The Bullock Clan

Play in the Rain (March 28, 2018)

2018-06-13T05:57:00.001-07:00

Y'all ... today was my Monday. OH. MY. LANDS. It started with us missing alarm clocks and waking up to overcast skies at 8:10am. I realized as I opened my sleepy eyes and squinted at the clock that my day was not going to go as planned, and I prayed that God would help me just roll with it. I'm not super big into change or things not going as planned, so this is a struggle for me.

I dropped Gracie and Kylie off at school and headed to take Anna Marie to preschool a hour late. As God knew that I would need some help today, He allowed her sweet speech therapist to be there earlier than usual. She smiled sweetly and asked, "Oh, are y'all late cause you took her to registration?"

A wave of anxiety rushed over me. I had completely forgotten about this. Thank goodness she reminded me. It was in my calendar, but I forgot to put an alarm to alert me. I waited for her speech time to be over, and we rushed over to Kindergarten registration. As we walked in, I realized that I did not have ANY of the required documents. In my rush to just get there, I neglected the fact that I have to prove that I am indeed a resident of Bryant. The ladies were so understanding and showed me grace. They're allowing me to bring everything tomorrow, and Anna was registered despite my shortcomings.

But, hey ... one thing I did remember to do today was register Tyler for preschool next year. So, go me.

I went about my day seeing patients knowing that my day was going to end much later since we had such a rough start.

In between patients, I happened to look in my sun visor mirror and noticed that my right eye was suddenly very NASTY looking. Like pink eye on steroids. What in the world? Where did this come from?! So, I threw my right contact out the window and drove half blind for the rest of the day. Thankfully, Dr. Bright saved the day and called in some drops that I was able to pick up before going home. It already looks so much better.

I arrived home to my little big family greeting me at the door. They are always a breath of fresh air. All six of us played outside in the drizzling rain for at least an hour. We got to visit with our neighbors and just enjoy life.

As I watched Anna play in the rain, I was encouraged. I was encouraged to play in the rain no matter what befalls me in a particular day. Today was just small hiccups. Tomorrow might be life altering events. But, no matter what ... I will trust Him. I will continue to be joyful no matter my circumstances because God knew all along that I wouldn't wake up til 8:10am this morning. He was already there at the end of my day reassuring me of my hope in Him. I'm thankful that He loves me. What a great God we serve!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Has it really been almost 4 months?!

2012-05-19T10:22:00.002-07:00

I honestly can't believe how time has flown by. So many things have happened since I last posted!

Kylie has turned 3 and now has a sweet baby sister who is 8 weeks old already. And, let me tell you - Gracie is such a happy child. I love her sweet smile in the mornings when I sing to her. It melts my heart!

"I'm TEE!"

My beautiful little Gracie.

Having fun with GranJan at her birthday party!

My sweet best friends, Casey and Shelly!

My little artist. She LOVES painting!

Sweet little face.

My very first nephew, Joseph Ryan Bullock, finally made his appearance 17 days late at 7 pounds and 11 ounces. May 9th couldn't have come quick enough for sweet Ann Claire and Josh. Now, he's already 10 days old.

Aren't they cute?!

Ann Claire - you are beautiful and I'm so proud of you!!

Kylie couldn't wait to meet her handsome cousin!

Sweet little man cub!

One happy Maw-Maw :)

The Bullock Clan!!

My "little" cousin, Alexandria, has graduated college and my best good friend, Shelly, graduates from nursing school today.

My sweet Alex

Having fun at Alex's graduation party!

Gracie getting some love from GranJan!

Toby passed his Real Estate exam and began working this past week.

Robbie (my brother from another mother) watched his sweet little woman, Amaya, turn one!

How cute is she?!

Toby and I have been blessed to go on two dates. Count it, TWO! I love that guy.

With all the big things happening, it's fun to sit back and write about the cute little things we may one day forget. So, let me share a few recent things that Kylie and Gracie have done to warm my heart …

Kylie has an imaginary Kitty. Her name is Sugarfoot. Apparently, she has elaborated this recently saying that there is also a “Mommy Sugarfoot” and a “Daddy Sugarfoot.” The other night Kylie was taking her jump rope and throwing it up in the air. I asked her what she was doing, and she said, “I tying to lasso!” Lasso??? I didn’t think I heard her right. I hadn’t taught her that word … so, I asked again. She responded the same. So, naturally I asked, “Well, what are you trying to get?” She enthusiastically answered, “Sugarfoot on the fan! I try to lasso her and get her down!”

Another story from Sugarfoot land comes from Maw-Maw Debbie. She was babysitting Kylie one afternoon and after returning from the kitchen, she sat down in the chair next to Kylie. Kylie gave her an awful look and shouted, “Get up!! Get up Maw-Maw!! You sat on Sugarfoot!!”

Gracie’s imagination isn’t quite there yet ;) However, she is being THE sweetest 8 week old ever. She is such a loving, clean little lady. I say clean because she will not tolerate a wet diaper. At all. Not that I want her to sit in a wet diaper, it’s just that even a little dribble is cause for crying until it’s changed. Maybe Kylie was just a dirty kid. We’d have to check her regularly to make sure she wasn’t wet. Not so much with Gracie. We’ve gone through plenty of diapers and wipes already. But, hey – keep that kid dry and fed, and she is the most pleasant little woman ever.

Another difference I’ve noticed between the two are Kylie and Gracie’s features. Kylie is my pale baby – red headed, blue eyed, and forced to wear 75 proof sunscreen often. Gracie, on the other hand, may be the only one who can tan without burning in our family. Dark complected, brown eyed, and brown headed. Wow. Who would have thought it? God. He did, and now we have Gracie Louise Bullock!

I am so very thankful for my wonderful little family. God has and always will guide and provide for us. I am blessed beyond measure, and cannot even begin to pour onto paper what my heart feels.

I promise I’ll do better at blogging now – it just took a while to get into the grove of having two! Here are some recent pictures of our little clan.

My sweetie!

My beautiful little women!

Cracking an egg on her own- hilarious!

The Museum of Discovery! Kylie loves this place, and Gracie got her first visit in too ;)

Tummy time for my cutie!

Blessed.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain."

Psalm 127:1

Gracie's Birth Announcement!

2012-04-04T11:00:00.002-07:00

Polka Dots Girl Birth Announcement

Shutterfly has 100's of personalized baby announcements.

View the entire collection of cards.

Savoring the moment

2012-01-28T18:36:00.000-08:00

I always hear from other parents whilst telling them stories of Kylie ... "You better write that down because it's amazing how much you forget." So, here is my attempt at writing down some of Kylie's hilarious comments that occur randomly throughout the day. Recording these special moments now may help us to savor them later when she's all grown up ... *tear*. She is definitely our little comedian ;)

Let's start with this morning. I was up before her, and I suddenly hear her yelling in her sleep, "NO! NOOOOO!!!" So, naturally I run to her side to hold her, and she wakes up. I ask if she's had a bad dream, and almost crying she replies, "Yeah. Yeah, Mommy I did." I prod further to see what the dream was about since it was fresh on her mind and she dramatically reports, "Daddy try eat my big yogurt!" Hilarious. I wish that was the worst I had to worry about.

I came home for lunch one day last week and was eating a hearty meal Toby had ready. I'm not the messiest of eaters, but I'm not exactly the neatest either. So, instead of getting a napkin for myself, I reached for Kylie's right beside me. Boy, was I surprised as I reached for that napkin! My wrist met a firm grip from my little woman's hand. The following statement (which might I add was said in the most polite tone) began flowing from her cute little mouth, "Mommy, dis my nap. If you wan a nap, say 'pretty peas' to Daddy, and he get you a nap." I was almost offended ... haha. But, she was totally right. Lesson learned.

Typically, Kylie will wake up upset when she finds that I have vacated the bed and realizes that I've already left for work. It's quite heart breaking as she cries, "Where my Mommy?" So, the other morning was no different. Toby was asleep and Kylie wakes him up crying. Assuming that he already knows why she is crying, he reaches out to hold her and asks, "What's wrong sweetie?" With big alligator tears flowing down her face, she hands him his phone and says, "Daddy, your phone die and now I can't watch Dora." Toby had to hold back laughter as he realized that she had jacked his phone to watch Dora on Netflix.

Kylie loves playing pretend, and here lately there has to be a nemesis of some sort. Her top picks are as follows: sharks are after us, snakes are going to get us, or the frog will soon attack. "Shark gon get me!" So, we have to "Run fast. Hurry!" After all, who wants to get attacked by a shark, snake, or frog?? Right?

If you're imitating a scene from a movie or trying to sing a song to Kylie that she already knows, and somehow you mess something up - she'll let you know about it. "No, not like that. You say ... (at this point she repeats whatever part you've messed up). It no go like that."

Kylie just so happens to love watching "Annie." The 1980's Carol Burnett version :-D She says, "I look like Annie." Well, she would be correct. There's a part in the movie where Annie defends Sandy, the dog, from all the mean boys. At the end, she 'puts up her dukes' and scrunches up her face really mean to finish warding off the boys. The other day, randomly, Kylie yells, "Mommy, mommy! I do da Annie face!" - after which she makes the perfect Annie face. She is too funny.

These are just a few of the many, but these are most fresh on my mind. She is certainly growing up. I was thinking the other day - by the time Gracie is Kylie's age, Kylie Maye will be almost 6 years old. How can that be?! It's true what 'they' say - it really does fly by.

The 'Annie' Face :)

Cheeser!

I think she loves me :-D

They are so sweet together. I love them.

My baby in her big girl robe.

So, whether she's being funny, driving me crazy, or being the sweetest little woman ever ... I will try to hold on to these memories and savor them. Like, Steven Curtis Chapman wrote ...

