Hola at ya

Yesterday, one of my sweetest, most precious, dalin' babies gave me an elaborately drawn and creative card. She is the artistic one in my class and has already given me numerous drawings of either me in the classroom, our school building, or herself.

On the front of this card was a picture of a Mardi Gras joker wearing a hat with much detail and thought put into it. In case you live in a black box and never come out for sunshine, then you know that right now nola is tearing it up, getting ready for the Super Bowl Sunday and then Mardi Gras in 2 weeks. 

When I opened the card I immediately starting laughing in hysteria.  I can sit here and read her words over and over again, and just hear her south Louisiana twang. At my school, we're away from the city and out in the, what I call, 'country' part of nola. I drive by cow pastures, side of the road fruit stands, and deal with having to pass tractors on the road every now and then. (reminds me of just a taste of a teeny weeny bit of home)

The kiddoes speak with 'da parish brawl' and really, more often than not, say 'dat' instead of 'that.' I have tried to adapt to their way of talking, but have been reprimanded on numerous occasions as having to repeat myself because faulty, staff, or students don't understand what I'm saying. 

Really, let me just make it clear to my fellow peers, "All y'all are the ones that talk funny, it ain't me!"

I speak with the grace of southern hospitality and have even been compared to Scarlett O'Hara by the music teacher at my school. Psshaa... I'm kiddin' myself. I can't even pronouce for the life of me the words rural or toward.

Anyways, have a good laugh, and just try to imagine that sweet voice readin' this card out loud:)

(on a complete side note. After laughing I may have gone into epileptic shock after reading. As a teacher, this is cringe worthy. Apparently I need to go over the correct format for writing a letter, quotation marks, and the use of slang in our writings)

Wait

I am still in search for a Bible theme verse for me this year. I know January is almost over, but I am still searching for the perfect one to help me through 2013.

Yesterday I read this verse and It just stuck home with me.

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:14  

Lord, sometimes I just don't want to wait. I want it now. I pray for things for now. I guess I am the type of person who wants instant gratification. I want all worries gone now. I want all family health problems healed now. I want zero anxiety now. I want us to be safe now. I want kids now. I want a 'normal' house now. I want Chris to be done with school now. I want to be back in GA now. I want now.... I want now....

Oh how in my impatience, how blessed I am to know I have a patient God. One who is patient with me through my ceaseless demands. One who teaches me lessons on patience though his word. I know he has a time and place for everything, just learning to wait can be the hardest part. 

Sometimes God teaches me personally through looking at others dilemmas.  He shows me people who are missionaries and spend years out of their lives away from home, I am sure they too wish sometimes to be back with loved ones. He shows me couples who try for years and years to have children, and how after all their patience they are finally blessed with one. He shows me hardworking individuals who work long hours and barely make enough to get by, and yet they still praise him for the opportunity to work. 

I'm in the process of learning to wait. Wait for his timing. Because I know that if I put all my faith in him, together we will move mountains. 

More Than Amazing

You Are Amazing

More Than Amazing

Forever Our God

You're More than Enough

You are Amazing

King Cake

MMMmmmmm............

Sofa Bed

Last Thursday night my sweet daddy was in town for work. He flew in Thursday morning, drove in a rental car to a job site in Mandeville, then came to our humble abode around 4:30. I was so excited that he was going in to get to spend some time with us even though it was for only one night.

We went out to a pretty fancy NOLA restaurant called Drago's and ate some pretty awesome Shrimp in Grits. It was definitely spiced up in traditional cajun style! 

Of course we are going to act like a bunch of goofies, but someone's got to keep things real:)

Upon his persisting he slept on our sofa bed. No one has used it yet and he said that it actually slept pretty good. I was surprised because sentences do not usually contain the phrases 'sofa bed' and 'slept good' together.

Even though Daddy only got to stay for one night and was off back to GA the next morning it was nice getting to see him and get caught up. It always makes me sad when people leave after visiting us and on my way to work, after giving a big goodbye hug, I drove off thinking, "umm... when will be the next time we will see him?" Urg... sometimes living 3 states away really stinks, but I am always reminded that we are hear for God's work, and in the end, it will all be worth it! 

More Amite

This past Sunday we had beautiful weather in southern Louisiana. It has been raining here for seriously two weeks straight, and the suns glorious rays were such a much needed sight to see! 

We have Sunday morning service and Sunday evening devotion so Chris and I sometimes just kinda hang out on Sundays back here. We both have a sofa and I usually bring a pillow and blanket. We also spend a lot of our time out exploring the sweet little town and surrounding areas and visiting with other church folk. There is little/to no cell service, so family when yall call on Sundays we aren't just trying to avoid ya!

Chris sits in that chair and makes it rock, which in turn makes the most obnoxious squeaky sound. I think he gets a kick out of knowing that the constant squeak is like nails on a chalk board to me:)

I sure do love my preacher man:)

In custom 'NOLA style' we do have several above ground tombs. Now these look like they are old, but one of the them was even back in 2004. These are right next to the church and we call them the church graveyard. 

