My boys

My boys are full of surprises. Today, Will came home with $100 bill from sell some rocks or rather loaning them out until he is 12 and Christopher brought a not home from Riley reminding him to ask if he couple come over. My two keep me on my toes. Will spent last weekend in Jackson and enjoyed every minute with Papa he got. He looks up to his Papa. 

November already

So here's to being a mom fail....I neglected to capture any photos on Halloween....eeek!  I came ho,e the week of Halloween and my sweet neighbor had decorated my door for me. We had a nice Halloween evening, although it was a Monday. We enjoy being together. 

Fall Break

Fall break is a favorite in our home because we're all together. This year, we decided to hang out at home. Saturday, we did a few things around the house, such as hand pictures and paint the front door. I've been asking for over a year to have the door painted and Jake finally did it. Sunday after church, we ride up to Paris, TN to visit Sandra. We were fortunate that mom was also there. Mom is really good about trying to see us when she can and I love that about her.  She definitely cherishes her grand babies. After having lunch together Monday, we decided to go to the Tennessee Safari Park in Alamo on our way home. It was better than we anticipated. The kids loved it. There were crazy ostriches who would run beside the car trying to get food. A bison fought Jake for the food bucket, the car has lick marks on it, and we have to vacuum the car because the critters spilt food in it but we had several laughs together those few hours. It was an experience I hope we look back on and laugh at for years to come. Our little break is off to a good start with a relaxing week ahead and we will end the week going to mom and dads for a hayride. 

My peace I leave you

 This morning I awoke about 6:40 from a peaceful dream about my papaw. In my dream, he had passed and we were attending a service in his remembrance. There were several men in suits against a wall with the family in another area at about a 90 degree angle from the men. After the service a man approached Papaw who was standing in a suit and said he was a good man. I believe it was probably Papaw's spirit because his body was in the casket. I then walked over to him and he embraced me. Next he reached his hands towards mine. I remember being a little reluctant because he was dead but we grasped hands. His hands were firm but chilly. He said "Nae, be happy" and then as we held hands he began to ascend upwards. While I know it was just a dream, his hands felt so real. When I awoke, I shed a few tears, as I felt I had been with him even for but a moment. Maybe, just maybe, the veil is thinner or closer than we realize, and so are our loved ones. After I awoken and thought about how real it all seemed, I pondered the possibility that maybe it was a tender mercy from my Heavenly Father and Papaw. Hastily, I tried to fall back asleep for a repeat or continuation but it did not happen. Nonetheless, I am thankful for the brief moment that I felt close to him again and the message whether in my head or not to encourage me to go on with life and love it.  

Remembering 9/11/01

We may not be a perfect nation but we are a young, good nation. "Honoring the flag does not imply that the republic for which it stands is perfect. Far from it, honoring the flag is our collective commitment that we will constantly attempt to get better as a nation, to improve as a people, and to use the freedoms we have bene given the make the earth a better place.....The nation and everything it strives for is embodied in the American flag. We strive to be more inclusive. We strive to be more understanding. We strive to fix the problems that plague our society." I LOVE AMERICA and everything our flag strives to represent. May we never forget to be unified and not let our differences define us.

Today will also be a new journey for our family. I have been called to serve in the Memphis North Stake Young Women's presidency. It'll be a learning experience for sure but I will serve wherever the lord sees fit to me.