My Daughter

My husband and I were married 9 years before our daughter , Melody came along. She was truly a "Sweetheart" because she was born on Valentine's Day. I was an "older" parent so I was overly protective of her. She is everything a mother would want in a daughter. She is beautiful, smart and caring. She was a "pageant" girl and won our county's preliminary to Miss Alabama which is a preliminary to Miss America. She is a Godly woman and is a prayer warrior when I need her. She is independent, much like me. God blessed her with a Godly man last year and she is happily married and lives about one half mile from me. I am praying for grandchildren in the future. She is a huge AUBURN fan and he is a Huge BAMA fan. You just have to live in Alabama to understand this rivalry!

A Beautiful Bird

One of my favorite things to do is watch birds. I began birding when my mother, Eva moved in with me the last two years of her life. She loved hummingbirds. When I came home from work in the evening, she would be sitting on the front porch with hummers swarming around her head fighting for territorial rights at the nearby feeder. However, I must say the favorite bird I have observed is the Rose Breasted Gross Beak. www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Rosebreasted_Grosbeak.dtl.html This beautiful bird visits here while traveling from northern South America or the Caribbean to its breeding grounds in the Yukon. The male has a big red heart on it's chest and what lady could resist that? This beauty stayed a little longer, about a month, in May and June while snacking on my enriched bird seed. I went crazy snapping pictures. Enjoy!

My Grandaughter

Rebekah Kinsley is the first grandchild on both sides of her grandparents. She is also the first great-grandchild...and that she IS..great. I love her so much. When she is in the room, I can't take my eyes off her. Seeing things through the eyes of a 14 month old is exciting. She squeals and laughs so easily. Now that she can walk..run, she is a mess. She was the star at my retirement as well as her birthday, May 17th. She has a great pair of parents too. Marcela, her Brazilian mom is amazing. She is beautiful and a great mom. Marcela is always taking pictures of Rebekah and teaching her two languages as well. Rebekah's first word was "JESUS." Marcela is a Godily woman and will be a great missionary wife for my son, Sam. I watched Sam change that baby's diaper and prepare her food and lovingly nurture her while she was at my house Saturday. He is a prayer warrior for our family. They will be leaving for Belo Horozonte this Fall to serve the Lord in Campus Ministery.

Retirement

Isn't retirement what we work to acheive our entire life? Isn't reitrement supposed to be great? Well, why has the first two months been a nightmare? Everyone says, " How are you enjoying retirement?" Well, you see, when you have spent 33+ years around wonderful people and children, as a teacher, it's tough! I miss those hugs, I miss my school family and I am lost! Oh yes, I have been signed up to do everything in our little town that volunteers do. I tell everyone that it's hard to tell right now because teachers are off every summer anyway. School starts here next week. I wonder if I'll be able to stay away! I wonder how many of my kids will miss me? I hope I've touched enough lives to help them be strong, 'cause I sure feel weak.