Life or Something Like it...

...as I sit here and think about how I wish so many things were different in my life and how my life would be so much better if some things were different I think about how lucky I am. I went and sat through a 21 year old boy's funeral yesterday...made me think maybe my life isn't so bad. I see my sisters best friends going through so much from losing a sweet precious little baby girl to now finding out her new precious baby girl may have serious problems too. I have an Aunt who waited and did everything right and has my beautiful and wonderfully blessed Cousin Jessica who has down syndrome. I just wonder sometimes why things happen to some people...good people who did everything right.

Now with having said that...I think Laurie's best friend Melissa is amazing! She is so strong and with everything that she is faced with I feel like she becomes more and more amazing and stronger...oh how I hope I can be as strong as she has been if anything like that happens to me. Gin-Gin and Uncle Kenny are AMAZING with Jessica! And there is not a child more loved than that little 8 yr old piece of Heaven! Everything happened so quick with Jessica and its like Gin-Gin and uncle Kenny never even blinked an eye to it. And honestly I don't think anyone else could've and still do raise and treat Jessica any better! She is a lucky girl and I think everyone would agree that we are all more blessed by having her in our lives.

The 21 yr old officer that died here in Montgomery...well I am just perplexed. It is the farthest thing from your mind to think about a police officer dying from anything but a job related injury...but he did. It was no one's fault, there is no one for the family to be mad at..it was just a horrible accident. As I sat there at the funeral yesterday I observed so many things. I watched his mom and all of his family and thought how proud they must've been of him. I watched his fiancee' sit there and it was just like it was pure unbelief on her face. I just can't imagine being in either positiion. Losing a child...I don't know what it is like having a child of my own flesh and blood to begin with but I can not imagine losing one of my sisters. And as for losing my finacee'...I just can't imagine it!

I say all that not to say I am going to stop taking risk or going to stay in my house and never leave, but I say it to say I am going to stop taking life for granted. And stop assuming the most important people are always going to be around and start living for God and today! :)

And an added side note is talking about not taking Life for granted...michelle is on the brink of having baby Morgan! I am super super excited! Her little nursery is precious and I am just so excited for Michelle and Justin. So I am saying that to say Michelle I'm pumped about Morgan and its going to be so exciting when she gets here!!

Previous post....

Becasue I am too lazy...you can read the labels and try to figure out the pictures that go with them! :) Sorry I know I should but work has been crazy and I was lucky to get that much done today! So just consider it a game!! Love ya'll! More to come later!

Louise's Surprise Party

Louise blowing out her candles!


Louise and her cake that Rayla made for her!! It was sooooo GOOD!!


My decorations with our partylite stuff we just got!! I loved it!!


The whole group....sorry its a bit blurry!!


Some of the guest...watching while Louise was opening presents!


Cute Michelle!! We are so ready for Morgan to get here!


Louise opening her favorite present from me and Laurie!!


The boys got a little bored with what we were doing....(Look at the next picture)


What happens when the 3 of us get together and start rehashing all the memories! See Laurie can be a cheerleader too...(Amy and Audrey I thought ya'll would appreciate me posting this picture!)



Well as Louise's birthday has now came and went...it was great! We had the best weekend! (With the exception daddy was not here...but its nice to have just us girls together!) So lets just start with her birthday on Thursday!

Thursday morning I brought her and Janet and Michelle breakfast, and Laurie brought her flowers! so already its started off pretty good! Then her co-workers cooked her lunch and made her a delicious strawberry cake! It was fun and when the work day was over it was great! So after work, I ran home to clean like a mad woman before we had everyone over for Louise's surprise party. During the day I had gotten in touch with Kristen McCants and Michelle and Justin Bond to come over for just a little party....And I forgot to mention the biggest surprise is MOM!! She got to the house about 6:30 and helped me finish up cleaning and Nathan met us at the house too. We ran to the store and then came home and made all the stuff real quick and the guest arrived at 7:30. We sat there and waited on Laurie, Leslie, Dirt, and the guest of honor to get there. They were all at the basketball game but I thought they were leaving at half time. Well an hour later we realized that they were not leaving early...but it was fine because while they were at the game they found Walker and his friend Todd to come "eat cookies" with us. (That was the lie we told Louise to get her to come to the house... :) We are so sneaky!)

Finally they all arrived and Louise was shocked that her Friends were there but she was totally floored that mom was there. She wasn't expecting her til Friday; she was coming on the 16th for Jewels that Laurie was speaking in. (There is a blog by itself coming on that....) So all around it was great and we got to spend a lot of good girl family time together! It was nice to do...and no fighting if you can believe that! :)

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEEZE!!

