Life is good...

Things have been pretty great lately. My dear friend had her baby last week and it's just so awesome when new babies are born. He is super sweet and so far a really good baby. I know they will be awesome parents to him.

I start a class next Tuesday. I am trying to keep my load as light as it can be, and wasn't too pleased with a course offered in the fall, so in a way I am avoiding it by taking this class in the summer.

Mom, Dad and Becca all came up Saturday. We went to Choir Tour in Paragould and we also ate at Brick Oven.... it was SO good! They went to church with Payton and me on Sunday. Payton and I were pretty exhausted this weekend. We got to keep our nephew Friday night, and enjoyed him so much! He woke up bright and early (6:30 am) Saturday morning. We watched Alvin and the Chipmunks twice, and Toy Story 2 during his stay with us! Needless to say, I'll be ok if Alvin and the Chipmunks take a LONG forever nap! LOL

This week is pretty low key. I'm taking supper to my friends tomorrow to try and help them out with their new baby. Have a special day planned Friday with my Mom and sister, and looking forward as we celebrate the 4th of July!

Father's Day weekend we went to Paula Deen's to eat. I just love the place and was so excited that my Daddy wanted to go for Father's Day. We took a few pictures that night, so I'll close out with those!

Prayer

I was very hurt by an anonymous person's comments on my last post. I am praying for these girls, and I am praying for direction in how I can help them. I KNOW about the power of many praying for change among people. I know how a community can work together, or even a small family... and the change in one's life that can be provided. Do not tell me that prayer alone will NOT help someone. I pray to a God that answers prayers. He hears our personal petitions. Answers or problems solved may not come immediately, but His will- WILL be done. God will provide me with a way to help them even if I am 2 hours away.

"REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS. I WILL SAY IT AGAIN: REJOICE! LET YOUR GENTLENESS BE EVIDENT TO ALL. THE LORD IS NEAR. DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING, BY PRAYER AND PETITION, WITH THANKSGIVING, PRESENT YOUR REQUESTS TO GOD. AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS." PHILIPPIANS 4: 4-7

I trust in the God I know! I know HE will guide me to help them, right now I can pray for direction in how HE wants me to help them. In the meantime, prayers among any will be MOST helpful to these sweet girls. They asked us all for forgiveness for the commotion. They asked US for prayers and LOVE to help them get through their pasts and to be there for them and show them the love of Christ.

Our work is not done...

I am not certain who all reads our blog. I am sure that there are a few family members, some friends, and quite possibly people I have never met. I am feeling compelled to write about what is weighing heavy on my heart. I only pray that there are people out there that will have heavy hearts like mine and take action...Our work here on Earth is not done.

Payton and I went home this weekend for Father's Day. I will blog more on the festivities and laughs we all shared later. We went to church this morning with my father as any child would love to do and share in such a wonderful time. It is always so wonderful seeing all of the church family who "helped with your raising" as I would call it. My hometown church is full of love and wonderful people. Although it is very small, I have great respect for the people in it and the work that they do. There is a Methodist founded girls home in my hometown. They come from troubled backgrounds and are in great need of lots of love, prayers, and well.. a home. The girls are supposed to go to different Methodist churches in the area. Well, this Sunday they came to ours. I will leave out most of the details, but there was an outburst with one of the young girls during the offetory...cursing was exchanged among a couple of them, and well needless to say our work is not done here.

In my observations in the schools, just in the different communities, and well in our own church visitors, there are so many people who still don't know Jesus. They don't know the friend that I do. I have never in my lifetime seen a young girl have so much pain in her. She obviously had a very bad family life before and had been through quite a bit. Most of the time we don't take the time to get to know people. We aren't out there in the "nitty gritty" or "thick of things". We go about our daily lives living in our own worlds and do not pay attention or help all of these people that are hurting far worse than we have ever known. Many times we go through rough patches and think our world's are crushing down on us.... seriously? Most of us have homes to go to, we have food, we have 2 parents or sometimes more..like Payton, we have grandparents, and most of us still have our greats, and many of us have siblings. We are blessed beyond belief. We are sooo BLESSED. God has *blessed* US abundantly. How can we show these people how blessed they are by the God that we all know? How can we help to show them how much He loves us all? How do we fix this problem that became so apparent to me and my husband today? Payton and I are choosing to pray and pray hard for these sweet girls. We don't have any idea what they've been through. We know that we can pray to our Lord, that He open their hearts and minds...so that they can know Him, the way that we do.

Can you join us in praying for these girls, and those that are hurting?

How it all got started

I thought I might write about how Payton and I got to where we are now!

I was working at a salon here in town. I friend of mine suggested this guy to me and that we should all go out together. I wasn't sure if I was ready for a big relationship yet, but didn't mind getting to know him. Payton and I started exchanging messages on myspace at the time just chatting back and forth. Later on we decided to meet, but we didn't want it to appear as a blind date. So our mutual friend and another friend went and tagged along with Payton and me so it wouldn't be too awkward. We had a good time talking although Payton will not hesitate to tell you I was mean! :) Well .. anyways, after that night we were pretty much inseparable! July 17, 2007 is the "marker date".

