Time Flies...

I can't believe that summer is almost over. I have always heard that the older you get the faster time goes by, and now I know it is SO true. One thing is true, I have had a whirlwind of a summer. Although I will try not to go into personal details, I will hurry through this for the privacy of others and because I keep having to backspace due to sleepy eyes. God has shown me more things in these past two weeks than I have been shown in a while. Number one is how precious time is and how the blessings God gives us come in many forms: salvation, children, and friendships. I've seen and felt pain for a friend that I never thought I could feel before, I've let the house stay dirty (despite the complaining husband) and played with my children, I have tried to watch how I think and how I speak (which is a slow progression), I've learned the power of prayer and what it is like when what you want to pray won't come out so you have to just sit there and cry before God and have faith that He knows all things, which He does. I have dreamed of heaven more in the past week and daydreamed about the day that we will stand before the Lord, and quite frankly I fear it for those of us who know better (especially our nation) but think how awesome it is to enter heaven through a child's eyes, but most of all, I have learned LOVE, not just God's love, but the love of my friends and the love I have for my friends. This is about to get personal but bear with me and I'll try to hurry through and make my point. It's so amazing how one year ago I started e-mailing a friend from school, or actually she e-mailed me. We would e-mail each other every day for what seems like more than half of the day, even if it was just "are you there", then came another friend into the crew and what do you know, God formed the e-mail trio. We e-mail each other about EVERYTHING...and I mean EVERYTHING...and the best part is we know the personal stuff doesn't go beyond that computer screen and our eyes. We talk daily on e-mail except on weekends, and even then we may get on Facebook to catch up with each other. God had that planned out before that first e-mail was sent. He knew that this very second we would need to be there for each other, whether today it is me, or the next day it is one of the other ones. My point being that we talked on e-mail daily but didn't talk in person much unless we had a girl's night out. Last week God moved and four lost souls were saved, but for me, my heart was opened. Friendships that I believed couldn't exist for various reasons and mainly due to a failed friendship that lasted all of let's say age 3- age 18, that feeling that you have for a friend is different than any other. You feel so close to that person b/c you know their loves, likes, dislikes, why they married their partner in life, and even how that came about, all the way down to the exact conversation they had with their husband and children the night before. It's a love like no other...as I'm sure most of you have best friends and that is what I am describing. It's amazing how in the past year I have formed two GREAT relationships that I never would have imagined. I have always been the outspoken negative person and here I am with two people that have wonderful, positive, Godly outlooks on life to inspire me. And actually, I don't think I even realized it until last week. I didn't realize that these two girls have become my BEST FRIENDS in just this past year. When one of them isn't there for any reason I feel lost, sometimes I even find myself e-mailing their mailbox to say, "Hey, I know you are out, but I'm not and you'll get this when you get back." I have talked to them on the phone more in just this short summer than I have spoke with any "girlfriends" in a long time. It feels amazing to have someone there to support you, comfort you, be your psychologist, and even give you that extra push to keep going that day and put on a smile for your family when you really feel like crawling in a hole. I don't think I have been this open, nice, and honest to myself in a long time. (I know, honesty is something I'm good at with others, but not myself). If I was brutally honest I would say that I haven't really had any "friend" that checked on me as much as they do or that worries about my TRUE inner feelings they way they do. So anyways...I don't even think I've made my point, and I may delete this tomorrow morning, but I just had to write about how GREAT OUR GOD IS!!! He loves us and gives us friendships that will last forever, even if it is a friendship that was created out of the blue via e-mail trio. I love you girls...and Mere, Toyia and I love you so much and miss you. We have been praying for you, even when words won't come out our tears do.

LOVE YOU GIRLS!!!!
TABO

Quiz

Well...I'm going to take the quiz that Lori so delightfully tagged me with, but it's okay, I have nothing else to write about and I love to blog!!



1. What is his name? Christopher Michael Grantham
2. Who eats more? me
3. Who said "I love you" first? me (I should have waited)
4. Who is taller? Mike
5. Who is more sensitive? Me
6. Who does the laundry? I do (Mike is not allowed, he ruined an ENTIRE, yes and ENTIRE wardrobe of mine last year)
7. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? if you're looking at it, he does
8. Who pays the bills? We both do
9. Who cooks more? Me but Mike does love to grill and we love to have the neighbors come over and eat at least once every other weekend
10. Who is more stubborn? Mike
11. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? me
12. Who has more siblings? Me: I have one sister and 2 brothers and he has 2 brothers
13. Who wears the pants in the relationship? Mike (but I just let him think that)
14. What do you like to do together? We LOVE to hunt and fish. I really love dog hunting though because it's more of a thrill for me and he likes stalk hunting.
15. Who eats more sweets? Me, Mike doesn't eat sweets, I made a homemade red velvet cake for Father's Day and he took it to work and gave it away
16. Guilty pleasures? playing on the internet and SHOPPING
17. How did you meet? I met Mike when my friend Keri was coming to spend the night with me at my dad's, she called at midnight and couldn't find the house, so her boyfriend's friend (Mike) lived in Green Acres (where my dad lived) and he showed them how to get there. We didn't see each other again until his cousin Michelle set us up on a blind date (a date to his house when he got out of the hospital) and we realized we had already met. We've been together pretty much ever since.
18. Who asked who out first? we were set up, but he asked me to come back over for a second "watch a movie in his living room" date, he had two broke legs and couldn't get out of the house.
19. Who kissed who first? me
20. Who proposed? Mike
21. His best features and qualities? His eyes are stunning, he really is patient with me most of the time, he loves the kids, he LOVES me, he loves to cuddle with me and we both LOVE/have to have the house in perfect ORDER, which helps with my OCD
22. Tag you're it! BREANNA (brat)

