Miracles happen around us every day and we just take it for granted.  I’m going to be the first to say, I kind of forgot miracles do exist, that was until April 8, 2019.  This is a story I’ve been wanting to share, but just haven’t been able to put it into words.  I think I’m ready now.

Literally two weeks after getting the worst news about my dad’s cancer, my mom had a stroke that literally changed her…in what seemed a split second.  So here I am on Monday morning, April 8…two weeks after my dad’s diagnosis, the morning after my mom’s second stroke since September, after spending the night taking care of my parents and not getting much sleep…driving to work from Montgomery and I am running pretty late; late enough that I had to call and let them know I’d be in by 8:00.  The whole way from my parents house towards my little school I have a million things running through my mind:  “I’m so exhausted, I need to run by the house and get my soccer stuff, how are my sisters and I going to keep this pace up now with Daddy and Mama needing 24 hour care, why won’t God heal my daddy, why is this car in front of me going so slow, wait why haven’t I passed this slow poke with two clear lanes on either side of me, good glad I passed him, what am I going to eat for lunch, and the thoughts go on and on and on…”.

Then it happened…it happened so fast I wasn’t even sure if I was really seeing what I thought I was or if I was actually not even awake yet and this was all a bad dream…but quickly I found out I wasn’t sleeping and this was happening and I had to kick it into gear and help out.  Here’s what happened…I was coming over a hill on the highway I live off of and as soon as I hit the top of the hill, ahead of me, I saw a Suburban type SUV in what appeared to be my lane… headed towards me…but in a flash it began to flip over…it flipped across both lanes and landed in a shallow ditch off the shoulder of the road.  I pulled over immediately and picked up my phone…oh yea…that was a problem too because my phone was barely working.  I had actually ordered a replacement phone, but it hadn’t come in yet.  The only way I could use my phone and make a call was to use Siri.  Amazingly, I had the sense about me to immediately tell Siri to call 911 as I was picking the phone up…but wait!!  That is just the beginning…let me go back to where I saw the SUV flipping and I pulled over…it’s just so hard to put into words because so many things happened in literally seconds.  So all in one motion…I pull over while picking up my phone and telling Siri to call 911…I look down at my phone for maybe a second and look back up as I’m opening my car door…standing in the middle of the road screaming and crying and pointing at the wrecked vehicle was a little boy.  A little boy who was not there when I looked down at my phone…and one second later he’s there.  I went into mama auto pilot and ran out of my car calling the boy.  He willingly came to me and I quickly led him to the shoulder of the road to get him out of harms way.  He repeatedly told me “my mommy is in there” as he was pointing to the wrecked car.  And yet again in the midst of this chaos my head becomes filled with a million thoughts”how am I going to keep him safe and see about his mommy; God why is this happening to me with everything else I have going on; I don’t think I can handle anything else; what if that were me in that car and this was my child; I have to give this little boy the best care I am capable of; I’m here and I’m going to do whatever I can to help; but why God, why.” Too many thoughts and no time for them…I pushed them aside and went right back into mama mode.

About that time two other people pulled over and went to check the car out and see if his mother was okay.  Also, before I knew it, a friend of mine who saw me on the side of the road pulled over to help…thank goodness because she was such a blessing…it was then that one of the men checking the car out, crawled into the wrecked vehicle and came crawling out of it with a baby!

I immediately took the baby from his arms…now another friend has stopped to help…again another blessing and God showing me He had this…and here we are with a little boy who appears to be about 4 years old and a baby who is about one year old…but where was their mama?  And is she ok?  By this time the scene was pretty chaotic…emergency vehicles arriving…taking care of two young children and checking them out for any injuries…and trying to find their mommy.  Apparently, she had been ejected from the car…they finally found her…on the ground at the edge of the woods…but initial reports were “her injuries seemed to be very severe”…in all honesty a lot of it is a big blur…except this…

I keep going back to that instant when I pulled over after the SUV had flipped…there was no one or nothing in the middle of that highway…then I literally took a second to look down at my phone and when I looked back up the boy was standing in the middle of the road! How?? He wasn’t there one second before…there was no time for him to crawl out of that wrecked car…if he had been ejected how was he not injured…and he wasn’t. He had no broken bones…no cuts and barely a bruise. There was one scrape somewhere on his face because it got blood on my shirt…but it wasn’t anything to be concerned about…he did have some dirt on his hands. Still…how was he not there and then a second later there he was? I’m going to tell you how…an Angel of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings placed him there. Maybe he fell out of the car as it was flipping…but he fell on Angels’ Wings cause there is no way that little boy could have survived that with NO INJURIES!

The Bible tells us that Angels are real and that God sends them to protect us. Luke 4:10 says ”For it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning you to guard you carefully.’” Well that little boy’s angel was hard at work that day! Not only his angel but the angel of the baby too…the baby…never cried or wimpered! He was so calm and so precious…and…not hurt or harmed in any way!!

