A Rainy Weekend with a Sunshine End!!

Friday night, I sat in the nasty rain at the Lamar Homecoming game to see my beautiful cousin, Jamey. This was her very first year to be in the homecoming court and she won the vote to be the "football maid." Jamey and Me

On Saturday, I spent the morning at a funeral in the pouring down rain... you know, the kind of rain that blows underneath the umbrella so there's NO chance you're going to be dry!! After the funeral, I went shopping and I've diagnosed myself with an addiction. Gosh, ya'll...in the past week, I've bought six, 6, yes, I SAID SIX new shirts! What's wrong with me?? I've got to stop it!

Saturday night, a friend and I took dinner over to Josh & Peggy's house so that we could visit with them and see the newest addition to their family, Miss Madeline Gray Davis, and enjoyed a homecooked meal!! It was scrumptious, even if I did cook half of it! The menu? Poppyseed Chicken, green bean bundles, a pineapple dish, Sister Schubert rolls (my favorite) and a beautfiul chocolate pie. It was SOO good.

The day "Maddie Gray" came into our world!!

After a bath: she finally found her thumb!!

My grandmother cooked Sunday lunch for the family and I am still sick becuase I ate so much. Her kitchen was covered in mounds of fried chicken (she fried it), chicken and dumplings, rice and gravy, cream potatoes, butter beans, peas, cornbread, rolls, and my mom's WONDERFUL 3-layer strawberry cake (homemade icing and everything!)

Needless to say, my drive over to Clinton on Sunday night was absolutely MISERABLE and I just had a sick feeling the rest of the day!!

My Favorite Student

Davious on his 7th birthday!!

I know that when you student teach that you're certainly not supposed to have a "favorite" student. I really did try to like each one of my students and not show any special attention to just one student. But of course, there always has to be just one child that touches your heart in a special way and for me, that student was Davious. He was PRECIOUS (big diamond stud in his left ear and all). I found myself looking forward to school each day because I wanted to see him. I was looking forward to graduation in May, but I knew that my time was ending with Davious and my other "firsties" and that made me really sad. I found myself thinking about him and talking about him all summer. In fact, on the first day of school this past August, I remember saying to my mom, "I hope that Davious has his school uniforms on and that he has his school supplies. I wonder if his mom will take him to school today or if he'll ride the bus." I'm tearing up thinking about him now.

I went to Poplar Springs this past Monday and sadly enough, he was retained, but he is in another first grade room now. I got to see him though!! He was coming back from music and I stood in his room talking to his teacher, anxiously waiting on him to come into the room. I wasn't sure if he would remember me or not. One by one, the students all came in and all of the sudden I heard a voice say, "Hey Misth Ehbby" (with his little lisp and all). MY HEART MELTED!! He did remember me! I enjoyed getting to talk to him and see just how much he had grown in the short three months since I had been his student teacher.

Kids really can change our lives. I get so frustrated and impatient at times, but when I stop to think about my job and that God has chosen me to take care of the preschoolers and school aged kids at FBC, I can't help but be grateful. He has blessed me in so many ways.

Davious & Me the day before I graduated from college. This was at our class party where I was showered with tons of gifts, a "Boo Hoo Bye Miss Abby" book that the kids created and great food!!

Cute Piper!!

Wednesday night I watched the Republican National Convention and enjoyed every minute of Sarah Palin's speech...but I loved watching her daughter even more. Piper Palin is precious!! I loved how when the children of the family were being introduced that the older kids looked like they would have loved to have been anywhere but the RNC, but Piper urged them all to stand up because she wanted to be seen. I loved the very end of the night when Palin's family came out to join her and Piper did the "Miss America Wave" the WHOLE entire time. As my mom said, "Somebody has told her that if her mom and McCain win, that she's moving into the white house." She is definitely full of herself. However, the BEST moment of the night was when Piper was taking care of Trig, the cutest baby that I've ever seen!! Please watch! It's precious!