Strength

I really haven't known how to wrap my arms around my life truly since September.  So many tragic things have continued to go on & it's so much that my heart hasn't been able to "understand" it & to be honest I am not sure if God wants me to "get it" but to "walk through it with Him".

In September my Dad had his open heart triple bypass surgery.  He first had a heart attack in July which then led to his surgery.  He spent 15 days in the hospital with all kinds of things going on.  It was during that time that God began to open my eyes to "life" & kept me still in His word trying to dig deeper to understand my life change.  I now know that God was preparing me for more battles in the months ahead.

In October while my Dad was still healing, I got a call one Sunday morning early that my friend Julee's husband passed away in a tragic car accident.  I just didn't have words.  My heart was so saddened for my friend I almost felt empty again.  But I remember what God taught me during my Dad's surgery & tried to really seek strength in that season that was so hard on our family personally & be strong for my friend.  

Now in November the day before Thanksgiving I was leaving my parents house after cooking with my Mom & got another call from a friend that our high school childhood friend had been hit by a bus while riding his road bike & was tragically killed.  Again I cried driving down the street trying to call friends just feeling like I had been punched in the stomach again.

All I know is that through these moments the past 3 months of my life which have been so overwhelmingly hard to understand have somehow made me think about my own life; how I live, treat others, want to passionately seek Christ, be a better Mom, love tighter, treat everyone with kindness, share God's word, love...

I so desperately wish the hurt away on my dear friend Julee & now Courtney.  It just doesn't seem fair that both of these girls lost their husbands.  Julee lost her husband a month before her child's 1st Birthday & before Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas.  Courtney lost Andrew the day before Thanksgiving, 3 days before his Birthday & right before both Holidays... She has 3 children 8, 6 & 2.  The pain & thought of this seems unbearable & makes anything I go through absolutely nothing.

There are days I just want to cry in bed all day because the stress of life has really taken a tole on me heart. I always feel the burdens of others & just want to take care of everyone.  It's days like these where I just want to be alone at home in my jammies that I think how these 2 woman must feel, my sisters in Christ.  The only thing that carries me through tragedy & hurt is Christ.  Knowing that both Andrew & Matt are in heaven dancing with our Father!

Please watch this video of my friend Andrew's life.  I re-dedicated my life to Christ in 2000 during our Senior class trip to Colorado & on that trip during our worship Andrew was there & I asked God to take my sin away.  I will never forget him playing his guitar & singing praises to God.  I was so thankful to have him as a friend he was the most amazing man.

Here is on my class trip in Colorado in 2000!  I was so blessed to go to a small Christian School that now today I look back on & planted some major seeds in my life.  I still keep in touch with all my teachers.  I'm telling you God has a reason for everything & a time for everything in life!

An amazing Memorial of Andrew's life:

Prayer & BEING THANKFUL.

I felt it was very important to take the time to do this post before Thanksgiving to ask you all to please pray for some friends that have been struck with tragedy.

Today my friend that I went to school with since 6th grade & graduated with was killed in an accident in Atlanta.  He was riding his road bike & was struck by a charter bus & was killed.  Andrew was the worship leader at West Ridge Church in Dallas, Ga.  Him & his wife sing together.  They have 3 children.

Andrew's Dad is our associate campus Pastor at our local church in Arkansas.  We have grown up listening to them sing & praise the Lord together since were were younger kids.

These were at our high school 10 year reunion.   We graduated with around 35 students we attended a very small Christian school. 

I'm so glad I caught this picture that day!

This tragedy of losing someone that I grew up with in grade school that made such a huge impact on people's lives just breaks my soul.  Andrew lifted up God in everything that he did & was an amazing man of Christ, a leader, a Godly Father, husband & friend.  The world has lost an amazing guy, but heaven has gained one amazing angel!  Please pray for his wife Courtney, the families  flew this evening to be with their daughter & grandchildren during this hard time.  Can you imagine, the day before Thanksgiving.

Andrew tweeted this today:

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, & no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him."  

Wow, last words before his death.  Thanksgiving is hard this year.  Hearing the news of this, thinking about my dear friend Julee who's husband passed in October- life just doesn't seem to make sense these days.  I have had a hard time since my Dad's heart attack back in July.  It's been a long road watching him heal now after open heart surgery.  Please find time to hug & love your family.  You NEVER know when it's your last day on earth.  These men were both true characters of Christ & although we don't get this pain, we rejoice in knowing they both knew God & are now with him.

