SOMETHING NEW.

1. I LOVE MY HUSBAND. HE IS ALWAYS A MAN OF INTEGRITY AND LOVE, AND ALWAYS SACRIFICING HIMSELF FOR OTHERS…WITHOUT COMPLAINING. (SOMETIMES I COMPLAIN ALONG WITH SACRIFICE…I HATE THAT PART OF ME)
2. I LOVE RAINBOWS. I ALWAYS HAVE. I’VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DECIDE MY FAVORITE COLOR, BECAUSE THE LIL’ GIRL IN ME HAS ALWAYS LOVED ALL OF THEM.
3. I WANT TO VISIT NEW YORK CITY, LONDON, AND SO MANY OTHER PLACES.
4. I HAVE A VERY HEAVY SOUTHERN ACCENT. I CAN’T HELP IT. AND I REFUSE TO TRY TO CHANGE IT TO “SOUND LIKE EVERYONE ELSE”. THIS IS WHO I AM!! I’M OKAY WITH WHO I AM…USUALLY…OKAY, I’M USUALLY NOT.
5. MY SISTER’S FIRST DAUGHTER IS NAMED AFTER ME.
6. I WAS NAMED AFTER MY MOMMA’S SISTER AND MY DADDY.
7. I LAUGH TOO MUCH. REALLY, I DO.
8. OFTEN I’M LAUGHING AT MYSELF…ALONG WITH MY BABY BOY.
9. I REALLY, REALLY LIKE MUSIC WITH A BEAT…TOBYMAC, NICOLE C. MULLEN, KIRK FRANKLIN…YOU KNOW, THAT MUSIC THAT YOU CAN’T HELP BUT MOVE YOUR HIPS TO WHEN YOU HEAR? THAT MUSIC.
10. I’M 5’1”. MY HUSBAND IS 6’7”. FOR THIS REASON, I WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE C-SECTIONS WITH OUR BABIES. MY FRIEND ONCE COMPARED IT TO A CHIHUAHUA HAVING A DOBERMAN PINSCHER. GO AHEAD, LAUGH. I KNOW IT’S FUNNY.
11. I’M A HALF BREED. MY VERY WHITE MOMMA MARRIED MY VERY MEXICAN DADDY, THUS BREEDING MY SISTER AND ME. SO, I CLAIM FULL RIGHTS OF MAKING FUN OF BOTH WHITES AND HISPANICS. :)
12. I LOVE SPICY FOOD, HENCE THE MEXICAN-NESS.
13. I DRINK WATER LIKE IT’S OXYGEN TO MY LUNGS.
14. I LOVED BEING PREGNANT, I HAD THE MOST AMAZING PREGNANCY, THE MOST AMAZING DELIVERY, AND BROUGHT HOME MY SON, WHO SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT HIS FIRST NIGHT HOME. HE’S STILL THE EASIEST CHILD TO RAISE, EVER. I OFTEN FEEL BAD BECAUSE THINGS HAVEN’T BEEN HARDER FOR ME…BUT THERE’S REALLY NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT THAT. I’LL LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THE NEXT ONES.
15. MY HUSBAND AND I ARE GOING TO CELEBRATE OUR 5TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY THIS SUMMER.
16. I’VE BEEN SCARED TO SHARE THIS, FOR FEAR OF WHAT PEOPLE MIGHT THINK. BUT QUITE HONESTLY, I DIDN’T HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH IT, IT JUST HAPPENED. MY SON STARTED READING WHEN HE WAS TWO AND A HALF. HE WAS SITTING ON MY LAP AND STARTED READING THE WORDS I WROTE ON HIS MAGNA DOODLE. IT WAS QUITE CRAZY.