Well its finally here....Louise's 2nd Christmas :) I dont even know where to start with her blog dedication! She is truly amazing!! I have never met a more kinda and loving soul! She is always the one that will listen...but be ready becasue she will always tell you what is right...not always what you want to hear. But I love that about her. She has always been the quiet one, very reserved and always the perfect one growing up. but since college, and especially since marriage, she has really came out of her shell. She is everything and so much more than whats on Laurie's blog and really louise will be the easiest out of all of us to find stuff to write about...She is just amazing. We are so blessed to have her in our lives and if you know her...so are you!!

Love you Louise and Hope you have a MAGNIFICENT birthday!!

I second all the "25 Things about Louise" in Laurie's blog!!

Our New Roomie...AKA "Suga Momma"

So this blog is dedicated just to Leslie! She is great!! She has brought so so soooo many great things to my life and I think to Laurie's life also! When Ashley told us that she was moving out, Laurie and I started talked about how we needed to have a 3rd roommate to help us with rent and utilities. It just works better that way. So we started our selective looking. (Side Note: For those of you that just know the sweet Laurie and I...well living with us is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE!!! You get the little bit of good, the BAD AND THE UGLY!! Not saying we are bad roommates, neither of us have lived with other people than siblings in a LONG LONG time so we are accustomed to each other and each others ways and its hard for us to get in the habit of changing them when other people move in.) So in our selective looking, through girls nights we had both gotten to know Leslie better and better and both decided she would be a good roommate. So we talked to her and she told us she was looking for some where to live right now too! So mid-December she moved in. Its a little cramped having me, Laurie, Ashley and her dog Maya, Leslie and George but its only til the end of January and we can live with that.

Yesterday I was having just a blah day (refer to my post below and it will explain itself) and she text me about 11ish and told me that we were going to eat mexican and that she was going to pay. And since I am broke as a joke right now that was a GREAT thing to hear. So not only did she take me out to eat she took laurie too. WHich alone was sweet enough. And it just made me feel better to just be able to sit and talk with her and Laurie. It was nice. Then last night, I worked late working on JEWELS (Faulkner's girls youth rally they host every year) and when I got home our "suga momma" had got pizza for us too!! (Another side note....my 2 favorite dishes...Mexican and Pizza!!!) I was so excited.

All of this to say that she is amazing and I am so glad she and George are in our lives! :) They bring a lot of sanity and good food to our household!! Love you Les!!! Thanks for being a great friend and cheering me up yesterday!

Its just one of those days....

I am just in a funky mood today. Not happy but not sad either...just kinda blah. Know that feeling I am talking about? That I just want to lay in bed and watch sappy girl movies day...that is my feeling today. Not really sure why, I don't have any reason to be in this mood but I just am. So needless to say, it is taking some hard self motivation to make me work today.

But I think now would be a great time to blog about one friend that has really been around a while but she is like a fine wine...she only gets better with time :) (Ok its cheesy and I don't drink at all much less wine so I really wouldn't be that good of a wine consesour (sp???) but I hear the older it is the better...but only hearsay.)Ashley Peebles has been the most amazing friend the past few months especially!! She has always been one of my best friends but lately she has really came through for me! Just today I was telling her about what a blah day I was having and her response was for me to think about all the wonderful things I have in my life....a wonderful and healthy family, a great boyfriend, the best friends a girl could ask for, me being healthy, and to be living in the best country in the world! And she is right. I am so blessed far beyond what I deserve!!! But I look up to Ashley so so much! In so many different ways I do. Her marriage with Daniel is amazing and I would kill to have that kind of marriage. They truly love each other so much and both of them are so much fun and they have so much fun together. That's what I want. And she is an amazing mother. She has so much fun with Charley and Colin. I know that she longs for some adult time because about 85% of her life right now is spent with toddlers but I think deep down and I know she wouldn't trade it for the world. And I love that about her. For all of you that don't know she is living in England with her husband and 2 little ones. She is extremely happy I know but I also know it gets hard being so far away from all of their family and friends. And even if all that is sad and getting her down at times she is still so positive and I feel bad even complaining to her! :) But hopefully here within the next 6 months we will be visiting her and the kiddos and Daniel to keep her company! But I just wanted to blog for a minute and let her know how appreciated she is and how much I love and miss her!! :) Love you Ash and thanks for making my day better! :)

Weddings and Baby Showers!

I mean this in the nicest way possible but I am in another wedding and wasn't really thrilled until we went and picked out dresses!!! (YEs for those of you counting that is 5 in the past 3 years! :)) These are the prettiest bridesmaids dresses I have ever seen and I actually get to wear it! :) I am pumped! My friend Ashley Davis, who was one of my roommates in college is getting married on August 22nd! Below is the picture of the dress in the same color as we will be wearing it in.