"So, I will dance with Cinderella while she is here in my arms 'cause I know something the prince never knew. Oh, I will dance with Cinderella. I don't want to miss even one song 'cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight, and she'll be gone."

Joy :)

2011-12-22T11:12:00.000-08:00

Joy, unspeakable joy - rises in my soul, never lets me go :) I love that addition to Joy to the World that I've heard recently ... gotta love Chris Tomlin.

I want to share with you guys what I get so joyful about. Let me start by asking a question? Have you ever taken a mental snapshot of a moment and filed it away so that you NEVER forget what it was like in that moment? I have done that quite a bit in my life.

For example, my last home basketball game in high school will forever be in my mind because I knew that I would never play on that court again, and nothing would ever be the same because I would soon be graduating. I was right. So, I remember that very vividly.

Another example - I will never forget the moment when I was walking around in my hospital room with Kylie at 2 days old, and it finally hit me - she's mine. God gave us this precious child to raise for Him. I looked up at Toby, tears in my eyes, completely joyful in that moment.

There are many snapshots that I've systematically put into my mind that bring me much joy - some of the snapshots bring sadness and some of them excitement. But, they all make up the chronicles of my life.

There are a few snapshots that I get so excited, joy overflowing, giddy about. They involve my family and friends. Throughout my life, I have had the privilege of helping to bring people to God's throne through worship. God gave me the talent of playing piano when I was in 7th grade, and I am so thankful for it. Because of this, I have been involved in many worship services that I may have otherwise missed.

Some of the sweetest moments I can remember in college is just worshiping and singing with my family and friends. Watching them overcome with the realization of how God loves us is awe inspiring. I have taken many snapshots of my friends worshipping God in their own way. Watching them pour their heart out in song, with tears, on their knees - these snapshots are in my mind. I see Tim Chung holding his heart, eyes closed singing to our God. I see Toby Bullock overcome during worship sitting down to pray. I see Casey Crossland McCrotty eyes lifted to heaven praising Jesus in song. I see Adam McCall praising God, singing with a knowing smile on his face. I see my MBSF'ers singing in a van on the way home from a program on a Wednesday night. I see Josh Yowell playing guitar and getting choked up during a song unable to finish because of being overwhelmed. I see Megan Trusty Bertin hands raised pouring out her heart to praise our Saviour. I see so many more of my friends and family worshipping our Lord, and in all of this I see JOY!

I'm overcome as I write just thinking about how exciting it will be when we are all together singing and praising God in Heaven where we will spend eternity. How can we not become joyful thinking about this? These snapshots that I have of us worshipping our Lord will all come together one day in real time as we praise Him with the rest of the redeemed. And, I tell you - I can't wait :)

Whew! I'm about to start singing on my lunch break! God is so very gracious to us. He loves us beyond comprehension. I cannot wait until "my faith shall be my eyes!" "This robe of flesh, I'll drop and rise to seize the everlasting prize!" - one day we will see Him, and we can shout while passing through the air, "farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer." AMEN!

"My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed."

Psalm 71:23

JOY!

The Little Things ...

2011-10-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you guys, but when I sit back and take a look at everything I realize it's truly the little things that matter most. I mean, if it weren't for the little things then what would make up the big things? So, here are a few of the little things that have made my heart smile recently ...

The first thing that pops to mind is how incredibly sweet Aaron and Mica were at their wedding. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and they were beautiful together. Yet, even though it was their day, they took the time to show Kylie some attention. She adores Uncle Aaron and Aunt Mica, and she honestly did not understand why they couldn't play with her like normal. After the wedding, I had lost sight of Kylie. I scanned the park and spotted her holding Mica's hand. Mica was leading her around while greeting guests. It was so sweet. I'm sure Mica has no idea how much that little gesture meant to Kylie and to me, but it meant a lot. Aaron and Mica even took it a step further once they hit the dance floor. Kylie loves dancing, and I can almost guarantee that Kylie danced with them at least 10 times. Although it was their day, they made my little sweetie's day. The little things definitely count ... :-D

Oh, and here are a few pictures from their beautiful day.

Kylie with her sweet little cousin, Lila.

Uncle Aaron time!

:-D

They are so adorable together.

The best man speech!

Dancing with PawPaw

My other mom :) Isn't she just so pretty?!

They are just too sweet sometimes.

My wonderful sis-in-law Ann Claire!

Dancing with MawMaw Debbie!

Here are a few other little things that have made my heart smile:

Kylie telling me randomly, "I love you Mommy."
Jay inviting us to the lake and making special time to spend with Kylie (even though she hid all of his guitar picks while we were there and he keeps finding them in random places like books or his backpack :-D).
Taking time to have awesome conversations with great friends - yes this is a shout out to Shelly and Jess. I love you guys.
Toby's big bear hugs.
Family cuddle time.
Hearing Kylie sing "My Girl" in her little fake microphone. Love it.
Getting to hang out with family. Kylie is a wonderfully blessed girl to have such a loving family on both sides.
Watching Kylie play with our parents. I love it, and she loves them - PawPaw, MawMaw Debbie, GranDaddy and MawMaw GranJan. Haha.
Toby's hair when he grows it out for me. Unfortunately, he buzzed it yesterday. Funny story - I met him and Kylie at Subway for lunch, and immediately noticed his lack of hair. I semi-griped/mourned about it until he turned around, and I broke out into hysterical laughter. He apparently missed a spot around the crown of his head. It looked sorta like a rat tail, but in the wrong place. Hilarious.
Joby Game Night. Yes, Toby and Jay have combined their names into the infamous Joby. It's fun watching them have fun.
My co-workers. They're pretty spectacular. They offer help at the drop of a hat - super duper sweet.
Kylie's sweet hugs and kisses that she freely gives out to Mommy and Daddy.
Toby's awesome dinners that he has ready for me - he's pretty great.
Seeing Kylie's face light up each time I walk in the door (no matter how long I'm gone). I hope she's always like that.

I could keep adding to the list, but I won't. The point is - the little things matter so much, so don't over look them. If you do, you could be missing so much. God sees the littlest of things even if it's unnoticed by others. So, keep doing the little things.

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

I Corinthians 10:31

Oh, and here are a few pics of our recent adventures :)

Jamming with Uncle Jay :)

Our fearless lake leader.

:-D

CANNONBALL!

Pretty, pretty day.

Sunshine!

Jess and Kyliebug.

Enjoying the Fall Fest!

First Date :-D

2011-10-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

I must say, September was quite a busy month. I suppose that's why I completely neglected blogging about that month altogether. Settling into my work schedule kept us busy enough, but added to that going home every weekend and trying to gather the essentials required to buy a house - well, you get the picture. We've been running around a lot while still trying to learn/settle into Bryant.

I believe this month will be a little less fast paced. Hopefully. By the way ... how sweet was Kyliebug a year ago in the fall picture above?? I can't believe how time flies!

I'm sure that I am among most of you who have welcomed the beautiful COOLER weather. God is so very good. I adore fall. I suppose that's why we were married in the fall. Well, that and mom and dad vetoed a December date since it was in the middle of duck season ;). I really wanted to get married that December because we started dating in December 2006. Let me tell you guys a little about that first date ...

I have to build it up first. Toby and I were more acquaintances than friends at the time, and we would talk occasionally. I first met Toby through Zach McCrotty one summer. The summer that he and Casey actually met for the first time. Who knew that we'd wind up marrying those boys?? And, you know - I've got to give Zach credit. He talked me into dating Toby. We stayed up literally all night talking, and by the morning, I was convinced that Toby had to be a good guy. After all, Zach sure did :).

We were having a big Christmas party at Mike's Place in Conway that year, and it was set up to be a formal occasion. Most people had dates, but they weren't required. So, naturally Zach suggested that I invite Toby. Me?? Invite a boy on a date?? What?! That's not how it works. But, after much convincing I called Toby while Zach waited anxiously to see what would go down.

It would be an understatement to say that the conversation was awkward. It went something like this on my end, "Um...we're having this get together party thing at Mike's Place for Christmas, and I was just wondering if you wanted to go with me. I mean, you don't have to. I just thought it would be fun. You'd have to wear a tie. Well, you don't have to wear a tie. I don't know. It's a dress up type of thing..." And, the rambling continued. By the time I was done, Toby politely declined (I don't blame him).

Zach was so confused. He couldn't believe it. "Paige, I KNOW he likes you. I have no idea why he'd say no?!" So, Zach promptly calls Toby on his phone. He proceeds to go on and say, "She likes you A LOT!" after which I kicked him :) Turns out ... Toby just didn't want to dress up. He didn't have any dress up clothes. I remember hearing Zach say, "But Toby, you live with your brother who's a preacher. I'm sure he's got a tie and a nice shirt you could borrow."

And, so it was set. December 17th, 2006. The day came, and I couldn't believe how excited I was. You can ask Casey and our wonderfully sweet friend Maggie. I probably had my dress on a good 4 hours before the party.

We finally got to the restaurant, and I must say Toby was so very handsome and all grins. We sat down, ordered, and of course Maggie starts up the conversation with this, "So, Paigenry (my nickname in college) ... how long have you been wearing that dress?" I'm sure my face turned as red as a tomato. It was pretty funny. As the dinner coursed on, I dropped some food on my dress. So, naturally I grabbed a piece of ice out of my water and went to town on that spot. I honestly didn't think much about it, nor the fact that it wasn't exactly lady-like. Luckily, Toby thought it was hilarious and still reminds me of it.

I'll never forget at the end of the night, Toby asked, "So, can I pay for your meal and make this a real date?" We have literally spent all but maybe 3 days apart since then, and that was only because we went home for Christmas after that first date. Paw-Paw always told me that when you know. You know. "It's like curtains, the show's over." And, boy was he right.