Yea, I made Chris go stand next to the sign so I could take his picture. He protested, but since he loves me, he put up with me, and let me take a picture of him. I have this idea that I want to make an album of nothing but pictures of us standing next to church signs and pictures of all the churches we wind up at throughout our lives. It will be neat to look back and remember. 

Birthday girl

Welp, today I am 24 and have decided that this is the last birthday I want to ever have. Let's just all agree that for the next couple of years, every birthday I turn will be 24:)

I have really enjoyed getting all the cards in the mail the last couple of days. Thanks also to all of you for your calls/text messages/ facebook wall posts:) It really means a lot to me for all the thought. Although, I did get a little ticked at Chris for opening up some of my cards before I had a chance to. He said he was just curious and couldn't wait. Both of us laugh about it now and we agreed that when his birthday rolls around, I get to open up all his cards first in payment:)

Last year Chris took me across the Causeway, a 23 mile long bridge (23 miles to represent 23 years of being alive) it was super corny but very thoughtful of him at the same time:)

This year we rang in my birthday with an early morning drive to Amite and a promise that tomorrow we are going to have a Randazzo King Cake to celebrate! King Cake is to die for and I promise to take pictures for all you at home. If only my blog had 'taste-o-vision' so you could enjoy it as well! Just try to imagine the most sinful tasting, giant cinnamon roll you've ever dreamed of, and you might get close to what it really tastes like.

Lastly I'd like to make a shout out to my daddy and mamma today, who without them I obviously wouldn't have gotten to grace this word with my wonderful appearance! Hope you also had a a great day as well and just remember  even though your 'baby' is 24 today, she still likes to be called 'megg-el-de' and 'tink', Sunday afternoon car rides with making stops to get an orange soda, and eating cereal right out of the box on Saturday mornings:)

Lost

Yet again... thank you Netflix.... thank yoooouuuu. If you remember a couple of months ago Chris and I were hooked on the old tv series 24. Man we were suckers and several weekend nights stayed up real late just to try and finish all the action packed episodes.

Well, thanks to overhearing some seminary friends talk about Lost and how they thought it was sooooo good, Chris and I got curious. Okay so they're stranded on an island. We just assumed this show was all about how they survive, but man-o-man how wrong we were. We just finished season 1 of the show and WE ARE HOOKED, line, and sinker!

This show really is awesome  It has great action with just a little bit of 'love drama' that makes it great! How the strangers all get along and all the weird, creepy happenings in the jungle make it stay super interesting! Also while watching it Chris and I keep talking about what we would do if we were stuck on an island and how we would do things differently than the show. 

Seriously, who hasn't ever thought about what you would do if you were stranded on an island, and what would you bring with you? Can't wait to see who gets 'eaten' or dies next and to see how they really get off of the island! 

*Please those of you who have seen the finale  you better not ruin it for me! 

Let's GOOOO Number 40:)

One night while we were home in GA for Christmas, our cousin Megan had a basketball game and I was sooo super excited that I got to root her on:) Meg is on her middle school's girl team!

Look at that gal cruzin'' down the court! 

Meg I am so glad you are enjoying playing on the team and keep up all your hard work! I love that I got to watch you when we were in town:)

New Year with Bells and ..... Oranges!

This year Chris and I rang in the new year pretty boringly compared to our usual agenda in GA. Instead of all the "bells and whistles"  such as rook tournaments, fried turkey, fireworks, and a garage filled with laughing Carders, we spent the night playing games like uno and oh heck (another card game) with our sweet Seminary friends Brian and Tonya.

In Classical me style, I didn't take any pictures. I wish I had gotten at least one, but unfortunately I guess I was too consumed in our riveting game of uno, that taking a picture slipped my mind:) 

We ate tacos, discussed our Christmas time spent with family, talked about future plans, and told goofy stories. That's what I love about Brian and Tonya. We can just talk about whatever with them. 

They also came with goodies and brought Chris and I a 20 pound pack of fresh picked Louisiana grown citrus  Yepp.... 20 POUNDS. Yepp..... yepp:) We have naval oranges, satsumas, a couple blood oranges, a couple grapefruits, and even a couple lemons! Yesterday I ate 4 oranges in total. Yes 4, and yes, I know that is ridiculous. But they are just sooo good.

I don't really believe in the whole 'new years resolution' thing because in the past when I tried to make them it seamed I just failed. Last year I did something different and made a personal 'theme verse' that I wanted to focus on. My theme verse last year was Mark 12:30:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

I felt like I just kind of kept this verse in the back of mind and reverted back to it several times throughout the year. Many times even having to remind myself to love the Lord with all my strength several times a day! For instance, if I woke up on Sunday morning and just didn't want to go to church, then I thought I'm not loving him with all my strength. Or when one my 4th graders was miss behaving by talking back to me in class, and all sorts of mean comebacks that I wish I could spout back at them were rolling through by brain, I would think, oh Lord I'm not loving you with all my mind!

I felt like it was a really great verse for my theme verse and I am still searching for a new one for the 2013 year. It might take me a couple of weeks, but I'm sure I will find one that will be perfect:)