My Little Brother Graduated from College...Say What!?!

Last Friday, Taylor graduated from college!!!  He is now an official Physical Therapy Assistant.

I am soooooo excited and happy for him.  Taylor is such a special person to me and always has been.  My mom always tells us the story about how I prayed for a baby brother every day when I was little.  She didn't have the heart to tell me that she and dad didn't plan on having another baby, but God knew better...

Since I am almost six years older than Taylor, he was only 12 when I moved out of the house to go to Auburn. Much of the time I watched him grow up from a distance, but tried my best to get back to see him and watch him play ball as often as I could.  I have always thought that I was blessed with the coolest, funniest, and sweetheartiest? (not a real word), brother in the world.

Things I love about Taylor (in no particular order):
- He loves the Lord, and he loves to tell others about Him.  Taylor never misses the opportunity to go on a mission trip or do a weekend D-Now.
- He is tall, I mean really tall.  This has always been a trait that comes in handy when putting things away or getting things out of the attic. :)
- Taylor is the type of person that you can count on for anything. He has helped me move more times than I can count with no very few complaints.
- He is a great uncle to my little boy. Sawyer has a ball wrestling with him when we go to visit. 
- He is so tender hearted.  He really cares about people.  He will laugh with you when you are happy, and he will cry with you when you are sad. I love this about him.
- He is a hard worker.  Taylor hasn't always had it easy; he has had to work really hard.  He started cutting and landscaping yards with dad when he was twelve and has had a steady job ever since.  Dad always brags that Taylor could back a truck up to a trailer by the age of ten.  He might be exaggerating a little, but it is at least close to the truth. 
- He is hilarious!  I LOVE to sit and listen to him tell stories.  My cheeks hurt from laughing so much after spending a little time with him. 
- He loves sports, which is a family trait.  Although we don't agree on teams, I love to call and get the scoop on the teams each week during football season. 
- He is a team player.  He is really laid back and has a way of making any activity fun. 

I am so proud of you Taylor Bug!

Summer Reading List

Although I love a good easy read during the summer time, this year I plan on reading some of the books that I, as an English teacher, should have already read by now.  Right now, I am stuggling through reading Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.  I am on page 306 of 896, and it's finally starting to get interesting.

Next up, I plan to read As I Lay Dying by Faulkner.  In college, I took a class completely devoted to studying the books written by William Faulkner.  However, I was super busy with a huge classload, method labs, and work that semester and may have Spark Noted a few of the novels...There, I admitted it.  That's bad, isn't it?

After getting through Faulkner, I plan to read Truman Capote's In Cold Blood.  I refused to see the movie when it came out a couple of years ago because I wanted to read the book first.  However, it has been sitting neglected on my nightstand along with a couple of other books for some time now.  Hopefully, it will be moved to my shelf at at school by August. 

The Poisonwood Bible is a book that was recommended to me by Mrs. Toni Adams.  It was on the 12th grade summer reading list at WCHS in North Carolina, and I plan on finally reading it this summer.  I have heard that it is REALLY good!

The last book that I plan on reading is definitely NOT on the top 100 books list.  It is a true summer read, but I am still excited about it.  I have owned The Host by Stefanie Meyer (of Twighlight fame) for three or four years now.  Now that the film is set to come out in a few weeks, I may be finally ready to give it a shot. 

As far as devotionals go, I just finished the 7 Experiement by Jen Hatmaker, which I enjoyed.  Right now, I am reading A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George.  So far, it has been both convicting and encouraging, and I really like it.  I also hope to finally read A Heart Like His, which is a devotional book by Beth Moore.  My mom gave it to me years ago, but I haven't went through it yet.  It is a close look at the life of David, and I can't wait to get started reading it!

Whew!  I have a lot of reading to do this summer!  I will let you know what I think when I finish!