Today we had Michelle Bond's or should I say Morgan Bond's shower at Faulkner! Michelle is so stinkin cute pregnant!! She is ready for Morgan to be here and hopefully she should be here by Feb. 7th if not before!! So Valentine's will be her 1st holiday!! :) Michelle got the cutest stuff today!! I mean really, showers really are great!! I love looking at all the cute little girlie clothes and blankets!! It makes me have baby fever....except not for me...for Louise :) LOL JK. No pressure Louise, Daddy has Iland for now so he should be good for another 3 or 4 years hopefully. And surely by then you will be ready to have some kiddos running around! :) But today was fun! Hope all is having a good week! Love all!

New Year, New Goals and Resolutions!

So as I previously told you I was going to blog every day this week so I am! So here goes nothing...this one will be semi serious! So get ready!

So there are many things that I hope 2009 brings for me! i want this year to be the best year I have ever had...and in doing so its going to take a little changing on my part. So below are some goals, or resolutions that i want for 2009!

1. My relationship with God to be stronger. I wouldn't consider my relationship with God bad by any means, but we could all be a little closer than we are...always room for improvement in that area! :)

2. My relationship with my family. This past year has been hard and stressful because of 2 main factors, my job and Nathan. My job has me very stressed out and busy 90% of the year. So around Christmas time is the only time I really get to relax and not stress. :) And well Nathan because we just started dating this year and with a new boyfriend comes a new person thrown into the mix and well going from when it was just me and Laurie, to now me and Nathan and hardly any Laurie, I am going to do better. I feel like we are out of that stage, I mean granted I like being around him obviously or I wouldn't be with him! :)

3. My outlook on my job! I have an amazing and wonderful job!! I really do love it and I take it for granted alot. I know there are alot of times that I absolutely hate it but overall it really is the best job and I am going to start trying to be more positive!

4. Keeping in touch with my friends and family that aren't in Montgomery! :) I promise I know this is a BIG one and I am really going to try my hardest to do better about this!!

5. Keeping my house clean and decent! Right now it is crazy at our house! We have Ashley who is soon to be moving out and Leslie who moved in already and Laurie and I who are a little unorganized to begin with! :) Hopefully though things will start to settle down here within the next couple of weeks and we will all be a little bit better. We took some of Christmas down so it has already started to feel more spacious! :)

6. This is one that I am really going to have to work hard at. My attitude. I have the rottenest attitude sometimes and I am thoroughly aware of it (personally and Louise and Laurie are quick to remind me! :)). I am the baby and I am spoiled. I am a daddy's girl to the fullest except recently have became a slight momma's girl! I guess its funny how that changes for girls as they grow up...they start to need their momma a little bit more than they used too! But I am going to do my best to work on my attitude and have a "Heart of a Servant" some would say :)

7. Do something little for one person every week just so they know someone is thinking about them. There is this woman that works at the school in the cafe and 2008 had to have been the worst year ever for her. She lost her new born baby and her momma all in the same year. I can not imagine her pain and suffering that she has gone through! (Keep her in your prayers too....Mrs. Diane is her name) But Louise and i were talking at lunch and she is one I think we are both going to go out of our way to try and make things better for her. I am sure Laurie will want to participate in this too since she was close to her also! (And yes if you were wondering we LOVE the cafe ladies and they LOVE us!! If you dont believe us....just take a gander back to all 3 of our college days pictures! Laurie's especially!! LOL Just kidding Lauriee!! :)

8. Be more thankful and giving! I am blessed far beyond belief! And do not deserve everything nor everyone I have in my life! I am richly blessed with an amazing family and wonderful friends! I have a boyfriend that loves me and whose family does too! I could not be anymore blessed than I am! I am also going to follow in my big sisters footsteps and be better about sending cards! I know that snail mail is the best thing I get, and everyone I have talked to loves it too! So I am going to do my best to stay on top of my card writing!

9. And finally I am just going to be happy! As much as I possibly can! And try not to let every little thing bother me! Happiness is a decision. The happiest people don't always have the best of everything, they just make the most of everything! :)

Well I think 9 things for 2009 is enough! So I will leave you with some words of wisdom from my papa and daddy....WE WERE GREAT IN 2008 SO LETS BE FINE IN 2009!!! :):)

The holidays...

...are officially over! :( A little bittersweet for me bc they were amazing this year! I know I am a little behind so instead of writing one REALLY REALLY long blog I am going to break it up and blog each day this week and hopefully that will take care of everything I need to catch everyone up on!

