Now.

Wow. My life has changed in so many ways since I last logged into this blog. It was a little comical for me looking back at the things I used to write about on here... not that there is anything wrong with those things, but I feel like I'm a totally different person now than I was then. I guess that is the goal, right? I mean, just look at the pictures I have on the right side of the page. Sooo many things have changed!


Since my last blog post in December of 2012, we've added another member to the family (She is TWO now), I have gotten a really good job and quit it to stay home with said baby, we've become members of a new wonderful church, bought a house and moved back to Troy...so many significant, great things.

While I haven't been so great at keeping this blog up (ahem. 5 years), I really would like to try harder to update it regularly. Simply because, mommy brain is real and I want to be able to look back at this time in our lives. So. We will see.

But for now, here is my beautiful daughter, Harper.

college grad

well, i haven't posted in a while because i have been so busy with school...but now i am DONE! i am so happy to be finished! (notice in honor of being done with english classes and research papers forever, i am not going to worry about punctuation/spelling/capitalization errors woohoo!) needless to say, the last couple of weeks have been crazy! my mama graduated from auburn and is now a dr. almost a week later my sister, kristen, and i graduated together from troy. and my brother graduates from high school in just a couple of weeks! we have been so blessed for these opportunities! my daddy is elated! it is hard to imagine not being in school ever again, and i've tried to come to grips with it. it's so weird. i'm constantly thinking about things i need to be reading/writing for class and there just isn't anything to do! i don't know what to do with myself! i need a hobby... anyway, here are a few pictures from the fun going on..

dr. penelope messick!

getting her doctoral hood

diplomas...woop woop

me and my boyfraaaand

justin, me, paul, kristen, and chad

i love my sister and brother!

the graduates.

28

Happy birthday to my husband, my supporter, my sanity, my heart, my rock, my best friend. I love you Justin!

hubby

I just want to take a minute to tell you just how wonderful my husband is...

Last night I was poking around on Pinterest and I was reading a recipe for Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti. Justin said he would cook supper and asked me what I wanted. I said, "chicken spaghetti." Of course, I was joking. Joke was on me! He made chicken spaghetti!

And today I came home from school and all the dishes in the sink were washed and in the cabinets. He had washed them on his lunch break!

I love him bunches!

crazy

This week has been absolutely insane.  Wait, really since I've started school things have been crazy.  I have not had time to breathe! I am SUPER ready to graduate in May! I just hope I don't so crazy in the process...

So this week my daddy went in monday to get 2 of his 3 kidney stones crushed (it's called lithotripsy.. not sure if I spelled that correctly).  He came home that afternoon, but had to go back that night because he was in severe pain.  Then came the stresssssss.  To make a long story short, there were complications with the surgery.  He had to have another surgery, lots of pain meds, etc.  But he FINALLY came home today! He is feeling much better and I'm so glad he isn't in pain anymore. 

So with going back and forth to see daddy in Montgomery every night, my school work has kind of taken a hit. I feel so behind, I'm exhausted, and I had so much extra stress worrying about daddy. So, I've finally caught up and I'm determined to not do a thing this weekend.  NOT. A. THING.

goodbye 2011

It is really hard for me to believe that 2011 is already gone. It will take me until june to stop writing 2011 on my checks, etc.


Overall Justin and I had a really great year. We are so blessed and it is never more evident to us than going through the holidays. They are all such special times to us. My favorite part during the holidays is the Candlelight Lord's Supper at my home church. We go into the sanctuary as a family and take the Lord's Supper together. The church started this about 6 or 7 years ago (I think) and since then it has been so special to me. It's a time when we can go home, get together and praise God and tell eachother what they mean to us. It's something I look forward to every single year. God really has blessed us so much this year. I can't say enough about His love. And may I say, I loved the Christmas was on a Sunday this year. What better place to be than His house on the day we celebrate His birth?