17. HE ALSO STARTED WALKING AT AROUND 8 AND A HALF MONTHS…I PICKED HIM RIGHT UP AND TRIED TO POSTPONE THE INEVITABLE. (I HATE SEEING HIM GROW UP SO QUICKLY…BUT AT LEAST HE’LL BE A GOOD AGE TO HELP ME WITH OUR NEXT LIL’ ONES)
18. WE HAVE DIAL-UP. SO IN THE TIME IT TAKES YOU TO READ THIS, I’M PROBABLY STILL WAITING ON A PAGE TO LOAD.
19. I LOVE LIVING OUT IN THE COUNTRY. IT’S AN INDESCRIBABLE PEACE.
20. I LOVE COFFEE, GREEN TEA, WHITE TEA, VEGETABLES, AND ANY KIND OF FOOD THAT COMES FROM THE GROUND.
21. I STRUGGLE WITH BEING TOO VULNERABLE, TRUSTING, AND TRANSPARENT.
22. I STRUGGLE WITH OCD DAILY.
23. I CRY A LOT. I ALWAYS HAVE. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I WILL ASK THE LORD, AFTER ASKING TO SEE MY MOMMA, WILL BE, “WHY IN THE WORLD DID YOU MAKE ME SO EMOTIONAL?” SOMETIMES IT SEEMS LIKE IT’S NOT DOING A BIT OF GOOD FOR ME, OR ANYBODY ELSE. YET, I EMBRACE IT, BECAUSE I DID NOT MAKE MYSELF.
24. I LOVE TO READ.
25. I CRINGE WHEN I SEE CHRISTIANS BEHAVING LIKE HEATHENS, BUT SAYING IT’S ALL IN THE NAME OF “CHRISTIANITY”.
26. I HATE BOTH SEEING AND ADMITTING THAT SOME PEOPLE JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT ANYONE BUT THEMSELVES.
27. I FORGIVE TOO MUCH WHEN SOMEONE HAS HURT ME. BUT NOT QUICK ENOUGH WHEN SOMEONE HURTS THOSE WHOM I LOVE.
28. I LONG FOR THE DAY WHEN WE CAN ALL REALIZE WHAT TRUE LOVE IS: THE CONSTANT SACRIFICE OF OURSELVES FOR OTHERS, FOR THE ONE TRUE KINGDOM.
29. I WISH PEOPLE LOVED OTHERS AS MUCH AS THEY LOVED THEIR MONEY AND THE THINGS IT CAN BUY.
30. I NEED A BREAK.
31. I CAN’T WAIT FOR REBECCA AND BEN TO HOLD THEIR BABY.
32. I WISH THE CHURCH WERE A PLACE THAT WELCOMED MORE THAN IT JUDGED.
33. I CAN’T WAIT FOR DARRYL TO GET HIS DOCTORATE, BECAUSE IT’S SO OBVIOUS THAT’S WHAT HE WAS MADE FOR.
34. I LOVE HEARING MY HUSBAND PREACH. HE NEVER DOES IT IN THE TYPICAL WAY. IT’S ALWAYS MORE OF A CONFESSION…OF SHARING HIS HEART, RATHER THAN THE WELL-KNOWN, “GOD SAYS THIS, THIS IS BAD, DO WHAT I SAY…ETC”.
35. I WISH MY FAMILY AND ME, ALONG WITH ALL MY BESTEST FRIENDS COULD ALL LIVE TOGETHER IN A HUGE CASTLE. YOU THINK I’M JOKING, BUT I’D GIVE ANYTHING FOR THAT.
36. I LIKE TO MAKE LISTS. I MAKE THEM SO OFTEN, IT’S CRAZY. I NEED LISTS FOR MY LISTS. HILARIE MADE ME FEEL NOT SO WEIRD WHEN SHE SHARED WITH ME THAT SHE DOES THE SAME THING
37. I NEED TO STOP TYPING. THE BABY’S ABOUT TO BE UP.
38. IF YOU READ ALL THIS, BLESS YOUR WEE’ LIL’ HEART. YOU DESERVE A HUG FROM ME. ;) THANKS FOR HUMORING ME. I LOVE READING OTHER PEOPLE’S LISTS, TOO..HINT, HINT. ;) OKAY, I’M REALLY DONE.

