If only...

Do you ever look back in a person's life and see the exact point where if only he'd had a positive role model, or a parent who knew the love of Christ, that his entire life could have turned out differently? It's heartbreaking to know that one person could have litterally made a world of difference, but that one person wasn' t there. I know I can't go back in time and change what happened, but I try each day to make a point to remember that this day can set a new course for his life.

If only...

It's so hard not to laugh...

Working with teenagers is definitely (a spelling word for this week!) amusing at times. For instance, today one student, we'll call him M, just HAD to communicate w/ another. It was of utmost importance but neither of them had the priviledge (not a spelling word, maybe we'll work on it next week) of talking. In order to get around not being able to talk, M decides he needs to blow his nose (at my desk ~ EWWW ~ I got the anti-bac wipes and germ-x out immediately!!!) and will pass a note to R while en route to the de-booger station. Of course, M isn't all that smooth in his deliverance so the note falls on the floor. My assistant asks for it, reads the contents and brings it to me... this is too good to NOT share.

"Dude. I'm toadaly hookin up with Rebekka this weekend."

After reading that I had to leave the room to laugh... Thank you God for only going through puberty once!!!

Workin' for a Livin'

Sooo tired. Sooo busy... I thought I understood what busyness was until I was a non-stay-at-home-mom. Forget an "Ah ha" moment, I'm having an "Ah ha" life.

Things are going well. Some days are better than others, some fantastic, others straight from Satan himself. One of my favorite lines in Anne of Green Gables is "Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet." That has become my mantra.

I have some humorous stories from the mouths of Junior High shcool children but they'll have to wait until I can type and hold my eyes open.

Just wanted to send a shout out to all my peeps in Blogland. Holla...

My firsts & lasts...

I've Been Tagged Again!
TL tagged me on this one.

First Memory ~ Momma being pregnant w/ Jonathan (I was 2, almost 3) and Daddy adding on to our house to make room for 4 children.. I fell down the steps onto concrete and when I cried for Mom Daddy had to take care of me b/c she was too pregnant to pick me up.
First Kiss ~ Brad Williams, the preacher's son... he was 6 and I was 5 AND his older brother was a witness ~ it was in the hallway on our way to Sunday school.
First Concert ~ Alabama at Stone Mtn., GA on the grass
First Love ~ Hmm, there was at least one new one every week... but I REALLY loved Murdock from the A Team, we even named a pet goat after him.
First Lust ~ Jody Booth, one of my sister's boyfriends, I couldn't even blink when he was around... I think I was 4 or 5.
First Thing I Think In The Morning ~ Isn't it B's turn to feed the baby?
First Book I Remember Loving ~ My Icky Picky Sister
First Pet ~ Shadow, a great dane that my brother and I used to ride on.
First Question I'll Ask In Heaven ~ Are you sure??? Where's Momma???
First Thing I Think Of When I Hear The Word Vacation ~ Beaches, Books and Seafood
First Best Friend ~ Lynette (my sis) and Elam (one the the many Jennifer's in my life).
Last Time I Dressed Up ~ Formal? Oct. 2 as a bride's maid in a wedding
Last Thing I Ate ~ Sugar Babies
Last CD I Bought ~ Sugarland
Last Time I Cried ~ Wednesday
Last Time I Told Someone I Loved Them ~ Earlier today to Hadlee and her daddy
Last Really Fun Thing I Did ~ Cookout at my sister's last night w/ the rest of the siblings & Spending the weekend w/ my N.O. family
Last Thing I Watched On TV ~ Titans v/s Bengals... let's not talk about it
Last Halloween Costume ~ I wore all green and went as a booger... I know, you're so jealous cuz you didn't think of that aren't you?
Last Concert I Attended ~ Kenny Chesney, Sept. 2004

I guess that's it... feel free to tag yourself. Toodles

Hey God, I get it...

So, I guess you were there w/ us yesterday... when I finally got "it", you know, the part about why you had to turn your back on your Son while he suffered. I never really understood it up til then. You see, Hadlee had to experience pain yesterday that will eventually turn into a good thing. She had her first round of immunizations ~ four shots. She screamed, she cried, she squirmed, she looked to me to make the pain go away and all I could do was sit in the corner, bite my lip and try not to cry or throw up. I had to look away, to turn my back, to leave her for just while during her time of suffering. When it was over her Gramma put her in my arms and after a whimper or two it was all ok. Well, it was ok for her, she went to sleep and woke up several hours later wanting food to eat. I don't guess it's really much different than your experience, huh? He suffered, He cried, He looked to you for release... and when it was all over You took Him in your arms and it has turned into a good thing... No, a perfect thing.

I get it now.

ZOE

Jon Owen (Hey, I laughed out loud last night in church when we sang, for the first time EVER, "You are the Song that I Sing." We needed a little Jerome W. in there a la you.)