And let me tell y’all about the mother who was driving the car. Remember I told you initial reports did not look good. It appeared she had suffered severe head trauma and the next 24 hours were crucial. It was confirmed she had no broken bones and barely any scratches. She did have some bleeding on her brain and some swelling. She was on life support and a vent.

Well today has been one month since the accident and she is doing amazing! She is in a rehabilitation hospital where she spends the day in therapy and will probably walk out of that hospital this week. Guess what…she had an angel too! If you had seen what I witnessed you wouldn’t of ever thought any of the three of them would have made it out with no major injuries or even alive! But they are living testimonies that God is still working those miracles and that His Angels are very much real!

I know this blog is long, but I’ve got one more thing I have to say…can we go way back up there where I mentioned the zillion thoughts running through my head when I was driving home…before I witnessed this awful accident?? Remember when I was behind the slow poke…then realized I had two clear lanes and could pass him?? My angel did that for me…you see if I had passed that slow car immediately I would have arrived at the accident 3-5 seconds earlier than I did…and guess what…had that happened I would have been in the accident with that SUV rather than witnessing it. My angel was working that day too! Y’all I’m telling you God is performing miracles…every day. They may not be the miracle we are asking for or praying for but they are happening! Also, let’s go back to the thoughts I was having at the scene…”why me, God?? Don’t I have enough going on??” Well He answered that too…He chose me to be there…I was right where He wanted me to be and right where I needed to be. Because of that day and all the things God did that day, I was reminded that He is in control and all my worries, all my fears and all my trust needs to be in Him!

I do want to say… because I know it’ll come up…please don’t ask me what caused her vehicle to flip…or was the boy in a car seat or …was she wearing her seat belt. Those questions are irrelevant at this point and whatever happened is in the past. No one should judge this accident based on my story. If you’ve ever driven a car with two young children in it then you know all the chaos that can happen in that car; so who knows what was going on before the accident. I have no idea the answers to any of your questions and honestly I don’t care if I ever know the answers. I just know God saved some lives that day and He deserves all the Praise and Glory!

 

Y’all know by now that I seem to get my thoughts out better through writing. I hope I can do that right now because my thoughts, mind and emotions are all over the place right now. I don’t know if this blog is necessary, but for me it is because it’s a record of the storm my family is in right now and I hope…I know…that one day we can look back at it and see what God did to bring us through it and how He was glorified.

My daddy is sick…very sick. We have begun care through Hospice in order to make him as comfortable as we can. He has a cancer that is evil and aggressive and spreading through his body with vengeance. I know my daddy is 87 years old and has lived a long, good life…but he’s still my daddy and this sucks! Less than a year ago my daddy was out in the Alabama summer heat tending to his garden, hours at a time. My daddy was joking around wearing a pizza hat that was a gag gift at Christmas…only three months ago. Today, my daddy is too weak to get out of his bed and is in pain from the worst disease that’s ever existed, in my opinion. But you know what…he still says he isn’t going down without a fight…he prays a powerful prayer that Glorifies God and displays the faith that he knows God holds the power to heal him if it’s His will…he assures his family he’s a child of God and will have an eternity in heaven when the Lord is ready to call him home…he still wants to know if our mama is feeling ok and if she has taken her medicine…he still holds my mamas hand when she lies down next to him and tells her she’s his sweetheart! My daddy may be physically weak, but he is strong! He is strong because he is a man of God.

You see…my daddy is the patriarch and the backbone of our family. He is our rock and our hero. Our daddy can do no wrong and in our eyes can do anything, so seeing him this way is breaking us to pieces. Our mama….she is watching the man she has been married to for 64 years at the lowest point he’s been in their whole lives. It’s breaking her precious heart. We are seeking our Heavenly Father to take care of us while our earthly father is so sick and that’s the only hope we have right now…our hope and our trust in the Lord to carry us through this storm.

I pray for mercy on my daddy and my family in whatever form that may come. I ask the same prayer of each person who bothers to read this. If you know my daddy…then you know why this is so hard. He is the BEST! He lived up to his name every day. If you have a fond memory of my daddy please feel free to post it so I can share it with him or a word of encouragement you’d like me to share with him.

On behalf of my mama, my sisters and our entire family we thank you all for all you have done for us and continue to do. So many of you have sent cards, brought food, called, visited, and prayed. We are blessed by every bit of it and appreciate it more than you can imagine.

P. S. I hope this explains all we are going through. Please don’t take this wrong but it’s hard to talk about and I just would rather not because I have a hard time not breaking down then I feel like a burden on who I am talking to and like I make everything awkward. I think this blog answers most of what we are going through. Right now a smile and hug will do me good! I’m so blessed with so many good friends, church members and coworkers. I know you who know me will understand what I mean!

