Year Ender...

Well, since it is 1:19am by my watch... it is now the last day of the 2010. Guess it's an appropriate time to give a little review of the year/list some goals for 2011. (that... and I'm waiting on new iPhone software to download...)

2010
I've learned a lot this year... I've also grown up a lot this year (I have even learned to separate the word a lot... because it's two words, not one!). I have been reminded many many many many times, the God is 100% in control of my life... and I'm not. And frankly, I'm much better off if I give him the keys and get in the passenger seat, but giving up control is hard some times... but I'm a better person for it. I have learned that the pain of loss does get easier most days... I don't think about missing Daddy every day, but most. I have also learned that God reveals advice through memories and on those deep valley days when I miss him so much it hurts, He lets me dream about Daddy (I'm really thankful for those days). I have learned that the sound of Savannah saying my name, and the fact that she now knows that I am "Kacey" is pure joy. I learned from those sweet babies in Guatemala that a hug and a smile can be all the comfort someone needs even when you have no clue what you are trying to say to each other. I have been reminded by the students I work with that it's always worth it to take some extra time just to sit and talk, and those are the most enjoyable moments of my time at work. I have learned that one of the most incredible blessings in life is knowing that someone is praying for you... and also the blessing of praying for others... they may not ever know it... but it brings me satisfaction knowing that I am remembeing them as I talk to the Lord. I have learned that I am ready for a relationship, but am satisfied being single if that is God's will for me. I have learned that helicopter parents are incredibly annoying, but that I need to treat them like my own b/c they are just trying to take care of their babies. I have learned that those mountaintop days may be few and far between... but to celebrate them when they happen, and be thankful that they did.

I lost another part of my heart this year with the death of Pawpaw Cole, but I saw him die, literally before my eyes in a matter of weeks and the day of his death. His death taught me what Mercy truly is. I won't let myself eat the last bag of pecans he gave me, and the last piece of gum he bought for me and my office is sitting on my computer.

I blogged a lot of thoughts and feelings this year. Often through tears I bared my soul, my fears, my frustrations, and my hopes... but I'm proud of every word, for they help me heal... help me process the things God shows me, help me to grow and be a better person. Hopefully they helped some of you along the way as well.

I have been blessed with amazing friends this year... for my friends in Birmingham, our friendships have grown, we depend on each other for fun and comfort... and that's a blessing. Thanks to Facebook I have rekindled some friendships with old high school friends and family members, and I'm so thankful to social networking for that! I am sad to say that I think some of my friendships, friends who live in other towns and cities, have grown apart... but I love those people dearly and know they feel the same... no matter how little we see or talk to each other.

I have made new memories this year... with friends, family, and students that I work with. From trips to Guatemala, PBR in New Orleans, to the Opry to see Dolly Parton... God blessed me with more opportunities to make fun memories with the people I love.

2010 has been a prosperous year for me... not materialistically... but in every other way. I have looked back at my goals for 2010 and I think I've done pretty well. I say "I Love You" more often, I learned how to make Mawmaw's pound cake, and I am trying to continually study God's word more and more...

2011
I so wonder what God has in store for this year... and I pray that I will be faithful to follow His path, wherever it may lead. For those of you in my life, in any way... I love you and am so thankful for you.

Some goals for 2011:

• put a stamp in my passport... i need to take a real vacation.
• lose some weight... I have a mental goal, but that's for me... not y'all :)
• try to visit home more often... the trips always seem so darn quick.
• learn to play guitar? (I've been thinking about this one for a while now... Daddy's guitars are never going to get played unless I marry a man who plays guitar or learn how to play it myself... we all know I'm a little to independant to wait on option 1)
• spend more time with Savannah... she knows my name... I want her to know me more.
• learn more... in general.
• read more and study more about God, who created me, you, and everything else we hold dear...
• Blog more consistently...
• Volunteer more...
• Send more cards and letters to my World Vision Sponsor Child Anjali.
• Make sure my friends and family know just how thankful I am for them...

I finished off last years New Years blog with a prayer, the Serenity Prayer... so I wanted to do something similar this year. This is a Catholic prayer I ran across a few years ago. I have shared it with my students as they are going through their unsure times of life and I think it is worthy of a read from us all.

St. Theresa's Prayer:

May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to
be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of
faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the
love thathas been given to you....

May you be content knowing you are a child of God....Let this
presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.

