my answer is YES!

As kids, my brother and I would ask my mom some of the silliest questions ... and it was never ending! We would want to know what we were having for dinner, if dad was coming home soon, if we could go to the movies, when we were leaving, if our uniforms were clean... The questions never ended! Depending on my mom's mood, we always got a variety of answers. Sometimes she would answer sarcastically, sometimes sincerely and other times she would just give us the "mom look" (you know what I am talking about - haha). If you happened to catch her in a sarcastic mood, her favorite response was "Sorry, my crystal ball is in the shop!" Oh man, I use to get so frustrated with her when she said that to me .... all I wanted was a simple answer!

When I spend time talking to God, I find myself asking a lot questions ... God what do you want? How do I love him? What does this mean? How can I help them? Why is mom struggling? When is going to be my turn? Oh, how nice it would be to get a text message from God with the answers to my many many questions! I would settle for an email or a wall post even. :) Man, I really wish that crystal ball would fix itself ... I could really use it sometimes!

It never occurred to me that God may be asking me a question too .... God wants to know my response. He wants me to answer YES even before I know His response.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

- Hebrews 11:8

Did you catch that? Abraham obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going!! WOW. Abraham's response was YES because of his faith and his devotion to the Lord.

Its easy to say that ... its easy to sit around the dining room table and talk about this. But truly believing it to the point of LIVING like this is something different. God is asking a question .... will you follow Me and have faith in Me even when you don't know where you are going or what you are doing?

I say that my answer is YES ... but do I live like my answer is YES?

I want that kind of faith.... a faith like Abrahams. To say YES I will follow even when I don't know where that is or what that looks like. A life that is living for an audience of One ....

Who is willing to let go of any dream or any path if God's plan is different. Surrendering my way to His .... not asking Why or When or How or What but simply responding with a YES

This is my prayer.

This is my desire.

2800 miles, 5 states, 3 families, 5 friends and LOTS of memories

I am on top of the world right now.... no seriously, I haven't felt this good in a LONG time!

Just got back from amazing week in Florida. There with 4 of my favorites and seriously had an amazing time! Every day was filled with sun, flip-flops, water and laughs. Memories are priceless and this trip is full of them! We did a ton and had a great time ... all in all we drove about 2,800 miles, visited 5 different states, stayed with 3 different families, visited 2 amazing beaches, and have a million awesome memories.

Here are some of the highlights of this amazing trip!
1) Celebrating Mrs. Wofford's birthday in Applebees with dancing flamingo cards!
2) Hours of singing in the car
3) Almost mastering the Rubik's Cube! (I am SO close!!)
4) Caleb getting stuck in a KIDdie float... check out facebook. FUNNY stuff!
5) Line dancing and two stepping!
6) Afternoons of bike rides and shuffle board with daddy and Pop-Pop.
7) Pop-Pop leaving dad at the restaurant after breakfast! HAHA. Mom and I thought this
was hilarious!
8) Trip to Waffle House with old friends.
9) Spending the day with the Richards at the beach.
10)Roast Beef Dinner with the Woffords .... LOVE THIS FAMILY!
11) LOTS and LOTS of Bang! (its a card game...)
12) A few rounds of Spades (ALWAYS!)
13) Southern Accents! God blesses me.... oh my sweet AG!
14) Searching for sand dollars .... no luck unfortunately.
15) COLORING! -- Even Caleb picked a picture. :)
16) Getting to visit with the Woffords, Amber and Allison .... Idol talk, surgery photos
(GROSS!) and some worship... :)

Had a GREAT time ... relaxed and just enjoyed the moments that God gave. It was an amazing trip that made me thankful for the awesome people that I have in my life .... old and new!

Good times. Cant wait for next time ...!!!

Kisses! lots and lots of kisses

Last weekend I headed north to see my cousin Jen and her husband JR. I absolutely love them and their family. 8 months ago they had a baby boy Tyler who is so cute and so precious! Its been a rough 8 months for them....adjusting to the demand of a child and all the responsibility and joy that brings. Trying to find a balance between work, home, wife, husband, mom, dad, friend, daughter, sister, brother, son is alot and at the end of the day there just doesn't seem to be enough time to fit it all in.

I had an amazing weekend with the three of them..... It was so nice because my time was "normal." There was not a ton of people around. There were no parties or celebrations to be had. Instead we were just hanging out like friends hang out and I loved EVERY second of it!

Tyler is getting SOOOO BIG! He is learning more and more each day! It amazes me how alert he was and how much he was interacting with the people around him. He loves mirrors and looking at himself in the mirror. They have a floor to ceiling wall mirror in their master bedroom closet and that has become his new favorite hang-out spot! His laughs and giggles fill that house as he catches a glimpse of himself in the glass.

Bath-time with an 8 month old is interesting! Had I known I was going swimming I would have come prepared. Haha. I think that there was more water on me then in the tub! We played with alphabet letters and rubbie duckies. Bath time was lots of fun!

Baby Einstein is amazing! Ty and I watched a video on sign language where they are teaching kids to communite with their parents and their teachers. Its incredible what kids pick up on. He was so into it! At one point, daddy walked in front of the TV only to be startled by a shrill scream from Ty to make it known that he could not see and was not happy about it! His Einstein videos are one of his favorite times of the day.....

We played with LOTS of toys and had some story time. It was an incredible weekend! My favorite moment with Tyler was when I was getting ready to leave. I was holding him and telling him good-bye. I was giving him lots and lots of love with hugs and kisses all over and when I was done he reached out to me and gave me baby kisses back. And not just one baby kiss but lots and lots of baby kisses!!!! He turned his head from side to side and was giving me just as many kisses as I had given him. When he was done, I gave him more and then he gave me more and it was just the cutest thing! He also leaned in and gave me a hug before I let go one final time!

In that moment, I don't think I was capable of loving anyone or anything as much as him and that special time together! I miss him already and I am SO ready to go back and see him again!!!!

Thank you God for family and all the blessings that comes with! I am grateful for baby kisses and hugs and the special memories that I was able to create with Tyler this weekend. God protect him from the dangers of this world. Give Jen and JR the wisdom and encouragement they need. I pray that as they continue to develop and grow their family that their trust and their relationship with You deepens. I pray that as Tyler grows into a young boy that he develops his own relationship with You. I am excited to be a part of his journey and his story and pray that my life and my character may be an example that leads him to You. Thank you for this miracle and all the joy it brings to so many! I love you - Amen.