Our first date. Check out Maggie in the background :)

Razorback game in Orlando :) We had been dating maybe a couple of weeks.

God is so very gracious. He gave me my Toby, and I am so thankful for that. He knew what I wanted even when I didn't. And, apparently so did Zach. I have been so blessed with the most amazing friends. God sure is great, isn't He?

Oh, and of course - here's some recent pics of Kyliebug :-D

Recent Developments :-D

2011-08-14T20:34:00.003-07:00

Well, we are officially home in Arkansas!! We arrived last Saturday. I can't say it was the best ride home, but totally worth it to be back in "The Natural State." It was rather eventful. Again, I rode my non air-conditioned car all the way back, which I was totally used to. By the way, I filled up my car twice while in Springfield - once 6 weeks into it and once right before we came home Saturday (I can put up with the heat for that kind of gas milage). However, we were greeted with a little hostility upon entering Clinton, AR. Our alternator in the Expedition decided to go kaput at that point during our road trip. Great. But, you know ... looking on the bright side of things - at least it made it all summer, right? So, Kylie and Toby earned the privilege of riding out the heat all the way home while praying the poor Expedition made it. Here's a picture of Kylie enjoying the 100 degree plus weather.

She may be pretty much naked, but she stayed semi cool and hydrated!

Despite our trouble, we made it home to Prescott before it became dark, which was a good thing since using the headlights would not have been an option without a properly functioning alternator and all. We were able to fix it the following morning, and everything is gravy now.

We were only in Prescott a short while because I had to attend my last class sessions EVER on Monday and Tuesday in Conway. So, we stayed with a most gracious host - Aunt Kim, Uncle Eddie, and the kids, who just recently moved to Bryant. We figured Bryant was a closer drive to Conway than Prescott ;). We had a great time staying with them. Kylie got to eat all the cheese she could hold, eat cookies, and get completely spoiled by the Weaver folk. She didn't want to leave.

She had a blast :)

We had been praying for a while about God's direction for our life in regards to my job. Traveling had been the plan for almost 2 years, but for some reason Toby and I felt the Lord leading us away from this opportunity. It was kind of sudden, but we decided on Tuesday night that we would not go traveling and stay closer to home. I had received a few job offers in Little Rock and Bryant, so we began to pray for direction.

It just so happens that I had my yearly "girly doctor" appointment on Wednesday. We had run out of pull up's while at Aunt Kim's so Toby and Kylie dropped me off and ran to Sam's to get some reinforcements. It was a typical visit like normal. You know. I got to meet Dr. Smith, who by the way is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. He was the only doctor that I had not met at Cornerstone. I expressed a few concerns stating that I was pretty sure that I was not pregnant, but then again - I didn't know that I wasn't. In fact, I typically think I'm pregnant most every month since Toby and I are kinda on what we like to call "The Faith System." So, Dr. Smith and his nurse offered to run the pregnancy test just for the heck of it. I thought sure - that saves me the money of wasting another one (since I check pretty much every month). I can honestly say that I did not expect them to pop their heads in both wearing a goofy little grin saying in almost unison - "Congratulations!" But, apparently congratulations were in order because the test was indeed positive :-D Mrs. Cindy, Casey's mom-in-law, is the ultrasound lady there and she was more than excited for us too. It was a great way to find out :)

So, stunned ... I hurriedly ran the test out into the lobby to show Toby and Kylie who had just got back from Sam's. Thinking back on that, that was kinda gross, wasn't it?? Carrying the pee test out there. Haha. I was excited, what can I say?? I also got a little baggie to carry it home in too - weird? Perhaps.

So, we are officially pregnant! Doubting Thomas here had to come home and use my last pregnancy test to confirm the doctor's results. Haha ... it was still positive. We're not exactly sure how far along I am (maybe 5-6 weeks), so we'll find out more at the official OB appointment towards the end of this month.

Well, on to the other exciting developments - graduation!! Friday was a very fun filled day seeing friends, family, hugging, loving on nieces, graduating, etc. It couldn't have been a more perfect day. In the end of it, I was officially Doctor Paige Marie Bullock. Weird, I know. But, true all the same.

I think Kylie was D-O-N-E with graduation day by this point :)

We decided to take the job in Bryant working for an incredible guy at Carson Physical Therapy. It's an outpatient sports orthopedic joint that appears to be a wonderful place to work. I couldn't be more excited. Now, we just have to find a place to live there and we'll be all set.

It's funny how God works sometimes. He'll set me up with one plan and then suddenly change it. It's like he's testing me each time to see if I'm completely devoted and following his will wherever those twists and turns may go. It's honestly pretty exciting, but scary all the same. One week ago if you'd have asked me my plans after graduation ... I would have given you a completely different story. But, here we are today - graduated, pregnant, taking an outpatient job, and moving to Bryant. Who knew?? God did.

^"5Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

Proverbs 3:5-6

"There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel — that will stand."

Proverbs 19:21

Just a few things I love about Kylie

2011-07-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

1. Hearing her sweet little voice say ... "Pay me. Pay me." Meaning, play with me.

2. Anytime you go to the bathroom, she has to clarify for you asking, "You pee-pee? doo-doo?"

3. At night, she asks me to sing "My girl" to her. I started singing this to her a few weeks ago. She now chimes in singing - "cold outside ... month May ... My girl ... birds in trees." She loves to ad lib. I love it.

4. She HATES getting her hair washed. She has since day one. I for some reason get a crack out of it because she screams every time. Never fails. Haha.

5. She still persists to call yogurt, "Hummy". When she was younger, I would ask her if she's hungry and then give her yogurt when she said yes. So, naturally she calls yogurt "Hummy" meaning hungry. Haha. My bad.

6. Watching her try to blow her nose. She just doesn't grasp the concept that you have to close your mouth first.

7. Her curls. Absolutely love them.

8. After bathtime, she loves to wrap up in a hand towel and stay naked for as long as possible. Sometimes it turns into a game of chase to get a pull-up on her.

9. She now initiates calling people herself. She can see everybody's picture next to their name and the next thing I know, "I call Jay Tot," and the phone is already ringing. Haha.

10. She's finally starting to differentiate the grandparents names. Now it's Paw-Paw "Dabid", Paw-Paw "Les", Maw-Maw "Debbie", and Maw-Maw "Dan". At least she's got Debbie down. Go Kylie.

11. She likes to "cook" for us, and here recently she's been "cooking" her miniature puppies and then sipping them out of a cup saying "it good" while offering us a sip. That's my daughter. Haha.

12. She loves being dramatic. Imagine her standing on the back her little comfy chair that's pushed up to the counter eating some cereal. Now, imagine her randomly start to do the slow fall saying, "Oh, no! Oh, no!" She then continues to fall as slowly as possible til she hits the ground at which point she pretends to be dead.

13. She loves to line the trash with a new trash bag. I have no idea why, but she always says, "I do!"

14. She hit her head on the headboard of the bed not to long ago, and now every time she accidentally bumbs her head on the bed she says, "Supid bed!"- meaning stupid bed! :)

15. A boy pulled her hair while she was in one of the bouncy jumpy things. At the time, I thought Toby was going to beat up a 1 1/2 year old. Haha. But, anyway ... now every time her hair gets pulled, she remembers and says, "boy pull my hair."

16. She calls a poot/passing gas a "toot toot."

17. She loves to flush the toilet - just not too keen on using it anymore.

18. Seeing how long her hair actually is when it gets wet.

19. Hearing her say, "I sit you." meaning "I sit with you."

20. I love that her favorite movies are Harry and the Hendersons, Kung Fu Panda, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Tangled, and Dinosaurs.

21. Watching her dance. She is just so cute.

22. I love seeing her pick out her own clothes. She is actually color coordinated sometimes, but other times - not so much.

23. I love that her right eyelashes are blonde and her left eyelashes are a lot more brown.

24. Her sweet little hands. It melts my heart when she says, "I hold you hand."

25. Hearing her say, "I lub you."

26. One of her favorite things to do is "Side!" meaning slide :)

27. Knowing that she's never going to let me forget to put "choc" in her milk. Here lately she's been asking for "daddy choc." Daddy likes to use Nesquick instead of Instant Breakfast. Haha.

28. Holding her when she's sleepy. Sometimes she lets me hold her like a baby again.

29. She sings randomly, and sometimes she makes up her own song. My personal favorite goes like this, "Puppy at home with Maw-Maw Paw-Paw."

30. The way she says Aunt "Bickie"

31. Putting her hair in pig tails.

32. Listening to her pray. It's just so sweet.

33. Her organization skills are just amazing. Everything has to have it's own place.

34. I love her demanding nature sometimes. When we're trying to get out the door, she gathers up our shoes for us saying, "Let go!"

35. Watching her face light up with joy when she sees new things.

36. Her little poses when I take pictures of her. A lot of the times she runs from the camera now. I suppose I take too many pictures, but goodness - she's just so darn cute!

37. Fighting with her over daddy is always fun. "My daddy!"

38. If you're not paying attention to her, she'll take your face with both of her hands and turn it til you are looking at her.

39. If she has her pick, she likes to sleep with Mommy and Daddy, but if she sleeps in her bed - it's all about Woody and Monkey.

40. Watching her little wheels turn while she plays memory games. It amazes me how good she is at it. She no longer will play the easy levels - she will only play the hard levels saying, "I pay hard."

