I'm B-A-C-K!!

Hello Friends!

WOW! I was just checking on my blog and realized that I haven't blogged since December of 2011~ really!! a whole year went by and nothing~ so many memorable events took place and I just didn't have the time to blog about them.... soooooo sorry!

So many memorable events are getting ready to take place in my life that now is the time to get back to blogging! I'M GETTING READY TO GRADUATE WITH MY BS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION!!!

I'm so excited!! It's finally here!! Saturday is the big day!! I wish more than anything that my mother and my granddaddy could be here to see me~ but I know they will be watching over me! ~that gives me comfort! and the fact that it's on Mother's day weekend is even more special! :D

I'm so blessed to have a job that let me attend school during the day and be flexible with my work hours as well as co-workers that put up with that as well.... it's been a long road! but I'm thankful!

I'm so blessed to have friends that will let me grumble, and cry about late nights of studying and that are happy at my success! 

I'm also blessed to have a family that understands my dreams and let me follow them and achieve them.  I know they are glad I'm done! I'm so blessed!

well I'm off the clean the house~ company's coming!! time to CELEBRATE!!

more to come~ pictures to follow!

Where Did The Time Go?

Wow~ so where did the time go? I can't believe it's been a year since I last posted anything on my blog. I'm not gonna lie.... it's been a very hard year for me. I miss my precious Mother more than anything I've ever missed before~ I miss my G-daddy too but nothing like this. I miss our l-o-n-g talks ~ she was my best friend. I know it's time to get out of this rut and start doing the things and living the life she wanted for me - and my family.

Starting in January I'm going to get this house in order, something I've put off for the past 3 years... get those storage units taken care of and start making the home we had planned for when we moved up here. ~it's time to get some curtains up!! and get sewing again! So many things to do... so many unfinished projects.

I have lots of other "projects" I'm going to work on and one of them is keeping up with this blog, so check back soon~

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and many, many blessings for a wonderful New Year!
God be with you always~

~*S*N*O*W*~

Well it’s here, our first BIG *S*N*O*W* of the year~ well actually it snowed last week but this week we got a big ole whaliping of it!

Right now it’s 7F out~ burrr… yesterday a tree broke off and created a big mess.. it went across the road~ thank goodness the city workers were out and helped Ken clean it up..

We got out some – still don’t know why.. but none the less we did. The roads are still covered in ice and snow, it made for interesting navigating… but Ken got us home safely~

Stayed home most of the day and got a lot of baking done~ hopefully I can get these yummy goodies out for Christmas presents… cuz lord knows I don’t need them around here tempting me to eat them~

Hope you are safe and warm where ever you are~

Prayers For Phillip ~

Friday, October 15th is a day I will never forget~

Ken and I had gone to eat at El Ranchero where we ran into some of our favorite kids~ Phillip, Alexis, MaKenzy, Eric, Lauren, and Chris. I can't say that I really knew MaKenzy, Lauren, or Chris that well but still that night talking to them it was as if I had known them for a long time. As we were leaving we stopped to say good bye to Phillip and noticed he and Eric were having a hard time with a hot pepper~ it was pretty funny.... Eric was having a real hard time so I told him to keep eating chips but he was just too wrapped up in how hot it was... it was pretty funny too~ We chatted a bit about the "Big Halloween Party" that Phillips family has every year and everyone was looking forward to the festivities! After hugging them bye~ we left. Little did I know this would be the last time I would talk to Phillip of see Eric or MaKenzie~

Kenton had gone to Charlotte for a church function~ 8:45pm Kenton called upset that he had heard Phillip and some of the other kids had been involved in a horrible car wreck. Kenton had heard that Phillip may not make it~ as we were talking I heard the life flight helicopter fly over~ I called Linda and the next thing I knew I was on my way to Johnson City to see Phillip~ as I was driving Kenton sent me another message that Eric and MaKenzie didn't make it (this is a picture of Eric -in the blue- that I took of him at school during the prayer service on August). It was the sickest I have ever felt ~ to think of these children and their families. By this time I made it to the hospital~

Phillip was in critical condition, on life support and in a coma. He was moved to PICU where he was fighting for his life~

It has been 4 weeks now and Phillip is now in Atlanta in a rehab hospital where he is making a remarkable recovery! He is able to do some things on his own - still in a simi-coma state but is getting there! Prayers are still needed and appreciated.

It makes you realize even more how precious life is and how it can be gone in a blink of an eye~ I pray everyday for the safety and health of Kenton and Peyton and all of the kids in the world. Phillip is such a special kid to me because I prayed for him to be a part of Kenton's life and for his family to be a part of our life~ you see when we moved here I was so sad to leave Matthew and his family and prayed that we would find someone just like them - little did we know they were just down the street~ thank you God for letting us be a part of their life and them in a part of ours!

This picture was taken at school of Phillip, Mouse, Kenton, and Duncan~ gotta love these boys!!

Mitchell High School Kids Gather In Prayer

Friday, August 13 six Mitchell High School football players were involved in a horrific car accident. A couple of the boys were hospitalized for several months~ the others were able to return to school after several weeks. To date all boys are back at school making a full recovery~

As I was dropping Kenton off at school on Monday, August 16 the kids were gathered around the flagpole in prayer for their classmates~ it was a very moving experience for me as a photographer.

Mother Butterfly~

On the day of my Mother's funeral ~ just after they lowered her into the ground, a beautiful black and blue butterfly with orange spots gracefully greeted each flower at her graveside.

However, the first flower she came to was a beautiful orange lily~

Today just as I was leaving a meeting I spied the most beautiful black and blue butterfly with orange spots visiting these flowers~ it's the first time I've seen this same kind of butterfly since my Mother's funeral.. and surprisingly it's exactly a month later... and it was exactly 11:00 when I spied it... I just had to smile and think it was my momma telling me everything's going to be o.k.~

I miss you Mother and love you more~

Saying Good Bye to My Dear Sweet Mother~

Well it's been a while since I last posted~

My very sweet and special Mother - Mary Catherine Prince passed away last month, Friday, June 25, 2010. She fought a good fight with stage 4 lung cancer! She died peacefully with me by her side holding her precious purple hand all the way. We buried her on Tuesday, June 29th.

It's been a month now and everyday is hard~ I think of her all day long; the night time is the hardest. As I try to go to sleep I can't help but include her in my prayers and think of things I want to tell her. I know it will take some time.

The other day I was taking her clothes off the hangers and trying to fold them and put them away~ it just got too much for me to handle. But as I stood there with my hand on her pj's, I somehow could feel her holding my hand.. I know that sounds crazy but it even was enough to make me look at my hand.. I really thought she was holding my hand! It was a comforting feeling and one I wanted to hold on to.

I love you Mother~ and miss you