#7 (From Facebook's 25 Random Things)

#7 I had the same roommate all four years of college. (and we're still friends)

Stacey Norris Hight is my friend. She always will be. We didn't really start off as best friends. We met in high school, had yearbook staff together and became friends. When we, and all of our friends were talking about what college we wanted to go to, we both said MS College. After some thought, we decided to be roommates. I don't ever remember thinking about the fact that we didn't know each other all that well. We just got along great and seemed to naive to know any better. We went to college with boyfriends, quilts for our beds, and worried moms. It was a blast. We soon became inseparable. We did everything together, except classes. She was too smart for me! I rarely remember eating a meal at college without Stacey. She was there for me through about 100 boyfriends, failed tests, the death of my grandmother, sickness, lonely times, etc. We cried together, laughed together, made messes together, but never really fought. We always tried to wait the other one out to take the trash out. We could get it pretty high in the corner. I still do that today!
The summer that she went to Korea for summer missions was a long summer! I missed her terribly. Over the years in college we got closer and closer. Our summer before our senior year we had summer school classes together, we worked together and we spend the night at each others houses every night. I'm sure our parents were sick of us but we had a great time. It was a shocker to both of us when the summer ended and Philip came back from being in Bangladesh. You mean, we have to share our time????

Stacey was there for me the night I got engaged, in fact, she knew before me. She was very instrumental in Philip and I getting together in the first place. She helped me plan my wedding down to the last detail. After I got married we really didn't know how to be friends any more. We have talked about this alot so this is no shock to her. We grew apart some over the next few years but stayed in touch. Now that we are "all grown up" we are still friends. We don't get to spend as much time together as we want to and/or should but we know that we are there for the other one.

I have never had to pretend with Stacey. I can be myself with her. She takes me like I am. Good or bad...I feel the same way about her. She never has to pretend with me. She is always herself and can say whatever she wants to and know that I will still be her friend.

I hope she knows how much I admire her and think she's great. Thanks, Stacey for putting up with me for 4 years! You are a true friend. Love ya!

Shelby's 13th birthday

Shelby turned 13 this week! Oh my! She had a great day. We started celebrating early. We went shopping on Saturday for new bed covers for her. We found some really cute things but finally settled on this...

Isn't it cute. It goes really good in her room with the brown walls. She also found some rain boots that she has been wanting.

On her actual birthday my mom and I took her shopping for some clothes. My mom usually takes the kids shopping for new clothes and we found a lot. While we were gone the boys cleaned the house and made Shelby this sign that was hanging in the garage. I would have never thought they could be so thoughtful.

That night for dinner Shelby wanted flat iron steak, green beans and potato casserole. She asked for a cookie cake. It is the ugliest cake I have ever made. The icing just didn't do what I wanted it to do and I couldn't find the decorating tip that I needed. Oh well. It tasted good and Shelby enjoyed it.

She opened her presents after that. She got an over night bag to take to her friend's houses when she spends the night and she got a promise ring and new book. She had a great day!

I can't believe that she is 13! I remember when she was born like yesterday.

She was 3 1/2 weeks early. She was so blue and limp when she was born. It scared me to death. She came out face up. My doctor called that "sunny side up". I guess that effected her breathing at first. She was a pretty good baby, though. She adjusted to our crazy life right away. Brice really loved her and was a big help to me. He didn't like it when she cried. He would make sure he told her it was going to be alright. When she drooled, he would say, "Hers drippin' mama!"

#6 (From Facebook's 25 Random Things)

6. I'm scared of mascots or anyone dressed in a costume that doesn't talk

I can't stand these things. These costumes that some people think are cute scare me! I don't like it when they come near me because I can't see their face and I can't hear them talk. Once in college our mascot came up to me and gave me a hug at a football game. I knew the guy that was behind the mask but it still freaked me out. I'm still haunted by that experience.

I chose to show you the falcon and the jaguar because I belonged to the falcons in high school and now my kids belong to the jaguars. I'm not sure what it is about them that creeps me out but I would rather not be around them. We did go to Disney World when I was young, maybe something happened to me there that scared me for life. If so, I have erased it from my memory. I've tried not to share my fear with my kids. The same fear doesn't seem to effect them. Shelby did tell me that she was scared of clowns. It's the same in some way but clowns talk to you, make you laugh... What are you scared of????