41. I love that she is fearless and will try anything. This can also be a bad thing, but for now - I love it.

42. Hearing her moo like a cow.

43. Stealing hugs and kisses from her.

44. Hearing her say "peas" aka please.

45. Listening to her version when I ask, "How was your day?" :)

46. Seeing her light up in a book store.

47. I love that she loves to help clean.

48. She always has me scrape the bowl clean to make sure she gets every last bite.

49. Watching her swimming abilities get better and better.

50. Sitting with her in the recliner watching a movie. She'll say, "Cuddle."

51. She takes any opportunity to hide! Whether it be under the covers, in the laundry basket, or in a corner. She loves hiding.

52. She is just too cute trying to play the Wii.

53. Laundry is one of her favorite things. She loves rolling around in warm clothes.

54. Watching her play with puppies. She just loves puppies.

55. Reading her favorite books to her.

There are many more that I could think of, but I would probably go on all day and you would get tired of reading. She is the sweetest child. God is so very gracious. We could not have imagined a little woman better than her. God gave us this child to raise for Him. What an honor it is.

We have one more week here in Springfield. Time has surely flown by. I believe on the list of things to do next week (besides packing) is to visit the fair in town on Free Ride Day! :) I love all the cheap/free things to do here!!

During this past week, we've been to Branson to see the sweet Berry family. I just love Shelly. She's been one of my best friends since Jr. High. I can't believe we're all "grown up" now.

We took Kylie to her first ball game this week - she watched the Springfield Cardinals take on the Arkansas Travelers. One of my sweet co-workers gave us tickets that she had won during spirit week at work. How awesomely sweet is that??

We had girls night and boys night with Rachel and David, so Kylie got a lot of Lizzie time in. She had a blast. The boys went out to eat at an apparently awesome place, and Rachel and I saw a movie :) We all had a blast. We're going to really miss them when we leave next week.

Our biggest adventure yet was just yesterday. We took Kylie to St. Louis to see the Arch and the ZOO! :) Needless to say, she had a blast.

Here's a few pictures of our recent adventures ...

Me and Shelly! :)

Swimming with the Berry boys!

They're so cute.

Take me out to the ball game!

My little slugger.

Hanging out with sweet Rachel.

The Arch!

Loving on the best Daddy ever!

Posing in front of the waterfall at the Zoo.

Laughing with Daddy at the Sea Lion show.

HIPPO!

Guinea Pig :)

^"27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. ²⁸Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord. So they worshiped the Lord there."

1 Samuel 1: 27-28

Typical Paige Move

2011-07-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that I have a knack for getting myself into awkward situations or random difficulties that may or may not have been avoided. And, for those of you who didn't - you have learned something new about me today. Since I'm not one to disappoint ... let me recount a recent "Oh crap, is this really happening?" moment that I happened upon during this clinical rotation.

Typical day in the rehab. Treating patients. Loving seeing progress. You know how it goes. I love my chosen profession, so it was another start to a great day. One of my new favorite patients requested to go to the Chapel to visit since he hadn't been there before. Now, let me tell you - this is no ordinary hospital Chapel. This is the epitome of hospital Chapels. It is beautifully huge! Paintings, murals, marble walls and floors, and it's bigger than my home church back in Humnoke - all within the hospital. So, when my patient requested to go to the Chapel, I was all for it. Naturally. Plus, it has a piano in there.

My new favorite patient happens to be utilizing a wheelchair at the moment, so going to the Chapel was a great way to work on endurance with wheelchair mobility. When we arrived at the Chapel, he took a rest break while I played a couple of his favorite hymns on the piano. After the rest break he noticed that there was a little ramp going onto the stage, so he practiced negotiating the little ramp and explored the stage for a second. There was a door leading to a backstage area, and he asked if we could see what was back there. My first thought was simply no. But, then I thought, why not? It doesn't have a sign plastered on it saying, "Forbidden." So, we explored the back room finding some old choir music and such when he noticed a door leading out to a small patio. I thought to myself, "How cool is that. I bet nobody even knows this is here. How neat that there is this little patio." Of course my curious patient wanted to check it out. So, we did.

Upon exiting onto the patio, we saw that there wasn't a whole lot going on out there. There was a random water hose semi-rolled up and not much of a view. We were out there for maybe a couple of minutes when we decided to head back in. I reached for the door to turn the handle and my heart dropped when it didn't budge. I thought to myself, "No freakin' way. Are you kidding me??! It locks from the inside?!" I turned around to my new favorite patient and didn't have to explain anything - my face said it all. But, luckily - he is one of the most optimistic people I know and didn't freak out a bit. He jokingly problem solved saying we could use the water hose to shimmy down the side of the hospital. I tried to remain cool on the outside, but I had never felt so helpless. Nobody knew we were there. I mean, they may have known to look in the Chapel, but that random little patio outback? Who would even think that it existed? It would literally be the last place they looked.

I didn't have my cell phone on me, and my heart was about to beat out of my chest I was becoming so anxious. Luckily my new favorite patient is awesome. The patio was L-shaped, and around the corner he located a stairwell. Now, being in a wheelchair, I couldn't exactly take him with me. I was then faced with our only option - I had to leave him there in the almost 100 degree weather and come full circle to retrieve him. Great. I'm abandoning my patient on a random patio. That's clinical student of the year right there. I was in such a hurry, that I bolted through the stairwell door not realizing that the creepy old stairwell had about a foot drop into it. I about rolled down the stairs. Wouldn't that have been great? My patient would have been stranded on a hot patio in a wheelchair, and I would have been stranded in a creepy old stairwell with a broken leg. But, God always looks out for me and I managed to catch my balance as I flew down the stairs.

I couldn't exit on the floor we were on, so I had to go down a floor before I could begin my rescue mission. The elevators were actually closer than the closest stairwell, so I power walked to the elevator trying not to make my haste so obvious. I would say I was a big fail with that effort. I was sweating, half running, and probably wild eyed trying to make it back to the Chapel. The elevator of course took forever. I was regretting not running to the stairwell the entire time. Finally, the elevator took me up a floor. I made a dash back to the Chapel, ran through the pews, swung open the patio door, and my new favorite patient was sitting there patiently smiling. Whew! I had never been so relieved.

We made it back to the rehab safely. He even told me that he wouldn't say anything if I didn't say anything. But, being so honest - and, since it was kind of a humorous story - I told my clinical instructor who thought it was equally bizarre and funny. Now I'm telling on myself to all of you :)

So, anyway - that's just another example of a typical Paige move. Unfortunately, things like this happen more often than I'd like. But, I wouldn't have it any other way. Maybe this is God's method of teaching me things. I'm not sure of the lesson in this story - maybe it's listening to my first instinct? The one that told me, "No, don't go explore the little back room." I guess I like to learn the hard way, right?

I'll leave you all with a few fun things that we've been doing in Springfield as we begin our eighth week here. I can't believe it has flown by so fast. I will officially graduate in less than 4 weeks :). Amazing. God is so very good. In every situation. He is good.

Just a swinging.

There is a Butterfly house that is free and Kylie just so happens to love it!

Her first spin on the merry go round.

Her hair is finally long enough for pig tails :)

Her thoughtful pose.

Showing off her coon skin hat and pop gun! Yeah!

Life as we know it :)

2011-06-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

Our days here in Springfield are starting to become more and more routine. So, I thought I would share a typical day in the life of the Bullock's since we've been here:

I get up around 6ish to get ready to head to my clinic site, and try to be as sneaky as possible and not wake Kylie and Toby. I grab a bite to eat, and run out the door for a full day of learning :-D

Toby and Kylie of course sleep in. When they finally roll out of slumber, they straighten up our little room, hand wash some dishes, eat lunch, have counting lessons, refresh our towels, work on memory games, get more toilet paper, play with blocks, make the bed, get the mail, go play outside, etc. Pretty much they hang out all day and have a blast.

I get off work around 4:00pm and that's when the real fun begins :). We typically head to the YMCA or one of Springfield's many city parks. Today we went to a pool where you can get in with just a donation of a canned of food item after 5:30pm. I love finding stuff to do here that's pretty cheap. It's great. This last weekend we went to an awesome pool that had a ton of fun stuff to do including a wave simulator.

That's pretty much how each day goes down. Some days we're lazy and watch reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond or battle it out on Mario Kart Wii. Then there are some days that we get to hang out with Rachel, David, and Lizzie. But, most days we are either swimming, walking trails at the nature center, or climbing playground equipment. I love that there are so many things to keep us occupied. It's making time fly by. We're halfway there - only five weeks to go! And, only six weeks 'til graduation!!! WHOOHOO!

Kylie's bedtime routine :)

2011-06-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

I was sitting here thinking over our time in Springfield and I wanted to share a little story about our rather complicated bedtime routine.

First things first. Kylie Maye always has to have her milk before she goes to bed. She's such a dairy girl. Her main preference is that it has "choc" in it. Believe me when I say, she doesn't let you "accidentally" forget the chocolate instant breakfast. She cracks me up. She'll ask for milk saying, "I milk", and before you can respond with, "Okay, sweetie", she throws in "with choc!"

After she has her milk with "choc", we lay down and cuddle as she attempts to play with my eyelashes. She has done this since she was about two months old. For some reason, playing with eyelashes helps her to sleep. It's the oddest thing. But, ever since she was 18 months old, we've been trying to break her of this. Yet, she is the most stubborn little thing I've ever met. So, telling her, "No. Don't play with my eyelashes" is part of our nightly routine as well.

Next, we say our prayers. She bows her little head and closes her eyes as tight as she can while I begin to pray. She often chimes in saying, "Thanks - Mommy, Daddy, MaMaw, PaPaw, Puppy ..." and she'll keep thanking God for her little circle of family and friends until I'm done praying. She likes to pray with you simultaneously. I love it.