We started discussing marriage sometime in 2008. We just wanted to relax and take it easy. Around August or so we started looking at rings. The first time we went and looked we didn't find anything, so the 2nd time we went back and were a little more prepared for what we wanted. We picked out the ring that very day. I was not expecting anything until sometime the next year. On November 5, 2008, Payton went to Little Rock with his Dad and Grandmother after he got off of work at 12 to pick up my ring! I was working 12-9 that day and came home in a horrible mood. I just wanted to relax, get a drink and chill out. Payton had told me that he was painting his Grandmothers bathroom that day so I figured he would of wanted to do the same. Well he had another agenda. He kept asking me to sit down beside him and I didn't really want to. He was on the little couch and little did I know he had a ring box stuffed down in the couch to the side of him. I turned the other way to get something and when I went back to look at him he had the box. I was like "What are you doing?" "Payton!" and just kept asking "What are you doing???" He continued on with his speech and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was so unbelievably shocked! I couldn't believe he had that ring. After we were done talking and hugging he said "Now call your Mom!" LOL We called all of our close family and friends. It was a little late to call my Dad's parents but I did it anyway....The phone call was rather interesting... :)

All the wedding planning then began. I have to say our engagement was not stressful at all. We really enjoyed everything, and the wedding couldn't have been more perfect. I know everyone says that about their own wedding, but I would relive that day everyday. My parents went above and beyond to make that day absolutely special for us!

Summer fun...

This past weekend was pretty fun!
Friday night, Payton and I decided that we would go and have date night! We wanted to go and eat at Godsey's Grill, but they were having the biker classic downtown and weren't taking reservations. We decided to go to Outback instead. Our steaks were so yummy and we always get mashed potatoes and the green beans! Afterwards we went and looked around town at stuff to kill time until our 9:30 movie, Killers. It was a really good movie, and it was so fun to get to go to the movies for a change!

Saturday, my friend Lynlee came over and we went to the pool about 10:30 in the morning. We were out there till at least 4 and I have the beautiful sunburn to prove it! :) I thought that I put the sunscreen on evenly, but I certainly did not. That night we went and ate at a local pizza place, then went back to the house to hang out. Later on, our mutual friends Will and Jessie came over and we had a lot of fun laughing and hanging out!





Sunday, we got up and went to church. We always love Sunday mornings, and especially the service. There are 2 elderly ladies that sit behind us and it's so fun to see them each week, and listen to them chatting throughout the service about random things. I don't think they realize we can hear what they are saying! Sunday afternoon, Payton's mom and half-sister came over with baby Phoebe. They attempted to get Phoebe in the pool, but she wasn't a happy baby!


Overall, it was a wonderful relaxing weekend and I wouldn't have it any other way. Yesterday it was back to work getting the house clean and clothes washed. I am also working on a minor repair above our fireplace. We had a small leak in that area and it sort of damaged the paint job. So I'm working on getting all of that looking good as new! It's so nice to be able to do stuff around the house and actually get it finished! Next week I plan to start painting the trim, doors and windows throughout the house! I've also got to work in the yard some, but figured I would let this sunburn heal before I did that!

staying busy

As soon as school got out, I immediately had to get busy doing something. I have had several things on my list of things to do..
1. Clean up the guest bedroom
2. Get the wedding stuff organized
3. Work on our wedding book
4. Work in the yard (This included trimming back the crepe myrtles that I absolutely hate, weed out the flower beds, till up a corner of the yard and connect the flower beds, and plant new plants)
5. Clean out the garage
6. Paint the garage
7. Completely redo the backyard

1-5 are complete. The last two things are to be completed before I start back school, or the heaviest of it be complete. I've been super proud of all the work I have completed.



Last Friday, I noticed a sound going on in the house. It just sounded like water running constantly. After a few phone calls to my rather smart father, we figured out what the issue was. He told me to keep water off that runs into the hot water heater, that there must be a leak in our hot water line. We called the plumber Monday, and they confirmed it was a hot water line leak. We didn't know when they left how serious the matter could turn out to be. They needed another guy to come in and listen for the leak. He showed up the next day and determined the leak was somewhere in the hallway. This mean the floors needed to come up there so they could bust the concrete and locate the leak and make repairs. After much waiting, frustration, 2 concrete busts in the hallway and in the bedroom, and what seemed to be to me a tiny hole it is all finally repaired and things are back to normal. We hope... at least for awhile.







Last Thursday my grandmother had back surgery. They did what they could to help her, and she is still struggling with the pain of the surgery. We hope that that surgery will help her a lot. She has always been such a fun and spunky grandmother and I always hate to see her down. I went and spent some time with her Tuesday afternoon and a little bit Wednesday. Please pray for her, she could really use some extra healing prayers! :)



I also enjoyed lunch at the Country Club with my Mom. It was nice to visit with her. Dad also took us to El Roacho Tuesday night. We had a good time, and all enjoyed the visit home talking about what they should be doing with the oil spill and how they should go about plugging it. We had some great ideas, one of which I can't share! Tuesday morning was also pretty stressful...I had to screen into the teaching program and got in, it was just nerveracking because you dont really know what to expect. But it wasn't too bad!

So far it has been a great summer.

McKenzie is doing lots better! She seems like her hurt, pain or whatever was getting my sweet girl down as gone away! Thank goodness!


This is Allie's favorite ball, but we have to limit the amount of time she gets to play with it. We basically just roll it and act like we are going to take it from her and she growls. She did pick it up off of the ground the other day. I was shocked because she is just 25 pounds and this ball weighs 5.


Also, this past week, we said goodbye to our sweet Jack. He was my grandparents dog. He and his sister Maggie came into our family in 1996. We had to put Maggie to sleep 2 years ago, and Jack died in his sleep sometime Monday night, early Tuesday. This past Easter, we got him on the four wheeler, I'm so glad that we did that now, because that was his very last ride. He was so funny that day and didn't want to get off of it at all! I also got a great shot of him on the back of the four wheeler, and I'm most thankful for that. It is really hard to lose a pet. It is something my parents have had to do twice, and really all of us, but I know it hurts them so much more. I pray that my grandparents will be ok, this was the best dog that they've ever had, and I know they will miss him greatly! Rest in peace Jack, you are now with your Cadillac chewing buddy... pain free and happy!