be a normal happy blogger after the entry about my Daddy. I decided to blog on though. Daddy would want me to. Life truly is for the living and that is what we are learning day by day here at our house. It has been a rough two weeks since Daddy passed away and as each day passes it gets a little more real that he is truly gone. I have decided that I have to rejoice in his passing because that is what the Lord wants us to do. The last four days of Daddy's life were very hard. He was extremely ill and in his suffering I saw a glimpse of what Jesus went through. I ached for him and the discomfort and fear he was experiencing and every time I prayed for God's mercy I heard a voice in my head that said "My grace is sufficient". I truly knew that God was there with us during our suffering but his grace truly was sufficient. Now that it is over, I have so many emotions going through my head. I am angry, sad, depressed, happy, relieved, but most of all thankful. I am thankful that I had such a wonderful Christian father. I am so thankful my daughter got to spend time with him. I am so thankful I will get to spend eternity with him in heaven with our Lord Jesus.............................. "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18... I have decided that I will now get back to happy blogging and be thankful for everything.

My Daddy

I read alot of blogs during Father's Day about husbands and fathers. Some were funny, some were sweet and some were touching. I didn't blog about my father during Father's Day but I am going to do it now. The pictures in this blog were taken July 5th. My parents came to Columbus for the day and spent some time with us so I wanted to share the latest pic of My Dad and LK. My Dad has been sick for about four years. He has Pulmonary Hypertension and Congestive Heart Failure. He is truly one of the most remarkable people I have been blessed to know. Ask anyone who knows him and they will tell you how much they love him. He has never met a stranger and doesn't have one enemy. My Daddy is the type person who walks into the room and the room starts revolving around him. He is funny, sweet, thoughtful, loud, opinionated and full of wit. He has more friends than anyone I know. He is first and foremost a Christian. This weekend he was in the hospital in Birmingham. He had several friends who came to see him who he wasn't sure about there relationship with Jesus Christ. Before each friend left he asked to speak with them alone and he witnessed to them. He also asked several nurses and technicians if they knew the Lord. It was truly an inspiration to me. I told him on Saturday that I was amazed by his conviction to witness to others when he was so sick and had every right to be worried only for himself.... The Holy Spirit was using my Daddy for his glory and it was truly a sight to see!! I cannot explain just how sick he truly was and what a brave face he showed for all of his friends. As the weekend progressed my Daddy's condition worsened and we were all very frightened. As he laid in his hospital bed he would sing hymns to himself. "Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home" was his favorite. He would start talking to himself lying in the bed and my Mama would ask him who he was talking to and he would say "Jesus. We talk alot." My father drew comfort from the Holy Spirit and his presence. On Sunday July 27th the day before my 33rd birthday, my father passed away.. As sad as I am to lose my wonderful father who was only 56 years old, I am so glad that he is now perfect and whole and in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He truly fought the good fight!!! That is the best birthday present in the world to know my father is with our Lord Jesus. As he was dying on Sunday I truly felt the Holy Spirit in the room with us and drew comfort from his mighty strength. And as an added blessing, one of Daddy's friends who he had witnessed to in the past and been praying for was saved on Sunday morning. Praise God!!!.................I encourage each one of you that read this blog to spend as much time with your parents as you can. Love them and never take them for granted. I am so blessed to have been as close to my Daddy as I was. I wouldn't trade one day I have had with him for the world but I would give anything for just one more day. ...................Please continue to remember my mother Kay, my sister Melissa and me in your prayers. We really need them right now.