And, it's not over yet. She likes for me to sing to her. Now, this is my favorite part. She doesn't necessarily want a lullaby. She wants me to sing about everybody we just prayed for. She'll say, "Sing ... Jay." So, I'll come up with a fun song about Jay to some random tune. I'll go ahead and let you know her typical progression ... it typically starts with Casey, then Robbie, Jay, MaMaw, PaPaw, Mi (Mica), Ian (Aaron), Nate (Nathan), Claire (Ann Claire), Lila, Mommy, Daddy, Puppy, and she could add just about anybody else that she wants. However, these are the main ones chosen. Haha. So, feel special you guys. Kylie and I sing about you every night. What I love about this part of the night is when she decides on who to sing about. For example, she'll say "Sing Robbie, yeah, yeah, sing Robbie." That's how she says it every time. She has to throw in the "yeah, yeah". Too stinkin' cute.

She has recently added one more aspect to this extremely drawn out bed time routine. One night about a week ago, I started to rub her back as she was going to sleep. It took me back to when I was little, and Casey and I would always tickle each others backs. (Okay, so maybe we still do that if we spend the night together. What?) So, as I was rubbing Kylie's back I thought she would really enjoy it being tickled real lightly like Casey and I do. Well, now she is expecting it. She'll say, "Mommy, tickle." I'll appease her for a minute or so and try to fade it out. It's then that she reaches back on her back as if to say "Keep going." Haha. Hopefully we can phase that one back out of the nightly routine.

All this to say, I love my sweet little woman. It's a blessing to be able to put her down to sleep each night. She is so very precious. It may take her 30 minutes to finally go to sleep, but I so enjoy every one of those 30 minutes.

Oh, and by the way. We've already been here 3 weeks. I can't believe it! Craziness. Life always does seem to fly by. Here's a few pictures to keep you updated on how we've been spending our time :)

The Discovery Center!

It's a hands on science museum :)

She LOVED the decked out miniature apartment.

It was hard to pull her away from the magnets. Haha. I'm too funny.

BLACKLIGHT!

He's on top of the world!

Trying to teach Kylie to be a better navigator than Mommy is.

Two of our good friends from Conway, David and Rachel, are up here in Springfield. They just so happen to have an adorable little woman that's close to Kylie's age.

Kylie loves Lizzie :)

Told you! They're too cute.

The park!

Riding her dinosaur.

Having fun at the Nature Center!

Pretty, pretty.

So fun.

This deer was awesome! It walked beside us forever.

I'm sure these next seven weeks will fly by, and then we'll probably be missing Springfield a little. We get attached a little too easily. Maybe that's a good thing. I love loving life with my heart wide open. It truly is a wonderful life :-D Thank you Lord for blessing me with it.

Moving on Up :)

2011-06-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

Well, we are here. Good 'ol Springfield, MO. We're a week into it as of yesterday. And, you know ... it's not that bad! Imagine?! :)

The move went somewhat great. Some might say I was a bit stressed out - maybe I was, but thank goodness it's over. We had wonderful family and friends come to help - I love you guys. It was a bittersweet goodbye, but Kylie was carefree with her Woody as she said bye-bye to her first house.

Bye-bye Southern Hills :'(

Kylie holding all of our stuff down after the move :)

The drive up was beautiful. I drove my little car all the way there following close behind Toby and Kylie. Unfortunately, I did not have an air conditioner, so I rode with my window down the whole way. Despite my sweet husband's advice, I opted out of wearing sunscreen. Needless to say, I am much tanner on my left side now - embarrassing.

We are settling right into Springfield. I'm starting to get into the groove of my new rotation. I'm loving the rehab setting - especially the patients. Loving people is one of my favorite things to do, and I get to do that on a daily basis. That's why I love physical therapy.

Toby and Kylie are thoroughly enjoying Springfield as well. They wake up, play, eat, clean, wait for me to get home, and then we go to the YMCA. The YMCA is pretty stinkin' awesome. They have a great facility with basketball courts, work out equipment, weights, a pool, a kiddie pool, and a hot tub. They've even got steam and sauna rooms! The best part about the YMCA is that it's free for us. We're staying at Extended Stay America and they do not have any workout equipment. So, they give us free passes to the YMCA whenever we ask. How awesome is that?

We've hit some of the highlights while we've been here. We took Kylie to the Bass Pro Shops, and let me tell you - it was pretty awesome. I forgot my camera when we went, but you can be looking for a post solely about Bass Pro Shops. It has a ton of fun attractions that Kylie just loved. She came out ready to shoot stuff, and immediately grabbed up her nerf gun when we got to the car.

We went swimming at a local pool, and Kylie loved watching people jump off the diving board. She has also been able to play in a few playgrounds too. We've gotten a taste of Andy's Custard, and we have tried the famous pineapple whip of Springfield. My best synopsis is that it's a nice mix of sherbet with tropical sno. Kylie happened to like the grape whip the best.

One of Kylie's favorite places to go is Price Cutter Plus! It's pretty much right next door to us, and it has carts with little police cars on the front for Kylie to ride in. She loves it. Our family drinks an abnormal amount of milk per week - at least three gallons a week. So, the fact that Price Cutter sells milk from a local dairy in glass bottles makes it all the more enjoyable to go to. They bottle great milk, and a bunch of fun milks too - strawberry, chocolate, orange dream, root beer, and cotton candy. We haven't been brave enough to try the cotton candy flavor yet.

Overall, we've had a great time so far. We are on an extreme budget this summer, but at least there are a lot of fun things to do here that are either free, or really cheap - life is good! :-D

Kylie playing dead (but she's peeking :-D)

Chillin' in the hotel recliner.

Eating breakfast!

She's so cool with her granola bar.

Her new lounging chair.

My pretty little woman.

ZOO!

2011-05-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

I had to blog about the zoo before I talked about our moving extravaganza. Let me start by saying this - I think I love the zoo far more than Kyliebug does. It's pretty much one of my favorite things to do. In fact, Toby and I went there when we first started dating.

Giraffe!

We have been goofy from the start.

Riding the train :)

Loving each other. I think we're pretty good at that.

I still can't believe that Toby and I will have been married for 4 years this September, and in December it will have been five years that I've been able to call him mine. Crazy how time flies, isn't it?

Okay. Back to the zoo. We were able to take Kylie to the zoo last year about this time. She was such a cute little bald sweetie. I just love watching her in wonderment.

Checking out the chimps.

That Gorilla has some great balance!

Elephants!

Scary, but she sure did love that kitty.

Pretty as a flower.

Love this picture. It's like foreshadowing into her teenage years.

Group picture on the train!

Goofy little bald baby.

On to this year's zoo trip. We had the privilege of going with Josh, Ann Claire, and Lila! It was pretty awesome I must say. We all had a blast, and Kylie couldn't get enough. I so wish that those three lived right next door to us.

Lila and Uncle Toby look pretty excited about the zoo :)

Toby and his mini-me

Pretty momma and baby

Scary snake!

However, Kylie has no fear.

Checking on Lila to make sure she's doing okay :) Such a good big cousin.

She chased the penguin as it swam. So stinkin' cute.

Lots and lots of fish!

We're a penguin family!

Checking out the giraffe.

Sweet, sweet little family

She got to pet it!

Farmer Kylie.

Love these two. They are too funny.

Josh and his mini-me

Kylie had to have her picture with the gorilla.

Now, that we've worn out the Little Rock Zoo, I think it is time to give another one a try. Since we're so close up here - the St. Louis Zoo is definitely on the list of places to visit! I can't wait to go!!

I just love my family. Not just my little immediate family, but the whole clan. And, not just the Bullock clan, but also the Tumbleson, Henry, and Ammons. We are blessed beyond measure with a whole host of wonderful extended family. God is so very good.

I love these little sweeties!

Home

2011-05-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

Home is where you make it. Home is where your heart is. I think I've heard these two phrases quite a few times in my 26 years. But for me, home is wherever God puts us. Don't get me wrong, I love our hometowns, but we're willing to go wherever.

Kylie riding dirty in Prescott :)

Tromping through the fields of Prescott.

Walking with Daisy in Humnoke.

Dragging around her eggs at Easter in Humnoke.

I've been a little nervous about moving. Toby might say that I've been mildly depressed since we started packing last week, but I've come to realize that we're not leaving our home. Our home is with each other. So, I'm not sad or anxious about moving anymore. Yes, we'll be away from family, but we'll have each other.

God knows what He's doing. He has put our little family together, and we are His. Since we've been married, we have tried to buy a house two different times. Both attempts greeted us with a swift door slam in the face. Once we went as far as to having the keys in our hand before we met a bump in the 'securing a loan' road. I remember being so very disappointed, but looking back now - I can see God working. He knew we were not staying in Conway. See, guys. Most of you know that we're moving to Springfield, MO here in a couple of weeks, but after that I will be taking a job with a company and become a travel physical therapist. We plan to do this for a couple of years before Kylie becomes school-aged. It's really the only window of opportunity that we have to make this happen. This job could take us many different places across the US. That is both very exciting and very scary for us. I'm not sure what God has in store, but this is the direction He is leading us.

God is very clear about the cost of following him. We have to be willing to give up everything. No matter what He asks of us, we should be wiling to do it. I first learned this lesson when I married Toby. In Ephesians after explaining the roles of man and wife, Paul writes:

³¹ “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Ephesians 5:31

I am very close with my parents - in fact, I'm an only child who has been called a Daddy's girl on occasion. But, this verse is saying that I am required to leave my mother and father to be joined with my husband to become one. That is a beautiful verse, but also a bittersweet one. I guess that's why Daddy sat me down and explained why 'giving me away' was so very important. He made it real for me. He said, "Baby, when I give you away, I'm putting my trust in Toby to take care of you like I have these past 22 years, and that's a big deal."

Being willing to give up everything is a big deal, and Jesus expects it of us. In Luke, Jesus and His disciples run across three different men on their way to Jerusalem. Jesus makes it crystal clear what is expected of one of his disciples.

