Toby

This is Toby.

He was my precious little 2 month old baby.

I love him and miss him and want him to come home.

May God bless this little kitten and place him in a home that can take good care of him.

Father's Day

Father's Day for years was an uneventful occasion for me. My Dad wasn't active in my life so I chose not to celebrate him. Church sermons on this Sunday were particularly hard for me to listen to and I wanted so badly to mail one of them to my Dad. Just as a wake up call... To show him the Father he should be. The Father Bother Ron preached about.

This day has a different meaning to me now. I am blessed to have my Dad as an active part of my life. So much has changed in our relationship and I absolutely love it. I feel closer to him than I have ever felt before. If you haven't read my testimony, I advise you to do so. From that testimony streams this entry about what God can do to shape people, answer prayers, and bless us with parents we are truly thankful for.

I love my Dad very much.

He has made incredible effort to be involved in my life and plan time to visit me despite the distance between us. He's a great Dad and I wouldn't change a thing.

Dad and I after my showchoir concert last April

Fridays

I love this song but not so much the video... Even though it is super funny!

Lesson Learned

I learned a very difficult lesson last week.

Sometimes it's better to say nothing.

Words can be hurtful, even when their meanings aren't meant to be mean;
they can be hurtful.

Whether angry, frustrated, or you've just let things build up inside you.

Watch what you say.

You may not think they're listening but words have a way of getting around,

And especially getting around to who they're about.

I learned that it's better to talk about your frustration than to bottle it inside.

It's ok to be frustrated but it's not ok to say hurtful things because if it.

Yes, people say things they don't mean but there's a way to prevent that.

One: talk it out when you're sad, mad, frustrated, disappointed, whatever it is.

Two: Thumper was right. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

I learned that the hard way.

Also, don't take advantage of people who love you.

You may think the world is out to get you, no one likes you, "woe is me"

But you're wrong.

So very wrong.

Beach Bound

Headed to Destin for a weekend of sunshine :)
I'm ready for a tan.
Not so ready for the bathing suit...

Nothing to Hide

One of my bests had this as her Facebook status today. I thought it went hand in hand with what I blogged about this morning

Live with no excuses, love with no regrets. Laugh a lot and leave this life with nothing left unsaid. Make this world a better place, don't be afraid to cry. When its finally time to say goodbye, there's nothing to prove, nothing to lose, and nothing to hide.

-Candice Campbell

best friends forever

Another Day

I woke up this morning feeling incredibly blessed and thankful. I have an amazing life and though I daily forget that fact, I am thankful for it. I have four best friends who would do anything for me, a family that loves me, and a Heavenly Father who has given me another day here on Earth.
So often we ignore the simple truth that no day is promised to us. At any moment our lives could end and God could bring us home; Our lives left behind. Today I feel grateful to have another day here. To talk to my friends, listen to a summer course lecture, pack for the beach, and call my Mom to tell her I love her.
time and again I dismiss the true blessing that my life is. Though there are Things I wish I could change, I am one lucky girl and I need to remember it.



Prayer

It's surreal how God answers our prayers. My prayer is simple, happiness and peace for someone I love very very much.

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
   for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
   until the disaster has passed

Psalm 57:1

Birthday Birthday

I have come to the conclusion, well two actually, that 1. I am to that age where birthdays are not that big of a deal and 2. Summer birthdays suck because every one is busy or out of town.

I am blessed to have two amazing best friends to spend my birthday eve with at the Cheesecake Factory and an amazing mother who makes every day special. It doesn't hurt when you throw in a NookColor though ;)

birthday cake

Reese's peanut butter chocolate cake cheesecake

seriously delicious and even more seriously fattening

birthday present

Thanks Momma :)

Have you ever heard someone say that cards are the best? Well they are. I have saved all of my favorite birthday, Christmas, even Easter cards because each holds a special thought from the person who gave it to me. I received a beautiful bday card from my Mom (as always) and another from one of my besties. My favorite part is whatever the sender writes inside, it's always something heartfelt. Both of these cards made me think about how lucky I am to be surrounded my people who love me. And who made my birthday very special.

CD 309

First week of summer class- down.

I'm happy to say that I am finally taking a class that pertains to my future!

Previous Communicative Disorders courses have been about child speech therapy, development, and clinical practice.

My last resort is working with kids.

This class focuses on Dementia, Alzheimer's, and Aphasia,

all of which are adult language impairments.

These are the disorders I am going to face when I am finally a clinician.

I'm such a nerd, but I really can't wait to learn :) 

Lake Lake Lake

I have spent the past two weekends at the lake.

Lake Martin to be exact.

I love it there so much!

Not only are weekends with my friends crazy fun anyway, but the lake is something special.

It's a bonding experiance & always an adventure.

This past weekend it was just me and Allie (who's new blog you can view here).

Being on the lake is just so relaxing and peaceful.

God's country seems even more beautiful there.

Not to menation, boat rides are a great was the get a tan without getting sweaty...