Thankful for my wonderful and amazing husband!

I am thankful for my wonderful and amazing husband. He is so patient, kind and can fix anything. There is nothing he can't do. He is always kind to me and for that I love him so much. Thanks Darrin for being you and nothing else.

I am thankful that I am forgiven because I fall so short

For this season I have chosen to write everyday until Thanksgiving here what I am thankful for. Today I am thankful for forgiveness. I make so many mistakes everyday. I let my mouth just run away and say things that are spiteful and cruel without even thinking about it. I forget to return phone calls to people that are waiting on answers. I ignore people on purpose.
My Lord forgives me for these things and teaches me how to be a better person. I have learned so much about forgiving in the past few years. Forgiving someone for some way they have violated you is not easy. I seem to like to hold onto many things that I should let go. And some things I think I have let go, but then I drag them up again years later.
I have learned that we must forgive those that trust pass against us. I have learned that forgiveness is without condition. The other person does not have to change and most likely wont. I have learned the to forgive is not the same as forget. To forgive comes from me, a choice that I make.
What is even more awesome is that my God forgives me for my short falls. He did not have to learn to forgive He already new how. He does not go back and question His forgiveness. Once He forgives it is forever.

Joyful Tears

I am downloading photos from this weekend and I have TLC on TV watching a show about hording. I think so much about my mom and how sad nobody understood not even me. The tears come as I look at all the clutter these people are building up and just don't know what to do with. I have to much stuff myself and I often think "can I get rid of it?" I did that some when we moved south and I still get a sick feeling in my tummy when I think about some of the things I got rid of. The potato slicer, it was an antique that took up to much room but I loved the fries it would slice, The sewing machines that I have now replaced with many more. The show reminds me of the times with my mom and the times I miss so much.
Miss you mom. It has almost been two years. I miss our phone calls. I miss how you would bug me with how you would try to influence me your way. I miss the laughter when we would be so stupid and silly. I miss your smile and all you would teach me even as an adult. I miss how much you loved me and all of my kids, Gary, Carmen, Bobby Sue, Bear and David.

Latest Addition

This is the coconut plant I bought at Wal mart. It just is fun

Something Different for Dinner

Last night we drove over

to Decator for dinner.

We went to the

Hard Dock Cafe at the marina.

We watched the sunset

and ate a light dinner.

It was fun to wear heals with jeans

and go somewhere that has a live band.

We sat outside and watched the boats come and go.

One train crossed the river and we just enjoyed slow time.

Swiming Grumpy

Back at council retreat LeAnn asked me to lead the fearless females women's ministry. I prayed about it an accepted the challenge. The ministry includes Women in the woods led by Katie Sewel, Sisters on Saddles led by Jenifer Edwards, Roadrunners led by Lori Merrit and RAD led by , and I lead the extreme women. Saturday we had our first event. We went white water rafting on the Ocoee. This is where the Olympics were held.

We drove the Willowbrook bus to Benton, Tenn. 12 of us went. Rhonda drove the bus on the way there and part way back. Then I go to drive the bus. It was not as hard as I thought it would be. Mr Bill got the bus ready for us and also he filled it with gas at the end of the trip for us. Hats of to Mr. Bill.

We stopped in Chattanooga for lunch at Sticky Fingers. We just had fun visiting with each other and getting to know each other. I spent a lot of time with Donna Fay and Melanie. I so enjoyed the two of them.

We arrived barely on time for our trip cause lunch took longer than planned. We all got our life vests, paddles and helmets. Then we went for our orientation about the trip. We boarded buses and headed to the put in. We went through some more rules. Rule #1 Stay in the boat, Rule #2 Get back in the boat. Rule #3... and so on.

We put our boat in the water. We pushed off and soon after that we his a rock and out of the boat I went. I swan Grumpy! I hit a few rocks and all I could think of is get back in the boat. I saw Melanie and Airone trying to get me back in the boat and all I could think was get back in the boat. I was shaking I was so scared. I got back in the boat and tried to stay in the boat the rest of the time. I loved it when the guide would yell all in and I would hit the flour and go for the ride of my life.

Half way we choose to swim in the resting area. Melanie talked me into it. It was fun and cooled me off. We finished the ride and got back on land. The Airone told me I had swam the most dangerous rapid on the river. Leave it to me. I had fun and it was a great experience.

On the way home we stopped at Zaxby's for dinner and drove home. I am still sore from the trip but I have not seen any bruises. I did experience soreness from paddling.

I have enjoyed telling people about it and loved Kenny's recaction of wow grumpy that is pretty dangerous. Pastor Mark Johnson shook my hand and said he had never heard of anybody swimming grumpy before. He was excited about it.

10 Happy Years

We spent our 10th anniversary in the Mobile area with Kathy. We left on Thursday evening and arrived in the Mobile area ta 10 pm. We made it to the river around 10:30. We sat in the chairs by the river and just enjoyed the fact that we were out of town and going to be going non-stop for the weekend.

Friday morning we got up early and went to see Bear, Mom and Grandmom. We brought new flowers and wind chimes.

We then went into Mobile to see the pirates exhibit at the City Museum.

The exhibit was fun and the rest of the museum was very interesting. Well worth the trip.

We drove around downtown a little bit.

After the museum we went to the Cannonball for lunch. That was a great lunch.

We then drove over to Gulfport to go to the beach. We toured many places along the way. We stopped at several beaches and then we went to the Beau Revage. We went inside and Darrin wanted to gamble and Kathy and I went to have ice cream. We had butter pecan and banana monkey. The was the best and way more than we could eat in a waffle cone.

We spent some time on the beach and took some fun G I Joe photos. The sun set and we came back into Mobile and headed back to the river. First we stopped at Hooters for dinner. Kathy got to see how load it is and it was a good salad. We sat up and talked for a while.

On the Fourth of July we got up and went to Grandbay for the watermelon festival. We ate watermelon and walked around. It was fun to watch the little ones play with the animals in the petting zoo and the kids climbing the rock wall. I loved the colors and the smell of funnel cake. The band played great tunes for the fourth like Yankee Doodle. I took lots of photos of stuff that said Fourth of July to me.

We drove out to Bayou La Bartie and looked at the boats. It was nice to see the clean up after the Hurricanes. It was sad to see that homes were not rebuilt along the coast. Conan was cleaned up as well. I so love that area and enjoy driving through.

We decided to drive over to Fairhope and look at the scenery and decide on if we wanted to stay there for fireworks or go to the battleship. We drove by the castle home. The man that built the house was a friend of Kathy's. I remember the dentist that had such a cool back yard in the area. He is no longer there. It is still a quaint little town.

We went back across the causeway to the battleship to watch the fireworks. That was so cool to be that close. The next time for photos I will be behind the battleship and take photos from the causeway. I had fun taking G I Joe photos at the battleship. What a great weekend and what a great Anniversary. Thanks Darrin for 10 great years!!!