# 5 (From Facebook's 25 Random Things)

# 5 I could eat a whole bag of Dove chocolate all by myself.

Have you ever had a Dove chocolate? If you haven't, you need to. It is so fine! I remember the first one that I had. It was about 6 years ago. I bought a bag around Valentine's Day. Of course, I opened it on the way home from Walley World. I had to open another one and another one.

I used to help in Brice's 3rd grade class each week. I took some to his teacher. I told her just put one in your mouth and let it melt. She went out the next day and bought a bag for herself. Just last week Sean, my boss, brought me some to put on my desk. Between me and Sean they were gone by Wednesday. I've been known to buy a bag and hide it after I share a few with the kids. I'll end up eating all the rest by myself. Not in the same day but probably within the week. I know it is so bad for me but oh, it's so good!!!

Don't you want to have a chocolate now????

#4 (From Facebook's 25 Random Things)

#4 I miss my friend in GA

You may be asking, "Who is your friend in GA?" Well, let me introduce my friend to you. Her name is Buffy Thomas. She lives in Grayson, GA with her husband, Rob and 3 children.

Here is a picture of Buffy and Rob

I met Buffy when we moved to Jackson, MS out of seminary. Our first job was at FBC, Jackson. Rob was on staff there as associate Minister of Music. Buffy came to meet me after church on our first Sunday night there. She had a little boy named Andrew and he was 3 weeks older than Brice. We got the boys together to play several times and our friendship grew from there. When Buffy had her second baby, a girl (Emily), 3 months later I had Shelby. She didn't have her third as soon as I did. But Abby was born just 3 years after Eli. We have vacationed together lots of times which has always proven to be a great time. We have shared our moving experiences and change in churches together and have cried and laughed together.

We have seen each other through a lot over the last 14 years. I miss her so much. She is one of those friends that you can go for long periods of time without talking to and pick up right where you left off. Our kids are that way too. It's so weird when we stop and think about it.

Rob and Buffy have been through a lot in the last 7 years. Cancer, loss of jobs, moving.... Through it all, they have stayed strong and have such strong faith. I wish I had a video of them singing. They both have the most incredible voices and talents with music.

I think about Buffy almost everyday. I wish so many times that I could just pop by her house and grab a cup of her coffee. (She always has coffee) I know I haven't always been there for her like I should have (life just gets in the way sometimes) but I know she understands and loves me anyway. Pray for Buffy and Rob and their children. They are very special to me and I know they would love to have you pray for them.

Tell me about a special friend of yours....

#3 (From Facebook's 25 Random Things)

3. I love my church

6 years ago Philip started talking to about starting a church in the Madison area. Oh, he had talked about it before but now he was serious. I thought he was crazy! For one thing, I never wanted to marry a minister in the first place. I really fought him on this and cried and yelled and I lost... No, I"m just kidding. I would have never wanted to go against what God was telling Philip but I was really scared! After much prayer and talking and meetings, he left his full time, comfortable, safe, insurance carrying position at a local church to start LifeBridge. We started in our den with about 16 people. The kids hung out in the garage and the adults were in the den. We meet on Sunday nights. Philip worked 3 jobs to support us. I wasn't working at the time. I was selling Mary Kay, though and bringing in enough money to help a little.

Since then we have grown constantly and now average around 200 people. We meet in Madison Station Elementary School and are getting ready to build on our land. The story of the land is another story I'll have to write about another day. We have seen some incredible things since LifeBridge has started. There are always challenges and struggles but God always proves faithful.

I am involved in the nursery and preschool areas. My sister, Melanie, and I have been over that area for almost a year. The kids love LifeBridge as well. They love to invite their friends and they love to volunteer with the young ones. Brice and Shelby's youth group is called Amplify. They meet every Wednesday night and love it. They recently started meeting in the warehouse behind where I work. It's a great time. Brice is even auditioning to be in the praise band.

I can't wait to see how God works through LifeBridge in the next year. Please pray for Philip and our other staff as we build a building. We want to please God in all we do and make it a place that will serve the community.

What do you like about your church?