When I scroll down my timeline on Facebook at all the posts I’ve made it’s typically the same stuff…”mama brag” posts, pictures, sharing recipes, love for my soccer team, fundraisers, etc. Looking at my timeline anyone would probably think my life is great and I got it all together. They might think I am happy all the time and nothing bad ever happens to me. They might even think that I’m always super positive and always in a super good mood.

Well I guess that’s because I choose to use my social media for all the good stuff in life. I want to give off positive vibes and use it for good. I want to use it to encourage others or bless others or just to share the good things going on in my world. But let me be quick to tell you not to let my social media deceive you. I got stuff…I got problems…I have bad days…I get angry…I get sad….some days I don’t even wanna get out of bed.

This past week was a rough one for me. My dad hasn’t been feeling great lately and I feel so guilty because my life is so insanely busy I can’t even get to town to see him. It’s honestly out of my control because of my work and my responsibilities to my family. It makes me so sad because I love my parents so very much and even though I only live 35 minutes away from them it is very difficult for me to get there during this time of the year. I’ve also had one of those weeks where I just miss Bailee and Josh so much. Our time differences and schedules make it difficult for us to talk much during the week…if a day goes by that I haven’t gotten to have much of a conversation with her I just miss her. I’ve carried so much anxiety with me this past week to the point of a couple of breakdowns. I try so hard to be organized with all I have to do between work, coaching and family…criticism towards my efforts caused me to lose my cool a couple of times this week and that’s not who I want to be…but I’m not perfect. I have so much to accomplish in the next two weeks for my job that I almost lose my breath when I think about it.

I’m telling ya I got stuff. We all got stuff. That’s why it’s so important to take this social media stuff with a grain of salt…and limit the time you spend on it. Instead, talk to your friends and check on them. Don’t assume because their “posts” are happy that they are ok. Chances are they aren’t. Chances are they need a hug, a shoulder to cry on or a prayer or two. I really like to be one of those folks who keeps it all to myself and put on a front that it’s all good. Well I’m exposing myself here. I’m being real, raw and vulnerable. I’m letting you know that what you see on my timeline really is me, but it’s only one small part of me. I got baggage too and sometimes it’s ok just to put it out there and vent.

I will say this…I am so grateful that I serve a mighty God who is there for me during the valleys and the mountain tops. When I can’t take another step He picks me up and carries me. I don’t know how people go through life challenges without Him. He is my rock on which I stand and without Him I am nothing! Tomorrow is a new day and the beginning of a new week! I will rejoice and be glad in it. So, I will carry on with my Facebook as usual…mama bragging posts, sharing cute videos and recipes and all the other good stuff in life. Just know it’s all really me…just maybe not all of me…

It’s been a year since what I can only describe as the worst and best day of my life. The worst because at this point in my life I have been very blessed that I have not had to experience any tragic life moments with anyone closest to me. All of my grandparents have passed away in my lifetime…one when I was very young and the other three in my twenties. Of course it saddened me to lose them…but when I was six I didn’t totally understand…and in my twenties they were all in their 80s and 90s and it was a blessing to see what long, full lives they had lived. But seriously, I’ve watched both my parents endure absolutely tragic, unexpected deaths of siblings, my sister in law go through the death of her son, my husband go through the death of his mom, and I’ve had best friends of mine go through tragic losses of their closest family members. I’ve experienced people so close to me go through awful divorces, cancer, loss of everything they own due to fire and so many things that they would consider the worst thing to ever happen to them. So when I write that February 9, 2018 was the worst day of my life and tell why…there are those that may think that’s not so bad…and maybe it isn’t…but for whatever reason God has spared me so far in this life without anything worse.

So that day was the day that I truly felt my heart break. The day that I knew what it felt like to feel a big hole in the pit of my stomach. The day that I knew what it felt like to know I no longer had any say so in the life of my child. And for me it’s the saddest day I have ever experienced in my life. There is just a helpless feeling that overwhelmed my entire being when I hugged my beautiful daughter and put her on a plane to go live in another country….a feeling so strong that I can feel it to my core as if it were yesterday when I write this. Worst. Day. Ever. For. Me.

Now let’s go back to the part where I also said it was the best day ever also! How can that even be? I just described the heartbreak and emptiness I was feeling so how can anything good come from that. Well the beginnings of this being the best day began 18 years earlier on June 7, 1999 the day she was born. You see…that day when Robert and I looked into those big, brown eyes of our beautiful baby girl we knew the responsibility God had just laid before us. So right then we dedicated her to the Lord and made a commitment to raise her according to His word. We promised to teach her to love Him and to love people the best we possibly could. We promised to share the Gospel with her and to love and nurture her the way Godly parents should. We definitely did the best we could through the years…with many bumps and bruises along the way…but we tried very hard. Our daughter soaked Jesus and His ways up. She is a Godly young lady who seeks to follow His will for her life no matter what. Is she perfect? Nope…she’s human and a born sinner…just like her parents…but she’s saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and is forgiven.

