"Bloom where you are planted"

Or is the phrase "Grow where you are planted"? I don't know but this little phrase sure helped me out when I was in one my most discontented states. I first pondered this quote 3 years ago when I went on my first women's retreat with South Main Street Baptist Church. I was struggling at this time with moving to Greenwood and being a stay-at-home "single" mother. It was Joey's intern year and Bethany and I spent most of out time without our man. Greenwood didn't have much for me to do and I terribly missed working as an HIV case manager and my co-workers that had become great friends. I was just kind of unhappy. But once our speaker Ruth McWhite started to share about a season in her life where she felt this way she quoted this little saying and told how it really made a difference in her life. I started thinking about that and it hit me that I was only going to grow more miserable if I continued this state-of-mind. It's funny how easily your outlook on life can change by just being more positive.

I thought of that season of my life today as I was harvesting our first crops out of the garden. Only weeks ago we planted little seeds that needed sunlight, water, and nutrients. We took special care during this time to water and feed them so they would grow and bear fruit. It's such a wonderful analogy of us. At the beginning of our relationship with God we need spiritual food and nutrients. We need our roots to grow deep so that when the drought of life hits are roots are deeply planted and we can still bear fruit.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and i in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

John 15:5

Monty watching me harvest my veggies! Last year he got into the little fence around the garden and ate much of our veggies. He also ate several cantaloupe that had vined outside of the fence.

Note all of Bethany's plastic eggs that he has chewed!

Our Garden!

We have squash, zucchini, cantaloupe, okra, tomato,red and green peppers and lettuce.

Me with my 2 squash and zucchini! Can't wait to cook those things up...yum!

Liddy Lou

Can you believe it's already been 3 months since Liddy-Lou-Who was born? She's laying next to me right now as I'm typing and giving me her best toothless grin. What a joy she's turning into! To recap on the last 13 weeks, she was quite the handful until about 6 weeks old. At that point she started to settle in and didn't have anymore inconsolable "spells" as my grandmother would put it. She discontinued her acid reflux medication during her second month and has done great without it.

Liddy, at 3 months you are doing well. You will now sleep 8-10 hrs at night. We give you one last "dream feed" around 10PM and don't wake you and you will sleep until 6:30am-7:30am. You take 3 naps a day and your daytime sleep totals 5.5-6 hrs of sleep. You eat 5.5-6.5 oz of milk six times a day! I have to use two bibs at each feeding because you are so messy! You have out grown much of you sister's baby cloths and I'm afraid you will catch up with her at some point.

You love to talk to your mom and dad and will babble at us when we speak to you. You also try and laugh out loud but right now you make a loud sucking in sound that scares your cat, Cruz:) You bat at your toys and can even grasp things and hold them in your hand. For the past 2 weeks you have been fascinated with your hands and concentrate very hard to get them in your mouth. Most of the time you end up crying because you can't quite get the hang of it.

Your big sister is taking more of an interest in you and you now give her big smiles and watch her as she plays. This has helped to make her feel special and to like being around you more:) Way to go Lydia! I remind Bethany that one day you and her will be best friends.

I enjoy you more with each day and count my blessings because I am able to stay at home with you and your sister every day and watch you grow and learn. Know that I daily ask God for wisdom on how to raise you girls and prepare you to be Godly women.

You were 3 months old this week and you have gotten very big.

As you can see, it's hard for me to get a good picture of you and your sister. I hardly have ANY picture of the two of you and it's been 3 months!

You and Brice have become friends. Your sister is best friends with Brice's big brother, Lucas!

You will only sit in your bumbo for short amounts of time or you end up like this!

On Mother's Day you were dedicated at Church. The pastor prayed for you and gave you letter that you are to open when you are 12 yrs old. The Church members also recited a prayer and pledged to help you grow into a spiritually strong person. Your friend Brantley Carter and Kaleb Sperry were dedicated with you.

Mommy felt very blessed on Mother's Day to have such a wonderful family.

I might be the luckiest woman in the world....

How far is Heaven???

Bethany and I singing Father Abraham.....

Me: I use to sing this song when I was a little girl

Bethany: With your mommy?

Me: Yes, me and my mommy would sing that song. I miss my mommy...

Bethany: (Big smile like she just thought of something really good) You can see your mommy when you get to heaven!

Me: (Tears) Yes, I'll get to see my mommy when I get to heaven.

Bethany: I'll get to see her, too, when I go to heaven. And daddy and Lydia will go to.


This was just what I needed to be reminded of today of all days and it's a bonus God delivered his comfort through the mouth of my 3 year old daughter! My sweet Nanny passed away early this morning and her journey to heaven these last few weeks have taken me back to my mom when she was near the end. So, I've had a couple of rough days watching Nanny grow sicker and taking me back to those awful weeks before my mom passed. I couldn't help but be happy for Nanny. She was a Christian and I have no doubt she stepped through the gates of glory. I wondered what she would see first and who would be their to usher her in. I thought of all the people that have preceded her and knew my mom would be there waiting to give her a big hug. Life is so fleeting and time passes by more quickly each day. I pray that I don't take this life for granted and each day is lived bringing others closer to the Creator of it all.

Bethany and Nanny at Thanksgiving Dinner 2009



Nanny meeting and holding Lydia for the first time. I'm so grateful she was able to meet Lydia and see Bethany one last time. What a blessing.

" Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish ore defect.

He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God."

1 Peter 1:17-21