This is Amber. I have known her since she started the baby room at Bethel Wee Care. She is amazing! She has always been a princess...doesn't like change...and has her Daddy right where she wants him. But she looks and acts....just like her mother. Jessica lost her battle with cancer when Amber was in 1st grade......but she fought as long as she could. I have never met anyone like her. She was NEVER going to admit defeat and right up until the end...she still believed God could heal her.....and he did. ....just not the way we had hoped. I taught Amber in kindergarten and that year I watched Jessica's battle grow bigger and bigger....but she will always be victorious in my eyes. For several weeks, every Friday she came and taught Jr. Achievement in my classroom. It didn't matter if she vomited all night from the chemo. It didn't matter if she was so weak she had to stop several times before she could make it down the hall....every Friday no matter what she came....sat in my rocking chair and talked and read to those babies. I couldn't tell you anything she taught them about Jr. Achievement...but they learned so much more than that. They learned about cancer and chemo..because they asked. They learned that people were beautiful with or without hair...because she was....they learned that you fight! I learned it all too. Jessica DeRamus will always be amazing in my eyes....and she lives through Amber:)

the big 30!

Well, my friends and family threw me a big surprise party this weekend. We had a great time! They have been planning it for weeks & I had no idea! I cannot believe they pulled it off! It was great and I loved spending time with sweet friends & family .We are so blessed and I would be lost without my "inner circle." God has really placed some amazing people in my life and I have no idea how I got so lucky...but I am! Thanks to all you girls...you know who you are...you are all amazing! 30 was a hard one to get to....I guess it seems silly..I mean 30 is still young. But it is just a reminder that life is passing us by so quickly. I have to remember to cherish every moment. It just seems like thinngs happen when you blink your eyes. Life is too short to hate & be hated...it is too short to not love & trust with all you have...it is too short to not enjoy those sweet babies!!! I have had 30 wonderful years & my life is better than I could have ever imagined ......thanks to everyone who helped me celebrate at school.....at home....and at the party. You are all great& life doesn't get much better than this!

All good things must come to an end....

Well...the dreaded days at work have now begun. Talks of transfers and grade level changes have begun. Tears have started...anger has set in....life as we know it in my happy little work place is over....it makes me sad. I have had the opportunity to work with an AMAZING group of people the last 7 years and I have built relationships that have changed my life. These people are more than friends, they are part of my life family and now we are watching it crumble. Please pray for the women having to move to another school....please pray for the women having to move to another grade...please pray for the administrations of both places. Margaret will be getting some amazing teachers and I know the parents there will be so excited to see familiar faces, however as their friend and collegue, we will be terribly sad to watch them go. We have had some good times and I know that good times lie ahead as well...for everyone! A few weeks ago I wished one of the candidates for the princiapl job good luck and his response was priceless....regardless of what happens....God is still on His throne and all will be well. He's right. God is still there and we have to trust him. Trust....it is so much easier said than done....in closing of this blog ...I'd like to post some moments that have been life-altering as I have taught at OES the last 7 years....I guess I never really thought about how my job impacted me until recently...

* I'll never forget the night Jan told me I got a job. It was only a few weeks before school started and she, Rick, Blayne & I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning clearing out one room so i could be in that room. It took us hours and when it was all said and done I sat in a classroom...completely bare...nothing but walls and a cold tile floor and at that moment i considered it paradise.

*I'll never forget the day Andrea walked in my classroom and said " How do you Teach Reading?" and we sparked a conversation that eventually led us to be lifelong friends...rare...very rare.

* I'll never forget my first teacher conference with Jill, Katherine, & Maribeth....hillarious! What they don't know is i was barely making it as a 1st year teacher and questioning my entire career decision & they changed it in a weekend all because they were nice and reached out.

* I'll never forget the Reading conference in Nashville with Susan, Rhonda, & Maribeth....priceless trip! That was a hard year for me because we had tried for so long to have a baby & I was giving up....they helped me over my hump and Susan shared amazing words of wisdom. I am so thankful for that weekend.

* I'll never forget the day Casey walked in and out of the blue told me she thought she was going to hate me coming to kindergarten, but she wanted me to know she really looked forward to working with me. What she didn't know is that I was so intimidated by her and those words were HUGE. I couldn't live without her now.

*I'll never forget the day Jan told us she was leaving. We knew it was coming...but it stung.....I guess because she hired me and it felt like a personal loss.

* I'll never forget the honor of teaching with women who trusted me with their own personal babies and the pressure I felt...but then the support they all showed and the kindness I learned about them simply through the life of their child. Not only do we have some amazing teachers there...but we have some even more amazing mommies!

