Stories in a picture..

I am one of those people that absolutely loves photography.  I not only want to find the beauty in something and capture it forever, I want to find the story in it as well.

With some of the things that I am going through with my life, I have become more alert about things going on around me and am reading more into things than I would normally.  I have noticed that I am beginning to see the stories in things and have even began applying them to my own life.

For example:

                                                                     Photo courtesy of the awesome Kim Jones.

Kimmie took this photo on a recent trip to Gatlinburg and while she joked about not being able to get the couple out of her shot, I found a story in the couple being there. 

Maybe the Lord did this on purpose.... 

maybe not...

but I like to think that He did.

The story that I see in this photograph is that the couple has broken through the fence from being friends to becoming newly united (dating or married, it doesn't matter).  

There they stand in the open field of life. 

Smooth sailing for a while and then they hit the mountains...

My mind only wonders what they would be like on the other side of all of those mountains.

Will they make it across the steep points into the valleys feeling as if it was all over just to climb another mountain.  Will they tire of having to climb all of these mountains and will they tire of having all of the emotions of feeling like everything is smooth and then it's not.  Or will they be happy having to fight for their relationship.  Will they, in the end, make it?

I encourage you to not only see the beauty in a wonderful picture, but search for that story as well.

Prayers....

There are several people in my family that could use some prayers...including myself.

I won't go into detail about each of our problems (and some aren't even problems) I'll just ask that you keep my family in your prayers, but I will tell you our major request...

my brother...

Josh...

as many of you know, he's one of my best friends and I wouldn't know what to do without him.

He and his family are getting prepared for him to deploy.  Not only his immediate family, but our entire family is preparing for this one.  We are unaware of where he's going, other than "over there". 

I have never been worried or upset about any of his deployments...even his 3 or 4 to Iraq...but for some reason, this one is taking its toll on me.  I know that he loves what he's doing and that this is what he was made for, but it's hard to let him go. (Not that we have a choice in the matter, but you know what I mean.)

I am requesting that everyone reading this pray Psalm 91 over him while he is gone.  That is the book and chapter that my mom and I have adopted for our family.  If you do not know it, I will include it here...

1  "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

     will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2  "I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress,

      my God, in whom I trust."

3    Surely He will save you

      from the fowler's snare

      and from the deadly pestilence.

4    He will cover you with his feathers,

      and under his wings you will find refuge; 

      his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5    You will not fear the terror of night,

      nor the arrow that flies by day,

6    nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

      nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7   A thousand may fall at your side,

      ten thousand at your right hand,

      but it will not come near you.

8    You will only observe with your eyes

      and see the punishment of the wicked.

9    If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”

     and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10 no harm will overtake you,

     no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you

     to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,

     so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

     you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;

       I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15   He will call on me, and I will answer him;

       I will be with him in trouble,

       I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him

      and show him my salvation.”

I have memorized it and believe it.  My mother bought me a book for Christmas with the title Psalm 91 and it's a compilation of stories told by soldiers and their families where this chapter has saved them.  So, please, please, pray this over my family and my wonderful brother.

Thank you!

Happy Birthday...

to my oldest little brother, Caleb Daniel. 

Or as he is affectionately known in our family, Cable.  My grandaddy started that (on accident I think), but it's stuck and I'm pretty sure he doesn't mind it.  At least not yet :).

Caleb was born a week to the day before I turned 14.  He's turning 10 today, which actually makes me feel a little old.  I can only imagine how my daddy feels.  (hahahaha.. I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist! :) I love you, daddy!)

This boy is one of the smartest, outgoing, and loving kids that I know.  I look forward to getting to watch him grow up close to me and my kids.  He is so good with Sammie and she absolutely adores her "Uncle Caleb".

I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do with his life. 

I am so thankful that I get to call him (and my other 2), my brother.

I love you Caleb Daniel Patton.  Happy birthday!

to my mommie...

I miss you.

I don't know what triggered them, but I just had a flood of memories that made me really miss my time with my mommie. 

I have special memories from my childhood through now that I cherish with her, but I am talking specifically about our time we had about 6 years ago when it was just me and her living together.  My brother was living with us too, when he was home on leave, but most of the time, it was just me and her and I miss those days.

I miss going to the store with her.  I miss driving down to Downey Drugs and having lunch with her just because I wanted to.  I miss our Friday night dinners we had together at Logan's, Top O The River (remember the night that waiter hit on you? :)), and Jefferson's.  I miss her waking me up in the mornings for school.  I miss her being there when I got home in the evenings...ok, sometimes in the middle of the night :).  I miss sharing her makeup, deodorant, toothpaste, and shampoo. Yes, I miss the little things.

And as I'm getting ready to take Sammie on our first ever girls trip to the beach, I am missing our trip that we took to Panama City Beach for the 4th of July in 2005.  Her sisters and their families were already down there and we drove down, just the two of us (well, 3 if you count Sammie in my belly), and met them.  We had talks, we told jokes and laughed, she drove while I slept, and we enjoyed the company.

I guess I just miss being the daughter.  I am still her daughter and forever will be, but now I am much more than that.