So…a year ago today was the happiest day ever because we watched that baby girl spread her wings and fly. She was ready. She prayed and sought God’s will for her life and this is where He led her. He led her down a most uncommon path for her age, but one that to this date has been an incredible journey and one that has brought glory to Him. She has a precious husband and together they have a marriage that is Christ-centered. She has adjusted to living on the other side of the world amazingly. She’s continued to pursue her college degree without skipping a beat. They found an English speaking, Jesus loving church that was planted by Americans. They serve with passion in their church as youth leaders and God is using them in a mighty way.

So today I don’t look back at one year ago with sadness…I look at it in amazement at my daughter who lives boldly…boldly for what she believes in and what she knows is right because of her relationship with the Lord. Now…I ain’t gonna lie…I can’t wait to hug her sweet self again and will be happy when she lives on American soil again…but until then my prayer is God uses her where she is and that she and Josh continue to follow Him boldly and intently!

Yesterday was 8 months…8 months since we let one of our baby birds spread her wings and fly…she flew all the way across the ocean into the arms of her husband to write their story.  I won’t say it’s always been easy because it hasn’t been.  Learning a new normal after 18 years has been hard…at least on me it has…I think it has for the others too, but we all just deal with it in our own ways.  This is how I deal with it…I write….maybe not very well, but I write.  A little bit after she left I wrote about “saying goodbye” and in it I shared a letter she wrote to Robert and I to read after we parted.  It is a beautiful letter and one that I will cherish the rest of my life.  Here’s a link to that blog if you haven’t read it…  https://wordsofheart.blog/2018/03/04/saying-goodbye

I told in that story that she had also written a letter to Alex and Anna Kate…that letter is even more beautiful than the one she wrote us.  After a brief facetime call with her this afternoon I just knew it was time to share that letter.  Anna Kate gave me permission to share…Alex…well he’s asleep so I hope he does not mind.  What led me to share this is the conversation I had with Bailee this afternoon….she told me two things that made my heart swell…she told me how she prays for her siblings every day and that they will be able to resist common teenage urges and pressures and be set apart….she also told me how proud she is of them because she can tell so far they are doing that…she knows they aren’t perfect, but at the same time they are striving to be the best they can be.  She said it’s because of how Robert and I parent them…how we pray…how we talk to them about things they are facing…how we discipline because they are FAR from perfect and need that often…and I quickly reminded her that God gets all the glory, but that she is a huge influence on how they choose to live also…they wanna be like their big sis…they look up to her.  So that’s when I just felt the urge to write this and share this letter….this is the shadow that the twins are living in…and this is their role model….written February 8, 2018…

Alex & Anna Kate,

You guys were probably my first friends and will always be my best friends.  I’m glad God blessed me with the best siblings I could’ve asked for, and I couldn’t image having one of you over the other.  You’re both so different in the most incredible ways.  Your differences compliment each other.  NEVER change who you are to impress anyone else.  Always be yourselves.  Life (especially high school life) will throw you temptations, and rough times.  I promise, there will be a way through all of it and that way is only through Christ.  Stay with Him, and always keep your relationship with Him growing.  You will be UNSTOPPABLE.  Don’t Party.  Don’t do drugs.  Don’t drink.  Wait for marriage.  I promise, all of that DOES NOT amount to ANYTHING.  Stay determined to be DIFFERENT than everyone else and you’ll succeed.  You may be the only one sitting at home on Saturday nights, but I PROMISE it is completely worth it.  People might try and convince you all of that is cool, instead, convince them that it’s not.  Be the light.  Our last days on earth are coming soon.  I truly believe Jesus is coming very soon.  You’ll want to be ready.  It would really make me happy if you’d read Rise by Trip Lee.  I left it here for y’all.  It’s very inspiring and I know you’ll enjoy it.  It’s geared towards youth.  You’re going to mess up sometimes, but get back up everytime.  Always follow your goals and set new ones.  You can do anything you put your mind to.  I believe that for both of you.  I’m so thankful to have watched you two grow up even into the people you are today.  I can feel it in my heart that you’ll both make great changes in the world.  I’m thankful for all the laughs we’ve shared, and I’ll miss cracking up with you guys.  I’ll miss watching Lost, and making fun of mom together.  I’ll miss even simply eating dinner together.  I hate that I’ll miss you playing soccer and twirling, but I know you’ll make me proud.  You always do.  I’m so sorry that I’ll be missing a small chunk of your lives, but I don’t have to if you just talk to me everyday.  I know a big sibling plays a big role in their little siblings lives.  I know this is hard for everyone, but my heart feels the most for you two.  I wasn’t blessed with a big sibling like you guys and it must be hard to watch me leave.  If you ever feel like sometimes you can’t talk to mom or dad, PLEASE come to me.  That’s why God made me your big sister.  I’ve been in your place and I won’t judge.  It’s going to be so hard to leave y’all, but I’m just happy to have a family that’s hard to leave. ❤

I love you both with all of my heart,

Bailee

If a teenager is reading this…or even us adults…she may not be your big sis, but her words are wise beyond her years.  She gives some great advice and should definitely be taken seriously.  Be yourself, be different, be set apart, live a life that’s pleasing to God!