As we end out this year I have 2 particular prayer requests:

1. My best friend from college, his wife (who is carrying a baby), and their 1.5 year old son are moving to Costa Rica tomorrow. Chris, Carole, and Abraham will be living there for about 8 months (I think) as Carole attends language school. After Costa Rica, they will be moving to Ecuador to be full time missionaries. These are great people with a great calling. Please keep them in your prayers as they travel, raise and have babies abroad, and follow God's plan for their lives.

2. A friend from High school had a baby yesterday... he was born extremely early, weighs 1 pound and 14 oz, and he is breathing on his own. Please keep the Garrett family in your prayers, mom, dad, and particularly little baby Garrett. (not going to post their first names as have not talked to the family about it...)

{I love you all dearly. May you have a blessed 2011! - Love y'all, Kacey}

Never too late...

I went to a funeral today... and was inspired.

I was only in the service for about 5 minutes, because I had to take Savannah out since she was trying to crawl under a pew.. but in the few minutes I was there I learned a good lesson.

It's never to late to accept Christ as your Savior and start living for the Lord.

Mrs. Lois Greer became a Christian in August of 2009. I'm not sure of the day, but she and her husband John accepted Christ on the same day and in the same hospital room. Mr. Greer died soon after he accepted Christ as his Savior and Mrs. Greer went home to be with the Lord early Sunday morning.

My first thought when I heard she had died, around 2am on the 26th was that since it was still Christmas somewhere and what a day to go home to Heaven!! You meet Jesus on His birthday... He leaves his party to come and welcome you to Heaven!! Seriously, is there a better day? She automatically became a part of the Heavenly Chorus singing

{Glory to God in the Highest! and on Earth Peach and Good Will to all men!!} Luke 2:14

So, lesson learned here... it doesn't matter when you become a Christian. No matter if you are 7 or 70... live your life for Him while you can, and live it for Him every day!! Accepting Christ as your Savior is the more important decision you can ever make.

(... and if you have questions about how to do that, let me know.)

Single Forever???

I never went back to sleep after last nights blog... I couldn't. God had my mind going in so many different directions that instead of sleep I did the following:
- 3 loads of laundry
- vaccuumed my entire apartment
- folded and put up clothes
- dusted my entire apartment
- cleaned up my kitchen
- organized Christmas presents
- organized things to take home
- packed my suitecase
- took out the trash
- returned my library books
- went to church
- went to sunday school
- got a few groceries
- finished Christmas shopping
- watched the Saints/Ravens game

... I finally napped for about 2 hours later in the afternoon. I seriously think that today may have been the most productive morning of my entire life... I got so much accomplished and am allowing myself to start things new with a clean slate (literally!).

In an effort to study some different things I downloaded a few podcasts. Tonight I listened to one by John Piper on being Single in Christ, and it felt really applicable to where I am in life. At the age of 27, and with lots of single friends... my girlfriends and I often joke out our singledom, how we're "ready to mingle," and how "one day" ____ will come along. However, something I have never really thought about is that God calls some people to be single f.o.r.e.v.e.r.

{forever, really??}

Here are Piper's 4 points (Full sermon can be found at http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/single-in-christ-a-name-better-than-sons-and-daughters):

"My main point is that God promises those of you who remain
single in Christ blessings that are better than the blessings of marriage and
children, and he calls you to display, by the Christ-exalting devotion of your
singleness, the truths about Christ and his kingdom that shine more clearly
through singleness than through marriage and childrearing. The truths,
namely,

1) That the family of God grows not by propagation through
sexual intercourse, but by regeneration through faith in Christ;1
2) That relationships in Christ are more permanent, and
more precious, than relationships in families (and, of course, it is wonderful
when relationships in families are also relationships in Christ; but we know
that is often not the case);
3) That marriage is temporary, and finally
gives way to the relationship to which it was pointing all along: Christ and the
church—the way a picture is no longer needed when you see face to face;

4) That faithfulness to Christ defines the value of life; all other relationships get
their final significance from this. No family relationship is ultimate;
relationship to Christ is.

To say the main point more briefly: God promises spectacular
blessings to those of you who remain single in Christ, and he gives you an
extraordinary calling for your life. To be single in Christ is, therefore, not a
falling short of God’s best, but a path of Christ-exalting, covenant-keeping
obedience that many are called to walk.

Piper's point really makes sense (no matter how frightening the thought of being single throughout life)... because no matter if God calls you to be married or single, family is possible... because Jesus is our Father... and Jesus was always single. Our relationships and families are not bound by the walls of conventional families... they are what we create by sharing ourselves and our faith with others. If God does not see fit for me to one day get married and physically have children, that doesn't mean I will be fruitless... because I can be a mother to someone else through my influence, through my discipleship, through showing His love to others.