⁵⁷ Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” ⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” ⁵⁹ Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” ⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Luke 9: 57-62

The first guy is who I want to be. He's very enthusiastic. He wants to follow Jesus wherever He goes. But, Jesus quickly cuts to the chase. If you follow Him, you may not have a place to lay your head. He didn't sugarcoat it one bit.

The next guy they happen across makes what seems to be a reasonable request. When asked to follow Jesus, He asks to bury his father and deal with the grief that comes with it before committing his life to follow Jesus. But, again - Jesus' answer is very direct and hard. He expects us to give Him all of us.

Finally, they run across a man who simply wants to say goodbye to his family before following Jesus. But, again - Jesus consistently puts discipleship before family. If we really analyze the meaning of that last verse in this passage, we see how important this is. Think about it. Looking back over your shoulder while plowing will definitely leave you with some crooked rows. Not only that, but you may also run over the rows you've already planted. When we concentrate on where we are going, and keep our eye on the task set before us, we go straight and the work is done right.

I don't know about you guys, but that scares the heck out of me. I'd like to find some loopholes around this, but there isn't. As much as I don't like it, these words are tough. But, they're meant to be. Jesus meant what he said. He wants to call serious people who truly understand the cost of discipleship. He's looking for those who know what they're getting into, but still want to go ahead.

So, I'm excited for the ministry opportunities that lay ahead of us. I'm sure we'll have plenty over these next couple of years. I mean, who knows who'll we'll meet? I can't wait to be able to tell others about Jesus and encourage them along the way. That sounds pretty awesome to me!

Birthday Shenanigans

2011-05-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

Well, our little Kyliebug is a full-fledged two year old now. Hard to believe, but it is true. She has grown and learned so much over these past 24 months. It's just incredible. Toby and I started packing up some things last night and ran across some old pictures tucked deep inside a random basket. There were pictures of Kylie when she was a teeny tiny little one. Toby said, "I guess she really was that little." He is just beside himself with that sweet baby. It's so precious to watch them together. The Lord has graciously blessed me with a godly husband and has given Kylie a great, godly daddy.

Aren't they so sweet?

Back to birthday parties. Yes, that is plural. I know, I know. Why do I have Kylie two birthday parties?? Well, it all boils down to I'm a people pleaser. I don't want to ask all of our Conway folk to drive to Humnoke, and I sure don't wanna ask all the Humnoke folk to head to Conway (I don't think our house would be big enough). I just want to make it easy on everybody even if it means a little added stress on my part. I'm cool with that.

So, the first birthday party took place in Humnoke, and it was most spectacular :) Kylie got to play with some of my best friends kiddos. It's so odd to say that. My best friends have kids. I have a kid. Wow. Does that mean we're old?

Nevertheless, the party was a blast - even if it was on the day that all the flooding began.

Kylie's actual birthday fell on a Monday, so we took her out to eat at Larry's Pizza. I gave her a choice between rice (she associates this with the Chinese joint) or pizza. She quickly answered, "Piz".

Uncle Aaron and soon to be Aunt Mica met us there. Kylie ate lots of food, played lots of games, and loved every second of it.

On to the second party. The Conway bunch :) Hot dogs, funfetti cake, punch, tea, chips, cokes = good eating. We had yet another blast visiting with everyone and watching the kids play.

About mid way through the party, Toby decided to spruce it up a bit. He pulled out the nerf guns and boxing gloves. What a wonderful way to celebrate a little girls birthday! Haha. No, really - Kylie loved it. She's such a tom boy. She even wrestled one of my best friend's little man to the ground.

I guess Kylie's birthday turned into a birthday week. Now that it's over, the realization of us moving has finally set in. We started packing up and getting ready to head out. I didn't know how Kylie would react, but she was the best packer ever! She was ready to pack up all her toys and all her clothes too. She cracks me up. I guess I should jump on board with the rest of the family and accept it. Three weeks from today, I'll be starting my clinical in Springfield, MO. Ready or not - here we come!

Friends

2011-05-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

Something that I am certain of is this - I have been blessed with amazing friends. Some passed through, some stayed for a while, and some have never left. But, all have been such a blessing. Each person has shaped me in some way into the person that I am today.

Some friends that have been my closest were naturally given to me. My cousins. See, I'm an only child, so I had to adopt "brothers and sisters", and I have always considered my cousins to be just that.

Robbie and I sure fought enough to be considered brother and sister. The benefit was that we could go to separate houses when we couldn't get along. He has and will always be one of my best friends. I couldn't imagine growing up without him.

Mitchell has always been the proverbial big brother to me, and I just love him to death. He recently married the sweetest girl, Melissa. Good pick, Mitty.

Alexandria may be six years younger than me, but she is more than grown up now. She's already engaged! I have very fond memories of a sweet little girl who never wanted to brush her hair. I can't believe that she'll graduate college next year.

Ross and Peyton, her little brother and sister, aren't exactly little anymore either. They kick butt in golf tournaments, and are just overall great athletes. I miss when I could pick them up and throw them around. They are two of the most loving people I know.

I remember always wanting to be just like my oldest cousin, Michelle. She is now a mother and a school teacher - a great fit for such a sweet person.

Tara Lynn has always been my partner in crime. We had more sleepovers than I could ever count. I love how when we get together, it's like we were never apart. We never miss a beat.

I have more cousins that I can count, and even some adopted cousins too. Kari Ann has always been mistaken for a cousin although she really isn't. Close, but not quite. I consider her a sister, anyway. I love that girl.

My first friend, aside from those given to me, was Casey Dawn. I kicked her backpack in 1st grade and told her it was ugly (I was really just jealous of her awesome backpack). For some reason, that sparked a friendship. We were pretty much inseparable until we 'grew up'. We get together occasionally now, but gosh - it's just not enough :)

Yes, we're wearing jean shorts to play pee-wee basketball in.

I came across my 8th grade journal the other day. Here's a few excerpts:

I believe the best part of my life right now is my friends.

Last weekend Casey and I spent the night with Ashley Caviness. She's one of my best friends. We had fun. We watched "Half-Baked" and ate pizza from Pizza Hut.

This weekend, Casey, Danielle, Krystal, Stephanie, and Ashley are coming to spend the night at my house. I hope we have fun.

My closest friends are Casey, Stephanie, Jon, Brady, Carl, Adam, and Bethany. Sometimes we have fights, but we always get over them. I hope I keep in touch with them after I graduate because they're the best in the universe.

My weekend went pretty good. Casey, Brady, Jon, Adam, Stephanie, and I went to the mall Saturday and saw "You've Got Mail." It wasn't that great.

I am so glad that Mrs. Gower made us write this journal, and I'm so happy that I somehow saved it.

Here is my class in 5th grade :)

Here is my brother from another mother :)

My senior class - not quite all 16 of us.

I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!

This is just how we act when we're together.

College and grad school have brought many more friends that are invaluable. God is so amazing in how he brings people into your life at just the right moment. He is a wonderful orchestrater. I cannot even begin to list all the people I have met since high school that have forever shaped my life. You know who you are. (Nathan, you are still not blog worthy - LOL! Just kidding!)

SOS brought many great friends into my life.

Awesomely sweet girls.

Toby's best friend is now one of mine :)

I believe the best friend that God has placed into my life would definitely be my Toby. He loves me unconditionally, and makes me laugh daily. Thank you Lord for giving me the man of my dreams. He is perfect for me. Now that we have each other, God has given us the best little friend ever. Kylie Maye! She is so much more than I could have ever hoped or imagined.

This is just a brief synopsis of the many blessings that have come in and out of my life over the years. I can only hope for many more as the years continue to roll on. I have been blessed beyond measure. I can honestly say that. Completely and totally blessed.

"⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up."

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

EASTER!

2011-04-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

How wonderful is it to serve a risen SAVIOR!! :) Who cares if this weekend didn't go as planned?? I can rejoice knowing that HE LIVES!

This weekend was supposed to be the big Bullock shindig, but with sickness plaguing the Bullock household, we all weren't able to head down to Prescott. So, Toby and I enacted Plan B :) Humnoke bound. Daddy said, "I guess we'll take sloppy seconds." Haha. He's so funny.

Here's typical Kylie - barefoot and loving it.

I was expecting this weekend to be quite dreary with rain and cloudiness, but I suppose that was the forecast for the northern part of the state because Humnoke was beautiful!

Kylie had a blast hanging out with GranJan and GranDaddy all weekend. However, she prefers to call them Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw. Well, she kinda calls both sets Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw. Maybe she'll differentiate between the two eventually :)

We pretty much stayed outside for most of the weekend. It was just so peaceful being outside in the sunshine enjoying the breeze and visiting family.

We dyed easter eggs and Kylie didn't spill the dye once. Can't say that for GranJan. She spilt the blue dye not once, but twice. I guess I get it from my Momma - clumsiness, that is.

She loved doing this!

Kylie assumed that the dye was kool-aid. You should've seen her initial reaction. Hilarious.

She was so proud of her creations!

We had a wonderful Easter service at my home church, Rowes Chapel. It's always great to see all of my 'homefolk'. No matter where I go in life - Humnoke will always be home.

Kylie and I in our Easter dresses :)

While at home, I finally gave into Momma's nagging and sorted through my old closet. I took a little trip down nostalgia lane. I found stuff from elementary, jr. high, high school, and even early college. Trapper keepers, baby dolls, high top basketball shoes, wind suits, pictures, my 8th grade journal from English class, and even a graduation card that I had never opened (it even had money in it!). Good times. I probably had way too much fun going through an old closet.

Sunday afternoon, Daddy and Momma cooked a most delicious lunch and Uncle Robert, Aunt Vickie, and my Paw-Paw came down to eat with us. I must say - we ate good while we were at home.

