5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?

1. My Faith

That one seems like a given since joy and happiness can only truly come from faith, but some people pass through life with a false sense of happiness. Real happiness is found in Christ and a relationship with Him.

2. My Relationship with David

We don't have a perfect relationship, but it is a really good one. The more relationships that I see falling apart around us, the more thankful I am for him.

3. My Friends and Family

I have some of the best and am very thankful for each of them. Life would be so boring without friends and family!

4. The Possibility of New Things in the Near Future

Details later?!?
**And just to stop the rumors before they start (again)...no I am NOT having a baby! I know that is the conclusion that EVERYONE loves to jump to with me!**

5. Warm Weather

I know we haven't had a bad winter this year, but I really dislike the winter time. It is cold and depressing, and warm weather just seems to put everyone in a better mood. I love the new growth of spring and the happiness that it brings.

My FAVORITE Father in Law

Father in Law:

the father of one's husband or wife

Today is a day of celebrating the birth of my dear Father in Law. On this day LONG, LONG ago Cleon birthed into the world our precious Bennie...and since that day the world has never been the same!!

For years he has introduced me as his FAVORITE Daughter in Law. Now, before you get all mushy and think how sweet this is...it is, in fact sweet, but less sweet when you realize that I am his ONLY Daughter in Law, and unless I die and David remarries, I will be the only one he ever has!! This has become our running joke...I am his favorite and he is mine!

So, to  my FAVORITE Father in Law, I wish you a super happy birthday!! We love you lots and lots and lots!!

4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.

1. Driving isn’t near as exciting as you think it is; it really does get old.
2. Pay attention to your dad when he shows you how to parallel park. You will need to know that one day – for real, not just for your driving test.
3. The world isn't near as black and white as you think it is.
4. College is great, but there is more to life than just a degree. Find something you love and pursue it.
5. Your parents know more than you think.
6. You aren’t near as overweight as you think you are. One day you will look back and wish you were that size again.
7. Living in Augusta is temporary.
8. Enjoy the time you have at home with your fam. It will pass too quickly.
9. Fight harder to stay in touch with your friends from the past. Yes, writing letters is a pain now, but soon there will be great technology that makes it easier. Tough it out now so you don’t spend wasted years out of touch.
10. Stop wasting your time with that boy J

3. Describe your relationship with your parents.

I'm not in a sappy mood at all today, so I'm just going to say that I have a really good relationship with both of my parents. Truthfully, I always have. Sure there have been times that we disagreed and argued even, but overall, we've always had a good relationship. If you haven't picked up on the fact that I love and respect my family, then you should read my blog more. :)

My parents laid out a wonderful foundation for myself and my siblings. They have loved us unconditionally. They have showed us a great picture of a godly man, woman, and marriage. They have supported us in all of our efforts. They have provided for us.

I would venture to say that I have always been a bit closer to my mom, but I think that is because we are a lot alike. Regardless, I am very thankful for both of them and love them lots and lots and lots!!

Weekend at Mir's

Friday was Mir’s birthday. I purposely didn’t do a blog post about her then, because I knew that I was going to her house for the weekend. I wanted to wait and share our adventures. Unfortunately, there are no pics to memorialize our time together, but that’s ok.

I decided, pretty last minute, to head up to Raleigh for the weekend since Mike would be gone on Mir’s birthday this year. I sure hated to think that she would party alone, and let’s be honest, who better to party with than ME (if it can’t be your husband!)?!

She spent Friday morning having a leisurely late breakfast with our aunt and uncle. I got there about dinner time, and we headed out to Brixx Pizza. It was so nice to be able to sit outside and enjoy our dinner. {I am LOVING this weather!!} Might I suggest the Rustica pizza if you are every at Brixx?! It was YUMMY!! Mir had gotten a coupon for a free cup of yogurt at Yogurt Mountain. We sure hated to let it go to waste, so off to Yogurt Mountain we went! Again, we were able to sit outside and enjoy our ice cream and a nice long chat. We decided to head on back to the house and chill since we were going to have an early (well, early for a Saturday) morning. We got home just in time to see the end of the Duke game – WOW!! Was everyone else as shocked as we were?!?

Saturday morning we got up early-ish, packed up, and headed to Mike’s parents’ lake house for the night. We got there just in time to unpack and enjoy our lunch out on the deck. We were able to catch a few rays before the clouds rolled in. It was so nice to be out in the sun, chatting and doing some reading. When the dark clouds moved in, we went back up to the house for some homemade BBQ pizza and a movie. We had rented J.Edgar on the way out of town. Don’t know how many of you have seen it, but it was pretty good. I will say there was some history about him that I learned from that movie that never made it into the history books I studied. I won’t ruin it for you in case you haven’t seen it, but I’ll definitely say I was surprised!

Unfortunately, I started feeling pretty puny Saturday night, and it carried over into Sunday. I know I wasn’t much fun on Sunday, and that makes me sad. I wish we could have done more fun stuff before I headed back home, but I wasn’t feeling up to it.

It was so nice to be able to spend some time together. I am thankful that both of my sisters are close enough to visit for the weekend.

 Mir and I in Cancun.

All three of us sisters. Yes, Mir is the OLDEST!!

2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.

I don’t typically think of myself as a fearful person. I like to try new things. I like to experience new adventures. I try to have faith that God is in control and try not think about all the bad things that can happen. I really believe that fear can paralyze people and hold them back, so I don’t want to be one of those people. I guess, like everyone though, I do have some fears.

1. I am afraid of bees. I don’t know exactly why. I don’t recall having been stung by bees a lot when I was a child. Truthfully, I don’t really recall ever being stung by a bee. I do know that the part in My Girl when Thomas J gets stung by all those bees and dies always upsets me. I don’t know if that has anything to do with anything, but maybe so.

2. Although I don’t ever talk about it, I (along with every other wife of a law enforcement officer) have a fear of something happening to David (or Stryker) while they are working. I don’t like to talk about that, and I’m pretty sure it is self-explanatory, so that’s that.

3. I also have a fear of getting to the end of life and looking back with regret. I don’t want that to happen. I want to think that everyone I love will know how much I love them. I want to have taken every opportunity that was given to me. I want to have made impacts on people’s lives for better. I’m sure everyone has some regrets, but I want to mostly be proud of my life not regretful.

So, there you have it. That’s 3 of my fears. What about y’all. I’d love to know some things that make others fearful – dumb or serious.

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.

1. I love music, but can't play any instruments and can't sing very well.
2. I have one flat foot and one arched foot.
3. I have lived in 4 states.
4. I have almost always had friends that were older than me.
5. I have one tiny eye.
6. I have a CWP.
7. I want to sky dive at some point in my life.
8. I still have a ribby.
9. I crack my knuckles even though I've always heard that you shouldn't.
10. I HATE glitter!!
11. I have never dyed my hair (some call that having virgin hair).
12. I love to try new things.
13. I am quite clumsy.
14. I hate feet - and pedicures.
15. I almost drowned in the toilet when I was little.
16. Texas is the farthest west I have ever been in the US.
17. I am a list maker.
18. I play with my hair (more than I even realize that I do).
19. I don't like sweet tea even though I have tried to all my life.
20. I re-pierced my ears myself before my sister's wedding so I could wear earrings like everyone else.