So my lesson learned here... Even if God calls me to be single, I will never be alone. My family will grow through faith in Him and faith shared with others. May all my single friends consider Paul's words to the Corinthians as we live out the rest of our days, whether they be single, in a relationship, it's complicated, etc...

1 Corinthians 7: 32-35:

"I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is
concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married
man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34
and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord."

<3>

"Study to show thyself improved/approved"

I have been praying for a while now that God will show me my next step in life... what He has in store for me next... I expected and anticipated there to be lessons along the way... and I think Lesson ___ was shown to me through a rapid heartbeat and some words that repeated them self to me over and over in a dream (or at least, I think it was a dream) tonight...

Study to show thyself improved... or approved??

I just kept hearing this... maybe seeing it(??) ... over and over. I woke up thinking about it. These were words I have heard before... I recognized them as scriptural based, just not sure what the context was. So of course I Googled the phrase, and the context of 2 Timothy 2:15 is my search result.

{"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,

a worker who does not need to be ashamed,

rightly dividing the word of truth."}

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
17 And their message will spread like cancer. (and we all know how I feel about cancer!)Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,
18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ[a] depart from iniquity.”
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.
24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,
26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

I have been praying for the last few months for clarity from God specifically about His will for me in my next job. I have always had a heart for missions and have felt pulls and tugs in that general direction... but no doors have opened. The conclusion I have come to is this: I must be ready to go, but willing to stay. I love you all... but if God wants me to go live elsewhere to do His work... I love Him more. I will leave if He sets it up for me... and my major prayer is that if that is in fact His Will, we will all (especially my mom) have peace about it.

There {family}, it's officially been blogged about... it's out in the open.

Feel free to discuss with me if you like.

So as I read this verse that has woken me from my sleep I must now wonder... is God telling me I need to academically study him???? Personally study him??? I have to admit the thought of going back to school in ANY way does not appeal to me at all! But as I look at verse 20 I am compelled by the analogies used. Gold and Silver vs Wood and Clay. I think anyone who knows me can tell you I am more of a Wood and Clay kind of gal. All are natural elements, but wood and clay are more simple, more pliable. More accessible. I don't see myself as the Gold and Silver Academic type... but more as the Wood and Clay layman, that God might call to do something out of the ordinary... or that He just calls to love, to be patient, to be gentle to others... God says here that there are these types of vessels in every house... all are needed in some way, and all can honor or dishonor him. I understand His point here to me is that me and my vessel, no matter what material it is... need to work on it. I need to work on improving myself to be approved by Him.

For why should He show me to the path, when He can guide me to the path??

Please don't oversee the significance of that difference... because I think I have until now. What do I learn from Him just handing a plan to me?? Whereas if I become more knowledgeable about Him, and He guides me to the right path along the way... I have learned much more. I have improved much more.

Verse 22 is my prayer, and I need the help of all of those "who call on the Lord with a pure heart." As I begin my unknown plan to study to show myself approved/improved, please ask the Lord to grant me wisdom in what I pursue. Please ask Him to guide me to His will... because here's where my earthly desires begin to interfere... and it's petty, but it's the truth. At the end of this semester I am going to have to move out of my current home for a summer temporary one if other employment does not work out... and frankly the thought of moving out/in within 3 months is one thing I just cant stand (is it horrible that I am willing to move elsewhere but don't want to move across campus??). But here's the thing... I've been anticipating/praying about a new step in life for the last year or so... so I will continue that prayer with that hope that His plan will be revealed to me soon, oh I hope so soon...

I am also not quite sure where to begin... I mean, God's a big subject. So, if anyone has any advice of commentaries to read, books of the bible to read, authors to read, any insight at all... your ideas and accountability would be appreciated.

I love y'all, so so much...

Kacey

Examine your reflection...

1 Corinthians 13

1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it (Love) is not proud.
5 It (Love) does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It (Love) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Love hurts sometimes... heartbreak happens. I have felt the pain of losing a loved one in which your heart literally hurts. Love however, should NEVER intentionally hurt someone else. My heart is breaking tonight for someone I barely know... but he is someone who has been through a lot at the hands of his supposed loved ones... those who God placed him in their arms years ago as their son... but their form of love is not the love I know. Their form of love involves pain, a lack of protection, insecurity, and disappointment for a young man who deserves so much more. Without naming names I ask you to pray for this individual who is going through some harsh times in his young life.

