Slowly but Surely...,

I will be back! :)

Christmas Home Tour

It is no secret that I love my little mill house. It is also no secret that I love Christmas. Perfect combination for an excuse to decorate! I had a Christmas shower the Christmas season before we were married. It was wonderful! I got so many things to get me started. I need to remember that for my friends who are getting married!

Here are a few decorations that I have up right now in our home. I decorated on my Thanksgiving break and add a little bit each week.

This is by far, my most favorite Christmas decoration. I LOVE my nativity! It is afterall the reason we celebrate the season!

Here is our mantle. My walls are not this white, I have no idea why they seem that way.

Our real tree!

This is a special tree for two reasons. This is the same small tree that I had in my bedroom as a little girl each Christmas. This was a tree I could decorate anyway that I wanted to. I love this little tree. The box, frame, and ornaments on the tree is the second part of why my tree is special to me. My mother-in-law gave me the box filled with these ornaments at my Christmas shower two years ago. Each ornament has a special meaning for a married couple. I thought it was worthy enough to have its own tree.

This is just another tree in my dining room. I love Christmas trees!

Not sure why our stockings are blurry. I am going to go ahead and order a few extra stockings so we can add to our family in the next few years. 

I saw this plate at Christian Supply this year and could not leave until I had it. I LOVE it!

It has been a rainy nasty mess lately. When it clears up I will take pictures of my outside decorations.

Hope you have enjoyed a few of my favorite decoartions inside the house!

Merry Christmas!

Past Two Months in Pictures

This was out of our window at The Grovepark Inn in November- it was a wonderful weekend away!

Us in front of the giant fireplace at Grovepark

Another beautiful view

Perks of John Thomas's work : We have been able to go to Panther's game and treated like royality! This was inside the box seat area. Very cool!

This is the Gillespie's Christmas. John Thomas's papa is the sweet man sitting down in the plaid shirt. We love Papa very much!

Here we are at Aunt Laura's for the first Christmas celebration!

Here I Am!

I have a valid excuse this time of the lack of blogging...

my computer had a virus (and trying to type a blog from my Ipad was a pain)! Not one, but three! Problem solved though & I am back!

Since last blogged, we have been busy getting ready for Christmas! Thanksgiving came and left us quickly and now Christmas is quickly approaching! I am hoping to post pictures of our house soon. I love Christmas and I love decorating for Christmas!

Since being on break I have been super busy with things! Today is my day of rest. My rest day includes cleaning this house to a T (I actually enjoy cleaning most days) and giving my Wally baby a bath!

Until next time...

love-

Days of Thanksgiving: Day 16 - The Sweetest Reunion

I have many sweet hearted students. I have one in particular that I just love and adore. From the first day I've really just enjoyed being around him.

Yesterday he tells me that he will not be at school today because his dad is coming home from Korea. I believe he said that he has been there for 15 or so months. Long time. This dad serves us in our US Army.

So today we are walking down the hall and I ask him why he was at school because of his dad. He goes onto telling me that his dad's flight has been delayed from Washington, DC and he won't fly into Greenville until late tonight. He tried to convince his mom to stay home today but she wouldn't budge. Those were his words.

I am on lunch duty this week so I am one of the first ones in the cafeteria. I notice many teachers standing, some with a camera, in there and man in a tshirt right around the corner from where the kids come in. It took me only seconds to figure out what was happening. I started crying before this child was even in the cafeteria. It seems like we waited for ages for him to get in there. He finally came in not paying attention at all. Out of the corner of his eye he looks over. I hope the face he made was captured because I don't know if I will ever see such a pure sweet face light up again. He literally ran into his dad's arms and buried his face. The tears at this point was unstoppable. He hugged his dad and did not want to let go. It was the sweetest experiences I think I've ever seen. They were off to surprise his little sister at the school next door. I wish I could have seen her face!

I have watched the homecoming shows on TLC and seen different video clips of kids seeing their parents for the first time after returning home and I always shed a tear. To see it in person was even better! I am so glad I was able to experience this! I am so thankful for the those who serve and come back to be with their families! Thank you God for keeping this man safe!

Today, I am thankful for sweet reunions.