What is the church to you? For me it’s definitely not a building, but rather believers in Jesus Christ gathering or assembling together to praise and worship His name. Now when I was a child if I was asked “what is the church” my answer would have been very different. I would have probably described a building….a brown, brick building we went to every Sunday morning and Sunday night. I would have told you about the sanctuary that had dark, wooden pews with 70s green upholstery. I would have told you about the most unique baptistery I’ve ever seen…do you know any other churches that have their baptism pool under the stage?? I might have told you about the choir room behind the sanctuary that had a hallway with all the choir robes hanging neatly…green ones for the adult choir and blue ones for the youth choir. I surely would have told you about the walk through the fellowship hall out the back door to the most fun swings and sliding board. Yes, as a child that would have been my definition or description of the church…not just any church…my church…the church I grew up in…the church where I came to know the Lord…the church where I was baptized…the church where I came to adore singing praises to God…the church where sometimes I laughed so hard I cried…or I cried so hard I laughed. Today…as an adult…I am so thankful to know what the definition of the church truly is. You see…that building that I could describe so vividly as a child and to this day isn’t even a church building anymore. It’s actually owned and operated by Catholic Social Services. But you see…that really doesn’t matter…because the church can be and can happen anywhere. Today…the church…my childhood church…gathered together for a reunion. It was a reunion unlike I’ve ever seen. The biggest, happiest family reunion I have ever been to. People came from all over to fellowship and worship together just like we used to in that brown brick building with green upholstered pews. The faces, hearts and souls of those who helped shape me into who I am today stood together to praise and pray to Jesus. In all honesty, it’s really too amazing to put into words what happened today, but it has lit a fire in me. It reminded me where I came from and how blessed I was to have been raised in a church of true believers who truly love the Lord.

That which was started in me all those years ago has carried on to a second generation…my children. You see when we married and moved to Elmore County it was a priority to find a church. We knew we wanted a church…not a building, but a church of believers…that we would grow spiritually and that we would want to raise children in. The bar was set high because I wanted a church just like the one I grew up in. I knew I’d know when I found it. Well one Sunday God led us to a “not too small” but “not too large” church near our home. We went one Sunday and I told Robert…that’s our church. I told him that it was just like the church I grew up in and that we had just found our church. Now, twenty one years later, it’s still our church. We’ve raised our kids there and they now carry with them the same memories, feelings and heart for the Lord that my church instilled in me when I was a child.

Today…I got to remember some of the best times of my life and I will cherish it in my heart forever. Thank you to all those people from Southside Baptist Church who were spiritual leaders and mentors and friends to me and my family. Also, thank you to Thelma Baptist Church for helping me grow as a Christian through my adult life and for being the spiritual leaders and mentors you are to my family and me!

There is and always will be a love that cannot separate us…and that’s the love of Jesus Christ our Lord.

About this time last year I was getting ready to send my oldest child off to college…and even though we didn’t have the traditional or conventional full freshman year of college experience we did have a semester. I know what so many of you who are about to send your oldest child off to college or maybe into the work field are probably feeling. It’s one of the proudest and hardest periods of your life…but it’s just one of those steps in life mamas have to face. You can do this! You’ve had 18 years to prepare that baby for this time. This time has come and you can let them fly. I put this quote in one of my previous blogs but I think it’s appropriate here as well…” Just as you had to let go and watch her fall when she learned to walk, so now you must let go and watch her begin a new life, knowing she will fall, knowing that this represents a goodbye of sorts, and also knowing that nothing in this world can sever the bond between mother and daughter.” (a link to the full article: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheryl-paul/for-the-mother-of-the-bri_b_1346506.html)…of course this can go for sons and/or fathers as well.

Maybe you’re reading this blog and you aren’t at this point in parenthood…well don’t stop reading because you need to hear what I’m about to say….

When Bailee was headed to middle school we had a little get together with several of her closest friends. My close friend Tish and I decided they needed a little “building up” or a little life lecture before they headed to a new season in their lives. We invited a sweet friend who is like a spiritual mentor to us, and so many others, to be the “speaker” at this get together. The girls knew her as well and love her just as much as we do so when she spoke they were all ears…little did I know but she would also speak to us mothers. She gave us one quote and said if we’d follow it our kids would be ok. I look back and I know this quote made me the parent I am today and made my kids who they are today. Here it is…”prepare your child for the path and not the path for your child”. Yep that was it. But oh so profound!

You see before that quote I had every intention on being a “path preparer”. I mean why not ya know? The path of life can be bumpy, hard, unfair and hurtful. Why would I want my babies to have to suffer through that when I could just smooth it out and fix it for them before they ever had to deal with such difficulty? Right? WRONG! I’m not always going to be there to get those bumps out of the path and see to it they have a smooth “ride”. At some point they are going to have to handle the ups and downs on their own. They needed to learn that early on.