Grad School Reflections

Going back to school as a working mother is probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.  I LOVE spending time with my boys, so giving up some of it kills me sometimes.  However, I can honestly say that I am so happy that I became a teacher.  I know that this is what God designed me to do.  I have the opportunity to work with so many wonderful kids who need someone to love and support them, which is what I get to do every day. 
With that said, I was excited to get back on track with my Master's degree now that we are feeling more settled in our new home.  This semester I took two on-campus classes and one online class.  I have to go to school every other Saturday, which means that I miss out on time spent with my guys at home.  However, over the semester I have had the opportunity to witness Sawyer and Steven become so much closer because of their Saturdays spent together.  Sawyer LOVES his daddy and I don't think he minds getting a little one-on-one time with him while I am in class. 
My first semester ended last night, and I couldn't be happier about having some time off (three whole weeks!).  I am still working, of course, but it will be nice to come home without having a running checklist of  to-do's going through my mind.  Continually remembering that this time next year I should be receiving my Master's diploma keeps me motivated to keep working hard!

PawPaw and Mimi in Thomasville

This weekend, Steven's parents came to visit us for the weekend.  They arrived on Thursday night and kept Sawyer all day Friday while we worked.  We had a great time visiting with them all weekend.

PawPaw and Mimi even kept Sawyer Saturday night so we could go out on a date!  Steven and I drove out to Camden and ate at Gaines' Ridge Dinner Club.  We had a fabulous time. 

The food was delicious, but we couldn't decide what we enjoyed more, the food or the quiet.  Eating with a 16 month old is like a job, so it was really nice to sit and enjoy a meal together and actually have a good conversation.

Thanks PawPaw and Mimi for coming to visit!  We love you!

Sawyer's Sandbox

Sawyer LOVES the sandbox at school, so we decided it was time he had one to play in at home.  I thought it would be a lot easier to go to Walmart and pick up a generic little sandbox, but Steven saw an opportunity to use his woodworking skills.

He put down a cover to keep weeds from growing through the sand. 

Everything is there but the sand!

Although you can't tell by this picture (for some reason he looks terrified), Sawyer loves it! 

Sawyer sure does LOVE having such a handy Daddy!

New Cabinet Hardware

I think one of the easiest changes a homeowner can make that packs a big punch is cabinet hardware.

For example, our new (to us) home in Thomasville has been through a few additions and cosmetic changes throughout the years, but it seems that no one ever took the time to update the kitchen from its original 1970's glory.  For the most part, I like my humble and homey country kitchen.  It suits me and my family well because we like things to feel warm, cozy, and "lived-in".  However, there were some changes to be made.  For example, we would like to retile the floor, update a few of the appliances, get rid of the massive built-in wine rack, and change out the cabinet hardware.

Before we began tackling the black "feux-marble" tile (which we hope to get to by summer), we decided to first do a mini-update on the cabinets.  We started by getting rid of the wine rack that took up a lot of valuable space above our double oven.  After Steven cut out the wine racks, I repainted the cabinets white to match the others. 

Next, we changed out the cabinet hardware.  Before the change, the cabinets were white with white knobs and black hinges.  I was not a fan.  In order to better match some of the newer hardware throughout the house, we chose to add more modern brushed silver drawer pulls and brushed silver knobs for the cabinet doors.  Also, we switched out the black hinges for silver to match the updated look.

BEFORE

Steven working on the first few cabinets.  (Please disregard the chaos in the kitchen.)

AFTER

I really think these small changes make a big impact for not a lot of money. Next up, new tile and backsplash!

Our Little Garden

Every year since we've been married, we have discussed how much we both want to plant a garden and see how things turn out.  However, our life has been crazy for the past few years.  During our first summer, we moved moved to North Carolina and lived with Bryan and Bridget (so no gardening there, although Bryan did have an awesome one and I picked up a few helpful hints).  The next summer, I was 5 months pregnant and was no longer excited about being outside in the hot southern climate unless it included a raft and a pool.  Last summer, we moved back to Alabama and lived in a rental house, which again meant we would be purchasing our veggies at the grocery store. 

This year, we are finally feeling settled.  Although our backyard isn't as big as the one we had in North Carolina, it has enough room for us to plant a small garden.  Neither of us wanted to pull weeds all summer, so we opted to plant in raised garden beds, which should make this whole process easier.  You can find the plans we used here if you are interested.   I am and obsessed with Anna White (the plan creator) and would love to be as handy as her someday! 

Sawyer was the "supervisor" of the project.

Again he is "helping" Daddy put some dirt in the beds.



the finished product!

We are very happy with the way the raised beds turned out, and I cannot wait to cook some vegetables that we actually grew.  I will keep you updated on the process!