# 2 (From Facebook's 25 Random Things)

# 2: I love to watch my kids play soccer

Since all three of the kids play soccer I feel like I always have a game to watch. Brice started playing when he was 4 or 5. We lived in Hattiesburg, MS at the time. He was always so serious about playing. He is very fast and has pretty good foot skills. He played on the recreation teams until 4th grade when he was asked to play for a select (traveling) team. He was able to play an age level up too. He played with that team for 3 years. When he was in 7th grade he tried out for his own age level and made the team. He played with them for 2 years. This year he played for school on the Jr. Varsity and he will try out for the Varsity in May. He has played recreation soccer this year. It has been a major struggle. He hates it. He is guest playing for a select team this weekend in Birmingham. I wish I could go but just couldn't get away.

Shelby played soccer for the first time when she was 4. We lived in Columbia, SC at the time. She was on a coed team. She showed up one day and was the only girl. She didn't want anything to do with that so she didn't play again for that team. She started playing again 2 years ago. She really likes to play in the goal. It makes me so nervous but she really enjoys that position. Maybe it's because she doesn't have to run as much. I was thinking that she takes after her dad with the goalie part but maybe she takes after me more with not wanting to run.

Eli played soccer when he was 4 also. He played the first season and sorta liked it but the next season he was counting the days until he didn't have to play any more. He sat out a year and then decided he wanted to try again. He has really done well this year. Because he has a late birthday and the cut off date is in July, he has to play with others that are a year younger than him. He dominates the field. His coach says that he has never seen someone his age that can do some of the things he does. I guess it's all those years of watching Brice and Shelby....

I do love to watch them play, though. They are all talented and as we say in our house..."Talent on loan from God". They all are Godly examples on the field. Their teammates look up to them and they have very good attitudes.

Well, even with Brice being gone this weekend we still have 2 games Saturday. Off to watch another game....

25 Random Things

It has been so long since I have updated my blog. I just haven't been taking pictures so I think it's not worth writing about anything. Well, I discovered that people are checking to see if I've updated my blog so I better write about something. Not too long ago I wrote on my Facebook page about 25 Random things. Soooooo, I thought I would take each one and give some more detail. I don't promise to write every day but I will get through each one. So, bear with me, if you aren't interested you don't have to read....

1. I love shrimp of any kind.

Who doesn't love shrimp? I'm not sure if it's my favorite food. That may be crab legs but I usually can't afford crab legs so I will stick with shrimp. When I start thinking about all the ways I like shrimp I feel like Bubba, Forest's friend on Forest Gump. You remember the scene where they are at boot camp for the army and Bubba is telling Forest all the different ways you can prepare shrimp. At the end of his list he says, "Well, that's about it!" That's how I feel. I've never had shrimp that I didn't like. I would have to say that I love fried, boiled, scampi, and curry the best. I had never had shrimp curry until I met Philip. It's his favorite too. I still can't make it like his mother. She gave me her recipe but it has only come out right once. I just don't know the spices enough to know if I need more of one and less of another one. One day I will watch her from the beginning and see if I can't get it right.

I used to love when we went to the coast house (in Pass Christian, MS) and eat tons of shrimp. We used to eat until we were sick. The coast house (as my family calls it) is a house that was owned by my dad's company. The first time I ever went was when I was 6 weeks old. We went every year after that at least once. We even took our kids there. It was destroyed with Katrina. All that was left was the toilet, still attached to the wall. It wasn't a Destin condo by any means but it was nice enough and we didn't know any different when we were young. When we were older it was just nice to get away.

Here is a picture of the toilet that remained.

Here is a picture of what was left of the pool. It used to have a metal fence all around it and these beautiful shade trees.

Here is a picture of what was left of the house. So sad...

I think one of my favorite ways to eat shrimp when I was growing up was with the fondue pot. My mom had one that you plugged in so it really cooked your food. She would have steak and shrimp and we would cook it ourselves right at the table. Fun memories.

Well, that is number 1. Look for number 2 coming very soon.

Tell me your favorite way to have shrimp...

Famous American Day

Today Eli's class celebrated Famous American Day. Each 2nd grader chose an American who impacted the USA. Eli chose Johnny Appleseed. As you can see from the picture, he was very cute. He wore a pot on his head just like the stories of Johnny Appleseed. He also wore "old" clothes that had patches on them. He had to say a line about his American. He said, "I'm Johnny Appleseed. I planted apple trees along the early frontier." He did very well. I'm so proud of him.

Here is a picture of him before he left for school. He was so excited about the day.