Well let me tell you…it’s an easy quote to remember but a hard one to follow…especially if you are a “fixer”. Many times I would start getting my tools out to get the path ready and that summer afternoon sitting in my den with those girls and my sweet mentor and friends would stop me in my tracks…”prepare the child for the path not the path for the child”. So that’s what I did…or tried to do. We worked hard preparing our children for the path of life. It isn’t always easy and it isn’t always the most convenient thing for us to do, but we just dig our heels in and do it…for the most part…hey we aren’t perfect! When times are hard or when we are ready to throw in the towel we have the power of prayer and the strength of God to lean on…and I’m here to say He is good all the time!

I’m going to tell you something…it all paid off this time last year. When I was preparing to send my baby girl off to college…as hard as it was and as much as I was going to miss her and knowing she’d probably never live under my roof again…I knew she was prepared. She had this! She had been “prepared” the best we could possibly do. She had the tools and the strength to face any obstacle that came her way. She also knew she had a network, so to speak, to turn to if she needed a little push or a little help…God and us! Today that young lady is on an amazing path…it’s not always smooth or easy but she has bound through every obstacle on the course.

We have to pray every day for God to give us the strength to keep preparing the child and not the path because we’ve got two more to go! It’s so hard, but so worth it. The rewards far outweigh the difficulties.

So, whether you have a child beginning college or beginning kindergarten, if you are in the business of preparing paths…stop…pick up your tools and focus on your child. It’s not too late or too early! Get him or her ready for the path. Be their parent, not their friend. The friendship comes in due time. Bailee and I are like best friends now…because my hard work with her is pretty much finished! The twins…well I look forward to being friends with them one day, but our work has really only just begun! But no matter what…I will always be their mama…and I will always be cheering them on as they soar down that path!

I’m sure when most people go on vacation, especially to a foreign country, they take away all of the “treasures” and souvenirs they purchased during their time there. Of course I did the same thing…visiting countries like Italy, Germany and Austria I bought tangible items specific to those countries to give to friends and family and also to keep for myself as a reminder of my time there. Being that I only had limited space in my bags I had to be choosy about my selections and how much I bought. Thank goodness my memory and experience space is unlimited, though.  That’s where I was able to gather up the treasures that will stay with me forever….so today I’m going to do a little “haul”, as the YouTubers would say about their shopping trips, of the intangibles I took away from Italy.

If you know me then you know what took me Italy in the first place…if you’re new to my blog a short version is that my 18 year old daughter married the love of her life back in December and moved to Italy to be with him as he is stationed there with the United States Army.  She left in February of this year so, naturally, I went to visit her.  I took with me two dear family friends, Monica and Brooke.  Monica has been our neighbor for the past 14+ years.  During that time as our neighbor she and her husband spent three of those years living in Italy…specifically Vicenza, Italy which is where my daughter and her husband live.  Previously, a few years before I knew Monica, she and her family had lived in Aviano, Italy for about 4 years.  We have always loved hearing her stories and memories of the country she had grown so fond of during her time there.  I thought it only fitting to invite her to go along with me so she could reunite with her second love…Italia….and so she could help me navigate myself on a journey out of the country for the first time.  Brooke has been an “adopted” part of our family for about 15 years.  She babysat my children from the time they were babies until she left for college.  She has always remained as close as family.  When she found out I was going to Italy she quickly asked if she could go too…to see Bailee and to go on a much needed vacation!  So there is a little introduction to my travel companions…and they are KEY to what I took away from Italy.

MEMORIES…are the first thing I took away…I know obviously…but these memories are so special.  I think of when Josh picked us up from our shuttle bus in his tiny Mini Cooper and we had to hold our big suitcases in our laps.  It was so hilarious.  I will never forget driving up to their house for the first time and seeing my sweet Bailee in the yard with their dog Daisy waiting to greet us….getting out of the car and hearing my girl say “Hey Mama”!  The smell of confederate jasmine every morning when I walked outside to take Daisy to the bathroom…It just permeated the air all throughout the country.  Riding through the alps on the way to Germany and Austria and seeing them for the first time…we had worship music playing and honestly I was brought to tears and the sights I was viewing.  God made those massively, gorgeous mountains and if He wanted He could move those mountains.  Memories of the meals we all shared and how we just sat and talked and just enjoyed our time together over delicious plates of food.  The rides through the Italian countryside and the beautiful villas nestled into the greenery surrounding them are visions I will never forget.  The details of the cobblestone streets all the way up to the frescoes on the beautiful walls of various buildings through the cities to the balconies filled with flower boxes that will soon grow to trail all the way over the railing did not go unnoticed and are things I will reminisce about for many years to come.  When my trip came to an end and I once again and to say those hard goodbyes…not the greatest memory, yet one that will exist forever.  I could go on and on about the memories I took away from this experience, but none of us have time for that…just know they are so very dear to me.  Thank you Lord for the ability to remember!

