Highway 78

Aaron and I are packing our bags again today to make the long drive south on Highway 78 towards home. The drive is long, and very DARK at night. We are always so thankful when we finally make it to our destination. This weekend that is to my mom and dad's house to celebrate my birthday! Last weekend, Aaron and I were with his family. They are so sweet. They celebrated my birthday there, too! MIL made me delicious Southern Beef Stew, YUM! A personalized "L" shaped birthday cake and that's all I didn't have anymore sweets that night and S'mores by a fire later in the evening. I have been dying to have S'mores ALL winter. I had two then thought I was going to be sick. Don't you love that feeling?

 I've gotten 22 out of 28 things for my 28th year. The closer I get to 28 the harder it becomes. This is not to say there aren't a million things I should and need to do to better myself spiritually. It's sort of challenging to sit down and list them all out. I will keep thinking.

Tomorrow morning my mom and I are headed to the local cupcakery to pick out my birthday cup cakes! I expect them to be very delicious! Think "GiGi's Cupcakes"! Thanks, mom! Tomorrow is going to be sort of my last hoorah in the sweets/dessert department. I have really been thinking about how I gave up Dr. Peppers and all other soft drinks. I can most certainly give up sweets and desserts. I won't completely eliminate refined sugar out of my diet completely, at least not right now. However, I know doing so would really put me over the edge in my weight-loss journey. When I work out consistently during the week and eat well and eat enough, I feel really good and the number on the scale even goes down. BUT my middle area just isn't changing much. Hello, sugar! Doesn't sugar cause you to gain/keep weight in your abdomen?

Daddy is grilling pork chops for me tomorrow! I LOVE when he grills pork chops. He said he special ordered some thick cut chops from the butcher. He's such a sweetie pie.

Well anyway, tomorrow I am going to enjoy that those cupcakes, and probably a waffle at Waffle House in the morning. After that, game over. If you see me at the next bridal/baby shower/birthday party and my eye is twitching or I run and hide while I hyper-ventilate, it will be because I'm trying to say NO to all those goodies luring me to them. Ha, as if they have some sort of super powers...

Sunday, Aaron and I have our second job try-out. We are excited and thankful to God for the opportunity. In our minds we think we know how we would like our future to look. Ultimately, God knows what is best for us and where we will be the most effective. I am so thankful for THAT!

Have a blessed weekend "all" you readers! Seriously, the fact that anyone reads what I have to say makes me all giddy inside!

Leading Up to the List

I just want to cry when I think about the past 27 years of my life. Happy tears, of course! When I try to think back and figure out how I got where I am today, I can only think about my God and His wonderful, merciful grace and love. My life has been relatively easy and carefree. God blessed me with a mother and a father who provided my every need and beyond while under their roof.

Sure my little 9-year-old world was rocked when my family moved from Illinois to Alabama. We moved from an awesome house to an even better one. For many years I enjoyed great friendships in two places. I was able to be near my maternal grandparents.

My teeth are straight. I had a car to drive the day I turned 16. I never remember being behind on the clothing trends at the time, although I am now. Ha ha! I had a cell phone like everyone else. Besides all this my parents loved me daily and supported and encouraged me. (They still do!) They taught me right from wrong. They have shown me what real love and dedication is in marriage. So have my grandparents. Even today I know my parents would do anything for me and my husband. It's a shame that when we are younger we don't really want to be friends with our parents and we think they are so "obnoxious". The older I get the more and more I want to be around them and ENJOY it.

Now, in my adult years, in marriage, God's blessed me with a second family to call my own. I have the greatest family-in-law anyone could have. I pray all married people could have in-laws like me. The greatest blessing of all is to share in the fellowship of Christ with your physical family. My husband's family is amazing. They support us and love us. They care for our spiritual well-being. They are simply fun to be around, too! Oh, and they gave me my sweet Aaron. :)

How did I get the husband I have? It's a wonder. It's hard to wrap my mind around God's providence, but I know it's real. If I never moved to AL, if I never dated that one guy, if I never obeyed the gospel, if I never dumped (or got dumped by, I can't remember) that one guy... well you get the picture. Now thanks to my awesome husband and his desire to serve God we are at MSOP and I've experienced some of the deepest, most genuine friendships I've ever had.

All these things are just the tip of the ice-berg in the "ways God has blessed me" department. It would take me days and days and a reallllly long blog post to list every way God has blessed me. On the other hand, how long would it take me to list the ways I have returned the favor? Not that God is counting every good thing I do, He certainly knows and it is important to Him for my salvation. This brings me to my "28 things for my 28th year". I want this list to be spiritually focused. I want to make my 28th year my best one yet in my Christian life. I want to bring as much glory to God as possible. Now that I am to this point in this post I realize it is getting a little long. Stay-tuned for the complete list: 28 things for my 28th year. Hopefully I'll have it up by my actual birthday on Saturday. I have 10 so far. 18 to go. There is a lot I can do for God and others so I'll have no problem completely this list.

Thanks for reading.