Days of Thanksgiving: Days 10-15

Here we go... Day 10-15

Day 10- Thankful for my In-Laws - I seriously have a wonderful mother-in-law. I was never fortunate enough to meet my father-in-law but I know he was one wonderful man! I also love my brother in law and his wife so much! They are such great friends and family!

Day 11- For the 13 years with my Papa. If you've ever talked with me any amount of time you know the impact my Papa Fleming had on me. That man was my world. He was the strongest Christian man I've ever met. He went home to be with the Lord in April of 2003. My life hasn't been the same and I learned a lot from his death. I've never had to experience the death of someone and for my best friend to be the one to experience, I had a really hard time. But thankful for making it through those dark days and to the point I am now where I know one sweet day I will be with him. And I will NEVER lose him again!

Day 12- My brother! I love him so much! He is four years younger and we still fight like cats and dogs. However, he is one of my best friends. We've grown so close since I got married, it really helped our relationship. I love you, Reed!

Day 13- Monday mornings. I might not always seem thankful for this. However, when Monday morning comes I know that I have a job to go to. I love my job! I do complain about Mondays and I don't enjoy always going back after two short days off, but it is so nice to have a job to go to when so many in America don't have a place to go.

Day 14- My church! I love my church! I have been a member at Poplar Springs since I was four years old. I was baptized there, raised there, married there, and still a member. Since we've been so busy lately and gone almost every weekend I've missed so much and I feel so empty! I am so thankful I have a church where I love to be to worship!

Day 15- Bible Study girls! Melinda and I met during my student teaching and now we teach together. She is such a wonderful friend! This summer she invited me to start coming to her Bible Study with her. This has been a blessing on my heart! I enjoy this group of girls! Tuesday night fellowship is one of the highlights of my week now!

Days of Thanksgiving: Day 6, 7, 8, and 9

As always- life happens and I am almost a week behind. But here we go, all at the same time :)

Day 6 (Sunday) - Military

My brother is just four years younger than me. One of his best friends growing up left Sunday morning for the Marines. On Friday we are also celebrating Veterans Day. I am so thankful for our military! I am the one proud American in the morning to say the pledge with my students. It is such a privilege! So, thank you veterans and those still fighting for my freedom. I'm so thankful for you and your selflessness.

Zach is on the left in the Byrnes shirt and my brother is on the right side. Zach- Thank you for going to fight for our freedom. Make us proud- I love you bud!

Day 7 (Monday) - Transportation

This is something that I take for granted each day. I am so thankful to have a nice, reliable running car. I was so forunate that when I graduate from high school my parents bought me the car that I wanted. I LOVE my 4Runner and if you've ever talked to me about cars you will hear that I am driving it until it falls apart. But even if it wasn't the car of my choice, I would still be thankful to have something that takes me from Point A to B. Another lesson learned from teaching- not everyone is fortunate enough to have a car.

Day 8 (Tuesday) - Megan

I can not begin to be thankful enough for my cousin's sweet wife, Megan. I don't even feel like she is that far down the family line. Megan and I talk almost daily now- I would consider her one of my best friends. I can talk talk talk to her and she is always willing to listen :) I am so thankful that Justin (who is my actual cousin) was smart enough to marry someone that I would love and get along with! I am the only girl in my family, including cousins, so it was such a relief to have another girl that I got along with! I am so thankful for her friendship! In September, Megan was blessed with the most beautiful baby girl! She is such a sweet mommy.

Thanks for everything Megan, I love you!!

Here we are in Spring of this year waiting to board our flight to NYC! So much fun together!

Day 9 (Wednesday) - Nature

I am a total beach person. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the beach! I spend almost two weeks at the beach during the summer! Even in the fall and winter I love being down at the beach. The past few years though I have really grown to love the mountains. This past weekend we went to the mountains for the weekend. The trees were beautiful! John Thomas and I sat, looking out our hotel window, in awe of God's work. We talked about how could people not believe in God when they just simply looked at nature. It is a masterpiece. This weekend we are heading to Charleston to his Citadel reunion. We are one street over from the ocean. I can not wait to wake up and see the ocean for a few mornings. Thank you awesome God for creating such beautiful masterpieces! I can't even begin to fathom Heaven if you make Earth so beautiful!

This was looking out of our hotel this past weekend. Tell me, how do you not believe??

love-