FRIENDSHIPS…I mean of course I was friends with Monica and Brooke before we left, but traveling together in this manner and to visit  my daughter whom I’ve missed more than  words can say took our friendship to a whole new level.  They helped me more than they can even know…keeping me company on the travel over, advice on traveling out of the country since it was my first time, helping me do “mama” things for Bailee and Josh such as helping them organize and clean their house, and so many more things that have those “you just had to be there moments”.  My friendship with Bailee grew to a new level as well.  I am the kind of parent who has never tried to be my kids’ friend because my job is to be their mother.  I think if we become too “friendly” with our children we lose sight of our role as a parent and our children lose sight of where they stand.  Now, that Bailee is no longer under my roof and living on her own, we have found our place  as friends…which is appropriate timing.  I love our friendship and how close we are.  It has actually solidified to me that I did the right thing in my decision to be her parent before I could be her friend.  I’ve loved Josh ever since the second he walked through my door to take Bailee on their first date…I knew him before that actually and always thought he was great.  Being a guest in their home and getting to spend time with him as my son-in-law brought a whole new respect for him and deepened my love and friendship for him.  I am so thankful God put those two together.  Lastly, I made some new friends…Stephano and Roberta, Vanessa and Rafaelli, Anna and Marco…all good friends of Monica’s we were introduced to that made us feel like we had known them for years.  I don’t want to forget to mention Burgendi…who is an army wife like Bailee and her closest friend in Italy…such a sweet girl and I know God sent her there to be a friend to Bailee.

PEACE…yes I took peace away from Italy.  Peace that only comes from God.  You see…even though we gave our blessings for Bailee and Josh to marry despite their young age…and with it came her moving with him 5,000 miles away…peace of it all has come in parts.  God granted the peace about their marriage long before the actual wedding date.  Lots of people thought we had lost our minds allowing that and thought it was a big mistake.  I never had a doubt because this awesome God who is my God allowed me to shut the negativity out and focus on Him and His will…I still have a peace about their marriage and even more so after spending 10 days with them.  Those two love each other unconditionally and it is a blessing to see.  They are growing up together and learning together.  Their age doesn’t define their relationship…their love and relationship with the Lord and with one another does.  Where I have had trouble finding peace…has been putting my baby girl on that plane to live in a foreign country 5,000 miles away from me.  Well this trip was just what I needed to find peace about that because she is thriving.  She has adjusted to living far from home and us, being a wife…not just that, but an army wife, living in a different culture with a different language, learning to drive a manual shift car on roads where the drivers are very aggressive, doing college online, being a dog mama, finding a church home, and I could go on and on. 

You see…when you hear God has plans for you…it’s the truth….and there is nothing we can do to stop His plans.  He orchestrated all of this a long time ago….He gave us subtle signs although we didn’t know at the time….and that’s literally another whole blog…but this is God’s plan for Bailee and Josh…and peace about it is mine!  Do I miss them…YESSSS…I have cried my eyes out every day since I’ve been home…but do I want anything different for them…NOOO…this is God’s plan for their lives and His plans are greater than any I could ever create.  I’ll leave you with this quote from Beth Moore that inspired me to finally finish my blog this morning (I’ve literally been working on it for over a week and just couldn’t find motivation to finish because it makes me miss my girl)…but I saw this on Twitter this morning…

“Jesus is unstoppable.  He will do what He has a mind to do.  He will do it with us or without us.  He will do it thru us or go around us.  He may do it thru many.  He may do it thru few but let there be no mistaking.  He will do it.  No decision, no division, no derision can stop Him.”

I haven’t blogged much lately for several reasons…Soccer, work, and so many things I want to share about I don’t know where to start so I just get overwhelmed and share nothing. So chances are this blog may be all over the place, but hey that’s exactly how my brain is all the time so it’s actually fitting for me.

My soccer season was awful and wonderful. It was awful because our record wasn’t very good. We had some really close games, but just couldn’t get the scoreboard on our side. Because of my extremely competitive nature that gets defined in my brain as awful. I know what many of you are thinking…”it’s not all about winning”…and you are right BUT here comes the wonderful part. I had the chance to coach and work with 20 amazing young women and one awesome assistant coach. Those ladies blessed my life more than I think they’ll ever know. Each one had her own, unique personality that at some point during the season was just what I needed at certain times. I had this job during one of the most emotional times ever in my life and they brightened some very dark days…because of this, for me, it was awful that we couldn’t pull out a better record because I wanted it for them…not for me…oh so much…because of what they did and meant to me!

