The Good Life

      I am one thankful woman. I have so many blessings in my life and I want to take a moment to list all of the many things I am thankful for...I am going to list the small to the enormous so, stick with me and feel free to laugh :) Let me insert here that I just got up to use the restroom and when I returned my precious Lily Belle had discovered my coffee and had evenly distributed it all along the couch, which leads me to the first thing I am thankful for:


1. Dark venetian red colored couches on which coffee stains do not show up.

2. My vivacious, feisty, mischievous, scoundrel of a child, Lily Marie and my sweet, obedient and angelic child, Camille Kate.

3. My children's health.

4. Supportive, godly parents.

5. Hilarious, beautiful, full of life, godly (and sometimes annoying) siblings (this includes my phenomenal siblings-in-law...minus the annoying part).

6. Amazing friends who are always there for me. Especially my little gingersnap sidekick who has stuck with me and reminded me how healing laughter is, which leads me to the next one...

7. LAUGHTER (even if it is usually vulgar..many thanks to Pinterest)

8. Coffee, coffee, coffee

9. An insanely fantastic church and church family/small group. They help fill the void of certain missing family members and I am so thankful for the wonderful teachers who are teaching and loving on my children.

10. My little girl's dance parties. Watching those two dance and twirl around the room gives me complete  and utter JOY.

11. Memphis and the family that lives there. I can't describe the feeling of euphoria I get when I am there. I love you, Kings :)

12. A wonderful family legacy.

13. Killians

14. Running (multiply times ten when it's done on a trail in the woods)

15. Rain. When I was a teenager I loathed it because it made my hair "frizzy". As an adult I have learned to love it though... it's refreshing and cleansing.

16. MUSIC. There is always a song and genre that will perfectly fit whatever mood you are in. Music holds a very special place in my heart.

17. My nieces and nephews and each of their unique personalities. Because of Luke's struggle with my oldest niece, I was better equipped to deal with my divorce and the court. And because of my sweet nephew, Liam, and the personality God gave him I was able to completely accept my little Lily who is so much like him.

18. A wonderful, godly man, Mr. Dan Lemley.

19. Road trips.

20. Last but not least, I am thankful for a Father who is, like I've said before, being so patient with me.

Fall

       Something about fall. Something about the crisp, clean, cool air that just refreshes my soul. Maybe it's the year drawing to an end, the anticipation of a new year rolling in (or maybe it's just Bama football). Whatever it is, it feels damn good. And hand in hand with that is this desire to step back, look at my life and prioritize. It's so easy to get caught up in Facebook, in hanging out with my friends (not down playing that, ladies...I thoroughly enjoy and need my girl time), or just in the day to day stress that comes with the single parent territory. So, I deactivated that old FB account, I got rid of a few of those "friends" that don't actually add a single thing to my life (sorry, honesty hurts folks) and I am ready to focus solely on my family and the relationships that deserve my attention. God is patient with me and I can NOT describe how pertinent that is to my life. I was sitting in my small group at church and I realized how much I appreciate every person that was in that room. I understood at that moment what it means to make sure you surround yourself with people who want what is best for you and are willing to help and support you. I am so thankful for the amazing people I have in my life. A week from today I get to go on a Ladies Beach trip with my mother, sister and some of the women from my awesome church family. I can not explain how excited I am about what I KNOW God is going to show and reveal to me. I'm sure there are going to be some nasty, ugly things that He is going to want to me let go of as well but man, I am so ready.
    Next month will be the one year mark since this whole journey started for me and my little girls and I would really appreciate everyone's prayers and positive thoughts for us. I used to think that it would get easier but if we're being completely honest I will admit it has, in all actuality, only gotten harder. But the harder it gets, the stronger I get. And the stronger I get the more capable I am to handle what life wants to throw at me. It's like the bestie said just yesterday...this is only a season in our lives and all seasons come to an end. I look forward to MANY more beautiful, happy seasons :)

P.S. ROLL TIDE!