I pray that the individuals that are causing this talented, smart young man such heartbreak will look into a mirror and see their ugly reflection, and that they will face their reality of their wrongdoings. God sees it... I don't know their hearts and I don't know that they care what God sees ... but He does no matter if we want him to or not.

So what does my reflection look like? It is by no means perfect in any form but I think it is important that we try to examine reflections from a different perspective. From His perspective. It is likely that we will not like what we see... but the reality of the reflection can motivate us to improve it... to make it better... to make us better. Which will in turn, help us to love better, and to show His love to others in a much better way.

I'm praying you friend... your name is heavy on my heart tonight.
Love y'all,
Kacey

Seasons...

There has been a lot of change going on at home… every time I go home it seems like some visual memories are gone. While I know that is a sign of progress, it’s also a little discomforting. Dad’s side of the closet is now moms, which is a good thing. I am really proud of her for getting to the point that she could clean out those things… and not just get rid of them, but donate them or give them away to others... Daddy would have liked that. Mom is also doing a lot of things to make taking care of the land easier for her. She has had a large shed built to house the camper, trailers, and tractors as well as dug up some large bushes that are hard to maintain. At Mawmaw and Pawpaw’s house, well… I guess it’s just Mawmaw’s now the old fence has been pulled up, bushes pulled up, and Pawpaw’s garage turned workshop is being cleaned out to go from workshop to garage. It’s kind of a hard pillt o swallow that every time I come home things are different… I’m thankful that I was home as my uncle was cleaning out the workshop, because I was able to keep some of the treasures (well, I consider them treasures… memories) from Pawpaw before they were thrown away. You know, maybe that is my problem… I’ve missed out on the cleaning out process… have not been able to get things that remind me of my grandparents… unless they are saved for me by other family members. That’s another sad part about being away from home… not having the opportunity to go through the season of cleaning with the family… physically moving on from the sorrow to progress back to life without our loved ones with us on this earth.

I am on the train as I write this blog… (well, as I write in a word document to be posted later). I thought it would be interesting to take the train back to Birmingham from Hattiesburg. In the hour that I have been on the train, I have seen parts of communities that I have known, but have never seen. The train track follows a similar path to the highway I drive every time I come home… but this journey gives me a new perspective on the drive. Not one of frustration with traffic, but of wonder in wondering where I am… I look out the window and all I see are trees. Green, yellow, orange, and red… and everything is wet today… kind of marshy in some areas. I see a glimpse of a roof, then the station of a small town. A deer stand on a power line (yes, this is South Mississippi), and I hear the muffled sound of the train whistle. It’s all a blur out the window at points… those colors swirling past me as we drive northward. It reminds me of life… today is one of those seasons when I am not in charge. I am on someone else’s train, not as a conductor, but as a passenger. I know my ultimate destination… but am not really sure of the path. Along the way… you make friends (like the sweet Birmingham couple in front of me who are returning from a birthday trip to New Orleans) and get annoyed (like the guy behind me watching a movie on his laptop without headphones). In a lot of ways… the cleaning and purging that are going on at home are like my train ride. I am not there to be a part of it… so I’m just a passenger on the way to progress… where we help some other folks along the way and pray that God will get us to our final destination in good health, with good hearts, and with open minds… because no matter the path… He is in charge.

Ecclesiastes 3
A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Writing on the train...

The colors of fall passing me by...

Artwork on a train...

My 100th blog post...

Thanksgiving has come and gone. The parade has been watched, turkey/chicken&dumplings/ham/million other things have been consumed, and we are leaving for a horse show tomorrow morning. I think it is very fitting that my final post of the Thanksgiving series and 100th blog post (according to Blogger dashboard) is about faith and family, because...

{I am thankful for my faith and my family...}

Though these two subjects deserve separate billing, in my mind they go hand in hand. My faith has been influenced by the persistance and example of members of my family. I might never have gone to church if I had not been taken by my parents. I might not understand the importance of missions if my mom and dad had not let me go on my first mission trip to Honduras at age 16.Throughout my entire life if I know my family support one aspect of my life, it was that of my spiritual development. So... they go hand in hand in my eyes.

My faith: ... It's my cornerstone, my conscience, it makes me a better person. I am not the best Christian I can be and I never will be... because God is infinite and I can NEVER stop learning about Him (That's why daddy said that no one ever graduated from Sunday School). I used to think my faith was strong, but it has been rocked in so many ways over the past 2 years that I believe it is stronger. I pray it will continue to grow stronger, and I confess that is something I need to continually pursue more than I have... According to biblegateway.com (a very useful website if you have never checked it out), the word "Faith" is mentioned 458 times in the bible. The word would not be mentioned so many times if it wasn't so dang important... The truth is though... there are so many things other that you Christian faith that you have to have faith in... for some it is spouses, others it may be your car.

