I love Facebook. It is one the biggest wastes of time I have.

Yesterday I found my first friend in first grade! I was so excited, so I sent her a message asking if she indeed was the person I was thinking of. She sent a message back saying yes she was, and was I the one that was so good in math.

Well, no. I wasn't the one that was so good in math. Not even in first grade.

So, over the course of a couple of hours and several messages sent back and forth, she finally figured out who I was. She remembered my hair and my freckles.

I remember so much about her.

And she doesn't remember me at all.

I have said her name probably 50 times over the years, and told stories that I remember of the two of us.

And she couldn't even remember me!

It was a little sad. Disheartening.

What was worse is when I realized that people probably remember the stupid things I say or do that I can't recall at all.

And my first friend in first grade can't even remember having to tie my shoes everyday because I hadn't learned yet.

Please say you can relate!

Books and a Ballgame

Yesterday Anna and I headed north. Well a little north.

We went to Searcy to the Homeschool Convention. I just love Searcy. The people are nice, the shopping is good and eating isn't bad either. It's such a nice town!

We ate lunch with my friend Kim. Kim and I have been friends for about 8 years. She has prayed for me and seen prayers answered. I have watched her ministry grow and seen her do some great work for the kingdom of God. I love her and it was great to get to spend a little bit of time with her over a yummy chef salad at the Cookie Basket.

Then Anna and I headed to the convention. I always go to this convention with my list of books I need for the next year. And then I get there, and I see all kinds of other books and curriculum I hadn't thought of and then my mind gets so full of information it almost explodes!!

I always work the used book sale so that I can shop the sale first with the other volunteers. It is definitely worth my time to volunteer when I see the money I save by getting to shop early.

We didn't leave until about 8:30. Stephen called and he and the boys were at a Travs game in North Little Rock so Anna and I stopped there. By the time we got there it was the 6th inning. Parking was free and so was admission. A free baseball game!

We missed getting to watch the boys brush off the bases between one of the innings though. Stephen said it was funny and the boys loved getting to be on the field. They have always signed up to do the games between the innings but this is the first time they've been picked.

After the game all the kids got to run the bases. I wish I had videoed Anna. She was so cute flying around those bases in her hot pink flip-flops!

We didn't get home until about midnight. Today we have a wedding to go to and hopefully we can get to bed at a normal time tonight. I have a feeling it will be the last time until we get back from vacation.

The week we moved to this town a few people dropped by to see us in the evenings. (We love drop-in guests)

One of them was our across the street neighbor. She bought a cake and friendship.

My family fell in love with her. She has done countless good things for us. Countless.

She also cuts hair and, not to brag, but my hair looks better than ever. Thank you very much.

I got the opportunity to take her to the doctor the other day. And we had such a fun time together.

We endured a doctors office visit. Which I must say was more fun with a friend. I've never taken a friend to a doctors appointment before, but I think I will the next time. Who knew you could have such fun in the exam room!!

And then we got to have a girls lunch. Oh, I really love a girls lunch. There isn't anything quite like laughing and sharing together over salad, coke and pasta. Really. Don't you agree?

And then I took her to the Boy Scout Store. Yes, there is such a thing. One of the ladies that works there is over the top nice. It's a good thing, because when I walk in that store I lose all focus. Its as if I've walked into another world. The Boy Scouts world. I would rather walk into the Target world, or the Belk world if you know what I mean.

And then we headed home. It was such a good day with a great friend. I'm glad I got to spend my day with her.

As with anything, being a preachers wife has its ups and downs.

I have experienced some real downs recently but yesterday I experienced an up day!

For absolutely no reason except that this particular woman felt love for me, I was blessed. She loved me in spite of Me.

I fell in love with her family as soon as we moved here. I even remembered their names from the very first time we met. Which is very unusual for me. They are a sweet family full of love for the Lord, one another, and other people that God puts in their lives. I am fortunate and honored to know them. They will never know how their encouraging words, smiles, and love have often taken a cloudy day and turned it into a sunny one for me.

I know God put us together yesterday. It isn't what she did that reminded me of her sweetness as much as it was the way she did it. She was kind and sweet and full of love.

She has made me desire to be an unexpected blessing to someone today. How about you? Can you be a blessing to someone today?

This weekend I celebrated my BFF Cindy's birthday with her in Little Rock.

Her birthday was in December but this was the first time we were able to get together and spend the weekend together.

I called her husband the week of her birthday to make sure that a weekend away was ok with him. And it was. And he bought her Christmas presents accordingly. Gift cards and luggage! What a guy!!

We left Friday and met at lunch time. So we flipped a coin to decide lunch. El Chico ( a long-standing favorite of ours) or Olive Garden (where we have lunch now as grown ups.) Cindy flipped it and it landed on tails, so El Chico it was! Good stuff. And we caught up on everything that had gone on in my life since the last time we saw each other.

Then we were off to the mall. We shopped and shopped and shopped some more. We tried on clothes and laughed. It was so much fun! We bought a few things, she used a gift card or two, and then we left.

We went to the hotel, got an upgrade and enjoyed an appetizer in the lounge before we headed to Bonefish. This we also flipped for. Bonefish was tails, PF Changs was heads. Tails it was! We had an hour wait at Bonefish, so like good girls. We went shopping and found pretty much the best deals of the weekend at Belk!

Then we went to the movie, but they didn't have a 9:00 show. Crazy! So, we headed to JCPenney. Then to the hotel to watch tv and plop down on the cushiest, whitest, softest beds. It was so comfy.

We slept until 8:30! I know.

We had breakfast at Krispy Kreme. There was no need to flip a coin for this one. I have only tried their glazed and their chocolate do-nuts. But today I ventured out. I got an ice-cream filled do-nut(which is not filled with ice cream, but something like cake icing. Which is DELISH!) and a sour cream do-nut. Oh my goodness. Why have I waited so long?

We did some more shopping and buying. Old Navy, Target, Barnes & Noble. Then lunch. It really wasn't necessary that we eat lunch. We had just eaten do-nuts but we are girls and we like to eat. So, heads-Purple Cow, tails-Mimi's Cafe. Tails it was. And we were so glad. It is such a girly kind of place. We had a great waiter and took the only picture of the trip.

It was a great time. I'm so glad we got to do it.

How was your weekend?

Last night I went out with 4 other preachers wives.

It was the most fun. We laughed, were moved to tears,and just had a great time together.

I was running late yesterday. The kids and I had done school, gone grocery shopping, and had a lot of fun with the homeschool group. After putting up the groceries I had a couple of people to visit with. And that made me late to pick up my fellow PW Melissa. She thought she had gotten all dressed up for nothing, but alas I showed up and we headed off in the dark rainy night to eat with friends.

There isn't anything quite like a girls night out. My kids don't understand it, I don't think Stephen does either. But it doesn't matter, I understand it and I LOVE IT!

A sad day

Today one of my good friends is seeing her mom for the last time.

Today is the saddest day she has ever faced and she will not have her mom to share her saddness with.

Today my friend Susan is burying her mother.

Susan's mother was a ball of fun. She laughed loudly, she talked loudly and she loved Jesus loudly. I know that heaven is a louder place today because of Kay. And I'm pretty sure God is loving the loudness.

Anyone who met Kay loved Kay. She was such fun, such an encourgament to everyone she met, such a good friend, and such a good mother.

I know there will be a Kay sized hole in the lives of so many. But I also know that only God can fill that hole. I will praying for all of her family in friends. Will you too?