A Few of My Favorite Things....

Last night while I was lounging in my big, comfy, over-stuffed chair waiting on D to come home and fix my head ache (I know he isn't capable of doing that, but somehow things just seem to get better once he comes home), I was thinking. Thinking about all that has changed in the past year. Where I was a year ago this time. Where my heart was. Where my roommates were was the real question! We all got soooo busy that the boulevard just kind of became a place where we all stopped by to change clothes, catch a little shut-eye, and maybe mumble "hey i miss you" as we passed each other by. Then, July 31st came, and we all moved out. Just. Like. That.

So anyways, the point is last night, while I was cussing all this bad weather out in my head because it has overstayed its welcome and was the source of my headache, I realized how much I receive from the people I love, and even more so, directly from the Lord, since He is the giver of all things.

Companionship. Laughter. Joyful Tears. Accountability. Encouragement. Affirmation. Honesty. Heart Analyzation. Realizing What Sin Is In My Heart That Is Affecting My Relationship With The Lord. Growth. Compassion.

These are just a few things that come to mind. Today, I am thankful to You, for everything you have given me through my relationships with friends, roommates, sisters, mothers, aunts, fathers, and co-workers.

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My Boulevard Girls:
I LOVE when we used to:
1. Put pretend throw-up on Brittney's floor and pretend one of the dogs had gotten sick.
2. Do Bible studies at like 5a.m. in the morning
3. Learn how to cook together
4. Watch Grey's Anatomy together
5. Argue about who hadn't been unloading the dishwasher
6. Listen to Bon-Bon drunkly ramble about losing Maggie
7. Steal the neighbor's kittens and put them in stripped rainboots for a photo shoot
8. Dress Betsy and Lady alike when they were little girls
9. Make Scotty turn off the power to Britt's room while we squealed with excitement from Kirb's room waiting for her to come confront us!
10. Be good neighbors and call the police when strange men used to walk up in our yard at midnight and ask to use our house phone.
11. Watch Aunt Kim lay out in her driveway everyday while collecting unemployment.
12. Watch Bon Bon drive that old little car 2 driveways up to Aunt Kims for a deal to go down.
13. Doing the exercise hula-hoop
14. Having some pretty tense house meetings
15. Making Lady and Betsy "put their head down" before they got anything they wanted

My D:
I Love When You:
1. Pop my foot blisters after a long day at the gym
2. Say things like "I would love to make you coffee to help you wake up but I don't know how to work the coffee pot"
3. Build fires on cold nights while I sit in the chair with blankets whining "Ddddddddddddddddddddddd, I'mmmmmmmm ccccccccccooooooooolllllllllllddddddddd" as though you're not doing anything about it:)
3. Are a handy man and put up blinds around the house because I'm afraid someone could be peeping in on me in the dark!
4. Get up and "check" the house in such a unafraid manner when I wake you up and say that I can't sleep because I "heard something"....you're so manly
5. Come home right at 5:00 after work to take me on dates
6. Lock and dead bolt the doors when you leave in the mornings to keep my safe while I'm still asleep
7. Grill an extra hot dog for Lady
8. Kiss me goodbye every morning before you leave for work
9. EVERYTHING ELSE YOU DO, I LOVE YOU!

Mama T and Heather:
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE:
1. When yall have doctors appointments in Atlanta and we make it a girls day and go shopping:)
2. Helping/Learning how to cook with yall
3. Staying at your house when bad weather comes our way
4. The carpet in the den (take this as a warning, Mama T! I won't be a happy girl when it comes up!)
5. Taking care of our boys together, whether it be talking about having to force them to go to the doctor or buying them new shirts because we decided that it was that time.
6. Going to the beach/lake/concerts! So much fun with yall (Heather).
7. Sitting around in Dahlonega and then going downtown and buying fudge:)
8. Making Christmas plates full of goodies
9. Trying a new diet or at least talking about trying a new one every week

Mama Joan:
I LOVE THAT:
1. I can ALWAYSSS find something to laugh about when you are around...you are just toooooo stinkin' cute!
2. I can always call you and ask you a question about Jesus' life and you ALWAYS seem to know the answer! You are such a little brain!
3. You loved me enough growing up to do what was not always easy or pleasing to me, but what would develop my character and maturity.
**"Those who love their children care enough to discipline them."
Proverbs 13:24
4. We can sit and chat over coffee alllll morning long.
5. We're usually still in our pajama's at lunch time after our morning coffee:)
6. You have excellent style in decorating, and you came and stayed a week at my house helping me paint and get some decorating direction!
7. You love my husband and treat him kindly and with much respect.
8. You are so artsy and love scrapbooking (something I admire, but have not desire to do myself...maybe you'll do it for me one day? :)
9. You and Daddy are not only still married, but still in love after all these years.
10. Daddy goes to see boring plays with you.
11. You are a good hostess when we come home and have everything clean and ready for us (Thank you!)
12. You buy the whole family matching pajamas that we wear every year on Christmas Eve and take pictures together

My Sisters:
I Love That:
1. We grew up sharing rooms with each other...and 1 bathroom...it has made me very efficient at getting dressed, which my husband appreciates because I'm not one of those girls that you have to wait hours on for me to get ready
2. Yall are all another mother to me in one way or another
3. The fact that NONE OF YALL can keep a secret to save your life! If I tell one sister something, I don't even have to worry about calling the other ones and telling them, it will be taken care of for me!
4. We keep in contact with each other and leave voicemails accusing you of being shady if you don't answer your phone when we call
5. We all have the same sense of humor and can take jokes well (you must have thick skin to be a Childs girl)
6. Yall were the best wedding planners a bride could ever ask for! Each one of you were always asking me which tasks could you help with next.

All in all, the Good Lord reminded me last night of how important relationships are. All that He teaches us through them. All that He provides for us through them. They are a good thing, especially when we experience God's love, forgiveness, grace, and compassion in them. I think this is exactly what the Lord was telling us in the Bible when it says, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8). Human relationships are an important part of knowing the Lord, and they can have a deep impact on your relationship with the Lord if you allow them to. So let's get honest with each other and really learn what it means to love each other deeply. I'm up for the challenge.

I must say though, I think I like my relationship with Daniel the best...Sorry girls, I'm a little partial:) No one else would come home on their lunch break to kill a wasp in the house for me!