I hope you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving & truly be thankful for the gift of life.

To my nephew...

Dear Hudson, 

I can hardly believe that my little sweet nephew is finally going to be ONE!

Your party is this week & it's going to be a circus, that is for sure!

I will never forget a year ago when you were brought to us from our amazing Lord.  Your Daddy saw your face that he longed to see his entire life.

You were given to your amazing Mother to look at for the first time, I bet you had no clue she would love with all her heart & be with you everyday of your life...

I remember seeing your Daddy's face through the glass as they cleaned you up, & he just cried tears of joy!

Over the past year of your sweet life you have grown in so many ways!  It seems like the months were days as you would grow into this precious sweet boy that you are.

Here are a few:

This past year you have had so many haircuts! You are blessed with some awesome fun hair like your Momma & Daddy!  I think you had at least 6 or more haircuts!

You had your normal doctor checkups & are as healthy as can be growing so fast into a beautiful boy!

Oh how we loved watching this smile develop!  This was the picture I remember seeing as your first big adorable smile & will never forgot it!

You also enjoyed some special Holiday moments too & dressing up!

And you had your first swim with Mom!

You spent time with your best friend Preston!

You got to know your cousins Ella Kate & Avery!

You started Kid's Day Out!

Who can forget that you were the cutest little Razorback?

You learned to drive a boat, a car & even fly!

Tomorrow is YOUR special day MR.  We cannot wait for your big party this weekend!!  We look forward to many more years of being blessed by you- you are one of a kind!

Auntie loves you!

Girl Time & Projects

I have enjoyed life so much lately but have been horrible about capturing every moment.  I am always on my toes with my sweet 3 year old keeping busy each day with our daily routines.  But, I have really enjoyed spending time with my family & friends before this Holiday season & have been super busy decorating my home for Christmas & have began working in others homes doing their tree's!  I am so tickled that my friend has asked me to help do homes this year so I am booked up working on people's tree's, & some I am even doing their entire house!  I am thankful this job is falling in my lap & hoping I can start my career slowly as a decorator, it's always been a passion of mine!  All I want to do is help others love their beautiful home!

 So what all has been going on in my world?

Chad was out of town with all of the boys in my family deer hunting for a week so my Mom & I hung out the entire week!  This past Friday night we had a slumber party with my sweet nephew & sister in law at my Mom's.  My friend Amy came over & we all enjoyed roast for dinner & cupcakes!  Saturday we enjoyed the boutique show in our area & shopped until we dropped!  I bought some beautiful cross bracelets!

How sweet are these 2 cousins together?  Growing before our eyes!

My sister in law is working hard on crafting everything for his party- these are amazing!  It's his backdrop!  

His circus themed party is really going to be adorable!

Can you believe he turns 1 a WEEK FROM TODAY?

I have been doing a little crafting myself with my friends lately, but let me tell you, it was hard.  I love to decorate but I wouldn't call myself "crafty".  I don't like making things with paper & cutting things out.  I could never be a scrap-booker- hence my life story on my blog!  But, I enjoy being with my "dear" friends & laughing together.

So me & 2 of my sweet friends Amanda & Amy got together & laughed for hours while we sat & tried to work on the deer.  They turned our pretty cute but the pictures are on my other app & I am still trying to figure out how to move my Instagram pictures to my blog, then I can really start blogging our day to day life!  For now, here is us crafting & the "Pinterest" inspired deer!!  

I will post our finished product & the hilarious video of Amy on the next post!

My tree's in my house, better pictures will come on my Christmas home tour & "mesh" tutorial!  I can't wait to share the rest of my home & give ideas to help you also create your Christmas wonderland!  

My breakfast room!

We had a house warming for my friend Lane this past weekend too & all of us girls had a blast!  I love how I can be crazy & silly with all my sweet friends.  We enjoy life so much & just laugh until our stomach's hurt!  We all brought Mexican food & wine & laughed until after midnight! 

And I am still loving this hair!  I am loving the fun changes I can do everyday with it!

And of course enjoy spending every moment of my life with cutie pie...

Avery's big Thanksgiving program is tomorrow at school.  I can hardly wait to see her perform!  But speaking of turkey's I had to share these adorable outfits that Avery & her cousins will be wearing on Thanksgiving Day!  They turned out so cute!