Of course, Kylie had a blast. She was stinking awesome at finding easter eggs! She'd find one and say, "Where more?" There were a few tricky ones that she needed help with, but for the most part she rocked it out.

The hunt begins!

She even spotted the egg in the tree.

She had a little trouble with this one. Haha. Can you find the egg?

She was so proud that she found all the eggs.

We had a great weekend in general. I just wish that we could have spent some time with the Bullock's. Luckily, next weekend is Kylie's 2nd birthday party in Humnoke. We'll for sure get to see the Bullock Clan.

Whirlwind

2011-04-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

How is it possible for April to be almost over? Time is flying by at a much faster pace than I would like it to. But, I guess I shouldn't expect anything less - I mean, God did say this life is but a vapor. Here today and gone tomorrow. I guess I should just hang on a little tighter and try to enjoy the ride called life. Before I know it my little goofball will be headed off to kindergarten. I guess I should start preparing myself since she is literally growing up before my eyes.

My sweetie pie.

I love my little family.

Amidst the whirlwind that I feel I am caught in, something very exciting has happened recently. Kylie is getting a new AUNT! Aaron finally proposed to his sweetie. Mica Marie Bullock. That has a nice ring to it. Plus, I mean - I've gotta love the middle name. I'm a little partial to it. I can assure Mica that it goes well with Bullock. Watching their excitement is so delightful. I'm so happy for them. It's so wonderful to watch God's plan for their life unfold.

Kylie had to get a picture with Uncle Aaron and Aunt Mica! <-- Yeah!

Aren't they just adorable together? I mean, really.

Looking back over Toby and I's time together, I can see how God bought us together in the most beautiful way. He prepared our hearts knowing that we were just right around the corner from each other. No wonder it only took us 6 months before we were engaged. We just knew.

Since we've been married, time has completely flown by. Much like a whirlwind that I mentioned earlier, our life has carried on so quickly. We'll be married 4 years in September. Wow. But, in the grand scheme of things - that's only 4 years. I'm shooting for 60 :-D Lord willing, we've got much more time ahead of us. I pray that God uses our marriage and us as individuals to bring Him glory. I just want to make much of Him doing whatever He calls us to do for He alone is worthy.

"You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."

Revelation 4:11

Sweet Cousins

2011-04-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night we had the privilege of meeting the newest addition to our family :) Amaya Grace was born in Searcy, AR to my sweet cousin (I claim him as a brother) and his beautiful wife around 4:40 pm weighing 8 pounds, 11 ounces and measuring 21 1/2 inches long. Kylie just loved on her and petted her forehead. For some reason, Kylie loves to pet babies ... haha. It was so wonderful to hold that newborn sweetie. I had forgotten that Kylie was once just as small. I must say - I fell for the little woman immediately as did everybody else. Congratulations Robbie and Amy! You've got one beautiful baby girl!!

Amaya Grace Alberson

The proud parents!

Kylie petting her little head.

Now, that's some proud grandparents there!

Smitten by her cuteness.

She's so happy to have another little cousin!

Speaking of cousins - we get to see Lila Rose over Easter!! She is just a doll :) I cannot wait to see her, Josh, and Ann Claire. I miss those guys so much :) I wasn't the avid blogger that I am now when Lila was born, so here are a few pictures of the preciousness that is Lila Rose.

Lila Rose Bullock

Born June 23, 2010 in El Dorado, AR weighing 7 pounds, 14 ounces and measuring 19 inches long.

Her proud Momma and Daddy :)

Josh is such a great daddy!

Toby wishing he had another one already.

Me wishing I had another one too ;)

Here she is a little older :)

This was Lila at Christmas this past year.

Kylie was being a good big cousin and showing her how to work things :)

And, here is Lila now :) She finally has enough hair to stick a bow in!

We are so blessed by these little lives that surround us. I love hearing Kylie's feet pitter pattering across the tile running to give me a hug. It warms my heart. Children are truly a blessing from God. Kylie herself has been blessed to have such adorable little cousins. I hope somehow that she is able to be as close to Lila and Amaya as I was to Robbie. Robbie is one of my best friends, and I pray that one day Kylie can say that of her two precious cousins. Praise the Lord for family!

Love loving :)

2011-04-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

God has really blessed us with some amazing weather here lately. This weekend was no exception. We had the honor of heading to Humnoke, my hometown. I love my little town. Every time Kylie has me watch the movie "Cars", I tear up on the scene where James Taylor sings "Our town." Humnoke, Humphrey, Stuttgart, Carlisle, England, Lonoke, Hazen, Gillett, DeWitt ... all of these towns feel like home to me. Yes, my address was technically in Humnoke, but I grew up on the Grand Prairie. And, all of these little towns helped raise me in some way. I just adore going home to what feels like home to me - tractors, flat land, and Mrs. Sybil's (our hometown grocery store).

We had a BLAST hanging out with friends and family while literally running through the grass and the woods. Here's a run down of how our weekend went ...

Kylie got to go fishing with my Paw-Paw. It was a delight watching them together. I love my sweet Paw-Paw. He is one of the greatest men I know. Kylie just doesn't know how blessed she is to get to hang out with him :)

Daisy got to experience what it's like to be a country dog.

Toby got to visit with one of his best friends from high school, John, who just so happens to now pastor my home church. We had a hot dog roast with him and his sweet family!

I got to test my tumble skills on the beautiful green grass that blanketed the front lawn of the duck club. And, I surprised myself. I still got skills. Plus, I got to go running in the woods (avoiding snakes of course).

My parents bought Kylie her first four-wheeler. She had a ton of fun cruising around on it.

Daisy got to roll around with Kylie and be strangled with lots of hugs from her little arms.

Toby ran from Kylie as she chased him all around the yard, and posed for pictures that he didn't want to take. Haha.

I got to visit my home church, see most of my family, and spend quality time with my husband. One happy girl.

Overall, the weekend was wonderful. We didn't get to visit with my Daddy much because he was working, and Momma was recovering from her gallbladder surgery, but we still got to have fun with them as much as possible. It was a great trip home. I got some very cute pictures of Kylie playing where I grew up playing - on a trailer, on a bench in the back yard, in a wheat field, etc. She had a blast getting as dirty as possible, and I had a blast letting her do it :) I love having fun with my family.

I am constantly in awe of the love that God shows us daily. Because He loves us, we can love. I don't know about you guys, but I love loving. I really do. My heart is full and runs over. God is so very gracious to a sinner like me. How great is our God!!

^"4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ⁸ Love never fails..."

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

DAISY!

2011-03-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Well, guess what? Kylie got a new puppy!!! Not necessarily on our agenda of things to do, but it just kind of happened. Let me tell you the story :)

Toby and I have been entertaining the idea of getting Kylie a puppy for quite some time now. We kept putting it off because it just didn't seem feasible to get a puppy when we know we'll be leaving soon.

However, as I was driving through Walmart parking lot on Friday night, I spotted a sign that read, "FREE LAB PUPPIES". I mean, free? Really? Surely not. I swung it back around because my curiosity was killing me. I got out to see the puppies only to find that they were indeed little labs. Not completely full-blooded (their daddy was part lab and some part mut :-D), but nevertheless, they each had a cute little lab face!

The first one I picked up happened to be the one I decided to keep. She was just so adorably sweet. She cuddled with me immediately and had a cute little white spot on her chest. She even had some little white splashes of fur on the tips of her left paws. I grew quite fond of her in that short moment, but then I bounced back to reality. Wait. Hold up. I hadn't even talked to Toby about this. Shoot, he was at work! I could just see it, "Surpise! We got a puppy while you were gone." Yeah, that would go over well. I kept going back and forth. I debated with myself. If I got the puppy and Toby didn't like the idea when he got home, surely someone would want a cute little girl pup. Would he be mad at me? What if he liked the puppy? Oh crap, we'd have a puppy that would eventually become a dog. Do I want another added responsibility? I'm sure the people trying to give me a free puppy were getting a little impatient.

I finally told them that I'd take her. I asked if I could run into Walmart real quick to get the essentials (dog food, collar, a bone, you know...), and they agreed. The whole time in Walmart I was still going back and forth. I kept telling myself, "You're not completely committed yet. You don't HAVE to do this." As I was walking up and down the pet aisle, I realized how expensive this whole puppy thing could be! My goodness! I gathered the goods anyway, and headed back out there. It looked as though the people almost gave up on me. They were loading up about to leave. So, I ran over there as quick as I could, and they still had that sweet little puppy. Whew! I was relieved, but at the same time not. Weird feeling.

Upon returning home, Kylie was ecstatic about her new little ball of fur. She immediately starting hugging her. Toby came home and fell for the little critter almost instantly, and now the rest is history. We are now the proud owners of a little puppy named, Daisy! Or, as Kylie would call her, "Buppies!" Here are a few snapshots of our new addition :)

The new duo.

SO EXCITED!

She loves toting this little pup around!

Her first night in her new home.

Showing the puppy where she can get her tummy full.

How cute is she?!

Already posing for the camera.

I'm sure fun times are ahead! Kylie has already taken on responsibility for this new little woman! She feeds her, gets her water, helps give her a bath, puts her collar on, watches her while she uses the bathroom outside, etc. I'm excited that Kylie's excited. I guess we'll just nickname her 'pet deposit' because that's what she'll be for a while. But, I am more than happy about grabbing up that free little puppy in Walmart parking lot. Good decision. I think.

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

2011-03-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you guys, but we Bullock's are LOVING this weather! We've been outside pretty much everyday :-D Flowers are blooming, grass is turning green, sun is shining bright - can't get much better! We have this beautiful purple tulip tree in our back yard. Kylie keeps taking me over there saying, 'mell, mell!' (aka - smell, smell!).