Next thing on my mind…that makes me hardly able to contain myself…is that in under 30 days I will be in Italy hugging my baby girl and my sweet son in law! I can hardly sleep at night I am so excited. The flight over has me a little nervous, but not enough to stifle my excitement. I love and miss them so very much and to get to see them is like 😍! If you haven’t subscribed to her YouTube channel and watched her Vlogs I highly recommend it. She is going to be posting some amazing travel videos this summer you won’t want to miss. Here’s the link to her channel…subscribe and click to receive notifications so you don’t miss a thing…I’m sure I’ll be appearing in one soon! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB6GCCVu1dpQ0Tw0V0lbz3Q

Next…now that School soccer season is over you think we’d take a break from soccer but no…not us! Alex has already begun practices with his club team for a tournament this weekend. Next week he has tryouts for state games and fall club. Alex has played in the Alabama state games for the past five years. This summer he has made the decision not to play…he will practice with his team, but won’t attend the tournament. Here’s why…you see Alex may talk quietly, but he LIVES loudly. He had to make a choice…state games or mission trip to New Orleans…my boy, despite what others may think considering his seemingly one track soccer mind, knows his priorities and knows the importance of serving God and being a light. Oh if you all just knew this kid…he’s a keeper for sure!

Next on my mind is Anna Kate…she never ceases to amaze me. She decided to play soccer since I was coaching the girls team. We had no idea how she’d do since she hasn’t played in a hot minute…really since like first grade. Well it took her till about mid season, but that girl may be a soccer player yet. She came a long way and became a very decent soccer player. Now she’s scrappy and unpredictable, but it totally worked for her. She is honestly one of the most fearless, confident souls I know. I always try to imagine where God is leading her, but I am believing more and more she’s gonna make a big impact in whatever she does. It’s exciting to watch!

Y’all…there’s some other stuff going on with others in my life who I love so so much but this isn’t the platform to talk about it…God has these situations and these people in His hands…so I’m doing all I can to rest and trust in Him!

If you took the time to read about my crazy, exciting, emotional, blessed life thank you. If you don’t mind say a little prayer for me and mine…and feel free to comment and let me know how I can pray for you!! ❤️

Today my husband and I are celebrating 21 years of wedded bliss…well it sounded good!  It IS our anniversary…not sure every minute of our 21 years have been blissful, but I know I wouldn’t trade one second spent with the love of my life for anything.  In honor of our anniversary I am going to list 21 reasons why I love Robert Simmons more every day!

1.  He is kind.  Robert has to be one of the kindest people I know, which is was one of the first things that attracted me to him.

2.  He is a peace maker.  Robert doesn’t like conflict and avoids it at all cost.  Living with someone like me makes this job of his extra hard, but he is great at it!

3.  He is a hard worker.  This man of mine has to be one of the hardest workers I know other than my daddy.  He works from sun up to sun down most days.

4.  He loves Jesus!  I am so thankful for this Godly man I’ve been blessed with.  He loves the Lord and he leads our family to love the Lord as well.

5.  He cooks!  The kids would rather Robert cook dinner than me.  He makes a “mean” pot of chicken and dumplins…YUM!

6.  He is strong.  Single ladies…find you a strong man because it’s really helpful when you’re trying to open a jar of pickles…:)

7.  He is funny!  Most people view Robert as quiet and laid back, but he is a jokester for real.  His dry sense of humor is something I have always loved about him!

8.  He has a servant’s heart.  Robert will do for others when at all possible.  It really bothers him when can’t due to obligations with work or schedule conflicts.  I wish he didn’t have to work a regular job so he could do for others more often because it is definitely a gift he has.

9.   He does his own laundry.  Enough said!

10. He is a handy man.  Again single ladies…get you a man that is handy around the house…it saves time and money!

11. He protects us.  I always feel safe when he is at home.

12.  He loves animals.  Bailee got her love for animals quite honestly.

13.  He loves what our kids love.  He can yell at a soccer game with the best of them and knows a good two turn baton trick when he sees it.

14.  He has a nurturing spirit.  This is quite the opposite of me, and thank goodness he does because at least one person needs to be this way when you have kids.

15.  He loves to travel.  Even though we haven’t gotten to travel lately as much as we did when the kids were little, I love how he loves to plan trips and outings for us!

16.  He puts family 2nd.  Why are we 2nd?  Because he puts God first and that’s how it should be.

17.  He sacrifices.  I cannot tell you how much this man has sacrificed in order for our kids to have opportunities, experiences, a nice home, “stuff”, and so much more.  I’m in awe of him sometimes.

18.  He’s just a cutie!  I mean…look at him!

19.  He is an amazing father.  Our children are so blessed with an earthly father who loves them the way Robert Simmons does.  They will never know, until they have their own, how much he loves them!

20.  He remembers our anniversary.  He leaves for work before I wake up in the mornings, but year after year I always find a card on my side of the bathroom when I wake up on our anniversary.

21.  He loves me.  He loves me even when I’m unlovable (which I think is a lot) because that’s what he promised to do 21 years ago.  He loves me the way God described love in 1 Corinthians 13.

Happy Anniversary Robert!  I love you more every day!