My college education. College was so hard for me at times. But I am so thankful that I was able to go and that God provided a way for me to be able to attend the college of my choice. I met so many amazing friends, found an amazing church and gained life experience. Sic’em Bears!
I’m really thankful for my sight. When I was born I was on oxygen for a while, which can have ill effects on your sight in the long run. I have had perfect sight up until I got pregnant with Hayden, and even then I’ve only had to start using reading glasses. I know that I am fortunate and I never want to take that for granted.
15. Today I am thankful for modern medicine. I am thankful for specialists and doctors who spend years of their lives preparing to save people’s lives and help them get well. I am thankful for Dr. Jane Reed who diagnosed me at 9 weeks as a high risk, MOMO twin pregnancy. I am thankful for Dr. Moise and Dr. Johnson our MFE specialists that watched over my babies my whole pregnancy. I am thankful for the fabulous nurses that took care of me for 47 days while I waited for my babies to grow as big as they could inside of me. They became some of my closest friends during that time of my life. I’m thankful for the group of doctors who met about our case weekly and daily, near the end, to ensure the safe delivery of my girls. I’m thankful for the nurse on call the night that things went south and thankful for the doctor and resident who safely brought my two jewels into this world on this day 4 years ago. I know a huge hole would have been left in my heart had things not worked out the way they did. I am blessed daily for their two smiling faces and the joy they bring to our family. I am thankful for the support, before, during and after our hospital stay. For the prayers, the food, the people who came to help feed, those that got flu shots for the first time in their lives so they could be around us. We could not have made it through those times without you all. And most of all I’m so thankful to God for hearing our prayers and giving us the end result that we so desperately prayed for.
Happy 4th Birthday baby girls!
14. I am thankful for my children’s teachers and nursery workers . It is such a comfort to know they are being taught the things of God, loved and cared for and I can rest knowing that my children are safe and secure and in a wonderful place.
12. I’m very thankful for my husband’s job. It allows us to live comfortably, provides our needs, allows me to stay at home with our girls and work only because I want to and gives him freedom to be a part of our lives more than most. He gets to come home for lunch every day. Help out at home in a pinch or if I’m sick. We get to swing by and see him every day on the way home from school and this year it has allowed him to take Hayden to school every day. 13. Thankful for this year. I feel like it has been a year of growth and understanding. Sometimes I have not appreciated the peace that God has brought to us this year but when I stand back and look at the year as a whole it has been great for our family. I’ve learned so much about myself and my relationship with my husband and God has changed and matured in many ways.
11. Today I am thankful for my home. For the comforts it gives us. We are so fortunate and I never want to take that for granted. I have a sign that I sell in my shop that says “A house is made of bricks and stone, but only love can make a home.” So true.
8. My health and the ability to function mentally and physically. May i never take these for granted and may i use my body to fulfill God’s plan for me and treat it as His temple.
9. For my heritage. My parents and grandparents and in laws. As I was growing up I did not realize how fortunate and blessed I was to have both sets of my grandparents, still living and still married to their original spouses. My parents and BJ’s parents are the same way. Now that I am married, I realize what a sacrifice and choice and commitment it is. I am so blessed to come from a family who has laid the foundation for successful marriage. I am also blessed to have married into the most amazing family. Who welcomed me in as a daughter. Who raised their son to be a Godly husband and father. I am so so grateful for this heritage.
10. My friends. I never had a sister. My brother was and is still an amazing sibling and I love him dearly, but God has allowed some amazing girls/women to come into my life and fill that “sister” slot for me. I am so thankful for them. They can see through my “fakeness” if I’m being fake, they can see when I’m hurting, even when I put on a good front, they love my children like they are their own and they keep me sane and grounded when things seem insane and disheveled. They give me encouragement when I am at a loss. They pray for me, when God directs. They are truly sent from God to be in my life and I am so thankful that our paths crossed when they did and have continued to intertwine through the years.
hardy har-har…I know. I’m a goof. No need to reiterate the already-known.
So my hair. Its one of those things that is an ongoing work in progress it seems with me. I feel like me and my hair, we have this love hate relationship going on. I’m constantly saying I want to grow it out, then I keep chopping it because it gives me a fabulous hair day here and there. And who wants to go through the dreaded awkward phase of the grow-out.
Plus, I just can’t bear the thought of going back to plain ole straight, long, thick, sweltering-in-the summer heat, locks. I can’t even picture my hair long anymore. I feel like my short hair is more Me.
In my head, when I imagine my hair long, it is lovely and beautiful and soft and shiny. If I could get mine to curl softly into wavy locks, I would wear it long every day. But you see, I fix my hair about 2 days a week. Thursday and Sunday. Friday nights too if I have a hot date with my main squeeze. But then the days in between it gets pretty crazy.
So my dilemma is, if I grow it out, the 5 days a week I don’t fix it, I know from experience, I will throw it in a ponytail. So, what’s the point. I may as well continue to have short spikey, looks like its sort of styled, even when its not hair. Right??
I get asked about my hair a lot. Usually its by random strangers in Target or Kroger and it usually catches me by total surprise. It is also those days that I feel like my hair looks like I sat up in bed and just drove straight to the store, wearing my pjs and bed-hair. I have even started carrying cards in my wallet for my hair ladies. (I have three that I alternate between.)
The surprising thing is that many of them want to touch my hair. In Target. In the pet food aisle. Hmmmmm………Now this is when we go from “howdy neighbor” to CREEPER in .004 seconds. For me, asking to touch my hair is the same thing as asking a pregnant woman to rub her belly. The entire situation just spirals so quickly in the wrong direction that I have no idea what to do and am probably left standing with my eyes about to fall out of my head as I think….”No, no you can not touch my hair.” Then I simply reply…”Suuuurrrre, go ahead” and inside cringe while secretly thinking “this is the weirdest thing EVER!!!” I don’t know why people are drawn to touch people that they don’t know. It is a strange, strange thing.
The most frequent question is: What do I use on my hair? Well, today…you will know all the secrets. I am constantly on the hunt for the perfect hair product. My dream product will hold my hair up, while maintaining a soft flexible feel and leaving it healthy looking and not frizzy. So far, I have yet to find the perfect one product, but I will not give up!
Secret #1….I am naturally blonde. Yep, I sure am. Most people thought that when my hair was dark that it was my natural hair color. Probably attributing that to the fact that both of my parents hair is very dark. But nope. I was a white-blonde little girl for years and slowly it darkened to a more strawberry/dirty blonde as I got older. I started highlighting my hair my senior year of highschool and got new highlights about once a year thereafter until Nov. 2009 when I went WAY white blonde all over color! It was fun. I liked the change. Then I gradually warmed up the blonde and then went dark last fall.
After I get out of the shower I throw in a John Frieda Mousse. Then I dry it and add a touch of Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum. I use the flat iron to style it and then finish it out with Rebel from Visible Changes. Sometimes I use Tea Tree Shaping creme if I am out of Rebel. Then I add hair spray for hold.
Secrets out of the bag now.
4. My children
Hayden, Preslyn and Ella
You have shown me just a glimpse of how God loves me. I never knew I could love three little people so much
5. My business
Lindentree Boutique
The little business that could. This business showed me so many things about myself that I never knew. It gave me courage, inspiration, and drive.
6. My church
Family Faith Willis and the extending campuses Coldspring and Huntsville. The church body swept us in like a true family and we haven’t been the same since. It is amazing to see the things God has done in one year for our family and we love serving and living life with all of you FFC’ers!
7. Mexican food. Enough said. I LOVE IT!
This is my norm 