I am a mother..

a wife..

a provider..

and the sharer of makeup, deodorant, toothpaste, and shampoo.. 

I do not wish my children's lives away, but I do admit that I look forward to Sammie getting older and being able to do the things that I loved doing with my mom.

I love you so much mommie.  I miss you and am looking forward to another weekend with my family and Grammie. :)

Sorry Mom...

I just had to post these pictures because they made me happy. 

I cannot wait to be able to load the car up and head back up to North Carolina.  We need more weekends like this. 

I love and miss you, Josh, Steph, and Savybaby!

I love you too, mommie :)

I love you more than...

That was the "battle of words" that Sammie and I had out last night. 


I started with: "Sammie, I love you more than all of the trees in the whole world."


Sammie: "is that a lot? because I love you more than Disney."


Me: "oh thank goodness!"


Sammie: "Mommy, I love you more than my tv."


If you know my child, you know that she considers that a big deal.


I am so thankful that my little girl is exactly that...my little girl.  She is absolutely precious and steals my heart all over again every day. 


And even though I'm supposed to be teaching her things, she is actually teaching me a very important lesson...


how to love myself...


I've been working really hard lately to get myself in shape and down to a certain weight that I see as "skinny enough" or "good enough" for a bikini or just to look at myself and be satisfied.  I've been on a fairly strict 1200 calorie diet during the week, have given up caffeine completely, working out everyday for 30-35 minutes on my lunch break and on Saturday mornings, and doing the 30 Day Shred every evening.  I am certainly seeing the results I want...slowly....but certainly.  I am enjoying myself and am very proud of myself for the hardwork I'm putting in to it. 


But more importantly, I am beginning to love myself.  And my body.  Which for a woman, is BIG news. 


You may be asking yourself how Sammie teaching me things has anything to do with this, but bare with me.


Sammie has her daddy's freckles.  Not quite as many as he does, but his nonetheless. They are under her eyes and across her nose.  She has always complained about her freckles.  She's always (since she's understood things) said that she hated them and wished she didn't have them.  I've noticed, however, that as she's getting older, she's beginning to love them....


Me: "I love you more than the amount of freckles on your face." 


*I immediately cringed in fear about what her response would be*


Sammie: "aww, I love my freckles, mommy."

*huge sigh*

I love you Samantha Grace.  You'll understand how much one day.

Randomness

I found a few random pictures on my phone today and thought I would share...

Mrs. Patty did Sammie's hair at school last week.

don't be fooled, this only lasted all of 5 seconds. =)

This is his favorite spot. He has even tried to shut the door on it. (yes, it's the dryer and no, I have never turned it on while he's in there)

Sammie finally got a hair cut that was way overdue...the next day, she took to her bangs on her own

He falls asleep like this every night.

My grandaddy Patton made all of the grandkids these desks when we were little and this one was Uncle Josh's that we are keeping until he can get it.  May be a little hard to take it away from this boy now.  He was on it from the time we got out of the bed until it was time to go to school.

They were both bummed because it was raining and they couldn't go outside. They stood there just like that for at least 10 minutes.

I've got mine..

I was reading a blog yesterday that I try to read daily and came across this little paragraph that made me smile..

..."We look for that ONE guy out there to fulfill all of our needs, right? One person. He’ll be strong and sensitive, he’ll smell good and he’ll listen, he’ll be funny and serious. And I’ll never have to ask him to take out the trash: he’ll just read my mind."...

The reason it made me smile is because after everything that we've been through lately I have realized that I have found my "ONE guy"...

He'll be strong-physically (he's got muscles), mentally (well most days=)), and emotionally (he's dealt with certain things better than I have).

and sensitive-our relationship and family means everything to him and when something doesn't go right, he gets his feelings hurt. He cares for people and animals in a way that is so precious to me.

He'll smell good-thanks to Degree deodorant and Axe body wash and spray, he smells pretty darn good. =)

He'll listen-he proved that for Valentine's Day and every day since we've been diligently working on our relationship.

He'll be funny-have you been around my husband? He keeps me laughing almost constantly. And during almost every phone conversation I have with my mother, she says "haha, he's so funny, I just love him". =)

and serious-at the same time that he's funny, he's equally serious. There are issues that he deals with seriously and he definitely takes discplining the kids (and Anheiser) seriously (an area that I do admit I struggle with).

I'll never have to ask him to take out the trash- yep, he does that one on his own. On top of the dishes, picking the kids up from day care, cleaning (sometimes), and cooking dinner (more times than not). All of which I overflow with thankfulness for and admittedly take for granted.

So, you see I do, indeed, have that "ONE guy".

Thank you, Lord, for Matt. He is so precious to me and I cherish everyday that I have with him even though we've both taken too many days the past 6 years for granted, we are learning because of You, how to savor every minute and enjoy everything. (Yes, even our uncleaned home) I am so thankful that You've restored his soul and made him my encouragement to get through situations and even my encourgament to get up and get moving when I don't want to. And while he may not be the most romantic man, You certainly have molded him to be pretty darn close and I thank You for that as well. I pray that we will continue to grow together in You and that we will, together, raise our children to serve You, love You, and to know the love You have for all of us. Amen.