(L to R Front) Beaner, DJG, TL, (Back) Jenni and Me at the mega early breakfast on Saturday morning. (I would link to everyone if I had a bit of extra time, but HAH is currently doing her yeddie cry ~ that's when she REALLY means business!)

I guess you all have heard most of the details already about who all met. The weekend was TRULY a blessing... worship was an incredible experience, Jeff and Mike were AWESOME, and the classes were good. To be completely honest, I along w/ some cohorts who shall remain nameless (but MAY be pictured above) skipped out on a class session or two and communed w/ each other ~ that was probably my favorite part, along w/ Mike's video!

Things I learned at ZOE...
1. When your yahoo map sux nuts and you are lost, call Jenni cuz she's mega prepared and can get you from Bell Meade to Woodmont Hills. Yeah, if you don't remember I'm the Middle TN girl and Jenni's from TX ~ really I'm an intelligent person, I promise!

2.If you happen to fall asleep in a class session and the older gentleman next to you taps you on the shoulder to make you wake up, the best remedy to the situation is ditching class and heading to Starbucks w/ a good pal (who shall also ramain namelss).

3. Sheryl Thomas can sing like no other woman I have ever heard in all of my life.

4. The interpreters made words come to life in their movements ~ truly beautiful!

5. When sitting at a red light beside someone who drives a new Tahoe and reside in Cullman, AL, squealing tires and racing is pretty fun... just watch out for blue lights.

6. How old were you when you learned what snail mail was? 'Cuz I was 25!

7. Jeff Walling could be Billy Crystal's voice double. His reinactment of Matthew was INCREDIBLE!!!

8. 728B, need I say more?

9. P.F. Changs and O'Charley's w/ friends = what I think the Lord meant when he gave us an exaple of communion.

10. I came away refreshed, full of hope, and wanting more... seriously, we have to wait a whole year for the next one????

FINALLY!!!

I feel as if I have been waiting for these for a million and fifty-three years, but it's only bee a few weeks. :) Hadlee's infant pictures are in... I can't believe how much she has changed in just a few short weeks. The time is going by so quickly!

Tonight I am off to the Zoe conference while Brandon and Hadlee go to my parents' for a home cooked meal and for our family computer guru to work his magic so Daddy and Dede can transfer old software onto their new Dell. I am so excited about the weekend and looking forward to some much needed refueling! Have a wonderful weekend my fellow bloggies. :)

Being Celine

Today I turned into Celine Dion circa 2000 right after she had her son... only I'm the spoof of Celine on SNL. For example, Monday night we started Hadlee on cereal hoping against hope that she'd sleep all night. She's not slept all night yet, but is sleeping longer and harder. Anywho, I was changing her diaper yesterday and Brandon and I had the following conversation, which is really FOR REAL...

M: Honey, have you seen the new poop?
B: Yeah, kind of looks like rice, mud, and mustard, right?
M: YES!! I can't believe you noticed. We're so proud of Daddy, aren't we Pooter?!!

I'm not kidding, it's so funny. Our conversations revolve around sleeping, eating and pooping. In your best French accent repeat after me. "It's all about the poop. You can see how the baby is doing. Look carefully at the poop. You may think I'm crazy, but look at poop!"

-----

On a side note, I think my poop noticing husband may be ready to kill me when he gets home. I am notorious for cramming as many clothes into the washer as is humanly possible. I figure, the less loads the better. Today I was doing a load and decided at the last minute to toss in a Land's End canvas tote to carry as a diaper bag instead of the mond-o bag that matches HAH's stroller and carseat. Apparently it was the icing on the cake. When I went to toss the clothes into the dryer I noticed a burning smell. The tote got hung in the top of the spinner thingy and tore the tub away from the frame of the washer. There are tiny bits of plastic all over the place and burn marks on the tote... dang it! I may wait for a day or two to fess up... maybe after I mow the yard or bake him a cake ~ he'd definitely know something was up then! Grrr, I HATE when I do stuff like that.

Weekend Weather

Click HERE for Nashville's weather forcast for the ZOE conference.

Just cuz' here is a pic of my little bit.

Hot for Teacher

I was a bridesmaid in my fried Krysta's wedding earlier this evening. The recessional song was "Hot for Teacher"...

Anybody remember Shelby's wedding colors in Steel Magnolias? I'm not sure whether I was in blush or bashful, but they were both present.

In many cases over the past week or so I have found that I have an ever growing annoyance w/ disorganization and people who take up precious moments of my time b/c of it. My step-mom and I are going to make business cards to hand out that read "Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine."

I arranged 250 roses (both blush and bashful) into bouquets, boutineers, corsages and center pieces in one night. I had no idea I could do such a thing...

I have two more weeks to be at home w/ Hadlee (who we affectionately call Pooter Dooter, ya know, for short). Tomorrow will be spent recooping from this week, later is the ZOE conference and next week three of my favorite people in the world are coming to visit ~ my roommate from college, her husband and son. They are coming up from New Orleans to get away from things for a while and I CAN NOT wait to spend precious time w/ them.