I Am Thankful For....

1. I am thankful for my God. I sin everyday yet my God always forgives me of my sins and NEVER judges me for my wrong doing.

2. I am thankful for my family. My mommy and daddy who believe in me, who tell me you can do anything you set your mind to, who encourages me to reach for the highest stars and never give up, who tells me job well done keep up the great work. My sister for all the great talks we have that no one else will ever know about. The person who also tells me you can do it, don't give up. My brother-in-law for everything he has done for not only my sister but for our family. I am thankful for my brother-in-law to leave his family behind to go serve our country so that we may have freedom. I am thankful for my Haylee, Logan and Tyler, for the joy they bring to my life each and everyday. I am thankful for my ma-maw who is the rock of our family, who keeps the family going because of her great faith put in our Heavenly Father above. I am thankful for my pa-paw who is now in Heaven preparing my place there.

3. I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful for my Katye and Michelle. These two girls keep me going somedays. The simple smiles, "I Love You Miss Heather", the little notes they leave in my box at work, the simple little text or messages on myspace are what I love the most about these two girls.

I am thankful for my best friend Amber. Amber and I have been best friends since kindergarten. We have been through a lot over the past few years but somehow we made it through since the best of friends. Yes we may not see eye to eye on a lot of stuff but through it all we still have the greatest love for each other in our hearts.

4. I am very thankful for my job. Yes someday I want to scream because my kids are driving me crazy but deep down inside I couldn't see my life without these kids.

......more to come tomorrow.

Two Years......

Today is suppose to be a happy day, a day for being thankful, a day to spend with family having a great time. Well that was a little different for my family today. You see at 7:05pm my grandmother lost her husband, my mommy lost her father and I lost my pa-paw. I am not going to harp on the lost of my pa-paw but I am going to say why I am so thankful for the time I did have with my pa-paw.

• I am thankful for the 20 wonderful years I got to spend with my pa-paw.
• I am thankful for the homemade strawberry and banana ice cream we used to make in my grandparents basement.
• I am thankful for the time my sister and I got to spend down in my grandparents basement skating while pa-paw would do some handy work.
• I am thankful for the nice summer days my pa-paw would go out and hang the wooden swing in the tree and push my sister and me for hours on in.
• I am thankful for the time I got to spend with my pa-paw sweeping out the basement during the fall when all the leaves would blow into the basement.
• I am thankful for the time I was able to gather wood for the fireplace with my pa-paw.
• I am thankful that my pa-paw knew our Heavenly Father and is now preparing my place in Heaven with him.

Please don't take me wrong. I do miss my pa-paw very much. I miss him so much some days I wish I could just have had one more minute, one more hour, just one more day with him. This year for some reason I had a very hard time dealing with my pa-paw not being here with us in person. I miss climbing up and down the steps with my pa-paw following him where ever he went. I miss hearing my grandmother say "wait on your little shadow." I just miss everything about my pa-paw.

Happy 2nd Angel Day Pa-Paw. I love you and miss you very much.

Army Update

So I am going to do my best to update you all on our trip to Fort Benning, GA to see Edward. I am sure I will leave things out not meaning to but I will get the highlights most importantly. First of all it was a blast and we enjoyed every minute of the trip even though it was crazy at time. I am going to go through this day by day.

Tuesday: We left the house around 1:15 with the mission of getting to GA before 9:00pm. Out of our road we went heading toward the highway, my sister looks at my daddy and says which way am I going. My daddy thinking she was joking did not answer little did her know she was not joking so there was our first laughs of many during our trip. We got the highway direction settled and down the highway we went. The kids were doing great watching movies and coloring pictures for daddy.

We had just entered South Carolina when this little voice from the back seat says "Mommy me have to potty." Great Ty has to potty. Well while Elizabeht and my daddy look for the bathroom the kids are all cracking up because we had just passing the big peach when Logan decides that the peach looks like a big butt.

Back on the highway we go after everyone files out of the van for a potty break. Trip is still going great at this point, we are playing rock, paper, scissors, watching movies, coloring, looking at the BIG Toys r us book for all the Christmas presents we want.

Finally the big Welcome to GA sign is in site.

We made it kids we are in the same state as daddy, mommy says from the front seat. "We in the same state as daddy" Ty says with a great big smile on his face. Everyone has settled down from the great excitement of being in the same state as daddy when that little voice says again "Mommy me have to potty". We got that business taken care of again, then we hit the Atlanta GA 5:oo traffic without any warning, mind you my sister is driving and she never drives in big places like this but I have to give it to her SHE DID WONDERFUL!!!! We got through that crazy traffic and stop for supper and Ty has to once again potty. Finally we make it to Fort Benning, GA with the new mission of trying to find the vistor center on base to get our pass to be able to get on the base Wednesday morning. After and few wrong turns and a few stops no go, slow down, take this exit we make it to the vistor center. Elizabeth and daddy go into get the pass. We off again with the mission now to find our hotel that we were staying in. We find it and get all checked in for our stay until Friday morning. With all the excitement it took a while to get everyone calmed down and in the bed to insure enough sleep since we had to be up super early. Finally at 11:00, Elizabeth and myself climb out tired bodies into the bed for a little sleep before having to get up at 5 the next morning.