Yep, I said your car.

You know how you go get your oil changed every 3 months or 3000 miles, and you fill up the tank when you need gas to go somewhere... well, you do that to ensure that your car will run. How many times do you think about wear and tear on your faith, or filling up your faith tank. For most of us, probably not that much... but take it from someone who had a bought of not being too happy with my Creator, sometimes your Faith gets tune up in times when you don't expect it... when you run from your faith. Well friends, you can't run from God... I tried. He loves you too much (Ephesians 2:10). I can truly say that I am a stronger person and a stronger Christian because of the deaths that have occurred in my family over the last 2 years. I understand death better, I understand mourning, I understand that no matter how many times you feel like your heart is literally tearing into pieces and your body cannot possibly produce another tear... you will get through it. It's not easy and it never will be... but knowing that the Creator of the Universe who my family members are praising in person is sitting right here in this bed with me as I cry and type... how can I not have faith in that??

One of my favorite verses about faith is one that is well known, but is so inspiring:

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

Y'all, a mustard seed is an inanimate object... so if it has that much faith...

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES FOR YOU AND ME!!!

My prayer for my faith is that it will continue to grow, that I will continue to learn the will of God in my life. Daddy once wrote the following:

"His thoughts are not like ours.

His ways are not like ours. They are higher.

That’s why God’s plan for our lives seldom makes sense in the early stages.

Only after we begin to see results of following His instructions

do we realize how wrong we are and how right He is."

I pray that I will get to a point that I don't need to see His results, but I'll take his thoughts and plans for what they are... perfection

My family: I honestly don't know where to start here... I was blessed with an incredibly loving and generous family who would do anything for each other. We may not be the best communicators sometimes, but we are always there when needed. I know that my mom and my Aunt Lanell are probably reading this so I am writing a little note to them both. (My goal is always not to make them cry, but well ladies, get your tissues.)

Mom, you inspire me more and more every day. You always say you don't think you can make it through things... but you don't know your own strength. You once told me, "Pressure breeds strength, just ask the diamond." Well mom... I think I could put your name in the place of the diamond there. I am thankful for all of those years when we fought and we fought hard... because it makes me appreciate you more today for the friend you have become. Since Daddy died you have become my best friend... we both lost our best friend that horrible June day and while I know I can never understand what it is like to lose a husband, I do know what it is like to lose your closest companion... because he was mine. I don't have a clue what the future will hold for me, whether God will lead me further or closer to home... but I know that until I meet my husband, where ever you are is where home is. I don't say this enough, but I am so proud of you on the good days and the bad. I love you.

Aunt Lanell, Thanks for always telling me you love me... I think you were the pioneer for that statement in our family. During those years I fought so much with mom I knew I could always talk to you when Daddy wasn't around, and I'll be forever grateful for that. I also appreciate that no matter what we might disagree about you were always encouraging and would listen rather than argue. Thanks to you and Uncle Lloyd for giving me the sisters that God didn't... He knew what he was doing when Kim was born two months early, even though it might have been frightening at the time... and the surprise that Kristen was, well... she loves harder than anyone in our family. Despite losing both your parents and father in law over the last two years you have been a rock of help for mom and I will be eternally thankful for that... It is so comforting to know that others are around to support her when I physically cannot be. Thank you for keeping me accountable for blogging and encouraging me to write... because it does help me to process things. I love you too.

God has blessed me with so many amazing family members and a big family too. Shane and Kristen who have more in common than they like to admit, Kim (my ally and forever "best cousin") Some of the most amazing people in my family are the little ones who don't know how encouraging they are... Anna Catherine, Cassidy, Wyatt, Will, and Savannah.... those kids just love me without abandon (well, Savannah and Will are learning they aren't even 2 after all) and I swear sometimes their hugs could cure any illness. They are being brought up by parents (Heather and Jason, Vanessa and Ben, Kim and Robby) who will teach them as ours have taught us... to be good respectful people who love God, their family, and their country. I am thankful that I still have one grandmother remaining, Mawmaw Cole, who though she has her own share of difficulties, she's speaks her mind (no matter who is in the room), and lets her family know that she loves them.

I truly can't imagine that I would fit in with any other family... they have made me who I am today, and I hope they are proud of the ever improving (hopefully) result.

Love y'all,
Kacey