Since it's so nice out, Toby thought it would be a great idea to go ahead and pull out Kylie's pool from last year. Yes, we realize that it's not even April yet, but it's just so pretty and warm. We drug it out and blew it up only to find that it had a few sketchy spots with holes. My daddy taught me a philosophy when I was only knee high to a grasshopper - Duct Tape fixes just about anything. So, I decided to implement the idea and it worked!

Looks brand new!

Kylie frolicking in the sun :)

Gettin' a little sip sip

Well, all was fine and dandy until we peeked out there later that night. We found that maybe Duct Tape can't fix everything. Not only had some of the air leaked out, but a lot of the water too.

womp, womp ...

Kylie was a little on the bummed-out side, so ... well, I'm sure you guys can guess what Toby did :)

A NEW POOL!

Complete with it's own basketball goal, Kylie's new pool will definitely show her some fun times this year. She's already been playing in it and having a blast.

SLIDE!

Just hanging out in the water!

Summer will be here before we know it. In just 10 weeks we'll be opening a brand new chapter in our lives. We head for Springfield, MO on my final clinical rotation at the end of May. Weird, exciting, scary, and bittersweet. I can't believe how time has flown by. I intend to enjoy these last few weeks here in Conway making memories and loving life. This house is really the first place we've been that has felt like home. This is where we brought Kylie home to and it's the only place she's ever known. So, I'm sure that I'll cry when we leave, but until then - we'll laugh, sing, dance, play, and enjoy our sweet little home while we're here. But, in all this anxiousness about what is to come - I can be still and know who holds tomorrow. I am constantly preaching to myself not to worry, but yet I do it anyway. Afterall, why should I worry? God's hand has held and continues to hold me. He'll never fail me. He's been showing me more and more how to really appreciate and savor the present moment. The following passage always comforts my anxious heart, and helps me to realize that there's no reason that it should have been anxious in the first place :)

²⁵ “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ²⁸ So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; ²⁹ and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Matthew 6:25-34

Worry free, never anxious Kylie :)

SHINE!

2011-03-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

All this sunshiny weather just makes my heart happy. I love how God shines His glory through creation. It's so awesomely sweet that He paints beautiful skies for us to enjoy.

This past weekend we were blessed to be able to head to Prescott and enjoy the lovely sunshine! I honestly had no idea just how pretty the weekend was supposed to be, so I was pleasantly surprised. Kylie had a blast loving on MawMaw and PawPaw (her names that she has apparently designated for Toby's parents), feeding cows, hugging puppies, petting cows, chasing puppies, getting dirty, running in flowers, etc. I miss living out in the middle of nowhere ;) It has its perks. So, here are a few of my favorite pics from the weekend.

Picking flowers

Showing off her favorite flower

Loving on MawMaw

Cheesin' it up on the cow trailer

Riding the fourwheeler with Daddy and Momma (she was apparently too busy pushing buttons to look at the camera)

Giving it a first go with a sour jolly rancher

Running from the puppy!

Petting the cows :)

Kylie's thinking, "Man, farm life is hard."

Sunshine. Isn't it wonderful? I like to change the spelling sometimes and look at it from a different perspective - Sonshine. I pray daily that God uses me to shine His Son through. I want others to see that not only I care for them, but also God deeply cares for them. I love this new David Crowder Band song - SMS Shine. For those of you wondering, SMS stands for Send Me a Sign. The song talks about striving to be led by God through all circumstances and letting His light shine through us because the whole world needs to see it. The video itself is pretty spectacular. It's animated using a Bright Light. How awesome is that?! You guys have to see it, so I'm posting it below (just pause the music at the bottom of my blog) :) I pray that we all seek to be the light amidst the darkness. Shine bright guys!!!

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

Matthew 5:14-16

My Story :)

2011-03-10T20:16:00.001-08:00

Recently at church, we all were asked to write down our stories of how God has brought us to where we are today. This is such a wonderful idea, and I hope that many choose to do this. Thinking back over my 26 years, there are many instances where God has proven himself faithful to me even when I was faithless. He has always shown me the way in which I should go. So, here's my story.

When I was 10 years old, I went to Budd Creek Church Camp with my best buddy Casey Dawn :) I loved and still love church camp. It's just so great. This particular time, God was really working on my heart. On the Wednesday night of camp, I surrendered my life to Christ. I was on fire. I remember coming home and almost demanding that Robbie be saved. Haha. I wanted to know for sure that he'd be in Heaven with me one day, and not too long after, he too surrendered his life to Christ. Here's a picture of my little Jesus-loving, 10-year-old self :-D (Don't laugh)

Life kept rolling on from there. I was growing up. Eighth grade rolled around, and so did my interest in piano. I grew up around a ton a great pianists in the Grand Prairie area. Jackie and Craig Nobles, Joan Crawford, Debbie Tyler, and I literally could keep going. Mrs. Joan, in particular, was our pianist at Rowes Chapel. I always felt so lucky that she was ours :) I'd always been interested in piano, but never really pursued it until I was in eight grade. Mrs. Joan's husband, Bro. Willie, had been battling cancer and they were in and out of church because of this. Our church was in need of someone to fill in on occasion. Now, at the time, I had NO idea that it would be me. I mean, I had never played before. But, God had a plan.

That year was the Christmas that it was cool to get one of those little keyboards from WalMart, so naturally that is what I asked for. I easily picked out little songs like "Amazing Grace", and then I picked out "My Heart Will Go On" (come on all you Celine Dion fans ... Titanic was big that year!). So, my Daddy suggested that maybe I should take some 'formal' piano lessons.

Sweet Whitney Jones was my first piano teacher. We had lessons at Mr. Chris and Mrs. Judy's house :) I treasure those memories. I remember the first lesson: Whitney showed me how to read the music on the treble clef - every good boy does fine, all cows eat grass. I went home excited to learn my first piano book! See, guys ... I was a little naive. I literally thought I had to finish the entire book before the next lesson, so I did. Whitney couldn't believe it when I asked for the next book. She made me play through it all, and sure enough - I had learned the whole book! From there, I was only in piano lessons for 3 more months. My first hymn that Whitney taught me to play was "Trust and Obey". I still do not really understand how I was able to comprehend the piano so quickly - it is truly a God given talent in a time that was needed. I started playing for my church sometime after that and played until I left for college.

Here I am in 8th or 9th grade :)

My senior year of high school was one that I strayed. Not many people knew, but it happened. I grew tired of being "goody two-shoes" Paige, and attempted to talk the talk and walk the walk of the world. I'll leave it at that, but it was a 7 month downward hill spiral of me doing things that I always said, "Well, I'll never do that." My idiotic stupor was shaken my first semester at college, and I realized the person I was becoming. I literally turned and ran back to God, ashamed of what I had become. Guilt ate away at me for forever. Guilt that I couldn't shake. Guys, Satan will hold you down with guilt to keep you from becoming all that you can be in Christ. I finally forgave myself, and moved on, but it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Forgiving myself.

God pulled me out of that valley, and set me up on the mountaintop. Throughout college, I had the opportunity to lead bible studies, share my testimony, lead others to Christ, lead worship, play the piano for various student ministries, go on mission trips, etc. etc. God is so good. I don't know if you guys have ever seen Lifehouse's Everything Skit, but it hits home for me. I'm sure it will with a lot of you too. (Pause the music at the bottom of my blog before watching it :-D)

Me, Natasha, and Adam playing and singing on a Mission Trip to Costa Rica

I dated a boy throughout college that, at the time, I honestly thought I would marry. Everyone thought that. But, one day God laid it on my heart that it wasn't going to happen. I didn't know how to handle that information. Right before Thanksgiving break in 2005, we broke up with the ultimate goal of pursuing God whole heartedly with no distractions. And, that's exactly what I did. That following summer, I attended Kaleo in Summit County, Colorado. I learned so much about God and how to glorify Him more and more. He really prepared my heart for what was to come.

Here's me, Hannah, and Molly - my D-Group from Kaleo

Coming back after Kaleo was so exciting because I had a targeted ministry. I was on fire once again sharing the glorious Gospel! I still had not dated anyone, and didn't intend to. I was kinda scared of boys at that time. I told everybody that Jesus was my boyfriend, and we were doing just fine. I still desired to be married one day and have kids, but was beginning to wonder if that was God's plan for my life. I struggled and wrestled with that concept until one day I surrendered. In December 2006, I told God that I was His completely. He knows the desires of my heart better than I could ever comprehend. So, I gave my life completely to Him. I remember praying, "Here am I Lord, send me". I had become completely okay and even excited about the thought of being a missionary my entire life. If God wanted me playing piano in a church in the middle of Africa on a dirt floor, I was there. I put my complete faith in Him.

As it so happens, December 2006 was also the month that God threw Toby into my lap. I had finally surrendered everything to Him, and He gave me the desires of my heart. He gave me my husband. I love how hindsight is so clear. The rest is pretty much history. I married my best friend and now we have a wonderful little woman together. God has blessed us beyond measure. I could not ask for more.

This was actually our first date :-D

The following two verses carried me throughout college and still continue to carry me. As a woman, we're always told to follow our heart. But, scripture clearly tells us about our heart.

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?"

Jeremiah 17:9

How can we follow our heart, when it so easily leads us in the wrong direction? Knowing that my heart deceives me, I learned to apply this next verse with all my being.

"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:4

Like I said earlier, God knows the desires of our heart much better than we ever will be able to. When you delight yourself in the Lord, the desires that you once had may change. Therefore, we must delight ourselves in Him. He knows what we have need of even before we ask. I am so grateful to God for loving me despite my sinfulness. Our God is so wonderful.