* I'll never forget the night Christa got voted in & the excitement we shared together as a faculty and friends. And I am so thankful for the friendship we have built since that night. I don't know how long we'll be so blessed to have her...but I'll cherish every moment!

*I'll never forget the valleys and mountains with Courtneyand somehow through such sadness he brought me closer to a freind who would later help my family in ways she will never know and we are forever grateful for her. I'll also never forget the first time i saw her with Shelby & her face defined true JOY.

*I'll never forget the women who ave helped mold me the last 7 years of my life. Each person at that school has impacted my life through words, acts of kindness, etc. I could never list them all. From Cheryl's candy surprises...to Mandy's unending kindness....I am telling you everyone there has a heart!

He knows what he is doing. He places us at the right place at the right time in order to complete his amazing plan. I don't know his entire plan for my life...but I hope when my time comes to move...I can do it and not get in his way...because if he has been this good to me so far...I sure don't want to get in his way.

Again, please pray for the teachers & familes that will make a new transition in the coming months ahead.

Well...these have been lingering & I finally posted them. They were taken at my parents house on Easter...our last stop of the day. We had a fun afternoon...but for the first time Papaw couldn't join us & so that made it a little sad & weird. He was in the hospital at the time. He is now out & back at Cook Springs for rehab...and probably coming home again on Saturday. It has been a crazy cycle of events with Papaw. One minute they are calling family in & the next he's pulling on through...getting through rehab doing great...then they replaced his pacemaker & turned his defibrillator back on & he went downhill again...then back in the hospital...back to rehab...and then hopefully home again...Bless him! He is so tired. Please pray for my sweet Papaw. I am thankful he is still with us and here...but at the same time I hurt to watch him struggle....please pray for his strength to return.

You might wonder who that is with Tess....well his name is Ron. And at the sake of hoping not to jinx anything I am about 98% sure he will be the next member added to our family. He is very sweet...from NJ ...but don't worry he's a BAMA boy now...that was my first question...he does not plan to live in NJ. Tata cannot live that far away:) He is a coach & he & Tess seem perfect together. Cole has given him the approval after a fun filled day with Tata, Ron and Ron's dad(Coach) at the galleria a few weeks ago. I am thankful she found him & she's happy!

This is my beautiful niece Lucy. We tried so hard to get her to smile & she wouldn't. A few days later Brooke took her to the Dr. & she had a ear infection...no wonder she wouldn't smile:(. Lucy is now 6 months old....she is out of her cast ( she has hip dysplasia) and is now is in a brace 20 hours a day...its not ideal....but they are making it work:) She will hopfully be finished with ALL of it by the end of July.

She is a trooper & absolutely a living doll!!!

Nana & Pop's House

We spent the afternoon at Nana & Pop's hous. We ate lunch, the kids hunted eggs and we got to meet Ashton's new baby...Grits ( Boston Terrior puppy). She is adorable. Ashton will be a great mommy to her:) Cole loves his Nana & Pop and we had a wonderful afternoon!

Easter Morning

I am so THANKFUL that JESUS IS ALIVE and today and everyday we celebrate that death no longer has a hold on us in our house!!!

We believe that Jesus came and lived a perfect life on this earth. He was crucified for our sins. He died. 3 days later.. HE ROSE! I pray that all of my blog readers are born again, however if you are not, please contact me and I would love to share a wonderful story with you about a SAVIOR in this lost world! Today we celebrated at Crosspoint and we have celebrated with family all day & are headed to celebrate more tonight.

The Easter baskets, cute clothes, Easter Bunny, and egg hunts have all been fun....but they are only part of the celebration. The ONLY reason we celebrate EASTER is because our Savior died for us and then ROSE from the dead and will return one day for his children!!!

I am so THANKFUL HES ALIVE!

Easter Activities....

Well...we also did some family baking and playing Saturday night. We made Easter chick cupcakes. Coleenjoyed making a huge mess with this. We also dyed Easter eggs. It was fun just sitting down and doing something together as a family.

Life is so busy these days that it is rare we are home an entire evening and spending time together. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband and a precious child to spend time with and I need to take advantage of it more often.... it wa a lot of fun just being together,no TV, no computer, no phone...just us. Life is good!

Oh & Brook we also made your resurrection rolls. They were great! Thanks for the idea!!!!

T-Ball

Cole got a little t-ball set from Mommy & Daddy for Easter.

We decided to play Saturday night. He had the best time. He is Mr. independant so he had to do it himself and wouldn't listen to any help...but he had fun & loved it....I guess he'll learn fundamentals later:)

If he enjoys it and we practice some this year, I think he'll be ready to play for a real team next spring...fun times ahead!