Amy's Visit

Have you ever thought about your life and picked a time in which a turning point happened? For me it was in Pensacola, FL. Let me back up a bit.

When I graduated from college, UNI, I moved in with my sister who lived in Chi-town, otherwise known as Chicago. Well, really in the suburbs, but same thing to me. I had a good job, good friends, and loved the lifestyle there.  What I didn't like, and anyone who knows me well will understand this, was the snow. I hate snow. I hate the cold. And I'm not sugar coating it...I really dislike the winter months. That being said, I decided that I was going to move. Somewhere warm, somewhere sticky and hot, somewhere that I could roll down my windows in my car most of the year...Florida. :) My decision intrigued my best friend/roomie at the time and we proceeded to save money to move there. It took a year to earn what I considered enough cash, and then we made our move. I chose Pensacola because there was a school that I was interested in attending to obtain my biology degree and become the shark biologist that I had always wanted to be. The University of Northern Florida. What had originally looked like a dream soon became somewhat of a nightmare. I began signing up for classes when I discovered that I couldn't get in-state tuition and I would have to wait another year to start school. Also, my best friend/roomie decided that life was calling her in another direction and she moved to Tallahassee with her sister. I found myself alone, and although I had my nice hot climate, I had no friends, no job, and no school. And then it happened. I found myself on my knees begging God for an answer to what I should do. He lead me to a church where I met a girl who needed someone just as badly as I did. That girl became my best friend and has stood by me for over 7 years now. The good, bad, and ugly, this person accepts me for who I am and loves me regardless. How often do we find that in this lifetime?

So Pensacola was a sweet time for me. I found Amy, Dave, and countless others that have changed my life and made it better. Now that I think back it was only a few months, really only about 9 months, but those 9 months meant more to me than all the other months of my life. :)

Amy came to visit me recently and here are some pics of our time together.

These two little girls absolutely LOVE their Auntie Amy!

Eating cheesecake and enjoying the sun with great conversation. :) 

This picture just makes me smile. :) 

I love you Amy. :)

The new chair

I am beginning to understand now that Abigail is getting bigger the necessity of purchasing 2 of everything unless I'm ready to play referee. The latest was the new chair that I bought for Rachel. I don't know about anyone else, but I cannot get this girl to sit still when sitting at the table. On her knees, turned around, upside down, you name it, she's done it. Momma's had it. :) SO. I decided to buy this chair that doesn't really ALLOW for all that to happen...I guess she could try but she's probably fall off. haha

Okay, so I got it put together this morning and pushed it into the table. Next thing I know I hear the wood scraping on the floor. I look over and this is what I see.

Too funny. So I take her down and explain that it is Rachel's chair and that when she is older she will get a chair just like it. Rachel jumps in her chair and this is the look I get from Abigail...

Poor little girl REALLY wants her own chair!! Here is a pic of Rachel explaining to Abigail that she will get a chair later and that she needs to stop pushing her chair around. Priceless. :) 

These girls have such fiery personalities!!! I wonder where they got that from? lol

The end of a long week

Easter. What an awesome time! A time to remember our Lord and what he did for us. This year it was also a time for our family to turn to him and trust that he was taking care of us. 

First Abigail came down with Pneumonia, which landed us in the ER with breathing treatments and antibiotics. Then Rachel came down with a virus that would leave her in coughing fits in the middle of the night. Then Abigail reacted badly to the antibiotics and broke out in what the doc is calling Erythema Multiforme, which is a fancy way to say that she is allergic to amoxicillin and a rash covered her body. 

Now that we are almost to Easter Sunday I am hoping that we are past the worst. Although Dave and I  are terribly sleep deprived, we have been shown this week just how much Jesus loves us and how he comforts and gives us strength when we feel like we don't have any more to give. 

This is Rachel at the Easter Egg Hunt in out neighborhood. 

I think she could have stayed in this all day if I let her. :) 

Here's Rachel with the Easter Bunny at our church's Easter Celebration.

Dying eggs is something we could not forget to do! If you look close you can see the red spots on Abigail's face. 

Abigail wanted to put the egg in herself and she was impatient and threw it in the cup! I couldn't believe I had gotten a pic mid throw. lol

Here's Abigail putting stickers on one pink egg. She was very proud of herself. :)