Today's Topic is Christmas! There is not a word to better describe my Christmas excpet wonderful!! In fact it just finished up this past Sunday!! But I will start back at the beginning. :)

We started out going to the Transiberian Orchestra on SAturday the 21st of Decemeber. It was amazing!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it!! Me, Mom, Dad, and Laurie all went. After that we met Louise and Dirt for dinner then Dirt had to head back to Montgomery while the 3 of us girls headed to TRenton with Mom and DAd. The next 3 days would be so much fun!! Sunday we went to church with mom and dad and Sunday night I got to see Nate's mom and Dad and sister bc they came to chruch at Trenton to pick up Nate's big preent that I had found down in Montgomery but that she needed to have before he got home for Christmas! So they came and it was great seeing them, then after chruch Momma had her lady's ornament swap party and all 3 of us were there and it made her soooo happy!! We played some fun games and found out alot about some people we didnt know! (All good things of course!!! :)) Then Monday we got up and drove to GRandma's house for Christmas with mom;s side of the family. It was really really good to see them and get to spend some time with them. I haven't seen them in a year at least so it was good. And I think it made Grandma's whole year. We left there Tuesday afternoon to go and finish up some Christmas shopping and then headed home to get some shut eye before our family Christmas. Dirt arrived in Trenton that night and I don't think I have seen daddy any happier to see another male!! The estrogen was a bit much for him for 4 days!! We got up and had Christmas Wednesday morning (Christmas Eve day) and it was so amazing!! Mom and Dad did entirely too much as they always do but it was greatly appreciated!! Faulkner will be loving my new work clothes in the coming weeks!! :)

Nate drove to the house and met us after we had opened our gifts so we could open our gifts with him! It was fun and brunch was amazing!! After brunch, Nate and I left to go to his house for the rest of the week. That day we left we had his Dad's side of the family Christmas. They play dirty santa on both his mom and dad's sides so not as much money is spent. The Woodring side holds nothing back when playing Dirty Santa so it was sooo much fun! That night after everyone had left Nate's house (thats where the woodring christmas was held) we all just kinda settled down and got all the last minute things done for Santa to come the next morning! And needless to say he did!! Santa did GREAT for me all the way around!! I am very blessed with my family and Nate's family! That Friday and saturday were filled with Wedding stuff bc Nate's cousin was getting married and he was singing in the wedding. So ew had to do the rehearsal thing and the actual ceremony. But all was well and Nate knew it was going to be a rough 2 days for me so he planned the best day ever for me on Saturday!! He was the sweetest boy on Saturday!! (If you want details I will be more than happy to tell but its a little lengthy for the blog! That would be a blgo in itself!) And Sunday we went to church and just visited some more with his family! He had to work again on Monday but I was still off for another week so I was still pretty excited!!

on Monday we fed the Basketball team from Faulkner. (We being me, laurie, and louise.) It was fun but man by the time it was over I was exhausted! But me and laurie were not through!! We went and dog or puppy hunted at the shelters for a little puppy for Devin! And found one and came home with Lucy!! (See Laurie's blog for pictures!!) Dev was the happiest little boy I have ever seen! It definitely was the best gift of christmas! The rest of the week went by so fast and was spent being lazy and washing and packing in preparation to leave for Valdosta on Friday.

Dirt, Louise, Nate, and I all loaded up at 6 and headed down to Valdosta! We got there about midnight and we had so much fun!! Saturday we had breakfast with the family and then visited for the rest of the day til dinner time when we met at Gin-Gin's for mexican night!! It was delicious!!! Saturday night we played the wii til nearly 11 and Louise and Dirt fell in love with it! I fell in love with the wii fit...and Nate has a wii so a wii fit will be invested in! And louise and dirt fell so much in love with it that the actually bought one last night! :) It was much needed I am sure for them! Gives louise something fun to do besides clean and scrapbooking and card making....even though this may slow her craftiness down! :) haha just kidding louise! But Sunday we got up and went to church with Papa and Nana. Nate led singing and papa preached! It was great! Sunday afternoon we had lunch and Christmas!! Both of which was amazing!! :) WE ended up staying for church adn then some much needed fellowship time at the best mexican restuarant ever....El Toreo! Then it was back to montgomery and all Christmas was over...last night the Christmas tree even came down with some help from Leslie, Ashley and Brooke...and Nate for dragging it out to the road for me! :)

I was sad to have to come back to work beacuse I really feel as if I need to be independently wealthy and not have to work! :) Don't we all though!! Well I will update more later! And I will post just a blog with pictures!! :)