We rang in 2012 at our church, praying in the new year outside the front of the building. I think it is such a witness to the people still out and about. It's has been a really special time to us. I have high hopes for 2012 and I know it will be a good year (if my plans happen or not). God has taught me so much this last year and He's already starting this year... yesterday I watched the sun rise. I just happened to see a baby calf born whie I was sitting there. The whole experience was new to me and as I was watching that baby learn to walk it hit me.. that has to be what we look like to God. Just stumbling through life. We stand up, get cocky because we did it, and then fall back down. How many times of that does it take before we trust Him? I was reading Isaiah chapter 52 as I was sitting there. It talks about where God redeems Jerusalem. He tells them that they have given themselves away to NOTHING, and that they will be redeemed without money. In this new year I pray that I keep focused on Him, trust Him more...and stop stumbling through life and giving myself to the things of this world. It is so hard when you like shiny things. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

jtj

I have found the one my soul loves...

ramble

I have to get better about this blog thing! It has been a while since I have posted, so I'll do a little catching up... I saw this on Pinterest and I haaassss to share. I'm always burning candles in my house. I love the smell of them, but it (literally) is such a waste of money. I mean, you're burning money. I sound like Justin!!! So, I took a pot of water and added this: some orange peels (about three to five oranges) cloves stuck in the fleshy part of the peels and about a tbsp of cinnamon. Bring this to a simmer on low. (I sat mine on the back burner and let it go forever) It makes your house smell sooo good. Just like Christmas. I did see another "recipe" for this that included apples too, so I'll have to try that.

I have my first final tomorrow night. I can't believe this semester is almost over! It has definitely been a hard one...especially the last 2 weeks. I had 3 big research papers due and I really didn't think I was going to make it! With all-nighters, an un-Godly amount of coffee, and the support of my husband I finally handed in my last one yesterday. Today was dead day, and I decided to spend it doing whatever I wanted unstead of studying. I needed a break...so I cleaned my house. Let's be honest: with me so focused on papers for a while, our laundry was a little out of control.

Saturday night, Justin and I went with Joquin's youth group to Calloway Gardens in Pine Mountain to see Christmas lights. I was so excited, because I haven't been since I was in the 5th grade (on a field trip no less). I was also excited because it was actually cold enough to feel like Christmas. I am !SICK! of Alabama weather! It is so crazy! a few days ago it was in the 80's (in DEC!) and tonight it's probably in the 40's... I have no idea. I'm a really bad judge of temperature. Here in south Alabama, if it's noticably cool, it's something. I almost froze to death today.

Everything is getting into the Christmas swing now though... I put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving. I couldn't wait any longer. (It was finally out of the 90 degree mark so it felt more right to start with the decorating..lol) I'm so excited to be done with school, worry-free, and spending time with family for a little while. It will be a much needed break! I am so sorry if you sat here and read that. Total ramble, nothing important.

my daddy

i wrote this back in august, but never posted it, so i'll edit it a little and do that now.

this past august 6th was my daddy's 50th birthday. it was a really special time for my family. if there were one person who i would think would be the rock in our family it would be my daddy. he is someone everyone feels like they can go to. he is the type of person you want to be on your side. he's a great man and i'm so lucky to have him as my daddy. he's taught me so much and i don't think it's a bad thing at all when people joke that i'm so much like him. anyway, we took daddy out to eat in the restaurant of the bass pro shop (i forgot what it's called), and it was really nice. the food was great. (inside joke for my mama - the only one reading this) i don't think i've ever laughed so hard in my life. we had so much fun. i am so blessed to be from a family that can be totally sentimental/serious and turn right around and lighted the mood with laughing and having fun. that's what i think connects people more than anything anyway- laughter.

since we're on the topic of my daddy, i'll post some things about him:
1. he rarely calls us by our names. it's always a nickname with questionable origins. mama's main nickname is blossom (and lately dr. blossom). some of mine are faylene, ashi, ashi-faye, andress etc. kristen's: krika, krickle, annaville (b.k.l.), chrissopher. paul's: tayna and ------ ----. i don't feel comfortable posting that one. lol justin's already picked up some of his own too. he's justache.
2. he baby talks to all our animals. yes he does.
3. he can take any word in the English language and mutilate it with word play.
4. he's an only child who doesn't act like one.
5. he doesn't mind being alone or quiet. i got that from him.
6. he can rig anything to where it was working better before.
7. after 22 years, i still have times when i wonder whether he's joking or not.
8. he's a Christian who never would have had to tell me about Jesus or morals, because he lives them. just watching him is the best example.
9. he knows me better than anyone else.
10. i love how he loves mama and us. it's evident in how hard he works and the sacrifices he's made.


i love you, daddy!!