I'm really loving that the diehard mania of Alabama football is untouched by the ravishing devastation that the April 27th tornado left behind. I can only imagine how loud Bryant-Denny Stadium will be when the Tide takes the field on Saturday. And you can bet that our opponents will be welcomed with gratitude and appreciation. Kent State football players have spent time in Tuscaloosa helping with the continuous relief efforts and assisting Alabama players in rebuilding homes that were taken in the toll of April's fury.
Can I get a ROLL TIDE to that, y'all?
I'm loving this book. It is a perfect mixture of poetry, stories, practical tips, and Bible-centered theology. A woman that inhibits the character and traits of the Proverbs 31 woman is what I strive to be. This book is specifically written for girls my age and I get a lot out of it. Navigating the highs and lows of life as a twenty-something can be cruel, but I have found it to be much more blissful as I grow and change from the girl I used to be to the woman God made me to be. I definitely recommend this book to all my God-lovin' Bible-believin' blog friends!
I'm lovin' how perfect my nephew is. I am hating that I am so far away from him, though. I get to see him this weekend for Labor Day and I cannot wait.
I need to go get all these digital photos printed out. My Sissy got me way too cute of a brag book not to!
I'm totally lovin' it!
I'm lovin' my Clinique products that have made my face go from super-duper dry to normal. Yes, even in this brutal FL humidity I have some pretty dried out skin. Don't know why... just is.
I think it is funny how I used Clinique when I first starting using cosmetic products and aesthetic treatments. Then, I went running around like a chicken with my head cut off to find the new, better, trendy, and most talked about product. Eventually, I quit trying to be fancy about it and returned to a line of facial cleansers, moisturizers, and special treatments that actually work.
What products do you use?
I'm lovin'that as much as I am on the road rockin' my gypsy soul, I have a cute little gypsy dog to roadtrip with me!
I'm lovin' this peace sign mold!
I have been hunting this down for a long time now.
Sheldon & I found it at a HomeGoods in Charlotte.
I felt like I won the jackpot! I even called my mom & snapped a photo right there in the store... finding this thing was a feat & Mom and I had both felt defeated ever since our search for the peace sign began - ha!
(and since Sheldon insisted on buying it for me, I guess I did win the jackpot when it comes to a boyfriend who adores me!)
Victory, at last!
I'm lovin' how FULL OF JOY I am these days. The Lord is good.
The ordering & personalization process was so simple and it shipped to me in an incredibly timely fashion. They also have other fun stuff to personalize on their site!
I just got back from Charlotte where I was celebrating my birthday weekend with Sheldon.
We had a laid-back weekend that was so relaxing, even though time seemed to fly by!
I got there Thursday night so that I could outrun Hurricane Irene up Interstate 95. We hung out, played with Millie (I brought the pup along this time) and watched TV - those little simple things that mean the most!
The 3 of us (Sheldon, Millie, and I) went out on the boat Friday afternoon and splashed around Lake Norman. Millie is a big fan of swimming!
After our outdoors outing, Sheldon and I went to a nice dinner at Eez Fusion - an asian inspired restaurant. We had a great time on our date! It was the best birthday date I have ever been on!
On Saturday, we went out on his best friend's pontoon boat with some other friends of his and pontooned around Lake Norman. I got some good sun and had a fun-filled birthday afternoon. That night, we picked up an appetizer, chicken wings, and wine and watched funny movies. I could NOT have asked for a more kick-ass birthday evening.
Sunday was spent piddlin' around Mooresville and Davidson. Sheldon took me to a record store and let me pick out some vinyl records. This was a whole new experience for him and I couldn't hide the grin I had on my face as I watched him watch me flip through all these records. We walked away with: Janis Joplin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band, Tom Petty, and The Rolling Stones.
I pretty much freaked out when I found both the Janis and Rolling Stones vinyls. I have looked all over for both of them. I am glad to finally have them in my collection!
Later Sunday evening, we went to his family's house where they had a birthday dinner to celebrate his mom & I's birthday. (Hers is the 30th and mine was the 27th)
I am so fortunate for the relationship that I have with Sheldon's family. I have a special bond with even his grandparents and cousins. I love that the many years of friendship is what built such a wonderful relationship and what welcomed me into the family so long ago.
(Cole, Sheldon & Jacob playing frisbee with Millie Jean)
(Sheldon's older brother, Cole & I. Cole grew up with my brother-in-law, Tyler, back when their family lived in FL) I love how we are all still great friends! And now even moreso!
Knowing that we have two families who are excited for us & who pray over us makes this serendipitous journey such an amazing experience. I am truly, truly blessed beyond measure!