7 THINGS I'VE BEEN DOING...

1. FEEDING PEOPLE
2. CLEANING
3. LISTENING TO SOME GOOD MUSIC
4. WATCHED THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON OF "THE OFFICE" WITH DARRYL, JIL, JUSTIN, AND ELIZABETH. (ALL IN ONE NIGHT...YEAH, WE WERE UP LATE...GOOD TIMES)
5. HUGGING MY BABY
6. PLAYING A BIT WITH MY ITOUCH
7. LAUGHING AT DYLAN DANCING AROUND NAKED.


*WE HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH JIL AND JUSTIN. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. AND ELIZABETH AND DAVEY CAME OVER A COUPLE NIGHTS, TOO. LOVE THEM SO MUCH ALSO.
PEOPLE DEAL WITH GRIEF IN SO MANY WAYS. ONE WILL NEVER KNOW HOW THEY DEAL WITH IT UNTIL THEY'VE COME FACE TO FACE WITH IT. SOME PEOPLE WITHDRAW, SOME PEOPLE CLOSE THEMSELVES OFF, SOME STAY BUSY. ALL GOOD THINGS, AS LONG AS THEY DON'T CONTROL THAT PERSON. ME, I'VE DONE A BIT OF IT ALL. BUT, THE ONE THING THAT HELPS ME SO MUCH MORE IS BEING WITH MY FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS. I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT. I LOVED BEING ABLE TO SEE HILARIE, KRYSTLE, REBECCA, KELI AND ZACH WHEN I WAS IN OKLAHOMA. AND I LOVED HAVING THE NEWKIRKS AND DAVEYS OVER. IT MEANS A LOT TO ME THAT THEY TOOK SOME OF THEIR OWN TIME AND INVESTED IT IN ME. I CAN'T EXPLAIN HOW IT HAS TOUCHED MY HEART THROUGH THIS EXTRA SENSITIVE TIME. (WHICH I KNOW WILL STAY SENSITIVE...THAT'LL NEVER WEAR OFF.)
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO ON THE PHONE, I TOLD MY SWEET FRIEND MANDOLYN HOW MUCH MY FRIENDS MEAN TO ME. FOR SOME REASON, I'VE BEEN GIVEN NUMEROUS SPECIAL FRIENDSHIPS OVER THE PAST EIGHT TO NINE YEARS. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW LIFE IS SO MUCH EASIER TO HANDLE WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR CLOSE FRIENDS TO SHARE IT WITH. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE CLOSEST WITH MY DADDY, MOMMA, SISTER, HUSBAND, SON...BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE FRIENDSHIPS IN LIFE THAT HELP SO MUCH. I'VE ALWAYS LOOKED UPON FRIENDSHIPS AS SUCH A BLESSED GIFT. I NEVER THOUGHT IN A MILLION YEARS THAT I'D ENDURE WHAT I HAVE ENDURED RECENTLY. AND THESE BLESSINGS I'VE BEEN GIVEN HAVE SOFTENED THE BLOW. I LOVE YOU GUYS. YOU REALLY CAN'T KNOW HOW MUCH I NEED YOU ALL. AND I WILL EVEN MORE NOW, BECAUSE I HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE TO CALL WHEN I'M REACHING TO DIAL MY MOMMA'S NUMBER. THANK YOU FOR MOURNING WITH ME.

HERE'S SOME LIL' "FRIEND QUOTES" AND VERSES THAT I LOVE.

"THE BEST WAY TO HAVE A FRIEND IS TO BE ONE." -RALPH WALDO EMERSON

"LIFE IS NOTHING WITHOUT FRIENDSHIP." -CICERO

"A FRIEND LOVES AT ALL TIMES.." -PROVERBS 17:17

"OIL AND PERFUME MAKE THE HEART GLAD, SO A MAN'S COUNSEL IS SWEET TO HIS FRIEND." -PROVERBS 27:9

"THE FRIENDSHIP THAT CAN CEASE HAS NEVER BEEN REAL." -SAINT JEROME

"SHOW ME YOUR FRIENDS AND I'LL SHOW YOU YOUR FUTURE." -???

"GREATER LOVE HAS NO ONE THAN THIS, THAT ONE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS." -JOHN 15:13-