Busy........but survivable! =)

It appears that time keeps flying by........absolute free time with NOTHING at all to do.......well, there's not much of that anymore lol. So spring has sprung and I have what seems like a MILLION things to do! For instance (I'm gonna use this week as an example) I have school work to get done (usual), 2 Pops performances tomorrow, lots of piano practicing to do before next Saturday, work, deciding who all I'm inviting for senior recital, picking out invitations, AMTA District auditions next Saturday, work next Saturday, and (best thing on the list! lol) go hang out with Sam next Saturday after work so that she can take some decent pictures of me (b/c I need some senior pictures)! Oh and I almost forgot........Easter is next Sunday! =) So now that the world knows what I'm up to.......it's time to go play Claire de Lune for an hour (piano teacher's orders lol). ;)

Memories of my Nanny

(Andrew and Nanny, the sunday before Veteran's day. That's how I'll always remember my Nanny.........smiling)


My Nanny went to be with God this week. She died on monday, her viewing was tuesday, and her funeral was wednesday. I miss her. She was my pie making partner/supervisor. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas we made chocolate pie together. Mighty good pie it was too. ;) Advice like "You have NOT whipped that meringue long enough!" and "Well, taste test it and see! If it tastes okay we figured out the right amount of ingredients!" I'll hear every time I make it. And I'll feel like she should still be behind me at her kitchen table supervising. And fussing 'cause I wouldn't let her do the dishes. As if I would! A sign in her kitchen said "grand kids eat free" well, same principle applied to great-grand kids. But you were gonna pay for it with your parents if you didn't at least help with the dishes! Not that we wouldn't have done it anyway......we loved our Nanny, and she didn't need to be doing all our messy dishes from cooking when she didn't/couldn't even help cook it! Besides......it was more fun to make her complain. ;) Nanny took no nonsense from us........we loved to climb the holly tree in her front yard, but if she caught us up in it you'd hear "You kids get out of that tree before you fall and break your necks! I mean it!" Some of my favorite memories of Nanny are probably just sitting and eating breakfast with her and my grandmother at a certain cafe in Clanton. If I was with them on wednesday morning we were going to go eat breakfast, and then I'd help her with her grocery shopping. It feels odd that I'll never have another opportunity to sit down and eat breakfast with my Nanny. If I'm sitting here crying, it's not b/c I'm sad for her. She was so ready to go. At 91 she'd lived longer and seen more things than I can ever imagine. No I'm sad for me, that I won't get to see her again in this walk of life. But you know what the great thing is? I know I'll see her when I get to Heaven, just like Steven. I may miss them now......but eventually I'll get to see them again. And to all the friends that have been there in the past month with prayers, hugs, and words of encouragement, Thank you.

(Opening her Christmas present from Andrew. A pair of Auburn converses. She was a big Auburn fan, and loved to pick on us for being Bama fans)

(The Christmas present she took such pride in)

A lot has been going on.........

The past........2 weeks? I guess it has been. So very strange, they've slid right past me. 2 weeks ago tomorrow my cousin was murdered. (that's a picture of him and his girlfriend on the left) You never think that someone whom you love, have grown up with, and is so close to your age would be gone from this life already, much less murdered. I miss him. Not that I've seen him real often lately.......but now I know I won't see him again until I get to heaven. It's an odd feeling. Out of my grandmother's 9 grandchildren 4 of us are Seniors this year. I'll be thinking about him when I graduate. B/c I'll feel like he should still be here to walk and accept his diploma. The past 2 weeks have been......rough. Rougher for a lot of people in my family than for me, but sleep has eluded me a LOT these past 2 weeks. Only in the last few days have I been going to bed before midnight. I came to the conclusion that I would never understand why all this happened........so I have to trust and lean on God's understanding. He has a plan, though I have NO idea what it is. But I do know without the words of encouragement, prayers, and hugs of so many friends it would have been so much harder for me to get through. Many thanks is owed to them. They already have my love (whether they want it or not lol). One day at a time, we can get through this. And I just have to remember that when I look at the picture at the very top of this page, Steven isn't in that box we call a coffin. He's in Heaven, and I'll see him when I get there. <3

God's Amazing Power

power - to be able, ability to act or produce an effect, possession of control, authority or influence over others

The Power of God: God creates and controls everything. He is not only powerful, but all-powerful. There is not one created being more powerful than God. God wants the best for our lives and has the power to accomplish it. Isn't great to know that we serve a God who has the power to do anything? And that no situation is out of His control?

Mark 10:27 - And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

Isaiah 40:28-29 - Hast thou not known? hast though not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.

Psalm 33:8-9 - Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

Best Friends

I've come to the conclusion that best friends are one of the greatest things on earth. They act all kinds of crazy with you (you would not BELIEVE some of the looks we've gotten), they stay up until 4 in the morning with you when you're both supposed to be getting up a little before 6, we both laugh like crazy when our (okay, her's and my mom's) phones die at the same time at 10 something at night. But the thing that makes it the best? Knowing that she has a relationship with the awesome God that I serve, will pray for me if I ask her to, and we can talk about ANYTHING. I mean, how many friends do you come accross that your conversation can range from the many flavors in Dr Pepper to talking about what God has done for us that week, or what we've been learning about God? I'm blessed to have some amazing friends!

Pictures from the WILDS, Summer '09 (b/c I forgot, be warned that there's lots of them.)

4 weeks in.....

So I'm 4 weeks into my senior year........and absolutely loving it!! When I was little I never even thought I'd get to the 7th grade, much less be a senior. Now I'm wondering where all the time in between went........amazing how our thinking changes, isn't it? Although I was perfectly happy this year to change gears in math from geometry and algebra to business and refresher math. ;) And right now, I've already figured out one thing that I positively will NOT miss about school......my teachers dog barking his head off! (which he's doing at this exact moment in time lol). Other than that......I haven't really made up ,y mind on what I won't miss. Partially b/c when I go to college, I'll be going right back to doing english, math, and several other things........including some classes I really don't want to take! Like speech class......eww......lol You'd think that with as big a mouth as I have I'd have no problem making speeches, right? But no! I HATE making speeches. So that should be a wonderful class........listen to me....already annoyed about classes in college and I'm not even done with this year yet! Not that there's a whole lot to occupy me lol, I've got all easy classes this year! So there is a glimpse into my life of late, and my thinking.......you just really wanted to know these things right? ;)

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:9 KJV

(one of my favorite verses!)