ABC Edition: Joys of Life.

A-ABCD--Amy, Brantley, Charlie, Dusty. I am so INCREDIBLY blessed to have this. My family means the world to me.

B-Brantley-- I love how he does EVERYTHING full speed ahead. I love how he is a "me too" boy. I love how if he gets/wants something he always asks for one for his sister or splits his without a second thought. I love his smile. I love how he sings at the top of his lungs all the time. I love how he says lemonade. I love how when he prays at bedtime he always says "bless sister, and mommy, and daddy and ME! with a huge smile and a peal of excitement that God made him. I love how if we are praying anywhere but at bedtime he says God Our Father. I love how he bursts into Oh, praise the Lord no matter where we are. I love how he sings Charlie's Christmas program from Church. I love how he says "follow me." I love him to pieces.

C-Charlie--I love her curiosity. I love her genuine love for others. I love her thoughtfulness. I love that she thanks anyone in a uniform for keeping us safe. I love that she thinks freedom is more important than safety. I love that she randomly drops to her knee to pray no matter where we are or who we are with. I love that she reminds me to thank God for things. I love that she challenges my faith. I love that she "loves" Africa. I love how she randomly prays for friends she has not seen today. I love that when she does this she cries and says she misses them so much even though we may have seen them yesterday. I love that she tells silly jokes. I love that she remembers anything that she has heard. I love her spirit. She is growing up to be one of the most amazing little girls I have ever known. And, she is MINE.

D-Dusty-- The love of my life. I love that he calls me almost every night to let me know that he is on his way home. I love that he is a home body and family man. Family is everything to him. I love that he does silly stuff with the kids. I love that this man prays with my kids every morning before they go to school. I love that this man mops the floors b/c I love the smell when I get home. I love that this man has dinner ready b/c I have had a busy day. I love that this man buys my kids stuff when they are sick b/c he can't handle seeing the kids sick. I love that this many stays longer at work b/c he knows a friend needs to go home early or gives up a shift b/c someone needs the money. I love how excited he gets when I have made him sun tea. I love that this man in MINE.

E-Everlasting life and the Faithfulness of God--(okay so I am reaching) I am amazed on a minute by minute basis of how faithful and loving God truly is. He is always there. He cries when I cry. He laughs when I laugh. He is proud when I am proud. He is joyful when I follow him. He is sadden when I disobey.

F-friends. I seem to have always had this desire for "one" true friend. The person I could call my BFF. I have learned over the years that God has provided me with SO many dear and true friends that I don't know that I will ever have that "ONE" and only friend. I have so many dear dear friends (real and internet) that I am just thankful.

G-giving gifts. I love to make or do small things for others that are not expected. Maybe it is a coke for the teacher or a note to a friend. Maybe it is something "holiday" like Easter eggs in a friends yard. Or, a personal journal after we have had a conversation about "needing" to start a book to a child. I just love doing these things. Especially if it brings a smile to someone's face.

H-hands. I know it is silly, but I love to take pictures of hands. I love to see my kids hands next to grandparent hands. I love to pictures of hands holding each other or hands doing something together. It's crazy!

I-Ice cream. I LOVE ice cream. Butter Pecan if my first choice. Plain Jane vanilla my second. I love everything about ice cream. I love how a scoop of ice cream in a waffle cone seems to make the day melt away. I love that a single scoop with chocolate syrup and sprinkles makes my kids smile.

J-jeans. I just love jeans day at work. It is something so simple that seems to make the day SO much better just b/c I can wear my jeans.

K-kids I love to teach. I can't imagine doing anything else.

L-laughter I love to laugh, to be silly. I love that my family has a bag full of family games that just has me in stitches. Fe fi fo, tickle monster, you can't get me, sock wrestling, I love when Charlie learns a new joke or Dusty teaches one to B. I love when Dusty and I watch top gear and laugh the whole way through the show.

M-music I love music of all kinds. It just makes me happy. I love to sing. I love to be silly when I hear a song that makes me happy.

N-Naps. I love to take naps.

O-ordinary days. I love to have ordinary days where nothing special happens.

P-Photographs. I love to take pictures and tell the story of life through them. I love to scrapbook.

Q-quiet. I love to sit and listen to the quiet of outdoors. (country outdoors not city) I love to listen to water running, birds singing, crickets chirping. I love the sound of the wind and the sound of the rain.

R-rain (unless I am at school) I love rainy days. I love playing in the rain and laughing when the puddle splashes every where. I love to hear the rain hit the tin of the stove vent. I love to feel the droplets hit my cheek.

S-stories. The stories in books. I LOVE to read. The stories in our day. "Tell me about your day." The stories in our past. "Remember when" and "When I was little" The stories in my head. I love to tell stories to the kids and write stories here and there. Maybe one day I will publish one. I am so thankful for stories.

T-talking My favorite time of the day is pillow talk. When Dusty and I talk about our day. He HATES it but does it b/c I wait all day for it. I love to hear my kids talking together. I love to talk to my family on the phone or take the time to just listen to the kids at school or to "chat" with a co-worker. I love to have lunch with a friend and "catch-up". I LOVE to talk.

U-underwear I love that word. Big or little it always gets a laugh. And I love the old boring low-cut cotton briefs. Granny panties.

V-Villa--This is a "secret" dream. Someday, I would like to have a villa by some body of water. It doesn't have to be something big. I would even take a small creek or a lake house. Something where I can "get" away from everything and just enjoy the water. I would love for it to be some place where I can go to write if that day ever comes. I would love to have enough that it could be a weekend get away for the family. I would love to loan it to others as well. I would want it large enough to sleep 20 people comfortably so that we could take a few others with us if we chose. Okay, so maybe it does have to be something big.

W-Water. I love the sound of running water. Waves crashing on the shore. Brooks trickling over rocks. I could sit, look and listen to the stillness of water. It is my calm place. It is the thing of "country" life that I miss. I miss being able to go to the lake and just watching the peacefulness of it all.

X-excitement I love to make the "boring" exciting. I love to make life an adventure. What adventure should we go on today?

Y-Yogurt--But not any yogurt. I love only the yoplain thick and creamy. But not any yo-plain thick and creamy, I love blueberry pie, raspberry, key lime, lemon , strawberry cheese cake. I love to add granola cereal to my yogurt.

Z-zeal-- I love to see others with a zeal for something. zeal: eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something. I wonder what people would say my zeal is.