Oh my goodness, it feels good to be posting again. I'm sure I seemed like a lost cause of a Blogger while I was away for almost 3 weeks but I have been on the go and out of town for two solid weeks. I guess you can say there is a lot to catch up on but I'll try to make this update as short and sweet as possible. Yeah, right.
I promise I'll try.
I went to Charlotte for the first week of my two week hiatus from normal life. I have been blessed with a pretty awesome relationship, as of late and I was there visiting Sheldon. He is a friend from way back in the day that I have always had a great relationship with. He moved away to Charlotte about a year after we met in middle school but we remained close friends throughout all the years. His family's visits back home to Orlando allowed for a steady friendship and a memorable past filled with stories that no other group of friends could ever hold a candle to. These friends were special... and the tragic loss of one of them brought us all back together a few weeks ago. In spite of the unfortunate circumstances, the one we lost too soon was the one who finally had it his way - Greg brought Sheldon and I together in a relationship kind of way while we were back in the same place at the same time. Life does that. Crazy beautiful...
So I spent a solid week of happiness with my best friend who I have a newfound love for. I am the happiest girl in the world.
On top of all that serendipity, I witnessed the most amazing miracle a week ago today. My sister and Tyler brought the most beautiful baby boy I have ever seen into the world and into our family on August 16, 2011. Grayson Coleman Little weighed 7lb. 9oz. and was 19.5in long. At first sight, I was absolutely in love with everything about him. I may or may not be boo-whooing right now. But seriously, I have never seen anything so amazing in my entire life. I can only imagine what it will be like through the eyes of Ashley - looking at you and your soulmate's perfect creation. I am so proud of them... I have utmost respect and admiration for them as a couple and now, a family. They are true children of God and now they are parents and are experiencing the kind of love that God has for us as they look at their own child. I am just in heaven as I watch my sister become this amazing mother. I never doubted her, she pretty much did the job as my second mother my whole life so she ought to have it down pat. ;)
I just love my new role as an "Aunt"... I am was the baby of the family so I never knew what it was like to have a little brother or sister. Being an older sibling just wasn't in the hand I was dealt. I was the younger sibling. I dreamed of this time in my life for so long... when I would have a special bond with my older sister's child... the way she had an incredible love and special bond with me as her little sister. I couldn't wait until the day I was to be able to begin watching a new member of my family grow up. I was jealous of friends that had younger siblings that they were able to witness this miracle with. My miracle came and I can't explain the love I have for him. It is life-changing, to say the least.
Check out Sissy's blog and get all the baby talk from her. She's got the cutest baby in the world who has the most precious baby nursery I've ever seen and the most amazing, Godly parents in the entire world. Grayson is so blessed and they are so blessed because of him. I could go on and on.. I am already, aren't I?
Tell me what y'all have been up to while I've been off falling in love and becoming Aunt Sissy. Can't wait to catch up on everyone else's blogs! Sorry I've been Miss Sketchball. Love y'all lots!
I love the link-up that Jesslyn Amber is hosting on her blog.
She's one of my favorite bloggers and Twitter friends!
She's asking us what does your blog name mean or why is it your the title of your blog?
Well, mine is Picking Wildflowers because that's what this life journey of mine is all about.
I have learned to find the simple beauty in things, even when my world has gone mad.
I remember that God gave us the wildflowers and that God made me unique in His own way for a reason. I cannot make everyone understand me and my "wildflower" life, but I can be happy that some people love me for who I am. Picking Wildflowers reminds me to enjoy the little things in life, and to be who I am and not who I am not.
Picking Wildflowers is my way to embrace uniqueness and treasure God's gifts.
Plus, I'll take a bundle of wildflowers over a bouquet of roses ANYDAY!
There's no quick way to explain everything that has been going on here lately. Actually, I've given an attempt at an "update" post already but I ended up rambling, crying, and becoming so tired I couldn't even read it to see if it made enough sense to publish. Nonetheless, it was way too long and it was my vent session that had all the little tiny details about everything. I remember typing pretty fiercely, and that always means I'm really getting it off my chest. As fast as my mind races... and as many places it goes in one deep thought process... my hands cannot keep up with what I have to say.
Anyway, I cannot make total sense of everything anyway so I'm just going to catch things up on what has happened. My previous posts mentioned I had been out of town a lot in the month of July. Every weekend, actually. So on top of just being overwhelmed with life, I was also in vacation, weekend getaway, and family obligation mode. As we all should be aware, there are lots of things that come before blogging.
On top of a busy and exhausting month, the life Baily does like it always does and threw me a curveball. Then another. And another. And then another. Life unexpected happened and big lessons were put before me to learn.