Weekend with Daddy at the Rattlesnake Rodeo

The weekend started off with Kinston Prom. I met Noel at my mom's to do her hair and makeup. After that we drove to Kinston to see Beth and Trent before they left for lead out. We took pictures and then they left. Beth was absolutely GORGEOUS and Trent was so handsome, I can't believe how big he his, I still imagine him being in middle school sometimes. Me and my mom met Beth's parents and Brittany, Beth's sister, at the school for lead out. Trent said they had a great time and of course, I think they were the best looking couple there. Saturday morning I got up and headed to school, and then it was back home to head to the rodeo. Layne did the spider jump at the rodeo, and me and Amy laughed so hard watching him that I was crying. He was so hilarious. He thought he was spiderman. He was turning flips and turning on his back, moving his legs out just like spiderman, and even making sounds. It was so funny. Then we left b/c I had a horrible migraine. Sunday we went to church and had an Easter egg hunt after morning service. After church, Mike and Huff headed back to school. He only has 1 1/2 weeks left and he'll be home for good. I can't wait, I'm so excited.

Weekend without Daddy

We started off the weekend with company. My grandmother came and spent the night Friday night so she wouldn't have to stay in her trailer by herself and so that we wouldn't be by ourself. We spent from 4:59-6:40 Saturday morning in the hallway. I'm always scared of bad weather, but nothing like my sister is. She spent the night in her tub. Saturday about 10, when the daylight finally broke, I made grits and eggs and then about 11:00 me and Emma Kate took a nap while my grandmother and Layne watched a movie. After Grandma left, we rode to Wal-Mart and to Sonic, just to get out of the house for a while. This morning we went to worship the Lord at Lindsey Bridge Baptist. It was a wonderful service, we celebrated life with a baby dedication and to me, it just brought back all the memories of yearning for a baby and dedicating each of mine to the Lord. We ate lunch with my in-laws and then came home for their nap and my homework time. I will be so happy when I am finished with school and can take naps when they take naps and play outside with them instead of worrying about homework.

Mike's coming home

Beth doing her best to get Emma Kate. Beth doesn't have to worry about Emma Kate's attention though, because Layne is in LOVE with Beth.

Mike comes home tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited. I never posted on Emma Kate's birthday party which was January 3rd, and I just found the pictures from it, so I've posted them so everyone can see. She enjoyed her cake so much and I loved eating it.

Spring Break Sunday

Today's my last Saturday out of school for another nine weeks. I took advantage of it. We slept in amazingly, then we got ready and went to church. I let Emma Kate feed herself pancakes this morning and she had to get another bath before we left. After church, we went to my mother-in-law's for lunch. Now EK is asleep and Layne is in trouble because he won't go to sleep, so instead, he lounging on the couch with me eating peanuts and drinking Emma Kate's juice. After EK wakes up we're heading to Wal-Mart to buy groceries for my dad's birthday dinner tomorrow night. After that we're heading back to my MIL to eat supper and cake and then back home for baths and bedtime. I have enjoyed this weekend. It was so nice to spend inside time with the kids and at the same time get stuff done at home. Mike is coming home Thursday and I'm so excited. Maybe he'll get to finish the back deck while he is here, but I'm not going to push my luck. Hope everyone has a great night.

Mountain Getaway

A butterfly landed on my hand while we were in the Butterfly Garden.
Uncle Trent and Layne in the Butterfly Garden. Don't they look alike.

He had smeared face paint on, so "No, it's not a bruise."

Us in front of the penguins. Mike doesn't look happy.

Me and Layne at Ruby Falls.

The first weekend in March the kids, Trent and I went to Trenton, Ga to get Mike and then we drove 15 minutes up the road (literally) into Chattanooga, TN. We stayed from Thursday to Sunday. The kids enjoyed getting to see Daddy, and I did too. Trent says he had fun and he looks like he had fun in the pictures. We visited the Creative Discovery Museum,
the Tennessee Aquarium, the IMAX theatre, the mall (of course) and Ruby Falls. It was fun, I hated we couldn't stay longer, but we'll be making the 5 hour trip again on April 15th to see Mike graduate lineman school.