I have made myself proud this time around, though. I have not sunk into a hiding place where I just prevent myself from experiencing any happiness and joy for the sake of avoiding another something to jump up and bite me in the you know what. I have applied the hard blows I took in my past, I remembered the pain of my past experiences with the life unexpected, but this time I did not allow myself to be engulfed by it.
My HS soccer coach committed suicide, my elderly Uncle Fred passed away at the same time my Papaw was in the hospital with heartrate/blood-pressure problems and having a Pacemaker put in, and a dear and special and one-of-a-kind friend died in his sleep at the age of 25.
Do you want to know what will make a person go crazy? Asking why! Why no one knew Coach Barnett was at a level of such deep depression. Hell, especially me. I am full of memories of his good advice and lessons in life that only a "coach" can brings to the life of a young person, especially when they share a special bond like he and I did. I would have had no shame in telling him my story and sharing my past experiences with depression and darkness and been a "coach" to him. But I never got the chance. I cannot dwell on why.
Why was it easier to handle the death of my great-uncle than any of the others? Because in his last days he told his family of his love for them and was at peace in knowing the misery would be over and a perfect eternity awaited him. He was prepared for his homecoming. Therefore, we were ready for it, though it hurt to lose a good soul who was loving and dearly loved.
Why did someone as special as Greg Gonzales... "Chevy" as we called him... never hear his alarm waking him up because he passed away in his mid-sleep at the ripe age of 25? Why Chevy? Why was I reminded not to take life for granted in hospital room with my grandfather that very weekend that a young life was taken from the earth at an age we feel is too soon.
As I lay in bed thanking God for not having a worse situation with my Papaw like I know so many others have had to experience, a friend that I planned to make a lifetime of memories with was suffering an aortic aneurism in his heart. God called him home. You cannot explain the why's of things. I have learned this through the life-journey I have come to know... the crazy/beautiful life I lead.
Do you know how I have made myself proud during this time of sorrow and tragedy? First, I had to go through the crappy times in life a few times previously and learn the difference in how I handled the blows and figuring out which one worked and which one didn't.
I have spent this time of mourning with my eyes open to the light of God and I have put my complete trust in Him. At other times I have instead stood with my eyes closed making situations even darker than needed. My sight was in the worldly things which kept my eyes off the only light that could get me through to sunnier days. When I have attempted to handle tribulation on my own, things went from bad to worse to miserable to completely lost. When I have allowed God to handle it, which my roots and core values know to do - I am able to experience joy even when at the same time hurting over loss.
That is what I have been doing rather than blogging. I have been in mourning but it's been more in celebration of the lives that were lived by faith and not stuck in a place where I just dwell, and dwell, and dwell some more.
I have been with friends who were brought back together through tragedy. I have been in reverent prayer and devotional time with the Lord as He has revealed Himself to me in so many ways and I have been able to have the strength and wisdom to carry on because I know all things are possible with the Lord. That wisdom came from experience, trial and error, and witnessing an overwhelming presence of God in every circumstance - good, bad, big, and little.
I am sad, but strong. I am not mad at God, but trusting in His work. I do not understand the ways of it all, but I am not God and therefore I only can understand what my human mind is made capable of understanding. I want to ask "why" and it pops into my head at constant but I answer myself with the only vague answer there is - "Because God has a plan and a reason and purpose for everything." I just use the ability He did give us to believe and have faith, instead of letting my little tiny brain try to put a physics equation together to make sense of something that we aren't supposed to make sense of.
It will be hard not having Chevy around, it will be hard to visit family reunions and know Uncle Fred and other elder members of the family have passed away, and it is a bummer that I was not able to be a testimony to my coach who I respected and admired and would do anything for -- especially be that living testament that depression can be beat and so can anything else as long as God is the one we put our trust in.
I said I was going to keep it short but we all know that I do that a lot and it does not happen. I just use this blog to vent, share what is happening in my life and maybe it inspires yours or helps you in some way and maybe it doesn't, and I have no format or rule and regulation to it.
I do hope one day I am able to comprehend the powerful things that are happening in my life so that I can put them on paper and maybe give hope to others while giving the glory to God.
I know that is what those that I have lost all at once here recently would want me to do. Be myself and do my thing. Plus, the loss of people often bring comradery and comradery with people like the ones that "Chevy" brought back together has been the biggest blessing in giving me the opportunity to feel like my whole, true self again.
The beautiful in the crazy. The balance of life that comes from looking at the glass half-full and with the Lord by your side. I wish everyone could see life that way, even if it means they have to learn the hard way like I did. It is worth it.
peace and love
baily
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord IS your life.
